Danni Rose (The Sherwood)

John was at the front desk. He turned when they came inside. “I guess it’s a monsoon out there from the looks of you two.”

“You have that right,” Hawk told John. The dispatcher behind the desk appeared to have been crying. Walker looked away. He might as well have killed these two women himself by the feel of his gut and the guilt in his heart.

“Come this way. I have pictures to show Walker. You might have passed the girl’s sister coming in. She identified her as Danielle Richards. Age sixteen. Honor Student at Severe High. She worked weekends at the town’s diner. We’re pretty sure that’s how she met Jesse.”

Walker only nodded.

The three men sat down. “I can get you some paper towels from the rest room to dry yourself as best you can.”

“Thank you,” Hawk replied. John left the room, leaving them alone for a moment. He turned to Walker. “What’s wrong, son?”

“This is eating me up inside, Hawk.” He had to stop to collect himself. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes. “She was sixteen. What the hell was Jesse thinking? The other one wasn’t much older.”

Hawk shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The sheriff returned and handed each of the men a glob of paper towels. They wiped their faces and their hands, so they could touch the pictures. Pick them up and not drip on them. Hawk took Walker’s towels from him and tossed them in a trash can near him.

John Johnson sat across the table from the two of them. In front of him was a plain manila folder. He shoved it across the table to Hawk who opened and scanned its contents. Walker glanced over Hawk’s arm. He looked too then he turned his head way. He gouged his fingers in his eyes to stop the flood of tears that wanted to flow from them. “That’s her,” he croaked. “He moved her behind him then told the other one, Laura, the blonde to go back into the room.”

He got up and went to the window. Walker crossed his arms over his powerful chest. For a moment, the action reminded him of Danni. When she did this she was holding herself together. He decided, until Jesse was caught, she had to move in with their mothers at least until his week was up and he was working at Hal’s so at night he could be with her. The cabin was too isolated for her to be there alone at night.

Walker turned away from the window. “How do we find Jesse?” He asked.

“I was hoping you had something that would help us,” John said to him.

He shook his head. “I don’t Sheriff. Since my brother set me up on the drug charges we haven’t exactly been the best of friends.”

John leaned back in his chair. He tilted back on the legs. “Jesse hasn’t contacted you since that morning at the hotel?”

“No, he hasn’t.” Walker had no clue where his brother might be. He had lost touch with him after he served his prison sentence. Walker moved into a chair. “If I had to guess about Jesse, since her body was found here he’s close by.”

“That was our assumption, but no one has seen him in town since Laura’s murder.”

Walker nodded. “He might be dumb about getting in scrapes with the wrong people but he’s smart about avoiding cops and prosecution. He would avoid town to avoid questions about Laura. The motel people would be able to identify him. He ate at the diner with her several times. Now with Danielle’s murder he’ll know he has to go under the radar.”

“How does he eat and where does he sleep?” John asked.

Walker knew Jesse from growing up with him. He’s a survivor just like him. He could live in his car or if he had a tent he could live in the woods. “Look for his car. He might be living out of it. He won’t risk someone recognizing him by going to a motel or hotel. Look for vagrants camping out, trespassing in the woods. He might have a tent or just a sleeping bag.”

“That’s valuable information. We’ve been looking at motels and hotels in the surrounding area.”

Walker shook his head no. “He wouldn’t do that. He won’t want anyone to recognize him.”

“Food and money?” Hawk asked Walker.

That Walker didn’t know about Jesse. If he was in the woods, he might be catching what he was eating. They both were taught survival skills by their father and grandfather. Strange thing to teach young boys but they took them hiking a lot. If they ever became lost, they wanted the boys to be able to survive.

Walker’s best guess about his brother was that he was hiding out in the woods between Severe and Sherwood and living off the land. That was his best chance for survival especially if someone was tracking him. Walker told John and Hawk this.

“Did Danielle’s sister know she was with Jesse?”

John shook his head no.

Walker rubbed his hand across his jaw. “Man, that had to come as a shock to her.”

“She was devastated,” John agreed. “She’s been raising Danielle and her younger sister since their parents died in a car crash.” John shook his head. “Sometimes no matter how good you think you have raised them they still get into trouble.”

“That’s tough,” Walker said. “She needs to understand that Jesse is good at manipulating people especially these young girls. They didn’t stand a chance against him.”