North Rim Delight

by Regina Duke

  The rage slipped away and was replaced by fear and uncertainty. “Terri. You know me. You know I’d never let anyone hurt you.”

  “You mean, anyone else,” she said.

  Russ raised a cautionary hand. “It’s okay, Terri. Let Gavin talk. Maybe we can do something to help him. Why don’t you get a warm wet cloth for his face? He can clean up a bit. Gavin, go ahead and sit down on that chair behind you.”

  Terri’s brow frowned in disbelief, but Russ gave her a reassuring glance. She looked back and forth from Russ to Gavin, then did as he asked.

  It only took her a few seconds. When she returned, Russ was still holding a gun on Gavin, but Gavin was much more at ease. She started to move toward him with the wet cloth, but Russ stopped her.

  “Just toss that over to him,” he said, his voice as smooth and calming as could be.

  Gavin caught it and began dabbing at the fresh injuries to his face.

  Terri perched on the closest bed and watched Russ disarm the rest of Gavin’s rage.

  “Those bruises are pretty ugly. Have you been walking around the park with those shiners?” Just one guy admiring another guy’s black eyes.

  Gavin shook his head. “Been hiding out. That asshole messed me up bad.”

  “He’s a dangerous man,” said Russ, lowering his firearm while still aiming it at Gavin. “Where were you hiding?”

  “Pickup has tinted windows.”

  Terri couldn’t help herself. “That’s your new ride? Pretty nice.”

  Gavin nodded. “Yeah. He would have wrecked it, too, pushing you off the road.” The cloth was now covered with his blood. He refolded it to find a cleaner spot and kept daubing at his split lip.

  Russ resumed his conversation. “If I had known you were still a part of Terri’s life,” he said, “I would have checked with you first before we came to the Canyon together.”

  Terri started to protest, but another subtle hand signal from Russ made her bite her lip.

  Gavin straightened a little in his chair. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” Just one guy talking to another guy about territory.

  “Hey, I think we have some pain pills around here somewhere. If you think they’d help,” offered Russ.

  “Yeah, that would be good,” mumbled Gavin from behind the cloth.

  “Terri, get those pain pills out of your bag. They aren’t very strong. I think four, maybe five.”

  Terri’s eyes narrowed in a question.

  “You know, the ones you took earlier.”

  Her eyes widened in understanding. “Sure.” She dug in her tote bag and found her diazepam. She tapped five pills onto her palm. “You need water?”

  Gavin saw the six-pack of Pepsi on the table. “I’ll use one of these.” He laid the cloth down and pulled a Pepsi free.

  “Hold out your hand,” said Russ, “so Terri can give you the pills.”

  A moment later, Gavin was swigging Pepsi and swallowing pills. “How long before these take effect?”

  “A few minutes,” said Russ. “Maybe fifteen, twenty. You’ll feel a lot better then.”

  Gavin seemed to have no more to say at the moment.

  Terri found the silence difficult, but any attempt to comment or question was scuttled by a sharp look from Russ.

  It was the longest fifteen minutes she could remember.

  At last, Gavin decided to speak again. He sounded mellower. “I should never have hooked up with that guy.”

  Russ was now leaning against the wall, but his M-1911 was still in his hand. He waited for Gavin to continue.

  He didn’t have to wait long. “I just needed the money for the loan sharks. DaSilva said he was in the same boat. He said he had a way to pay off our loans and have some left over. Wanted to know if I was in. No way I knew Terri was involved. I was just slashing her tires in Vegas to slow her down. Get back at her for not helping me out. DaSilva was in the motel parking lot. I was surprised to see him there. I met him in Reno a few weeks ago. We gambled together, got drunk together. Drinking buddy. So when he showed up in Vegas, I was surprised. Turns out he was following Terri’s car. His car was parked around the corner with a slow leak, so we used my truck after that. When he told me Terri had his pictures, I told him she’d do anything to get her Reggie photos back. He could trade for ’em easy.”

  “That’s why he sent the note with Tony,” said Russ. “Were you around when they met on the trail?”

