A Box Full of Trouble

by Carolyn Haines

  “Are we going to sit here?” Tammy asked.

  Trouble made the decision for them. He jumped out the open window of the patrol car and headed up the trail.

  “No, we’re going up there,” Aiden said. “But if you do anything to jeopardize your safety, I’ll… arrest you.”

  Tammy’s smile spoke of her realization that Aiden was helpless to control her—or Trouble. “You should be more worried about the cat than me.”

  “The two of you should definitely be arrested. And held indefinitely. Now let’s get moving.”

  They trudged up the trail with Aiden in the lead, following Trouble, who managed the incline without even breathing hard. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Tammy asked Aiden. “We don’t have to run uphill.”

  He finally stopped. “I’m sorry. I’m frustrated. The Welch woman is still missing, and I was forced to release my most logical suspect because I didn’t have grounds to hold him. He had an alibi for the time Beverly Welch disappeared.”

  “Which was?”

  “He was with a young woman.”

  Tammy grabbed Aiden’s sleeve. “Is she still alive? Have you checked?”

  “Paula Scott is fine. I did check, and she verifies that Thad Brady was with her the entire night and morning that Beverly was abducted. She swears it. She also says Brady only treats her with respect and courtesy. She called him a real gentleman.” But there was something odd in Paula Scott’s demeanor. She wasn’t telling the complete truth. Aiden knew it, but he couldn’t prove it.

  “Do you believe her?” Tammy caught something in his voice, his expression.

  “No.” Aiden didn’t beat around the bush. “I think she’s lying, but I can’t prove it and I don’t know why she’d lie to protect Thad Brady, a man who is barely civil to anyone in town. Had I seen the bite, I would have tried harder to find grounds to hold him.”

  “Thank you for telling me the truth. I appreciate that. The law doesn’t always make it easy for you, I know.”

  “Let’s pick up the evidence and see if Brady is still around Rook’s Vantage.”

  “He has to be there. There’s only one trail down and he’d have to come out on the highway if he was in a vehicle.”

  “He’s a real wilderness buff. He may have been on foot.”

  “There wasn’t a vehicle parked at the trail head, you’re right about that.” She cleared her throat. “Had I known anyone was up there, I wouldn’t have gone. I’m sometimes hardheaded but I don’t have a death wish.”

  Aiden’s grin was wry. “Thank you. I’m relieved to hear that.”

  “What troubles me is the likelihood that a serial killer would return to the body dump site is so low, only about 3 percent based on the case studies, true crime, and thrillers I’ve read, yet so much physical evidence points to Brady as the killer. Why would he risk going back there?”

  “Did you happen to see what he was looking at through the telescope?” Aiden asked.

  “I didn’t even look. I just took the telescope and left before he changed his mind.”

  “Maybe that’s something we should check out, if you can recreate the spot and the angle.”

  Tammy nodded. “I think I can. He was examining the bowl of the crater. Let’s get the necklace first.”

  Trouble led them unerringly to the necklace, which was easy to find because of the telescope.

  “You couldn’t have left something not so valuable?” Aiden asked, realizing that as anxious as he was, he could still tease her a little.

  “I didn’t have anything else to leave. Would you have trusted the cat to lead you to the clue? What if I’d not marked the spot and Trouble didn’t cooperate?”

  “I have more trust in your pet than you do,” Aiden said.

  Chapter Five

  Even though his words were said in jest, Tammy felt herself flinch. The revelation came at her as hard as a slap. Like it or not, Aiden was dead on. She didn’t trust. Not Trouble or Aiden but mostly not herself. It was a shocking discovery because she realized such a lack of trust had shaped a big part of her life. Her need to stay in Wetumpka, a small, safe place where unknowns were limited, came from a lack of trust—not of the larger world--but of herself. She’d blamed the breakup of her past relationship on her desire to be in Wetumpka, but now she came face to face with the reality that Wetumpka was a symptom, not the illness. Had she given her heart to her former fiancé, it wouldn’t have mattered where they lived. They could have worked it out.

