Page 31 of Clear Path

Undaunted, Aaron held out a first aid kit. “Here. This has everything—bandages, disinfectant, trauma shears, even a tourniquet.”

“That’s very helpful. Thank you.” Bodhi took the case he offered even though he had a well-stocked first aid kit of his own. The young man was clearly eager to feel useful.

Aaron turned toward Diana, wide-eyed. “We have to find her. She’s so special … I couldn’t bear it if …” His cheeks reddened as he tripped over his words. Then he trailed off for good as Sadie strode over, keys in hand.

She stared at Aaron for a long moment. He didn’t meet her eyes.

She exhaled loudly.“Let’s go,” she said briskly. “I’ve locked up the register and put the ‘Closed’ sign up.”

As Aaron jogged off alongside Sadie, Diana whispered to Bodhi, “Sadie and Aaron are a couple. They were taking a break when Rory moved to town. She and Aaron had a few dates and, apparently, he has a lingering crush. You may have noticed.”

“It seems Sadie is aware of it, too.”

Diana nodded. “She is.”

“Unresolved emotions can cloud judgment, especially in a crisis situation,” he observed.

The former police chief nodded again. “True. Something to bear in mind.”

Then she turned to the two men. “We’re not in a position to turn down help. So if you want to join us, you may. Do you have names?”

“I’m Tripp Davidson,” the older man said immediately.

“Lucas Hamilton,” his companion said.

As the others introduced themselves, Diana leaned close to Bodhi and murmured, “I don’t like it, but I also want to keep them in sight. Whatever they’re up to, I’d rather know than be surprised.”

20

Sadie touched Diana lightly on her upper arm.

“Could I have a word with you?”

Diana nodded and jerked her head toward the corner of the shop by the dressing rooms while the others packed up the gear Aaron passed out.

“What is it, Sadie?”

“I know I said this was a bad idea. I misspoke. This is aterribleidea.”

Diana smiled. She appreciated bluntness. She didn’t have time for women—and in her experience, it was almost always women—who sugar-coated what they had to say, worried about hurt feelings or how they’d be perceived. Apparently neither did Sadie.

“It’s a terrible idea because we’ve got a group of untrained searchers who are going to wander out into the woods in the middle in the dark?” Diana guessed.

“Well, yes. But also, you don’t know any of these men.” She waved a hand toward Tripp, Lucas, and Bodhi.

She was right about the fake hikers. But Diana tried to ease her worry about Bodhi. “You weren’t at Vines & Vibes, so youdidn’t meet him, but Bodhi is a forensic pathology consultant based out of Pittsburgh.”

“So he says.”

“I’ve actually heard of him.” Diana hadn’t mentioned this fact to Dr. King, but she shared it now with Sadie. “When I was still the chief, I used to go to a conference of small town police chiefs every year. The chief from a parish in Louisiana and the chief of a rural town in Illinois were talking about him at dinner. He’s somewhat famous in law enforcement circles for determining the cause of unexplained deaths.”

Bodhi’s credentials didn’t have the effect Diana had hoped.

Sadie’s voice went shrill. “He wanders around the country solving puzzling deaths? That’s a great cover for a serial killer. Maybehe’sthe cause of all these deaths. Did you ever think of that?”

Diana gestured toward Bodhi, who was helping Julie fit a silver emergency blanket into her pack.

“You thinkhe’sa serial killer?”

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