Mountain Peril

by Sandra Robbins

  He eased back into his chair. “You mentioned that you were planning it. What’s it for?”

  Danielle swallowed a sip of the hot liquid before responding. “In early December each year we have a dinner to honor all the donors to the school. It comes right after semester final exams, and everybody’s in a good mood with the holidays approaching. It’s a big affair with no expense spared. Most of the students have already left campus, but we involve a lot of them who stay until after the fundraiser.”

  “What do they do?”

  “Students from the art department decorate the dining room and foyer with exhibits of their work. After dinner, students from the music department and the drama program perform.” Her eyes misted, and she paused. “Flynn and Tricia were supposed to be on the program together this year.”

  Jack nodded. “I think you told me that.”

  She sniffed and pressed a napkin to the corner of her eye. “Anyway, it’s a huge night. We have to impress everyone so they’ll open their checkbooks and give generously for another year. Nathan has been worried that the media coverage of Tricia’s murder may affect the donations, so he wants this fundraiser to be spectacular.”

  Jack grinned. “I have a feeling he picked the right person to direct it.”

  His gaze traveled over her face, and her breath caught in her throat. “Tell me that the morning after the gala.”

  “I will.”

  She drained the coffee from the mug and picked up her purse. “Now how about that burger you promised me?”

  He chuckled and lifted the two cups from the table. “Wait for me at the door while I return these. We need to keep everything tidy so they won’t dread seeing us the next time.”

  Danielle stood up and sidestepped the tables on her way to the exit. Jack’s words about their next time here sent ripples of pleasure through her. She stopped at the door and watched him set the cups on the counter and saunter toward her.

  He smiled when he caught sight of her, and Danielle recalled how she had thought him aloof and remote when they first met. Each day she found herself liking him more, and that frightened her.

  Jack had been up front with her from the beginning about his determination to avoid relationships. If she didn’t get control of her feelings, he would likely discontinue their friendship, and she knew that would hurt. She’d already lost too much to let that happen.

  Two hours later Jack pulled his car to a stop behind Danielle’s in her driveway. He climbed out and hurried forward just as she stepped onto the graveled path that ran beside her house.

  She grasped her key ring and located the one for the house. “Thanks for following me home, Jack. I really enjoyed our dinner.”

  He laughed. “It wasn’t much of a meal. Just a burger and fries, but I like to eat at The Copper Kettle. I guess it’s a guy place, but I’m glad you liked it.”

  She walked toward the house, and he fell into step beside her. “The food was good, but so was the company.”

  They climbed the steps to the front porch, and he waited while she unlocked the door. When she turned to face him, he sucked in his breath at how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. He didn’t want the evening to end, but he didn’t know what else to do.

  Finally he spoke. “I enjoyed the company, too.”

  She smiled. “From the tone of your voice, I suspect you really didn’t want to say that.”

  He shook his head. “It’s hard for me. I’ve made a habit of cutting myself off from everyone for so long that sometimes I think I must be the most boring person around.”

  “You don’t bore me.”

  The soft-spoken words stirred him, and he stared at her lips. They looked so inviting, and he could imagine pulling her to him and tasting the sweetness of her mouth. He inched forward. “I didn’t mean to get involved with you, Danielle.”

  She tilted her head up. “Are we involved? I thought we were just friends.”

  “I don’t understand what we are. I just know you’ve opened the world up to me again, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

  “You have for me, too,” she whispered.

  He raked his hand through his hair. “I promised myself that I would never allow myself to hurt another woman, and I don’t want to do that to you.”

  She nodded. “I know. After Stan’s death, I knew I couldn’t stand another loss. I don’t want to end up being hurt again.”

  He exhaled. “Then what are we going to do? There’s something happening between the two of us, and it scares me.”

  Tears glittered in her eyes. “It scares me, too.”

  He clenched his fists at his side. “Right now I want to kiss you more than anything, but I’m not going to.”

  She nodded. “I think that’s wise. It’s not time for that between us. Not yet, and it may never be. We need to give it more time.”

  He backed away. “When can I see you again?”

  She thought for a minute. “Tomorrow’s Saturday, and we don’t have to work. We could drive over to Gatlinburg. Maybe go to the aquarium. Have dinner somewhere.” Her eyes widened at something she’d forgotten. “Oh, Nathan is having a party at his chalet for the staff. I have to go to that. You can go with me.”

  He stuck his hands in his pockets and chuckled. “Me at a party with intellectuals? I’d be out of place.”

  She laughed and swatted his arm. “You would not. Besides I’ll need somebody to rescue me early from a boring event. How about it?”

  The time had come that he had to confess something else he’d never told her. He hesitated, afraid that what he was about to tell her would mean an end to their friendship. “Will there be any alcohol there?”

  She frowned. “I suppose so, but I don’t drink. So I never pay much attention to that. Why?”

  He swallowed. “After my wife’s death, I went through a time that I drank a lot. I finally went to Alcoholics Anonymous, and I haven’t had a drink since.”

  “Then you’ve recovered.”

  Jack sighed. “The truth is you never recover. That’s why we call ourselves alcoholics. We have to fight it every day.”