  “No. I slipped the camera bear into the bag, and then DaSilva told me to wait in the truck again. People were looking at me funny in the camp store. I told the cashier I’d had plastic surgery.” He laughed at his own cleverness. The laugh ended abruptly. “It’s hot in the truck.” He yawned.

  Russ suppressed a smile. “Sounds like DaSilva has really screwed you over.”

  “Totally. He has a plan, though. To get the diamonds.”

  “Really? They’re locked up tight.”

  Gavin chuckled knowingly and raised his Pepsi in a soft-drink salute. “Like I said, he has a plan.”

  Russ didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s the plan?”

  Gavin wagged a finger back and forth. “Naughty, naughty. Can’t tell you. He’ll kill me.” Thanks to the diazepam, he did not sound overly concerned.

  “In that case, maybe you should stay here tonight,” said Russ. “It’s the last place he would look for you.”

  Terri’s jaw dropped. “Are you crazy?”

  Russ shushed her.

  Terri’s eyes flashed in protest, but she folded her arms and waited to see where Russ was going with this.

  Gavin seemed impressed that he could shush Terri and get away with it. Just one guy bonding with another guy. “You sure? I won’t be any trouble?”

  “No trouble at all. Take that bed by the window. Terri can sleep in the bathtub.”

  Gavin nodded. “That sounds fair.” Gavin labored himself off the chair and took three staggering steps before dropping himself unceremoniously onto the bed by the window.

  Terri was ready to explode.

  Russ patted the air and put a finger to his lips. He mouthed, “I’ll explain everything.” Then he crooked a finger at her and stepped into the alcove by the bathroom door.

  Terri was so incensed, she was steaming. “What are you doing?”

  Russ shushed her again and answered in a whisper. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If he’s here, he can’t help DaSilva. Plus, DaSilva has to wonder if he’s talking to the rangers.” He peeked around the corner. Gavin was snoring softly. Russ holstered his firearm. “Is he on medication or anything?”

  The question caught Terri off guard.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The man is obviously mentally unstable. Do you know if he’s on medication for a condition?”

  “Oh. No, not a clue.”

  Russ shook his head. “You lived with that guy and didn’t think he was off?” He tapped his forehead.

  Terri sighed. “My therapist said if you live with crazy long enough, it becomes the norm. Like the family of an alcoholic. They learn to survive around the outlandish behavior by ignoring it or pretending it’s normal. I guess I just gradually got used to it. You think he’s really sick?”

  “He flies in and out of rage at the drop of a hat. He treats you like crap, but expects you to be there when he needs you, even though your relationship is over. His grasp on reality is slipping fast. Having DaSilva turn on him hasn’t helped. But it may help us. By morning, he may be ready to let us in on DaSilva’s plan.”

  Terri pouted. “Great. Of course, once again my plans are thwarted.”

  Russ smiled softly at her. He tipped her chin up and kissed her nose. “Only postponed. Do you think you can sleep with Gavin in the room?”

  “You mean, I don’t have to crawl into the bathtub?”

  Russ grinned.

  “Okay,” said Terri, “but I’m not getting undressed.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  THURSDAY MORNI
NG Terri awoke to someone banging on the door.

  She groaned. “Not again. Is this our theme song from the North Rim?”

  Russ was already up. He slipped his arms into his hoodie, covering his shoulder holster and firearm, and quick-stepped to the window. “It’s Raffi and Chad.” He opened the door.

  Raffi spilled into the room, talking a mile a minute. “He’s gone, I can’t find him anywhere, Tony, Tony, he’s gone!”

  “Calm down,” said Russ gently. He nodded a greeting at Chad. “What happened?”

  Raffi was shaking and crying. “He was acting kind of strange yesterday afternoon. You know how kids are? He thought he was being cool, overcompensating for something. I figured he had a birthday surprise planned for me. I thought it was cute.” Her voice broke. “This morning I woke up and he was gone. Not in the tent. I went out to the car to see if he was bunking with Chad, but no. Where is he? Please tell me he’s here.”

  Terri had rolled out of bed with Raffi’s first sentence and was now standing with an arm around her. “He’s not here, but we’ll find him.” She darted a glance at the still sleeping Gavin, then looked at Russ. “You don’t think…?”

