by Cassie Miles
Aiden stepped onto the lip outside the cave and looked downhill to the spot where David Welling was killed. His theory that the shooter had escaped across the river seemed plausible. David’s van could have been parked up here. A road came within fifty yards of the cave.
The sheriff joined him. “Finding these bones lets Clinton off the hook for suspicion as a serial killer. He’s too young.”
“And Wally said he tried to help.”
“But I still want to talk to Clinton.” The sheriff frowned. “I want to know why he took off running. That’s the act of a guilty man.”
Aiden kept his mouth shut. No way would he implicate his sister who also appeared to be making a hasty escape. He was anxious to get back to the ranch and see if Tab had made headway on the search for Misty. “Do you need me to fly you back to town?”
“I’ll wait for the state police,” the sheriff said.
His mood was somber, and Aiden understood his regret and his sorrow. The sheriff and his men had failed to protect these women in life. Now, they felt like they owed these victims. They wouldn’t abandon these remains.
“I’m taking off,” Aiden said. “If there’s any way I can help, let me know.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
He hiked away from the cave. Though the afternoon sun beamed overhead, the sight of those bones cast a dark, angry haze over his vision. Nothing seemed clear. In a world where such senseless, depraved wrongs could be committed, how could anything be right? How the hell could a human being commit those crimes?
The killer had been operating for years. That meant he lived in the area. He was a person they all knew. Aiden might have sat beside him in the diner, might have spoken to him or hired him for seasonal work. He might have shaken the hand that had killed those women.
As he neared the road and the place where he’d left the chopper, he saw another vehicle approaching. It was Tab’s van, moving fast enough to kick up a tail of dust.
She parked and hopped out. “Don’t you ever check your cell phone for messages?”
“I’ve been busy.”
Coming closer, her expression changed. “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t want to tell her, didn’t want to poison her mind. He only wanted good things for Tab. Their relationship should be about hope and light and everything that was positive. But he couldn’t hide his feelings from her.
She looked at him, and she knew.
Without saying a word, she slipped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn’t need comforting, but he welcomed her embrace and held her tightly against him. Her heart echoed his. They were in sync, connected.
“You found a body,” she guessed, “hidden in the cave.”
“More than one.” He inhaled the fresh, sweet fragrance of her hair. “There’s not much left of them but bones, old bones.”
She shuddered against him. “These killings have been going on for a long time.”
A brisk wind swirled around them. Tonight would be colder. He and Tab could sit together in front of the fireplace and find ways to keep each other warm.
“Did Misty come back?” he asked.
“Not yet, but I think I know where she is. We need to take the chopper.”
As far as Aiden was concerned, his part in the investigation was over. There should be enough forensic evidence from the remains in the cave to identify the killer. After that, it was the sheriff’s problem to track down and arrest this monster.
Aiden’s only concern was to gather his family close and make sure they were all safe.
Chapter Twenty
In the chopper, Aiden and Tab hovered in the skies over the Little Big Horn and Half-Moon Cave. During the past few days, his six-passenger Bell Long Ranger had been getting a lot of use, and he was glad he’d taken the opportunity while they were in Billings to refuel. “What happened when you tried calling Misty?”
“I called, texted and sent mental messages,” Tab said. “I’ve gotten no answer. The same is true for Clinton. I sent him a text telling him that he was in the clear and it was safe for him to come back.”
“And he didn’t reply.”
“Not yet.” She glared at the cell phone in her hand as though willing it to ring.
“You seem sure that Misty took off to join Clinton.”
“It’s possible that she heard about a really great shoe sale in Billings and took off,” Tab said with a smirk. “Of course, she’s running off to see Clinton.”
“Not that I could ever understand the way my sister’s mind works, I still have to ask. Why?”
“It’s a woman thing,” she explained. “No matter how many dumb things our men do, we keep thinking we can fix them.”
He exhaled a sigh. “Let’s find Romeo and Juliet before they get into any more trouble.”
“We should go east,” she said, “away from the river and the cave. When Misty and Clinton got stuck on the other side of the river, I think they were headed to their hideout.”
“First, we scan in the west.”
He wasn’t going to make the mistake of not covering the whole area. Not again. If he’d circled back around the cave when he first responded to Tab’s call, he might have spotted David’s van.
“You’re the expert,” she said.
Aerial surveillance wasn’t as accurate as many people assumed. The view of the earth below was expansive, but picking out details was hit or miss unless the searchers were gifted with the vision of a hawk or an eagle.
“We should be able to see a house,” he said. “With a corrugated tin roof?”
“According to Misty’s description, the roof is rusty, the walls weathered and the windows broken out. The metal cistern beside the house is still operable, but I wouldn’t drink any of that water.”
“And she wrote about this place in her journal?”
“In great detail,” Tab said. “I feel terrible about prying. When I was looking for clues, I tried not to read her private thoughts, but I couldn’t help seeing a few things. She’s truly excited about having the baby, and she loves Clinton.”
“Even though she won’t marry him?”
