“I will.” Bree watched the men jog back to the truck. Kade turned the vehicle around, and the truck rolled away.
Birds chirped overhead, and the sun began to burn off the fog left by the rain. Bree’s hope lifted with the sunshine. “You ready to get going again?” she asked Naomi.
Her friend nodded and held up her hand for Bree to haul her to her feet. “I can’t understand how he could have gotten this far. He’s an old man.”
“Have you ever seen his stride when he’s on a mission? He’s got long legs and loves to walk. He’s probably covered twice our distance.” Not for the first time, Bree regretted the slowness of searching. Whenever the dogs lost a scent, it took time to find it again.
Bree called Samson to her and rubbed his head. His dark eyes stared up soulfully. The dogs were even more exhausted than she and Naomi were. They might even be following the wrong scent by now.
“Maybe we should freshen their scent.” She dug in her backpack and rooted until she found the bag with her father’s T-shirt. She held it open for the dogs to sniff, then closed it and put it away. “Search, Samson. Find Grandpa.”
Samson’s tail wagged, and he set off the way they had just come. She locked gazes with Naomi.
“If we’ve been going the wrong direction all this time, I’ll shoot myself,” Naomi muttered.
Bree could have kicked herself. Samson was an awesome search dog, but any dog could get distracted by other scents. They may have wandered far off course. The dogs didn’t seem to have a scent now. They crisscrossed the area with their noses in the air. Samson turned and looked back at Bree as if to ask what had happened.
Bree sighed. “I think we’d better head back a ways and see if we can figure out where we went wrong.” The minutes ticked by, and Bree swatted at black flies that came buzzing out of wet vegetation.
This was her fault. She should have refreshed the scent every hour or so. Stupid, stupid. The sort of thing an amateur would do.
After walking about an hour, Samson’s ears went on alert. Just to make sure she wasn’t misreading her dog, Bree had him and Charley smell the T-shirt again. Both dogs began to wag their tails and bound off toward the east.
“They’ve got it!” Naomi ran after the dogs.
Bree jogged after them. Samson laid his ears back and raced down a lane that barely cut through the vegetation. From the dog’s body language, she thought her dad must be very close. She almost called Kade, then decided to wait until she actually found her dad.
Samson, followed by Charley, leaped over a fallen tree and disappeared over a hillside. Moments later, Bree heard happy barking.
“They’ve found him!” She kicked up her speed a notch and ran to the top of the hill. Looking down, she saw both dogs licking her father, who sat on a tree stump. “Dad!”
Her father looked up. His eyes were alert, though he looked tired. He stood, and she neared and hugged him. “You had us worried sick.”
“I just went for a walk,” he said. “Me and Eve.”
Bree ended the hug and stared at her father. “Eve? Did you see Eve?” He was probably confused. A trek that long with no food or water would disorient anyone.
“She lost her shoe,” Bernard said, holding up a flip-flop.
It was hot pink. Bree had seen Eve wear these sandals. “Where is Eve, Dad?” she asked. “Can you take us to her?”
“I thought I’d go fishing,” her father said. His blue eyes clouded.
“Eve, Dad. Where’s Eve?”
Her father stared off into the trees. “I caught the biggest fish out of that pond,” he muttered.
Bree’s eyes stung. He knew where Eve was, but how could she get through to him? She got out her cell phone and dialed her husband. “I found Dad, and he’s got Eve’s shoe. Can you meet us at the nursing home? I’m taking Dad there now, then we’ll come back here.”
31
NICK PACED THE SIDEWALK OUTSIDE THE NURSING HOME.
Kade waited in the Durango. Bree still wasn’t back yet, but he knew it would take awhile. They’d have to hike to the Jeep before returning to town. He should have gotten her coordinates and started looking for Eve, but without the dogs it wouldn’t do much good. He’d have no idea which direction Bernard had wandered.
Popping a Rolaids into his mouth, he paced some more until he finally saw her red Jeep round the corner. He jogged to the vehicle as Bree got out with her dad and Samson. “Where is Eve?” he asked.
Bree shook her head. “He’s confused again.”