  She smiled. “Then I’ll help you. I’ll be right beside you and drink the same soft drink you do.”

  He thought for a moment. “In that case, I would love to go to Mr. Stoneface Webster’s party.”

  Danielle burst out laughing. “Stoneface? Have you looked in the mirror lately, Detective Denton? You might find Mr. Webster’s not the only one who forgets to smile.”

  Laughter rumbled from Jack’s throat. “Oh, Danielle, I’ve never met anyone like you. I think you’re good for me.”

  “Then will you go?”

  He thought for a moment. “What time?”

  “We need to be there about four o’clock. It’s a come-and-go type thing. We can make an appearance, sample the appetizers, and leave because we have dinner reservations in Gatlinburg.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Do we have reservations?”

  She smiled. “We do if you make them tomorrow.”

  He laughed. “All right. I’ll pick you up about three-thirty, and we’ll go to Mr. Webster’s party. See you then.”

  She opened the door, stepped inside and turned to face him. “Good night, Jack. I had a wonderful time.”

  His chest tightened and he struggled to smile. “I did, too, Danielle. See you tomorrow.”

  She closed the door, and he stood there thinking about his evening. Their dinner might not have been at the fanciest restaurant in town, but there was no denying how much he enjoyed the evening.

  His confession about his previous drinking problem didn’t seem to worry her either. He wondered if the faith she talked about helped her to accept people and their flaws without being judgmental. If it did, then maybe he could learn something from her. Not that he could ever see himself becoming a believer, but he had to admit she had something he’d never encountered in anyone else.

  As he got to know her, he found they shared other things in commo
n. Tonight at dinner they’d talked about their likes and dislikes, and he’d been surprised to find out that she liked baseball almost as much as he did. He smiled and hopped down the steps.

  He jumped in his car and turned the ignition. What a day! He’d laughed for the first time in a while and he’d almost kissed a woman. The memory of Danielle standing in the moonlight returned as he backed the car from the driveway. This might not have been the right time for a kiss, but he felt sure there would be the perfect moment in the future.

  Jack took a sip of his ginger ale and glanced around at the people spread across Nathan Webster’s formal dining room and the huge living room beyond. When Danielle had said chalet, he expected a rustic cabin tucked in the mountains, not this huge mansion that towered among the maple and pine trees at the end of a gated trail. When they’d first driven up, he thought they must have come to a lodge, not a home where a man lived alone.

  Danielle smiled up at him. “Enjoying yourself?”

  Jack chuckled. “So this is how the rich and famous live?”

  She raised her glass of ginger ale to her mouth. “I don’t know about that. Everybody here, with the exception of Nathan, is a faculty member just like me.”

  He let his gaze rove over the group of mostly middle-aged men and women and grinned. Even if he hadn’t known, he could’ve guessed their occupations. Each one of them had an academic look about them. Maybe it was their dark-colored clothes or perhaps the impression of high IQs they projected that he’d come to associate with the teaching profession. All of them looked the part. All of them except Danielle.

  He smiled at her. “They may be faculty members, but there’s not one here like you.” Color rose in her cheeks. “How many teachers are there at Webster?”

  She thought a moment. “I think at the beginning of the year we had over ninety.”

  Jack’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Ninety? For four hundred students?”

  Danielle nodded. “When the Webster family endowed the school, they wanted only the most gifted students. So they offered full scholarships to anyone with high SAT scores who could pass the difficult entrance exams. They also wanted to keep the enrollment low and faculty numbers high so there would be more one-on-one attention to the students.”

  “And you were one of those that got in.”

  Danielle glanced across the room at Nathan. “Yeah, but it wasn’t easy. Even after I passed the exams, the screening committee was still reluctant to admit me.”

  Jack’s mouth gaped open. “You’ve got to be kidding. Why?”

  She set her glass down on a table beside her and chuckled. “Nathan had been a fan of my parents and knew about their drug and alcohol abuse. He thought I might be tainted because of my heritage.”

  “So how did you get in?”

  “The committee invited me for an interview. I was so scared when I walked into that room. But from the minute Nathan met me, he liked me. The interview was a success, and Nathan became one of my best friends. I don’t know what I would have done without him after Jennifer’s and Stan’s deaths.”

  Jack thought of seeing Danielle with Nathan at the restaurant and tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy that nibbled at his mind. “He seemed to be very attentive the night I saw him with you at the restaurant.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Like I said, he’s been a wonderful friend.”

  Jack took a sip from his glass. He groaned as Nathan Webster, who’d been circulating about the room and chatting with his guests, spied them standing in the dining room and headed in their direction. “Here comes Stoneface now.”

  Danielle frowned at Jack and held out her hand. “Nathan, what a wonderful party. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

  Nathan cupped Danielle’s hand in both of his and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Danielle.” He released her fingers and shook Jack’s hand. “Detective Denton, I’m happy you could join us.”

  Jack cut his eyes toward Danielle. “Danielle invited me.”

  Nathan smiled. “I didn’t realize you had become such good friends.”

  “Danielle’s been helping me with the case.”

  Danielle looked up at Jack, a hint of surprise on her face.

