Chapter 3
The warmth of the coffee mug seeped into Raven’s fingers as she leaned back on the couch. It was comfortable. Kind of. For a couch in an assisted-living apartment.
“You’ve really made this space your own,” she said softly to her parents as she scanned the apartment. The small but cozy kitchen, with its pale wood cabinets and white refrigerator. The narrow hallway that led to the half-open bedroom door, with her parents’ neatly made bed.
Gene Price smiled from her rocker. “I wasn’t sure when we first moved in, but the residence has really grown on me.”
“Your mother just likes the competition of weekly bridge,” her dad added, with a half eye-roll.
Raven chuckled. “Is it really that competitive?”
“The way Palmer plays,” her mother huffed. “That woman cheats her ass off.”
Her dad visibly tried to hold in a laugh. “It doesn’t help that your mother calls her out on the cheating.”
“And so you should,” Raven said with a smile. She looked at her father. “Are you happy, Dad?”
“If your mother’s happy, then so am I.”
Her smile faltered. Her father didn’t love it here. He’d been a forest ranger his entire adult life, so to now admit needing help was hard for him.
They were only in their mid-sixties, and a few years ago they’d been completely healthy. Now, her mother was in the early stages of vascular dementia. She only had mild memory gaps at the moment and got confused under stress. But everyone was very aware that her mental function would decline.
Her dad had been her mother’s caregiver for a while, but then came his first Parkinson’s symptoms. Tremors that made cooking and driving difficult. Muscle stiffness.
Eventually, he’d conceded to needing a cane to walk. Conceding to coming here, however, had only happened after two falls in the span of twelve months.
It broke Raven’s heart. All of it.
She leaned forward. “I think you’re both doing amazing.”
“We’re just happy you’re home, darling,” her father said.
“How are you doing?” her mom asked, putting her mug down and giving her an I-want-to-know-everything look.
“Me?” Once upon a time, she would have told her parents everything. Back when they were younger and healthy. Now? The thought of confessing everything about Xander and her money issues, and the fact that she’d almost been kicked out of her apartment, would be like dropping a bomb on them.
A mess. Her life was a mess. And her elderly parents did not need to know about any of it.
“I’m okay.” She shuffled awkwardly on the couch. “Still adjusting to being back.”
“Have you spoken to Xander?” Dad asked.
Her spine stiffened. “I tried to call him this week, but he didn’t answer.” Not that she’d called for the reasons her parents thought. She wanted to know why the hell he’d taken her money. That was not part of their deal.
“You said you just fell out of love with him?” her mother asked gently.
It wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the whole truth either. “It’s good we realized before we got married.” Not we—her. It was good she had realized the man he really was before marriage.
“How’s your apartment?” her father asked, a slight tremor in his hand as he reached for his coffee.
“It’s fine.” Huge, mammoth lie.
She’d bargained with Dale, begged for him to give her more time to make rent. And he had. One week. And thankfully, Ferris had agreed to give her the next paycheck early. She’d opened a new bank account, and her next paycheck should hit her account the same day rent was due.
It wasn’t ideal, but for now, it would keep her head above water. If she had to, she’d apply for a second job. Maybe even put up anything she owned of value for sale.
She would make it.
“Are you still loving the library here, Mom?” Raven asked, more than ready to get off the topic of herself.
An easy smile brightened her mother’s face. “Oh, yes. They have the most extensive range of books.”
“She spends more time there than here,” her dad groused, but there was also affection in his voice. They had the kind of love most people dreamed of. Deep. Effortless. Resilient.
It was a love she’d hoped to share with Xander.
Stupid. She’d been so stupid.
“You still haven’t seen the library, have you?” her mother asked.
“I have not.”
“Come on.” Her mother pushed up from the rocker. “You need to see it.”
“I do?” Raven chuckled.
“Oh, yes.”
“Don’t argue with her. You won’t win,” Dad said, almost under his breath.
