Tracing a Killer, page 6
Instead, the car rammed her bumper. Her body was propelled forward and then snapped back by the seat belt. Her jaw clenched as she gripped the wheel.
Trevor put his hand out, bracing it against the dashboard. “What’s going on?”
He barely had time to finish his sentence before a second, more intense ramming caused the SUV to veer off the road. They bumped along over grass and rocks. When she checked the mirror, the car was still coming after them.
Captain made a noise of distress from his kennel.
Hannah pressed the accelerator, seeking to avoid another collision as she aimed the steering wheel back toward the road. This time, the other car scraped the passenger side of her SUV.
She twisted the wheel to avoid full impact. Trevor groaned. Still accelerating, she swerved in a wide arc. Her back end fishtailed as she went off the road on the other side. She cranked the wheel toward the road.
An oncoming car honked its horn as it narrowly missed her when she sought to get on her side of the two-lane road. The green car was still behind them.
Heart pounding, she pressed the accelerator to the floor. Another car came up behind the green Jeep and several more moved toward them in the other lane. Traffic was increasing as they got closer to Bridger Bay.
Even though the green car hung back, allowing another car to get between them, her heart still raced. When she checked the mirror, the Jeep was no longer visible. He must have turned off. Maybe the driver realized he’d be caught if he continued to follow them.
After catching her breath, she glanced at Trevor. “You okay?”
He massaged the back of his neck. “I’ll survive.”
“Did you get a look at the driver?”
He shook his head. “Everything happened so fast. Do you think it was the RMK?”
Her heart had still not slowed down. “Not really his MO. But it’s possible he’s getting desperate.”
“Well, if it wasn’t him, I’ll give you one guess as to who else it could be.”
She waited for her hand to stop shaking before reaching for the radio.
“This is Officer Hannah Scott. We just had an incident close to Bridger Bay. A green Jeep attempted to run us off the road.”
Chase’s steady voice came across the line. “Are you okay?”
“The SUV is a little dented up. We both might have a few bruises but otherwise okay.”
“License-plate number?”
“No, I can tell you he’s not following us anymore. He must have taken one of the roads or scenic turn offs before Bridger Bay,” Hannah responded.
“Ian and I will go over there and have a look around. Rocco and Selena are farther south.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“I don’t suppose you got a look at the driver?” said Chase.
“Neither one of us did.”
“Now, after this, I’m not totally on board about you two being out in the open like that.”
She was afraid he would say that. “We don’t have enough personnel for me to be sidelined.”
Chase did not answer. Static came over the radio.
“We’re out here already. We can cover Bridger Bay and the nearby campsite. I don’t know that we would be any safer at that ranch. Lot of people there, too.”
Chase didn’t respond immediately. “Point taken. We just don’t have any other choice if we’re going to stay on the island.”
“My turn is coming up.” The sign for Bridger Beach flashed by her on the side of the road. “Over and out.” Best to disconnect before Chase changed his mind. She hit her blinker and turned off.
She found a parking space that looked out on the long stretch of beach and the Great Salt Lake beyond. She pressed her head against the headrest, closed her eyes and thanked God for His protection.
Trevor’s warm hand rested on hers. “That was some stellar driving back there.”
His touch sent warmth through her. She pulled her hand away even as her insides melted. “All part of my training.” It made her feel good that she’d impressed him, but she needed to keep things professional.
Bridger Beach was one of the most popular spots for people to try floating in the Great Salt Lake. This late in the year, more people were probably just enjoying walking on the white sand. Taking Captain with them, they got out and walked the beach, stopping to talk to several people, but none of them had seen anyone matching the RMKs description.
The wind whipped around them and the air smelled of salt as she scanned the area. It was probably not worth their time to wait for the people who were swimming to come in.
Trevor turned toward her. “What now?”
“The campground is not too far from here. Maybe we should drive through it and stop to talk to a few people. The RMK might be staying there. For sure, people would remember Cowgirl.”
“Okay,” he said.
Tents, RVs, campers and three cottages populated the campground. Each of the far-apart spots had a gazebo. Hannah drove slowly, knowing that spotting Cowgirl would be the most likely giveaway for their suspect. He might be taking the puppies out, as well, if he hadn’t sold them. So far, the RMK seemed to be taking care of Cowgirl. She hoped the same was true for the puppies.
It seemed the RMK liked being spotted with the dog as a way of taunting the team. That’s probably what his morning appearance was about—it was meant to instill frustration in the task force. Showing up on the island in such a public place was probably also intended to cause fear in Trevor. But to always have the dog in tow, and now, some puppies, would hinder the killer and make it that much harder to move stealthily toward his next intended victim. If he was staying on the island, it would have to be a camper or RV, not a tent—someplace the dogs would be safe if he left them.
She had to believe that searching the campgrounds was not futile. The door-to-door searches in police work could feel that way, and yet in her experience, being methodical usually turned up a lead.
