Deadfall

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “You have your cell phone with you all the time.” Linda had torn apart the tissue and then wadded it up. “Would it be so hard to take a minute when you’re getting coffee or stopping for lunch or dinner to call me so I know you’re okay?”

  “Ah,” Pastor Jim said. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Again, they both turned their gazes to Mac.

  No, it’s not possible. I don’t want to have to check in. Mac didn’t express his thoughts aloud. After all, Linda’s request was reasonable— annoying, but reasonable. Linda slid her hand over his, and he released his grip on the arm of the chair. “I might be able to do that. Not all the time, but when I can remember.”

  She smiled, her eyes still misty. “That’s all I ask. You have such a dangerous job, and I really want to know you’re okay. Besides, it’s good to connect more often.”

  He caught a glimpse of the woman he’d fallen in love with in that smile. She really was a wonderful person. He’d met her in the hospital where she worked as a nursing supervisor. Linda had been so compassionate and efficient. Of late, instead of listening to her requests and acknowledging her concerns, he’d written them off, feeling smothered and put upon.

  “That went well, don’t you think?” Linda had asked on the way home.

  “I suppose.” Mac’s annoyance returned, and he wasn’t sure why.

  “Am I such a bad guy that you feel you need to change me?”

  “Oh, Mac.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. The warmth of her breath and the heat of her hand on his leg almost made him forget his question. “Change is necessary in any relationship.”

  “For me, but not for you?” Mac didn’t want to be upset with her.

  “You want me to change?” She removed her hand and leaned back, shifting slightly in her seat to look at him. “In what way?”

  He shrugged. “Stop acting like I have the worst job in the world. Some people think what I do is honorable.”

  “I do, Mac.” She licked her lips. “It just frightens me.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re listed as one of the people to contact if anything happens to me.”

  Linda folded her arms and leaned back against the seat, her dark, shoulder-length hair falling forward. “That’s not exactly comforting.”

  After walking Linda to her door, Mac drew her into his arms and kissed her.

  “Want to come in for some coffee?” She smiled up at him, her eyes shining with promise.

  Mac wanted more than coffee—more than she would offer. He chided himself for thinking about sex when their relationship was on such tentative ground. Holding her close, his arms securely around her, he said, “You really need to decide whether or not you want to be married to a cop. Some women aren’t cut out for it.”

  She leaned back. “Mac, I love you.”

  “That may be, but take a look at the divorce rate among law enforcement officers. I don’t want you to get into a marriage you’ll regret.”

  She frowned. “I can handle it. We’ll just need to make some adjustments.”

  Mac dropped his arms to his side. “Don’t expect me to change too much, Linda. I’m not sure I can.”

  He’d driven away, more upset with himself than with her. He was the one who had serious reservations about marrying Linda. Now he’d dumped his concerns in her lap. Why couldn’t he just tell her how he felt—manipulated, coerced, unsure of himself and of their relationship?

  The coffeepot sputtered out the last few drops. Mac filled his Mariners mug then took it into the living room. He listened to the answering machine. Dana’s voice and her message about the missing hiker lifted his spirits. He took the wireless phone to his favorite chair in front of the fireplace and punched in Dana’s number. When he got her voice mail, Mac left a message indicating that he had the day off tomorrow and if the hiker was still missing, he’d be happy to join the search.

  Lucy padded in and gazed at him with love in her deep brown eyes. She put her head on his leg, waiting for his undivided attention. Mac petted her and took her outside for a brief walk in the rain.

  Then the two of them settled in for the evening—Mac in the recliner and Lucy at his feet. Lulled by the fire and the sound of the rain on the windows, Mac drifted off, waking around midnight to stumble into bed. The image drifting through his head was not that of the brunette he was engaged to, but the blonde trooper, his good friend, Dana Bennett.

  3

  THE POUNDING RAIN HAD LIGHTENED to a steady drizzle when Todd and Vicki Gaynes arrived at the park just before ten o’clock that night. They scanned the lighted parking lot, hoping Brad would be there waiting, angry that Jessica had taken off without him. He wasn’t there, and neither were Jessica or the police. Five big rig trucks had parked at the west end of the lot in the long-term parking area, their drivers taking a break or getting a few hours of sleep.

