The Way Back Home

by Barbara Freethy

  “Russell wanted to have an adventure. And Brian did, too.” He paused. “Brian was having a great time on that trip. Maybe too good of a time.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He hesitated. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

  “That’s not going to be possible, so just tell me what you’re getting at.”

  He drew in a long, deep breath. “Brian and a couple of the other guys took a hike during lunch. They were gone for a while.”

  “So?”

  “You should talk to Marco and John. They were with Brian. And they were all really happy when they got back.”

  She was trying to read between the lines, but he wasn’t making it easy. “Are you saying something happened at lunchtime?”

  “This is a bad idea.”

  “Just say it, whatever it is.”

  “I wondered if they drank or smoked or took something.”

  She stared at him in shock. “Why would you think that?”

  “Just a gut feeling from the way they acted when they came back.”

  “You never said that before.”

  “Well, the autopsy didn’t show anything in Brian’s bloodstream, so I figured I was wrong.”

  “Exactly. You are wrong. I can’t believe you’re trying to blame the accident on Brian.”

  “I wasn’t doing that. But you asked.”

  “You should go, Jared.”

  As he walked out the door, she drew in a shaky breath. He was right; he never should have said anything. Because now she wasn’t going to be able to think about anything else. The autopsy had come back clean, so he was wrong. Brian was a responsible man. He knew that drinking was prohibited on the trip, and he didn’t do drugs. She was not going to let Jared’s doubts become her own.

  Alicia was standing on the half-circle drive when Gabe pulled up in his Jeep at about the same time Jared came out of the house. Jared looked pissed off, and she wondered what on earth had gone on between him and Kelly.

  Gabe gave her a nod as he got out of his truck. “You called a tow truck?”

  “No, Jared saw my car and thought I might be here looking for some help. Jared, this is Gabe Ryder. Gabe, Jared Donovan.” The two men gave each other a brief assessing nod. “Jared has some gas in the truck that I can use.”

  “You ran out of gas?”

  “I filled up two days ago, but the gauge said empty.”

  “We’ll check it out,” Jared said. “Why don’t you two follow me?”

  “Thanks for coming,” she said to Gabe as she got into the passenger seat. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything. Where were you?”

  “At Mullaney’s.”

  “Talking to Cassie?”

  He gave her a smile. “She was there.”

  “She’s a pretty girl.”

  “That she is.”

  She didn’t like his ready agreement. “Are you interested in her?”

  “Do you care?” he countered, a sparkle in his eye.

  “Of course not. You can do whatever you want with whoever you want.”

  “Exactly.”

  A moment of silence passed, and then she couldn’t help adding, “But seriously, Cassie? She’s not the smartest girl in town.”

  “She’s friendly and welcoming.”

  “Among other things,” she muttered.

  “You’re jealous.”

  “I am not.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Fine, it bothers me a little. The last time you were here, it was you and me. It’s weird to see you with someone else.”

  “How do you think I feel seeing you with Keith?”

  “Probably happy, because now you don’t have to worry about me throwing myself at you again.”

  “Do you ever throw yourself at Keith? The two of you don’t seem very passionate.”

  “You’ve only seen us in public,” she said defensively. “And I don’t rush into things the way I used to. I learned my lesson with you.”

  “And I don’t take small-town girls to bed anymore. I learned my lesson with you,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

  A minute later, they pulled up behind the tow truck. Jared was already crawling under the car with a flashlight when they got out.

  “What do you see?”

  “Nothing good,” Jared said as he scooted back out from under the car, concern in his eyes.

  “Do I have a leak?”

  “You have more than a leak, Alicia. Your fuel line was cut.”

  A shiver ran down her spine.

  “Someone did this deliberately?” Gabe asked, his body stiffening beside her.

  “The line was sliced, but not all the way through. Someone gave you a slow leak. Whoever did it knew what they were doing.”

  “Why? Why would someone do that?” she asked.

  Jared got to his feet. “Could be teens, vandalism.”

  “Or someone who wants to send you a message,” Gabe said.

  She liked Jared’s theory better, but she couldn’t discount Gabe’s words. “If someone wanted me to run out of gas, what’s the message?”

  “Stay off the river,” Gabe said. “Come on, Alicia. That’s all anyone is talking about in town.”

  She looked at Jared. “Do you agree?”

  He shifted his feet. “I’d hate to think someone would do this to you for that reason.”

  “But you do think it. So what do I do?”

  “I can tow the car to our garage and fix the line.”

  “Thanks. I guess I should talk to the police, too.”

  “I’ll drive you into town,” Gabe said.

  She walked with Gabe back to his truck. They watched in silence while Jared hooked the car to his tow truck, and then they followed him into town.

  “Are you all right?” Gabe asked.

  “Not even close. What if Justin had been in the car? What if it had been night? What if someone had been following too close when the car slowed and stopped? How could someone do this to me? I grew up in this town. I don’t get it.”

  “We’re going to find out who did this.”

