Beneath Copper Falls

by Colleen Coble

  “You didn’t promise, did you? I can see it in your eyes.” She laughed. “So what do we do next, Kemosabe? You have any ideas?”

  He grinned. “Does that mean I’m the Lone Ranger?” He pulled off his socks and stepped to the mat in bare feet. “I’m going to try to call Renee’s fiancé again. He’s dropped off the radar and hasn’t even called Detective Morgan in months. I think it’s suspicious.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  He held up his hands in a ready pose. “You can learn to kick butt and take names.”

  She put her fists up. “I’m ready, big guy.”

  CHAPTER 20

  Mount Rainier rose in the distance, its peak visible for once on this fine, clear day from where Lauri stood on the observation deck of the Space Needle. She glanced at her watch. Peter was over an hour late, and he hadn’t even texted her. Should she worry? Their relationship was still too new to know whether or not he was commonly late.

  She pulled out her phone and stared at it again, but doing so didn’t make a text suddenly appear. She turned back to the fabulous view of the city bathed in the colors of the sunset. Wasn’t this just a little bit like Sleepless in Seattle where Meg Ryan met Tom Hanks at the top of the Empire State Building? She only hoped her happily ever after turned out like that movie.

  “This is ridiculous.” Her fingers jabbed the screen of her phone. Where R U?

  The least he could do was to let her know he’d be late. She had just gotten into town and hadn’t had a chance to even shop for groceries for the condo. The aroma of steak wafting from the nearby restaurant made her even crankier. She could have grabbed something to eat during the hour she’d been waiting.

  She glanced at her phone. Nothing. Maybe he was driving and didn’t use his phone while at the wheel. A good practice but not when she was waiting here for him. She drummed her fingers on the railing. The sun was going down, and lights blinked on all over the city. Even that gorgeous sight failed to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders.

  She’d wait fifteen more minutes. If she didn’t hear from him, she was out of here and he could come to her condo if he really wanted to see her. He hadn’t called the past two days either, and that neglect fueled her anger. Maybe anger was too strong of a word. More like hurt and disappointment.

  A couple glanced at her and giggled. Heat flooded her cheeks. They probably thought she’d been stood up, and she should probably admit she had been. She shifted her purse higher on her shoulder as her stomach grumbled again. He was ninety minutes late now. She’d waited long enough.

  She started for the elevator when the doors opened, and she caught sight of the gleam of his hair in the lights. She didn’t know whether to kiss him or slap him so she lifted her hand and waited where she was for him to join her.

  His grin widened as he saw her, then faltered as he neared. “What, no hello kiss? What’s wrong?”

  She dutifully lifted her face for a kiss. “You’re late. Like extremely late. Why didn’t you call me?”

  He held his hands palms up as he shrugged, the picture of bewilderment. “I told you I wasn’t positive what time I’d get here but would try to make it by five.”

  “You did not! You just said to meet you here at five. I rushed straight from the airport with no food.” Aware her voice sounded like a petulant child, she made herself shut up. “Sorry, but I’m tired and hungry. Plus I was worried.”

  His frown deepened, and his fingers bit into her arm as he moved her away from spectators interested in their argument. “Don’t try to make this my fault. I told you I wasn’t sure what time I’d be here.”

  Had he told her? She tried to remember everything he’d said when they set up this meeting, but she was so tired that everything was a jumble. Maybe she was wrong. “I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy-long day with delayed flights and no food. Can we forget it and go get dinner? I’m so hungry I feel light-headed.”

  His deep-blue eyes softened, and he cupped her face. “How about a proper greeting?”

  As he lowered his head, she tried to put her anger away and give herself over to a real kiss. She loved him. Really, she did. But every couple had their spats, even Bree and Kade. No relationship was without conflict.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. The scent of his Bornéo 1834 enveloped her and made everything better. He smelled good, he tasted good, and he was good.

