Chapter 62
SIXTY-TWO
McGaven drove out to the property owned by Martin Sills.
It was a good forty-five-minute drive on the outskirts of Pine Valley and the entire time he went through everything in his mind that had been posted on the murder board back at the office.
He knew Katie’s plan was a good one, but he wasn’t comfortable with what they had to do to trap the killer—using Katie as bait.
His GPS wasn’t working to find the property, but it got him in the vicinity.
Several other properties surrounded the one of interest. As McGaven drove closer, he saw an entrance with a metal fence along with some country-type fencing.
He decided to park next to the main gate.
There were several spots where he could easily get into the property area.
From the deed, it showed there were thirty acres, and there was water and gas available on the property.
McGaven was dressed in police tactical clothing instead of his suit.
He wanted to be comfortable and ready for anything.
This was supposed to be a quick reconnaissance so they could regroup and figure out what to do next.
There were leases recorded on the land that hunters could use the property only during certain times of year, so he was relieved he didn’t have to worry about a hunter’s stray bullet hitting him.
McGaven got out of the vehicle. The weeds and overgrowth were at a minimum, which surprised him. It appeared the main area inside the gate had been mowed by a tractor within the past couple of months. Someone was maintaining it. But who?
McGaven double-checked his weapon and magazines to make sure he was prepared. His thoughts went to Katie wondering how she and Chris were doing. If the killer was going to be anywhere, he would be following and watching her.
The detective slipped through a gap on the left side of the large gate. At one time, the gate must’ve been striking, with a sign across the top to indicate the name of the ranch, but now its empty hinges swayed in the wind, long forgotten.
He stood with his back to the gate and scanned the property.
There was only a breeze and a few birds.
The sky was overcast and the air felt muggy, as if it might rain.
Nothing stood out to him to be seemingly out of place or criminal.
He wasn’t sure what he would or wouldn’t find, but they checked out every lead.
It was certainly peaceful and isolated; a perfect place to hide or dump a body.
McGaven decided to examine the area in a loose grid pattern, as if it were a crime scene.
He moved with a steady hike as his combat boots crushed the weeds.
The wind picked up momentum, and it seemed as if he could hear whispers in the air.
The thought sent chills down his back, tickling the nape of his neck.
He didn’t like the atmosphere at the property, but he went ahead and began his search anyway. He hoped Katie and Chris were having better luck; otherwise, they were going to have no other choice but to use Katie’s bait plan.
And McGaven wasn’t going to let that happen.