Page 5 of The Catcher (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #5)

“There was a set from those who found the body,” Jake confirmed, gesturing up toward the top of the cliff .

“And these tracks?” Callie observed, her brow furrowing in concentration.

“Our team has already taken a snapshot of that.”

As she continued to examine the body, Callie noted lividity, indicating that the victim had likely died in this location rather than being moved here post-mortem. She carefully touched the skin, her senses alert as she noted blood covering his chest and legs.

“That’s odd,” she remarked, bringing her finger to her nose for a closer inspection. It pungent. Fresh. Exactly what could be smelled from a distance.

“Sure is. There is too much of it. It doesn't appear to be his. Possibly his girlfriends or animal blood? Maybe an attempt to draw in wildlife. Have you seen anything like that before?” Jake inquired, his expression mirroring Callie’s sense of intrigue.

“Odd crimes, yeah. That? No,” Callie replied, her mind racing with possibilities as she continued to piece it together. “It’s almost like whoever did this wanted to ensure he suffered. If he were conscious and managed to escape his restraints, he’d have to deal with Mother Nature.”

“The elements. Animals. Yeah,” Jake said.

“And the couple who found him. What were they doing out here?” Callie inquired.

Jake scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s the crazy part. He was looking to propose to his girlfriend.”

“Out here?” Callie echoed.

“That’s what I said,” Jake confirmed, a hint of doubt in his voice. “You’d think he would have picked a pleasant spot. But this was where it was meant to be. Well, not exactly here, a few yards away. Above,” he said, pointing up the cliff. “Geocaching.”

“Geo what?” Callie questioned, unfamiliar with the term.

“That’s what brought him out. It’s an outdoor treasure hunt. It’s played all over the world. People hide stuff, and others find it using GPS coordinates. The caches are all over the world. People sometimes get rewarded for finding them,” Jake explained.

“Quite the reward,” Callie muttered.

“I’d say so. At least they’ll never forget it. The guy had a ring, a picnic, a speech, the whole nine yards,” Jake continued.

“Well, did she say yes?” Callie couldn’t help but ask, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Jake chuckled at her question. “Would you?”

“Hell no,” Callie replied without hesitation, her gaze drifting away from the deceased as she contemplated the strange circumstances surrounding the teen’s untimely demise. “Now, where was this geocache?”

“Above,” he said. Turning away from Callie, Jake reached for the radio, the click of buttons and the crackling of static breaking the stillness of the forest. As he called out for information, the gruff voice on the other end responded with a hint of irritation, the words blending with the ambient sounds of the wilderness.

“The what?” A voice crackled over the speaker.

“The container the couple mentioned,” Jake repeated.

“Buddy, we’re dealing with searching for the girl. Danvers was meant to handle that,” came the response, the words echoing faintly through the clearing.

“Danvers isn’t here,” Jake replied, his tone growing terse as he struggled to maintain control of the situation.

“Well, shit, Jake. What am I supposed to do? Do you need me to hold your hand?” the voice snapped back, its harshness cutting through the air like a knife.

“Story of my life,” Callie muttered under her breath, her words barely audible over the static-filled silence that followed.

Lowering the radio, Jake turned to face Callie, his expression grim as he gestured towards a path deeper into the woods. “I’ll find out. We were told it was at the top of the cliff,” he said.

“Is the couple over at the trailhead?” Callie asked.

“The station. They’re pretty shaken up,” Jake confirmed.

While Jake contacted the station, Callie took the opportunity to step away and check her phone.

She texted McKenzie, hoping to get an update on his whereabouts.

Her concerns about responding to the call without Rivera’s approval bothered her, and she needed to ensure there were no misunderstandings.

Her texts yielded no response, making Callie increasingly uneasy about the situation.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of investigator Declan Porter emerging from the woods, his presence accompanied by the soft rustle of leaves and the crackling of twigs underfoot. Callie turned to face him, the shifting light casting shadows across his features as he approached.

“Did I miss anything?” Declan’s voice cut through the stillness.

“Noah not with you?” Callie’s response was full of concern.

“Unfortunately, not,” Declan replied.

“I thought you were in training?” Callie pressed, remembering her brief encounter with him during the investigation into her sister’s death.

“I was until Noah landed that suspension,” Declan explained, his expression troubled. “Though I don’t think it will last for long.”

“How so?” Callie asked.

“They can only suspend you for thirty days without pay for an offense,” Declan elaborated. “And since his offense was a bit of a he-said, he-said scenario, all they have on him is the destruction of a camera in the interview room.”

“But I heard you were there,” Callie interjected, recalling the rumors that had circulated about Declan’s involvement.

“Was I?” Declan replied coyly, a mischievous glint in his eye.

She grinned at his response. “Look,” he continued, “Sutherland and I didn’t see eye to eye when I arrived. I made some foolish decisions. Egotistical, he would say. However, he had my back when he could have thrown me under the bus. I figured the least I could do was the same. ”

“That’s admirable,” Callie acknowledged, impressed by Declan’s loyalty.

“I like to think so,” Declan replied with a grin before it faded. “Is that the victim?” he asked, nodding towards the body.

“Yeah. A damn shame. Just a teen,” Callie replied somberly.

“You mind if I...” Declan began, seeking her permission to approach the scene.

“Knock your socks off. I’m just waiting to hear back on some information,” Callie replied, grateful for the opportunity to work alongside someone who showed genuine respect for her involvement after dealing with that arrogant prick from DEC.

As Jake busied himself with the radio, Callie’s curiosity led her to the area Jake had indicated as the rough location where the couple had reported smelling the body. With each step, the forest floor crunched softly beneath her boots.

Her keen eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the scattered footprints and the tangled undergrowth. Amidst the natural debris, she spotted a small object camouflaged against the forest floor, just a few feet from a tree. Callie’s heart quickened as she approached.

Crouching down, she reached out and carefully retrieved the object, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation.

It was a container, nondescript in appearance but undoubtedly significant.

Glancing over her shoulder to ensure Jake wasn’t watching, she opened it, her breath catching in her throat as she peered inside .

“Ah, I see you found it,” Jake’s voice broke through the stillness, his footsteps approaching from behind.

Callie glanced up at him briefly before returning her attention to the container.

She sifted through the items inside, her fingers grazing over each one as she searched for clues.

Nestled among the trinkets and knickknacks, she spotted it — a lock of blonde hair shimmering faintly in the dappled sunlight.

“Hey, uh, Jake,” Callie interrupted, her voice low with urgency. “Do we have a description of the Matthews girl?”

“Yeah, blonde, green eyes, roughly five foot nine, was last seen...” Jake began to reply, his words trailing off as Callie held up the lock of hair for him to see.

“Do you think this is hers?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she awaited his response.