“That would be a switch.”
“I’ve always liked clothes. I used to have an older boyfriend—I met him in the mall. He said I could be a model, and my parents freaked out. They made me break up with him.”
“Sounds like they wanted to keep you safe.”
“Do you think I could model? I get lots of likes on Instagram.”
“Be careful online. Predators use social media.” He looked over at her. “Your sister posted a lot of photos. We don’t know if someone was following her that way.”
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“I’m trying to stop you from getting hurt.”
“Is that why you became a cop? You like saving women?”
He looked at her. “What are you getting at?”
“I want the police to put more hours on my sister’s case.” She slid her leg higher on the seat, twisted toward him. “You can help me … and maybe there’s something I can do for you?”
He pulled over so abruptly that her body jerked forward and the seat belt tightened painfully against her chest. She tried to loosen it, struggling with the release.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you need to smarten up. There’s a killer in this town, and you’re just his type.” He opened the side door. “Get out. You can walk back.” At the last second, he latched on to her wrist hard, twisting until her cell dropped into his hand. He checked the camera, swiped his finger across, and deleted the video. He passed the phone back.
“Recording someone without their knowledge is illegal.” He pointed at a garage. “They’ll have a jerry can you can use.”
He left her on the street rubbing her sore wrist. He’d pressed her bracelet into her skin, made a faint pattern with the links. It had to be a message. Back off or end up like Amber.
CHAPTER 31
Hailey
I forked up the last piece of pie and dropped the plate onto the floor for Wolf. He sniffed it, tasted the lemon, and gave me a side-eye. I shrugged. He huffed and began licking the flakes of pastry and leftover cream. He ignored the smears of lemon filling.
Jonny opened his eyes slowly. “Beth brought that pie for me.”
“Losers sleepers.”
“Doesn’t even make sense.”
“Doesn’t make sense that she likes you. Why didn’t you open the door for her? She climbed in that window like she was Romeo and you were Juliet.”
“You were spying again.”
“I was checking on you. You’ve been sleeping ever since she left.”
“You been in the house since yesterday?”
“I took off for a while last night, made sure Beth was safe, then came back. Someone has to protect your sorry ass.” I’d been too restless to sleep much. I read his magazines, used his Facebook profile to look at new photos of Cash and Lana.
“Ha.” He inched himself into a sitting position, wincing. “God, that hurts.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Why were you ignoring her?”
“You were right, okay? I shouldn’t have gotten involved with her. I’m trying to spare her this mess.” He pointed from him to me.
“I would be offended if I didn’t agree with you.”
He nodded, but it was more like he was trying to remind himself, and I knew he hadn’t ignored Beth’s knocking because he wanted her to go away. It was the opposite. Unfortunately.
He gave me the once-over. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I filled up the gas on the bike from the barrel. Can I use it until we fix mine?”
“Yeah. I’ll get your patch kit when I get my truck out of the impound, but it’ll be a couple of days until I can ride up the mountain.”
“Vaughn needs a taste of his own medicine.”
“Stay away from him.”
“You know he’s just getting warmed up. Next he’s going to figure out a way to get a search warrant for this place. We need to cover the bunker in the workshop.” The last thing we needed was for Vaughn to find my winter hiding spot.
“Andy wants me to fix his truck. I’ll get him to park over it.”
“Check the security recordings and get rid of any clips of me.”
“Did it as soon as I got home from jail. I wanted to see if there were screenshots of Vaughn pulling me over, but it was too far up on the road. Can only see headlights.”
“You should have Andy stay for a couple of nights. Vaughn is going to try to frame you for something worse. The more alibis, the better.”
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing. I just know that Vaughn didn’t expect Thompson to show up the other night. It stopped him from finishing whatever he really had in mind.”
Jonny nodded, thinking over what I’d said. “I’m worried about Beth. She wants revenge, and she has that gun, you know? Can you watch out for her?”
