Beneath Copper Falls

by Colleen Coble

  The paramedics checked her, then grabbed the defibrillator. One of them opened her coat and rolled up her shirt to get to her skin.

  “Clear!” The paramedic administered the electric shock several times, but Allyson never responded.

  Boone sank to his knees and let out a groan. “She’s gone.”

  Mason’s big hand came down on Boone’s shoulder. “You know what happened?”

  Unable to speak again, Boone shook his head.

  “Did she call you too?”

  Boone lifted his head. “Too? She called for help?”

  “She called dispatch. Dana Newell took the call and reported it.”

  Boone turned and stared at the paramedics as they loaded Allyson onto a stretcher. Their lack of urgency told him everything he already knew. His throat closed tighter again, and he clenched his fists as he struggled to get his grief under control.

  “I’m sorry, Boone. Did you see anyone out here who might have done this?”

  Done this. Boone raised his head. “You think she was murdered?”

  “She called Dana and said, ‘He’s going to kill me next.’ Dana tried to get more information, but the connection ended.”

  Boone gestured toward the shore. “I saw a man running into the trees. That was before I saw Allyson’s body. I didn’t think much about it at first, and when I saw the chopper, I assumed he’d gone to call for help.”

  Mason’s hazel eyes sharpened. “What’d he look like?”

  “I was too far away to tell. He wore a black parka and snow pants. I’d guess him to be about six feet tall. That’s about all I saw because he was so covered up.” Boone turned and pointed. “I was back there by the curve when I saw him. I’m not even positive his parka was black. It was just an impression.”

  He started toward the shore, but Mason grabbed his arm. “This is my job, Boone. Let me handle this.”

  “You’re here by yourself. You can use some help.” He held Mason’s gaze until the sheriff finally nodded and released his arm. Boone did Mason the courtesy of lagging back to let him take the lead. Spirit loped along beside him.

  Mason walked to the side of the large tracks leading into the woods. “I wear an eleven shoe. This looks a little bigger, maybe a twelve.”

  “Yeah, I wear a twelve. Looks about the size of my print. You recognize the tread?”

  Mason knelt and looked more closely at the footprint. “No, but we’ll get a mold of it and see what forensics can tell us.” He rose and headed for the trees again. “Did you yell at the guy?”

  “No. I had no reason to when I saw him. I thought he’d been ice fishing.” Why had he assumed that? Boone tried to remember if the man had carried any fishing gear. “I think he might have had something in his hand that I assumed was a pole, but I was too far away to see it.”

  They reached the trees and followed the prints to the road where the snow was mashed down. “Looks like a four-wheel drive,” Boone said.

  Mason nodded. “Yep. He’s gone.”

  Bree’s head throbbed from crying so much. She sat on the sofa with Kade’s arm around her and Samson pressing against her leg. The fire flickered in the hearth, but nothing could penetrate the cold permeating her. How could Allyson be dead? It didn’t make sense.

  Dana, pale and red-eyed, stirred in the armchair across from Bree. “I should go home.” Chris was back from Florida and would want to know what had happened.

  The doorbell rang, and Bree sprang to her feet. She half tripped over Samson as she went to the door. Kade would have gotten it, but she wanted to do something and get out of her own head. Through the window in the door she saw Boone’s bowed head. Her chest squeezed as she yanked on the doorknob and opened the door.

  There were no words, so she didn’t try to fill the silence with anything. Her eyes filled again as she pulled him inside and shut the door against the wind before embracing him.

  His shoulders shook, and he clutched her hard. He exhaled harshly, then pulled away. “Sorry to come so late. I’ve been with my aunt and uncle. They’re devastated.”

  Allyson’s parents owned the local jewelry store and had always been kind to her. “Of course they are. I wanted to see you.” She took his coat and hung it in the closet. “Any break at all in the case?”

  He followed her into the living room. “No. That guy I saw, his vehicle tracks merged with the road. I drove around aimlessly all afternoon and stopped half-a-dozen people in SUVs and trucks to see if they’d seen anything. It was a dead end.”

