Beneath Copper Falls

by Colleen Coble

  “I’m not sure what your accusation is all about, Boone.” Chris’s voice was as cold as the wind outside.

  “You travel to Washington as well, and there’s a police sketch of Tyler Dixon that looks a lot like you.”

  “Who’s Tyler Dixon? You know what, scratch that question. I don’t care who he is, but I don’t like your tone. I’m hanging up now. You can call our friendship over.”

  The phone went dead, and Boone ended the call. Had his own friend killed his sister and his cousin? His chest squeezed as he struggled to control his grief. He’d been blind. He had to tell Dana. She might be living with a maniac.

  Boone tried to call her, but it went to voice mail so he hung up and called Detective Morgan’s number. He had to leave a message for the detective so he just asked him to call. He prayed he was wrong. But he couldn’t risk Dana’s life by leaving it. Once he talked to Morgan, he’d tell her.

  CHAPTER 31

  The beeping from low fuel caught Dana’s attention as she pulled away from the curb after work on Monday to head home. She turned around and drove toward the city limits. Konkola Service Station was the only place in town to get gas, and it was on the corner of Whisper Pike and Houghton Street. Only one other vehicle was at the pumps when she pulled in. She’d have to pay inside, so she started the flow of gas and went inside.

  A man behind the counter looked up with a smile when she entered. His mechanic’s clothing threw her for a minute, then she placed his face. “Kory? Kory Gibbons?”

  His smile faltered, then came flooding back. “Dana Newell, as I live and breathe. I’d heard you were in town, and I figured you’d eventually make an appearance here. Everyone in town does sooner or later.”

  He hadn’t changed much, and her smile froze as her shoulders tightened. His grin endeared him to most people, and his copper coloring and freckles put her in mind of Rupert Grint who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. One change was that she caught the glint of a wedding ring on his left hand.

  She’d once daydreamed about marrying him herself.

  “My Prius doesn’t need gas very often, but here I am.” She glanced at the clock on the wall above his head. There was a little time to chat, though everything in her wanted to run. “How have you been?”

  “Fine, just fine.” He wet his lips and took a step forward, then paused when she flinched and stepped back. “I had a speech all prepared, and now that you’re here I can’t remember what I wanted to say.” He ran his hand through his longish red hair. “I’m sorry. That’s about all I can remember of that speech. Really sorry I scared you like that.”

  She fingered the tiny scar, a visible reminder of that night, by her right eye. “I forgave you long ago, Kory. Why’d you do it though? That’s what I’ve always wondered.”

  “I hero-worshiped Chris, and I would have hijacked a car if he’d told me to. I didn’t stop to think how it would scare you.”

  She frowned. “Chris. What’s he have to do with it?”

  Confusion clouded Kory’s eyes. “He told me he confessed. You didn’t know?”

  She clenched her fists together. “Confessed what?”

  “It was all his idea to have you come with us to the abandoned boat, then leave you. I didn’t want to do it, and he talked me into it.”

  Was this some kind of joke? Chris would never do that. He was the one who had found her the next morning huddled in a corner after having cried out every tear in her eyes. He soothed her and comforted her. And since she’d gotten back to town, he’d even said something about punishing Kory back then for what he’d done.

  She finally found her voice. “I don’t believe you.”

  He blinked and held out his hand, the fingers stained with grease. “It’s true. Ask Chris.”

  “Why would he do that? It doesn’t even make sense.”

  “He never told me.” Kory hesitated. “Chris could be a little different, and I went along with him. You ever see his trophy box?”

  “Trophy box?”

  “Yeah, all the people he’s gotten even with. He keeps a tally.”

  Her hand shook as she fumbled for her debit card. “I have to go. I got gas on pump two.”

  “It’s on me. That’s the least I can do. I’m really sorry, Dana.”

  She didn’t stop to argue with him but dashed outside into the wind. Though Kory had urged her to ask Chris about it, she wasn’t sure how she could even bring it up, not without sounding like she believed Kory. And she didn’t.

