Chapter 17
Knox
The Jeep’s GPS led us down a narrow dirt road canopied by live oaks. Maritime Forest Road was as rural as they came, and it was the address from the vendor contract.
“This is the guy your mom fired?” Sloane asked as we bounced over the rutted path.
“Yeah. For ‘concerning behavior.’” I kept my voice neutral, but my hand had automatically moved closer to the door handle.
I’d returned the roof and doors to the Jeep for added protection, and I was extra thankful for that the farther we drove.
“Any chance I can convince you to stay in the Jeep while I talk to him?”
Sloane’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m not sitting here alone.”
“I’m not bringing you into a potential predator’s isolated cabin in the woods either.” I met her eyes. “Non-negotiable.”
“Why’d you even ask if I don’t have a choice?”
“Listen.” I softened my tone. “If this guy is dangerous, I need to know you’re safe. That’s all I’ll be able to think about otherwise.”
She studied my face for a long moment, then nodded. “Fine. But I’m keeping my phone ready to call the sheriff if you’re not back in ten minutes.”
“Fair.”
The road opened into a clearing. A small cabin sat nestled among the pines. The place was well-maintained, with a newer metal roof and a wide porch. A pickup truck was parked beside a storage shed. Behind the cabin, the maritime forest stretched dense and dark.
I put the Jeep in park but didn’t kill the engine.
“I’m going to record our talk so we can play it back when we leave.” I navigated to my phone’s recorder app and opened it.
“Move into the driver’s seat and be vigilant. If you see anything concerning, honk. A lot. If things go sideways, you drive out of here immediately. Don’t wait for me.”
Reluctantly, she nodded, and I climbed out.
The cabin door opened before I reached the porch.
The man who stepped outside was tall and broad, with thinning brown hair and a forgettable face. Early fifties, maybe. He wore work jeans and a flannel shirt despite the heat. His eyes were pale blue and a bit too focused.
“Can I help you?”
“Walter Lehman?”
“That’s right.” He didn’t come down from the porch or offer a hand. “Who’s asking?”
“Knox Hawthorne. Claire Hawthorne’s son.”
Emotion flickered across Walter’s face. Surprise? Guilt? There and gone too fast to read.
“Claire.” Walter’s expression eased into something that might’ve been genuine grief. “I was sorry to hear about her passing. Your mom was a good woman. Ran a good business.”
“Thanks.” I stayed at the bottom of the porch steps, keeping distance between us, just in case. “I’m trying to get the shop up and running again. Found your contract in her files.”
“She terminate it?” Walter asked, though his tone suggested he knew damn well she had.
“Yeah. Notes said there was concerning behavior.”
Walter’s jaw tightened. “That’s not exactly accurate.”
“No?”
“We had a business disagreement.” Walter crossed his arms. “I suggested she update her trail recommendations. Some of those routes were getting too popular, too crowded. Figured she’d want to send people to quieter areas.
She took it the wrong way. Thought I was trying to tell her how to run her business.
The exchange got more emotional than it needed to be. I was only trying to be helpful.”
“That’s all it was?”
“Yup.” Walter’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Why? What’d she tell you?”
“She didn’t tell me anything. She died before I got home.” The words came out harder than I intended. “I’m just trying to understand her business relationships.”
“Well, now you know.” Walter shifted his weight.
“Your company is Lehman and Son,” I said.
“My son moved to Washington a long time ago,” he said, beating me to my next question. “Walla Walla. We never got on well. I guess I had high hopes adding him to the company name.”
I nodded.
“Was there anything else?”
“Actually, yeah. I’m looking at some of her research on the missing hikers. She marked areas she thought were worth looking into. One of the trails comes very near your property. Do you ever see anyone out there?”
Interest sparked in Walter’s eyes. “The missing hikers? Claire was investigating that?”
“She was concerned. All three women visited her shop before they disappeared.”
“Jesus.” Walter shook his head. “I didn’t know that. That must’ve eaten her up inside.”
“I’m sure it did.” I watched him carefully. “Do you see hikers on the trails along your property line often?”
Walter was quiet for a moment, his gaze sliding past me toward the Jeep.
Toward Sloane.
“Who’s that with you?”
My muscles tensed. “A friend. She’s helping me go through my mom’s notes.”
“Pretty.” Walter’s lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “She one of the missing girls’ family members?”
