Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2

by Dana Mentink

  “No.” He knew but didn’t tell her that they weren’t hiring an intern until later in the year, if they even received a qualified application.

  Nora folded her arms over her chest. “You need a river guide. I interned once for your boss. He left the door open for me to take a river patrol position anytime.”

  “That was five years ago, Nora, and—”

  “If you tell the deputies to meet us at the next creek, I can get you to Sandy Cape fast. The raft is big enough for four of us.” Her eyes softened. “If there’s any chance to save my guide…”

  “Deputies, meet me at Petillant Creek,” he said into the radio with a sigh.

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “I still don’t want you involved. If you loan us your raft, I can take it and one of the deputies can take you back to the lodge.”

  “Who would guide?”

  He hesitated. Technically, he probably could, but it had been ten years since he’d run the river.

  “It’s high water at its fiercest right now.” Nora reached over and flipped off the air vents, her lips tinged with blue. The March air was warmer than usual, but probably didn’t feel that way after a spill in the rapids. “I’ve been training all winter,” Nora continued. “All my safety certs are up to date. Besides, my kayak is still there. Hopefully. Henry, I know it’s not ideal, but if I’m Dexter’s best chance at getting help…”

  “Fine. Only because it’s an emergency. You can guide us there for the sake of time, but you’ll have to stay with the boat while we investigate.” He’d let his swift-water rescue certifications fall on the back burner, and Nora knew his secret. Even though they’d met and fallen in love when they were both river guides in their college years, Henry had finished the summer by rafting right into a boulder. With his leg hanging on the outside of the raft, he’d snapped his tibia. The experience had gifted him with a newfound fear of whitewater rafting.

  He’d been on the river since then but never as a guide. Most of the river management went to the forest service, except for the additional help BLM River Patrol offered in the summers, usually from an intern because they hadn’t found someone on staff willing to work long hours for three months of the year. Nora had once said she would love to do the job every summer when she transitioned to teaching. But as far as Henry knew, she’d never stopped working for her aunt.

  “You can help today, but I’m not going to take your river patrol offer seriously. You are still working for your aunt?”

  Nora sighed. “Yes. She’s in Alaska right now, taking care of her sick cousin and getting some time to herself.”

  Henry had heard the rumors but didn’t comment. Most of the town knew about Nora’s uncle—well, ex-uncle now—and his philandering ways that had led to the divorce. Didn’t stop Frank Milner from getting re-elected as a county commissioner, though.

  Henry found the creek entrance and made his way there. They kept busy pulling the boat out of the truck and outfitting it with his first-aid kit. Two deputies pulled up behind them in an SUV.

  He glanced at Nora. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “I just hope we make it in time.”

  Her comment sounded more like a question and sent a chill up his spine. Their eyes met, and he saw the hope fading there. Henry’s hand went instinctively to his gun as he thought about the shooter. There was a chance the gunman was still out there, and if Nora was a witness, Henry would do whatever it took to keep her out of danger.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Nora grabbed the oars, impatient for the deputies to get into the raft. The adrenaline was fading, replaced with a war of conflicting emotions about being around Henry again. It’d been several years since they’d stood in the parking lot of the lodge, after yet another disagreement, and Henry had gently suggested they take a break. With those words, the engagement had ended and they’d never talked about it since. Maybe if her heart would finally get over him, it would be easier to be herself whenever he was near.

  Two deputies kicked up dust as they made their way over. With low pay and too much work, law enforcement in the area didn’t last long before transferring elsewhere. Most of the deputies the sheriff did keep on staff were relatively young. Deputy Zach O’Brien was no exception. A relatively new hire, he’d only lived in the area a couple years. He wore a freshly trimmed goatee and had steely gray eyes. “We left Carl’s car at the Clair Creek take-out for when we’re done.”

  “Good idea,” Henry said.

