Don’t Keep Silent

by Don't Keep Silent (epub)

  Liam accompanied her inside the café, where patrons were asked to seat themselves. Three college-aged women left a booth as Liam and Rae passed, and they grabbed it. The men they’d followed were two booths away.

  Rae and Liam ordered coffee.

  Coffee, coffee, coffee. Liam was already too wired. This was what he hated about stakeouts. He could relate to Rae’s impatience and agreed that at some point they might need to bump this up. Correction. He might need to bump things up. He didn’t want Rae going even deeper into this dangerous situation.

  “You make a great private investigator,” she said. “But don’t you get bored?”

  “Not with you as company.”

  She glanced up at him from her tablet.

  He averted his gaze. Flirting with her was playing with fire. “If I did this for a living, yes, I would probably get bored. I prefer getting in the middle of it. Or at least I used to.” Part of him missed the action, but another part of him struggled with what was considered the means justifying the end. He’d seen a few undercover agents lose their identity because they’d played their role so well for too long.

  Was that what was happening to him? Had he lost his true identity? Because right now, he didn’t know where he belonged.

  Again, he wondered, Where is home?

  Astor slipped from his perch and appeared to head toward the restroom.

  “Excuse me.” Liam exited the booth and pulled out his cell as he walked. He entered the room after Astor, who was on his cell phone too.

  “You’d better be there,” Astor growled. “The black diamond. I don’t know the name. It’s the one near Bear Claw Café.”

  He turned as if suddenly realizing he wasn’t alone in the restroom. Liam ignored him and tucked away his cell to wash his hands. His cell buzzed at that moment. He dried his hands and pulled it out to see who had called. He hoped Astor paid him no attention. Another guy walked in as Liam exited.

  Good.

  On the way back to the table, Liam listened to the voicemail Sheriff Taggart had left him. It was likely Sheriff Taggart had been the man to deliver the news to Astor about his brother’s remains. The sheriff would be interested to know that the timeline of what had happened involving Zoey’s disappearance five years ago coincided with her stalker’s disappearance, and that his remains had recently been discovered.

  But the timeline meant nothing without evidence. The sheriff must have hung up because he didn’t say anything in the message. Liam slid into the booth across from Rae and thought about the words he’d overheard. He and Rae had already villainized the guy in their minds as someone who would want to take Zoey. So even the most innocent sounding words carried a menacing tone. Still, Liam didn’t think he had misunderstood Astor’s antagonism on the call.

  “Liam, did you hear me?” Rae asked.

  “What?”

  “They’re leaving.”

  “Okay, sure. We’ll wait a few seconds. We don’t want to be seen following them out immediately.” Even though Astor’s face was familiar to Liam, the man hadn’t seemed to recognize him.

  He considered what to do next. Bear Claw Café would require a ride up the gondola. Astor had said the black diamond near the café, so Liam could only assume he planned to ski the trail. It made some kind of weird sense to arrange a clandestine meeting on a black diamond—the steepest and most difficult ski trails on the mountain except for the double black diamonds. Acid boiled in his stomach.

  “Are you okay? You seem a million miles away.”

  “Sure. I was running through all the possible scenarios.” He didn’t want to leave Rae behind for this, but he didn’t want to take her with him either.

  He left enough cash on the table to cover their drinks and a tip and slid from the booth.

  She eyed the money. “I’ll get it next time.”

  They exited the café in time to see Astor and his sidekick take the elevators.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “How would a journalist handle this?”

  “I would approach him and introduce myself. Identify myself as a journalist. Give my condolences. I would try to get him to talk. See what he thinks about his brother’s death. I’d go from there.” She angled her head in thought. “I could get a sense of him. I can read people.”

  Liam wasn’t sure Rae approaching the man was a good idea. Then again, that might be their only choice.

  “You might get your chance, but right now we’re getting ready to play in the snow.”

  She swung her head to face him. “What?”

  “Looks like at least one of us gets to slay the pow.” Liam grinned.

  Her beautiful eyes widened. “Why?”

  “I overheard him.” Liam shared what he’d learned about the meeting at black diamond near the Bear Claw Café. “Unless you don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Smart thinking having us dress for the occasion. Such a furtive meeting deserves good shadowing. But I’m going too.”

  “I’m not sure it’s safe. I don’t know if it’s even worth it. Can you ski a black diamond?”

  She looked at him long and hard. “I bet you’re the kind of guy who can ski that and crush it.”

  Liam shrugged. He was out of practice, but she didn’t have to know that.

  “Hold on.” Rae pulled up the ski map on her tablet and together they perused it. “I admit that I’m more of a cross-country skier. Looks like I could take this blue slope here and meet you at the trail where it intersects with that black diamond. The trails run sort of parallel until they intersect. That’s where the black diamond ends. There’s a restaurant there too—Crosspoint Restaurant—and a gondola.”

  “I don’t want to leave you on your own. Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

  “Remember Zoey, Liam. We’re wasting time discussing it. I’m going. I’m not going to sit here and wait around.”

