Page 67 of The Whispering Girls

“Don’t know for sure, but it looks like it. I haven’t touched it, so let’s bag it.”

“If the scent was strong, could the killer have been here?”

“That would mean the killer is following us or knows ourschedule. Why else would this fur-lined boot happen to look just like the one Tami was wearing?” she said.

“That was only two hours ago that we met with her.”

“It could mean two things. The killer is toying with us—like telling us we’re never going to find him. Or the killer is sending us a message.”

“Like?”

“Like he could kill Tami Clark at any time and there’s nothing we can do about it.” Katie looked around them. “We need to warn Officer Clark that his sister’s boot was found.”

McGaven took out his phone and left a message for Clark to call them immediately.

Katie looked at her phone. “I think the signal is becoming spotty again.”

McGaven studied the area and the weather. “It’s getting colder and I would guess that storm is coming in tonight.”

“Let’s hurry,” she said.

Katie and Cisco started a grid search, making sure they weren’t missing anything important. After twenty minutes, Cisco didn’t show any behavioral change and hadn’t alerted on anything. Meanwhile, McGaven had documented and collected potential evidence.

The detectives packed the Jeep to drive back to the Echo Forest Lodge.

“You’re quiet,” said McGaven. “I know it’s not because you have nothing to say.”

Katie concentrated on the roads. It started to snow, making traction slippery. She made sure her four-wheel drive was enabled.

“Well, if I were Detective Katie Scott, I would be thinking that there are more things being thrown at us…and we need more people to help with the investigation. We owe it to thefamily and friends of the victims to solve these investigations,” he said. “Am I close?”

Katie had been thinking about needing more people, but what she was really thinking about was her name being said in the forest and how uneasy she felt about it. It was somewhat unusual for her. She knew what it felt like to be in danger and to have difficult cases—but this rare perception had been how she had felt since she got to Echo Forest.

“You know I’m not making fun of you, but did I get it right?”

“You did. But I think it goes deeper than that.” Katie slowed her speed. “This weather isn’t going to help. It looks bad.”

“From what I’m seeing on the forecast,” he said, looking at the next twenty-four hours of weather on his phone, “the storm will be heavy and cold, but it will clear back to like today in a day’s time.”

“A day?”

“Sorry we can’t arrest the weather.”

Katie smiled. “I wish we could.”

“The high point of the storm won’t be for another six to eight hours. It gives us time to prepare,” he said.

Katie pulled into a parking place in front of the veterinary office next to Jack’s truck. She saw John’s and McGaven’s trucks as well, but there weren’t any other vehicles.

The detectives, followed closely by Cisco, hurried up the stairs to the entrance of the lodge. As they walked in, they found John busily working at a desktop computer and microscope. A stack of printed papers was neatly sitting next to him.

He looked up. “Hey, thought you got lost.”

McGaven shut the door and Katie carried the bagged boot to the dining table. Cisco went into the kitchen where his bowl of water sat and drank noisily.

Katie was exhausted and wanted to sit down on the couchfor a few minutes, but she was drawn to what John had uncovered.

“What do we have?” she said.