by Geri Krotow
This year she yearned for something...different for Christmas. She wasn’t sure what, but the prospect of only having her parents over didn’t seem enough.
Bryce would fit in well.
“Come on, girl.” Butternut immediately broke into a casual trot, keeping pace with Zora’s moderate run. The dog had abandoned her constant sniffing of the ground to breathe in the air around them instead, pointy ears flat against her head in true doggy concentration mode.
Bryce’s reappearance in her life had stirred up a lot of old memories. She had to keep that in mind. The case would end, and so would their collaboration. Silver Valley was a big enough place that the odds of working together on another Trail Hikers mission weren’t great. Plus the Trail Hikers often sent her to places far from Silver Valley. They hadn’t sent her overseas yet but she had an inkling that every once in a while she’d be called in to help with international cases.
It took everyone working together these days to keep the world a civil place. And a safe one...
The sweat from her exertion soaked through her first layer and she relaxed into her stride.
“Good, good girl, Butternut, baby.” She’d trained the dog since she was a pup to mind orders and stay in stride whether Zora was walking, running or at an all-out sprint. Butternut rarely ran in front of her, and when she did it was for a valid reason like an approaching stranger or vehicle.
The snowfall wasn’t as heavy in the woods under the thick layer of branches but the wind still made it through the trunks, stirring up whorls of snow in miniclearings.
It was her first run since the shooting and it felt good. Some stiffness still lingered in her rib cage but nothing she couldn’t handle, as long as she kept her exertion reasonable. They easily passed the halfway mark and she wondered if maybe she should slow it to a brisk walk. Getting loosened up was one thing but she couldn’t afford to have sore or tight muscles when she faced the killer.
Without warning, Butternut bolted across her path and she went sprawling as the leash wrapped around her legs. “Butternut!”
The dog tucked in her tail and sat, her expression contrite.
“Zora!”
She peered through the veil of snow toward the source of the familiar voice. “Bryce?”
Brushing snow off her pants, she stood up and waited. In a few more seconds he was at her side, affectionately patting Butternut on the head.
“Damn dog,” she grumbled as she unwrapped the leash from her legs.
“What did this princess do?”
“She decided you were friendlier than me apparently.”
He wore workout gear, gloves and a blue ski cap that brought out the intensity of his eyes.
Desire warmed her insides and she had to fight the urge to jump him.
She laughed at the thought.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. And how did you find me here? Wait—let me guess. Officer Samuel called it in when I left the house. You drove up to the back of the woods.”
“Excellent deduction. You know, if you ever decide you don’t want to be a counselor, I’ll bet you could find a position with SVPD.”
“I feel as though I’m part of SVPD already. You’re all so professional and such a strong team.” As she said the words, she realized how true they were. No one at SVPD ever made her feel excluded or like an outsider, including Bryce. Especially Bryce.
“Well, none of the other officers know who you really work for. And we all have enough training to know not to ask. As long as the superintendent approves you, you’re in.”
“You never had an inkling about the Trail Hikers before you were asked to join them, Bryce?”
“No.” He motioned toward the trail. “Want to keep going? I’m here to join you if you’re okay with it, not slow you down.”
“I was just thinking it’s time to walk. It felt so good running the past mile but I don’t want to push it.”
They walked along the narrow path, where he allowed her to go first.
“Smart of you. Although I’m astonished that you’re already out here like this. You took an awful hit.”
“Have you ever taken a bullet?”
“Once or twice.”
“So then you know. It’s better to move than to sit around and ache.”
“Sometimes.” His hand touched her elbow and she stopped. He drew level with her and looked into her eyes.
“I also know that sometimes it’s okay to slow down and allow things to heal. To let things happen as they need to.”
She grasped his upper arms through his light ski jacket as his mouth lowered to hers. It was the most romantic setting she could think of—country woods, first snowfall, silence except for the twitter of birds foraging for seeds and berries.
But Bryce’s kiss wasn’t romantic; it was pure heat and she didn’t bother to decipher her body’s response or wonder at the sanity of their kissing. The past didn’t matter and she couldn’t put any energy toward the future. All that mattered was this moment, this time, this kiss.
A solid weight pressed against her leg and Zora broke the kiss, looking down at Butternut’s snow-covered head.
“She’s keeping me from freezing.”
“I want to keep you hot and bothered.” Bryce’s voice rumbled next to her ear as he brought her hips to his. He obviously needed her to understand that he was as affected by their kiss as she was.
“It’s probably not the most mature or professional thing we could do. Working as partners and all.”
“No.” His pupils were dilated as he leaned his forehead against hers and she watched their breath form a single cloud.
“And we’re both professionals.”
“Yes.”
They stood like that for what felt like a long time but could only have been a few minutes.
“I have to get to the church.” She took a step back, reluctant to break away but needing distance before she really did try to take the embrace further. The snow would cushion his fall, and his body would cushion hers...