They stopped at several campsites where people were outside cooking on the firepit or relaxing beneath a canopy. No one at the first two sites had noticed a man with a Labradoodle.
They stopped at a third site on the edge of the campground. An older couple sat beneath the gazebo in lawn chairs. Their truck camper was parked off to the side. The man rose from his seat as Hannah approached. Trevor followed behind her.
The man pointed at her SUV. “K-9 unit, huh?”
“Yes,” she said.
“I used to train bloodhounds for the sheriff’s department down in South Carolina. What kind of dog do you work with?”
Hannah perked up a bit. That meant the man was probably retired law enforcement. He’d be more likely to share info with her, and he probably was more observant than the average person. “A Newfoundland.” She turned slightly toward the vehicle, where Captain was still secured in the back seat. “He’s a good partner and a big ol’ sweetheart.”
The man took off his baseball hat and rubbed his thinning white hair. He studied Trevor for a long moment, probably wondering what his role was if Hannah already had a partner and why he wasn’t in uniform.
“Trevor is assisting me in my investigation,” she said. There was no need to share more details.
The man lifted his chin and nodded as if the explanation seemed to satisfy him. “Saw you driving through the campground. Looking for someone?”
Hannah nodded. “A tall blond man, usually wears sunglasses and a hat. He might have had a female Labradoodle with him who recently gave birth. The dog has a dark splotch on her ear.”
The woman who had been sitting in the chair fanning herself piped up. “I saw a man matching that description yesterday evening.”
“Here at this campground?” That meant that he must have stayed in the park last night before making his early morning appearance.
“Yes, I was taking Mr. Baby out for his evening constitutional.” The older woman pointed at a basket by her chair that Hannah hadn’t noticed before. A fluffy ball of brown-and-black fur was curled into a C shape.
Trevor stepped forward. “Where were you at when you saw the man?”
The woman pointed off in the distance. “There’s a walking trail not too far from here.”
Hannah’s heart skipped a beat. This was the break they had been looking for. “Did you talk to the man at all?”
“Only briefly. His dog came up to me and was just so friendly. Our conversation was mostly about how cute the dog was.”
Hannah piped up. “I don’t suppose you saw his campsite or what he was driving?”
“We weren’t close enough to the campsites for me to see which pad was his, and he didn’t mention where he was staying or what he was staying in. The one thing I did notice about the dog was that it was clear she must be nursing puppies. Her teats were swollen, and her belly was stretched out as though she’d given birth recently.”
“Thank you. You’ve both been very helpful.”
“Mind if I meet your partner?” The husband’s voice had a hopeful lilt to it, as if he was probably recalling his days of having worked with K-9s.
“Sure.” Normally, she wouldn’t have allowed someone to pet Captain while on duty, but the man seemed so overjoyed, and he and his wife had given her a break in the case. Plus, she could use an ally and a pair of eyes in the camp if the RMK was still here.
She opened the back car door and tripped the release on the kennel. Captain stuck his big furry head out so the man could pet him.
“What is his training specialty?” The man put his head close to Captain’s.
“Search and rescue, mainly water.”
After sweet talking to Captain for a moment and sharing a story about a dog he’d trained to search swamps, the older man thanked Hannah.
“Both the wife and I will keep an eye out for the man you’re looking for.”
Hannah handed him her card. “Call this number if you notice anything.”
Despite her growling stomach, Hannah felt a sense of elation as she and Trevor both climbed into the SUV.
She radioed Chase with the news, ending by saying that they should maybe set up a stakeout of the campground. “I know he might be moving from campground to campground, but it’s worth a try. He may still be staying here. Someone is bound to notice or hear the puppies sooner or later.”
“Yes, that makes sense,” said Chase. “There are several campgrounds on the island, but it seems like a good strategy to focus on the place we know he stayed at.”
She gripped the radio a little tighter. “Any sign of the green Jeep?”
“Negative. We searched the area where you thought he must have turned off and questioned a few people, but we didn’t come up with anything. Hannah?”
“Okay, thanks.” Her voice wilted from disappointment.
“I think you and Trevor should come back to the ranch for now, given what happened with that Jeep.”
“Am I going to be part of the stakeout?”
“Meadow is one of the officers who stayed behind in Salt Lake in case there was another sighting there. Now that we know the RMK is staying on the island, it makes sense to have her help us out. The remaining members of the task force will stay in the city in case the RMK returns there.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think the safest thing for both you and Trevor would be to come back to the ranch. With an extra officer, we should be able to proceed with the search. Meadow’s K-9 has tracking skills, which will be a help.”
Not what she wanted to hear. “Okay, we’re going to pick up some food and then we’ll head over there.” She knew better than to argue with Chase. She already wasn’t on his good side.
“See you in a bit,” said Chase. “And, Hannah, you did good work today. I’m sure that car chase left you rattled, and you did your job, anyway.”
“Thank you.” Hannah clicked off the radio. The sense of elation she felt at having gotten a lead about the RMK eased the pain of knowing that she probably wouldn’t be part of the stakeout.
