Chapter Seven
Ian wished he could take back the remark about his father as soon as he had uttered it.
“Are you serious about your father being responsible for trying to kill you?” Aaron asked.
“The shooter didn’t really try to kill either one of us, did he?” Ian looked at the shattered window. “He broke the window and left. He was trying to frighten us, not murder us.”
“You can’t be sure of that,” Aaron said. He took out a note pad. “What’s your father’s contact information? We’ll need to talk to him.”
“No—forget I said anything. And don’t spread word of this around town. It’s just a broken window.” He moved to the door and opened it. “I need you all to leave now.”
Aaron was going to argue, but Jamie said, “Call us if you see or hear anything suspicious.”
When they were alone, Bethany moved closer to Ian. “Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“You said your dad wanted to buy the canyon. What was he going to do with it?”
“He wanted to open it up for mining. Studies have shown traces of copper and tellurium in similar rock formations. He planned to strip out the rock, crush it and extract as many precious minerals as possible.”
“He would have destroyed it!” she said.
“I couldn’t see that happen. I have money of my own, from my grandmother and from investments I’ve made. I used some of it to make sure I made the highest bid for the canyon.”
She clutched his arm. “Ian, you saved it! People need to know that.”
He covered her hand with him. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“Why not?”
“Because half of them won’t believe you and at least some of the other half will decide I’m working on my father’s behalf and using the construction of the via ferrata to test the ore or something.
Then there will be people who decide mining would be a better use of the property and put pressure on me to use it for that. It’s not the kind of attention I want.”
“All right. I won’t say anything.”
His eyes met hers, searching. “You need to go home now,” he said. “I know we both thought it would be safe for you here, but clearly it isn’t.”
“I’m not the one someone fired at,” she said.
Ian put his hand on her shoulder. “I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Even if whoever is doing this is only trying to harass me, accidents happen—like that climber who fell the other day. I can’t risk you being injured.”
She looked away, but not before he saw the hurt in her eyes. “I want to see you,” he said. “But I’ll need to come to you.”
“All right,” she said. “But you have to stay in contact and let me know you’re all right. I care about what happens to you, too.”
“You’re a caring person,” he said.
She gripped his arm, her fingers surprisingly strong. “You’re not just anybody, Ian. Not to me.”
Before he could think how to reply, she released him and hurried away. He stared after her, heart pounding. Other people had told him he was important to them at various times in his life—other women. People who depended on him. But he had never believed them the way he believed Bethany.
* * *
Bethany kept her promise not to say anything about Ian’s father or about what had happened in Humboldt Canyon on Sunday.
The sheriff’s department had apparently also managed to keep quiet about the incident because all talk at the regular search and rescue meeting Wednesday was of the rescue of the climber Mike Addison, with those who had been on the scene providing a play-by-play for those who hadn’t been able to participate.
Talk of the protests at Humboldt Canyon naturally led to debate of the pros and cons of the via ferrata. While most of the skilled climbers—those who spent much of their spare time on the cliffs around town—disliked the idea of the via ferrata, Bethany was gratified to hear a few defenders.
“I had a chance to try out the via ferrata over in Telluride,” Danny said. “It was a blast.”
“It will just bring more unqualified people onto the cliffs,” Ryan groused.
“It also might bring more people to the sport,” Sheri said. “Once they get a taste of it, they might want to pursue it more seriously.”
“It could mean more business for local guides,” Bethany said, remembering what Ian had said about encouraging people to hire someone to escort them through the course.
“I met Ian Seabrook years ago, climbing Katahdin,” Tony said. “He had a good reputation in the local climbing community.” He shrugged. “Of course, that was years ago.”
“I really think he wants this to be a positive thing for our community,” Bethany said.
“Bethany just wants the via ferrata to go through because Seabrook offered her a job,” Carter said.
Her face heated as everyone turned to look at her. “Nothing’s decided yet,” she said. “He just mentioned it. And Carter had no business bringing it up.”
He held up his hands. “Hey, nobody said it was a secret.”
Dalton rested one hand on Carter’s shoulder. “If you get the job, promise you’ll ask Ian if I can drive his Porsche.”
“That is a sweet car,” Caleb said.
“The Porsche is in storage somewhere in Junction now,” Bethany said. “Ian said it wasn’t practical to drive here.”
