Page 28 of Waylaid in Whittier

The hill was higher than it initially appeared and by the time they reached the top, Cat was out of breath. “I hope we’re close,” she gasped.

Annette consulted the drawing again. “According to Elvira’s map, the spot is only a few feet away.” She started to move forward.

Brody stopped her. “I think I should scope it out first.”

“Be careful.”

The women waited on the trail while he circled past the boulder. He came to an abrupt halt. “Did Elvira mention what kind of condition this honey hole of hers was in?”

“According to what she told Millie, it’s a pristine spot, and she’s itching to start digging.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news.” Brody motioned to them that the coast was clear. “Unless the map is wrong, someone beat her to it.”

Chapter 11

Annette hurried down the path and caught up with Brody. “Whoa!”

Cat, who was hot on her heels, nearly collided with her friend. “Whoops.”

“Sorry for the sudden stop.” Annette checked the map, confirming they were in the exact location Elvira had drawn. “This is it. It looks like a colony of gophers got loose.”

“We need to take a picture and send it to Millie,” Brody said.

“Good idea. Unfortunately, I don’t have much of a signal. Hopefully, the message will go through.” She snapped a photo, added a brief message,and pressed the send button.

Tink.Millie replied in a nanosecond. “Are you positive?”

Annette:It’s the spot on the map. I thought you said Elvira hasn’t been digging around.

Millie:She said she dug a small sample, but the location was in pristine condition otherwise.

Annette:Someone has definitely been here digging around.

Millie:It wasn’t the woman Elvira argued with. She’s still in the hospital. At least she was the last we heard.

Standby for more info.Annette stepped lightly, dodging a series of fresh holes. “I wonder if whoever it was found anything.”

“If they didn’t, it wasn’t for lack of trying,” Brody joked. “We should’ve brought some tools with us.”

Cat placed her hands on her hips. “Your gun won’t dig holes. Although if I had to choose between excavating tools and a gun, the gun wins, hands down.”

“We’re already here,” Brody said. “We might as well look around.”

“Let’s maintain a visual on our starting location,” Annette said. “I don’t want to get lost in Alaska’s wilderness because of Sharky’s kooky girlfriend.”

“Me either.” Cat rubbed the sides of her arms, warily eyeing their surroundings. “Call me paranoid, but it feels like we’re being watched.”

“Paranoid,” Annette teased. “Although I have to admit, this isn’t my cup of tea.”

While the women talked, Brody ambled off.

Annette followed suit, heading in the opposite direction, with Cat following close behind. “I wonder if whoever was digging around here had anything to do with the woman who was attacked.”

“There could be a connection.” Annette snapped another picture. “I’ll see if Millie can somehow get this to Elvira to confirm we’re in the right place.”

Cat straddled a freshly dug hole. “How on earth did Elvira find this spot?”

“Millie mentioned she has some sort of special tool.”

---