Dark Horse (Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  “Well, I would’ve said no, but she was pretty in love with the guy. I got the feeling she would’ve done anything for him, and he was really anxious for them to be together. Running away seemed like the only option.”

  “So you don’t think it had anything to do with her father?”

  The woman paled and stiffly shook her head. “That was so unfair what they said about him. Vern was the nicest man. We used to hang out at the farm sometimes and he was always really cool. Mila adored him…until she fell in love and got completely mind-warped by Mr. Smooth.”

  “How do you know he was smooth? You said you’d never met him.”

  “I never did, but he must’ve been something special if she was willing to quit on everything else in her life just to be with him.” Her upper lip curled, giving away her aversion to the mystery boyfriend.

  “Did you have a bad feeling about the guy?”

  She rose from the couch and collected her little boy before he fell against the coffee table. “Come ’ere, you cheeky monkey.” She picked him up and giggled when he gave her a drooling grin. Gazing down at her baby, she softly murmured, “Any guy who persuades a girl to run away from people who love her gives me a bad feeling. It was seriously like he’d cast a spell on her, the way she spoke about him. I get love at first sight and soul mates and all that stuff, I really do, but I’ve always thought the person you’re meant to be with should bring out the best in you. Whoever that guy was, he wasn’t bringing out the best in Mila, encouraging her to sneak away from her friends and lie to her family that way. And then she just disappeared without even saying goodbye. I guess I’ve always kind of resented her for that. I thought we were friends.”

  Nate didn’t have the heart to tell her that Mila was actually dead, shot through the heart by someone…quite possibly the guy she’d been in love with.

  A sharp frown dented his forehead as he turned the corner and headed for Lulu’s.

  Vern Schnyder was the only person to have seen this guy with his own eyes. Nate needed to interview him and find out whatever he could. He needed to let him know that his beloved daughter was dead.

  The thought sat heavy in his gut, but it was his job. Surely finding Mila’s killer would comfort Vern in some way. Give him a sense of closure after years of wondering. Vern would probably be more than willing to help him…if he could just find the guy.

  He reached Lulu’s Coffee Shop and strode in, spotting Jarrett at a table in the corner. He raised his hand in greeting and headed to the counter.

  “Hey, Nate.” Rosie smiled. “I hear you’re paying for Jarrett’s lunch.”

  He gave her a wry smile. “I take it he’s already ordered.”

  “Oh yeah.” She raised her eyebrows, letting him know that the guy probably went overboard just to piss Nate off. “So, what’ll it be for you?”

  “I’ll take a black coffee and…” He leaned down to look in the glass cabinet and pointed with his finger. “One of those raisin bran muffins.”

  “Oh, man,” she giggled. “You and your brother with your healthy eating. You know it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes, right?”

  He snickered and patted his belly. “I like the bran, thanks, Rosie.”

  She rolled her eyes and rang up the bill. Nate’s eyes bulged at the amount.

  “He’s ordered a few things to-go.”

  “Asshole,” Nate muttered, half-joking, half-not.

  Rosie laughed and handed him his receipt. “I’ll bring it over in a few.”

  Nate sauntered to the table and halfheartedly shook Jarrett’s hand. “You’re a pig. You know that, right?”

  Jarrett shot him a winning smile. “You’ve made me wait three weeks, man. Be glad I didn’t order even more.”

  Nate didn’t respond, gazing around the coffee shop to see who else was around. He couldn’t help scoping. It was ingrained. He rapidly took in the information—a young couple, college age, sharing a milkshake. An elderly lady near the window, shakily eating a blueberry muffin. A guy on his laptop, treating Lulu’s like his personal office. A couple of businessmen, sitting at the table positioned under the giant photo of Audrey Hepburn.

  Nate did a double take, his gut clenching when he noticed it was Xavier and Oscar. He shuffled in his seat, directing his body in the opposite direction. He hadn’t seen any of the Richmonds since the breakup, and he wasn’t too keen on hearing whatever they had to say about him.

  “So, I heard you’ve got an ID. Who is it?” Jarrett had his phone unlocked, ready to take down notes.

