“Eagles too,” Landorf said, pointing to the tall crags. “I bet there are nests up there.”
Kade gazed at the terrain. “This is near where the new mining operation is scheduled to begin. Cubs won’t have a chance when that gets underway come spring.”
“Don’t remind me. The eagles and our other birds will have problems, too, with the pollution.”
Kade glanced around at the trees glistening with ice and snow. “Let’s get up this cliff and see what we find.”
He kicked snow over the remains of the rabbit, then started toward the path. Landorf followed close behind. They’d only moved ten feet or so when a movement caught his eye from above. He squinted against the glare of sunshine on snow. A guy in a black puffy coat and a red ski mask stood atop the promontory. It took a second for the guy’s attire to hit Kade’s awareness. The guy who tried to grab Dave was dressed like that.
“Hey!” Kade yelled. “I want to talk to you.” Too late he realized he should have tempered his tone.
The man leaped away from the edge, but Kade knew this forest. The only way up or down from there was via a long trail on the north side of the rock face. He ran for the trail.
“What’s going on?” Landorf shouted.
“It’s that guy—the one who tried to grab my son!” This man had tried to hurt their boy, and Kade wanted to put an end to the danger. The trail up Kitchigami Crag was just ahead. He spared a glance up the path to the top. No one there.
Kade huffed from the ten pounds he’d gained over the winter and paused to catch his breath. He reached the base of the narrow trail. Where was the guy? Kade expected to see him come hurtling down the icy path any minute. He glanced back the way he’d come and saw Landorf following him. When he saw he had Kade’s attention, Landorf waved him back.
Kade wanted to ignore the summons, but he retreated five feet. It wasn’t like the guy could get away. There was no way off that ledge unless the man had wings.
Landorf glanced at his watch. “Are you sure it was the same man? We’ve got that meeting in an hour.”
“This’ll only take a minute.” Kade turned and stared up the deserted path. Could the guy have reached the bottom of the trail on foot before Kade got there? It didn’t seem possible. He walked along the base of the cliff. No way down these jagged rocks. Something blue caught his gaze over the sheerest rock face. He stepped closer and saw a rappelling rope dangling from tree roots from above.
“Well, I’ll be,” he said. The guy must know this area well. “He was here.” Kade pointed to the rope. “He escaped that way.”
Landorf frowned. “Maybe he was just out here climbing. He scaled the rock face, then went back down.”
Landorf might be right, but Kade’s gut said otherwise. If the guy were out on an innocent rock climb, he would have waited to talk. And his clothing alone raised Kade’s suspicions.
Landorf checked his watch again, then jerked his head back toward the trail. “Let’s go.”
Kade followed Landorf to the snowmobiles. The men got on their sleds and headed back to headquarters. As they neared the trail that ran beside the highway, Kade glanced to his right. There was the black truck, and a man at the wheel. Unable to let Landorf know, Kade followed his gut. He veered into the road and blocked the truck’s path.
From what Kade could see, the man’s eyes behind the windshield widened. He stepped on the brakes, and the truck fishtailed on the snow-covered pavement. Kade tensed as the truck veered closer. It was stupid to sit here where he might be struck, but if he got out of the way, the man would flee. Kade held his breath.
The sun glinted off the windshield and obscured the man’s face. Kade could smell the hot vapors off the truck engine. Then the truck rocketed toward the ditch. Everything moved in slow motion. The studded tires spit up gravel, and the bumper plowed through the high drifts of dirty snow before coming to a stop with steam spilling from under the hood.
The guy jumped out. “Are you crazy?” he demanded.
Kade looked him over. Black hair. Brown eyes. It was a different guy. He was so in trouble.
Davy was gone for a visit with Anu. Though Bree knew Anu would watch the boy closely, she was nervous about being away from him. The baby had cried most of the morning, and Bree couldn’t find a cause. She got the infant settled down, then saw Mason’s SUV stop outside. She met him at the door. “Come on in,” she asked, stepping aside to let him into the warm lighthouse. “I’ve got fresh coffee.”