“How do you know he even saw her?”
Bree held up a hot pink flip-flop. “Recognize this?”
“Yeah.” He took the sandal in his hand. “So we know she’s in the woods somewhere. How do we find her?”
“We’ll go back out as soon as I take care of Dad. I marked the coordinates where we were. I left Naomi there. She was going to have Charley follow the trail until we get back.”
At least they had a jump start. “I should have gone straight out there with her,” Nick said.
“I’ll be right back, and we’ll go. Did Oliver have any ideas?”
“I can’t reach him. He might be out fishing though. I’ll try his cell phone again while you get your dad settled.”
Bree nodded and guided her dad toward the building. “Stay, Samson,” she said. The dog lay down at Nick’s feet and closed his eyes. “He’s exhausted,” she said. She and Bernard disappeared inside.
Nick got out his phone and dialed Oliver again. The voice mail came on almost immediately. Where could he be? Nick hoped everything was okay.
He started to put his cell phone back when it rang. “Andreakos here.”
“Nick, I got the information you wanted,” his dad said. “Uh, it’s a little strange.”
“What is?”
“Well, this Miranda you wanted me to find? Her name is Miranda Harding.”
“That’s right, I remember now. Harding is a common name. Were you able to trace her?”
“This is where it gets weird. She’s been catatonic for seven years. Her husband recently moved her to Rock Harbor. Nick, her husband is Oliver.”
“Oliver? Our Oliver?” Nick stammered.
“Yeah. And get this. She’s missing.”
Nick’s mind raced. He hadn’t spoken to Oliver since before Eve disappeared. Miranda’s husband could want revenge. It would be understandable. “He’s got her, Dad.”
“That’s what I’m thinking. I’m on my way to the bed-and-breakfast where he’s been staying now. I’ll call you if there’s any clue to where he’s gone.”
“Get a scent sample.”
“Will do. Oh, and, Nick? I just heard from IA. You’ve been cleared of the charges. This is your investigation. Not that you ever really lost it.”
Still in shock, Nick closed the phone. He couldn’t believe his friend would betray him this way. The news about his job paled in comparison.
The door opened, and Bree stepped out. “Let’s go,” she said. “Any luck raising Oliver?”
Kade exited the Durango and joined them.
“He’s got Eve,” Nick said.
“What?” Kade stared at him. “Who has Eve?”
“Oliver. Miranda’s last name is Harding. She’s Oliver’s wife.”
Bree held up her hand. “Wait, who’s Miranda?”
“A woman Eve hurt a long time ago. She’s been in a hospital ever since. This is all about revenge.”
“Oliver is Gideon?”
“Yes!” Nick grabbed her arm. “We have to find them.”
“Can we get a sample of Oliver’s scent?” Kade suggested. “Maybe the dogs could pick it up.”
“I already told Dad to get a sock.”
Bree shook her head. “The dogs led us in the wrong direction for a while. My fault though, not theirs. I won’t make that mistake again.” Bree prodded Samson with the toe of her boot. “Come on, boy.” The dog stood and stretched, then hopped into the backseat when she opened the door. She shut it and
got behind the wheel while Nick climbed in. Kade offered to go get Oliver’s sock from Cyril, and Nick tossed Kade his keys to the SUV.
“The easiest thing to do would be to drive out the fire road until we get where we found my dad. Or wherever Naomi is. Your dad can send out Oliver’s sock, and we’ll try that scent once we get it too.”
“I’ll call Naomi. What’s her number?” Nick punched in the numbers Bree rattled off. Naomi’s voice mail came on. “Dead spot, I guess,” he said, closing his phone. “I got her voice mail.”
“I’ve got the coordinates where she started.” Bree gunned the Jeep through a narrow opening in thick brush. “We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“Why don’t you pull over and I’ll drive? You’re beat.”
“I’m okay. Got my second wind.”
Nick leaned forward in his seat and scanned the forest as it passed. What were the chances Eve was even still alive? He didn’t want to consider the possibility she was gone, but he couldn’t ignore the facts. Still, he’d thought she was dead once before. Until he saw her lifeless body with his own eyes, he would keep the faith.
