A third cop joined them. “So what about the bomb? That was a definite attempt to kill her.”
“Unless…”
Unless what? Preston reached his arms out helplessly before dropping them to his sides. This was getting ridiculous.
“Unless she brought the bomb, planning to use it on her former fiancé’s boat. This is supposed to be the weekend of her wedding, and the man she was engaged to marry cheated on her. It actually makes more sense she would want to take him out rather than the other way around, doesn’t it?”
Preston bent over and put his hands on his knees.
“You mean, she accidentally detonated the bomb in her own cabin, then faked the shooting to make it look like she is the victim here?”
With the backlighting of parking lot lights, Preston could make out the silhouette of Holly’s hands folded in front of her face. She’d be praying for help, no doubt.
“It makes sense,” reasoned Shaw.
“Then who is the owner of the Chevy LUV?”
“The bomb maker. He’s got to help her out of this so he doesn’t get in trouble.”
Holly hadn’t moved. And he didn’t blame her. He knew what it was like to be presumed guilty. She just needed to get out into the open before Lee circled back through the woods from the lake and found them.
Shaw pointed down toward the dock. “And it isn’t over yet, boys. You know who docks in that last, empty boat slip, don’t you?”
The other two men looked at each other in question.
“Caleb Brooks,” Shaw answered for them.
“You mean she’s here to try to kill him again?”
Oh no.
“Oh yes.” Shaw nodded. “It’s the only scenario that makes sense.”
Holly’s figure spun and charged back in Preston’s direction, away from the police in the parking lot. Her sandals slapped against her heels. Her feet crunched dry pine needles.
All three officers drew guns and turned toward the woods.
A huge smile spread across Shaw’s face. “We’ve got her.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Holly held her good arm in front of her as she charged into darkness. Had Preston left already? Was she going to run into Lee?
If she turned herself in to the police without Caleb, they’d be so busy questioning her and suspecting her of attempted murder that they might not listen to her warning about the real killer. And Caleb wouldn’t know Lee had found out they were onto him. She’d basically be leaving her former fiancé to a death sentence. But since she knew where Caleb was headed the next day, she could get to him and alert him in time. They could go to the police together. Then Shaw would realize she wasn’t trying to kill Caleb when the man explained she’d actually saved his life.
A bright beam spotlighted a tree in front of her. Oh no. A flashlight. A second beam bounced through the branches. The police were going to search the woods for her.
Her heart hammered in her ears as she raced over uneven ground. The bullet wound on her arm throbbed. Were they going to shoot at her again if they found her? She hadn’t done anything to merit Shaw drawing his weapon.
Police should be chasing down Lee. Though maybe chasing her would lead them to Lee. What was God’s promise about all things working together for good for those who loved Him?
A warm hand hooked her elbow, swinging her around toward a tree. Lee or Preston? Should she scream?
A salty palm clamped over her mouth. Bile rose in her throat until she sucked in a breath and recognized the woodsy scent.
The earthquake inside stilled. She wasn’t captured. And even better, she wasn’t alone. She sank against Preston’s solid body in relief. His hands released her, though, and she had to push against his chest to steady herself. “Officer Shaw thinks I’m trying to kill Caleb.”
“I heard,” he whispered. The stubble on his jaw rubbed her temple as he spoke, triggering memories of long moonlit walks. He sounded just as calm and confident now as he had then. How was that possible? Maybe he had a plan.
“What do we do?”
Rays of light bounced closer. Should they run? Or climb a tree? Or hide behind a log? They had to do something.
“You could turn yourself in. At least that way you won’t get shot.”
But she was innocent. And she wasn’t going to settle for going to prison over death. Of all people, Preston should be able to understand that. Besides… “Caleb is going to Thunderbird Lodge at ten o’clock tomorrow. If we can get there, I can warn him Lee knows I’m onto him and take him to police headquarters with me. That way, police can remove me from their suspect list and stop wasting their time shooting at us.”
