Mounting Evidence

by Karis Walsh

  Kira shrugged. “I’m better now. I’m smarter than I was back then when I was learning the best ways to work with the county. I’m less emotional and more realistic.” She gave a sarcastic snort of laughter and Abby guessed that Kira felt anything but detached right now. Her ability to fight within the system might be more rational, but her reactions to the events of the past week were probably more emotional than she could handle.

  Carter cleared his throat. “We can stop for the day.” He sounded eager to get moving as he took the notebook from Abby. He’d caught the scent of a possible lead and wanted to follow through with it. “This has been a great help. I hope I can call on you if we need more information.”

  Kira nodded shortly, and Abby hurried her out of the room.

  “She was using me the whole time,” Kira said, her voice flat. “No wonder I never met Tad or even heard about him. I’ll bet she went to the Earth Day celebration just to meet me, to protect his investments in wetlands.”

  “I don’t know, Kira,” Abby said. “Remember what you said about Rick being opportunistic? Maybe he met Dale the night he came to your house and saw a way to use her. No arrest in exchange for information.”

  “That doesn’t make it any better,” Kira said.

  “No. I guess it doesn’t.”

  “And Keith, what will happen to him?”

  “He’ll be questioned,” Abby said. She’d be surprised if he was the killer. He was idealistic and devoted to Kira and her work. He’d have untied her and not left her there all night. “It’s better that the detectives get to him first, and not Rick.”

  Rick. What was his role in this? He seemed to be everywhere, in every corner of the investigation. If he had shot Tad, he’d have been happy enough to leave Kira behind.

  “I need to go,” Kira said. She started toward the exit.

  “Kira, wait,” Abby called after her. Kira paused but didn’t turn around. “If there’s anything I can do…”

  Kira nodded, and walked away.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Abby was in the parking lot when Rick arrived for his duty shift. She grabbed his shirt with her left hand and spun him against the car door.

  “Really?” he asked with a laugh. “One blow to your wrist and you’d be on your knees and in tears.”

  “Try it,” she said, her voice coming out as a deep growl. She had too much adrenaline in her to care what he did to her hand. She had a momentary flashback to childhood wrestling matches. She’d won those, more often than not. “Besides, you’re the one who got me hurt in the first place, aren’t you? What’s a little more pain among family.”

  “You’re crazy.” He gave her a shove with open palms, using only enough force to get some space between them. “What do you want, little sis?”

  “Back off with Kira,” Abby said. “No more rumors, no more threats. Leave her alone.”

  “Or else what?”

  “Or else I take everything I’ve learned about our family enterprises to IA. I might not have solid evidence for everything you’ve done, but I have enough suspicious material to keep you under investigation for years. One more hint that she’s involved in Milford’s shooting or one step in her direction, and I’ll turn over all the files I’ve collected on you.”

  He laughed. “Blackmail? I see you carry the Hargrove genes after all. Don’t worry about your girlfriend. I’ll beat her at the county hearing when I’m ready to build on my property.”

  “I’d like to see you try,” Abby said. “And one other thing. If you were the one who killed Milford, I will arrest you myself. It’ll be a pleasure.”

  Abby went to her car. Her hands were shaking. She’d spoken more words to her brother over the past week than over the past few years. She’d avoided contact with him as much as possible, until Kira. Abby rubbed her palm, where her bandage ended, as she realized what that meant. She’d do anything for Kira. Contact her family or turn her private shame into public accusations. Anything.

  A sharp rap of knuckles on her window made Abby jump. Rick was standing next to her car with a cell phone in his hand.

  She started the ignition and lowered the window halfway.

  “I said I’d leave your girlfriend alone, and I meant it. But she’s trespassing on my property right now. If I find her there, I won’t hesitate to shoot her.”

  “What? She’s at your house?” Abby frowned, confused.

  He waved his phone. “A friend of mine saw her on Milford’s swamp. It’s mine, now. You tell her to get lost, or I’ll do it myself.” He turned and strode toward the station.