  “Hi, Carl,” Nora said with a wave. Carl Alexander, the other deputy, was only a few years younger than she and had grown up in Sauvage. He’d worked in summer rafting as well, as most teens in the area were encouraged to try their hand at guiding. He’d worked for her uncle’s company, though, the only other rafting company on the Sauvage River.

  Carl had always been quiet, a good listener, and seemed like the type to be slow to anger. Qualities that made him a good cop contrasted with Zach’s loud and obnoxious persona that set her teeth on edge. Carl nodded a greeting and stepped in the raft.

  Henry glanced at his sport watch, likely worried about the time. The later they hit the water, the later they would get back to the take-out spot. Getting stuck on the rapids in the dark was to be avoided at all costs.

  “I’m going to need everyone’s help if we’re to hit the fastest currents.” She could cut the time it’d take to get to Sandy Cape by at least half if they worked hard. She pointed to the seat right in front of her. “Henry can sit there. Deputy Alexander and Deputy O’Brien, you take either side of the bow.”

  Henry flashed her an irritated glance but did as she said. The spot she’d assigned him was the least likely to dump into the water. She thought he’d appreciate the gesture, but it wasn’t a big surprise that they didn’t see eye to eye anymore.

  Their strong connection had stopped the moment he’d moved back to the area as a law enforcement ranger. That’s where all their problems had started. He’d changed, just like everyone who’d warned her against long-distance relationships had said he would. She just hadn’t seen it until he’d hauled her and her sister, Maya, into the sheriff’s office like common criminals when they’d done nothing wrong.

  The wind gusted, a reminder that it was time to be mindful of the work ahead. Nora would usually pull up her tube scarf to use as a face cover, but it was too reminiscent of the style the shooter had worn so she left it on her neck. Only one small set of rapids stood in their way before Sandy Cape. Radios crackled between the three men, and they took turns answering, presumably communicating to Dispatch.

  She spotted her kayak, untouched, her helmet and paddle still resting on top. Like everything about the business, Nora was responsible for employee safety and the new rafts and kayaks her aunt had purchased from the meager bookings of last year. Hope surged that Dexter would be safe, too.

  They gave a final push with the oars and the raft slid onto the bank.

  A man stepped out of the trees with a wave. “Over here!”

  Even without the tell-tale green uniform, Nora would’ve recognized the man’s husky voice. Perry Fletcher worked for the forest service Law Enforcement Investigations unit. While a good fifteen years older, he’d served as a mentor to Henry, helping solidify his decision to abandon law school and pursue a career as a law enforcement ranger. Back when Nora still believed in happily-ever-after.

  Henry and the deputies joined Perry at the tree line. She stayed at the side of the raft, searching the trees for any sign of a hidden shooter. The way the men gathered and looked over their shoulders, sympathy in their eyes, Nora didn’t need to ask.

  Dexter was dead.

  “Suicide?” Henry’s voice carried. He placed two fists on his waist.

  Nora rushed forward. “What? No, I saw—”

  Perry stepped forward, blocking her progress to the tree
line. “I don’t think you should get closer, Nora. It’s not a pretty sight. He didn’t make it.”

  Her breath grew shallow. “But why did Henry say suicide? There was a man. He shot Dexter. I saw it.”

  Perry studied her face, empathy lining his features. “Where were you standing when you saw the man, Nora?”

  “Right about here.” Nora looked over Perry’s shoulder to where Henry and the deputies stood. A black jacket hung on a set of tree branches. The wind gusted, making the sleeves move slightly. “That jacket wasn’t there before. I mean the killer might’ve left it—”

  “Don’t you usually wear glasses?” Perry tilted his head and studied her. He aimed a thumb over his shoulders at the trees and rocks behind him. “I approached with my gun at the ready because I thought I saw a man at first, too, so I understand. But upon investigation, all the indications…”

  “I’m wearing contacts.” Her throat tightened and her chest seized. She knew what she’d seen, and it hadn’t been a jacket blowing in the wind. “What indications? I saw—”

  “A shot to the side of the head at such a close contact is usually indicative—”

  “The man told Dexter to look at something and shot him.”

