"But I'm right, aren’t I?" Blair’s voice quivered with fear. "We know the killer used a knife, and Hazel’s screen was cut with a precision blade."
"Everyone here has knives," Matt said dismissively. "Let’s not jump to conclusions. We have to keep this to ourselves, at least for now. We need everyone on board to help search for Hazel."
Sam looked uncomfortable. "Don’t we have a moral obligation to tell them? What if one of them is next?"
"We will tell them," Matt snapped. "But not yet. The screen was taped up from the inside. Maybe Hazel cut it for some reason and then taped it back up. Maybe she really is out there looking for plants and lost track of time." He thrust his hands into his hair and paced in front of the window. "If we can’t find her within the next hour, then—"
He broke off at the sound of voices approaching. "Remember, not a word to the others, yet."
They walked around to the door of the trailer just as Logan, Whitney, and Harvey came walking up from the road.
Matt nodded to them. "Thanks for coming to help with the search."
"Are you sure Sandy will be all right on her own?" Blair asked Harvey.
He gave a tentative nod. "She's sleeping. I left her a note to let her know Rob was in the camper van next door if she needed anything."
Blair swallowed back her trepidation at the thought of leaving Sandy—as sick as she was—to the mercy of a stranger. Logically, she reassured herself, Rob couldn’t possibly have managed to cut out the screen on Hazel’s trailer with a broken arm. It stood to reason he wasn’t the killer—or kidnapper—whatever the case might be.
"We’ll go in pairs," Matt said. "Stick together at all times. Blair and I will head into the woods behind the trailer. Sam, you and Harvey search along the hiking trail up to the mudslide. Logan and Whitney, take your truck and head down the road as far as the washed-out section. We’ll meet back here in one hour."
Blair’s pulse drummed in her temples as she and Matt set off through the dense undergrowth behind Hazel’s trailer. It was cool and dark among the trees, a shadowy kaleidoscope of greenery and dappled sunlight—all of her senses heightened as she quietly cataloged the sounds of the forest; the rustling of rodents running along the forest floor, and the chirping of birds calling to one another. Ordinarily, she found the familiar sounds comforting, but in her elevated state of fear, everything had become an ominous purveyor of doom.
Matt threw her a harried glance. "Are you all right?"
"No. I'm scared out of my wits. I just want to go home. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m beginning to feel like I’m on the set of a Stephen King movie."
"Like it or not, it’s happening. And if Hazel's in trouble, we have to find her."
Blair winced at the brush that scratched at her face and hands as she clambered after him through the undergrowth. She was grateful that despite Matt’s initial reservations about Hazel, he was willing to do whatever it took to find her. But what if they were too late? What if the killer had struck again?
"You’re falling behind." Matt rested one foot on a log as he waited for her to catch up. "We need to stick together."
"What if she’s dead?" Blair asked, coming to a halt next to him. "What if we find her body somewhere? I don't think I could bear it."
"We’re not going down that path yet," Matt said firmly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to stay strong—for me. I can't have you falling apart. You're the only person here I can really trust."
Blair sniffed and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "That reminds me of something. Whitney has some bad bruising on her wrist. I noticed it this morning in the trailer. When I asked her about it, she told me she tripped going to the outhouse and landed on the trailer hitch—which is about the stupidest explanation ever."
The expression on Matt’s face hardened. "Do you think Logan did it?"
"I'm sure of it. She even shot him a look before she answered me. She's afraid of him. You’ve seen how controlling he is—he’s pretty much kept her shut up in that trailer since they got here. I realize they’re on their honeymoon, but she never ventures anywhere without him, and when he calls, she jumps."
"Harvey's much the same way with Sandy," Matt mused. "We’ve scarcely set eyes on her."
"He is controlling," Blair admitted. "But that's a different situation. It's pretty obvious Sandy is ill and out of it. Someone has to be her advocate. But if I'm right about Logan, he's violent. What if he did something to Hazel too?"
