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This was Alaska at its finest.
If only the people inhabiting it didn’t mess it up.
“So . . . what exactly do you do for the park service?” Duke asked Ranger.
“I work part-time in forestry for Gates of the Arctic.”
Duke’s heart lodged in his throat. “Really? How many years doing that?”
“Five.”
That meant Ranger had been working in the national park during the time Celeste had disappeared.
Maybe Duke would ask him questions. He knew it was a long shot. But still . . .
“Not much farther,” Ranger said, not seeming interested in talking about his job anymore.
That was fine. This wasn’t the time and place.
First, they needed to talk to Obadiah.
chapterthirty-four
When Andi sawthe sign for Coldfoot on the side of the road, shivers raked through her.
That was the town where Skeeter was staying—and Skeeter was the last person she wanted to see.
Thankfully, she, Ranger, and Duke kept going.
Several streets later, Ranger motioned for Duke to turn. After a few more twists and turns, he directed Duke to stop on the side of the road in front of a . . . forest.
Instantly, caution rose in Andi. Why in the world was this man telling them to stop on the side of the road? Maybe they shouldn’t have been so quick to trust him, despite what Simmy said.
“Here?” Duke turned toward Ranger, doubt—and caution—in his gaze.
“We’ll need to go the rest of the way on foot.” Ranger’s words held no emotion—only fact.
Andi raised her eyebrows. “On foot?”
The snow was probably three or four feet deep right here. This wasn’t as simple as a walk in the park. This was a walk in the arctic wilderness after a snowstorm.
“I brought snowshoes—enough for each of us,” Ranger announced. “That’s what I grabbed from my truck before we left.”
“Snowshoes?” Andi repeated. “Really?”
“Really.” He offered a curt, no-nonsense nod. “It will make the walk a lot easier.”
She let out a sigh. “Then snowshoes it is.”
But why in the world did he have multiple pairs in his truck? She didn’t ask.
After Ranger helped Andi put on the shoes, he and Duke got ready for the hike. Within minutes, they started their trek through the forest.
Ranger was right. They probably wouldn’t have found this place on their own, especially since it was dark outside and there was nothing to mark the property.
She thought Craig had lived off the grid. But Obadiahreallylived off-grid. How did he even get supplies to his place?
As if Ranger was reading her mind, he said, “Obadiah’s preferred method of traveling is by dogsled.”
