“I’m getting older. I want to leave a legacy beyond the heartbreak I caused when I closed the mines. Do you have any idea how despised I am in town?”
“I have a good guess,” I said drily.
“I want to preserve the land. I want that to be my legacy.”
“Really? I thought you were all about money.” The pieces weren’t matching up in my mind.
“With age comes wisdom.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what to say. That’s quite a change of heart. Almost unbelievably so.”
“You want to look at someone? Look at Seamus.”
“Why would I look at him?”
“Good old Jeb always favored Nate, even though he adopted Seamus. I’ve heard Seamus has always held a grudge against his cousin since Nate’s the one who inherited Mythical Falls.”
“And you think he’d murder for that? Nate hadn’t even inherited Mythical Falls twenty years ago, so how do you explain the similarities in the murders?”
He shrugged. “I can’t. But I did hear a rumor that Seamus just took off for the Bahamas. Maybe he’s running from the law.”
The Bahamas? Was that why I hadn’t seen him around in a couple of days? And what about his bank trip with Debby Stephens?
“Why would Nate hire Seamus if there’s so much animosity between them?” I mused aloud.
“Could be because he feels bad—guilty—about being the chosen one. Or could have something to do with his gambling debt.”
“Gambling debt?” Nate had to be the worst financial manager ever. Yet, gambling didn’t surprise me. He seemed like the type.
Scotty nodded. “That’s right. He owes a lot of people.”
“Does Seamus, by chance, play with your daughter–in-law?” I threw it out there, hoping I might get a hit. I had seen the two together at the bank. And Seamus had been missing for the past couple of days since then.
Scotty scowled. “Why would you think that?”
I shrugged. “Intuition.”
“Debby isn’t the wisest person in the world. Neither is my son, for that matter.”
With that, he jetted out of the car and disappeared into the shadows.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Riley called me as I drove back to the park and asked me to meet him at the old management office. He said he’d found something, and now I was beside myself as I tried to wait to hear what he’d learned.
Patience was a virtue. Not one of my strongest ones.
I rushed toward the office and found Riley sitting at a cluttered desk, pouring over several items in a box. The only light was a lantern. Apparently, Braxton hadn’t worked on this building yet.
“What’s going on?”
He kissed my cheek before sitting back down and picking up some papers. “We had to pull up part of the floor because of a leak. When we did, we found this box. It’s full of old correspondence that goes back more than twenty years ago.”
“Really?” I sat beside him and picked up a letter. “Interesting.”
“You’re going to think it’s really interesting. Check these out.” He handed me a pile. “It’s from someone that Jebidiah fired.”
I leaned closer to the lantern and scanned the letters. Someone named Richard begged for his job back. He was obviously angry. As the letters progressed, he began making threats, saying he’d burn the place down for ruining his family. He had children to feed, and their whole lives were tied up in this place. Apparently this man’s family used to own part of this land.
“He sounds very angry,” I muttered.
“Keep reading. It gets even more interesting.”
Before I continued, I glanced at the bottom of the paper. The letters were only signed “Richard,” but no last name. Strange.
I read the next letter aloud. “I believe there are precious minerals here on this property, and I’m asking for your permission to search for them. Rumors have gone back for years in my family. This would be a great way to make it up to the employees you’ve fired. You owe it to us. My sons and I deserve to use this land.”
I glanced up at Riley before reaching into my pocket and pulling out the crystal Clarice had given me. “I assumed this was nothing. But what if . . . ?”
“It’s something worth killing for?” Riley finished.
“Perhaps.”
“What if this whole area does have some kind of valuable natural resource—say, for example, a gemstone? Rumors of the Bigfoot Strangler or even the actual Bigfoot would be the ideal way to keep people away from the potential treasure. It would also be the perfect reason for someone to want this park to close down.”
My blood raced at the realization that we were getting closer to answers. “And if Henry or Caleb discovered what they were doing—secretly mining for these gemstones at night—that would be reason enough for killing them.”
“I agree.”
I leaned back in the chair, my thoughts churning. “But who could it be? We can rule Nate out. He owns the property, and he wouldn’t have written these letters.”
“What about Scotty Stephens?”
I filled him in on our conversation.
Riley twisted his head with doubt. “Sounds fishy to me. He wants to make this a nature preserve? I’m not saying that’s not true, but I don’t buy it. However, I highly doubt his dad worked here. If these letters are tied in with the murders—”
“Which they probably are, but not necessarily. They do fill in a lot of blanks, though. It’s the best motive I’ve heard yet. Much better than the killer simply being angry about being fired.”
“What do we know about the killer?”
“He’s agile. He has big hands. He strangles from behind. He has to have a history here that extends more than twenty years.” I paused and pressed my lips together in thought.
“What?”
“The one thing I haven’t been able to understand is how someone can be such a chameleon. As Bigfoot, he’s big. But then there was a clown, who was slight.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Remember that night in the woods? How it appeared the sounds were coming from all around us? What if . . . what if the killer isn’t just a killer. What if there are killers?” My brain began firing on all cylinders.
