“Oh, yes, you finally figured out how much the screams unlock the tree, didn’t you?” Evan smiles at Suzette charmingly and offers his arm. “I know of a tea room you’ll find quite refreshing.”
“We’ve only done one station,” Rosalie says. “Here, Suz, I have a bottle of water.”
“Have you done yours yet?” Suzette asks. “It looks like you’ve been out here talking.”
“Mine is out near the creek.” I show them the map. “Todd left and says I shouldn’t go alone.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Rosalie grabs my map and Suzette shakes her pillowcase. “I bet all the best prizes go to the first visitors.”
“Probably not, but …” I don’t get to finish, because Rosalie and Suzette scatter toward the creek like peewees at a soccer game, all chasing the same ball.
“You shouldn’t come with us,” I tell Evan. “We want to figure out the puzzles ourselves.”
“Fine with me,” he says. “I can check with Neil and reset the traps, see if we caught any ghosts, and upload pictures to social media.”
I am so glad to be rid of him, but at the same time, I’m worried about Todd. While Rosalie and Suzette meander between rocky outcroppings and tall trees, I call Todd’s cell.
“Is everything all right?” he answers on the first ring.
“Yeah, except Evan is back. Did you know?”
“No, I thought he was supposed to do a show in the city.”
“He says Molly went in his place.”
“Where is he now?” Todd asks.
“He went to help Neil with the tricks.”
“Are you still following your itinerary? Who are you with?”
“I joined up with Suzette and Rosalie. I’m fine. I think you should find out what Evan’s up to. He claims stuff was taken from his room.” I hope Todd can’t hear how hard my heart is pounding, wondering if he found my pictures.
“We had a search warrant,” he says, not taking my bait, or maybe he didn’t find the pictures and he thinks I’m referring to the Bigfoot mask. “I’m coming over to question him. You stay with your friends. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
“Believe me, he gave me the creeps sneaking up on me like that.”
“Please, sweetie, take care of yourself. I won’t let Evan hurt you in any way.” His voice hugs me the same way his arms protect me.
“I feel safer already. See you for dinner?”
“You bet.”
After hanging up, I hurry to find my friends. They took my map, and I’m no longer sure which group of flashlights to follow. I see my parents approach the Tree of Souls, and I can hear Chad with his sisters at the Hangman’s Hut.
“Rosalie! Suzette!” I see a pair of flashlights flickering like fireflies. I can’t get over the feeling of a wolf putting his paw on my shoulder, so I hike toward them as fast as I can.
~ X ~
This isn’t what I need! Tami’s friends are not supposed to be with her. Looks like another change in plans is called for.
Fortunately, Tami hasn’t seen me and is on the phone, probably talking to her stupid sheriff.
Now’s my chance.
I light up my miner’s lantern and wave it at the two ditzy females who are always butting their nose into my business and ruining my plans.
“Wooo, wooo, wooo. Come to the Misty Mine of Lost Treasures. Guess the weight of missing gold, and win a big treat.” I hit a rock with the pickaxe. “Ho, there, take a swing and land a golden nugget.”
“Oh, the Misty Mine,” one of the women squeals. “I’m thirsty and wondering if you have a bottle of mineral water.”
“Not only do I have water, but a treasure chest full of spirits and gems.” I shine my lantern into the abandoned mineshaft.
Both women peer into the opening. Before they can wonder why they see nothing but dirt, I give them both a hefty shove and send them tumbling down onto the trash heap below.
They scream, but their screams sound the same as the guests at the Screaming Tree of Souls. Using my pickaxe, I rain a shower of pebbles and rocks over them, and their screams turn to cries of pain.
“Shut up,” I shout and throw the pickaxe down the shaft. It hits one of the women, because I hear a thunk followed by whimpering. Serves them right for making a ruckus and messing up my plan.
“Rosalie! Suzette!” Tami’s voice carries my direction.
I turn off my lantern and circle around until I’m behind her. She’s looking around, confused, and swinging her flashlight in random directions.
