You Will Never Leave: A psychological suspense thriller

by Hinkens, N. L.

  "Welcome everyone," Blair began. "We’re in a difficult spot and I realize nerves are raw right now. Two nights ago, a man was murdered, and last night we narrowly escaped a mudslide with our lives. We’ve been thrown into this mess, forced to depend on one another, and we scarcely know one another. That can be dangerous in an already stressful situation. So I suggest we take a few minutes and introduce ourselves briefly. If we're going be stuck here for the next few days, it’s important to develop some level of trust."

  "I couldn’t agree more," Hazel piped up. "I’m a big believer in making connections. I’ll kick things off. I’m divorced, fifty-six years old, and a retired nurse. After my sister died of pancreatic cancer, I wanted to do something meaningful in her memory. So I’m traveling around the country writing a book about naturopathic medicine and healing, which I’m going to dedicate to her." She laughed self-consciously. "Admittedly, it’s taking me a bit longer than I'd like. I spend more time foraging for plants than actually writing."

  She turned an expectant gaze on Whitney, seated on the other side of a vacant chair between them. "And you two lovebirds are on your honeymoon—you told me that when we met at the gas station—but that’s all I know about you. You’ve been hiding out in that trailer ever since you got here."

  Whitney slipped a hand through Logan's arm and glanced coyly around the circle. "Yes, Logan and I are newlyweds."

  A subdued chorus of congratulations met her announcement. Blair squirmed in her seat. Despite her misgivings about Whitney and Logan, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for them. This had to be about the most disastrous honeymoon imaginable.

  Whitney prodded Logan in the shoulder. "You’re next. Tell them something about yourself."

  "I’m a computer systems analyst," he said grumpily, folding his arms in front of him to indicate that was the height of what he intended to share with the group.

  After an awkward silence, Blair cleared her throat. "Matt and I have been married for five years. We decided to borrow his dad’s trailer and do some traveling before we settle down and set up our landscaping business together. I'm a landscape architect."

  "I’m Blair’s husband, in case anyone’s still trying to connect the dots," Matt said. "I got back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan a few months ago. It’s been rough … assimilating."

  Blair squirmed in her seat. Matt had glossed over the worst of it, but then she hardly expected him to open up to a bunch of strangers when he’d barely opened up to her about it.

  Hazel inclined her head toward him. "Thank you for your service."

  Matt leaned back in his chair and turned to Harvey seated next to him.

  Judging by his expression, Blair surmised he’d just as soon forego the kumbaya bonding and get on with packing up and getting out of here. But he was stranded at Bird Creek like the rest of them. Isolating himself right when he needed them most wouldn’t accomplish anything.

  "Sandy and I are retired. She finished her latest round of chemotherapy a few weeks ago." Harvey dropped his gaze and twiddled with his hands in his lap. "We’re both avid campers and we were eager to get back out on the trail. But this was a mistake. She’s going downhill fast."

  The crackling of logs muffled the sympathetic murmuring that followed his comments.

  After a respectful moment of silence, Sam spoke up. "Seems like we all came out here to get away from something. I lost my climbing buddy in an accident a couple of months back." He rubbed Duke’s head distractedly. "It's been tough to keep going and stay motivated ever since."

  Blair stretched a sympathetic smile across her face. Everyone had their own story of heartbreak, except for Logan and Whitney. But they were young—it was only a matter of time before life smacked them in the teeth too. "Thanks, everyone," she said. "Now that we've broken the ice, let's brainstorm about how we can rally together while we ride out this mess."

  Across the road, the door to Harvey’s and Sandy's RV creaked open. Everyone craned their necks, watching with curiosity as an unsteady Sandy descended the steps and began making her way toward them.

  Harvey went to get out of his chair, but Blair jumped to her feet first. She ran across to Sandy and gently guided her to the empty camping chair next to Hazel.

  "You shouldn’t be out here in the cold," Harvey scolded, hurrying over to her. "Let me take you back to bed."

  "I’m … fine," she replied, slurring her speech as she motioned to him with a flop of her hand to sit back down.