Raven’s grin widened as she grabbed the empty mugs and washed them in the sink. A main serving area in the residence served three meals a day, but this kitchen was great for her parents to prepare snacks, tea, and coffee.
She was about to leave the kitchen when something on the side table caught her attention.
All the fine hairs on her arms stood on end.
With shaking fingers, she lifted the bracelet. A handmade beaded bracelet that once upon a time, had never left her wrist. A gift from Xander in tenth grade.
“Where did you get this?” she whispered.
“Xander mailed it here,” her mother said over her shoulder.
Raven’s heart kicked, her gaze shooting up. “He mailed it here?”
“Oh, and he sent a note with it.” Her mom rifled through a drawer before handing her a small handwritten message.
A lump formed in her throat at the sight of Xander’s handwriting.
Raven left this with me. I had your address at Deep River Residence so wanted to return it. I hope you’re both well.
A chill iced her skin. A normal person would read this and not think twice. But he knew she’d see it. And there was a reason he’d sent it here…as a reminder. That he knew where her parents were. That he had access to them.
That she needed to keep her mouth shut.
Bile coiled in her belly, but she swallowed it and shoved the bracelet into her pocket before looking at her mother. “The library?”
“Yes.” Her mother curved her arm through Raven’s.
A haze dimmed Raven’s vision as she walked down the hallways. She passed door after door, mostly to other apartments. The building was huge, with dozens of units, common areas, and an industrial kitchen.
She’d just stepped into the main lobby and sitting area when she saw him.
With no conscious thought, her feet stopped.
Connor and one of his teammates stood by the front desk. He immediately looked up, straight at her. A smile curved his lips. He said something to his friend before crossing the space between them.
“Hey.”
His deep timbre rumbled over her skin. “Hey. Why…I mean, what are you doing here?”
“Someone’s wandered off. We’re going to start a search.”
“Oh no!”
Her mother chuckled. “It’s probably Herbert. He has Alzheimer’s and wanders off a lot.”
Connor nodded. “It is Herbert.”
“Oh, you’re here.”
They all looked up as Briar Allen stopped beside them. She was a caregiver here at the residence. She’d also gone to school with Raven.
Briar smiled at her. “Hi, Raven. Gene.” Then she focused on Connor. “He’s been gone about half an hour.”
“He’s a happy explorer,” her mother whispered to Raven.
“We’ll find him,” Connor said, and a shiver ran down her spine at the power in his voice. The man was all height and breadth and power.
Briar brushed past them to the other man as Connor looked expectantly at her mother.
“Oh, this is my mom, Gene,” Raven said quietly. “Mom, this is Connor.”
Connor reached out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Thank you, son.” She glanced between them, her eyes sparkling. “You two are friends?”
Were they?
“Yes.”
Raven’s attention flashed back to Connor at his easy answer, a tingly sensation running over her skin.
Dangerous. He was too dangerous and easy to fall for.
She cleared her throat. “Well, it was, uh, good to see you, Connor.” She tugged her mother closer. “I hope you find Harry.”
“Herbert,” her mother corrected.
“Herbert.” Dammit. She was flustered. She slipped around him, trying to ignore the fact that his very presence did things to her body that it had absolutely no business doing.
Connor’s grin widened as he watched Raven walk away with her mother. His eyes were still on her when she turned and looked back at him. She obviously wasn’t expecting him to be watching her still, because her cheeks turned a pretty pink shade.
Then she was gone.
“What’s Raven doing here?” Joel asked as he came to stand beside Connor.
“Her mother’s here.” Was her mother the reason she came back to Deep River?
Did she have a father? Siblings? So many questions.
He looked at his friend. “Come on. Briar said he’s been missing for about thirty minutes.
” He pushed through the doors outside. “It didn’t take them long to call us this time. ”
The last time they’d come down, Herbert had been missing for an hour, and the time before that, over two.
Joel lifted a shoulder. “Must be getting quicker at realizing he’s gone.”
“You’d think they’d get better at keeping the gate between the residence and the forest locked.”
