Ricochet

by Christy Barritt

  Richard’s loud voice boomed across the store. “They found Gene’s car in the woods.”

  “Was Gene inside?” Nick braced himself for the answer.

  “No, but there was evidence of foul play. Blood, for that matter. Lots and lots of blood.”

  Nick’s eyes widened. Blood? Was Gene okay? What had happened? “Did the sheriff say anything else, Richard?”

  The man shrugged. “It’s an ongoing investigation. He can’t share very much. I’m probably not even supposed to know as much as I do.”

  Now the man decided to be quiet and nonchalant. Nick wasn’t finished with this conversation yet, even if they did have to have it in the middle of the grocery store. “Where did they find his car?”

  “In the woods not far from the camp.”

  “Who found it?”

  “Wendell Manning.”

  Nick sighed, deep in mucky thoughts. Wendell Manning’s name had come up again. That couldn’t be a coincidence. “I hope Gene’s okay. I don’t like this.”

  “He’s a hunter. Maybe he went hunting. Maybe that blood isn’t human blood after all.”

  Molly joined him, placing a gentle hand on Nick’s arm. “We can only hope that it’s animal blood.”

  Richard shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Nick tensed and not even Molly’s sweet touch could sooth his frayed nerves. “What was your beef with Gene anyway, Richard? I heard the two of you didn’t get along very well.”

  Richard looked around as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear. His voice still sounded as loud as ever, though. “Gene was irresponsible. He didn’t keep good records and I was always afraid he was going to get us in trouble with the IRS. He followed every whim—at least, he tried to. I felt like I was talking to a toddler every time we had a board meeting. And unfortunately, I had to take the role of parent and talk some sense into him before he drove the camp into a financial mess.”

  “The camp is in a financial mess. Are you saying it’s Gene’s fault?”

  Richard leaned closer. “I’m saying he could have handled the money better. There are unaccounted-for sums of money missing from the camp’s books. Gene is the person who had access to that money. It wouldn’t surprise me if he took some of that money and ran.”

  “That’s a big accusation, Richard. Why didn’t you just go to the board with it? Or fire him?”

  “Fire him? Then we get a lawsuit. We can’t afford that.”

  “Why wasn’t I informed of any of this?”

  “You were in Iraq. We didn’t want to bother you with it.”

  “I would think that’s exactly the kind of thing that I’d be bothered with. My grandfather entrusted me with this camp after he died. I want to ensure that it’s being run correctly, which is why we formed a board of overseers.”

  “We did the best we could, Nick. Half of the board members quit because they couldn’t take working with Gene anymore. I was about to hand in my resignation when Gene left and you came back. Maybe he knew you were coming back and he saw this as a good opportunity to cut and run. I don’t think that timing is a coincidence.”

  Nick had thought about that also. What if the timing wasn’t a coincidence? All of this started happening after he returned. What would someone gain from Nick being back at the camp, though?

  “I’ve got to check out before this ice cream melts. We’ve got a board meeting next week, right? We can talk about these issues then. This is only skimming the top of the camp’s problems, though, Nick. I’m amazed you’ve been able to keep the place afloat since you’ve been back. I give you kudos for that.”

  “This camp was my grandfather’s dream. He entrusted it to me.” His grandfather had also been one of the few people who’d seen Nick for who he really was. His grandfather and Molly.

  As Richard departed, Molly and Nick hurried through the line and paid for the groceries. When Nick saw the total, he nearly refused Molly’s help. But he knew to refuse would be useless. Once Molly had something in her mind, there was no going back. But not even Molly’s generosity could pull him out of his sour mood.

  “Are you okay?” Molly asked quietly as they loaded up the shopping carts with bags.

  “I don’t know what to think anymore, to be honest.”

  “That was a lot to take in. This whole situation has been a lot to take in.”

  “You’re telling me,” he mumbled.

  “Maybe you should hire someone to come in and do an audit of the camp’s books and see what comes up. Maybe Gene was doing some shady things around the camp and that’s why he disappeared.”

  “This just keeps getting worse and worse. I keep praying that all of these problems will disappear and instead they keep multiplying.”

  “What can I do to help, Nick?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m sorry to dump this all on you. I’m sure you weren’t expecting any of this, either.”

  “We’ll get to the bottom of it, Nick. One way or another, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

  Yes, eventually the truth would come out. Nick just didn’t want anyone to get hurt in the process. Especially not Molly. But how could he protect her when he didn’t know what he was protecting her from?

  They stepped back outside and into the sunlight. Nick squinted as they approached his truck, just as he heard Molly gasp.

  He stopped in his tracks. His windshield had been smashed into a million pieces.

  Someone was definitely trying to send a message, he realized. But just how far would they go to get their threats across?