“No.” I kept my voice level despite the urge to tell him to keep his eyes off her. “Just a friend who knew my mother.”
“Uh huh.” Walter finally looked back at me. “Well, no. I never see anyone, but I’ve got about sixty acres back there.”
“What’s out there?”
He rubbed his chin. “Not much. Forest. You know. The old ranger station is on the northern edge of my property. It’s been out of commission for decades, but I check on that sometimes. Make sure nobody’s squatting.”
The ranger station. The location Mom had marked on her map.
“You own the property with the ranger station?”
“No, but it’s right there on the edge.” He scratched at his jaw. “You think something happened to those girls out there?”
“I don’t know. Just following my mother’s notes.”
“You haven’t seen anyone else out here, have you?” Walter asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. “On your way in?”
“No. Why?”
“Don’t want you running into trouble, that’s all.” Walter straightened, and I realized he was even taller than I’d initially thought. My height, perhaps.
I held his eye contact and waited. I suspected he had more to say, or maybe he’d already said more than he’d intended.
“Well, like I said, you’re welcome to look around. There’s a trail that starts behind the shed there.” He pointed. “Connects to the main hiking routes about a half mile in. You’ll see the ranger station near the intersection.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Might be better if you came back tomorrow. Looks like rain.”
Walter glanced at the sky where clouds raced over the sun. “Floods fast in those woods. Gets real dark, too. Easy to get turned around if you don’t know them well.”
“We’ll be careful.”
Walter chuckled. “I’m sure you will be, Marine.”
I stilled, and his smile tightened.
“Claire said you were the careful type,” he explained. “Tough. Trained. My son thinks I’m soft and let people take advantage of me. Maybe he’s right.”
“Thanks for the permission, Mr. Lehman. I’ll let you know what we find at the ranger’s station, if there’s anything to note.”
“Call me Walter. And hey—” He took a step down from the porch. “I’d be happy to show you around myself sometime, if you want. I know these woods better than anybody. Used to be a trail guide when I was your age. If there’s something to find, I can help you find it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“If you find anything out there, if anything seems wrong, call the sheriff. Don’t try to handle it yourself.”
I dipped my chin slightly in agreement.
“I mean it.” Walter’s eyes held mine with unexpected intensity. “There are dangerous people in this world. Sometimes they’re the ones you least expect.”
I backed toward the Jeep, keeping Walter in my peripheral vision. “Walter?” I paused. “Do you know if my mom ever had another trail guide or company help with her excursions?”
“No, not that I know of. She did it all herself. Your mother was unstoppable.”
My chest ached at his words, because she was stoppable, and no one had seen it coming.
Walter stayed on the porch, watching, until I climbed into the empty passenger seat.
“Drive,” I said quietly to Sloane. “Don’t floor it, just drive normal.”
She was already shifting into gear. “What happened?”
“Later.” I watched Walter in the side mirror as we pulled away. He stood there motionless, getting smaller and smaller, until the trees swallowed him completely.
Sloane
I didn’t speak again until we were back on the main road.
“Tell me,” I said.
Knox retrieved his phone from one pocket and replayed the recording.
I pulled over at the first available opportunity to listen and trade him seats.
“He knew I was a Marine. I didn’t tell him that.”
“Claire could have.”
“Maybe.” Knox’s jaw worked. “But the way he looked at you. The way he asked about you.” He shook his head. “Something’s wrong with that guy.”
“Did he say something about me?”
“Asked who you were. Called you pretty.”
I tilted my head. Neither was hardly an offense. “Is that all?”
Knox’s voice dropped lower. “It was the way he said it. As if he was cataloging you.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Do you think he’s the one?”
“I don’t know.” Knox buckled up behind the wheel and turned to face me. “I’d like to keep you away from him for good measure. And I’m sending this audio file to Nash.”
I put my seatbelt on as well. “He said his property goes right up to the old ranger station.” That seemed important.
Knox ran a hand through his hair. “The vendor fired for inappropriate behavior owns the property leading straight to a place Mom marked on her maps. I agree, and I’m trying hard not to jump to conclusions.”
“But if he’s guilty, why would he warn you to be careful or offer to help?”
“Maybe he realizes saying anything else would be suspicious.”
“Or he’s already removed whatever evidence was there.”
Knox tapped his dashboard screen. Time to call the sheriff again.