  “When will the coroner rule on cause of death?” Dana’s voice wobbled, and she pulled her knees up into the overstuffed chair.

  “A few days.” He dropped into the other chair beside Dana.

  Bree went back to her spot beside her husband. “You look exhausted. Want to stay here tonight with us? The spare room is all yours.”

  “I have to go home. There’s a full day with tourists tomorrow, and I’ll need to arrange someone to take my place.”

  Bree nodded. Boone was never one to neglect his duty.

  Kade poured coffee from the carafe into a fresh mug and leaned across to hand it to Boone. “If you need someone to take your place on a hike or ice climbing, I can take a group. I’ve got some vacation time coming.”

  Boone shot him a grateful look. “I might have to take you up on that, Kade. I am shorthanded right now.”

  “There’s some new ice out at Copper Falls. I saw it today. I could take a group out there.”

  “Let me make some calls and see what I’ve got.” Boone set down his coffee and pulled out his phone, then rose and walked into the kitchen. The low rumble of his voice came a few seconds later.

  Bree tucked her hand into Kade’s arm. She had a good man right here. Not many would jump to help the way he did. “Have you seen Lauri today? I don’t think she’s come home from the airport yet. I’d feel better if she were home.”

  “She called and said she was running late.”

  His tone was resigned, and she knew he’d given up trying to monitor his sister’s life. At sixteen Lauri had been a handful, and now at twenty-three, she held her own life firmly in her hands and brooked no interference. All the worry in the world couldn’t corral her even though her headstrong ways had brought trouble her way in large doses over the years. Being with Lauri was like being on a seesaw—one minute you were up when seeing signs of maturity and the next minute you hit the ground because she didn’t seem to possess common sense.

  The door in the hall banged open, and Lauri called out, “Kade, Bree, you guys here?”

  Zorro leaped to his feet with an excited bark and raced to greet her. Still dressed in a parka and knee-high leather boots over slim-fitting dark jeans, she appeared in the doorway with her dog by her side. Her smile faded as she looked them over. “What’s wrong?”

  Bree held her gaze and told Lauri what had happened. The happy smile and high color drained from Lauri’s face. “We don’t know for sure what happened, but I’d appreciate it if you texted and let us know where you are until this guy is caught. I was worried when you didn’t come home straight from the airport.”

  Lauri shrugged out of her coat revealing a figure-hugging red turtleneck. She was so beautiful, and a wave of warmth settled in Bree’s middle. Even when Lauri was difficult, she belonged to them, was part of them. Bree wanted to keep her safe, to see her grow up and have kids they could spoil. Sometimes she didn’t think it would ever happen.

  Lauri laid her coat onto the ottoman. “I’ll let you know. I didn’t mean to worry you.” Her eyes sparked, and she tossed her head.

  The lamplight glittered on something on Lauri’s hand. Bree reached over and caught Lauri’s hand. “I-Is that an engagement ring?”

  Lauri snatched her hand away, but a smile lifted her lips. “It is. His name is Peter Lovett and he’s wonderful.”

  “I didn’t realize you’d been dating anyone. How long have you been seeing him?” Kade asked.

  “I don’t tell you ev
ery single thing I’m doing. I’m an adult, Kade, even if you haven’t figured it out yet.”

  Time to tamp down the antagonism. Bree smiled and took her sister-in-law’s hand again. “It’s gorgeous, Lauri. And you know we only want you to be happy. Where’d you meet him?”

  Lauri shrugged. “What does it matter? I think you’ll like him. He’s mature and settled with a great job. He’s a pharmaceutical rep. Blond with the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s so kind and sweet to me. Can’t you just be happy for once and not grill me over every little thing?” She tugged her hand free again, then petted Zorro.

  “Of course we’re happy for you.” Bree rose and enfolded Lauri in a hug. “Congratulations. When do we get to meet him?”

  Lauri’s returning hug was perfunctory. “Soon, I hope.” She pulled away. “I’m going to bed.” Her dog at her side, she stalked off.

  Bree sank back on the sofa. “Here we go.”

