hoped they tossed the knife somewhere along the trail.
He heard something he hadn’t heard in a long time: the clear chirps of birds, unhampered by the sounds of humanity. No cars, buses, shouting arguments, or blaring televisions.
They trekked a good distance, but the terrain was so uneven it was difficult to judge how far. Mickey guessed maybe a quarter mile but knew he was off. Eventually, when his sweaty shirt clung to him and his cheeks were hot and red, the trees cleared and they emerged into a field. A dirt road cut through the field.
“ Well,” Suzan said, “after this is pure wilderness, and there’s only two ways out. The mountains, which, unless they were fully geared mountaineers, they weren’t going to make. The other is down this road that loops back into town.”
They followed the road into the dense trees. Leaves and twigs covered the damp forest floor. They crunched under Mickey’s feet, and he wished he’d worn hiking boots.
A stream flowed before them down a hill. Suzan showed him a way to get across without going into the water by stepping from stone to stone. On the other side, they arrived at a clear dirt path that led down to a paved road. He turned from the road and scanned the trees.
One tree stuck out to him, far larger than the others. Mickey walked around it. The dark gray bark of the wounded, deeply scarred tree was carved with words, names, and hearts.
On the far side, facing the road, were the words, “I see you.”
Mickey walked around the tree several times, scanning up and down. “Did you see this?” he said.
The sheriff came over and froze in her tracks when she saw the words. “No,” she said quietly.
“He must have headed down the road back into town.”
After a short hike, they reached the other road, this one paved and heading down toward Kodiak Basin and the Interstate.
“ I didn’t… I just didn’t think to look this far out here. We canvased all around the house.”
“Did the Hennleys have any pets?”
She ran her hand over her brow, wiping the sweat away. “No, not that I know of.”
Mickey turned toward the town. Suzan strolled beside him but didn’t say anything. He kept his eyes to the trees, and she did the same on the other side.
“He might’ ve come back and picked it up already,” she said.
“Maybe. But maybe he’ll put as much space between here and himself as possible. He won’t want to risk coming again and being spotted—if he’s smart. They caught the Green River Killer because he kept going back to the scenes of his crimes. But given what I’ve seen, I’m not sure he’s thinking clearly. He may not care if he leaves evidence behind.”
The sun reached its peak above them , and heat emanated off the ground, first into his feet, then his legs and torso. He took off his suit coat and slung it over his shoulder.
“Was a bear attack not too far from here,” she said.
“You guys have bears?”
She laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just you should’ve seen your face. I take it you haven’t been around bears much.”
“I’ve seen them at a zoo when I was a kid. That’s as close as I’d like to get.”
Another ten minutes passed before he stopped and glanced around. “I think he might’ve gone farther in, away from the road. Let’s step past the tree line.”
He took one side of the road , and she took the other as they proceeded down the mountain. He had a panoramic view of the valley and debated whether it would be appropriate to stop and snap a photo. He was going to text it to his daughter. Changing his mind, he kept walking.
“Mickey!”
The sheriff stood across the way behind some trees. Mickey ran over, his heart hammering. He didn’t know whether it was from the adrenaline or the exertion of running.
T he handle of a knife stuck out from a patch of tall crab grass. The blade was barely visible. Suzan took out a plastic baggie and some latex gloves from her pocket. She put them on,
He heard something he hadn’t heard in a long time: the clear chirps of birds, unhampered by the sounds of humanity. No cars, buses, shouting arguments, or blaring televisions.
They trekked a good distance, but the terrain was so uneven it was difficult to judge how far. Mickey guessed maybe a quarter mile but knew he was off. Eventually, when his sweaty shirt clung to him and his cheeks were hot and red, the trees cleared and they emerged into a field. A dirt road cut through the field.
“ Well,” Suzan said, “after this is pure wilderness, and there’s only two ways out. The mountains, which, unless they were fully geared mountaineers, they weren’t going to make. The other is down this road that loops back into town.”
They followed the road into the dense trees. Leaves and twigs covered the damp forest floor. They crunched under Mickey’s feet, and he wished he’d worn hiking boots.
A stream flowed before them down a hill. Suzan showed him a way to get across without going into the water by stepping from stone to stone. On the other side, they arrived at a clear dirt path that led down to a paved road. He turned from the road and scanned the trees.
One tree stuck out to him, far larger than the others. Mickey walked around it. The dark gray bark of the wounded, deeply scarred tree was carved with words, names, and hearts.
On the far side, facing the road, were the words, “I see you.”
Mickey walked around the tree several times, scanning up and down. “Did you see this?” he said.
The sheriff came over and froze in her tracks when she saw the words. “No,” she said quietly.
“He must have headed down the road back into town.”
After a short hike, they reached the other road, this one paved and heading down toward Kodiak Basin and the Interstate.
“ I didn’t… I just didn’t think to look this far out here. We canvased all around the house.”
“Did the Hennleys have any pets?”
She ran her hand over her brow, wiping the sweat away. “No, not that I know of.”
Mickey turned toward the town. Suzan strolled beside him but didn’t say anything. He kept his eyes to the trees, and she did the same on the other side.
“He might’ ve come back and picked it up already,” she said.
“Maybe. But maybe he’ll put as much space between here and himself as possible. He won’t want to risk coming again and being spotted—if he’s smart. They caught the Green River Killer because he kept going back to the scenes of his crimes. But given what I’ve seen, I’m not sure he’s thinking clearly. He may not care if he leaves evidence behind.”
The sun reached its peak above them , and heat emanated off the ground, first into his feet, then his legs and torso. He took off his suit coat and slung it over his shoulder.
“Was a bear attack not too far from here,” she said.
“You guys have bears?”
She laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just you should’ve seen your face. I take it you haven’t been around bears much.”
“I’ve seen them at a zoo when I was a kid. That’s as close as I’d like to get.”
Another ten minutes passed before he stopped and glanced around. “I think he might’ve gone farther in, away from the road. Let’s step past the tree line.”
He took one side of the road , and she took the other as they proceeded down the mountain. He had a panoramic view of the valley and debated whether it would be appropriate to stop and snap a photo. He was going to text it to his daughter. Changing his mind, he kept walking.
“Mickey!”
The sheriff stood across the way behind some trees. Mickey ran over, his heart hammering. He didn’t know whether it was from the adrenaline or the exertion of running.
T he handle of a knife stuck out from a patch of tall crab grass. The blade was barely visible. Suzan took out a plastic baggie and some latex gloves from her pocket. She put them on,
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