The decision had been made. She needed to abide by what Chase wanted.
Trevor had heard the conversation. “Tough break. You don’t like to be on the sidelines any more than I do.”
She smiled. One more thing they had in common. “I just don’t know if we will be any safer at the ranch.”
It could be that the RMK had already figured out the team had set up headquarters at the ranch. The bunkhouse was separated from some of the busier parts of the ranch, but the patrol vehicles would give them away. If the RMK had figured out where they were staying, it would just be a matter of time before he came after Trevor.
* * *
Trevor’s heart went out to Hannah. She seemed to shrink in the driver’s seat. Her features were less animated. The look on her face was pensive. He liked the exuberant Hannah he’d seen moments before, when her solid police work had moved the investigation forward.
“It wasn’t safety that I signed up for when I made my decision to stay out in the open,” said Trevor.
“Me, either.” She turned the key in the ignition.
“If you weren’t such a good police officer, so interested in justice, you would have hung up your gun and headed to a safe house yourself,” said Trevor.
“True.” She rolled through the campground and back onto the road. Within minutes, signs for the Island Buffalo Grill came up. It was short drive before they entered the parking lot, where several other cars were parked. As long as the fall weather remained nice, people still visited the island. This was his favorite time of year to be here—less heat and fewer bugs.
Trevor noted that there was no drive-through, which would have left them less exposed.
Hannah turned off the car. “As long as we’re here, it won’t hurt to ask the kitchen staff if they have seen the RMK or know the park employee who tried to kill me.”
They stepped inside, where only two other people waited in line to give their orders. After Hannah ordered a cheeseburger and fries and paid, she asked the female clerk if she’d seen a tall blond man with a Labradoodle or puppies, and then described the park employee who had come after her. The clerk thought for a moment and then said, “No, I can’t say that I have seen either of those men.”
Trevor stepped forward and ordered a bison burger and onion rings.
While they waited for their food, they sat down at a table. Hannah stood up when she noticed a man wiping down a nearby table. She walked over and preceded to talk to him. The man shook his head. Once their meals came in to-go boxes, they headed out to the K-9 vehicle.
Hannah set her box on the console between the seats while Trevor dug into his onion rings. She took a couple bites of her burger and ate a handful of fries before starting the car and heading back toward the ranch.
They sped past one of the scenic turnouts. He thought he saw something in his peripheral vision. Trevor craned his neck to get a look through the rearview mirror. “The green Jeep is back there.”
SIX
After making sure there were no other cars close, Hannah spun the SUV around and pressed the accelerator. She could see the Jeep up ahead as it pulled onto the road.
The needle edged past seventy as she sought to close the distance between herself and the other car. She grabbed her radio and pressed the talk button. “Be advised. We are in pursuit of the green Jeep headed north from the Island Buffalo Grill. I could use some backup.”
Chase’s voice came across the line. “Headed in that direction. We’re still in the area.” Chase disconnected.
Her heart pounded as she kept her eyes on the road, passing the one car between her and the Jeep. The Jeep maintained speed as it turned off on a spur road that indicated it led to a trailhead.
She took the turn so tightly and at such a high speed that the tires spit up gravel that sprayed against the side of her vehicle. They headed up a twisty road, eventually coming to a dirt parking lot where only one other car was parked by a trailhead marker. The Jeep continued beyond the parking lot over the rough terrain. Hannah followed as both cars climbed a hill. The Jeep disappeared from view as it descended. When her SUV reached the top of the hill, she saw the Jeep, which was no longer moving. The driver’s-side door had been flung open.
She didn’t see the driver anywhere, and there was no indication of which direction he might have gone. Narrowing her eyes and leaning forward, she stared through the windshield. Her heart was still racing from the adrenaline rush of the pursuit.
“There,” said Trevor.
Her gaze followed the direction Trevor pointed. A man in a khaki windbreaker and hat disappeared behind a rock formation.
There was no time to radio Chase and let him know what was going on.
She drove the patrol car to where the other car had been abandoned, due to the terrain being too rough to drive over. She and Trevor jumped out of the SUV, and Hannah deployed Captain. She headed toward the rocks with Trevor keeping pace with her. Hannah drew her gun as they ran. They entered a huge rocky field containing plenty of big boulders that someone could hide behind.
They slowed, taking time to look for movement and listen for any sound that might indicate which direction the driver had gone. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears and sweat trickled past her temples as they advanced deeper into the rocky field. She could see where the field ended and opened up into a forest of scrubby trees—beyond that was the lake.
A flash of movement above a large rock, like a bird fluttering low to the ground, drew her attention. She ran toward where she thought the man might be. When she saw him head toward the forest of short trees with tangled trunks, her suspicion was confirmed. Beneath the hat he wore, she couldn’t see his face clearly. From this distance, he looked shorter than the RMK.
She ran ahead of Trevor while Captain kept pace with her. The man disappeared into the forest.
