by J A Whiting
“Did she say why she liked that better?”
Mrs. Jackson piped up. “Abby told me Adam tried to coach her, correct things about her stride, things like that. Abby didn’t want him telling her how to run or train. She’d worked all of that out with her coach.”
“Adam was only trying to be helpful,” Mr. Jackson said.
The more Shelly heard about Adam, the more she would characterize him as being controlling, not helpful.
Jay did not bring up what Shelly had reported to her that a witness claimed to see Adam push Abby on the trail which resulted in her falling into a gulley and injuring her back. That would be discussed after interviewing the witness and speaking again with Adam Wall.
“Abby worked at the resort gift shop this summer,” Jay said. “How did she like the job?”
“She didn’t like it that much,” Mrs. Jackson said. “Abby preferred to be outside and didn’t like being cooped up in the store all day. She thought some of the customers could be arrogant and rude. The manager wasn’t the best.”
“How do you mean about the manager?” Jay asked.
“Abby said he was a pain. Making rude jokes, blaming her for not doing enough if a customer left without making a purchase. Abby said he could be moody, one minute he was sullen, and the next, he was acting childish. She didn’t like the man.”
“Did the manager ever ask her out?”
A look of shock washed over Mrs. Jackson’s face. “I don’t think so. Abby never said such a thing. The man was more than twenty years older than Abby.”
Shelly didn’t think an age difference would stop the manager from making a move on Abby, if he was so inclined.
Jay gave a nod and then brought up Abby’s previous work experience. “Abby worked at Glad Hill Farm for a number of years. She enjoyed that job?”
Mrs. Jackson’s lips turned up. “Abby loved that farm, she loved everything about being there … being outside, working with the animals, the people who came to visit the place. She didn’t care where she was assigned to work, she loved it all.”
“Abby enjoyed the camaraderie there as well,” Mr. Jackson said. “Everyone was nice to get along with. They all worked hard, but had fun doing it.”
“Dwayne Thomas owns the farm and the orchard. Did Abby have much interaction with him?” Jay questioned.
“Oh, sure,” Jackson said. “Dwayne is hands-on. He runs the place, knows everything that is going on. Abby liked working with him.”
“Abby thought the world of Dwayne,” Mrs. Jackson said. “She said he was a nice man, always concerned about the people who worked there. He pays the employees well. He respects the land, the farm animals.” A faraway look showed in the woman’s eyes. “I went to the farm right before Abby disappeared and ran into Dwayne. He said how much he missed her not working there this summer. He couldn’t believe she’d be off to college in the fall. He looked so sad when he told me he’d probably never see her again. He said he loved Abby.” A tear rolled down Mrs. Jackson’s cheek and she brushed it away.
What the woman said caused a chill of worry to rush over Shelly. Dwayne said he loved Abby? That he wouldn’t see her again? Did Dwayne…?
Shelly’s heart jumped into her throat.
17
Shelly and Juliet met at the lake after work to kayak and swim and they promised each other there would be no talk of murder and killers for two hours. The day was hot and sunny bringing a lot of people to the water to cool off.
The young women decided to kayak around the perimeter of the lake and by the time they returned to the starting point, their arms had tired from stroking with the paddles.
“Wow, my muscles are sore,” Shelly said as she dragged the kayak up on the banking. “I haven’t kayaked that far in a very long time.”
Perspiration showed on Juliet’s arms and forehead. “It was hot out on the water, too. At least we got some good exercise. Now let’s jump in and cool off.”
Walking up the short hill to the rope swing, they waited in line to zoom out over the water and when it was their turn, each one flew over the lake with a shout and a scream of delight before letting go of the rope and plunging into the cool, crystal, blue water.
Juliet’s head broke the surface and she treaded water. “That was great.” Her laughter rang in the air.
She and Shelly swam to the edge and bolted up the hill to ride the rope swing again and after, three more plunges, they swam to the raft that was tethered in the middle of the lake to sun themselves. For a while, they shared the raft with a few teenagers who dove and jumped into the water until they all swam for shore to head home.
The sun sank over the tops of the trees and Juliet and Shelly decided to leave the raft and swim back to the beach to towel off and sit on the warm sand. They spread their towels and rested on their backs, eyes closed, soaking up the sun’s last rays of the day.
A voice spoke next to them. “Shelly?”
Shelly bolted upright to see the teenaged girl who had spoken to her at Glad Hill Farm about seeing Adam push Abby on the trail causing her to fall down the steep hill. She held her hand to her forehead to shade her eyes. “Dana, hi.”
A young man stood next to the slim brunette. Dana said, “We saw you on the raft. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
“Sure.” Shelly sat cross-legged on her towel and introduced Juliet.
Dana said, “This is William. He’s a friend of Abby’s boyfriend, Adam.”
William nodded to Shelly and Juliet. Worry seemed to tug at his facial muscles making him look older than he was.
Dana said, “I told William that I talked to you about seeing Adam push Abby on the trail. I told him you were nice … that you gave me good advice. He’d like to talk to you about something that’s been bothering him.”
