“I’ll keep you informed, and thanks for your cooperation thus far,” Winkler ended the call.
Lin ventured downstairs to share the mixed news about the search of Kovich’s apartment. Then, leaving her friend to her own work, she settled down once more to read while keeping a close watch on the clock. As soon as it reached eleven she picked up her phone to call Neal. Too bad, if he wanted to sleep past eight, she was more than ready to hear his voice.
He did sound a bit sleepy when she reached him, but he insisted he was already up. “It’s been busy since I returned from Tucson. I’ve had workmen here almost everyday doing minor repairs, major cleaning, and such stuff. Only a couple more jobs to see finished though. I think I might be able to travel earlier than I’d originally thought, maybe by next weekend.”
That news delighted Lin as she was eager to see him. Now, she launched into a full account of their experiences during the week just past. She knew that Neal would be disturbed by the threat they’d received, especially since it couldn’t be linked to Stefan Kovich and the identity of their visitor remained unknown.
“I’m sorry you and Sue have had such a rough start to your volunteer summer. Hopefully, things will be calmer now,” Neal sounded really concerned. He didn’t add that Lin certainly seemed somewhat prone to run into such situations, but she felt sure he had such thoughts.
“Actually, we’ve both had a wonderful week work-wise,” she responded in a positive light. “ Ellie is back in Charlotte with her parents, the local authorities are continuing to investigate her shooting case, and they are, of course, still looking into the identity of our intruder. Hopefully, they will find out more soon. I feel sure the rest of our time here will go smoothly.” She made certain she told Neal how much she was enjoying her work at Linn Cove.
“I certainly hope so,” Neal responded, “I do worry about you and Sue also, of course. I’ll be happier when I can get back there to be with you for awhile.”
“When you come, I’m going to take some time off, shorten my schedule so we can enjoy the beauty of this place together,” Lin was happy to shift the subject to a happier theme. “Meanwhile, I’ll probably work some extra hours to make up for some of that plus some of the time I’ve already had to take off. Rachel’s been great; however, it really hasn’t been a problem.”
“Well, if I’m lucky, all the work on the house will be done by the end of this week. I may even be able to fly out over the weekend. Work on the dig in Tucson won’t get started before mid-August at the earliest, so I should be able to stay back east for a while. Of course, should my house sell, I might have to come back to close the deal, but that would be a welcomed trip.”
The remainder of their rather lengthy chat focused on sharing ideas regarding wedding plans. They agreed on a late September date without settling on a particular day until they’d checked on places, catering, and the like. Neal felt that, even though his work would’ve started, he would have no trouble taking time off to get married. “Chris is fully onboard with that,” he said. “Even told me to make sure I took enough time for a honeymoon as well.”
“Where do you want to go?” Lin asked eagerly.
“Not sure, yet,” Neal was coy in responding, “I might play the traditional groom’s role and make it a surprise.”
“Not unless you’re sure it’s somewhere I’ll absolutely love,” Lin teased.
“Well, I’d assume you’d love anyplace—as long as I’m with you,” Neal tried unsuccessfully to fake a hurtful tone. Finally, he broke out laughing. “I have done some investigating, but we’ll talk more about this before I make any plans, don’t worry; however, I may have a surprise regarding where we might spend a couple of nights after I arrive in the mountains. Don’t ask me questions about that just yet.”
Lin agreed; they finished their conversation sharing private thoughts about their upcoming reunion.
By the time Lin had finished talking to Neal she was feeling much better. She still had concerns about the identity of their intruder, but the authorities would, hopefully, be able to wrap that up soon. Meanwhile, she decided to focus on getting things back to a normal routine. Neal should be here soon and that would definitely be a plus.
About that time Sue emerged from her morning in the basement. “It seems to have stopped raining,” she remarked. “In fact, the clouds are breaking up and the sun is trying to come out. I’ve already folded the laundry and I think, by the time we could grab some lunch somewhere, we might have a nice afternoon to explore on the Parkway.”
“Do you have something specific in mind?” Lin asked.
“As a matter of fact I do,” Sue responded,” I’ve been reading more about all those cases I told you about and I’d like to take sort of a crime scene tour, if that’s ok with you. Maybe take some photos. I need to have some idea of where these events occurred—or, at least, where the bodies were found.”
Lin agreed that was a reasonable excuse for taking a ride so she went upstairs to put away her clean clothes and grab a light jacket, just in case.
***
“I’ll drive,” Sue insisted heading for the shiny silver Four Runner, her “new to her” car. She tossed a parkway map to Lin as they buckled in. “I’ve marked all the locations where bodies have been found in recent years. Look where they are.”
Lin perused the map as they headed out the driveway. Sue had carefully marked the locations, including the spot where they’d found Ellie a few weeks ago. The series of red X’s formed a cluster ranging from the Deep Gap area to just north of the Northwest Trading Post—roughly a 25-mile stretch.
“That’s interesting,” Lin remarked. “they seem to be located in or just north or south of Jeffress Park where we picnicked the other day.”
