Critical Doubt

by Barbara Freethy

  "Whatever you need, Savannah, just ask."

  "I'm not sure yet. The chief is marking his territory, and I'm definitely on the outs with him. We have a personal history. But I'm still hoping he'll work with me to get answers."

  "What answers? I thought it was an accident."

  "It's possible there was another vehicle involved. I don't know. Something feels off about it to me, Flynn." She paused, unable to put her finger on her uncertainty, but it was definitely there.

  "I've never known your gut to be wrong, so follow it."

  She appreciated his confidence in her. It was nice to be reminded that in her current life people did actually respect her.

  "Although," he continued, "it sounds like you'll be spending more time in your hometown, and that's never your favorite thing to do. Have you seen your father yet?"

  "Yes. We had an awkward and cold conversation—like always. Hopefully, there won't be another one. But, at the moment, he's the least of my concerns."

  "Let me know if you need help. I can always fly out there."

  "You can't fly out here. Isn't Callie's birthday on Friday? Isn't there some big, romantic proposal in the works?" she teased.

  "I'm not sure I should do it on her birthday. She might expect it," Flynn said. "I like to keep her on her toes."

  She smiled at the note of love in his voice. Flynn had finally found his match a few months earlier, and it was nice to see them moving forward in their lives. "I'm sure you will keep her on her toes no matter what you do, because unpredictable is your middle name."

  "Actually, I think that might be your middle name, Savannah. You're never who anyone thinks you are."

  "My secret weapon."

  "Use it wisely."

  "I'll be in touch." She ended the call as she drove down Abby's block. The driveway and street were crowded with vehicles, but she squeezed into a spot a few houses down from Abby's. She got out of the car and waited for Ryker, who had to park a bit farther away.

  As he approached, unwanted tingles shot down her spine, and she told herself to get a grip. The man smelled like the river. His clothes were soggy and wrinkled. She should not be thinking he was attractive, but she was…

  His dark hair was wavy and damp, and despite his now more noticeable limp, he was still compelling with his dark eyes, absurdly long lashes, and full, sexy mouth. This was not the time or the place to have those kinds of feelings, but her body wasn't as up to speed on that fact as her brain.

  "Looks like the crowd from the church is here now," he murmured, not appearing happy about that.

  "Hopefully not everyone." She didn't want to deal with her father right now.

  As they approached Abby's front steps, she realized she was going to have to deal with her dad again. He was with Colonel Bill Vance, his long-time friend, and someone who had always been very nice to her. Even now, Colonel Vance was giving her a warm smile, while her father wore his usual stoic, emotionless expression.

  "Savannah. I saw you at the church, but I didn't get a chance to speak to you," Colonel Vance said. "How are you?"

  "Hanging in there."

  "It's a sad situation," he said, his smile dimming. As his gaze moved past her to Ryker, he suddenly straightened. "Stone. I didn't see you there. I'm sorry about all of this. I heard you went into the river after Davis. I would have expected nothing less."

  "Colonel," Ryker said, as they shook hands. "It's good to see you again. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in finding Todd and bringing him back to safety."

  "You did your best. I'm sure of that. James is inside. He's kicking himself hard, too. But this isn't on you or James. It was a tragic accident."

  "We should go," her father interrupted. "We have a dinner meeting."

  Savannah couldn't believe her dad wasn't even going to acknowledge her, but he was already walking away.

  Colonel Vance gave her an apologetic smile, then lingered behind while her father strode down the street to his car. "You look like your mother, Savannah. Your dad misses her more every time he sees you."

  "Well, that isn't very often."

  "I keep telling him he needs to work things out with you. I don’t think he knows how."

  "It doesn't matter. You should go. He doesn't like to wait."

  "I don’t worry too much about what your dad wants," Vance said with a smile. "But take care of yourselves—both of you."

  As Vance left, Ryker said, "Your dad is an asshole."

  "I can't argue that. I'm glad he's gone. Hopefully, I won't have to see him again any time soon." She turned toward the house. "Let's find Abby."

