Trouble Afoot (Shepard & Kelly Mysteries Book 2)

by Benjamin Bradley

  “Well, I can say without a doubt that we’re all lucky that you were there so quickly. It seems your co-worker was in over his head, so to speak.” Russo sighed. “Not everybody can handle the grittier parts of the job.”

  Zoe forced a smile and heard the roar of an approaching ATV. In the distance, she saw that Clem had saddled up onto the ATV with Mathias. Every pair of eyes at the gate turned and watched. Zoe let out an exhale as the spotlight shifted away.

  Russo nodded towards the oncoming vehicle and turned to Zoe. “Here’s my card. Cell is on the back. If anything comes up, I’ll update you. And thank you again.” They shook hands again. “There’s a damn good chance that Wade Buchanon is likely alive because of you.”

  “Wade who?”

  “That was the victim’s name. EMTs found a medical bracelet on his wrist. Some runners wear them in case of an accident. Much like his today, although…”

  Zoe nodded. “Thank you. It’s nice to know his name at least.”

  Russo put a gentle hand on Zoe’s shoulder, smiled, and turned to Mathias and Clem. Zoe skirted away from the scene. She wandered towards home, letting the celebrity of Clem’s arrival serve as a necessary distraction so that she could exit peacefully. The serene stroll through the early morning sounds of nature was a welcome distraction as she approached her cottage. Spike balls from sweet gum trees dotted the path like an abstract painting.

  All the while, Zoe flashed back to the man she’d seen under the bloody mess. Wade Buchanon. The man who went for a jog and ran into trouble. She ached for his family, who were likely anxiously awaiting his return, sitting around the breakfast table listening for the sound of his car in their driveway. She whispered a silent prayer to no one that he someday return to them in peace.

  Every shadow that lurked between the trees startled her more than usual. Every crunch of leaves grew louder. She shook it off, focused on the birds instead. But soon, the sound was unmistakable. Before and after park hours, the only folks that were supposed to be in the park were staff and family. Usually, the sound of approaching footsteps was no cause for concern. But after Zoe’s hellish morning, she was on guard and prepared for the worst.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The wind cut like a knife as the car swung down on the tracks and careened towards certain death. Everybody around Andy screamed in fear. Manufactured agony. Why in the world do people do this to themselves? He laughed it off.

  His son, Andrew, clawed at Andy’s arm, nails dug in with a fierceness that would soon leave a mark. Andy smiled at him and tried his best to feign reassurance. It was impossible to communicate over the roar of the coaster and there were no words that Andy could string together that would calm Andrew down.

  Ava, the older of the two, sat unenthused by the ride. Andy had no doubt that she’d rather be scrolling through her phone than riding a rickety roller coaster with her old man. It didn’t hurt that she reminded him of that preference at least four times on the two-hour-drive south. Andy understood. All he wanted was to chain smoke cigarettes while he anxiously checked his phone. Instead, his legs wailed in agony under the too-tight seatbelt of a decades-old roller coaster that was careening through its final turns.

  Once the ride slowed to a halt, Andy turned to Ava. “Fun, right?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Can we go now? I have band practice tonight.”

  “No way! Dad promised us at least four roller coasters!” Andrew shouted with glee. “That means two more. Minimum!”

  Such a big word out of such a tiny mouth made Andy chuckle. “Can’t break a promise to the kid, you know.” Andy nudged Ava with his shoulder. “Come on, A. I’ll buy you a soda before the next one.”

  “Ew, soda is gross,” she snorted.

  “You used to love soda.” He scratched at his head. “Root beer, right? I can’t keep up with things these days. Your preferences change as often as traffic lights. Or maybe I’m just getting old.”

  “You are old, Dad. But it’s okay,” Andrew said with a smile. Ava let out a quiet giggle.

  As they waited in line for the next coaster, one that promised a screaming good time, Andy thought of Kyle. How he had faired with the job. He didn’t have the nerve to check his bank account yet, but knew that The Fox was prompt. If the money wasn’t in his account within the next twenty minutes, something was wrong.