“Right,” Sue agreed. “On a road this long you’d think unsolved murders might be more widely scattered. After all, the Parkway meanders 469 miles, but this particular stretch is where five murder victim’s bodies have been found. Only one of these crimes has been definitely solved, although authorities seem to think Sandy Hill’s death was at the hands of the killer who stole his next victim’s car and fled. That killer met his end in a Florida shoot-out; he was never questioned about Hill’s death. Even if he did kill Hill, and I have some questions about that, it still leaves three victims all in that same general area. What are the odds of that? I’d like to know.”
Lin could feel Sue’s intensity as she talked about these killings. “Well, I’d suggest another picnic, but it’s still pretty damp out there. Nevertheless, I’m starving so we’d better get some lunch before we head out on our mission.”
They headed into town and decided on the Come Back Shack, a local fast food place, where they feasted on juicy burgers and well-seasoned fries. “Yum,” Lin said as she bit into her high-stacked sandwich. “This may not be the healthiest of lunches but it sure is delicious.”
“We can eat healthy tonight,” Sue excused their indulgence. “I’ll make a big bowl of salad.”
After lunch, they drove out Hwy. 421 to Deep Gap where they entered the Parkway. They elected not to revisit the spot where they’d found Ellie. Lin had taken some photos there earlier, and they realized that the place might be taped off once again since the case had been reopened for further investigation. Instead they drove north, stopping first at Jeffress Park.
“This is where that young park ranger was shot in 2010,” Sue explained. “From my research, I’ve learned that a man dressed in overalls, jacket, and a broad-brimmed hat was spotted seated at a picnic table near the south end of the parking lot. He had some sort of long gun and it made the visitors nervous. They managed to get enough cell signal to call authorities, and then they went on a walk down to the Cascades, that waterfall we skipped the other day. When they returned about forty-five minutes later the man was gone, and they found the ranger’s dead body in the parking lot near the table where they’d seen the man sitting.”
“And no one has ever found any trace of the shooter?” L
in shook her head. “I guess the visitors didn’t really have a good description.”
“Not really,” Sue replied, “they only saw him from a distance and he didn’t threaten them so they left him alone—figured he was just resting there, but they did call in the report because they thought someone should check it out.”
“… and presumably the ranger who got killed was doing just that.” Lin filled in. “Did they hear anything?”
“They reported hearing what they thought might be a shot as they were returning from the falls, but the man was nowhere to be seen when they got back.”
“Let’s go see those falls,” Lin said. “I was too tired the last time we were here but I feel great today. It’s still early, we have time for a walk.”
The trail meandered peacefully through the woods by a creek but grew steeper as they began to hear the sound of rushing water through the trees. A series of fairly steep steps led down to views of the Cascades from two points, one near the top of the falls and the other below. Of course, what goes down comes back up so the climb back to the main trail left them both a little out of breath. In addition, the area was quite muddy as a result of the rain that morning. Both women realized that their walking shoes would need a thorough washing once they got home.
“Let’s not get your clean car dirty,” Lin suggested as they returned to the parking lot. She rummaged around in the back and located a plastic bag. They deposited their dirty sneakers in that, leaving only their socks on.
“Put the bag on the floor next to the rear seats,” Sue said. “We’ll need to put shoes back on at the other spots if we plan to walk.”
They left Jeffress Park and headed north to visit the other sites. At each place, they took pictures of the surrounding area.
Finally, they arrived at the parking area near Jumping Off Rock. “This is near where Sandy Hill’s body was found,” Sue reported.
“I thought that case was one of the two that’s been solved,” Lin said.
“Well, it was closed when the killer of the hiker whose car was stolen was shot by police in Florida, but of course, he was never put on trial in either case. I’m not so sure he was responsible for Sandy Hill’s death.”
“Why?” Lin asked her friend.
“For one thing. Her car was found undisturbed right here in this parking area. The killer they found had stolen the car of his victim. That’s how he got to Florida. Besides, he was wanted for other crimes, but they were all in Virginia—further north.”
Lin pointed out that those facts really didn’t prove much. After all, the man might not have needed a car when he killed Sandy. Maybe he wasn’t ready to leave the area. There were lots of possibilities.
“I realize I’m just speculating,” Sue continued, “but I just have a feeling Sandy’s murder is more like some of the others. Anyway, I’d like to take some pictures while we’re in the area.”
Sue continued to tell what she knew about Sandy Hill’s story as they left the parking lot and began to walk down the slope into the woods below the parkway. “Sandy’s friend, Jack Davis, said she’d come out to take photos for a collection she needed as part of her graduate work in Botany. Taking samples of wildflowers is not allowed on the Parkway; instead students take photos and keep them for use in classes. He’d suggested she come here because walking wasn’t difficult, but there was no hiking trail; walkers wouldn’t have trampled most of the flowers, as is often the case in heavily visited areas. When her body was found, it appeared that she’d been chased by someone, had tried to climb back up to the road, but hadn’t made it. She was shot with a shotgun--similar to what happened to Pete and Ellie. Interesting thing, her camera was missing. Authorities thought it must’ve been taken by the shooter.”
“Was it found with the supposed killer in Florida?” Lin asked.
“No, it wasn’t,” Sue replied. “The question did come up, but the police simply thought he must’ve sold it or pawned it for cash somewhere.”
