Beneath Copper Falls

by Colleen Coble

  “I thought about that too. We’ve got a court order in to get her phone records, but they haven’t come through yet. I’ve got orders to check the phone’s location too.”

  Boone rubbed his forehead. “Man, everything takes forever.”

  “I know it seems like it when you want answers, but it’s only been a day and a half.”

  “It seems like weeks.”

  “I’m sure sorry, Boone. Just be patient. I won’t stop looking until I find out who did this.”

  “I know you will, Mason.” The words felt like a lie on his tongue. The detective in charge of Renee’s case had promised the same thing, yet here they were three years later and no closer to an arrest.

  “I’m actually glad you called. I was going to stop by in the morning. I don’t want you or Dana to pull another stunt like you did this afternoon. That could have gone south really fast with a man as volatile as Waterman. He had a gun, and I doubt he was afraid to use it.”

  “He had it out. I had a firearm too, but I couldn’t use it with Dana in the way.”

  “And that would have put you at a disadvantage. You could be dead right now. Do I have your word that you’ll leave the investigation to law enforcement? If it makes you feel any better, I’ve called in the state boys to help. This case has everyone’s full attention.”

  “That’s good.” Boone couldn’t bring himself to make the promise.

  “Boone? I want you both to stay out of it.”

  “I’ll do my best to at least notify you if I find anything.”

  Mason heaved a sigh. “Just focus on your business and let me do my job. I’ve got resources you don’t have.”

  “Will you let me know if you figure out how to decode those files? I’d like a copy of them. Something in them might trigger a lead. I knew her better than you.”

  “True. Okay, I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  “Thanks, Mason. Have a good evening.” Boone ended the call and opened his laptop again. Maybe he could figure out the encryption. But nothing he tried worked.

  Too restless to give up, he changed into his swim gear—a wetsuit, neoprene hat, boots, and gloves—then called Spirit. A cold-water swim would enhance his mental focus. Spirit barked and wagged his tail, then ran to the door. Boone jogged to the beach where he left his towel and waded into the water, then dove into the waves.

  The shock of being submerged in icy water brought him sputtering to the surface before he found his determination again and set off for the rocky outcropping twenty yards out into Superior. He reached it, grabbed the rock to catch his breath for a moment, then turned and swam back to shore.

  The wind pierced his wetsuit, and he grabbed his towel and wrapped it around him. On the way back to his cabin, he saw a bobbling light in the window of Allyson’s cabin.

  Someone with a flashlight was inside.

  He took off at a run, but as Boone went in the front door, he heard the back door slam. By the time he got there, the intruder was long gone.

  Most people Dana talked to thought a dispatcher had the inside scoop on everything going on in the sheriff’s office, but the truth was, most of the time the dispatchers made an effort to gain that information. The moment a dispatcher sat in front of her bank of computer screens, the new day’s emergencies pushed yesterday’s out of the way.

  Today was no different, and though she desperately wanted to know about the investigation into Allyson’s murder, she found herself answering a host of calls ranging from a dog attack to a kid hitting a tree on his sled.

  Her shift was nearly over by the time she got a chance to take a break. She rose and stretched. “I’m going to get a snack. Need anything?”

  Her coworkers shook their heads, and only Karen spared her a glance.

  Dana escaped the stuffy room with its cacophony of phones and keyboard noises. She stopped at the break room long enough to grab a bottle of water, then headed for the sheriff’s office down the hall. Mason’s door stood open, and he sat at his desk tapping at his keyboard.

  She rapped her knuckles on the door frame until he looked up. “Hope I’m not bothering you.”

  “Nope, come on in. Settling into the job?”

  It had been three days, and she already felt at home, though her coworkers had done little to make her feel welcome. “Fine.” She advanced to the desk. “Um, I wondered if there was anything new on Allyson’s murder.”

  He nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Here’s a shocker—she had water in her lungs. That maniac held her head in that hole until she drowned.” His eyes narrowed, and his lips flattened. “I’m going to find him and make him pay.”