“I’ll take some.” He patted Samson on the head, then followed her to the kitchen, where she poured him a cup, then to the living room, where he dropped onto the sofa in front of the fire.
“Any news about the murders? Or about the baby’s parents?” she asked, unable to stand the suspense. Before he answered, she heard the front door open and Jenna’s voice call out.
The young woman entered the living room. She dropped onto the sofa beside Mason. “I hope you’re here looking for me. Are you releasing Victor?”
Mason shook his head. “I’m afraid not. We’ve found evidence tying him to the Westola scene too.”
“It was murder?” Bree asked. “You got the results back from the autopsy?”
“It was inconclusive,” the sheriff said.
“What evidence?” Jenna demanded. “I know he’s innocent.”
“One of his puzzles was at the Westola scene,” Mason said. “And we found his tennis-shoe tracks near the body.”
Jenna sank back against the sofa. Her lips trembled.
The baby began to fuss. Her cries grew more powerful as Bree tried to comfort her. Samson whined and danced around her. “The baby is proof Pia’s death wasn’t an accident. If there was no danger, Pia wouldn’t have hidden her,” Bree said. The baby found her thumb and settled down again. Samson lay on the floor watching.
Mason pressed his lips together, then gave a reluctant nod. “I agree. What I’m saying is the coroner found no sign of foul play. Pia could have fallen on that jagged limb. But there were bigger footprints around her body. It looks suspicious.”
Bree winced at the reminder. She jiggled the infant up and down. “So what’s next?” Bree asked.
“I’m keeping the investigation open-ended as to the cause of death. I’ll investigate it like a murder.” Mason glanced at the baby. “CPS been here?”
Bree nodded. “I jumped through their hoops so I have her for now. I’m going to call her Olivia since I found her under an olive tree.” But she wasn’t about to tell them the idea to adopt the baby had already sprouted. She could only hope and pray Kade had the same idea.
“I’d like to get a copy of all the sudokus Victor has given out,” she said.
Mason put down his coffee cup. “What good will that do?”
“Don’t you want her to clear my brother?” Jenna burst out.
Mason glanced at her, then back to Bree with a question in his eyes.
“I want to compare them with the copy I found in Olivia’s backpack,” Bree said. “I think Victor is trying to tell us something.”
Mason shrugged. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number. “Margaret, would you fax a copy of the sudoku evidence we have on the Pelton and Hawkins cases to Bree Matthews?” He talked to the clerk a few more moments, then put his phone away. “She’s faxing it over. Don’t investigate anything without me.”
“I won’t. I just want to do some research online.” She glanced at the baby. “What about Olivia?”
“No reports of missing babies other than the two from the res. But I did find something interesting. A pregnant woman over in Ontonagon has disappeared. Ellie Bristol.”
“Disappeared? Do you know if she delivered? Or when she was due?”
“She was due about two weeks ago and disappeared about that time. Her mother reported her missing when she didn’t come home from a doctor’s visit.”
Bree glanced again at the baby. “Do you have a photo of her?”
“Yeah. Stop by the office.”<
br />
“Wa-was she blonde?” Bree hoped he’d say she was swarthy with black hair, and the realization that she really didn’t want to have to hand over the baby shocked her.
“Light brown hair, blue eyes. About twenty-five.”
“Have you talked with her mother?”
Mason nodded. “The mom says she was giving the baby up for adoption, but she doesn’t know who was making the arrangements. It was a private adoption.”
“Sounds fishy to me. Wouldn’t a mother know what her daughter was doing?”
“I wondered about that,” Mason said. “I ran a check on Mrs. Bristol, but she came up clean. When I talked to her, she said her daughter wasn’t one to confide in her.”
“What if we take Olivia over and see if she’ll tell us anything more?”
“That’s really why I came by,” Mason said. He glanced at the clock over the mantel. “There’s enough time to run down to Ontonagon and still be back by suppertime. You game?”
“Of course, but I’d like to run by Anu’s and just make sure everything is okay.”
“No problem. I talked to my deputy an hour ago. He’s keeping an eye on the store. Everything’s quiet.”
“I’d just feel better if I checked.”
