Finding Abby: A Romantic Suspense set in the Colorado Mountains (Whispering Pines Mysteries)

by Rhonda Blackhurst

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I’m terribly sorry,” the man said, “but I was wondering if I could check in early. I realize I’m not supposed to be here until tomorrow afternoon, but I was hoping it would be okay to come early.” He looked at her, hope in his brown eyes, eyebrows raised. “The previous owners … oh, man, now I can’t remember their names …”

  “Simon and Maggie,” Cooper said.

  “Yeah, Simon and Maggie!” the man said. “Can’t believe I couldn’t remember their names. They had this place for quite a while. Well, not really had it, since it wasn’t theirs, but they ran it for a long time. Anyway, they would let me check in early once in a while since my schedule is so unpredictable.” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “Makes it easier, you know. Rather than find a hotel room somewhere in town for a night.” Abby placed her hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “Well, Mr.—” Abby looked expectantly at the visitor.

  “Stewart,” he offered quickly, smiling. “Stewart Lang.”

  “Well, Mr. Lang,” Abby said, keeping the screen door closed and locked between them, “the registration book is in the store. Why don’t you meet us at the store entrance? I’ll unlock it for you and we can take care of business there.” She began closing the big oak door.

  “You have a dead squirrel on the bottom step here. I nearly stepped on it,” Stewart said, turning to the side and pointing at the lifeless critter.

  Abby unlocked and opened the door, reluctantly stepping out to get a closer look at what Stewart was pointing to. He stepped aside to allow her past him to see the squirrel. Abby’s face contorted in disgust as she saw it. He wasn’t just dead. He was bloody and gross. Her heart felt heavy with pity for the poor animal. Granted, it was a rodent, but it sure hadn’t anticipated breathing its last breath tonight before dying such a horrific death. She hoped it wasn’t Gus who did this.

  “I know cats leave mice as presents for their humans. I hope dogs don’t do that, too,” she mumbled. She felt Cooper looking over her shoulder, then his hand on her back. Gus was soon behind her. She took hold of his studded collar. “You didn’t do this, did you buddy?” Gus tried to pull away from her to sniff the area but Abby held firm. “In the house, Gus,” she scolded.

  “Eww!” Cooper said, now standing in front of his mother, bent over at the waist, hands on his knees, to get a closer look. “That’s so gross!” Abby looked at him, conveying her question without saying a single word. Cooper looked at her and took a step back, put up a hand, answering her unspoken question. “Uh-uh! No way, Mom! No way!”

  “What?” she asked. “I didn’t even say anything.”

  “Yet,” he added. “Say anything yet. But I know what you were thinking. I’m not picking him up.”

  “Cooper, we can’t just leave him here. Please?” She sounded like the child among them as she pleaded with him.

  “Mom …” he complained, relenting a bit.

  “I’m not serious, Coop. I’ll do it,” she said.

  He sighed with relief and squatted down, looking at it closer. “Weird.”

  “What’s weird?” Abby asked.

  “Look at him.” He pointed at it and poked it lightly with a stick he’d picked up just a moment ago. “It looks like his throat was cut. Who would do that?” He asked, his voice louder. “That’s just sick!”

  Abby thought about the graffiti on the shed. Maybe the local kids weren’t as harmless as Sam had thought they were. She shivered, crossing her arms in front of her. Had Hunter followed them?

  “Tell you what,” Stewart said. “Why don’t you get me a plastic bag of some sort and a little garden shovel and I’ll take care of it for you.”

  Abby and Cooper looked at him gratefully. Cooper scrambled to get the requested supplies.

  “Guess he’s more than happy to get you the shovel, and fast, making extra sure he won’t have to deal with the little critter.” She watched the back of Cooper as he went into the garage.

  “I think it’s more that he’s protective of his mother and didn’t want you to have to do it.”

  Seconds later, Cooper was back, holding the shovel and bag out to Stewart.

