Chapter 7: The Orders That Never Made the Report
Raymond Pierce didn't stop smiling until Agent Rebecca Lawson read him his rights.
Even then, he seemed more irritated than frightened.
His hands were cuffed behind his back. Two state troopers stood beside him while Travis paced near the clinic entrance, struggling to control his breathing.
"Ask him again," Travis demanded.
"What did he mean about the search dogs?""
Rebecca held up one hand.
"Mr. Cole, I need you to calm down.""
"My sister was sixteen. She was freezing in those woods. And this man knows something about what happened.""
"I understand.""
"No, you don't.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"Then help me understand by letting me do my job.""
Travis stopped.
Raymond leaned against the patrol vehicle.
"She's right, son. Getting angry won't change anything.""
Travis moved toward him.
"You stay away from my family.""
Raymond chuckled.
"Your family should have stayed away from that road.""
One of the troopers tightened his grip on Raymond's arm.
"Watch your mouth.""
Rebecca stepped closer.
"Mr. Pierce, you just made a statement about destroyed evidence. I want you to explain it.""
Raymond shrugged.
"I was talking about county records.""
"Which records?""
"The original search logs.""
"Who burned them?""
He looked toward the highway.
"Maybe you should ask Wade.""
Rebecca exchanged a glance with the trooper.
"You're coming with us.""
Raymond was placed inside the state vehicle.
Before the door closed, he looked through the window at Travis.
"There's something you don't know about that dog.""
Travis stepped closer.
"What?""
Raymond's smile returned.
"Your sheriff was more afraid of Rex finding something than he was of your sister dying.""
The door slammed.
The vehicle pulled away.
Travis stood motionless.
Then his phone rang.
Darnell.
"Travis, you need to come back inside.""
"What happened?""
"Rex is acting strange.""
"Is he hurt?""
"Not like that. He's restless. He's been trying to get off the table.""
Travis turned toward the clinic.
"Keep him still. I'm coming.""
Inside, Dr. Harris was attempting to calm Rex.
The old German Shepherd had lifted his head and was pulling gently against the blanket.
Darnell knelt beside him.
"Easy, boy. You need to rest.""
Rex ignored him.
His nose was pointed toward the open examination room door.
When Travis entered, the dog made a low sound.
"What's going on?""
Dr. Harris checked the monitor.
"His vital signs are stable. But he became agitated when the man was brought outside.""
Emily stood beside her mother.
"He recognized him.""
Travis looked at the dog.
"You think Rex remembers Raymond?""
Darnell nodded slowly.
"Working dogs remember people. Especially people connected to frightening experiences.""
Travis approached.
"Rex, buddy.""
The dog looked at him.
Then turned toward the door again.
Darnell gently held his collar.
"He wants to go somewhere.""
"He's not going anywhere," Dr. Harris said firmly.
"Not until I clear him.""
Travis crouched.
"Maybe we can find out what he's trying to tell us.""
Darnell studied his old companion.
"Three years ago, after we found Emily, Rex kept pulling toward the timber road. I thought he was tracking something.""
"Why didn't you go back?""
"Because the sheriff ordered everyone out of that area.""
Travis looked up.
"Who gave that order?""
"Mercer.""
The room went quiet.
Darnell rubbed Rex's neck.
"Now I wonder what he was trying to keep us from finding.""
An hour later, Rebecca Lawson returned with a state investigator named Michael Grant.
She had arranged for the clinic to preserve Rex's medical records and was carrying a copy of Raymond's preliminary statement.
"Raymond is being questioned," she said.
"He's not cooperating fully, but he confirmed something important.""
Travis stood.
"What?""
"He admitted that he worked for Franklin Pierce's timber company during the winter your sister disappeared.""
"Doing what?""
"Equipment maintenance and security.""
Rebecca opened her folder.
"He also confirmed that Franklin maintained a private camera system along the eastern timber road.""
Travis frowned.
"I thought those cameras belonged to the county.""
"Some did. Others belonged to the timber company.""
"Could they have recorded Emily?""
"Possibly.""
Darnell stood beside the examination table.
"Wouldn't those recordings have been part of the original investigation?""
"They should have been.""
Rebecca showed him a document.
"According to the county's evidence inventory, all private recordings from that night were unavailable because of a system failure.""
Evelyn's earlier discovery suddenly became more important.
"The camera system at my diner was serviced that night," she said.
Rebecca nodded.
"We found that invoice. It identifies Franklin Pierce's company as the contractor.""
Travis stared at the paper.
"Someone disabled the cameras.""
"That's one possibility.""
"Who?""
Rebecca closed the folder.
"That's what we're investigating.""
Emily had been quiet for several minutes.
Now she spoke.
"There's something else.""
Everyone turned.
She looked at her brother.
"When I was in the hospital, I heard two men arguing outside my room.""
Travis approached.
"What men?""
"I don't know. But one of them said the dog had found the wrong place.""
Darnell's expression changed.
Emily continued.
"The other man told him to stop talking because the sheriff was coming.""
Rebecca took out her notebook.
"Did you recognize either voice?""
Emily shook her head.
"No. But I remember something else.""
"What?""
"The man said they needed to move the truck before daylight.""
Travis felt his stomach tighten.
"Which truck?""
"The blue one.""
Rebecca exchanged a glance with Michael Grant.
"Emily, are you certain?""
"Yes.""
"Did you see the truck again?""
Emily nodded slowly.
"Not until the next morning.""
"Where?""
She looked at Travis.
"Behind the hospital.""
Travis stared.
"Why didn't you tell us?""
"I didn't understand what I was seeing. I thought it belonged to someone visiting a patient.""
Rebecca leaned forward.
"What happened to it?""
Emily swallowed.
"It was gone when I woke up.""
Michael Grant wrote something down.
Rebecca closed her notebook.
"That's enough for now. We'll arrange a formal interview when you're comfortable.""
Emily nodded.
Then her eyes moved toward Rex.
"Can I ask something?""
"Of course," Rebecca replied.
"Could somebody have been trying to hurt Rex because he remembered the truck?""
Nobody answered immediately.
Finally, Darnell spoke.
"Rex doesn't remember things the way people do. But he remembers people, places, and smells.""
Rebecca looked toward the examination table.
"Then we need to find out what he was exposed to that night.""
She turned to Michael.
"Contact the rescue organization. I want their original deployment records, handler notes, and training assessments.""
Michael nodded.
Rebecca looked at Travis.
"And Mr. Cole?""
"Yes?""
"Your sister's disappearance may not have been an accident.""
Travis stared at her.
"Then what was it?""
Rebecca's expression was grim.
"That's the question we're finally going to answer.""
Before anyone could respond, her phone rang.
She listened for several seconds.
Then her face changed.
"You're certain?""
A pause.
"Send me the image immediately.""
She ended the call.
Travis stepped closer.
"What happened?""
Rebecca turned her phone toward him.
It showed an old photograph of a dark blue pickup truck.
The rear window carried a faded blue eagle sticker.
Travis recognized it instantly.
It was Wade Mercer's truck.
But the photograph had something else.
The timestamp.
It was taken at 2:27 a.m. on the night Emily disappeared.
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And in the passenger seat was a person nobody had expected to see.
Franklin Pierce.
