Beyond Risk

by Connie Mann

  She handed a boy of about ten a life jacket, which he immediately tossed on the ground. “I know how to swim. I’m not wearing that stupid thing.”

  His mother scolded him, but Charlee simply scooped up the jacket and held it out to him. “I’m very glad to hear that you can swim. But on the river, the current can pull you along, or you could get knocked on the head if you fall out of the kayak. Either you agree to wear it—the whole time—or you can’t come with us. Your choice.”

  The boy’s mutinous expression was no match for Charlee’s determination. He reached out for the life jacket, but she moved it just out of reach. “Do we have a deal? You’ll wear it the whole time?”

  He nodded. She waited. “Yes, I’ll wear it. Geez, you’re like my mother.”

  Charlee exchanged a glance with said mother, who smiled widely. “And no whining about it, either,” Charlee added.

  “Fine,” he grumbled, then snatched it out of her hand. This time, she let him.

  He immediately found the whistle strapped to the jacket and blew into it. Charlee yanked it out of his mouth so quick, it made him yelp. “Hey! What are you doing?”

  She ignored him and said, “Gather round, everyone.” She held up the whistle. “This is an emergency whistle. Which, as the name implies, is to be used in an emergency. Not any other time, ever.” She eyed the boy and the other three youngsters, who were all of similar age. “Are we clear? If you’re in trouble, blow the whistle. If you blow it and you’re not, then you’ll really be in trouble. With me.”

  Everyone laughed, and Charlee made sure she met the boy’s eyes. “What was your name?”

  “Brandon.”

  “Okay, Brandon, are you ready?”

  He nodded, and Charlee finished the paperwork and got everyone loaded into the van, double-checking the straps on the kayak trailer as she went by.

  Once they were out on the Ocklawaha River, the memories tried to force their way in, but she fought them back, tried to focus on the surroundings. She’d always loved it out here, she reminded herself. Loved the way the sunlight hit the water, the way birds watched them from shore. Still, she sat, poised to fight, eyes darting from one child to the next, like an anxious mama wood duck with newly hatched chicks. She took slow, deliberate breaths so she wouldn’t hyperventilate.

  She did another quick check of the group, satisfied they were all fine for now. Thankfully, both sets of parents were pretty vigilant, making sure the kids didn’t do anything stupid.

  Charlee looked up into the trees, then scanned the riverbank, trying, as Hunter had suggested, to find the joy she used to experience when she came out here. She missed that feeling more than she’d realized. This had always been where she’d felt most centered, most herself. Out here in her kayak, absorbing the feel of the swamp around her, listening to the birds, the wind rustling through the trees filled her with peace.

  Right now, all she felt was stress.

  And like she was being watched.

  She turned, spun her kayak in a circle, trying to pinpoint who was watching her, grateful she’d packed her gun. She locked eyes with the young woman, who smiled. Charlee smiled back.

  Then she locked eyes with the man beside her. He smiled, too, then looked around. Confident that no one was watching, he eased up the hem of his shirt and showed her his badge. Charlee couldn’t tell what brand of cop he was from here, but she’d bet money Hunter had arranged this. Or maybe Pete. She nodded slightly and kept paddling.

  At least now she didn’t have to worry quite so much about something going wrong.

  She just had to battle the ghosts of things that had already gone desperately wrong.

  * * *

  He lowered his binoculars and smiled. Sending an undercover cop on a kayak trip? What a lovely surprise. That meant they were worried about him, about what he would do next. As well they should. They were worried about Charlee, too. How sweet. That only made his anticipation more delicious. He cocked his head, thinking. He wondered which one had set this up? The arrogant cop who thought Charlee belonged to him? Or one of her overprotective brothers? He shrugged and kept paddling, careful to stay just out of her line of sight. It didn’t really matter. In the end, he’d get Charlee right where he wanted her. They had a scene to act out, a grand finale, where he would triumph once and for all.

  He could hardly wait.