“But no pawn tickets, or receipts?” Lin asked.
“If any were found, I haven’t read about it,” Sue offered. “The best I can tell from news accounts, they simply thought such had been lost or thrown away. Anyway, there was no sign of her camera and it’s never turned up.”
Lin and Sue continued to walk slowly along a path angling down into the woods. Walking here was easy. It appeared that others might have come this way as there was sort of an informal trail meandering through the forest, but plant life was abundant. From time to time they stopped to take some photos. Of course, it had been almost four years since Sandy Hill died, so there was no way to tell where she might’ve been shot or what direction she might have taken. Nevertheless, they enjoyed their walk. They’d just turned back toward the road when Sue reached for Lin’s arm.
“Quiet. I’d swear I just heard something beyond those trees over there,” Sue indicated a nearby thicket. Lin came to a stop and the two of them waited for a moment. It was unmistakable, something or someone was moving through the forest coming toward the spot where they stood frozen in silence.
Lin’s first thought was that they should run away as fast as possible, but she remained still, Sue gripping her arm firmly to hold her in place. “Don’t move,” Sue whispered, “it might be a bear or some other animal.”
Whatever it was moved slowly, with long pauses between steps, but the sounds kept coming. Lin felt her heart racing and her palms were growing clammy. She felt as if she wouldn’t be able to keep breathing.
Finally, the dense thicket parted in front of them—about ten feet away. Lin held her breath as their visitor emerged into the dappled sunlight.
Eustace Hinson raised his head and looked them squarely in the eye. He was empty-handed “Get the hell off my property and don’t come back. Go now and be quick about it.”
Chapter 11
Lin felt her heart pounding and there was a strange ‘buzzing’ in her head. She felt as if she might pass out and wanted to cry out, but her voice was frozen. She couldn’t get her breath. Sue seemed to sense her paralyzing fear. She maintained a firm grip on Lin’s arm and slowly turned her toward the way they had come. Without a word she began leading Lin back toward the road—one step at a time with a measured pace. They trudged up toward the road without pausing to see if they were being pursued. Gradually Lin’s breathing began to calm down and the buzzing sensation abated. Finally, they reached the side of the parkway and turned to look back. There was no sign of anyone coming after them.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sue said. She released her grip on Lin’s arm and headed toward the car.
Lin could only nod her agreement. Physically she felt calmer now, but she couldn’t recall when she’d experienced such a panicky sensation before. She’d been in far worse situations on several occasions; after all old Eustace was threatening, but was unarmed and scarcely able to pursue them. Nevertheless, her fear this time had been crippling. Had it not been for Sue, she might’ve been standing there in the woods still.
Nothing was said as Sue started the car and turned back onto the Parkway toward Boone. “I think we’ve explored enough for today,” she remarked. She seemed to sense that Lin wasn’t yet ready to talk about what had happened.
When they arrived back at the house, Lin went directly up to her room. She sat on the edge of her bed trying to think about her experience—not so much their encounter with Eustace—as her own personal reaction to the situation. Her fear and panic had been overwhelming. That’s not like me, she thought. Sure, I’ve been afraid plenty of times, but never before have I felt totally out of control, totally unable to take any action. Even though she now felt calm physically, she was truly puzzled by her earlier reaction.
She was still sitting there, pondering the situation, when Sue entered the room. “Let’s go downstairs. I’ve opened some of that new wine we bought last week and fixed a plate of crackers and cheese. Come join me.”
Lin tried to smile and followed Sue back down to the living room.
She wasn’t ready just yet to talk about her experience, but she welcomed the wine and snacks. Sue seemed to understand what Lin had just experienced. She didn’t try to press her with questions. Instead they sat quietly together, sipping on the wine and enjoying the food.
Finally, Lin felt ready to talk. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt such paralyzing fear before, and I’ve been in far worse situations. What happened to me back there?”
“I think you had a genuine panic attack,” Sue replied. “We were both startled and it was frightening, but you simply seemed to freeze. You looked to me as if you might pass out at any moment.”
“That’s how I felt,” Lin confessed. “If you hadn’t been there, I’d probably never have been able to walk out.”
“I’m sure you would’ve eventually,” Sue tried to sound reassuring. “These things just happen sometimes. You’ve had a couple of really tough experiences in the past year. Maybe your body and mind are just saying they’ve had enough.”
“That may be, but what do I do about it?” Lin asked. “I don’t want to go around worrying that I’ll experience another attack of nerves like that.”
“Right now, just enjoy your wine and try to relax,” Sue smiled. “Maybe later we can try one of those relaxation sessions like we did before, like I did with Ellie.”
Lin agreed that might be a good idea. For the present she was content to relax and appreciate the warmth of the wine. She felt mostly tired at this point.
“Meanwhile, what do you think old Eustace was doing out there? We didn’t see anyone else, but do you think he was really alone?” Sue queried.
“Actually no. I doubt the old fellow drives, and we didn’t see another car parked at that area. His sons or some other family member must’ve been nearby but I didn’t see or hear anyone else. Besides where would they have parked? I’m pretty sure we were still on park land so he was dead wrong about our trespassing.”
Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 12