Page 66

CHAPTER ONE

S houting outside of the park office captured Emily Davis’ attention. She opened the front door. They didn’t officially open the visitor center for another two hours, but she wanted to see what the commotion was about.

A skinny scruffy looking guy with a beard and a see-through white tank top stood by the visitor center sign. “What’s DCNR stand for?”

“It tells you on the sign,” a heavyset blond girl answered. “Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.”

“Do ya think this is the place to report Sue missing?”

DCNR Ranger Emily Davis cleared her throat and introduced herself. “I’m Ranger Davis. Maybe you should come inside.” She held the door for the group. As they brushed past her on their way into the building, the pungent odor of stale beer filled her nostrils.

When they were all inside, she listened to their story and gaped at the group. “You’re telling me your friend left her campsite at six o’clock last night and never returned, and you’re only now reporting her missing?”

A large man with bushy eyebrows whose t-shirt didn’t cover his bulging stomach took a step forward. “We have two campsites on opposite sides of the campground. Sue’s my girl, and we was staying together, but we got into an argument ’fore she left for the boulders. I figured she was too mad to come back, so she must’ve stayed with her sister. I didn’t realize she was gone until we all met for breakfast this morning.”

She glanced at the rest of the group for confirmation. Four of them nodded in agreement, but one woman kept her gaze trained on the ground. “Are you Sue’s sister?”

The woman raised her gaze to meet Emily’s and gave a slight nod. “Yes. I’m her sister, Mary.”

“We’ll organize a search. Do you know where she went?”

“She said she was going to visit Boulder Field,” Mary answered.

“Did she hike the trail or drive in?”

The boyfriend jumped in, “Drove my car. Sally took us out there before we came here. My car was in the lot, but Sue wasn’t there, so she must’ve gone hiking.”

Emily radioed dispatch with the information she’d gathered. She jotted down their names and cell numbers. “Okay. Return to your campsites. We’ll be in touch.”

“Aren’t we going to help in the search?” Mary asked.

“We’ll organize a civilian search party if it comes to that, but we always start with the professionals. Most lost hikers are found quickly once we’re notified that they’re missing.” She gave the boyfriend a pointed look.

After the group of campers left, she hopped into her state-issued Ford Interceptor SUV and started down the long road toward Boulder Field.

Emily pulled into the lot, parked, and exited her vehicle. Spotting the red Honda CRV the missing hiker had driven out there, she ambled over to it and peeked in the windows then walked to the edge of Boulder Field and took a deep breath of pine-scented air and stared out at the expanse of boulders surrounded by serene coniferous forest.

Ranger Pete Cunningham’s vehicle approached. She met him at his car and gave him the lowdown. “The missing hiker’s name is Sue. She left her boyfriend’s car here.” She pointed. “There’s nothing remarkable about it as far as I can see.”

Pete’s eyebrows knitted together as he frowned. “Will we be calling in rescue dogs?”

“It’s possible. She’s been gone twelve hours, and we don’t know if she has water. It’s cool enough now, but as the day heats up, she could be in trouble.”

“Calling them in seems premature.”

“If we don’t find her by noon, it may be unavoidable,” she said.

Ranger Austin Crowley drove up to where they stood and lowered his window. “What’s this I hear about a hiker missing for twelve hours? Didn’t anyone notice she was gone?”

“Apparently not.” Emily sighed. “Her companions had two campsites and judging by how they looked and smelled this morning, they were drinking heavily.”

Austin smoothed down his blond curls. “Mustn’t care that alcohol is prohibited in the park.”

“Not surprising.” Pete scratched his chin where a day’s worth of stubble resided.

Austin parked and joined them. “Seems suspicious to me. I doubt we can rule out foul play.”

“Maybe we should look for her before we make any wild accusations.” Emily tilted her head. She thought it was suspicious but wasn’t ready to vocalize her concerns.

“Shall we split up and search the forest surrounding Boulder Field?” Austin asked.

“Let’s start with the closest deer trails,” Emily said.

“I’ll trudge around the outskirts until I get to the marked trail. Maybe she was injured hiking it,” Pete said.

“Or maybe she ran into an angry bear,” Austin said.

“Unlikely, but possible. I’ll never forget my training ranger describing the bear attack where those three campers were chased near Hawk Falls. The bear covered the woman with brush. It’s a wonder he didn’t do more harm. Who knows what those people were thinking when they decided to camp there in the first place, but then to leave open food out?” Austin shook his head.