  Abby tried calling Kira as she drove, but she wasn’t answering her cell. She knew the location of the wetland, and she sped toward it. Why had Kira gone directly there? Abby knew she’d been upset about the notebook she’d found, but that didn’t explain her actions. Maybe she, like Abby, handled stress by working, and she’d gone to do some research. Unauthorized, trespassing research.

  Abby called her again and waited for the voice mail message. “Kira, stay put when you get this message. I’m coming to Milford’s property to find you. Be there in ten.”

  Abby parked her car on the street next to one of the entrances to the acreage. Since she’d been investigating Milford’s death, she’d read enough about wetlands in general—and this one in particular—to be an expert. It covered three city blocks and was bounded on all sides by residential and commercial buildings. The land itself was covered with cottonwoods and Garry oaks, with a seasonal lake in the center. A thin strand of wire marked the border, insufficient for keeping out vagrants or curious kids, in a weak attempt to protect the landowner from attractive nuisance lawsuits. Abby stepped over the fence and followed a worn path past the tree line. Once she was inside, she felt as isolated from the rest of the city as she had at Snake Lake. The area was peaceful and sounds were muffled. Maybe Kira had come here for some solitude. A place to think. Abby wouldn’t want to interrupt, but Kira was better off being found by her and not by Rick.

  She took out her phone again. She was awkward with her left hand, and dropped it when she tried to check for a message from Kira. She bent down to retrieve it and heard something sail over her back with a low whistle. She dropped to all fours just as a carbon arrow thudded into the trunk of an oak right in front of her. She scurried for cover behind the tree, and another arrow whipped past her ear. This one arced through the air until it embedded itself in a rotting stump several yards away.

  What the hell. Was Robin Hood after her? More likely her brother coming after Kira. He and her father had been bow hunting together since Rick’s tenth birthday. He had won his share of archery competitions, and she didn’t care to have him hunting her like a deer.

  “Rick, knock it off,” she yelled. “It’s me, Abby.”

  The woods were still and quiet. She moved slightly, and another arrow skimmed past her elbow where it had been exposed. Damn. Was he after her?

  This last one had come with more velocity and force, so whoever was after her was on the move and heading her way. She couldn’t go back toward her car, but the property wasn’t huge. She would just have to run toward one of the other three sides.

  She scanned the sparse trees in front of her, looking for the best route. The vacant lot had seemed dense and natural when she first walked in, but now that she was at risk of being skewered, she could see the advantage was clearly with the hunter and not the prey. She took a deep breath and bolted toward a stand of cottonwoods, veering to the right at the last minute and diving behind a mound of dirt and broken tree limbs. The arrow meant for her landed harmlessly in one of the cottonwood trunks.

  Abby paused only a moment to catch her breath before she sprinted forward again. She could see the glimmer of sunlight on a car just beyond the trees in front of her, but a noise to her right sent her off on a tangent again just before an arrow sliced through the space she had occupied only seconds before. She dived through a thick patch of undergrowth, crying out involuntarily when she land
ed on her right wrist. She scrabbled for purchase as the branches caught on her clothes and hair, and she finally clawed her way free and ran to a tree that offered more protection.

  She held her hand tightly against her rib cage, but her shallow, rapid breaths sent flickers of pain through her wrist. She inched her way around the tree and realized it was the same one she’d been behind only moments before. Whoever was shooting—was it really Rick?—was toying with her, keeping her from the safety of the property’s edges and in the dangerous center. The bow had seemed like a silly weapon to her at first, but she was starting to see its effectiveness. No sound would travel out to the street beyond the property. No one would come to her rescue.

  Another whistle and a thwack as an arrow landed next to her, forcing her to inch around the trunk. If she could just make it back to where she had dropped her cell phone…but the expanse of open space between it and her was too deadly to cross. She had one more option. Aim toward the thickest part of the property and out the other side—a path that would take her right through the small lake. She didn’t know how deep it was, but she’d have to take her chance and run as fast as she could, hoping an arrow didn’t catch her in the thigh or back.

