Page 65 of Preying Game

“You and Grant are both going.”

“We’ll be on gravedigger duty. Do you really want to dig up long-dead bodies?”

She winced. “If you put it that way—no.”

As he got ready to go to the Decorah office, she reached for him. “Be careful.”

“I will.”

“Won’t the cop see your flashlights?”

He shook his head. “Another modern invention you don’t know about—night vision goggles. You can see pretty well in the dark with them. Of course, everything looks green, but you get used to it.”

Before he left, they hugged tightly because both of them now knew that every step they took toward fulfilling their mission could mean they’d end up separated forever.

oOo

When Jonah arrived at the office, Frampton and a handsome black and brown shepherd were in the office waiting room, talking to Frank.

The handler was a man who looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties, and Jonah wondered briefly if he would be up to the assignment—physically. But he was the only one who had agreed to take the job.

The team, including the dog, piled into an SUV and headed for the Bay Bridge. On the way, Frampton asked questions about the case.

“How did you find out about a bunch of bodies from fifty years ago?”

Jonah kept himself from glancing at Grant. He couldn’t tell the dog handler the truth—that he’d time-traveled back to the scene of the crimes.

He settled on saying, “We got the information from a source who has to remain anonymous.”

“But you think the info is reliable?”

“We wouldn’t risk getting caught by the local cops if we didn’t,” Grant answered.

That kept Frampton quiet for a few miles before he asked, “Do you know anything about the victims?”

“We’re trying to find out more. That’s why we want to locate the bodies. We’re assuming they are all young woman, probably in their early twenties.”

“You often take cases this complicated?”

“Not usually. But this is special.”

Jonah was relieved when they drew near to the estate and he could focus on looking for the spot where he had parked the night of the fire. He drove down the road once with his lights on, then switched them off and came back, slowing as he reached the dirt turnoff. Pulling off the blacktop, he headed for the edge of the woods, then stopped near where he’d parked the Chevy.

They all got out, and Frampton let Daisy get used to the environment. As it turned out, the moon was almost full, and they didn’t need the night vision goggles to walk the property.

“Do you know where the remains might be?” the dog handler asked.

“I wish I did,” Jonah answered. “I assume his graveyard’s not too far from the house for him to carry the women over.”

“Do you think the killer would want to see the graveyard from the window?”

Jonah considered what he knew about the man. “That’s a good possibility.”

“We can get closer to the house and start walking a grid.”

Jonah didn’t have a better suggestion. He and Grant held back, letting the man and dog do their work.

After two hours, Frampton and Daisy were still going, and Jonah was surprised at the man’s willingness to push himself. He was thinking they might have to come back another night when the dog stopped and alerted on a patch of ground about two hundred yards from the river and about the same distance from the house.

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