Beneath Copper Falls

by Colleen Coble

  The stricken expression in her eyes intensified. “That boulder you carry around is going to break your back, Boone. Would you walk away if I had a scar?”

  For a moment he tried to imagine her with a scar. Would it change this pull he felt toward her, the way he loved being around her? “Well, no. It wouldn’t change who you are or how beautiful you are.”

  “Then why do you keep harping on that stupid scar?” She touched his cheek. “I stare into your eyes and I can’t look away. It’s like we have this connection that happened from the first moment we met. You see me on the inside. I don’t think anyone has ever even noticed how much I love Phantom of the Opera or that I hate the way my hair frizzes. You pay attention. You care.”

  Her fingers made their way up to his hair and tangled there as she pulled his head down. Her sweet breath enticed him, and he lowered his lips to hers. She twisted her fingers more tightly in his hair, and her eyes were still closed when he lifted his head.

  “You make a lot of sense.”

  “Of course I do.” She took her time to stroke his cheek, then stepped back and turned toward the computer. “Looks like the download is finished. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

  He moved reluctantly back to the chair and called up the encryption program. The pressure built in his chest as he typed in the AllyCat password. The spinning beach ball swirled for a moment, then the program opened. “That’s it, we’re in! I’ll print out all the pages.”

  The flames in the kindling caught and flared. Boone added more wood and stepped back as the fire settled into a soft crackle. “Let’s split up the pages. What I’ve read so far is background I know all about.”

  The dogs lay together on a rug near the fire, and the cozy picture it brought made Dana sigh. Would she ever feel true safety and peace in her life like the dogs snuggled so close together?

  Dana pulled a red chenille afghan from the back of the sofa over her feet and legs. “I don’t know much so I’ll be reading it with a fresh eye. Let me have the early stuff and you take the ones from the past few weeks.” She took the pages Boone handed her and spread them out on her lap.

  “Good plan.” He sat on the floor in front of the sofa.

  His shoulders touched her knees, and she had to resist the urge to plunge her fingers into his thick hair. Focus, Dana.

  She inhaled and picked up the first of the pages. They were mostly a recap of what Allyson knew about Renee’s death. A vein in Dana’s neck pulsed at the description of the murder scene. How did Boone bear it? What must it be like for him to know some sociopath held his beloved sister’s face in the water tank? And what would he do when he discovered the identity of the murderer?

  She couldn’t stop herself from reaching for him and resting her hand on his shoulder. He swiveled his head to look at her with a question in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” Her throat felt thick. “This has to be hard for you.”

  “No matter how many times I’ve read it, I can’t keep the mental images from forming with every word.”

  The sorrow in his eyes broke her heart. She removed her hand and went back to reading. The only way she could help was to find the killer. She flipped to the next page. It held only one line of text.

  November 15. What really happened to Dana’s parents?

  Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. “B-Boone?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Wordlessly, she held out the page to him. “Where was she going with this?”

  He took the paper and stared at it, then looked back up at her. “I don’t know. She never mentioned it to me. Your parents died on a boat, didn’t they?”

  The mental images slammed into her—their bodies floating in the water at the foot of Copper Falls, the smashed-up boat, the way her cries echoed through the canyon. Focus. “Why would she be asking a question like that? It has nothing to do with this investigation. And the date is the day I came to town. I don’t understand.”

  His frown deepened. “And why is it mixed in with the pages detailing Renee’s murder? It’s like she went back to that spot and inserted it though it had nothing to do with Renee.”

  Her world seemed to shift and take on shadows she’d never seen before. This was all mixed up, and she didn’t know how they could be expected to figure it out.

  Boone put down the sheaf of papers. “Tell me what you remember of the day your parents died. Maybe someone was there who is connected to Renee.”

  “I told you the other day how their boat went down.”

  “Yes, but let’s talk about before. Earlier in the day. What happened?”

  It was a time in her life she hated to think about. Had her desire to fit in, to please everyone, started with that bright summer day with the sun blazing down and reflecting on the blue water? Maybe. Nothing had been the same after that, nothing.

  “I’d been spending the whole summer with my aunt and uncle in Rock Harbor. My dad had gotten a new job, and Mom thought it would be easier for me not to be there when all my things left the house.”

  He rose and settled on the sofa beside her. “You didn’t want to move?”

  She shook her head. “I’d lived in that house my whole life. I was going to change schools too, and I was worried about leaving my friends. For weeks I’d been able to forget the shadow looming over my life. Mom and Dad came to pick me up. They were staying a week before we all left to go to our new place. The last day of our vacation was a little blustery and cool, but Dad had been hot on the trail of a big steelhead. He wasn’t about to lose his last day of fishing.” She smiled at the memory.

  “Did you have a fishing guide? Did you stop at an outfitter before going out? See anyone or anything unusual?”

  She thought back. “We went to the bait shop. Dad also got some new tackle and lures. Tommy Whitaker waited on us. We’d gotten to be friends that summer. He had a bad feeling about us going out that day and tried to talk my dad out of it. He thought there was a big storm coming.”