  Todd grabbed a flashlight out of the trunk, and together he and Vicki walked the length of the parking lot on the creekside, looking for Brad. They were about to start up the trail when two deputies from the Hood River County Sheriff ’s Department pulled into the parking lot. On their tail was an Oregon State Police car. The three cops talked among themselves while they put on rain jackets. Then the trooper, a woman, left the men and approached the Gayneses. She reached out a hand and identified herself to Vicki and Todd as Trooper Dana Bennett, Oregon State Police. She hadn’t needed to add the last part, as the silver lettering on her dark rain jacket made it clear.

  Dana had a sympathetic smile and dimpled cheeks. Her long blonde hair was neatly tucked into a braid and secured at the back of her head.

  “How does this work?”Todd asked. “We were about to head up the trail to start looking.”

  “Are you the ones who called in the report?”

  “No,” Vicki said. “That would have been Brad’s girlfriend, Jessica.”

  Dana nodded. “We’ve been told the reporting party would meet us here.” She glanced at Todd. “To answer your question, sir . . . in Oregon, the search-and-rescue responsibilities fall to the sheriff of the respective county of venue. In this case that would be the Hood River County Sheriff ’s Department, which, by the way, is one of the best. These guys have had years of experience rescuing lost hikers on the Eagle Creek trail system and stranded or injured hikers on the north face of Mount Hood.”

  Todd glanced over at the two deputies, who were still talking. “There are just three of you?”

  “The sheriff ’s office has a call in for volunteers. The deputies will lead the search effort, but we rely on volunteers to provide most of the muscle. Most of the searchers are seasoned outdoor types, men and women who enjoy Oregon’s back country and look for opportunities to hone their skills with a difficult climb or challenging rescues.”

  Vicki didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted to find her son.

  “Will you be helping with the search?” Todd asked.

  “As much as I can.” Dana assured him.

  Jessica drove into the parking lot in Brad’s Subaru. “That’s Brad’s girlfriend,” Vicki said, trying to keep the venom out of her tone.

  Dana’s gaze flickered toward Jessica. “You don’t like her.”

  Vicki swallowed. “No, I don’t.” There was no point in lying.

  “Anything we should know about?” Dana asked. “Do you suspect foul play?”

  “N-no. At least not at this point. She told me Brad had gone hiking and didn’t come back. There’s no reason to suspect anything different.”

  “He probably just lost his way in the dark,” Todd said. “It doesn’t take much to get turned around in these woods.”

  Dana nodded. “Especially at night. I’d like to hear what Jessica has to say.”

  Vicki and Todd walked with Dana to the Subaru and stopped a few feet away. The two deputies joined them and Dana introduced Vicki and Todd.

  “Deputy Hanks.” The younger man extended his hand to Vicki and then to Todd, finally to Jessica.

&nb
sp; “This is Deputy Miller.” Hanks seemed to take charge at this point. Deputy Miller had a medium build with an ample spare tire while Hanks looked well built, with a broad chest and shoulders. Both men looked to be around Todd’s height—over six feet.

  Vicki listened as Jessica recounted her story to the deputies and the trooper. She talked about their argument and about how she’d decided to break off their relationship. “I told him I was moving out. Brad got really mad. He got out of the car and said he needed some air.”

  “What was he wearing?” Deputy Hanks asked.

  “Jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt. He left his wallet in the glove box and the keys in the ignition.”

  Todd walked around to the passenger side of the Subaru and grabbed the wallet out of the glove box. He unfolded it and checked the currency compartment.

  “What are you doing?” The younger deputy seemed annoyed.

  “There’s no money in here.” Todd glanced over at Jessica.

  She clenched her jaw. “So? You think I took his money?” Jessica turned away in disgust. “I didn’t. I wouldn’t do something like that.”

