turned as the ambulances turned off the Trace and drove to the maintenance area. “Let’s get you two checked out.” Sam helped Clayton while Nate assisted Trey.
While paramedics looked over the two men, Nate retrieved the thermos from Trey’s vehicle. “There’s about half a cup left in the bottom, and I’ll get it tested.”
Sam walked with him to the excavation site, where they were careful to not disturb anything. “What could be buried here that’s so important someone would knock out two officers to get? He took a big chance of getting caught.”
“Two things come to mind. Skeletal remains or some type of treasure, and I don’t think it’s treasure.” Nate opened an app on his phone. “This afternoon, I pulled all the missing persons reports for the past fifteen years. There’ve been twenty, but fifteen have follow-up reports that showed the person was found—most of them teens who returned home. Three were found dead of natural causes when they wandered away from their homes in the dead of winter, and two have no resolution. I figure we just haven’t found the bodies yet. Emma’s brother is one of the two.”
Emma was so certain Ryan was still alive. Sam wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t the first time he’d considered the possibility since the GPR machine had located the disturbed soil. Especially since the woman Ryan had been accused of killing was found not too far from Mount Locust. “Do we want to wait until morning to look for evidence?” Sam asked. “Or do you want to process the scene now?”
“Morning. Like last night, there’s too big a chance of destroying evidence. I’ll assign two deputies to guard the site and make sure they don’t drink any coffee that’s been out of their sight. And I’ll have another deputy make regular drive-bys,” Nate said, taking out his phone.
While Nate contacted his deputies, Sam edged closer to the pit and shined his light along the bottom. Wait. “Look at this,” he said to Nate.
The sheriff hooked his phone on his belt and peered into the hole. “Is that a shoe print?”
“Looks like one to me,” Sam said. “We may have gotten lucky.”
“I’ll get a tech out here to cast it ASAP, but processing the rest of the crime scene can wait until morning.”
Sam checked his watch. Almost one thirty. Too late to call Emma and tell her about the new developments. He hadn’t asked her if she’d considered they might be excavating a grave, but maybe he needed to prepare her . . . just in case.
18
Emma looked out her window. No sign of Sam. She checked her watch. He was five minutes late already. She’d seriously considered renting a vehicle with an automatic transmission until she remembered that if she drove after being advised by a doctor not to and had an accident, her insurance wouldn’t pay.
She picked up her phone, scrolled to Sam’s name, and punched it. He answered on the first ring.
“I’m turning on your street now. Give me a minute to look around.”
“What’s your excuse this time?”
“Afraid I don’t have one.”
She laughed. “At least you’re honest. Ring me when I can come down.”
Shaking her head, Emma slid her phone in her back pocket. People like Sam just didn’t have any concept of time. They always thought they could crowd one more thing into their schedule. She moved from the window and grabbed the clothes she planned to wear after work just as her cell phone rang again. Jack Winters showed on her caller ID.
“Dad, is something wrong?” Emma suppressed a groan. She sounded just like her mother.
He chuckled. “Does there have to be something wrong for a man to call his daughter?”
His upbeat baritone calmed her nerves. “No, but I can’t remember the last time you called me at seven thirty on a Saturday morning.”
“I wouldn’t have if you’d called me last night.”
She stared at her bandaged hand. “Dr. Cole phoned you.”
“No, I ran into Corey Chandler. He said he saw you at Jug Head’s. How is your hand this morning?”
“Okay. It hardly even hurts.” Unless she forgot and tried to use it. Or let it dangle.
“How about if I stop by and check it out later today?”
“You don’t get enough nursing on the job?” she teased.
“I rarely get to take care of anyone now.”
Emma had been a little surprised when her dad moved into the administrative side of nursing. “Thank you for your offer, but I’m leaving for Mount Locust any minute now.”