They did pick up the trail again as the rain let up. But after nearly two hours, they hit a logging road and the dog began running in circles.

“He’s gone,” the handler said. “Got in a car or something.”

Tess looked around. Here it was open. The lack of tree canopy allowed for a direct drenching of rain, and because of that, if there had been a vehicle here, the tracks were gone. But then Victor spoke up.

“Or something,” he commented as he squatted by some brush. “There was a small vehicle here, maybe an ATV. Your man took off that way, possibly toward Butte Falls, or he doubled back to the Hollow.”

“Would that make sense?”

“Not sure, just telling you what I see.”

Tess frowned. “I don’t believe this guy was that prepared with an ATV hidden in the bushes. He had help—he had to have.”

The deputies agreed.

Tess grabbed her radio, wet, cold, defeated, and drowning in guilt. All she could do was let everyone know that the shooter had escaped their perimeter. He was armed and dangerous, but where on earth could he go?

34

By the time Tess and the searchers returned to Faith’s Place, the coroner had removed the body in the doorway and Steve had the false paperwork that the man had brought with him spread out on the counter.

And Oliver was there.

Before Tess could take a look at the fake court order, he stepped forward with a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. Tess realized that she must look like a half-drowned dog. She brought a hand up to smooth down her hair.

Until Tess looked at Oliver’s face and saw the worry in his eyes, she hadn’t realized how cold, wet, and tired she was. The earlier irritation she’d felt when he’d put her in second place faded as she took a welcome, warming drink of coffee.

“Thank you,” she said, grasping the cup in both hands. She took a sip before explaining to Logan how they’d lost the trail. “We put out all the alerts possible for the guy, but without a better description . . .”

“Harp came here meaning business,” Oliver said. “The guy is lucky he got away.”

“I don’t think he’ll get far,” Steve said. “If Harp did hit him dead center with a round of double-aught buck, he’ll be hurting. It will only get worse as time goes on. I’ll send out an alert to all emergency rooms as well.”

“Thanks, Steve.” Tess was a little chagrined that she’d not thought of that angle. She drank some more coffee and turned to Oliver, remembering Tami and the odd feeling she’d had earlier that the two situations were related.

“How is Tami?”

Oliver shook his head. “She was stable enough for surgery and came through that okay. They’re classifying her condition now as serious but stable.”