by Kathi Daley
“You assume correctly.”
“But monster hunter Orson Spalding showed up and tried to cash in on all your hard work, so you had to kill him as well.”
Joel made a hard left that sent me to the floor of the speeding craft. “Hey,” I yelled. “Was that necessary?”
Joel laughed. “Necessary, no. Fun, absolutely.”
He began to slow the boat. When he stopped at a point I figured was smack-dab in the middle of the lake, I began to panic. It had to be at least five miles to the nearest land. Surely he wasn’t going to dump me overboard. But a five-mile swim presented a chance. A bullet to the head, not so much.
“Maybe now would be a good time for you to tell me why you brought me on this lovely journey.”
“I’m afraid our time together has come to an end. I really thought killing Irvine and finally making my movie would somehow make me feel better, but it didn’t. In fact, all I feel is empty. Still, I’ll admit that you, Zoe Donovan, have added a certain level of spice to my life. Sure, you messed things up for me four years ago, but looking back, I think I’d been searching for a worthy adversary my entire life. It’s been a privilege to know you.”
“A privilege to know me?” I said in a voice that sounded high and squeaky. “Are you going to kill me?”
“Kill you? Do you doubt my word? I told you that if you came peacefully your life as well as the life of your little dog would be spared.”
I narrowed my gaze and dared to look Joel in the eye. “You did say that. But your speech sounded a bit like a last farewell.”
Joel’s smile faded. “Alas, it was a last farewell. There comes a time when the final curtain must come down, and I’m afraid that for me, this is that time. Here’s hoping we meet in the next life.”
I’m not sure exactly what happened next. Joel dove into the water, which left me stunned and confused. I held my breath and waited for him to surface, but he never did. It took me several seconds at least for it to sink in that Joel had most likely dove straight down beyond the point where returning to the surface was a possibility. When the reality of the situation sank in, I used my cell phone to call Salinger. Then I kicked off my shoes and dove into the water to see if I could find the madman who I was pretty sure had just committed suicide.
Chapter 16
Wednesday October 31
Getting over the horror of Joel Ringer’s death was a lot more difficult for me than I’d anticipated. I’d never know for certain why he’d made the choices he had, but I suspected Becka had been his ground in this crazy world, and once she was gone, his connection to it was gone as well. The dive team never did find Joel’s body, but I hadn’t seen him surface, and even if he had, there was little chance he could swim all the way to the nearest land mass. I supposed there were people who could swim that far, though, so maybe…?
On a more positive note, Jeremy had managed to track down the owner of our mama stray, who was delighted to find her after almost giving up on hope of doing so. The dog had been missing for over a month and the owner hadn’t known the dog was pregnant when she disappeared from her yard. She was delighted to take both the mama and her babies home with her.
And on an even better note, the Zoe Donovan-Zimmerman Halloween Spooktacular was underway, and everything had turned out perfectly.
“Good turnout,” Hazel said when she joined Ellie and me in the kitchen, where we were putting finger foods on trays.
“It seems like everyone is here, although I haven’t seen Grandpa.”
“He’s here,” Hazel assured me. “The last I saw, he was sitting at the pool bar with your dad and Ethan. Can I help?”
“We’re just transferring the food from the cookie sheets and refrigerator containers onto serving trays,” I said. “The trays are stacked on the table. Just grab a cookie sheet or storage container and start moving.”
Hazel took a cookie sheet with hot wontons from the countertop and began making the transfer. “I spoke to your mother. She said she’s going to join the events committee.”
I nodded. “She spoke to Hillary yesterday. I think she’ll do a great job. She has more experience planning things than anyone in town and she’ll fill the void, now that Ellie and I are thinking about taking a step back.”
“She seems to be willing to jump in with both feet. I hear she might even take on Hometown Christmas as the new chair, now that Tawny backed out.”
“Tawny backed out?” I asked. I hadn’t heard that.
“She broke up with her boyfriend because of the stalking fiasco. She’s pretty down in the dumps, and while I do feel bad for her, I think it’s for the best. She needs a nice stable man in her life. One who’ll be a true partner and help her raise her kids. Even before we found out he was your stalker, it never seemed he was going to pull his weight as part of a team.”
I felt bad for Tawny, who seemed to have gone from one failed relationship to another, but Hazel wasn’t wrong. I too hoped she’d find someone worthy of her affection.
After I finished off the tray I was working on I stood back to admire my work. “I’ll take this out and then check on the kids.”
“When I came in I saw Alex and Diego had most of the kids in the den. They set up a play area and it appeared the little ones were having a blast. Alex was supervising Catherine and Eli, who were playing with Harper and Morgan while Diego was entertaining the kids in the five-to-ten age range. Most of the older kids are in the pool.” Hazel set the tray she’d filled aside and started on another. “It’s so nice of you to throw this party for everyone year after year. I’m sure it’s a lot of work.”
“Ellie and Zak help. Levi too. And I enjoy it. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it wouldn’t be Halloween without the Spooktacular. I’m going to start taking out what we have.” I picked up a tray in each hand and headed to the dining room, where we’d set up a buffet table. The house was packed with people I loved, which should have made me happy, yet I still felt a little sad.
