AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She stays out too late. Participates in sorority and fraternity stuff. Nothing you weren’t already aware was happening.”
“Then why did you tell me she was sticking to her schedule?”
“All that stuff is part of her routine. Nothing has changed. I’m staying close. No need for alarm bells quite yet.”
“There better not be.”
“She’s no longer a pledge. They inducted the pledges shortly after you hightailed it out of here. Things should calm down now that she’s moved into the sorority house.”
“She what!?”
“Oh. I thought she told you that was her plan.”
“She did not.” He blew a piece of hair out of his eyes. “One last thing. I had Pierce email you a symbol. It’s connected to that sorority Cate joined. Look into any other instances you can find on campus. It’s a priority.”
“You need to let Cate live her life, dude. I can’t believe you’re investigating her sorority.”
“It’s for her own good.” He ended the call and closed his screen. His never ending to-do list included calling Dad, Grayson and Cate. This might be a busier vacation than his working ones.
Samanthatightenedthelaceson her hiking boots. Her fellow rangers knew she was headed down to Adams Falls, but she hadn’t shared her suspicions. Couldn’t without informing them about George Swisher’s missing daughter. She was an adult who hadn’t been reported missing. The fact that Gavin’s people had been able to grab locations from her cell was a bit disturbing, but also helpful. When going through legal means, it could be painfully slow get providers to release information. Even when they had hikers lost in the woods without food and water or even proper attire. While she couldn’t go outside of official channels as a law enforcement ranger, she could certainly use the information already obtained to search for Emmaline.
She grabbed her backpack from the passenger seat of her Explorer and slung it over her shoulder. Stepping onto the first set of stairs leading down to the falls, she paused. Having patrolled this trail countless times before, it was familiar, but this time a sense of dread filled her as she took that first step down. When she reached the landing to the natural stone steps that would take her to the best viewing point for the waterfall, she considered how easy it would be to roll a body down the slippery stairs. The falls would do the rest, pushing the body down and carrying it away on the current.
Descending the steps carefully, her gaze darted toward the surrounding forest. Stopping for a moment, she admired the beauty of the raging water. This was one of her favorite places in the park. It wasn’t hard to get to, but it was often deserted. Many hikers started Falls trail on the other side of Route 118, not realizing that there was a waterfall on the other side of the highway. There loss was a gain for the locals who often had it to themselves.
Biting the inside of her cheek, she squinted down the stream. Even if the creek washed the body onto shore somewhere down the trail, it could be sometime before it was found. The killer could’ve attached a weight to keep the body submerged in one of the deeper pools, or he could’ve pulled his victim out and drug her into the woods, perhaps hidden her body under dead leaves and twigs.
What she struggled to understand was the randomness of it all. Young woman. Middle-aged man. Nothing connected the two but location and a strange symbol. She peered into the water. It held secrets that much she knew, but were any of them connected to Emmaline Swisher or Uncle Richard’s disappearance?
Chapter Nine
Gavinstaredatthefence surrounding the cell tower. There was no reason to be here. Not really. Nothing much could be gained from visiting the structure, but he’d felt the need to come. Emmaline was close, he felt it down deep in his bones. But exactly where she could be with the maze of trails inside Ricketts Glen and the surrounding state game lands was beyond him. State Game Lands Thirteen alone had nearly fifty thousand acres of wild undeveloped land. That meant a lot of places to toss a cell phone or hide a body.
His phone buzzed with an update from Scott. Cate was at another sorority event. It wasn’t the worst news, but he would’ve preferred to hear she was in the library studying or at home reading a book.
A distraction would be helpful about now. His stomach growled reminding him he hadn’t eaten. He could ask Sam to join him for dinner. Not a date. She wouldn’t want that even if she weren’t his employee, but food and conversation were okay.
Gavin: I’m at the cell tower, but was going to grab dinner at Trail’s End. Join me to talk about the case?”
Sam: What time?
Gavin: Are you free now?
Sam: Give me twenty minutes. I’ll meet you there.
He tucked his phone back into his pocket and drove over to Trail’s End. His laptop was in the car, so he could catch up on his emails and, perhaps, do a bit of research while he waited for Sam to arrive.
Setting up in a booth, he stared out the side window. The server mentioned a sow had been hanging around with her cubs. He wouldn’t mind catching a glimpse of her. Refocusing his attention on his laptop, he sorted his email into appropriate folders, then he started tackling the ‘action’ folder.
Before he got through the first task, Samantha arrived. She was still in uniform with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The look gave her a youthful appearance. Spotting him, she smiled. The moment she sat down the server appeared with menus cutting off the words he’d wanted to say. Not necessarily a bad thing since he’d been about to tell Sam how cute she looked.
TheserversetdownSamantha’s glass of unsweetened tea and filled Gavin’s coffee cup touching his hand before she straightened. She took their orders and then turned back to Gavin. “Can I get you anything else?” Never once did she glance at Sam, her focus was glued on Gavin.
He shook his head. “We’re good for now.”
Sam tapped the top of the open screen on Gavin’s laptop. “You’re a workaholic, aren’t you?”
He lifted his eyes from the screen to meet hers. “The job never stops. When people hire you to protect them and their loved ones, it’s a huge responsibility.” Closing the lid to his laptop, he smiled giving her his full attention.
