Darn that ol' Maisie, she'd probably have had to be in the truck for nine long days were this the case, as, per my scenario - developed, mind, when I was half-mad with cabin fever and, in effect, snowblind - the second trip to the mountain would have taken place per the already established (well, sort of established) parameters, i.e., Jamisons get up, get going, gas up, get seen, leave truck and disappear forever.
Hey wfgodot, I liked the scenario otherwise!
But yeah, it keeps coming back to that darn dog and the timeline.
Are you still feeling cabin-feverish? If so, contemplate that same scenario only with the $32,000..... I mean- who says ANY specific articles found in the truck were there for 9 days....?