  To the officers,Todd said, “Brad is a ski instructor who makes good tips. He always has a wallet full of small bills. I’ve never seen Brad without cash. My son doesn’t have a checking account, so he keeps his rent, grocery money, and whatever else in his wallet.”

  Hanks made some notes in a small notebook. “What else can you tell us about him? Do you have a photo?”

  “There’s one in his wallet,” Jessica said in a small voice. “We’re both in it.”

  Todd flipped through the plastic-encased photos, pulled out the photograph of Brad and Jessica, and handed it to the deputy.

  “He’s about six-two and what, Vicki, about a hundred and eighty pounds?”

  “Maybe a little heavier,” Vicki added. “He’s lean but very muscular. Brad keeps in shape.”

  “He weighed one-eighty-five this morning,” Jessica offered.

  “He said he was getting fat. It was one of the things we argued about. I told him it was from all the beer he drank.”

  Thanks to you. Vicki kept the comment to herself. “When are we going to start looking for him?” she asked. “We’re wasting valuable time standing around here.”

  “We’ll get a ground search going tonight, folks.” Hanks held his spike mic up to his lips and asked his dispatch to get a chopper from the Portland Airbase with FLIR.

  Dana came up alongside Vicki. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  Vicki shook her head and pinched her eyes closed as tears invaded again. “I’ll be okay. Just find Brad.”

  “If he’s out there, we will.”

  “What’s FLIR?” Todd asked Dana.

  “Forward-looking infrared. It looks for body heat.”

  Hanks held up his hand, asking for silence. Then he held his radio mic up to his ear, trying to hear over the roar of the falls, the freeway traffic, and the pummeling rain.

  “Looks like we’re on our own tonight, folks,” he said. “The weather’s not going to permit an air search right now. You folks are welcome to come along, or wait here and we’ll be in touch.”

  “I’ll come,” Todd and Vicki said together.

  “Are you going with us?” Vicki asked Jessica point-blank.

  Jessica licked her lips and in a whining tone said, “I’m not feeling very well. I’ll stay here in case he comes back.” She climbed back into the Subaru and closed the door.

  Vicki didn’t attempt to hide her fury. She hurried to catch up to her husband. “Can you believe that woman?”

  “Leave it, honey,” he told her. “Don’t waste your energy on her. Save it for finding Brad. Besides, she has a point. Someone should stay here.”

  “Right.” Vicki pushed her anger aside—as far as it would go.

  Trooper Bennett and the two sheriff ’s deputies, along with Brad’s parents, headed for the trail with their black mag lights illuminating the way. For the next three hours they searched the trails and creekbed that led to the Columbia River but found no sign of Brad.

  Their initial search ended well after midnight, with Deputy Hanks recommending a full-scale search-and-rescue operation in the morning.

  “How can you stop now?” Vicki could hear the desperation growing in her voice. “Shouldn’t we go farther into the woods?”

  “Mrs. Gaynes.” Dana placed a hand on Vicki’s arm. “I know how you must feel. But we need to wait until morning before we can conduct a thorough search. Maybe by then the rain will have let up. The search will be much more effective in daylight.” As if to prove her point, a spray of water cascaded from her hat.

  Vicki shrugged deeper into her warm jacket.

  “I’ll be leaving now,” Dana said. “But I’ll check with my supervisor and make sure it’s okay for me to come out tomorrow.”

  You can’t quit. My son is out there! Don’t you care? Vicki bit into her bottom lip to stop the bitter retort.

  “I know this is hard for you.” Dana handed Vicki a card and said, “Call me if anything turns up or if you need to talk.”

  Vicki thanked her and leaned against their Ford Explorer. Todd opened the back and took off his rain jacket, tossed it into the trunk, and pulled on a sweater. “Might as well give me yours too.”

  Vicki nodded and exchanged her Gore-tex for a warm fleece jacket. Todd handed her a blanket, some trail mix, a couple of apples, a box of crackers, and some mozzarella cheese sticks. When he opened the passenger side door for her, she ducked inside.

