The Hunt

CHAPTER 29

Qui

He told her about David Larsen’s family co

“Yes.”

“And they didn’t know?” Her voice caught.

“He didn’t live with them; it’s very likely that they didn’t know about his activities. But-” He paused. How much should he tell her?

“But what?”

He had to trust her with the truth. It would all come out sooner or later.

“Larsen was arrested for rape when he was eighteen. The charges were dropped when the victim refused to testify. His sister, Delilah, was his alibi.”

“And you think he was guilty.”

He took a deep breath. “Yes, I do.” Then he told her why. “The girl had her breasts cut.”

“And his sister lied for him?”

“We don’t know what happened then. She could have been threatened by him, manipulated. Maybe she lied because she thought he was i

“I can’t believe that a woman would protect a rapist. She’d have to be sick, just like him.”

“Are you still at the University?”

“No. Booker drove me to the Lodge an hour ago. I was going stir-crazy. We’re going to take a section south of here. I need to do something.”

“You can communicate with all the search teams, correct?”

“We have a dedicated radio band.”

“Good. If I get anything from the Parkers about where Larsen might be keeping Ashley, we’ll change course and send everyone into a new area. Hang at the Lodge for a while longer, okay?”

She paused. “You don’t want me to go out?”

“Not because I think you can’t handle it, Miranda, but because I need to be able to contact you.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Keep the Parker co

“Harris! What did he do?”

Qui

Miranda wasn’t surprised Harris had gone off on his own. He’d always been a loose ca

She filled Booker in on the details as they walked from the dining hall to her cabin. She was too antsy to sit still. She hoped Qui

She heard the hooves of a horse galloping on the path, heading right for her. She turned and saw a kid on a very tired horse.

Ryan Parker.

“Whoa!” Booker said.

Ryan slowed down and slid off the horse. He was panting almost as hard as the poor animal.

“What’s wrong?” Miranda asked. The vast Parker holdings almost surrounded the Moore property, but the ranch itself was several miles south. “Did you come all the way up here from your house?”

“My, my uncle.”

Ryan’s uncle was David Larsen.

“What about him?” She was surprised her voice sounded normal.

“I knew, I knew,” Ryan repeated. “When I saw his belt buckle.”

“Slow down.” Miranda reached into her backpack and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to the boy. “Drink this.”

He did, coughed some out, then drank more. He sat on a small boulder that lined the path and poured the rest of the water over his head. Miranda sat next to him.

“What happened, Ryan?”

“I heard. Sam Harris told my parents that Uncle Davy was the Butcher. But I didn’t believe it. I mean, he’s my friend.”

Miranda’s heart went out to the poor kid. His world was crashing around him just like hers had.

“I saw Uncle Davy last night. Camping in the south meadow. He does that sometimes. Or at the cabin.”

“Cabin?”

“We have a cabin right at Big Sky Lake. We go fishing and stuff. Uncle Davy stays there.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Of course.” He rattled off an address.

“Maybe he’s there,” Miranda said to Booker. “We need to call Qui

Ryan shook his head vigorously. “No. No, he’s not. I saw him. And the buckle.”

“What buckle?”

“I thought it looked familiar. The bird. But I didn’t remember. Then I saw him coming up from the canyon, and I just knew . I looked at his belt, and it wasn’t there. He had a horse or something, not the bird he always wore.” Ryan pulled a broken belt buckle from his pocket. “Just like this one.”

Miranda was confused. “You took this from him? Why?”

Ryan looked down at his hands, turned the piece of metal over and over. “I didn’t take it. I found it near the body of that girl who was killed. The next day I went back and watched you all.”

His voice was rough with tears and he backhanded his face to wipe them away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to take it, I just found it. I wanted to tell my dad, but I thought he’d be mad that I went back there. So I hid it in my room.

“But after I saw my uncle today and realized the buckle was his, I ran home to get it.” Ryan sniffed. “He was acting so strange. He wasn’t happy to see me. He had his rifle. And a knife. I think he killed her.”

Miranda’s stomach lurched in her chest. “Where is he now?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I told him I was just riding and saw his gear and had to get back home. My mom and dad were fighting, so I came here because it was the closest.”

“You did good, Ryan.” She stood. “Can you take us to where you saw your uncle?”

Ryan nodded. “You can drive most of the way there.”

“Good.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Qui

Qui

“Dammit!” She tried again, and this time got his voice mail. “Qui

“The south meadow. About a mile behind my house. There’s a path.”

“South meadow behind the Parker house. I’m going there now. Meet me there, Qui

“But-”

“No. Stay here. I’m going to take you to Gray so you can take care of your horse.” She stared at him. “Anything else?”

He nodded. “Uncle Davy came up from the canyon on the far side of the meadow. At the very bottom there’s a boulder field and creek.”

“I’ve been down there.”

“I don’t know why he’d go down there.”

Miranda did.

Sitting in Parker’s living room, Qui

“But why do you need to talk to Delilah? We see Davy at holidays and for the occasional fishing trip, but Delilah never talks about her brother. They had a difficult childhood and they aren’t that close.”

“Did Delilah ever tell you her brother was arrested for rape?”

Richard looked stu

“Sixteen years ago in Oregon. The charges were dropped when the victim refused to testify, and Larsen had an alibi: his sister.”

“So Davy must have had nothing to do with it.”

“The woman’s breasts were cut.”

Qui

“What about to protect herself?”

“Excuse me?” Parker’s tone bordered between angry and confused.

While driving to the Parker Ranch, Qui

“He hunts in his sister’s hometown, while he lives hours away,” Qui

Parker buried his head in his hands. “My son-I let my son go fishing with that bastard. I let him eat at my table and sleep in my house! I gave him a cabin to stay in, paid for his education, took care of him like a brother.” He pounded a fist on the coffee table hard enough to cause several knickknacks to jump.

Qui

“Thirty minutes south of here. Almost to Yellowstone.”

“I need to see it. Now. Can you take me there?”

“Absolutely. Anything to help.”

Qui

“He… anda.”

“Miranda? You’re breaking up.” Then the phone went dead.

“It’s the house,” Parker said. “You can go outside and get reception.”

“Where’s your wife now?”

“She left after Sam Harris came by. She was very upset by this whole thing with Davy.”

“Sam Harris was here?”

Qui

He stepped out of the house and dialed dispatch to issue a detain order for Delilah Parker and find out if Sam Harris had called in. He hadn’t. Dammit. He told the dispatcher to tell all on-duty cops that Harris was oficially removed from the Butcher investigation and wanted for obstructing justice. Qui

Richard Parker followed him out. “Ready?” Qui

“I’ll take you there.” They climbed into the police-issue SUV that Deputy Jorgensen drove. Parker gave him directions.

“Tell me exactly where. I’m going to call in a team to meet us.” Qui

Ten minutes later he’d finished his calls, including one to his boss to fill him in on the status. When he slammed shut his cell phone, his voice mail beeped. He dialed in and listened.