Deadfall Read Free Page A

the search.
    Lucy padded in and gazed at him with love in her deep brown eyes. She put her head on his leg, waiting for his undivided attention. Mac petted her and took her outside for a brief walk in the rain.
    Then the two of them settled in for the evening—Mac in the recliner and Lucy at his feet. Lulled by the fire and the sound of the rain on the windows, Mac drifted off, waking around midnight to stumble into bed. The image drifting through his head was not that of the brunette he was engaged to, but the blonde trooper, his good friend, Dana Bennett.

3
    T HE POUNDING RAIN HAD LIGHTENED to a steady drizzle when Todd and Vicki Gaynes arrived at the park just before ten o’clock that night. They scanned the lighted parking lot, hoping Brad would be there waiting, angry that Jessica had taken off without him. He wasn’t there, and neither were Jessica or the police. Five big rig trucks had parked at the west end of the lot in the long-term parking area, their drivers taking a break or getting a few hours of sleep.
    Todd grabbed a flashlight out of the trunk, and together he and Vicki walked the length of the parking lot on the creekside, looking for Brad. They were about to start up the trail when two deputies from the Hood River County Sheriff ’s Department pulled into the parking lot. On their tail was an Oregon State Police car. The three cops talked among themselves while they put on rain jackets. Then the trooper, a woman, left the men and approached the Gayneses. She reached out a hand and identified herself to Vicki and Todd as Trooper Dana Bennett, Oregon State Police. She hadn’t needed to add the last part, as the silver lettering on her dark rain jacket made it clear.
    Dana had a sympathetic smile and dimpled cheeks. Her long blonde hair was neatly tucked into a braid and secured at the back of her head.
    â€œHow does this work?”Todd asked. “We were about to head up the trail to start looking.”
    â€œAre you the ones who called in the report?”
    â€œNo,” Vicki said. “That would have been Brad’s girlfriend, Jessica.”
    Dana nodded. “We’ve been told the reporting party would meet us here.” She glanced at Todd. “To answer your question, sir . . . in Oregon, the search-and-rescue responsibilities fall to the sheriff of the respective county of venue. In this case that would be the Hood River County Sheriff ’s Department, which, by the way, is one of the best. These guys have had years of experience rescuing lost hikers on the Eagle Creek trail system and stranded or injured hikers on the north face of Mount Hood.”
    Todd glanced over at the two deputies, who were still talking. “There are just three of you?”
    â€œThe sheriff ’s office has a call in for volunteers. The deputies will lead the search effort, but we rely on volunteers to provide most of the muscle. Most of the searchers are seasoned outdoor types, men and women who enjoy Oregon’s back country and look for opportunities to hone their skills with a difficult climb or challenging rescues.”
    Vicki didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted to find her son.
    â€œWill you be helping with the search?” Todd asked.
    â€œAs much as I can.” Dana assured him.
    Jessica drove into the parking lot in Brad’s Subaru. “That’s Brad’s girlfriend,” Vicki said, trying to keep the venom out of her tone.
    Dana’s gaze flickered toward Jessica. “You don’t like her.”
    Vicki swallowed. “No, I don’t.” There was no point in lying.
    â€œAnything we should know about?” Dana asked. “Do you suspect foul play?”
    â€œN-no. At least not at this point. She told me Brad had gone hiking and didn’t come back. There’s no reason to suspect anything different.”
    â€œHe probably just lost his way in the dark,” Todd said. “It doesn’t take much to