by Connie Mann
He climbed into his official F-150 and headed to the Outpost, trying to make sense of their conversation. The Atwoods’ former campsite wasn’t far from where the body had been found. What was she hiding? And what, if anything, did it have to do with the Atwoods?
* * *
Delilah couldn’t believe she’d been dumb enough to show up at the café this morning. The stupid, girly part of her had hoped Josh would show up and smile and banter with her and everything would go back to normal between them, even as the logical part of her warned that spending another minute with him was something to avoid at all costs. But after a night spent tossing and turning on her too-thin mattress and nightmares featuring her brother, her father, guns, and Nate, she had to escape the turmoil of her own thoughts. If nothing else, she figured she could chat with Charlee or Liz and try to shake off the aftereffects of her near-sleepless night.
Clearly, that had been a mistake. She clenched her hands on the steering wheel and replayed her conversation with Josh. From the way he’d beelined it to her table, he’d been looking for her. But why? Was he worried about her, as he’d said? Or was there more to it? Had FWC already figured out who she was?
A chill raced over her skin despite the muggy air blasting through the open window. Would he have said anything?
In the midst of her frantic thoughts, a realization struck like lightning. Why was she running—still—like the scared little girl she used to be? She wasn’t that woman any longer. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and Josh wasn’t her enemy. Yes, she’d panicked when she locked eyes with Aaron. She still wasn’t sure if he’d recognized her, but either way, she wouldn’t risk a public confrontation with him or her father. Not with unarmed, innocent people around.
But she could follow them and have it out in private.
A quick U-turn on the highway, tires squealing, and she raced back to the café.
She had all the power here. She’d seen John Henry and Aaron with guns and money. Both had always pretended not to care about law enforcement and governmental laws and rules, but they’d been very careful to stay under the radar. She could offer them a trade: her silence for Mary.
She pulled back into the parking lot, took a calming breath as she headed inside, then stood a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust.
She scanned the patrons once, then again, and her anticipation seeped away like a deflated balloon. She was too late. They were gone.
Delilah waved to Liz before she marched back to her truck, annoyed with herself. Why hadn’t she thought of this earlier? Opportunity had just slipped right through her fingers.
Someone had to know how to find them. But who? She tapped a finger on the wheel and smiled as the answer occurred to her.
Thirty minutes later, she approached the Forest Community Center, glad someone had finally invested money in the people who lived in the forest. The jumbled collection of old mobile homes, tarps covering the walkways, had been replaced by a big steel-framed building.
When she spotted RN Kimberly Gaines’s antique powder-blue VW parked in its usual spot, something settled inside her.
“Hey, Ms. Gaines,” Delilah said from the doorway to Kimberly’s office.
It took a moment before Kimberly’s eyes widened behind her wire-rimmed glasses. Her blond hair was streaked with gray now, but the curls still bounced when she leaped out of her chair and wrapped Delilah in a breath-stealing hug, murmuring, “Oh, sweet girl, it’s so good to see you.”
Though it shamed Delilah to admit it, Kimberly Gaines had always been the mother she’d wished her own had been. Her love was exuberant and noisy and unconditionally accepting.
She cupped both Delilah’s cheeks. “How are you? I almost didn’t recognize you with the short hair.” She grinned. “Though I’m guessing that’s the point.” She paused. “What brings you back here after all this time?”
Delilah’s jaw clenched, but she kept her fury tightly leashed. “Mary. John Henry burned her doll.”
A mix of horror and worry flared in Kimberly’s gray eyes. “Oh my sweet Lord. When is it?”
“I don’t know yet. But her sixteenth birthday is in less than two weeks.”
“I imagine John Henry won’t let a little thing like a change in the law making seventeen the legal marriage age affect his plans.” Kimberly grabbed her hands. “How can I help?”
Delilah smiled. This was exactly why she’d come. Kimberly would dive headlong into trouble for those she cared about. Hadn’t she done the same when Delilah showed up at the clinic, bloody and terrified, all those years ago?
