Framed for Murder

by Mary Alford

  “I’m not afraid of anything,” she answered in a sharp tone. “Why are you here? Where’s Michael?”

  Liz’s gaze collided with Aaron’s. He could see the warning in her eyes.

  “He’s not here, but he sent us to you,” Aaron said. That was certainly true. They were here because of Michael.

  “Is this about your cabin?” Jessie turned to Liz and asked, taking them both by surprise.

  “My...cabin?” Liz asked, her eyes wide with astonishment.

  Jessie glanced from her to Aaron. “Yes, the cabin Michael bought for you six months earlier. He said it would be a while before you came here to see it, but I was beginning to think something had gone wrong. I tried to reach him several times, but...has something happened?” Jessie asked in concern.

  Liz finally overcame her shock. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Jessie slumped down into her chair. “You’d better sit down,” she said and then heaved a heavy sigh. “I always thought it odd Michael would buy that particular cabin for someone else.”

  “What do you mean, that particular cabin?” Aaron asked.

  Jessie hesitated, as if weighing how much to tell them, and Aaron’s concern doubled.

  “Michael said that you were a good friend and that he was helping you out. He said you were looking for a particular fishing cabin here in Black Bear. He paid cash for it. He told me when you showed up, you would finalize the paperwork.” She glanced at Liz and added, “You didn’t know about this, did you?”

  Liz shook her head. “No, I had no idea.” Aaron watched as she pulled out the map Michael had left her. “Did you give him this?”

  Jessie recognized it right away. “Yes, that along with the key to the cabin.”

  “How far is it to where it’s located? Can we get there tonight?” Liz asked.

  Jessie shook her head. “There’s no way you can make that trek in the dark. The terrain can be difficult even under the best of conditions. At night and with you both being unfamiliar, it could be deadly. Besides, you’ll need a pretty rugged snowmobile to make it through the wilderness.”

  Aaron thought about the snowmobile they’d hidden in the woods. While it was adequate, there was no way it would cover the rugged terrain Jessie spoke of. They’d have to find another means of transportation.

  “Look, I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I urge you to wait until morning,” Jessie counseled. “You can use my snowmobile. It’ll get you there with no problem. If you’d like I could have my husband go with you. He knows the area well and he’s a trained paramedic.”

  As much as Aaron would welcome traveling with someone with that kind of knowledge, they couldn’t trust an outside party—it was already risky enough taking Jessie at her word.

  “Why don’t you two stay here tonight? It’s not much, but it’s warm and no one should bother you. This is our off season, so we’re open by appointment only.”

  As much as he wanted to get to the cabin tonight and look for whatever Michael left there, Jessie was right. They’d be putting their lives in jeopardy by going there in the dark without knowing the area.

  “She’s right,” Aaron said and could see Liz’s disappointment. “We’ll head out in the morning.” He grabbed her good hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “We’ll be okay.”

  Liz swallowed visibly and slowly smiled. “You’re right. We will.”

  Jessie glanced at her watch. “I’d better go. My husband will be worried. Paul and I will bring the snowmobile by at first light,” she said and Aaron smiled his appreciation.

  “There’s some food and drinks in the fridge in the office kitchen. It’s not much, but help yourself to whatever you want,” she said sympathetically. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  Aaron shook his head. “No, we’re grateful for the provisions and the use of your snowmobile tomorrow.”

  “It’s no problem,” she said genuinely and then added unexpectedly, “My house is one street over at the end of the block.” She grabbed her business card and wrote down the address. “Just in case you need anything before the morning.” With one final smile, Jessie walked out of the office.

  Aaron would give anything to believe their ordeal was almost over, but he had a feeling it’d be a long time before they were no longer in danger.

  NINE

  Liz was going out of her mind with worry. So much was at stake. Her freedom. Aaron’s career. The truth behind Michael’s and Sam’s deaths. Their lives.

  Liz paced the tiny office with pent-up energy. She was exhausted down to her core and yet too keyed up to sit.

  “Are you hungry?” She turned suddenly to Aaron after making her third trip around the office. The walls were closing in. She needed to be doing...something.

  She thought about everything that was happening to them. Someone had carefully laid the groundwork to frame her, and then it seemed they’d anticipated every move she and Aaron made. She had never felt so helpless before. Her greatest fear now was that the evidence that could clear her name had been taken by the same people who were framing her.

  “We could raid the fridge. Take our chances,” she murmured.

  Guilt tugged at her frayed emotions. Aaron appeared beyond exhausted. She attempted a smile for his sake and tried not to show the hopelessness growing inside her.

  Yet when he came over to where she stood by the door and gently clasped her arms, it was obvious he saw through her attempt to hide her fear.

  “We don’t know if these people even realize the cabin exists,” he told her in that quiet Southern way of his that seemed to always put things in perspective.