  Raffi looked from one to the other? “Think what?”

  Chad looked uncomfortable. “We’ll find him, Raffi. Nothing’s going to happen to him, I swear.” He squared his shoulders and set his lips in a grim line. “I’m going to the ranger’s office. I’m going to get the container out of the safe. Just in case.”

  “What container?” asked Raffi.

  The commotion woke Gavin. He rolled over and squinted at the newcomers.

  Raffi saw his face and shrank against Terri. “Who is that?”

  “My ex,” said Terri, stuffing Gavin into a tidy box from her past. “Ignore him.”

  Russ spoke over their heads to Chad. “Take Raffi with you. She can check with the events table. See if Tony signed up for something, maybe a hike or a nature talk. He collected all those brochures for me and Terri. He probably got some for himself. He may have decided to let Raffi sleep in while he went on an early morning excursion.” He pushed reassurance into his voice. “Don’t worry, Raffi. Teenage boys don’t realize that you’re going to be worried sick about them. They think they’re old enough to take care of themselves. He probably just went hiking. You’ll see. Go with Chad, and have the rangers check the sign up lists for today’s events.”

  Russ’s words had the desired effect.

  “Oh, I didn’t even think of that,” said Raffi. “Of course! He’s been talking about mule rides ever since we got here. Mules, mules, mules. I’m so sick of that word. Between money you paid him, and money I gave him, he might have had enough to sign up for one of the hour-long rides. And Chad was telling him the colors of the Canyon are most brilliant at dawn and sunset.” She wiped her eyes. “We’ll go check the sign-up lists.”

  Chad and Russ exchanged a meaningful glance, but Chad didn’t dare say anymore in front of Raffi.

  Russ tore a piece of grocery bag loose. He looked a question at Terri. She understood at once and pulled a pen out of her tote bag. Russ jotted his cell number on the scrap of paper and ushered Chad and Raffi out the door. “Let us know,” he said to Chad, giving him the number. “And don’t take matters into your hands alone. Got that?”

  Chad nodded. “Got it.”

  Russ closed the door and turned to face the now wide-awake Gavin.

  “You know anything about this?”

  Gavin’s expression was almost comical. But all he said was, “I got to pee.” He rushed to the bathroom.

  Terri ran a hand through her hair, then pulled a brush out of her tote bag. “Do you think DaSilva would kidnap Tony?” she asked softly.

  Russ looked doubtful. “He’s way too savvy to get himself into that kind of trouble. A kidnap conviction would put him away for a long, long time. That’s not how he operates. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hand in arranging for Tony to look like he was missing. Where’s that brochure about the mule rides?”

  Terri went to the table and spread the collection of Canyon information out like a fan. “Here it is.” She opened it. “Morning mule rides start at seven thirty, and get this, you have to catch a seven a.m. shuttle to the trail head in order to take the ride.”

  Gavin emerged from the bathroom, wiping his wet hands on his jeans. He was trying to act casual. “What’s for breakfast?” He started to grin but his painful lip turned it into a grimace.

  Terri took a deep breath, ready to sling a tirade in Gavin’s direction, but Russ stopped her with a touch on the shoulder.

  “There’s probably a candy bar or two in that grocery bag on the table,” he said. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about Tony’s whereabouts, would you?”

  Gavin busied himself with a candy bar. “Me? No way. I would never snatch a kid.”

  “How about DaSilva?”

  Gavin looked away. His eyes were searching for something, anything, to fix on besides Russ’s face. “Don’t know. No clue.”

  “Sure,” said Russ. He tried a different tactic. He patted Terri on the rump and gave her a gentle shove toward the bathroom. He turned his face so Gavin wouldn’t see and mouthed, “Sorry.”

  Terri took the hint and entered the bathroom, but she cracked the door open so she could listen in.

  Russ turned back to Gavin. “Look, I know for you and me, the number one thing is to keep Terri safe, right?”

  Gavin paused, as if trying to determine what Russ’s hidden motives might be. He nibbled at the Snickers bar like a chipmunk crunching a peanut. After several seconds, he uttered a cautious, “Right.”

  “Well, DaSilva’s plans are all about eliminating Terri.”