One beam of light arced their direction. “Did you hear that?” asked an officer.
Holly pressed her lips shut and held her breath. Unfortunately the deafening drumbeat of her pulse couldn’t be quieted.
Preston crouched close to the ground. Was he ducking out of sight? Why had he left her standing alone? She sank into a squat in front of him.
His hands fumbled along the ground. Had he dropped something? She squinted, as if doing so would help her see in the dark.
Warm breath brushed over her ear, sending even more shivers down her spine. “Look out toward the lake,” he whispered.
Holly turned her head and focused on the silver night beyond the trees. Movement. A figure. Lee? No, there was another figure. And another. Two of them lifted the shape of a kayak over their heads. Kayaking at night?
“Starlight tour,” Preston whispered. “We’re going to join them.”
Holly lifted an eyebrow even though he couldn’t see it. She was all for slipping quietly onto the lake, but that wouldn’t happen unless they could get to the beach without being spotted.
“See anything?” The cop’s voice spoke from the other side of the tree they hid behind.
Holly froze, the blood in her veins turning to ice.
“Not yet. Are you sure you heard something over there?” Shaw’s unmistakable rasp.
“Yes.”
The far flashlight pointed out beyond them. “Could have been that group of tourists.”
Holly strained her ears to make out the faint sound of laughter in the distance.
“I don’t think so.”
Preston’s hand rose in front of her face. It clutched something round. A rock. He cocked his arm back and released. Silence. Then a small thud came from the direction of the road.
Both flashlight beams swung away from them, toward the sound. “What was that?” asked Shaw.
Holly closed her eyes, praying the footsteps would fade away. It was their only chance.
“I heard it, too,” the second officer confirmed.
“Back me up,” Shaw ordered. “I’m going to investigate.”
“What about—”
“Tourists.”
Holly clutched Preston’s hand in thanks. He’d done it. Whether he agreed with her about tracking down Caleb or not, he’d created the escape route she needed.
Police boots crunched through grass. As soon as she couldn’t hear the rustling anymore, she’d know they were safe to move. Just to be sure, she’d wait another minute or so.
Preston’s hand pulled. He wasn’t so cautious. “Come on. We don’t want to miss the kayak tour.”
Holly swallowed. Heading out on the water with both police and a killer after her felt a little bit like volunteering to be a sitting duck.
He stopped tugging and knelt by her side. “They’re going to call for backup, Holly. A whole search party will be combing the woods soon, not to mention Caleb’s nightmare of a client trying to hunt you down. You ran back to me for help, so let me help you.”
He was right. He’d taken a risk just by waiting in the woods for her. Plus, God had answered her prayer for the police to head the other direction. That had to be some kind of sign. She trembled but nodded.
“Here.” He passed his dry sweatshirt to her. “I probably shouldn’t be wearing this anyway now that
police have it on my profile.”
Holly took the cozy material without argument. Preston didn’t need to know she’d slept with the last sweatshirt she’d borrowed from him for a year after his funeral. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now let’s go.”
Staying low, they made their way out to the lake. Preston held a hand in front of her to keep her in the woods as he looked up and down the beach. She scanned the area, as well. Nobody but tourists.
Preston straightened and strode out into the moonlight in the middle of the group, pulling her with him. “Hey, this looks awesome. Do you guys have a couple old kayaks we could buy from you?” He motioned to his damp apparel. “We tried going for a swim, but it’s still a little too cold to be enjoyable at night.”
Holly glanced behind her in case the police or Lee overheard and recognized Preston’s voice. But that was silly. Nobody knew what his voice sounded like, let alone that he existed.
A little bearded man in a boonie hat and life vest stepped forward. “Usually I rent out kayaks, but as we are going to be replacing the old ones soon, I reckon I could sell them to you now if you have enough cash.”
Holly glanced sideways at Preston, her fingers itching with anxiety. Would he have cash with him? She didn’t.
“How much?” Preston asked.
“Two hundred apiece.”