  Jessica opted to go home when the trooper leftumbling some excuse about needing a shower and wanting to get some sleep. Vicki’s anger surfaced again. When Todd climbed in behind the wheel, she pointed at the disappearing taillights of Brad’s Subaru wagon. “Look at that! The least she could do is wait with us.”

  “Try not to be so hard on her, honey. She seems pretty upset.

  Must have been rough waiting out here for Brad all by herself.”

  “Are you taking her side?” Vicki ripped open one of the cheese sticks and peeled off a strip.

  “No, of course not. But she said she wasn’t feeling well, and I think at this point we need to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

  Todd crunched into an apple.

  Vicki didn’t agree, but she didn’t argue either. “I just don’t see how Jessica can say she loves Brad and then leave like that.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t love him. After all, didn’t she say she was breaking up with him?”

  “She told the deputies that, but I don’t believe it.” Vicki really didn’t know what to believe.

  After eating their snacks, they opted to spend the rest of the night in the car, waiting and watching in case Brad returnedicki noticed that Deputy Hanks had returned to his vehicle but was still in the parking lot. The green glow from the patrol car’s mobile data terminal screen provided just enough light to see the deputy’s dark silhouette through the drizzling rain.

  Hanks was on the phone, maybe calling his wife or maybe arranging for more people to search for her son. His presence brought a sliver of reassurance.

  At Todd’s insistence, Vicki stretched out in the backseat under the blanket he’d brought. With the small car pillow tucked under her head, she closed her eyes. Todd dropped his seat slightly and folded his arms. “Let’s try to get some sleep. Morning will be here before we know it.”

  “We should call Rachael.” She sat up. Rachael was their daughter, and Todd had called her before they left the houseicki had promised to keep her informed.

  “Relax, honey. We’ve been through that. Rachael will be here in the morning. No sense calling her when we have no news.”

  “I’m surprised she didn’t come.”

  “She wanted to. I told her to wait—no sense in all of us going. I told her I’d call if anything developed. We can give her a call in the morning, but my guess is that she’ll be here at the crack of dawn.”

  Vicki catnapped throug
hout the next few hours, impatiently waiting for morning to come. How could a mother sleep when her precious son was missing? Her mind kept conjuring up horrible images of finding Brad dead.

  4

  IT WAS JUST GETTING LIGHT when Vicki heard the beeping sound of a car door opening and the rumbling of a big rig. She rose up and saw that it was a large motor home with the Sheriff ’s Office Mobile Command Post insignia on the side. Todd stepped out of the car and waited for the man driving the rig to stop.

  A sheriff ’s deputy jumped out and stretched out his hand toward Todd. “Morning. I’m Deputy Sam Wyatt.” He glanced at the waterfall. “You must be Todd Gaynes. Deputy Hanks said I’d find you here.”

  Vicki climbed out of the car and waited for Todd to introduce her. Shaking hands with the deputy, she said, “Thanks for being so prompt.”

  “Got to take advantage of every minute of daylight. Too little of it this time of year.”

  Within minutes, dozens of officers from various agencies arrived to assist in the searchicki didn’t know who was an officer and who was a volunteer. She recognized the sheriff ’s office personnel because they wore the same uniform as Deputy Wyatt, and the state troopers because of their traditional straw campaign hats, but beyond that she had no clue. She was simply grateful this many people would turn out on a Monday morning at daybreak.

  Rachael arrived soon after sunrise. Vicki hugged her, choking up as she tried to talk.

  “Have you heard anything?” Rachael asked. “Is he still . . .”

  “Nothing yet,” Todd said. “We’re just getting started.”

  Vicki brushed back Rachael’s bangs. “Where’s my grandbaby?”

  “At home with Daddy.” Rachael smiled. “Kip took the day off to stay home with him. He would be here if he could, but I didn’t want to bring the baby out in this mess.”

  “Wise choice.” Vicki glanced around at what appeared to be growing mayhem and hoped they knew what they were doing. Deputy Wyatt seemed competent.

  “I’m going to see what’s going on,”Todd told them. He turned and made his way toward the command post.