Page 23 of Long Road Home

Kobrinsky said, “Get ready to pull.” He used the rope to climb out of the hole and stayed by the dog. Poor guy hadn’t stopped whining. Blood wet the side of the deputy’s leg through more than one layer of clothing. He grabbed the rope with both hands, no gloves. “Pull!”

She braced her weight and used her body mass and the rope around her waist to lift the woman from the hole.

Kobrinsky rolled the dog handler onto the ground, andKenna nearly collapsed. She untied the rope and ran back. “Life Flight will be here soon.” She gave the woman a cursory check-over while the deputy felt for her pulse. The tourniquet high on her leg looked like his belt. “It’s pretty faint. How long had you been down there?”

“Too long,” he said. “The dog got confused. Turned around like he didn’t know where to go.”

Kenna looked in the hole. “Dead animals. Looks like a couple of cats, and they died bloody. So the dog might’ve been thrown off by conflicting scents of death.”

“Who would—” He seemed to cut himself off, and his face paled.

“Take it easy. Marion set this up to throw off anyone looking for the burial site. She could’ve done this years ago, just in case anyone searching—or a dog—found her spot.”

“All so whoever came to dig up the victims, or unsuspecting people, got hurt?” He spoke through gritted teeth. “She’s messing with us. Sending us on a wild goose chase.”

“That makes it more likely they’re here.”

He huffed.

“I’ll find them.”

“I’ll get the sheriff out here.”

“I have done work like this before, you know.” She didn’t necessarily need law enforcement help.

The deputy looked her up and down. “I don’t see a badge.”

She nearly said,That’s never stopped me. But a helicopter engine and rotors got close enough he wouldn’t have heard it. Still, it would be satisfying for him to know.

The paramedics got the woman loaded, and the deputy went with her.

He tossed her his keys. “Lock it up and give those to the sheriff or someone at the department when theyshow up.”

“Take care of them.” Kenna clasped the keys. No one objected when the dog hopped into the helicopter—which was fine with her. She had a dog and didn’t need to make friends with another one that she would have to leave when she moved on.

She walked back to the deputy’s car and found his evidence collection kit.

Her phone rang. She jogged to her car to get her earbuds out of the cupholder, then stuck them in and answered the call. “Yeah, Maze. What’s up?”

“Helicopter?”

She explained about the hole and the two people who had fallen in and reiterated the conversation she’d just had with Deputy Kobrinsky.

“And now you’re going back to Forrest’s?”

Kenna grabbed the evidence collection kit and turned back to the path.

“You’re going the wrong way.”

Of course, the teen was tracking Kenna’s GPS. She wouldn’t expect anything less. Things were generally better for both of them if they knew each other were safe. And if they weren’t, they needed to be able to easily locate each other.

After what had happened the last time Maizie went into the field—her first time as part of the “team” such as it was—no one wanted to take more chances. Getting kidnapped by a dangerous corrupt sheriff from Colorado had set back Maizie’s healing journey. Kenna wasn’t in a hurry for Maizie to join her where it could get dangerous, and they’d end up risking her peace of mind.

Considering the girl was a tech genius, that was just fine. She could stay in the trailer on Stairns’ land where she wassafe.

“I need to find her,” Kenna said. “There’s no one here. The scene needs to remain secure until the sheriff or someone else arrives to take control of it.”

She eased her way to the edge of a spot she was sure would fall out from beneath her feet. Then grabbed a log that had some weight but wasn’t too heavy for her to lift. She tossed it and watched the surface fall away.

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