Kade strode out of the bedroom and returned to the kitchen. “Boy’s still unconscious,” he said. “No idea when he’ll wake up.”

“Ambulance is on its way,” Sheriff Carver said. “I called for a chopper, but the weather’s got them all grounded.”

“Son of a bitch.” Kade had been hoping they could add an airborne search, but it wasn’t going to happen now. He paced the kitchen floor, trying not to think of Ellie and what might be happening to her, trying to keep his mind functioning, desperate to solve the riddle that meant life or death.

He went back to the basics, the connection between Keller and Dunstan and the shootings on the ranch. Dunstan had mentioned the mine. He and Ellie had gone to Mountain Ore Mining in Denver. They had spoken to Murphy, Russo, and Egan. All of them knew Frank Keller. All three were suspects. According to Ellie, so was Phillip Smithson.

Kade headed down the hall to his study, found Jane Egan Smithson’s card on his desk. Her cell phone number was listed. He punched in the number, and Jane picked up.

“Jane, this is Kade Logan. Sorry to bother you on a weekend, but this is an emergency. Is your husband at home?”

“Yes, he’s in the living room.” So it couldn’t be Smithson. “What’s this about?” Jane asked.

“As I said, it’s an emergency. I need to speak to Clive Murphy, Anthony Russo, and your brother, Rick. Any chance you have their cell phone numbers?”

“I don’t have Clive or Tony’s number. My brother’s on a hiking trip into the mountains. He’s been out of cell phone range all week. He isn’t due back until Tuesday morning.”

Kade tipped his head back and sucked in a deep breath of air. Egan. Had to be. “Any idea where he went?”

“No idea. He backpacks into the high country every year.”

“Any place special?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Thanks for the help.” He started to hang up. “By the way, does your brother own a dark green Hummer?”

“Mostly he drives his Porsche, but the Hummer’s what he drives in the mountains.”

Kade felt sick to his stomach. “Thanks.” He hung up the phone and headed back to the kitchen to speak to the sheriff.

“Glen, the man who took them is a guy named Richard Egan. Calls himself Rick. He’s one of the VPs at Mountain Ore Mining. Drives a dark green Hummer, and he’s supposedly off backpacking in the high country, somewhere out of cell range.”

“We’ve got a BOLO out on the car. I’ll add his name and get out a photo.” Carver went to work, and so did Sheriff Fischer.

Kade’s cell phone rang. “Logan.”