Page 14 of Danger in the Wilderness (National Park Protectors #1)

“Other than the fact you were attacked?” He smiled. “That the profiler in you reading my body language again?”

“Yup. What’s wrong?”

He told her about his flash of anger in Supervisor Nicols’s office. “The rough edges of my character I thought I’d buried resurfaced.”

Blaire opened her laptop and swallowed the words she wanted to say. That she liked the jagged edges of his character. It matched the stubble on his chin. She set her Dekker crush aside and concentrated on logging into her system.

“So what did your sergeant tell you? How are Kolby and Reed doing?”

“According to Mullins, Reed is his normal cocky self, but Kolby still hasn’t regained consciousness.” She bit her lip. “I’m concerned.”

Dekker placed his hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry.”

Blaire didn’t back away from Dekker’s touch.

Was this progress or her feelings for him emerging?

She’d felt a connection when they first met, but she’d been dating Luca at the time and pushed whatever emotions she had to the back of her mind.

Right now, she fought the attraction. Concentrate. “Thanks. I—”

A knock sounded. “Permission to enter.” Quinton walked into the lunchroom without waiting for an answer. “I heard what happened. Blaire, you okay?”

She jerked her hand from Dekker’s. “Yes. I need to take a painkiller.” She reached into her pack and took out a bottle of water and the pills.

“Your defensive tactics are impressive. Manny told me.” Quinton set his notebook on the table and sat. “But I want to hear it from you. Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

She popped a pill and took a sip of water before relaying the same story to the constable.

“Can you describe him?”

“I only got a quick look. Probably about six foot one. Muscular build.” Blaire racked her brain for anything else that stood out. She snapped her fingers. “Wait, he was masked, but his black clothing was a one-piece. Like something a mechanic would wear while working on a car.”

Quinton scribbled in his notebook. “That’s good, Blaire.”

“That’s all I got.” She opened her laptop and signed into her secure network. “Did you interrogate Parker Earl again?”

“Yes.” Quinton flipped through a few pages. “I was going to tell you this earlier, but then the crash happened and I forgot.”

“Understandable. What did you find out?”

“I was right. He’s hiding something. He finally confessed he wasn’t at the campsite when Clara was taken. That’s why he didn’t hear her scream.”

Dekker leaned forward. “Where was he? Could he be PCK?”

“No. Not that simple. Seems he was cheating on Clara and had waited for her to go to sleep. He said that was around three in the morning, then he slipped away to call his other girlfriend. They talked for over an hour before he returned to his tent.” Quinton paused, reading his notes.

“And before you ask, he said he heard something just as he fell asleep around four. He thought it was an animal, but since realized it was probably her kidnapper.”

“What?” Blaire clenched her fingers into fists, Luca’s betrayal resurfacing. Heat flushed her cheeks at the thought of another man’s infidelity. She pounded the table. “He might have saved her!”

Dekker startled at Blaire’s action.

She didn’t miss his surprised expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to let my emotions take over. Just makes me angry he abandoned her to talk to another girlfriend.”

“I’m guessing PCK was watching their campsite closely.

” Quinton closed his notebook and pocketed it.

“You’re right, Parker may have been able to save her, but we don’t know for sure.

We verified his alibi with the girlfriend.

I threw him in jail overnight for withholding information, but there’s nothing else we can do. Sure, he’s a jerk, but not PCK.”

Blaire hissed out a breath. “Makes me so angry.” She clicked on a few keys, bringing up all the crime scene photos.

“What are you doing now?” Dekker asked.

“Something about the photo of your father piqued my interest. The special photo paper used.”

Quinton stood. “What about it?”

“A portion of it was peeled back. Not sure where PCK would have gotten that, but it makes me wonder if the rest of the photos have a hidden message.”

Dekker’s eyes brightened. “Yes. That might be what he was referring to when he taunted me to figure out what no one else could.”

“I’ll leave you two to it. I’m going to take another gander and see if we missed anything when searching for your attacker.” Quinton dipped his head in a goodbye and left.

“Dekker, you can join the others in searching for your dad. I’ll be okay. Supervisor Nicols is here.” Blaire opened the case file. “I feel I’m close to getting the profile right. It’s important so we can inform Quinton and the others exactly what to look for.”

“I understand, but I’m not comfortable leaving your side. I promised, remember?” His text chimed, and he swiped the screen. “That’s Jayla. They’re on their way back as Jeff is awake and doing better. Good, Hercules can continue his search.”

“How about I work for an hour and head out for another round of searching after?”

“Perfect. I’ll get us some coffees.” Dekker got up and went to the coffee station on the other side of the room. “Cream, but no sugar, right?”

“You remembered?”

He winked. “Of course.”

With Dekker’s help, Blaire combed through all the photos and, thirty minutes later, leaned back, observing her notes.

“Okay. I didn’t think anything of the leaves in the other photos as it appeared animals or the wind scattered them on the other crime scenes.

I didn’t put it together until now.” Blaire opened the profile and added a note.

Leaves scattered on the victim as some sort of burial = PCK’s signature.

“So, PCK buries his vics among leaves and places a photo in their hands.”

“Why the leaves?”

“Remorse over what he’s done?”

Dekker tapped his thumb on his mug. “Even after stabbing them multiple times? That screams rage to me.”

“It does. The killing is personal to him. Something from his past.” She pointed to a photo. “I need to see these pictures. I’m going to message my sergeant and ask forensics to try to peel back the paper. There may be hidden messages in every one that we missed.”

Animated footfalls pounded in the hallway, and seconds later, Quinton flew into the room. “We found the black jumpsuit your attacker was wearing in a trashcan on one of the trails. Looks like he ditched it and made a fast exit.”

“Or was trying to camouflage himself.” Blaire added to her notes.

“Good point. Also, just got another report of a missing camper with a message for you, Dekker.” Quinton placed his cell phone on the table in front of them.

A picture of a note secured by a bloody rock in front of a ripped tent appeared on the screen.

Must I do all your work for you, Dek. The next clue to find your father will be at this camper’s burial site. Ticktock. PCK

Blaire and Dekker blasted to their feet. They had to get to this scene and see if Hercules could catch the camper’s scent.

Before it was too late.