Matt gave a dismissive grunt. "It doesn't add up. Why would he harm her? No. I've seen Logan's type before. Puny little wannabe gangster beats up on his girlfriend. Bet he’d be too scared to take on any man in this camp." He gestured toward the forest. "We need to keep looking."
They continued their search through the woods, periodically calling out Hazel's name. Blair was beginning to despair of ever finding her alive. She couldn’t imagine Hazel taking off on her own to look for plants, not after everything that had happened—it was far too dangerous. And it was unlikely she’d been kidnapped. How could someone have dragged her out of her trailer without any signs of a struggle? As terrifying a thought as it was, it was entirely possible the killer had struck again and strangled Hazel in her bed before removing her lifeless body. She couldn’t weigh more than ninety pounds—she wouldn’t have had a chance against an average-sized man.
"We should turn around now," Matt said, glancing at his watch.
"Can’t we search just a little longer?" Blair pleaded. "I know Hazel wouldn't give up if one of us was missing."
"We're not giving up," Matt assured her. "But we need to get back to the others like we arranged, or they’ll think something’s happened to us too. Maybe Hazel’s shown back up by now. Logan and Whitney might have picked her up in the truck, or Sam and Harvey could have found her foraging along the hiking trail."
The words rang hollow, bouncing off Blair like pebbles off a tin roof. Granted, Hazel had some free-spirited tendencies, but she would never have blown off the meeting to root around for a few plants—not with everything that was at stake.
Blair and Matt were the first to arrive back at Hazel’s trailer.
"Odd that Logan and Whitney aren't back yet," Matt commented, scanning up and down the road.
Blair rolled her eyes. "They're probably making out in their truck somewhere. I'd be surprised if they even made it as far as the mudslide. Logan’s a self-centered jerk."
"Let’s go next door and take a quick look at their trailer," Matt suggested, cocking a brow for Blair's blessing.
She tightened her lips and cast a nervous glance around. "Okay, but we’d better make it quick before they come rolling back in."
They darted across to the adjacent campsite where Whitney’s and Logan's trailer was parked. Matt walked up to the front door and tried the handle. "Locked. No surprise there."
Blair walked around to the dining room window and peered inside. "It’s a mess in there. And I'm willing to bet Logan was lying about their food supplies, judging by the bag of cookies and soda cans on the table."
"He’s exactly the kind of selfish scumbag you hope and pray your platoon never gets saddled with, for everyone’s sake," Matt growled.
"Let's take a look in the rear," Blair said, leading the way to the back of the trailer. All the blinds were pulled tight on the bedroom windows.
"Guess they don't want anyone looking in on their love nest," Matt muttered.
"You know what’s weird about that," Blair said, lowering her voice. "I asked Whitney to show me some of her wedding pictures, and she didn't have a single photo on her phone."
Matt threw Blair a confused look. "Why’s that weird?"
She let out a frustrated sigh. "Really, Matt? A young couple, newlyweds, and she doesn't even have one picture of her wedding on her phone to show people. I’m surprised it wasn’t her screensaver."
Matt shrugged. "Like you said, they're young. Maybe they couldn't afford a white wedding. Perha
ps they got married in a registry office and she was too embarrassed to tell you."
"That’s not the only thing bugging me," Blair went on. "Why are they so desperate to get back to work? To tell you the truth, I’m not even sure Whitney has a job. I think she was lying to me about being a teacher’s aide. Did you notice that Logan started to say he had to get back to work and then he corrected himself and changed it to we? And who takes only a three-day honeymoon, anyway?"
"Military," Matt replied with an abashed shrug.
Before Blair could respond, a truck came hurtling around the corner and pulled up behind them.
Logan jumped out and narrowed his eyes at them. "What are you doing here?"
"You're late," Matt said pointedly. "We decided to search the other campsites for Hazel." His eyes flicked to Whitney. "In case she tripped on a trailer hitch or something."
12
Whitney’s face flushed and she tugged self-consciously at her sleeve. Logan flashed her an icy glare that made her stiffen before turning on Matt. "You got a problem?"