  “Some people have always thought Tommy was a little bit of a seer. He’s warned me off the water several times, and he’s always been right.”

  Tommy was born with Down’s syndrome, but a sweeter, gentler person didn’t walk the face of the earth. “You’re not saying Tommy had something to do with the accident?”

  “No, no, nothing like that. I just mentioned it in case it triggered a memory.”

  She nodded. “I hadn’t even remembered it until now. Mom didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay home and pack, but Dad coaxed her into going. Chris too, and she could never deny him anything. She loved Chris like he was her own kid. So she packed a lunch and we went.”

  “Did you stop to get groceries?”

  “Yes, some peanut butter and bread as well as chips and soda.”

  “So you saw quite a few people that day.” His arm crept around her shoulders.

  “I guess you’re right. But what does that have to do with Renee?” She leaned her head against his arm.

  He sighed and removed his arm. “I don’t know, but I think we should look at the old records of the accident and see if we’re missing anything.” He scooted back to the floor. “Back to work.”

  “Here’s something,” Dana said a few minutes later. “Allyson mentions that Faith Rogerson’s best friend says Justin had food allergies and that Faith had to be careful about what she cooked for him.”

  “What kind of food allergies?”

  “She notated that she was going to call Renee’s friends and see if anyone knew. It doesn’t look like she did.”

  Boone reached for his phone. “I’ll check with her pastor to see if he knows anyone she was close with other than Allyson. I’m sure there are others. I’ll call Pastor Saul Rigney. It’s only six in the evening on the West Coast. I’ll put it on speakerphone so you can hear too.”

  “Boone, how you doing, my friend?” Pastor Saul’s voice boomed out.

  “We’ve got more trouble, Saul. You probably haven’t heard about All
yson.”

  “Your cousin?”

  “Yes.” Boone told him about the murder and what they knew so far about the connection. “Do you know anyone in the church who might have double-dated with Renee and Tyler?”

  “Renee and Shana were pretty close, and we went out for burritos a few times on Friday night.”

  “So you met him! Do you know if he had any food allergies?”

  “Strange question, but yeah. I can’t remember what it was though. Something kind of common. Shana’s at a ladies’ meeting right now but should be home by nine. I’ll shoot you a text if she remembers. And I’ll be praying for you, Boone. I’m really sorry about this.”

  Dana jotted down food allergies on a notepad. What kind of common item might be at a Mexican restaurant? Corn maybe. Wheat, dairy. Lots of things it could be.

  “Thanks, Saul.” Boone ended the call.

  She showed him the note of possible allergens. “So maybe it’s another indication that the two men are one and the same.” She yawned and looked at the clock. “I need to be getting home.” Phantom’s ears perked at the word home and he rose and stretched.

  “Looks like your dog is tired too.” Boone stood and helped her slip her coat on. He grabbed the front of her jacket and pulled her in for a kiss. “Saying good night is a good excuse for a kiss.”

  She smiled up at him. “I don’t think you need an excuse.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Another day, another city. Why had Lauri once thought the travel would be glamorous and exciting? She sat at a table for two in The Eagle’s Nest atop the Hyatt Regency and looked out the window at the city lights of Indianapolis. At least Indy was a clean, safe city that had a friendly Midwestern vibe. A server carried a steaming steak past her, and the aroma made her mouth water.

  Peter should be here any minute, and she smiled at the thought of seeing him again. She’d missed him terribly. She flipped over her left hand and studied the glittering ring on her finger. They still hadn’t set a date. Maybe they could do that tonight. She was impatient to begin her new life with him. Where would they live, and did he have a house already? They’d discussed so little of their backgrounds.

  She saw his familiar blond head and waved. His easy grin lifted her spirits even more. Dressed in khaki slacks and a navy blazer over a crisp white shirt, he was incredibly handsome. Several women in the restaurant shot him admiring glances. And he was all hers.

  She lifted her face for a kiss and soaked in his spicy scent and firm lips. It was much too brief. She opened her eyes as he moved to his seat across from her.

  “Did you order for me?”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, and I thought you’d better stress to the server how serious your allergy is to garlic.”

  He smiled across the table at her. “I’ve missed you. Have you had a good week so far?”

  She shrugged. “I was lonely without you.”

  The server arrived, and they both ordered the center cut filet without garlic. She reached across the table to take his hand. His fingers squeezed hers gently, and warmth flooded into her chest. She was so lucky to have him. On impulse she grabbed her phone and came around to crouch beside him. She lifted the phone to take a selfie.

  He knocked her arm down. “What are you doing?”

  “Taking a picture of us. I don’t have a single one which is crazy.”

  “I don’t like having my picture taken.” He scooted his chair away.

  So it was going to be one of those kinds of nights. Suppressing a sigh, she moved back to her seat and put her phone away. She picked up her water glass. “Have you thought about where we’ll live when we’re married? We really haven’t talked much about the future.”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it.”

  “Where do you live now? You’ve never really said.”

  He traced circles on her palm with his thumb. “I actually don’t have a place. I gave up my house about two years ago since I was never home. It seemed a waste to spend the money on a house that sat empty.”

