Smoky Mountain Investigation

by Annslee Urban

  “Games and control. It’s not uncommon for a psychopath to con their victim, try to earn their trust before they go after them. And in the meantime, they enjoy the notoriety from the other crimes they commit.”

  Breaking his gaze, Kylie gasped to catch her breath. Dave’s knowledge on this type of criminal paralleled Nick’s. And she was beginning to understand way too much about the mind of a psychopathic murderer.

  Nerves about shot now, a fine tremor ran through her. She slid her cup onto the counter, more worried about spilling her coffee then drinking it at the moment. “I don’t understand why you would suspect Nick. Everything you have on him is circumstantial.”

  “Well, the clues are adding up. He was also the one who found Conrad the night he was murdered.”

  “That’s not true.” Kylie’s heart jumped, the scene of Conrad’s lifeless body sprawled across the cabin deck clearly in her mind.

  “If I’m wrong, correct me about that night,” Dave said, his voice firm, very detective-like.

  Breathe.

  Taking a moment, Kylie plucked her cup off the counter and took a swig to add moisture to her dry throat. The whole conversation was ludicrous.

  She lowered her cup, her wits returning. “I was with Nick that night. We found Conrad together.”

  Dave nodded. “I remember. You were on a walk while the rest of us were at the bonfire.”

  “Yes.”

  “How long were you gone?”

  She shrugged. “An hour. Maybe an hour and a half.”

  “The coroner’s report stated Conrad had been lying in his own blood for about that length of time before he was found.”

  “I don’t remember hearing that.”

  Dave shrugged, his dull gaze lingering on her.

  Kylie flapped a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Nick was with me. He had nothing to do with Conrad’s death. I can attest to that.” Her voice took on a defensive tone, but she didn’t care.

  “Did you meet at his cabin before you left on the walk?”

  She stopped to think, to remember. Finally, she said, “No, he met me at mine.”

  Nodding, Dave tapped a foot. As if he was waiting for her to see the light.

  Kylie drew herself up to her full five-foot-two-inch height. She popped a hand on her hip. Grasping for straws, that was what Dave was doing. And she’d had enough of this inquisition.

  But Dave wasn’t finished. “Whenever you’ve received a call from the stalker, has Nick been around?”

  “No.”

  “Never?”

  She cringed as the question slammed into her. One she had never considered. It did seem odd that most of the calls came when Nick was close by but not actually with her. He was always easy to reach afterward, as if he was waiting.

  The sane corner of her mind told her to toss that last thought out.

  Swallowing, she wanted to discount Dave’s suspicions, but reasonably she couldn’t. His words held some clout. Still, she understood the importance of remaining objective.

  At any other time in her life, that might have been possible.

  Her confusion must have showed. “Purely speculation at this point,” Dave offered, his tone even, no emotion in his voice, but she knew what he was thinking.

  She nodded. “I know you have to consider all options.”

  The pause before he answered her went on forever. When he finally cut her a glance, his eyes darkened. “We’re narrowing down the pertinent facts. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments.” With one last dark glance, he walked out of the room.

  Stunned, Kylie stood there, her heart lodged in her throat. Lord, help me understand what is going on here. First Max and now Nick. Could either of them be capable of murder?

  Kylie ran stiff fingers through her curls, pulling her hair. She added to her prayer, Give me wisdom and keep my mind clear.

  * * *

  The workday was getting away from Nick again. He was quickly discovering that a good day’s work took much longer than a single day. Appreciation for his brother’s patience in running a business continued to grow.

  “Nick, the last box is off the truck. I’ll do a quick inventory and then take an early dinner.”

  “Thanks, Roger. That will be fine.”

  Nick stood in the stockroom, carefully examining the list of supplies that had been delivered. He didn’t know what half of the stuff was, let alone where it belonged in the store. Hopefully, Roger wouldn’t mind sticking around after his shift. Between Nick and the newer employees, they’d be here all night.

