Grave Peril

by Mary Alford

  While he continued to stare at the wreckage before him, he noticed something that didn’t jibe with the car ending up in the ditch of its own accord. The back bumper was crumpled in several spots. It appeared someone had deliberately forced it off the road. He scanned the area. His concern for the missing driver doubled.

  Always lend a hand, Gavin. Mountain folk look out for one another. He could almost hear his grandmother reminding him of this. Ava had lived that creed throughout her life. She never once failed to lend a hand when someone was in need.

  Even though he’d been gone for ten years, he understood why Ava had loved this place so much. It was in her blood. His, too. This was one of the reasons it was so hard to think about selling her home. Still, now that she was gone, he couldn’t imagine living there, and his job as a member of the CIA specialized antiterrorist unit known as the Scorpions took him out of the country for months at a time.

  Excuses...all of them. The real reason he didn’t want to hold on to the house was that he saw his father everywhere around the place. The brutal way Charles Dalton’s life had been taken from him would forever mar Gavin’s memories of life on the mountain. Shot to death by his best friend and business partner.

  And so he’d come to a difficult decision. He planned to get in touch with the local real estate agent the next day. Put the house on the market and see what happened.

  Now, as he took in the extent of damage to the car, he realized there was a good chance that whoever was driving the vehicle had been injured.

  With that disturbing thought still ringing in his head, Gavin grabbed his flashlight and got out, clicking the light on. Tucking his service weapon behind his back, he waded into the water and slowly eased to the open door.

  As he approached, the empty driver’s seat confirmed that no one was inside. He shone the flashlight into the back seat. There was a suitcase and what looked like a laptop bag. In the passenger’s seat, a purse. The sight increased his unease. Why would the driver leave her identification behind?

  Gavin pulled out the wallet tucked inside the purse. The name on the driver’s license froze him in place and sent his heart back in time. Jamie Hendricks. The car in question belonged to his high school sweetheart. The woman he’d once loved with all his heart.

  He glanced frantically around. Where was she?

  Jamie wouldn’t have simply walked off for help without taking her purse or locking the car up with her belongings inside. He flashed the light around, yet there was no sign she might have been thrown from the car.

  What if Jamie been taken against her will by the driver of the second vehicle? His gut clenched at the thought.

  He remembered his grandmother telling him about how much the crime rate had increased over the past ten years in Darlan due to the flood of drugs rolling through the community.

  Gavin whispered a prayer for a safe outcome, then went into action.

  “Jamie!” he yelled as loud as he could, hoping she could hear him if she was still close by. His voice echoed down into the valley below. “Jamie, it’s Gavin Dalton!”

  Across the road, something rustled in the bushes. It could be a wild animal. Hogs were everywhere around these hollers. He homed the flashlight in on the direction of the noise and saw movement.

  With his heart wrenching like crazy, he yelled, “Put your hands in the air and show yourself before I shoot! Now!”

  He kept the flashlight focused on the parting bushes as someone—a woman—emerged. She squinted as the light hit her eyes. One hand went up to shield them.

  It had been ten years since he’d last seen her, but he’d thought about her—and what might have been—just about every day of his life.

  Seeing her now felt almost surreal. He couldn’t believe Jamie was back in Darlan and that someone had run her into the ditch.

  She ran across the road and into his arms. He could feel her shivering in reaction to what had just taken place, as well as to the chill of the night air.

  Time melted away as he held her tighter. She still felt the same in his arms as she had all those years ago. They’d been so close once. He’d planned to ask her to marry him the summer before they were both scheduled to leave for university.

  And then that day happened. His world had changed forever when her father killed his. Their life together and the future he’d once envisioned for them had splintered into a million pieces. A chasm stood between them that was impossible to breach. For the first time in their lives, they’d stood on opposite sides of something.

  Gavin pulled himself together and moved a little away so that he could get a good look at her. Even terrified, she was still the prettiest girl he’d ever known. Her normally sparkling green eyes reflected the horror of what she’d gone through tonight.

