Twilight at Blueberry Barrens

by Colleen Coble

  Much affection,

  Your Kate

  Your Kate. His pulse jumped at the warm greeting. He’d hoped his gifts would win her over, but that she would reciprocate his feelings was almost too much to take in. He folded up the note and the envelope and stuck them in his back pocket. Of course he was going to meet her, though the thought of revealing his identity to her terrified him. What if she didn’t like his type? Every woman had a “type,” and he hadn’t had much luck in the romance department. He’d tried to get up the courage to ask her out ever since she got well, but she’d been obsessed with her sister. He’d have to put a stop to that.

  Surely she wouldn’t reject him when she’d gone to so much trouble to reach out to him. She was lonely too. Her mom and uncle were in jail, and all she had was her sister. She probably looked at Claire and wished she had a happy home too. He could give that to her. They didn’t need anyone but each other. He hadn’t wanted to kill the last one, but he’d been afraid she’d seen his face in the hotel room.

  Maybe he would finally have a place to be on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Somewhere other than at his mom’s place filled with smoke and coarse jokes. Someplace he felt wanted and welcome. He could just picture Kate bustling around the kitchen preparing a turkey and pumpkin pie just for him. The happy thought was nearly overwhelming.

  Then his smile faded. This was a little too pat, wasn’t it? Could it be a trap?

  He sneaked another look around the end of the house. The coast was still clear, though he longed to just walk right up the road and knock on the door. He could hold up the envelope and tell her he got her note and didn’t want to wait until tonight. Then if it was a trap, he would have foiled it.

  But no, he had a job to do today, and so did she. He could get the picture he took of her beside a puffin nest. Even if she was trying to trick him, he could win her over. He could frame it to match the black frames on her walls, and she’d squeal with delight. Maybe she’d throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. His face warmed at the thought until saner thoughts prevailed. He needed to be on his guard.

  The sun was fully up by the time he skirted the edge of the woods and made it to his car. He stashed the note and envelope in his glove box, then turned on his car and pulled out onto the road.

  Just in case this wasn’t all it seemed, he needed to be prepared.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  I don’t like this.” Ever since the envelope had been taken first thing this morning, Drake felt like he had to do something—anything—to prevent what was about to take place. But the time had come, in spite of everything he’d done to try to talk Kate out of the rendezvous.

  He followed her out to her yellow Volkswagen. “At least let me come with you. Or even take Jackson with you. You could stop by Dixie’s and get him.”

  She’d changed into slim-fitting jeans with a long-sleeved top. It was almost as if she was dressing for a date with the man, for Pete’s sake. He gritted his teeth and fought down the words that wanted to burst out.

  She opened the car door. “He might be watching, Drake. You can go with Jonas and hide out to watch. He’s in charge of the operation anyway, and he’ll know where he wants you positioned. I don’t want Jackson to interrupt anything, nor do I want him to get hurt.”

  The tight-lipped deputy had stopped by with instructions from the sheriff two hours ago. What if it all went wrong?

  She stood on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “Did you check on the girls?”

  “Yeah, they’re fine. Dixie has them with her at the hotel room. They’ll be safe there. The sheriff has a deputy in the lobby watching too.”

  She slid into the seat with the door still open, and he leaned on it. “I’m going to be fine, Drake. Shut my door, and let’s get this over with. The sooner I get out there, the sooner he’ll be in custody.”

  “I know.” He squatted beside the car. “Be careful, Kate. Trust your instincts. If something alarms you, run. Right then. Don’t wait for the sheriff or Jonas to rush in. Okay?”

  Her blue eyes twinkled. “I love it when you’re so protective. Did you call the UPS office to see what happened to your package?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll worry about it tomorrow when I know we have this guy.” With reluctance he stood and shut the door.

  As her car pulled away, he pulled out his cell phone to contact Jonas, but before he could call the number, he saw the deputy’s truck pass Kate’s.

  Jonas waved at Kate, then accelerated to the driveway. He ran his window down. “Let’s get going.”

