by Ed Robinson
I sat down on the ground and raised my hand to hers. She took it and sat beside me. I lowered my voice to a whisper.
“Take some slow, deep breaths,” I said. “Calm yourself. Make your heart to slow down.”
“Like target practice.”
“Yes,” I said. “Now listen. Listen for sounds that you normally ignore. Hear the rustling of the leaves, songs of the birds, traffic far away.”
“I’ll try.”
“Now smell the dirt and the trees,” I said. “Smell my aftershave, Red’s breath, the new leather of your boots.”
“I can smell all of them,” she said. “I’m trying to turn up the sounds.”
“Stay calm and let it come to you. Don’t close your eyes. You need to see everything at the same time.”
“It’s so much all at once,” she said. “How do you sort through it?”
“Single out the stimulus,” I said. “First it smells like woods. Break it down into each individual scent. It’s tree bark, mountain laurel, rhododendron, worms in the dirt, mud in the lake.”
“I think I understand,” she said. “The sound is all one buzz at first. Then it’s the creek, the breeze, the leaves, and the grass. I can hear cars in the village.”
“You’re a natural,” I said. “Now the trick is to move like smoke while remaining in the Zen state.”
“Walk, chew gum, and practice extra-sensory perception all at the same time.”
“That’s all there is to it,” I said.
“You’ve mastered this?” she asked.
“When I’m not distracted by a beautiful woman,” I said. “So we should split up, allow each of us to work undisturbed.”
“But keep regrouping on the trail, right?”
“Yes, but maintain sound discipline as best we can,” I said. “We’ll exchange info in whispers, then move on again.”
“I’ve got it,” she said. “I’m ready if you are.”
Red and I slid down the hill towards the lake. Having him hindered me somewhat. I couldn’t move as silently or as fluidly as I would like, but his nose would be the superior talent if we did find anything. I kept him moving slowly with his head up to catch any scents on the wind. We stopped every twenty yards to listen to our surroundings. Angelina was not making any noise that we I could hear, but her perfume was still in my nose and on my mind.
When we reached the shoreline, I let Red sniff around in either direction until he was satisfied that there was nothing of interest. We climbed back up the hill as quietly as we’d come down. I waited on the trail for Angelina to return. She shook her head no.
“Me neither,” I whispered. “You take the lakeside this time.”
We moved along the trail another fifty yards before breaking off in opposite directions. She was doing an excellent job of moving with stealth. It was good to see that she’d taken my instructions seriously, even though we were looking for the tiniest needle in the biggest haystack. We repeated this procedure another dozen times before deciding to take a break. She pulled out two bottles of water and some trail mix. We sat on a fallen tree and mulled over our options.
“We found those two spots yesterday,” she said. “Both were on the lakeside of the trail. Maybe we ought to concentrate there.”
“Either one of us could have walked by another spot today,” I said. “Just didn’t see it.”
“It does seem like an impossible task,” she said. “We’re like two blind people hoping we trip over something.”
“I’m not discouraged yet,” I said. “If there’s someone living out here, someone who may have killed the girl, we’ll find him eventually. What worries me is the possibility that he’s not here anymore. We can find his hideouts, but it won’t do us any good if we don’t find him.”
“Even then,” she said. “He might not be our killer.”
“It’s all we’ve got,” I said. “At least for now. Anytime you want to give up just let me know. I won’t hold it against you.”
“I won’t quit until you do,” she said. “Maybe not even then.”
Now she’d really endeared herself to me. She had much more spirit than I’d originally thought. She wanted to learn from me, and she wanted to solve this crime. For the first time since we’d met, I felt like we could work together without letting the mutual attraction interfere. Red approved of her as well. Whenever we stopped, he sat with her and freely accepted her affection. Neither of us would ever tell Brody.
It was late afternoon before we came upon something of interest. I found the slightest remains of a campground on the lakeside of the trail. Most people wouldn’t have noticed a thing. The first indication that caught my eye were rub marks on a branch. I pictured a tarp having been tied there. Beneath those marks, the grass was flattened down. Between a grouping of small rocks, I found the remnants of a tiny fire after I brushed the leaves away. Red was sniffing all over the site. There was no doubt that someone had slept here, probably more than once. It was much more of an encampment than the first two spots we’d discovered, at least in my mind’s eye. The clues were very subtle and well-covered. This man did not want to be found.
I brought Angelina to our find after we met on the trail. Red was anxious to go to work, but I couldn’t leave her behind. I put a finger to my mouth and pointed out each detail. She nodded that she understood, so I urged Red to do his thing. He once again had the man’s scent. We followed him for a few hundred yards before he stopped. I had seen no signs along the way, no footprints, no broken branches, nothing that would tell me a man had passed this way. We only had Red’s nose to guide us, and now he was stumped.
We all came to a stop, and the woods got real quiet. I looked all around me. The man didn’t get beamed up by a starship. How did he eliminate his trail? How could his scent have stopped here? I eyed the rocks that were high enough to reach low-hanging branches. He could have only gone up. Great, I thought to myself. We’re chasing Tarzan. The canopy above us was thick but not endless. He would’ve had to come down somewhere nearby. Red didn’t have his trail, but he could pick up his scent again if I got him on it.