“Looking for the next station?” I put my hand on her shoulder from the back.
“Ahh!” She jumps, and her entire body stiffens. And then she relaxes, saying, “Maybe you can help me. I’m looking for the station near the creek. My friends headed that direction, but I seem to have gone around in a circle.”
“I know the way. Follow me.”
“I don’t mean to take you away from the rest of the deputies,” she says, her voice a little shaky. “But I guess that’s what you’re here for, to keep us safe.”
“Yep, and when I saw you wander off, I got worried.”
“Did you see my friends? They got ahead of me.” She stumbles over a tree root, and I’m able to grab her to steady her.
“Not sure,” I reply easily. “There are so many groups out here. Were they at the Hangman’s Hut?”
“No, those were Todd’s sisters. I haven’t even gone to my first station,” Tami says. “How are our guests of honor doing? The CEO and his wife?”
“They were winning bets at the Clairvoyant Card Table and enjoying it.”
“Where are we going?” She leans on my arm, twisting her ankle in the muddy bog near the creek. “I don’t see anything here.”
I yank the empty pillowcase from her hand and pull it over her head.
“What are you doing?” she asks, but I cut her off with a choke hold.
“Help. Help!” She clutches my arm to relieve the pressure.
“I’m taking you to Mooma Belle’s Tea Party.” I knee her in the back and shove her face into the mud. Gaining control, I handcuff her.
She lets out a howling scream, and I shove the muzzle of my pistol against her ribs. “You make any noises, and that’s the last time your heart beats. Your sheriff can’t save you now, because he’s going to jail. And you, Princess Pufflebutt, you’re mine now—forever.”
“I’ll never be yours. Why are you so crazy?” Her voice is muffled as I tighten the pillowcase to shut her up.
Usually, her chatterbox yaps turn me on. I used to stalk outside her window just to catch the cadence of her musical voice, hang out at her friend’s dog barn to hear her sweet-talk the dogs. I sit in on the city council meetings just to imbibe her speeches, chow down on her enthusiasm, and quiver at her brilliance.
But she’s never returned my affections, no matter how much free advice I give her. She’s the princess, and I am but the maid’s son. The wretch in the basement. The troll under the bridge.
But the troll always gets his pound of flesh, and oh boy, do I have many pounds of Tami to feast on.
Thirty-Four
~ Todd ~
I place a call to Shane on the way over to the hotel. “Update on the kidnapping victim?”
“We found her,” Shane says. “She’s getting first aid for bruises and scratches. Hungry and thirsty and getting cleaned up.”
“That’s good. How did Dillon and Randy react to being inside the tunnels?”
“Actually, I went by myself,” Shane replies. “Dillon and Al bought tickets to the Trickvenger Hunt and showed up late. Neil let them have an itinerary, and they refused to join the search. Said they paid their community service already. Randy was busy patrolling the area, and Chad didn’t want to leave his sisters alone to go between the stations.”
“Did you encounter the kidnapper? Were there any demands or ransom notes?”
“Nothing. It’s pretty disgusting in the coal bin, and the tunnel smelled of dead ani
mals. I did pick up the furry glove that was part of your costume, as well as a few empty water bottles to collect any DNA.”
“Did Larissa recognize her kidnapper?”
“No, she insists he was wearing a Bigfoot costume, and that he was the man she danced with. She says the two of you went back to her room to make out, her words, and then when things got hotter, she said her room wasn’t private, so you suggested a trip through the basement.”
“Doesn’t sound believable at all.”
“I did catch her on a lie,” Shane says. “I asked if the kidnapper wore his Bigfoot mask the entire time he was down in the tunnel, and she said he did. She said she wouldn’t be able to pick out her kidnapper in a lineup.”
“The kidnapper might have worn a mask when he was with her,” I concur. “However, he couldn’t have worn the Bigfoot mask.”
“Unless he had another copy of one. I’ll ask her to describe the kidnapper’s mask. She’s in the dining room eating and asking to join her friends for trick or treating.”