  She got in the car and slammed the door with more force than necessary. The sound of the door closing took her back to the hatch snapping shut over her head.

  She sat on the back porch steps and swiped tears off her cheeks. Chris had said she couldn’t come with them to the old boat lying on its side on a deserted Lake Superior beach. They were going to have a campfire and roast marshmallows, and while that sounded like fun, the real reason for her low spirits was she’d hoped to sit by Kory. Though he was five years older than her, he was everything she wanted in a boyfriend. She had two whole notebooks filled with his name.

  Not that her dad would think she was old enough for a boyfriend. At twelve she knew Chris and his friends considered her a kid. But she wasn’t! She rose and walked into the yard, then picked up a rock and threw it as hard and as far as she could. It made a satisfying thunk against a tree. She might as well call a friend and see if she could go over there for the night. It would get her mind off all she was missing.

  She checked with her mom and was told it was okay to call her best friend, Betsy, then picked up the wall phone in the kitchen. Before she dialed the number, Kory poked his head in the back doorway.

  “There you are.” He came inside and let the screen door slam behind him. “I was looking for you.”

  Her mouth dried. “You were?” She loved the way his hair fell over his forehead. Her fingers itched to stroke it.

  He nodded. “Want to go with us? Chris said it was okay. You can ride with me. Let’s bounce.”

  “Sure.” Her heart pounding and her face hot, she followed him out the door to his pickup.

  He didn’t say much on the way to the boat, but he glanced at her from the corner of his eye a couple of times. Did that mean anything? Maybe he liked her but thought he shouldn’t because she was too young.

  Chris and two friends were already there when they got to the beach. They’d collected a big stack of firewood, and Chris’s girlfriend, Chloe, had brought out the Hershey’s bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers. No one said a word to her most of the evening and she sat on the outside edge of the group. Why had she bothered to come? Kory hadn’t paid her any attention.

  “Let’s play hide-and-seek,” Chloe said. “I need to move.”

  Chris groaned. “I’d rather go swimming.”

  She ignored him and turned her back to a tree. “One, two, three.”

  Dana leaped to her feet and rushed away to hide. Kory held his finger to his lips and pointed at the old sailboat on the beach. The thirty-five-foot sailboat’s wooden hull had holes in multiple spots. It hadn’t been on the water in years and sat decaying in the Michigan sun. They were going to explore it, but no one had made a move to look inside. She climbed onto the slanting deck and looked for a place to hide. The door to the inside was open, so she climbed down the ladder into the interior. A bit of light came through the many small holes in the side. No one would think to look for her here.

  The fabric covering the bench sofa was still in relatively good condition so she settled onto it and waited to be found. She couldn’t hear a thing but her own breathing. She focused her attention on the light shining from the open hatch above her. Just a few more minutes and she could climb back out. They’d never find her here so she just had to give it enough time.

  The minutes seemed to tick by so slowly. She rose and stretched. Surely it had been long enough. Before she could move toward the ladder, she heard quick steps above her, and she leaped back into the shadows.
A jagged piece of metal sliced the skin by her eyes, and she bit back a screech. Her fingers came back wet. She must be bleeding.

  Then the hatch slammed shut above her, and the space plunged into darkness. Only the small amount of light from the holes in the hull allowed her to see a bit.

  “Hey! I’m down here.” She rushed to the ladder and climbed to the top, then pushed against the door. It didn’t budge. She pounded on it. “Let me out! Hey!”

  She paused to listen but heard nothing. She climbed back down and looked for something to use to bang on the side, but everything was firmly attached. She went to the hull and pounded on it. “Someone let me out!”

  She scrabbled along the side to peer out a small hole. She could just make out everyone heading to their vehicles. “Hey, don’t leave me!”