  She was about to make her move when she heard a voice calling her name. Kira. She was coming from the direction of Abby’s car, directly into the path of the shooter.

  “Kira, get down!” she called, coming around the trunk and waving her arms. She had to draw the arrows to herself, give Kira enough time to run, but Kira saw her and came toward her instead of away. Abby moved quickly into the open area between them. She tripped over an exposed root, but got back to her feet and continued to run. Any thought of protecting herself fled as she rushed to get to Kira. Protect her. Give her cover and get her out of danger. She expected the stab of pain to hit her any moment—what would it feel like to be shot by an arrow?—or, much worse, to see one slicing through Kira’s skin.

  They met in the center of the small clearing, close to Abby’s cell phone, where everything had started. She stumbled forward and into Kira’s arms. The next arrow never came, and the woods around them fell silent.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Abby didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay where she was forever, huddled on the damp ground and wrapped in Kira’s arms as the birds resumed their chirping in the trees, but she had to find out who had been shooting at her. She got to her feet and pulled Kira along with her.

  “What the hell is going on, Abby? I got your message about meeting me here, and then you came running out and screaming. What’s wrong?”

  Abby scanned the trees around them, alert for any sign that the attack would resume. “Did you see anyone else here?”

  “No. Our cars are the only ones on this side of the property. Abby, tell me what’s happening.”

  “Wait,” Abby said. She retrieved her phone and called dispatch to report her location. When she ended the call, she pointed toward the deadly black arrows in the oak tree. “Someone was shooting at me. We need to get you back to your car so I can find out who it was.”

  She watched Kira’s face turn pale as she stared at the arrows. “I’m coming with you,” she said.

  Abby was going to protest, but she trusted her instincts when they told her the danger was over, for now. Someone—Rick?—wanted to hurt her or scare her off the case. Kira didn’t seem to be the target. Peace settled over the wooded area, so Abby kept Kira’s hand in hers as they crisscrossed the property. Abby was careful to lead them around any footprints they saw, but apparently the lot was used as a shortcut, and there was too much foot traffic to make any particular tracks stand out. She hoped one of the detectives would be able to determine where the shooter had been standing so they could isolate the suspect’s prints.

  As they walked, Abby told Kira about Rick’s threats. “Were you here earlier today?” she asked.

  “No. I went home after I left the station. I was…well, I didn’t want to answer my phone. But when I listened to your message I came right over. Do you think your brother would do this to you?”

  Abby sighed and sat on the ground when they got back to the clearing. She looked at the arrow that had nearly shattered her elbow when she had moved beyond the tree’s protection. “It’s possible. He’s a great shot, and whoever did this was deadly accurate. I don’t know how long I would have been able to outmaneuver the shooter.”

  “But why? Does he really want to kill you?”

  “I don’t think so,” Abby said. I hope not. “He’s used to getting his own way, and to finding any means to do so. Maybe he’s just warning me to stay away from you and to back off the Milford case. Drugging Legs, hunting me with a bow and arrows. It won’t work, though.”

  Kira cupped Abby’s cheek in her warm hand. Abby leaned into the contact before she turned her head and kissed Kira’s palm. “I can’t stay away from you, Kira,” she admitted.

  “I…I can’t stay away from you, either.” Kira’s voice was quiet, but full of conviction. She pulled Abby’s face toward hers and kissed her with a lingering caress of her lips.

  “This is your emergency, Lieutenant?” Rachel’s voice startled Abby, and she broke contact with Kira. “I rush over here, expecting you to be dead or at least maimed, but instead I find you having a make-out session in the woods.”

  Abby had to laugh at Rachel’s exaggeratedly put-out tone, but she heard the concern behind her teasing words.

  “How’d you get here so fast, Bryce?” Abby took the hand Kira offered and stood up. “I thought we had a few more minutes before anyone arrived.”

  “Yeah, I could see that,” Rachel said.

  “Hey, I rescued her from a mad shooter,” Kira said. “I deserved a little kiss for a reward.”

