by Dan Padavona
“And if there isn’t a light on?”
“No reason to wake her. But scope the place out. Someone is playing a dangerous game with Paige Sutton. He might go after Justine next.”
“Roger. I’ll radio you when I get there.”
“Thank you, Aguilar.”
Thomas set the phone down and sat back. He hoped he’d acted fast enough to protect Justine Adkins.
* * *
Beyond the flood that had unearthed the teenage girl’s skeleton, the Lucifer Falls creek snaked through the state park, wound along a county route, and passed sleepy farmhouses on its way to meeting its mother. The creek fed into the Nightshade River and continued south toward Kane Grove before it cut into the next county. Along its many bends and choke points, water converged during torrential rains and overflowed its banks, scouring away the land. Tonight, the water meandered in quietude, though it coughed up the thick boughs it had swallowed during this week’s storms.
Fog crept off the river like a silent, stalking beast, spreading across the flood plains as it bled into Kane Grove. The fog consumed all, including the supermarket on the city’s south side, the mist thickening until it was impossible to see the corralled shopping carts.
Justine Adkins encountered the fog when she exited the supermarket, pushing a cart. She’d bought just enough to feed herself for two more nights, if she didn’t leave sooner. Going out to a restaurant wasn’t an option, if she wanted to keep a low profile and avoid anyone from her past recognizing her. One hand held the car keys between her palm and the shopping cart handle, the keys digging into her flesh and pressing against bone. She couldn’t see her car yet, only the ocean of mist wetting her skin.
A silhouette emerged as someone grunted and cried out. A van sat in a parking space catty-corner to her car. Behind the van, a man in a wheelchair struggled to lift grocery bags through the side doors. He held the bag under one arm as he steadied himself with the other by gripping the open door. The man made a pitiful sound as he wrestled with the shopping bag.
“May I help you, sir?”
“Thank you, but I think I can do it.”
Justine stopped the shopping cart behind her Acura and clicked the key fob. The car beeped twice and flashed its lights, pulling the man into greater detail. His feet rested on the foot plates, one leg encased in a plaster cast from the knee down. The poor man was injured, not crippled.
“I can’t carry bags or push a cart on crutches, you understand. Gotta use the wheelchair until I load everything into the van.”
Justine nodded in reply.
The casters squealed like frightened kittens and kept shifting as he hoisted the bag. She flinched every time the chair rolled backward. It was akin to watching a man on his last legs stumble toward the finish line during a marathon. The battle appeared lost.
“Are you sure I can’t help? It wouldn’t be any trouble.”
“You’re very kind. But I have to learn on my own. It’s only been a month since the accident, you see.”
Justine placed her groceries in the trunk. Casting another glance over her shoulder, she rounded the car and set the purse inside. Though he’d refused her help, she couldn’t leave him like this.
The bottom of the bag ripped. He cursed as food cans smacked the macadam and rolled across the lot toward her feet. She bent to retrieve the belongings as he sobbed.
“It’s okay. I’ll help you load your groceries.”
“They should reinforce the bottoms of these bags,” he muttered.
The lights caught his profile from the side. For a moment, she was certain she knew him from somewhere, though the fog played tricks on her eyes and distorted his face. With the cans clutched between her arms, she shuffled to the van.
“You’re too kind,” he kept saying.
“Where do you want me to set these?”
“Anywhere inside is fine. Just push them in a bit so they don’t roll out the door after I get home.”
“Sure.”
She wondered how he’d get the wheelchair into the van and lift himself into the seat. A crutch lay in the back, and candy bar wrappers and food particles littered the floor. As she stacked the cans away, crumbs soiled her hands. She wiped off her palms, gritting her teeth as she eyed the filth staining her hands.
“Could you be a doll and grab the crutch for me?”
“I’d be happy to. Are you all right to fold the chair yourself and lift it into the van?”
“Yes, ma’am. Just need that crutch, if you would be so kind.”