  “A man in a black jacket?” The look of pity made her want to scream. Perry ignored her glare and ticked off his fingers. “The distance of the shot from the body caused a burn mark around the wound. It was at contact range. The angle of the shot was slightly upward, as if self-inflicted. It was only one shot, and the gun is in the victim’s hand. Those all make this less likely to be homicide.”

  “They were standing close to each other. So, when Dexter looked away the man must have put the gun against the side of his head to make it look like a suicide.”

  “Perry,” Henry called out, “can I talk to you for a moment?”

  The ranger shrugged and turned as if to go to Henry but spun back around to Nora. “You’re a week early in scouting the river, aren’t you? The other company hasn’t even started.”

  Nora really didn’t feel like chatting with Perry at the moment when he didn’t seem to believe her, but the rafting business relied on a good relationship with the forest service. “We have a special visitor coming. It’s important for our first early season run to be perfect.” She didn’t see the need to explain her aunt’s financial predicament to Perry, though.

  “A mudslide brought down a boulder the size of a semi right before the take-out near Garnet Rapids. It’s right in the path of the most used current, so extra dangerous. Search for a new path or you’re guaranteed to high side and get stranded on that rock. Let me know what you find out so I can alert the other rafting company. We might have to cut down some foliage for an earlier take-out point if it’s too dangerous.”

  She struggled to make note of Perry’s advice over the rage coursing through her veins. The shooter she’d seen hadn’t been a jacket in a tree. Though, with the shadows, the bark could be misconstrued as the gray camouflage… She blinked. No, her eyes hadn’t tricked her. And she had heard them arguing. She couldn’t have imagined that.

  Could she have?

  * * *

  Henry waited impatiently for Perry to finish talking with Nora before they stepped out of earshot. While both land management organizations had a partnership regarding the river and the rafters, Sandy Cape was clearly Perry’s jurisdiction. He could wave Henry and the deputies away in favor of the FBI or no help at all, so Henry knew he needed to tread carefully. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you get here so fast?” he asked. “I thought there were no motor vehicles allowed.”

  Perry puffed up his chest. “I was nearby at the Martin ranch, taking a witness statement about trespassers. Likely more mobile meth labs in the making.” He shook his head, before he exhaled and smirked. “Official business enables me to use an ATV when it’s absolutely necessary. Let’s just say there are benefits to being on the right side of public land management.”

  Henry fought against rolling his eyes at the well-played dig. There was a good-natured rivalry between their organizations. “Did you keep a lookout for any other tracks on your way here?”

  Perry widened his stance. “Dispatch thought there might’ve been a chance the victim was still alive after being shot, so I deemed it necessary to drive my ATV as fast as I could. I was trying to save what I thought was a dying man.”

  “So that’s a no.” Henry regretted saying the thought aloud instantly.

  “I think my dedication speaks for itself.” Perry’s eyes hardened. “Look, why is Nora even here? You could’ve gotten her statement without bringing her back to the scene.”

  “She helped us get here faster and, like you, we thought there was a chance to save the victim. I believe she saw something, Perry.”

  He blew out a breath and shook his head. “I probably shouldn’t have discussed theories with her, but I honestly thought there was a man there, too, when I approached. I don’t blame her in the slightest for thinking it was murder.”

  “She said she heard two men talking.”

  Perry shrugged. “We both know eyewitnesses make mistakes. Our brains trick us into making sense of things, especially in the heat of the moment. The wind through the trees, the birds, the squirrels, they can sound like voices when I’m on patrol. And since Tommy Sorenson was murdered at a rafting stop it’s only natural for her mind to fill in—”

  Perry’s radio went off, and he turned down the volume. “The point is, you don’t need to tell me how to do my job, Henry. I also don’t need Nora telling everyone she witnessed a murder. That’d turn the area into a media circus that will only hurt our already depressed economy. We don’t need our bosses to breathe down our necks for answers we don’t have.”