  “I doubt that. My car was sitting in the carnival parking lot all day. Anyone could have done it. There were literally hundreds of people around. It was the perfect opportunity.”

  “It’s a long shot, but we should make a police report anyway.” He paused. “It’s funny that that guy with the tow truck just happened to show up.”

  She frowned. “What are you saying?”

  “Just that he was right on the spot. You didn’t even have to call him.”

  “He said he had just jumped a battery nearby, and he recognized my car. I grew up with Jared. His family owns the auto shop.”

  “Was he friends with Brian?”

  “Yes. He was on the rafting trip.”

  “Interesting.”

  “It’s not interesting,” she said hotly. “I don’t believe Jared cut my gas line and then waited around to rescue me.”

  “It would be one way to ensure that you got the message without really putting you in danger.”

  “It was probably kids,” she said, even though her gut instinct told her that the act had been deliberate and personal. “I don’t want to go to the police, Gabe. I just want to go home.”

  “You need to report this.”

  “The chief of police was also on the trip,” she said. “Do you really think he’s going to care?”

  “We’ll make him care.” He reached over and put his hand over hers. “Your battle is my battle, babe. This is something I know how to do. Let me do it.”

  His gaze burned into her. And for the life of her, she couldn’t say no. “Okay. Do it.”

  Ronnie D’Amico was young for a chief of police, in his mid-thirties, having gotten the job after his father retired. Like so many other organizations and businesses in River Rock, the police department was a family affair. Gabe pulled up in front of the two-story building near the county courthouse and shut off the engine.

  “
What else do I need to know before we go inside?” he asked.

  “Like what?”

  “Like what did Ronnie think happened out on the river? If he’s a cop, he must have done some investigating.”

  “Ronnie was on the third raft with Simon. They were at least two hundred yards behind us, and the river was narrow and twisting along that stretch. They didn’t see my father’s raft overturn. Simon told me that he caught a glimpse of my raft going airborne, and when they came around the bend, they saw a lot of people in the water. Simon managed to pull the raft over to the side and avoid the worst of the rapids. Then they tried to get people out of the water.”

  Alicia was telling the story as matter-of-factly as she could, but her fingers were twisting together, and there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

  “Hang in there,” he said. “Anyone else from the police department on the trip?”

  “Ronnie’s cousin, Ernie. He was also in the third raft.”

  “So, no cops actually saw what happened or experienced it?”

  “No, but Ronnie said in retrospect that the river was too high, running too fast, and that we should have called the trip off. It was a popular theory after the accident.”

  “Was it too high?”

  “It was high,” she admitted. “We had a lot of rain that winter and spring. The runoff was the highest it had been in years. But we weren’t the only company running the river that week. Wild River Tours had gone out the day before.”

  “Well, that’s interesting. It proves that other companies weren’t staying away.”

  “I guess. But they weren’t on the river that day, and I’ve heard rumors that Mitchell said they called off a trip because of what they’d seen the day before.”

  “But they didn’t communicate any information to you?”

  “We’re competitors, not friends.”

  He nodded, the picture becoming a little clearer in his mind.

  “My father likes to run the river when it’s high and fast.” Alicia turned to meet his gaze. “He loves the challenge of it. And he thought ‘the boys,’ as he called them, would like it, too. And they did. They were having a great time, until that minute when everyone ended up in the water.”

  “How many times have you ended up in the river?” he asked.

  “A half-dozen times in the last ten years.”

  “So you knew what to do.”

  “Theoretically. But once you’re in the river, the current has a mind of its own.”

  “Where is Simon?”

  “Well, according to my dad, he’s coming back to town next week, and he’s planning to work for us again.”

  “That’s good news, right?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not feeling too excited about anything right now. Shall we go inside?”

  “Sure.”

  They walked into the police station and asked to speak with the chief. Unfortunately, he was at the festival along with most of the staff. They were forced to give their report to a young officer named Michael Tarry, who jotted down notes and told them he’d pass the information along.

  “That was a waste of time,” Alicia said as they left.

  Gabe felt much the same way. “At least there’s a report on file, just in case something else happens.”

  Her face paled. “You think something else is going to happen?”

  “I hope not.”

  “But that’s what you think?” she asked as they got into the truck.

  “Yes. Last night, Kenny Barber was walking around your boatyard with a flashlight, and he had no business being there. He might be a former employee, but now he’s working for your competitor. Today your fuel line is cut. Someone wants to make sure that you don’t go back on the river. Where does Kenny live?”

  “An apartment building a few blocks from here.”

  “Great. I’ll take you home, and then I’m going to pay him a visit.”

  “If you’re paying him a visit, I’m going, too. This is my problem, Gabe.”

  “He could be dangerous.”

  “Kenny is just a young guy who likes to ride the white water, and I’ve known him since he was eighteen years old. I can’t blame him for finding a better gig than the one I have to offer, and if he said he was looking for something he left behind, then I have no reason not to believe him.” She blew out a breath of frustration. “I hate this. I used to be able to trust people, trust my instincts. Maybe you’re blowing this out of proportion, Gabe.”

