Danger on Dakota Ridge

by Cindi Myers

  They reached the parking lot and Travis’s SUV. The sheriff pulled out his keys and pressed the button to unlock the vehicle, but he froze in the act of reaching for the door handle, his gaze fixed on the door.

  “What is it?” Rob, who had already opened the passenger door, asked.

  “Take a look.”

  Rob walked around to the driver’s side and stared at the thin gold chain affixed over the door handle with a piece of clear tape. A gold charm shaped like a bird dangled from the chain, stirred by a slight breeze. The sight of the delicate, feminine ornament so out of place sent a chill through him. “That looks like the necklace Paige described,” he said. “The one she said she lost up here.”

  Chapter Four

  Travis took out his phone and snapped several pictures of the necklace, then examined the ground around the vehicle. “This gravel is too hard-packed to leave prints,” he said.

  “We might get prints off the tape,” Rob said.

  Travis went to the back of the vehicle and opened it, then took out a small box. He put on gloves, then took out a paper evidence pouch and a thin-bladed knife. Carefully, he lifted the edge of the tape with the knife, then peeled it back. He transferred both tape and necklace to a plain white card, then slipped them in the pouch and labeled it. “I’ll have a crime scene tech go over the car when we get back to the office,” he said. “Though I doubt we’re going to find much.”

  They both took another look around. Rob scanned the trees that surrounded the parking area. “Do you think they’re watching us now?” he asked.

  “The person or persons who put that necklace there?” Travis asked. He opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. “Maybe. Maybe they’ve been watching us the whole time.”

  “Why did they bother returning the necklace?” Rob asked, as he buckled his seat belt and Travis started the SUV.

  “Maybe a hiker came along behind us, found the necklace on the trail and figured it must belong to whoever was in this vehicle,” Travis said. “Or they figured giving it to a cop was the right thing to do.”

  “And where is this hiker?” Rob scanned the empty trailhead. “Why didn’t we see them? Where did they park?”

  “They changed their minds about the hike?” Travis backed out of the small parking area.

  “Or maybe the person or persons who left the necklace there was the same person or persons who shot at Paige,” Rob said. “They left the necklace because they wanted us to know they were watching. That they could, in fact, have taken us out if they had been so inclined.”

  “Could be,” Travis said.

  They drove to the sheriff’s office, where Deputy Dwight Prentice greeted them at the door. “Hello, Rob,” Dwight said. “Are you here because of the report on Henry Hake?”

  “What report is that?” Rob asked.

  “It must have come in while we were gone,” Travis said. “Because I haven’t heard about it, either.” He led the way into his office and settled behind his desk. “Tell us about this report.”

  “The medical examiner’s office sent over an updated report on their findings in Henry Hake’s death,” Dwight said. He handed a printout to Travis, who scanned it, his face giving away nothing. He passed the papers to Rob.

  “I thought the ME ruled Henry Hake probably died of a heart attack,” Rob said.

  “He did,” Dwight said. “But one of his bright young assistants got curious about some nasty-looking lesions on the body and did some more digging. This report is what he came up with.”

  Rob read quickly through it, only half listening as Dwight continued talking. His gaze shifted to the bottom section and the words Conclusion: Death from Tularemia.

  “What is tularemia?” he asked.

  “It’s also called rabbit fever,” Dwight said. “It’s a naturally occurring bacteria that, if treated with antibiotics, is rarely fatal.”

  “And if untreated?” Travis asked.

  “According to the Centers for Disease Control fact sheet attached to that report, a bite from an infected animal could cause skin ulcers, while inhaling the bacteria can lead to pneumonia or, in the most severe cases, typhoid-like symptoms,” Dwight said.

  “And the ME thinks that’s what killed Henry Hake?” Travis looked skeptical. “Was he bitten by a rabbit or what?”

  “Tularemia is one of the biological weapons the government experimented with in World War II,” Dwight said. “It’s one they were supposedly working on here in Rayford County. I remember reading about it.” Recently, news about just such a secret government lab, located somewhere in the county, had come to light, causing a bit of a stir among history buffs.

  Rob let out a low whistle.

  “That government lab was supposedly located in an old mine somewhere near here,” Travis said. “Could Henry Hake have picked it up in the soil while messing around looking for the lab?”

  “Maybe,” Dwight said. “But when I found his body, it was hanging from the ceiling in that underground chamber on the resort property—Hake didn’t do that himself.”

  “You found the body after the DEA determined that chamber didn’t have anything to do with either the World War II experiments or any modern crime,” Rob said. “And the ME ruled Hake died weeks ago—so someone brought his body to that location after we left, and several weeks after he died.”

  “Right,” Dwight said. “So while it’s possible Hake died in that underground chamber and someone hid his body for a while, then brought it back, I don’t think it’s likely. Why go to all that trouble?”

  “How would the government have used tularemia as a weapon?” Travis asked.

