“What’s that?” Zack asked.
“Cassie called Aaron.”
His friends watched him, their faces bewildered.
“She called Aaron,” he said, looking at them as if they were morons.
“Okay, yeah,” Zack said. “She called Aaron.” He spread his hands in a gesture of confusion.
“Do I have to spell it out for you people?”
“Apparently,” Zack said drolly.
Daniel turned to Holly. “Who’s listed first on your cell phone contact list?” he asked. “Come on, folks. This isn’t rocket science.”
Holly practically conked herself over her own head. “Aaron—which means…”
“Who’s she calling next?” Daniel said, nodding his head up and down.
Holly moaned. “That would be Bethany, Brittany, Cathi, Chrissy…” Holly slumped into a nearby chair. “Oh, no!”
Suddenly, everyone understood the implication of Daniel’s words. All but Holly snatched their cell phones from their pockets and attempted to check them for calls. Unfortunately, each phone registered the ‘no service’ icon.
“Holly,” Kendall said with a grimace, “if your stepdad is involved in these girls’ deaths, then…”
“What?” Niqui said.
“‘D’ for David,” Kendall informed.
Holly’s gut wrenched and she looked panic stricken for several seconds, but then a look of relief crossed her face. “Wait, I might get a short reprieve. I have him in my phone under ‘S’ for ‘stepdad.’”
“Better that than ‘K,’” Daniel said.
“What?” Holly said, her brows furrowed in a frown.
“Better ‘S’ for stepdad, than ‘K’ for killer.”
“Or ‘M’ for ‘Murderer,’” Kendall added, but turned when she heard a noise. “Hey, did I just hear the sound of a boat motor…”
Chapter Thirteen
“Anybody home?” a voice called above the sound of the motor, which promptly shut off.
The voice sounded loud, apparently emanating from a bull horn, the kids realized.
“What the heck?” Zack said, heading for the back porch.
The group followed him outside. They glanced down toward the lake. A Marine Patrol boat was tied to the dock. A uniform-clad deputy climbed over the side and landed soundly on the dock. He spied the kids and gave a wave. Another deputy remained at the wheel, but was seated and eating a sandwich.
When the kids didn’t walk down to the dock to greet the deputy who had exited the boat, he left the dock and sauntered up the slight hill to greet them. When he reached them, his eyes passed over the faces of each of the teenagers. “Who’s Holly?” he asked finally.
She took a step forward, said “Me,” and then accepted his proffered hand.
“I’m Donner,” the man said, smiling. “Your dad told us to stop by and check on you. Everything going okay?” he asked.
The group had been shocked to see the deputy arrive—Holly included. She shook herself slightly to pull herself together. “Fine,” she told him, and then introduced her friends, one by one.
“Yep, your ol’ pop was worried about you and wanted me to check on you.”
“You mean, her stepdad asked you to check on her,” Kendall clarified for him in an especially droll voice, causing the others to give her a sharp glance.
The man sent her a speculative glance. “Well, yeah, but I know he thinks of Holly and her brother as if they were his own,” the man said, aiming the remark at Holly. “You kids and your mom have made him a happy man. I, for one, am glad to see that he’s found someone to share his life with.”
Holly smiled. What else could she do? It wasn’t as if she could say, well, the jury’s still out on the count, because if he’s a homicidal maniac, everybody’s happy days could be numbered.
Were they in danger? she wondered, her eyes reflecting her fear. The deputy noticed.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked her. “You look a little green around the gills.”
Holly roused herself and forced a smile. “I’m fine. Thanks. Um, would you like a soda or a bottle of water?”
“Hey, thanks for asking,” he said cheerily. “I just drank my last water and it’s already heating up out there.”
Holly started for the cabin and to her surprise, the deputy fell into step beside her. Her friends followed, unsure what else to do.
Inside the cabin, the deputy strode to the kitchen and pulled a water from the fridge. Evidently, he knew the layout of the cabin. When Holly gave him an inquiring glance, he noticed. “Dave let me rent the place for several weeks during early summer. Did a lot of fishing.” He twisted the cap off the water and took a deep swig. “Beautiful country up here.”
