“Listen, there’s something I’ve been meaning to mention to you. I got a call two nights ago.” Micah kept his voice low. “You know Earl Sutton? He has a farm about a mile from the forest boundary on the east side. Anyway, he’s been seeing lights in the woods at night. He thought it was just some kids at first. But he called it in because it’s been four nights running and the pattern’s too regular for kids.”
“Same side of the forest as Lost Hollow Trail?”
“Same side.” Micah looked at him. “I keep hearing things lately—strange occurrences. People feeling like they’re being watched while they’re hiking. Obstacles that almost seemed to be purposefully placed on the trail.”
The muscles across his back pulled tighter. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Me either. I know the trail is dangerous, and I know Graham would like to get it shut down. But I can’t help but wonder if there’s something more going on.”
“It’s a definite possibility.”
Micah drew in a deep breath before changing course. “You going out there tomorrow?”
“That’s right. Looking for Kori’s sister.”
“Watch your back,” Micah said. “Something about all this just gives me a bad feeling.”
“You and me both.”
When they went back inside, Kori looked at them both, an almost expectant look on her face. But she didn’t ask what they’d discussed.
Micah handed her his card. “Ms. Hutchins, I don’t think there’s anything else I can do here tonight. We collected prints—including the one from the window near the fire escape. It will take some time to process that. In the meantime, if you think of anything else, call.”
He gave Wyatt a brief nod and left, his footsteps fading down the stairs.
The apartment went quiet.
Wyatt looked at Kori. She still stood by the window, with her arms crossed. Thunder had settled near the door, on guard.
“I came back because I remembered her journals,” she murmured.
“Her journals?”
She turned toward him and nodded. “Mackenzie was an avid journaler. She usually kept them between her mattress and box spring, but I forgot to look earlier. I came to find them, thinking they may hold some clues.”
“And?”
She frowned. “I just checked. They’re not there. So either she doesn’t keep them there anymore, she stopped journalling, or . . . that man took them.”
Wyatt supposed that could be a possibility, especially if Mackenzie had written something in the journal that would clue them into why she’d gone on this hike—if there was an ulterior motive.
“Do a lot of people know she journals, or did she keep that private?” Wyatt asked.
“It wasn’t exactly a secret. I’m sure anyone she’s known for any amount of time would know.”
Wyatt nodded slowly. “We’ll look into it. But in the meantime, how about if you let me give you a ride back, just to be on the safe side?”
“I won’t turn that down.”
They locked up and walked to his truck.
As they did, Wyatt thought about the symbol she’d described. The circle. The branches. The flame.
What did that symbol mean?
He intended to do some research when he got back to his place.
