The Missing Page 0,69

to meet us there.’

Evan checked his watch. ‘I’ll go with you,’ he said. ‘I want to see what Traveler left for us.’

Chapter 53

Darby pulled off Route 22 and came to a stop in front of two trees. Between the trees was a dirt road. Someone could easily pull a car inside there and be hidden from the main road. She didn’t spot any tire tracks on the ground.

‘This looks like the place,’ Darby said.

Evan nodded. He had been unusually quiet during the drive, communicating with nods and short answers.

Darby killed the engine. She felt a building, jittery panic as she hefted her kit out of the backseat. Evan grabbed the shovels.

‘It’s going to be slow walking back there,’ Evan said. ‘You want me to carry that?’

‘Thanks, but I can manage.’ Darby headed into the woods.

It was slow walking, steep and muddy from the rain. Twenty minutes later, the trail ended. In front of them now was an uneven terrain full of sloping ground packed with trees, rocks and downed tree limbs. They had to duck under tree branches as they walked.

Evan slung the shovels to his other shoulder. ‘You’re awfully quiet.’

‘I could say the same about you. You’ve hardly said a word since we left.’

I’ve been thinking about Victor Grady.’

‘What brought him to mind?’

‘The map you found,’ Evan said. ‘Riggers said he saw a map of these woods when he was in Grady’s house.’

‘I don’t remember reading anything about a map.’

‘It was destroyed in the fire. Riggers didn’t remember much from the map, but he said it was for these woods. The thinking was Grady might have used this area as a possible burial spot, so we searched the woods. We never found anything.’

‘How much of the woods did you search?’

‘About a quarter of it,’ Evan said. ‘I don’t have to tell you how big these woods are. The Belham department ran out of money and the search was called off.’

‘So Grady’s victims are probably still buried out here.’

‘I think so – at least that’s what I believe deep in my gut. To find where they’re buried, it would take a miracle.’

Darby stopped walking. ‘This should be the place.’

Below them was a sunny, wide-open patch of ground covered with leaves.

‘I don’t see any evidence of recent digging,’ Evan said. ‘In fact, I don’t see evidence of anyone having been out here at all. Take a look at the slope. No boot prints.’

‘The rain we had might have washed them away. There’s barely any tree coverage here.’

‘We should assemble a team to come out here and search.’

‘Look down there.’ Darby pointed to a boulder spray-painted with a small, white smiley face.

‘Some kids could have done that,’ Evan said.

No. Evan was wrong. Kids wouldn’t come all the way out here. This location was too remote and private. Digging out here late at night, Traveler wouldn’t have to worry about being spotted or heard.

Darby headed down the muddy slope, wondering if Traveler made two separate trips out here – one time to dig the grave, the second to bury the body. Or did he do it all in one trip?

Darby placed her kit on top of the boulder. Next she set up the tarp. When examining burial spots, a team of people was used to help with the tedious task of turning over each leaf and setting it on a tarp while searching the ground for any potential evidence that might have been left behind.

‘We should call in more people,’ Evan said. ‘It will make this go quicker.’

‘By the time we mobilize a group and get them out here, we’ll probably be done.’ Darby grabbed a shovel. ‘Come on, let’s get to work.’

Chapter 54

Darby was hoping to find a cigarette butt, a candy wrapper or soda can – something with DNA that would place Traveler at this burial site. After sifting through the leaves for an hour, the only thing they found was an old penny. She bagged it into evidence, but she wasn’t holding out any hope of finding a fingerprint.

‘I say we start digging at the base of the boulder and work our way out,’ Darby said.

Evan agreed and handed her a shovel.

As Darby worked, the morning sun warm on her neck, her thoughts kept running back to what Evan had said about having searched through these woods for the remains of Grady’s victims. Was Melanie still buried somewhere out here?

I’m sorry, Mel. I’m sorry you and Stacey never got the chance to live out your lives. I’ve tried hard to