“I’m on my way over to talk to Evan. Did you see him?”
“Not yet. Want me to hold him if I do?”
“Definitely. He’s still a person of interest because of the mask we found in his room tying him to the crime scene. I’d also like to interview Larissa, in case Evan is the kidnapper. Can you hold her there?”
“I can try, but she really wants to get her money’s worth. She said she paid for all the events including the complimentary cocktails, treats, and other prizes.”
“Guess Neil can help her find her friends. Is the trick or treating going all right?”
“So far so good. There are a lot of screams and other bloodcurdling sound effects. Tami’s parents quit early and went to the bar. I’ll go out and check on the others. I think they’re finishing up.”
“I should be there in fifteen minutes. Just getting by the traffic near the town square.”
“No emergency,” he says. “Take your time. I think I see Evan at the Hangman’s Hut with the newcomers from San Francisco. Looks like they’re about to finish and head back to the lobby.”
As soon as I get out of the police car, a red-haired woman I recognize as Larissa runs toward me. She’s no longer in her fox furs and green felt costume, but wearing jeans, a checked shirt, and a shearling jacket.
“Sheriff Colson,” she shouts. “I can’t find my friends. I went to every station, and no one’s seen them since the Screaming Tree of Souls.”
I notice the rest of the trick or treaters milling around the lobby area. They gather around me, sensing trouble.
“Thank God you’re here,” Tami’s father says. “Tami’s not answering her phone, and the last person to speak to her is Evan.”
Evan is standing with Neil, comparing notes. He looks over and says, “She was with her two friends. They were on their way to the station near the creek. When I volunteered to go with them, Tami said they wanted to figure it out by themselves and sent me back, so I joined up with Neil to reset the puzzles and treats.”
“Evan and I were together until Mr. and Mrs. King came back looking for Tami,” Neil says. “Officer Donnelly took some deputies out to look for them. Do you want me to ask the other trick or treaters what they saw?”
“Yes, that would be helpful. Write everyone’s answers down. Ask them which stations they visited, who was there, and who they saw as they wandered around. Do the same with the workers at each station.”
“Got it. I won’t leave a stone unturned,” Neil says. “I feel badly that we have missing trick or treaters, but maybe they wandered off and went to the Sixty Miners.”
“I’ll call over there and ask, but right now, I’m treating this as a potential crime scene.” The news about Tami and her missing friends freezes the blood inside my heart, but I’m a professional lawman and I have to hold it together—get the job done and ensure civilian safety first.
I page Shane from my shoulder mic. “Donnelly, call over to the Sixty Miners and ask if anyone saw Tami King and her two friends, Rosalie and Suzette. Tami’s a blonde, Rosalie is also a blonde, athletic build, and Suzette is a brunette with corkscrew curly black hair.”
“Okay, will do, although Tami’s parents came back from there.”
“Call anyway, and then gather the deputies and meet me at the flagpole for a coordinated search.”
“Got it. We’ll be out there with flashlights and headlamps.”
Before leaving the hotel lobby, I address the guests. “I know you all have a lot of questions, but right now, I need all of you to stay inside the hotel so we can conduct the search.”
“How can you be sure something bad didn’t happen to them?” Tami’s mother asks.
“I’ll do everything I can to find them.” I move toward the exit.
“The kidnapper is still out there,” Larissa says. “He’s a real creep. He has a pickaxe, and he could be dangerous.”
Her announcement of the pickaxe elicits horrified murmurs throughout the crowd.
“This is unacceptable,” Mr. King roars. “I thought you had this place crawling with deputies. What kind of policing is this?”
I can’t be drawn into an argument with him—not when people are in danger and there’s a perp to catch, so I walk away from him.
“Neil, I’m putting you in charge of making sure everyone stays inside.” I tap the concierge on the shoulder, and he returns me a brisk nod, then starts corralling the guests into the dining room.
“I can help,” Evan says. “I know the layout of the scavenger hunt.”
