Great premise for a story. I like the structure. Going from John to Elenora and back to John is a good way to show what John and the minister were talking about. I would like more details: a hint at the questions John wants answered, the reason the minister is giving him the file now, after years of asking those questions, an idea of how Elenora reacted when she was abducted and how she felt in the van. I think this could turn into a very compelling novel.
You have me hooked–I can’t wait for the rest of the book! I got a good feel for your character and her relationship with the town. You set the scene well with your description of the town–including the smell of manure really brought it home.
The only description that was hard to picture was “The handicap and emergency parking paint was peeling from the sidewalk. There were no street markings on the road except the parking spaces.” I know where you were going with it, and I like the idea, I just think would benefit from some rewording.
