by Cindy Bell
“Yes.” She frowned. “Sorry, I almost forgot about that for a moment.”
“Maybe we should keep going. Check out the area. I mean, if it’s not roped off. What do you think?”
“Sure, we can do that. It’s a nice night.” Kerri held her breath as his hand tightened around hers again. The sensation summoned all sorts of feelings within her that she had very little control over. As they neared the land where Damian’s body was found, she could see bright yellow police tape. However, it only roped off a small area.
“I’m not sure what there will be to find. I’m sure that Chief Meyers went over the area with a fine-toothed comb.”
“Yes, he probably did, but he didn’t find the ring.” She frowned. “Maybe he missed something.” She turned on the flashlight on her phone and swung it around the ground. As they paused to look around she heard footsteps in the distance. “Steve, someone else is out here.” She stepped close to him.
“Sh.” Steve moved in front of her and peered through the darkness at a figure that approached them. “Who’s there?”
“This is private property!” The shout carried through the otherwise empty woods.
“Stay back, Kerri.” Steve blocked her with his body as the man stopped in front of them. He shone a flashlight right into Steve’s face.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Who are you?” Kerri stepped out from behind Steve.
“I’m the caretaker of this land, and I am about to call the police, you’re trespassing.”
“We’re not here to cause any trouble.” Steve held his hands up in the air.
“Oh, then why are you here?”
“There isn’t a caretaker on this land,” Kerri said.
“There absolutely is.” He gritted his teeth. “It’s me. I was hired by the owners.”
“Then how come Bill Power never saw you?” Kerri asked.
“Sure, Bill saw me. We play cards all of the time.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what game you’re playing here, but I am about to call the police if you don’t give me a good explanation.”
“The dog.” Steve tilted his head towards Cashew as she sniffed the stranger’s feet. “She got loose, we were just trying to catch her.”
“Oh?” He reached down and patted Cashew’s head. “Cute dog. All right, you have to go now, though. I can get in big trouble if the owners find out that I let someone wander on the property.”
“Have you met the owners?” Kerri reached down and picked up Cashew. She stroked her long silky fur as she held her in her arms.
“No, I haven’t met them personally. Everything was arranged over the phone and computer. I get a check in the mail.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little odd? Do you ever see them on the property?”
“It is a little odd, but it pays well. No, if they’re going to be on the property they call and let me know that I’m not needed that night. I’ve learned not to ask questions.”
“Aren’t you worried that they’re doing something other than looking for gold out here?” Kerri asked.
“Oh, nobody is looking for gold here. I don’t know what they’re doing, but they’re not looking for gold. And no, I don’t really care what they’re doing, as long as the check clears.”
“Kerri, we should go.” Steve slipped his arm through hers.
“Yes, you should.” The caretaker narrowed his eyes. “If I see you on this property again, I won’t hesitate to call the police.”
“All right, we’re on our way.” Steve nodded to him. “No need to get upset.”
“No need? A man was killed out here. You don’t think that makes me nervous?” He shone the flashlight around in a large circle before he shuddered. “Be careful going home.”
“We will.” Kerri started to walk back along the path. Steve kept his arm looped through hers.
“That was close.” He sighed.
“And odd. When we talked to Bill Power he said he never saw anyone on the property. So why would he lie about that?”
“I don’t know. That is strange.”
When they reached the house the smell of pumpkin pie wafted out through the kitchen window.
“Grandpa must think it’s Thanksgiving.” Kerri smiled.
“It smells great to me, whatever it is.”
“It does.” She lowered her eyes.
“Kerri, come here.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders until she turned to face him, then pulled her close into his chest. As she rested her head on his shoulder he trailed his fingers down through her hair. The touch of his hand soothed her and made her heart race with nerves. She had never been this close to him. “The murder is getting to you, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t stop thinking about who did this to Damian. Nothing seems to line up, or make any sense.”
“I understand.” He kissed the curve of her forehead. She tried not to shiver as he still held her so close. The warmth of his embrace was enough to soothe her, but also remind her of the feelings that she could not yet verbalize.
“You must think I’m ridiculous to want to know the truth so badly.” She pulled away from him and tried to get control of her emotions. “I didn’t even know Damian.”
“I don’t think that at all.” He caught her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “I think like me you’re curious and you want to get to the bottom of things.”
“Steve, I just have this feeling that we’re missing something. That somehow it’s right in front of me, and I just can’t see it.”
“Oh yes, I’m familiar with that feeling. I have it a lot when I’m working on a story that I can’t figure out. The best thing I can do when I hit that barrier, is to take a break. I think that’s what we need to do.”
“A break?” Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding? We might miss something.”
“And we might miss something if we don’t take a break. The mind is a muscle too, it needs relaxation, and different forms of exercise. The more stress you experience, the more clouded it becomes. You and me, we need a break. I have tomorrow morning off so how about we take a hike to one of my favorite waterfalls tomorrow?”
“I have been meaning to do that.” She frowned. “But it feels wrong to do anything like that when we still haven’t found Damian’s killer.”
