Dark Side of Noon (Wind Dancer Book 2)

by Tierney James

  “There was no need to go to so much trouble, Mansi. Thank you though. I appreciate it.” Cleo peeked into the basket and lifted an apple and sniffed it. She loved fresh fruit more than anything. “Do you happen to know when the garage opens up? I need to check on my rental car.”

  He checked his watch. “Not for another hour.”

  “I’m anxious to get going.”

  “That Floyd Miller doesn’t get in any hurry. He knows there isn’t anyone else around here to do what he does.” Mansi chuckled. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  “Oh. One more thing. Last night before dinner, I thought someone was in the woods below my room. Frightened me.”

  Mansi’s face turned solemn and his brow furrowed. He batted his eyes a little more than would be considered normal.

  “Can you show me?” He moved to the balcony door and opened it.

  Cleo followed him onto the deck. She moved to the railing. “Near that stand of thick pines. It seemed unusually tall.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t a bear? Mule deer come around all the time.” Mansi spoke carefully and surveyed the spot in question.

  “Not a deer. Moved slow like a bear though. Big. But walked on two legs.”

  “There’s a lot of berry bushes down there. Might have been Old Moses.”

  “Old Moses?” Cleo leaned against the rail.

  “Big black bear that roams around. Haven’t seen him in a couple of years, at least here. A few folks say he’s probably four hundred pounds now.”

  “But I think it was human.”

  Mansi twisted his mouth into a skeptical expression. “I’ll go down and check things out. Hunters, maybe, or some kids trying to spook the tourists. We have a lot coming in for the solar eclipse today and tomorrow. It happens. We don’t get much excitement around here. Even the bears don’t come around much.” He chuckled and waved as he backed inside then turned toward the exterior door. “I’ll give the garage a call in an hour to see if your car is ready. I can run you over there.”

  “Thank you. Oh, and thanks again for the lovely basket of goodies.” Cleo couldn’t wait for him to be gone. “I’ll see if my phone works better this morning.”

  “Cell phone coverage is hit and miss. Sorry.” He waved again and whistled an eerie tune as he disappeared up the path leading to the inn.

  She’d never liked whistling. Watching too many spooky movies where the antagonist decides to show up in a clown suit carrying an ax reminded her a lot of them whistled.

  Cleo relaxed as she took her breakfast of sweet breads, yogurt, and a bowl of melon pieces to the deck to enjoy. A second cup of coffee warmed her hands as she studied the mountains in the distance. New Mexico truly was a magical and beautiful state.

  Her thoughts turned to Wind Dancer and wondered what he might be thinking of this land so different than his native Nebraska and certainly from Chicago. The warm memories reminded her of the love that sprang up between them. The journey of their strange and wonderful history together had been woven into a story you might find in romance novels. No one had ever affected her the way he had. Together, they continued to navigate the pitfalls and joy of living in another place and time. Even a few days apart, like now, created an emptiness inside her that begged to be filled by his touch.

  The progression of thoughts turned to Jacque as she brought the edge of her coffee cup to her lips. There would be lots of hilarious stories when she arrived, most exaggerated, no doubt, concerning Wind Dancer. But Cleo knew the hard-nosed detective would make sure Wind Dancer didn’t get into any trouble while they were separated.

  In spite of his whining and complaints, Jacque had taken on the responsibility of educating the Pawnee on the ways of modern man, often with unexpected consequences. Once when he’d given Wind Dancer a soft drink, the caffeine made him drunk. Acetaminophen, an over-the-counter pain medication, worked like a sleeping pill.

  The three of them had enjoyed many excursions and trips around the Chicago area. Jacque and Wind Dancer remained a bit too overprotective for her liking, but their intentions were more chivalrous than chauvinistic.

  A noise below caught her attention, and her body tensed. Whatever was down there stepped slowly, crunching twigs. A kind of snort or growl carried on the wind so that she expected a monster to appear any second. Should she move out of sight? There was no landline, so she couldn’t call Mansi. The big, dark shape moved through the brush. It stopped several times, and Cleo imagined it might be curious about her. Unexpectedly, it stumbled through the trees and checked out the surrounding area before spotting her on the balcony.