  Blair shot a concerned look Hazel’s way. Sandy sounded far from fine—more like she was dosed up on some heavy-duty pain medication.

  "You’re just in time," Matt said. "We were about to discuss our predicament and make a game plan going forward. Logan and Whitney informed us that a mudslide took out the road that leads from the campground to the highway. I’m going to drive out there in a few minutes and assess the situation. No harm in a second opinion. But, as it stands, we’re stranded here. So we need to come up with some ideas of how we can help ourselves while we wait for rescue."

  Sandy darted a confused look around the group. Her eyes looked even glassier against the backdrop of the flames.

  "We could start by gathering up some boulders from the mudslide and building an SOS," Sam proposed. "Basic stuff, but it works."

  Matt gave an approving nod. "Can you coordinate that?"

  "Sure." Sam looked pointedly at Logan. "Maybe you can help. Like you pointed out, the only way we’re getting out of here now is if we’re airlifted out. We’ll need to build something big enough so it can be spotted from the air."

  Logan gave an offhand shrug that indicated nothing.

  "These kinds of situations bring out the best and the worst in people," Matt said, directing a meaningful look at Logan. "We need to work together to get everyone out alive. We have an injured man inside, and a sick woman out here. And I don't need to remind you that the killer’s still unaccounted for. We don't know that he succumbed to the mudslide. All we know for sure is that a man was murdered right outside our campground."

  Sandy's head whipped toward Matt, her eyes wide like saucers. She moaned softly and then, without warning, keeled over in her chair and collapsed. Hazel darted over to her. "Quick! Someone help me get her back to the RV."

  Sam swooped in ahead of Harvey and lifted Sandy’s frail body into his arms. She stirred and groaned again.

  Matt grabbed Duke by the collar to stop him from following Sam.

  "Take her inside and I’ll check her vitals," Hazel said, reaching for the medical bag she’d left by her folding chair.

  "What did you have to bring the murder up for?" Harvey growled to Matt in passing. "She can’t handle that kind of stress."

  Still muttering under his breath, Harvey strode back over to his RV.

  A couple of minutes later, Sam reappeared and joined the others by the fire. Duke licked his hand and settled back down at his feet.

  "Is she all right?" Blair asked.

  "I think so," Sam said. "She came around again. Hazel’s making her one of her herbal tea concoctions. Harvey’s making a stink about it, but Hazel’s not taking no for an answer."

  Matt got to his feet. "I’m going to drive out to look at that road now. I won’t be long. Maybe you guys can start on the SOS when Hazel gets back."

  He pulled Blair aside as he made his way over to the truck. "Whatever you do, stick with the group. I don’t want you alone up there with Sam, or anyone else for that matter."

  After Matt drove off, Sam looked around at the others. "Who wants to pitch in with the SOS?"

  "I will," Blair said.

  Whitney squirmed in her seat. "I don’t have any boots with me—just these shoes and my tennis shoes."

  Blair arched a brow at Logan. "What’s your excuse?"

  He got to his feet with a contemptuous grunt. "You can’t expect me to leave my new bride on her own when there’s a killer on the loose."

  A stony silence prevailed as Sam and Blair watched Logan and Whitney f
old up their camping chairs and walk off.

  "Unbelievable," Blair muttered as soon as they were out of earshot. "I get that they’re on their honeymoon and this totally sucks for them, but it’s not like they’ll never get a chance at a redo."

  "Forget them." Sam let out an aggrieved breath. "We’ll get more done without them."

  The door to Harvey’s RV slammed and Hazel made her way back over.

  "How’s Sandy doing?" Blair asked.

  Hazel sank back down in her camping chair, a perturbed look on her face as she studied the flickering flames.

  "What is it?" Blair pressed. "Is something wrong?"

  "No," Hazel said, looking pensive. "That’s just it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong at all. I don’t think Sandy has cancer."

  9

  Blair wrinkled up her brow. "I don’t understand. What do you mean you don’t think she has cancer?"

  "I can’t figure out what’s going on," Hazel admitted. "Unless it’s Munchausen syndrome or something—you know, when a person acts as if they’re sick to gain sympathy."