The crutch lay beyond her reach. She couldn’t grab it without crawling inside the van, something she wasn’t comfortable doing. His gaze burned into her back.
“Can’t you reach it?”
“I’m trying,” she winced, stretching her arms out.
Justine had no choice. She placed one knee on the floor. Knew the grit would ruin her slacks. As her hand closed over the crutch, she heard the metallic shriek of the man lifting himself out of the chair.
Something thundered down and struck her head. At first, she thought she’d whacked her skull on the sliding door. Reaching behind, she touched her head as her eyes wobbled. Blood covered her palm. More blows rained down, each more frenzied than the last. His spittle wet her neck as he breathed against her flesh.
The inside of the van spun and undulated before her vision failed.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Friday, August 13th
10:00 a.m.
Raven’s shoulders slumped after lying to Chelsey. She’d told her boss she was driving to the state park to speak with Paul Phipps about the missing money, and that much was true. But Raven hadn’t told Chelsey about stopping at Thomas Shepherd’s guest house to meet with Scout, LeVar, and Darren. Today was their first day working on the state park skeleton case. Technically, she was doing investigative work, though she hadn’t started a case file at Wolf Lake Consulting to make it official.
She parked on the shoulder. The sheriff was at work this morning, and she didn’t feel right blocking his driveway. Swishing through the soft grass, the sun warm on her face, Raven wished every work day was like this. Pulling open the door, she heard their voices from the front of the guest house. LeVar had set up a card table beside the window. Scout sat at one end in her wheelchair, the morning light painting soft highlights through her hair. Darren conferred with LeVar and Scout, the ranger’s arms propped on the windowsill.
That’s when she realized this wasn’t a game for them. They were serious about this investigation—Darren wanted answers so he could keep the park safe, while LeVar and Scout determined to catch a killer and take him off the street. Whatever guilt Raven harbored vanished in that moment. This was vital work, far more important than catching the campgrounds thief, or nailing a disgruntled spouse in an infidelity case.
“I hope you didn’t start without me,” she said, tossing a pen and pad on the card table.
“We already figured it out, Sis,” LeVar said, grinning. “You snooze, you lose.”
Darren squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. She met his eyes and felt her heart melt.
“Since you already solved a six-year-old mystery, brief me while I stare at the lake.” She pulled out a chair and motioned for LeVar and Darren to take their places around the table. “I take it this will be our official headquarters?”
“Why not?” LeVar rocked back in his chair. “I’ve got the space, Scout lives next door, and Darren is a short walk from the cabin.”
Darren nodded and said, “It’s discreet and perfect. But we don’t want Thomas catching us before we’re ready to share our findings.”
“We’ll store our data and notes on my computer,” Scout said, gesturing at the PC in the corner. “LeVar carried it from my room.”
“That’s generous,” Raven said. “You don’t mind living without your computer for a few weeks?”
“It’s not optimal. But Mom watches me like a hawk and doesn’t want me on the Virtual Searchers site without her
supervision. So I’m not missing out on much.” Scout held up her phone. “Plus, I can research anything on my phone. I store all my links in the cloud.”
“Speaking of Scout’s mother,” Darren said, clasping his hands on the table. “Naomi needs to be in the loop. Regardless of Scout’s value to this investigation, we can’t hide anything from Naomi. She deserves to know what her fourteen-year-old daughter is up to.”
They all turned to Scout, who pouted her lips. The girl threw up her hands.
“She won’t be happy. But if that’s what the group wants, I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“All right,” Raven said. “We’ll use Scout’s PC until I locate an alternate option. Chelsey stores old, unused computers in a closet at the firm. I’ll sweet talk her into donating a PC…once I break it to her that we’re investigating the state park case.” Raven clicked her pen. “What’s first on the agenda?”
“We need security cameras on the guest house.”
“Isn’t that overkill?”
“Someone broke inside three days ago.”