  “Are you okay?” Aiden asked. “You look a little pale.”

  “Self-realization.”

  “Care to share?”

  “No.” But she had the strangest urge to confess to Aiden, to tell him how she held herself in check and why. But she didn’t want to sound like she was trying to make it his problem. “Nothing to share.” What would Aiden say if she suddenly blurted out her thoughts and feelings? How she wanted to know him better, but had a problem trusting others.

  She felt the heat climb her neck and cheeks. She had to stop her runaway imagination. She’d spent too many hours shelving the romance novels in her bookstore. Aiden could certainly be a cover model, but that was pure fantasy born out of an imagination that was quickly getting out of control.

  Aiden had stopped to kneel at the location of the necklace and she had a moment to compose herself.

  “That’s Debby Caldwell’s necklace,” she said, forcing her thoughts away from her flights of fancy. “I’ve seen her wear it before.”

  Aiden put on heavy latex gloves and went about collecting the evidence. He made photographs of everything before he moved it into plastic bags that were labeled and documented. He knew his business, and he made short work of it while she waited.

  “I don’t think he killed her here,” Aiden said, inspecting the ground. “There’s no evidence of a struggle, but there is a boot print. Looks to be the same type of footgear and size as the one you noticed by the body. Thank goodness you found this, Tammy. I had men up here looking everywhere, but no one would have seen this necklace if they’d searched for the next five months.”

  “Trouble found it. Not me.”

  “He’s a fine detective.” Aiden paused. “Did he happen to come from…the U.K.? I know that’s an odd question, but there’s just something about him…”

  Tammy felt a thrill of pleasure. “I have this idea that if he could talk, he’d give me an education. Like a detective in a mystery.”

  “Exactly. Someone posh and coolly elegant.” Aiden rolled his eyes. “But don’t tell the sheriff I said that. He already thinks I’m obsessed with the SSK. If he hears I’m going on about a cat, he’ll have cause to doubt me.”

  Tammy felt another chunk of her personal wall tumble to the ground. Aiden had a way of saying things that made her want to abandon the rigid controls she’d put in place to keep her life safe. Since she’d returned to Wetumpka, she’d guarded her heart. She feared she’d never be able to love enough. Would she ever be able to take that leap where she found her true security in another person? Aiden was big and tough, but he also had a sense of play. He could handle foolish banter and easy teases. He was knocking down her defenses without even knowing it. “I won’t breathe a word to Rob. What happens at Rook’s Vantage stays at Rook’s Vantage.”

  “Rob has mentioned a time or two that he’s known you most of his life.”

  Tammy was only slightly alarmed at the idea the two men had been discussing her. Another part of her was flattered. “We grew up together. He’s two years older, but we played almost every afternoon until he got into middle school and developed new friendships. Then I was something of a tag-along little sister. More annoyance than asset.”

  “Rob Sieck has the reputation for being a fair man and a great boss,” Aiden said. “One day I’d love to settle into a law enforcement office like the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department. That’s the dream job for so many of us who take the oath to protect and serve seriously. We want to be in a community
where we can do our job and investigate crimes, but also be individuals to the populace. Friends even.”

  “Then you’re planning on making a career in the Elmore County Sheriff’s Department?” It was a question that had come to Tammy’s mind more than once. Aiden had arrived in town, blown in by a storm wind that may have included a serial killer. He’d worked in a number of law enforcements departments in the past few years. He was a true rolling stone—something everyone in town knew because the grapevine in Wetumpka worked very well.

  “I don’t know about that. I’ve grown accustomed to change.”

  She didn’t reply because Aiden picked up the telescope as if it weighed nothing and started toward the lookout at Rook’s Vantage. “Before we leave the area, let’s set this telescope up and see what we can see.”

  “Sure thing.” She noticed that Trouble had disappeared—again. That darn cat was going to drive her to drink. She was 100 percent certain he was somewhere watching and would show up when he was dang good and ready.