  With a groan, he stuffed the list into one coat pocket and pulled his cell phone from the other. He punched in Kylie’s number. Hopefully, her day was going better than his.

  Plunking down on a padded work stool, he waited for her to answer.

  “Hello.” Kylie’s sweet voice floated over the line.

  Refreshing. “Busy?”

  “For about two more minutes.”

  “Two minutes?” He wished that was his case.

  “I’m adding the finishing the touches to two overdue articles and emailing them to the managing editor. Hold on.”

  Nick waited. He swatted at a cobweb above him. Stretched his back, then scratched the side of his jaw where his cut was still healing.

  Finally Kylie came back on the line. “I’m finally finished.” Relief in her voice.

  “Let’s celebrate. I’ll take you out to dinner tonight. Name the place.”

  Silence for a heartbeat. “Actually, I’m busy tonight.” Her voice came back low, vibrating along his spine with an unexpected chill.

  “Do you have another article to work on?”

  “No, I’m meeting a friend for dinner. Someone from church.”

  Male or female? He didn’t ask, but he was curious.

  He had a ton of work to do, anyway. He should have been relieved, but he wasn’t. “Okay. Since I have your car, I can pick you up and drive you to the restaurant.”

  “No, that’s too much trouble. My friend will swing by here and then drop me off at Steven’s afterward.”

  Nick steeled his spine. He’d be happy to drive her and he almost told her so, but he heard something in her voice that told him she didn’t want him hanging around.

  He cleared his throat. “Then I’ll see you this evening. Any idea what time you’ll be back—” The rest of the words stuck in his throat. He was sounding like a father, not like a friend.

  A friend who had stepped over his boundaries the night before. He could kick himself.

  “I’m not sure, but I still have the key that you gave me. Don’t feel like you have to wait up.”

  Shock jolted down the nerves of his spine. He sloughed it off and straightened his shoulders. How late was too late for him to wait up? He bit back the question, reminding himself to mind his own business. “All right. Be safe.”

  Silence fell. Even more awkward this time. Nick shifted again.

  Finally, she replied, “I will. Have a good night, Nick.”

  “You, too.”

  Although the likelihood of that happening now was about nil.

  Strangely disappointed, Nick sat for a moment after Kylie hung up. No big deal, he told himself. A little separation was good for both of them. She could see whomever she wanted. She had no allegiance to him.

  Still, he’d been looking forward to seeing her.

  Since he’d arrived, he’d been wrestling with past feelings for her. The chemistry was still there. A scary proposition that deep down inside he knew would lead nowhere.

  His life was scattered enough without a relationship to hold him down, especially with no plans set in stone. He had no idea where he’d be next. His only concern for Kylie was to keep her safe. He repeated that thought over and over in his head, drilling it in. Rhetoric he vowed to hold on to.

  Something caught in his chest. Right then and there, he decided to get a grip and grow up. He’d been home less than two weeks, and already he’d regressed to ac
ting like a teen. A lovesick teen, at that.

  “Hey, Nick. It looks like all the supplies we ordered came in. Here are the completed inventory sheets.” Roger walked toward him and handed him a clipboard.

  Blinking to align his jumbled thoughts, Nick cleared his throat and tried to grin. “Thanks.”

  He took the clipboard and tucked it under his arm. He’d compare it to the master list later. “Roger, would you be interested in working late tonight? If you’d like a few extra hours, I could use some help getting the supplies stocked in the right location.”

  A shrug from Roger. “Sure, I’m free. I don’t have anyone to get home to.”

  I know the feeling. Nick groaned inside. “Okay. Get yourself some dinner and we’ll get started when you get back.”

  “I’m ordering pizza. I’ll make it a large if you’d like some?”

  “Sure. Why not?” He had no one waiting at home for him, either.

  FIFTEEN

  In the newsroom, Kylie leaned back, rocking lightly in her office chair. Lifting a hand, she rubbed at the headache thumping behind her left temple. It had been harder than she expected telling Nick she had other plans. And it didn’t help that he’d invited her to dinner. A scenario she hadn’t considered when she arranged to meet up with her friend Taylor.

