Stella opened a case and took out a camera and tripod, which she set up directly over the print, and then rotated the camera so that the lens faced downward. Placing an L-shaped ruler beside the print, she snapped several photos of it. After removing her photography equipment, she opened the other case and took out a plastic gallon-sized bag holding a powdery substance. Sheriff McCoy strode up as she was laying plastic frames around the tire print.
“Dr. Walker and his daughter need some time alone,” he said. “She’s having a hard time of it.”
Mattie closed her eyes for a brief moment, fighting the terror inside that she knew Angela and Cole were dealing with.
As if to keep her busy, Stella handed a cup to Mattie. “Could you pour this amount of water into this bag of dental stone and mix it together by squeezing the bag?”
While Mattie followed instruction, Stella updated the sheriff on the status of the suspects in the Banks homicide.
“We’ve got to pin down Burt Banks,” he said, taking out his cell phone. “I’ll get Deputy Brody started on that next. He sent the Amber Alert out through dispatch. We’re classifying this as a suspected high-risk stranger abduction, and we’re sending it out region wide.”
Mattie knew that the region covered Colorado and the surrounding states. If they didn’t find Sophie in the next few hours, he might broaden the alert to nationwide. She couldn’t believe this was Sophie they were talking about.
She worked the mixture into pancake batter consistency while Stella sprayed the tire print with a fixative. She took the bag from Mattie and carefully poured the contents at the edge of the print, allowing it to flow into the print indirectly without disturbing any of the impressions. “We’ll let that set for about a half hour,” Stella said when she finished, sitting back on her heels.
Mattie knew she couldn’t stand around and wait that long. Her nerves were beginning to get to her, and she wanted to stay moving. “I think it’s best if Robo and I search with the volunteers,” she said to McCoy.
“Agreed. But stay close to town. If we get a hit on that Heath BOLO, I want you able to respond immediately. I’ll stay here with the Walkers.”
“When Brooks Waverly gets home, Mattie and I need to go out to question him and search his vehicle,” Stella said. “Maybe even their property.”
McCoy looked at Mattie, obviously considering it.
“We’ll have probable cause for the ranch if Robo hits on Sophie’s scent inside the vehicle,” Mattie said, “but we’ll need permission first for the car itself. Or a warrant.”
The sheriff nodded. “I’ll get you that warrant. This is no time to delay and fiddle with permission.”
It was a small thing, but it gave her a sense of relief. “I’ll stay in contact.”
With Robo at heel, she hastened to the house to get her vehicle, berating herself for letting Merton Heath drive away only so she wouldn’t be late for a meeting. As she approached, Angela and Cole came out of the house onto the porch. They both hurried down the sidewalk to join her at her Explorer while Mattie loaded Robo into the back. She turned to face them, noticing Angela’s reddened eyes and strained features. Cole didn’t look much better.
“We’re positive she’s not anywhere on this property,” Cole said. “What can we do next?”
“We’ve issued an Amber Alert, and we’ve called out volunteers to search. Since we can’t identify a friend or family member who might have picked up Sophie, we have to treat this as if we’re dealing with a stranger who’s taken her.” Mattie’s eyes started to fill, and she blinked back the wetness. The last thing the Walkers needed was for her to break down, and she would never allow herself to cry in front of them. She looked away for a few moments while she stowed Robo’s equipment, taking the time to regain control. “You need to stay here by the phone, just in case this is a kidnapping for ransom. Sheriff McCoy will stay here to wait with you.”
“I can forward the home phone to my cell,” Cole said. “No need to sit here and do nothing.”
Mattie knew exactly how he felt. “I’ll let you discuss that with the sheriff. I’m taking Robo out to search with the volunteers.”
“We can use Bruno and Belle to search too,” Angela said, her voice quivering with anxiety. “Mrs. Gibbs can stay here at the house.”
This teen was no stranger to death. Mattie wanted to reach out to her, but she held herself in check. “Your dogs have both been trained to track, but apparently Sophie’s scent trail starts where she got off the bus and ends where we’ve put up the yellow tape. I don’t think Belle and Bruno would be able to find anything else.”
