Margin of Error (Fog Lake Suspense Book 2)

by Christy Barritt

  He let out an airy chuckle. “I stand corrected then. Would you like some wings and pool at my place tonight?”

  “That sounds like a great distraction from everything else—although I’ll pass on the wings.”

  “Then let’s go. But first, we’ll pick up your SUV and drop it by your place. Sound good?”

  She nodded. “It does.”

  For a moment, everything felt normal. But Boone knew deep down inside that this was far from being over and far from being normal.

  Brynlee fixed herself a glass of ice water. She’d had fun downstairs playing pool and darts, but now she wanted a moment of quiet. She’d escaped upstairs under the guise of getting a drink.

  Her cheeks heated every time she remembered just how close Boone had been to overhearing details of her phone call. She wasn’t ready for him to know all the details of her visit yet. She wasn’t sure he’d understand. In fact, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t understand.

  “Hey, you must be Brynlee,” someone said behind her.

  She turned from putting some ice in a glass and saw a pretty brunette with long curly hair standing at the breakfast bar and staring at her.

  “I am,” Brynlee said.

  The woman extended her hand and flashed a smile. “I’m Harper, Luke’s wife. Luke, the sheriff. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you also.” Brynlee wiped her hands, getting the cold bits of ice off before shaking Harper’s hand. The smell of spicy wings drifted from downstairs as well as a catchy country tune. The crowd at Boone’s place was fun-loving and relaxed—just the kind of people she’d expected Boone to hang out with.

  She’d met Boone’s best friend, Abe. Another friend named Fowler. Ansley had stopped by for a bit, her “flavor of the month,” as Boone had called him, in tow. Chigger was also there.

  Harper leaned on the bar, a warm smile on her face. “So, what brings you this way? I’m also an outsider. I came here to Fog Lake about six months ago under some pretty extraordinary circumstances.”

  “My dad always talked about how beautiful Dead Man’s Bluff was. Before he died a few months ago, I made a promise to him that I’d come here, see what the fuss was all about, and spread part of his ashes there.” The words rolled off her tongue so easily. . . they were true but . . . it wasn’t as simple as Brynlee made it sound.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, but that sounds wonderful that you’re able to still connect with your father like that.”

  “I hope so. I feel like it will bring some closure, I suppose.”

  Harper turned slightly and leaned closer. “So you hired Boone?”

  “I did. I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a mistake or not.”

  Harper smiled. “I just adore Boone. He’s a good guy.”

  “Yeah, he proved that today.” The man had done everything in his power to protect her. He’d shown little fear and more skill than she’d assumed he had.

  Then again, his brother had said he’d been an Army Ranger. She shouldn’t be surprised.

  “I heard about what happened at the shop.” Harper shuddered. “I’m sorry about what you’ve been through since you’ve been here. It’s not always like that in Fog Lake.”

  “It’s been unexpected, to say the least.” At the most, Brynlee knew she’d find resistance. But she never thought she’d fear for her life like this.

  “Well, you’re here tonight. So I say you try to relax and have a good time. Sometimes, that can be the best medicine.”

  “I agree. So how about a game of pool?”

  “You’re on.”

  But before they stepped down into the basement, Boone emerged with a big smile on his face. “Guess what?”

  “What?” Harper asked.

  “Luke just called. Jason Sawyer was able to track the bear prints from around the scene of the crime. They caught the bear they think is responsible for killing those men. They tranquilized him and will be doing some tests. They said he’s about thirty pounds underweight, which would give him a reason to attack. It looks like we might be able to rest easier.”

  “But Boone . . .” Brynlee hated to be a killjoy. “That wasn’t a bear in your store earlier. You and I both know that.”

  He didn’t look deterred. “No, it wasn’t a bear. I think it was someone who heard your story and wanted to use that as an excuse to come into my place.”

  “Why would someone do that?” Boone wasn’t making sense. Not to Brynlee, at least.

  “There are people in this town who want my store to close. And what better way to make that happen than by staging something like that.”

  “Are you talking about Todd?” Harper asked.

  “You know that man has it out for me.”

  “You think he’d take it this far?”

  “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  Brynlee still wasn’t sure exactly what Boone was implying. But it seemed clear that he thought these were two separate incidents. There had been the murders in the woods. And then the event at his store.

  Then what about the claw marks on her car? Outside her chalet door? How were they to be explained?

  Brynlee wanted to smile. Wanted to be happy. She really did.

  But that creature she’d seen hadn’t been a bear . . . and she didn’t care what anyone said.

  19

  Finish her.

  No, there are better ways. Legal ways. Less violent ways.

  But the ways of the past—those laws—are much more effective. They were less about grace and more about swift punishment. People don’t forget being punished. They are less likely to do the crimes again—much like a child being beaten with a switch.

  But all those people who died . . . at his hands . . . they haunted him. Their images stabbed at his thoughts when he tried to rest.

  He clenched his hands. Unclenched them.

  Despite the war raging inside him, his hunger remained.

