“Apparently so,” Zack murmured, and then dropped heavily onto the seat beside her. “I bet the toy car belonged to Erick.”
Holly nodded and met his gaze. Zack’s crisp blue eyes reflected his pain. Holly well understood he was thinking about a little boy who would never play with that car again—whose life had been ended tragically by a monster.
“It’ll be over soon, Zack,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “We’ll be home soon.”
When Donner suddenly snapped his radio off his belt, listened, and then began shouting wildly, Holly and Zack rose from the seat again. They watched the man intently, wondering what was happening. “We have bodies under the bridge!” he called, and then began calling out orders. “You, go! You! You!” He aimed a finger at a nearby boat, and then hurried to climb in. “Let’s go! Move!”
Holly heard David’s voice. She glanced up to see David hurry toward Donner. “What about the kids. I’d like to get them out of here. They’ve been through enough.”
“Yeah, okay, go. But don’t let them leave the cabin yet. We’ll need to conduct additional interviews. We still have several unanswered questions,” he said, staring at Holly and Zack for several seconds. And then, with a dismissive wave, he gave the driver the signal to go.
***
Back at the cabin, the kids’ relief at reuniting was tempered by the knowledge that divers were currently pulling the bodies of the missing girls from the lake. They knew there would be thirteen—plus one body that would not be found. Cassie wasn’t ready to divulge the whereabouts of her body as yet.
The kids huddled together in the living room, unspeaking, until Daniel finally flipped on the television. They watched a show, most unseeing, since they were lost to their thoughts. When David entered the room, clapping his hands together, they nearly jumped out of their skins.
“Dude, you scared us!” Aaron said testily.
“Sorry,” David said. “I know you kids have been through a lot these last few days.”
Aaron nodded. “You can say that again. When can we get out of here, by the way?”
David checked his watch. “I’m sure you can leave in an hour or so. Of course, law enforcement will want to take additional statements from you, but they can certainly do that at the Sheriff’s Office tomorrow.”
“I would prefer that,” Daniel said, and the sentiment was echoed by the others.
David watched the group for a brief moment, shook his head with a beleaguered sigh, and headed for the kitchen, where his wife was sitting at the table sipping coffee. Holly could hear the sound of her mother and stepfather talking, but couldn’t make out the words.
Having David show up on the lake as he had done had caused Holly to take a closer look at him. She realized his presence had made her feel safer. She had been glad to see him arrive. Maybe she owed him a chance at a closer relationship with each member of his new family—including her. Maybe she owed herself the chance to get to know him better.
She pondered the questions briefly, but pushed them aside as thoughts of Cassie entered her mind. Where was she now? Was she at the bridge, hiding from probing eyes, and watching her friends being pulled from the reservoir one by one? When the other girls left, she would be alone in the lake. It saddened her to think about her remaining behind without her friends for company.
A wave of emotion washed over Holly, and she forced back the urge to cry. Zack seemed to sense her tenuous composure, since he draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close. She surrendered to his strength and comfort, so glad he had been with her over the past couple days. What would she have done without him?
Holly hadn’t realized she’d dozed off in the crook of his arm, until he roused her with a gentle shake. “Holly, wake up. David says we can leave now.”
She struggled to shake off sleep’s hold. “We can leave now?” she murmured.
He smiled softly. “Yeah, all thirteen bodies have been found.”
“But not Cassie,” she said. It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded. “Right. Cassie’s body is still out there,” he whispered.
“How long will it take to identify the bodies?”
Zack shrugged. “David said it could take awhile, but that the mementos would make it easier.”
Holly digested the information. “So you’re leaving?”
“I can stay if you want me to,” he said. “Or, you could always ride back to Vancouver with me.”
She smiled at the offer. There wasn’t anything she would have liked more, however, she noticed David standing in the kitchen, watching them. She glanced his way.
“Holly, you can go on ahead with Zack, or your mother,” he told her. “I’ll stay back and grab what stuff we’re allowed to bring home. The detectives have asked that we take care about touching much, since they hope to come in tomorrow morning and search the place for evidence.” He gave a tired, sad smile. “I never thought I’d be saying those words,” he admitted with a humorless laugh as he glanced around. “No wonder the place came cheap,” he added with a sigh.
“I’ll stay and help you, David,” she told him, and turned to Zack. “I’ll see you later tonight?” she said hopefully.
He nodded and then leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. “See you tonight.”
She said goodbye to her each of her friends. Daniel was last to wrap her in a hug.
“At least I’m not crazy like dear, ol’ Dad,” he said, attempting a smile.
“No, Daniel, you are most definitely sane,” she assured him, and after a final goodbye to Zack, joined her mother in the kitchen.
“Are you sure you don’t want to drive back to town with me?” she asked, watching Holly with concern. “Sometimes a kid needs her mother…”
Holly smiled. “I don’t feel like a kid anymore,” she said, realizing it was true. She had faced her fears time and again over the past two days. She had entered the water with a ghost and had managed to retain her wits. She had dove for bodies, and had done her best to bring closure to her new friend, Cassie. No, she was no longer a child.
