Margin of Error: Fog Lake Suspense, Book 2

by Barritt, Christy

  He’d expected more from Boone Wilder. But the man had no idea what he was up against. The camping store owner still thought a bear was behind this and that Big Ben was involved.

  A smile stretched across his face.

  Both Boone and Brynlee were as jumpy as fleas on a rabid dog.

  He couldn’t wait to put an end to their plan. He couldn’t wait to show them they didn’t have any power.

  He stood behind the trees again, this time in the woods beside the home of Luke and Harper Wilder. No one would see him out here in the dark, and he felt no fear at being discovered. He practically felt untouchable right now.

  Through the window, he saw Boone and Brynlee. Saw them talking on the couch. Saw the bond that was developing between them.

  As he watched them, the hunger returned. The hunger for blood. He could taste it now. He craved it.

  No, there are other ways.

  He shook his head and stared at his prey through the window again. The notion that tried to claim him wasn’t true. This was the only way to stop Brynlee Parker and her plan to destroy this area.

  Soon, Boone would find out. Soon everything would crumble.

  He watched for another moment. The two of them smiled on the couch. Boone touched Brynlee’s hand. They were more than bonding. They were becoming fond of each other.

  That wouldn’t last long.

  A smile spread across his face.

  He couldn’t wait to see everything come to a violent end.

  30

  The next morning, Brynlee glanced around the mountainside, praying this wasn’t her worst idea ever. She prayed the side of her mom that Brynlee had always despised wasn’t becoming one of her own traits. The side that didn’t think things through. The side that was irresponsible and driven to do things that weren’t in anyone’s best interests but her own.

  Her stomach clenched at the thought. Then again, maybe she was acting more like her dad—driven to the point of having her blinders on to anything else. Just like her father had been clueless to the fact that he had a daughter.

  For that matter, what if she’d been given the worst characteristics of both her mom and dad?

  She pushed those thoughts aside, knowing it would do no good to dwell on them now. They would only slow her down.

  She and Boone had already been hiking for three hours. The first hour, just as on her previous trek up, had been fairly easy. The second hour had become considerably steeper. The third hour it was both steep and rocky.

  They’d eaten some snacks as they walked, knowing they couldn’t waste any time and that they needed to keep their energy levels up. But the peanut butter wasn’t settling well in her stomach now.

  Boone had warned her that soon they would be walking on something called the Razor Back. It was a narrow ridge with steep drop-offs on either side. He said Brynlee would feel like she was walking on the back of a dinosaur.

  So far, there had been no incidents—only peace and quiet. Brynlee was tired, winded, and her legs hurt, but, overall, she felt invigorated instead of exhausted. Maybe she could be more of an outdoor girl than she thought.

  And Boone had been surprisingly good company. He’d told her stories of growing up in this area, of what it was like to have Luke for an older brother and the town sheriff as a father. He told her about Ansley and his younger brother, Jaxon, who was serving in the Middle East right now.

  He looked like a natural out here. He might have joked about her being Ms. LL Bean—yes, she’d heard his nickname for her—but Boone made for one handsome outdoorsman in his jeans, hiking boots, and thick jacket. His stocking cap covered his ears, but curls crept out from beneath it. His five o’clock shadow made him look rugged and surprisingly stylish—even though she was sure that wasn’t the look he was going for.

  All of that mixed with his mischievous green eyes and fun-loving spirit made for an enticing total package.

  Brynlee had almost forgotten just how hard this hike was.

  Almost.

  As Boone paused in front of her, she glanced ahead. The trail was changing again. She could feel it.

  She glanced beyond Boone, and her thoughts were confirmed.

  The trees cleared, and a mountain ridge stretched in front of them. She sucked in a deep breath, already feeling lightheaded at the thought of walking across the Razor Back. But it was either the Razor Back or scale the cliff.

  She’d take the Razor Back.

  But it was narrow. It was steep on either side. And the path itself was rocky.

  “This is it.” Boone stood in front of her like a conqueror with his hands on his hips. “We’ve been averaging two miles an hour. We should reach Dead Man’s Bluff in about thirty minutes.”

  “We’re that close?”

  He pointed in the distance. “There it is, right there.”

  Brynlee stared at the vista ahead. It was breathtaking. At the end of the Razor Back area was something that almost looked like an island in the sky.

  Dead Man’s Bluff.

  The whole area was rocky but dotted with patches of green. Clouds floated beneath it. A lone tree grew there, perched on the edge of the landscape.

  She’d never seen anything like it before. “It’s . . . everything I thought it would be . . . and more.”

  “A lot of people have that reaction.”

  “So that’s the cliff that some people climb to get to Dead Man’s Bluff?” She pointed to a rock face on the other side of Dead Man’s Bluff that looked intimidating, to say the least.

  “That’s right. Going that way does cut off some distance, but it’s nowhere near as safe.”

  She stared at the path in front of her, feeling a trickle of nerves. “I think this is challenging enough.”

  “We’ve climbed about three thousand feet in elevation since we left this morning. There’s an entirely different weather system up here. It can be sunny down in Fog Lake, but up here a storm can blow in at a moment’s notice.”