  Not that Andy expected something to go wrong. Much the opposite. Things had gone smoothly for so long that there were no signs of trouble. The waters were calm. Smooth sailing. Andy was grateful that Kyle roped him into the gig and owed him a debt of gratitude for the lifeline. And now a debt of 80% of this morning’s job. Assuming the job went off without a hitch.

  He felt certain that someday soon, his ex-wife would wake up to find his face on the news in connection with a string of drug arrests. He’d lose his kids forever and probably his job too. Every crime show he watched on Netflix reassured him that the low-level players get caught and flipped for information. They’re just chum that’s flipped around to bring in a bigger fish. Or a bigger fox, in this case. With each passing week and new set of instructions from The Fox, he’d kick himself for not being smarter when he was younger. For gambling away his savings. His 401k. And then Regina’s. But a light shone at the end of his metaphorical tunnel, although the terrain within the tunnel was murky and riddled with challenges.

  When Ava hurried in to use the bathroom, Andy glanced at his phone and saw no message from Kyle. There was, however, an alert from his bank. The deposit was pending in his account. Andy let himself smile and exhale a breath he’d been holding in since yesterday. Still, the lack of communication from Kyle nagged at his brain. Probably waltzing through the forest waiting for his payday.

  Fire roared in his lungs. His quads screamed in agony as he tore through the brush. Pain pushed through to his hamstrings and calves. He leaped over a downed log and dodged dead trees that were like slaloms on the downward slope. Every obstacle that nature had came for him with full force.

  The fallen leaves on the forest floor were loose and Kyle lost his footing. Again and again. Tumbling like a toddler practicing gymnastics. Each time he fell and felt his body collide with the ground, he flung himself forward and picked up his pace once again. After ten minutes and what felt like ten miles, he took his first glance backward. Nothing. Nobody was in sight. The sirens that once filled the air had died down, and there was no pitter-patter of footsteps in pursuit of him. He had escaped. For now.

  He slowed to a jog and ditched the long-sleeve black shirt, hoping to create a disguise. Near the base of an oak, he dropped the shirt, covered it with soil, and kicked some leaves on top. Anybody that would have seen him would look for a man in a long-sleeve black Nike running shirt with forest green shorts and a gray cap. The cap dug into his hip from its spot in his waistband. The autumn sun continued its ascent as the warmth of the day helped soothe the goosebumps on his chilly arms.

  The smell of pine trees seemed toxic, reminiscent of copper in Kyle’s nose. He could only smell blood. His eyes flashed images of the man’s body on the trail. The blood was so dark. It was nothing like the movies. Red wasn’t the right color. Crimson was too light. Midnight sky dark. More black than red. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Authors had gone to great lengths to describe the liquid that pumps through a human’s veins and keeps us alive. But Kyle had never seen it in that quantity. In such a horrific display.

  He tried to shake the thought from his mind and instead pictured Andy. He would still get his cut. Somewhere, he was loading his kids into the backseat of his Honda Civic and cruising just above the speed limit towards Carowinds. The breeze would blow through their youthful faces as they rode the ups and downs of the roller coasters. Andy would overpay for cotton candy and pizza for lunch. He’d sneak them extra sweets to win them over and curry some favor away from his ex-wife. The thoughts were soothing. Like an alternate reality where Kyle was the loving divorced father of two and Andy was the criminal on the run. Lite
rally, on the run.

  Every fiber in Kyle’s body rejected the daydream. He glanced backward again. Still nothing. His leg thumped against something stone. Upright. Rigid. From the ground, he looked up to see that he’d stumbled into a graveyard. In the middle of the forest, far off any nearby trail or sign of civilization, sat a collection of three small gravestones. Each worn and weathered. Words that were once carved had faded. There were no names, numbers, or any identifying information. Kyle looked to the sky.

  “Okay, God. I get it. Message received. Loud and clear.”

