Chapter Forty-Four

I knelt over the deep impression in the leaf-covered ground. Sunlight trickled through the overhead canopy. The still air did little to keep the effects of the humid day at bay. Sweat trickled down my neck and settled into my collar.

The vehicle had sat long enough to work the tires into the ground. But as I scanned ahead, I noticed that the trails leading away from the scene only left the grass bent. Novak had left the vehicle, presumably a van, knowing he would need it to transport Cassie’s body. Hopefully her live body.

I rose and took a long sweeping look around the area for any evidence of foul play. There had been blood in Cassie’s car, but that was easily explained by the accident. The trail stopped in the car though. Whoever had been injured must have managed to cover or wrap the wound. There was none to be found around the perimeter where the vehicle had been parked or near these tire marks.

Cervantes entered the area with a scowl on his face.

I stopped him from plodding through. “Let’s be careful where we walk. Try to land in my footsteps. Your crime scene guys still need to process this. There could be plenty we’re not seeing.”

Cervantes shrugged, pushed his sunglasses over his brow, and headed straight toward me, ignoring everything I had said. Why was he risking compromising the crime scene just to be a hardass toward me?

I intercepted him before he trampled over the tire tracks. “You got a problem with me, that’s one thing. You can settle that anytime you want to step in the ring. Hell, I don’t even need a ring for you. Any street corner will do.”

He looked away, clenching his jaw.

I continued. “But goddamn, man, this is someone we all know. Cassie’s helped out all our asses at one time or another. Maybe you pricks aren’t capable of it, but she’s become my friend. The hell is wrong with you potentially ruining evidence that might help us find her?”

Cervantes struck me in the chest with both hands open-palmed so fast that I didn’t have time to get a hand up in defense. Guess he decided to take me up on my anytime-anywhere challenge. The blow knocked me back a step. I set my feet and readied a haymaker meant to land on his head. But before I could launch my attack, another set of hands grabbed me from behind.

This was it. It was going down.

Cervantes disappeared from view as I was spun around by Pennington. The man kept me at arm’s length. Good idea, too. I was hellbent on throwing that damn punch.

“Enough of this shit!” Pennington looked past me at his partner. “Cerv, dammit, I’ve had enough. If you can’t get on board with what we’re doing, then I’ve got no choice but to recommend you be removed from this case.”

I felt like it might be time for me to referee. Another challenge had been issued to Cervantes. I turned sideways, breaking free from Pennington’s grasp, both arms up, palms facing either man.

“I don’t know why you’re sticking up for this asshole,” Cervantes said. “He shows up, Cassie goes missing. You don’t think there’s some link there, man? Come on, give me a break.”

Pennington pushed me aside and stepped up to his partner. “I see a guy standing there who is more willing to do what it takes to get her back safely than the guy who is supposed to be my partner.”

Cervantes said nothing. A wrinkle between his eyes deepened as his cheeks got redder.

“Go check the car again,” Pennington said. “Cool off while Tanner and I talk.”

Cervantes didn’t move. Pennington took a few steps back, turned, and motioned for me to follow him. I kept my eyes on Cervantes. He matched my steps one for one until he reached the edge of the clearing where he turned around.

“What was all that about?” I said after catching up to Pennington.

The detective looked back to where his partner had been standing. “I wish I could tell you. Something about you, I guess. Really sets him off. He’s normally not like this. I mean, he can play it up with a suspect like an award-winning actor. You should see him when he gets going. I swear the guy could get a confession out of his own mother.”

“But you don’t see that happening here.”

Pennington shook his head. “It’s a battle of instincts right now. Apparently his are telling him there’s something about you that should cause him to worry.”

“He’s probably right. But it ain’t over what happened to Cassie.”

Pennington smiled for a moment like he knew more about me than he let on. “You’re no angel. And neither are either of us. But I can tell you’re in this with us, Mitch. Not against us. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and I’ll work on Cerv. He’ll come around eventually.”

I pointed past him. “Where do you think those tire tracks lead?”

“First officer on scene said they followed them out to the road. It’s not far, not even a quarter-mile.”

“Let’s go then.” I looked back and saw Cervantes poking his head in the car again. It was fine with me if he stayed put.

Pennington started off into the woods, keeping the tire tracks to his left. Nature had overtaken the old fire road, and that worked in our favor. Made it easy to follow Novak’s path out in the few places where the trail split off. I stopped at each fork for a moment, stood there, scanning the surroundings. I was looking for something, anything that might shed some light on where they’d gone. I knew there’d be nothing there. Novak wasn’t the smartest criminal, but even he knew not to leave an address lying around where the cops could find it.

We reached the road after a five-minute trek. It was a narrow blacktop that looked new. Heat rose off it. So did the smell of tar after a morning of baking in the sun.

“This is where the clues end.” Pennington stood with his hands on his hips, facing away from me. The road stretched out a couple hundred yards before curving left and disappearing behind the trees on the other side.

“What’s down that way?”

He shook his head. “Not super familiar with this area. The computer in the car will give us a better idea.” With that, he pulled out his cell phone and called his partner.

We waited another seven minutes or so for Cervantes to arrive. Every second that passed led to more uncertainty. The distance between us and Cassie grew, whether they were screaming down 95, or he’d planted her somewhere. I closed my eyes, felt the light breeze against my dampened face, and tried to feel for her presence. I had no idea how she did what she did, all that talking to the dead and whatnot. I’d asked. She’d explained. It made no sense to me. But I felt if I just let her know I was here, had seen what had happened to her car, maybe she could tell me she was ok.

But all I got in return was silence.