“So you think Seamus and Scotty Stephens are working together? Or Nate and Duke?”
Things began to click together in my head in a rapid-fire progression. The killer—killers—had a history here. Their father had many sons. They’d want to remain close to the property to keep an eye on it. They’d realized there was a fortune to be made here on grounds that, they felt, rightfully belonged to them.
I didn’t know a lot about gem mining. But I had seen a documentary one time on the different types of mining. Some mining was in caves, but there was another type called surface mining. For that, people dug through the dirt and found precious gems in the soil.
It was a dirty job.
Duke had said there was a rumor that a meteorite had hit this area and left something otherworldly on the grounds. Something that could look an awful lot like gemstones maybe? Maybe something that looked like the rock Clarice had found on the ground and given me?
Just then, a hammering sound echoed right outside the building. Was Chad back? Had he found something else to fix?
Riley and I froze.
I walked toward the front door but, when I tried to open it, the door wouldn’t budge. “What?”
“Here, let me try.” Riley pushed against the door also, but it remained in place. “Is it jammed?”
I shook my head. “I think someone just nailed that door shut, Riley.”
“Check the back door,” Riley shouted.
I reached it before Riley and threw my weight against it. It didn’t move. “It’s nailed shut too.”
That was when I smelled it. Smoke. Fire.
I realized Riley and I were about to be roasted alive.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I went to the fron
t window, but it wouldn’t budge either. The windows had been nailed shut also. Someone had planned this . . . this . . . attack well in advance.
“Watch out!” Riley raised a chair and tossed it into the back window. Glass shattered. Riley used a lamp to remove the sharp edges at the bottom before grabbing my hand. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
As I sucked in a deep breath, the smoke nearly choked me. The heat from the fire already caused perspiration to cover my skin and dampen my clothes.
Memories of the very first case I ever solved rushed back to me. I’d been trapped in a fire then also. I’d thought I was going to die.
But I hadn’t.
And I wouldn’t die now either.
Riley tugged me toward the window.
Orange flames danced at the edge of my line of sight. The fire was spreading. But we still had a chance. A good chance.
“Climb out, Gabby. We don’t have much time.”
I swallowed hard before lifting my leg up toward the windowsill. Carefully, I maneuvered over the broken glass shards. As soon as I cleared the frame, I let myself go, landing with a thump on the ground below.
Riley gracefully climbed out behind me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, urging me farther away. “We’ve got to get away before this whole place goes up in flames.”
Just as we reached the stream, the whole building collapsed in the flames.
I glanced into the woods and spotted a shadow moving there.
The killer. He’d waited to see what would happen, to see if the fire would consume us. Now he was on the run.
No way would I let him get away.
“I’m going after this guy.” I still had my gun tucked into my waistband. I wasn’t missing this opportunity.
“I’m behind you,” Riley muttered.
Without wasting any more time, we darted through the woods. My gaze scanned the area in front of me. I didn’t want to lose sight of the man, but he obviously knew these woods better than we did. He wove in and out of the trees, in and out of shadows.
He was far enough ahead of us that catching up would be challenging. But I had to try. People’s lives depended on it.
I paused as the mountain became steeper. At least, I tried to pause. Before I could, momentum pulled me downward and I began to slide.
Riley followed, but his motions were purposeful and controlled. I landed on my rear, and mud covered my jeans, my shoes, and my hands. Grace should be my middle name, because I was full of it.
“You okay?” Riley helped me to my feet.
My heart pounded in my ears as I realized how close that had been. I could have easily broken something. Thankfully, I hadn’t.
A branch snapped in the distance. That had to be the man who’d set the building on fire. We still had a chance to catch him.
Riley grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
He pulled me through the woods. I could barely keep up with his pace, and it was all I could do to prevent branches from slapping me in the face or tree roots from tripping me.
Finally, we stopped at a clearing to catch our breath, and we both scanned the area around us. Mythical Falls roared in the distance, and the air was crisp with an autumn chill.
“Where do you think he went?” Riley asked.
I continued to survey the area, hoping desperately for a sign of where the man had gone. I didn’t see him anywhere. I couldn’t help but feel like I was being watched, like the man knew just what he was doing.
My skin prickled as I searched for the person whose eyes were on me. I was certain he was out there, trying desperately not to be discovered.
I took a step forward, searching behind trees and between rocks. My hand went to the gun at my waist, and I pulled it out.
Please don’t make me have to use this. Please.
I kept heading forward, certain this was where the man was hiding.
As I took another step, a figure darted away in the distance.
Riley and I took off after him. I raised my gun. Should I shoot?
No, I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have a clear shot. I had to be certain. Instead, I sprinted after him.
Suddenly, the man disappeared.
Then the trees in front of me disappeared.
And so did Riley.