  Nathan leaned closer. “Do you have any leads that you can share with me? We’re eager for this sad affair to be brought to a close.”

  Jack shook his head. “Nothing yet, but maybe soon.”

  Nathan pursed his lips. “That’s disappointing.” After a moment he exhaled and turned to Danielle. “I spoke to the food services director, and he told me he’s very impressed with the menu you chose for the fundraiser. I knew I’d put the right person in charge when I chose you.”

  Jack nodded as Nathan turned and walked away. Danielle watched him before she turned back to Jack. “Did you hear that? He liked what I chose. I was afraid he’d want something different.”

  Jack smiled at her. “I’m not surprised that he was pleased. You’re successful at everything you do.”

  Across the room a man motioned to Danielle, and she placed her hand on Jack’s arm. “Could you excuse me a moment? I need to speak to Dr. Cranston. I’ll be right back.”

  Jack watched as Danielle walked toward the paunchy man standing with a group of university faculty. They smiled and nodded as she approached. Within minutes she was involved in an animated conversation with them.

  As he studied her face, he noticed the ease with which she fit into the group. This was her life. Two men walked by him, and he heard one of them say “derivative formula.” He had no idea what they were talking about.

  Jack glanced around the room and realized this scene was far from anything he’d ever known. Conversations with intellectuals seemed foreign to him, and he wondered what he was doing here.

  Suddenly he wanted to leave, to have Danielle to himself. But with that thought came the realization of his selfishness. Maybe he didn’t fit in, but Danielle did. This was her world, but it was far from his. He’d been deluding himself that they could overcome the differences between them, but now he knew they couldn’t. Sadness like he’d never known flowed through him.

  Danielle backed away from the group and strode back to where he waited. “We can go now if you want.”

  Jack gave a curt nod. “Good. You say your goodbyes, and I’ll get our coats.”

  Without waiting for her to answer he headed toward the den at the back of the house and retrieved the coats they’d left there upon arriving. He turned and walked toward the door but hesitated at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Not eager to start a conversation with another intellectual, Jack stepped behind the open door to keep from being seen.

  “I was surprised to see Danielle with that policeman.”

  Jack’s eyebrows arched at the sound of Nathan Webster’s voice.

  “I know. I didn’t realize she was seeing him,” Jeff Newman replied.

  “Have you told her about the promotion yet?” Jack pressed his ear closer to the door to catch Nathan’s words.

  “I haven’t. I thought I’d wait until after the fundraiser.”

  The sound of fingernails tapping on a glass drifted through the door. When they quieted, Nathan spoke again. “To be vice president of Webster is quite an accomplishment for a woman her age. If she’s become infatuated with Detective Denton, I hope she doesn’t lose sight of what’s best for her professionally.”

  “Surely she wouldn’t do that.” Jeff’s voice sounded worried. “She’s worked for years to get an opportunity like this.”

  Nathan sighed. “Maybe we shouldn’t wait until the new year to tell her. Go on and talk to her Monday morning.” The ice in the glass tinkled as if it was being swirled about. “When you offer her the job, perhaps you’d better remind her that she needs a man in her life who understands the academic life. Jack Denton obviously doesn’t.”

  “I will.”

  The men moved away from the door, and Jack stood there replaying what they’d said. It was clear they didn’t
want Danielle’s relationship with him to destroy her chance at a promotion. He didn’t want that, either.

  Jack clutched the coats tighter and hurried from the room. He spied Danielle standing near the front door. Landon Morse, his attention directed to Danielle, smiled down at her as she talked. Landon glanced up as Jack approached.

  Landon’s eyes burned with a smoldering fury as Jack stopped next to Danielle. “Detective Denton,” he said, “imagine meeting you here.”

  The dislike for the man that Jack had felt the first time he met him rose in Jack’s throat. He still considered Landon a chief suspect in Tricia Peterson’s death. He thought of their conversation in his office and the report on his desk that told of Landon’s stalking a female student at the school where he’d previously been employed.

  Jack felt his eyes grow wide. He shouldn’t be pointing the finger of guilt at anyone. Not with his guilt over his shortcomings as a husband. If it wasn’t for him, his wife would never have turned to another man and would still be alive. He swallowed and forced himself to speak. “We were just leaving, Dr. Morse.”

  Landon glanced at him. “That’s what Danielle said. I suppose we are a boring group to somebody who’s used to chasing criminals.”

  Jack glanced around the room. “You never can tell who may be hiding in a crowd. One thing I’ve learned since coming to Webster Falls is that a lot of people have secrets.”

  Landon’s face mottled with rage, and Danielle stepped between them. “Would you help me with my coat, Jack?”

  “Sure.” Jack pulled his attention away from Landon and held the coat while she slipped it on.

  Danielle took a deep breath. “I’ll see you Monday, Landon.”

  He nodded, then turned a somber stare toward Jack. “Goodbye, Detective Denton.”

  Without speaking, Jack took Danielle’s arm and steered her to the door. Once outside he inhaled, and the fresh air calmed him. It had been evident from the minute he walked in the door of Nathan Webster’s house that he was out of his league. He didn’t understand any of the conversation around him, and he’d been ignored by most of the people in attendance.