He gave her arm what he hoped would be a reassuring pat before he climbed out of his SUV and released True from the compartment in the back. The Lab sniffed the air, his tail stiffening, his ears forward and his mouth closedall signs that he was detecting something of interest to him, but not yet a threat.
No doubt he could smell or hear the rushing of the river, which told him they were about to go to work.
Leo walked around to the passenger side and opened Alicias door. She gave him a tight smile as she slipped out of the vehicle. A police cruiser parked beside them and two officers stepped out.
Im Officer Jenkins and this is Officer Reynolds, the older of the two officers said, introducing himself and his partner. The chief said were to stick close to Ms. Duncan.
Leo nodded and shook the mens hands. Much appreciated.
Alicia hung back with her arms down at her sides, but there was no mistaking the tension pinching the corners of her mouth.
They didnt have to wait long before a white truck with the Sheridan police department logo on the side turned into the parking lot. It was towing an aluminum flat-bow boat sporting an electric trolling motor to allow them to move slowly through the water while True searched the surface for scents.
The driver pulled next to their vehicles and rolled down his window. He had a craggy face that had spent a lot of time in the sun. Dark eyes regarded them beneath black winged brows. He wore a cowboy hat pulled low over his ears. Agent Gallagher?
Leo stepped over. Im Gallagher. Youre Craig Sampson?
Yep, thats me. His gaze shifted to True. Hes a handsome fellow.
Thanks.
Ill put in and then you and your dog can come aboard.
My witness will show us where she saw the body go in.
Craig glanced over at Alicia. I dont have room for the pretty lady and the officers.
Theyll stay on land. She was upriver fishing from shore, so shell lead the officers through the woods to the spot.
Sounds like a plan. Craig rolled up the window and drove to the ramp, where he made a wide arc and then backed the boat into the water.
Leo turned to Alicia and the officers. Ms. Duncan, Ill need you to lead Officers Jenkins and Reynolds to where you and Charlie were fishing. Well head upstream with our diver and meet you there.
I can do that, she said. She squared her shoulders. This way, gentlemen.
She strode away, forcing the two officers to hustle to keep up. Leo couldnt stop the slight smile curving his lips. The woman may have been rattled and afraid earlier, but she was doing a bang-up job of pushing through to get the job done. He admired grit like that.
True started after Alicia. Leo whistled, bringing the dog to heel. Were taking to the water, boy. He grabbed the necessary equipment from the back of the SUV and they headed to the boat ramp.
Once they were settled in the boat, True took his position standing at the bow, his official FBI K-9 life vest around his torso and Leo, with matching life vest, sitting on the middle transom. Craig fired up the boat. Hed pulled on a dry dive suit that covered him from head to toe, leaving only an oval for his face.
They puttered away from the marina and headed upstream. Anticipation and dread twisted in Leos chest. He didnt want the body to be Esme Dupree. Shed witnessed her brother murdering one of his associates and had agreed to testify against him. And since the other Dupree sister, Violetta, who was clean as far as they could discover, had refused to cooperate, the FBIs case against Reginald Dupree hinged on Esmes testimony.
But whoever the poor woman was at the bottom of the river, her loved ones deserved justice for her murder.
They rounded a bend in the river, where the landscape on the right side of the river changed abruptly from wooded terrain to towering cliffs of sediment and stone. On the left side, the woods thinned and gave way to boulders that gradually rose to another steep cliff.
Leo shaded his eyes and scanned the shore, immediately spotting Alicia and the two officers standing on a smooth outcropping of rocks.
Head over there, Leo instructed Craig.
When they were within shouting distance of the rocks, Leo noticed fishing poles and a tackle box. This must have been where Alicia and her son had been when theyd seen the killer.
Alicia pointed upstream and yelled, He came from that direction and stopped about three hundred and sixty feet straight out from here. She gestured to the rocks beneath her feet.
Thats helpful and gives us a place to start. Leo stared, admiring the pretty lady. Her hair lifted slightly in the wind that had kicked up. Sunlight reflected in her piercing blue eyes. You and the officers can head back to the station. He didnt want her here to see the body when they found the victim.
Alicia shook her head. I want to make sure shes found. Someone has to stand up for her.
Respecting her decision, he saluted her then turned to Craig. You heard the lady.