“Something wrong?” Nona asked.
I smiled. “No. I’m great. Are you having a good time?”
“I am. It’s nice to be part of a family after so many years of being on my own. It’s so nice of you and Zak to welcome me into your home the way you have.”
“You know we’re happy to have you here. Did your date arrive?”
Nona nodded. “See that handsome man talking to your dad? His name is Grover.”
I looked toward the man, who had to be at least twenty years younger than Nona. I supposed that made him perfect in her eyes. “He looks familiar.”
“He’s a mechanic in town. He works on cars but specializes in hogs like mine. I like a man with grease under his fingernails. And he’s a drummer in a rock band, which is an added bonus.”
I placed a hand on Nona’s arm. “He sounds great.”
“He is, which is why we’re going to take off for some alone time.”
I glanced at the man again. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but I’d felt a bit protective of Nona since her brain surgery. “Should we expect you back this evening?”
Nona shrugged. “Don’t wait up. I’m thinking I’ll take my bike. Been a while since I took her for a ride.”
I smiled. It looked like a bit of the old Nona was slowly returning. “Have fun, but be safe.”
“Always.”
I headed back to the kitchen for two more trays. I was glad Nona was getting her groove back, but I wasn’t sure I was up for a full-blown, crazy Nona as a permanent houseguest. Maybe she’d settle into a happy medium, with just the right mix of crazy and settled.
******
I stood in the drive waving to Levi and Ellie, who had stayed late to help us clean up. The party had been a huge success, but I was exhausted. Zak walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, his breath warm on my neck. “I have a surprise for you,” he whispered into my ear as the taillights faded.
I turned slightly. “Surprise? What kind of surprise?”
“Clos
e your eyes.”
I did as instructed. Zak took my hand and started to walk.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I struggled not to trip.
“You’ll see. Be sure to keep your eyes closed.”
I laughed. “I can’t see where I’m going. The ground is uneven. I could very well end up flat on my face.”
Zak stopped walking. “Hang on.” The next thing I knew, I was being lifted into Zak’s strong arms. I put my arms around his neck and hung on tight.
“Are your eyes still closed?” Zak asked as he walked with me hugged to his chest.
“They are. Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Just hang on for one more minute.”
“You know you’re crazy.” I giggled.
“I know.” Zak stopped walking. He turned slightly. “Okay, open your eyes.”
I opened my eyes and gasped. Somehow, in the few short minutes between everyone leaving and now, Zak had turned the spa area into a Halloween fairyland. The indoor/outdoor roof and exterior wall had been retracted so the stars shone overhead. There was a fire in the fire pit, which provided the only illumination in the dark night other than the hundreds of orange lights that were strung overhead.
“How did you do all this?”
Zak slowly set me onto the ground in front of him. He handed me a glass of champagne. “Levi helped me while you and Ellie finished up in the kitchen.”
“It’s wonderful, but why?”
Zak kissed my neck. “Seemed like a good night for a spa for two under the stars.”
I took a sip of my champagne and leaned against Zak’s body behind me. “This is so totally perfect, but what about the kids?”
“All of them went to your parents’ for an overnight stay.”
“Really?” Suddenly I couldn’t help but smile. “And Nona?”
“I booked her a suite in town. She knew she was staying there when she left with her guy friend, but I swore her to secrecy. Tonight it is all about you and me, a bottle of chilled champagne, a bubbly hot spa, and these totally awesome lights I strung overhead. Do you like it?”
My eyes teared up as I nodded. “I love it.” God, how I loved this funny, thoughtful man I suddenly couldn’t stop kissing.
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Saturday, October 13
His pulse quickened as they approached. He’d waited so long. Too long. He closed his eyes and reveled in the memory, which didn’t come as a gentle wave but as a surge of agony from the depths of his personal hell. He’d craved the searing pain, the deeply felt anguish. It was only during these moments, when he was sure he would drown in a river of longing, that he felt truly alive.
On the surface, the rescue seemed fairly routine. Two teenage boys had gone hiking earlier that morning. They were only supposed to be gone a couple of hours but had failed to return by the time they’d agreed to meet with the families for lunch. The father of one of the boys had gone looking for them, and when he was unable to find them after a couple of hours, he’d called the Rescue Alaska Search and Rescue Team, of which I, Harmony Carson, am a member. It was fall in Alaska, which meant the days were becoming shorter toward the endless night of winter. Although the daytime temperatures were mild for this time of the year, the overnight low promised to dip well below freezing. Normally, we like to interview the person making the call, but the man said he was heading toward Devil’s Gulch, where he was certain the boys had been planning to hike, and the reception there was sketchy, so the information we had to go on was limited. By the time the call came through, the sun had begun its descent toward the jagged peak of the distant mountain, so we knew there was no time to lose.
