Chapter 16
Max reached the cabin and pulled his truck to a stop behind Wyatt’s. They’d almost ridden together but had decided that driving separately would be less complicated.
The log building sat just off a dirt road, tucked between a strand of bare trees that offered more shadow than shelter this time of year. Snow clung to the ground in uneven patches, disturbed in places where boots had already tracked through it.
Sheriff Sutherland’s SUV was already here.
Max shut his door and took in the scene. He’d run his decision to help Wyatt past Caleb and Naomi before leaving, and neither had hesitated about him helping. They said work at Refuge Cove could wait.
Wyatt climbed from his truck and paced toward the cabin with Thunder at his side.
Sheriff Sutherland stood a few steps away, talking on the porch with a couple in their late sixties who looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.
Sheriff Sutherland excused himself and turned toward Wyatt and Max. As he did, the couple stepped inside and out of the cold.
Max gave Sheriff Sutherland a brief nod. “Thanks for letting me be here.”
“Of course. Wyatt said you were coming.” He paused. “You know I’d let you be an auxiliary deputy if I could.”
Max nodded, the words still hitting him the wrong way.
They reminded him of the fact that plans didn’t always work out the way you wanted.
He and Sheriff Sutherland had talked. Sheriff Sutherland knew his history—and he was okay with Max working at Refuge Cove.
But there were rules in place that couldn’t be changed.
“Anything we need to know?” Wyatt asked.
“We’re just getting started. The owners’ names are Craig and Greta Livingston. They’re both a little shaken.”
Sheriff Sutherland nodded toward the door, indicating they should follow him inside. As Max stepped through the door, his gaze drifted to the couple. Greta stood near the fireplace and hugged her arms around herself as if she couldn’t get warm. Craig stared out the window.
Sheriff Sutherland introduced all of them before turning back to Craig and Greta. “I know you’ve already told me your story, but why don’t you run through things with us again? Maybe this time we’ll hear something different or pick up on something new.”
Craig frowned before starting. “We come out here every few weeks just to check on things and make sure everything’s in order. This morning when we got here, we noticed the front door was open.”
Max’s gaze shifted to the frame, noting the damage near the handle. It had been forced open.
“What’d you do next?” Sheriff Sutherland asked.
“We went inside,” Craig continued. “We noticed a few things were out of place. A chair had been knocked over, and some furniture wasn’t where we left it.”
Max’s jaw tightened as he absorbed what Craig said.
“Did you see anyone leaving when you arrived?” Sheriff Sutherland continued. “Were any vehicles on the road headed the opposite way?”
“No,” Greta said. “No one.”
“Before we left our house in Charlottesville this morning, we turned on the lights and the heat here at the cabin. Greta knows how to do it from some kind of app on her phone. I didn’t like it at first, but now I think it’s brilliant. The place is actually warm when we arrive.”
Max grunted. If Kenny had been inside when that happened, the sudden change would have been impossible to ignore. It would have signaled that someone might be on the way there.
“You might’ve run someone off,” Wyatt said. “Whoever was here may have known you were coming.”
“That’s what I’m thinking also,” Sheriff Sutherland said as he gestured toward the hallway. “Let’s look around.”
Max followed him and paused.
A scarf still lay near the bedroom door.
Lyndee’s scarf.
His chest tightened as he stared at it.
Wyatt lifted it carefully and slipped it into a Ziploc bag—to preserve the smell, Max assumed.
Sheriff Sutherland headed down the short hallway toward the back of the cabin. He pushed open the bathroom door and stopped.
Max stepped up beside him.
As he followed Sheriff Sutherland’s gaze, his eyes widened. Dark red liquid stained the edge of the sink.
Blood.
Not a large amount but enough to be unmistakable. A smear trailed across the counter, and a few droplets dotted the floor, partially disturbed as if someone had rushed by.
Hadley glanced at the clock again. It was almost noon, and not a single client had walked through the door.
She stood near the hallway that led to the exam rooms, her arms loosely folded as she watched the front entrance, half expecting someone to rush in with an apology and an excuse—a flat tire, a sick pet that took longer than expected, traffic.
Something normal.
But the door stayed closed.
Behind the desk, Susie lowered the phone back into its charger and frowned. “That was Mr. Brantley.”
Hadley turned toward her. “Let me guess—his appointment was canceled?”
“That’s right. He said he got a message last night.”
Hadley sighed, her head beginning to pound. “How many does that make?”
Susie’s frown deepened. “Six.”
Hadley leaned back against the wall, her mind trying to catch up with what she was hearing. “So someone broke the window, climbed inside, stole our appointment book . . . and canceled all our appointments. Why would anyone want to do that?”
The question hung in the air without an answer.
And how will I pay all my bills if I don’t have any clients? The thought pressed in before Hadley could stop it. How will I pay Susie? If these bad reviews keep coming and none of our clients show up . . .
She pushed the spiral back before it could take hold. Thinking like that wouldn’t help this situation.
Susie tilted her head, studying her. “It almost sounds like you made someone mad. Really mad. Any idea who or why?”
She’d thought about that also. “I have no idea. I haven’t been in town long enough to make any archenemies.”
That might be the most unsettling part.
If she knew who was behind these things, maybe she could do something about it. Confront the problem. Fix it. Apologize. Something!
But this? These targeted attacks made it feel as if someone was working in the shadows, picking her apart piece by piece.
And she didn’t know what they planned to do next.
She glanced at the plywood covering the window. Then at the empty waiting area. They were both reminders of what was happening.
She sighed and glanced at her watch.
It was just past noon, and she was supposed to meet Kendra in twenty-five minutes.
Hadley hesitated, everything in her wanting to cancel. She had a business to run—or at least, to try to run. Walking away right now felt wrong.
But staying wouldn’t fix anything either. Not yet.
She straightened and pushed away from the wall. “I know it seems like poor timing, but I’m supposed to meet someone for lunch. I can figure this out when I get back.”
Susie nodded, though concern still lingered in her expression. “Maybe getting away will be good for you.”
“Maybe,” Hadley said. “While I’m gone, can you try to call anyone else who had an appointment today? If you can remember who they are.”
“I’ll do my best. I might not get everyone, but I’ll try.”
“Thank you.” Hadley grabbed her bag. “I won’t be long. When I get back, I’ll help however I can.”
She headed for the door, pausing long enough to take one more look at the empty waiting area.
This wasn’t the start to her new life here that she’d envisioned. Not even close.