“Nikki, you’re supervising the kitchen. Some local folks will be helping. Make sure the place is clean and tidy by the time we pack up and head back to the marina. Probably about five o’clock.”
He turned to Cindy. “You volunteered for the zip line and adventure climb. A couple of the sergeants from the WTB will help you.”
She nodded. “I’ll be happy for their help.”
“If the weather cooperates, swimming will be an option. The city’s providing paddleboats and a pontoon.”
Stephanie raised her hand to get Keith’s attention. “I’ll need to get medical approval for some of the soldiers to take part in the more strenuous activities.”
“That works for me.” Keith glanced at his watch. “Check out the area and let’s meet back here in about half an hour.”
Brody followed Cindy up the hill to inspect the zip line while Stephanie headed into the kitchen. She was impressed by the cleanliness of the entire facility, including the latrines and first-aid station.
Once back at the meeting area, she gazed upward at the tall tower and the steel-cord zip line that ran across the narrow channel, from Big Island to neighboring Small Island.
Concerned about the dangerous currents that swept between the two bodies of land, Stephanie turned to Keith. “Can you call the city to be sure the zip line meets all safety regulations?”
“I’ve already done that. It’s up to code.” He pointed to a narrow path visible in the distance. “There’s even a rope footbridge the soldiers can walk over that connects the islands. Supposedly there’s a park on the other side. We’ve got time if you want to check it out.”
“It shouldn’t take me long.”
Inhaling the sweet smell of the honeysuckle, Stephanie made her way along the path that led to the rocky gorge separating the two islands. Looking down, she saw the churning current that crashed against the cement slabs brought in to shore up the sides of the island from erosion.
Up close, the hanging bridge didn’t appear as sturdy as she would have hoped. Two ropes anchored the wooden decking into metal eyehooks embedded in cement. Additional ropes served as handrails and protective side webbing. Glancing across to the opposite island, she saw a garden of wildflowers and a number of park benches. Surely the bridge was more than adequate for foot traffic.
Grabbing hold of the thick hemp railings, she stepped onto the wooden deck. The platform swayed. She looked down. Tiny eddies swirled below as the water surged through the narrow passageway.
Her weight shifted ever so slightly. She took a step forward and then another, trying to steady herself.
The sound of footsteps on the path caused her to turn.
Too quickly.
The bridge responded to the movement, throwing her off balance. She grabbed the rope railing and tugged on the hemp to steady herself.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a rush of motion. Someone lunged from the underbrush and hunkered down on the path as if to tie his shoe.
In a flash, he was gone.
She took another step forward.
Crack.
One of the supporting anchors gave way. The deck collapsed underfoot, leaving her dangling above the water. With her heart lodged in her throat, she frantically clawed to get a toehold. White-knuckled, her fingers clutched the railing. The thick hemp cut into her flesh.
“Help!”
She screamed again and again, but the effort went unnoticed. A wave of vertigo swept over her. She clenched her jaw, refusing to give in to the roll of nausea or the fear that had turned her blood to ice. If she let go of the rope, she’d fall into the raging waters below.
High above her, she saw the zip line platform. Brody and Cindy were probably at the park, waiting for her to meet them there. They didn’t realize she was in trouble.
Deadly trouble.
* * *
“Where’s Stephanie?” Brody asked when he rejoined Keith at the picnic area.
“The last I saw of her, she was heading to the footbridge.” Keith glanced at the sky. “Dark clouds are rolling in. We’d better start back to the mainland.”
“Don’t leave until I find Stephanie,” Brody said as he hurried along the path.
Worried, he called her name. His eyes flicked right and then left, hoping to catch sight of her.
Rounding a curve in the path, he saw the broken bridge in the distance and screamed to the others for help as he raced forward. His stomach lurched with fear, seeing her dangling above the water.
“B-Brody?”
“I’m right here.” Quickly, he realized the danger of adding more weight to the already-compromised suspension bridge. “I need you to inch toward me. One hand at a time.”
“I...I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Holding on to a nearby sapling for support, he reached forward, stretching his hand to meet hers. “Take it slow.”
“My arms—”
“I’ll have you in a minute. Work your way to me.”
Ever so slowly, she moved her fingers along the rope, until—in one swift motion—he grabbed her and pulled her to safety.
She collapsed into his embrace, trembling. “Oh, Brody.”
“It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
“I...I heard someone on the path. He came from nowhere. All I saw was a gray sweatshirt. The hood covered his head. He...he knelt down for a moment. I thought he was tying his shoe.”
Brody examined the rope that supported the wooden deck. Somehow, it had frayed loose from the anchoring rod. “Did you recognize the guy?”
She shook her head.
“Was it Ted?”
She pulled back. “No.”
“But it was a man?” Brody asked.
“That’s right. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt.”
“Like the army PT uniform?”