  Liam nodded. Astor was up to something, but whether that would lead them to Zoey, he wished he knew. “We’ll gear up at the shop, then get the ski passes. Come on. Let’s hurry.”

  Liam was eager to learn who Astor planned to meet on the black diamond trail, where absolutely no one was likely to follow him.

  After they’d geared up and stored their belongings in lockers, they waited in line for the gondola to return to drop off passengers and load the next group. They’d lost sight of Astor while getting ready to hit the slopes, but they would stick to the plan and ride the gondola to the drop-off at Bear Claw Café, where they hoped to find him again.

  Rae leaned close and whispered. “Have you ever gone skiing while working undercover?”

  He chuckled. “No. This will be a first. But you’d be surprised what lengths I’ve gone to in order to keep my cover.”

  She frowned and glanced away. She didn’t want to be reminded that she was the reason his cover had been blown.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  10:37 a.m.

  Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort

  On the crowded gondola ride to the Bear Claw Café, Rae stared down at the tall, white-laced evergreens below the hanging box of people.

  I’m looking down on the trees!

  “Are you okay?” Liam grabbed her gloved hand and squeezed. “You look a little pale. A few minutes on the slopes will bring the color back.”

  Liam tried to make small talk and act natural, considering Enzo Astor was on the same gondola ride to the top. Fortunately, Liam and Rae had beaten him to stand in the line, so if he noticed them, it wouldn’t appear they’d been following him. He was alone now.

  Liam acted as though he was seriously into Rae and wasn’t aware of the man they were watching—he put on a good show. She could almost believe it was real.

  The concern in his pensive gaze rolled through her. Standing so near him, feeling him so close as they rode the gondola reminded her of the past when she’d been in his arms. Two in
vestigators whose paths had crossed, who’d shared a passion for helping others and were compelled to find the truth at all costs. For Rae, finding Dina had been worth the cost of losing Liam’s trust—but why had she had to choose between the two?

  She longed to make him understand. Liam tried to act relaxed, but he didn’t fool her. She felt the tension coming off him in waves. Though he appeared focused on her, he was well aware of everything and everyone around him, as he was trained, but no one would ever know, except Rae.

  “Yes. I’m okay.” Just breathe. Rae’s palms began to sweat in her gloves.

  She had never liked this part of skiing—the sheer drops on the lifts with her legs dangling over the edge of a flimsy chair that rocked or the boxed-in feeling of a gondola or tram ride to the top.

  Not to mention that in her boots and suit, she felt more like an astronaut in a space suit than a skier. At least when she arrived at the top and exited the gondola, she’d be on the ground and not tethered to the international space station floating in the fathomless vacuum of space.

  Think about something else.

  She’d rather focus on Liam’s clean-shaven face, his intense gaze that studied her as if he saw right through her. Better that than the fact that the gondola took them higher and higher up the mountain. Rae tucked her scarf around the helmet. Her actions gave her something else to focus on.

  “You ready? We’re almost there.”

  “As I’ll ever be.” Definitely ready to get out of the box and onto solid ground.

  They exited the gondola and moved along the path, then stopped to take in the breathtaking vistas from the top of the mountain. Others headed to the café while some skiers went straight for the slopes.

  Liam pulled her aside and adjusted her helmet and goggles, waiting to see what Astor would do, she assumed. Their helmets included headphones so they could communicate.

  “When I was a kid,” he said, “I had a friend whose family took me skiing with them all the time. It was my getaway. My way to clear my head.”

  “Are you clearing your head now?”

  “If only it was that easy. I think skiing could help us both, except for the fact that we’re not here for fun.” His reflective goggles made it almost impossible for her to see his eyes, but she knew he was staring at her, waiting for her response.

  “He’s heading for the slopes, Liam.”

  He dropped his skis and positioned his booted feet in place. “I have to follow, Rae. You going to be okay?”

  “Yeah. I’ll take that blue slope. I’ll be fine. I’ll meet you at the Crosspoint Restaurant where the slopes intersect.”

  “Remember”—he knocked on his helmet—“you can still talk to me. We need to find something solid to connect Zoey’s abduction to someone here in Jackson Hole. We’re going to do that today.” He skated over to the edge.

  Rae watched him shove off after Enzo Astor. Rae made her way to the jump-off point for the blue slope. She pulled in a few breaths and then eased off the edge. What am I doing here? What am I doing here?

  Zoey is not on this mountain.

  But you’re on the mountain, God.

  “Rae? You okay?” Liam’s voice came through her headphones loud and clear.

  “Yes. I’m fine. You just focus on watching Astor and that difficult trail. Don’t worry about me.”

  She could hear his increased breaths over the comm. A few grunts. Maybe even a groan. She was glad she wasn’t the one skiing such a difficult trail.

  She’d forgotten how spectacular the view could be from a slope like this. In the distance, huge snow-covered peaks stretched as far as she could see and opened up enough for a glimpse of the valley beyond.

  This. This was why people skied.

  To get closer to you, God, whether they know it or not.

