Mountain Pursuit: Smoky Mountain Investigation ; Mountain Rescue

by Annslee Urban

  “You better get to work, then. Charlie doesn’t like to be kept waiting. And I know how tough his boss can be.” He winked and slipped out the newsroom door.

  Kylie got busy, excited to redirect her focus on state-fair animals and a ninety-nine-year-old resident’s birthday celebration.

  Thirty minutes later, her coworker Ron pointed to the doorway. “Kylie, I think there’s someone here to see you.”

  Swiveling in her seat, she offered a quick wave to Dave, who stood across the room, craning his neck, a searching look on his face.

  When she caught his eye, he raised his dark brows and nodded, then started toward her. Hope for a productive day was looking a little less promising.

  “Morning, Kylie.” Dave gave a clipped nod. “I’d like to speak to you, if you have a moment.”

  “Of course.” Kylie pushed back her chair and got to her feet. “Is the employee lounge okay?”

  Another nod.

  She led the way through a maze of coworker desks to a small room behind the proofing office. On the way she introduced the detective to several colleagues, downplaying her anxiety about why he’d showed up unannounced. In the break room, the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee greeted them.

  “Would you like to sit down?” She gestured to the chairs around a small table.

  Dave shook his head. “No, thanks, I’ll stand.”

  Kylie grabbed a cup from a dispenser on the wall. “How about some coffee?” She glanced over at him; his demeanor was hesitant.

  “No, thank you.”

  Her body went rigid. Dave had come here with news and it didn’t look good. She swallowed. “Do you mind if I have some?”

  “That’s fine.”

  Whirling around, she started to fix her drink, hoping Dave’s visit wouldn’t further rock her day. “Any word on the forensic reports from the bullets?”

  “They came back this morning. The ammo recovered was three nine-millimeter Luger cartridges, used in a Glock 17 handgun.”

  Kylie turned back and leaned against the counter, stirring her coffee with a plastic spoon. “That’s good news, isn’t it? You can see how many guns like that are registered around here and maybe—”

  Dave gave a shake of his head before she even finished. “The Glock is the most popular revolver in America. They can be easily obtained with a license and without. Criminals pick them up every day on the street.”

  Her stomach quivered. “Are we still at square one with this guy?”

  “That depends.”

  Kylie stopped stirring her coffee. “Depends on what?”

  “You.”

  “Me?” Using the spoon, she aimed it at herself, sending droplets of russet liquid dribbling onto her shoe.

  He gave an affirmative nod. “You never gave me those names I asked you for.”

  “Names?”

  He sent her an unamused glance. “Names of possible love interests.”

  Her brain finally jumped into gear. “Oh, yes. Of course. I haven’t had a chance to get one together yet.” Before he could remind her how important it was, she added, “But I plan to work on it soon.”

  Dave’s face was impassive, not that unusual for him, but today his deadpan stare seemed to indicate she hadn’t done enough to help them get the case solved. Surely he didn’t think she enjoyed the chaos?

  Kylie tossed the spoon into the trash. “I’ll try to have the list to you by tomorrow.”

  “That will be good.” His expression softened. “It’s one avenue we haven’t explored yet. Focus on high school. Maybe some guy that’s kept in touch or goes out of his way to impress you or be around you.”

  “Okay.” Kylie nodded, her mind drawing a blank. “Hard to believe this criminal is so good at being...well, a criminal.”

  Dave furrowed his forehead. “You still don’t have a gut feeling about anyone?”

  She gave a quick shrug and sighed. “No. Although,” she amended, lowering her voice, “there is my boss, Max. He wasn’t at the camp with us ten years ago, but he’s well versed in the town’s history and is really enjoying the notoriety of the story at the moment.” As she reiterated Nick’s suspicion, Dave lifted his brows and narrowed his gaze on her.

  “Interesting. It’s good to see that you’re considering possible suspects.”

  “Actually, he’s someone Nick is considering. I’m trying to keep an open mind.”

  “And what about Nick?”

  She gave a short laugh. “I don’t think anyone is safe from his scrutiny at the moment.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I want to know what you think of Nick.”

  Kylie stared at Dave while shock and concern churned in her stomach. What was he getting at?

  “Kylie?”

  She blinked, then hesitated. “Well, I think Nick has been a great help to the investigation.”

  Dave’s brows lifted and in that moment, she noticed his green eyes, nearly the shade of her own. She’d never paid much attention to them before. Then again, Dave rarely looked anyone in the eye. Now as he held her stare, her nerves skittered. The switch in his demeanor meant one thing—he felt strongly about something he wanted her to consider.

  Then it hit her.

  “Dave, you don’t think—” Kylie stopped short, reeling at the insinuation in his features. “You can’t possibly think Nick is involved with the murders.”

  Dave’s gaze didn’t waver. “Nick’s been away from Asheville for ten years. He’s a trained soldier and not immune to killing. He has access to intelligence information, making it easy to keep an eye on you over the years. He comes back and people start dying.”

  “If that were true, why would Nick take the time to kill other people when he has direct contact with me? He doesn’t have to lure me anywhere. I’m staying in his brother’s home.”

