* * *
“Well, what do you think?”
Officer Micah Shaw shrugged at the question. “I think we’re out here on a wild goose chase. You?”
Officer Brayden Colton nodded. “Yeah. It’s starting to look that way to me, too.” He sighed. “I don’t know whether to be relieved, or...” He trailed off, and Micah filled in the blanks.
“You still think Demi is innocent.”
“She’s my sister,” Brayden said simply. “The Demi Colton I know is not a cold-blooded killer.”
Micah didn’t respond. There wasn’t anything he could say, really. Brayden had grown up with Demi and they were family, so naturally he didn’t want to believe she was the Groom Killer. But the evidence suggested otherwise. Most of the Coltons on the Red Ridge police force had a hard time believing one of their own could turn to murder, and Brayden in particular thought his sister was being framed. Micah wasn’t as idealistic. As a former Army Ranger who’d served in Afghanistan, he’d seen the worst of humanity. Nothing shocked him anymore.
“You want to take the far end, and we’ll search down here?” he suggested.
Brayden nodded. “That works. We’ll at least be able to say we covered the whole area when we go back to the office.”
The two men parted ways, and Micah and his K-9 partner, Chunk, set off down the darkening alley.
Personally, he thought they were wasting their time. Chunk was the best cadaver dog in the state—hell, the region—and he’d been placid and calm ever since they’d set foot in the alley. A far cry from the behavior Micah would expect if there was a body present. But since Tucker Frane had stumbled into the station earlier, claiming he saw Demi Colton shoot a man in this very alley just a little while ago, the police had to respond.
Micah, Chunk and Brayden had been dispatched to search the area. So far, all they’d found were a few discarded coffee cups and some cigarette butts. Not exactly the stuff of a crime scene. But they had a job to do, and Micah bagged it all. He was nothing if not thorough...
“Come on, boy,” he said encouragingly to Chunk. “Let’s see if there’s anything to find.”
Chunk waddled alongside Micah, the tips of his ears dragging along the ground as he moved. The red and white basset hound was never going to win any beauty contests, but he had one of the best noses Micah had ever seen.
This wasn’t Micah’s first time working with a furry partner. He’d been paired with a military working dog while serving as an Army Ranger, and the experience had made him appreciate and respect the capabilities of these hardworking animals. Chunk was unlike any dog he’d known, and it had taken some time for Micah to get used to his quirks. But now that they knew each other, he wouldn’t trade Chunk for any other dog in the world.
They wandered slowly down the alley, Micah automatically adjusting his stride to accommodate Chunk’s shorter legs. Chunk kept his nose pressed to the ground, snuffling as he walked, taking in all the scents and likely filing them away for later. Micah knew the dog’s nose could detect thousands, if not tens of thousands, of smells, and it still amazed him that Chunk could sort through all the olfactory “noise” and zero in on the scent of human blood.
He was content to walk alongside Chunk, letting the dog move at his own pace. Even though he doubted they would find anything, this was a good exercise for Chunk. Micah began to let his mind wander, wondering who, exactly, Tucker Frane had seen tonight. The man had been almost frantic as he’d told them about the shooting he’d witnessed. He’d kept looking over his shoulder, as if he expected Demi Colton to stride into the station and shoot him in front of a squad of police officers. Finn Colton, the K-9 unit chief, had wanted Tucker to stick around and answer more questions, but the man had refused. He’d lit out of there like his pants were on fire.
“Let him go,” Finn had said dryly. “I’ll send some men out to talk to him later. In the meantime...”
Why would the man lie? Micah wondered. His story was easily verifiable. What did Tucker stand to gain by sending the police on a fool’s errand?
Chunk suddenly pulled against his lead, interrupting Micah’s thoughts. He focused on the dog, who was now staring intently at the door of one of the stores. “Find something?” Micah asked softly.
Chunk made a low ruff sound in response, and Micah felt his heart pick up speed. He gave the dog his head, and Chunk led him directly to the door, which Micah could now see was ajar. He realized with a little shock that it was the back door to Bea Colton’s bridal salon, and his gut tightened. He hadn’t seen Bea since he’d left for basic training. Once upon a time, he’d thought she was the love of his life. He’d learned the truth the hard way, and the lesson still stung.
Chunk huffed at the door and Micah carefully pulled it open. It was pitch-black inside the store, and he paused on the threshold. Chunk was trained to detect human blood, but he didn’t have any way of communicating if he was scenting something fresh or old. If there was a body inside, Micah didn’t want to surprise the killer and wind up with a bullet for his trouble.
“Police,” he called out loudly. “Identify yourself.”
He could hear the faint wail of a siren in the distance, but there was no sound from within the store. Moving carefully, Micah dropped Chunk’s leash and grabbed his flashlight, keeping his other hand on the butt of his gun.
Chunk darted into the store, presumably heading for the source of the scent. Micah quickly swept the room with his flashlight, searching for any signs that he wasn’t alone. The beam of light revealed nothing but racks of dresses and boxes stacked neatly on shelves. He took a breath and slowly exhaled, focusing on the feel of the room. He didn’t sense anyone else, didn’t hear any breathing or furtive sounds like someone was trying to hide. The place was empty.
There was a switch by the door, but it didn’t work. He ran the beam of his light along the wall again until he caught the glint of the fuse box on the far side. He flipped a few breakers back into position, and the room flooded with light.
Micah blinked against the sudden brightness. “Chunk?” he called. He wasn’t worried about the dog—Chunk would go to the source of the smell he’d detected and no farther.
Chunk barked once, and Micah oriented to the sound. He rounded a rack of dresses and found his partner sitting next to a body on the floor.
A very feminine body...
Micah knelt next to the dog, his breath caught in his throat. No. It couldn’t be.
“Please, no,” he whispered.
As the first on the scene, he had to help her. His hands shook a little as he reached out and grabbed the woman’s shoulders. Carefully, slowly, he turned her onto her back and got a good look at her face.
The bottom dropped out of his stomach. It was Bea Colton.
Micah stared down at Bea’s bloody face, his heart in his throat. Was she—?
Her chest rose and fell, and relief washed over him as he realized she was still alive.
He reached for his walkie-talkie. “Brayden, I need backup. Call an ambulance.” He quickly relayed his position and returned his focus to Bea. Chunk nosed him inquisitively, and he realized he had forgotten to reward the dog for his find.
“Good job, buddy.” He dug in the pouch