by Blake Pierce
“Did that sound like distress to you?” the man said, clearly still working on nothing but hormones and adrenaline.
Behind him, the woman was slipping her pants on. Her face was red with embarrassment and she would not look any of them in the eye.
“We need you to clear the area,” Timbrook said. “I assume that was your SUV back up the little trail and in the field?”
“Hey, I’ve checked,” the man said. “This isn’t anyone’s property. It’s not private. I have just as much of a right to be here as you do.”
“That’s not correct,” Mackenzie said, stepping into the shed. “As I said, we’re here on an investigation and you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“This is ridiculous…”
Behind him, now fully dressed, his partner finally looked at him. “Jesus, Tim. Shut up already. It’s okay.”
Tim, Mackenzie thought. The woman called him Tim...
“How did you know about this little getaway, anyway?” Mackenzie asked, looking around the shed. The place was a dump. Anyone getting their rocks off in here had some sort of weird sexual fetishes. Or maybe they were just trying to spice things up.
“Just who are you, anyway?”
“She’s an FBI agent,” Timbrook said. “And I’m with the local PD. Can you just answer the question, Mr.…?”
“Wyatt. Tim Wyatt. I climb around here a lot. I do a lot of hiking. I found this place a year or so ago.”
“Is this the first time the two of you have come here?”
“No,” he said, though it was clear from his expression that this was not the full extent of the answer.
“Are you very familiar with the area?” Timbrook asked.
“Yes,” he nearly spat. “Look…you’ve embarrassed us enough. Can we just get out of here?”
“Not quite yet,” Mackenzie said. “You’re in the vicinity of what we are considering to be a murder. A murder that occurred within the past eight hours.”
The woman looked up to Mackenzie with concern on her face. “Someone else died?” she asked. “Was it another climber?”
“It was,” Mackenzie said. “Right off of Devil’s Claw.”
“Shit,” the man said.
She thought of the few audio recordings they had listened to that had come from Charles Rudeke’s phone on the way back out to Heinz Trail—particularly his mention of a friend named Tim. It felt like nothing more than a coincidence but too convenient to be ignored.
“Tim, was it?” she said.
“Yeah, and?”
“Have you ever climbed with a man named Charles Rudeke?”
“A few times, yeah. He’s not much of a climber, not really. But he’s a good enough guy, going through a hard time. He can—wait…”
The shed fell silent. For a moment, the embarrassment of it all was forgotten. The understanding of where this was all going dawned on Tim’s face. “Is he dead? Is he the one you’re here investigating?”
“I’m afraid so,” Timbrook said. “Tim…would you be willing to answer a few questions for us?”
“About what? I haven’t even seen him for about two weeks or so.”
“But he mentioned you by name in a few of his audio recordings. Recent ones, at that. Anything you might be able to tell us would be a huge help.”
He looked to his lady friend and then back at Mackenzie and Timbrook. “Sure, that’s fine. But maybe not here. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” Mackenzie said. She could tell that he was uneasy with something. Maybe there were things he did not want his lover to hear. Or maybe he simply found himself in an odd situation, busted for having sex in this shed when a man he knew fairly well had died a few hours ago.
The four of them exited the shed and started back out onto the trail. As they left the trail behind, Mackenzie looked back behind them, watching as the little footpath wound out of sight around another bend in the sloped land.
“Any idea where that trail comes out?” she asked Tim.
“It dead ends in front of this rock wall. The wall is only about thirty feet up or so. If you get to the top of it, you come out around on the other side of Devil’s Claw. From there, the Claw is only about a quarter of a mile away.”
“Are there any other shortcuts to get to the end of Heinz Trail?”
“To Devil’s Claw, you mean? Yeah…there’s at least five of that know of. Probably more than that. Because it’s not park property, you see a lot of teens coming out here to drink and do drugs.”
“And have sex?” Timbrook asked.
“It’s been a while since I was a teen,” Tim commented in a snarky fashion. “But I appreciate the compliment.”
That was the last thing said as they continued back up toward the field where they had parked. Going back up the hill that had been so dangerous to walk down was brutal, but Mackenzie managed to make it to the top, her abs on fire but her legs seeming to be okay with the effort.
Before heading back into the open field, she looked back down the way they had come. That little trail was easy to see now mainly because she had been following it for the last fifteen minutes or so, and another fifteen before that. But at first, it had been vague and had almost gone unseen.
It made her wonder how many more little winding trails like this made their way through the woods between here and Grand Teton National Park…and what types of devious people might be using them to stay hidden from prying eyes.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Tim’s lover was not very familiar with Charles Rudeke, nor was she well versed in the world of climbing. Therefore, she was asked to sit patiently in Tim’s SUV while Mackenzie, Timbrook, and Tim stood around the back end of Timbrook’s patrol car. She did so, clearly still rather embarrassed that she had been caught in such a vulnerable position, without much complaint.
“That makes three now, right?” Tim asked. “Three people dead within what…two weeks?”
