Page 28 of Scent of Death

“Yes, that’s exactly what I think he did.” She crossed over to pet her dog. “And this is why we teach our dogs not to eat anything that we don’t give them. He must not have realized how well trained our dogs are and how he tipped his hand.”

Griff shook his head as the close call sank deep. Not only had this guy somehow figured out where they were, he went a step further to try to kill Denali.

No doubt to get the dog out of the way so he’d have an easier time going after Alexis.

Griff was convinced this serial killer wanted Alexis as his next victim.

7

Simmering anger boiled in Alexis’s blood. That this guy would try to poison Denali burned hot. She wanted Griff to find and arrest this killer and soon.

“We need to get out of here.” Griff’s expression was grim.

She nodded and hurried over to open the back crate area for Denali. She gave her K9 the hand signal to get up, and the collie gracefully leaped inside the SUV. After closing the hatch, she set the evidence bag of poisoned dog food on the floor of the back seat. Seconds later, they were heading out of the park. Instead of turning toward the hardware store, Griff headed in the opposite direction.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to make sure he’s not following us.” He glanced at her. “I know a back road that will take us into Greybull. I intend to avoid the main street if possible.”

That made sense. Fighting to maintain control, she pulled out her phone. Thankfully, Joel answered on the first ring. “Hey, Alex, what’s up?”

“I need you and Justin to come back to Greybull for a few minutes. I know you’re supposed to find a missing hiker, but I have a bag of what I believe is poisoned dog food that was set out to entice Denali.” Her voice quivered, and she tried to steady herself. They were safe, at least for the moment. “Denali is fine, but we need to get out of here. And I want this food tested in the FBI lab.”

“We’re turning around now,” Joel said. “I can’t believe a serial killer would try to harm your dog. It’s a personal attack against you.”

She silently agreed and knew the attention she’d drawn from this guy was not good. The only reason to harm her dog was so he had a clear path to get to her. She didn’t voice her concern, though. No point in getting her brothers riled up. “Thanks, Joel. Call when you’re close.” Through the side mirror, she could see the town of Greybull disappearing behind them. Griff had headed west rather than east as she’d expected. “We’ll find a place to meet.”

“Sounds good. Stay strong, sis.” Joel had sensed she was on the edge. Justin and Joel were twins, and they were close. But she had a special bond with Joel too. Much the way Trevor had bonded with Kendra.

“I will.” She ended the call and stared down at her trembling fingers. Denali wasn’t hurt. Her smart K9 had identified the threat. Yet if Denali wasn’t so well trained...

“Alexis? Are you okay?” Griff’s concerned voice broke into her thoughts.

“Yes.” She wasn’t, but she needed to get over it. God had been watching over them since Denali had found that hand poking out of the earth. She needed to have faith that they would get through this. She drew a deep breath to calm herself. “Joel and Justin are turning around. Hopefully, this won’t take too long, and they can get back to Antelope Butte. We’ll need to find a place to meet up with them.”

“Okay.” He passed the next intersection. A mile later, he executed a three-point turn. Twisting in her seat, she peered out the back window. Denali was stretched out in the crate area, likely asleep as if she hadn’t narrowly been killed.

“How will we know if we’re being followed? We have no idea what vehicle he’s driving.” Traffic was never a problem in Wyoming, but in summer, there were far more cars on the road than normal. A wave of despair threatened to overwhelm her. How on earth would Griff find him amid the tourists?

“I know, that’s why I did that quick turn.” He punched the gas, and the SUV surged forward. His gaze went from the rearview mirror to the highway stretching before them. “So far, so good. Nobody has turned around to follow.”

“Okay.” She opened and closed her fingers to relax. “I trust you, Griff.”

He shot her a quick glance. Then he surprised her by reaching for her hand. “I’ll protect you with my life.”

Tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away, hoping he didn’t notice. She told herself this was nothing personal. Griff was a federal agent. Of course, he would protect her and any other victim of a crime. He would do the same for Wendy Evers too.

If the young woman was still alive.

Still, his intense green gaze made her think he really meant it. She managed a smile and squeezed his hand. “Thanks. I appreciate your determination to get this guy. I just wish we had more to go on.”

“We will. I have a feeling your brother’s trail camera idea will help.” Griff continued to hold her hand. The warmth of his fingers cradled hers. She admired him and the work he did. Too bad he lived in Cheyenne.

Not that it mattered, she hastily reminded herself. She wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with Griff or anyone else. And even if she was, attempting another long-distance relationship was not an option.

“I don’t think I’ve been on this road,” she said after a few minutes. “This goes into Greybull?”

“Yeah. I got a little lost when I went to see Barbara Evers, Wendy’s grandmother, and ended up here.” He flashed a crooked smile. “So many of these highways look the same. Since I cover the entire state, it’s hard for me to keep track of which one is which.”

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