“When I let the dogs out earlier, Bruno tried to head west on the highway,” Cole said.
Both Timber Creek and the Waverly ranch lay toward the west. Mattie held his gaze while she considered it. “I’ll call Jim Madsen, Robo’s trainer, and see if he can bring in a bloodhound. That’s the best breed I know that might follow scent coming from inside a car. I’ll see what we can do.”
Cole’s face filled with hope. “That sounds good. Thank you, Mattie.”
“Talk to Sheriff McCoy about what you can do next. It’s best for him to advise you.”
Cole nodded, and Mattie reached to open the car door. He stepped forward and got to the handle first, their hands brushing together as he opened the door for her. She pulled herself into the driver’s seat, not knowing what to say—a promise to find Sophie would be useless. If a stranger had taken her, they both knew what they were up against.
Cole was the one who spoke. “I knew you were the first one I should call.”
His words were almost her undoing. “I’ll do my best to find her, Cole.”
As she drove away, she slammed her fist on the steering wheel, wanting to feel anything but this empty helplessness. She vowed to find Sophie, and soon. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if she couldn’t return this child safely to the man and family she loved.
Chapter 17
Mattie fought to regain her professionalism; it was crucial to remain detached and focused. She shrugged her shoulders to try to relieve the knots that had invaded her muscles and touched the button on her steering wheel to activate her hands-free communication system.
She spoke into the receiver. “Call Jim Madsen.”
He answered the phone with a question. “How did your scent lineup go, Deputy?”
The lineup seemed like years ago. “Robo did the job. But Sarge, now we have a missing child.”
“How can I help?”
She explained what they’d found so far. “Is it possible for a bloodhound to follow a scent trail coming from inside a vehicle?”
“There are a few reports of it. I’ve known a bloodhound to be able to track for a while at least, and we can’t afford to not give it a try.”
“Do you have access to a dog that could help us?”
“I do. I can get to Timber Creek in about four hours.”
“I’ll meet you at the site. You’ll pass it on your way into town. Just give me a call when you see the sign that says you’re ten miles out.”
“See ya soon.”
She dialed Sheriff McCoy and gave him the update on Madsen. “It’s best to tell Dr. Walker to keep his dogs out of the area, at least until Sergeant Madsen can get here.”
“Will do. I’m glad you called.”
She knew he was struggling to keep Cole from going off half-cocked, and as she disconnected the call, she’d never been so grateful for the sheriff’s steady personality.
As she drove to the station, she checked the time. Almost six o’clock. Sophie had been missing for three hours, and there was only about an hour of full sunlight left. She found the station surrounded by cars, every space in the parking lot taken. She pulled up to the front door. The lobby was filled with people, so she decided to leave Robo in his compartment.
“You’re staying here. I’ll be right back.”
He stared out the windshield, moving from side to side to get a better view. He kne
w something was up and seemed to be trying to figure out why so many people were inside his station. Mattie hurried to join the crowd.
Rainbow and Brody were in the middle of it. “Drive slowly and check the barrow ditches on both sides of the road,” Brody was saying, his deep voice booming. “If the grass or weeds are high, get out of your vehicle and check the area more thoroughly. If necessary and if you’re working in a group of three, one can drive while the other two walk along the ditch banks.”
Then he began to call out names of people and names of roads, making assignments for search groups and areas. Mattie caught Brody’s eye, and he acknowledged her with a nod. She’d made her own plans; all she needed was a moment to share them with him.
After receiving their assignments, people left the station in groups, and the crowd began to dwindle. Mattie recognized many individuals, including Garrett and Leslie Hartman, Cole’s good friends whose daughter was murdered last summer. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. And there were Anya Yamamoto and Dean Hornsby from the hot springs resort, along with a blonde she hadn’t met before, probably a new massage therapist to replace the one who had been murdered last fall.