Holly nodded, and her friends echoed in the affirmative.
“I grew up here,” he said brightly. “On this very lake. Have to say, I miss it. I’m living in Vancouver now, but city life, it’s just not the same.”
Holly glanced at Zack, who read her thoughts. He used to live up here.
“Want a donut?” Kendall asked in her monotone voice.
The cop glanced at her, apparently in an attempt to gauge if she was making a joke about cops and donuts. When Kendall’s face remained stoically impassive, he grinned. “Don’t mind if I do. My wife usually packs my lunch, but she’s out of town, and well…”
“I’ll make you a sandwich too,” Niqui offered, and he didn’t refuse the offer, but instead checked his watch.
“You know what?” he said jovially. “I’ll just take my lunch here and now. I do appreciate the offer of lunch. It’s been a long time since breakfast.” He quickly radioed his partner that he’d be a few minutes and then smiled at the kids, who had taken seats at the dinette. He joined them.
Awkwardly, Holly smiled, unsure what to say. She glanced at Zack, who shrugged. “Something on your minds?” the deputy asked, and then thanked Kendall for the donut she passed him.
“Would you like a root beer?” Daniel asked.
He lifted the water, and then set it down with a tap. “Water’s fine for now, but I’ll take one for the road,” the man said cheerfully. “Nice of you kids to offer.”
Soon, Niqui passed him a turkey and cheese sandwich, along with a heaping pile of potato chips. He smiled his thanks.
Niqui sat down and the kids remained quiet as he devoured his lunch. He glanced up, speaking through a mouthful of sandwich. “You kids all right? I have a daughter about your age and she’s never this quiet.”
“Oh, uh, we’re fine,” Zack said.
It was Kendall who apparently realized the deputy might be a valuable source of information, and as always, she was direct and to the point when she questioned him. “Hey, were you around a couple of years ago when that girl disappeared up here?”
“Okay,” the man said, bobbing his head up and down knowingly. “Now I know why you’re all out of sorts. I take it you’ve talked to Thomas, her brother.”
Zack nodded. “We’ve met him.”
The deputy put his sandwich down and wiped his hands on the napkin Niqui had provided. “Look, don’t you kids be worrying about that business. I know Thomas weaves a frightening tale, but it’s nothing to be worrying about.”
Zack decided to play dumb, and said instead, “I don’t know what you mean about him weaving a frightening tale… Well, I mean, having his sister disappear is frightening, if that’s what you mean.”
“Oh, he didn’t tell you about…” He let the words trail off, and shook his head to clear it, before turning to Kendall. “In answer to your question, yes, I was here when Cassie Cooke disappeared. I was called out the night she went missing. The next morning, Search and Rescue was called out.”
“But authorities never found her,” Holly said.
“Well, that’s true,” the man admitted, “but we certainly never found a … body.”
“But you found her jet ski, propped against a log…” Kendall reminded him.
The deputy sighed. �
��At the time, it was believed she had taken off with friends.”
“But what if she didn’t?” Holly asked. “Did you search the entire lake?”
The man smiled with forced patience. “Honey,” he said, in a tone she found too condescending to her liking, “that lake, reservoir,” he clarified, “is over four-hundred feet deep in places and covers 3,780 acres. If her body is down there, we’re not going to find it.”
“But you did try?”
“We searched the Siouxon…” He narrowed his gaze. “Why the interest?”
Holly shrugged. “It is creepy, you know.”
He smiled reassuringly. “You have nothing to worry about. You just enjoy your getaway with your friends. We’re up here patrolling all the time during the summer. Nothing is going to happen to you. I assure you.”
“Is Cassie Cooke the only missing girl you’re aware of in these parts?” Daniel asked.
The deputy studied Daniel with interest. “Son, is there something you want to tell me?”