  She had a bloody gash on her forehead. Clumps of her golden-brown hair were matted into it.

  Jamie drew in a breath and took a step back, as if realizing what she’d done. Gavin let her go. The lethal past was firmly in place between them once again.

  “I was scared they were coming back again. Gavin, someone ran me off the road.” Her voice shook. He didn’t doubt for a second how terrifying the experience had been.

  “You’re hurt.” His immediate attention went to her injury. He examined the gash gently with his fingertips and couldn’t keep the anger from his tone. Someone had tried to harm her, and he had no idea why.

  She drew in a shaky breath and pulled away from his touch. “No, I’m fine. It just scared me.”

  “Jamie, you’re not. That looks like it needs stiches.” He indicated the wound, but she shook her head, trying to play the injury down.

  “I’ll be fine. It looks worse than it is.”

  While he doubted it, he knew it was pointless to argue. Jamie could be stubborn when she wanted to.

  “I heard the crash from my place. What happened?”

  She was shaking so much that it appeared to be a struggle to get words to come out. “I’m not sure. I was driving home when an SUV came out of nowhere. I thought it was just some kids playing around until they forced me off the road.”

  He didn’t want to believe she’d been deliberately targeted in such a frightening way. “Are you sure it was on purpose? The road is wet. It’s hard to see with the rain and the fog.”

  She waved his theory away. “I’m positive. Gavin, they were inches from my bumper the whole time. When I tried to turn around and get to your place, they rammed my car twice. The last time I lost control, and that’s when I was run off the road by two men.”

  He frowned at her answer. It was not the one he’d wanted to hear. “Did you get a good look at the vehicle?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. It happened so fast. I know it was an SUV and that it was big. And I think it was black or maybe dark brown.”

  It wasn’t much to go on. “After you crashed in the ditch, did the SUV keep going?” He hadn’t heard the vehicle drive past his house.

  She hesitated, sending a bunch of alarm signals up for him. “Yes. They’re heading up to my house.”

  He stared at her, trying to understand the meaning. “Why would they be heading to your house...?” Then it finally clicked. “Where’s Paxton?”

  “He’s supposed to meet me there. Gavin, we have to help him. I’m afraid they’ll hurt him.”

  His thoughts reeled. Why had someone tried to hurt her or Paxton? “What’s Paxton gotten himself involved in this time?” Gavin couldn’t keep the hard edge from his tone.

  “I wish I knew.” She didn’t look at him, leaving him with the impression she wasn’t telling the whole story. Jamie didn’t trust him. That hurt to consider.

  His mouth tightened in revulsion as he thought about how bad the outcome of the wreck could have been.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Jamie? There’s no way what happened to you here doesn’t invol
ve one of Paxton’s harebrained theories in some way.”

  She finally faced him, her defiance clear. “I told you I don’t know anything, so will you help me or not?”

  Before he could answer, the noise of another vehicle coming up the mountain interrupted their conversation.

  Jamie turned frightened eyes to him. “What if it’s connected to the other vehicle? We have to get out of here now.”

  She was right. Standing on the side of the road like this, they were exposed, sitting targets. Together, they hurried back to his truck. Before they had the chance to get inside, red and blue lights flashed behind them.

  Relief swept through Gavin. “It’s okay. It’s the sheriff.”

  Yet, instead of relaxing, Jamie appeared more panicked. She shook her head. “No, Gavin, we have to get out of here now. Uncle Paxton warned me not to trust anyone at the sheriff’s office.”

  Hearing her uncle’s claims, Gavin’s distrust grew. Paxton had been on a mission to prove his brother hadn’t killed Charles ever since the man had been convicted of the crime. When Noah died of miner’s lung two years into his life sentence, Paxton’s efforts had gone into overdrive. He’d even enlisted his good friend, Gavin’s grandmother, Ava Dalton, in the hunt for evidence.

