Page 151 of One Last Chance

“End of the climbing season on the mountain. The forest service breaks camp on the higher levels and comes in. It’s a blast—there’s an art festival, a gear swap, a bonfire on the river shore, a concert on the last night. Even a race—it’s called the Summit Scramble. Teams compete on mountain bikes and trail running and even a peak climb. It’s really?—”

“When will he be back?”

“I guess Monday?”

Aw. “Sorry, Shasta. I’m just . . .” She drew in a breath, then looked at the list from the resort. “Have you ever heard of the Pathfinders? It’s a local group. The address is Willow, Alaska.”

“Sure. Pathfinders is a youth group from Church on the Rock. All the kids from Copper Mountain attend—I think they’re actually helping out with the Summit Scramble tomorrow.”

“How?”

“They’re stationed at locations to give out water and check in competitors, things like that.”

“Is that the same group Laramie and Parker are in?”

“Laramie Bowie? I think so. I saw him in town earlier with his grandpa. I think Wilson is one of the volunteers, or maybe just a chaperone on trips. So sad, really. Laramie’s practically an orphan, what with his mom and dad divorced.”

“What?”

“Oh yeah. I heard it from Mal. He said that Wilson couldn’t get ahold of Dillon’s ex-wife. Apparently, she was out of the country or something. Married an Italian guy.”

“When was this?”

“Oh, years ago. Dillon’s been single since Laramie was a baby, I think. I remember rumors about him being cheated on, like his dad was. But you know, small-town gossip, so . . . who knows? Why?”

“Can I get Deke’s cell number?”

“Um . . .”

Flynn glanced at the email. It was listed in his email tag. “Never mind.”

“Okay, sure. By the way, did you see my article about Axel? The local news picked it up. He’s the town hero.”

“He’s always been the town hero.”

“For sure.” Shasta sighed. “By the way, I saw your sister in town—I thought it was you. But she came in for the Summitfest with Sully.”

Sweet.“Tell her hi from me.”

She hung up, hearing her mother’s words in her head.

“I fear the dark life you live. It’s like you and Kennedy are two sides of the same coin. She seeks the light . . .”

Yeah, well.

I am sorry that I’m not Kennedy.

She returned to the board, and her conversation with Shasta and Moose during Parker’s kidnapping replayed.

Dillon had been nineteen or twenty when his mom died. The first kill happened five years later.

Dillon was twenty-five. Newly married. His father newly divorced. Dillon hated his stepmom. Flynn’s words, but it seemed to fit the profile.

But what if he also hated his ex-wife?

She looked again at the timeline.

After Jennifer and Aven, a reprieve of five years passed before the next kill. After the birth of Laramie . . . after his wife left him. Which made sense for the timeline.

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