Lara Lacombe - Ranger's Justice

Quinn was silent, mulling over his response. He really didn’t want to talk about the details of what he’d seen, but Gary wasn’t the type to gossip. “I hope they catch whoever did this soon,” he said.

Gary nodded. “You and me both. I got a call last night from some lady with the FBI. Rebecca something. She wanted to know when you’d be at work today.”

Nerves jangled in Quinn’s stomach. The police had released him last night after he’d spoken with her. Had they changed their minds? Was she coming to arrest him?

Please, not here , he thought desperately. If he was arrested inside the ranger station, in full view of his colleagues and any park visitors, his career would be over.

“If you need to take time off to help with the investigation, you’ve got it.”

It took Quinn a moment to register what Gary was saying. “I’m sorry?”

“The FBI lady made it sound like you were helping her with the investigation. If you need to take some leave, it’s fine with me.”

Quinn nodded slowly, his thoughts racing. What was Gary talking about? Rebecca had given no indication she wanted his help when they’d spoken yesterday. Was this some kind of trick, or was he simply overreacting? “I appreciate that,” he said. “I’ll talk to her and find out if it’ll be necessary.”

“We all want to catch this killer,” Gary said, rising to his feet. Recognizing the conversation was over, Quinn stood as well. “As I told the police and this FBI agent, we’ll do whatever it takes to help their investigation. You’re one of my best rangers, but we can spare you for that.”

“Thank you, sir.” The praise was unexpected, and Quinn felt both pleased and humbled at the man’s words. It was nice to know his work was appreciated, especially now when he was feeling so uncertain about things.

Quinn headed over to his desk and placed his hat next to his computer keyboard, then walked over to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup of the strong brew. He glanced at the large white board posted on the far wall as he returned to his seat. The board displayed a detailed map of the park, along with today’s weather forecast, river conditions, campsite closings and any areas of concern or issues to note. Nothing unusual jumped out—the burn ban prohibiting campfires was in effect, and the trails where he’d made his discoveries were still closed to allow the police to finish gathering evidence. Other than that, it looked like they were in for another warm day.

The bell above the door jingled, indicating a new visitor. Quinn’s desk was behind a partition, so he couldn’t see who had walked in. But he heard her voice float through the room as she returned a greeting from the front-desk attendant.

“Hello. I’m looking for Quinn Gallagher.”

“Let me check if he’s in.” The young woman who manned the desk poked her head around the corner, one eyebrow raised in query as she made eye contact with Quinn. He nodded, and she moved back to her station.

“Yes, ma’am. He’ll be out in just a minute.”

“Thank you.”

Quinn took a moment to brace himself, drawing in a deep breath. She’s not going to make a scene , he told himself. He didn’t know what more she wanted to talk about, but whatever the subject, he’d get her out of the station so they could have a bit of privacy. His coworkers were good people, but everyone was curious about the case of the two dead women. He’d rather not discuss things in front of an audience, however well-meaning they might be.

Grabbing his coffee, Quinn walked around the partition to the larger visitor’s lobby. He spied her right away, and not just because the place was otherwise empty. She was quite a sight with her long red hair pulled back into a glossy ponytail that seemed to spark in the morning sun. A pair of jeans accentuated the curve of her hips, and she wore a thin long-sleeved shirt over a tank top. The casual look threw him for a moment; the last time he’d seen her, she’d been a buttoned-up professional woman in a suit. Today she looked softer, more approachable. The kind of woman he might ask out for dinner, if he was so inclined.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. He’d dated some in the aftermath of Ashley’s death, but nothing serious. And he certainly wasn’t about to try to go out with a woman who suspected him of murder.

He cleared his throat. “Morning,” he said.

Rebecca turned to face him. “Hi,” she said. She gestured to the informational poster hanging on the wall. “I had no idea the park is so big—it says here it’s bigger than Yosemite.”

Quinn nodded. “Yeah. A lot of people don’t realize how much diversity is here. We have more bird species than any other national park.”

A look of genuine surprise flashed across her face. “That’s impressive,” she said.

“I’m sure you aren’t here to talk about our wildlife.” He nodded at the partition and the desks beyond. “Want to come back?”

“Sounds good. Thanks.”

He led her to his desk and snagged a chair so she could sit. “Coffee?”

Rebecca shook her head. “No, thanks. I already had my boost for the morning.”

“How can I help you today?”

She glanced around before speaking, apparently wanting to make sure no one was listening. “I’d like you to take me to the sites where you discovered the bodies.” Her voice was low, and he appreciated her discretion. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who cared about keeping things as quiet as possible.

A knot formed in his gut, but he nodded. “I can do that.” He wasn’t looking forward to going back to those spots, but it made sense she’d want to see the areas. “You know all the evidence has been removed, right?”

“Yes. But I still want to see them. I need to see what the killer saw and be in the space where he moved. It might give me more insight into him if I can walk in his footsteps.”

She sounded matter-of-fact, but her words sent a chill down Quinn’s spine. The last thing he wanted was to seek out the residue of evil that lingered in the land, but if she thought it would help her catch whoever had murdered those two women, he’d suck it up.

“When would you like to go?” He sounded reluctant even to his own ears, but if Rebecca noticed his tone, she didn’t react to it.

“Today, if possible.”

Quinn’s eyebrows shot up and he ran his gaze over her attire again, this time evaluating her appearance for hiking. “Uh, do you have any hiking experience?”

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “A little. Why? Is there a problem?”

He tilted his head to the side. “Not necessarily. But I found the first woman off an advanced trail. It’ll take us several hours to get there, and the terrain is pretty rugged. It’s not the kind of hike you take on a whim.”

“What about the second victim?”

“That trail is more accessible—it’s rated moderate in difficulty. We can probably do that today, but we need to do some prep work first.”

“I have a few water bottles in my car,” Rebecca offered.

Quinn smiled for what felt like the first time in weeks. “That’s a good start, but there’s a bit more to it. Were you planning on wearing that?” He gestured to her jeans and sneakers.

She looked down and frowned. “Is there something wrong with my clothes?”

“You’ll want to wear pants, but jeans are too heavy. A lighter fabric will breathe and won’t absorb so much of the sun’s rays. The tennis shoes aren’t ideal, but I don’t think you’ll want to try breaking in new boots for this.”

“Okay...”

“And we’ll need to get you a pack.”

“A pack?” she asked.

Quinn nodded. “For your water, some food, sunscreen, flashlight, emergency blanket and a first-aid kit.”