Deadfall (3 page)

“N-no. At least not at this point. She told me Brad had gone hiking and didn't come back. There's no reason to suspect anything different.”

“He probably just lost his way in the dark,” Todd said. “It doesn't take much to get turned around in these woods.”

Dana nodded. “Especially at night. I'd like to hear what Jessica has to say.”

Vicki and Todd walked with Dana to the Subaru and stopped a few feet away. The two deputies joined them and Dana introduced Vicki and Todd.

“Deputy Hanks.” The younger man extended his hand to Vicki and then to Todd, finally to Jessica.

“This is Deputy Miller.” Hanks seemed to take charge at this point. Deputy Miller had a medium build with an ample spare tire while Hanks looked well built, with a broad chest and shoulders. Both men looked to be around Todd's height—over six feet.

Vicki listened as Jessica recounted her story to the deputies and the trooper. She talked about their argument and about how she'd decided to break off their relationship. “I told him I was moving out. Brad got really mad. He got out of the car and said he needed some air.”

“What was he wearing?” Deputy Hanks asked.

“Jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt. He left his wallet in the glove box and the keys in the ignition.”

Todd walked around to the passenger side of the Subaru and grabbed the wallet out of the glove box. He unfolded it and checked the currency compartment.

“What are you doing?” The younger deputy seemed annoyed.

“There's no money in here.” Todd glanced over at Jessica.

She clenched her jaw. “So? You think I took his money?” Jessica turned away in disgust. “I didn't. I wouldn't do something like that.”

To the officers,Todd said, “Brad is a ski instructor who makes good tips. He always has a wallet full of small bills. I've never seen Brad without cash. My son doesn't have a checking account, so he keeps his rent, grocery money, and whatever else in his wallet.”

Hanks made some notes in a small notebook. “What else can you tell us about him? Do you have a photo?”

“There's one in his wallet,” Jessica said in a small voice. “We're both in it.”

Todd flipped through the plastic-encased photos, pulled out the photograph of Brad and Jessica, and handed it to the deputy.

“He's about six-two and what, Vicki, about a hundred and eighty pounds?”

“Maybe a little heavier,” Vicki added. “He's lean but very muscular. Brad keeps in shape.”

“He weighed one-eighty-five this morning,” Jessica offered.

“He said he was getting fat. It was one of the things we argued about. I told him it was from all the beer he drank.”

Thanks to you.
Vicki kept the comment to herself. “When are we going to start looking for him?” she asked. “We're wasting valuable time standing around here.”

“We'll get a ground search going tonight, folks.” Hanks held his spike mic up to his lips and asked his dispatch to get a chopper from the Portland Airbase with FLIR.

Dana came up alongside Vicki. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Vicki shook her head and pinched her eyes closed as tears invaded again. “I'll be okay. Just find Brad.”

“If he's out there, we will.”

“What's FLIR?” Todd asked Dana.

“Forward-looking infrared. It looks for body heat.”

Hanks held up his hand, asking for silence. Then he held his radio mic up to his ear, trying to hear over the roar of the falls, the freeway traffic, and the pummeling rain.

“Looks like we're on our own tonight, folks,” he said. “The weather's not going to permit an air search right now. You folks are welcome to come along, or wait here and we'll be in touch.”

“I'll come,” Todd and Vicki said together.

“Are you going with us?” Vicki asked Jessica point-blank.

Jessica licked her lips and in a whining tone said, “I'm not feeling very well. I'll stay here in case he comes back.” She climbed back into the Subaru and closed the door.

Vicki didn't attempt to hide her fury. She hurried to catch up to her husband. “Can you believe that woman?”

“Leave it, honey,” he told her. “Don't waste your energy on her. Save it for finding Brad. Besides, she has a point. Someone should stay here.”

“Right.” Vicki pushed her anger aside—as far as it would go.

Trooper Bennett and the two sheriff 's deputies, along with Brad's parents, headed for the trail with their black mag lights illuminating the way. For the next three hours they searched the trails and creekbed that led to the Columbia River but found no sign of Brad.

