“At least, that’s the hope,” Tucker adds. He’s tall and lean with a clean-shaven face, sandy-colored hair, and snapping green eyes. “‘Course I’m more worried about elevation sickness. Remember, I’m from Chicago, after all.”
“I bet.” I chuckle. Being from Northern Idaho, the elevation’s never been my concern.
“Iowa boy, here,” Ralph replies, regaling us with his Midwest pride yet again. “So, the Sierra Nevada royally kicked my ass at first. But I’m acclimated now. I’ve recently surprised myself with my stamina, actually.”
ChapterFive
BEAU
As twilight settles in, I’m ready to give up for the night. Tracking in the dark is a true misery only reserved for the most dire missing persons cases, where time is of the essence. After a week without locating either woman, it’s safe to assume this one’s no longer time-sensitive.
Not quite ready to give up, however, I head into a more remote part of the forest, one I know well. The area is one of my go-to spots for scoping out deer, thanks to abundant meandering streams, lush vegetation, and relative isolation.
Suddenly, a scent catches my nose.Motherfucker.
I stop, sampling the air again. Unmistakable.
The smell of death.
It captures my nostrils, pungent and acrid. And this death has a humanness to it that makes my stomach churn. There’s nothing like it in the world. Cadaverine and putrescine responsible for the awful stench.
Although instinct warns me away, I follow the odor to a large patch of recently disturbed ground. Covering my nose with my hand, I stare at the brushless surface. Using my satellite phone because there’s no signal up here, I call the sheriff’s department, getting Patty at dispatch.
“Hey, Pat, can you put me through to the sheriff?”
“Sure thing, Beau. Please hold.”
I wait for a few moments before Will answers. We went to school together, and it still feels oddly surreal how he went from Vengeance County’s star leftie pitcher to its head law enforcement figure. There were few curve or fastballs he threw that I couldn’t line drive straight up his ass. Fortunately, we played on the same team, which kept things from getting ugly in high school.
“Beau, tell me you’ve found something.” His voice sounds desperate, no doubt the result of the media storm gathering outside his office.
“I’m going to drop you some coordinates. Bring out search and rescue, the cadaver dogs, and have an ambulance and the coroner’s officer on standby for transport. I’ve either found your missing hikers or more job security for your deputies.”
“Goddammit. What in the hell’s happening to our little neck of the woods?”
I grunt. Vengeance County is small by most standards, with just over four thousand inhabitants. However, because of its role as a starting point for the HRT, it receives a healthy influx of seasonal tourists and the big city problems that come with them.
Nevertheless, multiple murders in less than a decade that appear to be linked despite the death of the perp is a problem … a real big fucking problem. And one that I can attest smells to high heaven.
A couple of hours later, law enforcement and first responders swarm the area. The cadaver dogs come in with search and rescue, making their first sweeps of the area. They sit in the same two spots multiple times, independently confirming what everyone’s noses already tell them. Next comes a grisly all-night excavation and the recovery of remains.
The results shake me to my core, although I already knew what they’d find. But there’s something about the juxtaposition of my interaction with Brynn this morning and this grim find that sets me on edge. It’s been a long time since I cared about someone more than myself. Not because I’m selfish, but because I never really learned how to trust others or do the relationship thing. It makes me feel oddly vulnerable, an emotion I haven’t indulged in since childhood.
Although I can’t be sure onsite if the bodies they pull are those of the missing hikers, I’d put my money on it based on the recent state of decay. Dental records will be checked along with other biological materials to confirm their identities. And the coroner’s office will have its work cut out with autopsies to identify what led to their deaths, as well as other evidence that might help solve the case.
Will stands next to me, shaking his head. “This is different than the previous missing hiker cases.”
“Yep,” I agree, tugging on my beard. “The graves were much deeper and better concealed before. This is the work of an amateur and a lazy one at that.”
“Either ghost murderers are sloppy or…”
“Or this is the work of a copycat?”
Will nods, grimacing and resting his hands on his hips.
Raising my eyebrows, I say, “Time for an announcement to the press, don’t you think? Hikers need to be aware of this before anybody else falls prey to this guy. Hell, just this morning, I had to chase off a woman alone at Lake Florence making yoga videos on the shore.”
Will scrubs his face with his hands. “Yep, I’ll get on top of a press release. Can’t help dumbass hikers, though.”
