15. Claire
CHAPTER 15
Claire
S traddling the ATV, I watched the forest where Ozzie disappeared close to thirty minutes ago. I knew it would take some time for him to reach the cabin, search, and then walk back—even more if he found someone or something—but my anxiety ratcheted up with every passing minute.
Had he found Warren? Alive? Was he in a stand-off right now with the man? Or the person who killed Marie and possibly Warren?
Had he run across a moose?
With a huff, I looked away, scanning the rest of the woods. Ozzie might have been joking about keeping the grizzlies off his back, but having one stumble across us was a possibility. Most of them were still hibernating, but there were always some that didn’t follow the rules. Honestly, though, I was more concerned about moose. They could be just as nasty as the bears. Especially if it was a mama with a baby.
Movement in the distance caught my eye. I stilled, hoping if it were a moose or a hungry, fresh-from-hibernation grizzly, that it would walk on by without paying me any heed.
But it only took a moment for me to recognize Ozzie. The deep, rusty red hat on his head stood out against the pale bark of the bald pines.
The air left my lungs on a relieved breath. He was safe.
But he was also alone.
“Nothing?” I asked as he approached.
He shook his head, removing his rifle as he reached his ATV. “Not a damn thing. The place was winterized and doesn’t look like it’s been touched in months.”
I wrinkled my nose. That’s not what I’d wanted to hear. “So now what? Do you have any other leads on Warren?”
“Nothing concrete. An assumption he left the area.” Unzipping the scabbard secured to the ATV, he stowed the rifle.
I could see the frustration that clawed at him. It was in the stiff line of his shoulders and the set to his jaw.
He pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you know of any other properties they owned?”
“Not that they disclosed. The credit check I ran only showed the mortgage on their house.”
“There’s no mortgage on the cabin?” He hooked a thumb toward the trees.
“No. Warren said he paid cash for the land.”
Ozzie hummed, staring off into the distance. “Did either of them mention a place they liked to go? For, like, vacation, or to visit family or friends?”
I pulled the corner of my lip between my teeth, thinking. “Not really, no. Marie mentioned once that Warren had a brother, when I asked about why they were moving to Massachusetts. I asked if it was to be closer to family. She said hers was out that way, in Virginia, but that Warren’s only family, his brother, lived out of the country.”
“Really? What country?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because maybe that’s where Warren went.” He turned, swinging a leg over his ATV. Settling onto the machine, he picked up his helmet. “Come on. Let’s get back so I can do some digging into Warren Hammond’s family.”
Not about to argue—I wanted answers too—I donned my helmet and hopped onto my four-wheeler.
This time, he led the way.
So, I let my mind wander.
I thought about the Hammonds and poor Marie. Why would someone want to kill her? She was a schoolteacher. Did her husband do it? Did she cheat on him? Or he on her? In any case, that didn’t warrant murder. Few things did.
But if he didn’t do it, who else would want her dead? Was it a break-in gone wrong? Did the burglar expect the house to be empty, and she surprised them?
Except nothing was missing. Not that I could tell, anyway. Ozzie wasn’t being very forthcoming with the details.
Not that I could blame him. I wasn’t a detective. Just someone with a vested interest, since I knew the victim and found her body.
A quick shudder went through me. Last night was the first night I hadn’t had a nightmare about finding her. I wasn’t sure tonight would be the same. Not with our excursion drudging up all the memories.
I rolled my shoulders, trying to shrug off my maudlin thoughts. I just needed to replace those memories with something pleasant.
My gaze traveled over Ozzie’s broad back as he rode in front of me.
Maybe if I held on to the image of his sunny smile when I fell asleep it would banish the bad dreams.
The man had a potent smile. It made my insides mushy. Which perplexed me a little. His brother had the same smile, but I didn’t get the same feeling with Ellis.
Movement registered in my peripheral vision. I looked over in time to see the long, expansive brown face of a moose coming directly at me.
A quick shriek flew from my lips, and I yanked on the ATV’s handlebars, hoping to avoid a collision with the animal.
But I turned too hard, and the machine tipped.
As I toppled over, hooves pounded the earth inches from my face.