Margin of Error: Fog Lake Suspense, Book 2

by Barritt, Christy

  But there had to be more to Boone’s story. “Why would her family accuse you of that, though? I mean, what could they possibly think your motive was?”

  “Quite simply? Money. That’s what they ascertained, at least. The truth is, money has never been all that important to me. I just want enough to live on.”

  Brynlee studied him a moment. “You need money right now for your store, don’t you?”

  “I’m not going to kill someone to get it, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “I wasn’t trying to imply that in the least.”

  He frowned again and rubbed his chin. “There was a mudslide not far from here about two months ago. A few boulders fell into the creek about a hundred yards from my store. The county caught wind of it, and now they say I need to pay to secure the rocks on the mountainside near Falling Timbers. They say it’s a safety hazard and they can condemn my store if I don’t comply.”

  “Yikes. Won’t insurance cover it?”

  “Nope. Because nothing has happened. This is all precautionary. Personally, I think the county wants to see me shut down. The inspector has never liked me, and he’s using this as an excuse to make my life miserable.”

  “Man, that stinks.” So, that was what the ordeal had been about. “Do you mind if I ask how much something like that would cost?”

  “Upwards of twenty thousand.”

  “Can you get a loan?”

  “Maybe. But the problem is that Katherine’s family owns all the banks in the area.”

  “Ouch.” That could be a problem, couldn’t it?

  “Yeah, ouch.” Boone’s gaze froze on something below them, and he stood. His muscles seemed to tighten in the blink of an eye. “Brynlee, you need to get inside.”

  “What’s going on?”

  His voice sounded dead serious as he said, “Someone is in the woods.”

  Fear raced through her. Brynlee didn’t argue. Instead, she darted into her bedroom and began praying.

  21

  Boone drew his weapon as he hurried down the stairs.

  He’d yelled for Brynlee to call 911. Help should be on the way soon.

  But this guy was brazen showing up here again.

  Guy?

  Yes, it looked like a man out there.

  Boone was having trouble reconciling who was behind these acts. But he knew enough to know whatever was going on, it wasn’t safe for Brynlee. And he didn’t like this.

  He reached the first floor, and instantly his muscles tightened.

  He had no idea where this guy had gone now. Was he still lurking in the woods? What was his end game?

  Peering through the window, Boone glanced outside—though just barely.

  Trees stared back.

  For a moment, he was transported back in time. Back to when he’d been an Army Ranger.

  The difference was, back then, he’d known who his enemy was. Right now, he had no idea who this faceless thing was.

  Despite that, he still felt like he was in a war zone and he was waiting for the moment of attack.

  Boone stayed still. Painfully still.

  He didn’t want to give away his location. No, he needed the upper hand right now.

  As the minutes ticked past, he decided to peer out again. He wanted to see if this guy was still there. If he had gotten closer.

  He just had to move quickly and quietly.

  Just as Boone leaned toward the window, glass shattered.

  Boone jumped back as he saw something fly through the air.

  His gaze went to the wall across from him.

  An axe had imbedded itself there.

  That man had thrown an axe into the house, wedging it perfectly into the wall. That could have easily been his skull.

  Boone hoped the police would get here—and fast.

  * * *

  Brynlee pressed herself against the wall of her dark bedroom. Glass broke downstairs, shattering the silence. She sucked back a scream.

  What was going on down there? Was Boone okay?

  That had definitely been glass breaking. Maybe a window.

  Was the man inside her house?

  Panic surged through her.

  Sure, the cops may have captured that bear . . . but a bear wasn’t behind these crimes.

  A man was.

  And that man was at her chalet right now.

  Brynlee prayed the cops got here soon.

  How could she just stay up here when Boone might be in trouble? It seemed like such a cowardly thing to do. What if he was hurt?

  Before she could question herself, she darted toward the window and ducked below it. Maybe Brynlee could see what was going on outside.

  The lights were off upstairs. Maybe whoever was out there wouldn’t see her.

  On the count of three, she raised herself up from the floor. Her face slowly rose until her eyes caught sight of the world outside.

  As she did, movement caught her eye.

  It was the man.

  Standing just below her window.

  Staring up at her.

  She started to duck again. But, before she could, the man jerked his arm.

  The next instant, Brynlee saw something hurtle through the air.

  Brynlee sucked in a breath and dove out of the way as something crashed through the window.

  She glanced at the floor beside her and let out a scream. In the midst of the broken glass lay an axe.

  An axe?

  What was going on here?

  22

  Boone froze as he heard more glass breaking. A thump. A scream.

  He darted upstairs.

  Had the man somehow gotten to Brynlee? No, there was no way. No outdoors stairs led to the second level.

  Unless the man had somehow scaled the house . . . which was unlikely. But Boone didn’t want to rule anything out either.

  Come on, Luke. Where are you? Some backup would be nice right now.

  Boone stopped at the top of the steps and glanced at the carnage there.

  Another axe lay on the floor, making it look like a massacre had occurred here. Broken glass from the window surrounded it, some shards large and knife-like and others only beads.

