He moved away from the tent and she followed. They sat on a log by the fire pit and turned sideways, facing each other.
“There was no ID on the body,” Jake said. “Nothing at all in his pockets, and he was nobody I’ve ever seen before.”
“What was the manner of death?”
“I don’t know for sure. There was blood all over his shirt. Probably a gunshot wound or maybe a knife. I didn’t want to disturb any evidence.”
She turned and stared into the cold fire pit, unfocused and frowning. Her detective skills usually kicked in and came up with a plan of action, but this time, all they had was the dead body of an unknown man, and not a clue in the world how to proceed. Besides, the boys were here and she couldn’t bear to subject them to danger.
Jake spoke again. “The body hasn’t been there long, maybe a couple of hours or so. It appears he was dragged there, possibly carried a distance first, and then dragged the rest of the way.” He paused and held out his hands, palms up. “That’s all I have.”
She studied her husband’s face. “We need to get out of here. Leave the SUV and take my car.”
Jake nodded. “That seems to be our best plan of action—our only plan of action. We can notify the authorities at the gate and the police can take care of it. We’ll get the SUV later, when it’s safe.”
Annie took a quick look around. “We’ll leave everything else here as well—the tent, everything. There’s nothing we need to take with us.”
“Almost everything else is locked in the SUV anyway,” Jake added. “And there’s nothing much of value to worry about.”
“I’ll get the boys in the car,” Annie said, as she jumped to her feet. “You can get it started.”
“I need the keys.”
“They’re in my bag. I’ll get them.”
She ran to the tent, found her handbag, and fumbled for the keys. She popped her head through the flap of the tent and tossed them to Jake. He caught them with a one-handed swoop and strode toward the Escort.
She pulled back into the tent and spun around. “We’re leaving. Matty, Kyle, we have to go.”
Matty looked at her in disbelief and disappointment. “I thought we were staying until tomorrow. Why do we have to go home now?”
“Change of plans, hurry. I’ll explain everything to you later, but right now we have to move,” she said. The boys reluctantly obeyed, crawled from the tent and shuffled toward the car. Annie came behind, prodding them along.
Jake stepped out from behind the steering wheel and gave Annie a bewildered look. “It won’t start,” he whispered, as she drew closer.
She cocked her head and frowned. “It ran fine when I got here.” She turned and hustled the boys into the back seat and spun back. “I know it’s not out of gas.”
“No, it’s not the gas. The starter turns but it won’t spark.” He had already popped the latch for the hood and he went to the front of the car, lifted the hood and fastened it into place.
Annie looked around uneasily before following Jake to the front of the vehicle. He had his head under the hood, poking around beside the engine. “Any idea what the problem is?” she asked.
He straightened his back, a grim look on his face. “I sure do. The spark plug wires are missing.”
“Missing? How? Who?” Annie was at a loss for words.
Jake frowned at the engine. “How did he get the hood—?” He stopped abruptly and turned his gaze toward Annie. “Did you leave the car unlocked?”
Annie’s mouth dropped open. Finally, she said, “I didn’t bother to lock it. Out here in the wilderness … I didn’t expect …”
Jake interrupted, “You could never have anticipated that.”
Annie glanced at the engine. “So, we’re stuck here then.” She blamed herself. She should have locked up the car, but then, a determined person could find any number of ways to disable the vehicle.
Jake was deep in thought, his arms folded, his brow wrinkled.
“What about the SUV? Will the wires from it fit on here?” Annie asked, hopefully.
Jake’s jaw tightened and he shook his head slowly. “They’re totally different. They won’t fit.”
“What about the belt thingy that’s broken.” She pointed to the front of the engine. “Will this one fit the SUV?”
Jake shook his head again. “Nope. Different length. Even if it would, I have no tools.”
Annie was out of ideas. She looked uneasily at Jake. “Someone doesn’t want us to leave here.”
Jake was staring at the SUV. “I wonder …”
“Wonder what?”