  Sam frowned. "She seems pretty sick to me. What makes you think she’s faking it?"

  Hazel cast a lingering glance across the way at the RV. "After I checked out her vitals, I asked to use the bathroom. I wanted to take a quick look through the cabinet to check her prescriptions, to make sure she wasn't taking anything that was having an adverse effect on her. You heard her slurring her words. The weird thing is, there was nothing there other than Vicodin."

  Sam shrugged. "Wouldn’t that be normal? For the pain, I mean."

  "Yes, but the strange thing is that I distinctly remember Harvey telling us she was on a bunch of medication."

  "I bet it’s in the cabinet by her bed," Blair said.

  Hazel shook her head. "It's not. I checked her nightstand when I helped her into bed. And that's not all. When I went to make her a cup of herbal tea I noticed—"

  She broke off abruptly as Harvey exited his RV and made his way over to them. "She’s sleeping now." He scratched the back of his neck uneasily. "Thanks for your help. Didn't mean to appear ungrateful or anything. It's a … bad situation and she won’t listen to reason."

  "I'm sure it's not easy," Blair sympathized.

  "I can help you build that SOS," Harvey said. "I'd like to do my part."

  "We appreciate that," Sam replied. "But you should probably stay here and keep an eye on Sandy. Between the three of us, we’ll get it done."

  "And it would be good to have someone close by in case Rob needs anything," Hazel added.

  "Well, if you're sure," Harvey said, sounding uncertain.

  "Absolutely, we've got it covered," Blair assured him.

  He nodded and retreated across the way to his RV.

  "Do you think he suspects Sandy’s faking her illness?" Blair asked. "He acts like he’s annoyed with her at times."

  Hazel puckered her brow. "He might be in on it. The world is full of neurotic people."

  "Then they’re both nutcases." Sam got to his feet and doused the fire. "Right now, we’ve got other things to worry about. It’s starting to spit rain again. Let's get to work before Matt gets back. I’m going to put Duke inside."

  "I’ll check on Rob. Be right out," Blair said.

  When she slipped inside, Rob was still fast asleep on the couch, so she scribbled a note to let him know where they were going, and then draped a blanket over him before heading back outside to where Sam and Hazel were waiting. She felt somewhat uncomfortable about leaving a stranger alone in their trailer, but it wasn't as if there was anything worth stealing, and where was he going to go? He was stuck here like the rest of them.

  Between the three of them, and despite the rain that grew increasingly heavy, they managed to arrange enough boulders into an SOS in under two hours. They elected to build it on the edge of the mudslide closest to Bird Creek to give anyone flying overhead the best chance of spotting the trailers. Blair was somewhat concerned that the boulders they’d used weren't large enough to be seen from the air, but she couldn't have lifted anything heavier anyway.

  By the time they got back to the campground, Matt was just pulling in.

  "It's not good," he said as he climbed out of his truck. "Like Whitney said, the road’s completely washed out. There's no way around it." He hesitated. "At least, not in a vehicle."

  Sam studied him, eyes alert. "What are you thinking?"

  Matt stuffed his hands into his back pockets. "It might be possible to climb up the other side of the mountain and cross over that way on foot—bypass the section of the road that’s destroyed. From what I remember, it's only about a six-mile-hike back to the main road."

  "I can drive out there with you and take a look," Sam said. "I’ve got all my climbing gear in the trailer."

  Matt nodded thoughtfully. "Let's go first thing in the morning. It’s dumping rain again now, and it’ll be dark here soon."

  "What about searching for Rob’s brother?" Sam asked.

  Matt shook his head. "Not in these conditions. We can’t risk getting caught in another slide. We’ll have to wait until morning and hope it clears up again. In the meantime, let’s get everyone back together for an update."

  "I think we should inventory our supplies, as a precaution," Hazel proposed. "The most critical issue will be making sure we have enough drinking water for the next few days."

  Blair nodded. "I agree. I doubt anyone was planning on staying here more than a night or two. We certainly weren't. Our plan was to stock up once we got to Black Rock."

