“I wonder if I’ll be able to call anyone back here,” Robin said quietly. “Might as well give it a try.”
“Did you bring your sketch pad?”
“Yeah. Learned that lesson.”
West was unlocking the heavy lock on the metal storage barn. “Can you believe people? I had to get a brand-new lock for this two weeks ago.”
Val frowned. “Did someone break in?”
“Yeah. Snapped the lock and cleaned this unit out.”
“What did they get?” Val looked at the shipping containers on either side, both of which had the same padlocks. “Just the middle unit?”
West grimaced. “I have a feeling they knew what they wanted. Both my snowmobiles, can you believe it? And that trailer I carried them on. I was so pissed. That’s like thirty grand worth of equipment.”
“Shit.” Val watched the heavy door swing open. “Did you have insurance on ’em?”
“Yeah. I already filed a claim, but they’re dragging their feet. Probably won’t have a new set of sleds until next winter. And I was planning a trip in a few weekends with the guys.”
“People are assholes.”
West grinned. “Yeah, they are.” He waved at the giant red toolbox that contained Josh’s gear. It was sitting on one wall with several smaller pieces next to it. “There it is.”
“We can take the smaller pieces in Mark’s truck.”
“Okay, I’ll send a guy back to help load them up.”
“Thanks, West.”
He was a good guy. He didn’t deserve to get dragged into Josh’s crap. The more she thought about Jackson’s anger the night before, the more resentment she felt toward Josh and his unwillingness to grow up. At what point were you not just negligent but hurting your kids by not being an adult? She was so used to always being the grown-up that she didn’t notice, but Jackson and Andy deserved more.
She deserved more.
Robin and Mark were already getting boxes from the back of the truck.
“Okay,” Mark said. “Where do we start?”
“We’ll have to go through each box. If it’s anything that looks like it could break—any of the smaller tools or sensors—then let’s box ’em up. Try to keep each drawer in a separate box if we can manage. That’ll make life easier when Josh has to put it back together.” Val didn’t give her fear a voice. Josh would be back. This was all a misunderstanding and he was going to sort his life out and this was going to be a wake-up call to get his shit straight.
Mark narrowed his eyes and watched Robin. “Is she trying to summon someone?”
“Yeah. There was an old guy back here she talked to once, and it sounded like he’d seen Josh. She couldn’t get him back when she tried the second time.”
“Oh, that was here?” Mark opened a drawer where a neat row of screwdrivers lived. He carefully lifted the plastic case and put it in the first box. “You know, Josh’s life was always messy as hell, but his toolbox…”
“I know. He saved all his adult instincts to keep his work space organized. The rest of his life was a disaster.” She glanced at Mark. “Hey, do you mind if I give it a listen?”
Mark glanced at her hands. “Sure thing.” He stepped back and leaned against the far wall. “Let me know if you’re feeling sick or anything.”
“Thanks. I’m looking for personal items more than tools.” Val removed her gloves and started on one end of the long red toolbox. She moved her hands over the surface, closing her eyes as bits and pieces of Josh’s life drifted over her. She caught snatches of conversations and more than a few flirtations.
Drawer by drawer, she examined the chest, rolling each drawer out and scanning the contents for anything that looked more personal than professional.
A lighter he’d swiped off his boss.
The bandanna he wore under cars. Lots of feelings associated with that, but nothing very clear. Everything from amusement to exhaustion to frustration.
“You getting anything?”
“Lots.” Val ran her hands along the surface. “But nothing that seems relevant.”
It was the smallest drawer she was gearing up for. That was the bottom drawer on the right riser where Val remembered Josh keeping his keys, his wallet, and other personal items while he was at work. It was locked when he kept his stuff in there, but she was hoping he’d left it open.
No such luck.
“Mark, you any good at picking locks?”
He walked over and looked at the lock. “Hmm.”
“Any ideas?”
He cocked his head. “How concerned are you about damaging the toolbox?”
