Hi Cougie,
So sorry to hear about Tascha. I'll be praying for her for her safety and for her to be found soon.
When I adopted Elvis, they told me that he had been adopted before, but that he somehow escaped and ended up roaming the streets again. He was lucky to have ended up back at a shelter and not at the pound. They made me promise that I would never let him outside because next time he might not be so lucky. Elvis occasionally sneaks out into the hall when we open the door, so I'm really careful. Once, he got out into the hall when my friend walked in and she didn't notice (I wasn't home). A few minutes later, when she realized that he wasn't in the apartment, she opened the door and saw him on the other end of the hallway. When he saw her, he came running back into the apartment. I live on the sixth floor of an apartment building, so it would be pretty hard for him to actually get outside, but we're still very careful.
I hope you find Tascha and your friend gets to keep her so that she's indoors and safe.