“About you,” she said with a flicker of a smile softening her face. It reminded him of the woman he’d once loved. But it was gone so quickly he wondered if it was simply wishful thinking on his part. “He’s cautiously accepting your presence.”
Caleb didn’t know how to respond. Instead, he crooked his thumb back to where he’d found the body. “This isn’t the typical type of death seen on the trails. Whoever did this wanted her found. Wanted his work seen.”
Why now after three years?
“You’re right,” she whispered softly enough that he almost didn’t hear. “That’s why we have to work fast before he claims another victim. He kills in patterns of three.”
Caleb remembered the sinister pattern of Wax all too well. There’d been two victims when Ava was kidnapped. Caleb had been terrified she’d end up the third, only she hadn’t. Wax had other plans for her. He’d forced her to watch as he killed the third victim in front of her.
For whatever reason, Wax thought he had a personal connection to Ava that made him recruit her for his sick games.
That same relentless drive she’d possessed when they’d first begun dating still burned down deep. Back then, she’d never known when to stop fighting and maybe that’s what had broken them both.
Caleb looked around at the trees laden with snow and wondered if somewhere out there the Wax still watched. That he’d come back here to hunt wasn’t an accident. He wanted Ava back in Glacier for a reason. And he’d gotten what he wanted.
Was Ava strong enough to survive another confrontation? He wasn’t sure about her, but he had serious doubts about himself.
Only one thing he was certain of. He knew these mountains like no other. And if Ava was going into them looking for a killer, then he was going in there with her.
Chapter Four
Fire and Wax
Shadow growled low, forcing Ava’s attention away from the regrets of her past. She turned to see the dog standing near the same tree where they’d found the swatch of shirt.
“What is it, boy?” She went over to where the dog pawed at the spot then lifted its head to sniff the air.
She turned to find Caleb and Rachel standing nearby.
“He’s onto something more. I need the sample back,” she told Rachel. “To help him zero in on the scent.”
Rachel hesitated briefly before handing it back to Ava.
“You think he can lock onto the killer’s trail still with the weather?” Caleb glanced at the falling snow. He knew snow could mask some scents on the ground, but the cold sometimes helped preserve air scents.
“I know so.” Ava hated the strain between her and Caleb. At one time they’d been so much in love. But this tension was all her fault. She’d walked away from him only because she’d been transformed into a different woman after the kidnapping and she couldn’t get back her original self. Wax had destroyedthat woman. He’d taken her confidence, her ability to function in public, and her capability to love.
Ava focused on the fabric and swallowed back her regret. She couldn’t change what happened. Couldn’t be the woman he needed her to be.
Her finger stroked the plastic covering the flannel. She could feel the place where wax had dripped down one side of the cloth. If this were Wax’s, he would have been close to the victim. He wanted to see her pain. Watch her die...just like he had with the victim Ava saw.
The symmetrical cut of the fabric bothered her. Did Wax want them to follow him? The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Had he deliberately left his scent on the cloth—staged the wax to try and fool her—all the while luring her into another trap?
“Deputy Vaughn, stay here.” Ava shook off her misgivings and leaned down close to her K-9 partner, her eyes meeting his. “Shadow. Scent.”
The Malinois pressed his nose against the bag, his nostrils flaring. Body tightly strung like a bow. She clipped his lead onto the halter. “Find him, Shadow.”
The dog responded immediately, racing forward with a sharp bark. Adrenaline flooded her body. She’d seen this reaction many times.
Ava scrambled after Shadow while her boots slipped over the snowy terrain. Caleb was right there at her side while Rachel struggled to keep up with Shadow’s quick pace.
Branches snagged at Ava’s hair and clothes. The countryside flew by in a rapid blur as Shadow cut through the underbrush, and the K-9 kept a relentless pace while his nose skimmed the ground. His full attention on the hunt. Occasionally, he’d shift his head from side to side checking forany change of direction before pressing forward with renewed intensity.
“You think he was here when I found the body?” The disgust in Caleb’s tone was apparent.
“Without a doubt. He’s still close,” Ava said without breaking stride. “He lingered until her body was found. It gave him a twisted kick to see your reaction to finding her. And after our people arrived because...” She couldn’t say it, but Ava believed Wax had carefully orchestrated everything to bring her back to Montana.
“That’s sick,” Rachel said under her breath. “What kind of monster are we chasing anyway? If there’s a chance, he’s waiting to ambush us, then we need to call in backup.”