Joel chuckled. “I heard he’s pretty good at charming the nurses and swiping the key.”
Sneaky old man.
It wasn’t Herbert’s fault. He just forgot where he was and decided he needed to explore beyond the gate.
He usually wound up in the same spot. It was this area at the edge of the river, half a mile into the forest. How the elderly man made it all the way there by himself with memory issues, Connor had no idea. But he did. Every time.
“How’s Polly doing?” Connor asked, as they unlocked the gate and moved through.
“She’s good. You’d think nothing even happened to her. She yelled at me this morning because, and I quote, ‘You need to stop beating yourself up over that day.’”
Connor nodded. He could understand why Joel was beating himself up. He’d unknowingly left Polly at Bloom when she’d been locked in the cellar. Connor would have kicked his own ass too.
Joel pulled out a banana. “Want half?”
“You just ate a granola bar in the car.”
“Yeah, and I’m hungry again. That a crime?”
Connor shook his head with a chuckle as his phone vibrated with a text.
Ryan: You guys found Herbert?
Connor: On our way to him now. If he’s at his usual spot, shouldn’t be long.
Zac: I’m at Bloom and Polly wants to know if you’re ready to apologize, Joel.
Joel huffed as his gaze flew over the message before he typed out a response.
Connor shoved his cell back into his pocket. He didn’t need to see the back-and-forth. Someone needed to be looking for Herbert. They weren’t actually worried about him. He’d always been happy to be found in the past and never put himself in any form of danger.
When Joel shoved his phone away, Connor looked at his friend. “Everything okay?”
“I love that woman. But damn she makes me work for it.”
Connor chuckled. Polly was exactly what Joel needed, and he knew it. His friend didn’t want easy, anyway. Easy didn’t challenge him, and Joel liked to be challenged.
“Come on, let’s move faster.” Connor adjusted the straps on his pack and broke into a jog. When they reached the edge of the river, Herbert was exactly where he usually was, standing on the rocks, watching the currents.
“Hey, Herbert,” Connor called quietly as they approached. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the guy into slipping. He was closer to the edge than usual. “It’s Connor and Joel from search and rescue. Remember us?”
Herbert didn’t turn or reply. He just continued to stand there, back facing them.
“You remember me, right, Herb?” Joel asked, as they continued forward. “I’m snack man, and I just happen to have one of those fruit and nut packs you like.”
Still nothing.
Connor stopped on one side of Herbert while Joel stepped to the other.
Usually, Herbert turned at the first sight of them. Realized where he was. Who they were. And happily returned to the facility with them. Today, his gaze didn’t shift from the river, a deep frown on his brow. It was like he didn’t hear them at all.
“Herbert.” Connor’s voice was firmer now. “Are you okay?”
“She sent me a photo of her standing in this exact spot,” Herbert said, voice almost distant. “The sky was gray that day. I remember being worried that it would rain before she got back to her hotel.”
“Is this an ex-wife?” Joel asked.
Herbert scowled. “No. That old bag’s still kicking somewhere.”
“Who, Herbert?” Connor asked.
“My Lila.”
Connor shared a glance with Joel before asking, “Who’s Lila?”
“My daughter. My baby. My Lila Wren.”
Connor flinched at the familiar name, while Joel straightened.
Lila Wren. She was on the list. She was one of five missing or dead women they’d been looking into.
Francie Collins, missing twenty-five years.
Opal Sinclair, found dead in the water twenty-three years ago.
Eileen Baker, missing ten years.
Fern Paley, found dead in the water six years ago.
And then, right in the middle of that timeline, was Lila Wren. A tourist who went missing in this very forest fifteen years ago.
Maybe she wasn’t the same woman though. “What happened to her?”
“I don’t know. One day she just told me she was leaving Minnesota. That there was a story here in Deep River. She never came home.”
“How long ago?” Joel asked.
“Fifteen years today,” Herbert said. Then he looked at Connor with more clarity than the man had ever possessed before. “Someone murdered her. I know it.”