Page 152 of One Last Chance

It all fit—except for the first two killings, so different from the others.

Jennifer had been severely malnourished, assaulted, and strangled.

Aven had simply been shot, only a few days after she went missing.

Jennifer had been found before Aven, but time of death indicated she’d been killedafterAven.

What if Aven had seen Jennifer at the cabin? Maybe climbed out of the river, gone looking for help, and found Jennifer?

And what if Dillon had been there with her?

Flynn’s own words to Axel came back.Dillon fits the profile—broken family, angry at his stepmother. The real victim in all this is Laramie.

Axel’s reply was almost haunting.“Hopefully he doesn’t turn out like his father.”

What if Dillon had turned out likehisfather?

But Dillon didn’t know that Avenwasn’tsexually assaulted—becausemaybe he wasn’t there.

He’d just assumed it.

“Not like this. Not like this.”Wilson’s words at the edge of the pit had razor edges through her brain.

What did that mean?

Family bonds . . . they can be pretty strong. Cause people to do things they would never dream of. Get themselves in over their heads.

A chaperone.

A ski trip to the resort.

Wilson Bowie, reprising his original play?

Or maybe, just like the sister of the 1039 Killer, Wilson had been trying to clean up after Dillon?

She needed a conversation with Axel about his last moments with Dillon.

Axel, who’d fought with Dillon, gotten the story out of him. Maybe even the real story—one that included Wilson’s involvement, even if Axel didn’t know it.

And if Wilson thought Axel might know . . .

She dialed Deke.

Voicemail. “Hey, Deke, it’s Flynn. Call me back—I need Axel’s statement. And . . . I know this sounds crazy, but what do you know about?—”

A call came through on the other line. The sheriff’s office.

She answered it. “Deke?”

“Shasta. Hey, you were asking about the Pathfinders—I was outside grabbing a hot dog and talked to Calista Roberts. She and the youth group are headed into the bush for an overnight before the big race tomorrow.”

And?

“I saw Axel with them. And it got me thinking . . . I was on the camping trip with the Mulligans and the Bowies back when Aven was taken. We all went looking for her and . . . Dillon was with us, searching. It doesn’t fit. Because hecouldn’thave taken Aven. Anyway, I just thought of that because Axel is going camping with them, and . . . whatever. It’s just been sitting in my head since it all came out. It’s probably nothing.”

“Shasta, I want you to think hard—was Wilson with you, searching for Aven?”

Silence. “I . . . I don’t remember. I’m sorry. But you could ask him when he gets back from the camping trip.”

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