  Drowned. Dana clenched the back of the chair in front of the desk to steady herself. She licked her dry lips. “Um, did you know Allyson was investigating two murders in other states? One in Washington and one in Oregon.”

  Mason frowned and reached for his keyboard. “Hang on a second. Let me get down anything you have to say. The state boys want anything we know available to them online.” Lines appeared between his eyes, and he grunted. “Stupid computers have ruined good investigations.” He looked up. “Okay, so about these other two murders. Are you talking about Renee’s murder and the Rogerson case?”

  “Of course Boone would have already told you. Allyson thought they might be connected and that the killer was the same man.”

  “Did she talk to you about it at all? Maybe she told you something she didn’t tell Boone.”

  Dana shook her head. “Not really, but she was killed the same way they were. And when she called emergency dispatch she said, ‘He’s going to kill me next.’ So that makes me wonder if the killer found out she was on his trail and made sure she didn’t talk.” Did she mention Garret’s name?

  “Blasted computer,” he muttered and resumed his typing. “You’re sure she said ‘next’?”

  “Positive. That’s why I think she found out something about the Groom Reaper.”

  He lifted a brow. “I’m sure you know Boone told me all this. Why are you really here?”

  She had to tell him. “She was looking into my ex-fiancé. H-He tried to drown me once, and he travels all over the country. Both of the murdered women’s fiancés were pharmaceutical reps. And Garret often traveled to both states in which the women were murdered, and he could have pretended to be with pharmaceuticals to conceal his true profession.”

  Mason frowned and shook his head. “There are thousands of reps in the country, maybe tens of thousands. And plenty of abusive boyfriends, unfortunately. You’d think Allyson had more to go on than that.” His scowl deepened. “Still, he’s here in town, or at least he was. So that scoots him up a notch on the suspect list. Have you heard from him this week?”

  “Not since Tuesday when Boone and I confronted him.”

  “So he could be gone.” He grabbed the phone. “I’ll get a search warrant to check his cell phone records. That will tell us if he’s still in the area.” He paused. “Thanks for coming in, Dana.”

  “I guess I didn’t have all that much information for you. I hope it’s not Garret. I feel like it’s my fault she’s dead. If I’d never come here, she might still be alive.” Her voice quivered, and she swallowed.

  “You get that out of your head. You didn’t turn him into a killer.”

  She started to answer, but he spoke into the phone and gave her a wave of dismissal. As she walked back to the dispatch room, she tried to talk herself out of her funk. The sheriff was right. She wasn’t responsible for Garret’s actions. But even though her head knew the truth, her chest tightened and her eyes burned. But who could he be working with? She ran through the list of his friends she’d met, and she couldn’t imagine anyone killing Allyson.

  Maybe she was on the wrong track altogether, and her suspicions were just that—unfounded suspicions.

  CHAPTER 19

  Work would give him something else to think about. Boone packed his climbing gear in a bag and glanced at the clock on the wall of his o
ffice. Barely seven. The Gordon party of two was going out today, a man and a woman. He rose as a vehicle’s tires crunched on the gravel in the drive outside. They were early.

  The rest of his crew should be arriving anytime, but he hadn’t been able to sleep so he’d come in at five. He opened his office door and went to greet the customers. They hailed from Arizona so he’d have plenty of conversation points.

  The first person through the door was a tall, dark-haired man whose cold-weather gear and boots gave off the scent of money. Boone recognized the Yuki Expedition parka the guy wore and suppressed a sigh. His rich clients always expected nature to bow to their whims like everyone else did, and it didn’t work that way.

  Boone held out his hand. “Mr. Gordon? Boone Carter.” His smile died as he saw a face over the man’s shoulder. A beautiful face he still sometimes saw in his dreams—or more accurately—his nightmares.

  “Buck?” His former fiancée went white as their gazes locked.