  “We’ll get a good night’s sleep and start fresh in the morning. We’re not done yet, Liz. Don’t give up on me or on us.”

  As he looked deep in her eyes, she saw in them his unfaltering belief in her. She wouldn’t give up on him ever—no matter what happened.

  They might not know what they were facing or if they even would live through this, but suddenly all the things that she’d held on to that had prevented her from moving forward with her life were gone.

  The last thing Eric would want her to do was spend the rest of her years grieving for him. And yet...the thought of opening her heart to another was a hard one.

  As they continued watching each other, something shifted and Aaron’s eyes darkened with the same emotion she imagined was reflected in her gaze.

  Her heart beat a crazy rhythm against her chest. She’d felt this way before. With Eric. When they were...falling in love. She turned away and tried to tame her rapid heartbeat.

  Liz faced him once more, ignoring the unasked questions in his eyes. “They shouldn’t know the cabin exists, and their search wouldn’t lead them there in any case since the paperwork hasn’t been filed yet so there wouldn’t be any record of me anywhere,” she said in a less-than-steady voice.

  As much as she’d tried to deny she had feelings that had moved beyond friendship for Aaron, the truth was staring her in the face in the breathless way she reacted to him every time she thought about his small kiss earlier that day.

  The corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided smile. “Exactly. And since it looks as if we’ll be here the rest of the night, why don’t we see what we can find to eat in the fridge? I just hope this time we have a better outcome. As I recall, the last time we had something to eat, we both ended up passed out and tied to a chair.”

  She could appreciate his joke now they were clear of that nightmare. At the time, well, it had been terrifying. She returned his smile and shoved aside any tender feelings. She was just so grateful to have him close. And it was nice to find something amusing after everything they’d been through.

  They walked out of Jessie’s office toward the tiny kitchen they’d seen earlier at
the back of the building. It was next to impossible to see much more than her hand in front of her. “Do you think we can turn on some lights?” she asked while trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

  Aaron pulled the blinds before turning on the lights. “Just to be safe, but we should be okay back here.” He opened the door to the fridge and they both leaned in at the same time, their faces almost touching.

  Just being close to him did dangerous things to her nerves. She’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have her pulse go crazy whenever someone was close.

  “I see peanut butter and jelly. Maybe we can find some bread and have a PB and J?” Aaron said with a humorous wink.

  She brushed back hair from her eyes. “I happen to love PB and Js. You’d be surprised how many times I end up having them. Cooking for one person is something I don’t actually relish. More times than not, I put together something simple.”

  When she looked into his eyes, her chest grew tight once more with unexplored possibilities. Lately, when she needed to stay focused the most, she couldn’t seem to get them out of her head.

  As she watched, all of his former amusement left him. The look in his eyes made her wish for a different time. A different her. Where she could be free to give her heart to him.

  Slowly they straightened and faced each other and she shuddered. He was going to kiss her and, oh, she wanted him to.

  There was just enough time to second-guess the wisdom of the moment, before Aaron lowered his head and kissed her. Her heart drummed an excited beat while her head assured her it was too soon. She wasn’t ready to go down that path again.

  Her eyelids drifted closed. She didn’t want him to see the chaos going on inside her. They’d shared so much together, worked through some difficult times in the past and he’d never once doubted her when everything pointed to her guilt. She...cared for him.

  His lips were gentle against hers. Everything she believed his kiss would be. Filled with so much promise. She wanted to keep right on kissing him, forget about the trouble she was in for just a little while. Aaron was her safety net.

  But a noise in the distance made her draw a shaky breath. As the sound grew louder and closer, Aaron ended the kiss and they stared at each other.

  “What is that?” she whispered, her voice rough with emotion.

  Aaron closed the fridge and she followed him as he hurried to the front of the building where the sound had come from.

  Once he’d cracked the blinds, she saw the headlights of at least three snowmobiles. They were cruising down the main street in front of their building. It was now pitch-black out. There would be no reason for anyone to be out at night.

  “They’re looking for something.” He stated her thoughts aloud.

  “Or someone...” Their gazes collided. “Aaron, it has to be the same men from earlier. They’re looking for us.”

  “They’re not going to give up until they find the weapons or they silence us.”

  He put his arm around her and drew her close to his side. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

  The vehicles made another pass through town before stopping at the end of the street. They killed their lights and engines.

  “What do you think they’re doing?” she asked fearfully.

  “I don’t know and I can’t see anything from here.”

  She listened carefully and could hear multiple voices followed by what sounded like someone breaking down a door.

  “They’re searching the buildings. We can’t stay here any longer. They’ll be here before long.” Adrenaline rushed through her veins. “What do you want to do?”

  “There’s only one choice. We won’t make it back to the snowmobile and we can’t afford to go wandering around in the subzero temperatures outside. Jessie said she lives on the next street over. We have to try to reach her house and she can give us shelter until morning. I just hope these guys don’t intend to search the whole village.”

