Page 24 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

“You don’t want to carry that, do you?”

“Good point.”

He chugged the rest of the still painfully hot coffee, and she laughed at his efforts to conceal the pain and awful burnt taste, of which he was no fan. He handed over the thermos and she stuck it back in her vehicle, along with hers.

She secured a backpack. “Where’s your pack?”

He scratched an itch under his eye. “I didn’t think we’d be gone that long.”

“Always take a pack with supplies with you into the forest.” She started forward, and at the trailhead she gestured for him to lead.

He found it funny that he was spending an inordinate amount of time on trails with Terra, just like they had before. Nature loving was in her blood.

“So, tell me what you’ve learned so far,” she said.

“We’re still interviewing friends and family.”

“And the pilot?” Her breathing remained steady even though they were hiking an incline.

“Haven’t caught up with him yet.”

“Why did he leave the hospital?” she asked.

“That’s a good question. The attending physician explained that he had expected Mr. Carter to remain at least another night.”

“He just woke up and realized ... what? What would make a man leave without discharging?”

“He couldn’t have killed Jim, so that’s not it. As far as others, we’re interviewing people Jim met with to sell insurance, his clients, and anyone else he worked with. The case is a priority, which brings me to this. Sheriff Gibson is deputizing you for the course of this investigation.”

Terra stopped behind him. He stopped too and turned to look at her.

“We’re pooling all the resources. If you come across a suspect during the hunt for a killer, you have the authority of the sheriff’s offices to arrest them. You’ll be read into all the information.”

She angled her head. “My ASAC signed off on my participation, but this is even better. Is the sheriff also deputizing the forest service LEOs?”

“Yes. At least while we’re searching for the murderer. Henry tells me it’s not uncommon to cover all the bases in working with the forest service on an important investigation. Oh, and thanks for not sending Haymaker in your place this morning.”

She laughed. “You’re welcome. And ... Henry?”

“Sheriff Gibson. I’m supposed to call him Sheriff Gibson, but it’s hard when everyone else around here calls him Henry.” Jack turned and continued hiking. Terra followed.

When she said nothing more, he continued. “We’re still waiting to get a time of death, but we have a window. His vehicle was parked at the trailhead within that time frame. We’re looking for evidence. Blood. Murder weapon.”

“A cabin,” she said.

“A cabin?”

“Yes. We’ve hiked about three quarters of a mile, according to my watch, but if we keep going for the full mile, the cabin should be just over a half mile off trail to the northwest.”

He paused to look at her.

“What? You act as if you’re surprised to learn that I actually do have something to contribute.”

“No, it’s not that.” Sure. Maybe it was.

“Right. But we can’t know if he hiked this trail or headed for that cabin.”

“Was he having an affair? Was he blackmailing someone or being blackmailed? The list goes on.”