  When they made the lookout point, Tammy was winded. Aiden had a long stride and plenty of muscle. He scaled the path as if it were a stroll through the flatlands. She’d have to up her game if she ever went hiking with him.

  “Can you position the telescope?” he asked.

  The marks in the dirt where the telescope tripod had been positioned were still visible. She set it up and then angled the scope to the same position—or as close as she could come—that Brady had been using. When she looked through it, she saw only dense forest, a floor of green. Shifting slightly, she scanned the area and was surprised to see a clearing in the heart of the crater’s basin. She tapped the lens to the right, once again examining thick trees and scrub brush that had grown rampant. She zeroed in on the clearing that looked as if it had been deliberately made.

  To her shock, someone was moving down at the edge of the clearing. The man was broad-shouldered, tall, well built, and he wore black pants, a black coat, and a black toque. He kept his face turned away from the telescope, almost as if he realized someone was watching him.

  “Aiden.” Tammy motioned him to the telescope. “Take a look.”

  He stepped into her place and gazed into the crater’s center. After adjusting the focus, he inhaled sharply. “Is this the man you saw in the bookstore drive?”

  “It could be. It could also be that Brady man. And the guy who smacked into me up here two nights ago.”

  “Dammit.”

  “What is it?” Tammy was so close she could catch the scent of his light aftershave, something woody and clean.

  “He’s carrying something wrapped into a bundle.”

  “Something like…a body?” Tammy thought the word might scrape her throat raw. How was it possible she was standing on a beautiful lookout point with a man who definitely ignited her interest talking about a dead body? The probability that the killer would use the same dump site was so small--

  “Exactly like a body. And he’s leaving it. Let’s go.”

  “Where?”

  “To the trail head to call the sheriff. Then we’ll go on to find what’s in the bundle.”

  Tammy fell in behind Aiden as he picked up the telescope and headed down the trail as fast as he could safely travel over the rough terrain. Trouble was right at her heels.

  They half ran, half slid down the path. As soon as they had cell reception, Aiden called the sheriff and relayed his suspicions. They stowed the telescope in the patrol car and began the search for the trail that would lead to the crater.

  Twenty minutes later, Tammy was sweating under her coat and struggling to keep up with Aiden.

  “Need a break?” he asked.

  “I don’t want to stop, but I need to catch my breath. I’m sorry to hold you up, but you can go on. I’ll follow.”

  He settled on a rock. “Take a minute.”

  She appreciated that he was afraid to leave her unprotected, and yet he didn’t make her feel like a burden. “Did you ever see his face?”

  “No.” Aiden checked his compass. They’d found a deer trail, but it didn’t travel in a straight line. “He’s smart. Very smart. Could you positively identify the man as Thad Brady?”

  “No. I only saw the shape of his body.” She swallowed. “Tell me about your wife.” Tammy spoke before she had time to censor her words.

  Aiden hid his surprise. “Kayla was a great person. Kind and funny. She loved children. She wanted half a dozen.” His smile was rueful. “I was the one who wanted to wait, to make sure the future was secure. Now I know there’s no such thing as security. The world can change in the blink of an eye.”

  Tammy couldn’t stop herself. “How did you meet?”

  “In college. I was taking criminal justice classes and she was in education. The only thing she ever wanted to do was teach. We met at the coffee shop in the humanities building lobby when she ran into me and I spilled my coffee all down her blouse.”

  “Calamity is always an interesting matchmaker. Coffee and calamity. Sounds like a good title for a book, doesn’t it?”

  The sadness left his smile. “It does. So why aren’t you married?”

  It was a question that would normally make Tammy annoyed, but turnabout was fair play. “I came close, once. But things fell apart. He had big dreams and when he was offered a job in D.C. I moved with him. We had the perfect urban life, for a while. I had a great job, but I found I couldn’t leave Wetumpka. I didn’t want to leave. The big city life wasn’t for me. It was unfair to ask him to curb his ambitions because I wanted to live a small town life.” But she was telling him only a partial truth. She didn’t know who she was away from her little town. She fit here. She had an identity and a life. When she left and failed, she’d done damage to both of them. Not deliberately, but it had happened nonetheless.

