Ranger's Justice. Lara Lacombe

a thin long-sleeved shirt over a tank top. The casual look threw him for a moment; the last time he’d seen her, she’d been a buttoned-up professional woman in a suit. Today she looked softer, more approachable. The kind of woman he might ask out for dinner, if he was so inclined.

      He shook his head, dismissing the thought. He’d dated some in the aftermath of Ashley’s death, but nothing serious. And he certainly wasn’t about to try to go out with a woman who suspected him of murder.

      He cleared his throat. “Morning,” he said.

      Rebecca turned to face him. “Hi,” she said. She gestured to the informational poster hanging on the wall. “I had no idea the park is so big—it says here it’s bigger than Yosemite.”

      Quinn nodded. “Yeah. A lot of people don’t realize how much diversity is here. We have more bird species than any other national park.”

      A look of genuine surprise flashed across her face. “That’s impressive,” she said.

      “I’m sure you aren’t here to talk about our wildlife.” He nodded at the partition and the desks beyond. “Want to come back?”

      “Sounds good. Thanks.”

      He led her to his desk and snagged a chair so she could sit. “Coffee?”

      Rebecca shook her head. “No, thanks. I already had my boost for the morning.”

      “How can I help you today?”

      She glanced around before speaking, apparently wanting to make sure no one was listening. “I’d like you to take me to the sites where you discovered the bodies.” Her voice was low, and he appreciated her discretion. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who cared about keeping things as quiet as possible.

      A knot formed in his gut, but he nodded. “I can do that.” He wasn’t looking forward to going back to those spots, but it made sense she’d want to see the areas. “You know all the evidence has been removed, right?”

      “Yes. But I still want to see them. I need to see what the killer saw and be in the space where he moved. It might give me more insight into him if I can walk in his footsteps.”

      She sounded matter-of-fact, but her words sent a chill down Quinn’s spine. The last thing he wanted was to seek out the residue of evil that lingered in the land, but if she thought it would help her catch whoever had murdered those two women, he’d suck it up.

      “When would you like to go?” He sounded reluctant even to his own ears, but if Rebecca noticed his tone, she didn’t react to it.

      “Today, if possible.”

      Quinn’s eyebrows shot up and he ran his gaze over her attire again, this time evaluating her appearance for hiking. “Uh, do you have any hiking experience?”

      She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “A little. Why? Is there a problem?”

      He tilted his head to the side. “Not necessarily. But I found the first woman off an advanced trail. It’ll take us several hours to get there, and the terrain is pretty rugged. It’s not the kind of hike you take on a whim.”

      “What about the second victim?”

      “That trail is more accessible—it’s rated moderate in difficulty. We can probably do that today, but we need to do some prep work first.”

      “I have a few water bottles in my car,” Rebecca offered.

      Quinn smiled for what felt like the first time in weeks. “That’s a good start, but there’s a bit more to it. Were you planning on wearing that?” He gestured to her jeans and sneakers.

      She looked down and frowned. “Is there something wrong with my clothes?”

      “You’ll want to wear pants, but jeans are too heavy. A lighter fabric will breathe and won’t absorb so much of the sun’s rays. The tennis shoes aren’t ideal, but I don’t think you’ll want to try breaking in new boots for this.”

      “Okay...”

      “And we’ll need to get you a pack.”

      “A pack?” she asked.

      Quinn nodded. “For your water, some food, sunscreen, flashlight, emergency blanket and a first-aid kit.”

      “I see.”

      “And a hat,” he added. “You’ll probably want sunglasses, too.”

      Rebecca’s expression was one of resignation. “This isn’t going to be as easy as I’d hoped.”

      “I was a Boy Scout growing up,” Quinn explained. “And what kind of park ranger would I be if I didn’t insist on taking safety precautions before we set out?”

      “Where can I get this stuff?” she asked on a sigh.

      “I have a spare pack at home,” he said. “But we’ll need to head into town to get you the right pants.”

      “Let’s go, then. I don’t want to lose any more time than necessary.”

       Chapter 3

      It didn’t take long to reach the feed store. She spent the drive in the passenger seat, typing out a message to Frank, telling him of her plans to go out on the trail with Quinn. She told him she’d check in by 9:00 pm, just as a precaution. Having taken care of that, Quinn led her inside the store and pointed out the style of pants she should buy. Rebecca tried on her size and, satisfied with the result, ripped off the tag and brought it to the register.

      “Might as well wear them out,” she said. She grabbed a second pair and looked at Quinn. “What else do I need?”

      He picked up a wide-brimmed hat and set it on top of the pants. “This’ll do. I have everything else.”

      She paid for everything and they returned to the car. “My apartment isn’t far,” he said quietly.

      He directed her to a small complex near the edge of the town and led her up a flight of stairs to a door on the second floor. Rebecca glanced around, surprised at the beauty of the view. “You can see the mountains from here,” she remarked.

      Quinn glanced behind him as he unlocked the door. “Yeah. It’s especially pretty at sunrise and sunset.”

      He walked inside, holding the door so she could follow. She stepped into the living room and saw the kitchen off to the right. A short hall extended to the left, where she assumed his bedroom was.

      “Bathroom is just that way,” he said, indicating the hall with a nod. “If you need it.”

      She didn’t, but it gave her an excuse to snoop. “Thanks.” She headed down the hall as he opened a closet door in the living room and began to rummage inside. Satisfied he was occupied, she risked a quick glance into his bedroom. Nothing fancy; she noted a bed and a side table sporting a lamp and a framed picture.

      His wife, she guessed. It was too far away for her to make out the image, but who else would it be?

      She ducked into the bathroom, which was small but clean. She reached for the mirrored cabinet hanging on the wall, then hesitated. It felt wrong to invade Quinn’s privacy by snooping in his medicine cabinet, but she needed to know if he was taking anything that might make him an unreliable source. Pushing aside the hint of guilt, she opened the cabinet and was greeted with the sight of nothing special. His toothbrush, toothpaste and razor were there, along with a few bottles of ibuprofen and an over-the-counter allergy medication. Certainly nothing that suggested drug abuse, or any physical or mental health issues. It was possible he kept medication in his bedside table drawer, but from what she saw here, Quinn appeared to be a healthy man. It all fit with the results of his background check—by all reports, Quinn was a law-abiding guy who had never been in trouble with the authorities.

      She