Page 17 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

T he next morning, Evan was out early for a run. He’d slept fitfully, which he blamed on not working out the past few days. Plus, a run gave him time to think. The more he thought about Toby’s confession, the more he was certain that there was a kidnapper out there who hadn’t been caught.

But he had to prove it.

Arriving back home, he showered and was about ready to leave when his cell phone rang. The caller ID said it was the lab. Maybe with the tox results?

“Knox,” he said, picking up the call.

“Morning, Agent,” said a person who sounded way too happy for this early in the morning. “This is Allison from the medical examiner’s office and I have some results for you on the case you’re working. Is this a good time?”

“It is.” Evan started to pace around his living room. What type of drug would the results show?

“Both victims had alcohol in their systems. I know that’s no surprise. They had enough to be slightly impaired, but not enough to be intoxicated—at least at the time this blood was drawn. On a side note, the coroner found a .45 caliber bullet in Autumn, but he doesn’t think it killed her.”

“If the alcohol and gunshot didn’t kill her, then do you know what did?” Evan asked.

“I think so. There’s more. Let me bring up the second test.”

Evan was trying to remain patient but was having a hard time.

“Okay, they both tested positive for GHB or gamma hydroxybutyrate. It’s a party drug, although it’s sometimes prescribed for narcolepsy.

When it’s given to someone it can create euphoria or even heighten sex drive.

It will definitely make it easy to get someone to do what you want, and the victim will have amnesia.

I think it could also be the cause of death in Autumn’s case. ”

“Why do you think that?” Evan asked.

“Because when it’s mixed with alcohol it can be deadly.

It can cause a coma and death. Everyone reacts to drugs differently.

I found out that Autumn was also taking meds for depression and anxiety.

She was taking Xanax, which is a benzodiazepine.

The alcohol mixed with the benzos and GHB was a lethal combo for her.

I’m shocked that she made it as far as she did before she collapsed.

Adrenaline helped. Who knows? Of course, the pathologist and coroner will determine final cause of death, but I believe this is what killed this young lady. Very tragic.”

“It is tragic,” Evan said, “but at least we have some answers. Thank you.”

Allison hung up and Evan headed out the door.

He’d learned that Lily had gone home from the hospital, but he needed to talk to her.

See if there was anything else she could remember and discuss the party.

He called Lily’s parents and received permission to come over.

Then he opened Mckenna’s contact on his phone.

He wanted to talk to her, but he wished it weren’t for work.

Right now, though, his priority was finding the sicko who took Lily and killed Autumn.

If Mckenna had a connection to the case and was taken by the same person, he needed to figure that out too.

Especially if it meant Mckenna was in danger.

Evan hit the call button and heard the phone ring.

“Morning, Agent Knox.”

His stomach was in knots. “I thought I told you to call me Evan.”

He heard her laugh. “I know. You did. I was just teasing you.”

“I like your teasing.”

“Yeah? Good. What’s up?”

“I uh…” Evan hesitated. How did he tell her that he went through her files? Saw the pictures. Knew intimate things about her that she’d never told him?

“Spit it out, whatever you have to say is fine.”

“Okay. I went through the files last night and watched some of the interviews with Toby Hanson. I didn’t have time to watch all of them. They kept him for hours.”

Silence.

“You okay?” Evan asked.

“I’m good. What’s your thought on my gut feeling that Toby didn’t take me? That he might be innocent?”

“I agree with you,” Evan said. “I mean, as an agent I need to investigate more. I can’t say for sure that he’s not guilty, but the techniques used to get him to confess could get anyone to confess to a crime.”

“What’s next, then? What do we need to do?”

“I need you to be careful. If there is a kidnapper out there who’s never been caught and he starts to believe that Toby isn’t being investigated for this case, then he could come after you.

” Evan hesitated again, thinking about Rex’s vehicle.

“If you see that Jeep following you again, you need to let me know. Right away, okay?”

“Okay, I can do that. What can I do to help? I’ll tell you anything that I can remember.”

“I want to be careful about how involved you are in this case, but I’d like to chat with Lily, and I think it would help to have you and Mocha there.

I want to learn more about the party and then I’m going to speak with Penny Gardner.

Not only is it time for her parties to stop, but she has information.

She could even be withholding something, who knows. ”

“I can meet you at Lily’s in about thirty minutes. Mocha and I were getting ready to head out the door,” Mckenna said.

“I’ll see you there. And Mckenna?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.” Evan hung up. He’d wanted to say more than that. He couldn’t wait to see her. He wondered if she would want to have dinner sometime. For now, though, he needed to figure out what was going on and keep her safe.

Mckenna loaded Mocha into her vehicle, and they made their way toward Lily’s parents’ house.

She worked to not be overly excited to see Evan, but it was hard not to want to be with him.