  The front door was unlocked, so she walked in. The two-story, Craftsman-style home was decorated in warm, cozy chaos, lots of family photographs around, paperbacks and kids' books on the tables as well as numerous quilts on the walls or on the couches and chairs as Abby was a big quilter.

  There were three couples and two teenagers in the living room, some of whom looked familiar, but no one she knew well enough to stop and say hello to. They moved down the hall to the kitchen and family room, where another dozen people were milling about. Abby saw them immediately and rushed across the room.

  "Did you find Todd?" she asked Ryker.

  "No, I'm sorry," he said heavily.

  Abby's hopeful gaze turned bleak. "This can't be happening. I can't tell Tyler that Todd is gone, too. I can't do it."

  "Where is Tyler?" she asked.

  "My parents took him to their house. Tyler knows Todd was in an accident, but nothing else," Abby replied. "I just don't understand why no one has found him yet. You jumped into the river so fast, Ryker, as did James and Daniel." She tipped her head to the men, standing by the fireplace.

  "I guess it wasn't fast enough," he said. "But Todd got out of the car. I have to hope he's in the woods somewhere and just hasn't found his way back."

  Despite Ryker's words, Savannah didn't think he was feeling that optimistic. Nor was she. Every minute made the situation worse.

  "Anyone need a drink?" Colin Barkley asked, as he joined them.

  Colin had grown up with them in Dobbs, although he'd been two years older. He was now a high school teacher in Ridgeview, a bigger city about fifteen miles away, but his parents and sister still lived in Dobbs, and he spent a lot of time there. Actually, he spent a lot of time with Abby. He'd been a very good friend to her over the years. When Paul was deployed, Colin had helped Abby with all the things Paul used to do—getting the oil in the car changed, replacing a smoke detector, giving her endless rides to the hospital when Tyler had gone through a serious illness a few years earlier.

  "I brought everything over from the reception," Colin added. "There's plenty of beer and wine."

  "I wouldn't mind a beer," Ryker said.

  "I'd like something, too," she said. "I'll come to the kitchen with you." She actually wanted a few minutes to talk to Colin more than she wanted a drink, so it was a good opportunity to get both. Before she left, she turned to Abby. "Ryker cut his leg on the rocks. Do you still have a first aid kit?"

  "Of course. It's upstairs. Come with me, Ryker. I'll get you fixed up."

  "It's really nothing," he said. "I don't need anything."

  "Don't be silly. You were in the river. Let's get those cuts cleaned up."

  As Abby took Ryker upstairs, Savannah followed Colin over to the ice chest on the kitchen counter.

  He pulled out two beers, popped the top on one, and handed it to her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

  She smiled at the knowing gleam in his eyes. Colin was the kind of guy who could be counted on to be steady when the rest of the world was rocking. While she'd never been as close to him as Abby had, she'd liked him, and she'd always felt better knowing that Colin was nearby if Abby needed him.

  "Did you know that Paul had moved out?" she asked.

  His smile faded. "Yes, Abby told me. She was very conflicted, but he was not in a good place, Savannah."

  "That's what everyone keeps
saying. I wish Abby would have said something to me."

  "She was hoping Paul would be back before people knew he was gone. She thought she was handing out some tough love, and that he'd get help, and they'd get back together. But he kept drinking even after he'd left." Colin paused. "He needed to be out of the house, Savannah. His temper was on a hair-trigger. He was yelling so much that Tyler was starting to feel anxious. I understand that his anger was directed as much at himself as everyone else, but that didn't change what was happening."

  "Why was he angry with himself?"

  "He blamed himself for the deaths of the men on his team. He felt responsible for the ambush, at least that's what he told me. He was also angry that he couldn't go back to his job. He wanted to get justice by taking down the terrorists who killed his brothers."

  She wondered if Ryker felt that way, too. "That makes sense, but he loved Abby and Tyler so much. I can't believe he was willing to let them go."