  Drake hopped in the passenger side and fastened his seat belt. “Everything in place?”

  “Yep, we’re all ready.” His tone was grim.

  “Are you worried at all?” Drake pulled out his phone and glanced at it in case Kate had texted him, but the screen was blank.

  “Nope. I’ve got this under control.”

  Drake wanted to tell him to notify his face. The deputy was strung as tight as trout line. “Everyone else in place?”

  “Everything is ready.” The deputy turned the truck onto a narrow road that led out to Mermaid Point.

  Drake shut up and turned his face to the window. He hadn’t been out this way before, and the vegetation was thick enough to blot out the late-afternoon sun. The road was rocky and filled with potholes. This place felt very separated from the rest of Folly Shoals. He wished they’d set it up earlier. Seven o’clock felt like a long way away, though it was already six. They were going early to get things in place, and he wished he could fast-forward to when this was all over and Kate was safely beside him again. He didn’t like to think about her being out there alone and waiting for a nutcase.

  The truck rolled to a slow crawl, then the deputy whipped the steering wheel and turned into a tiny opening in the trees, a spot Drake would have missed. The bushes scraped the side of the truck, and the opening widened to a small clearing that would be completely hidden from the road. Tall cedar and birch trees blocked out the sun, and the grass was matted down as if other vehicles had parked here. The deputy had probably checked this out earlier today, and the thought calmed Drake.

  Drake tried to see the ocean through the trees. “Are we close?”

  “Yeah, the Point is just around the curve up there. I don’t want my truck to be spotted. I’m going to put you where you can see the shoreline. There’s also steps cut into the side of the cliff so you can get down there fast if you have to. Come on.” Kissner opened his door and got out. He reached back inside and plucked an extra magazine for his gun from the floor under his seat.

  “You think you’ll need that?”

  Kissner shrugged. “I plan to be prepared for anything.” He put the magazine in his pocket.

  Drake climbed out and shut his door quietly, then followed the deputy along a trail that was barely there. Bugs swarmed his face, and he swatted them away. He was perspiring by the time they fought their way through the vegetation to where it all opened up and he could see blue water.

  The breeze on his face was sweet relief, and he spotted a boat in the distance. “Is that Luke’s Coast Guard cutter?”

  “Yeah, it should be.” Kissner pointed to a spot near the edge of the cliff. “You should have a perfect view right there.”

  Drake walked over to the side and peered over. The water was right below him instead of the rocky beach he expected. “Where’s the shore?”

  “The tide is going out. You’ll see it shortly.”

  Before Drake could answer, he felt a hard shove in his back. He tried to recover his footing, but he was too close to the edge, and he went sailing off the cliff. His arms pinwheeled and his chest squeezed. He was falling to the waves below. Kate!

  * * *

  The package looked innocuous enough, and he wondered what was in it. He’d been lucky to grab it off the porch as soon as the delivery guy left.

  He drove along the island coastal road to a remote spot overlooking the water and parked in a pull-off.
Once he tossed this box, it was toast. The waves would batter it against the rocks, and there would be nothing left.

  He got out of his vehicle with the box in hand. It wasn’t that heavy, and his curiosity got the best of him. It would be destroyed out of the box more easily. He reached back inside his car and got a pocketknife out of the glove box, then slit the tape and opened the package. A bubble-wrapped object fell into his hand, and he unwrapped it. An external hard drive plopped onto the ground.

  Not surprising. Hard drives all across the world held the proof of many a crime. He’d been hoping for something more dramatic. He plucked it out of the dirt and started to fling it over the side, then paused. Why not keep it for insurance? He didn’t trust his boss one iota, and he’d never know if this had been destroyed or not.

  Grinning, he put the box and its packaging back inside his car, then strolled over to the edge of the cliff and looked out on the glistening water. It was going to be a beautiful night, but he wished he were back in Boston. Soon, though.