Or just around him. Sleep had eluded her last night as she kept waking up thinking about the kiss and how she wouldn’t mind doing that again. But today was about work.

“We have to stay professional, don’t we, Mocha?

” Mckenna said. Talking to her dog helped her feel better sometimes.

And focus. She heard Mocha emit a deep, contented sigh.

“Plus, what makes me think he’s even interested?

Who apologizes for crossing a line after kissing a girl?

A good guy who knows that we work together, that’s who.

What do you think, Mocha? Is this a mistake? According to Cassidy it’s a mistake.”

There was no answer except for snoring sounds.

“You’re not much help.”

Mckenna thought about the conversation with her sister the previous night. Cassidy had called after hearing a rumor that one of the secretaries in the office had seen Mckenna kiss Evan at the coffee shop.

“Why did I do that in public? Huh, Mocha?”

Cassidy had warned Mckenna that Evan was only out for himself.

All he wanted was a promotion, no matter whom it hurt along the way.

Evan was using her to solve this case and when it was over, he’d be done with Mckenna.

Gone. Maybe even transferred again if by some chance the FBI did decide to promote him.

Cassidy didn’t want to see her get hurt.

But the fact was, Mckenna was beginning to think it was worth the risk.

Evan was everything that Cassidy said—driven, wanting a promotion, “work first, didn’t matter who it hurt” kind of guy—but she’d seen another side to him.

One that she really liked and wanted to get to know better.

He was the first guy she’d ever been with who seemed to want to get to know her .

Not the kidnapped girl who was famous, but Mckenna for who she was.

Deep in her thoughts, Mckenna glanced in her rearview mirror.

Her heart thudded quicker as she gripped the steering wheel.

There it was. The blue Jeep following her.

Again. She couldn’t make out the driver.

How could she manage to get the license plate and see the driver better?

At a stoplight? Mckenna got off at the next exit and pretended to be going to a gas station.

For once, she was hoping for a red light, but it stayed green, and she had to keep going.

There was a gas station and small food mart up the hill.

Mckenna turned in and slowed down, making the Jeep also slow down.

The driver was male, but he had on a hat and sunglasses.

He sped up and she couldn’t identify him, but there was something familiar.

She managed to write down the plate number to give to Evan.

This was too much of a coincidence. She was being followed and she didn’t like it.

Turning back out of the gas station, Mckenna continued onto Lily’s house, keeping an eye on who was behind her, but the vehicle never appeared again. The person had to know she’d seen him. But what scared her more was that the driver was bold and didn’t seem to care.

Mckenna found the driveway for Lily’s house, and as she wound her way down the hill to the residence, was glad she didn’t have to clear this driveway in the wintertime.

Evan was leaning against his vehicle. She saw him before he saw her.

His arms were crossed, accentuating his muscles, and he was gazing off toward the mountain peaks, seemingly content.

Even happy. She’d never seen him like that at the office.

Ever. It only made him more appealing and attractive.

She parked and stepped out of the vehicle. When Evan turned in her direction, Mckenna’s heart pounded a little faster. Was it her imagination or was he admiring her? Before she did something she regretted, like kissing Evan with witnesses again, Mckenna went to get Mocha out of the vehicle.

“Morning,” Evan said behind her. “You need help getting Mocha out?”

He’d come over and was standing behind her, a slight grin on his face that made his blue eyes twinkle. His hair was still wet from a shower.

I’d love to shower with him.

The thought crossed Mckenna’s mind before she could stop it and her face flushed red. “No, I got him. Thanks, though.”

“You okay?” Evan asked.

Although thoughts of being with Evan had distracted her briefly, she was still feeling the anxiety from the Jeep following her. She stopped opening Mocha’s crate. “I saw it again.”

“It?”

“The blue Jeep. This time I saw the driver. He was a white male, but he was wearing a hat and sunglasses, so I couldn’t make out more than that. I pulled into a gas station, and he kept going. I was able to get the license plate information.”

“I can run the plates.”

“That would be great. Thank you,” Mckenna said. “I’ll give you the information after we talk to Lily.”

Mckenna went back to unloading Mocha. She set up the stairs for him to go down and when he touched the ground, Mocha started wagging his tail at Evan, a big doggy grin on his face. Evan crouched down and encouraged Mocha to come and say hello.

“Morning, buddy,” Evan said. “No drooling on me today, okay?”

Mocha wagged his tail in response and leaned up against Evan, almost pushing him over.

“Looks like you need some love this morning,” Mckenna said, instantly regretting her choice of words.

“I do,” Evan said, standing. “Ready to go to work?”

“I am.” Mckenna and Mocha followed Evan. This time she was mentally prepared for their talk with Lily. Whatever Lily shared wouldn’t be such a shock.

Mckenna wanted nothing more than to find the person who did this so she could quit being followed and they could all move on with their lives.