Craig slowly turned the boat toward the middle of the river. True stood on the bow, his head up, gaze alert. Leo tuned in to the dogs nuances the farther away from shore they traveled. He documented the time and distance from land on the notepad he carried. They circled the area where Alicia had pointed. True showed no signs of alerting.
Head downstream, Leo instructed Craig.
Since the body hadnt been weighted down, it most likely had been swept along by the rivers current. Craig zigzagged the boat from one shore to the other, moving farther and farther away from the spot. Leo wondered if maybe the suspect had come back and removed the womans body. Frustration curled in his stomach.
Then True shifted. He licked his lips and shuffled his paws, clear signs he was picking up a scent. Leos pulse jumped. The dogs tail went down as he craned his neck, dipping his nose toward the water. He pivoted, and then leaned over the starboard side. Keeping his snout at the surface of the water, True walked the length of the boat and stepped easily over the bench seat.
Anticipation revving through him, Leo gestured for Craig to make a slow turn. True retraced his steps, barking an alert. He scratched and nipped at the water. Knowing the animal had scent glands in the roof of his mouth, Leo interpreted these actions as the sign this was the spot.
Good boy. Leo grasped Trues life vest to keep the dog from jumping in.
Leo nodded at Craig, who shut off the motor, then strapped on a buoyance compensator, his mask and oxygen tank. The man sat on the side of the boat and fell backward into the water. True barked and lunged for the water. Leo continued to hold him back.
No, boy, Leo said, adjusting his grip on True. Were staying here.
Leo and True both watched the surface of the river. Leo pulled on latex gloves in anticipation of handling the body and prepared the large, waterproof plastic body bag. His gaze darted back to the shore, where Alicia stood sentinel on the rocks, flanked by the two officers.
She held her head up and her shoulders back like a fierce warrior. She was tall and so very appealing. He admired her commitment to being a voice for the victim. Most people would want to bail the second they could. Not Alicia. He liked that about her.
Bubbles rose as Craig broke through the surface. In his arms he held a red-haired woman. Anxiety curled through Leo. He gave True the command to lie down so he could help Craig bring the womans inert body onto the boat and into the body bag. Smoothing back a chunk of matted hair, Leo inhaled sharply then let out his breath in a swoosh.
Bubbles rose as Craig broke through the surface. In his arms he held a red-haired woman. Anxiety curled through Leo. He gave True the command to lie down so he could help Craig bring the womans inert body onto the boat and into the body bag. Smoothing back a chunk of matted hair, Leo inhaled sharply then let out his breath in a swoosh.
It wasnt Esme. They still had their prime witness in the Dupree case. But there was enough of a resemblance that for a moment hed thought the worst. And though Esme was still alive, sorrow welled within him because this woman wasnt.
Now he had the difficult task of identifying the victim and informing the family.
He took his cell phone from his pocket and called Chief Jarrett, who promised to send the coroner to meet them at the marina. The coroner would take possession of the body and then call in a forensic pathologist to do an autopsy.
Leo then called headquarters. The teams general assistant immediately answered. FBI Tactical K-9 Unit, Christy Burton speaking.
Its Leo. Is Max available?
Good afternoon, Leo. Hes on another line talking to the US Marshals. Is this urgent or can he call you back?
There wasnt much Max could do from headquarters, so not urgent. Tell him to call me. I found what we were looking for.
Ill tell him. Christy signed off and Leo tucked his phone back in his pocket.
Before he could zip the bag closed, Craig murmured, Theres something pinned to her clothes.
A baggie had indeed been pinned to the collar of her shirt. Leo had missed it at first because of her hair. And inside the baggie was a note, the words clearly visible through the plastic.
Its not sisterly to snitch, Esme.
THREE
Alicia stood on the outcropping of rocks, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. This spot held so many fun and cherished memories, but now...
Out on the river, Leo and the diver had pulled the victim from the water. Averting her gaze, Alicia sent up a prayer for the womans family. They would need Gods peace and comfort when they learned of their loved ones demise. She hoped justice would be served. For both this womans sake, as well as for Alicia and Charlies safety. She couldnt forget the man whod done this, the one whod shot at and chased after them and was still out there.
