Lin was excited as they left the office, and she was able to walk on her own back to the car.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go home for the rest of today?” Sue asked. “I can talk to Pat this afternoon and work out a schedule for you.”
“No,” Lin insisted, “I want to go back. It will only be for the afternoon and I can work out my own schedule of half-days. Wednesday is July 4th and I know this will be a busy week. I’m sorry I can’t schedule full days. I’ll have to coordinate with your hours; he still didn’t release me to drive—even though it’s my left foot and…”
“… with good reason,” Sue insisted. “That boot is too large and awkward. You might get your foot hung up around the pedals and have an accident—maybe later when your ankle can just be taped…”
“I know,” Lin shook her head, “that should happen in a couple of weeks I hope.”
“It’s about noon,” Sue responded, “Let’s grab some lunch before we go out.” She was ready for work herself and Lin had worn her volunteer clothes also, hoping for a positive outcome from the visit.
They drove downtown and decided to lunch at Our Daily Bread, where they’d eaten their first weekend in Boone. It was already crowded, but they managed to find an empty booth toward the back.
When they’d placed their orders, Lin turned to her friend. “I’m looking forward to examining Bryan’s papers. Hopefully, he kept copies of some reports, but, even if he didn’t, he might’ve made notes about his findings and the information he was going to put in the official documents. This may be a real key to this mystery.”
“Yes,” Sue responded, “it may prove to be very helpful. I also hope we can see Mark Scott this afternoon; maybe we can learn about what happened with Luke Taylor. I feel sure he’s been arrested by now.”
Lin nodded in agreement. She was still seriously worried about Luke. Somehow, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was not the principal villain in this drama. She could still see him standing there with his shotgun just watching them leave and not even threatening to shoot again. After missing on the first effort, he’d passed up a golden opportunity.
After enjoying a really delicious lunch of soup and sandwiches, they left downtown and headed toward the Parkway. The clouds that had been gathering during the morning were beginning to darken the skies, threatening rain to come. Lin shook her head as she looked out the car window.
“Yesterday was so nice, now it looks as if the rains are returning. I just hope we don’t get that awful fog and mist,” she complained.
“Oh, that’s just the mountains for you,” Sue seemed reconciled to the changes in the weather. “It just comes and goes—nothing you can do about it. I think the foggy days can be rather cozy and nice…”
“Yeah, maybe if you’re snuggled up at home with a good book, but it’s no fun to be out in that stuff,” Lin replied.
Sue nodded, “I always say no point in worrying about the weather—you certainly can’t control it.”
They arrived at Moses Cone just as the first few sprinkles fell. Sue helped Lin negotiate the stairs leading down to the craft house as she was still getting used to the boot. Pat was pleasantly surprised to see them both walk in.
“I thought you’d be out for several more days,” she told Lin, “and I was afraid Sue might be late today—knowing how easy it is to get tied up with doctors.”
“Well, it did take all morning,” Lin replied, “but he said I could come back for half days at this point, and I was so tired of staying in; I was more than ready. I can’t do a lot of walking though—no hiking, I’m afraid. I can help out here though. I thought maybe you and I could work out a schedule for me that matches Sue’s. I can’t drive yet.”
“Not a problem,” Pat said. “Sue is mostly on half days anyway and we can adjust as we need to. I’m just glad you’re back. Let’s go into my office and we can work on the calendar. Sue, maybe you can cover the bookstore while we do that.”
They’d just finished working out a schedule for the two of them for the next two weeks, when Sue appeared at the office door.
“Clint, the man in charge of the stables, is out front. He has a problem and needs to talk to you,” she reported. Pat hurried from the office and Sue and Lin followed.
Apparently, a group of visitors who had been riding out on the carriage roads of the estate that morning had not returned at the appointed time.
“They were due back more than an hour ago,” Clint reported, “and now this weather is really getting worse. I’m afraid someone may be hurt, or they may be lost somewhere. The cell phone signals are spotty at best out there so…”
Pat stepped in, “Someone needs to go check on them.”
“Yes,” Clint continued, “and I have the vet coming in about twenty minutes to check on that sick mare—I have to stay here, at least for now.”
“Then I’ll get ready,” Pat said.
Sue spoke up, “Let me go. You forget I’m a western girl, I’ve been riding all my life and those horses know these roads. If you give me the map and tell me where they were heading I should have no trouble finding them. Pat should stay here. With this weather and this being a holiday week, there’s going to be loads of visitors here this afternoon—looking for something to do indoors.”
After making sure that Sue was truly comfortable doing this, Pat agreed. “Clint, you get her some rain gear to wear. Sue, take your phone. The service will be in and out, but maybe you can find a spot to call from if someone out there needs help. It’s possible they just got turned around or took a wrong turn and wound up on a longer route. We’ll watch for them to come back here.”
Clint looked at his watch, “It’s almost two o’clock now. Sue, if you haven’t found them by three, just head on back here and we’ll call for rescue—they may even be back before then.” Sue headed off with Clint in the direction of the stables.