  He grabbed his laptop from the backseat, then fished out a USB cord and attached the hard drive to it. In half an hour he had the answer. His boss had been taking money under the table to help skew the investigation to frame Wang. Wang was guilty as sin of a lot of crimes, but not the crime he was charged with. His eyes widened at the amount of money that had traded palms. Ten million dollars. No wonder the boss was willing to part with so much money to clear this up.

  His smile faded as he considered again what he had to do. The plan he’d put into place was to send them all an invitation to a free puffin tour on a boat he’d hired. He’d planted a device at the fuel line, and it was easily detonated with the remote in his glove box. The boat owner was already instructed to call and tell them he’d drawn them to receive a free day out on the water. The plan should be foolproof. With Kate’s love of puffins, Newham wouldn’t deny her. The sister was sure to want to go along as well.

  His troubles would be over, and he’d be on his way back to Boston a whole lot richer. He might have enough to retire down in the Caribbean in a hopping little tourist town with plenty of beautiful women. It might be enough to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth about having to kill the kids. A shudder worked its way up his spine, and acid churned in his belly again. He hated it, but there was no getting out of it.

  He saw two figures across the Point as they approached the edge of the cliff. The sea foamed against the rocks below. A boat rode the waves, and he squinted to make out that it was a Coast Guard boat. Lots of activity for such a remote spot, but with any kind of luck, the Coast Guard would cruise on by. He grabbed his binoculars and turned his gaze back to the two men just in time to see one shove the other off the cliff. Was that Newham who’d just gone over? His mouth gaped as he watched the figure plummet and vanish into the pummeling waves.

  Holy cow, what had just happened? He had to find out.

  * * *

  The cool breeze off the ocean lifted the loose strands of hair on the back of Kate’s neck. She jumped at the rattle of pebbles behind her, but it was only a stray cat wandering down to take a look at her. She wished she could see Kevin’s house from here. It would make her feel safer. She hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of any law enforcement, but that was the way it should be. She didn’t want to scare off her stalker, but she was so ready for this to be over.

  Pebbles rolled under her sandals as she paced the shore, then checked the time on her phone. He was unlikely to be here for at least forty-five minutes unless he arrived early. She thought she heard a shout in the distance and whirled, but she saw only a splash across the bay. Probably a fish or a dolphin.

  She walked along the water’s edge and tried to calm herself with deep breaths. Should she get out her bear spray? It was a small can that she could easily hide in her hand. She dove her hand into her purse for it and slipped it into her palm.

  She saw a boat far out to sea heading for the opposite shore. Would it scare off her stalker? She wanted to wave off the vessel, but the captain would never see her from here. She turned and walked back toward the steps, but before she reached them, she heard shoes crunching on rocks behind her. Jonas was heading her way with a big grin. Her pulse responded with a happy leap.

  “You’ve caught him?”

  He nodded. “He’s in jail right now. It’s over. I let everyone know they could call off the surveillance. Let’s get out of here.”

  She felt light-headed. “I’m so glad it’s over!” The steep ascending steps were to her left, and she headed toward them. “Let’s go have some ice cream to celebrate. I’ll text Drake to bring the girls to join us. Claire and Luke too. It’s a happy day.”

  He slid her purse off her shoulder. “I’ll carry this for you.”

  “Thanks.” She started up the steps and glanced back to make sure he was behind her.

  She quickened her pace and wished she’d taken time to put away the bear spray. Not having both hands free impeded her speed in climbing the cliffside, but her spirits were as high as the sky overhead. She reached the top and glanced toward the forest. No deputies emerged from the trees to greet her, which seemed odd. Surely they hadn’t all managed to return to town.

  She paused to catch her breath and waited for Jonas to reach her. “I don’t see Kevin’s truck. Is he still hiding?”

  “I don’t think anyone is around.” Jonas spoke in a strangely flat tone as he continued to approach her.

  A tiny shudder made its way down her back. Something felt off here, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Tons of law enforcement should have been crawling all over these woods. There hadn’t been time to call them all off. At least she didn’t think so. And she didn’t like the intent way Jonas eyed her. Unless it was her imagination, an air of menace twisted his features.

