by Amy Cross
“Exactly. It'd be a good place for someone to hide out.”
“Huh. Yeah. I didn't think of that.”
“There are a lot of places where someone could squirrel themselves away,” I continue. “Once you get to know the forest, you start realizing how many opportunities there are out there.”
“I'll swing by the farm in the morning, just to see, but do you really think there'll be anything there?”
“I think it's worth taking a look,” I mutter, and already I'm trying to put the pieces together in my head. This is what I do best. “Have you checked to see if anyone has been reported missing in the area lately?”
“There's nothing.”
“Did you check surrounding counties?”
“Not yet, but -”
“Check them all.”
I hear him making notes. “Okay,” he mutters. “If you think it's worth a shot.”
“Did nobody else suggest any of this stuff?” I ask, shocked to hear how slowly they're working without me. “What have you guys been doing all day?”
“Well, the coffee machine broke, and we had to look online to figure out how to make it work again. Do you know coffee has DRM now? Like, you have to use the manufacturer's exact -”
“Okay, never mind,” I continue, starting to realize that they really don't seem to be making much progress without me. “That dead girl can't be older than sixteen, maybe eighteen at most. How the hell is a girl that age not missed?”
“Beats me. Homeless, maybe?”
“Maybe, but still...”
I sit in silence for a moment, and I swear I can feel a hint of concern creeping through my gut. There's something I'm not noticing, some kind of connection that's lulling at the edge of my mind. I'm no genius, but sometimes I figure things out, and I feel like there's definitely something to figure out here. And with the best will in the world, the guys at the station don't seem to be working fast enough. At this rate, somebody else could die before we come up with an answer.
“I think I might call it a night,” Hinch says finally. “It's better to get a good sleep and come back refreshed in the morning, right? See you here at eight, bright and early? I've gotta be honest, we've really missed you today.”
“Wait a minute,” I reply, still trying to figure out the cause of this nagging doubt in the back of my mind. “Back up. You said there were tire tracks heading out in the Pellow's Peak area?”
“Yeah, but -”
“No-one goes up there,” I continue. “Not ever. Not even hunters. How fresh were these tracks?”
“I don't know. They were just... there.”
“That whole area is uninhabited. There's nothing for miles, just those old cabins. Where exactly were the tracks again?”
“Just off mile-marker eighteen.”
“There's a cabin right near there. Up past a dirt road.”
“Yeah, I think I saw that road.”
“You have to go and check.”
“Check what? The road or the cabin?”
“Humor me, Hinch,” I continue, feeling a flicker of concern in my chest. “There's no reason for anyone to be going up there. Normally I wouldn't bother, but given what's happened over the past twenty-four hours, you need to get up to that cabin and make sure everything's okay.”
He sighs again. “And what do you think I'm gonna find? And I gonna miraculously stumble across this nut-job?”
“It's important to check the whole area!”
“Okay. I guess you're right. I'll go up first thing in the morning.”
“I want you to go now.”
“It's late. What am I gonna do, poke around up there in the dark?”
“Take a flashlight.”
“The cabinet's locked. Do you know who has a key?”
I can't help sighing. How are these people ever going to manage without me?
“Those cabins have power,” I tell him. “Some of them do, anyway. I think the cabin near marker eighteen still has power. I want you to go up there right now and take a look.”
“Boss -”
“Fine!” I continue, suddenly swinging my legs over the side of the bed and heading to the closet where the nurse put my clothes. I've sat here long enough, and now it's time to head out there and get things done. “You know what? Don't worry about it, I can go check myself.”
“But -”
“I'm on it,” I add, already pulling my stuff off the shelf. “It's my idea, I'm the one who's worried, so I should be the one who heads out there. Like you said, it's probably a waste of time, so it's my time that should be wasted. Forget about it, Hinch. Go home, go to sleep, I'll let you know in the morning if I find anything.”
“But -”
“I've got nothing better to be doing anyway,” I add, as I start unbuttoning my hospital gown. “I'll talk to you soon, okay?”
“Doctor Ward to room five,” the announcer says yet again. “Doctor Ward to room five, please.”
“Boss?” Hinch says after a moment. “Exactly where are -”
“Never mind.”
“Listen, it's fine, I'll go up to the cabin and -”
“No,” I say firmly. “It's decided now. I'll go!”
Cutting the call, I toss my phone onto the bed and start getting dressed. My mind is racing, and I know that leaving the hospital probably isn't the smartest move in the world, but at the same time I feel like I have to get back to work. I tried doing things Doctor Alexander's way, I tried being a patient, but nothing's happening and these people are just wasting my time. Meanwhile, there's an actual case out there that needs to be solved.
I glance at the door, to make sure no-one's about to barge in on me, and then I finish getting dressed. Once I've got all my things together, I head out into the corridor and make my way to the station where the nurses are working on their reports.
“Mr. Kopperud?” one of them says, clearly startled to see me. “What are -”
“I have to go,” I tell her, forcing a smile. “Important work stuff came up, but please, if Doctor Alexander ever comes to check on me, tell her that I appreciate her efforts and I'll be in touch. Maybe we can reschedule all of this for some other time.”