  CHAPTER 14

  The wind whistled through the trees and whispered along the rocks, and snow had begun to fall as the promised storm moved in. Boone stamped his feet on the snow-covered ground to warm them, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave his vigil by the murder site. His friends had wanted to help him, but nothing could numb the pain splitting his chest wide open.

  He stood well outside the yellow crime-scene tape and stared at the dark stain gleaming in the moonlight. He should have done something to prevent this. Desperate to bring his sister’s killer to justice, he’d egged Allyson on in her investigation. If he’d left this in the professionals’ hands, his cousin would still be alive. He knew this into the farthest reaches of his soul.

  This was his fault.

  A branch snapped behind him, and he whirled. “Who’s there?”

  A shadow moved from the cover of the trees, and the moonlight illuminated Chris Newell’s face. He wore a blue parka and knit cap. “I went by your cabin, and when I saw the lights were out, I thought I’d find you here. Dana told me what happened. I’m really sorry, buddy.”

  The tension eased from Boone’s shoulders. He and Chris did the man-hug thing. “Thanks, Chris. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

  Chris stepped back and shoved his hands in his parka’s pockets. “I know there’s nothing I can do, not really, but I wanted you to know I’m here if you need anything.” He gestured back the way he came. “I brought you a beef pasty. You probably haven’t eaten.”

  “Not since breakfast.” The thought of food turned Boone’s stomach, but it had been thoughtful of Chris to bring something. “Thanks.” He took one more look at the stain. “The hole froze over.”

  “It’s twenty below. Wouldn’t take long in that kind of weather. Did she stumble on an ice fisherman out here? Maybe she caught him doing something illegal. The sheriff should come out to explore the area under the ice. Maybe she found a guy stashing drugs or something.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if Mason has? It’s a good idea.” But Boone’s gut told him Allyson had died because of her investigation. He hoped he was wrong. It would help ease the guilt squeezing the air from his lungs.

  Chris clapped a gloved hand on Boone’s shoulder. “Let’s get you out of this wind. You look lousy.”

  “I had hoped the killer would come back tonight.”

  “I think that only happens in the movies. Why would he run the risk of getting caught?”

  “Sick thrills.” Boone’s blood heated at the thought of some monster gloating over what he’d done here. Allyson deserved justice. So did his sister. He tore his gaze from the murder scene and looked at Chris. “You glad to have your sister here?”

  “Yeah, and happier yet she’s away from that lowlife Waterman, though I’m beginning to wonder if she’s any safer here. I never wanted her to go off with him in the first place and did everything I could to talk her out of it. She didn’t listen, but she knows now I was right.”

  “You seen him around? We saw him drive through town in a pickup the other day. She thinks he might have done this.”

  Chris shook his head. “I don’t buy it. He’s not bright enough to do something like this. He’s the kind who strikes boldly in broad daylight and doesn’t care about who sees him. The guy who did this was clever and didn’t leave any clues.”

  Boone rubbed his forehead. “Maybe you’re right. Waterman tried to drown Dana so Allyson thought he was worth checking out.”

  Chris went still. “Waterman tried to drown my sister?”

  “Maybe drown is too strong a word, but yeah, he dunked her face in the kitchen sink. Ask her about it.”

  Chris clenched one gloved hand. “I’ll find out if he’s still around. Is the sheriff tracking him down? If he isn’t, I will!”

  Boone adjusted his knit cap over his ears. “Right now I hope he’s looking for a killer.”

  “We could check it out too, you and me. You have the notes Allyson made on her investigation? Maybe we could start there.”

  “They’re probably in her cabin.” He’d given Allyson a cabin at his place to call her own while she was in town. “The sheriff told me to stay out until he had a chance to inspect it.”

  “If he gets those notes first, we’re out of luck.”

  Boone nodded. “Let’s go back to my place and take a look.”

  He and Chris plunged back through the trees to the road. The fifteen minutes to drive home seemed way too long. Would law enforcement have taken everything by now? A sinking sensation in his gut started the minute he approached his cousin’s cabin. There should have been crime-scene tape across the door, but access appeared free and clear. He saw a wadded-up length of yellow tape in the trash barrel by the road as he stepped onto the sidewalk.