  She mouthed a small protest when he pulled away. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Let me feed you before you turn into a tiger again. My meeting ran late, and I dashed to my car. Then I got caught in a traffic jam and time just got away. Forgive me?”

  “Of course. I hope you’ll forgive me for biting off your head.”

  He touched his head. “I think it’s still there. Let me make it up to you with the biggest, most expensive steak on the menu.”

  “Now you’re talking my language!” She went with him toward the elevator.

  He punched the button and smiled down at her. “I just want to remind you of what you said in Hawaii. You said you’d rather die than hurt me. Your words hurt me. Just giving you fair warning.”

  What on earth did he mean by that? She managed to hold on to her smile as they stepped onto the elevator. “And I meant it.” But what a strange comment for him to make.

  “Who are you going to call first?” Dana carried a plate of peanut butter sandwiches to Boone’s table. “This isn’t much for lunch, but your pantry is bare.”

  Her red sweatshirt was a bright pop of color in his gray and white kitchen. Her face was pink from their workout, and her hair looked adorably messy. Boone dragged his gaze away and turned his attention back to his laptop in front of him on the table. “I’m trying to find Tyler.” He reached for a sandwich and bit into it.

  “I thought that number had been disconnected or something.”

  “I thought maybe I could find him on the Internet. I was relying on the detective, but he’s never called me back so I’m going to take it into my own hands.” He leaned forward and scrolled down the myriad links. “Tyler Dixon is a fairly common name.”

  “Try some other search parameters.” She leaned over his shoulder, and her arm brushed his.

  He caught the scent of her perfume, something sweet and vanilla scented. “Like what?”

  “Pharmaceutical sales.”

  He added the phrase to the search, the list narrowed. “Still twenty-seven thousand links. Holy cow.”

  “Try adding the name of the company.”

  “Good idea.” He shook his head. “Too far the other way. Nothing came up.”

  “Nothing?” She squatted behind him. “That would seem to indicate he never worked for them. Did you try calling Lincoln Pharmaceuticals?”

  “The detective said he was going to try that.” He took another bite of his sandwich. “I should try calling Morgan and see if he got anywhere at Lincoln. No sense in spinning my wheels if he’s run into a dead end.” He called up the detective’s number.

  “Detective Morgan.”

  “It’s Boone Carter. Sorry to bug you again so soon, but it’s important.”

  “What can I help you with?”

  Boone told him about Allyson’s murder. “She was investigating Renee’s death, and I think she stumbled onto the identity of the man who killed Renee and Faith Rogerson.”

  “You’re assuming it was the same person. I’m not sure where you’re getting such a strong link.”

  “Allyson was drowned too, Detective. You don’t find that more than a little odd?”

  Morgan went quiet for a moment. “What do you want from me? I can confer with the lead detective there and see if we have any links.”

  “That’d be great, but I was mostly wondering if you called Lincoln Pharmaceuticals and found Tyler Dixon.”

  “I did call, but I didn’t get anywhere. The HR person I spoke with told me they’d never had a Dixon in their employ. I spelled it several different ways, but there was no perso
n with that last name, male or female. That got me even more curious, so I tried to contact Justin Leyland, Faith Rogerson’s fiancé. His phone had been disconnected as well. I spoke to the detective in charge and asked what company Leyland worked for. Get this—it was Lincoln again. So I called the woman in HR back, and she told me they had no Justin Leyland either.”

  Boone shot to his feet and paced. “That has to be more than coincidence!”

  “I believe so, yes. And we are pursuing every option open to us. However, both men seem to have vanished.”

  “I think they’re one and the same man.”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t prove that. We have no engagement pictures.”

  “What about friends? Maybe a friend took a picture. Did you ever speak to Tyler in person?”

  “Oh yes, right after the murder. I could get a police artist in here to do a sketch of him from my memory. I think I remember him well enough to create a fairly accurate one.”

