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

by Dana Mentink

A low male voice spoke urgently. “I think we both know this place is hanging by a thread. It’s time to call—”

  “I’ve already told you I can’t let Aunt Linda down. She’s counting on me.” Nora’s voice was easily recognizable.

  “Please remember you’re not the only one in the world that cares about her.”

  Henry knocked on the doorframe and stepped into the office where Bobby and Nora faced off from opposite sides of the office countertop. A raft made out of paperclips caught his attention. Since he’d last visited, a new set of people had been added, made out of brads and clips, with mechanical pencils as their spines. “Nice decorations.”

  Nora’s cheeks flushed. She’d frequently told him she found it impossible to stay still, and her creativity spilled over into unusual areas, like office supplies, during any downtime. Once again, he wondered why she wasn’t teaching elementary in the schools yet. Maybe it had something to do with what Bobby had been trying to tell her, but his urgency had sounded odd to Henry. Bobby knew the upcoming visit from the travel reporter would mean a lot of publicity, but was the rafting company in such dire straits? Or was Bobby trying to make a play for the company—and maybe Nora’s aunt—while they were in a vulnerable position?

  Bobby shifted uncomfortably under Henry’s gaze but gave a nod as a way of greeting. Henry’s father may have pushed him too hard to follow his legacy as a lawyer, but he’d learned a lot from his dad. At the moment, the lesson of keeping enemies close came to mind. Suspected enemies, in this case. He was using the same philosophy today for the team trip on the river.

  Nora wouldn’t understand. Perry had opened the cold case wide, so Henry didn’t find the man’s behavior nearly as suspicious. Zach, though, needed to be on today’s trip. If he slipped up, Henry would be watching.

  “Hey, Bobby,” Henry said, “did Nora tell you we are taking a team out on the river?”

  “Yes. I don’t understand what’s taking so long to wrap up the scene and let us out there, but sure. Whatever it takes to get on the water.”

  Nora and Henry shared a look. So she hadn’t shared with Bobby that Dexter and Tommy’s murder were connected in some way. That was actually to their benefit. Perry said he would wait twenty-four more hours to see if they could turn up any other leads before he needed to call in the FBI for assistance. Once the FBI was involved, Henry would be officially off the case. Today was Henry’s last chance to help.

  “We could use another rafting guide,” Henry said on the fly. “Another guide would mean that we could spread out more as a team, cover more ground.”

  Nora’s eyes widened. “Who all is coming?”

  “Can you do without Bobby here for a day?” He tried to communicate with his eyes that it wasn’t a good time to ask who was coming. By the way Nora’s eyebrows jumped, he was a little worried how she would interpret his expressions.

  “Are you feeling okay?” she asked. “You look like you’re going to be sick. Do you need breakfast?”

  Henry released a breath. He’d never been good at subtlety and subtext. He produced a brown bag. “Actually, no. I brought you breakfast from town.” He set the bag on the countertop. She pulled out the enclosed scone and to-go thermos of tea with a gasp.

  “Tea and a cinnamon scone? Thank you.” Her eyes flickered to his, and a soft smile formed. So, she still thought of tea and scones as the ultimate comfort then. For some reason, the knowledge that some things hadn’t changed was reassuring. Nora broke off a chunk of the scone and offered Bobby a portion, which he declined. “If you’re willing to be a guide,” she said, “it’s up to you. We were talking about giving the trainees the day off anyway. What’s left of them, that is.” She turned and offered Henry a portion of the scone, as well.

  “No, it’s for you. What do you mean ‘what’s left of them’?”

  Bobby’s shoulders drooped. “We’ve just found ourselves short-staffed for raft season now.” Bobby and Nora exchanged a look that held its own secret code.

  Henry’s chest tightened. There was camaraderie between the two of them. Nora needed help with something, that much was obvious, but Henry was no longer her confidant. Asking others for help had always been her last resort anyway. So, whenever she had asked him for help, she’d done it so rarely, he’d have done anything he could to answer her requests. And if he couldn’t help, he’d encouraged her to ask someone who could. Was that all Bobby was doing? Taking the place that was once his and encouraging her to ask for help?