“Well, no,” he said quickly. “But what if…”
The deputy laughed. “Let’s forgo the ‘what if’ scenarios, or you kids aren’t likely going to enjoy your vacation up here. Hell, you won’t be getting a night’s sleep if you keep ‘what-iffing.’ So again, you have nothing to fear. In fact,” he said cheerfully, “I noticed on the OT sheet this morning that David is coming up here day after tomorrow. I know you’ll feel a lot safer with him up here.”
Holly attempted a smile. “Oh, I’m sure.”
***
“I didn’t think he was ever going to leave,” Kendall said, and turned to Niqui. “Did you have to send him off with another donut and the rest of the bag of chips? I wanted those.”
Niqui grinned. “What can I say? I’ve always admired a man in uniform.”
“Hey!” Aaron protested, and Niqui laughed. “I’ve always admired a man with six-pack abs more,” she told him, “and that deputy definitely needs to cut back on the donuts.”
Aaron ran a hand along his muscled stomach and laughed. “Well, then, I’m the man for you.”
Holly watched her friends, glad they could still laugh and carry on when they were caught up in a situation none had signed up for. As much as she hated to interrupt their carefree banter, it had to be done. “Guys, before the deputy showed up, we were discussing the phone calls from … Cassie.”
“That’s right,” Daniel said. “And I’ve been thinking…”
“About what, Danny Boy?” Zack asked.
“We need to test my theory about Cassie calling the contacts on Holly’s phone. “If she does manage to call David, and he is the killer, then we’re all in trouble.”
“How do you mean?” Niqui asked.
“Come on, Niqui, think,” Daniel said tiredly. “If he put those girls in that lake, and suddenly he’s getting calls from a disembodied voice saying the things to him she said to Aaron, he’s going to be suspicious. He’s going to think someone’s on to him.”
Daniel gave a sickly grin. “And, you all seem to have missed another important point.”
“What’s that?” Kendall asked.
“Come on, people. When David gets that call, he’s going to know it’s from Holly’s phone, just like Aaron did. Duh!”
“Oh, man,” Zack muttered. “He’s going to be really suspicious, since Holly told her mom she lost her phone in the lake.”
“I need to call my brother,” Holly said. “Maybe…”
“What, Holly?” Zack said.
“Maybe I can get him to hide David’s phone from him…” Her words trailed off, as she dismissed the idea. Harry was mad about David and would never do something that might upset his beloved stepfather. But maybe she could somehow convince him to hide the phone without divulging anything to him… Arggh, would Harry help her?
“Call him now, Holly,” Zack suggested.
Holly winced. “I’m afraid to call the house. What if Cassie has reached ‘M’—as in Mom?”
“If she had, you’d know about it by now,” Kendall said. “Your mom would have called straight away.”
Holly shook her head. “No, not necessarily. Half the time, Mom’s cell phone is turned off when she’s away from the house. If she’s home, it’s never on. She might have missed the call.”
“So call Harry and try to persuade him to hide David’s phone,” Kendall advised.
“If I call the house, and David picks up…” She shook her head worriedly.
“Look, one thing I do know is this…” Daniel said.
“What?” Zack said.
“We have to go out on that big, bad lake, where we have phone service, so all of us can check our phones for messages from Cassie, because I guarantee you that if we have them, our other friends have too. It’s only a matter of time before David is alerted that something is amiss.”
“Amiss?” Aaron muttered sarcastically. “I’ve always so admired your vocabulary, Daniel.”
“Kiss my vocabulary,” Daniel hissed.
“Hey!” Zack cried. “Enough. If we’re going to solve this mystery and make it through this is one piece, we have to stick together.”
Both boys looked appropriately repentant. “We’re sorry,” they said in unison.
“Besides,” Zack added, “Who’s to say Cassie is going to repeat the same messages? Maybe, just maybe, she’ll divulge additional information that could help us.”
Chapter Fourteen
The kids were just about to leave the cabin for the boat, when Niqui spied the message light blinking on the answering machine in the kitchen. “You guys,” she called in a tentative voice. “We didn’t notice this before.”
Zack crossed the room to check it out. “How did we miss this?” he mumbled. “Holly, come over here.”