“Yeah. No problem. I’ll make sure she doesn’t go near him.”
* * *
Unlike Jonny, I wasn’t worried about Beth. Vaughn wasn’t going to touch her, because I was going to kill him myself. I remembered Dad standing in our driveway, burning weeds with a blowtorch. He’d said, “You have to kill them at the roots, or they’ll just keep coming back.”
Staging a suicide would be hard. Making it look like an accident would be even harder. It had to be a robbery gone wrong. The diner at night made the most sense. There was an alley, I could cut across the woods without being seen, and I was familiar with the layout. I didn’t want to mess up Mason’s life, but if things went according to plan, the worst that might happen was he’d have to buy a new door.
Vaughn was on patrol every Thursday night. The timing was perfect. I left Jonny’s dirt bike at the end of the highway, with Wolf guarding. He’d grumbled at me, annoyed that he was missing out, but I bought his forgiveness with a bone from Jonny’s freezer.
I jogged through the forest, dressed in black, and wearing a knit hat. My face was covered with dark grease. The Smith & Wesson pressed into the skin on my hip, the holster chafing. I didn’t stop to adjust it. I felt high on adrenaline, sharp and ready to fight.
Vaughn had this coming. For Amber. For Jonny. For everyone he’d hurt or had been going to hurt in the future. When I reached the parking lot across from the diner, I crouched behind a truck.
The diner was dark inside. The neon sign hummed and crackled. The truck stop was quiet, with a few rigs parked. None of them were running at the moment, but they could start up at any time. Some of the drivers liked to sleep during the day and make their runs at night, when the roads were clear. Hunched low, and avoiding where the sign lit up the pavement, I moved across the street and into the alley. I slid alongside the bricks, still hot from the day’s sun.
I’d have to be quick. As soon as I pried off the lock and opened the door, the alarm shrieked. Slamming the alarm with the butt of the pistol until it silenced, I slipped inside the diner. In the darkness, I made out the shape of the cash register on the counter. I yanked it free, knocking some glasses and condiments onto the floor. I dropped the register and stomped on the keys. Now to run outside and hide in the dumpster until Vaughn showed.
The wail of a siren right outside the building. Flashing lights bounced through the windows, spun across the walls. One car or two? I couldn’t tell, but they’d gotten here fast. They must have been in the area. They’d catch me if I tried to slip out the door. I’d have to hide. I scrambled across the floor and slid under a booth.
“Police!” Vaughn, already at the back door. He’d come through the alley.
I wedged myself tighter under the booth, gun ready, and watched Vaughn’s legs come into view. My eyes narrowed as I held up the gun and aimed. He was moving, shining a flashlight into each corner.
“Come out with your hands up!” he shouted. His legs turned one way, then the other. He was scanning the room. More lights flashed on the walls. Backup had arrived. They would come in the back door. I couldn’t escape. Then I remembered the ceiling tile Amber had told me about.
Vaughn stood in front of the counter, close to the end, and checked the dining room area.
I crawled forward, gun held in front of me, and shot the row of drinking glasses behind him, the mirrored wall. He ducked behind the counter, returning fire. Then I aimed for the light fixture above his head, globe-style, heavy. The bullet struck the chain, sending the fixture to shatter on the floor. He grunted.
As I raced down the narrow hallway, I emptied the clip behind me. In the storage room, I climbed the shelving unit. It took two tries before I found the right tile. I pulled myself inside.
Boot steps below me. Heavy breathing.
“He didn’t go out the back…” Vaughn said. “I would have seen him pass.”
“He’s got to be in here somewhere. Check the cooler.” The other man sounded like Thompson. They were moving away. A door opened and slammed back against a wall.
“Come out with your hands up!” Now they were in the bathroom.
