CHAPTER TWENTY

 

 

May 15, 2015

9 A.M.

High Mountain Valley

Near the Central Idaho Primitive Area

 

Trish’s body, along with the FBI forensics team lifted off in the large helicopter, leaving most of the FBI agents in place.

Julia watched the large helicopter disappear up and over the tall ridgeline and turn south toward Boise. The next time she would see Trish, it would be in a proper funeral.

But first they had to capture her killer.

Julia knew that the FBI would be processing all this data, including the bodies, in a private lab in Boise that Doc and Annie were setting up at the airport. They could take no chances that any of this might leak out, and with William’s money, having spies in the police and FBI would not have surprised any of them.

So they were taking extra precautions.

That was also why most of the agents here would stay here in this contained valley until Williams was trapped and arrested. No calls out allowed in any fashion.

Julia and Lott and Agent Munn were also becoming convinced that Williams had not killed Trish. She was not his type and he had not been close to McCall when she vanished.

More than likely Trish had seen something, reported it to the wrong person in McCall, and gotten killed because of it. And her body had been handled as if Williams were there.

When Trish was killed, Williams had been in Seattle and nowhere near his home in McCall, Idaho. Chances are, Williams didn’t even know about Trish’s death.

Julia and Lott and Fleet and Agent Munn all headed down the long wooden stairs from the house to the parking lot and the helicopter Fleet had arrived in. The morning had warmed up some, but the sun still hadn’t reached the valley floor.

“I’m arranging to have more food sent in this afternoon,” Fleet said. “And other supplies. Your people are going to need it.”

“Thank you,” Agent Munn said. “I’ll be back shortly as well and we’ll get set up for a long stay here. This lake and the road above it is a huge crime scene.”

“That it is,” Lott said, glancing back at the valley as he and Julia got their things from the Jeep. Then Lott handed Agent Munn the Jeep keys.

“Can’t begin to tell you how happy I am we are not driving out of here,” Julia said.

“I should feel insulted,” Lott said, smiling at her, “but I completely agree. In fact, I was thinking that if we did have to drive out, you could do it.”

“Not a chance in hell,” she said, laughing. Just the idea of that made her stomach twist into a slight panic.

Five minutes later they lifted off, going mostly straight up, since the valley was so narrow. Trish had ridden in her share of helicopters before, mostly police and a couple of television helicopters. Never one this nice.

They all had helmets on with sound-deadening abilities and a communication system so they could hear each other clearly.

Julia and Lott sat in the seats behind the two pilots, with Fleet and Agent Munn behind them.

As they lifted off, Julia could see all the activity going on below. Tents were being set up along the shore of the lake and agents were coming and going from the house.

Other sets of tents were being constructed near the shed.

The one lone lawn chair still sat just above the water line, empty. More than likely sitting in that chair had gotten Trish killed, but Julia still hoped they would leave the chair right where it was.

As the helicopter climbed above the ridgeline, Trish could see that just a ways down the narrow road into the valley, some boulders had been rolled out into the road, blocking the road into the lake completely. Two agents stood to one side.

Agent Munn pointed to the boulders. “If anyone tries to come into the valley by car, the agents will hide at first and then take whoever it is into custody and hold them until we have gotten everyone rounded up.

“Great thinking,” Lott said, and Julia nodded.

Julia knew that keeping a lid on an operation this size was going to be hard, but they only had to do that for another day or so. If Williams followed pattern, he would head to McCall a couple of days after his latest victim went missing. That had happened yesterday.

And Julia was very glad the FBI had found and rescued that poor woman.

No one had put Williams pattern together because, as the reports said, Williams had always made it a point to tell the police where he was going and when. He loved taunting them like that.

As the helicopter gained even more attitude and turned west, the fantastic beauty of the Idaho wilderness came into stark relief under them. The extremely high, snow-covered peaks lined up like huge, sharp rows of teeth going into the distance as far as Julia could see.

All the mountains were covered in dark pine trees, rocks, and bright white snow in the clear morning sunshine.

It all looked stunningly beautiful and amazingly dangerous.

“See that sort of gash in the mountains to the east?” Agent Munn said, pointing out the window near Lott. “That’s the main Salmon River, also called The River of No Return.”

“That’s where Doc spends his summers,” Lott said, shaking his head. “He really is crazy.”

“Your daughter spends most of the summers now in there as well,” Fleet said, laughing. “I think they’re both crazy.”

Julia just looked out at the vast rugged wilderness below her and agreed. It was stunningly beautiful on a warm May morning, and more dangerous than any criminal on the streets of a major city.