“This man is a murderer; he should fry!” Claire concluded. “Not only did he try to leave you for dead but he’s probably been behind the deaths of hundreds of shifters. What’s the poison, anyway?”
“Oh, good point,” Aubrey replied and disappeared back into the office building. Only with good reason would she go back in there again, Jesse knew, but he was left with Claire who then aimed a few smirks and raised eyebrows in his direction.
“So,” she said. “It’s getting pretty physical between you, huh? Was it just pure lust or is there a bit more going on?”
“Rest assured you’ll be the first person we tell anything, Claire.”
Thankfully Aubrey was not long. Much as he loved Claire for rescuing them and wouldn’t change her for the world, his gratitude for her help meant he was unable to respond with his usual wit and just had to stand and take it.
“Whatever it was is gone now,” Aubrey told them when she returned. “I’m sure Marshall has been keeping something toxic in one of the cupboards and just been dumping it into the water. Whatever it was is gone now—he’s taken the evidence. Silly me for not checking first thing, but I thought there was something more sophisticated or accidental going on.”
“There must be some way to prove it,” Jesse said.
“There are security tapes inside that I checked too, but they’re all deleted,” Aubrey added. “For sure though, whatever happens, we can’t let him get away with this.”
“You’re damn right. Wait till I catch up with the bastard.”
“Maybe I should get on the Internet and start dirtying his name already,” Aubrey said.
Just then something else occurred to Jesse.
“Hang on a minute, Claire,” he said. “How on earth did you get those keys from miserable old Simpson? We stole his main set of keys!”
“I asked for a copy. How did you steal them?” she asked, eyebrows quirked up.
“I shifted and jumped through his window,” he replied, recalling their surreptitious theft. “What are you, his secret lover? Why would he acquiesce to you?”
“Oh, of course, you don’t know what happened yet…”
“Don’t know what?”
“Well, I didn’t actually get the keys from Simpson. His receptionist is lovely when he’s not around and couldn’t care less.”
“So you distracted him?”
“No, Simpson’s in hospital with concussion,” she told them. “Apparently, yesterday—for some reason—he went up to some well-dressed gentleman at the train station over in Bear Grove and insisted the two of them have lunch or something. No one really knows what was getting through his head—or even that he was gay for that matter—but the gentleman turned out to be quite a homophobic redneck for some reason and knocked him out cold.”
Jesse and Aubrey exchanged looks, not knowing whether to laugh or feel sorry.
“Shame you weren’t in town last night, actually,” Claire went on. “All the bars were full of people celebrating the fact that someone finally went ahead and punched him—did great business!”
“Our loss,” Jesse reflected. Usually he’d regret missing such an occasion but it was the furthest matter from his mind right then. “I guess we’ve got bigger things to worry about. Something’s just occurred to me. Claire, do you have the keys to the ranger’s cabin as well?”
“Yes, right here,” Claire replied, holding up the key.
“What time is it?”
He had no idea whether it was morning or afternoon.
“Eleven-thirty.”
“We should go there.”
“To the ranger’s cabin? Why?”
“Never mind, easier to explain once we get there.”
“Where’s the ranger’s cabin?” Aubrey asked.
“About halfway through the woodland…you remember the path that forks off to the right, and there’s that huge dead log near it?”
“Sure.”
“About a mile down there. If I’m right, what we find might help us with evidence to put this asshole away—if we don’t kill him, that is.”
With the strong bond of trust that had grown between them all, they did not question him any further. After a few minutes, which they spent taking some nourishment and quenching their thirst—as well as answering the call of nature—the three of them stood prepared to follow and see what Jesse’s plan was.
They were now a team who knew everything of Marshall’s criminality and intentions.
It was time to zero in on his path and make sure he could harm no one else again.
Chapter 13
Three was company from then on, and Claire was a worthy addition to their mission. While the two lovers were still slightly hypnotized by the likelihood of dying up by the reservoir and had trouble quite accepting they could still beat the odds that had grown more and more against them, Claire was bright-eyed and excited about being part of the adventure. Her enthusiasm kept them going and they happily forgave her for any sly dig towards their now sexual relationship.
The alternative trail that Jesse mentioned was a less-trodden pathway that ploughed into the deeper part of the forest. This was for most of the route anyway, before the path began to rise towards a higher and wider view of the landscape and the ranger’s cabin that could be seen from quite a distance away.
“This view wakes me up a little,” Aubrey told them. “With all we’ve been through I’d forgotten what a beautiful landscape you have here.”
“Oh, I like this one, Jesse,” Claire said, gushing at the compliment – who wasn’t proud of their homeland? “She can come again.”
“Good for a hike, hey Aubrey?” Jesse said with a smile, which she returned wholeheartedly and without trying to hide her love from Claire. Their spirits were returning to them the further into unknown territory they went, tainted only by a great dose of caution in that they knew Marshall would seek to stand in their way as soon as he became aware they were after him. There was no knowing what he was capable of after the revelations at the reservoir.