  They were close on the monster’s tail. Boone barely resisted giving a fist pump. “If we could compare that composite with Justin Leyland, we might get somewhere.”

  “We might,” Morgan agreed. “Do you have the contact there in Rock Harbor for me to talk to?”

  “Yep, it’s Sheriff Mason Kaleva.” Boone called up Mason’s number and rattled it off to the detective. “The investigation is in its earliest stages here. He’s called in the state police, and he should be able to give you their contact information. And a copy of the autopsy.”

  “I’ll get on it. It may take a few days to get a composite. We’ve got an FBI forensic artist instructor coming to town next week to train our officers, and she’s the best in the country. I’ll arrange for her to compose the drawing.”

  “By then, Mason might have more information as well.”

  “Thanks for calling, Mr. Carter. This investigation just took on new life.”

  Boone ended the call and told Dana what he’d learned. “I have to wonder if any of Renee’s friends have a picture of the guy. Surely they went out together with her friends.”

  “Do you know who you might call? Who was Renee’s best friend?”

  His elation leaked away. “Allyson. She never met him.”

  “Coworkers, other friends?”

  He tried to think. “Someone from church maybe. I’ll call her pastor and see if he has any idea who might have gone out with them.” He caught her by the wrist and stared up at her. “You’ve been a rock through this, Dana. Thanks for being here for me.”

  Her cheeks bloomed with pink, but she didn’t look away or pull away. “Anytime, Boone. I–I feel like I’ve known you forever. It’s nice to have an instant friend.”

  In that moment he realized he wanted more than friendship from her.

  CHAPTER 21

  Dana assembled all the ingredients on Boone’s counter and took out her container of sea salt. Working on the light granite counters was pure pleasure, and while there weren’t many of the white shaker cabinets, they were well organized and held everything she needed for preparing fish tacos.

  Boone stood by the red Blendtec blender. “What do you want me to mix up in here?”

  “Two limes and a poblano pepper. I’m going to marinate the fish in it before we grill it.” She handed him a small container of sea salt. “Use a little of this. Sea salt is healthier. I started using it when I went to work as a dispatcher. Sometimes I wouldn’t get in enough fluid and would get dehydrated. Sea salt keeps my electrolytes in better shape.”

  Boone turned back to his task of peeling the limes and cutting up the pepper. She should get to work on the rest of the food, but watching him was way more fun.

  He wrinkled his nose, then pulled the blender jar from its stand to add the ingredients. “I think it would be easier to go to the café.”

  She grabbed an apron from a drawer, then came up behind him and whipped it around his waist. “But I wouldn’t get to see you in an apron.” The consternation on his face as he turned around brought laughter bubbling to her lips. He started to untie it, and she grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare. There’s nothing more appealing than a man in an apron.”

  His hazel eyes lit in a smile, and his hands dropped back to his sides. “In that case . . .”

  The laughter died on her lips as she stood near enough to him to catch the scent of his aftershave. The attraction swirled between them like an approaching storm. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he took a tiny step closer. The breath caught in her throat as she held her ground. His pupils dilated as he stared down at her.

  Somehow she knew she’d have to be the one to make the first move. He had that weird idea that his scars made him unattractive. She sidled closer by half a step and brought up her right hand to touch his chest. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up to brush her lips across his firm mouth.

  His arm came around her, and he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. A maelstrom of emotions rose in her chest as something in her recognized and responded to his deep need for affection and approval.

  He started to withdraw when her hand caressed the scar on his right cheek, but she tightened her grip on him. He wrapped both arms around her like a drowning man grasping at a life preserver. All thought left her head as she welcomed the emotion bubbling in her chest.

  What am I doing?

  She dragged her mouth away and stepped back on trembling knees. “I told you there was nothing more appealing than a man in an apron.” Her hand shook as she pushed the curls away from her face. “But we’d better get to work or I’ll be fainting from hunger.”

