Dark Horse (Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  Picking up his pace, Nate double-timed it back to the AFPD precinct.

  It took Nate longer than he expected, and he was close to giving up when he discovered mention of a 911 call from the farmhouse on Fraser Road. Dispatch had been called at 3:45pm on May 22, 2006. It was like the information had been buried intentionally with the effort it took Nate to dig it up. After multiple failed searches, he’d ended up trawling through records from spring break of 2006 onward.

  Cam and Jessica had already checked out for the night, but he’d stayed on, unable to rest until he’d found something on the Schnyder family. And his determination had paid off.

  Mrs. Darlene Schnyder had called the police, claiming her daughter was missing. Unit 2579 was sent to follow up.

  “Missing. Bingo.” Nate’s forehead wrinkled as the skeleton on Chad’s table flashed through his mind. Puzzle pieces were slotting into place quickly, and he didn’t like the picture they were creating.

  “So, where’s the police report?” Nate scrolled down the login page and found no follow-up information.

  With a marked frown, he stood from his chair and headed for the back of the station.

  The storage unit wouldn’t be manned at this time of night, so he’d have to hunt down the information on his own, but it wasn’t like he had anything better to do.

  Sally’s beautiful smile penetrated his brain, like a painful knife wound.

  He paused against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his temples and wishing he could live without her. Why did she keep haunting him?

  “You okay, Detective?”

  Nate popped his eyes open and spotted the new rookie. He stood there nervous and unsure which way to look.

  Clearing his throat, Nate gave him a short nod. “I’m fine.” And walked around him.

  He reached the storage room and swiped his keycard, letting himself in and starting up the computer. It whirred and groaned for what felt like an hour before finally beeping that it was ready. Typing in his password, then the date and time stamp of the dispatch call, Nate tapped his finger on the desk while he waited. Finally the screen lit up with the same information that he’d been looking at in his office, except this system had the added bonus of a log number.

  He touched the screen and murmured, “Two-five-oh-six-Mar-Sch.”

  Taking the second aisle from the right, he ran his finger along the shelf until he reached drawer 25-06. It screeched when it opened and Nate winced. Shuffling through the files, he found Mar-Sch. He pulled it out and clicked on his flashlight—a force of habit. Even though the lights were on, he still scanned things by flashlight. It helped him hone in on details he might otherwise miss.

  “Arrived at the house at 4:12pm. Darlene Schnyder hysterical—agitated and yelling. Vern Schnyder visibly upset, but calm.” Nathan murmured the important details as he read them.

  Officer Glenn Marshall had written the report, and it was brief.

  Basically he and his partner turned up at the house and talked the mother into sitting down and explaining what had happened. She was convinced her seventeen-year-old daughter, Mila, had been taken, but the father had a different story. The mother had been away for two weeks visiting with her sister in Montana, and in that time Mila had run away with her boyfriend. The father had tried to stop her, but he couldn’t force her to stay and was worried if he did that they’d lose her forever.

  “Did he call to give his wife a heads-up?” Nate asked aloud. He frowned, kind of appalled that the mother had returned to find a very important member of her family missing.

  “She’ll come back to us. We just have to give her time.” Nate’s eyebrows rose as he read a direct quote from the father.

  Darlene Schnyder was unconvinced and wanted to file a missing persons report.

  Mother wants a missing persons report filed, but father says there is no point as he let the daughter go willingly. Regardless, a report will be filed.

  Nate flipped up the page he was reading and noticed the missing persons report behind it. He quickly skimmed Mila’s details and the comments below them.

  Runaway is turning eighteen in less than three months. Will keep an eye out for her when on patrol. If runaway is found, police will issue her with a warning and strongly suggest she return home. Boyfriend is liable to be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

  Vern Schnyder claims the boyfriend is a white male in his early twenties (speculation). Sandy-brown hair. Name: Jamie. Drove a black sedan. License plate unknown.

