Could be pearseha - but I was thinking of men who are alone (I'm thinking abduction). I don't know the town other than people saying everybody knows one another - all is friendly. So - what happened? Somebody was out at 9:15 or around that time wanting a child. Guess I'm trying to figure out why that person would be in or around the Shell gas station. Was she grabbed or coaxed? Local or transient? familiar or stranger? This child has been missing since Friday night - hope they find her soon.
My guess would be, if the kidnapper is a man and the kidnap was sexually motivated (heaven forbid), he was on his own property and spotted her walking by. This is a common enough way for this to happen. We had a rather wracking case in Toronto recently where a monster had been sitting home watching child *advertiser censored*, and happened to see poor Holly Jones walking home from her friend's house (she, too, had been walking her friend back home, and was returning), and took the opportunity.
I think a lot of the time, it is merely about sickos getting the momentary urge and taking an opportunity.
ETA: I am not sure exactly how the houses are spaced, but he could have seen her walking, considered it a bit and not been able to resist, and then went down the road to find her.