Blair laid a restraining hand on her husband’s arm. "We should all head back over to Hazel’s trailer. Sam and Harvey will be wondering where we’re at."
Without waiting for an answer, she slipped her hand into Matt’s and led the way, thankful when Logan and Whitney fell in behind them.
Minutes after they arrived back, Sam and Harvey showed up.
"Sorry we’re late," Sam said. "We stopped off to check on Sandy and Rob. They’re both asleep."
"No sign of Hazel, I take it?" Blair asked.
Sam twisted his lips. "Not a trace."
Matt gave a grim nod. "At this point, I think we can assume foul play. That window definitely wasn’t damaged when Hazel showed Blair and me around her trailer."
"So … the killer’s still out there," Whitney whispered, a tremor in her voice.
"We don’t know that," Blair countered, even though her heart told her differently.
Matt cast an appraising look around. "Maybe the killer was never out there to begin with."
An uneasy silence descended over them.
Harvey pulled his bristly brows together indignantly. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
"It means the killer could be standing right here." Matt widened his stance as he surveyed the disconcerted group a second time. "The hunter posing with the prey. Let’s face it. How well do we really know each other?"
Logan let out a caustic laugh. "You’re about as paranoid as they come, soldier boy. I bet you still hear bombs going off in your brain."
In a flash, Matt’s arm shot out, scrunching up Logan’s collar in his white-knuckled fist. "I’ve had about all I can take of you and your loose lips and cocky attitude. I don't know what your game is, or what sewer you crawled up from, but judging by the way you like to knock that new wife of yours around, I wouldn't put it past you to kill a man."
Without warning, he released Logan with a disgusted shove. Whitney reached for him as he stumbled backward, but he shook her off and strode right back over to Matt, sticking his face up to his. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you’re not in charge here and we’re not your platoon. Touch me again and you’ll regret it."
A shiver of trepidation crossed Blair’s shoulders. Logan was no match for Matt in a fist fight, but she didn't like the menacing undertones in his threat. As conniving as he was, he might find a way to get back at Matt that wouldn’t be reliant on brute strength.
"Easy!" Sam interjected. "Lay off the threats. We’re all just trying to figure this thing out. Somebody killed a man, and now Hazel’s missing. Everyone’s scared half to death."
Logan continued to stare Matt down. "Funny thing is, you're the only one here who’s actually done any killing, isn't that right, Sergeant?"
"You tell me," Matt spat back. "Are you capable of strangling a man?"
Before Logan had a chance to respond, Blair yelled, "Enough! Everyone just take a breath and calm down. This isn’t helping us find Hazel. And that’s what we need to be focusing on."
"Forget her!" Logan hurled back. "She’s history. We should be talking about how we’re going to protect ourselves from the raving lunatic out there. What if one of us is next?"
"Do you ever think about anyone other than yourself?" Harvey growled.
"Look, we can't go on like this," Blair said, raising her voice again. "We either work together, or we call it quits and go our separate ways."
Matt and Logan continued to size each other up, narrowed eyes glinting their mutual dislike.
"Please, Logan," Whitney pleaded. "We need to stick together. I’m scared."
He scowled, clenching his hand into a fist at his side. "Tell that to Rambo over there."
Blair threw Matt a warning look, begging him not to retaliate.
Harvey cleared his throat, cutting through the tension in the air. "I say we forget our differences and start pulling together—concentrate on finding Hazel and working out a plan to keep everyone safe going forward."
Matt folded his arms in front of him and gave a conciliatory nod. "Fair enough. We should start by searching Hazel's trailer. Maybe we’ll find something that will give us a clue to her whereabouts."
Sam frowned. "We can’t just go around breaking into people’s trailers."
"The woman’s missing," Matt shot back. "Do you want to help find her, or arrest me?"
Sam gave a discomfited shrug.
"How are we going to get in?" Whitney asked.
"Matt can take the lock off," Blair explained.