He didn’t answer. He strode over to the RAV4, unlocked it, and opened the back door. He reached in, removed a belt from the floor and held it up, turning it over and over, examining the ends. He walked slowly toward Annie, still holding the belt, inspecting it closely.
“It looks frayed,” he said, holding the ends out for her to see. “But even when I first saw it, I was curious about how it’d snapped in one spot, and wasn’t worn anywhere else.” He stopped and looked intently at her. “It might’ve been hacked off, and didn’t wear out at all.”
Annie was struck with a sudden realization of what that meant. She spoke slowly, thoughtfully. “So if that’s the case, even yesterday before I came, someone had plans to keep you here.”
Jake raised his head and looked vaguely across the campsite. “That might be exactly what it means.”
Annie turned and followed his gaze, her eyes scanning the miles of wilderness surrounding them. Now she knew for sure, someone dangerous was around, maybe close by, and whatever his plans were, it made her very afraid.
She looked at her husband. He stood unmoving, his eyes far away, his mind deep in thought.
She prayed he would have a solution. Otherwise, they had no means of protection, no way of escape, and nowhere to hide.
CHAPTER 34
Saturday, 3:35 PM
JAKE PULLED UP the stakes and the tent collapsed with a whoosh. He forced out most of the air and rolled up the canvas while Annie rounded up a few basic necessities and hustled the boys from the car. They were the focus of a direct, subtle attack by someone deranged, and if the body in the woods was any indication, highly dangerous.
He knew of a small clearing a short distance away where there was a dip in the terrain, like a small natural valley, the area surrounded by bush and dense forest. They should be able to pitch the tent there and avoid discovery by any intruder until Andy Fletcher came back.
He carried the tent under his arm, the boys following, with Annie close behind carrying a cooler of food.
In a few minutes, they arrived at their destination where Jake dropped his burden on the ground, unrolled the canvas, and he and Annie began assembling the tent.
Matty came over, a frown in his face, and watched them curiously a moment before saying, “Dad, I know we’re in some kind of danger because you and Mom are acting funny.”
Jake looked up at his son and struggled to form a response. Finally, he said, “Son, there seems to be somebody around here who’s hurting people and I don’t want the three of you in any danger. We’re being careful, just in case, until the game warden comes back and can take us out of here.”
“Is that why we had to stop hiking? Did you see somebody when we were in the forest?”
Jake wasn’t sure how to answer that. He’d seen somebody all right—somebody dead, but the last thing he wanted to do was frighten the boys. “I didn’t see anyone who could hurt us,” he said.
“Then what’s the hurry?”
“We’re just being cautious, Matty. Just trust your mother and me.”
Matty had no more objections. He stood still a moment and watched his parents continue with their task before wandering away and sitting on a log beside Kyle.
When the tent was up, Jake said, “I’ll go and watch for the game warden. He should be back soon.”
“I’ll keep the boys in the tent,” Annie said.
; Their new camp was a short distance from the narrow road the warden would have to travel when he came by. Jake made his way through the thick undergrowth to the trail, sat on the bank, and waited.
It was more than an hour before Jake heard the unmistakable sound of Andy Fletcher’s pickup some distance away. He climbed down the embankment and waited. The vehicle came into sight, stopped, and Andy poked his head out the window.
“I just dropped by your camp,” the warden said, as Jake approached. “I didn’t see anybody there.”
“We had to leave camp,” Jake said, and told him about the body in the woods.
Andy listened intently to the story. “Yer going to have to show me where that is.”
Jake pointed down the trail behind the vehicle. “It’s back there, and then off the path a quarter mile or so.”
“Jump in,” the warden said. “We’ll take a look.”
Jake got in the passenger side door and the warden turned in his seat to face him. “Where’re the kids?”
“My wife came awhile ago,” Jake explained, and pointed with a thumb over his shoulder. “She’s with the boys in a safe place.”
Andy pulled the gear shifter into low and the vehicle sprung ahead. “I saw a car at your camp. Is that your wife’s car?”
