Page 31 of Scent of Death

“Get in,” she said.

Denali leaped into the back. As soon as they were settled, Griff drove out using the same back road he’d used earlier.

Alexis turned in her seat to watch the rear window for a moment, before settling back. “I’m glad they’re not behind us.” She glanced at him. “I really don’t want my brothers in danger.”

“I know.” He gestured to the cameras on the floor at her feet. “Once we get them mounted, we’ll find a different town to stay in for a while.”

She frowned. “Maybe we should head back to Greybull. We know he’s been there several times. He may have grown up here or worked here. He seems to know the area well.”

“I’ve considered that,” Griff admitted. “But I don’t want him to make another attempt to harm you or Denali.”

“I get that, but we can’t find him if we stay away,” she argued.

She was right, but he didn’t care. “We’ll take things one step at a time. First the cameras. Then we could head to Shell for lunch.”

“Lunch?” She shot him an exasperated look. “We just had breakfast.”

He shrugged. This little side project would take time. By the time they hiked to the crime scene, mounted the cameras, and headed back out, he would be hungry again.

Under different circumstances, he wouldn’t mind hiking the Bighorn Mountains with Alexis.

They rode for several miles in silence. When he finally approached the turnoff where they’d parked last time, he gestured. “Should we park here or try a new spot?”

“New location,” Alexis said without hesitation. “Maybe the campground parking lot would be better. More cars there to hide our vehicle. And we can take the same route your suspect used.” She grimaced. “Although let’s just hope he didn’t beat us here.”

Griff felt certain the guy was still back in Greybull, but in truth, there had been enough time for the killer to return to this location.

Yet why would he? There’s nothing for him here. Just the opposite. Knowing that there may be crime scene techs returning to the burial site should keep him away.

Five minutes later, Griff parked in the campground parking lot, backing the SUV into a space between a large diesel truck and a minivan. Alexis let Denali out of the back, then reached for her backpack.

“I can carry that for you,” he offered.

“It’s mostly stuff for Denali.” She nodded toward the cameras, hammer, and nails. “I’ll make room for that.”

“Only if you let me carry it,” he said. “That hammer and the cameras add weight you shouldn’t have to bear.”

She reluctantly nodded. “Okay, fine.” She knelt on the ground, opened the pack, and moved stuff around. He handed her the cameras, minus the boxes, along with the hammer and nails.

He took the pack and settled it on his shoulders. It was heavier than he’d anticipated.

Alexis gave Denali water, then crossed over to join him. She didn’t tell Denali to search, but the K9 had her nose to the ground regardless and trotted toward a familiar group of trees.

“She knows the way, huh?” he asked as they followed the dog.

“Yes.” She smiled. “Denali is amazing.”

“No argument here.” He subtly shifted the pack into a more comfortable position. He was amazed that the Sullivan family carried so much gear for their K9 search and rescue missions. Alexis had carried this pack as if it weighed a feather.

The path Denali took didn’t look familiar to him. He pulled out his compass and verified they were headed in the right direction. Not that he didn’t trust Denali’s nose. Or Alexis’s skill. Alexis strode through the woods as if she knew exactly where they were going.

And maybe she did. The Sullivans had combed the mountainside searching for their parents and pieces of the plane they were in when they’d crashed.

“Do you have any idea what happened to your parents?” he asked.

“No.” Alexis’s expression turned somber. “They were heading home from a weekend away in Billings. We’ve considered foul play, but what would have been the motive?”

She had a point. As far as he knew, the Sullivan kids had inherited the ranch through a trust. “I don’t know. I guess the crash could have been weather related.”

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