  But after Dave’s surprise visit that morning, she needed a distraction. Some time to mull over the what-ifs and the maybes about the case. The suspicions Dave had raised about Nick sent her stomach into knots. And as much as she wanted to refute his theory, she couldn’t deny her life had been rather peaceful until Nick showed up again.

  For one ghastly, twisted moment, she imagined Nick Bentley as her stalker. The murderer of three innocent men.

  Hurt and sadness sent achy chills twining through her like a bad case of the flu.

  Repressing a shiver, she gritted her teeth. No. It couldn’t be him.

  Every fiber of her being strained to believe that.

  Confusion rattled her brain and intensified her pounding headache at the same time. Closing her eyes, she rubbed harder at her temple.

  Regardless of everything else, Nick would be out of her life soon. It only made sense to pull away some, for self-preservation and to shore up her still-fragile heart.

  “I just got off the phone with Charlie. He said you made the copy deadline. Congratulations.”

  At Max’s words, Kylie’s wayward thoughts jolted to a stop. Jerking upright in her chair, she whipped her gaze up to find him staring at her from across her desk, his usual smirk in place.

  “You must be tired.”

  More than he could imagine. “It’s been a long couple of weeks.” She brushed hair from her face.

  “Yes, but interesting to say the least.” His crooked smile grew. “I’ve been thinking, after this crime is solved, you might consider selling your story for a book or maybe even movie rights. I’ll be happy to represent you myself. I have a few friends in the publishing business.”

  His eyes rounded with enthusiasm and Kylie bit her tongue to keep from telling him to stop thinking.

  She pushed up from her seat, and bracing her fingertips on the desktop, she leaned in and stared at Max.

  Eyebrows drew together over the thrust of his nose. Inching back a step, he asked, “What are you looking at?”

  She canted her head, staring harder. “I wanted to get a good look at the dollar signs in your eyes.”

  Max’s short bark of laughter bounced around the room, further enhanced by chuckles erupting from nearby coworkers.

  Satisfied and fighting a grin, Kylie resumed her seat. “You know, you’re making me crazy, Max.”

  He gave a shrug, still laughing. “Everyone has a job to do.”

  “You do yours well.”

  Another crooked smile sprouted. “Can I assume you don’t want me to pitch your story to any of the publishers I know?”

  “Correct.”

  “Okay, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  Unfortunately.

  He shot her his infamous two-finger salute and walked out of the newsroom.

  As far as Max being her stalker, she still couldn’t buy that theory. True, he’d always come across as attention seeking to her and a bit egotistical, but a murderer?

  Doubtful.

  Maybe her stalker was lying low and had yet to come out of the woodwork.

  She swallowed. That theory didn’t bring much comfort, either.

  * * *

  Just past eleven o’clock, Kylie climbed out of her friend Taylor’s car and made her way up the driveway to Steven’s house. She was pleasantly rested and relaxed. The evening had flown by in a whirl of conversation—idle talk about friends, Sunday school, even the latest red-dot sale at Trestle’s Department Store.

  No mention of murderers, stalkers or Nick Bentley. A perfect evening.

  As she entered through the front door, silence greeted her. Either Nick hadn’t gotten home yet or he’d taken her advice and not waited up.

  After a single step, a light snore rose, sending a band of butterflies flittering inside her stomach. Her question answered.

  She slid through the foyer without a sound. The lamp from the side table in the living room illuminated softly. Kylie’s instincts told her to walk quickly to her room, but she couldn’t help but halt briefly beside the sofa where Nick slept.

  A circle of yellow lamplight spilled over him.

  Feeling quite breathless, Kylie took in Nick’s sturdy physique. A Goliath of a man, he dwarfed the oversize sofa. One of his legs draped over the edge and the other stretched across the length of the couch with his foot jutting over the rolled armrest.