The cliff, I realized. Was this where the cliff was?
My heart plunged as I raced toward him.
“Riley!” But it was too late. He was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
M y lungs tightened with every step closer I got to the cliff. What would I see on the other side? Did I really want to look?
I had no choice. I had to check on Riley. Maybe—just maybe—he was okay.
Please, Lord.
I paused at the brink, wobbling off balance for a moment and fearing I might go over too. My head swam at the thought. Holding my breath, I peered over the edge. My neck muscles clenched.
I blinked at what I saw. Riley had grabbed onto a ledge, and he literally held on by his fingertips.
He was alive. Alive!
“Riley!” I lowered myself to my belly and reached down. It was no use—there was still at least five feet between us.
“I’ve got this, Gabby.” Riley’s voice sounded tense, but his gaze looked focused.
“You’ve got this? What do you mean? I can run back and get help.” Even as I said the words, I knew there wasn’t enough time. His fingers would cramp after holding on too long. There wasn’t enough to grip onto on the rocky cliff.
“Riley . . .” My voice sounded desperate, even to my own ears. I tried to reach for him again, but it was no use.
“Gabby, it’s okay.” He raised his hand and grabbed a rocky ledge above him. His muscles looked taut—from his arms all the way to his jaw.
I didn’t want to move—not even swallow. One wrong move and Riley would fall to his death. This part of the cliff didn’t have water below it. No, it was a rocky patch of boulders.
Please, Lord. Have I said that yet?
Riley pulled himself upward. He managed to find a foothold, making the climb a little easier.
I released my breath. He still wasn’t close enough for me to touch, but he was getting closer.
Thank You!
All these crazy fears I’d had since Riley had come back into my life suddenly became amazingly clear. I couldn’t lose him again. Even if that meant risking getting hurt. Risking my heart and disappointment and being let down.
Love was worth the risk. And, as much as we liked to think we had all the time in the world, the truth was that we didn’t. We weren’t promised tomorrow. If we didn’t seize opportunities as they arose, those opportunities may not even present themselves to us again.
Riley continued to move upward with amazing ease.
“How . . .?” I whispered.
“I’ve been learning rock climbing as a part of mixed martial arts and parkour.”
“It’s . . . incredible. Thank goodness for that.”
“This isn’t exactly the way I wanted to test my skills.”
“But, boy, am I glad you’ve been studying up.”
He grimaced and pulled himself up toward the ledge.
Finally, he was close enough for me to reach. I grabbed his arm and helped him back onto solid ground. He collapsed beside me, his chest rising and falling from exertion and adrenaline.
Before I could properly show him how thankful I was that he was alive, I had to check on the man we’d been chasing. Carefully, I peered over the edge and saw a shadow climbing with ease toward the bottom.
He’d intended to let Riley die by purposefully leading us into this trap.
Anger surged through me. I’d have to address that later. Right now I had to check on Riley.
I crawled his way and collapsed beside him. We stared up at the trees together, my hand reaching for his until our fingers intertwined. I couldn’t stop touching him. I had to know he was still there.
At the moment, I felt so incredibly grate
ful. To be here. To be with Riley. To be alive.
How many times did I need to be reminded of all of this? Why was I so hardheaded?
“You never told me who we’re chasing,” Riley said.
“I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. It’s the Brunke Brothers.”
He shoved his eyebrows together. “What?”
“They were an act here. I believe their father wrote those letters. Their entire family depended on their income from Mythical Falls. You think Chad is stressed out over providing for Reef? How about for seven sons?”
“They were an act here, right?”
“Yes—a vaudeville like act. I guess part of them juggled, another part did contortion work. People who are a part of acts like these are flexible. A lot of times they have double joints. That could explain why the hands looked so large.”
“So their father told them about some kind of gemstone he thought was here at the park?”
I nodded. “That’s right. Finding those gemstones would solve their family’s financial problems. Maybe Henry walked in on them doing that, and they had to kill him to stay quiet. It was a family affair. After a while, I’m guessing they gave up on trying to find these gemstones. But when they lost their jobs at the mine, they became desperate for money again. I have a feeling Caleb saw something he wasn’t supposed to. Maybe he even bribed them for their silence. Maybe he came back wanting more and that’s when the brothers killed him.”
As I finished my sentence, a bullet rang through the air.
“Now someone’s shooting at us,” Riley muttered. “What in the world . . . ?”
“If I had to guess—it either Bill, Phil, Will, Hill, Dill, Quill, or Gill.”
He let out a slight moan. “We’ve got to get out of here. There’s no telling how many of them are out here.”
“On the count of three?” I whispered, bracing myself for whatever was to come.
“Three!”
We darted from the ground and took off away from the shooter. The thick trees blocked the bullets—but plenty came our way.
“I know where we are,” Riley yelled. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, I trust you.”
Thrill Squeaker: A Squeaky Clean Mystery (Squeaky Clean Mysteries Book 11) Page 22