  He wondered where Boudreau had gone. What was so important he’d risk leaving her alone and vulnerable out here on the water? Probably a visit to that slut Sally and her mean, nasty daughter, Nora.

  It should have been Nora that day. She should have died. Not JJ. Nora, who picked on her brother all the time, nagging, sniping, calling him names and making him shrink from her harsh words. Oh yes. It should have been Nora.

  The good news was, it still would be. Nora and Charlee. Plus one more mean-spirited woman that this world would be better off without.

  Someone had to protect boys like JJ. He’d decided a long time ago it would be him. He would save them. It was his calling and his gift.

  The guilty had to pay.

  He turned his kayak around and paddled back the way he’d come. Enjoy your day, Charlee.

  It’ll soon be your last.

  * * *

  Hunter drove back toward Ocala, determined to be at the Outpost when Charlee got back. He felt better knowing Greg and his wife were with her, but he wouldn’t rest easy until he knew for sure she was fine.

  He grabbed his cell phone. “Hey, Byte, it’s Boudreau. Anything more on James Jennings? Okay, keep digging, would you? But I also need you to dig up whatever info you can on Tommy Jennings. Background, family, friends, any arrests, anything. Also, see what you can find out about his mother’s drowning when he was a kid. See if she died in the bathtub.”

  “You think that’s connected to what’s happening now?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but let’s find out.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll email you whatever I find.”

  “Perfect, thanks, Byte.”

  Hunter pulled into the Outpost and let out a relieved breath at all the cars in the parking lot. He didn’t want Charlee alone, cop or not. Not until they figured this thing out.

  Several families were heading to their cars as he approached the office. Officer Wagner and his wife walked out behind them.

  They stepped off to the side. “Hi, Lieutenant. This is my wife, Terry. Terry, this is Lieutenant Boudreau.”

  Hunter shook her hand. “Thanks for helping me out today.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “Everything was quiet,” Greg said. “Charlee acted like she was being watched, pretty nervous, but I didn’t spot anyone. Trip went off without a hitch.”

  Hunter clapped him on the back, then pulled out his wallet, handed him some bills. “Thanks. I owe you one. Take your lovely wife out, on me.”

  Greg smiled. “I’ll do that.” He put his hand to his wife’s back and guided her toward their Jeep. Terry turned and waved as she climbed in.

  “Now you’re sending me undercover babysitters?” Charlee asked from behind him.

  Hunter turned and saw the smirk on her face, eyebrows raised. “Would it help if I said it was—”

  “For my own good?” she finished. “Um, no.”

  He stepped closer, rubbed his hands over her shoulders. “How about I was worried about you.”

  She cocked her head, considered. “Better. But still smacks of macho superiority.”

  “There’s a killer on the loose. I’m not taking chances.”

  She heaved out a breath, all playfulness gone. “Yeah, there is that. Everything went fine.” She nodded toward the departing Jeep. “Though I’m sure your colleague already told you that.”

  “He did.”

  * * *

  Hunter’s cell phone rang, and Charlee heard his mu
rmured voice as he answered, but her attention was caught by something off in the woods behind the Outpost. From here, it looked too small to be human, but maybe it was an animal she could show the children. The two families from her tour were staying in the cabins tonight. She started in that direction, curious.

  She walked into the trees, and sure enough, she found a raccoon digging in the dirt. Which was unusual for this time of day. And so close to the Outpost. When it looked up and spotted her, it took off in the opposite direction. It’d been tugging on something black, half-buried in the sand. Charlee crouched down and grabbed a stick to figure out what it was. She dug around a bit and finally pulled up a black piece of cloth. She shook the branch, leaned closer to get a better look. It took a second to register what she was seeing, and then she gasped. She was holding a crumpled T-shirt.

  A shirt covered in dried blood.

  “Hunter!”

  * * *

  At Charlee’s shout, Hunter spun around. When he saw her in the woods, he muttered, “Gotta go,” into his phone and took off running. “What’s wrong?” He skidded to a stop and crouched down beside her.