  He looked so relaxed and peaceful. Hardly like a man battling demons. Or if Dave’s assumption was correct, a man planning to kill her.

  She sighed and then her heart lurched when another gentle snore escaped Nick.

  Splaying a hand to her chest, she breathed deep, willing her heart to slow.

  Funny, the night before, Nick had stood in the kitchen, gazed into her eyes and told her he cared about her. Now barely twenty-four hours later and only a dozen steps from where he’d said those precious words, she was staring at him and wondering if he was her stalker.

  Life stank sometimes.

  A single tear trailed down her cheek. She wiped it away. She almost wished the killer would call, just to touch base and let her know he was still out there. Then she’d be sure.

  As she willed her phone to ring, more tears filled her eyes. Moments passed, hope shattered. Of course that wasn’t going to happen. Nothing was that easy.

  For now she’d keep memories of Nick close to her heart. She would not let her fears keep her from remembering him any other way.

  The light of the lamp flickered, signaling her to stop musing and move on.

  With her head held high, she walked out into the hallway toward her room, the path in front of her blurred as her tears continued, but she kept going. Tomorrow would be a new day. And no matter what, she would be a survivor.

  * * *

  Up at sunrise, Nick tightened the last bolt on the rim of the motorcycle tire. Maneuvering around town on a mode of transportation with only two wheels and a storage pouch might be somewhat limiting, but he’d be glad to have the bike working again.

  He was getting vibes from Kylie that she wanted some space. Last night proved that.

  A complicated situation, especially since the reason he hung around was to protect her.

  Nick tossed the screwdriver and ratchet into a toolbox and got to his feet. He wiped grease off his hands with an old rag, then stuffed it in his pocket. He was beginning to feel like a regular motorcycle jock.

  Although he envisioned a four-wheel-drive pickup in his future. He might even take Steven shopping with him.

  The screen door slammed. Turning, he saw Kylie walk out of the house. She was dressed for work in a black skirt, medium-high heels and a teal sweater.

  She looked great
. He drew in a breath and released it slowly. A little more time apart might benefit him also.

  “You fixed the tire.” Kylie’s eyes widened as she came closer.

  “Yep. Up and running.” He fished her keys out of his pocket and pressed them into her hand. “I appreciate the use of your car. Now it’s all yours again.”

  A rosy-pink flushed her cheeks. “I hope you didn’t feel like I was rushing you.”

  “Nope. I had some time. Now the cycle is ready to ride again.”

  She lifted her eyes to his. “I hope your evening went well last night.” Her voice sounded cheery, making him wonder what kind of night she’d had.

  A hot date, a new beau in her life? Was new love in the air?

  Suddenly he was hot.

  Just before he’d dozed off to sleep, the digital display on his phone had showed almost eleven. A late night for someone who worked the next day. Although if she’d lost any winks, it didn’t show.

  Squaring his shoulders, he stopped analyzing. He hated when he got ahead of himself.

  “It was a good night. Got the stock put up and the store organized. How about you?”

  Her head bobbed. “Very nice and relaxing.”

  Relaxing? A stalker was on the loose. Her life was in danger and she was relaxed?

  “By the way,” he said, “do you mind telling me who you went out to dinner with? Not that I’m being nosy. I should have asked you last night. I want to keep track of everyone you spend time with.” Okay, he was rambling.

  “Taylor Albright.”

  Taylor. His heart slipped, but he recovered swiftly.

  “And you know him from church?”

  “Her. And yes. We are in the same Sunday school.”

  “Taylor is a female?”

  “Correct.”

  Sometimes it paid to be wrong. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He couldn’t help it.

  The trill of Kylie’s cell phone made her jump. She dug in her purse and pulled it out. “Hello,” she mumbled as she placed it to her ear.

  A moment passed. Kylie’s eyes went wide, then she gasped.

  Nick stood still watching her. The timing was about right for the predator’s next call. The creep would definitely want the world to know that he had been involved in the shoot-out in the basement of the Asheville Daily News.