“Which leaves the kidnapper at risk. Plus, he would have to arrange for a new hiding place for Bonnie. It would be far easier to keep her where she is and gain control of the property. Owen has been desperate to get his hands on this land from day one.”
Reed inhaled sharply. His gaze dropped to the map before rising to meet hers. “Margaret said Owen was angry with Bonnie for refusing to go out with him.”
Emma nodded. “Owen’s interactions with me prove he holds on to grudges. Bonnie and Owen went to high school together. Who knows how long he’s been interested in her.”
“And interest can turn to obsession.”
She snapped her fingers. “Like that.”
Emma could’ve kicked herself for not putting two and two together faster. The conversation with Margaret was the missing link they needed.
Cooper’s gaze jumped back and forth between her and Reed. “That’s a lot of conjecture.”
“But it makes sense,” Emma continued. “Sadie is an air-scenting dog as opposed to a tracking dog. A tracking dog takes a specific person’s scent and follows it to locate only that person. Sadie, however, will find any person lost in a given area. So, let’s say I’m running a training exercise and I sent someone into my woods to be the lost person—” she put air quotes around lost person “—Sadie is sent into the woods to find the person. She doesn’t know which specific person I’m looking for. She just knows to find someone.”
“She could stumble across Bonnie by accident,” Reed finished.
“Exactly. That’s why I told you to stop the search and not let anyone in the woods on my property. I need to split the acres into sizable chunks and have Sadie search them. My hope is she’ll find Bonnie.”
“Absolutely not.” Reed sliced a hand through the air. “It’s too dangerous. Mike is still on the loose. We’ll get another team to do the search.”
She opened her mouth to object, but Cooper cut her off. “There is no other team available. We’ve got several missing hikers two counties over. They’re aiding in that search.”
“So ask one team to come here.”
“Based on what, Reed?” Cooper asked. “A theory? Right now, we have no physical evidence indicating Bonnie is anywhere near here. Those missing hikers are a certainty and their lives are on the line.”
“He’s right,” Emma said. She crossed her arms over her chest and reminded herself to stay calm. She couldn’t be angry with Reed for wanting to protect her. The last few days had been harrowing. At the same time, if she was right, time was of the essence. There was no way to know what kind of rations Bonnie had. She wouldn’t survive long without food or water. “Sadie and I are available, and we can do it.”
“What if we do a thorough foot search?” Reed asked. “We’ve got enough law enforcement.”
“There’s nothing better for these kinds of searches than a canine. Sadie can cover a larger area faster and her nose won’t miss Bonnie, even if she’s hidden underground.”
“There are things we can do to lessen the risk.” Austin pointed at the map. “We can set up patrols along the main road and assign deputies and troopers to keep an eye on the back roads, too. If there’s a clear law enforcement presence, it should dissuade Mike from attempting anything.”
“Should is the operative word in that sentence,” Reed argued. “There’s no guarantee.”
“I’m willing to accept the risk.” Emma jutted up her chin. “This is my job, and I’m going to do it.”
Reed sighed and his shoulders dropped. “Fine. You win.” He met her gaze. “But I’m going with you and Sadie. You have your job, and I have mine. I have every intention of keeping you safe during the search.”
TWELVE
By noon, the coolness of the morning had morphed into a warm spring day. Reed rested on a rock under the shade of an oak tree. The radio on his hip crackled and various voices and codes filtered out. Shifts were changing among the deputies and troopers assigned around the property.
Sadie had cleared almost half of the wooded acreage. There was no sign of Bonnie.
Emma threw a ball, and Sadie streaked after it. Reed’s gaze scanned the field, lake and tree line. Nothing moved. He was probably being overly cautious. After all, Sadie was likely to be the first one to let them know if a stranger was nearby. He reached inside his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water.
“Let’s take a break for lunch.” Emma dropped down next to him. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, and the color brought out the gold flecks in her eyes. “Sadie needs a rest.”
The dog joined them. She collapsed in the grass, panting, her fur shining in the sunlight.
“It looks like she’s smiling,” Reed remarked.
Emma laughed, pulling a small cooler out of her backpack. “She is. Sadie loves to work. The playtime afterward doesn’t hurt.”
Reed’s cell phone beeped, and he checked the message. “I got an email from your uncle’s attorney, Emma. Owen wouldn’t have received any money under Jeb’s will unless he’d been sober for a year. But there’s another trust.”
Her forehead wrinkled as she waved a hand to shoo away a fly. “From Aunt Rachel?”
“Yep. Apparently, she inherited some money from her parents and set it aside for Owen. He gained access to it when he turned thirty-five. His birthday was four days before Charlie was hired.”
“Well, I guess that explains where he got the money.” She took a long drink of water, her gaze drifting over the field. In the distance, the lake sparkled in the sunlight. “You know Owen taught me to fish right over there.”
“I remember. I’m sorry, Emma.”
She let out a breath and tilted her head. “I’m not the only one with a connection to this place. Bonnie loved to fish here, too.”
“Yes, she did. Bonnie convinced Judge Norton to let us cut through his property from ours to get here.”
The large clearing and the
