The Canyon Creek Murders

*Chapter 19 *

Sam looked up from his computer screen just as the Sherrif was beckoning him over with his free hand. "Ok sir, I'm going to hand you over to Detective Johnson now that he is handling that case. I'm sure he will be able to help you out," he could be heard saying just before he handed Sam the telephone he had been previously talking on. The call had been from a couple of holidaymakers who had been fishing in the river that ran through certain parts of the canyon.

The story was that that the couple's dog, who had accompanied them, had run off. After several moments of frantic calling and searching, the dog had re-emerged with what they had thought to be a bone in its mouth. Upon closer inspection, it was noted that the bone appeared to have flesh still attached to it. Not only that, but it also seemed as though it could well be human. Unsure of whether they should collect the offending 'bone' and bring it with them to hand it in or if they should leave it alone, they then got told to contact the authorities for advice on what to do next.

"Ok brilliant," Sam said to them. "Did you say you were fishing? That's perfect. If it's at all possible, would you mind staying where you are for a moment, and my partner, and I will be with you as soon as we can?" This particular comment caused Hank's ears to prick up. "Excellent that's great. Thank you, sir, we will see you shortly," Sam added before hanging the call-up.

"What's up?" Hank asked.

"Looks like we're going hiking," Sam aimed in Hank's direction who had now switched his attention towards his partner. Although the callers had claimed to have traveled for several hours for their vacation, they were also regular visitors to the area. So thankfully they were able to describe their location in great detail even naming the stretch of the river in which they were currently sitting. Sam relayed this information to the Sheriff who knew exactly where they were having had to deal with some overzealous party goers not far from there during a spring break a few years back.

He took out a map and circled the point. "This is where you need to get to," he told him. "Now there is a campsite near there. Probably where they are staying actually. Or around here," he added, making a second mark on the map. "You should be able to drive and park up here which would then leave you with about a forty-five-minute walk to the location."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Sam said with a smile before turning towards Hank who had already returned the file he was perusing and was now beginning to gather his walking gear together. "Better grab a fingerprint kit," Sam added, thinking out loud as he picked one up and threw it into the backpack. After a quick change, they both had a look and a brief discussion about the map and which direction they were heading off in and made their way outside.

As the car drew nearer to the canyon, they both found themselves gazing at the scenery. While everything was new for Hank, this particular road was a new one for Sam also, as they seemingly headed in the opposite direction to which he and Barry had previously explored.

This had sent alarms going off in Sam's mind as he considered three possibilities. The first of which he ruled out fairly quickly. Were they going the wrong way? Had they misread the map? Surely not. Both he and Hank were used to reading maps so, although mistakes of course could happen, it was highly unlikely that they had both made the same mistake. Besides the local Sherrif was stood with them while they were verbally discussing which direction to take. Surely, he would have corrected them if they had gotten it wrong? No, this had to be the right way.

Of the other two possibilities, he wasn't sure which one he preferred or even feared the most. The second one he ruled out almost as quickly as the first. That was the age-old fear of the time-wasting phone call. Sam had spoken to the caller himself and had detected notes of fear and panic in his voice. Unless he was a very skilled actor, Sam was convinced the call was a genuine one.

Which meant they were about to discover new evidence in a new part of the canyon previously unsearched. Leading to questions like, just how many more parts were still out there? And how far apart were they spread? A daunting proposition which almost made a wild goose chase sound appealing. This also reinforced the importance of getting the drone replaced. Hank was right to react in the way he did. And as much as he enjoyed working with Barry, he was mightily relieved to have his regular partner back.

They confirmed their directions were correct and that let Sam to think about the truth of which of the remaining two thoughts was about to reveal itself. As they drove a little further, Sam caught a glimpse of the campsite they were looking for up ahead. They entered the grounds and parked. Hank jumped out and went over to the reception to inform them whose car this was and why it was being left on the premises while Sam found somewhere suitable to park up.

"That's a good start," Hank claimed on his return, pointing to what looked like a set of road signs, most of which pointed to the facilities the campsite had to offer. The one in particular he was referring to though was pointing in the direction they were about to set off in and read 'Riverside Walk'.

"Yes, I like that," Sam grinned. "That is a good sign," he joked, earning himself a disdainful groan from his partner. Although they were both clearly relieved and happy to know that they were exactly where they were supposed to be. The walk along the river was quite an easy and relaxing one. The Sheriff's estimate of forty-five minutes had been quite accurate, although it had actually felt like a lot less than that. "Mr. Ravencourt?" Sam called out as he approached a gentleman sitting in a deck chair with a fishing rod mounted beside him. The man turned to face him with a surprised look on his face. "We spoke on the phone earlier?" Sam continued. "I am Detective Johnson, and this is my partner, Detective Harvey."

The rather startled-looking man almost jumped out of his chair to get to his feet.