The man might as well have knocked her out with an oar and called the police to pick her up. Nobody carried that much money on them.
Preston pulled a wad of cash from his pocket. “Sold.”
What? Did Preston carry hundred-dollar bills? Where did he even get income?
“You’re not going to barter? Then I guess I’ll throw in oars and life vests. I’m Anthony, by the way.”
“Thank you, Anthony. That’s a good deal.”
That was a good deal. Since they weren’t renting, they wouldn’t have to sign their names on a waiver or go through the normal safety speech. She wouldn’t take time to question further, just grabbed a life jacket and oar from the rack. Sliding off her sandals, she dragged the kayak Anthony pointed out into water that didn’t seem any icier than her current body temperature.
Most everybody else already had their kayaks on the lake, so if the police showed up at that moment, she might blend in. She watched the woods for movement while steadying the craft to stick a leg into the opening. It rocked, but she’d find stability after climbing inside. She whipped the other leg up and grabbed the edges of the seat, pulling her abs tight over the butterflies fluttering underneath. Tumbling overboard was not a good way to make an escape. The kayak shifted back and forth slightly before finding balance.
Eager chatter surrounded her. She gave a fake laugh to fit in. Beams of light emerged from the trees. Her laugh erupted into a volcano of anxiety. Where was Preston?
* * *
“You’re okay.” Preston glided by. “Just follow me behind Bonsai Rock.” He kept an eye on Holly as he pushed his oar against the water to slip out of sight, around the edge of the giant boulder with a small tree growing on top. She’d need to calm down before she tipped her kayak.
Her paddle slapped the water. Rowing with an injured arm couldn’t be easy. If they avoided detection, would she even be able to make it to the cave? Did they have a choice? They couldn’t go back to his family cabin to sleep. Or her cottage at the lodge. Or even the Chevy.
Her kayak bumped into his. He reached over to hold her in place with one hand and dug his oar into the side of the rock with the other to anchor them.
She lifted her oar to rest across the front of the kayak. Her breath puffed loudly in the quiet night. Preston didn’t think anyone would be able to hear from shore, but how long would they have to stay hidden before Shaw and the other officer disappeared back into the forest?
Anthony paddled by. “Isn’t it peaceful out here?”
Holly looked at Preston. The moon lit the fear in her eyes. Yeah. He didn’t feel much peace, either.
A flashlight beam illuminated Anthony’s back. “Sorry, folks. We’ll have a better view of the night sky when we get farther away from the lights. Let’s paddle out deeper.”
A second beam bounced from kayak to kayak. At least Preston and Holly were hidden behind Bonsai Rock, but if they didn’t keep up with the group for the beginning of the tour, then they’d be sure to stand out as soon as they tried to paddle away.
“Hey,” a shout called from land.
Holly’s cold hand reached for his at the sound of Shaw’s voice. If the cops grabbed kayaks of their own, there was no way he and Holly could get away. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
The circles of light skimmed across the water, toward the docks. Preston shifted his craft forward to see where they were going. A man in the distance held a gun by his side. A tall, lanky man. Lee.
“Stop. Police.” Had Shaw recognized Lee from the parking lot, or had the officer only seen movement and mistaken Lee for Preston?
The shadow darted into the trees. The cops raced away in pursuit. They were finally after the right guy, whether they knew it or not. Once they caught him, they’d be able to rearrange the pieces of their puzzle into the correct order.
“Where are they going?” Holly whispered, since she couldn’t see.
Preston faced her again. “They’re chasing Lee.”
Holly dropped backward to rest her head on the kayak, arms flung wide. She stared up at the stars. “Thank You, Jesus.”
Preston smiled at her relief. The girl rode her emotions like she rode a wakeboard, whereas he snorkeled with his feelings underneath the surface. What would it be like to wakeboard again? Now wasn’t the time to find out.
He gave Holly’s kayak a little shove. They had a lot of paddling to do. She trailed behind him as best she could with her injury, and he slowed to give her breaks here and there.