Once inside the ranger’s cabin—which was unoccupied as Jesse has predicted—Aubrey was surprised to find it far more hi-tech than she had imagined. Having pictured a wooden hut with a couple of benches and some holes for birdwatching, it turned out that whoever maintained the cabin really loved their gadgets. There were multiple screens set up, all connected to cameras dotted about in various forest and mountain locations, in some of which she could even see wildlife like deer and elk.
“There are whole groups of naturists that visit the trail in order to spot some of the rare birds and mammals we have here,” Jesse explained. “Having all this wired up is a real benefit to the ranger, who can tip them off if any of the critters they’re dying to see make an appearance at a particular location.”
“Why don’t they just come here?” Aubrey asked. “I think I could just spend all day in here watching these cameras to see what’s happening.”
“They prefer to see the animals in person. Anyway, it’s certainly become a more crucial part of operations than anyone predicted. Of course, that’s also the only reason Claire was able to warn us about the bear being in the vicinity.”
“That’s right,” Claire said. “And it sounds like it’s a good job I did.”
“Yep, there’s another one we owe you, smarty-pants.”
With the two girls quite entertained by the many views available, at the same time as enjoying the benefit of resting their legs, Jesse was able to go about the task that had led to his bringing them there. Up until then he had remained furtive to their questions so as not to get their hopes up, but he was fairly optimistic. Unless Marshall had been as cunning and thorough enough to sneak into the ranger’s cabin and erase any relevant footage each time he had made a trip to the reservoir, it was likely there would be some evidence of his activities. Jesse doubted the man, who could not have been well-researched on local knowledge, even knew of the cabin’s existence, and so he was positive about finding somethin
g.
His attentions were largely focused on a camera positioned close to the reservoir. It was mostly angled to show what birds might be gathering upon the water, but Jesse thought there was just enough of the bank to catch anyone walking to or from the office building.
He was right.
“There he is, the sicko!” Jesse exclaimed, clapping his hands and hitting a key to pause the footage he had rewound. “3.15 P.M. yesterday afternoon, just after leaving two poor souls to their doom. Take a look!”
Aubrey and Claire gathered round to offer their opinions on the image.
“That’s him all right,” Aubrey said. “And he’s got a backpack, where no doubt his toxin-dispensing equipment is kept.”
“Do you think the image is good enough to identify him with?” Jesse asked.
“It’s a little grainy but I think so, yeah.”
“I’ve never seen this person,” Claire added. “But even if the image is not quite there I’m sure some graphics expert can sharpen it up. I’d wager I could identify him from a line-up just on this, though—it’s pretty good as evidence goes.”
“And there’s no doubt more on this camera from other days he’s visited. There’s no time to go through them all now but I’ll take all the files we need so someone can check on them another time.”
“Good thinking coming here, Jesse,” Aubrey told him.
“Thanks, but you’re still the brains of this operation, Aubrey,” he replied. “Do you have anything else to support the evidence? I mean in all your research notes?”
“If we can find out what the toxin is in his backpack then my notes will definitely support it. Not just the proof of Marshall’s involvement but the actual cure of the disease. My notes are in my hotel room—in truth I’d like to look over them again; knowing the disease comes from a chemical that’s been purposely added to the water might just narrow down the suspects.”
“How’s that?”
“Well, I’m betting it’s something that’s kept at the lab for sure. Being in charge, Marshall can pretty much order what substances he wants without scrutiny—it would be stupid for him to be buying whatever it is privately and drawing more attention to himself.”
“You know what?” Jesse added, his mind working on overdrive to think of every way possible they could to make life hell for this shifter-hating criminal, who had also tried to murder the girl of his dreams. “I’m betting he’s not paranoid at all about anyone being onto him. I reckon all he’s got on his mind is how to act all innocent when people start asking ‘Where’s Aubrey?’.”
“What are you getting at?” Claire asked.
“What I mean is…I doubt he’s destroying any evidence, or paranoid about that backpack of his. I’ll bet—if we’re in the right place at the right time—we’ll find that backpack in his offices somewhere, or in the back of his car even.”
“He might still be paranoid enough to carry that gun around with him, though,” said Aubrey. “We’re going to have to be careful.”
“Agreed.”
“Do you think he really would have shot Jesse?” Claire asked.
“I do,” Aubrey responded. “If he hadn’t wanted him to die of the Cripple, that is. He called him vermin. My dad told me about people like him when I was a little girl—they don’t even look on it as murdering a person.”
“Well, whatever you two decide from here on in, count me in,” said Claire. “He hasn’t seen my face so it could work to our advantage, especially if you need evidence from somewhere he might be.”
“I’m not keen on putting you in danger as well, Claire…” Jesse began arguing, but Claire was quick to slap him on the back of the head and then even stuck her hand over his mouth when he tried to argue further.
“No protest now, Jesse,” she told him. “Time is of the essence. Besides, you’re not protecting innocent shifters if you’re failing to draw on all available resources.”
Jesse gave in. He couldn’t imagine being in company he loved more than with Claire and Aubrey—except obviously alone with Aubrey again when the right time came and if they could live through the next few days—but attempting to argue or act bossy with either of them was a losing game, and it was best just to accept defeat on.