  The air squeezed from her lungs at the thought of being left here. Surely they knew she wasn’t with them. But then why would they notice when no one had looked her way all evening? She’d sat on the edge of the group and hadn’t said a word for hours. When the vehicles left, she looked around. There had to be a way to escape. Maybe she could break one of the holes bigger. But she had no tools, no way of figuring it out.

  When the sun finally sank and the space went pitch dark, she crawled along the dirty floor to the sofa, then curled up on its filthy surface and prayed for deliverance. But it was morning before Chris came for her. He said Kory had played a trick on her, but that he would “take care” of Kory.

  She took a deep breath as she shook off the memory and started the car. Had it all been a lie? She didn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it. It was more of Kory’s mean streak. She started her car and drove for the house. She’d love to talk this over with Boone. It felt like forever since she’d seen him on Saturday.

  He was going stir crazy since he got back in town. Maybe a hike through the woods would blow off some steam. Garret parked along the road by Copper Lake and got out. The temperature hovered at ten degrees, a bone-chilling cold that stung his face when he slipped on snowshoes. The bracing air perked him up though, and he was ready to do something other than plan what he was going to do to Dana.

  The snow, hard and crunchy from the cold, squeaked against his snowshoes. His breath steamed the air as he trudged toward the iced-over lake. He paused on a small hill a few feet from the lake and watched an iceboat skim past in the center of the lake. The sound of scraping of the runners against the ice carried clearly in the cold air. He didn’t want to be seen though, so he retraced his steps back toward his truck.

  He’d only taken a few steps when his cell phone rang. With his teeth, Garret yanked off his gloves and swiped at his phone. “Chris, I’ve been waiting for your call.”

  “Good afternoon. I hope I’m not disturbing you.” Chris’s voice held an edge.

  “Nope. How’s it going in your neck of the woods?”

  “Could be better. I need to get Dana settled before I can’t really help her anymore. Any chance you could hop a plane and get here by evening? Tomorrow at the latest.”

  Garret grinned and did a fist pump with his left hand. “I wasn’t exactly honest when we spoke last. I’m not far away. Not in Rock Harbor but within an hour. Where do you want to meet?”

  Chris’s displeasure was evident in the long pause before he spoke again. “You didn’t think you could trust me?”

  “Do you blame me? You haven’t tried to hide the fact you didn’t think I was good enough for your sister.”

  “That’s all past now. I have to make sure Dana is safe.”

  “What’s going on? You sound upset.”

  “Life is about to become a challenge, but it’s too much to go into on the phone. I’ll tell you more about it when I see you. Since you’re so close, just wait for my call and I’ll tell you where to come. Where are you now?”

  Should Garret tell him? He didn’t fully trust Chris. What if it was all a trap to get him in custody? And what was all that “make sure Dana is safe” business? It was a little wonky.

  “Garret, did I lose you?”

  He marshaled his thoughts. “I’m here. Near Copper Lake.” That would tell Chris the general direction without giving away too much information.

  “The place where I plan to have you meet us is between here and there so just stay put. I’ll call with more directions later this afternoon or tonight. Don’t try to contact me or Dana until I call. I have to handle this carefully.”

  “You got it, buddy.” Why was Chris being so vague? Something smelled off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Still, he had Chris’s approval now, or so it seemed.

  The phone rang so long Lauri didn’t think Peter was going to pick up.

  “Lauri? Everything okay?” He sounded perfectly normal, not at all stressed. There was some background noise as if he was in a store.

  Lauri paced the floor of her bedroom and wished she was as calm as he seemed. She’d feel better once this was over. “I saw you a little while ago, Peter. Did you follow me here?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You, here in Rock Harbor. I saw you go into a house on Quincy Street. Who lives there and what are you doing here?”

  The pause lengthened before he finally cleared his throat. “I, ah, a friend lives there. I was going to call you and let you know I was in town. Want to get some dinner tonight?”