  Nate clicked off his flashlight but kept staring at the file.

  Black sedan. License plate unknown.

  He hated those words. It made him think about the mysterious black car that killed his mother. All he’d been able to tell the police was that it was black, and he’d hated himself for it ever since.

  He wondered if Vern Schnyder felt the same way.

  Or if his story about the boyfriend was a big fat lie.

  Why was the mother so convinced her daughter would never run away like that, enough to call the police, yet they did nothing?

  How could a father let his daughter go off with a man in his twenties so easily while the mother was away?

  The father obviously knew something he wasn’t willing to say.

  Nate’s gut twisted.

  Slapping the file closed, he shunted the drawer shut and headed out of the storage room. He signed out the report to study more carefully.

  What he really needed to do was speak to Officer Glenn Marshall, but he hadn’t heard of him, so he was guessing the guy had retired.

  He stepped out of the room and ensured the door was locked properly before opening the file again. Scanning down to the bottom, he noted the name of Marshall’s partner—Brent Higginson.

  “Higgs.” Nate smiled and tapped the officer’s name.

  Walking into the meeting room, he checked the duty roster and saw the guy was on for the next day.

  First thing in the morning, he was tracking the guy down and having a chat.

  Maybe he could help clear up a few of the unsettling mysteries swirling in Nate’s gut.

  14

  Wednesday, May 9th

  9:30am

  The morning sun was almost milky behind a soft white haze of cloud. Sally sat against the window of Lulu’s Cafe, playing eye tennis between the street traffic passing by and the person she was sharing breakfast with. Oscar was telling her about his education at an all-boys boarding school. She’d heard one of the stories before, but the one about sneaking a stray puppy into their dorm room was new. He was very entertaining and Sally smiled, enjoying his funny antics. It was all so British and foreign to her, but his smooth voice and charming accent held her attention.

  She was glad she’d called him.

  She’d opted for breakfast, feeling it was the safest meal. It felt less like a date and definitely less romantic than a candlelit dinner. She was sure Oscar would’ve arranged something like that if she’d let him, but shifting from family friend to an intimate date was a little like whiplash. He’d made the transition pretty easily, which made Sally wonder if he’d been secretly harboring feelings for her for a while.

  “Anyway, enough about me.” Oscar waved his hand in front of his face. “I want to know what you were like as a child. Your father always says how sweet and gentle you are. Were you always that way? I bet you were the kid everyone loved.”

  Sally chuckled and shook her head. “I may’ve been sweet, but I wasn’t gentle. I was always too busy trying to keep up with my brother Emmett.” She tipped her head back. “Oh, man, he was my superhero, and I must’ve been so annoying, constantly following him around. He was really good about it. Annabelle, she was the lady. She’d rather paint nails than play soccer.”

  “Yes, I definitely know that.” Oscar grinned. “Although you still strike me as very elegant.”

  Sally blushed and shook her head. “You’re too nice. I just get so sick of Mom and Annabelle harping on about
the fact that I’m a grown woman now. I basically wear a little makeup and brush my hair just to keep them off my back.”

  Oscar laughed. “I love your family. You’re all so involved in each other’s lives.”

  “Yes, we’re close. Some probably think we live too much in each other’s pockets.”

  Nate always had.

  “I think it’s lovely. I come from a family where affection like that was never encouraged. My boarding school mates were more family than my own parents were.”

  “You don’t have any siblings, do you?”

  Oscar tipped his head, then gave an awkward shake. “Sadly, I’m all alone.”

  “Oh, that’s right. The car accident. You lost your parents.” Sally’s heart pulsed with sympathy. “That must’ve been really hard.”

  “It was. Very sudden and traumatic. It took me a while to find my feet. Actually, that’s one of the reasons I came to America. I just needed a change, to get away and start afresh. With my grandmother being a Chicago native, I managed to secure a work visa. Things just sort of snowballed from there, and then I got that entry-level job at Richmond Construction.” His lips twitched with pride.

