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choked sob.
    “Mom, what’s wrong?” He stepped out, tentatively walking over to us.
    I went onto the porch. “I’m Monty Harris and this is Ken Greeley. We work for the National Park Service. Do you mind giving us just one more second and I promise she’ll be right in. Maybe turn off thegrill. You know how to do that? Officer Greeley”—I tipped my head to Ken—“he can help you.”
    He was tall and lanky and resembled Paul with full, round cheeks. A healthy line of sweat gathered at his hairline and his cheeks were flushed, probably from playing badminton. I figured he was around twelve or thirteen—in middle school. He looked at me funny, then nodded and backed into the house. Ken glanced at me and I nodded for him go around back and make sure all was okay with the grill. The last thing we needed was a fire.
    After Ken left, I turned back to her. “I’m very sorry.”
    “How, how in the world could this have happened?” There was an anger mixed with impotence in her voice, and I felt the same mix of emotions reverberate through me. I wanted to answer her question, but I couldn’t.
    “We don’t know yet. But I promise we’re doing all we can to figure it out.” Max now sat in front of Cathy and let out a whine.
    “Where is he?”
    “He’s with Dr. Pettiman in Kalispell. The doctor is waiting for you if you want to speak to him, and like I said, a chaplain.”
    Cathy stared up at me, searching my face, as if waiting for me to come clean about the horrifying and cruel joke I was playing. She started to get up, but I put my hand out. “No, just stay.” I sat down near her on the lower step, and I caught a faint whiff of coconut, perhaps her soap or lotion. The smell triggered more summer—things happy and fun. The contrast to the current reality hit me with a poignant and bitter sting.
    “Cathy, when was the last time you saw him?”
    “I, I saw him yesterday. In the evening. He was heading to Glacier as always to do more research. To, to pick up some wildlife footage. Said the wolverine transmitters were picking up signals near Granite Park Chalet, the Highline, and the Loop.”
    “Footage?”
    “Yeah, I guess one of the motion cameras is posted near the Loopand he wanted to check it. Said he was going to pick the memory card up, then head over the pass and camp near Many Glacier and hike into Lake Josephine to pick up the card from one of the other cameras there too. He’s staying a few nights. He’s coming home on Sunday.” She looked at me with hope, as if saying the words that he’s coming home would make it all go away.
    “Was he with someone?”
    “No.” She shook her head. “Not that I know of. But, but we could call the rest of the team. Kurtis Bowman or Sam would know. They both work closely with Paul.”
    “Sam Ward?”
    “Yes, or even Pritchard. Tom Pritchard.”
    “The vet?” I asked. Not only did I know Pritchard from the Bear Bait Case, but I knew he sometimes helped the biologists by trekking into the backcountry and implanting the transmitters with steady veterinary hands accustomed to operating on animals.
    I pulled out my pad from my pocket. “What time did Paul leave yesterday?”
    “Around six or so, after working in his office all day.” She motioned to the house. He wanted to wait until the pass got less busy and with the late sun, he’d have plenty of time to stop at the Loop, head over, and still have enough light to pitch his tent on the east side.”
    “Do you mind if I take a look at his office?”
    Cathy looked at me strangely, her eyes distant. Ken came back around the house with another boy, shorter than Jeff, with darker hair. “The kids,” he announced, and I understood that we couldn’t keep them waiting any longer. I stood up. “Abbey came down from upstairs,” he said. “I’ve asked both to wait out back. Figured we could give Parker here a ride home.”
    Jeff’s buddy, Parker, looked completely confused and a little freaked out with a