Their initial search ended well after midnight, with Deputy Hanks recommending a full-scale search-and-rescue operation in the morning.

“How can you stop now?” Vicki could hear the desperation growing in her voice. “Shouldn't we go farther into the woods?”

“Mrs. Gaynes.” Dana placed a hand on Vicki's arm. “I know how you must feel. But we need to wait until morning before we can conduct a thorough search. Maybe by then the rain will have let up. The search will be much more effective in daylight.” As if to prove her point, a spray of water cascaded from her hat.

Vicki shrugged deeper into her warm jacket.

“I'll be leaving now,” Dana said. “But I'll check with my supervisor and make sure it's okay for me to come out tomorrow.”

You can't quit. My son is out there! Don't you care?
Vicki bit into her bottom lip to stop the bitter retort.

“I know this is hard for you.” Dana handed Vicki a card and said, “Call me if anything turns up or if you need to talk.”

Vicki thanked her and leaned against their Ford Explorer. Todd opened the back and took off his rain jacket, tossed it into the trunk, and pulled on a sweater. “Might as well give me yours too.”

Vicki nodded and exchanged her Gore-tex for a warm fleece jacket. Todd handed her a blanket, some trail mix, a couple of apples, a box of crackers, and some mozzarella cheese sticks. When he opened the passenger side door for her, she ducked inside.

Jessica opted to go home when the trooper leftumbling some excuse about needing a shower and wanting to get some sleep. Vicki's anger surfaced again. When Todd climbed in behind the wheel, she pointed at the disappearing taillights of Brad's Subaru wagon. “Look at that! The least she could do is wait with us.”

“Try not to be so hard on her, honey. She seems pretty upset.

Must have been rough waiting out here for Brad all by herself.”

“Are you taking her side?” Vicki ripped open one of the cheese sticks and peeled off a strip.

“No, of course not. But she said she wasn't feeling well, and I think at this point we need to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Todd crunched into an apple.

Vicki didn't agree, but she didn't argue either. “I just don't see how Jessica can say she loves Brad and then leave like that.”

“Maybe she doesn't love him. After all, didn't she say she was breaking up with him?”

“She told the deputies that, but I don't believe it.” Vicki really didn't know what to believe.

After eating their snacks, they opted to spend the rest of the night in the car, waiting and watching in case Brad returnedicki noticed that Deputy Hanks had returned to his vehicle but was still in the parking lot. The green glow from the patrol car's mobile data terminal screen provided just enough light to see the deputy's dark silhouette through the drizzling rain.

Hanks was on the phone, maybe calling his wife or maybe arranging for more people to search for her son. His presence brought a sliver of reassurance.

At Todd's insistence, Vicki stretched out in the backseat under the blanket he'd brought. With the small car pillow tucked under her head, she closed her eyes. Todd dropped his seat slightly and folded his arms. “Let's try to get some sleep. Morning will be here before we know it.”

“We should call Rachael.” She sat up. Rachael was their daughter, and Todd had called her before they left the houseicki had promised to keep her informed.

“Relax, honey. We've been through that. Rachael will be here in the morning. No sense calling her when we have no news.”

“I'm surprised she didn't come.”

“She wanted to. I told her to wait—no sense in all of us going. I told her I'd call if anything developed. We can give her a call in the morning, but my guess is that she'll be here at the crack of dawn.”

Vicki catnapped throughout the next few hours, impatiently waiting for morning to come. How could a mother sleep when her precious son was missing? Her mind kept conjuring up horrible images of finding Brad dead.

4

I
T WAS JUST GETTING LIGHT when Vicki heard the beeping sound of a car door opening and the rumbling of a big rig. She rose up and saw that it was a large motor home with the Sheriff 's Office Mobile Command Post insignia on the side. Todd stepped out of the car and waited for the man driving the rig to stop.

A sheriff 's deputy jumped out and stretched out his hand toward Todd. “Morning. I'm Deputy Sam Wyatt.” He glanced at the waterfall. “You must be Todd Gaynes. Deputy Hanks said I'd find you here.”

Vicki climbed out of the car and waited for Todd to introduce her. Shaking hands with the deputy, she said, “Thanks for being so prompt.”

