Page 63 of Scent of Death

Alexis rested her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but he’s not normal. He’s very sick and has killed other girls.”

“Other girls?” Maureen’s eyes widened in horror. “Really?”

“I’m afraid so.” She tried to smile. “But you’re safe now. He won’t touch you again.”

“Thank you.” Maureen’s expression crumpled as reaction set in. “I want my mom,” she sobbed.

“I know you do.” Alexis sat on the edge of the bed and focused on removing the strips of fabric that had been used to tie her to the bed. Denali pushed her nose into Alexis as if to say,I’m here if you need me. When she finished untying Maureen, she stroked her dog’s fur. Then she looked at the girl. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Maureen Kaufman. I—he found me at the Greybull campsite.” With her free hand, Maureen rubbed at her temple. “He acted nice, commenting on how he’d smelled my cinnamon roll. I was going to offer him some, but he suddenly grabbed me and dragged me toward him. Before I could scream, he shoved a gun into my side and told me he’d shoot if I made a sound.” She shivered. “I believed him.”

Alexis remembered the crushed cinnamon roll near the campfire. In the recesses of her brain, she vaguely remembered Tyler mentioning a bakery during their tutoring sessions. Was something so simple as a cinnamon roll the reason he’d abducted Maureen?

“My head hurts, and my mouth is cottony.” Maureen rubbed at her wrists. “I—I think he drugged me.”

“You’re probably right,” Alexis agreed. “We suspect he drugged his other victims too. I also heard you moaning as you regained consciousness from whatever drug he’d given you.”

“How many others?” Maureen asked.

She hesitated. “We don’t know for sure. Don’t worry about that now. You’re safe, and that’s all that matters. There’s water in the kitchen. Can you stand? Are you able to walk?” With her cracked or broken ribs and pounding headache, she could barely walk herself, much less carry the girl.

“I’ll try.”

“Good.” She stood and backed away as Maureen pushed herself upright, then swung her legs out of the bed. The teenager swayed for a moment.

“Dizzy,” Maureen murmured. Then she looked up at Alexis. “How long have I been here?”

“I believe you’ve been here about twenty hours or so. We’ve been searching for you since early afternoon.” She patted Maureen’s arm. “Take it slow, okay? I’m sure the drugs he gave you are still in your system. Try to stand when you’re ready.”

Denali pressed her snout into the teenager’s lap, as if knowing the girl needed support. Maureen looked surprised, then lifted a hand to pet the dog. “So soft. How did he get here? Is he your dog?”

“Yes, but she’s a female. Her name is Denali, like the national park.” Alexis had to smile at how Maureen looked enthralled with her K9.

“Sweet girl,” Maureen crooned. Then with determination etched on her features, she pushed herself up to a standing position.

“Easy.” Alexis put a hand on her arm. “Slow and steady.”

They made their way out of the bedroom. Denali stayed close to Alexis’s side, as if understanding how close she’d come to being killed. The kitchen chair Tyler had intended to tie her to was lying on its side. Alexis didn’t remember knocking it over but knew she must have kicked it.

A low groan escaped from her throat when she bent to pick it up. Her chest was on fire, and she hoped the cracked ribs didn’t puncture a vital organ.

“Are you hurt?” Maureen asked.

“A little.” She moved to the sink to fill a glass with water. “Take it slow,” she advised. “You don’t want to throw up.”

“Okay.” Maureen sipped the water. She looked as if she wanted to ask more questions, but Denali turned to stare at the door seconds before Griff walked in.

“He’s gone.” Griff shook his head. “I’m not sure how he got past Cam, but he used the four-wheeler to escape.”

Battling despair, Alexis sank into the other kitchen chair. Denali pushed her nose into her lap as she blinked back tears. She was glad they’d saved Maureen.

But if they didn’t find Tyler soon, it was only a matter of time before he abducted a young woman and killed again.

Griff hated knowingTyler had gotten away, yet he couldn’t deny being grateful to have Alexis safe and sound. “Hey, don’t worry.” He knelt beside her and Denali. “We’re going to find him.”

She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. He frowned at the grooves of pain bracketing her mouth.

“What happened?” He reached for her hand. “Where does it hurt?”

---