  Esther Stanton hadn’t changed much other than her hairstyle. A short bob had replaced the long blonde hair he’d loved to tangle his fingers in. Her eyes were still as blue as he remembered and her legs just as long and enticing. A million emotions swarmed in his chest each vying for attention. Love, hate, terror, shame, and an overwhelming desire to hide his scarred face.

  He started to raise his hand to his face, then dropped it. Her horrified gaze was already on the ridges of his cheek. Lifting his chin, he turned so she could get a good look.

  Neal Gordon gave a long look at Esther, then back to Boone. “You two know each other?”

  Esther’s laugh was breathless and high. “A long time ago. Um, Buck and I were engaged.”

  It was all Boone could do to hide a wince. “Buck was my smoke jumper nickname. I go by my real name now, Boone Carter. I left that life a long time ago.” And Esther’s fickleness.

  Understanding lit the man’s face. “The smoke jumper who was burned. Why didn’t you ever get that fixed? Plastic surgery can do wonders these days.”

  Rude question. Boone chose to ignore it. “Come on in. The guide I have going out with you isn’t here yet, but I can give you the briefing.”

  “I thought you were taking us out. Aren’t you the owner?” Gordon shut the door behind Esther who hadn’t recovered her color yet.

  “I think you’re blocking the drive, and my employees will be arriving any minute. Could you move your SUV to the parking lot?” Boone pointed it out.

  Gordon’s lip curled, but he inclined his head and went out the door.

  Esther’s hands fluttered. “I–I had no idea this was your business. You’ve done well for yourself. This is very different from Arizona.”

  “I like it.” He wanted to stare at her and see if she showed signs of shallow character and lack of heart, but it was too painful to see her perfect skin and figure. Her beauty had always left him breathless.

  It just hadn’t been more than skin deep.

  “I–I still cringe when I think of what I did to you.” She took a step closer and her oh-so-familiar perfume wafted up his nose in a heady rush. “You were my first love, and I’ve never gotten over you, not really. Do you ever think of me?”

  He stepped back. “Sure. I remember your cruelty most of all.” He didn’t care if she flinched. “When I needed you most, you were only too happy to walk away. You taught me a lot though. You showed me that women can’t be trusted and that beauty has a dark side.”

  She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears. “You’re very bitter, Buck. You’ve never forgiven me, have you?”

  “You’ve never asked for forgiveness.” But as he spat the words, he knew it wasn’t her fault he’d nursed his anger. He’d held it close to his heart and let it define him. Was that all he’d become—an embittered man scarred more by his anger than by the fire?

  The thought tightened his chest, and he turned to check out the window for his employees. There was no way he was taking her out with her new boyfriend or whoever he was. If Gordon didn’t like it, Boone would refund his money. No amount of cash would be worth that torture.

  He turned back around to face her. “You married to this guy?”

  She nodded. “For three years. He’s the son of my dad’s business partner. We have a lot in common.”

  “And he’s filthy rich. I never made enough money for you, not really.”

  He saw it all clearly now. When she dumped him, she’d saved them both a lot of grief. He’d always thought she’d eventually settle in and realize he wasn’t made of money, but that never would have happened. Status and nice things were important to her. He’d been like a fancy bracelet on her arm or an expensive set of diamond earrings. Something to be shown off to her friends like a tame tiger. She’d loved his muscular form and his handsome face as well as the danger of his profession.

  He exhaled and some of his anger escaped with his breath. It was all for the best.

  Cars, trucks, and SUVs crowded the small parking lot at Carter’s Cabins. A group was just piling into a white Carter van by the office, and Dana looked to see if Boone was driving, but a young woman was in the driver’s seat.

  A handsome man with a set jaw skewered the driver with an imperious gaze as he slammed his door shut. In the back a woman was biting her lips as she looked at her lap. Maybe the guy was forcing her to go out today, but she didn’t look happy about it.