“Yes. We both do. And you need time to get back undercover.” He had her cap in his gloved hands and he placed it back on her head. “Nothing can hide your beauty, Zora, even that god-awful wig and old-lady glasses. But it’s a delight to see your real hair.”
“How about the frumpy suit over my Kevlar? Now, that, you have to admit, is sexy.”
Bryce didn’t respond and they fell into silence as they walked back toward her house. The clearing to her yard came up and she turned back.
“Bryce...”
“Not now, Zora. You need to get dressed, and we both need to get our heads on straight for the next few days.”
“You think the killer is going to strike soon, don’t you?”
“Didn’t his poem say as much? And he’s threatened to kill at least one, if not two, more.” Bryce’s face was set in grim lines that she understood all too well.
“I want to catch him so badly I can taste it.”
“Your job is to lure him out. Let me and my team do the catching.”
“You’re not my bodyguard, Bryce. We’re a team, remember?”
“We are. But I’m not apologizing for my tactics.”
“Okay, don’t. I won’t apologize for mine, either.” She placed her mittened hands on his chest, reached up and planted a firm kiss on his warm lips.
“Zora, this is going to have to wait until after the case...”
“Too late, Detective.”
Chapter 15
Zora put the last bobby pin in her wig, tugged to make sure it was secure and stepped back to take in her overall appearance in the full-length mirror. Dowdy and nerdy, all in one package.
“See you later, Butternut.” She took her handbag and water bottle. Her phone vibrated as she reached to take it from the counter.
“Hi, Claudia.”
“Zora, I need you to come into the office. Are you able to leave church at the moment?”
“I’m actually finis
hing up an early lunch break before a long evening with the Christmas pageant practice.”
“Come straight here.”
Claudia clicked off and Zora stood still, shocked by the reaction her boss’s brusque demand inspired in her.
She wanted to call Bryce.
* * *
Bryce wasn’t looking forward to watching Zora take another emotional blow. First she’d found out that her mother was living in Silver Valley, and now this. He’d reported what he’d discovered when he got back to the station to Claudia, who sat across from him as they waited for Zora.
Good thing he hadn’t followed his instincts and taken Zora to bed after their walk. It would’ve been awkward to get calls from Rio and Superintendent Todd and for Zora to get the summons from Claudia while they lay in bed. Naked. Satisfied.
He shifted in his seat and bit his inner cheek.
“She’ll be here in a few minutes, Bryce. Stop fretting.”
“Yes, ma—Claudia.”
“Chill out, Detective. I’m not your drill sergeant. We’re a team here.”
He didn’t reply. He couldn’t, not without sounding like a lackey.
The door behind him opened and he felt the air electrify with Zora’s presence. He wondered if Claudia felt it, too, or if it was just his sixth sense where Zora was concerned.
“Claudia.” She walked to Bryce’s side. “Detective Campbell is here, too. Great. What’s the good news this time?”
“Sit down, Zora.”
Zora did and Bryce’s abs tightened with apprehension.
“We’ve learned some more details that are crucial to this case and of personal interest to you.”
“Okay, shoot.” Zora nodded. Hell, she thought it was just another navy intel brief, didn’t she?
“Bryce, fill her in.”
“We’ve been watching a trailer park on the edge of Silver Valley that has a history of transient-related crime. Unpaid rent, domestic violence, drunk and disorderly. Over the past six months, it’s cleaned up.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“Well, yes. A single owner has purchased the property. It has five hundred units—quite a substantial rental income potential. The previous owner sold it without advertising, for an amount that’s far more than market value. He retired to Florida with his family at the end of the summer.”
“Okay.”
“This has taken a lot of work on the part of SVPD. We’ve been working with the FBI on this. The buyer—we think it’s a pseudonym for Leonard Wise.”
“Impossible. He’s not even out of prison yet.”
“Actually, he was released earlier this month.” Claudia took the reins. “The appearance of your mother in the area doesn’t look so coincidental any longer. We don’t think she’s here to only be near you.”
“I could have told you that.” Zora’s professional demeanor continued but Bryce saw how her hands clenched on her skirt. As if to keep herself from any kind of emotional outburst.
“It’s not that simple, Zora. Now we’re going to need you to meet your mother again. We have to determine if and what she knows about the former cult members showing up in Silver Valley.”
“We have to stop a killer. Doesn’t that take precedence?”
Claudia nodded. “Yes, and that’s the catch. There’s a chance the cult is somehow involved in the killings. A slim chance, but we can’t ignore anything at this point.” Claudia slid a file across her desk.
Zora opened the file and Bryce saw that her expression remained neutral until she came to the same devastating conclusion he had. “They already have children living there?”
“Two families who are registered church members at Silver Valley Community Church, in fact. They’re not living with the cult members per se, but in the same trailer park.”
“Too close for comfort.”
Bryce ached for her. He saw she was trying to keep the reality out, to somehow force the harsh fact that the cult continued its sick actions out of her awareness.