  Matt gave a grim nod. "All right, we’ll gather back here after dinner for a quick meeting."

  "I’ll let the others know," Sam said, striding down to the road.

  "Tell them to go through their supplies and figure out how many days’ worth of food and water they have," Matt called after him. "We might have to start pooling our stuff."

  "I should check on Rob again before I go," Hazel said.

  Blair waved a hand dismissively. "He’s sleeping. Leave him for now."

  Matt cast a quick glance across at the unoccupied camper van next to Harvey’s and Sandy’s RV. "What do you guys think about moving Rob in there?"

  "You mean … break in?" Blair threw Matt a reproving look.

  He shrugged. "It’s an emergency. The usual rules don’t apply. Besides, if it belongs to that duck hunter, he could be dead for all we know."

  "I'm okay with it," Hazel said. "At least Rob would have a real bed to sleep in."

  Matt contemplated the idea for a moment or two before opening up a storage compartment on the side of the trailer. He pulled out a small tool bag and checked the contents. "All right, let’s take a look inside—see if it’s even habitable. It's our civic responsibility to check it out anyway as the owner hasn’t made an appearance yet. It doesn't bode well for him."

  Hazel and Blair followed Matt over to the empty camper van. He threw down his tool bag and lifted out a screw gun.

  "Before you break in, maybe we should check in case there's a window open," Blair suggested.

  "There isn’t," Matt replied tersely. "I walked around the van yesterday to make sure no one was inside. Don’t worry, I won’t damage anything. I’m only going to remove the lock."

  Ten minutes later, Matt swung the door wide open. With a pang of contrition, Blair followed him and Hazel up the steps. Inside, the dingy space was permeated with a musty odor, but neat and well-organized. A man’s overcoat and Carhartt cap hung on a hook just inside the door."

  "I didn't expect this," Blair exclaimed. "For some reason I thought it would be trashed—neglected at least."

  Hazel scanned the countertops and opened and shut a couple of kitchen cabinets. "Far from being a slob, this guy might have a touch of OCD. Do you notice how everything’s lined up according to height; spices, books, even the mugs?"

  Blair made her way back to the bedroom and opened an overhead cabinet. "You're right about the OCD thing. I've never seen shirts and swe
aters folded this neatly before. Matt, this guy might be ex-military." She walked back out to the main area and pulled open the fridge, reeling back on her heels from the foul odor that emanated from it. "Ugh, what’s that smell?"

  Matt leaned over her shoulder and peeked inside. "The milk’s spoiled. He reached for a Ziploc bag on the bottom shelf and studied the label on it. "Duck meat. It's dated from a week ago." He tossed the package back on the shelf.

  "That's worrying," Hazel said. "I can't imagine anyone going off hunting and not coming back to their camper for a whole week."

  Matt shrugged. "It's not out of the norm for a hunter. He probably has a tent with him. The real question is whether or not he survived that mudslide."

  Blair locked eyes with him. "You mean whether or not he’s the killer."

  Matt gave a shallow nod as he tugged a hand through his wet hair. "That too."

  For the next few minutes, Blair busied herself taking a quick inventory of the food inside the camper van. She estimated there was enough pasta and canned goods to last one person for a couple of days. Water was a different matter. There didn't appear to be any in the camper other than a trickle left in a plastic dispenser sitting on the counter next to the fridge. "We’ll have to bring over some water," Blair commented. "But the place is clean and dry."

  "All things considered, I think Rob will be very comfortable here," Hazel said.

  Blair closed a cabinet door she’d left lying open. "I hope for his sake the neurotic owner doesn’t show back up. I doubt he’ll be too happy about sharing his perfectly ordered world with a stranger."

  "Yeah, well, he isn't here to argue the point," Matt said with an edge to his voice. "And I'd rather not have a stranger sleeping in our trailer. We don't know the first thing about Rob. We don't even know if he's telling us the truth about the dead guy, or his brother, or the duck hunter he suddenly remembered he’d met. He could be playing us all like fools."

  Hazel shot him a startled look. "You don’t think he’s the killer, do you? He seems like a pretty decent guy to me."