“Yes,” Timbrook said. “Did you know the other two? Mandy Yorke and Bryce Evans?”
“No. I had seen Mandy’s name here and there, in Facebook groups and things like that, but I didn’t know her.”
“How did you meet Charles Rudeke?” Mackenzie asked.
“We ran into one another one day a few years back when I was scoping out a climb over at Gold Face.”
“Where’s that?” Mackenzie asked.
“In the park, close to Exum Ridge. I think he was planning a climb, too. We started talking and decided to do some climbing together. We climbed a few times, but it was nothing serious.”
“In his audio journals, he mentions you a few times. He particularly mentioned you had something of a habit of juggling women. So please forgive me for asking, but is this woman the first you’d brought out here to your little love shack?”
“No, actually,” Tim said, his tone indicating he took offense to this. “There have been two others.”
“Climbers?” Timbrook asked.
“One of them. Look…really, does that matter?”
“No, it doesn’t,” Mackenzie admitted. “Do you think there is any chance that Charles might have known about this trail we happened upon today?”
“No. If he did, I didn’t tell him about it. I tried to keep it my little secret.” As he said this, he frowned. Perhaps, Mackenzie thought, he realized how scummy he was starting to sound.
“Do you know if anyone might consider Charles their enemy?” Timbrook asked. “Did he ever cross anyone?”
“Charles? No way. He was really passive. Even when it came to his marriage crumbling…he never seemed like anything bothered him. He did try to open up to me once or twice. I think he needed a close friend to go through his separation and divorce with. But…hell, I didn’t want that sort of drama, you know?”
“How did he seem on his last climb with you?”
“A little depressed, maybe. I think he was really only there to get his mind off of what was going on with his wife. He didn’t seem to really be into it.”
“Does it surprise you that he climbed up to Devil’s Claw?” Mackenzie asked.
“Yeah, a little. He was usually scared to climb alone. But he did make a few comments about how he wanted to try some different things. He talked about that a lot the further into the separation he and his wife got into.”
“Would you consider yourself fairly knowledgeable about the local climbing scene?” She was fairly certain he would be. After all, it would be the ideal environment to pick up easily impressed women. And that was apparently what he was all about.
“I guess. Maybe a little more than the average climber.”
“How long have you been at it?” Timbrook asked.
“Climbing? Maybe fifteen years. The climbs around here are sort of vanilla with the exception of a few. But they’re familiar, you know?”
“Can you think of anyone you’ve met in these climbing circles that might be capable of sabotaging other people—to the point of potentially murdering them?”
“Not that I can think of. There is, however, this one woman. I’m going to seem like a jerk for even mentioning it, but it’s the only thing coming to mind. A woman named Brittany Lutz. She’s got some issues and a few of the local groups around here won’t let her join.”
“Why not?”
“She had an accident two years ago. Maybe a bit longer, I’m not sure. She fell about forty or fifty feet off of the side of Exum Ridge. Broke both her legs and suffered a concussion. One of her legs never really healed back right and from what I understand, she’s undergone three surgeries to try to correct it. She shows up to groups and sort of gives everyone hell. She’s just mean-spirited.”
“Have you ever experienced her being this way?” Mackenzie asked.
“Oh yeah. Especially when there are meet-ups in bars. She doesn’t come to many of them but when she does, she gets drunk as hell and bemoans the fact that she can no longer climb. One of the two times I witnessed this, she started calling everyone names. I hate to say it, but I think she just expects everyone to feel really sorry for her whenever she’s around. And when she doesn’t get attention or sympathy, she loses her shit.”
“We’ve spoken to a few different people that know a bit about local climbing circles,” Mackenzie said. “This is the first time I’m hearing about her.”
“Well, who the hell is going to throw a slightly crippled woman under a bus?”
“The same kind that lures women to a shed in the woods to get laid, perhaps?”
Mackenzie wasn’t even sure why she’d made such a lewd comment. Something about the entire situation was throwing her off and she was taking it out on Tim. Sure, maybe he was a bit of an oversexed pervert, but as far as she knew, the women were more than happy to go along with it.
“If you’re going to lob insults at me like that, then I’m out of here,” Tim said.
“I think that’s all we need to know anyway,” Mackenzie said. “Thanks for your time.”
She and Timbrook watched him go. He gave them one final scrutinizing look as he got into his SUV.
“You ever hear of Brittany Lutz before?” Mackenzie asked Timbrook.
“No. But I’m sure there will be a record of her accident back at the station. If what he told us is true she’d sort of fit the profile, right?”
“Possibly. But I’m not quite ready to jump to that conclusion just yet.”
But she wasn’t so sure if that was true. With a third victim at their feet, she was pretty much ready to jump at any conclusion that presented itself.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
They arrived at the station half an hour later. As Timbrook parked the car and they headed inside, Mackenzie felt something akin to a slight depression slide over her. She looked to the mountains looming over the town and realized that she was done with them. She’d consider herself a very fortunate woman if they could wrap up this case without her having to step foot back on those fucking mountains.