“Oh?” Raven turned to LeVar. “I wasn’t aware of this?”
LeVar shrugged.
“Nothin’ stolen. Shep Dawg found a shoe print near the window.”
“What happened to Deputy Dog?”
“He ain’t a deputy anymore. But he’s still a dawg.”
Raven scrunched her brow. Her brother owned little, but the intruder must have seen something worth stealing.
“Hey, Darren. I wonder if this break-in is related to the stolen money.”
“Paul Phipps’s wife?” Darren rubbed his chin. “I hadn’t considered the possibility. Wouldn’t that be something if it’s the same guy?”
“We can’t have people breaking in,” said Scout, shifting her chair. “Not with sensitive information on the computer. I say we place two security cameras outside and send the feeds to our phones. That way we can monitor the guest house from anywhere. Better safe than sorry.”
“Doesn’t Thomas have cameras aiming into his backyard? He installed them after the Jeremy Hyde murders.”
“He has ‘em,” LeVar said. “Problem is, they don’t cover the guest house.”
“So we need a monitoring system. I’ll place an order this afternoon. We should get them within seven days.”
Raven shook her head.
“That’s too long to wait, since LeVar already had a break-in. There’s a place in Syracuse that stocks everything we need. I’ll swing past after work.” She turned her head to Darren. “You mentioned monitoring the trails at Wolf Lake State Park. What’s the status on that?”
“My shipment of trail cameras will arrive this afternoon. I want two cameras covering the trails in and out of the gorge, in case our killer returns to the burial site. I’ll stick a third camera between the campgrounds and the trail leading toward our…headquarters.”
“Ain’t nobody getting past me, anyway,” LeVar said, puffing out his chest. “Now that we got a monitoring system, let’s catch a killer. What about these two women Skye Feron went to school with?”
“Justine Adkins and Paige Sutton,” Raven said. “According to Sheriff Gray, the three girls were close friends during high school. Something happened that placed Skye in danger. It’s conceivable her friends are hiding evidence.”
“What do we know about Justine and Paige?” asked Darren.
“Paige Sutton lives in Wolf Lake. She’ll be easy to track down. Justine Adkins moved outside Rochester, but she returned to Wolf Lake earlier this week to visit. We need to figure out where she’s staying.”
“Didn’t someone break into Paige’s house Wednesday night?” Scout asked. “That’s the rumor on the village message boards.”
“I heard the same rumor. No way I can ask Thomas without tipping him off.”
“The break-in has to be related to our investigation. Was anything stolen? Is the killer warning Paige that she’s next?”
Darren held up a hand.
“Wait. We’re assuming a lot here. Our skeleton is a Jane Doe. The bones might not belong to Skye Feron.”
“But if they do,” said Raven. “We can catch the killer by determining his motivation. What happened between the three girls that put Skye in danger?”
“We should start with their backgrounds. Dig into their pasts.”
“That’s where I come in,” said Scout, swiveling her chair around and wheeling herself to the computer. She called up a browser and clicked a link. “Wolf Lake High alumni members maintain an unofficial message board. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of Facebook or Instagram. But graduates use the message board to chat about the past and plan reunions.”
Raven rose from her chair and leaned over Scout’s shoulder.
“I wasn’t aware of the website. Then again, I grew up in Harmon. How far back do the messages go?”
“A decade.”
“Damn. Those are a lot of messages. But if the message boards hint at what happened to Skye, the sheriff’s department already knows.”
“We’re not searching for messages about Skye. We’ll target messages which mention Paige and Justine by name, since they may be the keys to this investigation.”
“All right. LeVar and Scout, the ball is in your court. Scour the forum and learn everything you can about Skye’s friends. Focus on significant events that preceded Skye’s disappearance.”
Scout glanced at LeVar, who gave the girl a high five.
“What do you want me to do?” Darren asked.