“Yes, and now it won’t start. Somebody has sabotaged it.”
“Sabotaged?”
“The spark plug wires were taken,” Jake said. “It seems like someone doesn’t want us to leave here.”
“Very strange indeed.” Andy frowned and pursed his lips, glaring through the windshield. “How far to this body?”
Jake pointed ahead. “Stop up there by that rock.”
Andy drove another fifty feet, stopped the vehicle, and they climbed out. He followed Jake into the undergrowth and in a few minutes, Jake stopped and pointed ahead of them. “Right behind that bush.”
Andy moved forward curiously and stepped behind the wild evergreen shrub. When he saw the body, he let out a low whistle. “Gosh, that’s a body all right.” He leaned over, wrinkled his face, and examined it closer. “And not dead that long I guess.”
“Do you know who it is?” Jake asked.
Andy straightened and glanced around uneasily. “Afraid I don’t. Might be one of those city folk.” He looked at Jake. “No offense.”
“None taken, but whether or not he’s from the city doesn’t tell us who killed him.”
“Course not. Just makin’ an observation is all.” He looked closely at Jake. “Have you seen anyone around asides yourselves?”
“Just the teenagers at the other end of the lake.”
Andy thought a moment. “I dropped by their camp earlier. Doesn’t seem like their work. They’re a bit messy and rowdy but not the type to be killin’ a man.”
“There’s no ID on the body,” Jake said. “I checked already.”
Andy crouched down, lifted the bloodstained shirt, and squinted at the wound. “Appears to be a knife done this,” he said. “Looks like maybe a huntin’ knife to me.” He tugged the shirt back into place and dug around in the pockets.
“I already looked in his pockets.”
“Just checkin’ is all,” Andy replied. “There’s nothin’ there, but you never know, you mighta missed something.” He stood, scratched his head, and looked at Jake. “I think we best get the law in on this. Let them handle it. Not really my specialty. I can track an animal but this is a whole different can of worms. Wouldn’t know where to start.”
“The boys saw a cabin a mile or so from our campsite,” Jake said. “They said it looks like somebody is staying there. Maybe it was him?”
The warden chuckled. “Nah, that’s Otis. Harmless guy. Been there for a couple years already. Gave him a visit a time or two in the past. It weren’t him, I can tell you that much.”
“The police’ll want to check him out anyway,” Jake said.
“Yeah, maybe.” Andy glanced down at the body. “Ain’t nothing we can do fer this fellow. We best leave him right here where he lies and be going.”
Jake followed Andy to his pickup and they climbed in. The warden backed up a few yards, made a cramped three-point turn, and the vehicle bumped ahead.
The warden peered through the windshield, working the vehicle over the rough terrain. “Been thinking,” he said, as he hugged the steering wheel. “That guy back there—the dead guy—he musta seen something he shouldn’t have fer him to get killed like that. Whoever did the killin’ didn’t harm you folks or them kids at the lake.”
“Don’t forget,” Jake said. “He sabotaged our vehicles.”
Andy’s head bobbed up and down. “Yeah, that’s so. That’s so.” He looked at Jake and shrugged. “If it were the same guy. Maybe not.”
“It’s too much of a coincidence. I’m sure it all ties together in one way or another.”
Andy’s head bobbed some more. “Guess you’re right.” He touched the brakes and the vehicle stopped. “You best see ‘bout your family.”
Jake jumped out, eager to get Annie and the boys to safety. “We’ll be right back,” he called, as he crossed the trail behind the vehicle and sprung up the grade.
The engine roared behind him. Jake stopped short and spun around. The pickup had sprinted ahead and gathered speed.
Jake charged down the grade and raced after the vehicle. His shouts went unnoticed as the pickup continued on, Jake losing ground, no chance to catch up. He stopped and watched as the vehicle disappeared from sight.
Andy had left them behind. The half-baked warden was so eager to bring the police, he’d ignored their safety.
