Page 12 of Scent of Death

“It’s for their safety,” Jessica added. “Some people might try to harm a dog or shake the K9 from their scent trail by leaving poisoned or bad food out. Our dogs will sniff at it, but they won’t eat.”

Griff hated the idea of someone purposefully harming a dog. “Sorry. I should have known.” He popped the piece of protein bar into his own mouth. “You’ll have to tell me what brand of dog food you need. I’m not sure where this trail ends, but I’ll likely need your services again.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Alexis waved a hand. “This is different. We’re the ones who stumbled across the first dead body.”

He knew the shooter hadn’t anticipated that Alexis and her cadaver dog, Denali, would come across his burial site. “Yeah, well, the government should reimburse you. Especially since my boss denied my request to get a K9 of my own.”

“You asked for one?” Alexis asked in surprise.

“Yep. But my boss said”—he used his fingers to make air quotes—“‘That’s not in the budget.’”

“In his defense, having K9s isn’t cheap,” Jess said. “Training is a huge initial investment, but even after that, food, vet bills, and gear. It all adds up.”

“Dogs need a lot of attention,” Alexis said. “Beyond the initial training, we’re always working with our K9s to keep them interested in playing the search game.”

“Thankfully, the dogs are much like four-year-olds who can play the same game over and over and over again,” Joel joked. “It’s crazy-making.”

“Okay, you’re right. I probably didn’t think it through.” He stroked a hand over Denali’s fur. His job required him to travel around the state, which made it difficult to have a dog as a pet.

Joel pulled an old topographical map from his backpack. After studying it for a few minutes, he nodded. “We’re only a mile or so from the campground.” He glanced at Griff. “That’s not where you and Alexis left your SUVs, is it?”

“No. They’re farther south.” He nodded at Alexis. “I followed her lead.”

“I chose the search area based on the plane piece you and Logan found back in April,” Alexis said. “I moved a few miles away, though, to search a new area we haven’t been to yet.”

“I landed the plane in the same area we used back then,” Logan said. “It’s not that far from here.”

“Okay.” Griff hid a wince as he rose to his feet. “I think we need to follow this guy’s trail until it ends. From there, you can head home.” He glanced at Alexis, including her in that plan. “Thanks for your help, but there’s nothing more that you and Denali can do. I’d feel better if you would head home with the rest of your siblings.”

She frowned but didn’t argue. He was relieved she’d planned to uphold her promise not to head out alone.

“Royal and I can drive back with you,” Joel offered. “Jess and Logan can fly back via the plane.”

“Sure.” Alexis sighed. “I guess I can cross that section off the list as far as searching for our parents. Well, except for the bone I found.”

“What bone?” Jess asked.

“It’s probably nothing.” Alexis patted the pack. “I’ll have you guys take it back with you to be tested.”

“That’s interesting.” Jessica’s gaze turned thoughtful. “I guess it can’t hurt to check it out.”

The Sullivan siblings got their dogs ready to go. Moments later, Royal and Teddy were back on the scent trail. Griff was surprised even Denali seemed to be sniffing the same areas as the other dogs.

As he and Alexis followed the others, he nodded at Denali. “Can she track live people?”

“That’s not her specialty, but she can.” Alexis shrugged, glancing at him. “When we worked the tornado scene in North Carolina, Denali found both live and dead victims.”

“Interesting.” He hoped that meant Denali would alert if this guy got anywhere near Alexis. He was glad she’d be on the ranch with her siblings close at hand.

Fifteen minutes later, he could see the campground. The place was packed with tents, small campers, and even larger campers. There was so much activity, he wondered if any of the visitors had seen the killer.

But it soon became apparent that the scent trail circumvented the campground itself. Royal and Teddy led them in a roundabout path toward the parking lot.

And that’s where the scent trail ended.

“This is it,” Joel said as Royal sat and let out a sharp bark. “This guy must have left his vehicle in this spot.”

Griff scanned the asphalt and noted a couple of small oil spots. It wasn’t much, but as he squatted beside them, he could see they were fresh.

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