  “No way!”

  “He tried to run us off the road. You were there.”

  Silence.

  “And he learned in prison that he can get away with eighty-five percent of all crimes if he leaves no witnesses.”

  A flash of recognition. Gavin nodded.

  “So, he shared that nugget of wisdom with you, did he?”

  Gavin caught himself, and shrugged noncommittally.

  “The best way for us to protect Terri at this point is to find DaSilva, to know where he is at every moment.”

  “Gonna have him arrested?”

  “Would you like that?”

  Gavin risked another grin, but didn’t quite make it. “He should suffer. Look what he did to me. He’s a jerk.”

  “Where is he staying?”

  Gavin looked defeated. “In my truck. I have sleeping bags in the back. Got a camper shell.”

  “Yes, I remember,” said Russ. “You think he’s there now?”

  Gavin shrugged. “Can’t say.” He tried changing the subject. “He thinks you’re a fool. ‘Cause of what happened back when.”

  Russ stiffened, but he kept his cool. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

  “You know. Your mom and sister. That stuff.”

  Russ clenched his jaw. “What did he tell you?”

  Gavin liked having information. He played coy. “Just that you’ve been looking for the driver that run her down. All the time with no proof of nothing.”

  Terri started to emerge from the bathroom, but Russ stopped her with a gesture.

  “Does he know who did it?”

  Gavin snorted in disgust. “That jerk. He puffs himself all up, says he’s so important, says he’ll never get caught. He said the only one who saw him was your mother, and she’s dead.”

  From her observation point at the bathroom door, Terri watched in horrified fascination as Russ’s entire demeanor changed. Gavin’s words had hurt her many times. She was used to listening with a tin ear, ready to shut him out. But Russ did not have her experience. Gavin’s words had stabbed him in the heart, and he was bleeding anger and hatred. She saw it tighten him up and close him off. Terri realized she was seeing the Russ who faced down criminals and hauled them to justice. In the length of time it took Gavin to spew hi
s hurtful knowledge, Russ became a dangerous man.

  Russ’s cell phone rang. It was lying on the bed nearest the bath. Russ did not move to answer it. He was glaring a hole in Gavin’s head.

  Terri emerged from the bathroom and picked up the phone. She opened it and handed it to Russ without a word.

  Russ pushed the speaker button. “What?” The word had knife-sharp edges.

  “How’s your dad holding up?” It was DaSilva.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  DASILVA’S VOICE chilled the air in the cabin. “The kid is tucked away. Bring the goods to the same spot in the trail. The bitch remembers where.” He hung up.

  Gavin lunged for the phone. “She’s not a bitch! No one calls her that!”

  Russ shoved him hard and he fell backward.

  Terri couldn’t stop herself. “You mean, no one but you.”

  Russ’s voice was hard as nails. “Get out, Gavin.”

  “No. I’m with you on this.”

  “Then wait outside.”

  Gavin picked himself up and stepped outside.

  Terri watched as Russ checked his firearm. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Better than ever,” said Russ. He retrieved the revolver from its canvas hideaway and opened the chamber, double-checking that he had loaded it as well. He returned it to its holster, but did not snap it shut. “Put this in your tote. If you have to, reach in and fire it through your bag.”

  Terri was alarmed. She tucked her hands under her armpits to avoid taking the thirty-eight. “If I have to shoot? What are you going to do?”

  “We’re going to meet DaSilva,” said Russ. A muscle in his jaw twitched even when he wasn’t talking. “You are not going over the edge again. If he takes a single step in your direction, shout ‘Stop.’ When he takes the second step, shoot him. I’ll deal with the authorities afterward.”

  Terri’s eyes were big as moons. “Russ! I know you’re angry, but you can’t just gun him down in a crowded park.”

  For the first time, Russ’s veneer cracked. He took a breath, then spoke calmly and quietly. “Don’t worry, Terri. I’m not going to take a chance on hurting someone else’s Tiffany. I’m just telling you what to do if he comes at you. Understand? Now, take the revolver.” He softened a bit. “Carrying without a permit is a misdemeanor. It won’t make you a hardened criminal.”