  “I guess we’re both yours for the day,” Nora said.

  Despite the exhaustion from yesterday, he’d tossed and turned all night remembering the closeness and the way Nora had stared into his eyes. He could see she’d truly forgiven him. It was like a heavy weight he hadn’t known existed had finally been released. Then, when she’d transitioned into saying she was ready to move on, that weight had unexpectedly shifted and punched him in the gut.

  As much as he wanted to deny it, some part of him had always imagined that if they’d ever worked past their hurts, he’d feel free. His heart hadn’t let him sleep until he’d admitted to himself it was a lie.

  Bobby walked past Henry and slapped him on the shoulder, jarring him out of his thoughts. “I’ll go grab my gear. A little time out on the water is just the medicine I need. Always.” He sauntered out of the office, whistling.

  Nora popped the last bite of scone in her mouth and took a sip of tea. “Thank you for this, but we should get going. Bobby will only take a minute to get ready. We’re wasting daylight.” She walked around the counter, her red guide bag over her shoulder. “Why do you need another guide?”

  “I thought it would be best to go in groups of two. I meant what I said about wanting to cover more ground. More eyes on this means more chances we’ll find something. We have one day, Nora. We need to stop at as many sites as possible and hope we find another lead for the town’s sake. You know what happens once this hits the news tonight. If we don’t have it solved…”

  “Tourism will take a huge hit.” She bit her lip. “The whole town might as well file for unemployment at that point.”

  “It won’t be pretty.” He accompanied her outside as she locked the office door. The sound of an engine approaching caught her attention, and she looked over her shoulder and stiffened. “Bringing Perry along, I understand. Deputy Carl Alexander knows his way around the river. But Zach?” Her eyes narrowed. “Is this a ‘keep your enemies close’ thing?”

  Henry straightened but kept his surprise muted. Maybe she understood him better than he’d realized. Bobby approached with a two-person kayak lifted high over his head, fully decked out with tie-dyed swim shorts and a shirt with a funny image of a river otter in rafting gear. The man had been known to wear wigs and tutus, if necessary, to get children smiling on a rafting trip. But today wasn’t about having a good time.

  Henry’s legs took on a will of their own, slowing the pace to the dock. Even with the warm clothing, he didn’t want to ever have to flip in a kayak again. Having no control and wondering if another boulder was going to appear at any moment, this time to shatter his skull instead of his leg, replayed in his mind too often.

  “I chose a raft for us this time,” Nora said softly. “I figured we’d have an easier time taking cover if necessary. That flip under water…”

  “It’s forgotten.” Henry exhaled, not realizing until now that he’d been holding his breath, but the idea of a raft instead of a kayak eased his mind slightly. As long as he didn’t have to straddle the outside edge with his leg exposed. “Let’s just pray we find what we need today, for everyone’s sake, and stay safe while we do it.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Nora tried to act as carefree as Bobby but found it impossible. She knew too much.

  Carl waved at Bobby, clearly having picked his rafting partner, and pointed to the back seat of a kayak. Zach O’Brien stood with Perry next
to a two-person raft. The two men she trusted the least standing side by side brought her an odd sense of comfort. If Henry wanted to keep potential enemies close, then having them in one boat made it easier to keep an eye on them.

  Henry put his fists on his hips, ready to give out orders. He was like a force of nature, prepared to confront challenges head-on and expecting everyone to attack life with the same level of passion. She both admired and feared the tendency. Sometimes he pushed too hard, not realizing his plans weren’t always best.

  She surveyed the river. The currents had shifted ever so slightly, an indication of changes to watch. Somewhere along the river, the overnight rain had loosened muddy banks. Bobby knew what to watch out for, and Carl seemed to have experienced enough with kayaks to be a good partner in the rougher waters. Perry was her only concern, but he’d been the one to warn her about the change to the whitewater near Garnet Rapids.

