Page 4 of Scent of Death

“Yes, it’s me.” He belatedly realized she’d been worried he was the gunman. “I’m roughly sixty yards away.”

“I see you,” she said. “Denali alerted me that someone was coming.”

Thank goodness for her K9, he thought. He knew the border collie wasn’t an attack dog, the way her brother Shane’s German shepherd, Bryce, was. But he had no doubt the dog would protect her against a threat.

Human or otherwise.

He caught a glimpse of Denali’s black and white coat first, then Alexis herself emerged from the trees. He waved at her to stay back, then raised his voice. “FBI! Come out with your hands where I can see them!”

Silence.

Griff hadn’t really anticipated the guy would cooperate in turning himself in, but he tried again. “This is Agent Flannery with the FBI! Come out with your hands resting on your head where I can see them!”

More silence. He wanted to believe that meant the guy was long gone, but he wasn’t willing to bank his life or Alexis’s on that. Still, sometimes alerting the bad guys that he was a federal agent was enough to make them skulk away.

After another long five minutes, he crossed the open meadow to the spot where Alexis and Denali waited in the trees. Thankfully, nobody opened fire on him.

“Hey, Griff.” Alexis offered a weak smile. “Fancy meeting you out here.”

It surprised him how much he wanted to haul her into his arms. He settled for a grin. “Glad to be of service.” Then he sobered. “Where’s the human hand you found?”

“This way.” Alexis turned and led the way to the other side of the meadow. It took her a few minutes to pinpoint the area, but then she gestured. “It’s over there. I tried not to get too close so I wouldn’t disturb what could be a crime scene.”

“Appreciate that.” He glanced over his shoulder, wondering how long it would take for Deputy Paul Holland to get there. Then he carefully approached the clearing. The hand was difficult to see at first because it was bloated and discolored and small lying on the ground.

But as he crept closer, more details became clear. He narrowed his gaze on the splayed fingers. A woman’s hand? When he noticed the flowery vine tattoo encircling the wrist, he immediately knew the victim’s name.

Not Wendy Evers, as he’d anticipated, but the second missing girl, eighteen-year-old Josie Allen. She’d been reported missing by her place of employment four weeks ago. Josie didn’t have any family; she’d moved here from California a year ago, according to the Wooden Hammer bar where she worked.

And Josie had a tattoo just like that in the last photo he had of the young woman. But what didn’t make any sense was that Josie had gone missing from Casper, Wyoming. A city that was a solid four-and-a-half- to five-hour drive from this remote location.

Not good. He’d never imagined that he’d find the remains of Josie Allen here in the Bighorn Mountains.

“What do you think?” Alexis asked. “Are the rest of the remains buried there?”

“Yeah, I believe so.” He sat back on his heels, looking at the loosely packed ground. He was going to need more than one sheriff’s deputy to help him. He’d need a team, including crime scene techs.

But worse than that, Griff grimly realized they weren’t dealing with a human trafficking ring, the way he’d originally thought.

This appeared to be the work of a serial killer.

2

Alexis stood off to the side with Denali as Griff and Deputy Paul Holland investigated the scene while waiting for additional support to arrive from the medical examiner and crime scene techs. Thankfully, the dispatcher had already put those wheels into motion, so the rest of the team would arrive within the next hour or so.

She made a call of her own to let Anna know she’d be delayed indefinitely because of Denali’s find. Anna was their housekeeper and general ranch coordinator, and she promised to let Chase and the other siblings know Alexis was with Griff. The Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue Ranch featured one large ranch house along with ten nice-sized cabins, each with three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. She and her siblings lived in their own places, although recently Chase and his wife, Wynona, and their son, Eli, had moved into the ranch house. Wynona was pregnant, due the following February. Maya was married to Doug Bridges, and they were also expecting, due around Christmas. Maya and Doug were in the process of building an addition to their cabin.

At some point, they would each outgrow their respective homes. Well, except for her since she wasn’t interested in dating or settling down. Yet as she watched Griff working, she couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. His light-blond hair was bright in the sun. His expression was serious and intense. At the same time, she’d found him easygoing and not at all arrogant like some federal agents. If things were different...

But they weren’t. She gave herself a mental shake. There was no point in wishing for something she couldn’t have. Even if she was interested in Griffin Flannery, he lived in Cheyenne, which was at least a six-hour drive one way from the ranch.

Considering the guys she’d dated in the past couldn’t be faithful while she was out of town for a few weeks working disaster sites, she had no interest in attempting another long-distance relationship.

Besides, Griff was her oldest brother Chase’s age, six years older than she was. Granted, he was also more mature than the guys she’d dated, which was a point in his favor.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. She debated whether to head back to her SUV for more supplies when Griff crossed toward her.

“Would you mind having Denali search the rest of this area?” Griff glanced at their surroundings. “I’d like to make sure there aren’t other dead bodies buried here.”

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