  “What about your belongings?”

  “I got rid of most everything. I have a small storage shed here in Indianapolis I visit from time to time.”

  Uneasiness rose in her chest at the thought of having nowhere to call home. “That’s no way to build a marriage though. We’ll want something that’s our own where we can establish a home base. I’ll want to have my things there to be able to trade out clothes. It’s important to build a sense of family and connection. I don’t want to live out of a suitcase every single day of my life.”

  He withdrew his hand, and his lips flattened. “It seems silly, Lauri. We both travel so much that it would be a waste of money. Still, if that’s what you want, I can think about it.”

  His secrecy was driving her crazy. They had to talk about things—their past, their lives, their families. “I live in Michigan in case you’re wondering. You’ve never asked. I have an older brother, and both my parents died when I was a teenager. How about you?”

  He cocked a brow. “I like Michigan. Where do you live?”

  Was he being deliberately secretive? She stared at him trying to read his hooded expression. “You wouldn’t have heard of it. I’m in the Upper Peninsula, a little town called Rock Harbor. It’s between Ontonagon and Houghton.”

  He sat back in his chair. “I’ve been there. Cute town.”

  “I’m surprised. Hardly anyone knows where it is.” A thread of tension tightened around his eyes. She studied him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. “What if we bought a house there? Or an apartment. Real estate isn’t expensive. That way I’d be able to see my family on the weekends. You’ll love them! My brother, Kade, is a park ranger, and his wife runs a training center for search-and-rescue dogs. They’re lovely people.”

  And she missed them. She hadn’t realized it until she started talking about them.

  He loosened his tie and released the top button of his shirt. “I thought being with me would be enough, Lauri. Are you going to be just like most women who want the moon? Give me this and give me that. Stay near my family. I thought you were different.”

  Her pulse ratcheted up. “Anyone would want a home base, Peter. You’re being unreasonable. How would we even be together without a home?”

  “We’ve been together most of the time since we’ve been engaged.”

  “What about kids?” she shot back. “We won’t always be free-spirited and able to travel the country week after week. We’ll eventually need to settle down.”

  “You want kids?” His voice rose a bit.

  She saw people looking their way and tried to tamp down the discord. “Well, sure, don’t you? I just assumed.”

  “That’s an assumption you shouldn’t have made. What if I can’t have kids? Or you can’t? You’re painting this rosy picture of the perfect family in your head, and nothing in life is guaranteed. I didn’t have that kind of perfect life, did you?”

  “Well, it was mostly that way until my parents died. Kade did the best he could, but I never really got over losing them. I guess that’s why I’m looking to have my own family unit.” She reached across the table to take his hand again. It was stiff and unyielding. “Don’t you want that too? Why marry me if you don’t intend to be a family unit?”

  His blue eyes were like chips of Superior’s frozen waters. “I’m beginning to wonder how well suited we are, Lauri. I thought you were a free spirit like me and would want to continue our lifestyle. I want us to be able to travel the world and see exotic places like Cambodia and Bali. If we’re locked down with the so-called American dream of two-point-four kids and a house, we’ll turn into someone just like Kade and Bree.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that. They have a good life.” She pulled her hand back as the server brought their food.

  She might have made a big mistake.

  Boone banked the fire for the night, then turned off the lights and turned to go to his bedroo
m. While he still wasn’t totally ready to let go of any fear he had about a new relationship, Dana was becoming more and more important to him. In his heart of hearts, he knew she was nothing like Esther, but it would take his head a little while to fully accept it.

  His cell phone lit up with a text message from Saul that read Tyler allergic to garlic. Boone shot back a message of thanks, then grabbed the files from Allyson’s computer and started down the hall. Tail wagging, Spirit followed him.

  When his cell phone rang, he assumed it was Saul calling to talk more about the murders, but it wasn’t him. “Detective Morgan, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again so soon.”

  Harry’s smooth southern voice held a trace of weariness. “Sorry to call so late, Mr. Carter, but I thought you’d want to know the FBI has found two other cases that bear remarkable similarity to the murders of your sister and Ms. Rogerson. The case is getting high priority. A team of federal agents is going to be working the case.”

  Two more cases. He flipped on his bedroom light, then sat on the edge of his bed. Spirit leaped atop the quilt, then lay down beside him and stared at him with mournful eyes.

  He needed to answer instead of just sitting here in shock. “I’d be happier if it weren’t for realizing how evil this man truly is. Allyson was right all along. Up until her death, I’d poo-pooed her conviction Renee’s death was tied to the Rogerson one. But she was right about everything.”

  “I’m afraid so. If not for you and your cousin, his existence would still be a mystery, and he’d be preying on innocent women in the shadows.”

  “He still might be,” Boone said. “He’s not in custody yet.”

  “There may be even more cases. It’s a little too early to tell, but these other two cases had exactly the same MO—brides drowned the night before their weddings and no pictures of the mysterious fiancés. And while we don’t have him in custody yet, we’ll be able to compare notes between the cases and see what we turn up.”