  “Apparently, the idea was to put the bacteria in an aerosol,” Dwight said. “You could put it in the ventilation system of a building or simply spray it over a crowd. Not everyone would catch the disease, and of those that did, not everyone would die.”

  “You said antibiotics will kill it,” Rob said. “So it doesn’t sound like a very practical weapon today.”

  “Except that most people wouldn’t realize they had been exposed, or that they were suffering from tularemia,” Dwight said. “Anyone with a compromised immune system, or lung or heart disease, might die before anyone figured out what was wrong.”

  “Henry Hake had a bad heart,” Travis said.

  “Did whoever killed him know that?” Rob asked.

  “More unanswered questions,” Travis said. “Would this be enough for the DEA to go back into that underground bunker and do some testing?”

  “Maybe.” Rob sighed. “I’m not even supposed to be here, you know.”

  “Your aunt wanted to know what really happened to Hake,” Travis said. “This might be your best chance to find out.”

  Rob glanced at the clock on the wall by the door. “It’s after five in DC, where the decision would have to be made,” he said. “I’ll contact my boss in the morning and let him take it from there.” That would give him a few more hours to come up with a better explanation for why he was in Rayford County right now. Maybe he could persuade his boss he had just come here to fly-fish.

  “Let us know what he says.” Travis glanced at the report once more. “I wonder what the market is for biological weapons.”

  “What made you think of that?” Dwight asked.

  “Because so many times these things come down to money,” Travis said.

  “My guess is there are terrorist groups who would hand over a lot of cash to get their hands on a weapon that was easy to distribute, tough to detect and effective for mass destruction,” Rob said.

  “Is there a weapon like that?” Dwight asked. “Tularemia doesn’t sound like it would be very effective.”

  “Then maybe the point of the lab is to develop something better,” Travis said. “It’s one angle.”

  “Hake had a lot of money tied up in that resort proje
ct,” Dwight said. “CNG Development talks like they want to spend even more money up there.”

  “Yet we’ve had two murders there—three, if you count Hake,” Travis said. “As well as two accidental deaths, three people kidnapped, and a number of unexplained discharges of firearms up there.”

  “Maybe we can get the county to declare the place a public nuisance,” Dwight said.

  “More likely, CNG will complain that local law enforcement isn’t doing a good job of keeping the criminal element off their property,” Travis said. He straightened. “I’ll give CNG a call and see what they have to say about this latest discovery.”

  “Let me know what they say,” Rob said.

  “Don’t worry,” Travis said. “You’re part of this now, whether you want to be or not.”

  * * *

  PAIGE TOLD HERSELF she had to trust Parker, as she watched him drive away. He was a good kid. Or rather, a good man. She had to remind herself her little brother wasn’t a child anymore, and she shouldn’t treat him like one. Yes, he had made some mistakes, but he was too smart to make those mistakes again. She wanted to believe this.

  She checked the clock as she passed through the kitchen on the way to her office. It was after three thirty. She had expected her new guest, Robert Allen, to check in before now. Then again, maybe he had gotten a late start from Denver, or decided to do other things before showing up at the B and B. She asked that guests notify her only if they planned to arrive after 9:00 p.m.

  She switched on her computer and prepared to focus on balancing her books and updating her financial records—a task guaranteed to require all her attention. She was deep into the frustration of trying to make her numbers agree with the bank’s when the doorbell rang. She started and glanced at the clock, surprised to see she had been working for almost an hour. She closed her laptop and hurried to the door, fixing a smile in place, prepared to play the gracious hostess.

  A check of the security peephole wiped the smile from her face. She unlocked the door and swept it open. “What do you think you’re doing, following me around like this?” she demanded of a startled Rob Allerton.

  He settled his features into his usual inscrutable expression. “I have a reservation,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I own this place.”

  He glanced up at the neat white Victorian home, with its black shutters, and neatly mulched flower beds filled with lilacs and peonies fading into winter dormancy. “Nice,” he said.

  “You’re Robert Allen?” she asked.

  He had the grace to wince. “The assistant who made the reservation must have automatically used my cover name,” he said. “Sorry about that.”

  He made a move to walk past her into the house, but she stepped forward to join him on the front porch and shut the door behind her. “You can’t stay here,” she said.

  “Why not?”

  “Parker lives here now.”

  “I’m not interested in your brother,” he said.

  “I don’t want to upset him.” Parker had enough to deal with without having to face over the breakfast table every morning the man who had arrested him.

  “We’re all adults here,” Rob said. “I don’t see why there should be a problem.”

  “It’s a problem for me. You’ll have to find somewhere else to stay.”

  “Eagle Mountain doesn’t have that many choices for accommodations,” he said. “I spent plenty of time at the only motel while I was part of DEA’s investigation into that underground lab.”

  “The motel is very nice,” she said.

  “It’s adequate, but everyone there knows I’m a DEA agent. I prefer to keep this visit separate from that investigation. This is a personal visit and I’d like to keep to the appearance of a relaxing vacation as much as possible. When my assistant suggested a B and B I liked the idea.”

