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“False alarm,” he said after a moment, obviously coming to the same conclusion she had: it was an animal, not a human.
Bethenny nodded. “Let’s keep moving.”
She took a step forward, then another as they ventured deeper into the woods. The canopy overhead was thick and lush and the ground became harder to see. She hadn’t remembered it being this dark when she’d run through this morning, but it must’ve been.
A clap of rolling thunder caused her head to snap up.
Excellent, she thought with a groan as the first drops fell.
It hadn’t been as dark because the sun had been shining—she hadn’t bothered to look at the weather forecast this morning, and she was regretting that now.
“This complicates things,” Lachlan said dryly.
“We need to move faster. The sooner we get a tarp over the crime scene, the better,” she said, picking up her pace. Her legs screamed in protest but she pushed on anyway.
“Agreed,” Lachlan said, the sound of his voice indicating he was a step behind her.
Images of the curled lock of blonde hair and the blue fingernail surfacing from the grave spurred her on. Now was not the time for her legs to have a pity party.
A violent clap of thunder seemed to shake the trees. The storm was getting bad—fast.
Bethenny wondered if they’d need to take cover, but she refused to slow down now.
Dear Lord,
Please keep us safe.
Hold off this weather until we can get back to her.
Protect the crime scene so that we can get her justice.
Please look over the forensics crews driving on these windy roads.
Lord, hear my prayers,
In Jesus’s name.
Amen.
Bethenny prayed continuously as she walked, repeatedly asking God to protect them and protect the crime scene. She didn’t want what little DNA evidence there might be to wash away.
Once they’d climbed the steep ascent, Bethenny looked through the sparse trees at the edge of the forest into the clear meadows beyond. It was a breathtaking view, even in a storm.
“Wow,” Lachlan said, coming to stand beside her.
“It’s worth the trek,” Bethenny told him with appreciation. “Come on—the grave is a few miles from here, and it’s mostly flat. Let’s run!”
Lachlan didn’t say a word but he was right beside her as she launched into a fast jog.
Raindrops hit her forehead and cheeks, rolling off her jaw. She looked up at dark, thick clouds above them. There was not a slither of blue, nor a beam of sunlight shining though. The sky was angry and looked ready to unleash on them any second.
They ran across the meadow, stopping at the next line of trees. Bethenny’s eyes swept over their surroundings as she looked for her marker.
“This way,” she said, walking as she wrung out the base of her tank top, which looked like it had been soaked in a bucket of water.
Water squished and fell on her shoes. It was a pointless task, though, because the sky opened up with her next step and rain fell so heavy she could barely see her own feet.
She took a second look at the tree with four knots at its base. They were heading in the right direction.