“Yes.” Claudia paused, waiting for Zora’s expression to look a little less haunted, he assumed. “Do any of the names look familiar to you yet?”
“Rebecca and Jess. I met with them. I told you about it.” She looked at Bryce.
“Yes, you did. And I told you I knew the neighborhood. I didn’t know this about it, however. Not until today. We’re concerned that the cult might be interested in moving to Silver Valley. Making contact with a vulnerable church member, especially a teenager, at one of the largest churches in Central Pennsylvania fits Wise’s previous behavior.”
Zora nodded. “He always excelled at finding the darkness in even the nicest person.” Edith came to mind. “Even if the cult isn’t involved in these murders, I want to help break them up before they set roots down in Silver Valley.”
* * *
Zora’s hands were still and she didn’t feel as though she wanted to kill anyone.
Yet.
She turned the pages of the report Claudia had given her and read it carefully, not allowing Claudia or Bryce to rush her absorption of the facts.
“Wise didn’t waste any time, did he?”
“No. As soon as the first of his cronies were released last year he had them set about finding a new place to bring the True Believers all back together again.”
“But why Silver Valley?” Zora asked the question as she read on, expecting to see what she feared. What she already knew.
“The private investigator you hired was legit, from Virginia. But he in turn contacted two unsavory PIs back in your old hometown. One of them was a True Believer.”
“For all the education I’ve received I’m pretty stupid, aren’t I?” The weight of her mistake was unbearable. She’d just wanted to see if her mother was okay.
Yet she had to face her error in judgment if she was going to help clean up Silver Valley before the cult took hold.
“You didn’t know, Zora. And you used your new name, Zora Krasny.”
“Yes, I did. But they still put it together and figured out who I used to be.”
“Daisy Simms.”
“Yes.”
“You want me to meet with my mother, don’t you?”
Claudia’s eyes were full of knowing and compassion. Were those unshed tears in the retired general’s eyes?
“You don’t have to, Zora. But it would help us, yes. If you don’t, we can still watch these suspects and see if they have plans to abduct any girls from the community, or brainwash their parents to turn them over to Wise. It would be a lot easier if you can find out if Edith Simms knows anything. Names of all the cult members in Silver Valley would be helpful.”
“Wise wasn’t due out of prison for another few months.” Zora said the words by rote, remembering what she’d read online in national news outlets. But even the press didn’t know everything. They didn’t know the horrors that had struck too many of the girls in that compound.
The thought of the True Believers setting up shop in Silver Valley made her want to throw up.
“The plan was probably to have things ready for him when he got here. He got out a month or two early. It happens.”
“I would’ve thought he’d go to a different part of the country. Pennsylvania’s still close to New York. Unless...unless he’s coming back to get revenge on me. That’s what you’re afraid of, isn’t it?”
Bryce spoke. “It’s all too slick. And no, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s chosen the same place that you live. He convinced the parole board that he’s a new man, and he got out on good behavior. He obtained permission to leave the state, as well. He reports to a parole officer locally.”
Bryce’s hand was on her forearm and she looked at it. Strong, warm, reassuring. She met his gaze. “What I suggested to you about meeting with her before, for closure—I was wrong, Zora. You don’t have to meet with her if it’s too painful. You’ve been through enough.”
“I’ll meet with her. But I want you to feel free t
o wire me. She’s nothing more than a suspect to me, an accessory to a crime.”
Claudia and Bryce exchanged a glance Zora wasn’t inclined to interpret. It didn’t matter what they thought of her. She’d survived the True Believers and was stronger for it. The least she could do was give it her all to keep them from ever harming another child.
“Is Edith living in the trailer park yet?”
Claudia shook her head. “No, she’s still in the development I told you about. She came here ahead of Wise’s purchase of the trailer park.”
Zora felt stupid for not suspecting any of this sooner, but at least it wasn’t too late to make a difference. “One thing, though. We need to get moving and get this finished before I have to be back at church.”
* * *
If Zora thought the wig and ugly suits were a pain to go undercover in, getting wired was worse. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally, knowing that Bryce and Claudia were privy to everything her mother would say to her.
That didn’t frighten her. She was afraid of what she herself might say.
“When she answers the door, stay calm and don’t take no for an answer. Remember, she came here to track you down, in all likelihood.”
Claudia spoke to her as the SVPD sound tech officer did last-minute checks on the microphones. Zora wore one wireless mic and one wired to a battery and transmission pack that was strapped against her lower back, concealed under her leather coat. Both microphones were no bigger than the end of a pencil eraser and virtually undetectable under her blouse and jacket collar.
“I’m ready.” Zora was relieved to have Claudia and Bryce with her in the police van. She wasn’t afraid of conducting any mission asked of her but she was nervous about seeing her mother again. In Walmart she’d been able to walk away and go into denial. She could pretend she’d never seen her mother, that the woman had been only a doppelganger. Some kind of distorted mental image Zora had conjured up while being weakened from the gunshot.