  She tightened her fingers on the can of bear spray. “Where’s the sheriff?”

  He didn’t answer, and his hand drifted to his unsnapped holster.

  Run! The inner compulsion made her tremble. This was Jonas. Why should terror be washing up her neck like a rogue wave? To gain time, she turned and walked toward the forest.

  She glanced back over her shoulder. He was just three feet behind her and was starting to pull his gun from its holster. He’d shoot her in the back if she just tried to run, so she stopped and turned. She whipped the bear spray up, then shot a full blast into his face as he drew his gun.

  He screamed and dropped his gun on the ground. Profanities spewed from his mouth like vile sewage. Part of her wanted to see if he was okay, but this was her only chance to escape. She darted into the shadows of the forest and angled for the thickest part. She had hunted these woods with her uncle, but Jonas might know the area as well as she did, so she had to think about how to throw him off her trail.

  She paused and listened. It was all quiet except for the rasp of her breath and the chirping of birds overhead. When she looked at the ground, she saw she’d left a clear trail. If she backtracked in her steps a few feet, she’d be able to hop along a fallen tree to an area where pine needles might cloak her footsteps. But first she had to lead him in another direction.

  She ran forward fifteen feet, then marked a big tree with her feet as if she’d climbed in. Was he coming yet? She still heard nothing, so standing on tiptoes she reversed her steps by twenty feet and managed to get along the fallen log to the area she’d spied earlier. Still on her toes, she walked as lightly as she could over the needles, then grabbed a fallen tree branch and erased all trace of her passage until she reached a rocky cliffside. It would be a hard climb up, but she had to go this way if she wanted to avoid Jonas.

  Where were Drake and Luke? And the sheriff? How had Jonas gotten them out of the picture?

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Her chest tight, Claire peered over the side of the boat at the water churning onto the rocks. “Are you sure you saw someone fall? We need to get to town and help search for Kate.” She’d alternated between crying and wanting to scream ever
since Jonas had called to say the stalker had Kate. Everyone was meeting at the sheriff’s office to coordinate search efforts. According to Jonas, the guy seemed to have realized what was happening. He’d forced Kate off the road on her way to the rendezvous point and vanished with her.

  Claire should have done something to prevent this plan in the first place.

  Luke stood at the bow with binoculars while one of the other men steered the boat. “I saw a man fall from those cliffs, honey. We can’t just leave him out here to drown.” His arm went up. “There! I see him. Three feet to starboard.” He seized a life ring. “Oh, man.” He kicked off his shoes and dove overboard with the ring in his hand.

  Claire ran to the railing and searched for her husband’s head. He’d nearly reached the dark shape flailing in the water. With a few more strokes he was at the man’s side and had the ring around him.

  Luke’s arm came up. “Pull us in.” Helping hold the man’s head above water, he swam toward the boat.

  One of the crew members began to pull on the rope holding the life ring and the hapless victim in the water. It seemed like an eternity before the two men were floating near the ladder. Claire gasped when she recognized the pale face of the rescued man. “Drake?” She backed away to allow the men to assist Drake and Luke into the boat.

  Drake collapsed onto the deck. His skin was bluish, and his eyelids fluttered. Claire knelt beside him and touched his face. It was cold. Was he in shock? He’d probably been in the water about twenty minutes by the time Luke had pulled him out.

  Luke dripped cold water on her as he stood behind her. “Man, that was close. Someone grab a thermal blanket. Let’s get him warm. Hot coffee too.” He knelt beside Claire, his body emanating cold from the water. “I jumped in when I saw he was too far gone to try to grab the ring.” He tapped Drake’s cheeks, and the man’s eyelids fluttered again. “Wake up, Drake.” One of the crewmen brought a blanket, and Luke wrapped Drake in it, then held up his head to get some hot coffee down him. “Take a sip, buddy.”