  “Did he say that?” The strangest expression crossed his face.

  Tammy was taken aback by the question. “No, he wouldn’t. I said that.”

  Aiden started to say something else but stopped. “Ready to move along?”

  She’d caught her second wind and stood. “Let’s go.” As they pushed through more brush, she made sure Trouble was right behind her. And she thought about that look on Aiden’s face. She couldn’t read it, but if she had to put a name to it, she would say distress.

  * * *

  Aiden chewed the comment Tammy had made about not wanting to limit anyone. It was a very telling remark. And so was Tammy’s decision to give up a relationship to keep a location. Aiden had moved all around the country at the drop of a hat, and Kayla had never expressed anything other than solid support. They’d delayed having children. They’d moved based on his needs, his goals, his obsession. How much had his restless life cost her in happiness? He’d never thought to ask.

  In the distance Aiden saw the trees thin. They were almost at the clearing. “Stay behind me,” he whispered to Tammy. While she shifted to obey, Trouble darted forward into the clearing. The cat was a sitting duck for anyone who might want to take a shot. Aiden crouched, ready to spring forward, grab the cat, and roll.

  Tammy’s hand restrained him. “Trouble has a sixth sense about things.”

  The cat sashayed through the clearing to a cluster of rocks. He hopped on top of the tallest rock and stretched.

  Seconds before the sound of a gunshot rang out, Trouble darted behind the rocks. Splinters of stone and sand flew into the air. The bullet had thudded in the spot Trouble had been sitting.

  “Dammit.” Tammy scrambled forward. “Trouble! Get over here.”

  The cat sprinted across the open ground, drawing another shot that missed. When he was beside Tammy, Trouble rubbed against her legs, purring.

  “We know two things,” Aiden said. “The man isn’t a great shot. He’s good but not great. And he knows we’re here.”

  “If the first is true, that rules out Tom Wells and Thad Brady. Both of them would be terrific shots. They were air force rangers,” Tammy reminded him.


  “You’re pretty good with clues,” Aiden said. “But keep in mind perhaps the shooter didn’t really want to hit the cat. Deliberately misleading.”

  “Why can’t something just be what it is?” Tammy’s frustrations boiled over.

  Aiden put a hand on her arm. “Because, when you’re dealing with criminal masterminds, you have to think of all the implications.”

  “Good thing that’s your job and not mine,” Tammy said. “I just want to get my cat and get out of here before we become coyote food.”

  “Stay here with Trouble.”

  * * *

  Before Tammy could protest, Aiden was gone. She had to admire the way he slipped through the woods. When he wasn’t encumbered with her, he was little more than a shadow.

  She sat down in the protection of a cluster of trees. The cover was good to prevent someone from the ridge sighting in on her with a rifle scope. She’d never enjoyed guns, but growing up in a rural area, she knew enough to have a healthy respect for what they could do. Could the person who’d dumped the body so quickly make it back up the ridge to Rook’s Vantage, which is where the shot seemed to originate from? Only if he were a skilled and strong climber with gear to assist him up some of the steep rock cliffs. She hadn’t noticed any gear or a firearm on Thad Brady. But he was physically capable of making the trek and the climb. And the shot—though he could have hit the cat.

  Aiden signaled her from the other side of the clearing. And far in the distance was the faint sound of a siren. So the cavalry was on the way.

  Aiden motioned her to stay hidden. She crouched lower and held her breath as he angled out to the pile of rocks in the center of the clearing where Trouble had taken refuge. A moment later, she heard Aiden call out. “It’s Beverly Welch. She’s been dead for at least several hours.”

  Tammy sank down onto her heels. She’d known it was probably the Welch woman, but she’d maintained hope that it was only a body-shaped bundle and not a dead person.