  There stood the biggest black bear she’d ever seen. Old Moses.

  “Hi, big fella,” she called, relieved her stalker wasn’t a clown with an ax.

  The bear startled at her voice and loped into the woods, faster than she thought possible. He emerged on the other side of the stand of trees and fast-tracked across an open parcel of land. When he finally disappeared from sight, she decided her imagination needed a good dose of reality.

  “Hello? Mansi? Anyone here?” she called after cleaning up her breakfast dishes and coffeepot. Heading to the inn, she kept a close eye on the woods to make sure Old Moses hadn’t doubled back. No one appeared to be manning the lobby desk where she’d signed in the night before. Voices came from the dining room. As she started through the door, Mansi crashed into her, causing her to stumble and drop the basket. He caught her before she sprawled across the shiny wood floors.

  “I’m so sorry, Ms. Sommers. I thought I heard someone come in. Are you okay?” He gathered up the basket, and the contents spilled in several directions. Cleo hurried to assist.

  “Oh, Mansi, I apologize. The bowl is broken. Please put it on my bill.”

  “Not a problem. Don’t give it another thought. How can I help you?”

  Cleo took a breath to pull herself together. “My phone still has only one bar, and I couldn’t reach the garage. Were you able to get a call off?”

  Mansi wiped his hands on his soiled apron while nodding. “I sure did. Unfortunately, the mechanic is out with a stomach bug and the guy who is helping out didn’t know anything about your car. I’m guessing it’s still sitting there. He was going to find out for me. If he had to send for the parts, you might be waiting another day.”

  “That is not the news I expected.” She sighed. “Will you let me know when you hear anything? I have work to do anyway.” Mansi nodded and turned away. “Oh. I spotted that mystery thing in the woods again.”

  He jerked around, and his eyes were noticeably wide with surprise.

  “That was a bear, and I’m pretty sure by the size, it was Old Moses.” Cleo grinned. “He saw me and took off. Didn’t want you to go down there in case he decides on another visit.”

  Mansi’s shoulders sagged. “Well, what do you know? I’ll call animal control over in Sunset Rock and leave a message.”

  “I think I’m going to do a little work since I have to wait.” She waved goodbye and headed to the door. “I’ll check again later.”

  He returned the wave.

  By the time Cleo entered her cabin, she decided a run would be a much better use of her time than sitting down to return emails from attendees of her workshops. The air was crisp and cool up here. Everything smelled clean and fresh. The temptation to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature won out.

  The visitor brochures showed several trails that ran along the rear of the inn in both directions. The one she chose led right into the little town of Kewa Korner where she could check on her rental. It began on the other side of the circle drive, near the entrance to Whispering Pines Inn, giving her time to stretch out and limber up before hitting the trail. In minutes after starting, she could feel the agitation and stress of being stranded melt away.

  Most of the trail paralleled the two-lane highway on one side and trees, wildflowers, and large rocks on the other. One section went between two monolithic rocks that towered on both sides of th
e trail for roughly thirty feet then opened up to a scenic overlook, where she stopped to catch her breath. The altitude here affected her breathing, and she was glad to take a moment to rest. Another couple joined her who came from the direction of Kewa Korner. After pleasantries were exchanged and a little café recommended by the couple, they went on their way.

  Cleo took a deep gulp of fresh air and started out again. She hadn’t gone far when a rock the size of a clothes basket rolled down the cliff she neared and bounced into a jagged rock formation on the highway side of the trail. She nearly fell trying to get out of the way. As she stared up to determine if any more rocks might fall, something pulled away from the edge. When she shaded her eyes to get a better glimpse of what caused the single rock to fall, Cleo spotted movement among the twisted trees along the edge.

  Falling against the bulging outcropping of stone, she wondered if the rock had been forced off to frighten or harm her. Why would anyone do that?