  She held a bloody shirt on the end of a branch. Her hand shook slightly, and her face was pale. “This belongs to Travis.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely. It’s his favorite. I told him he wasn’t allowed to wear it two days in a row, at least not without washing it.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He hurried over to his truck and grabbed gloves and evidence bags. He took pictures from all angles, bagged the shirt. “Call him and ask him to come back as soon as class is over. Tell him it’s important.”

  She called him, worked to keep her voice casual. “He said he just finished his test and was already on his way back.”

  “Do you know what time he came to work this morning?”

  “No, but I can ask Dad.”

  “That’d be great. Thanks.”

  Hunter’s mind was busy sorting timelines and possibilities when Travis pulled into the parking lot in his aging little sedan. When he saw them both watching him, his eyes darted nervously from one to the other. “Hey, Charlee. What’s up?”

  Hunter nodded toward the building. “Let’s talk inside.” He didn’t feel like chasing him if the kid decided to bolt. Hunter followed them in and positioned himself between Travis and the door. At his nod, Charlee reached behind the counter and pulled out the plastic bag they’d stashed there.

  “Is that your T-shirt, Travis?” Hunter asked.

  The kid paled but folded his arms and copped an attitude. “Maybe. So what?”

  “So it’s covered in blood. Whose blood is it, Travis? Tommy Jennings’s?” He watched the kid’s eyes to see if he’d keep trying to bluff. Since Mr. Tanner had confirmed that Travis had been at the Outpost all morning, he couldn’t have killed Jennings. But those gators were another story.

  Travis flung his arms wide and started pacing. “Who is Tommy Jennings? Are you crazy? Why would I have some guy’s blood on my shirt?” He marched toward Hunter. “I don’t even know who that is!”

  Hunter merely arched a brow. “If it’s not Tommy Jennings’s blood, then whose is it?” He stepped closer. “The truth, Travis. Now. Or I bring you in on murder charges.” He had no evidence to support it, but he needed to push the kid.

  Travis paled, fear in his eyes. His voice was quiet. “I didn’t hurt anyone. I swear. I’d never do that.” He turned to Charlee, eyes pleading. “Tell him, Charlee. You know me.”

  Charlee crossed her arms. “I thought I did, but now I don’t think I know you at all. Whose blood is it, Travis?”

  He paced, and Hunter and Charlee exchanged a glance over his head. Come on, kid, fess up.

  The silence lengthened, broken only by Travis’s rapid breathing. His eyes darted from one to the other. “Okay, fine. It’s gator blood. Not human. You happy now?”

  “No, not at all. But just so we’re clear, are you saying you killed those gators on the Ocklawaha, Travis?”

  He stopped pacing and looked from one to the other, swallowed hard. “No. Yes. I-I—” He spun away and paced some more. “I was angry and…everything was out of control…” He grabbed his head, then spun around and jabbed a finger in Hunter’s direction. “You should have stayed away from Charlee!”

  “Oh, Travis,” Charlee said.

  Hunter called it in, then explained what would happen to a suddenly subdued Travis, who didn’t say another word. Pete arrived several minutes later and arrested him for animal cruelty and drove him away in his cruiser.

  Charlee looked utterly exhausted by the time they left. “I can’t believe it. Or maybe I can. But either way, I hope he gets the psychological counseling he needs.”

  He crouched in front of the chair she had sunk into earlier, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. “We’ll make sure, okay?” He hated the dark smudges under her eyes that seemed to get darker and deeper by the day. Somehow, he was determined to make her smile. “You ready to head to the carnival?”

  Her eyes lit up at the idea, and for a moment, he wished that’s what this was. Just a normal day with a guy asking a beautiful woman to a carnival.

  The spark faded from her eyes. “Right. Investigation. Question people.”

  He wanted to see that light in her eyes again. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun while we’re there, does it?”

  He watched her settle into negotiation mode. “That depends. Elephant ears?”

