The Hunt

CHAPTER 26

Dr. Eric Fields offered to help with evidence collection at the crime scene, and he and Olivia followed Qui

Qui

He wondered what Nick had been after. Had he been following up on a hunch? Why had he gone out without backup? Or at least letting someone know where he was headed. Or, had he simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time?

Sam Harris barked orders to his deputies, then spotted Qui

“I’m sure you do,” Qui

Dr. Fields approached. “Sam, good to see you again.” He extended his hand.

“Dr. Fields. I didn’t know you were down here.” Harris seemed flustered and impressed with the lab director.

“I came down with Dr. St. Martin on another case, and when we heard about Sheriff Thomas’s disappearance, I wanted to see if I could help. We’re heading back to Helena as soon as we’re done here, and I’ll expedite any processing of evidence. Do you think this is co

Qui

“We’re not jumping to any conclusions right now, Dr. Fields,” Harris said. “Sheriff Thomas may have been following a lead in the van Auden disappearance; we’re still piecing together his day.”

“May I take a look at his truck?”

“Absolutely. I have my crime scene technicians processing it right now. I’m sure they would be pleased to have your guidance.” Harris walked Fields over to Nick’s truck.

Qui

Olivia laughed. “Eric has a huge list of credentials, including ru

“Harris has been a thorn,” Qui

“I told Nick when he first made him undersheriff that it would be a problem,” Miranda said. “Harris was his opponent in the election.”

“That explains it.”

Miranda’s eyes clouded with unshed tears as she stared down the road at Nick’s truck. “Qui

“We don’t know that,” Qui

She looked at him, chewed on her upper lip. “I feel so helpless!”

“You’re not. We have two deputies scouring the files right now based on the information Professor Austin gave us. We’ll have that list narrowed down to a handful. I have two agents coming in tonight. We’ll have answers sooner rather than later. We’re getting close, Miranda. We’re going to get this guy. I can feel it.”

“Before he kills Ashley?”

“God, I hope so.”

Twenty minutes later, Dr. Fields motioned for Qui

“Anything?” Qui

The lab director tapped his bag. “I’m taking custody of the evidence. The interior was wiped clean.”

“No fingerprints?”

“Not Nick’s, not anyone’s, on the steering wheel, dash, or doors. Harris said that he had a witness, a trucker, who called in the abandoned vehicle.”

“Witness?” Qui

“The witness didn’t see anyone in or around the truck. He drove down this road at one thirty this afternoon, turned south on 191 to eat and gas up at a popular truck stop about three miles down. He logged it all in his book. He left the restaurant at three and the sheriff’s truck was here. He almost hit it coming around the bend. Called it right in.”

“Gives us a time line. Good.” Qui

“Sounds right to me,” Fields said. “One more thing. Though the car was wiped down, I collected a sample of dirt in the grooves of the brake pedal. At first glance, it looks like the same dark red clay we found in the Douglas murder. It’s a very small sample, less than a gram. I can’t say for sure it’s identical until I run tests, but I think for caution’s sake you should assume it’s from the same source.”

“Meaning, the Butcher has Nick.”

Olivia and Dr. Fields left directly from the scene to return to Helena. Qui

“We have four possibles,” he said, his pale eyes darting back and forth with excitement. “I can’t believe out of all those files, we could narrow it down so fast.”

“Follow the evidence,” Qui

“The first guy,” Booker said, “is still on campus. Mitch Groggins. He’s a cook at the cafeteria. Been there for seventeen years. Forty years old. His mother lives in Green River, Utah.”

Qui

“Have you talked to his mother? Found out if he visited recently?”

Booker shook his head. “We’ve been busy narrowing down the list, we haven’t had time, I’m sorry-”

Qui

“The next guy graduated the year after Pe

Denver-that was in the middle of Colorado. Qui

“Thirty-seven.”

“Okay. Next?”

“Bryce Younger. Thirty-five. Freshman at the time of Pe

“I know,” Qui

“So, he was on the floor directly beneath hers. They knew each other, had one class together. And get this-he’s from St. George, Utah. He went back there when he graduated and is in construction. Never married, no kids.”

Construction-probably physically fit, capable of subduing a woman.

“Any reason to believe he’s come up to Montana recently?”

“His construction company is pretty big, they have projects all over the western U.S.-including building the new science wing at Missoula.”

The University of Montana in Missoula was about two hours northwest of Bozeman.

“The last guy is forty-five, a little older than the others. Brad Palmer. He was a teaching assistant in one of Pe

“But get this,” Booker added. “He lives in Grand Junction, Colorado.”

Qui

Miranda listened to Qui

She stared at the photographs of the four men-any one of them could be the Butcher. Goosebumps rose on her skin.

She sat in the corner and absorbed Qui

He called the St. George Police Department, filled them in on the investigation, and asked them to check on Bryce Younger. He sent Booker and Zachary to Missoula to investigate the construction company owner and see if Younger had been around in the last three weeks. He was on the phone, dispatching deputies, and massaging Sam Harris’s ego all at once.

But Miranda caught all of this from the periphery. She focused on the University photographs of the four men. In her mind, she imagined each of them shooting Sharon in the back. She couldn’t rid her mind of the image of each of them tying her down, raping her. Then feeding her bread and water like she was a wounded bird.

She didn’t want to go back, but she was already there. She tried to steel herself for the pain, but it came crashing through, her barriers shattered.

Deep down, she wanted to go home and let Qui

But if she hid under her warm comforter, the Butcher would still be out there. Ashley van Auden would still be strapped to the ground, cold and in pain, certain she was going to die and that no one cared, no one would save her. Nick would still be missing. Was he dead? Please, no .

But how could he be alive? Why would the Butcher keep him alive? He wouldn’t. He’d kill him and dump his body. They might not find him until after they caught the Butcher.