“Let me call her and -”
“There's no need to do that,” I add, interrupting her. “But you should really get onto that Doctor Ward guy and make him get his ass to room five. Sounds important.”
With that, I turn and head toward the double-doors at the end of the corridor. One of the nurses calls after me, but I really don't have time to get into an argument with these people. Somebody needs to go check out Pellow's Peak, because there's a chance – just a chance – that there might be something going on up. And as I push the double-doors open, I know that I can't rely on Hinch or the others. This might be the last case I ever get a chance to work, but I was the one who started the investigation and I have a duty to see it through to the end. And that means going to the cabin myself.
Thirteen
Leanne Halperin
“Where are they?” I ask, standing in the cabin's open doorway and looking out at the darkness. “I thought you said they'd be here in twenty minutes?”
“Well, it might be taking a little longer,” the deputy replies over the receiver. There's a faint bumping sound in the background, as if he's somewhere a little noisy. “Just hold tight, Leanne. Help is on its way. There's -”
He pauses for a moment, and I hear another, slightly louder bump coming over the radio.
“There's no need to panic,” he adds, sounding a little distracted. “You've been real good so far, and you just need to stay calm for a few more minutes. I get it, you must be pretty freaked out and scared by now, but you've done everything right so far. I guess after all that running, waiting's the hardest part.”
I open my mouth to reply to him, but suddenly I spot a vehicle's headlights in the distance.
“I see him!” I stammer, feeling a rush of relief. “There's -”
And then, as abruptly as they appeared, th
e lights disappear again.
“He's gone,” I whisper.
“The roads are very twisty and winding up at Pellow's Peak,” the deputy continues. “Don't worry, I'm absolutely certain you'll have company soon. Very soon.”
“Do you promise?” I ask.
“I promise.”
“And did you manage to get my parents on the phone? Did you let them know I'm okay?”
“All of that has been taken care of, Leanne.”
“So they know?”
“All of that has been taken care of.”
“So...”
I pause for a moment, trying to work out exactly what he means.
“Here's what you need to do, Leanne,” he continues after a few seconds. “You need to hang on in there, okay? You've done really well so far. Really, really well. Everyone's gonna be so proud of you when they hear how you held it together, but there are just a couple more minutes to go. Stay right where you are, okay? Maybe turn the cabin's light on, so the officer can find you easily.”
“But what if the other guy sees the light?” I ask.
“I'm sure he's far enough away. And besides, the deputy'll be there, so you're safe. Just -”
I hear a crunching sound on the other end of the line, and then the deputy mutters a couple of curses under his breath. If I didn't know better, I'd swear the deputy on the radio is actually walking through a forest.
“Just turn the light on, Leanne,” he continues. “That's a good girl. There's no need to be scared.”
I hesitate for a moment, before reaching up to hit the switch. At the last moment, however, I spot a faint hint of movement over by the trees. I pause with my finger nudging the edge of the switch, and I squint until I can just about see that there's a figure heading this way through the forest. Flinching, I wait for the figure to call out, or for him to swing a flashlight beam this way, but then he simply stops and stares in this direction.
“Is that him?” I whisper.
“Turn the light on, Leanne.”
I move my finger further onto the switch, but then I hold back.
“Turn the light on,” the deputy says again.
“I just did,” I lie, figuring I should test him first.
I watch the silhouetted figure for a moment. He's about twenty feet away, and I guess he must be able to see me. He must be able to see the cabin, at least, even with the light off.
“Are you sure you turned the light on?” he asks cautiously.
I swallow hard. “It's on right now,” I lie, testing him.
“Well...”
He sounds a little confused.
“You must have given me the wrong cabin identification number,” he continues, and now he seems annoyed. “Check again.”
“No, I -”
“Check again?” he snaps.
I open my mouth to reply, but I'm starting to feel a slow, creeping sense of dread in my chest.
“I'm sorry,” he continues with a sigh, “I didn't mean to be short with you. But can you please check the cabin number again? It's been a very long night.”
I wait, watching as he starts trampling this way. I can hear his footsteps on the leafy forest floor. More than that, however, I can also hear the same footsteps over the radio. A couple of seconds later, the figure gets close enough for me to see that he's holding a phone by the side of his face.
“It's you,” I stammer.
“Leanne -”
Stepping back, I slam the door shut and fumble for a moment to find the latch. Once the bolt is in place, I step back as I hear footsteps coming closer and closer.
“Leanne, open the door,” the voice says over the radio. “Come on, let's not mess around.”
“It's you,” I whisper again. “You said you were the police!”
“Yeah, well...”
Suddenly the radio cuts out, and a moment later I hear someone banging on the other side of the door.
“I'm a deputy from the station in town,” he continues. “We talked on the phone, remember? Open the door. I'm here to save you.”
“You're lying!” I yell. “You were lying from the start! You're the guy with the truck!”