She threw up her hands and shrugged as if annoyed with his questions. “I don’t know whether it was military. I didn’t see a logo.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Brody glanced at the darkening sky. “Let’s head to the boat. It looks like we’re in for rain.”
Before they returned to the path, he looked down at the gorge, thinking of what could have been. His gut tightened when he spotted something shiny wedged in the rocks below. A metal sign attached to a chain.
Danger. Do Not Cross. Bridge Closed for Repair.
The sign at some point had hung across the entrance to the bridge, warning pedestrians. Had it blown free in the wind? Or had someone removed the sign and then tampered with the already-frayed support rope?
What about the man in the gray sweatshirt? Did he stop to tie his shoe or was he doing something else—something to cause the bridge to collapse?
NINE
Stephanie leaned against Brody as they hurried along the path. Her legs were weak and her arms felt like jelly. The palms of her hands were scraped and raw, but those were minor problems considering what the outcome would have been if Brody hadn’t found her.
Approaching the picnic area, he ushered her to a bench. “Can I get you some water?”
She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
“What happened?” Keith asked as he neared.
Brody explained about the collapsed bridge and Stephanie’s near catastrophe. “Who told her about the footbridge?”
“I did.” Keith pointed to himself. “But I didn’t know there was a problem.”
“Have you seen anyone else, except our group, on the island?”
“No, but I’ve been in this area the entire time.”
“What’s going on?” Cindy asked as she and Nikki hurried toward them.
“Did either of you notice any other visitors on the island?”
Nikki shook her head. “I tho
ught we were the only ones here.”
Cindy pointed to the zip line. “I saw a jon boat leaving the small dock on the far side of the island when I was on the tower.”
“What color?” Brody asked.
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “Ah, dark. Maybe navy. Maybe black. No name on the hull. Outboard motor. One guy, but I can’t tell you what he looked like at that distance.”
“What was he wearing?”
Cindy shrugged. “Hard to tell. A beige shirt. Or maybe it was gray.”
“Heavy? Thin? Old? Young?”
She threw up her hands. “It was too far to tell. Plus, I didn’t realize he was important. Just a guy out fishing.”
Brody called the Freemont police and had them contact the manager of the marina in case he saw anyone in a jon boat heading back from Big Island. He also requested law enforcement search the island as soon as possible and keep their eyes open for a man in a gray sweatshirt.
Disconnecting, he glanced around. “Where are Paul and Ted?”
“Probably still on the ridge,” Keith said. “They were checking the trail for the fun run.”
“Were they hanging around the footbridge?” Brody glanced at Cindy.
She shook her head. “Not that I saw.”
Brody nodded and then eyed the sky. “We need to head back to the marina soon. I’ll check the ridge.” He double-timed up the trail.
Cindy noticed Stephanie’s scraped hands. “I saw some antiseptic ointment in the first-aid station.”
“Thanks, but I’m okay. Just give me a minute to get my heartbeat back to normal.”
“Oh, Stephanie.” Nikki gave her a quick hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The three women talked for a few minutes until Stephanie glanced over her shoulder and saw Paul and Ted some distance away, standing in front of a three-foot stone monument she hadn’t noticed earlier. Ted doubled over and dropped his head into his hands.
She turned to Keith. “Go after Brody. Tell him the guys are back.”
“Will do.”
Stephanie hurried to join her brother and Paul, but stopped short when she neared the monument. Her heart lodged in her throat.
Hayden Allen City Park.
A lovely tribute that had upset Ted.
She caught up to her brother at the dock and grabbed his sleeve. He jerked out of her hold.
“It’s been three years, Ted. You’ve got to let go of the painful memories.”
He pointed an accusatory finger back at her. “What about you? How have you dealt with the past?”
“Not very well,” she admitted with a low voice.
“Then don’t tell me how I should behave.” He turned and stared at Paul, then Nikki, who had moved closer. “Hayden was the best of us. Only he’s gone, and we have to pretend that it’s okay, but it’s not.”
He flicked his gaze back to Stephanie. “Life isn’t fair, which is what you used to tell me when Mom was sick. I didn’t want to listen to anything you had to say back then. I don’t want your advice now, either.”
“Ted, please.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll attend the picnic and help the guys and gals who are worse off than I am. After all, I’m not hurt on the outside. My only scars are from the burns on my legs and those have healed, but there are bigger scars on the inside, and they’re still festering. Or maybe you haven’t noticed.”
“I want to help you.”
“Then stay out of my life. You’ve done enough to remind me of the past. Don’t butt in where you’re not wanted.”
Ted stomped aboard Keith’s boat.
Stephanie turned to see Brody standing near the monument. A frown covered his square face. If he had been waiting for some sign of dysfunction from her brother, surely he had heard enough today to fill a computer file. Ted kept digging a bigger hole for himself.
Brody followed the guys onto Keith’s boat and talked to each of them privately. No doubt he was trying to determine if they’d removed the sign from the bridge or tampered with one of the supporting ropes. He also searched the boat and the girls’ handbags.