  For a second she was tempted to let him soothe her fears, but she needed to be a grown-up now. “I’d like to meet you, but not for dinner. I want to give you back your ring. We went into this way too quickly, Peter. Neither of us knows each other very well. I think it’s best if we start over and just date until we are better acquainted.”

  “Give back my ring? You can’t be serious. I thought you were the one, different from all the rest.”

  All the rest? She didn’t like the sound of that. “You’ve been engaged before?”

  He seemed not to hear her as he spewed out curses so fast she had a hard time following where his rage led him. She managed to break into his tirade. “You can’t be surprised, not after our argument. We want different things in life.”

  “Is this about having a house? If it’s that important to you, we’ll buy a house.”

  “It’s not just that. I let myself get caught up in the romance of Hawaii. You’re handsome and sophisticated, and I forgot that I didn’t really know you. There’s more to a marriage than physical attraction. We might be suited, but we need more time to know that.”

  “You said you’d die before you hurt me. Now look what you’re doing. I’m disappointed in you, Lauri. You’re not the person I thought you were.” His tight, clipped voice vibrated with anger.

  She perched on the edge of the bed beside Zorro who laid his head in her lap. Something in Peter’s tone scared her. He had held back so much of himself from her. She didn’t know if he had siblings or where he’d grown up. He deflected every personal question she’d asked him.

  She rose and walked to the window, then looked out onto Lake Superior, icing over with the extreme cold weather. It symbolized how the feelings she thought she had were icing over as well. “Look, let’s not get upset with each other. I’m not saying we’re breaking up. Just that I want us to move at a slower pace and not rush things. We’ll both be in Phoenix next week, and we can go out like usual. I won’t wear your ring until we know it’s right, okay?”

  “No, it’s not all right. I don’t take well to being treated like an afterthought, Lauri. I thought you loved me.”

  She watched a big ship move past on the water. “I did—I do. But marriage is for a lifetime, and I want to make sure we’re doing the right thing.”

  He didn’t answer right away, and she pulled the phone away from her ear to make sure the call was still connected. “Peter? Are you still there?”

  “I’m here. Let’s meet so I can get the ring back.” His voice was terse.

  She suppressed a sigh. Lauri was pretty sure she could forget about seeing him in Phoenix or anywh
ere else. He was done with her. “Okay, where do you want to meet?”

  “I need to check on my cabin by Chassell, but I’ll be back in a few hours. I’ll catch up with you later and get the ring. Oh and Lauri? You’re going to be very sorry you did this. Very sorry.”

  The connection went dead, and she put down her phone. That hadn’t gone well. She pulled off the ring and stared at it. That beautiful ring. She was mourning its loss more than Peter’s, and that was a sad situation for sure. She slipped it in the pocket of her jeans and went to find Bree and Kade in the living room.

  The kids were playing a board game with Samson in their midst, and she plopped between Bree and Kade on the sofa. “I called Peter and told him I was breaking the engagement.”

  Kade’s arm came around her in a comforting squeeze. “I’m sure that wasn’t easy. How’d he take it?”

  Lauri leaned into him, taking in the reassuring scent of his cologne. “Not well. But I’m relieved, you know. It was the right thing to do. He’s going to catch up with me later tonight to get the ring back. Then it will be over. He made it clear we won’t be dating when this is over.” His “fair warning” about her hurting him floated back, but she pushed away the misgivings. It was just a silly thing he said.

  “It’s a little strange,” Bree said. “And how is he going to catch up with you to get the ring back? He’s not in Rock Harbor, is he?”

  Lauri thought back and realized she hadn’t told Bree she’d seen Peter. “He is. I saw him going into the Newell house. That’s why I asked you who owned it. I wondered who he was here to see.”

  “I’ll have to ask Dana about her impressions of him.” Bree took Lauri’s hand. “Sure you’re okay?”

  “Better than okay. I can focus on my job and building a future. I let Peter distract me. I wanted the perfect life all at once, you know?”

  Bree squeezed her fingers. “God’s got a plan for your life. Don’t run ahead of him.”