RSBM:
I'm so glad you picked up on that the other day. I've been paying attention to it, and I agree it's a great strategy. These days, people just read the headlines. I think it's smart they are telling all of the details of the story, then finishing with the headline.
I think leaving her car at PTL was a panic move. I think Heather met her fate at LB's, and after that, all communications were done using her cell phone to keep from their phones pinging in suspicious areas. For the trip back to her apartment, I think someone else was driving her car and considered leaving it there. For whatever reason (fear of security cameras, someone seeing them get out of it, whoever was supposed to pick them up was a no-show), they panicked and left and headed to PTL. They were probably full of adrenaline and freaking out and just wanted to get home, so it would be "over." It may have also crossed their minds that if the car was at PTL, there would be no signs pointing LE to LB's.
That's my theory.