  Everyone smiling, everyone joking, but Abby heard the worry rippling under the surface of their voices.

  “I was at Point Defiance, getting more feed from the police stables, when I heard the call on the radio,” Rachel said. “What happened, boss?”

  Abby was describing the attack when several patrol cars arrived on the scene. She paused in the middle of her story, and then repeated the whole thing when the detectives were there to listen. She kept Kira close by her side, ignoring the surreptitious glances from the officers. She didn’t care what anyone thought. She was relieved to be safe, even more relieved to have Kira safe.

  While they started searching the wetland for clues about the shooter, Abby walked Kira to her car. Kira leaned back against the driver’s side door, and Abby stood in front of her with her left hand braced on the car by Kira’s shoulder.

  “I had a nice, quiet life before you walked into it,” Kira said. She trailed her fingers over the buttons on Abby’s shirt. “Nirvana dragged me down the barn aisle to you, and then all hell broke loose.”

  Abby shifted so her legs came into contact with Kira’s. “My life isn’t usually so full of intrigue, either. Mostly, I sit at a desk and do paperwork.”

  “But your family…”

  Abby shook her head, still confused by the events of the past week. “We usually keep to ourselves. Away from each other, out of the public eye. I’ve never liked Rick’s way of doing things, whether he turns out to be crooked or honest, but at least I used to understand it. Greed, a hunger for power. He wasn’t a paragon by any means, but he was consistent and predictable. Now this”—Abby gestured with her broken arm—“none of this makes sense to me. The only thing that does is you.”

  Abby moved to kiss her again, but Kira tilted her head in the direction of the wetland. “We have company,” she said.

  “Sorry to interrupt. Again,” Rachel said. “The detectives want you to walk us through one more time, to see if there’s anything we missed.”

  “I’ll go,” Kira said. “You’ll keep me updated?”

  “Of course. Just be careful, please. I’ll call you.”

  Kira nodded and got in her car. Abby hated to see her go. Kira was about to drive away, beyond Abby’s abili
ty to protect her. Abby was torn between doing her job and taking care of someone who had become even more valuable to her than career or reputation.

  “How do you do it, Rachel?” she asked as she watched until Kira’s car turned a corner and went out of sight.

  “Do what?”

  Abby turned away from the street and walked down the path again. “How do you manage to have your personal life and your professional one coexist? How do you keep priorities straight?”

  “Easy. Cal is my priority. You know what this job means to me, and how much I believe in what we do. But Cal means more.”

  Abby stopped. “So you’d put her before your duties as an officer?”

  Rachel shrugged and grinned at her. “Are you asking if I’d break laws for her? Yes, if I had to. And no, not as a favor or for convenience.”

  Abby shook her head. She understood what Rachel was saying, and she knew without a doubt that she’d do the same to protect Kira. But lines were getting hazy, and Abby still didn’t know how to clarify them in her mind. “I’ve tried so hard to keep work impersonal, to stay detached. I don’t—”

  Rachel’s snort of laughter made her stop talking.

  “Are you amused by something I said, Sergeant?”

  “Well, yes.” Rachel didn’t even try to hide her smile. “You make your job more personal than anyone I’ve ever met. Your grandfather, your dad, Rick. Your entire career is based on what’s personal to you.” Abby stood still with her mouth open as Rachel walked away. “Come on, Lieutenant. They’re waiting.”

  Abby jogged to catch up, her mind spinning. She didn’t know how much Rachel knew or had guessed about her involvement in her family’s mishandled cases, but she realized her attempts to atone for their sins weren’t as secret as she had thought. Rachel was correct, and Abby didn’t know why she hadn’t seen it before. She had tried not to make connections at work—had prided herself on keeping separate, not making friends in the workplace—but her relationship with her family was entirely personal. Yes, she was trying to make the lives of the people they’d harmed better, but why? Because her version of right and wrong was outraged by their actions. Because she herself had never healed from the hurt her father caused when he used dirty money to buy her a goddamned saddle. Because she hated the way other officers said the name Hargrove. All personal reasons.