Tara forced a smile. She couldn’t help but feel envious of the relationship he had with his father. He spoke about him with such admiration and it was clear how much his influence shaped him. It was a support system Tara had never had, and she wondered how different her life would’ve been if she did.

“What about you?” he asked.

Tara’s face flushed. “Same,” she said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I can remember.”

He waited for her to elaborate, and an awkward silence filled the car. But then a voice sounded through the walkie-talkie. It was Warren.

“Checking in,” he said.

Tara held down the button and spoke, thankful for the distraction.

“Nothing to report here,” she said.

One by one, each group checked in, reiterating Tara’s words. They had nothing to report.

Tara placed the radio back down and sat further into her seat. A cool breeze flowed in through the window and brushed against her face, but just as quickly as it came, it left, and the humid summer heat settled once again within the car, along with the silence.

“Maybe we should check the trail again?” she suggested, trying to avoid another question about her past.

They had been checking every thirty minutes, and it was just about that time anyway.

The lieutenant agreed.

They stepped out of the car, flashlights in hand, and were soon entering the trail. Again, not a soul was to be seen, but they continued their rounds. They walked up and down the trail, shining their flashlights every which way, but just like the last few times, there was nothing.

Tara was growing more doubtful about their efforts. No one had discovered anything, and it had been hours. But as the doubt seeped into her mind, so did a feeling of worry. The thought of it all not working. The killer striking again was a fear she had been holding in throughout the whole investigation. What if we can’t find the murderer? she thought to herself. What if we can’t solve this case, my first case? She abruptly shook her head, trying to shake off the thought. I can’t think like that, I can’t afford to.

She focused on the sound of the trees rustling in the wind. It calmed her and her thoughts were steered away from her self-doubt. The woods reminded her of the one time she went camping in her life—when she was a little girl, with her mother. It was such a distant memory, but somehow the dark forest and the smell of pine needles gave it new life. It was one of the few happy memories she had from her childhood.

Suddenly, Tara swung around, flashlight in hand. She heard something, she could swear it. Lieutenant Daniels turned as well.

“You heard that, right?” he asked.

It was the sound of a four-wheeler accelerating. Tara quickly reached for the walkie-talkie on her belt, as she stared down the trail.

“Warren…we hear something,” she said into it.