At the end of the parking lot, they found three more units. A cluster of uniformed officers stood beside the forest’s edge. Yellow caution tape was strung across the entrance to Fisherman’s Trail. Mahler parked his car and walked slowly toward the uniforms. In the middle of the group, Mahler saw Hadley, the park guard, from two days earlier.

Hadley held a notebook and a large flashlight. “This isn’t part of our route. It’s not wide enough for patrol. We take the road through the picnic area to the West Saddle Dam.” He pointed up the hill.

“All right.” Mahler watched him. “You’ve covered your ass. Tell me what happened.”

Hadley looked at this notebook. “About twenty-two hundred, Office Templin and I saw a vehicle near the boat ramp and lights moving on Fisherman’s Trail. We immediately left our station and came down here.”

Hadley glanced up to see if Mahler was listening. “At the parking area, we observed an older-model pickup truck driving at a high rate of speed out the west gate. We called 911 and reported it. Officer Templin and I proceeded on foot onto Fisherman’s Trail. About two hundred yards inside, we found the…thing. It was covered with a tarp. At first we thought it was a body. But when we opened the tarp, we saw the mannequin. We called 911 again and secured the scene.”

In the group of officers nearby, Mahler recognized Sergeant Ray Alcott. “Ray, you know what happened with the BOLO?”

Alcott approached Mahler. “Yeah. We had two units at the park—one at the Violetti Gate on the east side, the other at Oak Knolls on the south side. Both responded. Looks like the truck went into the neighborhood. We’re going street by street now. Copter’s on the way.”

Mahler nodded. “How’d they get past the gate?”

“Busted the deadbolt,” Alcott said. “Idiots probably used a sledge. On the way out, their truck hit the gate and left some paint transfer.”

Across the parking lot, Mahler saw Bailey climb out of the evidence van.

“I can show you where the mannequin is, if you like,” Hadley said.

Mahler took the flashlight from him. “Stay here.”

Hadley gestured toward the caution tape. “This trail follows the lake’s edge to the loop road. It’s where they found the girl two years ago.”