“I need to find Mary. I went to the family’s campsite, but they’re gone. Do you know where they’ve moved to?”
“I might be able to find out. I wormed a bit of information out of your mama the last few times she’s come in.”
Delilah sighed. “Is she all right? Another miscarriage?”
“Sadly, yes. Two this year. I’ve warned Sarah that she needs to stop trying. But she just looks away and says that John Henry wants more children.”
Delilah rubbed the ache in her heart that never quite went away. She understood why her mother wouldn’t stand up to her father. Hadn’t she spent her whole childhood “going along to get along,” as the saying went? It was safer. Because when her father was displeased, his carefully meted out fury was terrifying, and her mother often bore the brunt of it.
“What about you?” Kimberly asked. “Have you met a nice young man to settle down with yet?”
Delilah merely raised a brow.
Kimberly cupped her shoulders, forced her to meet her eyes. “What that man did, and what your family allowed, was wrong. On every level. But don’t put all men in the same category. The right man is out there, and he’ll treat you like a princess.”
“Maybe. But so far, I’ve only met frogs,” Delilah quipped, though that wasn’t entirely true. When she and Andy became best friends in college and later drifted into bed together, she’d thought they’d eventually get married. He was comfortable, familiar. But after he left for a research project in Peru, she realized she missed his friendship more than anything else. None of the casual dates she’d had since had ever made her think about princes. Or the future.
When Kimberly opened her mouth to argue, Delilah held up a hand. “I know what you’re saying, I do. But I’m not interested.” Liar, her heart said as Josh’s handsome face and dimpled grin popped into her mind. Just the way he looked at her made little shivers pass over her skin.
“How is your schooling going?”
“I got a grant from the National Geographic Society to do a study on the monkeys this summer.”
Kimberly raised one eyebrow. “Smart girl. It also gives you the perfect excuse to be here. But you still haven’t told me your plan regarding Mary.”
The less anyone knew, the less they would have to deny. “I need to get her away from the family. Will you help me?”
“You don’t even have to ask. What do you need?”
“Will you get a message to Mary and ask her to meet me?”
“Of course. I’ll set up the meeting for tonight. Will that be soon enough?”
Delilah swallowed the lump in her throat at such unquestioning support. “Yes, thank you.” Before she finished the sentence, she was wrapped in Kimberly’s arms yet again.
“She’ll be okay, sweet girl. We’ll make sure of it.”
Delilah straightened, eyes hard. “Yes, we will. I won’t quit until she’s safe.”
* * *
When Josh arrived at the covered pavilion next to Tanner’s Outpost, the rest of the squad was already there.
His brother, Pete, in his Marion County Sheriff’s Office uniform, nodded toward the to-go cup in Josh’s hand. “You show up late without bringing coffee for everyone? No cupcakes, either?” He shook his head in disgust.
“If you’d
wanted me to bring stuff, you should have said so.” Josh ignored the comments and groans. “Actually, I went by the café to see if I could pick up any helpful local scuttlebutt.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow and glanced at the rest of the squad, the teasing gleam in his eyes a contrast to his usual serious demeanor. “That’s not what I heard. Charlee said he went to chat up the sexy little monkey researcher.”
Josh pictured Delilah chewing on her lower lip and ignored the flash of heat. He had to stop thinking about her. “Wells from the paper was there, too, fishing for information. He asked if I thought this was related to the attack on the monkey researcher last year.”
“Where did he come up with that?” Pete asked. “That’s not public information.”
“He claimed ‘sources’ and clammed up.” He nodded to Hunter. “I said you’d make a statement later, Lieutenant.” He couldn’t help chuckling as Hunter bit back a curse. They all hated dealing with the media.
“What were you thinking, man?” fellow officer Marco Sanchez asked.
“He wasn’t thinking,” Pete said, batting his eyelashes. “He was looking into Ms. Paige’s pretty blue eyes and got distracted.”