“Got to take advantage of every minute of daylight. Too little of it this time of year.”

Within minutes, dozens of officers from various agencies arrived to assist in the searchicki didn't know who was an officer and who was a volunteer. She recognized the sheriff 's office personnel because they wore the same uniform as Deputy Wyatt, and the state troopers because of their traditional straw campaign hats, but beyond that she had no clue. She was simply grateful this many people would turn out on a Monday morning at daybreak.

Rachael arrived soon after sunrise. Vicki hugged her, choking up as she tried to talk.

“Have you heard anything?” Rachael asked. “Is he still . . .”

“Nothing yet,” Todd said. “We're just getting started.”

Vicki brushed back Rachael's bangs. “Where's my grandbaby?”

“At home with Daddy.” Rachael smiled. “Kip took the day off to stay home with him. He would be here if he could, but I didn't want to bring the baby out in this mess.”

“Wise choice.” Vicki glanced around at what appeared to be growing mayhem and hoped they knew what they were doing. Deputy Wyatt seemed competent.

“I'm going to see what's going on,”Todd told them. He turned and made his way toward the command post.

Vicki watched him go and caught sight of a familiar face as Dana Bennett and a young man stepped out of an Oregon State Police car. Maybe her boyfriend, she thought. With his handsome face and muscular frame, he reminded her of Brad. Only this man had dark hair. Brad's was blond. They made a nice-looking couple. Jessica and Brad made a nice-looking couple too. She chided herself for making comparisons.

Dana and the young man were dressed in layers, as you'd expect hikers to be in this part of the world. She was wearing a turtleneck under a black-and-red plaid shirt and fleece vest, jeans, and sturdy hiking boots. He was dressed in jeans as well, with a cable-knit sweater over a turtleneck. They both took official-looking rain gear from the backseat with Oregon State Police written on the backs in silver. After suiting up, they donned backpacks.

Dana saw Vicki and waved, then she indicated to her friend to follow her. As she approached, her dimples deepened and her eyes brightened despite only a few hours of sleep. “How are you doing this morning, Mrs. Gaynes?”

“Okay. This is my daughter, Rachael. Rachael, this is Dana Bennett with the Oregon State Police. She was here last night and helped search.”

“Nice to meet you.” Rachael extended a hand.

“This is Detective Mac McAllister, also OSP.” Dana said freeing her thick, blonde braid from inside her vest.

“Detective?” Rachael frowned. “Are you investigating—did something happen? I thought Brad was lost . . .”

Mac held up a restraining hand. “I'm not here on official business, just as a volunteer. Dana told me about Brad, and since I have the day off, I thought I'd join the search.”

“Thank you.” Vicki looked from one to the other. “This is so nice of you—both of you.”

“You're welcome.” Mac nodded toward the mobile command unit. “We'd better go in and get our marching orders.”

Vicki watched them go, warmed by their generosity. There were so many people here to help, like Dana and Mac, just because they wanted to.

“So what's going on,Mom?” Rachael asked. “What did Jessica say?”

As Vicki told Rachael about Jessica's version of events, the subject of their discussion pulled into the parking lot in Brad's Subaru. “Look who got out of bed before noon,” Rachael sneered.

Vicki sighed. “Rachael, I know you two don't care for each other. I don't like her either, but we should at least try to be civil.”

“She's a bad influence on him,” Rachael muttered.

“I know, I know. But right now we need to focus on Brad and pray we find him.”

Jessica came toward them, wearing Brad's wool mackinaw jacket, which was way too big for her thin frame. She stuffed her hands in the deep pockets. “Any news?”

“No,” Vicki answered. “Did you sleep well?” She hadn't meant to sound sarcastic but didn't bother to apologize for her snippy tone.

“No, I didn't.” Jessica bit her lip. “I should go. You obviously don't want me here.”

Vicki sighed in resignation. She'd told Rachael to be civil, and here she was, acting like a shrew. “You should stay in case the authorities need to talk to you. You'll want to be part of the search party, won't you?”

“I don't know. Maybe.”