  Dana parked in the last space, then hurried through the gusty wind to the office with Phantom on her heels. She should have called to make sure they were on for self-defense practice today, but she’d decided to take a chance and run out anyway. He could be gone for all she knew. Head down against the wind, she dashed across the frozen ground. The bell over the creaky door jingled when she stepped through onto the rough wooden floor.

  Boone looked up from manning the counter. “Hey, I thought about calling you.”

  Spirit, tail wagging, came over to greet Phantom. Dana glanced around the room and saw no one else. “You the only one running the counter today?”

  “Just for a few minutes. Kacie is on a break. You’re off today?”

  “Yep.”

  “Ready for a lesson?”

  “Ready.” She eyed him. He seemed different this morning, distracted. He wore a haunted expression as well. “What’s wrong?”

  A redhead, obviously from a bottle, came down the hall. “I’ll take over now, Boone.”

  “I’ll check in with you in an hour or so.” He grabbed his coat from a hook on the wall and slipped it on, then took Dana’s elbow and steered her toward the door. Phantom wagged his tail for a pet, but Boone didn’t seem to notice. Both dogs followed them outside.

  The wind gusts took her breath away, and she didn’t repeat her question until he ushered her into the workout room. She took off her coat and hung it up. “What was that all about?”

  Boone ordered the dogs to lay down in the corner. “What?”

  “Avoiding my question and rushing me out of there. I’m not an idiot. Something happened this morning. Did Garret come by or call you?”

  “No, no, nothing like that.” He hung his coat up beside hers. “Did you see the group leaving when you arrived?”

  His tone was too casual so she thought back to the people she’d seen before and nodded. “The woman didn’t look happy about the excursion, and the guy with her was the type to make sure everyone does it his way. Another Garret.”

  “I hadn’t seen her in a while.”

  “The woman, you mean?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, it’s been years. I’m still a little rattled, I guess.”

  She studied the pain lurking behind his eyes. “She’s the one, isn’t she? The one who dumped you because of your scars?”

  He shrugged. “Any woman would have done the same.”

  “They would not! It’s just a scar, Boone.” She stepped closer. “The scars don’t define you. Who you really are inside is what matters. Any woman with real depth would kno
w that. You’re a handsome guy. The scars don’t change that.” She longed to touch his face, but he’d probably resent her attempt at comfort.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed and he turned away. “It doesn’t matter. It was a good thing I saw her. I realized we were never really suited for each other. She was always more interested in showing me off to her friends than she was in who I really was. I bet she doesn’t even know what my favorite color is.”

  “It’s dark red.”

  He turned and lifted a brow. “How’d you know that?”

  “It’s a Cardinals color. You wear it all the time. Even your sock hat is that color.”

  “Well, she wouldn’t have known if you’d asked her. Once the novelty wore off of being engaged to a smoke jumper and her friends quit oohing and ahing, she would have moved on to greener pastures. I never would have fit with what her parents wanted for her either.”

  “And you would have hated taking anything from them.”

  He shot her another quick look. “Yeah, exactly.”

  Anyone with half a brain could see he was the type who liked to make his own way in the world. He’d never had anything handed to him, and he would refuse it if it were. She liked that about him.

  “Look, let’s change the subject. It’s over. She’s gone, and I don’t have to deal with her again. You didn’t hear anything more from Garret this week, did you?”

  “No. I got home and talked to Chris awhile, then went to bed. I’ve been at work the last two days and he hadn’t called. How about you?”

  He took off his boots and socks and motioned for her to do the same. “I tried to look at the files Allyson sent me, but they’re all encrypted so I called Mason to see if he could read them straight from the computer. They’re all gibberish for him too. He’s got an expert working on them though so maybe he’ll crack them.”

  “Did Mason say if he had any suspects?”

  “He doesn’t, not really. Divers were supposed to be out there on Wednesday to look for any clues under the water, but I don’t think they found anything or Mason would have called me. He’s pretty ticked we talked to Garret on our own. He wanted us to promise not to do that again.” A light danced in Boone’s eyes.