  Hunger for blood. For justice.

  That woman should not think she could come into town and change everything about their way of life here at Fog Lake. The arrogance caused bile to rise in him.

  They needed to protect this area.

  He needed to protect this area.

  His fingers rubbed the bark of the tree again. How he loved bark.

  Most people didn’t understand bark’s purpose. It protected the trees from predators.

  He thought of himself like a tree. He blended in. He was hardly noticed. Yet he was essential to the area, whether people ever acknowledged him or not.

  And, like bark protected a tree, he protected this town.

  He watched the house. Watched the chalet where she stayed.

  It was dark now, but she would be returning soon.

  Until then, he would wait.

  The growl started inside him again. The one that sounded deep in his gut. The one no one could hear but him.

  At first, at least.

  But when he unleashed the beast, no one could deny it.

  And that beast was clawing to get out. Clawing for escape. Clawing to eliminate the ones who’d invaded his land.

  Soon, he told himself. Soon.

  20

  Boone was smiling still as he led Brynlee back to his truck. All his friends had left, and the night had been fun. It had been good to unwind and forget about his problems for a moment.

  The most surprising thing tonight had been Brynlee. Though she’d seemed so scared since they’d met, this evening he’d seen a different side of her. She smiled, laughed, had fun.

  And she was a really good pool player. She’d even beaten him once.

  There was something about her that made it hard for Boone to take his eyes off her. It wasn’t that he was attracted to her—nor was it that he wasn’t attracted to her. However, that wasn’t what this was about. Brynlee just had a way about her that made him curious.

  There was more to Brynlee than she let on. Boone wanted to know what that was.

  The
n again, he had some secrets of his own. Maybe some things were best left as a mystery.

  “Thanks for including me tonight,” Brynlee said, once they climbed in his truck.

  “Thanks for being a good sport and tagging along with me today.” She’d been surprisingly pleasant company.

  “I know the arrangement has been unusual and unplanned.”

  His mind wandered to how this evening had played out. He was left with only one question. “How’d you get so good at pool? You don’t strike me as the type.”

  Brynlee shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “My mom spent a lot of time on the road, playing and singing at some seedy places. When she was doing warmups, I would play pool, trying to pass time to entertain myself.”

  Boone let out a grunt. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. “Really? I guess you can never make assumptions. I would have never guessed that.”

  “You thought I grew up rich?” Brynlee stared at him, as if watching his reaction.

  He shrugged before apologetically saying, “You do have that vibe.”

  “I worked for my money. Like I said, my mom tried to make it on the music scene. I grew up following her from venue to venue. Usually they were small. Bars. Coffee houses. Little festivals.”

  A new picture of Brynlee began to form in his mind. “Did she ever make it big time?”

  “No, but she never stopped trying. In fact, she died four years ago in a car accident while on the road traveling.”

  Hearing that only confirmed to Boone that Brynlee was navigating life alone. The thought gripped him in ways it shouldn’t. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Boone’s thoughts continued to wander as they headed down the road. “And you also lost your father?”

  “I did. But . . . well, it’s a long story. I didn’t actually know him until about a year ago. My mom kept me from him. He actually did a DNA test, and that’s how he found me.”

  Her life sounded like it needed its own TV movie. “Sounds like a fascinating story.”

  A sad smile stretched across her lips. “Maybe I’ll tell you more sometime.”

  “I’d like that.” And he would. He wanted to know more about this woman. About how she got to the point where she was today.

  It only took a few minutes to reach her chalet. Though Luke had said they’d captured the supposed bear behind the attacks, Boone still surveyed the area around them as he escorted Brynlee inside. Until Boone knew something for sure, he’d be on guard.

  Inside, Boone checked the house. It was clear.

  Brynlee turned toward him. “Look, I know it’s late, but I’m wired, for some reason. Would you like some tea? I’ve got some fruity flavors without caffeine.”

  He wasn’t much of a tea person. “I think I’m good.”

  She frowned and started to say something.

  “—but I’ll sit with you if you’d like some,” he finished.

  She closed her mouth and smiled. “Okay. Thanks. I’d like the company. Do you think we could sit on the balcony upstairs? It’s enclosed, so we should be safe. And it would be nice to get some fresh air.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  A few minutes later, they had blankets. Brynlee had a mug of tea. And they sat on some chunky chairs, watching the moon as it hung over Fog Lake. True to form, the fog blanketed the water, giving everything an eerie feel.

  Boone sucked in a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the moment. This was his kind of relaxation. The only way nature was better enjoyed was when he camped in the woods and sat around a bonfire chatting with his friends. He’d always believed the simple things in life brought the most pleasure.

  Brynlee shifted toward him, that twinkle back in her eyes. “So, you actually did protect me earlier.”

  “What kind of man do you think I am?” He offered mock offense, a hand going over his heart.

  She shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t sure. I had some doubts.”

  His smile slipped. “I’m sorry if I gave you a hard time.”

