Page 30 of Chasing Creed

“We don’t have the authority to check that.”

“And Daniels and Perry?”

“They thought it smelled like an animal had crawled underneath and died. We explained to them that the dogs don’t alert to dead animals.”

“They didn’t look?”

“Didn’t poke it. Didn’t photograph it. Didn’t call a forensic team.”

“The sheriff mentioned you were reluctant to check the buildings.”

“We started at the point of scent.” Now, he pointed at the SUV about fifty feet away. “The dogs showed no interest in going toward the buildings. I suppose it makes sense to think someone injured would seek shelter, but the dogs didn’t follow that narrative at all.”

“Has he even checked the buildings?”

“He says they did. But he’s contradicted himself a few times, so I’m not sure what they have done or have not done.”

Norwich stared at the SUV then scanned the area.

“How in the world did Kyle just happen to drive out here? It doesn’t look like there’s even a dirt access road.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t ask or want to know, but how do you know this missing man?”

“I knew Kyle years ago when he was just a boy. He was a friend of my son’s. He was a good kid. His dad and I worked together when we were both rookies.”

“So, he’s a cop’s kid?”

“Garvin hasn’t been a deputy for a long time. Drank a bit too much. It started causing a lot of problems. I think he does private security now. His wife divorced him. She still lives on Navarre Beach. She was the one who contacted me. I don’t know her well. Just from when our boys played basketball together. But you know how law enforcement officers are. We try to take care of our own.

“She hadn’t heard from Kyle for days. Said it wasn’t like him. That he even missed a family dinner without calling. I suggested she fill out a missing person report. That was almost a week ago. We didn’t have much to go on. I made sure we put him into the system. Hadn’t done much more than that when Sheriff Daniels called and said he found Kyle’s car.”

“She was here this morning when we got here.”

“Who was?”

“His mother?”

“Lydia? Here? How did she know?”

“You didn’t call her?”

“No, of course not. Daniels told me they found blood in the back seat. Even when I thought it might be an accident, I would have waited until we knew more. Especially since I asked you and your team to check it out.”

“Obviously, she still has some other law enforcement connections besides you?”

“Obviously.”

“So, what’s next?” Creed asked.

She rolled her shoulders. Wiped the mist from her face. The fog seemed heavier.

“No wonder Sheriff Daniels kept calling Kyle my friend. I thought it sounded a bit too much like he was doing me a personal favor.” She rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder again.

“A favor? That sort of makes sense. He wants to know how you want to handle the mess before he officially calls in anyone and makes it an official crime scene.”

She let out a long sigh and gave a slight shake of her head. “It happens. As much as I hate to admit, it does happen.”

He let Norwich take a look inside the vehicle while he stayed back and waited with Grace. He still didn’t want the dog thinking she needed to do anything with all that scent of blood.