  Abby’s stomach churned as they watched Stewart carefully pick up the squirrel, place it in the bag, and drop the bag in the trash can on the side of the house. Abby heard a thunk when the squirrel hit the bottom of the metal can. She winced, then jumped as she felt Cooper’s hand on her shoulder from behind.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lang,” Abby said. His careful, gentle way of dealing with the animal impressed her.

  “Please, call me Stewart.” He smiled, revealing slightly uneven and lightly stained teeth.

  She met his smile. “Thank you, Stewart. “I guess it’s our good fortune you decided to come early.”

  “Well, technically it’s not early. It’s quite late.”

  Abby smiled at him, her skin still crawling from the sight of the squirrel as well as from fear of the possibilities.

  “Let’s get you checked in, shall we? We’ll just take care of business here rather than going around to the store. Cooper, honey, will you get the check-in book from the store for me? It’s lying on the counter by the cash register.”

  Cooper disappeared to get the book and Stewart followed Abby in past the screen door to the kitchen table, while Gus looked at them, watching closely.

  Stewart stretched his hand out and Gus made a low, barely audible growl. “Looks like you have a good watchdog there. And one who apparently doesn’t like a squirrel. Dead ones anyway.”

  Abby smiled at Gus and gave him a quick scratch on his neck. “Looks like it. Unless he’s the one that did it.”

  15

  After Stewart finished getting checked in, Abby gave him the key and watched through the window as he crossed the graveled area beneath the yard light that led to his cabin. He’d told her he stays in the same one each time he’s there and has come to think of it as his. As odd as it seemed when he first said it, she realized it probably wasn’t odd at all to prefer staying in a place that’s become familiar.

  As soon as he was out of sight, she closed the door, latching the deadbolt. She was relieved to see Cooper had finished the movie without her. The events of the past hour exhausted her, and she was ready for bed. She was picking up Piper from the airport first thing in the morning, and Abby was dying to talk to her, to pick her brain about what’s been going on around the resort. Piper had always been easy to read, which made for a terrible liar and getting in trouble a lot when they were kids. Talking to her on the phone prevented her from being able to get a good read.

  Cooper decided to stay with Jeremiah, Sam, and Victoria at the resort in case anyone checked in before the two o’clock check-in time. Or so he said. She knew the truth of the matter was that he wanted to spend time around Victoria. Whatever the reason, she was grateful that Sam and Victoria had been so eager to have Cooper stay and hang out with them. She wanted time alone in the car with Piper on the way back from the airport. She’d told her sister about Sam’s uncle’s stay coinciding with hers, hoping she would get the not-so-subtle hint that Abby wanted the two of them to meet. Usually, it was Piper who was the matchmaker. It was Abby’s turn to return the favor. However, Piper was either a better actor than ever or else she totally didn’t pick up on it.

  Holly was supposed to fly in as well and had planned to rent a car to drive from the airport to the resort so she had the luxury to come and go as she pleased. Abby offered up her own vehicle, but Holly wouldn’t hear of it.

  Abby woke to the sound of her cell phone ringing before her alarm went off

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Abby. It’s Holly.”

  Abby sat up and turned off her alarm before it had a chance to sound. “I thought you’d be on your way to the airport by now. Is everything okay? We’re going to have so much fun!” A grin spread across her face as she swept a clump of hair out of her eyes.

  “I hate to do this to you, but—”

&nb
sp; “You can’t come.” The smile fell from her face. “What happened?”

  “Nothing bad. There’s just been a last minute change of plans. This guy I’ve been seeing has invited me to his family’s beach house, and … well, I hope you understand.”

  “Understand that you’re choosing a man over me?” She liked to think she was teasing, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t hurt. She heard the disappointment in her own voice.

  “You’re mad, aren’t you?”

  So much for being discreet. “Nah, not mad. Just bummed. I was really looking forward to seeing you. But I get it. Really, I do.”

  “I really like this guy, Abby.”

  “When did you meet him? And why haven’t you talked about him before?”