Geez! What’s happening to our community?
Eventually, Mattie spotted Juanita Banks standing across the room with her coworker, Jed, and an older man with gray hair. Juanita looked exhausted and drawn, and Mattie could only imagine the effort it must have taken for her to respond to this community emergency. She must have been motivated by the loss of her own daughter, and Mattie had to admire her for coming out to help search for someone else’s missing child.
“Moses Randall, Juanita Banks, and Jed Franklin. You take County Road Six all the way to the intersection of Buckhorn Road,” Brody said, cueing Mattie that the gray-haired man must be the feed store’s owner. “Follow Buckhorn Road south back to County Road One and return to Timber Creek.”
Randall nodded and gathered his troops. They passed by Mattie on their way out the building, and she followed them outside to the parking lot.
“Mrs. Banks,” she called, catching Juanita’s attention as she approached their group, “thank you for your help. Thank you all, actually, but I know this is hard on you, Mrs. Banks. We appreciate your help.”
Juanita shifted, looking down at her clasped hands. “I can’t sit at home anymore, so I went in to work. When Moses got the alert for volunteers, he closed the store, and we all decided to come.”
“I’m Moses Randall,” the storeowner said, extending his hand.
Mattie introduced herself as she accepted his handshake.
Randall glanced at Juanita. “The little Walker girl was in our store just yesterday, buying baby chickens. I hope we can find her,” he said, giving the grieving mother’s arm a sympathetic touch. “I hope we can make a difference this time.”
Having given voice to everyone’s fear, he scuffed a foot on the parking lot asphalt and looked everywhere but at the others.
Jed turned to inspect her Explorer and appeared to be studying Robo. “Did your dog turn up any clues as to where the little girl might be?”
Mattie wished she could give him an unequivocal yes. “Yes and no,” she said. “When we can’t define the exact area we need to search in, we depend on our volunteers. If you find any trace, we’ll try to pick up a trail again.”
“I hear your dog found Candace,” he said.
Nodding to acknowledge the kid’s statement, Mattie glanced at Juanita, who looked on, sadness sagging her features. She decided to put an end to their conversation. “I guess we’d better get started.”
As the others walked away to load up into their vehicle—a white Toyota Tundra with an extended cab—Mattie headed toward her own, intending to take Robo inside with her. She paused, noticing that Moses Randall took the driver’s seat. The truck was probably his.
Robo couldn’t wait to get inside the building, and Mattie had to correct him, making him slow down and allow her to enter first. Once inside though, she released him to let him sniff the entire lobby, knowing he wouldn’t be content until he’d swept the place thoroughly. He began to do his dog thing, nose to the floor, darting every which way.
The station had emptied out, Brody had gone into his office, and Mattie spent a moment to check in with Rainbow.
“How are you holding up?” Rainbow asked, her brow furrowed with worry.
“I’m hangin’ in. You?”
Rainbow shook her head. “I’m so sad for Candace and so scared for Sophie.”
Mattie swallowed hard and reached for Rainbow’s hand. Her friend had taken the words right out of her mouth. “I need to check in with Brody.”
She went to Brody’s office and rapped on the door before peeking inside. When she saw he was on the phone, she started to withdraw, but he beckoned her to enter. She stood at the doorway until he waved toward one of the two hard-plastic chairs that sat in front of his desk, indicating that she should take a seat. As she listened, she gathered he was still trying to track down Burt Banks.
“Give me a call if he shows up, will you?” he said to the person on the other end of the line. His frustration was apparent when he ended his conversation. “I couldn’t find Banks at the Hornet’s Nest, so I’ve tried every other bar in Hightower and in town. He’s not at any of them.”
Mattie sat on the edge of her chair. “What do you make of that?”
The furrow in his brow grew deeper as he stared at her, evidently mulling her question. “It’s suspicious as hell.”
She nodded. “I’m going to comb the streets with Robo. Check around the Banks place, go up and down the alleys. We’ll cover as much ground as we can before we head out to the Waverly ranch.”
