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“That isn’t what I asked, Otto.”
The sheriff’s audible sigh reflected his reluctance to share personal information, but he also knew that she would find out what she needed with a background check and a few phone calls. Bit had submitted for information on all parties involved with the case, but the results given so far were just surface details. The next few days would have continuous information funneling in from numerous agencies.
“Why would Riggs opt to work as a deputy for the county sheriff’s office instead of the park rangers?”
“Because Riggs wouldn’t have been able to pass a federal background check.” Otto turned, stepped off the curb, and walked around his cruiser. He unlocked the car door and opened it so that he could toss his hat onto the passenger seat. Only then did he meet her gaze over the hood. “As a county sheriff’s office, we have different requirements, and I was permitted to make an exception. I did, and I’ve had no regrets. People can change, Brook. Bear that in mind when you look at Riggs’ file.”
Chapter Eight
Theo Neville
October 2023
Friday — 1:12pm
Thethickunderbrushhadbecome quite dense, forming what could only be described as a wall of green. Tangled vines had wrapped themselves around the wide tree trunks, and there was what one might label a natural tapestry overhead that filtered sunlight into illuminating beams. A musty odor of fallen leaves had replaced the pleasant scent of pine, and the various birds’ melodies seemed quite stifled by the concentrated vegetation.
“I’ve got to tell you, Dominic.” Theo fortunately hadn’t been bothered by mosquitos during the hike yesterday, and he’d chalked it up to the cooler weather in October. Unfortunately, he’d decided that those annoying insects had all been hiding in the dense foliage all along. “We seem relatively far from the trail. Just how confident are you that there is a cabin out this way?”
“Eight percent chance we’re on the right path.”
There was no path, but Theo figured he didn’t need to point that out. He’d spent the majority of his childhood in Queens before moving to one of the suburbs after his father received his first promotion within the NYPD. Most of Theo’s family members were more accustomed to city life than the suburbs. Not even some of his friends in the FBI academy who grew up on a back country road would be able to survive in these mountains.
“You’re not instilling a lot of confidence in me, Dominic.”
Theo considered himself in shape, but he’d experienced a cramp or two in his calves since they’d started out this morning. He usually ran several miles a day, worked out regularly with the free weights in the office back in D.C., and he ate everything in moderation. While he didn’t mind the strenuous activity of hiking in the general sense, he could have done without having to be on the constant look out for black bears and coyotes. He was also mindful of where he stepped, because he didn’t need Dominic to return to town with some wild story that Theo wouldn’t be able to live down for years to come.
Theo had asked several times about the odds of them stepping on a snake, and Dominic had explained each and every time that snakes were more afraid of humans than the other way around. The likelihood of them seeing a snake was low. It had taken every ounce of willpower for Theo not to call Dominic out for being a liar.
The terrain had become more rugged with large boulders and fallen trees blocking their way, but Theo suddenly found himself in somewhat of a clearing. The ground was still uneven and rocky, and there were even gnarled roots and dead tree trunks, but at least the sun was able to reach them given the lack of tall trees in the immediate region.
“There,” Dominic said as he came to a stop about a few yards away from what turned out to be more of a shed than a cabin. “Not much, but I remember it being there from when I was young. Believe it or not, a trail from the main path did exist at one point.”
The exterior of the dwelling was weathered and worn from being exposed to the elements. From where they were standing, Theo guessed that there was only one window. He could see the jagged glass against a board that someone had used to cover the opening.
“This wasn’t on those maps that Riggs showed us earlier.”
Theo pulled out his cell phone, but not to make any calls. There was no service for miles, which was why he’d been using the satellite phone to check in with Bit. Theo had been using his cell phone to take pictures of the places that they’d been able to access.
They had yet to find any structures that had been disturbed or shown signs of any type of crime scene. Sylvie had made sure that he’d had the luminol and flashlight needed to uncover blood. From the hourly check-ins with Bit, it appeared that she and Riggs hadn’t had any luck in that department, either.
“Am I reading this right?” Once Theo had finished taking a couple of pictures, he accessed his photographs. He then pulled up an image of the old map that Riggs had shown them earlier. After studying it for a moment, he zoomed into the area where he believed they were currently standing, but he could have been way off base. “Are we about here?”
“That’s right.” Dominic adjusted the ballcap that he’d pulled out of his backpack hours ago. He then leaned in close and pointed at a specific point on the display. “See this line? That’s the main trail. This here…is basically the one we took to reach this place. Not sure who built it, though. No records on the place, either.”
Theo often wondered where people went when they wanted to disappear. Take Jacob Walsh as an example. He’d somehow been able to hide in plain sight without anyone the wiser. No one could tell Theo that the man hadn’t found some secluded place to live for extended periods of time. What better place than the mountains off the main trails and far from civilization?
As they advanced toward the door, Theo thought over the time frame that Brook had given in this morning’s briefing. If Carissa Norman turned out to be a victim of the unsub, then her murder had occurred close to five years ago. There would be nothing left of her but skeletal bones. What Brook hadn’t covered in the meeting was how the unsub disposed of the bodies. She’d mentioned yesterday that she believed the killer would have eventually returned to the crime scene, but why wait so long?
“This door is barely hanging on by the hinges,” Theo said as he studied the entrance. The dry rot was evident, and he was afraid one push would disintegrate the wood into a thousand pieces. He hadn’t needed to turn the handle, either. “There’s nothing in here.”
A sense of emptiness and abandonment permeated the shed. Theo had half-expected to find something, anything that would give them a break in the case. Not that any results had been yielded from the previous abandoned structures. While he’d never witnessed Brook swing wide on a profile, there was a good chance that Luna Breen’s death had been personal.
The air inside the small shack was stale, and the mustiness had only amplified as he’d stepped inside. Theo removed his backpack and reached into the side pocket for the small spray bottle. Dominic remained outside while Theo worked, as he had with the other sites.
“Anything?” Domonic called out after a few minutes.
“No.” Theo had already finished and stored the spray bottle and flashlight into his pack. He slung one of the straps over his shoulder before doing the same with the other. He then made sure both thick strips of fabric were snug before stepping back outside into the fresh air. “Nothing. Where to next?”
