Settling the dogs in the back of the Jeep was a bit of a struggle for Sophie. Tank was confused, trying to jump out of the open area, and Ginger, taking this as a sign to play, tangled their leashes on the back seat. Finally Sophie got the dogs situated, Jake pulled the vehicle out of the lot, and they got on the road.

Sophie checked her phone. “Freitan texted me that she’s deep into it with the family murder case and can’t respond to pick up Webb and Rayme. She is sending a couple of uniforms out to Travelers’ Rest to arrest them.”

“That will have to be good enough. Hope Bonnie and Clyde haven’t skedaddled by the time the officers arrive.”

“Bonnie and Clyde?”

“Famous male and female outlaw team of the early twentieth century.”

Sophie sneaked a glance at Jake. A slight smile curved his mouth, and he flexed his hands on the wheel. He radiated a sense of satisfaction. Clearly the contretemps at the camp had energized him. One of his knuckles was bruised from knocking Webb around, and Sophie’s hand felt a little sore, too.

“Speaking of Bonnie and Clyde.” She cleared her throat. “We make a good team, too.”

“Agreed.” Jake reached over and lifted her hand to his lips, giving her scraped knuckles a quick kiss, surprising her. “Bonnie and Clyde were more than partners—they were lovers.”

Sophie pulled her hand away. “You are probably right that we should not fraternize.”

“Fraternize? I love your nineteen fifties vocab. For the record, I’m all about effective partnerships--in and out of the bedroom.”

“How are we talking about this again?” Sophie threw her hands up. “Let’s focus on the case. I want to see Julie’s bracelet.”

Jake dug the delicate chain with its butterfly charm out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Do you think we should call the parents with this progress report?”

Sophie examined it. “Not yet. But we should update Bix on our headway.” Sophie took out her phone and tried to get a signal. “Can’t pick up anything out here.” She looked around at the surrounding jungle, dripping after a recent deluge. “It’s strange how intermittent the signal is. We were able to reach Hilo PD at the encampment.”

They drove on in silence, re-connecting with the main highway and heading toward the area where the couple had robbed and abandoned Julie Weathersby, midway between Hilo and Volcanoes National Park.

Outside the Park, they pulled over and grabbed a quick bite to eat at a convenience store/coffee shop.

After lunch, Jake pointed to a row of rental cabins set off the road in a forest of enormous tree ferns. “This is a central area to our investigation zone. I think I’ll reserve one of these for tonight.” He headed off toward the office, pulling out his wallet.

Sophie fed the dogs from a bag of dry kibble and gave them water while Jake was gone. She glanced over at the cabins. They looked awfully romantic.

Sophie flashed to spending an unforgettable weekend with Connor in an oceanfront cottage on Maui. They had seldom left the bedroom, but the ambience of the Hana Hotel’s gracious grounds and beautiful infinity pool had lent even more romance to their paradise getaway.

No. Sophie shook her head, banishing the nostalgia. She was done with Connor. Done with thinking about hours in bed with a handsome man she’d thought she loved.

Jake took that moment to return. Sophie glared at him.

“What?” He lifted his hands in a surrender gesture. “What did I do?”

“There better be two bedrooms in that cabin.”

“Of course. I was the one to turn you down, remember?”

Unfortunately, she did remember.

They got on the road again, and ten minutes outside of the park area, turned onto a side road heading deep into the jungle, where Webb and Rayme had said they’d abandoned Julie after robbing her.

Overarching albizia trees, thick with dangling vines, almost blotted out the sun, which had vanished as clouds rolled in. A sudden wind whipped over the trees, and a torrent of rain broke over the Jeep. Jake pulled the vehicle over and the two of them scrambled to get the detachable cover up. Finally, the vehicle was sealed. With rain beating down on the soft top, the interior smelled terribly of wet dog as Ginger and Tank wound themselves into a doggy pretzel on the back seat, their mournful eyes complaining of the damp.

“I hope it’s not far,” Sophie said. “I could really use a hot shower.” Rain had soaked her to the skin, and she shivered in spite of the humid warmth. Jake cranked up the Jeep’s inadequate heater. Sophie gestured to the dogs, on the back seat in a comfortable pile, their heads close together. “So sweet. I’m so glad you thought to rescue Tank.”

“Poor Tank doesn’t seem like he’s had a break in a while.” Jake rubbed his nose. “But he sure does stink.”

Sophie leaned forward to peer into the gloom as the windshield wipers, going full speed, barely seemed to keep up with the water streaming down.

“I see why this area is called a rain forest.” Sophie spotted the mile marker where Webb and Rayme claimed they had let Julie Weathersby out. “There! They said she ran away into the jungle as soon as they opened the door of the car.”

Jake navigated over to the side of the road. They sat, waiting for the rain to lighten up, and eventually it did. Ginger whined to be let out, and they walked back and forth near the mile marker sign as Sophie searched for any hint of Julie’s presence. With the recent rainfall and the intervening hours, there was nothing to see.

Ginger squatted, doing her business on a rock near the signpost, and then gave a sudden bark. She yanked the leash right out of Sophie’s hand and charged into the deep brush, jumping over a roadside ditch. Sophie rolled her eyes. Here we go again. “Ginger! Come back!”

Sophie jumped the overgrown ditch and ran after her dog, feeling a familiar discomfort in her belly as she remembered that the last time Ginger had acted like this, they had found a massacred family.

Sophie tripped over something and drew to a halt because Ginger had stopped and was waving her tail.

The pack lying on the ground was a serious hiker’s model with a carbon-fiber frame, and the compartment done in camouflage greens. Ginger nosed around the pack, sniffing thoroughly. This was Julie’s pack! Sophie recognized it from the photo they’d been showing around. Making a visual survey of the area, she spotted Julie’s boots tossed aside, and a scatter of discarded clothing.

This could be a crime scene.

Sophie stood very still. “Come, Ginger.”

The dog finally came. She caught the Lab’s leash and held it close.

The story told by this scene did not match the couple’s description of abandoning the girl after just taking her cash and jewelry. Wherever Julie was now, she was naked and unshod—and that was not a good sign.

Sophie tightened her grip on the leash, afraid to let go—would the next thing Ginger found be Julie’s body?