Into the Night(29)

Her lips parted.

“But only ten fit my pattern based on age and sex.”

She shook her head. “What about the others?”

“Some were older, some were female, some disappeared in a group...and they used different trails.”

“Different trails,” she repeated. “Okay.”

He pointed to the red trail he’d marked. “Eight of our missing ten males departed on this trail.”

“And the other two?”

“No one knows what trail they were supposed to use, but my money says they took the same one.”

She leaned in closer to the map. Her sweet scent teased his nose and her arm brushed against him. “With so many victims, why didn’t someone point this out sooner?”

“Their disappearances were reported, but they were just listed as missing persons. Hikers who got lost in the mountains and never returned home. Most of these guys were amateurs, this was their first or second big hike...so it just seemed like a tragic accident when they went missing. They were considered people who got lost in the woods, nothing more.” And he wouldn’t have even looked at the puzzle pieces if it hadn’t been for that damn call. “But the perp...he brought us to Gatlinburg for a reason. He brought Patrick up here for a reason. So I knew that I needed to look closer at this area. And when I went into NamUS, the hits wouldn’t stop.”

Her head turned and she was staring into his eyes. “You’re saying you think a serial has been operating up here—”

“For years.” Now he was grim. “Operating right under the nose of the park rangers, of the local cops, of everyone, because the disappearances weren’t thought to be linked to foul play. Every single one of them went down as an accident. A lost hiker.”

“Were any remains found?”

He shook his head. “But that isn’t unexpected. There are so many bears up here, coyotes... They could have destroyed anything they came across.”

She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and he could practically see the wheels spinning in her head. “This guy we’re after...he found the pattern, that’s what you think, right?”

Hell, yes, it was. “He found it. He saw what no one else did.”

Now she backed up a step. “Maybe...or maybe he’s responsible for that pattern. That’s an option we can’t overlook.” She began to pace and her shoes clicked on the floor. “That could be the very reason he brought us to this town. He was tired of his work not being noticed. He wanted attention, so he made sure he got it.”

That was one possibility, yes. “My gut says no. This guy we’re after, I swear, it’s like he’s profiling, too. Only he’s one step ahead of us.”

Once more, her gaze darted to the map. “Have you told Samantha?”

“Called her right after I texted you. She’s sending Tucker Frost over this way. Tucker and Jonah Loxley.”

Her gaze shot to him. “She added Jonah to the team?” Her eyes gleamed. He knew she liked the other agent.

“Looks that way.” And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that addition right now. “She thinks Jonah’s tech knowledge can help us out. Considering the way the perp had us chasing our asses with that phone call...” The clever bastard had made it seem as if his phone call had come from the police department. “Well, we need someone who comes from a strong tech background on our side.” Jonah had worked in cyber crimes for years.

But the guy had been a desk jockey that time. He hadn’t seen a lot of field action. This case would be different for him. And sometimes, when agents got in the field...

There’s no safety net out here.

“I’ve been trying to convince Samantha that Jonah should be added. We needed someone with his skill set and...he’s like us.”

Like us. She meant the ties that they all had to killers.

“He has a personal stake in these investigations,” Macey added. “And that stake can make all the difference in the world. That’s something we’ve all learned. That’s the whole reason Samantha made her team.”

He nodded. And Bowen didn’t want to admit that maybe—hell—maybe he was jealous of Jonah. He knew that Jonah and Macey were close, and he didn’t like that fucking fact. Suck it up, Murphy. Do the job.

But if Jonah so much as looked at Macey the wrong way when Bowen was near...

Her shoulders tensed as she turned to look at his tactical board once more. “I think we need to go out on a few stops. We have plenty of daylight left. No sense wasting it.” The morning was gone, but they had the afternoon and evening to use.

Bowen cleared his throat and said, “We’re going to need some equipment.” He tapped the red trail on the map. “Because we’re going hiking.” The best way to learn from the victims would be to try to re-create their steps, at least as much as possible. They could get out into the field and talk to the park rangers. See if anyone remembered anything about those disappearances.

“I made a discovery, too. Thanks to the ME.”

His head craned toward her.

“The nails struck me as being very important to this killer. Driving them into the victims seemed symbolic. I did research earlier, and I found a link to a group of individuals living in the Congo...” Her words trailed away. “While I was with the ME, he told me about a visit he’d had to one of the ‘oddity’ museums in the area. Turns out, they have a skull there on display, one that is filled with hate nails.”