“It’s the best time to do it. If we’re not thinking clearly, we’re not going to make any progress on finding the murderer. We’re only going to get more frustrated and exhausted. Tomorrow?” He met her eyes.
“Tomorrow.” She smiled in return. He leaned close, as if he might decide to kiss her, but the back door swung open and caused him to lean back.
“Pie is ready!” George waved to them from the doorway. Kerri closed her eyes and reminded herself that she loved her grandfather, even if his timing was awful.
Chapter 11
The next morning Kerri woke to the sound of her grandfather’s car pulling out of the driveway. She had no idea where he was going, but she was getting used to that. His visit to the post office, and his time at the boxing gym, had both been a surprise to her. But just like she didn’t run everything she did by him, she couldn’t expect him to run everything he did by her. Her first instinct was to check in with Chief Meyers, and to start researching more on the property owners. Then she remembered that Steve would be there to pick her up in less than an hour. Just the thought made her smile with anticipation. Maybe he was right, a break from the investigation was exactly what she needed. She got dressed, tied her hair back in a ponytail, and grabbed her hiking boots. As soon as Cashew saw those boots she began to jump and bark happily.
“Oh yes, we’re going to have a great adventure today, Cash. Are you ready?” Cashew ran right over to the hook that her leash hung on and began to jump at it. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Kerri laughed. As she hooked her on the leash she remembered to grab some homemade nut bars as a snack for their trip.
Steve arrived right on time to pick her up. Steve h
ad asked George the previous night if he wanted to join them on the hike, but he had declined. Kerri gave Steve a hot cup of coffee and a bagel. As they drove towards the entrance of the state park, she did her best to resist discussing the murder. Luckily it was a short trip. When they climbed out of the car, Cashew bounded past them, straight for the trail.
“Get back here, you silly pup.” Kerri chased after her, with Steve right behind her. When they managed to grab her leash, Steve shook his head.
“She’s quite the troublemaker. I wonder where she gets that from?”
“What are you trying to say, Steve?” Kerri grinned at him.
“Nothing.” He caught her by the elbow and ran his hand down to her fingertips. “It’s nice to be alone with you.”
“Yes, I think so, too.” She gazed into his eyes as he leaned close. This time there was nothing to interrupt the approach of his lips. Her heartbeat quickened in reaction to the light caress. It was a gentle and quick kiss, but it made her legs feel like rubber. She wondered how she would make it through a hike.
“I really enjoy spending time with you, Kerri. I know there’s a lot going on right now, but I want to make sure you know that.”
“Even with my grandfather’s interrogations?”
“Even with that.” He laughed. “I thought he was going to stab me with a fork to get the information out of me.”
“Oh no, he would never do that. Well, at least, I don’t think he would.”
“Great, that makes me feel a lot better.” Steve chuckled as they began along the path.
“Would you like a nut bar?” Kerri offered as she took one out of her bag.
“Yes, please.” He smiled as she handed him one and had one herself. He took a bite of the bar. “Yum.” They continued to walk towards the waterfall as they ate.
It didn’t take long for Steve to lead Kerri to his favorite waterfall. “I like it because of all of the rock formations around the waterfall lake. Sometimes when the sun hits them just right, they look a little bit like animals.”
“Oh wow, they do!” She gazed at the rocks, and in her mind they transformed into majestic beasts, like elephants, lions, and other jungle cats.
“This is what I needed.” Steve took a deep breath of the fresh air and closed his eyes for a moment. Kerri drank in the sight of his peaceful expression. When he relaxed, he was even more handsome. She tried not to focus on that and turned her attention to the sound of the waterfall ahead of them. The subtle roar of the cascade was interrupted by heavy footsteps.
“Steve, someone else is out here.” She squinted through the sunlight in the direction of the footsteps. A few seconds later a man came into view.
“It’s Jasper.” Steve raised his hand to wave to him. “Hey, Jasper!”
The large man lumbered forward at a fast-paced jog. He didn’t appear to hear or see Steve as he continued on. Steve spoke up louder. “Jasper!” He took a step into the man’s path. Jasper slowed to a stop and smiled as he pulled earbuds from his ears.
“Hey, Steve. What are you doing out here?”
“Just taking a walk.” Steve tilted his head towards Kerri. “She’s a good influence.”
“Ah, good to know.” Jasper grinned as he met Kerri’s eyes.
“What are you doing out here?” Steve glanced back down the path. “It’s a long way from the office.”
“Yes, I know. Sometimes I take morning jogs. If I’m a little too caught up in my own head, it’s a great way to clear my mind. Plus it fulfills my cardio needs.”
“No wonder you’re always so on top of things. Maybe I need to take up jogging.”
“Maybe you should.” Jasper looked down at Steve’s stomach. “Tighten things up a bit.”
“Hey!” Steve laughed and patted his stomach. “This is well toned, thank you very much.”
“I’m sure.” Jasper shook his head. “Are you going to have something on my desk by the end of the day, or what? You’ve been slacking off.”
