Staring up at the soaring granite peaks, disbelief held Raine in a tight grip, but she couldn’t seem to stop crying. Years ago, Cooper had crushed her heart and destroyed her youthful hopes and dreams. She’d hated him at the time. More recently, she’d been indifferent to him. Still, he’d been an important part of her past. Despite their history—maybe because of it—his death hurt.
“I understand they need to determine what happened since a man died.” On the other end of the log, Willow’s eyes were shadowed, and her bottom lip trembled slightly. “What I don’t get is why they called in a detective to run the show. If Cooper fell—”
“Maybe he thinks someone pushed him over that cliff.” Matt let out a harsh breath. “I’m angry and upset, but I fully intended to leave the park tonight. I get the feeling that isn’t going to happen now.”
“Since none of us were with him when he died, I’m not sure how we can help.” Bobby B paced back and forth in front of the log. “I can’t believe this happened. I can’t believe Cooper is actually dead.”
“He was pretty messed up from the fall.” Jake spoke in a low voice. “What I really don’t understand is how he ended up so far off the trail, a good half mile from camp.”
Raine swallowed against the hard, hot knot in her throat. When Levi returned with the detective, she straightened and met his gaze with a questioning look. He shrugged in response.
“Ms. Endicott, if you’ll come with me, please.”
Detective Jerome Gilbert was probably in his early fifties. His Native American heritage showed in his chiseled features and dark, watchful eyes that didn’t seem to miss a thing. They also didn’t give away any hint of what he was thinking.
Levi gave her hand a quick squeeze as she rose to her feet. Leading the way, Raine walked toward the flat rock out of earshot of the group where the man had been conducting his interviews.
“Have a seat. I’m sorry about your friend.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry, too. How can I help you, Detective Gilbert?”
“I’m just trying to get a picture of what happened here. Each of you has a slightly different perspective that will give me insights.” He held her gaze for long seconds. “Some of the others mentioned you organized this backpacking trip.”
“Yes. It’s a hike-a-thon to raise money for a wildlife rehabilitation charity. People sponsored us by the mile. When I heard about the event, I wanted to get involved and contacted my old friends from our college hiking club, Leave No Trace.”
“You got in touch with Mr. Swanson directly?”
Raine shook her head. “Actually, no. I reached out to a few of the others, and Cooper heard about the hike from one of them. He emailed me that he and Ava wanted to join the group.”
Gilbert glanced up from his notebook. “Ava Talbot, his current girlfriend?”
“That’s right.”
“How would you describe their relationship?”
She pressed her lips into a tight line before speaking. “A little strained. Cooper mentioned they have—had—a few problems.”
“And how did you get along with Mr. Swanson? Is there a reason you didn’t call him when you were organizing the trip?”
“We used to date in college, and I hadn’t been in touch with him since graduation. Our relationship didn’t end well.” She paused. “But then, most relationships that end do so because everything isn’t picture-perfect.”
His deeply tanned face split in a grin. “Good point. So, you weren’t thrilled to have him join the group?”
“No, I wasn’t. Honestly, I kept my distance from both him and Ava while we hiked. I prefer to avoid any drama.”
He eyed her steadily. “How did Mr. Swanson get along with the others?”
“Okay, I guess. I believe he and Bobby are friends, and he sees Rosa at the gym where she works. I don’t think the others had stayed in touch with him, but I could be wrong about that. Everyone has been pretty amiable over the last few days.”
“I see.” He made a note in his book. “I’d like you to tell me about last night, anything you may recall in relation to Mr. Swanson.”
Raine pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. “We all hung out at the group campfire and then headed to bed. I think Cooper was still up when I went to my tent. I really don’t remember. Later, voices woke me. I thought one of them might have been Cooper, but I couldn’t be sure. He’d been up a few other nights.”
“Are you certain about that?”
“Definitely. On the first night when we were still at Camp 4, I ran into him. Literally. He was out for a walk. Another night, a conversation woke me. I recognized his voice, but I don’t know who he was talking to. I figured he and Ava were arguing.”
“Mr. Hill . . .” He checked his notes. “Levi Hill mentioned hearing Mr. Swanson talking to someone late at night while you were camped at Sunrise Lakes. He said the two of you discussed it.”
Raine bit her lip. “We joked about Cooper being a vampire.”
Gilbert’s eyes were watchful. “Did you stay in your tent after you went to bed last night, Ms. Endicott?”
She shook her head. “I got up to go pee after the voices woke me and then went down to the creek. Levi was just getting back from a run, and we talked, but neither of us saw Cooper or anyone else.”
“How do Mr. Hill and Mr. Swanson get along?”
Her eyes widened. “Fine. They aren’t . . . weren’t . . . best friends, but they didn’t have a problem with each other.”
“How would you characterize your relationship with Mr. Hill?”
Raine hesitated for a moment. “We’ve grown fairly close over the last few days. We’ll probably see each other again after we get back to our normal lives.”
“Thank you, Ms. Endicott. I appreciate your time.”
Raine rose to her feet. “Am I free to go?”
He nodded. “I have your contact information. I expect I’ll be in touch again soon.”