  He gave a crooked grin before he returned to his task. She stared at his broad back for a moment. Garret would never have deigned to help in the kitchen. He never cared what she needed or what made her happy. In only three weeks, she’d come to recognize how different Boone was from many of the men she’d met. He cared about other people, and his integrity shone through every moment she’d spent with him. When he looked at her, she knew he saw the real Dana Newell, the person inside who often felt invisible and ineffectual.

  This emotion she felt when she looked at him she couldn’t quite name yet. It was already so much bigger than anything she’d ever felt for her ex-fiancé. It would be easy to run to someone strong to protect her from Garret, but that wasn’t what this was. Boone’s character would draw her even if she didn’t have to worry about Garret.

  What was Anu’s shop doing open so early? Nicholls’s Finnish Imports had been one of Dana’s favorite places since she was a teenager. Stacks of Finnish sweaters were on display at the front of the store, and the scent of dye and fine wool was a familiar one. Another table held Marimekko linens, and Dana touched a coverlet as she passed.

  Anu Nicholls, Bree’s first husband’s mother, owned the place. She made the best pulla in town, and the aroma of cardamom and raisins wafted from the kitchen at the back of the building. Dana hadn’t been to see her since she got back, an oversight she was eager to remedy.

  Anu looked up from attaching price tags at a table of Kalevala jewelry. “Kulta, at last I see you! I had heard you had returned to us.”

  In her sixties now, Anu was still as slim as a girl, and a few gray strands glimmered in her short blonde hair. Her blue eyes twinkled out of a mostly unlined face, though the lines around her eyes showed some of the sorrow her life had endured. She’d raised two kids by herself and had built a well-known business in the Upper Peninsula.

  Dana stepped forward to hug her. “I know I’ve been neglectful. It’s good to see you. I was surprised to see your lights on so early. I was on my way to the Suomi for breakfast before work and saw you moving around in here. I thought you might have spared some pulla and coffee.”

  “It’s still hot.”

  Dana heard the clicking of dog nails on the scarred wooden floor, then Samson, followed by Bree, exited the kitchen at the back of the store.

  “I thought I heard your voice.” Bree handed her a piece of pulla.

  “Ooh, that�
��s what I was hoping for.” Dana took a bite and nearly groaned as the delicious flavors hit her tongue. “I’ve missed this.”

  Anu glanced out the windows at the windswept street. “I have tea and coffee in the back. Come.”

  When they stepped into the kitchen, the warm aromas wrapped Dana in a cherished embrace. She’d spent many an afternoon here with Anu and Bree. Anu’s worn Bible lay on the counter, and Dana’s gaze lingered on it. Much of what she’d learned about how to live a Christian life had come from Anu. Seeing her again brought back so many memories as well as shame.

  “You look sad, kulta.”

  “I’m just thinking of how much I’ve failed. God, myself. My life hasn’t turned out like I’d hoped.”

  Bree touched her shoulder. “Failure isn’t fatal. Giving up is.”

  Dana smiled at her. “I often forget that.” She slid onto one of the kitchen chairs and accepted the cup of coffee. The light roast was a Finnish tradition, and the mild taste seemed foreign to her palate, which had adjusted long ago to a bolder flavor. “Yummy.”

  Anu leaned against the counter. “As Bree said, you haven’t failed. You are still here, still moving forward. God has a plan for you.”

  “I’d sure like to know what it is.” Dana studied her face. “You never seem to hesitate to encourage someone in the Lord, even customers. That’s how I first met you. I was buying a skirt for my parents’ funeral, and you noticed I was crying. You hugged me and quoted Psalm 116:15.”

  Anu nodded. “‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.’”

  “Don’t you worry you’ll offend someone when you do that now? I mean, the world is so different from what it was even five years ago. How do you know where to draw the line between offense and help?” The words came out in a rush. “I get terrible calls some days. I want to share a Scripture with them or pray, but I get all tongue-tied thinking about what my coworkers will say and if I’ll get in trouble with my boss.”