  Her neck prickled with unbearable tension. How many days had she been trying to get one uninterrupted trip all the way to Garnet to see what they were dealing with? Yet another reminder of what was at stake if Henry didn’t solve the murders today. If she had to tell her aunt to come home, that would be like admitting failure, something Bobby didn’t seem to understand. Aunt Linda would be coming home to see the business she’d started close its doors. Nora would never share a home with Maya again.

  “So, we’ve already paired off,” Henry said. “We’ve got an officer able to cover each guide. We don’t expect any problems today with such a show of force.”

  Nora’s chest fluttered. If they didn’t expect force, then why did each guide need cover? She pointed at Perry. “He’s not a guide.”

  “I’ve kept my certifications up.” Perry crossed his arms across his chest. “Zach just needs to do what I say, and he’ll be fine.”

  Henry clapped his hands. “Okay. Nora will lead the way, but we are going to stop at every site possible with a perspective the FBI didn’t have last time. Think like a guide.” His eyes turned to her. “That’s how we found the package yesterday. Let’s see if either Tommy or Dexter left us more clues than that.”

  Bobby frowned hard but didn’t ask questions.

  She stepped closer to Bobby. “I didn’t know what I was allowed to share,” she said softly so only he could hear. “Now that you know that there might be danger today, you can back out. I can get a bigger boat and take Carl with us, too.”

  “Don’t worry about me. One cop is enough, but we’ve got four. I like those odds against anything man can throw my way.” Bobby nodded at the river. “Now the river is another matter, but you know that’s why I like it.”

  Bobby had actually been the one to lead her to Christ when she was in her late teens. She’d come back from her first year of college a mess. He’d told her he loved riding the river’s waves because, like life, control was an illusion. The whitewater reminded him that only one was in control. He could try to choose a path, but in the end, he needed to do his best, fear the Lord and enjoy the ride. Nora had never forgotten. Ironic that Bobby and Henry seemed to be challenging the very flexibility they both seemed to appreciate about her.

  “Let’s get going,” Henry said. “Nora, take the lead.”

  She rushed forward and situated Henry in the middle of the raft while she took the back portion. No one needed to be right in the small front bow, at least not for now. Once they were a good fifty feet in front of the other boats, she leaned forward in the hope that the wind wouldn’t take her words and carry them to the others. “I don’t know what to expect from the river, but I’m going to need you to paddle today. Are you feeling ready?”

  He twisted and offered a smile. “I told you. It’s all coming back to me.”

  She leaned back and focused on the water. They didn’t bother stopping at Sandy Cape since they’d already searched that area top to bottom. The upcoming rapids of The Killer rushed with extra ferocity but not enough to bump it up a level of classes. Henry moved quickly and without argument at each paddle command. Toward the end, a shadow she hadn’t seen before hovered underneath a new, swirling hydraulic right in their path.

  The raft spun sideways and she felt the shift before visually seeing the raft begin to lift on one side. They were stuck on a rock. Barely, but enough that the rapids were about to capsize them right on top, a dangerous proposition. “High side!” she called out as a command.

  She kept her hand firmly around the hard end of the paddle, lest she lose control and it hit Henry. The ends of the oars were hard enough to take out a tooth or to bloody a nose if not careful. She shoved her foot against the raft to propel herself to the downstream side. They needed weight on the side of the raft where water flowed immediately. Henry seemed to have frozen, dangerously teetering and about to be swallowed by the water. “High side, Henry!”

  He blinked and dove her way, the paddle underneath him. The waters grabbed the edge they’d both clambered on, swirled the raft around and spat it out on the other side of the rock. They bounced over one remaining baby rapid and the waters calmed. Henry leaned back over the rampart and closed his eyes. “That was close.”

  “You did great.” She twisted to see that Bobby and Carl had learned from their experience and deftly taken the rougher current, the one that avoided the chance of capsizing. Zach’s eager grin couldn’t be missed as he hooted and hollered with every bounce. Perry seemed to be laughing along with him.