“Open the door, Leanne!” he calls out, banging again. “It's not like there's any other way out of there, so open up. You're just making it harder on yourself! I'm not gonna hurt you!”
Dropping the radio's receiver, I turn and hurry over to the window. I start undoing the clasp, but a moment later I see a figure on the other side. He leans closer to the window, and although I can't make out his face in the darkness, I can hear him laughing. Before I can react, he reaches up and taps the glass with a finger.
“Leave me alone!” I scream, stepping back. “I've already called the real police! I called them after I spoke to you! They're coming right now!”
The dark figure remains at the window for a moment, before stepping back out of view. I hear footsteps heading back toward the cabin's front door, and then silence falls.
“Where's Ramsey?” I sob, trembling with fear as I back against the wall. “What did you do to her?”
I wait, but now there's no reply at all. I know he's out there, I know he's probably plotting something, but I also know that I have no way to defend myself. My heart is pounding and I know I can't just stand here and wait for him to break through, but at the same time I also know that he's probably got a knife, maybe even a gun. Then again, he might decide to take the simple route and drive his truck straight into the cabin, and I'm not certain whether the place would hold together. Constantly looking from the window to the door and then back again, I edge toward the table with the radio.
I need to know what he's planning.
So I wait.
Silence.
He's not gone. He might want me to think he's gone, but he's not.
Finally, too terrified to even stand, I crouch down in the dark corner and stare at the window. He's coming back, I know he is, and I'm going to have to kick and scream and hope I manage to land a lucky punch. What would Ramsey do if she was in this situation?
“Help me,” I whisper, hoping against hope that somebody might somehow be able to hear me. “Please, somebody, I need another miracle and -”
Before I can finish, there's a loud crashing sound at the door, and I hear the wood shuddering. A fraction of a second later, the crashing sound returns, and this time I hear a faint splitting sound too. I flinch, but I don't dare move, not even as I hear the sound again. This time, there's an even louder thud, and I watch in horror as the door scrapes open and the silhouetted figure steps into view.
“No, please,” I whimper, too scared to even stand. I'm shaking so much, my teeth are chattering. “Don't hurt me...”
He steps into the cabin, stopping for a moment as he's silhouetted against the night sky. And then, with no warning, he swings the door shut behind him and steps toward me through the darkness.
“No!” I scream. “Please -”
Grabbing my arm, he hauls me up and slams me against the table.
Fourteen
Sheriff James Kopperud
My phone starts ringing for the tenth, maybe fifteenth time as I bring the car to a halt at the end of the dirt-road. Shutting off the engine, I don't even bother to check to see who's calling. I know it'll be Doctor Alexander, demanding to know why I checked myself out of the ward, but her blathering fake concern can wait. If she had her way, I'd be half dead already.
Checking my reflection in the rear-view mirror, I'm relieved to see that I look more like myself again. A little sick, perhaps, but at least I don't look like an old, sick man. I'm forty-six years old and I'm not ready to waste away on a hospital ward just yet. I'd rather just keep going until the end.
I take some pills from the bottle in my pocket and chase them down with water. Just for a little extra fortitude in the cold night air.
Despite a faint twinge of pain in my gut, I open the door and climb out of the car, and then I trudge around to the front and switch my flash
light on, illuminating the uneven path that leads through the forest and up to the nearest cabin. Sure enough, I can see a set of tire marks nearby, which means that somebody drove this way recently. And since the hunting out this way is notoriously lousy, there's no reason why anyone should have come anywhere near this cabin.
I'll check the farm after this, but first I need to scope out the cabin.
Figuring that I should leave my car behind, so as to not announce my arrival, I start heading between the trees, and after a moment I switch my flashlight off. It's hard to see where I'm going, but there's a chance that the cabin is being used as a kind of hideaway and I can't risk scaring anybody off. It's at moments like this, trudging through the middle of nowhere, checking out one of those vague hunches that never pay off, that I really feel like I'm alive. I know that being out here is a wild goose chase, and I know it could have waited until morning, but I also know these backwoods parts of the county better than anybody else at the station.
This is what I was born to do, and I'm gonna keep on doing it until my body breaks down on me. I've got a hunch about this cabin. I've had plenty of hunches before, and they almost never check out, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore my gut feeling.
Especially since my gut is so goddamn painful right now.
Suddenly I stop as I hear crunching footsteps up ahead. I stay completely still, and sure enough I realize after a moment that there's definitely someone else out here. Looking to the right, I wait a few seconds, and finally I spot the faint glow of a flashlight coming closer and closer.
Reaching down, I grab my gun and aim it toward the light, and then I wait until the swaying beam swings toward me.
“Freeze!” I shout. “On your knees! Now! Deal County Sheriff's Department!”
The flashlight immediately dips.
“Get on your knees!” I yell, although I can just about make out the figure's hands and it's clear he's not armed. In fact, he's got his hands up, as if he's surrendering. “I won't warn you again!”
“But -”
“Down!” I shout. “Now!”
The figure stares at me for a moment, before putting its hands behind its head and getting down onto its knees.