“Okay.” A wave of anxiety pulsed through Shelly’s veins and she was glad to have Juliet sitting beside her. “What’s bothering you, William?”
William looked down at his hands. “Adam and I have been friends for a long time. I feel awful talking about him.” He let out a long breath. “I heard him talk to Abby. I didn’t like the way he was talking to her. He told her she would never be with another man, only him, and if she tried to break off with him, she’d be very sorry.”
“When did this happen?” Shelly asked.
“About a month ago. A group of us were hanging out at the lake one night. Adam was with Abby off to the side of the beach. I overheard the conversation. I didn’t like the way it sounded.”
“How did Abby react?”
“It was dark so I couldn’t see her face very well. She said something to Adam and she started away. Adam grabbed her by the wrist, but Abby yanked away from him.” William shook his head. “I walked over to Adam. He was steaming mad. I asked what was wrong.”
“What did Adam say?” Juliet asked.
“He ranted about Abby. He said awful things, called her awful names. He said she wasn’t grateful, that she was meant for him and him alone. Adam had a few beers. I had never seen him so shook up.”
“Had you seen Adam other times when he’d been drinking?” Shelly asked.
“Sure, lots of times, but I’d never heard him say such crazy things before.”
“Why do you think he went off on a rant that night?”
“I talked to Abby later, after Adam went home. She told me she wanted to break up with Adam and when she talked to him about how she felt, he went nuts. She said his reaction scared her.”
“Do you know what happened after that night?” Shelly asked. “Adam and Abby were together the night she disappeared so they must have continued to see each other.”
“Yeah, they did,” William said. “Abby talked to me about it. She still wanted to break up, but decided she wouldn’t put an end to the relationship until the day she was going to leave for college. That way she wouldn’t have to deal with Adam trying to change her mind and she’d be gone and wouldn’t be in the same town with him anymore.”
&nbs
p; A terrible thought came into Shelly’s mind. “Did Abby break up with Adam the night she disappeared?”
“I wondered the same thing,” William said. “I don’t know if she did or not. Abby was going to leave for college two weeks earlier than she planned. The university had a voluntary outdoor program for incoming freshmen to go hiking and camping in the White Mountains so they could meet some people before school started. Abby loved that kind of stuff and it would get her out of Paxton Park early so she signed up to go.”
Shelly asked, “When was she supposed to leave for the trip?”
“About four days after she disappeared.” William looked at Dana sitting next to him. “Dana and I have been talking. When she told me she saw Adam push Abby so hard that she fell down the ravine and got injured, well, I thought back to when I heard Adam say those rotten things to Abby. I got worried it wasn’t just too much alcohol that made Adam talk to Abby like he owned her. I started to think Adam was losing it, that he was coming unglued.”
“What would cause him to unravel?” Shelly asked. “Adam had never shown any indications of becoming unbalanced, had he?”
Sitting in the sand, William leaned forward over his crossed legs. “You know those families where everything looks perfect from the outside? Where everyone is good-looking and smart and seems to have everything going for them? Except they don’t.”
“You’re describing Adam’s family?” Juliet eyed the young man.
“Yeah.” William dropped his chin. “His parents were nuts. I wouldn’t go over there anymore. The place was like a museum. Everything was white. You couldn’t drop a crumb. The parents were ridiculously demanding. Adam had to be the best at everything, in school he had to have the best grades, he had to be the best athlete. Did you know Abby was the valedictorian of our class? Adam’s mother and father wouldn’t let him forget it, that he was only second best and second best was as good as last. The father drank and when he did, he got drunk, and then he’d use Adam and the mother as punching bags, but he was always careful not to hit them where it would show.”
William turned his head and looked out over the darkening lake. “I should have spoken up. I should have told our teachers. If I had, maybe Adam wouldn’t have….”
“We don’t know if Adam has done anything,” Shelly reminded the two teenagers.
“He did do something,” Dana said as she fiddled nervously with a strand of her long hair. “Adam pushed Abby and she hurt her back. The fall could have been much worse. She could have ended up paralyzed … the doctor said so.”
“As soon as Dana told me what Adam did on that trail, I got real worried,” William said. “I haven’t told anyone except the three of you what I heard Adam say to Abby. I’m worried he hurt Abby, I’m worried he might have killed her.”
Even in the dying light, Shelly could see William’s face take on a look like he felt ill from accusing his old friend. “It’s good you’re talking about this. I know you don’t want Adam to get into trouble, but it’s worse to protect someone who might be dangerous. Have the police talked to you?”
“Yes.” William hung his head.
“You didn’t tell them what you’ve just told us?” Shelly asked.
“No.” The word slipped softly from William’s throat. “I should have. I just couldn’t. It didn’t seem right. Adam had too much to drink that night and I was sure that what he said to Abby was fueled by the beer. I thought it would all be back to normal the next day. Then Abby told me she wanted to get away from Adam, that he scared her. And then Dana and I got to talking. I was torn about telling the police. I wished they’d come back and talk to me because I didn’t want to go there and show up out of the blue. What if I’m wrong and I get the police thinking the wrong way about Adam?” William rubbed hard at his forehead and Dana put her arm around his shoulders.