I wiggled sideways until I was resting on one of the cross boards. It was sweltering in the attic and sweat dripped into my eyes, blinding me. I got into a hunched position and walked forward on the boards, careful not to make any noise. I scanned every corner for a glimmer of daylight. Amber had said she was able to blow her smoke outside. I had to find that vent. Finally, a bright spot at the far end.
When I got closer, I lifted the screen off and shimmied out, then dropped onto the roof. The tar paper was warm and sticky on my hands. I looked over the edge. The ground below was too far away for me to jump. I leaned back and looked around.
At the end of the building, a piece of old plywood sat on top of the roof like it had been discarded after a repair. The next roof belonged to the truck stop bathrooms. Still hunched over, I made my way to the plywood, slid it across the two roofs, and slowly crawled over.
Now I was farther from the diner—and still screwed. I might be able to jump off the back, into the shadows and out of sight from the street, but there was a good chance I’d hurt myself. Then I’d still have to run through the woods to my bike without the cops catching me.
The sound of a diesel engine starting made me drop to my belly. Then it gave me an idea. I peered over the edge of the roof again. I could see through the windshield of the semi, parked on the other side of the lot. The driver was watching the diner as he put the truck in gear. He’d probably heard the gunshots and wanted to get out of here before the cops blocked him.
I waited until he swung wide and close to the truck-stop roof, then I took a running leap and landed with a jolt on top of his shipment. I clutched at the metal tie-downs, expecting him to hit the brakes or to see one of the cops running out yelling for him to stop, but the truck kept moving. Two other cop cars with lights and sirens flew past and screeched to a halt in front of the diner.
The rig passed through town, bringing me close to the beginning of the highway. When he stopped for a red light, I checked that no one was behind us, then I slipped off the back, using the cables to lower myself down. I launched myself as he pulled away.
The ground rushed up at me, dirt, rocks. I fell hard, rolling a few feet and knocking the wind out of my chest. My hands hurt, my wrist felt like I’d bent it backward, and I’d scraped my knees. I stayed still for a moment, catching my breath, surprised I’d made it, and listened to the rig disappear down the highway. The road was silent. I leapt to my feet and started running.
CHAPTER 32
Beth
Beth nursed her coffee, bitter without milk, and watched mist drift over the lake. It would be a peaceful image if she weren’t so broken up inside. What was she going to do? She’d made everything worse by trying to trap Vaughn. She rubbed her wrist. She could still feel his grip.
Jonny didn’t know about her pathetic attempt at espionage—and she wasn’t going to tell him. After twenty-four hours without any messages, he’d texted last night.
Sorry for the radio silence. I’ve been recovering. You okay?
I’m good. Need some company?
Andy’s over. We’re having a few beers.
Cool. I had a long day, so I’ll probably go to bed early.
Have a good night.
She tried to not obsess. Tried not to be stung. He was just keeping his distance because he thought he was protecting her. Meanwhile, she’d gone and put a target on her own back.
She hadn’t been lying—she was tired—but she barely got any sleep. She’d replayed the car ride with Vaughn in her head over and over, and the only other set of campers had partied late. She hadn’t minded the music that played until after midnight, though. She’d felt less alone.
Now the morning silence was suddenly broken by the crunch of tires. She looked over her shoulder. Someone was driving into the campground. The engine was loud. Jonny?
She got to her feet and listened as it drove past the other sites. It seemed to be heading toward her. The truck came into sight. Red. She couldn’t see through the windshield, only the reflection of the forest, but she recognized the camper. It looked like Mason’s truck. She’d seen it parked a few times in front of the diner, but he normally drove his Harley to work.
The truck parked, the driver’s-side door opened, and Mason climbed out with an apologetic smile.
“You all right?” he said. “You look scared half to death.”
It was strange seeing him here. Her boss. She’d never seen him anywhere other than the diner. She thought of her bathing suit pieces hanging on the line to dry, the string bikini.
“Sorry, yeah. I’m kind of jumpy.” She moved to the side to block his view of her clothes. “It’s creepy now that most of the other campers have cleared out. What brings you by?”
