Chestnuts, Camping and Culprits

by Cindy Bell

  “He could be, but I don’t think he is. I think we might have a bigger problem.” Kerri bit into her bottom lip.

  “What do you mean?” George met her eyes. “You’re not upset with me, are you? Was I supposed to keep my hands off him when he came at you like that?” George frowned.

  “No, not that.” Kerri looked around the woods again. “I think we have a missing detective.”

  Chapter 20

  “Detective Carver? What makes you think that she’s missing?” George’s eyes widened as he watched her peer through the trees.

  “She hasn’t been in touch with you or me all day. She missed an appointment to pick up evidence. There’s no way she would do that. It’s late, and she hasn’t updated us, or checked in to see if we found anything.” Kerri’s heart began to pound as urgency filled her mind. “Grandpa, what if something happened to her while she was investigating the container?”

  “I’m going to go look for her.” George started towards the nearest trail, his muscles tight, and his strides determined.

  “Wait, Grandpa! You could just walk into the same trap. We need to make sure she’s actually missing. We need to go down to the police station and see if she’s reported in at all.” Kerri watched as her grandfather froze at the edge of the trail. He raised his hands in the air and began to slowly back up. Confused, she took a step closer to him. “Grandpa, what are you doing?”

  “I don’t think we’re going to need a trip down the mountain.” George shot a look over his shoulder as Chief Meyers came into view, his gun drawn and pointed at George.

  “Oh no, you won’t. No one is leaving this mountain until someone tells me where my detective is.” Chief Meyers looked between George and Kerri. “You two were the last ones to speak to her, I want to know exactly what was said, and where you have been all day.”

  “So, she really is missing?” Kerri took a step closer to her grandfather, but was careful to keep her hands in full view of the chief.

  “Yes, and we haven’t been able to get her to answer her radio.” Chief Meyers lowered his gun, though kept it at his side as he surveyed both of them. “I’ve also been trying to get in touch with the two of you for the past hour. That didn’t turn out well.”

  “We have no reception up here.” George frowned as he lowered his hands. “We had nothing to do with Detective Carver going missing. When we spoke to her this morning, I told her about a container I’d found hidden in the woods. The last thing she told me was that she was going to check it out.”

  “Alone?” Chief Meyers narrowed his eyes.

  “I offered to go with her, she refused.” George shrugged, but his gaze swept the woods again. “I can take you to the container. We shouldn’t waste any time. She could have been missing since this morning.” He started to take a step forward. “Please, let me help you.”

  “I’d like to help, too, if possible.” Steve stepped off the trail that led to the cabins and looked over each of them, though his gaze lingered on Kerri.

  Only then did she recall that she was supposed to text him about dinner. Her cheeks grew hot as she realized that she had forgotten all about it.

  “Steve, I’m so sorry about dinner.” Kerri frowned as he walked up to them.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Steve smiled at her briefly, then looked back at Chief Meyers. “I might have some information that can help. I heard from dispatch that you had started a search for Detective Carver, so I made a few calls to my contacts.”

  “What contacts?” Chief Meyers holstered his weapon and stared hard at Steve.

  “I can’t reveal my sources, I’m sorry, Chief. But I can tell you that there has been a lot of activity around the owl sanctuary. More than there should have been.” Steve glanced over at Kerri. “Have you been in contact with Sylvia?”

  “I spoke to her earlier, actually, and she sounded very strange.” Kerri looked over at her grandfather. “Remember?”

  “Yes, you said something didn’t feel right. Do you think she could have something to do with all of this? Maybe she’s been abducted as well?” George narrowed his eyes.

  Kerri’s stomach flipped, and her head grew dizzy. She grabbed Steve’s shoulder to steady herself.

  “Oh no, this is terrible. I think this is all my fault. We have to find Detective Carver, fast!”

  “Kerri, what is it?” Steve wrapped his arm around her waist.

  “What could be your fault?” George frowned.