“Love doesn’t always end in a commitment.”
The steady tone of her voice made him think that she might be talking about herself as well as Misty. The idea of marrying Tab hadn’t become part of his thinking, not yet anyway. They’d just taken their friendship to the next natural level, and he wanted a chance to enjoy getting to know her.
“My sister,” he said, “has never been big on responsibility.”
“Not like you.”
She shot him a grin. As always, when they were airborne, her mood seemed brighter and less guarded. He could barely take his eyes off her, even though he was supposed to be staring down at the ground.
“You’re no slouch when it comes to being responsible,” he said.
“When I make a commitment, I carry through.” Her blue eyes gleamed as she looked toward him. “I had a call from the BIA agent who thinks she can get funding for a women’s clinic.”
“I like the idea.” If Tab was running a clinic, she’d stay in the area. “There’s a need for something like that in this area.”
“Pregnant women in cities have more options,” she agreed. “There are a lot of obstacles on the rez and in Henley. Not only do these women have to travel great distances to seek medical care, but they often can’t afford to deliver their babies in hospitals. And they don’t think about prenatal vitamins, postnatal care for themselves or breast feeding. There’s most definitely a need, but—” she turned her head and looked out the window again “—I don’t know if I’m the right person to do this.”
He slowed the chopper to hover. “I want you to stay.”
She pointed to the ground. “Over there.”
Beside a rocky area with a couple of trees was a tumbled-down shack. He lowered their altitude for a better look. Abandoned dwellings weren’t unusual in this area, especially not on the rez
where property ownership was more clearly defined by who was taking care of the land than by a deed or contract.
Tab peered through the windshield. “It’s not that one. Half the roof is caved in.”
She hadn’t answered his comment about wanting her to stay, and he decided not to push. Later, there would be time for him to show her how much he wanted her in his life.
In a roughly defined grid, he searched a ten-square-mile area. The packed earth roads on this side of the river were more clearly defined though not well maintained. Nobody was supposed to be living here, and nobody bothered to keep the access clear. After they passed another disintegrating house where only the rock chimney was standing, he returned to the cave. A vehicle belonging to the tribal police was parked beside Tab’s van. Joseph Lefthand stood outside the cave, talking to the sheriff.
“I hope they’ve got enough to catch this killer,” he muttered. “God only knows how many lives he’s destroyed.”
In addition to the women he’d killed, he’d ruined the lives of their families and friends. Aiden couldn’t imagine the emotional pain if Misty had been abducted and brutally murdered. When he’d heard that the killer preferred blonde women, he’d been afraid for his sister.
On the west side of the river, he once again laid out a mental grid, starting at a rise in the prairie where jagged cliffs blended into forest. From this distance, Half-Moon Cave was barely visible. A graded gravel road made a zigzag through the pines and evergreens. They quickly noticed four or five cabins that were occupied with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys.
“They could be staying with someone else,” he said.
“Misty never mentioned anyone else in her journal. This was her special place to be with Clinton—their private hideaway.”
Adjusting the chopper’s altitude, they ascended for a more panoramic view. The landscape lay below them like a relief map. “Look for other smoke trails,” he said. “It’s plenty cold enough for a fire.”
“That way.” She pointed. “I don’t see smoke, but there’s something shiny. Maybe the tin roof.”
In less than a minute, the chopper hovered above a stand of trees that surrounded a very small cabin. It couldn’t have been more than two rooms. A metal cistern clung to one side. Parked in the back and covered with branches was Misty’s SUV.
“We’re here,” he said.
“I’m getting a text message.” Tab held up her phone. “It says for us to come on in.”
“If I wasn’t so relieved, I’d kick my sister’s tail. She puts us through all this worry, and then acts like she’s inviting us for a tea party.”
As soon as they landed and the rotors stilled, he heard a sharp cry followed by a moan. He reached into the back of the chopper for his rifle.
“You probably won’t be needing your gun,” Tab said.
“Didn’t you hear the scream?”
“I’m guessing it’s Misty. And she’s in labor.”
He froze with the rifle in his hand. His mind became a static wall of sheer panic. It was time. His baby sister was having a baby.
* * *
WISHING THAT SHE’D BROUGHT her midwife gear from the van, Tab dashed toward the small cabin and yanked open the door. She saw Misty lying on a ramshackle bed covered by a surprisingly clean quilt that she must have brought with her. Her face was red, and she was breathing hard at the end of a contraction.
As soon as Misty saw her, she struggled to sit up. “Don’t come in here.”
“It’s okay,” Tab said as she went toward the bed. “You’re going to be all right.”
Aiden charged into the small room. Tripping over his own boots, he lurched toward the bed and leaned across Tab to touch his sister’s arm, nearly smothering them both in the process. “Misty, tell me you’re okay.”
“Oh God, Aiden. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
The door slammed behind them. A cold voice said, “She’ll be just fine as long as you do what I say.”
Tab looked over her shoulder. She was staring down the barrel of an automatic pistol. In the dim light from two windows that had been covered with plastic, she saw the gleam of sun-bleached hair. Aspen Jim moved away from the door where he’d been hiding and carefully put distance between himself and Aiden.
