Page 31 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

T his was not what Evan was expecting. Did Rex do this?

He waved to Keith. If someone wanted them dead, they would have done it by now.

There was no need for Keith to continue to cover him.

Keith made his way over as Evan crouched down and inspected Toby’s boots.

Wrong type. Wrong size. It wasn’t Toby at his house this morning.

Plus, based on rigor, he’d guess that Toby had died the previous evening.

Mckenna might be right. Toby could have been framed for her kidnapping.

If he’d figured out who it really was and confronted them, then the kidnapper was desperate and had killed him to keep him quiet.

So that left the possibility that Rex was the kidnapper, or there was still an unknown suspect.

The unknown suspect could even be working with Rex.

Evan didn’t believe in coincidences. The fact that Rex had been following Mckenna made him the number one suspect in Evan’s mind.

Mckenna. He pulled out his phone to text her and tell her to stay put and not go anywhere until he came back to the office.

Of course that was now going to be late tonight.

Maybe he could get her to go home with Cassidy.

His main priority, besides taping off a crime scene and waiting for the coroner and evidence team to arrive, was finding Rex.

Then he might feel like Mckenna was safe.

The Jeep was parked at the picnic area. But he knew Toby had an old truck that Rex had kept for him.

It was in the truck that Mckenna’s jacket and some of her other belongings were found.

“Why were you staring at his boots?” Keith asked.

Evan didn’t feel like answering and giving out much information to Keith.

Technically, Keith’s job here was done. As a probation officer, he didn’t have to worry about Toby anymore.

“Just curious about some stuff, that’s all.

I need to radio the sheriff. See if they can get a deputy to Rex and Toby’s house on the off chance he’s there. ”

“I can go look if you want.”

“Don’t you have other things to do?” Evan asked. “I mean I figure you have a list of parolees to check on. I don’t want to put you behind schedule.”

“I have a little bit of time before my next appointment and it’s on the way back to my office. If you want me to swing in quick, I’d be happy to do it.”

“Okay, thanks,” Evan said. “If you think Rex is there, call the sheriff’s office and ask them to send a deputy. Wait for backup so you don’t approach him on your own. If Rex is there, the deputy will bring him in for questioning.”

“Will do. I’ll be careful,” Keith said. He turned to leave and paused. “You know, I know Toby did a nasty thing taking that girl and maybe those other girls too, but I felt like he was trying to make it. Stay out of trouble, you know?”

Evan nodded, not sure where Keith was going with this.

“You didn’t ask me, but if you did, I would say his brother, Rex, was really the guilty one. Anyway, I’ll see if he’s at their house and let you know.”

“I appreciate it,” Evan said, not sure what else to say. He hadn’t asked Keith, but they had come to the same conclusion.

Once on his own, Evan took a deep breath.

This case kept getting stranger and stranger and the woman he loved was in the middle of it.

He hoped Rex would be at the house, but he also doubted it.

That would be too easy. The only thing he didn’t doubt was that Rex may have shot Toby in cold blood.

Being in law enforcement, he’d seen what families could do to each other.

Often the most unspeakable acts came from those the victims loved the most.

His cell phone didn’t work in this area, so Evan trudged back to his car and pulled out his satellite phone.

He was able to get ahold of the sheriff’s office and the local Forest Service officer.

Luckily, since it was federal land as part of the Forest Service, he had jurisdiction and the sheriff could also be involved.

The Forest Service officer was working on the other side of the forest several districts away.

Evan told her she didn’t need to come right now, but he’d keep her posted.

When he talked to the sheriff, she agreed to put out a BOLO —Be on the Lookout—for Rex. After she called that in, Evan asked her about Penny. Penny Gardner seemed to be a big key to this case whether she was involved intentionally or not.

“She was released on bond,” the sheriff said. “Despite what I told her to scare her, a judge fit her into his schedule. She did a PR bond.”

“Can you have a deputy check the house? On the off chance Rex is there?”

“I’ll send one out right away. You need someone at the Hanson residence?”

“No,” Evan said. “The probation officer, Keith Warren, said he’d stop and check on his way home.”

“That was nice,” the sheriff said. “Helps me out since I only have a couple deputies on duty right now.”

“We’ll stay in touch,” Evan said, hanging up and grabbing crime scene tape out of his vehicle.

Where the heck did one start taping out in the wilderness?

He walked to the gate and closed the picnic area.

The last thing he needed was tourists showing up and taking selfies with a dead body.

Then he started running tape around the parking lot.

He wanted everything around the Jeep processed and would get the vehicle towed to their garage for the forensic team to go through.

Then he ran tape in a large area around where Toby still sat. If Evan didn’t know better, it appeared as if Toby was out enjoying the Colorado day, getting some sun. Arriving back to the parking lot, Evan found a spot where he had just enough signal to text Mckenna.

Are you okay?

Within seconds he had a message back with heart emojis, saying she was good. Then another message—What’s going on?

She had a sixth sense, as if she knew that he wasn’t only saying hello.

Not much. I’m thinking of you and miss you. I may be working late. Maybe think about going home with Cassidy. Tomorrow, I can pick you up and we can swing by your house and get your things. I’d love for you and Mocha to stay with me again. Tell Mocha he can have the couch. I don’t mind.

The response was a little slower, but then, What aren’t you telling me?

Evan didn’t know how to answer. Tell her the truth?

But if she knew Toby was dead, she might think she was safe.

She could walk straight into a trap because Evan was certain that she was next in the kidnapper’s plan.

The game was catch and release, after all.

He had to convince her to trust him and not ask questions.

The less she knew, the better. He finally texted; I’ll fill you in later.

Just go home with Cassidy, I’m having a long day and it’s going to be a long night. I’ll meet up with you tomorrow.

He really hoped she’d listen.