She stood without moving and glanced toward Cooper’s covered body where the park rangers were preparing to carry him down the mountain on a stretcher. “When did Cooper die?” Her voice quavered. “Did he suffer?”
“The medical examiner will have to determine the official cause and time of death. I’m afraid I can’t discuss that right now.”
“Do you think someone was with him when he fell? Is that why you’re questioning us?”
The lines around his mouth deepened. “I don’t know the answer to that. Not yet, anyway. But you can rest assured, I intend to find out.”
Hours later, evening shadows crisscrossed the path as they descended the Mist Trail past Vernal Falls. Spray dampened her face and made the rocks slippery as Raine descended a treacherous section on unsteady legs. But she was too numb to feel afraid and simply put one foot in front of the other.
“You doing okay?” Levi turned to glance over his shoulder when they reached flatter ground.
“Yeah. I’m exhausted, but so is everyone. It’s a good thing the rangers took Ava out on a mule. As traumatized as she was, she would never have made it down.”
“Not a chance. She was a mess.” He held her gaze for a moment before nodding. “If you’re good, let’s keep going. Only a mile to the end of the trail.”
They crossed over the bridge with a spectacular view of the falls, but Raine couldn’t summon any enthusiasm to take a picture. Heading into a forested section of the trail, she hurried to catch up with Levi and walked beside him when the path widened.
“If the offer to share your hotel room tonight is still good, I’ll take you up on it. There’s no way in hell I have the energy to drive home.”
“Of course. Anyway, it may be best to stick around if the detective wants to talk to us again.”
She nodded. “I wonder what the others are doing?”
“Jake and Willow both mentioned they have rooms since their flights leave tomorrow. Bobby was planning to drive back to the Bay tonight. I don’t know about the oth
ers.”
Raine let out a long sigh. “This was supposed to be an amazing adventure for all of us. To have a tragic accident end our trip—”
“I’m not sure it was an accident.”
She turned sharply to stare at him. “What else could it have been?”
“Jake and I talked. He said there were bruises on Cooper’s neck. He thinks that’s why the ranger called the Park Police.”
She stopped walking and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to understand what Levi was saying. “He would have plenty of bruises from a fall like that.”
“Yes, and hitting his head might have killed him. But if someone grabbed him around the throat and then shoved him over the cliff . . .”
“You believe he might have been fighting with someone?”
“I imagine the detective will learn plenty from the autopsy. But if they determine Cooper didn’t simply trip and fall on his own, who do you think they’ll suspect had a hand in his death?”
She sucked in a breath. “One of us.”
“Exactly.” He touched her arm. “Let’s keep going.”
Raine walked in silence for a while before finally speaking again. “Do you think he and Ava had an argument, and she attacked him? Maybe she didn’t mean to push him, but in the heat of the moment, gave him a shove.”
“I’m not going to try to guess without more facts. Like knowing when he died. If it was around midnight, that would give me opportunity since I was out running alone and stupidly gave the detective that piece of information. I figured you might mention it, and I hadn’t considered I might be a murder suspect.”
Her eyes widened, and her step faltered. “You had no motive to hurt Cooper.”
“No, I didn’t. However, I’m not sure motive is the first thing the police care about.”
“Anyone could have left their tent. If you were guilty, why would you have mentioned your nocturnal run?”
“I’m not terribly smart?” He gave her a self-deprecating smile. “Since I didn’t do anything wrong, I’m not too worried. But if someone actually did kill Cooper, it must have been one of our group. Hard to believe a person I know and trust is a murderer.”
As they reached the bottom of the trail at Happy Isles, her stomach knotted. “We shouldn’t make any assumptions until we know for sure.”
“I agree.” He pointed. “Rosa and Bobby B are waiting over at the bus stop. We may as well join them. The rest of the group should be along shortly.”
Raine nodded. She wouldn’t look at her two friends, whom she’d known for years, and wonder if one of them was responsible for Cooper’s death. She had no more reason to believe either of them was capable of murder than she did Levi.
“We made it,” Bobby called when he caught sight of them. “Sixty miles is quite a feat. I only wish this had all ended a whole lot better.”
Rosa gave them a quick smile, but her dark eyes were sober. “I feel like I should stick around. Going back to my normal routine just seems . . . wrong.”
“I know what you mean.” Raine squeezed her shoulder. “But there’s nothing we can do.”
“We told the detective what we know. If he has more questions, I’m sure he’ll contact us.” Bobby got up off the bench. “Sit, Raine. You look exhausted. Are you driving home tonight?”
“No.” She glanced over at Levi as she slid her pack to the ground and dropped onto the bench. “I’m beat. I’ll drive back to the city tomorrow morning.”
“Smart.” He didn’t say anything more as the other four approached.
When the bus rolled up and stopped with a screech of brakes, Raine climbed aboard and sat beside Willow. “Are you staying at the lodge?”
She leaned back in the seat and nodded. “I’m happy to share if you need a bed for the night.”
Raine glanced across the aisle at Levi, who was talking to Matt. “Thanks, but Levi already offered.”
Willow smiled and patted her hand. “Good for you. Maybe something positive came out of this nightmare, after all.”
