Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Foolish, foolish, people. They thought they’d tricked me. What they didn’t realize was I could get to her any time I wanted. But first I needed to know who Pete might have told about me.
The journals came close to revealing the truth. The one hidden in the barn was useless so it didn’t matter that they’d found it. I read it long ago and left it there to be found after his death. Let them go chasing their tails.
The journals from Pete’s house were dated months before I killed him, which meant there was one missing.
It had to be because Pete was the type of man who had to see the details written down on paper to untangle the puzzle in his head.
He’d kept notes throughout his investigation. Something was missing.
I studied the old guy’s behavior through the years looking for that moment when he found the truth. Keeping him close without him ever realizing he had a killer in his midst until it was too late.
The cabin appeared through the dense woods surrounding it.
The police had been hovering around it for days.
Today, they were occupied with my little game.
It would give me the time needed to search Pete’s house more thoroughly for the missing journal.
I know they hadn’t found it yet because if they had, I’d be arrested.
I’d left my vehicle down at the bottom of the mountain and hidden by woods. The walk here through the storm was invigorating. I loved the snow. Everything about it. The cold. The blanket of white that muted the world and its ugliness.
The house came into view. Dark now. When I’d left in a hurry before, after hearing approaching vehicles I’d made a mistake and left the lights on.
I stepped up on the porch and imagined one of the last times I’d been here with Pete.
Back then, he didn’t suspect a thing. We sat on the porch and talked about boring things.
No matter how many times I tried to steer the conversation back to Abby, he wouldn’t bite and so I’d been forced to listen to him ramble on about Charlie and her parents.
He had no idea I’d taken out his brother and sister-in-law because they were the first to figure out the truth.
The chairs on the porch rocked in the fierce wind kicking up.
Stepping from my boots, I go inside the house in socks alone.
The easy chair where Pete died had been moved.
That final visit was still as fresh as if it had happened today.
I smiled as I remembered our conversation.
He’d been edgy that day. I knew immediately that he was close to the truth.
But I’d come prepared. Before he could ask the question, he needed to know, I stuck the syringe into his neck.
Once the medicine was administered, he’d struggled with me. It didn't matter.
Foolish man. He should have done something else with his retirement.
I stood in the middle of the living room and tried to think like Pete. Like a cop. He wouldn’t have hidden the journal somewhere too easy to find. He and I had gotten to know each other through those final months. I believe I had a grasp on how his mind worked.
Pete’s favorite chair was always positioned toward the fireplace and the two windows that looked out on the mountainside. I stared at the fireplace where my warning to Charlie still was scrawled.
“Where’d you hide it, Pete?”
There was something a little off about one of the bricks in the fireplace. The mortar was darker.
I tug hard. It pulled free. The gap revealed an item inside. A smile spread across my face. “Got you, Pete.”
“The weather’s getting worse.” Charlie spoke into the tension filled cab of the SUV. So far, there was no word from Boone and Will since they’d stopped the car. “What do you think is happening?”
Ryan shook his head. “Hopefully, they’re arresting the person responsible for everything.”
But there was just enough doubt in Ryan’s tone to convince her he didn’t believe it. She certainly didn’t. It couldn’t be this easy. After all these years of getting away with Abby’s disappearance, why would the person responsible allow themselves to be captured so easily now?
“Ryan, are you two still there?” Boone’s voice came onto the line again.
“We’re here,” Ryan told him. “What’s going on there?”
“Nothing but a bust.” Boone’s sigh spoke volumes.
“This guy’s a ruse. He said someone dared him to follow a police vehicle.
He had no idea who. It happened last night at one of the bars.
There were lots of people around. A person—a man he believes—placed a hundred-dollar bill on the bar and dared someone to follow the police cruiser. ”
Disappointment washed over her. “Does he have a description of the person who created the dare?”
“Not really. As I said, the bar was busy, and he’d been drinking. This guy’s name is Tracy Miller. Does the name sound familiar to either of you?”
Charlie looked at Ryan who confirmed her answer to the sheriff. “We’ve never heard of him before.”
“Makes sense. Miller’s not a local. I’m guessing he’s here skiing and had a little too much to drink last night.
I’d say he kept the party going after he left the bar because he’s obviously intoxicated.
Will’s taking him in to sober up. Maybe something more will come once he sobers.
I’ll head over to the bar and see if I can get some video footage and maybe find out who all was at the bar last night who might remember the person who created the challenge. ”
Charlie prayed there would be some answers coming but her hopes had been dashed before.
Ryan confirmed they’d radio once at the cabin.
“Hopefully by then you’ll have more to go on.
” He ended the call and concentrated on driving up the narrow mountain road that hadn’t seen much sunlight.
The snow was piled deep. He’d been forced to put the vehicle into four-wheel-drive at the bottom of the mountain.
“Why would the killer have someone follow a police car?” It didn’t make sense to Charlie.
“My guess is he needed a distraction for some reason.” Ryan glanced at the rearview mirror, his thoughts going to the same place as Charlie’s.
“But no one’s following us now. There’s been no sign of anyone back there.”
“You’re right.” He frowned.
“They needed a distraction to go to a place where police had been watching previously.” And then it fell into place. “Pete’s cabin.”