Jake Cartwright, my best friend and brother-in-law, had taken the call. I was already at Neverland, the bar Jake owns and where I work as a waitress, as was S&R team member Wyatt Forrester, who worked part time there as a bartender. Jake had made a quick decision to employ the team members present to look for the boys, so he and his S&R dog, Sitka, me and my S&R dog, Yukon, Wyatt, and team member Austin Brown, who happened to be in the bar having a drink, set off with a feeling of urgency, given the sharp drop in temperature and impending darkness.
“Jake to Harmony,” Jake said over the two-way radio we all carried as we traveled toward our destination.
“Go for Harmony,” I answered. We’d spread out to cover more ground in the event the boys had either doubled back or taken another route. We knew if we didn’t find them before then, once we reached the narrow entrance to the gulch, we’d all converge into a single unit.
“Have you managed to pick up anything?” Jake referred to my ability to psychically connect to those victims I was meant to help rescue. My ability, which I oftentimes considered a curse, had come to me during the lowest point in my life. My sister Val, who had become my guardian after our parents were killed in an accident, had gone out on a rescue. She’d become lost in a storm, and although the team tried to find her, they came up with nothing but dead ends. She was the first person I connected to, and the one I most wanted to save. I couldn’t save Val, but since then, I’ve used my gift to locate and rescue dozens of people. I couldn’t save them all, but today, I was determined that our search would lead us to the missing boys.
“No,” I answered, frustration evident in my voice. “Which is odd. Even if the boys are uninjured, they must be scared. The temperature has dropped and the sun is beginning to set. The fact that I’m not getting anything at all is concerning me.”
There are really only three reasons I can think of when I don’t pick up something, even a small whisper, during a rescue. The most common is that the person who’s been reported missing isn’t really missing at all. They might not have checked in with the person who reported them as missing, but they were perfectly safe, not in physical pain or mental duress. I hoped that would turn out to be the case with the two boys.
The second commonest reason I’m unable to pick up a psychic connection is because the person I’m trying to reach is either unconscious or already dead. That’s the reason I least hope to confirm, but at times, the person we’re trying to find has already taken his final breath before we even begin our search.
And the third reason I’m occasionally unable to make a connection is because the person in need of rescue senses me but is blocking me. This rarely occurs, but it’s possible.
“Is Sitka picking up anything?” I asked. Even if I was unable to connect, I’d think Sitka would pick up something. We didn’t have anything with the boys’ scent to help direct the dogs today, so they’d been instructed to find anyone who might be in the area. Having a specific scent to track worked a lot better, but at this time of the year, when there weren’t many people out hiking, if anyone was around, the dogs should be able to locate them.
“No. Nothing specific at least, but he does seem to sense someone,” Jake answered. “If the boys came this way, as the father seemed to think they had, he’ll find them. If they veered off in another direction, though, we might have a real problem. Given the anticipated overnight temps, it’s important to find them as quickly as possible. We’re going to go on, but I’d like you to take a short break and really try to connect. If you sense something, let us know.”
“Okay.” I stopped walking and looked around. “I don’t have a lot to go on, but I’ll try.”
“The man I spoke to said the boys’ names are Mark and Andrew. They’re both fourteen and have dark hair and dark eyes. That’s all I got from him before he cut out.”
I signed off, then sat down on a large rock. I instructed to Yukon to sit and stay next to me, then I closed my eyes. I relaxed my mind and focused on the information I had. Mark and Andrew. Scared, most likely. Possibly injured. Dark hair, dark eyes.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I tried again. I allowed whatever images that came to me to pass through my mind. I hoped if they were out there, their psyches
would somehow find mine.
Still nothing.
I had an intuition that the man who’d called Jake to report the missing teens had been less than honest. If I had to guess, this whole thing was a hoax. It happened from time to time, although I had no idea why anyone would do such a thing. Still, if the boys actually were in the area and were in some sort of trouble, it was likely I’d pick up an echo of fear if nothing else. I was about to give up my quest to make a connection and had stood up to move on when a feeling of sorrow pierced my heart with such intensity that it left me gasping for air.
Oh God. My hand clenched my chest.
My instinct was to break the connection, but I knew if I wanted to locate the source of the pain I needed to maintain it, so I took a deep breath and opened my heart to the anguish. I allowed the pain to envelop me as I tried to figure out who it was I’d connected to. I could sense the distress was emotional rather than physical. Someone was dealing with intense grief. No, not grief, longing. The suffering was deep and real, but there was something else as well. I frowned. In the midst of the sorrow was anticipation.
I focused harder. I knew I hadn’t connected to the boys but someone else. Someone older. I could sense a darkness. An emptiness. As if the soul of the person I’d connected with had been drained of all life. I felt the individual try to pull back. He knew I’d made a connection and was trying to push me away, but I resisted. I tried to go deeper, but then I saw it. My eyes flew open.
My hand flew to my mouth. I was sure I was going to be sick, but I thrust the nausea aside. “Harmony to Jake.”
“Go for Jake.”
“It’s a trap. Pull back. Pull back now.”
In that instant, there was a loud crash as the mountain above the narrow opening to the gulch exploded, sending tons of dirt and rock to the path below. I turned and ran as fast as I could. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t really notice. I felt fear, and pain, and death.