The boat carrying Leo, the diver and True motored downstream. Alicia watched them for a moment. Thoughts raced through her head. A feeling of uncertainty flowed through her.
Agent Gallagher glanced back and waved. She automatically raised her hand in response, signaling what, she wasnt sure. See you later? A job well done?
Theyd found the victim and would be able to give the womans family closure. That had to be worth something in the grand scheme of things. It hurt Alicias heart that anyone should have to die at the hands of another.
Her thoughts turned to her late husband, Jeff. Had he realized in those moments after being shot while on duty that he was leaving this world? Had he found himself regretting the less honorable things in his life? Of the sweet little boy theyd made together, Charlie? Had he thought of her?
She closed her eyes and willed the hurt and pain to dissipate.
We should meet Agent Gallagher at the marina, Officer Jenkins said in a gentle tone, forcing her to focus on the here and now.
Will you grab the tackle box? Alicia picked up her and Charlies fishing poles. She had half expected them to be gone, taken by someone either hoping to add to their own collection, or who would turn them into the marinas lost and found. Lots of people used the rocks to fish, but apparently not today.
A part of her wished she and Charlie hadnt been there. She couldnt quiet the unease inside her, but if that had been the case, no one would have known about the woman. Sighing, she knew she would have to trust God that she was where she was supposed to be today. Hed seen her through so much. She couldnt forget that now.
Ever so slowly, she and the two officers made their way through the trees and underbrush. She stopped by the tree where the killers bullet had taken out a chunk of the bark and shivered. Pointing at the hole, she said, The killer shot at us here.
Officer Reynolds took a picture of the hole in the tree with his phone. He did some pointing of his own. See these gouges?
She nodded.
The assailant must have come back and dug out the bullet, he observed. But we have the one from your car, which unfortunately didnt yield any clue to the suspects identity.
They continued onward.
A careful killer. Would he see her as a detail to be eliminated?
Fear scratched at her mind, making her stumble over a root in the ground. She had to stay focused. The last thing she needed was to twist an ankle or worse.
She sent up a grateful prayer that Charlie hadnt seen the man. However, the killer couldnt know that. She hoped, prayed, the man wouldnt consider Charlie a threat. A three-year-old wouldnt make for a reliable witness.
Alicia led the way toward the gravel parking lot. They were only a few feet from clearing the forest when a noise sounded to the right that made the hairs on her arms rise. She darted behind a tree, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.
Officer Jenkins withdrew his sidearm. It could be anything. A bear or an elk.
Or a killer tracking her movements.
Paranoid much? The killer wouldnt risk capture by sticking around, would he?
Lets hustle, Officer Reynolds advised as he cupped her elbow and increased their pace.
They broke through the forest onto the gravel lot. With the two officers flanked on either side of her, they made their way to the marina at a fast clip.
The county coroner was already at the boat launch as the boat carrying Leo, True, the diver and the corpse arrived. Alicia and her escorts hung back as the body was loaded into the back of the coroners van. Both officers were twitchy, their sharp-eyed gazes returning to the woods as if they expected something or someone to come barreling out of the forest.
Alicia kept the agents SUV between her and the edge of the forest as a shield, just in case. She was all Charlie had left. He and her father needed her in one piece and breathing.
Leo shook hands with the diver and then, with True at his heels, he walked toward Alicia. There was a grimness to the set of his mouth and a tension in his wide shoulders that hadnt been there before hed gone out on the river.
Thank you, Ms. Duncan, for your help today, he said. Having you point out the victims bodys location saved us time. Im hopeful the forensics will lead us to her killer.
I pray so, she murmured. That man cant be allowed to get away with this crime.
Leos green eyes darkened. He wont.
There was a world of determination and conviction in his husky tone that made Alicia suspect Agent Leo Gallagher was the type of man who never quit once he was on a case. For the victims sake, she appreciated that trait in the man.
Jenkins caught Leos attention. Sir, can I talk to you a moment?
Leo nodded and the two men stepped away, but not far enough that she couldnt hear the officer telling Leo about the scare theyd had in the woods. Alicia wasnt sure why the officer felt the need to leave her out of the conversation. Shed been there, too. Shed heard the unsettling noise. She just wanted to go back to the police station, grab Charlie and head home to the ranch.