  “Games and control. It’s not uncommon for a psychopath to con their victim, try to earn their trust before they go after them. And in the meantime, they enjoy the notoriety from the other crimes they commit.”

  Breaking his gaze, Kylie gasped to catch her breath. Dave’s knowledge on this type of criminal paralleled Nick’s. And she was beginning to understand way too much about the mind of a psychopathic murderer.

  Nerves about shot now, a fine tremor ran through her. She slid her cup onto the counter, more worried about spilling her coffee then drinking it at the moment. “I don’t understand why you would suspect Nick. Everything you have on him is circumstantial.”

  “Well, the clues are adding up. He was also the one who found Conrad the night he was murdered.”

  “That’s not true.” Kylie’s heart jumped, the scene of Conrad’s lifeless body sprawled across the cabin deck clearly in her mind.

  “If I’m wrong, correct me about that night,” Dave said, his voice firm, very detective-like.

  Breathe.

  Taking a moment, Kylie plucked her cup off the counter and took a swig to add moisture to her dry throat. The whole conversation was ludicrous.

  She lowered her cup, her wits returning. “I was with Nick that night. We found Conrad together.”

  Dave nodded. “I remember. You were on a walk while the rest of us were at the bonfire.”

  “Yes.”

  “How long were you gone?”

  She shrugged. “An hour. Maybe an hour and a half.”

  “The coroner’s report stated Conrad had been lying in his own blood for about that length of time before he was found.”

  “I don’t remember hearing that.”

  Dave shrugged, his dull gaze lingering on her.

  Kylie flapped a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Nick was with me. He had nothing to do with Conrad’s death. I can attest to that.” Her voice took on a defensive tone, but she didn’t care.

  “Did you meet at his cabin before
you left on the walk?”

  She stopped to think, to remember. Finally, she said, “No, he met me at mine.”

  Nodding, Dave tapped a foot. As if he was waiting for her to see the light.

  Kylie drew herself up to her full five-foot-two-inch height. She popped a hand on her hip. Grasping for straws, that was what Dave was doing. And she’d had enough of this inquisition.

  But Dave wasn’t finished. “Whenever you’ve received a call from the stalker, has Nick been around?”

  “No.”

  “Never?”

  She cringed as the question slammed into her. One she had never considered. It did seem odd that most of the calls came when Nick was close by but not actually with her. He was always easy to reach afterward, as if he was waiting.

  The sane corner of her mind told her to toss that last thought out.

  Swallowing, she wanted to discount Dave’s suspicions, but reasonably she couldn’t. His words held some clout. Still, she understood the importance of remaining objective.

  At any other time in her life, that might have been possible.

  Her confusion must have showed. “Purely speculation at this point,” Dave offered, his tone even, no emotion in his voice, but she knew what he was thinking.

  She nodded. “I know you have to consider all options.”

  The pause before he answered her went on forever. When he finally cut her a glance, his eyes darkened. “We’re narrowing down the pertinent facts. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments.” With one last dark glance, he walked out of the room.

  Stunned, Kylie stood there, her heart lodged in her throat. Lord, help me understand what is going on here. First Max and now Nick. Could either of them be capable of murder?

  Kylie ran stiff fingers through her curls, pulling her hair. She added to her prayer, Give me wisdom and keep my mind clear.

  * * *

  The workday was getting away from Nick again. He was quickly discovering that a good day’s work took much longer than a single day. Appreciation for his brother’s patience in running a business continued to grow.

  “Nick, the last box is off the truck. I’ll do a quick inventory and then take an early dinner.”

  “Thanks, Roger. That will be fine.”

  Nick stood in the stockroom, carefully examining the list of supplies that had been delivered. He didn’t know what half of the stuff was, let alone where it belonged in the store. Hopefully, Roger wouldn’t mind sticking around after his shift. Between Nick and the newer employees, they’d be here all night.

  With a groan, he stuffed the list into one coat pocket and pulled his cell phone from the other. He punched in Kylie’s number. Hopefully, her day was going better than his.

  Plunking down on a padded work stool, he waited for her to answer.

  “Hello.” Kylie’s sweet voice floated over the line.

  Refreshing. “Busy?”

  “For about two more minutes.”

  “Two minutes?” He wished that was his case.

  “I’m adding the finishing the touches to two overdue articles and emailing them to the managing editor. Hold on.”

  Nick waited. He swatted at a cobweb above him. Stretched his back, then scratched the side of his jaw where his cut was still healing.

  Finally Kylie came back on the line. “I’m finally finished.” Relief in her voice.

  “Let’s celebrate. I’ll take you out to dinner tonight. Name the place.”

  Silence for a heartbeat. “Actually, I’m busy tonight.” Her voice came back low, vibrating along his spine with an unexpected chill.

  “Do you have another article to work on?”

  “No, I’m meeting a friend for dinner. Someone from church.”

  Male or female? He didn’t ask, but he was curious.

  He had a ton of work to do, anyway. He should have been relieved, but he wasn’t. “Okay. Since I have your car, I can pick you up and drive you to the restaurant.”

  “No, that’s too much trouble. My friend will swing by here and then drop me off at Steven’s afterward.”