  “We just recently met, and—”

  “You just met and you’re going away with him?” Abby interrupted, her voice raised. “Holly, what are you thinking?”

  “Let me finish before jumping my stuff. We’ve been chatting online for a while now. I didn’t want to say anything until after I met him in person.”

  “You know him well enough to go off with him somewhere? Tell me where this place is just in case.”

  Holly laughed. “In case what, Abby? Not everyone is your ex-husband. Not all men are monsters. Paul is a really great guy. You’d approve. I’m certain of it.”

  “I don’t know, Holl …” Her voice trailed off, filled with uncertainty.

  “You know you can trust me. Can you please be happy for me?”

  Abby waffled between wanting to be happy for her and feeling the need to protect her. Holly had never given any indication as long as she’s known her, however, that she couldn’t handle herself.

  “So I guess introducing you to the guy who checked in last night is out of the question?”

  “No offense, my friend, but I trust my judgment more than yours.”

  Abby chuckled. “Point taken. Well, just know that Piper and I will just have to have fun without you then.”

  “I’ll catch you guys next time.”

  “I’m counting on it.” The line fell quiet for a moment. “Hey, Holly?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “Scouts honor.”

  “You weren’t a girl scout. But thank you anyway. Talk to you soon. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Abby sat holding the phone in her hand for a minute after the line went dead. So Holly was in love. She wished she felt happier for her than she did. Some friend she was when Holly had been such a good friend to her. She tossed her phone on the bed, slipped into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt and went downstairs to the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of coffee and looked out the large picture window at the back of the house that overlooked the campground, the lake, and the steep mountains behind the lake. The sun sparkled on the emerald colored water and the pines on the side of the mountain were a deep green.

  She stepped out on the patio, wrapped one arm around her waist to keep warm, the other hand still holding a cup of steaming coffee. Gus followed her out and was doing his morning duty, glancing back to be sure she was staying outside with him. For being such an enormous dog, he was a big baby and didn’t like to be outside unless she or Cooper was with him. And since he was such a kind-hearted and loveable dog, she was relieved when he proved last night that he could be protective, too.

  As soon as Gus was finished, he started walking to the edge of the woods where they had just been the day before. Not wanting to traipse after him, Abby called him back. “Come on, boy!” One last look toward the woods, his tail wagging, and he came sauntering back to her side, following her back into the house.

  Abby showered and slipped into a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, and her flip-flops, hair once again in a ponytail. She poured some coffee in a travel mug and went to wake Cooper, planting a kiss on the top of his head.

  “Hey buddy,” she said, gently smoothing the hair at the back of his head that stuck straight out. “I’m leaving to go get Aunt Piper. Grandpa’s in the kitchen drinking his coffee and reading the paper.”

  Cooper rolled over and looked at her, groggy and disoriented. Suddenly he sprung up, now fully awake in less than two seconds, and gave Abby a hug.

  “What’s with the sudden burst of energy?” She laughed and kissed the top of his head.

  “No reason.” He yawned, stretched, and slipped into his sweatpants.

  “And you’re a very bad liar.” She blew him one more kiss and left, closing the door behind her.

  She hustled down the stairs and grabbed her shoulder bag and keys from the counter. Jeremiah was sitting at the kitchen table, holding the paper open in front of him so Abby was unable to see his face.

  “Pops, we had a dead squirrel on the bottom step last night. I think it was intentional.”

  He lowered the paper and looked at her over the rim of his glasses. “Gus?”

  “I don’t think so. I’d bet it was from human hands.”

  He frowned. “What makes you think that?”

  “Squirrels don’t just die the way this one did.”

  “What makes you say it wasn’t Gus?”

  “’Cause dogs don’t even do that.” She filled Jeremiah in on the grisly discovery, his eyebrows knitting together. “One of the guests apparently has a sick sense of humor.”

  “Apparently.”