“I’ll stick around and help David, Mom,” she said. “Besides, one of the deputies might need to talk to me.”
Her mother shook her head. “No. David has asked that they wait until tomorrow to interview all of you kids. David feels like I do, that you’ve all been through enough for today.”
“So they’re not processing the cabin and shed until tomorrow?” Holly asked.
“They’ve cordoned off the area as a crime scene, but they won’t be coming in until tomorrow. They’re still so busy at the bridge. Regardless, we’ve been instructed to get out ASAP.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe everything that’s happened. I just can’t fathom that you and Zack happened upon two bodies, and … discovered the necklace that led to the discovery of all those other poor children under that bridge.” She shook her head. “It’s just … incomprehensible.”
Holly sighed. What could she say? It sounded coincidental to her own ears, but she simply couldn’t tell her mother the truth—that Cassie had instigated the search by showing up at the dock that first evening, and then, earlier today, pulling her into the water in order to show her the location of all the bodies.
“Sure you don’t want to come with me?” he mother asked again.
She shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine. I hate to leave David here all alone.”
Her mother smiled, but rose with a weary sigh. “Don’t be long. Hurry David up if you can manage it,” she said. “I’d like you both home safe and away from here.”
“The killer is dead, Mom,” she said, attempting a reassuring smile.
“I know, but you’re my child. I worry.”
“Like Cassie’s family worried about her,” Holly said, thinking again about those poor parents who had lost their daughter to a killer at one of their most treasured vacation spots—the Yale Reservoir.
“By the way, Holly,” her mother said tentative
ly then, “who did make those odd phone calls to us and all your friends?”
Holly shrugged. “I … don’t know, Mom.”
“Okay, well,” she said, trying to sound upbeat, “your brother is home alone, so I should get moving. I’ll see you in a couple hours.” After kissing David goodbye, her mother headed to her car and drove away.
Holly turned to David. “What can I do to help?”
He did a slow turn in the room, and then shrugged. “Well, nothing really, I guess. We were told not to touch anything, being as this furniture came with the place.”
He paused and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You know what, just grab your clothes and towels and we’ll get moving. I’m going to head over to the shed to assure the doors are secured. Donner was worried someone might try to break in, if word gets out about the discovery of the items inside, as related to the bodies.” He shook his head. “Again, words I never believed I’d be saying…”
Holly gave him a commiserating smile, and then hurried into the bedroom, where any still-clean clothing was folded in the drawers. She placed them in her duffel bag. Next, she hurried to find her dirty clothes, and stuffed them into a plastic garbage bag. After grabbing a few essential toiletries, she hurried to take all the items to David’s truck.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Kendall steered her economy car past the entrance to Saddle Dam, casting a glance toward the forest-lined county road. “I don’t think I’ll ever come back,” she told Daniel, who had decided to ride home with her.
“Me neither,” he concurred, checking to assure Aaron’s car was behind them.
Niqui had joined Aaron in his Bronco, although his boat had been left behind at David’s dock. For reasons he still didn’t understand, the cops had insisted he leave it behind, so it could be examined for evidence. What they thought they might find, he couldn’t even imagine. Heck, the boat hadn’t been involved in the commission of any crime.
“What’s wrong, Aaron?” Niqui asked.
“Just angry they took my boat,” he muttered.
“Are you sure something more isn’t bothering you? You’re just not yourself, but then, maybe none of us are, after…”
Aaron ran a hand through his hair. “I keep thinking…”
“About what?”
“That’s just it,” he said in an aggravated voice. “I don’t know what. But I feel like there’s something I should be remembering—something important.”
“It’s probably just the shock of everything we’ve been through, you know.”
“Maybe…”
Aaron glanced in his rearview mirror to assure that Zack was still behind him. He simply didn’t want to lose sight of a single friend until each and every one of them was safely off the mountain.
Zack rode home alone in his big truck. He cast a glance at the empty passenger seat beside him. He missed Holly. They’d spent nearly every moment together the past two days, and despite the constant togetherness, he wanted more time with her. Surely that meant he cared about her—maybe even … loved her. He smiled at the thought, his mind drifting to her often on the drive home.
He was so preoccupied with thoughts of her, he nearly missed it when his friends pulled into the store parking lot at Amboy. He wondered why they were stopping and decided to follow them, parking in the space beside Kendall’s car. He rolled down his window. “What’s up, guys?”
“Daniel is hungry,” Kendall told him. “We’re going to get something to eat at the restaurant over there.”
Suddenly, Zack’s stomach rumbled. He remembered having had breakfast, but in all the commotion of finding the bodies, he hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner. It was likely his friends hadn’t eaten either. He wondered if Holly was famished too, and wished she was with them.
A part of him felt guilt at even the thought of eating, considering the horror of what they’d left behind at the reservoir, but his stomach was insistent. Besides, his going hungry wouldn’t help Cassie or the others. He dropped out of the truck, and followed his friends into the restaurant across the street.
Daniel led the way into the establishment, finding a table large enough to accommodate the group. The kids were silent as a waitress hurriedly approached and gave each of them a menu.