  Nate sighed and leaned his elbows on the table, delivering the speech he’d planned on his walk over. He told Jarrett what he could, making sure his friend understood that he was only to print the basics.

  “I still need some more time to figure out who this mysterious boyfriend was,” he told him. “If I can find Mila’s father, then I’ll have a better shot at identifying him.”

  Jarrett nodded. “I could print something that would encourage people to come forward with tips.”

  Nate shook his head. “Or you could send the killer into hiding.”

  “If he did happen to be an Aspen Falls resident, do you think he’d be stupid enough to stick around after the body was found? There’s no way. By the sound of it, the guy wasn’t a local. He probably killed Mila and took off for good.”

  Nate made a face, annoyed that he was right. He knew Jarrett liked his job, but damn, he would’ve made a good detective.

  “What was his name again?” Jarrett glanced at him.

  “We don’t officially know. Mila’s father thought it was—”

  “Oh my goodness me!” an old lady exclaimed, a little too loudly.

  Nate immediately noted the hearing aid in her ear and watched, fascinated, as the old woman shuffled toward Xavier’s table.

  “You’re back. Is she with you?” She patted Oscar’s shoulder and started looking around the café.

  Oscar gave her a curious frown and pasted on a smile.

  “I’m sorry?” he said, at an appropriate volume for a busy café.

  “You used to wait outside my house. In your pale blue pickup truck. For her. You waited for her.”

  Oscar shared a quick look with Xavier, his face puckered with confusion. “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but I’ve never met you before.”

  “Well, of course you haven’t.” She giggled. “You didn’t know I was watching.”

  Nate quickly deduced that the woman must’ve been suffering from some kind of dementia. Her giggle was too girly for an old woman, and there was something about the reckless movements of her shaking hands.

  Oscar cleared his throat and stood. Obviously embarrassed, he rested his hand lightly on the woman’s elbow and leaned in to speak softly in her ear.

  She listened with a smile that started to waver. “Oh,” she murmured. “Oh, yes, I see. Oh, I am so sorry. I must’ve made a mistake.” She patted his cheek. “You sweet man. You just look like an older version of him, you do. I will never forget him. Always so nervous. Waiting. Waiting for the moment he could run to her.”

  “To who?” Oscar asked.

  “His true love.” The woman patted her chest with a dreamy smile floating across her face. “I wonder if they ran away together. Because both of them stopped coming.”

  Nate’s ears started burning. Sitting up straight, he studied the woman more carefully.

  With a kind smile, Oscar apologized once more for not being the man she thought he was.

  “Oh don’t you worry. My old brain plays tricks on me sometimes.”

  Oscar grinned. “Well, I’m glad, otherwise I never would’ve had the pleasure of talking to you.”

  The lady laughed and patted his cheek. “Oh, my boy. So handsome. Just like him. So handsome.”

  She shook her head, then turned and shuffled away with her cane as if she hadn’t even started a conversation with Oscar. His confused gaze tracked her until it brushed past Nate. He kind of jerked and swallowed, giving Nate a nervo
us wave before plunking back down in his chair.

  Xavier glanced over his shoulder and spotted Nate as well.

  It was awkward.

  All Nate could do was raise his chin in acknowledgement, then turn back to Jarrett.

  “Was that weird?” Jarrett frowned. “I feel like that was weird.”

  Rosie approached the table with her ladened tray. “Here you go guys.” She started unloading it, including four to-go bags.

  Nate glared at Jarrett, who just winked at him before smiling up at Rosie. “Do you know the lady who just left?”

  Rosie glanced at the door. “Oh, Ms. Parker? Yeah, she comes in here at least twice a week. She’s a sweetheart.”

  “Is she, uh…” Nate tapped the side of his head. “All there?”

  Rosie grinned and shook her head. “Not by a long shot. I mean, sometimes she is, but she’s been known to come up to the counter a few times during a meal to order the same thing over again. She’s harmless, though.”

  “Where does she live?” Nate frowned, worried that a woman like that wouldn’t be able to find her way home.