  * * *

  Four days had passed with no new threats or incidents. But that didn’t mean someone wasn’t lurking nearby, about to spring on them like a lion finally claiming victory on its prey. In fact, the more time that went by without something else happening, the more unsettled Molly felt.

  All of her fear culminated with Gene. What had happened to him? She felt convinced that he hadn’t left of his own accord. Were the problems at the camp centered on Gene or the camp itself?

  She hugged her arms across her chest and glanced across the darkening field, stealing a moment of solitude in what had been an otherwise hectic week full of high schoolers. The incidents from the week prior remained heavy on her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about who might be guilty or what had happened to Gene.

  Could Cody have been behind all of this? Molly had a hard time believing it, but he did always seem to be nearby when something happened. He’d found the chainsaw, after all.

  Board member Richard Grayson rubbed Molly the wrong way also. He’d seemed angry, and had made it clear that he didn’t like Gene. Did he have hidden motives for wanting the camp closed? Molly wasn’t sure, but she was happy that nothing else had happened.

  She still shivered when she remembered that voice in the woods, though. She’d tried to set those thoughts aside and stay positive as the camp week had continued. Right now, the campers were broken up into their family groups, so Molly had taken the moment to slip away to one of her favorite places at the camp. Beyond The Hill was a field of wildflowers. Fireflies lit up the tall grasses as if a little piece of heaven had come down to earth. She remembered experiencing this magical sight when she’d come here as a camper. She’d been just as blown away then as she was now.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Nick’s voice made her jump in surprise. Where had he come from? Her hand covered her racing heart. “I didn’t hear you coming.”

  “Didn
’t mean to scare you. I’ll try to whistle or something next time as I approach.”

  Molly smiled. “I guess I was just lost in the moment. I love how the fireflies form this little miniature universe here on the earth. It looks like the stars themselves have come down to earth for a visit. Creation is amazing.”

  Nick stood beside her, looking out over the field before them. “This was the first place I ever saw you, you know. Right here watching this very same thing.”

  Molly felt her cheeks heat. “Here?”

  Nick grinned and nodded. “You were standing here on the first day of camp, looking at the fireflies just like you are now. You just looked so content. And unlike most of the girls at camp, you weren’t afraid to be alone. You were confident enough to be by yourself and not intimidated by it.”

  “I think what you’re saying is that I was a loner.” She smiled.

  “Not at all. You were just at peace with yourself. I saw that from the start in you.”

  She craned her neck toward him. “Why didn’t you say anything to me that first night?”

  “I didn’t think I’d ever catch your eye. Not someone like you.”

  She turned toward him. “You could have dated any girl at the camp. I can’t believe you would be intimidated by me.”

  “You were different.”

  Molly licked her lips as the memories flooded back. “Then we ended up in the same family group.”

  “And I couldn’t pass up the opportunity since I figured it had pretty much been handed to me.” Nick shrugged. “Besides, our first conversation centered around the proper way to eat watermelon—whether you should bite into a slice or use a fork and knife. I was hooked after that.”

  Molly tried not to smile. “You remember our first conversation?”

  Their gazes met and Molly felt all of her resolve beginning to slip. Nick lowered his voice and reached for her arm. “Of course I do. I couldn’t forget if I wanted to.”

  She turned away, her throat dry. “That was one of the best weeks of my life. Being here at Camp Hope Springs...” With you. She didn’t say that last part. “It was incredible.”

  His hands slipped from her arm. “That was a great week. Then we launched off into the real world. It’s a bit of a wake-up call.”

  Molly nodded. “Like cold water in the face, right?”

  Nick chuckled. “That’s putting it nicely.”

  So many questions floated through her mind. Finally, she grabbed hold of one. “Why aren’t your parents speaking to you, Nick?”

  The smile disappeared from his face. “They thought I got out of the military too early. And now my dad wants me to take a pastoral position at his church, but I’m not sure I want to do that.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  He glanced down at the ground before looking back up at her. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his shorts. “I’m burnt out, Molly. I’ve seen things that still haunt me to this day. All I know is that I need a change. Working at my dad’s church isn’t going to cut it. If anything, it’s just going to compound the way I’m feeling right now.”

  “It’s good that you realized that. Not everyone would have. But I’m sorry it’s caused a rift between you and your parents. I know they mean a lot to you.”

  Her heart rate quickened as Nick stepped closer. The look in his eyes took her breath away. “Molly, I just wanted to let you know—”

  “Nurse Molly! Nurse Molly! Frankie just fell and hurt his ankle.” Molly’s head jerked toward one of the campers who ran down the path toward her. “He needs you.”

  She threw a quick glance at Nick, her throat burning as she did so. “I have to run.”

  But what had Nick been about to say? Would she ever know or had she just missed her once-in-a-lifetime chance?

  It didn’t matter at the moment. A camper needed her. Before Nick could say anything else, she took off in a jog.