  "He changed over the years. He was a warrior first, a husband and father second. Abby saw his injury as kind of a lucky break. He would recover, but he wouldn't go back to the army. She'd never tell you that, of course."

  "No, she wouldn't."

  "But Paul was devastated. He didn't know what to do if he couldn't fight. Instead of being there for Abby, being the support she needed, he became another weight on her shoulders. And she was tired. When Tyler got sick two years ago, it was all on her. All the doctors' visits, the hospital stays. When he got better, there were the bills. She's still underwater on money. I think that was stressing out Paul, too, because he wanted to support her, but he didn't know what to do."

  "I wish she would have reached out to me. I could have lent her some money."

  "She's proud. I offered to help a number of times; she always turned me down. I know her parents paid for some things when she was desperate, but that also irritated Paul. He felt like he wasn't providing for her. That made him angry."

  She took a sip of her beer as she thought about what he'd said. "What about Todd? Was he able to help Paul?"

  "He was trying, but you can't help people who don't want to be helped. I know he feels badly about it."

  "And now we have another accident that doesn't make sense. How on earth did Todd drive his car into the river?"

  Colin gave her a troubled look. "I sure hope he didn't have a moment of temporary insanity."

  "Is that what people are thinking? That it was deliberate?"

  "There's a lot of whispering going on. The cops said he tried to brake, so why would he do that if he wanted to drive into the river?"

  She couldn't help wondering if the odd pattern of skid marks simply revealed Todd's indecision. He could have been speeding, then braked in a panic, then decided to end it all and put his foot back on the gas. But that didn't explain where he was now. She took another long drink. "This is all so wrong, Colin. They're both too young to be dead. They survived war. How do they die in Dobbs, Georgia, four days apart, from freak accidents?"

  "When you figure that out, let me know. Do you want to take this beer to your friend?"

  "Ryker isn't my friend," she said defensively.

  "Oh, sorry. It seemed like you two knew each other."

  "We met once years ago, but we're not friends." She knew she was over-explaining, but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

  "Well, he seems like a good guy. He went into the river to save his friend."

  "It was very heroic," she admitted. "And I will take him that beer."

  "Good."

  "I haven't had a chance to ask how you are. Are you still dating that nurse in Ridgeview?"

  "No, that ended several months ago."

  "I'm sorry."

  "Don't be. The spark wasn't there. What about you? Any lucky guys in your life?"

  "I don't think any of the guys who have been in my life have actually considered themselves lucky."

  "Don't be self-deprecating. You know how pretty you are."

  "Maybe I have some good features, but that doesn't make me great at relationships. Anyway, I'm single, and I'm fine with it. I have the kind of job that takes me away for weeks at a time."

  "I never ever thought you'd end up in law enforcement. When we were in high school, you were a troublemaker. If you saw a rule, you just had to break it."

  "I have grown up, Colin."

  He smiled. "I suspect you still break a few rules."

  "Only the stupid ones," she returned with a grin, then she headed upstairs.

  She found Ryker and Abby in the master bedroom. His pant leg was pushed up over his knee and Abby was applying a large gauze bandage to his new scrapes, but it couldn't hide the fact that there was a patchwork of deep scars running down his shin and around his calf.

  "That's good," he said, as Abby finished, quickly shoving down his pants leg.

  "I hope so," Abby said. "You might need a tetanus shot."

  "I'm up to date. Don't worry about me."

  As Abby stood up and took her first-aid kit into the bathroom, Savannah handed him a beer.

  "Thanks." He took a swig, and then got to his feet.

  "I'd like to offer you some dry clothes," Abby said, returning to the room. "Unless it would feel weird to wear something of Paul's. But he still has clothes in the closet. I kept thinking he'd come back for them…"

  "It's not weird, but I'm fine. I'm dry now," Ryker returned.

  "If you're sure." Abby paused. "I'm going to take a minute up here, so I'll see y'all downstairs."

  "Do you want me to stay with you?" she asked, worried about the strain in her friend's eyes.

  "Honestly, Savannah, I just need a little quiet, a few minutes."