  “You’ve worked your way up the ranks pretty fast, but my dad adores you.”

  “He’s an amazing man.” Oscar’s smile was broad and grateful.

  Sally shrugged. “He knows quality when he sees it.”

  Oscar brushed her compliment away with a shy smile. “Your family has been so wonderful, welcoming me in the way you have.”

  His expression helped Sally understand why he was so drawn to her family. It was kind of sweet.

  A figure paused by the table, her long fingers smoothing down her black apron as she asked, “Is everything good here? Can I get you more tea?”

  Sally glanced up at Rosie and smiled. Blaine’s girlfriend had really grown in confidence the last few months. It was so nice to see. She remembered her from high school. They’d run in very different circles and hadn’t had anything to do with each other. But since dating Blaine, they’d shared a few meals, and Sally discovered that she really liked her.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks, Rosie.”

  “I’ll take a top up of tea, if that’s alright.” Oscar held up his cup and saucer.

  “No problem.” Rosie took it with a grin and walked away to refill it. She shared a quick glance with Sally that told her she thought his accent was cute or he was cute…or something to that effect.

  He really was.

  Leaning his elbows on the table, his sparkling brown eyes gave her his full attention. “So you were a bit of a tomboy, then, I take it?”

  “Yeah, you could say that. I’m pretty sure my mother was close to giving up on making a lady out of me, but high school and crushes on boys helped bring out my feminine side.”

  Oscar laughed and clapped his hands together before asking her another question.

  He really seemed interested in her, and she was struggling to adjust to being the center of someone’s attention for such a length of time. Being one of four, she’d always been competing, and then with Nate and his work, she was used to being an afterthought. He was able to ask her about her day and focus for most of her report back, but within minutes his eyes would start to drift, and his mind was back on whatever case he was currently working.

  Sally had learned to keep things short and simple, but Oscar just kept on asking for more details.

  She was halfway through a story of a family trip to Hawaii where she’d been stung by a jellyfish when Oscar’s phone rang. She stopped immediately and pointed to his ringing pocket. “I’ll let you get that.”

  “It can wait.” He tapped his pocket and let the phone ring.

  She raised her eyebrows. “I really don’t mind.”

  With a gentle smile, he reached across the table and took her hand, lightly running his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m in a very important meeting right now. Whoever’s trying to call me can wait.”

  Her swallow was thick as she blinked and started tracing the grooves in the table with her free hand.

  “So, that jellyfish…how mean was he?”

  Sally blinked and struggled to smile. Oscar’s warm fingers around hers felt foreign and out of place. She was used to Nate’s slightly rough hands, the soft calluses and broad fingers. She could still remember the feel of them tracing every inch of her body. His tamed strength, his protective tenderness. Her body still yearned for those moments.

  But they wouldn’t come anymore, because she’d walked away.

  “Sally?” Oscar lightly shook her hand.

  She swallowed, forcing Nate from her mind. “That jelly was mean,” she finally said. “Really mean, and then of course Emmett wanted to pee on me because apparently that takes the sting away. You can imagine my reaction to that.”

  Oscar chuckled. “I bet you screamed the beach down.”

  Sally grinned. An image of Nate’s face flashed through her mind. When she’d told him the jellyfish story, he’d kissed her cheek and playfully whispered, “I would’ve peed on you, baby. Anything to make the pain stop.”

  She’d melted at those words, her breathy giggle swallowed by his kiss. Nate had always affected her so strongly.

  But Oscar was sweet too, just in a different way.

  Besides, he was there. He was attentive. Those were all good things.

  Nate wasn’t part of her life anymore. Was she always going to pine for him?

  She was aware the break up was still fresh and she shouldn’t feel pressured to rush into something new, but the idea of missing him with such intensity was a heavy burden…especially when the chances of reality changing were slim. Nate was married to his work, which left no room for her.

  Maybe moving on would help dampen the pain.

