“Hannah won’t sleep in that room. She still considers it Abigail’s domain.”
“Abigail is dead.”
“And yet still hanging around.” Cooper lifted his eyes and smirked. “Trust me. I’ve tried talking to her about it, but she’s not keen on the idea. I can’t make her do something she doesn’t want to do. She’ll switch over eventually. Until then, she’s in the guest room, which looks out on the parking lot.”
“She might’ve been tired,” Boone argued. “She had a long day yesterday, what with finding the goat, working a full shift, spending time with you, and dealing with the brides. She could’ve simply passed out and slept like the dead. It’s been known to happen.”
“It has.” Cooper would never suggest otherwise. “She had Jinx with her, though. He’s not always the best guard dog during the day — or even at night when demons break in — but he always barks at cars. I’ve heard him up there when other people pull into the lot. He would’ve woken up.”
Boone wanted to push back on the statement, but he didn’t disagree. He’d seen the oversized dog go after vehicles a time or two himself. “So ... it’s unlikely she left via that route.”
“Not unless she walked all the way to the road, which is a mile out.”
“A mile doesn’t feel like much when you’re drunk,” Boone pointed out. “She could’ve easily made that walk.”
“Yeah. You should send some deputies down there to search the area, maybe tap some members of the K-9 unit.”
“That call has already been placed,” Boone reassured him. “The only true lead we have is Rick ... and I know very little about him. What can you tell me?”
“I looked over his personnel file when I was with Hannah, who is more upset than she lets on, by the way. He’s single, lives alone, and basically keeps to himself. There’s nothing to know about him.”
“Maybe that’s the way he wants it.”
“Because he’s a serial killer?” Cooper lifted his chin. “I might be able to get behind that scenario if it weren’t for one thing. June Dutton jumped off that building herself. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. I was there. She wasn’t pushed.”
“That doesn’t mean she wasn’t coerced. She could’ve been drugged. The coroner said there was a strange compound in her body. Maybe that compound was a new drug we don’t know about.”
“One that made her commit suicide?”
Boone held out his hands and shrugged. “Stranger things have happened. There are plenty of drugs out there that alter minds. It might not be that she was trying to kill herself. Maybe she was delusional and thought she could fly or something. Maybe she saw a different scene than you did. We may never know.”
“I guess.” Cooper wasn’t convinced that was possible. “That just doesn’t feel right. I know that I have no basis for arguing but ... it’s weird. It’s so, so weird. She was up there, yelling at the crowd, and she seemed lucid.”
“You weren’t up close and personal with her, though. You were at the end of the block. Could you really see her face?”
“No. That’s a point. I don’t know why I’m so bothered by all of this. I’ve seen death before. I’ve seen suicides before. This one, though, it feels so very wrong.”
“You’re bothered because Hannah was with you and you’re so far gone you don’t want anything bad to touch her,” Boone replied reasonably. “Oh, don’t bother denying it. I’ve seen the way you look at her. It’s ridiculous ... and kind of sweet. It’s the sort of thing I don’t want my daughter to ever bear witness to.”
Cooper was baffled. “And why is that?”
“Because it’s like a fairy tale. I’m not saying it never happens — obviously it does — but it’s not the reality for everyone and I don’t want her to get her hopes up.”
“Because you don’t want her to be happy?”
“Oh, don’t be an idiot. Of course I want her to be happy. She’s my daughter. I don’t want her to dream that particular dream if it’s never going to happen, though. If she focuses on getting that, she might lose something equally good ... if not as public. Just because you and Hannah are mushy messes, that doesn’t mean everyone has to be that way.”
Cooper couldn’t contain his eye roll. “We’re not mushy messes. We’re ... in a new relationship. It’s always like this at the start of a new relationship.”
“Really? It’s never been that way for me. I loved my wife a great deal, but we were more practical. As I recall, it wasn’t this way for you and Astra either. Hannah is special.”
Cooper scowled at the mention of Astra’s name. “Did you have to bring her up?”
“I always like to mess with you.”
“Well, don’t bring her up.” He turned back to the computer. “I need to go through the rest of these files. They’re all we’ve got.”
“I’m not going to stand in your way.”
CASPER CREEK WAS OPENING FOR business despite the missing bride. The rest of the bridal party departed not long after the police made their presence known. They were distraught, but there was nothing they could do. By the time the K-9 units arrived to start searching the area around the town, the bridesmaids were horrified enough to beat a hasty retreat. That included the demanding Jenn, who finally seemed to understand the reality of the situation.
Cooper texted long enough to tell Hannah that Rick was in the wind. They weren’t sure where he was. Since he was scheduled to be at work that afternoon, he warned her to be on the lookout and text him should the man show up. If he did, she was ordered to hide out upstairs until the cavalry arrived. She wasn’t keen on the notion but agreed to it simply to avoid an argument.
Despite all that had happened, it was still early. The ski lift would start in two hours, which meant Hannah had time to do ... something. The only problem was, she had no idea what that something should be.
