Page 106 of Race to Save Her

“But what? Patricia’s life is on the line and probably that of another unsuspecting woman who he’s been watching. Patricia’s only relative, who reported her missing, is her eighteen-year-old niece. Her sister died from cancer; that family has had a lot of tragedy. We have to find her,” she said. “It’ll be like a reconnaissance. I know he’s watching, but we can watch him instead. He’s already proving he can get close to me. I want to turn the tables. It’s the perfect situation to do that.”

McGaven took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said reluctantly. “Which property do we check out first?”

“I think because of time, we should split up.”

“No. I don’t like that idea.”

“Okay, how about Chris comes with me while you go to the other?”

“What’re the properties? An empty lot and the old recycling area?”

“Yes. He seems to like rural areas.”

“Okay, but… I’m agreeing under protest. We need to have SWAT on notice just in case.”

“It won’t come down to that,” she said. Katie felt relief and for the first time believed they were going to be the ones with surprise on their side. “But we need to prepare.”

“Of course.” McGaven sighed. “I hope you’re right about this, Katie. You know I’d follow you into anything.”

“I know… I feel the same way,” she said and smiled, determined to catch the killer this time.

SIXTY-TWO

Tuesday 1400 hours

McGaven drove out to the property owned by Martin Sills. It was a good forty-five-minute drive on the outskirts of Pine Valley and the entire time he went through everything in his mind that had been posted on the murder board back at the office. He knew Katie’s plan was a good one, but he wasn’t comfortable with what they had to do to trap the killer—using Katie as bait.

His GPS wasn’t working to find the property, but it got him in the vicinity. Several other properties surrounded the one of interest. As McGaven drove closer, he saw an entrance with a metal fence along with some country-type fencing. He decided to park next to the main gate. There were several spots where he could easily get into the property area. From the deed, it showed there were thirty acres, and there was water and gas available on the property.

McGaven was dressed in police tactical clothing instead of his suit. He wanted to be comfortable and ready for anything. This was supposed to be a quick reconnaissance so they could regroup and figure out what to do next. There were leases recorded on the land that hunters could use the property only during certain times of year, so he was relieved he didn’t have to worry about a hunter’s stray bullet hitting him.

McGaven got out of the vehicle. The weeds and overgrowth were at a minimum, which surprised him. It appeared the main area inside the gate had been mowed by a tractor within the past couple of months. Someone was maintaining it. But who?

McGaven double-checked his weapon and magazines to make sure he was prepared. His thoughts went to Katie wondering how she and Chris were doing. If the killer was going to be anywhere, he would be following and watching her.

The detective slipped through a gap on the left side of the large gate. At one time, the gate must’ve been striking, with a sign across the top to indicate the name of the ranch, but now its empty hinges swayed in the wind, long forgotten.

He stood with his back to the gate and scanned the property. There was only a breeze and a few birds. The sky was overcast and the air felt muggy, as if it might rain. Nothing stood out to him to be seemingly out of place or criminal. He wasn’t sure what he would or wouldn’t find, but they checked out every lead. It was certainly peaceful and isolated; a perfect place to hide or dump a body.

McGaven decided to examine the area in a loose grid pattern, as if it were a crime scene. He moved with a steady hike as his combat boots crushed the weeds. The wind picked up momentum, and it seemed as if he could hear whispers in the air. The thought sent chills down his back, tickling the nape of his neck.

He didn’t like the atmosphere at the property, but he went ahead and began his search anyway. He hoped Katie and Chris were having better luck; otherwise, they were going to have no other choice but to use Katie’s bait plan.

And McGaven wasn’t going to let that happen.

SIXTY-THREE

Tuesday 1400 hours

Katie and Chris had studied the property from the city’s reports and whatever else they could get their hands on at the department. They looked at the topical maps and could see the property outline. Like most of the properties owned by Martin Sills—except for the cabin—this one didn’t seem to have been taken care of for a long time. The buildings seemed old, the piles of junk scattered throughout looking like predators in a cage.

“How do you want to handle this?” said the deputy.

“My plan was to do a thorough search, but at a distance. We still don’t know if this place has any connection to the killer,” she said.

Chris looked at map and the topical view. “It looks like there’s only one road coming in and going out. But see where a farm road comes in from the south? It’s the best bet to get in unnoticed. I think we could approach without being seen and then we can take a closer look through binoculars.”

“It’s near the old part of Pine Valley where there were once a lot of junkyards and manufacturing companies.” Katie was impressed and agreed with his assessment. “Let’s go.”