“Come on, boy,” I said. “Circle around. Sniff him out.”
Three
My hound dog started a sweep of the area, desperately trying to pick up the scent again. While he worked, Angelina and I spread out looking for any type of clue. So far I hadn’t even noticed a footprint. We were far off the trail, and the vegetation was much too dense for hikers. I looked for weeds or grass that had been stomped down or freshly broken branches on the smaller bushes.
The sky got a little darker making our search more difficult. Depending on where you are on a particular mountain, the sun can disappear as early as four in the afternoon. We were running out of time. Red kept getting farther and farther away, so I gave up and moved closer to where he was searching. I waved for Angelina to follow. We couldn’t stay out here too much longer.
“If he doesn’t get on the scent soon we’ll have to pack it in,” I said. “I’d like to get back to the park before dark.”
“Okay if I check in with Johnson?” she asked.
“If someone is out here, they already know we’re here too,” I said.
Johnson told her that he had some additional information. The other search team had quit for the day, and he was ready to go home as well. He asked that we return to the park. I reluctantly agreed. Before heading back, I impaled a granola bar wrapper on a sharp thorn to mark the spot. I called Red back, and he looked as reluctant as I was. He didn’t like these fruitless searches.
We kept up a fast pace on the return trip. Angelina didn’t lag behind or complain. We’d moved past our underlying attraction and stuck strictly to business all day until we slowed to cross the wooden walking bridge.
“You are one sexy mountain man, Breeze,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure walking behind you and watching you work.”
“My turn to walk behind you tomorrow,” I said. “Turnabout is fair play.”
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p; “I don’t have a problem with that,” she said. “I’ll have to wear tighter pants, although they’ll be harder to take off.”
“You’ll be keeping your pants on, missy,” I said.
“You never know when the moment will strike,” she said. “A girl has to be prepared.”
We stepped off the bridge and saw Johnson waiting impatiently at his truck. Our banter stopped before he was within earshot. He seemed irritated that we’d made him wait.
“The girl came from a rental cabin here on the mountain,” he said. “The family is French. They speak poor English and have no internet or cell phone reception up here.”
“Why didn’t they report her missing sooner?” Angelina asked.
“It’s not the first time she didn’t come home at night,” he said. “When she failed to show up a second night they realized something was wrong.”
“How old was she?”
“Fifteen,” he said. “Seems Europeans have more progressive ideas about teenagers out partying all night.”
“Is there a nighttime party scene up here?” I asked.
“She’s wasn’t old enough to get into bars,” he said. “But the ski resort stays up pretty late. Everyone is on vacation, having a good time. They think she found some kids her age to hang out with.”
“How many people are at the resort right now?” I asked.
“Couple hundred, at least,” he said. “Not as many as during peak ski season, but it’s still hopping.”
“Why would another kid whack her on the head?” I asked.
“Rape?” asked Angelina.
“Medical Examiner says no sign of rape,” said Johnson. “No recent sexual activity was detected, consensual or otherwise.”
“Are you working to identify any of these teens that she might have been hanging out with?” I asked.
“Beech Mountain boys are doing their best,” he said. “They know the resort better than we do and their presence doesn’t upset the clientele.”
“What else have you learned?” I asked. “If anything.”
“This mountain has a history of break-ins of unattended homes,” he said. “Never anything valuable stolen. Some don’t go reported for months until the owners return. Some don’t even report anything taken, just that the place had been broken into.”
“That would be consistent with the ghost we’ve been looking for in the woods,” I said. “He could be nice and cozy in some empty cabin as we speak.”
“We’re not that far from the ski village,” he said. “Three or four miles. Plenty of houses between here and there.”
“If you don’t mind I’d like to make a suggestion,” Angelina said.
“I’m all ears,” said Johnson. “That’s why you’re on this case.”
“We need a map of the mountain,” she said. “With all the roads marked and house numbers. I’m sure the Beech Mountain PD has something that would work, if not we create one using Google Maps. We stick a pin at each of the alleged break-ins. A few more pins at the spots Breeze and I discovered. See if we can’t triangulate this guy’s working territory. Narrow our search.”
“Might take a while to put together,” Johnson said.
“We’ve got time,” she said. “It’s a murder investigation. No one is going to ask us to quit, especially not the girl’s family.”
“I’m sure the resort would be happy to see the man caught,” I said. “What’s the buzz there?”
“I really don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ll ask the Beech boys.”
“I always liked their music,” I said, trying to lighten up the mood. “Help me Rhonda, help, help me, Rhonda.”
Angelina elbowed me in the side. Johnson didn’t seem to see the humor in it either. I guess police work is serious business, no joking allowed.
“I think she’s got a good idea,” Johnson said. “Breeze?”
“You guys are the cops,” I said. “But it seems like a good start to me.”