  Brynlee was sprawled on the floor only feet away, terror on her face. She sat up, stray pieces of glass falling from her hair.

  Adrenaline pounded through him as he rushed toward her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, her expression still as frail as her voice sounded. “I’m fine.”

  His jaw flexed as determination seized his muscles. He glanced out the broken window in time to see the dark figure run into the woods. A new determination solidified inside him.

  “I’m going to go get this guy,” he muttered, starting toward the door.

  “Be careful.” Brynlee’s wide eyes met his, and worry captured her voice.

  “I will be.”

  Boone charged down the stairs, desperate not to lose this psycho. He had his gun, and their lives had most definitely been threatened. This needed to end before someone else got hurt—or worse.

  As he ran outside, he spotted the police lights flashing nearby. Luke joined him mid-stride as he jogged toward the woods.

  “He went this way,” Boone said, gripping his gun. “I just saw him.”

  “Let’s get this guy.” Luke’s voice sounded hard with determination.

  Deputy Cruise ran beside them, his breaths coming fast and heavy.

  The man couldn’t have gotten too far away. He’d just been right here. Outside the house.

  The three of them raced into dark woods. The thick foliage instantly surrounded them, but a small path had been cut leading down to the lake. Had the man gone down this way?

  It was a good starting place.

  They continued to charge forward, deeper into the woods. But an air of caution grew around them. They needed to be on guard. Luke shone his flashlight ahead of them.

  As he did, the beam illuminated something in the distance.

  A figure s
tood in front of them.

  Boone stopped, as did Luke and Deputy Cruise.

  The three of them stared at the man standing on the path facing them.

  It was Big Ben.

  He stared at them blankly, not moving. He held nothing in his hands. But it was almost like he’d been waiting for them to arrive.

  But why? What sense did all of this make?

  Boone braced himself for a battle. He waited for the unknown. For enemy tactics.

  “Big Ben, what are you doing here?” Luke asked, gripping his gun with one hand and a flashlight with the other.

  The man stared back but remained silent, expressionless. An axe was wedged beneath his belt.

  “We’re going to need to take you into the station,” Luke continued, his voice even but authoritative. “Put your hands in the air.”

  Big Ben did as they asked. Deputy Cruise cuffed him and escorted him without issue to the squad car.

  That had been much easier than Boone had anticipated. He bit back a frown, something not feeling right in his gut. Why would Big Ben give himself up like that? For that matter, why would he do any of this?

  “I’m going to go check on Brynlee,” Boone said, desperate to make sure this wasn’t another distraction.

  “Careful not to disturb any of the evidence inside,” Luke called.

  “I won’t. But we’re going to need to find somewhere else to stay tonight.” No way would either of them feel safe staying in this chalet after what happened, not to mention the windows had been broken.

  “I’ll call Harper.”

  Boone paused for long enough to give his brother a hard, inquisitive look. “Really?”

  Boone assumed that Luke would want to keep his wife as far away from this as he could. His brother wasn’t a doter, but he adored his new bride and left no doubt that he was crazy about her.

  “Really,” Luke said. “I’ll see if you two can stay with us, at least for tonight. After that, I make no promises. But Harper, if anyone, understands what it’s like to be in this kind of danger.”

  That was right. Harper had almost died.

  Boone’s throat clenched. Brynlee’s life was also in danger.

  He couldn’t let someone else die on his watch. He knew that for certain. He would do everything in his power to stop any more harm from coming to Brynlee—whether he was being paid or not.

  * * *

  Three hours later, Boone and Brynlee had packed their bags and gone to Luke and Harper’s place. Brynlee was grateful to have a safe place to go, but she hated to impose on the sheriff and his wife. The two lived in a little three-bedroom cottage that had access to the lake below.

  After they’d each been shown their separate rooms, Harper had offered them some cookies and tea, which sounded nice. Besides, Brynlee needed to unwind. No way would she be able to sleep with so much on her mind.

  As they sat in a cozy living room nibbling on the treats, they chitchatted with Harper. Brynlee already liked the woman—and she noted that Harper had excellent decorating taste.

  But Brynlee was just biding her time. She was ready to hear an update. She was wired, unable to sleep and wouldn’t until she knew what the sheriff had found out.

  Finally, just past three a.m., she heard a truck pull up to the cottage. They all seemed to hear it and stiffened with anticipation.

  Luke had returned to the house.

  As the front door opened, Boone stood to greet him. He wasted no time in asking his brother, “Well?”

  Luke paused by the entryway to the living room and leaned against the doorframe. “Big Ben hasn’t said a word. He has the capability to speak, but he doesn’t. This time is no different.”

  Brynlee’s heart sank at his pronouncement. She’d been hoping for something solid. For answers. For an end to this nightmare. “You’d think he’d want to defend himself if he was innocent.”

  “You’d think. But we were able to search his house.” Luke moved into the room and perched on the edge of a leather recliner near where Harper sat. “We found evidence that he’s been feeding the bears around his house.”

  “What?” Brynlee asked. Did people do that?

