Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3)

“I don’t know. I don’t think we’re going to stumble on new evidence, I just want to get the lay of the land. See it for myself. It might spark something. And like I said, another set of eyes can’t hurt.”

“So I know I can’t carry your gun, but what about a taser? You got an extra one of those?”

I gave him the side eye. “No.”

“Why not? We’re tracking a killer here.”

“No tasers.”

“You’re no fun. You ever been hit by a taser?”

I nodded. “In training.”

“Did it hurt?”

I glanced at him again. “Yes. It really fucking hurts.”

“I almost made a bet with Evan Bailey that I could take a taser and not scream. He didn’t believe me.”

“Don’t take that bet. Some of the toughest guys I know screamed.”

“I said almost.”

“Why would you even be talking about that?”

He shrugged. “I don’t remember. There were a few beers involved.”

“Sounds about right.”

I pulled into the parking lot at the trailhead. There were quite a few cars, but I found a spot. We got out and started walking.

The air was still, the woods quiet except for the occasional bird call and the sound of our shoes. Squirrels darted out of the way, scurrying up tree trunks as we hiked off trail and made our way up a low rise.

I purposefully didn’t tell Luke about the package Harper had received, or its possible connection to the Joyner case. Deputy Spangler had taken over investigating the break-in at her house, but so far, it looked like a dead end. She didn’t have a doorbell camera and none of her neighbors had one that showed her driveway or front door. No one in the neighborhood remembered seeing someone drop off a package and there was no physical evidence of a break-in.

Whoever had done it was good. They hadn’t left a shred of evidence.

Was it the same person who’d sent Jasmine a similar package? Had he then killed her?

I didn’t know. But I was going to find him before this escalated.

Nothing was going to happen to Harper.

I stopped roughly where I found the bracelet. The stolen car was long gone. The bracelet itself was still in evidence, added to everything that had been collected in the case.

“This is it?” Luke asked.

“Yeah, the bracelet was over there.” I pointed to the ground. “I don’t know why she would have been here.”

“Hiking off trail?”

“Maybe. But her body was found out that way.” I pointed again. “Near a completely different trail.”

“What if the bracelet wasn’t hers?”

“That’s possible. But my gut tells me it was. That she was here.”

I pulled out my phone and opened a map. I’d already dropped a pin where Jasmine’s body had been found and I marked the spot where Luke and I were standing for reference.