  “If you know something, you need to tell me right now, young lady.” Chief Meyers glowered at her from under the rim of his hat.

  “I told Sylvia about the container, and Detective Carver investigating it. She knew exactly where to go look for her, and Detective Carver had no reason to be afraid of her! All of this time, it’s been Sylvia! She’s the one who killed Pam, and now she has Detective Carver. We have to find her, right away!” Kerri started to lunge towards the trail.

  “No, you don’t!” Steve tightened his grip around her waist. “Not without a plan.”

  “I’ll get some more men over here.” Chief Meyers barked orders into his radio.

  “Kerri, we had Sylvia in our house for dinner, sure she’s a little off, but what makes you so sure that she’s the killer?” George shook his head. “Would she even be strong enough to push over a tree?”

  “She didn’t need to be. All she had to do was cut it a little more, and the weight of the tree did it for her.” Kerri sighed as all of the pieces fit together in her mind. “She has a lot of knowledge about the loggers’ activities, because she’s been framing them for weeks.”

  “Are you talking about the protected trees that have been cut down?” Steve narrowed his eyes. “Why would she do that?”

  “My guess is Sylvia had a plan to get the loggers out of the woods by spray painting trees that had been cut down. I think Pam was helping her. I saw red paint on her hand when she came into the shop.” Kerri sighed as she rubbed her palm across her forehead. “That container belonged to Sylvia. She’s probably the only one with good enough reception on the mountain to be able to place orders from a supplier outside of town. If she was bold enough to frame the loggers, she certainly could have taken things a step further and planned to set lethal traps for them. The only problem was Pam. Colin said that Pam and Sylvia spent quite a bit of time together.” Kerri closed her eyes. “I think she killed Pam because Pam found out about her plans to hurt the loggers. Pam wanted to protect Elm and the other loggers from harm.” When she opened her eyes again, she found George, and Steve, staring right at her. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this from the beginning. She’s a murderer, and I told her exactly where to find Detective Carver.”

  “It’s not your fault, Kerri.” Steve looked into her eyes, and opened his mouth to say more, but Chief Meyers interrupted him before he could.

  “We’ve found the car!” He waved his hand to all three of them. “Follow me!”

  As all four of them broke into a run through the woods, Kerri’s heart pounded. Despite what Steve said, she did blame herself. If she hadn’t told Sylvia about the container, she might never have spotted Detective Carver. She could only hope that the detective was still alive. Her stomach churned as she recalled the advice that Sylvia had given her. Now, it didn’t seem so wise. Sylvia had managed to absolve herself of all responsibility for Pam’s death, by declaring it a part of the cause, a choice she had made that she wouldn’t allow herself to regret. She was a very sick woman. Flashing lights drew them to Detective Carver’s car. Several police SUVs had gathered around it.

  “This isn’t far from where I found the container.” George narrowed his eyes as he looked over the car. “And look!” He pointed to the tack strip not far from where the car had collided with a tree. “That’s how she got her. She must have taken her right out of the car.” He slammed his hand against the roof.

  “Cool it! That’s evidence!” Chief Meyers snapped at him. “The rest of you spread out, I want every inch of these woods se
arched, understand me! No one goes home until Detective Carver does!”

  “Grandpa, we’re going to find her.” Kerri stood beside him. “If anyone can, we can, right?”

  “Yes.” George looked into her eyes. “Yes, you’re right. They’re looking in the wrong place.”

  “What do you mean?” Steve leaned closer to him. “Do you know where she is?”

  “I know that Sylvia never would have left her precious owls unattended for any length of time. She’d rather die herself, than let them be harmed. You said that there was suspicious activity near the owl sanctuary. If Detective Carver is still alive, then that’s where Sylvia would be holding her.” George started towards the woods.

  “We should tell Chief Meyers.” Steve turned to call to the man.

  “Don’t you dare!” George grabbed him by the shoulder.

  “What, why?” Steve frowned as he ducked out of his grasp.