“Don’t read more into it than there is.” She kept her voice low. “Levi and I have a connection, but we’ll have to see if there’s more to it than chemistry.”
“I hope so. You’re both great, and I think you’d be good for each other.”
Her brows shot up. “How so?”
“Yin and Yang. You’re organized and driven. He’s laid back and casual. But you both have good hearts.”
Raine mulled over her friend’s observation. “I guess we do have different styles, but we seem to get along pretty well.”
“Exactly. You complement each other.”
“Time will tell, but I have a few issues to work out before I can think about a serious relationship.” She gripped the bar when the bus rocked to a stop at the store, and some of the passengers got off.
“I feel like we should check on Ava.” Willow frowned. “I know the park rangers were helping her get all of her and Cooper’s gear down. I hope she has a place to stay tonight.”
Raine met her friend’s concerned gaze. “You’re right. I’ll call her.”
“No, let me do it. I realize it’s been a long time since you and Cooper were together, but this has been a heck of a lot harder for you than for me. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
“Thanks. I . . .” She swallowed. “God, this sucks.”
“Yes, it does.” Willow lifted her pack up off the floor. “Here’s our stop. I hope you’ll stay in touch, Raine. It’s been a real pleasure hanging out with you again.”
“I definitely will.” As they stood to get off the bus, she glanced back when Levi stepped into the aisle behind her. “I guess this is where we all part ways. I’m glad I don’t have to say good-bye to you just yet.”
“Me, too.” He reached down to squeeze her hand. “Speaking of which, don’t you need to get our mileage trackers for the charity before everyone takes off?”
“Oh, geez. Thanks for reminding me. Despite what happened, we can at least still turn in a big donation to the wildlife rehabilitation fund.” As they got off the bus, Raine waved. “Hey, everyone. I need your trackers before you leave.”
“That’s right.” Jake took his off and handed it over, then gave her a quick hug. “Don’t be a stranger, Raine. If you find yourself in Wyoming, look me up.”
“Thanks. I’ll do that.”
She collected the rest of the trackers and put them into a tote bag as everyone said their good-byes. Once the group dispersed, she and Levi walked toward their vehicles in the Camp 4 parking lot.
“We should probably move our cars over to the lodge.”
“Nope. I have a reservation at the Ahwahnee.”
Her brows shot up. “Wow. Fancy.”
He grinned. “What can I say. It’s fun to splurge sometimes.”
She dug her keys out of her backpack and popped the locks on her Jeep. “I’m not complaining. I’ll follow you over there.”
“Sounds good.”
Raine shoved her pack into the rear seat and climbed in behind the wheel. Letting out a long breath, she sat for a moment, trying to decompress. Refusing to think about Cooper, she rolled her shoulders to loosen the kinks. The last four days had been difficult in every way imaginable, and somehow, she had to put her sorrow and regret on the back burner.
For the sake of her sanity.
When Levi reversed his pickup out of his parking spot, she started her engine and did the same. Driving back toward the main village, she focused on the evening ahead and what, exactly, she wanted to do about taking their relationship to the next level. Her fingers tightened on the wheel. Maybe it was best not to overthink their night together. For once in her life, she’d simply go with the flow instead of planning everything down to the last detail.
Making the turn toward the magnificent, old hotel, she followed him into the lot and parked. After getting out of her car, she opened the rear door and dug through her pack for her wallet, toiletries, and clean clothes. Regretting that the nice
st outfit she’d brought was a pair of black leggings and a scoop-necked top in shades of pink, she tossed everything into the tote bag on top of the trackers and shut the door.
“All set?” Levi approached with a daypack slung over one shoulder.
She nodded and held up her tote. “I transferred what I need into here. I just wish I had something fancier to wear into the restaurant.”
“All I brought was jeans. Lots of people go to dinner straight from hiking.”
“Then I won’t worry about looking good.”
He took her free hand and squeezed it. “Honey, you always look spectacular. Even under a layer of dirt.”
“More like two or three layers.” She grinned. “I’m pretty hungry, but food will have to wait until I shower. I call first dibs, even if it is your room.”
“I can live with that.”
They entered the spacious lobby through doors flanked by tall stone columns and crossed the polished floor toward the front desk. Raine detoured over to the comfortable groupings of chairs and couches to wait while Levi checked in. Chandeliers with electric candles hung from the high, open-beamed ceiling, and Native American designs were featured in the room’s decor. From the tall windows framing magnificent views of the valley to the cozy fires burning in each of the fireplaces, the place was spectacular.
When Levi touched her shoulder, she turned away from the view. “Are we good to go?”
“Yep, but I couldn’t switch to a room with two beds since they were all booked. We have a king.”
Her stomach fluttered a little as she met his direct blue gaze. “I’m sure we’ll manage.”
“Then let’s head up. I made a dinner reservation for eight o’clock. I hope forty minutes is enough time for you to get ready. I’m starving.”
“Plenty. I’m pretty low-maintenance.”
“Good to know.” He put a hand on her back to guide her down the hall, and they took the stairs to the second floor. “Here’s our room.”
Midnight Reckoning (Leave No Trace Book 1) Page 6