Which led to a discussion of the merits of different sports cars. Had that been Dalton’s intention all along? He was generally more thoughtful than Carter, though sometimes the two paired up to tease her.
But eventually the conversation turned back to the via ferrata. “I heard Walt Spies is leading the push to turn down the operating permit for the via ferrata,” Carrie Andrews, a local architect, said.
“Why is Walt against it?” Sheri asked. “He’s not a climber.”
“His ranch borders that property,” Tony said.
“Then I’m surprised he didn’t try to buy the place,” Carrie said.
“Maybe he did,” Ryan said.
“Let’s get started, everyone.” Danny directed their attention to the front of the room.
“In light of last week’s rescue operation to retrieve an injured climber, we’ve decided this week’s training will include an overview of the equipment involved and the roles of team personnel in a rescue pickoff,” he continued.
“Next Saturday, we’ll meet up in Caspar Canyon to practice what we’re reviewing tonight.
It’s important for everyone to be familiar with the equipment and roles in a rescue like this, even if you aren’t a part of the pickoff team.
Your handout includes a list of terms you’ll need to memorize.
There will be a written test on Saturday. ”
Bethany studied the handout. She recognized a few of the terms—belay, anchor, and twin tension lines were familiar to her.
But others she didn’t remember hearing before.
She listened intently as Tony described each item on the list, showed slides that demonstrated the various equipment in use, then passed around examples of the various items.
By the time the evening ended, Bethany’s thoughts were as tangled as climbing ropes, extending in every direction. As she tucked away the handout to study later, she reminded herself that no matter how chaotic a rescue rigging appeared, it was actually very organized.
Dalton appeared beside her. “Come on—we’re ready to go,” he said. She had ridden to the training with her brothers.
Bethany shouldered her backpack and followed them into the parking lot. She was startled to see the black rental Jeep idling out front. As she jogged over to it, Ian opened the driver’s door and got out.
“Ian, what a surprise.” She stopped in front of him. She wanted to throw her arms around him but was aware of her brothers right behind her and most of her fellow volunteers looking on.
He glanced around at all the people, then turned to her. “I had to make sure you were okay,” he said. “I stopped by the rental office and no one was there, so I went to your parents’ place. They told me you and your brothers were here.”
“Why wouldn’t she be okay?” Carter put a hand on Bethany’s shoulder.
Ian looked pained. He took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Carter. Bethany looked on as her brother unfolded the note. Printed in block letters was the message LEAVE HUMBOLDT CANYON ALONE OR NEXT TIME I’LL AME MY SIGHTS ON BETSY.
* * *
“My name isn’t Betsy.” Bethany sounded and looked much calmer than Ian felt as she studied the note. “And they misspelled aim.”
“I think they’re trying to make a pun on our last name,” Dalton said. He was reading over Carter’s shoulder.
“Where did you find this?” Carter asked.
“It was tucked under the wiper blade on my Jeep when I came out of the Cake Walk Café tonight,” Ian said.
A dark-haired man with an air of authority shouldered his way through the crowd gathered around Ian’s Jeep. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Jake is a deputy with the sheriff’s department,” Bethany explained.
“I found this note on my Jeep.” Ian took the note from Carter and handed it to Jake. “I came here to make sure Bethany was all right.”
The deputy read the note. “Where were you parked?”
“In the alley behind the Cake Walk Café.”
Jake nodded. “From what I remember, that alley is pretty dark. I can ask around, but I don’t think the chances are good that anyone saw whoever put this on your Jeep.” He turned to Bethany. “Who calls you Betsy?”
“No one.”
“Dalton and I call her Betty sometimes,” Carter said. “But only because we know she doesn’t like it.”
“Someone who heard your name once or twice and didn’t really know you might get mixed up and think it was Betsy.” A petite redhead woman joined them.
“This is Hannah, Jake’s wife,” Bethany said. “She’s a paramedic with Eagle Mountain EMS.”
“Why would someone leave a note threatening Bethany on your Jeep?” Jake asked.
“Someone must have seen us together,” Ian said.
“But we haven’t been together,” she said.
“You came to the canyon Sunday afternoon,” he said. His heart pounded. Had the person who’d fired at him and Aaron still been there when Bethany had arrived? Watching them?
“Bethany, has anyone threatened you directly?” Jake asked.
“No.”