“Not very. I’m the one keeping it from getting confiscated. He’s not allowed to be too pissed at me.”
Mark squatted down so the drawer was in front of his face. “So if this is like most toolbox locks, it has a little metal hook that you have to turn to open it.”
“Okay…”
Mark started opening drawers until he found one with a Sawzall. “Let me see if we can get this open.” He slid the reciprocating saw blade through the space at the top of the drawer, flipped it on, and within a few minutes a metal piece went clunk and the drawer slid open. It was a bit mangled, but Val didn’t care.
“Nice work.”
“Thanks.” Mark put the Sawzall away. “You know he didn’t hurt that lady, right?”
“I don’t think so, but how much do I really know the man anymore?” She opened the drawer. “We’ve been divorced for ages. He has a new girlfriend—”
“But you were married to him way longer,” Mark said. “You knew Josh. You know him. He’s a big kid, but he’s not a bad guy.”
“Sure.” Val was skeptical. The small drawer wasn’t full of secrets, but there was an envelope of receipts she was careful not to throw away, and behind that…
“Of course.” Val rolled her eyes. Who else other than Josh would keep a Ziploc bag of fresh condoms in his toolbox?
Mark bit back a smile. “Well, it’s definitely a personal item.”
“Yeah.” She pulled the bag out, trying not to wince. “Oh, this is so gross.” She reached her hand in and felt the foil packets, hoping to get some insight—
Savannah.
In the store holding her hand.
“We can’t let anyone see us.”
She was excited. He was excited.
More.
He cared. There was a tight feeling around his heart.
Why was she married to him?
That guy…
Bad news.
“Val!”
She jerked back into her own mind, her hand clutched around the strip of condoms Josh and Savannah had bought at the drug store. “How long?”
“Not too long,” Mark said, “but your eyes rolled back and you looked like you might fall over.”
“That’s normal.” She could feel the nausea starting to build. “I think that’s all I can do right now.”
“Did you get anything?”
“Yeah.” Val nodded. “A surprise. He cared about her. Savannah. He really cared about her.”
“About Savannah Anderson?”
“Yeah.” She could feel the nausea starting to rise.
“Hey, Val?” Robin called her from outside the storage unit.
“Let me…” She pointed toward the alley. “You mind if I take a break?”
“Go for it,” Mark said. “I’ll keep going here. Walk it off. There’s some water bottles in the truck.”
“Thanks.”
“Robin?” Val walked out of the unit and toward the truck.
One of West’s younger employees was walking toward the shipping containers. “You need some help back here? I got some free time if you need a hand.”
“That would be awesome. My friend is in there checking all the drawers. If you could help him, that would be great.” She nodded to the young man and then walked across the alley to the truck where Robin was sitting in the bed with her sketchbook. “Let me get a water.”
&
nbsp; “I have tea here if you want it.” Robin lifted a travel mug.
“Cool.” She walked over and leaned against the tailgate, reaching for the mug. “What’s up?”
Robin’s hand was on her sketchbook and her eyes were locked on something Val couldn’t see. “Val, say hi to Harry.”
Val turned to the spot where Robin was looking. “Good to meet you, Harry.” She glanced at Robin’s sketchbook and saw a detailed drawing of an old man with a thick head of hair and a full beard. He was built like a bulldog and wore a pair of dark coveralls.
“Harry here was the owner of the garage before West bought it.” Robin paused, clearly listening to something Val couldn’t hear. The corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile. “Harry says he bought it right before West bought it.”
Val cracked a laugh. “Good one. Is this the guy who thought he saw Josh?”
“Yep.” Robin kept her hand on the sketch, anchoring the spirit to her. “I described Josh, and he said it was definitely him.”
“Does he have any idea when?” It was always a little spooky when Robin was part of a conversation Val could only hear a portion of. Her eyes spaced out a little and her features took on an otherworldly quality.