  She decided to run again and picked up her pace. When she reached the entrance to the trail next to the picnic area in the middle of town, she decided once more her imagination had gotten the best of her. Several mothers noticed her after emerging from the trail, panting. They called their children to come eat lunch.

  The coffee shop was across the street. She jogged in that direction but slowed for an RV to pass. The older couple waved to her and she returned the gesture before hurrying over to an outdoor seating area. Before she could pull out her phone, a petite waitress arrived, wearing a blue checkered apron. Her long dark hair was twisted at the nape of her neck in a messy bun.

  “I’ll take an iced tea, please,” she said, catching her breath.

  “Anything else? Momma fixed tuna sandwiches today.”

  “No. Thanks. Just tea. Oh, and can I have it to go?” The girl nodded and soon returned. Cleo gave her a five-dollar bill and told her to keep the change. Her smile indicated this might be the biggest tip of the day.

  After chatting with the high schooler for a few minutes and getting directions to the garage, Cleo decided to make that her next stop. She discovered her cell phone now had two bars. But, to her disappointment, Jacque didn’t pick up when she called.

  “Can I help you?” a young man asked as he wiped his hands on an oily rag.

  She told him her name and indicated her car parked outside on the parking lot. He motioned her inside to sit down while he went to get the boss, who turned out to be the mechanic, Floyd Miller, she’d spoken to the day before.

  “There you are?” He motioned to the counter, indicating she should join him. He grabbed the keys off a hook on a pegboard.

  “It’s finished?” Cleo thought maybe he didn’t remember her.

  “Yep. Finished last night around eight. You said you needed to get going today. Stayed late since my wife had a baby shower to go to. No need to rush home.”

  “Mansi said he called this morning and it might be a day or so before you got the part.” Cleo took the keys from him.

  Floyd scratched his head and shrugged. “Didn’t talk to me.” He yelled into the garage where the young man had disappeared. “Hey, Tinker. Did Mansi Garcia call this morning about this lady’s car?”

  At a loud noise, Floyd rolled his eyes. “That kid is an accident waiting to happen. Probably Tinker he talked to, and he doesn’t have a full box of crayons, if you know what I mean. Guess I’ll get rid of him. Idiot.”

  “Oh please. Not on my account. Mansi said you were sick.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sick of unreliable people answering my phone,” he yelled into the garage. “Sorry about the miscommunication. Good news is I called the rental company and they’re picking up the tab.” He handed her a bill stamped paid, with important information to submit when she returned the vehicle. “Probably should call them anyway to make sure they remember our conversation.” He raised his chin toward the garage where Cleo could see Tinker walking around one of the cars. “Who knows. They may have stupid people working for them, too.”

  “But you didn’t have a stomach bug?”

  “Honestly, if you had my wife’s cooking, you’d always have a stomach bug. I come to work anyway when that happens.” His mouth twisted in a snarl. “I swear she’s trying to poison me.” He shrugged. “She’d just put me to work if I stayed home. Gotta love that woman though. We just celebrated another anniversary.”

  Cleo knew it was time to take her leave. She really wasn’t interested in his love life, and it felt like the conversation was headed in that direction. “Thanks again. I appreciate your help.”

  Before she exited the waiting area, Floyd hurried into the garage, yelling at the young man called Tinker, who had apparently dropped a pan of oil on the floor. Poor kid.

  Grateful she didn’t have to jog to the inn, Cleo drove carefully to check for more problems then parked in front. In spite of it being nearly noon, she wanted to get on the road. A new person attended to the desk and was happy to help her check out.

  Since she didn’t have much to pack and carry to the car, she quickly trudged up the path to the parking lot. As she came around the corner, she noticed a tall man moving away from her car and then sprinting around the inn out of sight. Nothing appeared to have been touched on the vehicle though.

  Starting the air conditioner, she couldn’t help but wonder who had been walking around the area, when Mansi came running out waving a piece of paper. She powered down the window and waited.

  “Tuki said she forgot to give you a receipt. I attached a few coupons to it. They can be used in town. A few more are for Sunset Rock. If you like horseback riding, there’s a 30 percent off offer for a trail ride in Kewa National Park.” His smile was infectious and almost made Cleo forget why she’d wanted to steer clear of him.