“You have to wonder about the intelligence of some people.” Pete smacked his palm to his forehead. Without another word, he sauntered off. To start searching, she presumed.

Emily watched him make his way around the field to the trailhead. Austin followed a barely visible deer trail to the right of where they stood, so she chose another one to her left.

Emily tripped over a tree root and reached out a hand to steady herself against a pine. Realizing her mistake, she rubbed the sap onto her uniform pants, but some clung stubbornly to her palm. The fresh scent of pine comforted her despite the sticky mess.

She glanced at her watch. Eight o’clock. The heat was stifling despite the early hour. Her short-sleeved uniform shirt clung to her skin. The elevations generally stayed cool until mid-morning, but this day was an exception.

She stepped forward, and her foot lodged in a hole. Her ankle twisted awkwardly and pain radiated up her leg. She bent down to rub it. She’d come at least a half mile down the narrow path and would need to hobble back out. She rolled her foot a few times. It wasn’t as bad as she’d first thought. She should be able to walk on it. Hoping to find a tree limb she could use as a walking stick, she looked around until she spotted a long enough branch. She grabbed it, and it dislodged something that at first glance appeared to be a large rock, but it didn’t feel like stone. When she looked closer, the empty eye sockets of a human skull stared back at her.

She bit down on her fist, seeking a calm that eluded her. It wasn’t their missing hiker, but it was a person. Someone was searching for him or her. Probably a woman, but she couldn’t say for sure. If the woman had died out here of natural causes, her body would be intact and recognizable barring an animal attack. She inspected the skull closely. It was weathered, so it had been in the elements for some time. She radioed in her discovery and waited for backup.

She hoped she’d found an ancient grave uncovered by animals, but she knew better.

While she sat there guarding the possible crime scene, a woman was lost in the woods. Protocol being what it was, she’d stay put until they secured a perimeter, but it felt like a colossal waste of time. Who was going to disturb the skull on an unmarked trail?

Leaning against a tree, hair sticking to her face and neck, she reached into her pocket for a ponytail holder. This was shaping up to be a brutal day. Normally, she wouldn’t mind the twelve-hour shift, but she wished she could go home and call her friend Sam to vent over what was quickly becoming her worst day on the job.

She jerked her head up when she heard a shuffling sound nearby. “Austin, you frightened me.”

“You were expecting me, weren’t you?”

“Sitting beside a human skull is disturbing. You try it for a while.”

“I barricaded off the parking lot and since all of us DCNR rangers are otherwise occupied, I asked Jerry to block Boulder Field trail down by Hawk Falls and put up a sign letting visitors know it's closed to the public today.”

“Creepy Jerry from maintenance?”

“His name is just Jerry, but yeah the guy from maintenance.”

He lifted a giant roll of crime-scene tape out for her inspection. “Shall we?”

“Yes. Let’s.”

They worked together to cordon off the area and then hiked back out to the lot.

Emily ditched the walking stick as she and Austin arrived back at the parking lot. Two state police vehicles were pulling in, both Ford Interceptors like the DCNR rangers drove. Austin hurried to remove the barricade and let them through. The troopers parked, and she and Austin greeted them.

The first trooper slid out of his SUV. “I’m Trooper Cunningham.” He shook hands with each of them in turn.

Emily took note of his firm grip and direct eye contact. “Any relation to Pete Cunningham?”

The trooper grimaced. “He’s my cousin.”

“Not his biggest fan?”

“He tortured me when we were kids.”

The second trooper approached and held out his hand. “I’m Trooper Green.”

“Green, huh?” Austin grinned. “We’d prefer a trooper with experience, but we’ll take what we can get.”

“Funny. Haven’t heard that before.” The man’s voice dripped with sarcasm, but his eyes lit with humor. “Our crime-scene investigators are right behind us.”

“Austin can take you to the skull,” Emily said. “I’ll wait for your CSIs and show them where to go.”

“I’ll be back.” Austin touched the brim of his hat and headed down the trail with the troopers.

Another SUV pulled in and two men hopped out. They opened the back and each of them grabbed a kit. She felt sorry for them since they’d have to lug their cases through the dense woods. “Do you need a hand?”

The taller man shook his head. “We’ll be fine.”

