“You’re going to have a story to tell and will be the most popular kid in town for a while,” Hans warned. “Get ready for fame and fortune.”
“It’s not exactly how I imagined fame and fortune.” Alex scowled.
Hans ruffled his hair. “It never is, kid. It never is.”
We continued our meal. The conversation was lively and full of stories from the Krauses’ childhood in Germany and early years in Leavenworth.
“Do you remember, Ursula, when everyone would tease us about Hershey’s chocolate? We would ask zem for chocolate at ze grocery store, and zey would give us Hershey bars. Ursula would say, ‘No, no, zis is not chocolate.’”
“I still say zat.” She smiled. “Now I am so grateful for imported German chocolates, but back zen, it was hard and very expensive to get zings sent over.”
“And zen you had your first Kaffeeklatsch. You remember you sent out ze invitations, and no one had any idea what zey were being invited to? Zey assumed it was a formal event, not just an offer to sit around our dining room table, drink coffee, and gossip.”
Ursula chuckled. “Now April Ablin hosts a weekly Kaffeeklatsch for ze chamber. Zings have changed for sure.”
A knock sounded on the door, bringing a new, tense silence over the table.
“I’ll get it.” I stood up.
Mac was on his feet, too. “I’ll go with you.”
Chief Meyers stood on the front porch. “I’ve got some news.”
“Do you want to come in?” I offered.
She declined. “No. There’s a lot to be done, but I wanted to make sure you heard this from me first. There’s video evidence of Marianne being taken at gunpoint by a man matching Forest’s description.”
“When?” My stomach dropped.
“Earlier this afternoon. It must have been right after she took Alex.”
Mac frowned. “Where’s the video from?”
“Hotel Vierter Stock. Their cameras caught Marianne being led out of the lobby. She appears to be in distress.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. “Isn’t the highway shut down? They can’t have gone far, right?”
“Well, that’s the thing. We’re not entirely sure.” She hesitated for a moment.
“How can you not be sure?” Mac raised his voice. “Our son was kidnapped.”
“I know. I understand. The problem is the timing.” Her walkie-talkie crackled. She turned it off. “We have reason to believe that they may have had help getting out of town from someone on the inside. It’s still too early to know, but there’s a chance that someone on our side let them through the barricades. If that’s the case, who knows how far they could have gone. We have alerted the state police as well as our colleagues in Idaho and Oregon.”
“So what you’re saying is that they got away?” Mac fumed. “There are dozens of officers in the village, and you’re telling us that the woman who took our son is gone?”
“No. We don’t know that for sure, but it’s one possibility.” She motioned to two officers I didn’t recognize. “I’m putting a new detail on you. They’ll be here around the clock until we make headway.”
“That’s it?” Mac practically spit as he spoke. “A couple officers on Sloan’s porch, and we’re just supposed to pretend like everything’s normal?”
I understood why Mac was upset. I was, too, but fighting with the chief wasn’t going to solve anything.
“What should we do?” I asked, taking a different approach. “Is Alex safe here? I mean, was Marianne right—should we get out of town? Go to Seattle? Somewhere farther away?”
“No. I don’t think you’re in any danger. I think the best move is for you to sit tight. If Marianne or Forest show up anywhere, we’ll get them. I’m very confident that they aren’t in the village, and we can keep you safest here. We’ll keep protection on you and the rest of the family, and everyone in town is on the lookout. I think leaving is a mistake. I’ve known you both my entire career, you can trust that I have your best interests at heart.” She waited for us to respond.
I spoke first. “I do trust that, really.”
Mac shuffled his feet. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. The village is on high alert.”
“Exactly. My recommendation is to resume your normal activities. I think that might be best for Alex, too. Sitting around and waiting for the worst to happen isn’t going to do anyone any good. My team isn’t going to let a stone go unturned. I give you my personal word on that.” She gave us a curt nod. “As I said, I have work to do. I’ll be in touch when I can.”
I watched her leave. The relief that I’d felt knowing that Alex was okay began to evaporate. If Marianne and Forest were at large, that meant that we were still in danger.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
“WE MUST STICK TOGETHER,” Otto insisted after Mac filled him in on Chief Meyers’s report. “Maybe you should come stay with us for a while? Sloan, you, too. Zere is plenty of room at ze house. We can be together. And be safe.”
“There’s no need for that,” Mac replied. “We’re being assigned individual protection. Chief Meyers has two police officers posted outside. She’s going to send a team to your house and keep watch on Hans’s place, too, as well as have extra officers at Der Keller and Nitro. I think we’re going to be surrounded. The chief thinks it’s best to try and resume our normal activities and let her lead the investigation.”
“Easier said than done,” Hans said. He stacked empty plates and divided up the remaining beer in the growlers. “It sounds like you’re thinking of going back to work this afternoon?”
“I am.” Mac took a pair of aviator sunglasses from his pocket and put them on. “At first I thought it was a crazy idea, but now I’m leaning toward thinking Chief Meyers is right. It might do us good to get back on the horse, so to speak.”
“You’ve never been on a horse in your life,” Hans teased.