  She took the receipt and laid it on the seat next to her. “Appreciate it. My car was ready, and Mr. Miller said he felt fine.” The tone came across a little more condescending than she intended.

  Mansi shook his head. “Probably his wife’s cooking. She’s a great deal younger than him. He didn’t marry her for her recipes.” He winked. “Well, you have a safe drive.”

  “Mansi, there was someone one out here prowling around my car when I came up the cabin path. A really tall guy. Black hair. Dressed in jeans and a long vest with geometric patterns on it.”

  “Oh, I bet that was Alo. He works here. Does a little of everything. Cooking to maintenance.”

  “He acted suspicious. Hurried off when I came in sight.”

  “He’s a shy one. Doesn’t say much to anybody, not even me. He’s a little disfigured and tries to hide from people staring at him.” Mansi patted the car door and stepped onto the sidewalk. “Probably checking out your car since it wasn’t here last night. Pretty protective.”

  Cleo put the car in reverse and lifted a hand in goodbye. As she pulled out onto the highway, she glanced up into the rearview mirror and realized Mansi continued to watch her.

  Chapter 9

  The campsite now had more people to show up to help with the search. Other first responders who were off duty came as well, partly because of the missing woman Tonya. She was one of their own. Jacque understood that mentality.

  How many times had he gone to the hospital to wait with police department personnel in support of a wounded officer and their family? There had been numerous times he went out in the mean streets of Chicago, hunting the person who took down an officer for doing his job. The rage welled up inside him like an angry volcano. Nothing could calm it until justice was served.

  Now here he was, witnessing it again on his no-stress vacation. To top it off, he’d lost Wind Dancer, although he suspected he’d be fine. And now his stomach growled with hunger.

  “Chief Perez, I’m going to go over to my camp and make more coffee. I’ll bring over a pot and a few cups.”

  Sun rays spilled across the glassy lake where the patchy fog lifted. Any other time, he’d be admiring how beautiful it was here and admit he rather e
njoyed the tranquility of it all.

  “Thanks. I sent for some breakfast sandwiches and pastries from the convenience store outside the park. I called in an order about thirty minutes ago.”

  Perez had dark circles under her pretty brown eyes, and her hair had been knotted at the base of her neck. He noticed for the first time she wore skintight jeans and a light jacket that opened in the front, revealing a black tee shirt with a police motto. Her holster was visible, along with several other things attached to her service belt. The hiking boots gave her a sexier image than he thought possible. He’d found himself admiring her figure when she slapped him on the arm.

  “Hey. Wake up. Did you hear me?”

  “Donuts and dry biscuits on the way. Got it. I won’t be long.” Jacque growled without thinking. “Sorry. Need coffee to stabilize my mood.”

  As he turned to leave, she raised her chin up and eyed him with what he thought was contempt. He gave himself a stinging reprimand on the way to his camp, knowing he wasn’t making any good impressions with the attractive police chief.

  He’d kept the fire going through the night, and now it was perfect to put on a pot of coffee. While it brewed, he grabbed the bag of disposable cups for the volunteers. Once he returned, he noticed the food had arrived, and those who’d been there all night didn’t hesitate to grab breakfast.

  Ellie and Ty shared some of their food, but it was mostly fruit and granola. They even offered their energy bars and drinks for them to take along when they hit the trail again.

  “How many are out there now?” Jacque bit into a sausage-egg biscuit that tasted like heaven then grabbed his coffee off the hood of a pickup truck.

  “Twenty. More coming. ER is standing by in town.”

  “Didn’t think a town the size of Sunset Rock would have a hospital.”

  “Fifty bed unit with an urgent care attached. Most of the fifty beds stay empty. There’s one doctor who comes twice a week from Taos. We do have a retired doctor who fills in when there’s an emergency. Several others come and go with different specialties. The others are nurses and nurse practitioners. The big shots make more money in the cities. The people who come and stay here are wanting a different way of life. They feel it a privilege to care for the people.”