Dana said, “The police were nice when I went to talk to them. They listened to me and they said I could speak anonymously. They’ll do the same for you.” She looked to Shelly and Juliet. “You think William should tell the police what he just told you?”
The young women spoke almost in unison. “Yes.”
The teenagers thanked Shelly and Juliet for their help and left the beach to go to the parking area.
“Why do you think they told us all of that? Why didn’t they talk to their parents or some friends?” Juliet asked.
Shelly watched Dana and William walk away. “Sometimes, it’s easier to talk to someone who isn’t connected to your circle in order to get a different perspective or opinion on what’s going on.”
“It sure seems like Adam is a strong suspect,” Juliet said.
“Yeah.” Shelly nodded, even though she had the nagging feeling there was something missing from the puzzle. But what was it?
18
After work, Shelly and Jack set out to hike up to the summit lodge of the mountain. Jack asked if it was too soon for Shelly to expect to make the hike to the top, but she told him she was feeling much better, her ribs had healed and she was able to take deep breaths. Even though her leg would tire, she told Jack, if they could take it slow, she wanted to give it a try. “There are delicious pastries and coffees at the lodge so that will be my incentive to make it to the top,” she explained with a smile.
The two hikers paused every now and then so Shelly could sit and rest her leg and they found a spot off the trail with a rocky ledge where they could stand and look out over the tree tops to a magnificent view of the land stretching out below. Emerald green fields, meandering streams, sparkling lakes, and the distant mountains looked glorious under the late afternoon sun.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Shelly couldn’t tear her eyes away from the natural beauty before her.
“No matter the season, seeing these views always makes me feel calm and peaceful,” Jack told her.
They stood quietly staring out at the spectacular sight until Shelly broke the silence. “I’ve never driven on the road that goes up to the summit.” She turned and looked at Jack.
“The road winds around the mountain up to the top. Whoever designed its location did a great job. There are spots to stop along the way to park and take in the views, but for the most part, the road doesn’t interfere with the trails and the peace and quiet of hiking or biking to the summit.”
“You’ve driven the road?” Shelly’s face was serious.
“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “Why do you ask?”
Taking in a deep breath, she let her eyes wander over the expansive scene. “Are there any spots off the road, like cliffs? Are there any spots where a car could go off the road and plummet down?”
Jack gave the question some thought. “No. There are boulders and heavy guardrails wherever the road gets close to the edge. Maybe a truck could plow through them, but certainly not a car. Why?”
Shelly couldn’t tell him she’d dreamt of Abby’s car floating in the air and then crashing down into the earth. “I wondered if Abby’s killer might have pushed her car, with her in it, off a cliff around here. If it was a certain kind of spot, it might be hard to see a car that had driven off the road.”
The idea of such a thing caused Jack’s mouth to turn down. “I don’t think it would be possible. If someone did manage to get the car off the road and through the boulders or the guardrails, there would be visible damage at the point where the car crashed through. Someone would definitely notice that.”
“There are fire roads through the woods,” Shelly said. “Do any of them come close to the edge? Could a vehicle crash down part of the mountain by going off one of the fire roads?”
“The fire roads are more interior lanes. They don’t go near the edge. There aren’t any steep drop-offs where the fire roads are located except for maybe a gulley or shorter, steep decline, something like that. I think a hiker might notice if a car had gone off the side of one of the fire roads.”
“There are so many of those lanes though. It might take a while for someone to find a car that went off o
ne of the most remote roads,” Shelly said.
“That’s true.”
“What about one of the lakes?” Shelly asked. “Someone could push the car into a lake. It would sink to the bottom. No one would see it.”
“The police have had helicopters fly over the lakes with spotters onboard looking for anything amiss,” Jack said. “They’ve had divers investigating, too.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Some of the lakes are pretty deep,” Jack said. “I guess a car could be missed, but I know the police divers have found several submerged vehicles in these lakes.”
“Maybe Abby’s SUV isn’t in one of these lakes then.” Shelly’s voice sounded sad.
Jack’s shoulders drooped. “I hope the police can figure this crime out soon. Not only for Abby and her parents’ sakes, but for the town’s sake as well. The manager of the adventure tours told us that people are cancelling reservations like crazy. The fall is a huge tourist season with people coming to the mountain to view the foliage, hike, bike, canoe. Management is in a panic right now. If the tourists don’t come, there are going to be layoffs. It will hurt the town’s economy, the restaurants and shops will be hurting. It’s a real mess.”
Shelly’s face clouded. “I haven’t given that much thought lately. I didn’t realize how Abby’s murder could impact almost everyone in town.”
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the killer will be caught soon, for everyone’s safety and for the town’s businesses.” Jack gestured back to the trail. “Should we head home or do you want to continue up?”
Shelly gave Jack a grin. “Let’s keep going. I want one of those pastries.”
Another hour passed and Shelly and Jack emerged from the trail onto the summit where steel ramps led to a high viewing platform and the log cabin café and restaurant stood under a cluster of small pines.
“We made it.” Shelly said with excitement.
“How’s your leg?” Jack asked.