“After I replace the barricade, I’ll show you which path you’ll need to take.”

“Sounds good,” the shorter man said. “CSI Stephens, by the way.” He turned to his friend. “This is CSI Keller.”

“I’m Ranger Davis.” She tugged on her ponytail. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Had she honestly used those words? Heaven help her. She was turning into her grandmother.

She dragged the barricade back into place and led them to the deer trail. “You’ll find Troopers Green and Cunningham down this trail with Ranger Crowley.”

“You’re not joining us?”

“No, if you don’t need help, I’ll stay behind. I found the skull, and I’ve spent more than enough time with it.” She gestured at the surrounding woods. “Besides, we have a hiker lost somewhere out here, so I need to rejoin the search for her.”

CSI Stephens nodded his understanding and took off down the narrow path while his colleague lagged behind.

Small branches, brush, and thorns clawed at Emily’s arms and snagged her slacks as she scoured the deer trails near Boulder Field. Leaves and twigs rustled underfoot leaving a loamy scent in her wake. She stopped to wipe sweat off her brow and leaned against a towering spruce. Her ankle ached, but she was able to use it normally.

She gnawed on her bottom lip. Her trepidation about their missing hiker’s wellbeing grew by the hour. If they didn’t find her soon her circumstances would grow dire. The distraction of finding human remains had cost precious time.

She tried to ignore the rumbling in her stomach but needed calories if she was going to keep up her search. After a quick prayer for the woman’s safe return, she hiked out to her SUV.

The drive back to the visitor center to pick up her packed lunch was uneventful. It was eleven by the time she pulled up to the park office. As she was lifting the radio to ask dispatch to put together a search team with dogs, Pete strolled through the front door with a scraggly-looking woman trailing behind him.

“Meet Sue. She spent the night in a tree to keep out of reach of coyotes.”

“I’ll call an ambulance.”

“I offered.” Pete shook his head. “She refused medical attention.”

“Let me talk to her.”

Pete shrugged and stalked off.

Emily inspected the woman from a distance. Wild bloodshot eyes met hers. Her bare knees were scraped, and her hands were rubbed raw, presumably from clinging to a tree all night.

“Sue, you need medical care. I’m sure you want to get back to your group, but you’re more than likely dehydrated, and your wounds need to be treated to avoid infection.”

The woman nodded her agreement, so Emily had dispatch put out the call. Once their hiker was safely on her way to the hospital, Emily grabbed her lunch from the refrigerator. She would take a few bites of her sandwich on her way back to Boulder Field.

Emily stood beside Austin and lifted her hand in greeting when a Crown Vic entered the lot. A man exited the vehicle and strode toward them. There was something familiar about his walk. She studied him as he made his way across the macadam. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, and she couldn’t help but notice how his white dress shirt hugged his broad shoulders. He’d loosened his tie and left his top button undone. His dark hair brushed the top of his collar and curled at the ends. Unkempt, but attractive.

When his startlingly blue eyes met hers, she took a step back and wrapped her arms around her body. Eleven years melted away in an instant, and a familiar vice grip took hold on her heart. She didn’t break eye contact with the man responsible for her pain.

“Em. I didn’t know you were a DCNR ranger.”

She’d never expected to see him again. Never. Yet here he was in the flesh, and the grownup version of Wade Brunner was wreaking havoc on her composure.

“I take it you two know each other,” Austin said.

“We were high school sweethearts. Isn’t that right, Em?” Wade locked his gaze with hers again.

“Ancient history.” She swallowed and broke eye contact as another sedan drove up.

“It’s good to see you. Although I wish the circumstances were less grim,” Wade said.

She glanced over her shoulder. Austin took a step closer, and she looped her arm through his.

He freed his arm and draped it over her shoulder. “Are you going to introduce us, Emily?”

“Of course. Sorry.” She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “Wade, this is Ranger Austin Crowley.”

Wade held out a hand to shake Austin’s. “Sergeant Brunner, but you can call me Wade.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you two seeing each other?”

She elbowed Austin to keep him from answering. “That is not your business.” She straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “So, you’re a state cop?” Emily asked.

“I’m one of the detectives assigned to this case.”

“One of?” Austin asked.

“Sergeant Strauss will be working with me.”

Emily cleared her throat. “Why don’t we take you to the skull?”

Austin took a step backward. “I’ll hang here.”