Chapter 27

"This feels like déjà vu." Carrie slid into the back seat of Jo's SUV and patted her canvas tote bag. "I brought some snacks for our stakeout."

"Snacks?"

"Bottled water. Nuts. Cheese and crackers."

"You plan on being here for a while," Jo teased.

"I try to eat on a regular schedule," Carrie said. "It helps my metabolism."

Jo glanced at her friend in the rearview mirror. "How did it go last night with you and Charlie at the house?"

"It was quiet. Not a peep." Carrie told Nash and Jo that Charlie had conducted hourly patrols. "It could be because his truck was parked in the driveway."

"Or I spooked them the night before," Nash said.

"Maybe a combination of both. Getting spooked. Seeing Charlie's truck." Carrie snapped her seatbelt in place. "I went over the exercise tracker's report again. I'm pretty sure we were at the wrong spot yesterday."

"I hope so." Jo pulled onto the road. "Noon to one, right?"

"The tracker was used on the trail from noon to one every day." Carrie told them she had finally had a chance to look at the photo albums for her taxidermy business, the ones listing the date, the job along with a photo of the work and even her customers posing with their "forever pets."

"I figured I would try to refresh my memory in case we saw someone who looked familiar."

"It probably isn't a bad idea." Jo drove through town to the end of the block and turned left, reaching the Mini-Mart. She circled around back and found a small gravel parking area, similar to the one they'd parked in the previous day. "This must be the place."

"I see the path to the trail, over to the right," Nash said.

"Me too." Jo shifted into reverse and backed into an empty spot directly across from it. "We're here right on time…ten ‘til noon. Keep your eyes peeled."

Carrie opened her bag of goodies and held out two bottles of water. "I brought enough snacks and water for all of us."

"Thanks." Nash took the waters and handed one to Jo. "What's our plan? What if Carrie sees someone who looks familiar?"

"We could do a citizen's arrest," Carrie said.

"Under what circumstances? Entering a public trail system isn't against the law. This is strictly a reconnaissance mission," Jo said. "To see if we can get a lead on who it might be."

"And give Sheriff Franklin a heads up if we come up with a name?" Carrie asked.

"No. We're not supposed to know how to access the activity tracker's records," Jo reminded them. "I don't want Raylene getting into any trouble."

"True."

"I was thinking more along the lines of figuring out who it might be and then set up a sting," Jo said. "It shouldn't be hard."

Crunch. Crunch. Jo looked over her shoulder. Carrie had popped the top on a can of Pringles.

"All of this sleuthing and surveilling works up an appetite." She tipped the cannister. "Would you like a chip?"

"No thanks. I'm good." Jo checked the clock. "Twelve on the dot."

The trio grew quiet, watching a vintage VW bus cruise into the parking lot. A young couple emerged. Two Australian shepherds hopped out of the vehicle, expressions of pure joy on their puppy faces.

Jo's heart melted. "Awe. Isn't that sweet? Look how happy those two doggies are to be going on an adventure. Please tell me this couple doesn't look familiar."

"They don't look familiar," Carrie said.

The dogs trotted ahead while the young couple hustled to keep up. They disappeared from sight.

A car with one lone occupant appeared. The vehicle slowly circled the parking lot before choosing a spot away from the others. Changing their mind, they backed out of the spot and picked another one, this time backing in like Jo had done.

Carrie slid across the back seat and studied the vehicle. "I can't see the driver."

"It looks like a man with dark hair, a little on the heavy side," Nash said. "He's too beefy to be the person I saw running away the other night."

A black Mustang arrived. The driver, a woman with curly red hair, pulled in beside the man's car. She hopped out and climbed into his front passenger seat.

The couple locked lips, engaging in a PDA.

"It looks like a lunch hour rendezvous," Carrie joked. "A clandestine meeting of lovers."

"I doubt this is who we're looking for," Jo said. "Hopefully, they come up for air soon."

Carrie peeled the seal off a can of mixed nuts and tossed a handful in her mouth. "This is better than the movies. I had no idea a public parking lot could be this entertaining."

"Me either." A vehicle caught Jo's eye. It was a silver van, late model with tinted windows. The van's driver parked near the young couple's VW bus. The driver emerged.

It was a woman, on the petite side, wearing hot pink jogging pants, a t-shirt and running shoes. She tapped the top of her watch and studied the screen.

Jo's heart skipped a beat. "She's wearing one of those fitness watches."

"She sure is," Nash said.

Carrie reached into her bag, pulled out a pair of binoculars, and held them to her eyes. "Guys, I think I recognize her."