He nodded and rose. “We go right by there anyway.”
“I think I’ll stay here,” Jenna said. “It’s cozy by the fire. And Kade will be home in an hour.”
Bree disliked the self-satisfied expression on the young woman’s face. She wanted to ask how she knew Kade’s schedule, but she didn’t want to sound like a jealous shrew—though she could feel her claws starting to come out. She nodded and said nothing.
Mason stopped in town long enough for her to run in and check on Davy. He didn’t see her as he munched on some of his grandmother’s famous pulla. Her worry eased, Bree hurried back to Mason’s SUV. Olivia’s cries were escalating when she reached the vehicle. Samson barked when she got in the back with the baby. She popped a bottle into Olivia’s mouth.
Neither she nor Mason had much to say on the drive. He turned into a mobile home park, then stopped in front of a dented home that looked at least twenty years old. The steps to the front door sagged, and one shutter on the front window hung by one screw.
Bree unclasped the belt and retrieved Olivia’s carrier. The baby had fallen asleep. Samson leaped out to follow her to the mobile home.
Mason led the way to the door. “Careful,” he said, pointing to a broken board on the step.
She avoided the weak spot and tried to shield the baby as much as possible from the wind. Mason’s knock was answered almost immediately by a woman in her forties. A rubber band held back dull brown hair streaked with gray. She wore jeans and a plaid shirt, wrinkled so badly she must have slept in it.
Her gaze locked on Mason’s face. “You’ve found Ellie?”
“No, Mrs. Bristol, I’m sorry.” He introduced Bree and Samson, but her gaze dismissed them.
Until Olivia made a squawk. “Is that a baby?” She stepped away from the door. “Come in.”
Bree followed Mason inside. The interior was neat with a threadbare brown carpet and worn sofa. Photos of a young woman decorated the coffee table. The tousled brown hair and bright smile brought a lump to Bree’s throat. “Is this Ellie?” she asked.
“Yes. She’s my only child. Raised her on my own when her daddy decided he wasn’t cut out to be a father. She’s always been a good girl. It was the biggest shock of my life when she got into trouble.” Samson nosed at her hand, and she rubbed his ears, her shoulders relaxing. “Nice dog you’ve got here.”
“Yes, he is.” Samson had that way with people. Bree hoped he brought some comfort to the woman. Uncovering the carrier, Bree lifted Olivia in her arms, waking her. “This baby was found in the woods. We’ve had no success in finding her family. I wondered if she might be Ellie’s baby.”
Mrs. Bristol came closer, then knelt by Olivia. She stared at the baby. Olivia’s blue eyes locked on to the woman’s face. Mrs. Bristol touched her hair. The reserved expression on her face vanished. “She doesn’t look like Ellie.” Her voice held doubt. “She’s got light hair and blue eyes. Ellie had greenish-blue eyes. But it’s possible she’s Ellie’s. I wouldn’t want to say it’s impossible.” But her voice held doubt.
“I’d like to get a DNA sample,” Mason said. “Maybe some hair from Ellie’s hairbrush.”
Mrs. Bristol scowled. “If you’re planning on foisting her off on me, don’t go there. I barely have enough money to feed myself, let alone a baby. I don’t have the energy to care for a baby anymore. My job at the diner takes all my time. When Ellie told me she was pregnant, I told her in no uncertain terms how it would have to be.”
“So Ellie was okay with that decision?” Bree asked. She watched the woman wind her arm around Samson’s neck.
“She wanted to go to college, and I had no money to send her. When she found out the adoptive parents would give her so much money, it seemed they were heaven-sent.”
Bree nearly gasped. “You-you mean she sold her baby?”
The woman’s relaxed manner vanished. She dropped her hand from Samson and straightened. “It wasn’t like that. The people are well-off and wanted to show their gratitude to Ellie by paying for her college and living expenses.”
“How much money did they pay her?” Bree didn’t think the woman would say.
Mrs. Bristol’s gaze darted from Bree to Mason. She bit her lip. “I have to say, don’t I? It was forty thousand dollars.”
“Did she get the money before the baby was born?”
