chapter 117
THE GAME WARDEN had been briefed on the history between Jake and Moon Pie when he radioed in what had happened in the swamp, so he had the trooper stay with Moon Pie until the ambulance arrived while he went in search of Jake.
Reinforcements were en route, but the warden needed to get started. It was easy for him to backtrack Moon Pie until he got to the crossroads. He studied the different directions the tracks went and chose to follow the freshest.
Moon Pie’s driving was all over the road and off in the ditch, causing the warden to wonder if Jake and Moon Pie had been struggling during the drive. When he reached the end of the tracks, he could see where Moon Pie had turned around. He shut off his truck and got out so he could listen for anything that might give him an idea of where Jake was. Not hearing anything, he clicked on his large flashlight to look for footprints.
He immediately saw a brown coat lying in the ditch and walked over and picked it up. The outside was covered in fresh mud, and there appeared to be smeared blood on the inside lining. I can’t see Moon Pie wearing something this nice, he thought. There were footprints all around, but they didn’t lead anywhere.
“Dammit!” he said aloud as rain began to fall. He started yelling Jake’s name several times.
“I’m the game warden, and I’m here to help you!” he then screamed. He stood still, listening and praying for a response.
The warden knew that if he could find footprints, they would lead him to Jake, but the few here didn’t leave the road. He doubted that in Moon Pie’s condition he would have been able to cover his tracks. He wished that he had paid attention to what type of shoes or boots Moon Pie was wearing.
As the trained observer stood in the rain, studying the tire tracks, the few footprints, and the muddy coat, and thinking of Moon Pie’s condition, it occurred to him what had happened, “He went the wrong way. He missed the turn because of a muddy windshield. Shit!”
The warden jumped into his truck, cranked the engine, and punched the gas.