  “That would explain why we passed through some clouds earlier. And the change of temperature. It’s downright cold up here.”

  He flashed a smile at her, as if this conversation entertained him. “Yes, it is. You ready to finish this?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Boone locked gazes with her, as if sensing her anxiety. “Just keep this in mind: whatever you focus on is where you’ll go.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if you look at the drop-off, you’ll be more likely to head toward the drop-off. But if you keep focused on the steps that you need to take to reach your destination, you’ll be much more surefooted.”

  His words washed over Brynlee on more than one level. “Sounds like good advice.”

  “I’ve got some in me sometimes.” He blew on his fingers and rubbed them against his shirt in fake humility.

  “That’s good to know.” She smiled. “Okay, let’s do this. Let’s go see Dead Man’s Bluff and see what all the fuss is about.”

  * * *

  Boone surveyed the area in front of him, still perplexed as to why he was actually on this trail. He hadn’t been up here since . . . well, since Katherine. Memories tried to push themselves up, but he continually shoved them back down.

  This was not the time to let emotions get in his way or to let memories bog him down. He’d have time for that later.

  He’d packed the supplies they needed into backpacks, taken one for himself and given the other to Brynlee. If they stayed on course, they’d be back at the trailhead by sunset. The timing would work out perfectly.

  He could tell Brynlee was tired, but she pressed on. They had little choice for a trip like this. It would easily take five hours to get up the mountain and five hours to get back down. They needed to operate during daylight hours in order to remain safe.

  Since it was March, they had only ten hours of daylight.

  That meant, they had no time to waste.

  As he continued to navigate the path, his mind we
nt back to Katherine.

  She loved this trail. Loved this mountain. Loved this town.

  Sometimes, it still seemed surreal that she was gone. They’d been together for seven years, and only married for one day. Losing her . . . it had been the hardest thing he’d ever gone through.

  Harder than his dad’s cancer diagnosis.

  Harder than his mom walking out when she couldn’t handle the “for worse” part of marriage.

  Harder than seeing his sister turn into a totally different person in the aftermath of everything. As he’d told Brynlee yesterday, sometimes there wasn’t a reason. Sometimes, things just were.

  He glanced back at Brynlee as she climbed over the rocks, looking uncertain. She crouched, like she might have to grab onto something and hold on for dear life. He fought a smile.

  “How are you doing back there?” he asked.

  “Looking forward,” Brynlee said.

  “Isn’t that all we can do?” As soon as the words left Boone’s mouth, he realized he should take his own advice. He’d been living in the past for too long.

  He reached the end of the Razor Back area.

  They were almost there now. Only a little distance longer.

  He glanced behind him again and watched Brynlee as she climbed toward him. Watched her blonde hair that fell to her shoulders in glossy waves. Saw the determination in both her eyes and in her motions.

  Brynlee was nothing like Katherine.

  Katherine had been all natural. No makeup. No fancy hairdos.

  She’d like things around her neat, but she’d never cared about decorating her home or making things look nice.

  Then there was Brynlee. She loved making things more welcoming. She was sensitive to what others thought, it seemed. She was focused, but she also had a softer side.

  Boone reached out his hand to her. “Come on. Let’s do this together.”

  She looked up, a grateful smile on her face mixing with satisfaction as the summit came into sight. “Sounds like a plan.”

  * * *

  Brynlee reached up and grabbed Boone’s outstretched hand. Her fingers caught in his grip, and he pulled her up to the end of the trail—to the top of the summit.

  To Dead Man’s Bluff, the famed site that so many hikers sought to reach.

  She sucked in a quick breath as she took that final step. Instead of glancing around, she needed to breathe. The journey had winded her.

  It had been much, much more difficult than she’d thought. Yoga and running a 5K hadn’t been the training she needed, by any stretch of the imagination. Walking the Razor Back had been invigorating.

  Finally, she pulled herself up to full height. The ground was pure rock beneath her feet. But she felt like king of the hill.

  As she glanced around, a gasp escaped. This time it wasn’t from exhaustion, but amazement.

  “This view . . .” she whispered, unable to pull her eyes away. “It’s amazing.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  They stood beside each other and gazed out over the scene around them. Mountains rolled for miles upon miles. The blue and black tops blended together. Fluffy clouds lay below them, blanketing everything with a smoky look—the one that had given this area its very name.

  “People say you can see North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia from here,” Boone said.

  “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

  “It used to be my favorite place.” A hint of sadness saturated his voice.

  Brynlee squeezed her arm, somehow understanding his pain. Desperately wishing she could help him. But so grateful he was here with her now.

  She turned and looked in the other direction. Her throat tightened at what she saw. The summit actually had probably twenty acres of surprisingly flat land . . . land that would nicely accommodate some sort of attraction where other people could enjoy this fabulous view. It was perfect . . . just like her father had told her.

  Speaking of her father . . . she didn’t have much time left up here. She pulled his ashes from her bag. Her heart twisted as she unscrewed the top and held out the cannister. Silently, Boone joined her.

