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“Nez didn’t say, but close enough to be connected.”Kari stood, gathering her notes.“We need to move.”

Daniels appeared at the end of the hallway as if summoned.“Problem, Detectives?”

Kari hesitated, then decided transparency was the better approach.“Another body’s been found near the Harrington site.We’re heading there now.”

“I’ll join you,” Daniels said, not a request but a statement of fact.

Kari wanted to refuse but knew it would only delay the inevitable.“Fine.But this is still our investigation, Agent Daniels.You’re there as an observer.”

“Of course,” he agreed with a smile that suggested otherwise.

As they headed for the parking lot, Kari felt the case shifting beneath her feet like desert sand.One death could be an isolated incident.Two deaths in the same area, within days of each other, suggested a pattern—possibly a serial killer.

Or something else entirely.Something her grandmother might understand better than her years of police training ever could.

Ruth’s words echoed in her mind again:Not all killers leave footprints.Maybe so.But Kari desperately hoped this one had.

CHAPTER NINE

The morning sun had climbed higher by the time they reached Red Rock Canyon, its rays illuminating the sandstone in vibrant hues of crimson and burnt orange.Under different circumstances, Kari might have appreciated the stark beauty.

Today, the shadows between the rocks only suggested places where evidence—or worse—might be concealed.

Officer Nez’s patrol vehicle was parked at the trailhead, along with an ambulance and two other tribal police units.Yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the breeze, marking a perimeter that extended from the parking area into the rocky terrain beyond.

“Stay sharp,” Kari told Tsosie as they exited the SUV.“We need to establish if this connects to Harrington before Daniels tries to claim jurisdiction.”

Tsosie nodded, his expression grim.“If it’s the same killer, the ceremonial elements will tell us.”

Daniels pulled up behind them in his Bureau-issued SUV.He’d followed them at a distance during the drive, close enough to maintain visual contact but far enough to suggest independence.Even his driving style broadcast his intentions—parallel but separate, ready to take the lead when necessary.

As he approached, Kari noted the shift in his demeanor—the friendly “Uncle Paul” persona completely subsumed by Agent Daniels, senior FBI field officer.He’d even donned sunglasses, completing the federal agent stereotype.

“I’ll need to contact the Flagstaff field office if this is connected to Harrington,” he said without preamble.“Serial killings on tribal land will require additional resources.”

“Let’s establish the facts first,” Kari replied, keeping her tone professional.“We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.”

Officer Nez met them at the crime scene tape, his normally stoic expression strained.“Detectives.Agent,” he acknowledged with a nod to Daniels.“Victim’s about a quarter mile up the trail.Medical examiner’s already on site.”

“Hikers still here?”Kari asked as they ducked under the tape.

“Couple from Minnesota, first time in Arizona.They’re pretty shaken up.”Nez gestured toward the ambulance, where a middle-aged couple sat on the rear bumper, blankets around their shoulders despite the warming day.“Gave their statements, but not much help.They were just following a marked trail when they found her.”

“Who made the ID?”Tsosie asked.

“I did,” Nez said.“Wallet was in her jacket pocket.Rachel Delgado, forty-three, Las Cruces address.Business cards identify her as an environmental consultant with the Southwest Justice Coalition.”

“Environmental activist,” Daniels said, his tone suggesting a profile already forming in his mind.“On the border of reservation land and a mining claim.Interesting.”

Kari kept her focus on Nez.“Any sign of the killer?”

“None that I could see, but I secured the scene and waited for you before doing a thorough sweep.”Nez hesitated.“There’s something else.Her backpack was found about fifty yards from the body, contents scattered.Looks like she was collecting soil samples and taking photographs.”

“Building a case against the mining company,” Tsosie suggested.

“Let’s see the body,” Kari said.

Nez led them along a narrow trail that wound between rock formations.The terrain grew more rugged as they progressed, requiring careful footing on loose shale.Kari noted details automatically—good visibility in all directions, difficult approach without being seen, multiple escape routes for someone who knew the landscape.Not an ideal location for an ambush unless the killer knew the victim’s intended route.

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