Holly approached slowly, afraid of the blinking red light, afraid to hear the message. Had Cassie called ‘C’ for cabin?
Zack gave Holly a questioning glance, his finger poised above the answering machine button. She nodded and he pushed. They heard an odd sound, like static, or like the sound of rushing water. Suddenly, a distant female voice said, “They don’t like it down here. It’s cold. Help them.”
Holly froze. The voice sounded so sad, so defeated. The static sound continued, and then suddenly, the girl spoke again. “He’s going … to kill again. Go..” A bit more static played out, and then the call was over.
“Wow,” Zack said in shock, moving to stand beside Holly, who hadn’t moved a millimeter from her spot. He saw the stark terror in her eyes and took a hold of her shoulders. “Are you okay, Holly?”
She was afraid to answer him, sure she knew she would burst into tears if she tried. It was so sad, so horrible, so incomprehensible that they were receiving phone calls from a dead girl in the lake. Her stomach twisted in a painful knot and her heart thumped in an erratic cadence. “We have to get them out!” she cried. “We have to get them out.”
Her friends surrounded her. “Holly, we’ll help them. We’ll do our best for them,” Daniel assured her.
Suddenly, things went from bad to worse. The next message played. “Holly, um, this is Chrissy. I got your call. I’m scared. Please. Call. Me. If this is a joke, it isn’t funny.”
Holly sighed heavily and turned to her friends. “I have to call Chrissy. She’s really worried.”
Chrissy had been Holly’s best friend since freshman year in high school, and had recently moved to Tennessee to live with her older sister and her sister’s husband.
“Can it wait until later?” Zack said softly. “We should probably go.”
Holly turned to him and he noted she was pale and her features drawn. “She’ll call my mom if I don’t. She won’t stop. And if the situation was reversed, I wouldn’t stop until I knew she was safe either.”
He nodded. “Okay, then, call her.”
She approached the phone to make the call when the next message began playing. Things went from worse to worst with this call. “Hey, sis, this is
dad. I have to tell you, if this is your idea of some kind of a joke, it isn’t funny. I called your mom’s cell, and she doesn’t answer. I tried her at the house, but again, no go. So… Honey, if you get this message, call me immediately. I’m leaving work now. Oh, wait, I’m receiving another call. Is this you? God knows, I hope it’s you.” Click.
“Oh, no,” Holly moaned. “My dad will call David, you know.”
“Your dad is a cop, too, right?” Daniel said.
Holly nodded. “Yeah, but he works in Seattle, in the Major Crimes unit of the Police Department.”
“Call him!” Niqui said. “We need him.”
“Should I?” Holly wondered, and then promptly dismissed the idea. She could just imagine the phone call. “Hey, Dad, you have to come to Yale Reservoir. There’s a ghost in the lake and she’s been doing all sorts of things to get our attention…” Daniel wouldn’t be the only one facing a stint in the local psych ward.
Holly sighed. “We will call him, but first we need proof that a crime has taken place,” she said.
Zack nodded with understanding. “Yeah, we can’t very well tell him, ‘The ghost told us…’” He sighed then. “Okay, but look, my guess is your dad tried to reach us on our phones. If he can’t get you, he will try your friends. Remember, the last time he visited and we all went to a late movie, he made us write down our cell phone numbers.” Zack smiled. “He also made a joke about waiting up with a shot gun in his lap.”
“He’s protective,” Holly acknowledged with a soft smile. That trait had annoyed her in the past. She doubted his protectiveness would ever bother her again. In the past, when he’d warned her about all the dangers in the world, she’d only half-listened, and had actually been dismissive of him—to the point of rudeness. She suddenly wished she could take it all back. She well understood the horrors that could befall a young girl. Cassie was a constant, translucent reminder.
Holly visibly grimaced. What had Cassie experienced at the hands of her killer? Had he beaten and raped her? Had he kept her for mere minutes, or had he held her captive for days before ending her life? Suddenly, Holly wanted to cry. And then she remembered. In her message, Cassie had ended by saying, “He’ll kill again. Go!”
The Reservoir Page 10