  Luke nodded solemnly. “It’s true. There are all kinds of bear prints in the ground near his back door. There was bear fur in his house—not like a bear skin rug. But evidence that he may be letting the creatures into his house.”

  “Why would he do that?” Boone asked, looking just as perplexed.

  “Maybe he’s not quite right in the head,” Harper offered. “I read a newspaper article once about a woman who lived in the woods and fed the bears every day. She began to think of them as family. Unfortunately, one day her body was found in the woods. She’d been mauled to death. Wild animals are just that—wild and unpredictable.”

  Brynlee shivered at the thought of it.

  “Do you think Big Ben has been training the bears?” Boone asked.

  “I’d say it was a possibility,” Luke said. “It’s too early to say anything for sure, but it looks like he could be our guy.”

  “Why would Big Ben be behind this?” Boone leaned back and ran a hand over his hair. “What could possibly be his motive?”

  “He’s always been strange,” Luke said. “Everyone in town knows that. You know he’s always wandering these woods and that he feels some kind of connection with the mountains. You remember that time he chased off some hikers who started a fire during a burn ban?”

  “I know he scared them enough that they filed charges against him,” Boone said. “But Big Ben didn’t harm them. They shouldn’t have started that fire, and Big Ben should have used a better method. Besides, there’s a difference between being eccentric and being a cold-blooded killer.”

  Luke let out a long breath, looking exhausted. “I’m not arguing that. But all the evidence right now is pointing to him. You saw him outside the house tonight yourself. He had an axe. It looks like he’s the one who threw two axes into Brynlee’s cabin. He could have killed you both.”

  “Yes.” Boone frowned and leaned forward as an unseen weight seemed to press on him. “But this just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Crazy doesn’t make sense,” Luke said. “You and I both know that.”

  “Yes, we do,” Boone muttered.

  Luke grabbed his hat, placed it on his head, and then picked up his keys. “I just wanted to stop by and give you the update. I figured you’d all be waiting up, anxious to know what was going on.”

  Brynlee was grateful that he’d been courteous enough to do that, though she’d wished for something more definite. Still, she said, “We appreciate it.”

  Luke turned to Harper, who sat on an ottoman next to him. “I have to get back to the station.”

  “I figured you would.” She reached up and gave her husband a quick kiss. “Take care of yourself. You look tired.”

  At the sight of the tenderness between them, Brynlee’s heart lurched.

  That was what she wanted in her own life. But there were times she knew with certainty that she would never find it.

  Based on her time here so far, she might not survive to see that happen.

  23

  Brynlee’s thoughts still churned the next morning.

  She’d slept surprisingly well. The bed was comfortable and warm. She felt safe knowing Boone was just in the next room.

  But, right now, she lay in bed trying to contend with her feelings before she got up and faced everyone. She replayed what had happened yesterday as well as the conversation with Luke in the middle of the night.

  Like Boone, she wasn’t convinced that Big Ben was behind all this either. But at least someone had been arrested. Big Ben had definitely been dangerous. He’d most likely thrown those axes into the chalet.

  She agreed with Boone, though. Why would he do this? Was it just because he was crazy?

  However, the bears made him look guilty, as did the fact Big Ben had been caught in the woods near the chalet. The additional fact that he didn�
�t talk obviously made it difficult for them to get answers.

  But what if this too-good-to-believe turn of events was actually true? What if Big Ben was behind all these crimes, and now he was behind bars?

  That would free Brynlee to do what she’d come here to Fog Lake to do.

  Hope surged inside her.

  Maybe her efforts hadn’t been wasted.

  She needed to climb up Dead Man’s Bluff. But she knew she couldn’t do it alone. Not after what had happened last time.

  She had to see if Boone would come with her.

  She sat up in bed and grabbed her bag from the floor beside her. She pulled a piece of paper from it.

  It was a torn page from her father’s old journal. He’d given it to her. On it, there were a few scribbled notes and a hand-drawn map of the area around Dead Man’s Bluff.

  There was a cabin on the map.

  A cabin that she needed to get inside. Apparently, a deed had been left there. She’d need it in order for some of those permits to go through. That’s what her attorney had told her, at least.

  Without wasting any more time, Brynlee climbed out of bed, hurried across the hall, showered, and dressed. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror as she pulled on an evergreen-colored sweatshirt.

  Her mom had taught her the importance of making a good first impression. They might not have had money for food, but her mom had always looked nice. Brynlee let out a cynical laugh.

  Though she’d tried not to emulate her mom in that regard, Brynlee’s job as an interior designer also required her to look nice. However, when Brynlee wasn’t working, she was perfectly happy to wear yoga pants and baggy T-shirts. Image really wasn’t as important to her as people might think.

  By the time she got downstairs, Boone and Harper were exchanging playful jabs at each other at the breakfast table. Playful jabs were apparently what Boone did best.

  She paused for a minute and observed Boone. He was freshly showered also, with wet hair. He wore his customary jeans and T-shirt with a flannel shirt over it, unbuttoned.