  The sun had sunk low now and darkness hinted its descent. A noise in the woods caused her breathing to quicken. She glanced beside her. A squirrel, she told herself. Just a squirrel scampering through the underbrush.

  She continued up the trail when she heard something—or someone—stomping down the underbrush parallel to her.

  She stopped. The sounds stopped also. Was she imagining things?

  She took a couple more steps. A branch snapped. Underbrush swished. Breaking wood crackled.

  Was someone following her?

  She quickened her pace. She had to get to Frankie—now, if not for his sake then for hers.

  * * *

  With Frankie’s ankle wrapped and iced and while the rest of the campers played a game of Faculty Hunt—a weekly tradition at the camp where the staff hid on the grounds, similar to hide-and-seek—Nick retreated to his office for a moment of quiet. Molly still affected him like no one else ever had. Thank goodness something had distracted them from the moment. He could never have a relationship with Molly again—that chapter had been opened and closed. Even if she were to forgive Nick, he was destined to be emotionally closed. He’d perfected guarding his heart to the extent that he was at the point of no return. He wouldn’t hurt anyone else in the process.

  The phone at his desk jangled and he picked it up, wondering if this call would be more bad news. “Camp Hope Springs.”

  “Nick, it’s Mark.”

  “What’s up, Doc?”

  “I did a little bit of asking around about Molly Hamilton. She worked here at the hospital up until about a month ago.”

  “Okay.” Nick had a feeling there was more.

  “From everything I heard, she was a good nurse. Well liked, a hard worker, personable.”

  That sounded like the Molly that Nick knew. His moment of relief was only short-lived, though.

  “Unfortunately, there’s more,” Mark continued. “Someone made allegations that she stole some drugs. She was cleared of the charges, but left shortly after the final verdict.”

  Nick ran a hand through his hair. “Someone accused her of stealing drugs?”

  “The medications went missing on her watch. She claimed her innocence all along and never once backed down. Did you say she’s working as a nurse for you now?”

  “She is.”

  Mark paused a moment. “Does she have access to any medications?”

  “All of them.” Nick’s stomach sank at the thought.

  “I’d keep an eye on her, Nick. There’s rumor—and it’s just rumor, mind you—that she helped to take care of her mother during her dying days and got hooked on some prescription pain relief. That’s what went missing at the hospital. She’s the most obvious culprit, but the investigative committee couldn’t find any hard evidence to prove her guilt.”

  Nick’s heart sank. Molly a drug addict? He found that hard to believe. Not Molly.

  But she had taken care of her mom during her last days. Molly had told him that much. And prescription drugs could be so addicting that even the most unsuspecting person could get drawn in by their lure.

  He’d known that Molly was running from something, but he’d never dreamed that it might be this. He knew people could change, but being a drug addict didn’t fit the image of Molly he had from years ago. Still, people weren’t always the people you remembered them to be. Molly’s mom had always had drug problems, but Molly had fought so hard not to be like her mom.

  The last thing he needed at the camp was for someone to find out about Molly’s past. If eve
rything else that was happening here at the camp didn’t shut the place down, an allegation like that could.

  But he couldn’t fire Molly. He rested his head in his hands a moment.

  Oh, Lord, what am I supposed to do?

  Before he could contemplate the answer, a breathless Molly ran into his office. Her eyes were wide and frazzled. “Nick, we have a problem.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We can hear chainsaws in the woods behind the girls’ cabins. The girls are all terrified, Nick. They think Chainsaw Charlie has come to get them.”

  EIGHT

  “We need to make sure all the campers are accounted for,” Nick said, rushing toward the door.

  Molly followed after him as he started down the hallway. On the way past Cody’s room, Nick stopped. “Cody, go to the boys’ cabins and make sure no one is missing. Tell everyone to stay inside. Then call the sheriff. Someone is using a chainsaw in the woods. This is just ridiculous.”

  Molly scrambled to keep up with him as he stormed toward the stairs. “You think this is a joke, Nick?”

  He shook his head, visibly upset, judging by the tight line of his lips and his narrowed eyes. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  Neither did Molly. How far could someone possibly take this? Now they were scaring the campers by bringing to life some of the old campfire stories that had circulated around the place for years.

  They climbed into Nick’s truck and took off toward the girls’ cabins. As they got closer, the sound of chainsaws became louder. Nick and Molly looked at each other a moment. Finally Nick parked and opened the truck door. “Let’s go check on the girls.”

  “I told them all to stay inside with the doors locked.” Molly’s hand gripped the door handle, but she froze, breathless at the thought of leaving the safe confines of the truck.

  “Smart thinking.” Nick glanced at her hand. “Do you want to wait in the truck?”

  She couldn’t wait in the truck, she realized. The parents of these campers had trusted her to take care of their children. This was no time to be a coward. “No, I’m coming with you.” In one quick motion, she hurried from the truck to Nick’s side.