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“How far down the trailhead is it?”
“At a fast clip, about eight to ten minutes. Slower in the dark. You want me to go in and check it out?”
Jack swung into the entrance of the conservation area and killed his flashing lights.
“No. It would help us more if you ran the plates on the other car.”
“Roger.”
Marc ended the call and gave Jack a rapid briefing. “We need to get the St. Charles PD in here with backup.”
“Agreed. Go ahead and punch in County. They can take care of the coordination.” He recited the number, then reached for the phone as he did a one-handed turn.
By the time he swung into the parking lot three minutes later, he’d barked out a string of orders, including an instruction that all law enforcement vehicles congregate here with no lights and no sirens to wait for further orders—and that a paramedic crew also be dispatched.
The conservation agent got out of his car and strode over as Jack set the brake. “I ran the other plate. It’s registered to an Alison Stephens from St. Louis.”
Why was that name familiar? Where had he—
“Alison Stephens?” Jack did a double take. Directed his next comment to him. “She’s Bri’s friend. The one whose husband was killed a couple weeks ago in a camping accident.”
That was why he’d recognized the name. She was the firefighter Bri had mentioned.
Firefighter.
Marc sucked in a breath.
“I wonder if she was lured here too for some reason.” Jack fisted his hands on his hips. “We could be dealing with—”
“Jack.” Marc touched his arm, pulse skittering as his nebulous suspicion began to coalesce. “She may not be a victim.”
Bri’s brother cocked his head, forehead bunched. “What are you talking about?”
“Think about it. All of the victims on Les Kavanaugh’s list died by fire, including Alison’s husband. She’s a firefighter. Bri was getting close to solving the puzzle, and the perpetrator couldn’t let that happen. Bri could have shared pieces of the investigation with her friend.”
Jack’s sudden pallor had nothing to do with the blanching effect of the moonlight. “But how does Holmes fit in?”
“Unknown.”
“Wait here for backup.” After aiming the directive at the conservation agent, Jack took off running toward the trailhead. “Let’s go.”
Marc was close on his heels as they sprinted down the path through the darkness, the mournfulwhooooof an owl as it prepared to soar on silent wings in search of prey accompanying them.
But the pounding of his heart reverberated in his ears like the bass beat of a rock band.
If his hunch proved accurate, they weren’t just dealing with a man bent on revenge, whose original goal had been confined to troublesome pranks.
They were also dealing with a cold-blooded killer who’d already murdered multiple people.
And unless they got to Bri in time, that killer’s new best friend would be the next victim—and the future he’d begun to dream about would be nothing but ashes.
THE ELEMENT OFSURPRISE HAD WORKED.
So far.
But Alison’s strength was formidable as they began to grapple.
At least Bri’s initial tackle had knocked Travis’s gun from the woman’s hand, sending it flying into the dark. Alison had also dropped her high-powered light. It lay on the floor, propped against a pile of trash and aimed toward a far wall.