“I don’t know, that kind of sounds good to me,” Alex chimed in. “It’s almost worse to replay things over and over again. I’d rather be busy and get my mind off it.” He twisted a strand of hair as he spoke. I recognized the self-soothing technique from when he was younger.
He was definitely my kid.
Mac caught my eye.
I shrugged, signaling that I agreed.
“Okay, then, there’s plenty to do at Der Keller, especially with the highway shut down. We’re likely to see a Sunday evening rush. I can put you to work.” Mac placed his arm around Alex’s shoulder. “Of course, be forewarned I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Yeah. Fine.” Alex gathered the dishes that Hans had stacked.
“You’re sure?” Hans looked to me.
“Honestly, I was thinking the same thing. I might wander over to Nitro. I left in such a rush. I should go check in with Garrett and Kat. I feel terrible that I took off with you and haven’t let them know that Alex is safe.”
“Okay.” Hans didn’t sound convinced, but he helped clear the table.
Otto and Ursula decided to go to the brewery with Mac and Alex.
“I’ll stop by the workshop and then head over later,” Hans said, loading the dishwasher. “You want me to walk you to Nitro?”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Let me rephrase that—I’m walking you to Nitro.”
“Okay.”
“And Alex and I are staying here tonight,” Mac insisted.
“Deal.” The truth was I wanted to be by Alex’s side, and I knew that some level of normalcy right now was probably important to his long-term emotional well-being.
Hans wrapped me in a giant hug. When he released me, he stared into my eyes and spoke with authority. “Sloan, you are not to leave Nitro until Alex and I come get you, deal?”
“Deal.” I didn’t have the energy to argue. I was convinced from Chief Meyers’s dejected mood that Forest and Marianne were long gone. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t a lingering threat, but I wasn’t worried about eithe
r of them making a move tonight.
On the walk to Nitro, I broached the subject of Alex’s mental health to Hans. “What do you think I should do? Should I get him an emergency counseling appointment tomorrow? Should we take him to Seattle?”
“He seems okay, Sloan.”
“But the long-term impact of this kind of trauma could be huge. I don’t want him to close himself off.”
Hans paused. “Who are we talking about? You or Alex?”
His words struck a chord.
“I guess both of us. I know about trauma, and I don’t want that for him.”
“None of us do, and you’re right, counseling is probably a good idea, but I would follow his lead. I don’t think you need an emergency session or to race off to Seattle.” He waited to say more until we had passed a group of tourists heading to the golf range with rented clubs and neon balls. “I think we all need to rally around him. I’ll check in with him. You do the same. He has a more solid sense of who he is than half the guys I know who are my age. Trust him. He’ll tell you what he needs.”
“You think so?” I gnawed on the inside of my cheek.
“I’m sure of it.” Hans cleared his throat. “But what about you?”
“What about me?” I noticed that some normalcy had returned to the village as we got closer to Nitro. The roadblocks were still in place and there were police officers at nearly every corner, but the frantic search earlier had evolved into what appeared to be more like a militaristic state. Tourists had returned to shops and restaurants, since they weren’t going anywhere tonight.
“Don’t pretend with me, Sloan. You can’t blow this one off. It’s too much.”
“Nothing feels real yet. Everything is a strange blur. It’s been that way since Marianne showed up. I want answers. I want to know who killed Sara. I want to know why Forest killed my mother and if there’s any truth to the idea that he’s here for me. Now I’m wondering if Marianne made it up. Or if he’s really after her and she used me as a shield.”
“That’s fair.” He waited for me to say more.
“I don’t know. I’m with Alex. The only thing that makes sense right now is trying to carve out a little slice of normal. I think a couple hours at the pub will be good for me. That and sleep. I don’t think I’ve slept for days.”
“I can live with that.” Hans stopped at Nitro’s patio. “Call me if you need anything, okay? I’ll swing by here before I head over to Der Keller.”
“Thanks, Hans.” I kissed his cheek.
He pressed his hands on my face and leaned down to kiss my forehead. “You’re not alone, Sloan. You are part of this family—forever. The crazy German Krauses—who aren’t really the Krauses—you’re one of us, like it or not.”
“I like it.” My voice caught. “I’ve never been happier to be a Krause.”
He took off. I thought about the meaning of names. It hadn’t been until I married Mac that I felt like I belonged. One positive thing had come out of this horrific weekend, and that was that the Krauses were my family, no matter what.
Nitro’s front door was propped open, but the closed sign hung from the hook and our sidewalk chalkboard menu blocked the entrance. I was surprised that Garrett and Kat hadn’t reopened the tasting room given that people were milling around again.
They were both seated at the bar when I came in. “Hey, guys,” I said, trying not to startle them.
Kat nearly fell off her stool. She raced over and hugged me. “Sloan, we were so worried. We were looking everywhere for Alex.”
“We found him.” I felt terrible for not texting. It had crossed my mind when Ursula and I had started making lunch and then I had completely forgotten.
Garrett nodded. “Don’t worry. We heard. Chief Meyers let everyone know, and we figured you were probably with your family. That’s good news. Really good news.”
“What happened?” Kat asked.
“She might not want to talk about it.” Garrett voiced what I was already thinking.
