The Sisters McFadden

Chapter 19 - The Chase

Sheriff's Deputies on Quarter Horses had patrolled the horse trails all morning looking for any signs of the elusive horseman. After searching until the early morning hours, the fog forced the police helicopters to call off their search from above. When Rex pulled up to the spot of the attack on Main Road, Kurt was inspecting the skid marks left by Dalton's truck. Both detectives were surprised at how hard Dalton must have locked up his brakes. Rex parked and walked up to his partner. It felt like they were standing inside a cloud. Rex noticed Kurt's SUP board mounted to the roof of his Chevy Tahoe.

"Where did all this fog come from?" said Rex.

"No idea, thought it was supposed to be nothing but sun today," said Kurt. "I can't see shit out here."

"Saw your standup board. Let me guess, you plan to join me on the water after we finish up here."

"Ever heard of the buddy system? Lifeguarding 101. Not letting you go out to that kelp bed alone in this miserable crap."

"I don't expect to find much out there. Divers already covered the bottom yesterday."

"You never know," said Kurt. "We may just see something that gives us hope."

Rex decided not to push it. He was hesitant to tell Kurt about his encounter with the ghost of Jane Doe. He hoped she would reappear out there. Maybe she would be scared off if Kurt was with him. Crazy thoughts. In truth, he appreciated the company. It would be spooky out on the water in the fog layer. "I just met Warren McFadden."

"What was that like?"

"It was interesting to say the least. I can't figure him out. Obviously has a shit ton of money. Very sure of himself. Keeps things close to the vest."

"How so?"

"When I asked him why he moved his family back to PV he brushed it off. There is a story there he's not sharing. He also seemed interested in our Jane Doe's case but tried not to let on. I got the sense he was very interested."

"Do we have ourselves a person of interest?"

"I don't know. Anything is possible."

"What is the daughter like? Jimmy described her as something to look at."

"That she is. Chelsea is just like her father. Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. I also met her mother."

"What is Mrs. Warren McFadden like?"

"Warren is a fortunate man. I don't even know how one gets a woman like that."

"Money. Hell, now you have my interest. I need to meet these females."

Rex finished up looking at the skid marks on the road as well as the entrances to the horse trails on either side of the street. He started to think that this incident was just a jerk on a horse. Some drunk horse wrangler pissed off at rich people decided to take out his frustrations on a bunch of kids late at night.

"Let's take a drive down the trail this jackass fled on," said Rex.

"Deputies have been up and down these trails with dogs," said Kurt. "Found absolutely nada. They've been going stable by stable. Our cowboy would need to ditch the horse somewhere on the hill."

The trails were wide enough for trucks to drive on. Maintenance and emergency vehicles needed to be able to traverse the trails. Rex dropped his truck into Four-Wheel Drive and the two detectives drove slowly along the trail in the eerie fog. The trail hugged the edge of a slope that dropped down into a deep ravine. Once away from the road above, it became very quiet, too quiet. With the poor visibility, both men started to feel it was a waste of time. It was even hard to maintain any sense of direction. After driving less than a mile into the canyon, Rex decided to stop the truck.