Page 72 of Claiming Ours
“Put that shit away,” Oliver called out as he stepped into the clearing. “You’re the one who called us, remember?”
My chest moved with the annoyed huff as I holstered my weapon. Oliver, followed by Hudson and Ethan, strode towardus and then froze at the low, menacing growl that came from my side. Surprise laced through me at Hank standing on my right, stance rigid as if prepared to fight at my side against the new unknown threats.
“Easy, buddy,” I murmured, the way I would to skittish horses. “They’re friend, not foe.”
“Is that blood on his mouth?” Hudson asked, pointing at Hank.
“Yep, so don’t fuck with him. Come on.” I motioned for them to follow me. “I’ll show you where the body is so you can get started. Did you bring a body bag and stretcher like I asked?”
Ethan appeared at my side opposite Hank and patted the stuffed pack strapped to his back. “I have all that in here. Oliver hauled in the detective-y shit he and Hudson need to gather any evidence.”
“Not sure how much we’ll find considering the storms the last few days, but we figured it was worth a shot,” Hudson added from somewhere behind me.
We didn’t speak another word as we weaved through the trees toward the dead woman. The sound of our boots squelching in the saturated ground and the roar from the raging water below just emphasized Hudson’s point from earlier. They would be lucky to get any evidence off the body, much less the surrounding area.
“Damn,” Oliver murmured when we approached the woman. He took off his hat out of respect and held it over his heart. “You mentioned on the phone that Baylee met her in Anchor Bay?”
“Once. She took her dog in to see her at the clinic before she left for the hike.”
“We’ll need her help to identify the victim if we don’t find any ID on her.” Resituating his ball cap, he turned in a slow circle, inspecting the area with a trained, critical eye. “If she was hiking and fell, her pack should be around here somewhere.”
“Or it tumbled down into the ravine and was swept away in the floodwaters,” Hudson suggested. “But I don’t think that’s what any of us believe happened here.”
“If not, then we need to find her campsite,” Ethan stated, studying the area while actively not looking at the woman. “She wouldn’t have gone this far off the trail to camp, especially not here. If she came for the Soul Trail, alone, then she was an experienced hiker and knew this entire area would be dangerous considering the weather.”
“Let’s spread out, gather any potential evidence, and bag it, no matter how insignificant we think it might be,” Oliver commanded.
I studied the deputy sheriff for a moment, noting the dark bags under his eyes and the slump to his shoulders. Coming to stand beside him, I crossed both arms over my chest and released a heavy breath.
“You look like shit,” I murmured.
“I feel like shit. We’ve got nothing, Liam. Nothing but more missing women, and now this innocent victim left out here like fucking trash. It’s my job to keep people safe in this town, and look at me,” Oliver snapped. “Fucking failing everyone.”
“You’re not fucking failing. You and Hudson are doing what you can. That’s all you can do with what we know so far.”
He nodded, but it was clear he didn’t believe me.
“Did you ever find out why your dad is so against making all this public?”
Oliver released an incredulous laugh and ripped the Texas Rangers baseball cap off his head in obvious frustration. “Nope. He’s sticking with not wanting people to panic, but all it’s doing is allowing more victims to go out onto the trail, not knowing the danger that’s out there. It’s fucking bullshit, and I’m pissed but can’t do anything about it.”
“Pissed enough to suggest he retire and you take the sheriff’s job?”
He shot me a doubtful look. “You know it’ll take more than me to get him out of that seat. But I wish he would step down on his own. I used to have respect for him, when he actually cared about the safety of the residents of Anchor Bay and not how the town appeared to tourists.”
“And now?” I questioned.
“Now that respect is almost gone with how he continues to hinder the investigation.”
“We need to know why, Oliver. I know he’s your dad, but that’s shady as fuck.”
He offered a reluctant nod and situated the hat back on his head. “I will, but first I need one damn lead in this investigation.” He gazed down at the dead woman, sympathy filling his brown eyes. “I can’t let this happen again, not to someone else.”
We went silent as Hudson approached while sealing an evidence bag. He held the plastic baggie up for both Oliver and me to inspect.
“Found this over there.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Must be hers.”
Edge of the thin plastic between my fingers, I angled the baggie, deflecting the sun’s glare to better see the silver chain and feather charm inside. I furrowed my brow as I studied the necklace, feeling like I’d seen something similar before, but shook it off when Ethan approached.