  Chris joined him. “You have the key?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think it will do any good. They’ve processed this already.”

  “Let’s check to be sure.”

  Boone punched in the lock’s master code, and the door opened. The cabin was a one-room studio. The last time he’d been in here papers and a laptop computer covered the small wooden desk in the corner. That desk was bare now. No computer, no papers. Every drawer had been pulled out, and the bedclothes lay tangled on the floor in a heap. The deputies had been very thorough.

  Boone picked up a hair tie that still held a few strands of Allyson’s brown hair. “We’re too late.”

  The lights shone out the windows of the lighthouse home, creating a pretty picture. Garret crouched behind the neighbor’s shed and watched Bree standing on the back deck as her dog nosed through the snow in the backyard. Once she was gone, all he’d have to do was drop his little gift over the fence into her yard.

  “Hurry up, Samson,” she called.

  Garret had expected her to let the dog out before bed, but he didn’t think she’d stay out watching him. The animal was a menace and had nearly led her and the sheriff to his hiding spot. The threat was easily neutralized by the little gift at his feet. Maybe she wouldn’t be so eager to poke her nose into someone else’s business. And it would teach Dana a lesson as well.

  “Go inside,” he muttered.

  The dog paused, nose up. He swung to face Garret’s direction. A low growl carried on the wind, and Garret winced. Surely the mutt couldn’t smell him from this far. Dana had prattled on about how a search dog was trained, but he’d tuned her out most of the time. Still, hadn’t she said they were air-scent dogs? Maybe the mutt really could tell he was over here.

  “What is it, Samson?” Bree came down the back steps and stepped into the circle of illumination from the security light.

  Ruff raised on the back of his neck, the dog ran to the fence, barking with urgency. Garret could almost feel the dog’s dark eyes fixed on him, though he knew it was too dark for the animal to see him.

  “Kade, there’s an intruder!” Bree called over her shoulder, then took a couple of steps into the yard. “Is someone there?”

  The moon came out from behind the clouds and illuminated the lan
dscape with ghostly light. Garret shrank farther behind the shed and sidled to the other side where he was sure he couldn’t be seen. But he could no longer see the Matthews’s backyard. Bree could be opening a gate and heading his way for all he knew.

  Stupid dog had ruined everything. Garret peeked around the side of the building. Kade exited the house and approached a gate at the back end of the yard. Garret had no choice but to run for his truck. As he ran back along Negaunee Street, he stopped. What an idiot. He’d left the cooler behind. At least he’d been wearing gloves.

  Morning sunlight poked through the blinds in Boone’s bedroom window. He groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. The bedding had been kicked into a tangled mess by his restless night, and he doubted he’d gotten even a full hour of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Allyson’s face.

  His ancient heater kicked on and blew out some warm air to moderate the cool room temperature. He rose and went to the desk under the north-facing window. Spirit followed him and lay at his feet. After the snowstorm last night, there were likely some cancellations to today’s excursion. If there were two or more, he would just call off today’s hike to the waterfall. He fired up his e-mail and began to sort it. Yep, three cancellations as expected. He texted the remaining two hikers and told them to reschedule for later in the week. Both were locals so they’d likely call him for another time.

  He paged down through his e-mails, then saw Allyson’s name on one. It was like a punch to the gut to know she’d sent that e-mail when she was still alive and smiling. His eyes burned, and he gave a harsh exhale before he clicked on the message.

  Hey, Cuz! I tried to stop by your cabin this morning, but you were already up and at ’em. Typical! I found some interesting information about Faith Rogerson’s death, and it ties in to Renee’s in interesting ways. Call me when you get this, and I’ll come over.

  I know I’m being a little paranoid, but I thought I heard someone outside my cabin last night. Just in case, I’m attaching all the notes I’ve made on my investigation. I’d hate for all this work to go to waste if someone stole my laptop! I’ve got a backup, but you just never know. So here it is.