  He let out a half-sob and trudged out of the clearing. The next mile dragged on like a marathon, but he made the march. He faced the stark reality of the moment as he took a cautious step out of the woods and onto the paved road that led to the entrance gate of the park. Morning joggers and bikers had parked their cars neatly in rows. Respectfully disrespecting the posted hours on the gate before them. Kyle tried to discern which of the cars belonged to the man. The now bloody, injured man who did not look like he would drive out of the park today.

  At that moment, Kyle decided he was out. He had no choice but to wash his hands of everything. Find a clean slate. This part of his life was over. It was only a matter of time until he had a headstone of his own. No, that wasn’t happening. He’d go home, empty his savings account and sever all ties. He was on to new things. New, sandy, salt-water soaked things. Things that didn’t include the police or bloody crime scenes. Things that were within the boundaries of the law. This was the end.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The morning sun showered through the dense canopy of oak trees speckling the trail below. Casper stretched his arms wide and waited for Delaney to join him in the front yard. They’d both woken up from the sound of Zoe rushing out in the pre-dawn hours and been unable to fall back asleep. Delaney had suggested a walk on the trails before they huddled over steaming coffee cups and planned the rest of their route south.

  “So, what do you think of everyone?” Delaney asked as she strolled out of the front door. Hoagie ambled down the steps and stretched out on the lawn.

  “They’re what I expected. Zoe is a blast. I can only imagine the trouble you two got into together as kids.”

  “I plead the fifth.”

  “Gil’s not as bizarre as I’d expected when we heard that podcast. He’s almost normal, but I can see the scientist in him. One of those kinds of people that use big words to describe little things. Like something out of a David Foster Wallace novel.”

  “He’s grown on me over time, but I think I’ve just been happy to see Zoe happy. She’d had a lot of struggles before they met and somehow together they righted the ship.”

  “The park is spectacular; I’ll say that much. I can’t get over how close we are to Raleigh and yet it feels like we’re deep inside Middle Earth or something.”

  Hoagie pawed at the dirt, trying to play with a bee that hovered above the ground. “Elf movie references aside, yeah, it’s something else. Let’s hit the trail and see some more of it.”

  Delaney led Casper down the road they’d driven in on and promised to navigate towards a footpath that led into the forest. “You get any sleep? You were tossing and turning a lot.”

  Casper shook his head. “New places. New bed. My pillow was lumpy. Nothing major.”

  “You sure?”

  He nodded and swallowed his next prepared lie, embarrassed that Delaney noticed his restlessness. His mind spiraled through worst-case-scenarios of what Delaney could be hiding. A secret lovechild? A dangerous past? A criminal record? The thoughts came racing back with each step they took. Casper summoned the courage to speak.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything. What’s up?”

  Hoagie barked and Casper’s eyes shifted toward a figure that approached in the distance. After careful steps forward, they breathed easy. It was Zoe. She had blood on her uniform and stared up at the clouds in the grayish-blue sky.

  “Zo?” Delaney asked into the sunlight.

  “Laney? Why in the world are you two lovebirds up at this hour?”

  “Couldn’t sleep. Heard the commotion this morning. What’s up? Is that blood?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. We had an assault on the trail this morning. One of the other rangers was first on the scene, but I was there shortly after. Ugly stuff,” Zoe said.

  “What’s the status of the vic?” Delaney said.

  Zoe laughed. “Can’t take the cop out of you even when you’re on vacation. He was a middle-aged man out on a jog. He was clinging to life when I got there, but he’s at the hospital now. Hoping for the best.”

  “Shit, I’m so sorry. That’s a hell of a way to start your day off,” Delaney said. Hoagie looked up from the ground impatiently waiting for his overdue belly rub.

  “Yeah, about that. There’s a chance I’ll need to head in to get in front of all of this. On the rare occasion somebody sprains an ankle on a trail, the whole town freaks out. I don’t want to even consider how they’d react to news like this.”

  “Do whatever you need to do. We’ve got no agenda.”

  “Yeah, about that. Casper, remember your speech last night about the unexplainable? About your cases?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a speech but—”

  Zoe stopped him. “Didn’t mean that in a bad way. Just got me thinking.”

  “What’s up?”

