Page 8 of Scent of Death

“I understand.” Griff had been deer and elk hunting, but he generally preferred fishing. Not that he was able to get out of Cheyenne as much as he’d like to enjoy the outdoors.

The Sullivans were a magnet for trouble, he thought as they continued on. Five minutes later, they met Logan, Jessica with her K9, Teddy, Joel, and his K9, Royal.

“I didn’t know Jess and Teddy were tagging along,” Alexis said.

“No reason you guys should have all the fun.” Jessica strove for a light tone, but her expression was one of concern. “Besides, from what I’ve heard, we need all the help we can get to bring this guy to justice.”

“Agreed,” Griff said. “Okay, let’s head back this way to what will hopefully be our starting point.”

The broken branch wasn’t much to go on, but Griff didn’t have a lot of other options. He watched as both Teddy and Royal sniffed the ground with interest. Griff had faith in both dogs, especially Royal, as he’d seen the black lab in action. Jessica’s Teddy was a narcotics dog, cross-trained to find people as well.

After both dogs had been given water, Joel and Jess instructed them to search for the bad guy.

Both K9s put their noses to the ground and headed in the general direction of the burial site. Griff was encouraged, though, when Royal and Teddy veered off the path to the north.

He glanced at Alexis, who nodded thoughtfully. “I think they’re following his trail.”

“Really?” He was almost afraid to hope. Rather than taking a direct route back to the dead bodies, he and Alexis followed Joel and Jessica in a wide arc. After thirty minutes of walking, though, the Sullivans called for a break.

“It’s hot, and the dogs are panting quite a bit,” Joel explained. “That’s how they sweat, but it’s also an indication that they need a rest.”

“I understand.” There was no point in complaining. He appreciated how the Sullivans treated their dogs with care and concern.

“I brought snacks.” Logan rummaged through his pack. “Plenty of water, protein bars, and dried fruit.”

Griff wasn’t that hungry, but he knew it was smart to eat. Logan passed along the goodies, and even Alexis accepted a protein bar and water.

“What’s this about the guy shooting at Alexis?” Joel asked.

She wrinkled her nose. “He missed. And I’m sure he was trying to get me away from the location of the dead girls.”

“Good thing he missed,” Jessica muttered. “Chase would not be happy if something bad happened to you. You know he hates it when we work alone.”

Griff knew Chase had worked a case alone back in February, but that situation had been different. Sort of.

They rested without saying much for ten minutes, then Joel pushed himself up from the ground. “Time to get moving.”

Griff’s knee was killing him, but he did his best to ignore the pain. The Sullivans went through the routine of offering their dogs water and telling them to search the bad guy. As before, both dogs quickly went to work.

It was less than ten minutes later when they reached a hill that had a direct line of sight to the activity around the graves. Then Royal let out a sharp bark.

Griff turned to glance at Joel. “What did he find?”

“A shell casing.” Joel gestured to the hint of brass lying partially beneath the leaves. “Looks to be from a rifle.”

“Really?” Griff hurried over to see for himself. Then he used an evidence bag as a glove to pick it up. The shell casing alone wasn’t proof of anything, as the woods teemed with hunters during the peak hunting season.

But considering the direct line of sight to the grave sites, Griff felt certain the shell casing had been fired by the killer.

3

Alexis shivered despite the hot July sun beating down on them. The location of the shell casing indicated the serial killer was standing there when he’d taken a shot at her.

Turning, she looked back at the graves. There was a clear line of sight, so she wasn’t sure how this guy hadn’t hit her or Denali.

As if reading her thoughts, Griff scowled. “Either he’s not a good shot or the sun was too bright. We’re facing east, and Alexis is wearing green. Maybe he hadn’t been able to see her clearly because of the foliage nearby.”

“Maybe,” her brother Joel admitted. “But if he’s a hunter, he should have hit his target.”

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