Wyatt didn’t hold that against her—but that didn’t mean the choice hadn’t hurt.
Moving back home had been the right call. He knew that. But sometimes he missed his old life.
“Ranger King—I mean, Wyatt. Are you reading this? I was able to access her text messages through an app on her computer.”
He snapped back to the present and read the message on Mackenzie’s computer.
Come alone and come now. Everything depends on it.
He straightened, not liking the sound of that.
“The phone number this message was sent from.” Her voice cracked with desperation. “Can you trace it?”
“I can’t personally, but I know someone who can.”
“Perfect.”
“What about her car?” he asked. “What does she drive? We’ll need to look for her vehicle at the trailhead.”
“It’s a Subaru. A Forrester, I think. At least, that’s what she had last time we talked. It’s dark green, and it would be about five years old now.”
He wondered what that meant.Last time we talked.She’d said something similar to Durbin. Wyatt would ask, but that wasn’t his business.
He jotted those details in his notebook before gently closing the laptop. He’d need to take it with him.
“I’ll need something of Mackenzie’s—a shirt or socks. Would you mind grabbing something from her hamper? It needs to be something she’s worn.”
“Of course.” She disappeared down the hallway and came back with a gray henley.
He opened a Ziploc bag and placed the shirt inside, sealing it to lock in the scent.
Then he turned back to Kori. “I’m not sure there’s anything else for me to find here. I mostly wanted to check for any signs of a struggle or foul play.”
“That text message isn’t a sign of foul play?” Kori stared up at him, her look more of a challenge than a question.
He blew out a breath. “It’s definitely suspicious—and makes it sound like she was coerced into going on this hike. Without more context, it’s hard to know for sure.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She frowned and crossed her arms. “So what now?”
“I’ll talk to my supervisor tonight. We’ll look into this phone number. Put out an alert for her vehicle. It may not seem like we’re making progress, but we are.”
“I appreciate any help you can give me.”
“Do you plan on staying here in your sister’s apartment tonight?”
Her eyes darted toward the short hallway leading to the bedroom, and something passed through her gaze. Then she shook her head. “No, I’d like to find somewhere else to stay.”
“There’s a bed and breakfast a little farther down on Main Street. Hollow House. The owner knows everyone in town. She hosts a book club every Thursday, tea parties on weekends, and even a crochet club on occasion. I think you’ll like her.”
“She sounds interesting.”
“She is. She’ll take good care of you.” He paused. “Would you like me to drive you there?”
She considered his offer before shaking her head. “I’m going to stay here at my sister’s place a little longer. But thank you for the offer.”
“Of course.” He nodded goodbye to her.
He prayed Mackenzie was okay. Being out there in this weather was risky.
But he didn’t dare tell Kori that.