CHAPTER 35
Saturday, 4:59 PM
VARICK LUCAS wasn’t surprised the Lincolns had left their camp. They were now a part of his little game and he had them on the run.
He prowled around their vacated site, enjoyed the ice cold soda left behind in the cooler, and stood staring at the abandoned vehicles. He had no use for either one of them. Eventually he would leave this place, commandeer a car, and find a more comfortable spot to hang out. He was having the time of his life right now, but was getting tired of this god-forsaken wilderness.
Later, he might go and visit those kids camped at the end of the lake, but right now, he wanted to find the Lincolns. He liked to keep tabs on everything—keep control of the situation.
The tent was gone, so it seemed obvious they had plans to set it up again—somewhere they assumed was safe. Not far away. What they didn’t know was, nowhere would be safe. He was going to make sure of that.
It took him but a few minutes to stumble on their hideout, tucked down in a little valley, safe from all prying eyes. All but his, that is.
He lay down on his stomach behind a bush, rested on his elbows, and observed the camp. The tent was set up like he presumed it would be. The kids weren’t around; perhaps they were in the tent, but the two adults were clearly visible, their back to him as they sat on the grass, chatting away as if nothing happened.
The woman looked almost as good fully clothed as she did in her swimming suit. Almost. He saw her profile as she turned to talk to her husband and again he was reminded of his mother. He brushed the thought aside and backed from his hiding place, still considering whether or not to kill the guy.
Maybe later. There was lots of time.
~~*~~
ANNIE STOOD AND looked around the new campsite. “We should be fine here until the police come. I heard Andy’s truck when he came by before, so we should be able to hear the police when they come.”
Jake looked up. “I’m rather concerned about the teenagers camped at the end of the lake.”
“Maybe you should drop over there and warn them,” Annie suggested.
“And leave you here alone? Not a chance.”
“And why not? They have mothers too, and I think it would be irresponsible of us not to do what we can.”
Jake seemed to consider that. Finally, he said, “I guess you’re right.”
“Of course
I’m right. It’ll be awhile before the police come and who knows what could happen by then.”
“You’re sure you’ll be ok while I’m gone?”
“We’ll be fine.”
“Don’t start a fire.”
Annie gave him a disgusted look. “I know better than that.”
“Yeah. Course you do,” Jake said with a crooked grin. He turned and went across the clearing, calling back before he disappeared from sight, “I won’t be long.”
Jake made his way through the trees and exited the forest, landing on the beach two hundred feet short of their old camp. He moved up the grade toward the site carefully. Someone had been there since they left. Things were disturbed. The cooler was tipped over. Perhaps it had only been a bear, looking for treats, but he wasn’t convinced of that and wasn’t taking any chances.
He went back down to the lake and strode along the beach. The pair of tents at the backpackers’ camp stood in the same place as before. As he drew closer, he made out four figures sitting near the tents. Holly and Rosie huddled across from each other, the two guys a little further away, leaning against a tree. One of the boys sported an unkempt mass of red hair, and along with the color-coordinated patch of sparse whiskers on his chin, made him look comical. The other one held his long hair in place with a baseball cap pulled low, and sat with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
Rosie smiled, pointed Jake’s way, and Holly turned and waved, a welcoming look on her face.
“What brings you here?” Rosie said, as Jake approached them.
“Just wanted to check on you,” he said, and nodded at the guys. They looked at him curiously and disregarded his greeting.
“You’re always welcome here, Jake,” Rosie said, and jerked a thumb toward the male companions. “You’re better looking than them lumps of coal.”
Holly gave Rosie a look of disapproval and Jake smiled politely. “I’m not really here on a social visit,” he said, as he crouched down. “I came to warn you there might be someone dangerous lurking about.”
The guy wearing the cap opened his eyes, leaned in, and listened as Jake continued, “We found the body of a man some ways from our camp.”
Justice Overdue: A Private Investigator Mystery Series Page 12