  "Okay." She followed Ryker out of the room and closed the door behind her. "I'm worried about her."

  "She's a strong woman."

  "But she's under a lot of pressure. Dealing with Paul's death was difficult enough. Now, she has to worry about Todd."

  He nodded. "It's rough. Do you know where Todd lives?"

  "Yes. Abby said he was renting a house a few miles from here, the old Thatcher place by the river."

  "Can you give me the address? I want to check it out. I can't just wait around here and do nothing."

  She liked the idea of being proactive. "I'll go with you."

  "Can't get enough of my company?" he asked.

  "That's exactly it," she said dryly. "But I'd also like to check out his house, see if there's anything to see."

  Ryker stared back at her. "There won't be a good-bye note, Savannah. Todd didn't kill himself. This wasn't suicide."

  She met his gaze. "I hope you're right."

  Chapter Five

  Todd lived in a two-story ranch-style house on a large lot that was thick with trees. While the homes were modest in this neighborhood, each one sat on at least a half-acre. As Ryker got out of his car, he appreciated the quiet. The bells in his head were silent for the moment. He hoped that would last.

  Savannah was waiting for him at the front door, and he was surprised to see her slip a key into the lock.

  "I thought we were going to have to break in," he said.

  "I grabbed the key from Abby's kitchen drawer on my way out. Actually, I didn't know which one it was," she said, holding up the large key ring. "She has all her neighbors and friends' keys on this thing. But I got lucky. The second one worked."

  He shook his head at the thick key ring. "Looks like she could get into a lot of houses in town."

  "And they could get into hers. That's how it is in Dobbs. It's one very big dysfunctional family."

  As she turned the knob and opened the door, he wondered if the police had already come by. But with their limited resources busy with search and rescue, and Chief Tanner being so convinced it was a simple motor vehicle accident, he doubted checking out Todd's house was a top priority.

  He followed Savannah inside. The wood-paneled walls, dark hardwood floors, and the comfortable but mismatched furniture in the living area felt v
ery masculine. As his gaze narrowed on the large, tall mug on the coffee table, the cigarette butts in the ashtray and the piles of sports magazines, he could feel Todd's presence. The feeling was so strong, he had to believe that Todd was coming back, that the house was waiting for him for a reason.

  Savannah wandered around the living room, pausing to look at the framed football jersey signed by Mark Brunell, former quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

  "Todd's favorite team," he said, moving next to her. "He grew up in Jacksonville. His dad had season tickets when he was a kid. They went to every home game, until his dad passed on. Then it was just him and his mother. But she started losing her mind a few years ago, and Todd told me earlier that she doesn't recognize him anymore."

  "Abby said that's why he moved to Dobbs."

  Turning away from the jersey, he moved toward the stairs while Savannah wandered into the kitchen. There were two bedrooms on the second floor. In both rooms, the king-sized beds were unmade. Seeing jeans on the floor of one room, and a shirt tossed on the bed of the other, once again brought forth a wave of disbelief. How could they both be gone just like that?

  It didn't feel like either one had planned to leave, had decided today or four days ago that that day would be their last one on earth. Everything felt off, like a mistake had been made, like he was trapped in a nightmare. In fact, that almost made more sense than anything else. Maybe he was dreaming.

  But as Savannah came into the bedroom, he knew it was all too real.

  "What do you think?" she asked quietly.

  "It looks normal. It feels like they'll be back any minute."

  "Todd only left a few hours ago, and the heat is on. The house hasn't had time to get stale."

  "No, it hasn't." He folded his arms across his chest.

  "I didn't see any obvious notes in the living room or kitchen. Anything in here?"

  "I haven't gone through the dresser drawers or looked that closely."

  "If either one had left a note, it would be easy to find. It would be in a place where we would see it."

  "They weren't quitters, Savannah. They were warriors. They fought to the end. They didn't care how tough it was. They didn't give up. Believe me, I went through a lot of extremely tense situations with both of them. They didn't crack. Not when a lot of people would have."