"It would be quicker if you climbed through the damaged window," Matt said. "Come on, I’ll give you a leg up."
They disappeared around the back of the trailer and, a moment later, Blair opened the door from the inside.
"Try not to trash the place," she warned, as they filed in. "But search it thoroughly. Anything could be a potential clue, so don’t dismiss things outright."
"Wouldn’t surprise me if she turned out to be the killer." Logan snorted. "The witch and her herbal brews."
Whitney smothered a laugh. "You’re so mean! She could be injured or dead for all you know."
Blair shot Whitney a look of disgust. Her reaction indicated she was more amused than dismayed at Logan’s juvenile behavior. She was almost as annoying as him—in a different way. Even her high-pitched voice was beginning to grate on Blair.
Matt signaled for everyone’s attention. "All right, listen up. Whitney, you search the bathroom. Sam, you and Logan take the main area. Harvey can focus on the kitchen. Blair and I will tackle the bedroom area."
As they dispersed throughout the trailer and got to work, Blair couldn’t help feeling somewhat disconcerted at the thought of rummaging through a stranger’s possessions. Then again, she scarcely knew the other campers either. She hoped none of them pocketed anything that didn't belong to them—not that it would matter much if Hazel was dead. Her stomach lurched at the thought.
"Her coat and boots are still here by the door," Sam called back to them.
Blair and Matt exchanged a grave look. It didn’t bode well for Hazel's fate. She’d hardly have ventured into the forest of her own accord without donning her outerwear.
"Let's get this comforter off the bed and check for clues," Matt said.
After a thorough search of the sheets, underneath the mattress, and even in the storage compartment beneath the bed, Matt and Blair turned their attention to the bedside cabinets. Blair knelt and opened the one on the right. She rummaged through a small wicker basket of miscellaneous reading materials—crime fiction, for the most part, which surprised her. She’d expected to see a naturopathic handbook or something. She replaced the basket inside the cabinet and was about to get to her feet when she noticed a piece of paper wedged between the edge of the mattress and the bedside cabinet. Slipping her fingers into the small gap, she gingerly tugged out a scrap of lined paper.
"Find something?" Matt tilted his chin at her questioningly.
Blair frowned as she studied the words scrawled on the page amid a menagerie of random scribbles.
Mug/face
9?
She passed the sheet across to Matt. "Doodling, mostly. And a couple of obscure notes that I can’t make sense of."
Matt let out a confounded grunt. "No clue what that’s supposed to mean. It probably doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on. It could have fallen down the side of the mattress months ago." He scrunched it up and threw it on the nightstand. Blair reached for it and pocketed it. It might not be significant, but until she knew for sure, she wasn't about to leave it behind.
Whitney stuck her head into the room. "I didn’t find anything in the bathroom, except for Hazel’s purse—it was sitting on the counter." She held up a small brown leather satchel. "I feel kind of funny about going through it."
Matt motioned impatiently to her to hand it over. "Give it here. The woman’s missing for crying out loud. We need to find out who she is and where she lives."
Whitney gave a miffed shrug and tossed the purse to him. She hung back in the doorway, eying him curiously as he pulled out Hazel’s keys and passed them to Blair. "Hold on to those." He dug around inside the purse and retrieved a slim, black wallet. Flicking it open, he studied the license briefly before partially sliding each of the credit cards out in turn. All of a sudden, he inhaled a sharp breath.
Blair frowned at him. "What?"
He held out a laminated white card to her. "Concealed carry permit. Odd choice for a hippie homeopathic author, don’t you think?"
Blair shrugged. "Not really. She's a single woman traveling around remote parts of the country on her own. Makes sense to me."
Matt’s eyes narrowed. "So you’re okay with her having a gun for protection, but you didn’t want us traveling with one?"
The atmosphere in the room instantly ignited. But Blair wasn’t about to take the bait. She took a quick calming breath before answering. "That's different and you know it. Let’s not go back and rehash that again."
You Will Never Leave: A psychological suspense thriller Page 9