“Okay, ladies,” he declared instead. “We’ve got a lot to do, but first things first. I guess we’d better get back to town and let Aubrey check her notes before deciding the next play.”
On this there was no arguing. As comfortable as Aubrey was in the cabin—and as much as her mind sought respite after a traumatic experience—her mission could still be accomplished after all. If all went well there would be time to return, to enjoy the trail and the cabin again, in which case she would be grateful for Jesse revealing the security cameras to her. She had pictured making love to him outdoors as they had almost done when she had first kissed him; under the trees, under a clear blue sky or farther up on the mountains. This wondrous landscape could really be made their own, but they would have to memorize exactly where each camera was pointed to for this to ever happen, otherwise the two of them would inadvertently be putting on quite a show for some lucky ranger—and perhaps a group of visiting naturalists.
As they made their way back, Jesse confessed that his limbs were tiring more than had been usual. He insisted he could still shift if necessary, but the reason he told them was because he doubted he could survive another fight with a large bear, so Claire was encouraged to keep her tranquilizer gun close at hand. Their route proved unproblematic, however, and they were able to reach town in good time. It was still mid-afternoon when the three of them got back to town and headed directly to Aubrey’s hotel room.
Having been keen to cover all possibilities, Aubrey had only booked the room as insurance in case it had been too late in the day to make the return journey to Albuquerque or else she was too tired to drive. Fortunately the hotel’s rules were fairly loose—such accommodations were genuinely just pleased to have customers in the more remote parts of the states, so the owners had no issue with Aubrey having not paid yet.
Their return wasn’t without complication, however. Having a loose hotel policy also meant that it did not take a criminal genius to gain access to the rooms, and they soon discovered that, on this occasion as well, Marshall had been way ahead of them.
“Someone’s been in here,” Aubrey announced as they entered the room, before heading straight to the luggage that contained her notes. As she immediately suspected, they had been the target, and there was no need to question who had been the culprit.
“Damn him!” she exclaimed. “My notes are gone.”
“He knew you had stuff on him, I guess,” Jesse said.
“No one will be seeing those notes now,” added Claire. “Doubt he’s got any reason to keep them.”
“I do have another copy of them,” Aubrey said thoughtfully. “They’re stored in my office at the institute.”
“They’ll hardly be out of his reach either,” Claire replied.
“Mm...yeah. I’m trying to think,” Aubrey said. “It might be possible he’s not aware of them. It’s not like we’ve worked that closely together; we only communicated to discuss the overall objectives.”
“But he’ll be the over-careful type on this,” Claire warned. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up; he’ll be looking to destroy whatever evidence he can of your research.”
“On the other hand,” Jesse offered. “He won’t want to look like he’s snooping around in Aubrey’s office suspiciously. Any time soon someone will be reporting her as a missing person, while his thoughts are geared up to how he’s going to act when it’s announced you’ve been found dead at the reservoir. He’ll want to look as uninvolved as possible rather than giving investigators reason for questioning him.”
“Possibly,” Aubrey said. “I guess we won’t know till we get there. Let’s just hope he’s overlooked something; it will take weeks or months more to prove what he’s done if all my research has been scrapped.”
After voicing this idea both Aubrey and Claire turned their heads to fix an almost identical blank stare his way.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured them. “I’m kidding. I won’t do anything stupid.”
He knew what their thoughts were. Tempting as such a decapitation might be, any media response to a shifter killing a human was going to be over the top and designed to feed alarmist interpretations. Newspapers and Twitter trolls wouldn’t wait to find out exactly why a tiger shifter had entered a workplace and murdered a respectable scientist. It was their task to prove he was not respectable—and even then the law would not allow their vengeance to be one of cold-blooded murder, as tempting as it was. Marshall would have to be trialed and the extent of his crimes revealed for the world to see, and for like-minded individuals to understand that they might not get away with doing anything similar.
Boy, it was tempting to just attack him, though…
“So, I guess we need to go to the institute then,” said Aubrey. “You sure you’re both up for this?”
“Of course,” they both replied.
“We’re all involved now,” Claire added. “You two would do the same for me, wouldn’t you?”
“Probably not,” Jesse replied. Claire threw him a look and he grinned. “Kidding! Of course I would. In a heartbeat.”
Aubrey thought she would best express herself by giving Claire a big hug rather than answering her question.
“Right then, let’s go. At least my car’s been left alone.”
“Uh...no,” Claire said, shaking her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll be driving,” said Claire. “If we want to arrive without arousing any suspicion, Aubrey, then we should leave your car here.”
“Good call.”
There was definitely no arguing with this wisdom, and the three of them made their way over to the store. Before they left, Claire disappeared inside to pick up a few snacks and mineral waters—and, much to Jesse’s delight, broccoli. As she did so, Aubrey and Jesse found themselves alone together for the first time since they had been naked and trapped in the reservoir’s office building.
Roar For More (Online Shifter Dating Agency Romance) Page 11