“Okay, let’s wrap this up for tonight,” he said. “I’ll get with the Beech Mountain Chief and work on our map. Let’s meet at their station in the morning, say around ten.”
“I’ll bring the donuts,” Angelina said.
“I’ll leave Red at home,” I said. “He can’t read maps.”
We broke up our little huddle and Angelina and I moved towards our cars. We paused next to her driver’s door and watched Johnson drive away. I turned back to her and suddenly found her lips on mine. In theory, I didn’t want her to kiss me. In reality, I didn’t want her to stop. A little devil appeared on my left shoulder.
“This is it,” the devil said. “Go for it.”
A little angel appeared on my right shoulder.
“I’ve got one word for you, buddy,” the angel said. “Brody.”
The angel was right, as he always was. I would follow his advice; it just took a full minute to make up my mind. Her lips were soft and sweet. Her perfume was intoxicating. I felt the smooth skin of her cheek and neck. I put a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her towards me ever so slightly, just enough pressure for her to feel it. Then I put that same hand on her chest and gently pushed her away. I’d come dangerously close to her breast.
“We’ve got to stop,” I said. “I’ve got to get home.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “That was just a taste.”
I didn’t respond because I was tongue-tied. Rarely was I at a loss for words, but she’d taken me by surprise. I hadn’t resisted as I should have. I felt a little weak in the knees. I turned my back to her and walked away while I still could. I told myself that I loved Brody all the way home. I remembered all of her wonderful attributes and all that we’d shared. I could see her sparkling eyes in my mind.
I let Red cruise the back yard and take care of his business before going inside. I grabbed a beer to wash the taste of Angelina off my lips. I took a shot of whiskey to wash her memory out of mind.
“You okay,” Brody asked. “A beer and a shot before even saying hello?”
“Hi, baby,” I said. “Long day. Dead girl and such. Cops. Not much progress.”
“You’ll figure it out,” she said. “I have faith in you.”
“We’re putting together a better plan in the morning,” I said. “They’re making a map of known break-ins up there. We’re working on the theory that the man I’ve been trying to find is the same man who’s entering vacant homes.”
“How is he tied to the girl’s death?”
“He’s not, necessarily,” I said. “But it’s all we’ve got.”
“Seems pretty thin,” she said.
“They think the girl hooked up with some other kids at the ski resort,” I told her. “They’re asking around now, trying to make some connections, but that’s real police work. All I can do to help is try to find the guy in the woods. That’s why I’m still included.”
“So you’ve been blindly walking around in the woods the past few days by yourself?”
“First of all, I don’t do anything blindly,” I said. “I’m doing my thing as best I can. I’ve found some clues. Second, they’ve teamed me up with an Avery County Sheriff’s Deputy. She can apprehend the suspect if and when we find him.”
“She?”
“Yes, she,” I said. “Deputy Angelina Will. Reasonably competent. Doesn’t bitch. Follows my lead.”
“Is she pretty?”
“Very much so,” I said. “Rather stunning actually, but you’ve got no worries.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m hopelessly in love with you and have been for quite some time,” I said. “You know that I’d never do anything to screw that up.”
“I trust you,” she said. “But it’s good that you told me you’re working with a hottie.”
“Trying to be honest,” I said. “No point in hiding it from you.”
“How old is she?”
“Younger than us,” I said. “Low forties maybe.”
“Not married?”
“I didn’t ask, but she doesn’t wear a ring,” I said.
“Young forties, pretty, but not married,” she said. “Must have issues. Probably a psycho.”
“I’m guessing her career choice may have something to do with that.”
“Why?” she asked. “What guy doesn’t want to marry a hot cop? You’re with me, aren’t you? I was a cop, and pretty hot if I say so myself.”
“You have an excellent point; I must admit,” I said. “But I’m not your average guy. I wasn’t afraid to be with a strong-willed and gorgeous woman. Most guys are intimidated by that.”
“The looks or the strong will?”
“Both,” I said. “Trust me on that.”
She mulled that over for a few seconds before conceding my rebuttal. I knew that she knew there was more to my story than I’d let on. She didn’t push it, though, she let it drop. God bless her. She’d given me her trust with a silent warning not to betray it. I knew it was time to keep my mouth shut and not belabor the situation. I could only talk myself further into a hole. Neither of us said another word about my working relationship with the pretty policewoman.
Four
I met Johnson, Angelina, and the Beech Mountain Chief the next morning as scheduled. Red was a little miffed that I didn’t take him with me. I stopped on my way out the door to get a kiss from Brody. She ground her hips into mine and held the kiss a little longer than usual. I took it as a message that I had a sexy woman right here at home, so there was no need to think about anyone else. It worked well until I got my first look at Angelina passing out donuts. She had indeed worn tighter pants, and she’d failed to secure the top few buttons of her blouse. She smiled at me with the face of an angel.
“Good morning, folks,” I said. “Any progress on a map?”
“I had a big paper one printed earlier this morning,” said the Chief. “We still need to pin the locations of the reported break-ins. I’ve got the list of addresses right here.”