  “Guess they figure they might as well enjoy the ride,” Bobby hollered over the dulling roar.

  Except something didn’t look right. They weren’t lifting up out of each wave like they should have been. “Bob—”

  “I see it now.” He dug his paddle in the water and shouted commands to Carl. The kayak spun around as if on a dime and they fought against the current to get closer.

  “What’s going on?” Henry popped up on his knees, squinting.

  “Something seems wrong with Perry’s boat. I don’t think they were laughing but shouting. They’re trying to let us know they have a problem, but it’s impossible to get back into those rapids. We can’t go that far upstream. The current is too strong, too fast.”

  “We have to try.” Henry sat upright and moved to the front of the bow. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Left!” She didn’t hesitate, fighting against the waters as they tried to catch up to Bobby. Once turned around, she could see the raft had already capsized. But how? She held her breath, paddling faster. Please keep them safe. The left side of Perry’s raft crumpled and flipped bow-over-stern until it was spat out over a boulder. No one was in the raft, but she couldn’t see the two men anywhere. The last wave of the rapids beat the raft into a piece of flat and limp plastic that was half immersed in the waters.

  “What!” Henry tried to stand in their raft but fell back down. “What is happening?”

  “They’re not in the boat.” Nora lifted her oar, losing the fight against the current. “I’ve never in my life seen a raft sink. There’s four distinct chambers in a raft. If one of them gets punctured the others keep the—”

  Henry’s eyes widened. “You’re saying this was on purpose.” He put his hand above his eyebrows, searching the banks. “Perry!”

  “There,” Bobby said, allowing the current to shove his kayak back until it was side by side with Nora. He pointed with his oar. “I see them. They’ve made it out. Look!” On top of a rock closest to the bank, Perry stood, drenched, waving. Zach was on his hands and knees, sputtering on the rock. She pushed through the burning in her arms, attempting to paddle closer again. “He’s bleeding.”

  Bobby leaned over the side of his kayak and caught the flimsy raft drifting past. “Worthless now.” He fought to lift it and study it, rivulets of water pouring over the side of his kayak. He finally dropped the deflated raft back into the water. “This was punctured and resealed with junky glue on all four sides.”

  Henr
y sank down to sitting. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

  Nora fought to process the news herself. “Someone wanted them to drown in those waters.”

  * * *

  Henry’s satellite radio squawked. He grabbed it and clicked it on in one fast motion.

  “We’re okay,” Perry said with a huff.

  “Your raft was sabotaged.”

  “I figured that news flash out as soon as we started to sink in the middle of The Killer. That raft is self-bailing but took on water faster than it could drain.” Perry took a deep breath before continuing. “Zach has a head injury—he didn’t latch his helmet on and lost it in the water—but will be fine. I’ve already got Dispatch sending a car to the closest ranch nearby. We’ll hide and watch till help comes.”

  “They’re okay?” Nora asked.

  Henry nodded as Perry’s voice filled the line. “Someone doesn’t want us on the river today, McKnight. Get the package, keep an eye out, and get the drugs to evidence. You’re the last chance for the town, Henry. The FBI will be notified tonight. The media will catch on within hours of that.”

  “Just get Zach patched up and stay safe yourself.” The waters picked up speed, and Nora worked the paddle without him to turn them face-forward.

  “Over and out.”

  “Over and out.” Henry returned the radio to his holster belt. No easy feat given the life jacket in the way.

  “Stick to the plan?” Nora asked. He simply nodded and Nora shouted as much to Bobby and Carl. She guided them in the waters in relative silence for the next few minutes until Henry picked up his paddle to join her.

  She moved to join him in the middle of the boat. Side by side, they could only take their respective positions to paddle, not to mention the space was a bit tight. That could only mean one thing. She wanted to talk without the others overhearing. “What’s up?” Henry asked.

  “You were keeping Perry and Zach together because, even though you didn’t want to admit it, you thought it would be easiest to keep an eye on them that way, right?”