“Not long, he says.” Robin’s eyes stayed fixed on the spot where the ghost was speaking to her. “He came with his truck. The one with the welder on the side.”
“His new truck.” Val nodded. “So in the past two years.”
“No, Harry says. It was very recent. He came…” Robin frowned. “He took something. A trailer.”
Val’s eyes went wide. “The snowmobile trailer?”
“Yes. Harry, could it have been a snowmobile trailer?” Robin glanced at Val. “He said something about motorcycles, but I wonder if he was confused. That’s common.”
Val waited for Robin to listen to Harry. “They were green. The machines were orange and green.”
“Bright colors?”
“Yes. Very bright.” Robin smiled. “Harry thought they were ugly.”
“Neon green and orange would be pretty common for snowmobiles. Makes them visible in snow.”
Son of a bitch! Josh had stolen West’s snowmobiles and trailer? What on earth was he thinking?
Val gritted her teeth. “He is such a piece of crap! First he sleeps with West’s wife, then he steals the man’s snowmobiles? Why on earth would Josh need snowmobiles?” Val wanted to scream.
Mark wandered out of the shipping container. “What’s up?”
Robin glanced at Mark, then back at the ghost. “Thanks, Harry. No, I think that’s all.” Robin smiled. “Sure. We’ll come back. You always hang around here?” She nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you. Thanks for keeping an eye out.”
Mark walked over and put a hand on his wife’s knee, rubbing back and forth while she came back to the world of the living. “You have your tea?”
Val handed over the thermos. “Here. My nausea is gone; I’m good.”
Robin lifted the mug to her lips and drank. “He was nice. Very certain that Josh was the one who took the trailer. He came, cut through the lock, and hooked right up to them and took off. He kept calling them motorcycles, but it has to have been the snowmobiles.”
“So he took West’s snowmobiles right before he disappeared. What did he need a couple of snowmobiles for?” Mark looked at Val. “Did he ride a lot?”
Val shrugged. “Not that I know of. Every now and then he’d go if he had a buddy with one, but we never owned them. It wasn’t a thing we did. Did he ever go riding with you and Gil?”
Mark narrowed his eyes. “The only time I can remember riding snowmobiles with Josh was when the kids were little. He and Gil and I all went out to that little cabin his family had in the national forest.”
“What cabin?” Robin asked. “I don’t remember Josh and Val having a cabin.”
“We didn’t.” Val felt like she’d taken off a pair of sunglasses on a cloudy day. “It was his grandparents’ place. How could I be so stupid? I forgot about the cabin.”
“What cabin?” Robin asked.
Her heart was racing. “Josh’s grandparents had this old cabin way out in the middle of nowhere. It was one of those little seasonal towns in the high Sierra. We would go up and stay there pretty often in the summer before the kids were born. It was pretty rough, but it was livable.”
“It’s in the national forest?” Robin asked. “No one can live in the national forest.”
“The town is older than the park. That’s why they could keep it as long as it stayed in the family.” Val felt like laughing. “It’s only accessible by fire roads, and there’s only twenty or thirty places still standing.”
“Are you sure?” Robin looked skeptical. “Josh was never a fan of roughing it if I remember right.”
“I think he’s spent some time fixing it up. It’s got running water and beds. He took the boys fishing up there like five years ago in the summer. No one goes there in the winter because they don’t plow the roads and there’s nothing up there.” She slapped Mark’s shoulder. “You can only get there by snowmobile!”
“Why would he go there?” Mark said. “Is he trying to hide?”
“Maybe. Or maybe he doesn’t even realize people are looking for him. But if Josh wanted to really be alone, that’s where he’d go. The cabin is livable in winter. It’d be cold as hell, but it has a stove and a good roof. It’s just inaccessible with the roads.”
“Which way?” Mark asked. “How far it is?”
“It’s remote.” Val shook her head. “We’ve got to get this stuff packed in a hurry and get back to Glimmer Lake. I need to call Sully.”