“We’ve searched the cabin multiple times. There’s nothing there.”
“Or we missed it. Think about it. The journal we found in the barn was well hidden. It gave us some information but nothing to identify the killer. If Pete figured out the identity of the person who took Abby, then he’d take extra precautions to make sure the journal with the killer’s identity was never found by him. ”
Ryan grabbed the phone and tried to call out. “The weather or the mountain is blocking service. We’ll have to wait until we reach the cabin to try and radio Boone.” His hands tightened on the wheel as the SUV slid slightly on an icy patch of road.
“Is it this narrow the rest of the way up?” Charlie’s voice reflected her anxiety.
Ryan smiled. “I’m afraid so. In fact, it’s little more than a four-wheeler path just past this next curve.”
Not exactly the news Charlie wanted to hear.
While Ryan focused on his driving, Charlie tried to keep her mind off the dangerous road by going over the details that had come out regarding Abby.
Had she been involved with someone? Charlie wondered if that was what Abby wanted to talk about. Yet in the days before her disappearance, she hadn’t seemed happy like someone in a new relationship. Perhaps something had gone wrong.
Eddie seemed emphatic that whoever the mystery man was, it couldn’t be Junior.
Charlie wondered if what they believed to be initials was just Abby’s way of throwing anyone who read her diary off from the real person.
Why the secrecy? What was it about the person she was seeing that she didn’t want anyone to know?
She voiced her concerns to Ryan.
He paused to consider the question for a moment. “It was probably the boy’s idea. Abby likely would have preferred not to sit on it.”
Charlie remembered Abby telling her she wished she had someone like Ryan. She’d had a few boyfriends in high school, but none had ever worked out.
“Why would he not want her to tell her friends? What was he hiding?”
“That’s the question of the day.” His voice held a thread of tension. “Figuring that out might just unravel this whole thing.”
Charlie faced forward again, shelving the mystery man for the moment focusing instead on what she’d heard from Pete about his investigation through the years.
He’d told her on several occasions that he believed he was getting closer.
But each time she’d asked him about it, he’d told her his lead ended in a dead end.
The last conversation they had there’d been something different in his voice. He sounded on edge yet excited. She’d asked him if it was about the case. He told her he’d tell her everything soon.
“What was Pete like before he died? Was he worried about something?”
Ryan didn’t act surprised by the question which scared her.
“Yes. Pete was extremely jumpy the last time I visited. Constantly checking the window as if he expected someone unwanted to show up.” Ryan cocked his head. “I asked him point blank what was troubling him, but he couldn’t give me an answer.”
Charlie knew Ryan and her uncle had gotten close through the years. Pete was always telling her about his visits with Ryan.
If Pete hadn’t wanted to tell Ryan about what he suspected, then it had to be bad.
Her thoughts jumped to the recent attempts on her and Ryan’s lives. She didn’t believe Ryan was the target, only an obstacle standing in the way of getting to her.
As hard as she tried to make sense of everything there was still a valuable piece of the puzzle missing.
Charlie clutched the edge of the seat as the road wound around the side of the mountain. The trip had become harrowing. One false move or if the SUV lost traction, they’d plummet to their deaths.
When they made the final bend the road straightened and dead ended. A small cabin sat nestled next to the mountainside.
Deep snow made it difficult to direct the SUV the rest of the way. Once they were parked in front of the cabin Charlie shivered. There was nothing inviting about the tiny space.
“It’s actually not so bad on the inside. Boone made a few adjustments.” Ryan waited for her to respond. When she couldn’t take her eyes off the cabin, he got out and trudged around to her side. “Let’s get inside and get a fire going. I can bring our stuff in later.”
Charlie hopped out and almost slipped on the ice. Ryan reached for her arm and helped keep her steady. “Easy does it.” Together they made their way to the cabin’s entrance.
“It’s not kept locked.” She waited while Ryan turned on the generator at the side of the house. “That should give us lights. He stepped inside and flipped a switch illuminating the space. Charlie followed. “Make yourself at home.”
She closed the door and looked around. The place was cozy. A small living area with a couple of easy chairs in front of a woodstove. A table and chairs in a corner of the space. The kitchen was small but efficient. One bedroom and a bathroom down the hall.
Ryan worked on getting the fire going. “You can take the bedroom,” he tossed over his shoulder. “I’ll bed down in front of the fire.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Charlie couldn’t imagine him having to sleep on the floor. He’d been fighting so hard to protect her.
Ryan straightened. “I want to.” He stepped closer and all she could think about was their kiss. She still loved him. Always had. Always would.
Ryan touched her cheek. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure it out. Together.”
Together. That word threatened to destroy her. After everything she’d done to him. Running away instead of talking things through. Ignoring him for years, he still didn’t hate her. She didn’t deserve him.
Charlie slipped her arms around his waist, drawing him in. “I’m so sorry. Truly.”
Ryan’s arms tightened around her. “I know.”
For the longest time he simply held her close.
The squawk of a radio interrupted the tender interlude.
Ryan reluctantly let her go but the look in his eyes filled hers with tears.
He loved her still. After everything she’d done to destroy that love, he still cared for her.
If there was a chance for them again, she’d do everything in her power to not mess things up.