  “Is that what happened when Tommy was killed?” Henry knew he was on thin ice, but Tommy’s murder had happened on Forest Service soil, as well.

  Perry pressed his lips together for a moment. “Same lack of resources back then, too, but you didn’t stick around to see how news of a rafting guide’s murder devastated the economy for several years after the fact. I’ve got over a hundred open cases right now. These mobile meth labs keep popping up faster than I can shut down—”

  Henry held up a hand to shorten a rant he understood all too well. “We’ve all got a big load. I don’t want it to be murder, either, but we can’t write off an eyewitness to suit our need to close the case fast.”

  Perry pursed his lips, as if about to argue, but he relaxed instead. “We’re on the same page. I’ll assign the sheriff’s deputies to interview the other rafting guides and town businesses. Let’s get a handle on who the victim was to see if we can find a motive for either scenario while we wait for the lab to analyze the evidence.”

  “Search and rescue just came around the bend,” Nora called out.

  “Get her home,” Perry said to Henry, this time softer. “Take her official statement, and maybe we’ll find something concrete to go on. I need to process the scene before it gets any later in the day.” They both glanced at the horizon. Processing a scene took hours, and spring sunsets in the mountains happened early. Time was running out.

  “Understood.” There would be more deputies on the boat to help take over the processing of the scene. Carl was already wrapping crime scene tape around trees. “I’ll take her home and make sure the other rafting company knows Sandy Cape is off-limits for now.”

  Perry tilted his head in the direction of the river. “We all like Nora.” His voice and face relaxed into the thoughtful ranger Henry respected. “If her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, then I suppose it’s possible someone planted the jacket to cast doubt. I still say it’s unlikely, but I’m sure you’ll keep an eye on her.”

  He read between the lines. When Nora and Henry had broken the engagement, Perry had predicted it would only be temporary, lasting a month tops. The memory served as a r
eminder that his mentor and friend could be very wrong at times. It’d been almost three years since they’d split up.

  The other deputies and volunteer firemen of the search and rescue team hit the sand. Nora rushed forward to help secure the raft. Henry helped the team pull out the collapsible stretcher and gear Perry would need to transport the body.

  Zach approached and nodded at the abandoned kayak near the rocks. “Carl is almost done collecting evidence. He offered to take your kayak back.”

  Nora nodded. “He regularly kayaks on the river, doesn’t he?”

  “As far as I know.” Zach hopped in the raft. “I’m supposed to accompany you back. Glad we’re not looking at murder. Not good for business. Not good at all.”

  Henry shot a dark look at him, but the deputy didn’t take the hint and continued to offer his commentary as the three of them set off.

  Nora pursed her lips and guided them through The Killer with hardly any instructions.

  Henry’s leg produced a phantom pain with every wave, remembering the sensation of his tibia snapping when he’d hit the boulder at full speed. He gritted his teeth.

  His accident had happened shortly after Tommy had been killed, and Henry had wrestled with guilt for not taking his friend seriously when he’d started acting like something bad was going to happen to him.

  “Move left!” Nora hollered.

  Henry leaned as Nora deftly avoided a swirling, churning hydraulic and the raft leveled. He exhaled, but his muscles wouldn’t relax. Moments later, she steered the boat onto the same emergency take-out at Clair Creek where he’d found her hours before.

  Zach had the keys to the SUV that’d been left there. They attached the raft to the roof and got back on the road. Deputy O’Brien never had a shortage of words and since his wife had recently taken over running the bistro in town, he told stories of her experiments with new menus and fonts. Nora politely nodded but said nothing.

  Zach dropped them off at Henry’s truck, still at Petillant Creek, and turned around to go back to pick up the search and rescue crew.