“Get Waverly on research detail for Brittany Lutz,” Mackenzie said. “I want to know what sort of accident she was in and if she had any marks on her record.”
“On it,” Timbrook said, dashing off to do just that.
As for Mackenzie, she wanted to get a better grasp on just how many little side trails existed out there in the forest. She wondered if there was anyone local who might know such a thing. Maybe a state employee or someone within the wildlife department. It would likely be easy to find someone who could help in terms of the park, but for the areas outside of the park—
Her thoughts stopped instantly when she saw the man standing at a desk with Petry. His arms were crossed and he was nodding at something Petry was saying. Then, as if he could feel her eyes on him, the man turned her way.
Even as they locked eyes, she could not believe it.
It was Ellington.
He smiled at her, excused himself from Petry, and started walking her way. As they met, she hugged him right away but then a million thoughts went cascading through her head.
“When did you get here?” she asked.
“About forty minutes ago. Some of the guys here are filling me in on the case and—”
“What about Kevin?”
“My mother is with him.”
“Your mother? E, that’s not cool. You can’t just…”
She realized that her voice was rising and a few people were looking in their direction. She took him by the hand and tried to look past how much she enjoyed the simple feel of it. She led him to the small room she had been using as an office and closed the door behind him. For a confusing moment, she nearly lunged at him for a deep, passionate kiss. But then her frustration and fear got the better of her. Instead of kissing him, she laid into him.
“You have no reason to be here,” she said.
“You looked like a ghost on that screen last night, Mac. It broke my heart. And I hated to leave Kevin, but I felt like I had to be here with you.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you looked miserable. You looked washed out and tired and I thought you might want a taste of home.”
“Jesus, Ellington…I’ve been away from you for three days. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. As for you…you should be at home with our baby. Not your mother…a woman you just recently patched things up with. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking I needed to be here with you.”
She stepped back, needing to look away from him for a moment. Sure, the sentiment behind him coming out here was sweet and she loved him for it…but why did he feel the need to be her savior? How could he so flippantly leave their son with his mother?
“Does McGrath know you’re here?” she asked.
“He does. He agreed that you might need the help.”
“So you understand how this will make me look, right? It’ll make it look like I returned to work before I was ready…that I couldn’t handle this case on my own.”
“Mac…I was only doing what I thought was best for us…or you. Why are you trying to make me look like an asshole here?”
“Because you took it upon yourself to swoop in and try to play the hero. You can’t just do that now. We have a son…a son depending on us. And you couldn’t just stay there with him without me for more than a few days, could you?”
“That’s not fair. It wasn’t me that suddenly wanted to come across the country, was it?”
She realized she had stepped right into that trap, so she let the comment lie. Besides, he was here now. No amount of arguing was going to change that. The fact that her heart now seemed much lighter in his presence made it that much easier to recognize her anger and try setting it to the side.
“I just…I feel blindsided. If I’m being honest, it’s beyond good to see you. I can’t even explain it. But I’ve been feeling torn…wanting be home with Kevin and also wanting to be here to wrap this case, to prove I still have what it takes. The fact that you abandoned him when you could be there with him…it’s pissing
me off right now.”
“I didn’t abandon him.”
“You left him with your mother. That’s close enough.”
It was clear that he had not been expecting such a venomous response. He looked hurt and a little angry himself. “I’m not trying to step on your toes.”
“I know that. I just…my mind is everywhere right now. This sudden flash of memory from when I was a teenager to not knowing my place right now….”
The tears started to flow before she knew they were even coming. She wiped them away but as soon as she did, Ellington was there. He took her in his arms and she couldn’t stop herself from sinking into him. Truth be told, she would not have been able to give someone a solid individual reason for the tears or the little sobs that were coming out of her throat. She supposed it boiled down to the last comment she had made.
…not knowing my place right now…
That was exactly how she felt. She felt as if she had been split right down the middle, torn between the need to pick up right where she had left off before taking time off for her pregnancy and maternity leave and the need to be with her son. Maybe she wasn’t quite ready to be back in the field just yet.
A knock at the door caused her to pull away. Ellington also took a step back, instantly stepping into a strictly professional mode.
“Yeah,” Mackenzie said, wiping at a few stray tears.
The door opened and Timbrook poked her head in. Waverly was standing behind her, looking away the moment he saw that there might be something awkward taking place within the room. Timbrook also looked embarrassed, but she did her best to stay professional.
“We found the report on Brittany Lutz’s accident,” she said. “Our buddy Tim called it right. She took a fall of about thirty or forty feet. Both legs broken, one of which was left practically useless. We of course don’t have files on her medical progress but that should be easy enough to get if we need it.”
“Anything on her record?” Mackenzie asked.
“Yes, actually. She was arrested and spent a night in jail for hitting a man with a glass bottle in a bar parking lot. This was about seven months ago. One night in jail and then she was released. But there are two more marks in her file from where people have filed complaints on her. Two different reports say that she was aggressive and just mean-spirited. But here’s the kicker…a climber reported her as potentially stalking him about two months ago.”