She told him about Jim Madsen bringing a bloodhound in to help.
“What are the chances of the dog being able to follow a scent trail down a highway like that?” Brody asked.
“Slim, but it’s worth a try.”
“It’ll be dark when he gets here.”
“There’ll be less traffic on the highway then, and I’ll have to light his way from behind. We can’t afford to wait. The scent trail will decay more every hour.”
“I’ll plan to light up the road in front of him,” Brody said. “If he works between us, we can keep him safe from oncoming traffic.”
“Good plan. He’s supposed to call when he’s about ten miles out. I’ll contact you then. Let me know if you locate Banks, okay?”
“Will do.” Brody gave Mattie a hard look. “I know this kid means something to you. Stay strong.”
His words surprised her. “Always.” She added something that probably could go without saying: “We can’t lose sight of finding Candace’s killer, either.”
Brody nodded. “I think we’re dealing with the same person. Finding Sophie Walker could lead us to our killer. You know that, right?”
“I do.” It was what she’d feared from the moment she heard Sophie was missing.
He gave her a brief nod of dismissal.
As she passed through the lobby, she called Robo to come, and he scurried toward the door to follow her outside. She loaded him up and then drove toward the west side of town. A headache had started at the base of her skull. She circled her head, making the bones in her neck pop.
After parking the car, she slipped from the driver’s seat and went to the back to retrieve a pair of white cross-trainers from a bin that held her supplies. Robo hovered behind her, brushing against her as she braced herself on his compartment floor to change her shoes. She began to chat him up, letting him know there was more work to do, and he looked eager to go.
“Let’s find Sophie.” Taking out the bag that held the scent article, she lowered it to his nose. He barely took a whiff. She wondered if the word “Sophie” and the child’s scent were locked together now in his memory. She wouldn’t doubt it. Stuffing the plastic bag that held Sophie’s T-shirt back inside the pocket on her belt, she hurried to direct him toward the Banks house, giving him
the search command.
She led Robo in a sweep of the yard. Since there was no backyard fence, she circled the house, going back to the alley and around. Nothing. No hits. Disappointed, she let him go where he wanted as he continued to search, alternating nose to the ground and then to the air as he tried to catch the desired scent. He trotted down the street, and she played out the leash to the very end, giving him the freedom to move wherever he desired as she jogged behind.
We’ll search this whole damn town if we have to.
*
Mrs. Gibbs set a plate of thick ham sandwiches on the kitchen table. “Would you like another cup of coffee, Sheriff?” she asked, waving the pot that she’d brought with her.
“I’d better cut myself off,” he said.
“Dr. Walker?” Mrs. Gibbs offered the pot to him.
His stomach lurched. “No, thanks.” He drew a breath and got up from the table. Although he typically loved the way Mrs. Gibbs fixed sandwiches, slathering plenty of mayonnaise on thick slices of meat, the smoky scent of the ham made him queasy.
At the sheriff’s insistence, Cole had called his parents. Thankfully, he’d reached his dad and didn’t have to talk to his mom. Although his dad offered to come over to sit with him—something he was certain the sheriff had hoped for—Cole had declined. His mother was difficult to be around in the best of times, and he didn’t have it in him to endure her judgmental observations. He’d asked his parents to help with the volunteer search instead.
He’d also contacted his sister, Jessie, and when she insisted she was going to come from Denver, he didn’t turn her down. He expected her to arrive sometime in the next few hours, and he hoped she could help him with Angela. His eldest was terrified that her sister had been killed, and his own terror—plus the fact that guilt was riding him hard—hampered his ability to reassure her. Mrs. Gibbs had ended up soothing her with a cup of chamomile tea and a suggestion for her to call a friend for support. She’d been upstairs in her room for a while now.
His cell phone rang, and he checked caller ID. It was Tess. Earlier, they’d forwarded the clinic line to her phone, and she was screening calls. He couldn’t deal with talking to clients right now, and he was grateful for her help. He connected the call.
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