“Your brother will come around, Steph,” Keith said as he approached and patted her shoulder.
She sighed. “Did you ever wonder why everything turned out the way it did, Keith? Is it something about our families that causes so much pain?”
He shook his head. “My mom said it was inevitable when Hayden drowned. I never understood what she meant. I often thought there was something she didn’t want me to know.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure. Hayden and I were so different, as if we weren’t even brothers. My parents used to argue. Mom always took Hayden’s side. After he died, I could never compete with his memory. That’s a tough place to be, the underdog. You never had to deal with that. You were the favored child.”
“Only because I worked to earn my father’s approval.” She turned and looked back over the water. “What I really wanted was his love.”
* * *
Once they were back onboard The Princess, Brody applied ointment to Stephanie’s hands and wrapped them in gauze. He watched the darkening sky while she navigated the craft into deep water.
Neither of them spoke about Stephanie’s close call or whether the guy in the gray sweatshirt had done something to cause the bridge to collapse. Ted had always been a logical suspect in Brody’s mind, but this time Keith had encouraged her to explore the park on the smaller island, an excursion that could have claimed her life.
In addition, Ted and Paul’s stories had matched when Brody questioned them. They had explored the route for the fun run and never ventured near the footbridge.
The entire island had been visible from the ridge. Brody hadn’t seen anyone else on the island, and the jon boat had long disappeared from view.
When he got back to post, he would contact the police in case the marina manager had identified the boat owner. Another long shot; there seemed to be too many, especially when it came to Stephanie’s well-being.
So far, she’d escaped injury, other than her scraped palms, but if Brody hadn’t found her today—
He couldn’t think about what ifs. He had to think about what he knew to be fact. Right now, he had no evidence and lots of suspicions.
Stephanie was visibly relieved when they reached the marina. So was Brody. He wanted to get her back to post safe and sound. Keith had already docked. Ted and Paul were in the parking lot.
“Come on.” Nikki motioned to Cindy, who stood at the end of the pier. The wind whipped at her blouse. Her hair flew around her face. She pushed it back with one hand and clutched the railing with the other.
Brody hopped onto the dock and approached the distraught woman. “Cindy, you need to get in the car before it starts to rain.”
She turned, tears in her eyes. “I...I didn’t think it would affect me like this. I try to be strong, but coming back made everything worse.”
Keith took her arm. “It’s okay, Cindy. I’ll drive you home.” He helped her into his car and followed Paul and the others out of the parking lot.
“I wonder if this was the first time Cindy has been at the lake since Hayden’s death?” Brody said, once he and Stephanie were inside his car, just as the rain started to fall.
“You go through a tragedy like that and you never want to go back to where it happened.”
“Should you cancel the picnic?” he asked.
“That would only hurt the soldiers who are looking forward to the day. I’ll encourage Ted to stay at the barracks. Maybe he and Paul can do something together.”
“He never should have come today.”
She nodded. “Keith probably invited him. Or maybe Paul insisted he come.”
“How are your hands?”
/>
“Better. Thanks for taking care of them.”
He turned the windshield wipers to high and pulled onto the road to Fort Rickman.
“What was Keith doing in Atlanta the day his brother died?”
She hesitated before saying, “I think he used Atlanta as an excuse. He and his friends often partied at a campsite north of town. Alcohol was usually involved.”
“Did he know about Hayden’s drinking?”
“I’m sure he did.”
“Because?”
She stared out the window and failed to answer.
“Stephanie—”
She shrugged and glanced back at him, her expression pained. “Keith took the boys to the island that day and said he would pick them up by three o’clock.”
“Not much time to drive to Atlanta and back. Is that why you think he was in the local area?”
“That’s my opinion only.”
“How did the boys get the alcohol?”
“Supposedly they found the bottles on the island. They all told the same story. Folks were upset about Hayden’s death. No one gave much thought to the alcohol with a dead teen to mourn.” She shook her head. “Especially since it was Hayden.”
“I’m sure the townspeople would have been upset no matter who had died.”
“It’s just—” She sighed. “It was as if the whole town was counting on Hayden to succeed. Everyone expected so much from him.”
“What about Paul? How did he play into the group?”
“His parents have a house in the Country Club subdivision, not far from ours, so he and Ted were friends growing up.”
“Didn’t Hayden and Keith live in the Estates, as well?”
“That’s right. Josh was the only one who wasn’t close by. All the boys were in the same grade, but Hayden was six months younger. He started hanging out with the guys his senior year.”
Brody reached for her hand and gently wove his fingers through hers, taking care not to hurt her scraped skin. “I read the newspaper archives of the rescue. You were able to save the other kids. That’s got to give you some sense of satisfaction.”
“The papers didn’t print the whole story.”
The Soldier's Sister Page 9