  “Because Sylvia will hear a search party coming.” Kerri frowned. “She knows these woods better than anyone else, and she has the means to set traps throughout the woods. If we all go in the same direction, she’ll cut her losses, and Detective Carver won’t survive.”

  “I see.” Steve eyed them both for a moment.

  “But you’re going to tell him anyway?” George stared hard at him.

  “No. I’m not.” Steve took a deep breath. “If you let me come with you.”

  “Steve!” Kerri frowned. “It’s not safe, Grandpa and I have some experience—”

  “Enough, there’s no time to argue. If you’re coming, then keep up, and keep your mouth shut.” George started off through the woods, away from any trails.

  “Steve, are you sure about this?” Kerri caught his hand and looked into his eyes. “You don’t have to put yourself at risk.”

  “If you’re going, I’m going, Kerri.” Steve tightened his grasp on her hand as he followed after George into the woods.

  Within minutes they were swallowed up in the darkness of the woods. Kerri moved easily behind her grandfather. None of them dared to turn on a flashlight, or even speak to one another. As Kerri realized they were getting closer to the protected area, her heartbeat quickened. This was the moment when they would find out if Detective Carver had survived her encounter with Sylvia. She tried to push aside her feelings of guilt as she knew they would only cloud her judgment.

  If possible, the area of the protected woods was even darker than the rest. Perhaps the tree limbs were thicker, which caused them to block out more of the moonlight, or maybe it was from Sylvia’s presence within them, but the soupy darkness made it difficult to pick out any tracks. George finally stopped and spread his hands out in surrender. He gestured in a direction ahead of them, and then shrugged. She knew he had given in to the idea that he had no idea which way to go.

  Kerri closed her eyes, and listened. As she held her breath, she could sense everything around her. She could hear the subtle sound of Steve’s fingertips as they brushed against each other. She could hear her grandfather’s knee crack as he leaned a little bit too far to the side. In the distance, she heard the soft steps of deer, and the heavier gait of a bear. Insects sang their various songs, along with the toads that hid in the brush all around them. Only one sound didn’t belong. A slow and subtle creak. It repeated every few seconds. At first she thought it was a branch being bent by the wind, but the air was almost still, and no other branches made the sound. She swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the sound. Back and forth. Back and forth. Suddenly she knew exactly what it was. Her eyes flew open and she pointed off to the right.

  As Kerri started through the woods it was hard to restrain herself from running. She knew that she had to move slowly for two reasons. One, Sylvia might have set traps all around them, and two, she was probably listening just as hard as Kerri had been. As the sound became louder, she noticed that her grandfather heard it, too. Steve loped after them, his footsteps heavier than theirs, his knowledge of how to be silent in the woods was mediocre at best.

  When the sound was loud enough, Kerri turned towards Steve and put a finger to her lips. George stuck one finger up in the air and moved it in a circle. She knew that he intended to circle around to the other side of the area. Kerri nodded. She held up a hand to instruct Steve to stay where he was, then she took a few steps forward. She became aware of a new sound, a subtle whimpering, that was music to her ears. A few steps more, and a glance up into the towering trees, and her eyes settled on the sight she had hoped for. Tangled up in a net hoisted high in a thick tree, was Detective Carver. From the looks of it, she had likely been there for hours. The net swung slowly back and forth, and the tree limb it hung from creaked beneath the weight of its prisoner.

  Chapter 21

  Steve started to push past Kerri to get to the net, but she placed her hands firmly on his chest and pushed him back. She leaned her lips close to his ear and spoke as quietly as she could.

  “It’s a trap.”

  Steve’s eyes widened as he pulled back to look at Kerri. She gestured to the brush piled up beneath the net. She guessed it was gathered there to hide quite a sizable hole that Sylvia dug. If any of them got too close to the net, they would fall right into it. Best case scenario it was just a hole, worst case scenario it was filled with sticks sharpened into spears, or snakes. Knowing how ruthless Sylvia was, she was betting on the worst case scenario. She was surprised that she would risk hurting the animals, but maybe she had left some sort of deterrent around the hole so that animals wouldn’t come close.