“I haven’t. I’m working on a story right now. I was going to come in later today to clear it with you.”
“Oh, a love story? That’s not going to fly. People are too bitter these days.”
Kerri held her breath and looked away as she hoped both men didn’t see the blush in her cheeks. A love story? What was Jasper thinking?
“No, it’s not a love story. It’s a tragedy. I’m trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Damian.”
“Oh.” Jasper furrowed his brow. “Well, that’s just as much a waste of time. No one is ever going to be able to figure out who did that. If they were, the police would have already made an arrest.”
“Maybe they would if they had any good suspects. It would really help if we knew what he was working on before he died.” Steve took a step forward and met Jasper’s eyes.
“I’ve told you that already, he was just working on the usual sports stuff, nothing special. I’m not sure why you keep asking me about it.”
“It’s only the second time I’ve asked. I thought you might have remembered something. There is no need to get upset.”
“Oh, no need?” Jasper’s hands balled into fists at his sides. “Maybe Damian was just someone you worked with, but he was my very good friend. You know that we’d been boxing together for a few years, and I acted as a mentor when he became a reporter. So perhaps you could stop rubbing salt in my wounds by continuously bringing this up.”
“Jasper, I’m sorry.” Steve frowned and offered his hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Jasper eyed him a moment, then took his hand in a firm shake. “Just let it go, Steve. What’s done is done, and solving the crime is not going to bring Damian back.”
“No, no it won’t. But, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve justice. That’s all I’m trying to do here.”
“That’s all? You’re not trying to gain publicity from cracking the case? You’re not trying to build your career on the back of a dead man?”
“Jasper!” Steve took a step forward. Kerri noticed the ripple in his shoulders as his muscles tensed.
“I can assure you, Jasper, Steve is only interested in the truth. As am I. I think everyone in the community is concerned, and until we get an answer, there won’t be any closure.” She forced a smile to her lips. “There is nothing to gain from silence, is there?”
“On the contrary, there is a lot to gain. Such as not putting yourself in danger. Such as not upsetting people. Especially Damian’s family.”
“So, you don’t want me to pursue the story at all? It’s not as if I’m the only one. All of the local reporters and neighboring counties are following this story.” Steve shook his head. “I would never expect this from you, Jasper.”
“If and when the police have an actual suspect, yes, then I want you to dig your teeth in and make sure that you report it and that person is put behind bars. But at this point it’s shots in the dark, and that can lead to messy wounds. If you look into this and the murderer finds out that you are on to him you will be in danger. If you go after the wrong person it could ruin our reputation. You have to slow down long enough to think these things through. The consequences of accusing the wrong person are far reaching, and long lasting in a town like this. I’m only trying to look out for you, Steve. Maybe, I’m being a little overprotective. But can you blame me? After what happened to Damian?”
“I understand your concerns, Jasper.” Kerri tried to calm the man. She released a breath through her gritted teeth and focused on the sound of the waterfall for a moment. Her nerves were on edge and something about Jasper’s sharp tone left her feeling frustrated.
“So, forgive me if I’m not in any rush to send you two in the same direction. If Damian was looking into something that I don’t know about, it couldn’t have been important enough for him to lose his life. I’m sure it wouldn’t be important enough for either of you to lose yours.” He tucked his earbuds back into his ears. “Now, if you will excuse me, my heart rate is dropping.” As
he jogged off, Kerri stared after him.
“He’s a piece of work,” Kerri said.
“What do you mean? I think it was kind of him to be concerned about us.” Steve watched him go as well.
“I guess.” Kerri swallowed hard. She didn’t want to upset Steve by disagreeing with him.
“Wait a minute.” Steve touched the curve of her elbow. When she turned towards him, he met her eyes. “You can be honest with me.”
“Okay.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
“I mean it, Kerri. I want to hear your honest opinion.”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I think that Jasper might know more than he’s telling us. You seem to admire him, and I wouldn’t want to insult someone that you admire.”
“There’s only one person here I admire, and I want to hear her opinion, no matter what.”
“Jasper claims that Damian resigned, but he’s the only one that knows that for certain. What if he’s lying?”
“Why would he lie about it?”
“Maybe because he knows more about why Damian was killed than he admits, maybe he knows that something Damian was working on got him killed. Maybe he does want to protect you, but if he cared for Damian so much, how could he not be more determined to find out what happened to him?”
“That’s a good question.” Steve frowned. “Hopefully, when I get into Damian’s cloud storage I’ll find out something we can use to clarify what he was working on. And look, we’re talking about it, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are.”
“Then we might as well head back to your place and see if your grandfather is ready to show me his ways of wisdom to crack the password.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully he’ll be back by then.”
“I’m sorry our hike got interrupted. I hope we can do it again soon. Would you like that?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Great.” He smiled and placed a light kiss on her cheek. When she’d dated in the past, things always moved so fast. But with Steve it was different. It was as if he savored every gentle connection they had, no matter how small. It thrilled her to think that he wanted to spend more time with her.