“The diner was broken into last night.”
She frowned. Did this mean she was out of a job? “Oh, no! That’s terrible.”
“Yeah. There was a shoot-out, but no one was hurt. Vaughn thinks it was the same person who robbed those campers from Alberta.”
Beth thought about Hailey. Was it her? But why? Breaking into the diner would only bring more attention, and that seemed like the last thing she needed right now.
“So the diner’s closed?”
“For a few days. I could use some help on the cleanup. How’s the battery?” He nodded toward her car.
“It’s been shaky. I haven’t tried it yet this morning.”
“Let me have a look.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” She slid behind the wheel, popped the hood, and turned the key when he asked. His shadow moved underneath the crack in the hood. She thought about her dad. He’d be upset that her car wasn’t running right. She felt a rush of shame that she hadn’t called her parents for days.
“When’s the last time you checked your oil?”
Good question. She’d meant to do it before she left Vancouver weeks ago.
“I don’t know.”
Noises as Mason checked, metal scraping. He made a disapproving sound.
“You’re pretty low. You can’t drive or you’ll kill your engine.”
Mason closed the hood with a bang. She got out to talk to him as he pulled off his gloves and put them back into his tool kit. “I’ll give you a lift.”
“Thanks.” She gave him a relieved smile.
“No problem. I’ll drive you back later and we’ll fill up the oil.” He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “I’m glad I checked on you.”
She thought of Amber, stopped down a lonely road, waiting for someone to help her. Then she imagined herself with smoke billowing from her hood. That’s all it took. Bad timing.
“Me too.”
* * *
Once they were on the highway, she thumbed through her messages, wondering if Jonny knew about the break-in. It would be rude to text him in front of Mason, who had started telling her more about the damage. She’d wait until they were at the diner. She slid her cell phone back into her pocket and realized she’d left her keys in her car’s ignition. She grimaced. Just her luck.
&nb
sp; Mason glanced over. “I know some tradespeople who can fix the walls and replace the windows. We’ll be up and running soon.”
“Half the town will probably show up with hammers.”
He laughed. “There’s some good people here.”
“How did you end up in Cold Creek?”
“I was in a biker club for a while. Nothing too hard-core, just a bunch of guys who liked to ride Harleys. I’d cook at the clubhouse and they always seemed to enjoy my food. Eventually I got a job cooking at a logging camp and scraped together enough money to buy the diner.” He shrugged. “The rest is history.” He glanced over at her. “I bet your parents are missing you.”
“They don’t know I’m in Cold Creek. I didn’t want to scare them.”
“I wouldn’t blame them for being worried.”
“I don’t want to go home until I have answers.”
“Answers?”
“I want to find Amber’s killer. I think she knew him.…” She looked at Mason, considering whether she could share her suspicions. He might tell Vaughn, though.
“You don’t think it was random?”
“Amber was smart. She wouldn’t have gone anywhere with a stranger.”
He was staring at the road ahead of him. “Why do you think he picked her?”
She rubbed at some scratches on the dash, upset by his question. She didn’t like thinking about the killer choosing Amber, watching and waiting, like she was a toy on an assembly line that he could snatch up when he was ready. “He knew that she didn’t have people in the area. Maybe he thought no one would report her missing. Freaks like him prey on vulnerable girls.” She turned her attention away from the dash and looked out the window, the trees whipping past.
There would never be another summer when the heat didn’t fill her with dread. Never a walk in the woods when dry riverbanks, the quiet of a gravel road, and dusty ditches with long grass didn’t make her think about her sister’s murder. It was all twisted and ugly, dark and evil.
“You’re probably right.” He reached over to adjust the radio and brushed against his coffee cup, knocking it over. Coffee poured out on the console, filling the cupholders, and splashing her too. She jerked backward, swiping at the hot spots speckling her legs.
Dark Roads Page 26