***
Half an hour later, Sue was astride a gentle well-behaved mare heading across Cone Park on the carriage road that led from the stables under the Parkway toward the open fields and forested areas of the estate. Clint had equipped her with a poncho against the rain and she carried a map that showed all the roads and trails designated as open to riders. He basically outlined for her the general direction the group had headed and the most likely routes they would’ve chosen. The rain was steady, making it difficult to actually read the map, but she did her best.
As she passed the Cone gravesite and reached an area of relatively dense woods, she paused under a tree and studied the map for a few minutes. Thus far she’d seen no sign of the group of riders, nor had she encountered any walkers—surely this group would be heading back to the stables since the weather was growing worse. Of course, there was always the possibility someone had been injured and needed help. She studied the overall map for a few moments and then folded it up and tucked it in the pocket of her poncho. Slowly, she and the faithful mare made their way forward. The road narrowed a bit here, passing between thick stands of pines on either side.
The steady rain had eased a bit, becoming a pervasive mist; the temperature was dropping somewhat and it was becoming quite foggy. Sue could only see a few feet down the road and not really past the first lines of trees on either side. She paused to listen for the sound of other riders but heard nothing. The road curved and dropped down into a small cove where the fog became even more dense.
I’m feeling hemmed in, Sue thought. I really can’t see where I’m going. Spotting a huge boulder under some thick pine boughs, she decided to rest for a moment and try to determine exactly where she was on her map. Dismounting, she tethered her horse to a tree limb and sat down on the boulder, spreading the damp map across her knees.
She was tracing where she’d been and contemplating the areas ahead trying to decide where to go next when her horse began to shuffle nervously, shaking her head and whinnying. Sue reached for the reins to calm the animal. “It’s OK,” she murmured, “I’m here.” Perhaps th
e mare had heard a small animal or a deer moving in the forest. Sue listened carefully but heard nothing but drops of moisture falling from the trees. She turned back to fold the map. Might as well get going. It’s only going to get wetter she thought.
As she stood up to release her horse, she thought she sensed nearby movement—not a sound, just a feeling. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed her from behind, wrapping around her neck in a chokehold. She tried to cry out, but no sound emerged. Something hard crashed into the right side of her head and she momentarily saw stars. Then there was only darkness.
***
Lin manned the desk in the bookstore and found it quite busy. Her prediction that the inclement weather would produce more visitors for them proved accurate. The bookstore and the craft galleries were packed with visitors. There were long lines of folks waiting to check out at both desks. When things finally let up a bit and Lin had time to take a short break, she was surprised to discover that it was well after three already.
She went back to the office area to sit for a few minutes with her foot propped up. At first she was alone, but soon Pat came by. “How’s your ankle holding up—do I need to relieve you out there?”
“No, I’m fine,” things slowed down just a bit and one of the local volunteers had come in, so I just decided to take a short rest break. I’ll be fine,” Lin insisted, “any sign of the lost riders yet?” She knew Sue was still out there.
“Not yet,” Pat replied, “as she sat down to join Lin. She glanced at her watch, “If Sue hasn’t already located our lost visitors, she should be heading back this way. I just hope no one’s been hurt.”
Just then there was a brief commotion in the hallway. One of the local volunteers stuck her head in the room, “A group of riders just passed by heading for the stables. I think they must be the group you’re looking for.”
“And Sue should be with them,” Lin was relieved and glad that Sue would soon be out of this soupy weather. She rose to return to her post. Pat grabbed her hat and left immediately to check on the wayward ones. She headed out toward the stables.
About half an hour later, Lin observed Pat returning to the mansion. There was no one in line at the moment, so she went to the door to see what the news was.
Pat was grim-faced. She removed her dripping hat and jacket and indicated that Lin should follow her into the office.
“What happened,” Lin asked, “were any of the riders hurt?”
Pat shook her head. “No, they’re just tired, but everyone is fine. They apparently took a wrong turn somewhere, and, when the weather got worse, they got a little disoriented by the fog and mist that was settling in out there. They just got a little lost, but they eventually found their way back…that’s not the problem.”
Lin swallowed hard…Sue—what had happened to Sue?
Pat continued, “ Sue wasn’t with them, in fact they never saw her. I’ve asked the group leader to come back here as soon as they get the horses stabled—with Clint. We need to determine where this group traveled, maybe figure out why Sue never caught up with them.”
Lin felt a sense of panic coming over her. There seemed to be a lump in her throat, and she thought she wasn’t going to be able to breathe. This can’t be happening; she fought the feeling. I mustn’t panic, she told herself. Sue can’t be lost; she’ll come back here shortly. Lin excused herself and went to the restroom where she splashed cold water over her face and took a drink from the fountain. Feeling more in control, she returned to Pat’s office, just as Clint arrived with a slightly disheveled visitor.
The woman, who had light brown, short curly hair, was damp from riding in the rain, but she introduced herself with a smile. “I’m Abigail Townsend—Abby is what I go by—from Houston, Texas,” she spoke with a soft drawl. “My friends and I wanted to ride this morning, and the weather seemed fine then. When it started raining and began to get foggy, we must’ve taken the wrong path. We were never off a road, but it took awhile for us to determine the way back, even though we had a map. I’m sorry that we caused you worry—that you had to send someone looking for us.”