  White stretched before her. The sound of skis carving the snow met her ears from all directions. From her own skis. Those she passed. Those passing her. She took her time, traversing the slope slowly, one side to another. Liam had mentioned that skiing cleared his mind. While he followed Enzo Astor, Rae tried to let the mountain air clear her mind and allow her to think of something she might have missed. Some way they could find Zoey—if her sister-in-law was even here. Or if she was somewhere far away.

  She focused on veering to the left so she wouldn’t miss the restaurant where she was to meet Liam, who would quickly ski down that black diamond. A skier in a black suit whizzed by her, his skis cutting into the snow next to her. Her heart jumped to her throat.

  “What’s happening, Rae? You still doing okay?”

  “Yes. What do you have on Astor?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then you’d better focus on skiing.”

  “Right.” He gasped for breath. “Let me know if you need me.”

  Rae kept her leisurely and safe pace. She noticed the man who’d skied too close had stopped to adjust his goggles right in front of her. She swerved far from him and tried to avoid other skiers. She kept her emotions and outbursts to herself so she wouldn’t distract Liam.

  A skier came much too close again. The black-suited guy. He veered straight toward her this time.

  Rae swerved away to avoid him but lost control. She tried to regain her balance but instead flailed toward the trees lining the slope. Trees. Every skier’s nemesis. The whole reason for wearing a helmet.

  Her efforts to correct her course failed. She rose with unintended flight into the air but landed on her skis in the ungroomed part of the mountain. She tried to avoid trees as she slowed down. An abrupt stop would send her tumbling.

  “Rae? What’s happening? You don’t sound good.” Liam’s frantic voice sounded in her helmet.

  A quick glance over her shoulder let her know the black-suited guy was trailing her, bringing his bad intentions with him. Her pulse spiked. She had no doubt he’d forced her from the groomed slope intentionally. No slowing down for her. Rae had to keep skiing if she had any hope of getting away from him.

  “Someone’s after me.” She gasped. “He forced me from the groomed slope. I’m in the wooded area . . .” Rae, moving too fast for comfort, ducked under a branch. “The area that separates the blue slope and the black diamond.”

  Heart pounding, she tucked her body to pick up speed while avoiding trees on an ungroomed strip of mountain.

  Behind her, the swish of skis in the snow grew louder. He was faster.

  Any hope of escape fled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Hold on! I’m coming for you.”

  Liam stopped to get his bearings. He was farther down the mountain than she was. Liam started toward the trees between the two slopes, searching as he traversed the dangerous slope.

  Come on, come on. Where are you, Rae?

  As he entered the ungroomed area, he caught a glimpse of turquoise. There. Rae skied back and forth between the trees and toward Liam—and a man followed her.

  God, please help her! Let me get to her in time!

  Dense evergreens blocked his view. He hit a drift and leapt into the air. “Rae! I’m behind you.”

  She didn’t respond—probably skiing for her life as she moved farther and deeper into the woods. He caught flashes of her turquoise ski jacket. Close behind her, moving in, was a man in black. Panic swelled in his chest.

  Why did I leave her? How could I have let this happen?

  She disappeared. No more flashes of Rae between the trees. He pushed himself, evergreen branches and needles scraping him. His injury from the past stabbing through him.

  A swath of color caught him off guard. He wedged his skis to slow and almost hit her. Liam sucked in a breath. Rae was on the ground, facedown. She groaned.

  His heart tumbled over and over. No, no, no. “Rae, I’m here.” Liam broke away from his skis and dropped to the ground. “Are you okay?”

  She turned her head, then rolled halfway. �
��Yes. But he’s getting away. Go after him!”

  “No. I need to make sure you’re all right.”

  “I’m fine. I just need a minute.” She removed her skis, got to her knees, and he helped her the rest of the way to stand. “Now, go. You could go after him.”

  Liam glanced around to make sure she was safe. The skier who’d trailed her was nowhere in sight.

  “I’m not leaving you. I wouldn’t leave you to go after him.” He gritted his teeth. “What happened?”

  “He forced me off the slope, then he came up on me fast. I crashed. If that was his goal, he succeeded. Then he stopped next to me. I don’t know if he was going to do something or speak to me, but I heard you shout my name and he left. So, I owe you. Again.”

  “I shouldn’t have left you to go after Astor. I’m so sorry, Rae. I had no idea that someone would go this far and attack you on the slopes in the middle of the day where everyone could see.” Though anyone who witnessed it might have thought it was an accident.

  Liam hugged her to him until his racing heart calmed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes. I’m just a little shaken. I can’t believe any of this.”

  His limbs quaked, so he understood how she felt. Liam released her to look at her face. “Who knew you were coming to Jackson Hole?”

  “We already talked about this. Alan. The police. Zoey’s mom.”

  “And whoever she told.” The snow picked up and skewed his view of the resort below.

  The sense of being watched skittered over his back.

  He pursed his lips. “Let’s get off this mountain before something else happens. We’ll hike over to the café and take the gondola down.”

  “Are you that worried?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  She didn’t respond as she lifted her skis over her shoulder. The cold air and mountain view had given him a fresh perspective, after all, but he would have preferred more time to wrap his mind around the scenario unfolding.