“Here we are.” Bree pulled the Jeep off into the waist-high weeds. “We have to hike about a quarter of a mile into the brush.” She let Samson out.
Nick scrambled out and struck off through the thick brush. Brambles tore at his pants and shirt. He battered down the vegetation as best he could to make the going a little easier for Bree, but nearly half an hour passed before Bree held up her hand.
“We’re here.” She knelt on the ground and rummaged in her pack. Samson crowded her, poking his nose into the contents. “I already fed you all the food I had,” she said. “Want some water?” She dug out a small plastic bowl and a water bottle. Samson lapped the bowl dry, then she shoved everything back inside and opened a bag for him to sniff. “Ready, boy? Search, Samson. Find out where Grandpa was.”
The dog sniffed the air, then started back the way they’d come. “The other way, Samson,” Bree told him. “Backtrack.”
The dog stopped and looked at her, his dark eyes hesitant. “This is something new for him,” she told Nick.
Great. Eve’s life was dependent on the dog learning something new. Nick was tempted to strike off on his own. “Which direction was he walking from?”
“We don’t know. He was sitting when we found him.” Bree took the dog’s head in her hands. “You can do it, Samson. Back. Where did he walk from? Go the other way.”
Samson nosed around the fallen log, then took off east and north of his original heading. “I think he’s on to something,” Nick said.
“Yes, I think so.”
They ran after the dog, but he quickly paused to nose some wildflowers. “He still doesn’t understand,” Bree said. “He wants to follow the freshest scent because that’s the way he’s been trained.”
They tromped all afternoon. Kade brought them sandwiches and Oliver’s scent, then returned to the sheriff’s office to check on the progress of the other searchers. Nick almost went back with him. This felt like a total waste of time. Eve probably wasn’t even in the woods. It was hard to say where Oliver had taken her. They could be back in Cheboygan for all he knew.
He rubbed his burning eyes. His fight against despair grew more and more feeble. Eve had been gone now nearly twenty-four hours. What were the chances she was still alive? Oliver had shown no mercy to any other woman. He would be unlikely to show any to the woman he hated most in the world.
Even in the daytime hours, the deep woods never got brighter than twilight. Dark clouds had begun to cover the sun, and the shadows lengthened. Every tree seemed to hide a figure watching them, though Nick knew it was his imagination.
He and Bree rested in a meadow. Lying back with his hand over his eyes, he wished he could sleep, then wake up to find out it had all been a nightmare. The odor of mud, crushed grass, and wildflowers lulled him, and his eyes closed, then he jerked awake. He couldn’t sleep, no matter how tired he was. Eve was depending on him.
He lurched to his feet and wished he didn’t have to awaken Bree, but he didn’t know how to work with Samson. Kneeling, he shook her shoulder gently, and she came instantly awake.
“Let’s go,” she said.
They took off again. Even though they walked for hours, evening surprised him when it fell. They stopped to let Samson rest, and Nick heard a vehicle moving slowly down the lane. They stayed on the ground where they rested and watched its approach. It was Kade’s truck. He pulled it to the side of the road and got out.
“I brought some food,” Kade said.
Nick realized he was ravenous. “Thanks,” he said.
The night sounds echoed around him. Crickets chirped, and an owl hooted overhead. The wind in the treetops brought the scent of pine to his nose.
Bree got up and hugged her husband. “You’re a lifesaver.” The dog yawned and stretched, then stood. “Any news?” Bree asked.
“No.” Kade put his arm around her. “Naomi came back to town. She and Charley are exhausted and never did get a trail.”
“How are the kids?” Nick asked.
“Fine. Still with Anu.”
Bree glanced down at her dog. “He’s rested some. Maybe he’ll get it.” She dug in her bag and pulled out three bags. “We’ll let him sniff all of them. Maybe he’ll get a whiff of Eve or Dad.”
Samson sniffed each bag. His head came up.
“Search, Samson,” Bree said without much hope in her voice.
The dog moved around the clearing. He stopped and sampled the air again. His tail began to wag, and his ears came up. He leaped across a patch of wildflowers and headed south, away from the place they had found Bernard.