“Drop the rifle,” Jim said. “Do it now or I’ll shoot out your sister’s knee. She’s been bugging the hell out of me with her moans and groans.”
Aiden set the rifle on the floor by his feet.
“Kick it over here,” Jim ordered.
“There’s no reason to hurt anybody,” Aiden said as he pushed the rifle with his boot. “I need to take my sister to the hospital. You can have her SUV.”
“Then what? I’d get about two miles away before you called in the law. No deal.” He squatted, picked up the rifle and stood it in a corner of the room. “Don’t try anything cute. Even if I’m not a marksman, I can’t miss at this range.”
Tab sat on the bed beside Misty and held her. Sobbing loudly, Misty leaned against her. “I thought I was helping Clinton.”
“Get her to shut up,” Aspen Jim growled. “I can’t stand the noise.”
“Misty, look at me.” Tab spoke quietly and held Misty so she had to look into her face. “You’re going to be all right. Now, I want you to take a deep breath.”
Misty shook her head. Her cheeks were wet with tears. “I never should have come here, should have known better. He sent me a text. Said I could help Clinton. He lied.”
Luring Misty to this place had been as simple as getting a puppy to fetch a tennis ball. But now wasn’t the time for recriminations.
“Deep breath,” Tab said. “Come on, now. Do it. Breathe.”
Her shoulders trembled violently as she inhaled.
“Good. Do it again.”
After another breath, Misty was beginning to calm down. At least, she wasn’t hyperventilating.
Standing beside her, Aiden straightened his shoulders and spoke to Jim. “What do you want?”
“You’re going to take me for a ride in that shiny chopper of yours, and I’m going to get as far away from this godforsaken country as I can.”
“You can’t run far enough,” Aiden said. “You’d be smart to cooperate, turn yourself in and—”
“Shut up,” he yelled. Agitated, he paced forward and back. “A guy like me can always start over. I’m a cat. I land on my feet.”
“Don’t run. I’ll help you with the cops.”
“I said shut up.” He leveled his gun at the center of Aiden’s chest. “I’m not taking the rap for this. I know what they found in that cave. He showed me.”
Though concentrating on Misty, Tab couldn’t help listening. Aspen Jim was saying that he didn’t kill the women they found in the cave. Right now, she couldn’t think of a single reason why he’d lie about his guilt or innocence.
“You’re not the serial killer,” Aiden said. “Those were old bones, and you’ve only lived in this area for a couple of months. The sheriff doesn’t suspect you.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“The state police and forensic teams are on their way right now. They’ll prove that those remains are from years ago.” Aiden’s voice sounded completely rational. “Why don’t you tell me who showed you those bodies? The sheriff will arrest him, and you’ll be free and clear.”
Tab felt Misty’s body beginning to tense. Another contraction was coming. She wished that she’d checked the time between this one and the last. It was ten minutes, maybe more. Misty was still in the early phase of labor.
“Here we go,” Tab said. “This time, I want you to concentrate on your breathing. You said you went to a pregnancy class, right? They talked about breathing.”
“I don’t remember.” Misty grasped her hand and gripped hard. “I can’t think.”
“Not again.” Aspen Jim started his pacing again. “I don’t want to hear the moaning. Make her stop.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Tab said. “T
his baby is coming whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t like it,” he snapped.
“And I hate you,” Misty yelled at him. “You’re never going to get away free and clear. You’re going to jail because you’re a murderer. You killed David.”
Tab had been focused on the serial killer; she hadn’t expected this new revelation. Without thinking, she asked, “Did you see him? Did you see Jim fire the rifle?”
Glaring at him, Misty said, “Damn right, I did.”
“You didn’t,” Aspen Jim said. “I got away too fast. You couldn’t have seen me.”
“Gotcha,” Misty said.
Jim winced and shook his head. “Damn.”
“Good job,” Aiden said to his sister. “That sounded like a confession to me.”
“Cut me some slack,” Jim said. “I had to do it. If I hadn’t shot David, my partner would have killed me.”
“Why did he want David dead?” Aiden asked.
“The little dipstick got scared. He wasn’t totally innocent, you know. He had a damn good idea what my partner was doing, and it didn’t bother him much until he thought Misty might be in danger. David followed the Jeep out of town to warn her. He was going to betray my partner and me.”
“And you couldn’t let that happen.”
“I didn’t kill those girls.” Aspen Jim was trembling. “I’m not going to jail for something I didn’t do.”
“What about the Buffalo Man?” Aiden asked. “Were you the two-face monster that went after him?”
“That crazy old coot deserved to be put out of his misery.”
“But Clinton saved him.”
Misty reacted to her boyfriend’s name. “Clinton? Did you hurt him, too?”
“He came looking for me, but I got away. Hitched a ride out of town and rode the mountain bike here.”
Misty let out a fierce groan, and Tab coached her through the pain. This was going to be a difficult labor.