  Did he honestly believe it was a guest? She was hoping he’d throw out another theory. The uneasiness in the pit of her stomach began to stir again. Until she rounded the corner of the house to where her car was parked. She forgot all about the squirrel. She stopped and looked at her car, sighing. “Seriously?” she muttered. She had not one, but two flat tires, both on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

  “Seriously.”

  She jumped at Jeremiah’s voice behind her. He knelt down by one tire, inspecting it closely, then moved on to the other before he stood. “I’ll get the air compressor.”

  Abby watched him fill the tires, then test the pressure. “Are they damaged?”

  “Nope. Air just got let out of them.”

  “Just?”

  “Yup.”

  “I know you, Pops. What are you thinking?”

  “I think someone is going through an awful lot of trouble to be a nuisance. And I think you should hurry and get to the airport. Your sister don’t like to wait.”

  “Pops—”

  “We’ll talk when you get back, pipsqueak. Go.”

  Abby gave him a hug, something she didn’t do too often. Her father had never been particularly affectionate, even with her mother. While her friends made the occasional comment over the years, it seemed completely normal to her. In fact, she was a lot like him. Except with Cooper.

  “I’ll change your oil this weekend.”

  “I can do it.”

  “You?” He chuckled, his amusement igniting her independence.

  “Just because you’re here doesn’t mean you need to do everything for me. I did all of this on my own when it was just me and Coop. You’d be impressed with how self-sufficient I’ve become since Hunter’s been gone.”

  He tipped his head in acknowledgment, one corner of his lips curving upward. “I’m not surprised a’ tall.”

  As she turned her car around to drive out the driveway, she saw Cooper watching her from the window. She smiled, waved, and drove off to get Piper, picking up speed once she reached the main road to make up for the twenty-minute delay.

  Piper’s flight was running a half hour late, so she was in luck. She pulled into the parking area for short-term waiting and waited for the text message letting her know they had landed and Piper was in baggage claim.

  From the moment Abby pulled up to the curb and Piper slid in after tossing her suitcase on the back seat, they talked non-stop during the car ride back to the resort. It felt as if they hadn’t spoken in months.

  “I can’t wait for you to see the place, Piper. You’re go
nna love it! I still can’t believe it’s ours.”

  “I can’t wait to see it either. I want to see this place that’s got you so hooked. Dad, too, by the sound of it.”

  “Yeah? He told you that? It’s so beautiful! The lake, the mountains, the trees, the animals—even the air smells different.”

  “As long as the animals are alive, I’m good.”

  Abby had told her about the squirrel the night before when they were firming up details. “Right? Live is definitely better. It was so weird. I can’t imagine who would do something like that.”

  “Kids who play too many video games and watch too much crap TV.”

  “Not so. Cooper plays video games and watches scary movies and he would never do that.”

  “That’s different. He’s my nephew. And I know you … you would never let him play the games I’m talking about. Or watch the slasher movies.”

  “Poor Cooper—he acts all tough, but he’s so tender hearted. Especially with animals.”

  “Cooper’s a tough kid. He’ll be fine,” Piper reassured her. “But if someone truly did do this, then I think we have bigger things to worry about. What’d Dad say?”

  “The same thing he always does. Hardly anything.”

  Piper snorted a laugh.

  “He thinks someone is working overtime at being a nuisance,” Abby said. “Maybe he’s right,” she added, trying to convince both of them. “Sam thought it might be some bored local kids who tagged the boathouse, so maybe it’s the same little thugs.”

  “Tagging a boathouse and killing animals isn’t exactly the same thing. Didn’t Jeffrey Dahmer start out by killing animals?”

  Abby glanced across the front seat at her trying to decide if she was serious. “I think you’re making a bigger deal about this than what it is. If that’s even possible.”

  “I hope so.” Her skepticism was apparent. “Maybe it’s a country thing. I’m a city girl and dead animals don’t just appear on our doorsteps in the city.”

  “Well, give the country a shot. You might decide to move here, too.”