“Set up those trail cameras and figure out who’s moving through the state park. While you work on that, I’ll purchase more cameras and aim them at the guest house.”
Darren folded his arms.
“Hey, LeVar. Do the Harmon Kings use the state park trails to move drugs through the village?”
“Nah, bro. Not saying Rev doesn’t push drugs or have contacts in Wolf Lake. But they don’t use the state park.”
“Are you sure? The forest around Lucifer Falls is a great place to hide a body.”
“That’s not how Rev operates. If Rev puts a bullet in your head, he damn well wants the world to know. He’s all about sending messages, making sure his enemies don’t cross him.”
Raven opened her mouth to respond when LeVar’s phone rang. The teenager’s brow lifted when he glanced at the screen.
“I gotta take this. Y’all work out the details. I’ll be back in a second.”
The door closed. Scout, Raven, and Darren glanced at each other.
“Anybody know what that was about?” Raven asked.
Scout lifted a shoulder, and Darren shook his head. Raven muttered a curse under her breath. She’d become protective of LeVar since he left the Kings. He had a steady job with Ruth Sims at the Broken Yolk, and he’d declared a college major. A year ago, she couldn’t have pictured LeVar attaining his GED or enrolling in college. The truth was, she’d believed he’d die before his twenty-first birthday, if he didn’t leave the Kings.
A minute later, LeVar returned. His calm expression appeared painted on, and his fingers clawed at his blue jeans.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Why do you ask?”
Darren stood up from his chair and circled the table.
“What are you hiding, LeVar?” Darren asked.
“Nothing.”
Darren gestured at Scout.
“The Mourning family lives next door. If you’re in trouble, you need to consider the people around you.”
LeVar’s jaw worked back and forth.
“I ain’t in trouble. Told y’all. I gave up the Kings and put gang life behind me.”
Raven softened her eyes and touched his shoulder.
“Then who called?”
LeVar stared at Scout, then lowered his eyes.
“That was Anthony.”
“Anthony Fisher?”
“Yeah.”
Anthony Fisher was the youngest member of the Harmon Kings. When LeVar ran wit
h the gang, he protected Anthony from Rev, the notorious leader of the Kings.
“What did he want?”
LeVar pushed his hands into his pockets.
“Anthony wants out of the Kings. He figures, if I could do it, he can too.”
“I can’t imagine Rev will take kindly to Anthony leaving.”
“Nope.”
“LeVar, stay out of it. You’re not the kid’s father.”
LeVar folded his arms over his chest.
“Anthony doesn’t have a father, so I’m as good as he’s got.” LeVar shuffled his feet. “He wants to meet in Harmon.”
“Hell, no. Tell Anthony to come to Wolf Lake if he wants guidance. Or call the sheriff’s department. Thomas will protect him like he protected you.”
“That’ll raise suspicion. If Anthony plans to jump ship, you can bet Rev already knows. Anthony traveling to Wolf Lake will draw Rev, and you don’t want the leader of the Harmon Kings in our village.”
“I’m worried Rev will target you and Anthony.”
LeVar’s eyes hardened.
“He’ll get what’s coming to him if he does.”
“It’s not safe for you to return to Harmon.”
“I gotta help my boy. Who else he got?”
Raven looked to Darren. If they didn’t stop LeVar from driving to Harmon, Rev would kill him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Friday, August 13th
11:10 a.m.
“Last session, we spoke about your father. You planned to visit your parents before returned today. How did that go?”
Thomas glances everywhere but at Dr. Mandal.
“I’ve been busy with two new cases.”
“I read about the skeleton below the fall, and the kidnapped woman.”
“Crime never sleeps.”
“And yet you still had time to get together with your friends.”
Thomas drums his legs. He knows Dr. Mandal is right. But he doesn’t appreciate the woman playing parent with him.
“I’ll go tomorrow.”
“You don’t need to promise me, Thomas. This isn’t about me. This is about you and your father.”