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“Selena isn’t hiking alone, and there’s no need to start a wave of panic that would surely circulate throughout Moonshine Valley, Big Oak, and the other surrounding towns that feed into these trails.” Theo wouldn’t divulge to Dominic how strong the urge had been to instruct Selena to pack up her things and head home. He’d learned long ago that guilt wasn’t a useful emotion. Such sentiment caused knee-jerk reactions that weren’t necessarily the right decisions later on down the line. “I get it, Dominic. I do. I’d like to clear out every hiker on this mountain, but that’s unrealistic. Until we have proof that Luna Breen was one in a long line of victims, we keep searching for answers and allow life around here to carry on as usual.”
Dominic didn’t seem to agree, but he motioned that they should veer off the trail so that they could resume their search.
The detour had been a waste of time.
Maybe.
“Stay here,” Theo requested as he began to retrace his steps. “I want to ask Selena a question. I’ll be right back.”
Considering that they hadn’t gotten too far away from the campsite, it hadn’t taken more than a minute for Theo to find Selena still sitting next to the fire. She’d managed to get the pot on the tripod, though the contents weren’t hot enough to give off any aroma yet.
“Selena? I don’t mean to bother you again, but have you seen any other hikers today?” Theo realized that his question was rather broad, and that she probably had seen many hikers. He and Dominic had crossed paths with a lot of people on the main trail until they’d deviated into more natural territory. “We’re just trying to meet up with a friend, but we can’t recall what trail that he was hiking today. He would have been alone.”
Selena’s smile had faded upon hearing Theo’s first question, but she relaxed somewhat after he’d explained the reason behind his inquiry. Still, she’d crossed her arms as she rested them against her knees in a defensive gesture.
“I did see someone in a dark blue jacket up ahead of us on the trail, but he must have been walking fast. When we came up over the hill, he was nowhere to be found.” Selena gave a slight shrug, as if to say she wished she could have helped more. “I couldn’t even tell you what the guy looked like, though. I do know that he had on a dark beanie.”
“Our friend wears one,” Theo said with a smile. He didn’t want to leave Selena feeling uneasy. “Then again, I’m sure a lot of other hikers wear beanies, too. Gives us hope, though. Thanks. Enjoy your weekend.”
Theo had gotten maybe two feet away when Selena called out to him.
“Oh, wait! Does your friend use a walking stick? I’m pretty sure the guy was using a walking stick, if that helps.”
Theo thought back to the crime scene. Brook had mentioned that there had been a smudge on the wall that stood out. She’d thought that maybe the unsub had rubbed against the wall when setting the victims backpack on the floor. Given the amount of dust and cobwebs, such a disturbance would have been evident.
What if the killer had rested a trekking pole against the wall?
“As a matter of fact, he does,” Theo replied as he scanned the area. “Which way did you say he went?”
“Like I said, I lost sight of him on the trail,” Selena said regretfully as she cast a glance toward the contents in the pot. “Good luck, though.”
Theo bid Selena goodbye and began to make his way back toward Dominic. His so-called partner for the day hadn’t been patient enough, and he’d retraced his steps until they met on middle ground.
“What was that about?” Dominic asked, completely in the dark as to why Theo had returned to speak with Selena. “What did I miss?”
“I want to walk the trail for a while,” Theo said as he scanned the area for the easiest way to reach the main path. Selena and her friends had set up camp near the trail, but far enough away so that they wouldn’t be bothered by day hikers. “Selena mentioned seeing a male individual with a dark jacket.”
“Do you know how many hikers are out here? I don’t think that I need to tell you that—”
“You don’t,” Theo reassured him as they both began to walk in that direction. “Just humor me, okay? You said yourself that you felt bad about not telling Selena about Luna Breen. If Selena did hike from Big Oak, there’s a chance she has no idea that a murder was even committed nearby. While Luna Breen’s death has hit the local channels, it hasn’t done so with the national news outlets. As I said, the last thing we want to do is cause a panic within the community.”
“We’ll be heading back toward Moonshine Valley if we follow this trail.”
“I need to hike up here tomorrow anyway. We’ll walk the trail, and then call it an early day.”
“Suit yourself.”
There seemed to be a bit of disappointment in Dominic’s tone over the fact that they weren’t going to get a chance to check out the remaining dwellings that they’d circled on the map. There had to be many more that weren’t even listed, but Theo didn’t think this day was a waste at all.
“Hey, Dominic. Tell me again the various reasons why hikers use walking sticks.”
Chapter Nine
Brooklyn Sloane
October 2023
Friday — 3:26pm