“I’ll give you the condensed version,” I said, and filled them in. As I relayed the strange twist of events, they seemed even more unbelievable.
“Sounds like you could use a pint.” Garrett stood and walked behind the bar. “We were contemplating what to do. With the highway shut down, we’ve had a bunch of tourists stopping by to see if we’re open, but it felt wrong to open.”
“No, I think we should.” I nodded to the sidewalk, where a steady of stream of tourists passed by. “I don’t want a pint. I want to work for a while and focus on something else. In fact Chief Meyers said it was the best thing for us to do—to try and resume a normal routine for a little while.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” I pointed to the door. “Are you both ready? I can flip the sign right now.”
“I’m up for it as long as you are, but…” Garrett didn’t finish his thought. He sounded unsure.
I didn’t wait for Kat to respond. I propped open the front doors and turned the sign to OPEN. Within minutes, people streamed into the pub. I spent the next two hours pouring pints and taking guests on impromptu brewery tours.
As I stopped to grab empty glasses at one of the tables on the patio, I noticed Bozeman and three friends were downing pints. They had pushed two bistro tables together. Their stuff was everywhere—baseball hats, sunglasses, keys, and empty pint glasses. Did they intend to move in for the night? They appeared to be camped out with nowhere to go.
“Boozeman, Boozeman,” his crew chanted, urging him to chug a pint.
“You know, gentlemen, craft beer is meant to be savored,” I said, picking up a couple of empties from their table. “Usually the price point alone is enough to discourage downing a pint.”
Bozeman waved me off. “Nah. We’re celebrating. This is mug chug night.”
“I think you’re at the wrong place for that.” I wasn’t about to encourage him and his friends to engage in a chugging contest.
One of his friends booed.
“It’s cool. She’s cool.” Bozeman defended me.
I wasn’t in need of backup. I’d had plenty of experience kicking frat guys out of Nitro. Our policy on drinking for pleasure versus getting drunk was clear and nonnegotiable. Garrett and I had a no-tolerance policy when it came to overserving. Much of that was dictated by state liquor codes. Any violation could lead to losing our license. But it was more than that for both of us. I meant what I had said to Bozeman and his friends. Craft beer was just that—a craft. A labor of love and artistry. Watching someone gulp down weeks’ worth of work brought us no pleasure.
“Actually, it’s not cool. I’ll have to cut you guys off after this round.”
Bozeman rolled his eyes. “Fine. No chugging. We’re just trying to blow off some steam. It’s been an insane weekend.”
I couldn’t argue on that.
“Didn’t your kid go missing or something?” Bozeman asked, his words slurred together slightly as he swayed in his chair. I was definitely cutting him off.
“He did, but he’s been found, and he’s fine.”
“That’s good news. Glad to hear it. The hotel was a crazy train today. There are cops swarming the place again.” He pinched the skin between his finger and thumb.
“Haven’t they been there all weekend with the murder investigation?”
“No one said that it was murder. It could have been an accident, for all we know.” He shifted in his chair. “That’s what the staff is saying. They think it was an accident.”
I considered pushing back. Chief Meyers had been clear from the start that Sara had been murdered, and Bozeman himself had told me during the parade that he thought Jay was involved. But maybe a few beers had loosened him up. I wondered what else he might have seen.
“How’s the investigation going?”
“Why would I know?”
“No reason. Since you’re in charge of the grounds, I figured you likely see a lot.”
That inflated his ego. “True. I
do. I see everything. I know everyone’s secrets.”
His buddies laughed.
I had a different reaction. Could Bozeman have seen something that might give me a clue about Marianne’s disappearance? “Did you see what happened this afternoon?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He flipped over his empty pint glass and tapped it on the edge of the table.
“That’s going to crack.” I took it from his hands. “Apparently one of your guests, Marianne—the woman I was with—was in some sort of trouble.” Chief Meyers hadn’t told me not to share news, but I figured it was best to stay vague.
“What kind of trouble?”
I stacked his glass with the other empties. “I’m not sure. Maybe that’s why there are more police on-site now?”
“Oh yeah. That could be.” Bozeman looked relieved.
“You didn’t see her, though?”
“Not that I remember. There were a ton of people coming and going. Everyone checked out and then when the police shut down the highway, everyone checked back in.” He drank a hearty sip of beer. “You should talk to Vienna. I saw her and that woman together this morning. I figured she was laying into Vienna for not having enough towels or something.”
“Vienna and Marianne were arguing today?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing new. If you’re in the hospitality business, you know that irate customers come with the territory. It’s the job. That’s what Jay tells us all the time.” Bozeman reached for his friend’s beer and took a drink. “He’s one to talk, though. That dude doesn’t have a leg to stand on. He’s a creeper.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I could tell that Bozeman’s friends were tiring of my questions.
“Jay has more run-ins with guests than half the staff. Not to mention how handsy he is with the female staff. I’m surprised someone didn’t try to kill him. He had it coming to him more than Sara.”
“Speaking of Sara, can you think of any reason she could have been killed?”
One of Bozeman’s friends finished his pint and held it up for a refill.
I ignored him and waited for Bozeman to answer.
The Cure For What Ales You Page 18