  Paige crossed her arms and scowled at him. She had the right to refuse service to anyone, but he could make a big stink if he wanted to. And turning away a paying customer at this slow time of year would be foolish, wouldn’t it? But to have this man, who had almost ruined Parker’s life, in her home—well, Rob had helped to almost ruin Parker’s life, since she couldn’t deny that Parker was the one who was mostly to blame. Still, it galled her to think of having Rob living here for the next week.

  “What are you afraid of?” Rob asked. “If you’re that worried, you can lock your door. Or should I lock mine?”

  She wanted to slap the wolfish smile off his face, but before she could raise her hand, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her to the ground. For the second time that day she found herself fighting him as he held her down. Then gunfire exploded very near her ear and tore into the door where she had been standing only seconds before.

  Chapter Five

  Paige’s scream merged with the screech of tires and the roar of an engine as the black sedan raced down the street in front of the Bear’s Den B and B. Rob, his weapon drawn, straightened and peered at the retreating car. There was no license plate, and the darkly tinted windows prevented him from seeing the occupants. Though there had been at least two people inside—the driver and the person who had fired the gun out the passenger window.

  “What happened?” Paige asked, her voice shaky. She tried to sit up and this time he let her. He returned the gun to the holster at his hip, then reached down and pulled her to her feet.

  “Was someone shooting at us?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He turned his attention from the street to look at her more closely. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m okay.” She rubbed her elbow. “Just a little banged up.”

  “Sorry if I was a little rough,” he said. “I glimpsed the gun and had to move fast.” He had acted on pure instinct, pushing her out of danger, shielding her with his own body.

  “I’m okay,” she said again. She straightened her blouse. “Who was it? Was it the men from the resort property? The ones who shot at me before?”

  Rob shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t get a good look at them. I saw their silhouettes and the gun.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the sheriff’s office—Travis’s direct number.

  Travis answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

  “This is Rob Allerton. I’m at Paige Riddell’s place. A black sedan, tinted windows, no plates, two men inside, just drove by and fired on us.”

  “Dwight is already on his way over,” Travis said. “We had a report of gunfire in the area. Is anyone hurt?”

  “No. Some damage to the front door.” He surveyed the line of bullet holes across the bright red door, like a row of stitches. His roller bag sat inches from the door, but was unscathed.

  “I think I need to sit down.” Paige sank onto the bench beside the door, her head between her knees. Rob walked out to the street and studied the angle of the shot. He had parked his truck in the paved area between the B and B and the house to the left—which meant anyone driving by had a clear view of the front porch where he and Paige had been standing. The house was only about a hundred feet from the street, making for an easy target.

  As he stood at the curb, a Rayford County Sheriff’s Department SUV pulled up. Dwight rolled down the passenger window and leaned toward Rob. “I just heard from Travis. You and Paige okay?”

  He glanced over his shoulder to where Paige sat, upright now, hands gripping the edge of the bench, staring at the floor between her feet. “She’s a little shaken up,” he said. “But she’ll be okay.”

  “We’ve got a BOLO on the car you described,” Dwight said. “Can you show me where the bullets hit?”

  The two men walked up on the porch. “Hello, Paige,” Dwight said. “You okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Did you get a look at the shooter?” Dwight asked.

  “I never saw them. Ro
b pushed me out of the way before I even knew they were there.”

  Dwight nodded, then bent to examine the damaged door. He took some photos. “At least some of the bullets are embedded in the door,” he said. “We’ll get someone out here to collect them. Is there anything else you can tell me—about the car or the shooters?”

  “I’m sorry,” Paige said. “I can’t think of anything.”

  “We’ll do our best to patrol here more frequently,” Dwight said. “But you might want to think about staying somewhere else for a while.”

  She stared at him. “I can’t do that. I have guests. And Parker is here.”

  Dwight’s eyes met Rob’s. “It would be better if you went somewhere safer,” Dwight repeated.

  “How do you know I was even the target?” Paige asked, with more strength in her voice. “I imagine a DEA agent has made all kinds of enemies.”

  Rob looked at the door again. “Maybe so,” he said. “But the shots were fired where you were standing.”

  Her face paled, but she set her jaw. “I’m not leaving my home and my business,” she said.

  “I can’t force you,” Dwight said.

  “I’m staying here,” Rob said. “I’ll keep an eye on things.”

  “Let us know if you see anything suspicious.” Dwight nodded to Paige, then left.

  When they were alone again, Rob turned to Paige. “Where’s Parker?” he asked.

  “He’s out.”

  “Out where?”

  “None of your business.”

  He almost smiled. This was the Paige he was used to. “Do you know where he is?” he asked.

  “He’s an adult. I don’t keep track of his every move.”

  Somehow he doubted this was a philosophy she had adopted willingly, having seen her mother-bear act in court. “Do you want me to call him?” he asked.

  “No!”

  “I thought maybe you would feel better with him here.”

  “No. There’s no need to worry him.”