“You’re taking us to Cave Rock, aren’t you?” she asked after what must have been at least an hour of exertion.
“Unless you have a better idea.” Would she be upset? The hole in the seventy-five-foot stone outcropping above the highway was not the kind of accommodations lawyers were used to.
She straightened out her crooked rowing and looked up at the massive shadow ahead of them. “The middle-school me would be jealous.”
Middle school. A lifetime ago. Back when he’d shared with Holly the history of the Native Americans and their link to the caves. Back when he’d first started to think about kissing her but could only work up the courage to put a frog in her shoe.
He studied her profile with the pixie haircut and pert nose. Yeah, his middle-school self would be jealous of him, as well. Strike that. His middle-school self would be jealous of the old Preston. Nobody would want the life he had now.
She looked back over her shoulder. “Have you stayed here before?”
He sliced the water to glide past her, closer to the boulders where they could park the kayaks for the night. In the morning, they’d paddle to his parents’ cabin to retrieve the old Jet Ski for the trip to Thunderbird Lodge. “No. I had the cabin.”
She bobbled after him. “Where are you going to stay now?”
He’d worry about that once he made sure she was taken care of. Her life mattered more than his. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” She pulled her oar against the water a couple times to catch up. “Can you even rent a place without credit? And where do you get money? You can’t be legally employed without a Social Security card.”
The hazards of playing dead. “I work odd mechanic repair jobs.”
She snorted. “Must pay pretty good for you to carry around all that money.”
He’d stuffed the wad of cash into his pocket when grabbing his belongings from his parents’ cabin. “It pays okay. I don’t usually spend much.”
It wasn’t like he had anyone to impress or enjoyed traveling by himself. All he had to do was exist. He rowed to the side of a boulder at the base of the caves to cl
imb out onto dry land.
“Are you lonely?” Holly’s question followed him.
He pushed to stand and hauled the kayak up behind him. He ignored the scraping sound of plastic on rock just as he ignored the echo of Holly’s words through the emptiness of his soul.
In Holly’s world, loneliness would be a sign of failure, whereas, in his world, he wouldn’t be able to succeed without being alone. Solitude was essential for his survival, as well as the survival of others. Which was why he had to keep his distance.
She reached her hand up for assistance as her kayak glided parallel to the rocky shore. His heart tripped at the idea of touching her, which was silly since they’d been holding hands all day. But this was different. This wasn’t a race from bombs or bullets. This was a purposeful connection.
He’d tell himself it didn’t have to be different. He’d disregard the way her presence scratched his itch of longing. The fact was that the more time he spent with her, the more time he’d want. So he’d have to get away—refuse to “scratch” no matter how soothing it felt in the moment.
Her fingers slid around his palm. He bent his knees to secure himself to the ground and hoist her to her feet. Now he just needed to let go.
Her eyes caught his as she stepped to the bank with him, and he couldn’t help but study her in return. The soft moonlight hid the stress from her day, softened the worry lines and gave her skin a youthful glow. Too bad he knew such a serene moment could never last. He uncurled his fingers to step away.
She gripped his hand tighter, drawing his attention back to her searching expression. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He’d wanted her to forget. “What?”
She stepped closer. “This afternoon, when I got to the lake, I felt more alone than I’d ever felt in my entire life. But I still have a family and friends and a reputation that makes strangers want to work with me. You have no identity. Nobody who even knows your real name. Nothing. How do you do it?”
Preston looked down at their clasped hands to avoid her probing gaze. He caught his thumb rubbing over her knuckles and registered the warmth of the caress at the same time he ended it. Being with her was so natural that he couldn’t try to argue he wasn’t lonely without her. He balled his fist and pulled it down to his side to keep from hanging on to her the way he wanted to. “It’s not about how I do it, Holly. It’s about why I do it. If the why is important enough, the how just happens.”
Presumed Dead (Love Inspired Suspense) Page 7