“Part of it. Twenty thousand, I think. Some guy brought it over. He was a bit off. All he wanted to do was talk about sudoku.”
Bree’s gaze locked with Mason’s. Victor.
“How did she hear about this couple?” Mason asked.
“A woman in Rock Harbor. Older woman with dyed red hair. She drove a bright yellow convertible.”
Could she be talking about Florence Hawkins? Bree struggled to make sense of it all. Was fun, helpful Florence involved in some kind of black market adoptions? Could this be at the root of her death?
10
ROCK HARBOR BUSTLED WITH ACTIVITY ON THIS SUNNY Saturday morning. The winter festival was the highlight of the cold months. It marked the halfway point until spring vegetation would come bursting through last year’s dead leaves. Bree didn’t mind winter though. There was always something to do, and frozen Lake Superior was otherworldly.
Davy kept looking in the bed of the truck behind them. “I’ve got the best outhouse ever, Mom. Me and Timmy are going to win.” He leaned over and spoke to the baby. “Are you going to root for me, Olivia?”
“I’m sure you’ll win,” Bree said, glancing into the backseat of the truck at her son and Olivia.
Kade had the outhouse strapped down to the bed. The skis they’d mounted it on used to be her favorite cross-country skis, but Kade had promised her a new pair. They’d painted it a bright red. Across the top of the door in blue paint, Davy had written MATTHEWS PRIDE. Samson rode in the back beside it and wore a smug expression.
Kade’s adoption of Dave wasn’t final yet, but the boy couldn’t wait to announce to the world that his name was Dave Matthews and had been calling himself by that name since school started.
Olivia fussed a bit, but the infant’s eyes were still closed. Davy guided her hand to her mouth, and she settled her fist there and quieted. Davy’s grin held triumph.
“You’re really good with her,” Bree said.
“She’s cool,” Davy said, watching her.
Kade parked by the open snowy field where other children gathered with their families. Bree saw outhouses painted every shade of the rainbow lining up along Main Street, which was closed to through traffic today. One particularly handsome one boasted a black-and-white checkerboard design.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” Davy chanted, bouncing up and down on the seat.
“Hold your horses,” Kade said, l
aughing. He pulled up his collar and jerked the flaps on his hat down over his ears and got out, then unlatched the back door. Davy leaped from the truck and ran around the back.
Bree climbed into the back, then tucked the cover around Olivia and climbed out with the infant. She recognized Kade’s boss, Gary Landorf, who wore a judge’s badge. He’d gone a little grayer since the last time she’d seen him.
Gary noticed her and moved in her direction. Kade stiffened at his boss’s approach, and Bree glanced up at him, but he said nothing.
“I might as well check you in,” Gary said. “The outhouse meets all the specs?”
“Yes,” Kade said. “Made only of wood and cardboard.” He lowered the tailgate, then leaped into the back of the truck, where he opened the outhouse door. “Got a toilet seat and a roll of toilet paper inside.”
Gary lifted the seat and grinned when a jack-in-the-box dog popped up. He marked a couple of ticks on the paper he carried on a clipboard. “Best of luck to you,” he said, touching Davy’s hair before moving on to the next entrant.
Kade scooted the outhouse to the edge of the tailgate, then leaped to the snowy ground. “I’d better wait until Donovan gets here to help get it out,” he said.
Davy began to wave. “There they are!” He ran through the crowd to Naomi and Donovan, who were approaching with the children.
“Everything okay at work?” Bree asked quickly before the O’Reilly family could reach them.
“Just the usual,” Kade said, not looking at her.
She frowned, but there was no time for more probing, because their friends had reached the truck. Timmy’s face was flushed with excitement. So was Emily’s. Even their toddler in Naomi’s arms was looking around wide-eyed and smiling. Bree smiled at Matthew, and he ducked his head into his mother’s neck.
“Let’s get this bad boy down,” Donovan said. His color was high too, and his blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
Samson jumped out of the way and came to stand beside Bree. Bree and Naomi exchanged amused glances as their husbands hauled the outhouse to the starting line. “They’re more excited than the boys,” Bree said.
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