  “There’s already chatter within my team of rangers that this has something to do with those unusual sightings that Gil mentioned last night. Nobody is throwing the name Bigfoot around, but there’s some discomfort with the timing of it all.”

  “Timing as in peculiar sightings recently, and now there’s a violent crime for the first time in forever here?”

  Zoe glanced at Delaney. “You’re right. He’s a quick learner. That’s dead-on, Casper.”

  “And you’re thinking that maybe this thing, er, creature is responsible?”

  “I saw the wounds close up. They looked human, but…” Her voice trailed off.

  “But what?” Delaney said.

  “There was fur. Not a lot but some. It got my coworker Clem thinking, and he’s the biggest skeptic of us all.”

  “That’s rather unusual. Look, I’m happy to help but don’t want to rub anybody the wrong way either,” Casper said. He noticed Delaney nod at him. He picked up the cue. “But I think I could be a big help to the case if you’d be interested.”

  Delaney smiled wider than a billboard. Casper sighed from relief.

  Zoe smiled too, but it was half-hearted and showcased her exhaustion from the morning’s events. “Let me run it by Mathias and see what I can do. Money is likely to be an issue but—”

  “Not necessary. I’m always happy to help family.”

  Zoe nodded. “Family. You’re a sappy one at heart, aren’t you, Casper?”

  Casper grinned. “Guilty as charged. Just let me know. In the meantime, Laney here and I are going to head into the trails.”

  “Unless you want us to stick around and keep you company at home?” Delaney said.

  “No, no. Please go. Gil will want to tend to me, and I need a shower before I head into the office. I’ll catch up with you soon.”

  They nodded and Zoe walked past, strolling towards her cottage with her eyes fixed once again on the sky. Clouds were forming above them but the sun continued to shine through them, filtering the harsh rays and providing the perfect fall weather.

  Hoagie led them off the main road and onto the trail. Roots sprung up from the ground and dove back into the soil a few feet away. The path was firm under Casper’s feet and flat as a board. Nothing like the ankle-bending trails of The Punkhorns. Loose soil kicked up as they hiked deeper into the trees, weaving around towering pines and past small wooden benches that marked ideal spots for a scenic view. Hoagie didn’t seem to mind. They wound down a switchback and then hitched up their step to climb the small hill nestled over a culvert that let out into a stream.


  “She’s a lot like you, you know?” Casper said as they crossed a footbridge that passed over a lazy creek.

  “I’ve heard that before, but it’s been years. What makes you say that?”

  Casper dug for the right words. “You two are fierce.”

  “Fierce? You know how to talk to the ladies, Casper,” Delaney laughed.

  “Oh, I’m well aware. Just ask all two of my previous girlfriends.”

  “Is that a trap where you wait for me to tell you how many exes I have?”

  “Not at all,” Casper protested. “I was trying to be self-deprecating but—”

  “Well, please give me their names and numbers. Maybe a list of their biggest fears and insecurities, too. I’ve got some Facebook messages to write when we get home.”

  “What did you think about what Zoe said? About the case?”

  “She’s got solid instincts, so it’s weird to see her so rattled about something like this. I don’t know what to make of it, but then again, the only evidence I have is the first half of Gil’s unsolicited presentation last night.”

  “He sure is a character. But I find him charming somehow.”

  “I thought maybe you’d find him a kindred spirit. Not that you’re a crypto-whatever person, but he’s somebody not quite built for the nine-to-five life. A free spirit.”

  “If Zoe says she wants my help, would you join me?”

  “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, bud.”

  “I knew I liked you for a reason,” Casper joked.

  “Didn’t you want to ask me something?”

  Casper sighed. “It can wait.” Why ruin something so perfect? Nobody wants to clean up shattered glass.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The usual hum of foot traffic through the automatic doors of the Visitor’s Center had slowed to a buzz as the news of the assault spread around Raleigh. Runners and hikers that explored Umstead’s trails daily were scarce, like a rainstorm was approaching. The park’s emptiness left Zoe with a creepy feeling inside as she stared out the window into the empty parking lot.