  “Of course. What’s a carnival without eight pounds of grease covered in powdered sugar?”

  She laughed then, and his heart felt strangely light as they stopped by her place to change clothes before they headed out to ask more questions.

  * * *

  Before they left Charlee’s cottage, Hunter read through the report on JJ’s death one more time. He’d tried to call the investigator who’d handled the case last year but found out the man had died in a car accident several months ago.

  When Charlee walked into the kitchen wearing a little sundress and sandals, he almost forgot what he’d planned to ask. Almost. He couldn’t get distracted. Not now.

  “Sally said Tommy’s mother drowned in the bathtub when he was a kid. Did you know that?”

  Charlee’s wide eyes softened. “Oh, those poor boys…” Then she stopped, stared at him. “Water again.”

  “Too soon to know if it figures into this, but we’ve got people checking.” He nodded and held out his hand. “In the meantime, let’s see if we can track down Tommy Jennings’s movements at the carnival.”

  The sense that they were running out of time wouldn’t let go, but he didn’t say that out loud. He’d learned that you had to keep gathering info, keep following the bread crumbs, until finally, when you least expected it, all the pieces fell into place, and the picture suddenly became clear.

  He kept her hand firmly in his, determined to keep her safe until they did.

  Chapter 24

  Despite everything going on, Charlee grinned like a kid when they arrived at the carnival. Maybe it was because she needed a break from the constant tension, but whatever the reason, there was just something about it that made her feel like she was twelve again. She looked up at the huge Ferris wheel rising up in the center, blinked at the flashing lights of the midway. Bells rang and barkers hawked their games while the smell of hot dogs and elephant ears mixed with the scent of animals and too many people. It was heavenly.

  Beside her, Hunter kept a hand at the small of her back so they weren’t separated in the crush. They wove their way past the merry-go-round, and Charlee couldn’t help a longing gaze. She loved the merry-go-round almost as much as the Ferris wheel.

  Hunter leaned close. “Later. Let’s get the questioning done first.”

  With him in faded jeans and a cr
isp polo shirt that hugged his lean chest, it was easy to pretend they were just another couple out on a date. She inhaled the crisp scent of his aftershave and gave in to the urge to run her hand along the shadow of beard stubble covering his hard jaw. The envious glances women aimed her way added to the fantasy.

  When he reached over and casually took her hand again, she smiled and decided not to overthink it. Not tonight. They were best friends pretending to be a couple as part of an investigation. She would just enjoy the carnival and the tender way he treated her…and keep her feelings and all thoughts of the future locked firmly away.

  She spotted Sammy as soon as they entered the midway. He was tall and speaking loudly to be heard above the noise. When he spotted Charlee, his grin grew wider, and he waved. Then he spotted Hunter, and his smile faded.

  “Hey, Sammy,” Charlee said. She leaned over the booth to hug him.

  He hugged her back, then scowled at Hunter. “What’s he doing here?”

  Hunter kept his smile casual, friendly. “I have to work, Sammy. You do, too, but it looks like you’re having lots more fun than I am.”

  He frowned. “You don’t have your uniform on.”

  “Not tonight. Have you given away lots of prizes?”

  Sammy’s smile came back. “One little girl won a bear like that one.” He pointed above his head. “It was so big, she couldn’t carry it. Her daddy helped her.”

  “You made her day, Sammy. That’s great.” Hunter eased closer, out of the path of a group of giggling teenage girls. He pulled up the photos on his phone of Paul and Wyatt Harris, Troy, Luke, Oliver Dunn, and Tommy Jennings. “Sammy, do you know these men? Have you ever seen them before?”

  “Are they in trouble?” Sammy looked from Hunter to Charlee and back again.

  “We just want to ask them some questions. We thought maybe they’d spent some time here. Maybe you’d seen them.”

  Sammy carefully studied all the photos before he shook his head. “Nope. I don’t remember any of them.” He looked at Charlee. “But there are lots and lots of people here. I might not have seen them.”