  Would being with Oscar help her get the life she wanted?

  Or would Nate always be with her, no matter what, haunting her moments and making it hard to breathe?

  15

  Wednesday, May 9th

  10:30am

  Nate worked so late the night before that he overslept and ended up barreling into work over three hours late. He cursed himself the entire way to the station, but his anger dissipated the second he walked in and spotted Higgs.

  “You’re still here.”

  Higgs gave him a confused frown before taking a sip of coffee. “Just brought in a drunk for booking.”

  “You got a second?”

  “I’m about to head back out on patrol.” Higgs pointed over his shoulder. Mick was waiting behind him.

  “I need to talk to you for a minute.” Nate remained quietly insistent.

  The younger officer read between the lines and excused himself. “I’ll wait for you in the car, Higgs.”

  “Sounds good.” Tucking his thumbs into his belt, he gave Nate a curious smile. “What’s up?”

  “It’s this Jane Doe case. I’ve got a horrible feeling that I know who the victim might be, and I need your help to ID her.”

  “Me?” Higgs pointed at himself. “Why me?”

  With a little flick of his fingers, he led Higgs into his office and opened up the file he’d been reading the night before. “Do you remember visiting the Schnyder family back in May 2006? Your name’s on the report as the accompanying officer.”

  “That was twelve years ago.” Higgs frowned for a minute and pulled the file toward him. After a brief scan, he bobbed his head. “Oh yeah. I think I do remember this. Mrs. Schnyder was hard work that day. She was adamant her baby girl wouldn’t run away with that boy.”

  “And you didn’t believe her?”

  Higgs shrugged. “I was with Glenn. He was a veteran cop, you know. He knew how to read people and he believed Vern. They were friends, and Mrs. Schnyder was kind of hysterical.”

  “So it just sat okay with you?”

  Higgs closed the file and gave Nate a wary look. “I take it it doesn’t sit okay with you?”

  “Not when I’ve got a teenage female skel
eton of European descent dug up on their property.”

  Higgs’s thick eyebrows dipped together. “You think it’s the daughter?”

  “It’s a damn good guess. She dropped out of school and went missing while the mother was away.”

  Higgs’s face wrinkled with a frown. “You don’t think the father did it, do you?”

  “Why do you look so surprised?”

  “I don’t know, I just… I mean, he was a friend of Glenn’s, and the way he described him, I can’t imagine a man like that hurting his kid. From what Glenn said, he was a really dedicated family man, and he just thought that letting the daughter go was the right thing. He didn’t want to lose her and figured she’d come back.”

  “But she never did.”

  “Well, I don’t think so, but it was a while ago now. Have you spoken to the mother?”

  “Darlene Schnyder died of cancer five years ago, and I have no idea where the father is. All I know is that he took off shortly after that incident, and that’s a red flag to me.”

  Higgs made a face and took another sip of coffee, clearly avoiding Nate’s gaze.

  “What?” Nate crossed his arms and drilled the older man with a reprimanding glare. “What are you not telling me?”

  With a reluctant sigh, Higgs finally muttered, “Look, Glenn made me swear not to perpetuate this rumor.”

  “What rumor?”

  Higgs sighed, throwing his Styrofoam cup in the closest trash can before quietly confessing. “Word got out that Vern was messing with his daughter.” His face buckled with disgust. “Molesting her.”

  Nate’s head jerked back. “That’s not in the report.”

  “Of course it’s not.” Higgs shook his head. “It kind of came up after Mila ran away. People wanted an explanation and someone—we never found out who—suggested that she ran away because Vern was… well, anyway, it tore the poor guy apart. It didn’t help that his wife bought into it too. After that, he couldn’t stay. He couldn’t bear the idea that someone thought he’d touched his daughter like that. He loved her.” Higgs looked convinced as he caught Nate’s eye. “He loved her the way a father should love a daughter. The way I love mine. Glenn never once believed any of that crap, and I was with him.”