  “Fly free, Dad,” she whispered. “I wish we’d had more time together. One day.”

  Without saying anything more, Brynlee turned the cannister and watched his ashes float over the cliffside, mingling with the wind, and being carried over the mountain.

  Boone squeezed her arm. “You okay?”

  Solemnly, she nodded. “Yeah, I am.”

  As they stood there a few more minutes, Boone didn’t rush her. She honored her dad’s memory with a moment of silence.

  When she felt satisfied, she turned to Boone. “I guess we should go.”

  “Can I show you something first?” Boone’s gaze searched hers, his green eyes showing depths of emotions that Brynlee hadn’t expected.

  “Of course.”

  He took her arm and tugged her to the old oak tree that grew near the edge of the cliff. The tree was striking as it dramatically drove its roots down over the side of the mountain. Yet, despite its position, it still looked strong.

  “It’s unusual to have a tree like this at such a high elevation,” Boone said. “And that’s just one of the many reasons I’ve always loved this tree. It’s different. It’s withstood time, elements, and expectations. And it’s beautiful.”

  “It is gorgeous.”

  Boone stopped in front of the tree and leaned around to the far side. He squatted there and pointed at something on the bark. “Look at this.”

  She peered beside him and saw little tally marks there. It was interesting, she supposed, but she had a feeling there was more to the story.

  Boone ran his finger down each mark. “There are twelve marks. One for each time Katherine and I reached the summit together.”

  “That’s really sweet,” Brynlee said. She envied the relationship they’d had. Boone had obviously cared about her deeply. She longed for affection like that in her own life.

  Above the spot were the words “Boone + Kat 4ever.”

  Brynlee smiled bittersweetly. What a tragic loss.

  And then she paused. “Boone, didn’t you say you haven’t been up since she died?”

  “That’s right. Why?”

  She double-checked what she was about to say. She needed to be absolutely certain before she voiced her thoughts out loud.

  She nodded, certain now but dreading the firestorm of emotions her words might set in motion.

  “Boone, there are thirteen marks on the tree.”

  31

  Boone leaned closer and counted the tally marks again. Brynlee was right.

  There were thirteen marks on the tree.

  His heart thudded a beat as a realization he didn’t want to solidify began to take definite shape.

  What if . . . what if Katherine had made it up here? What if the story, as he knew it, hadn’t been correct for all these years?

  Everything seemed to fade around him.

  “What are you thinking?” Brynlee asked, her voice soft and prodding as she knelt beside him.

  As the question resounded in his head, he frowned, still trying to come to terms with the conclusion his mind drew. He shook his head and wiped a hand down his face. “I don’t know.”

  She remained beside him, not saying anything. Boone appreciated the quiet. His thoughts were loud enough.

  “She made it up here, Brynlee.” Boone touched the last tally mark and imagined Kat triumphantly putting it there.

  “Does that change things?”

  “Yeah, that changes everything.” His voice faded to a whisper.

  Brynlee studied his face. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, everyone thought Kat’s rope broke, and she fell below.” His voice cracked as the truth slammed into him. “But if she reached the top, she would have no reason to go back down.”

  “Maybe she wanted you to think you won.”

  “No, she wasn’t the type.” A sad smile crossed his
lips as her image captured his mind. The sparkle in her eyes. The determined set of her muscles. The lilt of her voice as excitement set in. “She liked to win and showed no mercy.”

  “Then . . .”

  Boone’s gaze locked with Brynlee’s. “Then I think she made it up here, and something else happened to her. I think someone else made it look like she’d been in a tragic accident.”

  Brynlee looked like she was hardly breathing, and her voice sounded wispy as she asked, “Why would someone do that?”

  He shook his head, a rock in his chest. “I have no idea. But I need to find out.”

  “I’m sorry, Boone.” Compassion stained the words and as she laid a hand on his back, he nearly broke.

  “Me too.” His mind whirled through the facts. What if Kat’s death hadn’t been an accident at all? What if it had been staged to look like that? Even worse—what if the person responsible was still at large?

  His mind raced, and his grief turned into thirst for justice.

  As he glanced at Brynlee, he realized they needed to move. This wasn’t the time to freeze or mourn or even get angry. No, there were too many other things on the line.

  As he saw the sun beginning to sink, he frowned. “We need to get back before it gets dark.”

  “If you’re ready to leave.”

  “Yeah.” His voice sounded hoarse, despite his resolve not to let this realization affect his logic.

  With one last glance at the tree, he stepped toward the Razor Back trail. Just as he took the first step, his phone rang. He paused.

  He couldn’t believe he actually had reception out here. He glanced at his screen and saw it was Luke. If he was calling, he probably had a good reason.

  “What’s going on?” Boone answered.

  “Where are you, Boone?” Luke sounded serious, his voice urgent on the other end.

  “I’m at Dead Man’s Bluff. Why?”

  “You need to get off that mountain. Now.”

  He bristled, bracing himself for whatever his brother was about to say. “What’s going on?”