Last Track, The Read Online Free PDF

rockets fired and a husky female voice said: “Ladies and gentlemen, the owner of the Pine Woods Ranch, Mr. Erich Reynard.”
    Erich raced up the carpet from the back of the room, waving at the guests with one hand.
    The music hit one final apex.
    Mike rolled his eyes at the grand production of it all. He gave Erich credit. The man knew how to put on a show. Despite his caffeine rush, several times Mike fought back a yawn. If he broke down, Andy would follow, then his ex-wife. And Jessica had an infectious style about her, a peculiar ability that drew others into her physical state. If she yawned, a tidal wave would roll through the room.
    Erich Reynard took the podium. He spoke with authority. Within seconds, the crowd jerked awake.
    “Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!” he said, each welcome more exuberant than the last. “I’m Erich, the owner of the Pine Woods Ranch. Everyone is going to have a great time this week. Why? Because the staff is here for you—and that is WHAT WE DO!” He shook his fist for punctuation. This was a man who could fill a cavern with a solitary gesture, Mike bet.
    Jessica straightened up, and pushed her shoulders back. Mike grinned as Andy rolled his eyes, modeling his father. Jessica glared at Mike as if he had interrupted a religious ceremony.
    Erich continued. “Now before I introduce the best staff in the world . . .” He paused. The attendant who had helped Mike at check-in was there holding a sheet of light blue paper folded in quarters.
    She walked to the edge of the stage and whispered something to Erich, who nodded. From there she walked to the front row, where Jessica and Mike sat, Andy between them. She handed Mike a folded note:
    Mike,
    Nice work last night. I have a more interesting proposal.
    Det. Lisbeth McCarthy
    Mike pocketed the message before Jessica could read it.
    Erich paused at the podium. The two men’s eyes met for a moment. Mike gave Erich the all-clear sign. Erich smiled and continued the presentation. As soon as the orientation wrapped and everyone went to the dining hall for breakfast, Mike broke away from the crowd and called Lisbeth.
    “All right,” Mike said. “What’s this about?”
    “Bottom line, I don’t know how you did what you did last night. You not only figured out where the body was in the clearing, but you had the arrangement right. And the hair color. I triple-checked against the pictures. Never seen anything like it. And you were dead-on about the ammonia. Our blood samples are worthless.”
    “What is it you’re asking me? Do you want help finding the body?”
    “Forget the body for now,” Lisbeth said. “I’ve got a bigger problem. The boy is still missing.”
    “You know where to start,” Mike said. “That’s the most important thing.”
    Lisbeth disagreed. “This is a quiet town with a shortage of resources. Finding someone missing in this terrain takes people and equipment. I have neither.”
    “Did you call up the chain and get some help?”
    “Same old story,” Lisbeth said. “Oh, the missing kid is over eleven? Call us back in another day. But we don’t have a day. Sean’s mom thinks he carried enough meds for thirty-six to forty-eight hours. After that . . .” He imagined her raising her palms as she spoke, shrugging with her hands.
    “What about search volunteers? There’s a whole ranch full of people.”
    “Sure, forty people who don’t know the first thing about this terrain. Tourists. Last week there was a mountain lion a mile outside this very building. Plus I’ve got a murderer and some co-conspirators at large. Losing more people to exhaustion and inexperience and who knows what else is not an acceptable risk. Every spare officer is on this. The local search and rescue squad is en route, and they’re trying to round up a helicopter.” She paused. “Are you everything they say you are?”
    “Lisbeth, what are you asking me?” Mike asked.
    She relented. “I’d like it if you took another look at what