  “I don’t think I’m overreacting” he said carefully. “Last night, you talked me into believing that Kenny had a reason to be wandering around your yard in the dark. But with the car incident, I think you need to be on alert.” He turned the key in the ignition. “Promise me one thing. Until we know what we’re dealing with, don’t underestimate anyone. Don’t think because someone was a friend that they still are. A man is dead. And it’s possible that someone wants revenge.”

  “And they waited six months to go for it?”

  “Maybe the idea of you going back out on the river pushed them to act now.”

  She pressed a hand to her temple. “I have a headache.”

  “I’m getting one, too,” he said dryly.

  She gave him a weak smile. “Bet you’re sorry you made that promise to Rob now.”

  “No. Now I understand why Rob wanted me to make the promise. I think he knew you were dealing with more than you realized.”

  “And you don’t think cutting the gas line is the end?”

  “No, Alicia. I think it’s the beginning.”

  Ten

  Kenny Barber lived on the second floor of a rundown apartment building near the liquor store. His girlfriend, a skinny blonde who looked barely out of her teens, opened the door wearing tight jeans and a tank top. Kenny was sitting on the couch of the small apartment, strumming a guitar, a couple of empty beer bottles on the coffee table in front of him. When he saw them in the doorway, he jumped to his feet, and Alicia saw something flash through his eyes that looked a lot like guilt.

  “Kenny,” she said, pushing her way past Gabe and the girlfriend. “Why were you in our yard last night? What were you looking for?”

  “I—I thought I left a backpack there, but I didn’t see it.”

  “Maybe you should have looked in the daylight,” she said pointedly.

  “Yeah, I just kind of thought about it last night and figured it was worth a quick look. I didn’t think you’d care, Alicia. I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “I haven’t seen any backpacks lying around.”

  “I guess I left it somewhere else, then.”

  She didn’t like the way Kenny couldn’t quite look her in the eye. They’d spent a lot of hours on the river together, and she’d thought they were a lot closer than this awkward conversation. It probably didn’t help to have Gabe giving him suspicious looks or his girlfriend looking at them with a worried expression on her face, but that was beside the point.

  “Kenny, what’s going on?” she asked directly. “Did you sign on to be a river guide with Wild River Tours?”

  He gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Alicia, but they’re giving me a lot more money. Plus, I didn’t even know if you and your dad would make it back onto the river. He’s still using a cane.”

  “It would be easier for us to make it back onto the river if our guides didn’t keep deserting us.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do, Alicia.”

  “Well, the first thing you should have done was return my phone calls and be honest with me. The second thing you need to do now is tell me why you were on my property last night in the dark with a flashlight.”

  “I swear, I was just looking for my backpack. I’ve looked everywhere else, and I thought it might be there. I didn’t come during the day because I didn’t want to run into you. I didn’t know how to tell you I was leaving.”

  She gave him a long, searching look, wanting to believe him, but Gabe’s warning was fresh in her mind. “
Okay, here’s another question. Do you know someone who would cut the fuel line on my car?”

  Shock flashed through Kenny’s eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “What she just said,” Gabe said, stepping forward, his powerful stance making Kenny take a step backward. “Someone made sure she ran out of gas today. Any ideas who would do that?”

  “It wasn’t me. I wouldn’t even know how to do that. You gotta believe me, Alicia.”

  “I’d like to believe you, Kenny, but you’re acting really secretive.”

  “It wasn’t me. And no offense, but a lot of people don’t like you anymore.”

  “Why don’t you give us a name or two of people who could do something like that?” Gabe suggested.

  Kenny looked from Gabe to her. “Russell Farr, his friends, Brian’s friends. Go down the list of who was on the trip last year.”

  “What about someone who wasn’t on the trip?” Alicia asked, not liking the way Gabe had taken over, although he was definitely intimidating Kenny. “You know a lot of people in town. You must hear things.”

  “Just tell them, Kenny,” the girlfriend suddenly said.

  “Joanie, shut up.”

  Joanie moved around Gabe to stand next to Kenny. “There’s a rumor going around town that anyone who can stop you from going back on the river can make some nice cash,” she said.

  Alicia looked at the girl in shock. “Where did you hear that?”

  “I work at Mullaney’s, and some guys from Wild River Tours were in one day. They were drinking and laughing and making it all seem like a joke, but some people think they were serious. And money has been tight for a lot of people around here the last few years.”

  Alicia looked back at Kenny for confirmation. “Is that true?”

  “It was a joke.”

  “You think it’s funny for someone to threaten me? To threaten my family?” she challenged, feeling angry and worried.

  “No, I didn’t think it was funny. I’m sorry, Alicia. You don’t deserve this,” Kenny said. “I know the accident wasn’t your fault. It was just an accident.”

  “Then why doesn’t anyone else believe that?”