  “Just around the corner.” Rosie hugged the empty tray to her chest. “Don’t worry, she always finds her way home. Every store owner on this street knows her.” Rosie lightly tapped Nate’s shoulder. “I’m surprised you don’t. Blaine’s on a first-name basis with her. She adores him.”

  Nate shook his head, embarrassed that he didn’t, but he wasn’t a beat cop anymore and only dealt with the general public when he was investigating a case.

  “Well, enjoy your food.” Rosie grinned.

  Nate thanked her and kept his gaze down as Oscar and Xavier walked past the table. Neither of them acknowledged him, and he was happy to keep it that way.

  In fact, he didn’t take his eyes off his muffin until Jarrett started kicking him under the table. “You need to talk to the guy Ms. Parker was just talking to.”

  Nate picked up his coffee and took a long sip. “And why would I do that?”

  “Come on!” Jarrett looked incredulous. “She may be a dotty old lady, but she definitely recognized that guy.”

  “He said it wasn’t him.”

  “He looked guilty.” Jarrett planted his finger on the table. “He looked right over here and looked guilty. I’m telling you, that guy knows something.”

  Nate couldn’t deny that Jarrett was right. Oscar had looked kind of guilty when he glanced their direction.

  But Ms. Parker had agreed with him in the end that he wasn’t the man she remembered.

  “She said her brain plays tricks on her,” Nate muttered.

  “Even so, it’s worth asking. Maybe the guy has a brother or cousin who looks just like him.”

  “I don’t think so. The guy’s from England.”

  “What, do you know him?” Jarrett spoke around his large mouthful of sandwich.

  Nate silently cursed himself for saying anything, then reluctantly muttered, “He’s friends with the Richmonds. Works for Michael.”

  “Perfect.” Jarrett wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “So just stop by and see what you can find out.”

  “What are you, a cop now?”

  “I’m a reporter, and a damn good one. And if you don’t want to do your job, then I can go talk to him myself.” Nate shot him a look dark enough to make the guy swallow. “Okay, fine, you go talk to him, then.” His lips pulled into a sad smile. “I was sorry to hear about you and Sal, by the way. It really sucks.”

  Nate clenched his jaw and looked away. Images of Sally attacked him from all sides—blonde hair and sparkling eyes. Suddenly Mila’s face appeared beside Sally’s.

  They really did look alike.

  Damn, if someone ever hurt Sally, took her, stole her away, Nate would move mountains to make sure she was safe.

  Vern no doubt felt the same, but just hadn’t been strong enough to do anything about it. He deserved justice for his daughter.

  Nate had to give it to him. Whatever it took.

  “Okay.” He swallowed and leaned back in his chair. “You’re right. Maybe Oscar does have some family here that I don’t know about. It’s worth talking to him.”

  “There you are.” Jarrett winked at him before taking another monstrous bite of his sandwich.

  Nate picked at his bran muffin, already trying to figure out what he was going to say to Oscar…and why the guy’s face flashed with guilt when he looked across the coffeehouse at him.

  20

  Tuesday, May 22nd

  4:05pm

  Nate’s stomach was in knots as he parked outside the construction site. He felt ridiculous for being so nervous, but he just hoped like hell that Michael Richmond wasn’t around to gloat.

  Finally, his precious daughter was free of the annoying detective. Nate wasn’t sure he could stomach even the smallest pleasantries with the guy.

  Holding his breath, he walked over the loose gravel pathway and headed to the small office shed on the edge of the construction site. The door popped open just as Nate was buttoning his jacket, and he was relieved to see Oscar loping down the two wooden steps.

  The Englishman looked up and spotted Nate, halting with surprise.

  “Uh, hello, Nate. What brings you here?” His gaze was kind of twitchy and Nate immediately went into high alert mode.

  Nate tried to hide his frown. Why did this guy look so nervous?

  Forcing what he hoped was a casual smile, Nate extended his hand in greeting. “I hope you don’t mind me just stopping by, but I’m here in an official capacity.”

  This seemed to relax Oscar. His shoulders dropped and he took Nate’s hand with a smile. “What can I help you with?”