  Before Gavin had time to ask why Paxton didn’t trust the sheriff’s office, the patrol vehicle chirped its siren once then pulled alongside the truck.

  Gavin grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Let me handle this.”

  The passenger window came down. A shockwave rolled through Gavin upon identifying the man sitting inside the white police SUV. Andy Lawson was the last person Gavin would have expected to be elected sheriff of Darlan County, in spite of the fact that his father had once held the position.

  He and Andy had gone through their entire school years together. Andy was a borderline juvenile delinquent whose father had had to bail him out of trouble throughout most of his high school years. Gavin couldn’t imagine how this man had become sheriff, except on his father’s merits.

  Andy seemed about as shocked to see Gavin. “Gavin Dalton? I heard you were back in town. Sorry to hear about your grandmother. She was a great gal.”

  “Thanks, man.” Gavin somehow got the words out. He knew good and well Andy and his grandmother had never gotten along. Ava had been very vocal about Andy’s lack of discipline and had spoken to his father about it on numerous occasions.

  At one time, the Lawsons lived on the mountain before moving to town. Their property backed onto to Ava’s. When Gavin was younger, Ava had run cattle on that part of the place. Through the years, several head had gone missing. Ava was convinced Andy had had something to do with it. Gavin and his dad were inclined to agree, but without hard proof tying Andy to the missing cattle, there had been no way to prove it.

  Andy looked past Gavin and spotted Jamie. “I didn’t see you there, Jamie. I had no idea you were back in town, too. Is this your car? Looks like you had a doozy of a wreck. Are you hurt?”

  Gavin could feel Jamie’s unease growing. She managed to shake her head. “No, I’m fine.”

  “What happened here?” Andy asked, still without even looking at the car. Immediately, his lack of interest in the car’s obvious damage garnered Gavin’s concern. As far as he could tell, the man hadn’t given it more than a cursory glance. As a sheriff, it was an odd way to investigate an accident. Unless he already knew about what happened and was checking to see if Jamie was still alive?

  “It was my fault, I’m afraid.” Gavin jumped in with a made-up explanation to get Andy’s attention off Jamie. “I accidently hit Jamie. I was taking a ride up the mountain when I came to the bend. I guess I was going a little too fast for the road conditions, and I tagged her.”

  “Have you talked to Paxton lately?” Andy’s immediate change of subject surprised them both.

  Jamie edged closer to Gavin. “No...why?”

  “No reason,” Andy answered a little too quickly. “I just had a few more questions for him since he was the one who found Ava after she died.” He frowned. “Why are you back in Darlan, anyway? Did you come for the funeral?”

  Jamie quickly grasped at the excuse he’d provided. “Yes, that’s right.”

  Gavin wasn’t surprised that Andy hadn’t been at his grandmother’s funeral, considering their past relationship, but neither Jamie nor Paxton had attended, either. Not that he could blame Jamie after the way things ended between them. Still, Paxton had been a good friend of Ava’s. Unless he hadn’t been able to attend because he’d gotten himself into trouble.

  Andy accepted her answer without questioning it. “Well, if you see him, tell him I’d like to have a word. You need me to call a tow truck to get you out of the ditch?”

  Something was definitely off with Andy’s way of handling the whole situation, and Gavin was anxious to get rid of him. “No, that’s okay. I’ll give Marty a call and have him pull it out for Jamie.”

  After another suspicious look, Andy nodded. “Alright, then. If you two don’t need me, I’m heading home. My shift just ended a little while ago. I was at the end of the road by the intersection when I heard the ruckus up here and decided to come check it out. Glad I did. You need a ride to your house, Jamie? I’d be happy to give you a lift. That way I can check in with Paxton. Get the answers I need and then be on my way.”

  “You can’t,” Jamie said in a rush, then amended her answer when Andy appeared more suspicious. “What I mean is, he’s not home. He went to Jamesville for a few days to gather supplies for the mine.”