Everyone laughed, and Josh ignored the way his heart sped up whenever anyone mentioned her name.
Hunter narrowed his eyes. “This might work to our advantage. I’ll come up with a statement that will keep folks out of our way.” He pulled out his phone. “The medical examiner knew we were waiting on preliminaries, so he sent me what he had so far.”
At that, Pete whistled appreciatively. “How many dozens of Charlee’s cupcakes did you have to promise to get to the front of his line?”
Hunter sighed. “Let’s just say your sister and I will be doing a lot of baking in the near future.” After the laughter subsided, he continued, “We ran the victim’s prints through AFIS and every other database we can think of and did not get any hits. The ME sent a picture of a tattoo, but that’s about all we have right now as far as ID goes.” He looked up and folded his arms across his chest. “Here’s where it gets really interesting. The ME says he found honey on the victim’s face and chest.”
Josh straightened, his mind spinning. He glanced at Pete and Marco, then back at Hunter. “Are you saying someone tried to lure the bear to the body?”
“That’s what we need to find out. I told the biologist to hold off putting that bear down. It may not have killed anyone.”
If what they suspected was true, this had just gone from an unfortunate wildlife encounter to murder.
“I’m waiting for more information from the ME. In the meantime, let’s check in with folks, see who saw this hunter around. Somebody has to know who he was. Hollywood, widen the circle, and see if you can find some more trail cameras in that area.”
Josh nodded. “I’ll swing by the Atwoods’ new campsite, too, see if they know the guy—or will admit to knowing him.”
“Right. Take a close look at Miss Paige, too,” Hunter said. “See if we can figure out how she ties into all this. Let’s make sure she isn’t next on someone’s list.”
Josh froze. He’d been so hung up on wondering about Delilah’s possible involvement—or, more likely, knowledge of what happened—that he hadn’t really considered her research making her a target. Idiot. He blew out a breath as he climbed into his truck.
He decided not to mention Delilah’s reaction to Aaron and John Henry’s arrival at the Corner Café. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t, except for this protective streak she unleashed in him. If anyone was keeping an eye on her and looking into her background, it would be him.
And if someone had targeted her because of her research, they’d have to go through him first.
Chapter 5
Delilah didn’t like the forest at night. She never had. There were too many unidentified noises, too much evil that could happen under cover of darkness. In daylight, you could see who was stalking you, and could gauge how fast and how far you would have to run. Once the sun set, it got a lot harder. She hoped she remembered enough of her father’s lessons to get Mary safely away tonight.
Kimberly had given her landmark-based directions to an old homestead that had been reduced to a tumbledown chimney and some barely visible rotting logs. Delilah sat on a rock she’d carefully checked for snakes and waited, a prepaid smartphone in one hand, her gun in the other. She remembered her father proclaiming that women didn’t need technology—though he and Aaron carried cell phones—and shook off her irritation. The past wasn’t her priority tonight. If she couldn’t convince Mary to come with her, a possibility she’d be foolish not to consider, at least Mary could call until Delilah blackmailed John Henry into letting her go.
She stared at the night sky, visible only in small patches above the trees. Since Kimberly had set the meeting for 10:00 p.m., the family’s new campsite had to be fairly close. Otherwise, how would Mary get here alone at night? Sneaking out of the camper was nearly impossible.
But her biggest worry was that her sister wouldn’t show. Except for glimpses across the farmers market and the birthday and Christmas cards Delilah secretly left for her there, they hadn’t spent any time together since Delilah left. Would Mary still trust her? Or did she feel her big sister had abandoned her?
She glanced at her watch and her heart sank. It was 10:45. Mary wasn’t coming. Maybe she couldn’t. If their father had gotten wind of their plan, he would have put a stop to it. Delilah wouldn’t think about how he might have done that.
A slight rustling sound came from behind her. She froze. There it was again. Nothing more than the whisper of a breeze. Even so, her heart leaped.