“He’s got a scent!” Bree shouted.
Fresh strength flowed through Nick’s muscles, and he sprang after the dog.
EVE COULDN’T FIGURE OUT WHAT OLIVER WAS WAITING FOR. The day had been strange in the extreme. He’d wheeled his wife into the cabin, then left them to do something outside.
She gazed down into Miranda’s face. The room was so dark she could barely make out the woman’s face, but everything about her was etched in Eve’s memory by now.
There was little resemblance of the lovely young woman she’d once been. Her hair was thin and dry now, lying almost without color on the pillow. Her sallow skin didn’t have a hint of the pink it used to. She was so gaunt that she barely raised the sheet from the gurney.
Worst of all, her face was pitted with deep scars. Her mouth twisted in a hideous grimace.
And it was all Eve’s fault.
“I’m sorry, Miranda,” she whispered. “You don’t know how sorry I am. There was no excuse, but I was young and blind.”
She approached the gurney, wishing she could make amends. Miranda hadn’t stirred since Oliver brought her in. Eve touched her hand, then snatched it away. It was cold, so cold. Could Miranda be dead?
Eve shuddered and told herself it wasn’t possible.
Eve tried not to imagine—in graphic detail—what Oliver intended to do to her. Reading Dante’s Divine Comedy had left her nightmare-ridden for a week when she was nineteen. He’d be sure to make it as painful as possible.
She heard him coming and turned to face the door. Metal to metal, the key grated in the door, then it creaked open and allowed the light from the lantern he held aloft to spill into the room.
He was smiling.
The expression made her feel worse. Blood pulsed in her throat, and she vowed she wouldn’t make it easy for him. Whatever he planned was outside, and she intended to take any opportunity to escape. Better to die trying than to just let him have his little game.
Oliver approached the gurney that held his wife. “How are you, my dear?” He didn’t wait for an answer but opened the door and wheeled her out.
Eve sprang to her feet. She intended to try to squeeze through the doorway, but he slammed and locked the door before she could.
“Are you so eager to begin? How
self-sacrificing.” The door muted the words.
The rattle of the gurney as it passed around the side of the cabin was muffled by the cabin walls, but Eve was able to track their progress. When the noise reached the back, she stepped to the window and looked out to see him lift his wife from the gurney and lay her in a boat. Miranda seemed strangely stiff. He stepped into the craft, and the sound of the motor started.
Miranda had died. Eve was sure of it. She tried to remember what she’d heard about rigor mortis. Didn’t it start about three hours after death? Miranda wasn’t fully stiff yet, so maybe she’d been dead about that long.
Eve watched him guide the boat out across the water toward the tiny island in the middle.
The swans trumpeted and flapped their wings to signal their protest as the boat passed, but they didn’t fly away. Instead, they swam toward Oliver, and he threw them bits of a sandwich.
Eve guessed it was a peanut butter sandwich.
She lost sight of him, and it seemed like forever before she heard the sound of the boat returning. When the boat docked, he looked up and saw her staring out the window and gave a jaunty wave. Still smiling, he approached the cabin and disappeared around the side.
Waiting for his key to scrape in the lock again, she felt nearly faint. When the wait had gone on longer than expected, she darted to the window and saw him exiting the van with a soft suitcase.
She grabbed up the chair and hefted it over her head. The key rattled in the lock, and he entered the cabin. Using all her strength, she swung the chair at his head.
He leaped out of the way and knocked it out of her hand with the smile still in place. He tossed her the small satchel. “Put that on.”
Shaking her head, she backed away.
“You would rather I kill you now?” With a casual gesture, he showed her the knife in his hand.
She shrank back with her eyes on the blade. She had no doubt he knew how to use it. “I can’t change with you in here.”
“Five minutes.” He went to the door and locked it behind him.
Her only chance was to get outside this cabin. Eve knelt and unzipped the satchel. What a strange-looking getup. She touched the brown garment and realized it was a gown made of some incredibly rough, greasy cloth that scratched her fingers when she touched it.
Rock Harbor Series - 04 - Abomination Page 30