She left Jinx with Tyler when she headed out in the direction of the river. It would’ve been smarter to take the dog, but she wouldn’t risk him for anything and she was leery about the trip. Technically she knew that Cooper and Tyler had already checked the area, but she was antsy enough to double-check ... and maybe use her magic if she got a chance.
Unfortunately for her, the K-9 unit happened to be in that location when she passed, the dog alerting on the very spot where the goat died. She thought about explaining to the deputies what happened but ultimately kept her mouth shut. If they had questions, they would ask Boone. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself.
She kept walking past them, as if she had the river as a destination the entire time. She didn’t stop until the familiar rushing water started filling her heart and ears and she almost sighed when she landed on the banks, removed her shoes, and plunged her feet into the water.
She was going to have to wait it out. If she wanted to use her magic to search for Heather, she was going to have to pick a time when there was no chance of one of the deputies seeing her. It was better to be safe than sorry.
She was lost in thought, her mind on a million different things, when a voice broke through her reverie and caused her stomach to plunge.
“Oh, well, fancy meeting you here ... again.”
Hannah didn’t have to look up to know who was speaking to her. “Astra.” She was grim when she lifted her chin, internally groaning when she caught sight of the white-haired witch. Even though the woman would be considered odd-looking by a great many people, Hannah was always wistful when she saw her. She found Astra beautiful, even if she was convinced the woman was evil and should be avoided at all costs. “What are you doing out here?”
“I happen to enjoy the river as much as the next person,” Astra replied airily. “I don’t believe it’s against the law for me to be out here. Since the boundary to your property ends on that side of the water, that means I’m well within my rights to enjoy the serenity of this place.” She kicked off her shoes, bunched her skirt, and slid her feet into the water. The expression on her face practically dare
d Hannah to pick a fight with her.
Since she was tired, and a little bit heartsick over what happened to Heather, Hannah saw no reason to turn the quiet afternoon into a witchfest.
“I don’t care where you decided to commune with nature.”
“No?” Astra popped her lips and grinned. “That’s a bit of a disappointment.” She was silent for a beat. “Where is your bodyguard? You usually don’t go anywhere without him.”
“I left him back with Tyler. Given what happened to the goat — which I know you’re aware of — I didn’t want to risk him.”
For a brief moment, Astra looked confused. Then she laughed. “I wasn’t talking about the dog, although I do miss him. He’s the best thing about you. I was talking about Cooper. You two seem joined at the hip these days.”
“Oh. He’s with Boone. We had an incident at Casper Creek this morning.”
“Another one? You guys are turning into a real hotbed of activity. What happened today?”
Before Hannah had a chance to answer, a shadow detached from a tree about twenty feet down. There, a beautiful brunette in shorts and a T-shirt cleared her throat to get some attention ... and then proceeded to laugh. “You should pay more attention to what’s going on with your neighbors, Astra,” she chided, moving closer. “What’s happening down there is big news. It’s going to cause a panic throughout the entire area before the day is out.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes. “Who are ... ?” She ultimately didn’t need to ask the question so she regrouped. “You’re Stormy, aren’t you?”
Stormy beamed at the question. “I see my reputation precedes me.”
“I don’t think it’s a good reputation, so I wouldn’t get too excited.” Hannah flicked her eyes to Astra. “Cooper mentioned her.”
“I’m sure he did.” Astra made a face. “He’s the chatty sort ... at least with you. When he stops by to talk to me, it’s because he wants to accuse me of something.”
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t believe he really thought you were responsible for the goat. That seems like a silly thing to be worried about in light of what’s going down now.”
“Which is?”
“A woman is missing,” Stormy supplied. “She was staying at the brothel last night with a group of her bridesmaids — she’s supposed to be getting married the day after tomorrow, but that won’t be happening — and she got up and went for a walk in the middle of the night. Nobody can find her.”
Suspicion lit Hannah’s face as she slowly slid her eyes to Stormy. “How can you possibly know that?”
“Everybody is talking about it.”
“But ... they’re not. It just happened. So far, only a few of Boone’s deputies have been called out to the scene. They’re purposely trying to keep it under wraps because they don’t want to start a panic in the community.”
“I think it’s a little late for that.” Stormy laughed jovially as she dipped her toes in the river. “Wow. That is cold. How can you stand it?”
“It’s comforting,” Astra shot back, her narrowed eyes focused on Stormy. Hannah didn’t know the witch well but sensed she was annoyed by something. “How did you know about the missing woman at Casper Creek?”
Stormy looked exasperated by the question. “I told you. It’s all over the news.”
“And how did you watch the news? I don’t have a television. You were at the store when I left an hour ago. You didn’t have time to catch a news program.”
“The radio has news, too,” Stormy pointed out. “I was listening while driving around.”
“Were you following me?” Astra’s tone was biting. “Is that how you ended up here?”
“Oh, don’t flatter yourself.” Stormy waved off the comment as if it were nothing more than an annoying fly. “I was looking for a cool place to visit. I happened to see this one on a map. It’s purely a coincidence.”
Hannah didn’t believe that for a second. “And you just happened to show up at the same time we did? That’s quite the coincidence.”