  “No, it’s okay. It really is. I just . . . well, I’ve been on my own for so long that I’m not used to depending on other people.”

  “Is that why you started up that trail by yourself?”

  “Maybe . . . I mean, I thought my boyfriend was going to come with me.” She frowned, looking embarrassed for bringing it up.

  His eyes widened at her revelation. “Your boyfriend?”

  “He’s an ex-boyfriend since I caught him with my best friend.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yeah, ouch.”

  “That really stinks.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  A few minutes of silence passed. And then Boone cleared his throat. A thought had weighed heavy on his mind. He knew he didn’t owe Brynlee anything. But he wouldn’t be able to sleep unless he shared something with her.

  “Listen, Brynlee, here’s something you should know,” he started, already regretting this conversation. But what kind of man would he be if he didn’t tell her?

  She turned toward him, curiosity glistening in her eyes. “What’s that?”

  He swallowed hard before blurting, “I’m responsible for Katherine’s death, just like Nancy told you.”

  Brynlee felt everything go still around her. “What are you talking about?”

  “Katherine was my wife,” Boone finally said. The features of his face seemed to pull downward with grief and sadness.

  Brynlee’s breath caught. Was his wife. What did that mean? Was Katherine the woman in the picture in his office?

  “Your wife?” Brynlee’s voice came out scratchy. “I’m sorry to hear that. But . . . I don’t understand.”

  “Katherine and I started to date in high school. She was the love of my life. But her family made me promise she would go to college and get a degree before we got married. I honored that. Meanwhile, I joined the army. Made it to special forces even.”

  “That’s a huge accomplishment.”

  “As soon as Katherine graduated, I proposed. I’d fulfilled my promise to her parents.”

  “It’s good that you kept your word.”

  The muscles at his neck looked strained as he continued. “Her family never really liked me.”

  “I find that hard to believe.” Brynlee’s voice teetered between sincerity and teasing.

  Boone raised an eyebrow. “But do you?”

  “No, I really do. I mean, you can be infuriating. Totally and completely infuriating, for that matter. But you also have a way with people.”

  “Thanks . . . I think. But Katherine’s family is one of the more affluent families here in town. My dad was the sheriff and . . . well, being the sheriff, sometimes you make enemies.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Despite that, Katherine and I were in love. She’d taken a job here as a physical trainer and had opened a gym. She loved anything to do with exercise and adventure.”

  “Sounds like you were perfect together.”

  “Yeah, I thought so.” His voice dipped again with sadness. “We got married six months later in a simple ceremony.”

  Brynlee held her breath, sensing there was a big change coming to his story.

  “For our honeymoon, all she wanted to do was hike up to Dead Man’s Bluff. It was her absolute favorite hike. The views up there . . . I mean, they’re amazing. If you ask me, they rival Clingman’s Dome.”

  Brynlee’s heart stuttered in her chest as more pieces began to click in place.

  “When we got close to the top, Kat decided she wanted to race. She was going to go one way, and I was supposed to go the other, and we were going to see who got to the top first. It was just the way she was. Always competitive and always wanting to push herself.” His voice trailed with wistfulness.

  “You don’t have to finish if you don’t want to.” Brynlee pulled the blanket around her, suddenly chilly.

  “No, it’s okay. I don’t talk about this . . . well, hardly ever.
But I want to finish.” He swallowed hard, all his features tight. “I went to the top. And I was feeling victorious because I beat her. I wandered down the trail to see how far away she was, and I saw her.” Boone’s voice caught.

  Brynlee laid her hand on his arm, feeling her heart fill with compassion. She wanted to tell Boone not to finish . . . but he’d already made it clear that he wanted to. Instead, she remained quiet and let him gather his thoughts.

  “She was at the bottom of the cliff. Her climbing equipment had malfunctioned. Before I even got to her, I knew she was dead.” His voice caught, and he stared straight ahead, looking stoic as he recounted the tragedy.

  “I’m so sorry, Boone.”

  “When her family says it was my fault, it’s true. I should have double-checked her equipment. I should have insisted that we stick together. I should have . . . done a million things differently. And I would have. If I’d known.”

  “I think we can all say that about certain times in our lives.”

  “Her family has blamed me since then. At times, they’ve actually accused me of doing something to her purposefully. They even took me to court in a civil case.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “They needed someone to blame, and grief can do strange things to people.”

  “I can’t argue that.”

  Brynlee’s half-brothers had certainly been abrasive after her dad had died. They’d done everything they could to let Brynlee know she wasn’t a part of their family. Brynlee was used to being alone, though. As much as she might like the idea of having brothers, it wasn’t worth it to fight for a relationship with them.

  But there had to be more to Boone’s story. “Why would her family accuse you of that, though? I mean, what could they possibly think your motive was?”

  “Quite simply? Money. That’s what they ascertained, at least. The truth is, money has never been all that important to me. I just want enough to live on.”

  Brynlee studied him a moment. “You need money right now for your store, don’t you?”

  “I’m not going to kill someone to get it, if that’s what you’re asking.”