“That’s not a problem,” Pat said, “but we need to determine where you were riding. Since you never saw Ms. Gray, she must still be looking for you somewhere else. After all, there are twenty-five miles of carriage roads on this property. Cell phone service is very spotty. If she doesn’t return soon, we’ll send someone to get her. We just need to determine what direction she probably went.”
“I’ll be happy to help in any way that I can,” Abby offered. “I’m in no hurry. My friends and I are staying over in Blowing Rock at Chetola all this week.”
Pat observed that Lin, though outwardly calm now, still looked a bit anxious. She needed to do something. “Lin, why don’t you and Abby take the map of the carriage roads and maybe highlight where her group traveled, or at least, where she thinks they were.”
Lin was glad to have something to focus on. She and Abby spread the map on a table on the opposite side of the office and began tracing the route away from the stables. It took a few minutes and, at one point, Abby had to shift her focus to tracing the route backward from the Cone Mansion, but eventually she was able to locate where she thought they taken a wrong turn in their ride. Lin carefully highlighted each path.
“I can’t be absolutely sure about those roads that are sorta in the middle,” Abby said, “but I think we’ve covered basically where we rode.”
“Thanks for your help,” Lin said. “I think you could rejoin your friends now. If you think about anything else we need to add to this, please just give us a call.”
Pat stepped over to thank their helpful guest and gave her a card with numbers for the craft house and headquarters. She added her personal cell number and Lin did the same.
“I hope you find her soon,” Abby seemed worried, “Please let me know when you catch up with her, or she returns. I’ll want to know. I hate to think that someone trying to help us got lost.”
After reassuring Abby that she shouldn’t blame herself for the situation, Pat told her to go back to join her friends. “We’ll call you this evening, and let you know what happens,” she assured her.
As Abby left, Lin turned to Pat. She found herself fighting back tears and took a deep breath. She was determined to be strong. Sue didn’t need for her to fall apart, besides it was still early. Sue would’ve turned back by now, having not located the riders. Pat read her thoughts.
“Sue should be on her way back. She has a map and it’s not much more than an hour’s ride from the most distant point on these trails. We now have a general idea of where she should be riding, and, if she’s not back soon, we can send someone out to look,” Pat presented a calm demeanor, “Meanwhile, we’ll tend to our visitors—we’re open until five.”
Lin returned to the bookstore and relieved the local volunteer who’d been manning the desk. She needed to stay busy. There were still lots of visitors to be helped and a steady line remained to check out, but, try as she might, Lin couldn’t help keeping an eye on the clock as the hands slowly moved toward four and then past.
Finally, about half past the hour, Pat came to the desk. There were still a few customers browsing in the shop, but she indicated that Lin should leave the desk and follow her back to the office. “The cashier on the front desk can take care of these folks,” she explained.
Lin felt a deep knot of fear in her gut. She knew this couldn’t be good news. Sure enough, as soon as the office door was closed, Pat turned and indicated that she should sit down.
“Sue should be back by now,” Pat said. “Clint has gone out to look for her. He left about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Are you going to call for any more help?” Lin asked, “What if she fell off her horse? What if she’s hurt?” She was afraid to offer other possibilities.
“Don’t panic,” Pat said. “It’s too early for that. If Clint doesn’t find her soon, we’ll call Mark Scott and he’ll get us some help. Try to relax and be pati
ent.”
Lin did try, but it was hard. She really wanted to go back to work, but Pat thought she should remain in the office and rest. “You’ve been on your feet all afternoon and you just got that boot this morning.” She brought another chair up and insisted that Lin elevate her foot. Then she disappeared for a moment, returning with a mug of hot coffee.
Lin tried, but she still couldn’t really relax. So many things had happened this summer. Sue had been in the midst of it all. The fact that she was researching the unsolved murders was known by quite a few folks…all of it made Lin nervous.
Five o’clock came with no sign of Sue. Clint hadn’t returned yet, nor had he used his radio to call in. Why didn’t Clint give Sue a radio when she went out? Lin thought. As if reading her mind, Pat explained that, unfortunately they didn’t have extra handsets available. Clint had to keep his as that was the only communication between the main house and the stable. Then she left the office to lock the main door; it was time for the center to close.
Just at that moment a wet bedraggled Clint came into the office. He shucked off his wet poncho hanging it on a hook and dropped exhausted into the only available chair. “I found the mare, tied to a pine tree,” he reported, “ but there was no sign of Ms. Gray.” Lin got up and poured a mug of coffee. She needed to do something at that moment, and Clint looked as if he needed some caffeine.
“Maybe she was looking for signs of the lost riders, maybe she walked around,” Lin wanted there to be some explanation that made sense.
Clint shook his head. “I looked all around there—no sign of her. These were all I found.” He went over to his poncho reached into the pocket. He withdrew two items and placed them on Pat’s desk—a very wet map and Sue’s cell phone.
Pat immediately reached for her phone and began punching in numbers while Lin sat speechless. Sue was missing.
Chapter 24
Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 30