“Isn’t it, though,” Astra murmured. Hannah was no longer the focus of her attention. No, that honor was now bestowed upon Stormy. “I think we should talk about a few things.”
“Oh, sure. I love talking about things,” Stormy bubbled. “Whenever you want, I’m up for it.”
“I think now is a good time.”
Sensing it was time to leave, Hannah slowly stood and grabbed her shoes. She hadn’t planned to hang by the river overly long anyway. She was just waiting for the deputy to take the dog and move to another spot so she could test her magic and try to find a trail that led to Heather. It was the only thing she could think to do.
“Well, it was nice to see you again,” Hannah said blankly as she stood. “I need to be on my way. I’m sure you and your friend will have a ... nice ... afternoon. I hope to see you again.”
“Oh, you’ll definitely see us again,” Stormy called out. “You have something that belongs to us.”
Astra’s eyes flashed with outright hostility. “Me.” She thumped her chest for emphasis. “She has something that belongs to me. You’re not a part of that equation.”
“We shall see.”
“Oh, we definitely will.”
12
Twelve
Hannah made it to work on time. Her interaction with Astra — and especially Stormy — left her unsettled, but there wasn’t much she could do about it until Cooper checked in. Even then, she was leery about telling him what happened. He would most likely give her a lecture about spending time with Astra while at the same time reminding her that there could be something dangerous lurking in the fields around the town. She was already aware of both of those things so there was no need to dredge it up.
Nick was in the saloon by himself when she arrived and he looked out of sorts.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, instantly worried. She scurried around the bar to grab an apron. “Did something happen?”
“I thought maybe you guys were going to leave me here alone or something and I was freaking out,” Nick admitted sheepishly. “I mean ... I had fun yesterday. I think I’m catching on. I’m not ready to solo it, though.”
Hannah took pity on him. She hadn’t considered that he might be panicking because she left her appearance until the last second. “I’m sorry. I was down by the river trying to help with the search. I didn’t realize you would be here alone.”
“I heard about that.” For once, Nick wasn’t cracking wise. “What’s going to happen?”
“What do you mean?” Hannah was only half listening because her mind was on other things. Her attempt to use magic to find Heather had been an unmitigated disaster. Nothing she tried worked and she was feeling down on herself ... and more than a little frustrated. “What’s going to happen where?”
“Here.” He was earnest. “Are they going to shut things down because that woman disappeared up here?”
Hannah furrowed her brow, confused. “Who are you talking about?”
“The cops. They’re all over the place.”
“Ah.” Realization dawned and she flashed a weak smile. “You don’t have to worry about that. The police will keep searching for Heather because that’s their job but we’re not liable for what happened to her. They signed release forms saying exactly that, and Cooper and I stopped in last night to warn them about straying. They knew not to leave.”
“Yeah, but ... they were drunk. I know because I served them some drinks before I left. They were more than halfway to tipsy when I finished with them and they had a bunch of their own stuff. They were probably hammered by midnight.”
Hannah thought back to the interaction she shared with the women. “They actually weren’t terrible. I mean ... well ... they weren’t exactly sober. They were hardly tripping over their own feet or slurring either. Besides ... there’s debate whether Heather wandered off on her own.”
“I don’t know what that means.” Nick’s face was blank. “What else could’ve h
appened?”
“Well ... .” Hannah hesitated. She wasn’t sure how much she should say. In truth, Nick was the one who spent the most time with Rick the previous day. If anyone had any insight into the man’s mood, it would be her young companion. “What can you tell me about the time you spent with Rick yesterday?”
Nick looked surprised by the conversational shift. “Um ... I don’t know. What do you want me to tell you?”
“I don’t specifically want you to tell me anything. I’m simply curious about his mood. I mean ... was he angry? Was he sad? Was he happy?”
“I’m not really sure that guy is ever happy. Sure, he puts on a good act, but it’s obvious he doesn’t feel the bulk of the emotions he wears.”
To Hannah, that was an extremely odd — and maybe a little profound — statement. “You’re saying that he only pretends to be friendly.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I mean ... friendliness is one of those things that’s not easy to gauge. I’m saying that he’s not altogether right in the head. He puts on a good front, don’t get me wrong, but I know how to recognize the signs of mental illness.”
Hannah jerked her eyes in his direction. “Oh, yeah?”
He nodded, solemn. “My mother. She was mentally ill, to the point where she was locked up when I was twelve.”
“I’m sorry. That must’ve been difficult to deal with.”
“Yeah. I was in the hospital at the time because she locked me in the attic before she set the house on fire. I breathed in a lot of smoke and was weak. There was a time they thought I wouldn’t make it. I was really out of it when they dragged her away and I thought it was a dream. I was terrified they were going to send me back to live with her.”
Hannah’s stomach constricted. “That is ... awful. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe your mother tried to kill you.”
“Yeah, well, she had issues.” Nick forced a smile that didn’t make it all the way to his eyes. “I guess it was good that I was an only child. I took the brunt of her anger up until that day but there was no one else to protect me. I could escape to the woods and hang out with my imaginary friends – who were always women because I was a boss even then, mind you – when she was having an episode. It wasn’t always so bad.”
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