SCENT OF TRUTH by Valerie Hansen

Author:Valerie Hansen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises ULC
Published: 2023-01-31T16:42:31+00:00

THIRTEEN

Once Brooke was safely secured with Danica, Colt returned to the lobby and tried to set Sampson on the trail of the woman he’d seen fleeing the lodge. Instead of striking a trail right away, however, the K-9 seemed confused and kept trying to follow the scent trail he knew Brooke had left when he’d escorted her upstairs.

“Well, at least you defended her when she needed you,” Colt told the dog. “That’s something.”

Sampson’s tail was wagging but the droop of his long ears and the sagging skin around his eyes and jowls gave him a woeful expression. Colt felt the way his K-9 looked. He’d made a mistake by not chasing down the suspect when he had the chance and the real reason for making that error was personal. That made it worse. Much worse. He had failed at his assignment by putting Brooke ahead of catching a killer and that choice was inexcusable.

Pausing on a bench near the lodge, he called his boss. Confession was necessary whether he liked it or not. Part of him hoped he’d be understood and forgiven while another part wondered if the chief would decide to replace him on the Stevens case and whether it would be wise to argue against it.

Before he’d decided, Donovan answered. “Colt. No aftereffects from the accident?”

“None.”

“Sampson okay, too? The ranger?”

“They’re both fine. So am I, except for my pride.”

Donovan chuckled. “Goes with the job. Let yourself get too proud of your special classification and something or someone is bound to come along and knock you off your pedestal. What happened? Was it the accident?”

“No, no. There’s concrete proof we were attacked and shoved off the road by a heavier vehicle. Nobody could have withstood that unless they’d outrun the assailant, and fog prevented that.”

“Then what?”

“I had the chance to nab the person we think is the killer, and I let her get away.”

“Whoa. Explain.”

“She looked enough like Brooke to confuse me. I mistook her for Brooke until I saw the real one and chose to return to her, instead of continuing in pursuit of the fake.”

“Spur-of-the-moment decision, right?”

“Yes, but...”

“We all make them every day. Some are better than others. What influenced your choice?”

Colt cleared his throat, then plunged ahead. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. At the time I was sure, but in retrospect, it wasn’t rational. I could see that Brooke was okay but I turned away from the suspect and went to her instead.”

“You chose Stevens.”

“Yes. I should have kept after the other woman. Because I didn’t, she managed to disappear again and she’s out there, probably plotting her next attack.”

“At least we know she’s still in the area. Do you think she’ll go back into the park?”

“She will if Brooke Stevens does. In the meantime, I’m at a disadvantage because I’m on foot and Brooke is still in danger. I know she is.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that,” Donovan said. “Is she still willing to fly to Montana with you?”

“I’m sure she is,” Colt replied.

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