After 20 minutes of pure panic, Mark called 911. The dispatcher had trouble understanding the situation: “You broke into your own house, and your wife ran away from you?”
Police arrived quickly. K-9 units picked up a scent. The dog led officers through the backyard, over the fence, and into the tree line.
Investigators found her bare footprints in the mud. She had been running for her life. Branches must have scratched her face, and roots must have bruised her feet, but she hadn’t stopped.
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The tracks led for nearly a mile through the woods. And then, suddenly, they stopped at the edge of an old highway.
The dog lost the scent. The asphalt was cold and empty.
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