Meanwhile, County was about to get a request to take a second look at them.

“Yeah. I heard that.” Cate swiped at her dripping nose and glanced around at the lengthening shadows. “I should get back. It’ll be dark soon.”

“Smart plan.”

He stayed where he was as she started down the path through the woods that led to the school.

When she sneaked a peek back before she rounded a bend that would hide the barn from view, he was still there.

Watching her.

Did he want to make certain she was safe—or was he worried about another girl wandering into an area best circumvented?

No answer came as she trekked back to the dorm, frozen leaves crunching under her boots, a mournful wind whistling through the treetops.

Perhaps Fischer’s appearance today was innocent. After all, taking into account the secluded acreage and the fact a student had disappeared, any conscientious security chief would be pursuing opportunities to beef up protection for everyone on the property. The addition of patrols around the grounds wasn’t at all suspicious.

So why was she picking up a false note in the man’s story?

And if he did have inside information about what had happened that night, did that mean he was involved in Zeke’s drug ring?

Not necessarily, if the two events ended up being unrelated.

As for Noah Evans and Eduardo Garcia—how did they fit into the picture . . . or did they?

Was anyone else at the school involved in either of the cases under investigation?

So many questions, too few answers.

Yet.

A cracking noise from above her echoed through the quiet woods, and she looked up—just in time to dodge a dead branch that dropped to the ground where she’d been standing.

She stared at the bulky limb blocking the path behind her that led to the barn. Swallowed.

How weird.

It was almost like an omen. A warning to curtail her walks in the woods—and stay away from the barn.

Shaking her head, she huffed out a breath.

That was stupid.

She was just spooked by the unexpected encounter with Fischer and her solo jaunt into the forest. While hiking her favorite trails at Cuivre River State Park and camping under the stars alone when she was off duty was refreshing and relaxing, poking around in the woods by herself with murder afoot was neither.

Picking up her pace, she broke into a half jog.

Truth be told, this whole setting was giving her the willies. A crime scene with scores of County people milling about, or teaming up with another detective to interrogate a suspect who rained threats on her, were far preferable to this.

Without her Sig on her hip, the authority and buffer of her badge, and backup only a phone call away, the sense of vulnerability was unnerving.

Not that she’d ever admit such a thing to Zeke, with his overdeveloped protective instincts.