Chapter 17
Mark was looking at the old hiking maps he kept in his glove compartment on the way back up the hill while Robin drove the truck.
“I’m not positive, but I think we took this road,” Mark said. “The town is marked—it says Keane right here—but they show it right on the highway, and it’s not. You have to take a fire road a couple of miles back to get to it.”
“Do you think we should just rent some machines and go ourselves?” Robin asked. “Will Sully have to arrest Josh if he finds him?”
Mark looked up. “I think the best way out of this is if Sully is the one who brings Josh in, don’t you? If he’s been back there, he probably has no idea any of this has happened. If Sully is the one to tell him and Josh comes back voluntarily with him, this will all get cleared up faster.”
“Okay.” Val nodded. “That makes sense. So we just have to convince Sully that this is where Josh is and he’s probably been there the whole time.”
“I just can’t believe he didn’t tell you he was going to this remote cabin,” Robin said. “How could he not realize the boys would worry? Didn’t you say Andy calls him almost every day?”
Robin got out her phone and put her voice mail on speaker to play Josh’s call.
“Hey, Val. I know it’s late, but this weekend isn’t going to work out to take the boys. Shit got complicated at work and—” The phone cut out. “—you can tell them next week I’ll be—” Josh’s voice dissolved to crackles. “Anyway, it’s a lot to think about, so I’m going to need—” More silence. “—could call me I’d actually appreciate it. Okay. Later.”
Robin groaned. “Shit. Okay, hearing that, it’s entirely possible he did tell you he was going out of town and the reception was just crap.”
“If he was driving to the cabin, the signal was probably cutting in and out,” Mark said. “Once you get past Highway 67, it’s nothing but dead space.”
“Which would also explain why he’s been radio silent for the past week and a half.” Val mentally urged the truck to go faster. “Do you think Sully will buy it?”
“What’s to buy?” Mark asked. “This is the most logical explanation by far. Josh taking off to gamble in Vegas with a client’s money never made sense. Josh ditching his job and kids to navel-gaze in the woods for a couple of weeks is completely in character.”
“True.” Val sat back in her seat. “I just hope Sully is willing to follow me out there.”
“You?” Mark asked.
“Do you remember how to get there?” Val asked.
“No.”
“He’s not going to find it without someone who knows the area.” Val just hoped she could remember. It had been a good fifteen years since she’d been out to Keane. She was hoping the landmarks hadn’t changed too much.
* * *
Sully wasn’t as enthusiastic as Val had hoped. “Keane?”
“Yeah. His family has a place up there.”
“No one lives in Keane during the winter. The forest service doesn’t allow it.”
“I don’t think they can technically forbid people from going to their own property in the winter. They just don’t plow the roads. And since when did people listen to the forest service when it comes to their cabins?”
Val was sitting across the desk in Sully’s office. Robin was sitting next to her. Mark was leaning against the wall. It was nearly five o’clock, and everyone other than a lone deputy manning the phones had left the sheriff’s building.
Sully glanced at Mark. “You been to this place in winter?”
“Yeah, but it’s been a long time. Val’s gonna have a better chance of finding it.”
“Oh, I know where the town is,” Sully said. “I’m just wondering how harebrained you have to be to head up there when the snow comes. It can fall over the roofs of those old places in heavy years.”
“It’s a two-story cabin,” Val said. “Pump house for water. Good stove. With the right supplies, you could live up there for a while, especially if you had a snowmobile.”
Sully frowned. “And how do you know it was Josh who took those snowmobiles from his old boss? There’s no evidence—”
“I know,” Robin said quietly. “I’m… pretty positive it was him.”
Sully raised his eyebrows. “Because…?”
Val said, “Who else could have taken them?”
“Literally anyone else who knew they were there,” Sully said. “Did West say he suspected Josh?”
Semi-Psychic Life: Glimmer Lake Book Two Page 14