Page 105 of Shadows of You

Brian shook his head.

“Did you see signs of anyone else on the trail?”

“No,” he answered. “Nothing until I sawher.”

My gut soured. I hadn’t known anything about the victim until right then. But it was a she. It made it more real then, knowing that.

A muscle in Brian’s jaw ticked. “It was so bad. Never seen anything like it. Just…awful.”

Lawson squeezed the kid’s shoulder. “Need you to think really hard. When you were walking back out, did you see anything?”

“I-I don’t know. I was kind of in a daze. Had to step off the trail to puke. Made the call on my sat phone. And then I just…waited. I almost thought maybe I’d imagined it. Like I got dosed with something and was hallucinating.”

I’m sure he wished that was the case. Poor kid would have nightmares for the rest of his life. He’d signed up to work in the wilderness, not discover dead bodies.

Lawson gave him another squeeze. “We’ve got mental health services. Want you to take advantage of that.”

Brian looked up. “I don’t need—”

“Do it,” my brother urged. “You don’t want something like this getting a hold. Don’t want to start looking to booze—or worse—to dull the memories. Face it. Get help. Get healthy.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“Good.” Lawson slapped him on the back and stood, giving his officer a look that told the cop to stay with the kid. The guy nodded.

Lawson started toward the trail, and I followed, turning on my flashlight. I didn’t need the light to hike by. I’d trained my eyes to adjust over the years and could navigate most of these woods blindfolded and with my arms tied behind my back.

But tonight, I didn’t want to miss anything. Evidence could be anywhere.

“You take left. I’ll take right,” Lawson said, flicking his light on.

We moved slowly up the path, taking our time. My flashlight beam swung by brush and trees, rocks and fallen logs. But I didn’t see anything out of place. The forest was just as it should be.

But someone had tainted it. Brought evil into a place that had always felt like my respite. Just the knowledge of that had me pissed as hell.

I’d spent so much of my youth escaping here. The trees and creatures had always welcomed me. Never judged or mocked. They embraced me.

Voices sounded up ahead, making me take my focus off the ground in front of me. Lights shone brightly. It almost seemed like the kind you’d find at a stadium. But this was no football game.

Nash turned as we walked up. There was none of the typical amusement on his face. His brows were pinched, his jaw set hard. “It’s bad.”

I didn’t need his warning to know that. Someone was dead. That was enough.

Yet still, the first sight of the body pulled me up short. The woman was young. In her early or mid-twenties. But there was no life in her, no vitality. Her skin looked almost gray. And her body had been torn to hell. Vicious slash marks and stab wounds. So much rage.

“Luisa,” Lawson said in greeting to the coroner.

She looked up, her tanned skin a shade paler than normal. “Law.”

“Any guesses how long she’s been out here?” he asked.

Luisa’s lips pursed as her gaze traveled back to the body. “It’s colder than normal for this time of year. That muddies things. But I’d guess it’s recent. This afternoon, maybe. I need to check the temps hour by hour for a better estimate. But based on marks on the body, she was killed elsewhere and moved here.”

Lawson nodded, his jaw clenching. “That helps.”

Dr. Miller stood nearby, but his gaze remained focused on the fallen woman and her stab wounds. As though he could stitch them back together with sight alone if he stared hard enough.

“Thanks for coming out, Damien,” Lawson said.

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