  Aaron cracked the door and listened closely before easing outside. Liz followed. Slowly they made their way toward the end of the street. Liz found herself constantly checking behind them.

  Before they could cross the main street, several more snowmobiles came into view and she and Aaron tucked back into the shadows.

  It seemed like the men just kept coming. “How many people are involved in this?” she asked in disbelief.

  He glanced her way. “More than we know. The answers should be in the evidence Michael left behind. If they’re not, or we can’t find those files...” He didn’t finish, but she knew exactly what he meant. They would have risked everything for nothing.

  Liz saw the latest snowmobiles’ headlights pull in close to the others. The men exchanged words, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  She crept to the edge of the building where she could get a better view. “They’re still on their vehicles. They don’t seem to be joining in the search. We have to get off this street now.”

  Aaron glanced frantically around, looking for another way to cross. “Hang on. If we can make it just a little ways down from here, there’s no streetlight.” He pointed to the area. “We at least stand a chance of not being seen.”

  Keeping to the backs of the remaining buildings, they reached the place Aaron had indicated.

  The men on the snowmobiles were still talking with their comrades. If they glanced their way, she and Aaron would be seen.

  “We need to do it quickly. Are you ready?” Aaron asked.

  When she didn’t answer he clasped her hand, forcing her attention to him. “Liz?”

  She wasn’t anywhere close. She was exhausted down to her bones, but there was no other choice and she wasn’t about to let Aaron down after everything he’d done for her.

  She slowly nodded. “Yes, I’m ready,” she whispered.

  He smiled encouragement. “Good. Let’s do this.” Still holding her hand, they rushed out into the street and hurriedly crossed. Liz hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until they’d reached the other side. Aaron pointed to the gap between two buildings.

  They’d barely made it when something jumped out from the shadows. A dog, crouched low to the ground, snarled and edged menacingly closer blocking their way.

  “We have to get past him and out of here. The noise is bound to draw their attention,” Liz managed while keeping a careful eye on the dog.

  Aaron dug into his pocket and pulled out a pen. “We need a distraction. Maybe we can get him to chase after it and buy us some time.” He quickly tossed the pen down the alley in the direction he and Liz had come. The animal was obviously a stray. It rushed after the noise the pen had made, giving them the opportunity they needed to get away.

  “Run and whatever you do, don’t look back,” Aaron said as she charged through the alley. She could hear his footsteps right behind her. And then snowmobiles firing up. The men had heard the dog’s noise and were coming to investigate.

  They barely had time to reach the end of the alley and round the corner before two machines screeched to a stop with their lights shining down the narrow passage. Liz ducked quickly to keep from being spotted.

  The dog snarled at the men.

  “Let’s get out of here.” One of them snapped. “There’s nothing here but that mangy old mutt. I don’t know where they are, but if those two agents are anywhere around this hole-in-the-wall town, we’ll find them.”

  The men pulled the snowmobiles back out on the street and then left, the guy’s parting words striking fear in her. They confirmed what she and Aaron both suspected.

  “Aaron, they’re not going to give up.”

  Every second they were out in the open like this, they risked capture.

  * * *

  Aaron stepped up on the porch and Liz followed. The temperature must have dropp
ed twenty degrees since they’d arrived in town. They both were exhausted. They wouldn’t survive long in this cold.

  Please Lord, let them be home. He prayed silently because he didn’t want Liz to see how worried he really was.

  He knocked on the door and in the distance a dog barked in response to the sound.

  As they waited, Liz glanced uneasily around and shivered. “I hope those men aren’t listening for another dog,” she said with an attempt at humor.

  Aaron lifted a corner of his mouth in response. After a handful of seconds ticked by seeming more like an eternity, the door finally opened. Jessie stared at them for the longest time without being able to speak.

  “Something’s happened,” she correctly assumed and then realized the chill out. “Come in where it’s warm. You both must be freezing.”

  They went inside. After a quick look around outside Jessie closed the door.

  “We’re sorry to have to bother you again, but there’s an awful lot of activity going on in town. It was no longer safe for us...” Aaron stopped when a man close to Jessie’s age came into the room.

  “It’s okay—Paul knows everything. Please, come sit down. I’ll make you something warm to drink to take away the chill.”

  Aaron watched Liz drop down into one of the kitchen chairs. From the way she held her wrist he knew it was hurting her. From where he stood, it looked as if it had swelled to twice its normal size.

  “Let me take a look,” he said gently. “You may have reinjured it.”

  She cradled it against her chest and nodded. “I think you may be right.”

  Aaron knelt in front of her. Their gazes holding for a second. As he slowly unwrapped the bandage, the pain on her face was hard to bear. He wished he could take it away. Make it better.

  “The fracture looks worse than before,” he said without mincing words.

  “I’m a paramedic,” Paul told them. “Let me examine it.”