  “You don’t say... That was kind of sudden, wasn’t it?” Andy scowled at her answer. He’d come just short of calling her a liar.

  Gavin stepped in. “I can give Jamie a ride. You’re on your way home, and since Paxton’s not there, anyway, it would be a wasted trip.” He’d seen that Andy knew Jamie wasn’t telling him the truth. Would he push to go to her house? If so, Gavin wasn’t about to let Jamie head up there alone with Andy.

  “Suit yourself,” Andy mumbled, finally ending the silent standoff. “Have Paxton call me when you talk to him, you hear?”

  Jamie nodded.

  Andy put the vehicle in gear and gave them a two-finger salute before making a U-turn in the middle of the road to head back down the mountain.

  Once he was gone, Jamie let out a huge sigh. “I don’t trust him for a minute. He was definitely fishing for something.” She looked as pale as a sheet.

  Gavin had a dozen different questions running though his mind. “Why does Andy need to talk to Paxton so urgently? I spoke to the coroner. Ava had a heart attack, and that caused her death. Even though Paxton found her, what questions could he possibly still have?” He watched Jamie closely. “Did Paxton tell you anything else about my grandmother’s death?”

  She appeared frazzled by the events of the evening. “No, only that Ava had died and he was the one who found her.”

  None of it added up in Gavin’s mind. Why was the sheriff so concerned with finding Paxton?

  His gaze narrowed. As far as he knew, Jamie hadn’t been home once since she’d left, with the exception of attending her father’s funeral.

  “What else did Paxton say to get you to come back here? It had to be big.” There was no disguising the bitterness in his tone. He couldn’t help it. Her sudden exit from his life had been eating at him for years.

  The way things had ended between them after the trial, well, it had been devastating for him as well as her. Gavin knew he was mostly to blame for it. He’d been grieving for his father while Jamie kept insisting that Noah was innocent. He hadn’t been able to handle it any longer and lost his temper. Told her he didn’t believe her. That he’d never believe her. It had been the end of them. He’d always regretted saying that to her. Even though it was the truth, it added yet another wedge between them that made it impossible to overcome. He’d hoped that once things sett
led, he and Jamie could work things out. That hadn’t happened.

  The tears in her eyes as she’d looked at him still haunted him. That had been the last time he saw her, standing in front of her family home, begging him to believe her.

  Jamie left town without so much as a word, and his future happiness crumbled around him.

  He’d moved away shortly afterward, to attend university, and then later joined the CIA. They’d both left Darlan behind, and now the only family member tying him here was gone.

  Like Jamie’s Uncle Paxton, his grandmother had never believed Noah Hendricks murdered her son. She’d gone along with every single one of Paxton’s crazy ideas to clear Noah’s name, much to Gavin’s dismay. It was about the only thing he and his grandmother had ever argued about. In Gavin’s mind, there had been no other explanation. Noah had shot his father when he found out Charles was thinking of selling the mine he owned to a large corporation.

  Jamie didn’t look at him when she answered. “He said he had finally found proof that would exonerate my father of killing Charles. I know what you’re thinking, but this time there was something in his voice.” She intercepted his disbelieving look. “I can feel it, Gavin. This time I believe he really knows who killed your father.”

  Gavin ran his hand across the back of his neck. “Jamie, we both know who killed my dad. Just because Paxton and you can’t accept it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

  She squared her shoulders and took him on, arguing her case. “Your grandmother didn’t believe Noah was capable of killing Charles. Your own grandmother.”

  He’d heard enough. “Jamie, a jury of Noah’s peers convicted him of the crime, remember?” When tears filled her eyes, he regretted his outburst. “Look, I’m sorry it happened. I loved your dad. He was like family...until, well, you know. And I’m sorry he had to pass away in prison like that. I can’t imagine how that was for him and for you. But it’s time both Paxton and you let go of this vendetta and got on with your lives. Before what Noah did that day poisons what’s left of them.”

  TWO