Page 39 of Scent of Death

Denali eagerly went to work, sniffing the parking lot, then trotting toward the door. Alexis knew that even if her K9 alerted on the killer’s scent, that didn’t mean this was his home base. It only meant he’d been here recently.

Her K9 sniffed at the corner of the parking lot, then sat and barked. Alexis was surprised but quickly went over to praise her dog. “Good girl!” She tossed the piggy into the air. “Good girl, Denali.”

Griff watched Denali run around with the pink piggy in her mouth. “What’s your thought on how recently this guy was here? Hours? Days?”

“I’d say twenty-four hours, give or take a few.” She stared at the ground. “Scent particles can linger on the ground. Based on this alert, I’m thinking she alerted on drops of his sweat or maybe his saliva if he spit.”

“Okay.” Griff gestured to the door. “Let’s see if anyone will tell us if they’ve seen a light-colored Ram truck recently. I’ll pretend I backed into it and am trying to find the owner to pay for damages.”

She arched a brow. “Okay, but out here, people don’t fix minor dents and dings.”

“I’ll pretend I’m from Colorado, where people are more civilized.” His tone was teasing, so she didn’t take offense.

After getting the piggy from Denali, they headed inside. There were a handful of people seated within the restaurant and a few more at the bar. A plump woman in her fifties with gray-streaked hair pulled into a bun appeared to be taking orders and serving meals. She waved them in. “Have a seat.”

“Thanks.” There were no booths, so she picked a table away from the others. Denali stretched out at her feet and promptly fell asleep. The poor dog had worked hard.

The menu was limited to sandwiches and pizza, but that was okay. Griff didn’t seem to mind either.

“My name is Ellen. What can I get you to drink?”

“Water for me, thanks,” Alexis said.

“I’ll have a Coke,” Griff added. “And if you don’t mind, we’d like to place our food order.”

“Go ahead.” Ellen pulled out her notepad.

“I’ll have the cheeseburger.” Alexis smiled to put the woman at ease. “Thank you. We haven’t eaten since really early this morning.”

“I’ll have a cheeseburger too,” Griff said. “By the way, do you know if anyone here drives a light-colored Dodge Ram pickup truck? I struck one, but the guy took off before I could offer to pay for the damages. He’s a younger guy, maybe in his twenties? Wears a baseball cap?”

Ellen flipped her notebook shut. “Gotta say that describes a lot of people who pass through. I don’t pay attention to their cars, though. Sorry.” She moved away. “I’ll get your orders in.”

“Do you think she’s being vague on purpose?” Griff asked.

She shrugged. “Why would she?”

“I don’t know.” Griff sighed again. “It’s my nature to be suspicious. Since Ellen doesn’t seem to know cars, I’ll ask the guys at the bar when we leave.”

“Where did you grow up?” Alexis realized she didn’t know much about Griff’s personal life. He’d mentioned his wife’s passing, but she had assumed he’d grown up in the area.

“Phoenix, Arizona. I went to college at the university and worked for the local police department before applying for a position in the FBI.” He cocked his head. “I was kidding about Colorado. Although I will say things are different in Wyoming. Less civilized in some ways.”

“I’ve heard this isn’t a post most agents want.”

“I don’t mind. I like hunting and fishing. Not that I get as much time off for recreational activities.” He sat back in his seat as Ellen brought their drinks. “Thanks.” He downed half his soft drink in one long gulp.

“We’ve always lived here,” Alexis said. “My older siblings were spread across the state until my parents died. They came back to the ranch for Trevor’s and Kendra’s sake. Maya had the idea of doing search and rescue.” She reached beneath the table to pet Denali. “I’m glad. Not only did this profession keep us closer together as a family, but I like knowing we’re providing a service to the community.”

“A valuable service.” Griff smiled. “From the moment I was assigned here, your family was all I heard about.”

She flushed and sipped her water. “I guess we’ve made a name for ourselves.”

“You have.” He stopped talking when Ellen brought their plates. “Looks great, thanks.”

Alexis smiled, then reached for Griff’s hand. “I’d like to say grace.”

He nodded and bowed his head. She understood why his faith had stumbled; it wasn’t easy to move on after losing someone you loved. “Dear Lord Jesus, we ask You to continue to guide us to seek this evil man who harms others. Please grant us the strength and wisdom we need to find him. Amen.”

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