  Nick steeled his spine. He’d be happy to drive her and he almost told her so, but he heard something in her voice that told him she didn’t want him hanging around.

  He cleared his throat. “Then I’ll see you this evening. Any idea what time you’ll be back—” The rest of the words stuck in his throat. He was sounding like a father, not like a friend.

  A friend who had stepped over his boundaries the night before. He could kick himself.

  “I’m not sure, but I still have the key that you gave me. Don’t feel like you have to wait up.”

  Shock jolted down the nerves of his spine. He sloughed it off and straightened his shoulders. How late was too late for him to wait up? He bit back the question, reminding himself to mind his own business. “All right. Be safe.”

  Silence fell. Even more awkward this time. Nick shifted again.

  Finally, she replied, “I will. Have a good night, Nick.”

  “You, too.”

  Although the likelihood of that happening now was about nil.

  Strangely disappointed, Nick sat for a moment after Kylie hung up. No big deal, he told himself. A little separation was good for both of them. She could see whomever she wanted. She had no allegiance to him.

  Still, he’d been looking forward to seeing her.

  Since he’d arrived, he’d been wrestling with past feelings for her. The chemistry was still there. A scary proposition that deep down inside he knew would lead nowhere.

  His life was scattered enough without a relationship to hold him down, especially with no plans set in stone. He had no idea where he’d be next. His only concern for Kylie was to keep her safe. He repeated that thought over and over in his head, drilling it in. Rhetoric he vowed to hold on to.

  Something caught in his chest. Right then and there, he decided to get a grip and grow up. He’d been home less than two weeks, and already he’d regressed to acting like a teen. A lovesick teen, at that.

  “Hey, Nick. It looks like all the supplies we ordered came in. Here are the completed inventory sheets.” Roger walked toward him and handed him a clipboard.

  Blinking to align his jumbled thoughts, Nick cleared his throat and tried to grin. “Thanks.”

  He took the clipboard and tucked it under his arm. He’d compare it to the master list later. “Roger, would you be interested in working late tonight? If you’d like a few extra hours, I could use some help getting the supplies stocked in the right location.”

  A shrug from Roger. “Sure, I’m free. I don’t have anyone to get home to.”

  I know the feeling. Nick groaned inside. “Okay. Get yourself some dinner and we’ll get started when you get back.”

  “I’m ordering pizza. I’ll make it a large if you’d like some?”

  “Sure. Why not?” He had no one waiting at home for him, either.

  FIFTEEN

  In the newsroom, Kylie leaned back, rocking lightly in her office chair. Lifting a hand, she rubbed at the headache thumping behind her left temple. It had been harder than she expected telling Nick she had other plans. And it didn’t help that he’d invited her to dinner. A scenario she hadn’t considered when she arranged to meet up with her friend Taylor.

  But after Dave’s surprise visit that morning, she needed a distraction. Some time to mull over the what-ifs and the maybes about the case. The suspicions Dave had raised about Nick sent her stomach into knots. And as much as she wanted to refute his theory, she couldn’t deny her life had been rather peaceful until Nick showed up again.

  For one ghastly, twisted moment, she imagined Nick Bentley as her stalker. The murderer of three innocent men.

  Hurt and sadness sent achy chills twining through her like a bad case of the flu.

  Repressing a shiver
, she gritted her teeth. No. It couldn’t be him.

  Every fiber of her being strained to believe that.

  Confusion rattled her brain and intensified her pounding headache at the same time. Closing her eyes, she rubbed harder at her temple.

  Regardless of everything else, Nick would be out of her life soon. It only made sense to pull away some, for self-preservation and to shore up her still-fragile heart.

  “I just got off the phone with Charlie. He said you made the copy deadline. Congratulations.”

  At Max’s words, Kylie’s wayward thoughts jolted to a stop. Jerking upright in her chair, she whipped her gaze up to find him staring at her from across her desk, his usual smirk in place.

  “You must be tired.”

  More than he could imagine. “It’s been a long couple of weeks.” She brushed hair from her face.

  “Yes, but interesting to say the least.” His crooked smile grew. “I’ve been thinking, after this crime is solved, you might consider selling your story for a book or maybe even movie rights. I’ll be happy to represent you myself. I have a few friends in the publishing business.”

  His eyes rounded with enthusiasm and Kylie bit her tongue to keep from telling him to stop thinking.

  She pushed up from her seat, and bracing her fingertips on the desktop, she leaned in and stared at Max.

  Eyebrows drew together over the thrust of his nose. Inching back a step, he asked, “What are you looking at?”

  She canted her head, staring harder. “I wanted to get a good look at the dollar signs in your eyes.”

  Max’s short bark of laughter bounced around the room, further enhanced by chuckles erupting from nearby coworkers.

  Satisfied and fighting a grin, Kylie resumed her seat. “You know, you’re making me crazy, Max.”

  He gave a shrug, still laughing. “Everyone has a job to do.”

  “You do yours well.”

  Another crooked smile sprouted. “Can I assume you don’t want me to pitch your story to any of the publishers I know?”

  “Correct.”

  “Okay, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  Unfortunately.