After a moment, the waitress returned to take their drink orders and the kids remained quiet, processing the events of the day. When John, the Search and Rescue guy, walked into the restaurant moments later, Kendall was first to spot him. She nudged Daniel with her elbow and nodded in his direction.
He glanced John’s way, and to the surprise of his friends, rose and called out to the man. “John! Over here!”
Zack’s face reflected his puzzlement over the invitation. He and Holly still weren’t convinced John wasn’t involved in the murders. At the slide, while in the boat, he had sat so stoically, so still, it had seemed odd to them that he hadn’t pitched in to help the men search for additional bodies.
John acknowledged Daniel’s invitation with a weary smile and crossed the room to take the one remaining chair at their table. He dropped into it. “Heck of a day,” he said to Daniel, who promptly introduced John to his friends. “Good to meet you all,” he said. “‘Course, I’ve already met you,” he told Zack.
“We weren’t formally introduced,” Zack said, watching the man speculatively.
A waitress appeared and took their food orders. After she scurried away, John seemed to sink further down into the seat, his shoulders sagging dejectedly. Zack noticed that Niqui appeared equally dejected, or maybe she was simply tired, since she yawned. Kendall was quieter than usual too. Maybe they were simply having trouble processing the reality that several bodies had been found that day in a place as pristine and beautiful as Yale Reservoir.
Zack turned his attention back to John and studiously watched him. The man apparently noticed. “Something I can do for you, son?” he inquired.
Zack frowned. “I was just wondering why you didn’t help with the recovery of the bodies,” he told him honestly.
John met his gaze. “It’s like you just said, it was a recovery, not a rescue,” he said, without apology. “Sad, sad thing,” he added, and took a slow sip of the coffee the waitress put in front of him.
Daniel spoke up. “John, we understand they believe the former owner of David Gray’s cabin is the murderer.” He gave a weary shake of his head. “I can’t believe we were actually staying at that place.”
“You said his name was Cleve Walker, right?” Kendall said.
John nodded his head up and down. “That’s what I understand, and yes, you got his name right,” he told Kendall, and then glanced off to some point beyond her head. He seemed to refocus after a long moment. “I knew the man for years,” he said crisply, his eyes registering confusion as he met Kendall’s gaze. He gave a deep, shuddering breath. “Cleve took part in Cassie’s search. How could he have…?” He finally shook his head, to ward off his disturbing thoughts, and addressed the group. “I guess you can’t ever really know someone’s heart.”
Aaron listened to the exchange, fidgeting with his napkin the whole while. Something was niggling at his brain, and had been since he’d been in that shed the first time. Something relevant—he was sure of it—was floating around in his subconscious, just out of reach, and the more he tried to get a fix on it, the more it eluded him. He sighed, and John noticed.
“All right, son?” he asked.
Aaron met his gaze. “Something’s bothering me…”
“What’s that?”
“Something about this whole, God-awful situation,” he admitted, and wondered why he was speaking to the man Zack had said could very well be involved in the murders. He eyed the older man curiously. “Have you heard anything more about the recovery effort?” he asked.
John shook his head. “Not much. Only that there were thirteen bodies pulled out of that big lake. Twelve were girls and one a little boy.” He took a slow swig of his coffee. “The deputies believe Cassie Cooke i
s one of them.” He frowned, the lines of his weathered face deepening with the pain of that knowledge. “I can’t help but wonder if Cassie’s outcome could have been different had we continued looking for her, rather than calling off the search.” He shook his head and expelled a long sigh. “I guess we’ll never know.”
Zack noted a sudden flash of anger in the man’s eyes, before they softened to sadness once again. “That poor, poor family,” John mused aloud. “All those families… But at least they’ll have the closure people so often talk about. Personally, I’m not sure closure is a real concept. How do you ever get over losing a child…?” When John swiped at a tear in his eye, the kids pretended not to notice, but agreed it would be horrible to lose a child.
Zack decided John’s grief seemed genuine, but he continued to watch him intently. As the man had said earlier, I guess you can’t ever really know someone’s heart.
“Do they have any ideas who the other kids might be?” Zack asked.
“I heard one of the deputies speculate that the little boy may be a child who was abducted from a stock car race in Portland.”
Aaron glanced at the man with alarm. “What? A stock car race?” he repeated. “In Portland, you said?”
John nodded. “Yes. I understand a twelve-year-old boy was abducted when he went off by himself to buy a couple small, collectible cars from one of the booths at this particular race.”
“A stock car race in Portland,” Aaron murmured, and suddenly, he pushed back from the table and began moving around, agitated, and desperately trying to retrieve the information floating just out of reach of his memory. “When was the race?” he demanded. “When was that race?”
“Well, I don’t know,” John said.
Aaron began pacing in the restaurant, to the consternation of the other diners, who watched him with puzzled annoyance. He had to be wrong, he told himself. Surely the police had already considered the timing of that race. But maybe they were so busy with the recovery effort, they hadn’t actually taken an intensive look at potential suspects.
“Son, maybe you should sit down,” John suggested.
The Reservoir Page 20