  “Well, it’s been all day.” Sylvia’s voice carried through the woods.

  Kerri pushed Steve back behind a dense patch of trees, they stood close together as they shared the hiding spot. He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head, and pressed a fingertip lightly against his lips.

  “Just let me down.” Detective Carver’s raspy voice indicated she might have been screaming most of the day. No one would have heard her this far into the woods. “No one is coming. I told you they wouldn’t.”

  “What a shame. An entire department full of police and none of them smart enough to come looking for you?” Sylvia laughed and crossed her arms as she stepped into view. “Or maybe they just don’t like you very much. You do have a very harsh demeanor.”

  “Please, let me down from here, and we can work out some kind of deal. I will get you the help that you need.” The net swung harder as the detective shifted her weight in it.

  Kerri held her breath as she heard a few strands of the rope begin to snap. If the net gave way, Detective Carver would end up in the hole below her.

  “I don’t want any deal. I want everyone off this mountain.” Sylvia flicked a lighter in her hand. “I guess, they’ll just have to find you later, when they dig through the ashes.”

  “Don’t!” Detective Carver gasped. “When you brought me out here, you said it was to show me the owls, your beloved owls. You said you would get me help after my car accident, but first you wanted to show me your owls. Don’t you care if they are hurt?”

  “What’s dead is dead.” Sylvia shrugged. “It’s already too late for them. There are other animals that need my help. It’s better they die a quick death, than to suffer due to the greed of humans.” She flicked the lighter again. “I’m sorry you weren’t more useful, Detective. I do hate to waste things. But I can’t control everything.”

  Kerri’s heart pounded as she heard the lighter flick on once more. Then she realized that the entire area reeked of gasoline. She hadn’t noticed it before as she was too focused on Detective Carver. But now that she did, she understood that the woods would go up in flames in mere seconds once the lighter was dropped.

  “I’m here!” Kerri suddenly stepped forward. “Sylvia! I’m here. You don’t have to hurt the detective. Let me help you get people off the mountain.”

  “You!” Sylvia spun on her heel to face Kerri and Steve, who stepped up right behind her. “You were the last person I thought would show up h
ere. You’re really not that bright, you know?”

  “Let her go.” Kerri held her hands up in the air. “You can use me to help you. You don’t need her.”

  “Sure, I need her, and you.” Sylvia laughed. “The more the merrier.”

  “I’m a reporter.” Steve tried to catch her attention. “I can get your story out there. I will make sure it’s front page news, all you have to do is let her down.”

  “No!” Sylvia growled at them. “It doesn’t matter! It’s too late! I did everything I could to protect these owls and all you did was waste, and ruin, and take!”

  “This isn’t about the owls, is it Sylvia?” Kerri took a step closer to her and gestured for Steve to stay back.

  “Of course it is.” Sylvia frowned as she stared at Kerri.

  “No, it’s not.” Kerri moved a little closer. “It’s about a young woman who believed in you. A young woman who wouldn’t put the lives of others at risk.”

  “She didn’t understand!” Sylvia shouted her words and waved the lighter through the air, the flame whipping and extinguishing with the motion. “She found my supplies, she realized I was painting the trees to try and get the loggers into trouble, and she figured out what I was going to do next. She said she was going to tell the police about my plans. She was going to turn me in.”

  “But you protected the owls, didn’t you?” Kerri smiled, her voice warm. “You made sure she couldn’t stop you from protecting them. That she couldn’t hurt them.”

  “Yes, I did.” Sylvia swallowed hard. “It was easier than I thought it would be. I just called her and told her to meet me by some trees. I told her she was right, I was planning on stopping and I needed help with something to protect the owls. The tree wasn’t fully cut, but those lazy loggers left it there. All I had to do was cut it just a little more.” Her voice trembled. “She walked right into my trap. She stood there and waited for me.”