“I’m here,” Delilah whispered.
The shadow stopped, and Delilah held her breath, afraid Mary would turn and run. “Delilah?” Mary whispered.
She slowly rose to her feet but didn’t move toward her sister. Not yet. “Yes, I’m right here.”
Mary ran toward her and crashed into Delilah with enough force that she almost tumbled backward over the rock. She reached out to wrap her arms around her sister, but instead of the hug she hoped for, Mary started pounding on her chest. “You left me and you didn’t come back. You said you’d never abandon me, but you did. You did.”
Delilah’s heart shattered into jagged pieces. After a few minutes, Mary stopped pounding and burst into tears. Delilah held her while she cried, murmuring, “I’m sorry, Mary Lou Who, I’m so sorry. I never meant to leave you.” Over and over, she said the words, hoping the silly nickname Delilah had coined from the Dr. Seuss Grinch movie they’d seen at the community center years ago would somehow get through.
Eventually, Mary’s sobs turned to hiccups, and as they pulled back, Delilah was surprised they were at eye level. It was eerie how much Mary resembled her at that age. Long brown hair in a braid to her waist, no makeup, the long-sleeved blouse and ankle-length denim skirt paired with hiking boots underneath.
“Why did you want to meet?”
“It’s almost your birthday,” Delilah said quietly, then waited for a reaction.
Mary hung her head, nodded. “Yes, sweet sixteen and all that.” The sarcasm was unmistakable. But it gave Delilah hope.
“I found your doll.” She reached into her backpack, handed her the plastic bag.
Mary took it, crossed her arms over it. “He burned her, said it was time to grow up.” Her voice dropped to a desperate whisper. “But I don’t want to get married. I want to go to college and live somewhere besides the camper. But Papa won’t listen.”
“That’s why I’m here. I’ve come to take you away.”
Mary froze. “To live with you?” The hope in her voice was unmistakable.
“Yes. I’m working on a research project with the monkeys, and you can help me. But we have to go now, tonight.”
Worry filled Mary’s face. “Now? But what about Mama?”
What will Papa do to her if I disappear? She didn’t say the words aloud, but Delilah heard them anyway. Guilt clamped her heart like a vise, and she wanted to rail against the terrible choice Mary faced. It was the same one Delilah had faced eight years ago.
Tonight, she could save Mary or protect Mama from John Henry’s fury. She couldn’t do both, and the knowledge tore at her. She gripped Mary’s trembling shoulders, anger at her father burning her from the inside out. Nobody should have to make choices like this.
“We’ll get a message to her so she knows you’re safe.” That wasn’t what Mary meant, but it was all she could offer. “But we have to go right now.”
“I-I don’t know if I can—”
Gunfire shattered the night.
Mary glanced over her shoulder, eyes wild with fear.
Delilah reached for her. “Come with me.”
“I can’t just leave Mama.” Mary slipped through her grasp and disappeared into the woods.
Delilah didn’t give the shooter a single thought. She raced after her sister.
* * *
Josh had been wandering in ever-widening circles for hours, using his night-vision goggles to locate trail cameras in the area. If they could track down the owners and get a look at the SD cards, they might show someone coming or going around the time of the hunter’s death. After he texted Hunter that he was calling it a night, he decided to swing by Delilah’s camper. He’d had plenty of time to think, and every cop instinct he possessed said she hadn’t killed anyone. Or spread honey to lure a bear.
But that was where his certainty ended. Though she denied a connection to the dead hunter, there was still something off about her response. Same with her reaction to the Atwoods, whom she’d claimed were friends.
Still, he had a need to see her, make sure she was okay. Finding a dead body rattled a person, no matter who you were. Hopefully, they could get past whatever had spooked her and made her shut him out. He wanted things to go back to the easy, flirty way they were before. He missed their spirited conversations, the way her eyes lit up when she saw him, and the low, husky laugh that made him say ridiculous things just so he could hear it again.