  Nate’s brows flickered with confusion and he licked the side of his mouth. “Actually, I just wanted to follow up on that conversation you had with Ms. Parker at Lulu’s today.”

  “Ms. Parker?” Oscar tipped his head.

  “The old lady who thought you were someone else.”

  “Oh.” Oscar chuckled and shook his head. “Talk about confusing. She seriously thought she knew me.”

  “Why would she think that?” Nate asked, watching Oscar carefully.

  The man shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve never owned a blue pickup truck.” He gazed into the distance for a second, then blinked and looked at Nate. “And I’d never set foot in Aspen Falls until I met Michael a couple of years ago. I don’t know what she was talking about.”

  Nate rubbed his mouth and lightly kicked a loose stone with the toe of his shoes. “You don’t happen to have any relatives who look like you? Siblings? Cousins? An uncle? Someone Ms. Parker might’ve mistaken for you?”

  Oscar was shaking his head. “I wish I could help you, but it’s honestly just me. I mean, my grandmother grew up in Chicago, so there’s maybe a chance I have some distant relative I don’t know about, but I can’t say for certain.”

  Nate pulled out his notepad. “What was your grandmother’s name?”

  “I’m sorry?” Oscar leaned forward.

  “Your grandmother’s name,” Nate repeated. “What was it?”

  “Oh, uh, Jacqueline Plymouth, and actually that was her married name, so I’m not sure what her maiden name was. When she left Chicago for London, she really cut ties. I don’t know the history. She didn’t like to talk about it, but I’ve never met any of her immediate family. I don’t even know where I’d find them.”

  Nate pressed his lips together and cleared his throat. It was an effort to hide his frustration. The talk with Oscar was achieving nothing. His best bet was still to find Vern, which was turning into an incredibly hard task.

  “Okay.” Nate bobbed his head. “Maybe I can try talking to Ms. Parker as well. She might be able to tell me more.”

  Oscar winced, like that would probably be a waste of time as well. “Good luck with that.”

  Nate agreed with an eyebrow raise, but then decided to give it one last shot before walking away.

  “Well, if you could do
me a favor and try to come up with your grandmother’s maiden name, I’d really appreciate the help.”

  “Of course.” Oscar shook his head while he was talking, telling Nate that he had absolutely no intention of wasting his time.

  Clenching his jaw, Nate asked one last question before turning away.

  “You know, when I was watching you in the café today, you suddenly looked kind of nervous. That’s why I came out here to talk to you. I just wanted to check that you weren’t lying to sweet Ms. Parker.”

  Oscar’s head jerked back like he was offended, but Nate’s unrelenting gaze made his expression buckle.

  “I wasn’t nervous because of that.”

  Nate frowned.

  “Thing is, Nate, uh…well, Sally and I…”

  Nate’s stomach clenched.

  “We’ve started seeing each other. I know you guys were together for a long time, and I just didn’t know how you’d react.”

  Nate’s mouth dried up, his tongue swelling with incompetence.

  “I really care about her, very much. I know it may seem fast to you, but I’ve liked her for a long time. But she was always with you, see, and then after you broke up, she was so sad and I wanted to make her feel better…and, well, one thing has led to another. Quite quickly actually. It’s kind of wonderful.” A smile flitted over his lips and Nate’s fingers bunched into a fist. He’d never wanted to punch someone more.

  Oscar had moved in on Sally.

  And things were going well.

  Bile surged in Nate’s gut, making it impossible to do anything but spin and walk away from him.

  “I’m sorry, Nate,” he called after him. “But I promise I’m taking really good care of her. I’ll give her everything she wants and needs!”

  It took everything in Nate not to cover his ears and run.

  Oscar was taking care of Sally.

  Nate’s Sally.

  The only woman he’d ever loved.

  She’d moved on.

  It hadn’t been about space for her, it’d been about letting go so she could get the things she wanted. Things Oscar could provide.

  Nate slammed into his car, puffing like a rhino before gripping the wheel and shouting, “SHIT!”