“It’s better if you stay here with Neil.” I drill him with a pointed stare, and he backs off. “I’ll need to take a statement from you when I get back.”
He sneers, fixes the lapels on his trench coat, and retreats with Neil toward the dining area.
“Let me come with you.” Larissa surges toward me. “I know what the kidnapper sounds like.”
“Okay, let’s go.” I walk with her to the flagpole where we meet with Shane and the deputies.
I make a megaphone with my hands and announce, “Here’s what we’re going to do. We will line up along the edge of the creek starting from the bridge and work our way back toward the hillside. This should more than cover the area of the Trickvenger Hunt. I want you to walk parallel to each other to make sure we leave no area uncovered. The women could be injured, so we need to call out for them and ring their cell phones.”
“Text me, and I’ll text you back their phone numbers,” Larissa says, announcing her phone number.
“The person who kidnapped Larissa is considered to be armed and dangerous,” I shout above the hubbub. “If you find anything, shout out and shine your light on the target. Any questions?”
We spread out. There are six of us, including me and Larissa, but I can’t assume that any of the people helping with the search are innocent. It could be possible for the perp to stash the women somewhere and then come back to pretend they were only patrolling.
Evan is back in the hotel, and Diana is at the holding cell, although I can’t hold her forever for a suspected theft or making threats. If I don’t have additional evidence, like the murder weapon, I have to release her.
Larissa stays by my side. A sharp wind stings my face, whistling through the treetops. The temperature is dropping, and a blizzard is on the way.
We slog from the mucky area near the creek toward the forested area. After about ten minutes, I hear a shout.
“They’ve fallen into an abandoned mineshaft,” Chad’s voice booms from the base of the boulder field.
Everyone converges to where Chad is shining a light. It’s hard to see, but the cell phone ringtones can be heard.
Unfortunately, not Tami’s ringtone.
“Can you see them?” Larissa asks.
“It looks like they slid down quite a way,” Dillon says. “This is one of the entrances to the Hanging Glory Mine.”
“You know this place?” I observe the smudges of soot on Dill
on’s clothes, wondering where he’s been.
“The Hanging Glory Mine belongs to my family,” he says. “We have a claim to it and to all the land underneath the Bee Sting.”
“Let’s argue this later,” I say. “Donnelly, call for paramedics. We need to send down a medic with backboards and basket stretchers. Treat this as possible spinal injury and broken bones.”
“Anyone down there?” Chad yells. “Tami, Rosalie, Suzette. Answer us.”
“It’s Rosalie,” a woman answers. “Suzette is with me. We were pushed.”
“What about Tami? Is she with you?” I try not to let my voice betray my franticness.
“Only me and Suzette.”
“Is Suzette okay?” I ask.
“No, she’s not talking,” Rosalie says. “I broke my arm, and my ribs hurt. Someone pushed us and threw rocks on us.”
“Rosalie, it’s me, Larissa,” Larissa shouts down the hole. “I was kidnapped by a creeper guy. He might have been the one to push you. Did he say anything?”
“Yes, he acted like this was one of the Trickvenger Hunt stations, and then when we got closer, he pushed us down into the hole.”
I collar Dillon and bring him to Larissa. “Say something. Did you have anything to do with this?”
“No, I swear. I was at the Sixty Miners, and then Al and I came over because we were late,” Dillon says.
“He’s not the one,” Larissa confirms.
“I think I see them,” Shane says, sliding partially down the rockpile. “The paramedics are on the way. I called Dr. Tyler to bring his medicine bag.”
“Help’s on the way,” I tell Rosalie. “Try and keep Suzette warm.”
“She’s moaning, so I think she’s coming to,” Rosalie says. “She hit her head. Where’s Tami?”
“We can’t find her,” Larissa says. “The kidnapper was going to exchange me for Tami, but when you two discovered the tunnel, he changed his plans. He told me to tell everyone Bigfoot hurt me. He was supposed to give me a costume and stage a rescue, but Officer Donnelly got to me first.”
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