Treacherous Slopes

by Terri Reed

  Everything about the room made Nick hurt. The room appeared frozen in time, as if waiting for Cody to come home. The double bed with its gray-and-red-striped comforter was made. Cody’s high school diploma hung on the wall, along with a collage of photos that Cody had tacked up. There were trophies and books and an old set of skis leaning against the dresser.

  A bright green duffel bag sat on the floor. Cody’s bag. He’d used it for skiing, keeping his gloves, goggles and hydration pack. He’d had it with him the day he’d died. Someone must have packed it up and shipped it home.

  The bottom end of a yellow water bottle stuck out the unzipped top.

  Nick squatted down to retrieve the bottle. Water sloshed as he righted it. He stared. It was the same water bottle he’d lost the day Cody had died. How had Cody gotten it?

  He wasn’t sure what to do with it. Part of him wanted to put it back, leave it with the memories of his brother. Part of him wanted to take it with him as a reminder of the brother he’d lost and as a reminder that he’d caused his brother’s death.

  Deciding to take it, he left Cody’s room and went to his old room.

  Unlike Cody’s, his room had been redone. A new queen-size bed took up most of the space. New floral bedding had replaced the brown-and-green plaid comforter of his youth. His old desk was gone, and so was his trophy case. The dresser looked different. He inspected it closer and realized it had been refinished. They’d turned his old room into a guest room. He should have guessed when he’d received a box of his yearbooks, photos and other mementos not long after he’d purchased his condo.

  When he returned to the living room, his parents and Julie were sitting close together on the couch, looking at a photo album. Ted had taken a position by the door. He had the seen-but-not-heard routine down when he wanted to.

  “Please don’t tell me that’s my baby book,” Nick said.

  Mom looked up with a smile. “You were the cutest baby.”

  “I like the pumpkin outfit the best,” Julie teased, holding the book up so he could see the photo of him at six months dressed like a pumpkin with a puffy orange body piece and a green sprout on his head.

  He shook his head. “I had no say in that.”

  His mother pointed to the bottle in his hand. “What’s that?”

  He held it up. “My water bottle.”

  Mom bolted to her feet. “That’s Cody’s. You went into Cody’s room.”

  The accusation in her tone hung in the air.

  “Evelyn,” Dad said as he stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not okay!” she cried and moved quickly away from the couch. “Nothing will ever be okay!”

  Nick’s heart twisted. “Mom. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  His mother burst into tears and ran from the room.

  Nick felt the world crumble beneath him. He didn’t know what to do, how to help her, when he wanted to crawl into the nearest hole and wither away. He looked at his father. “I didn’t mean to—”

  Dad held up a hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong. She’s struggling. The closer we get to the anniversary, the more unsettled she is. We’ll get through this.”

  “We should leave,” Nick stated, feeling his heart cracking.

  “No, please. Give her a moment to gather herself,” Dad said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Dad walked out of the living room and down the hall, disappearing into the master bedroom, where Mom had gone.

  Nick scrubbed his face with his free hand. His gaze met Julie’s. Compassion shone in her eyes. Eyes that glistened with tears. Nick had to look away. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  He heard her set the book on the coffee table and come to him. “Don’t be. Family is complicated, and you’re all hurting. It’s totally understandable. This is a hard time for you and your family. I’m intruding.”

  He took her hand. “No. You’re not intruding.” He released her and moved toward the kitchen.

  * * *

  Julie’s heart ached with sorrow for what Nick and his parents were enduring. She knew Nick blamed himself. She hated that he did. She wished there were a way to alleviate his pain. But she didn’t know how.

  He paused at the sink, staring at the yellow plastic water bottle in his hand, looking so forlorn and lost.

  She put her arms around his waist and hugged him. Getting too emotionally attached to him wasn’t smart, but at the moment she didn’t want smart. She wanted to heal, to help, to make him know that he wasn’t alone. That she cared.

  He set the water bottle in the sink and embraced her, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Silent sobs racked his body.

  Seeing him so broken cut her off at the knees. She felt his pain acutely, as if he were transferring the hurt and sorrow directly into her system. She held him and murmured soft words of comfort.

  After several long moments, he lifted his head, his blue eyes dark and clouded with sorrow. For a heartbeat she thought he’d push her away again. Instead, he cupped her face with his big, strong hands. His gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth.

  She licked her lips, her heart hammering in her chest. Anticipation tingled through her limbs. He seemed suspended, as if he couldn’t bring himself to close the distance.

  When his eyes lifted to meet hers again, the withdrawal in the blue depths told her he wouldn’t kiss her.

  His guilt wouldn’t let him take such comfort.

  Needing to show him he did deserve comfort, she went on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his. For a moment, his hard mouth felt frozen, cold.

  A flutter of panic hit her.

  Then he exhaled and melted into the kiss, pulling her flush against him. She lost herself in the sensations bursting through her system like chrysanthemum fireworks. Stars danced behind her eyes, over her limbs. She’d always wondered what it would be like to be kissed by Nick Walsh. Now she knew.

  The kiss was better than her teenage heart had ever imagined.

  And worse than she’d feared.

  TEN

  Slowly, the kiss drew to an end. Julie’s senses reeled. Blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy. She nearly lost her balance. Nick placed his hand on her shoulders, grounding her. Through the soft cashmere of her sweater, his hand created hot spots. Judging by the bemused look on his face, he was feeling off-kilter, too.

  Nick winced slightly and released her. “I’m—”

  She cut him off with a sudden burst of irritation. “If you’re going to say you’re sorry, I’m going to punch you.”

  His eyes widened, then a slow grin spread over his face. “Oh, yeah. I’ll bet you punch like a girl.”

  She put her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow. “I’ve taken self-defense. I know how to hurt you.”

  The teasing light in his eyes dimmed. “I’ll bet you do.”

  “Like I could ever do you any harm,” she shot back. “I’d probably break my fist.”

  And he could break her heart, if she wasn’t careful.

  Uh-oh. Not good. Her heart was becoming attached to him. Get a grip, girl! She took a step away, increasing the distance between them.

  Gesturing to the bottle in the sink, she refocused on the topic at hand and put her wayward emotions on the shelf, where they needed to stay. “That water bottle was yours?”

  He followed her gaze. “Yeah. I had it the day...” A spasm of grief rippled through his expression. “The day Cody died.” He visibly gathered his composure. “I’d lost it at some point. He must have found it and stuck it in his bag.” He opened the lid. A medicine smell wafted out of the container. “Phew.”

  Julie took a closer sniff. The fumes stung her eyes. She wrinkled her nose. “That’s nasty. Smells like...cherry cough syrup.”

  “I’d put a vitamin packet in it,” he said and tipped the bottle to pour the liquid out. “They must have gone bad.”

  What if something beside vitamins had been added to the water? A chill of unease raced over
her flesh and raised the fine hairs at the back of her neck. “Wait!” Julie put her hand over his. Her stomach knotted. “Do you always put vitamins in your water?”

  “Yep. I have a vitamin-B deficiency, so I have to supplement regularly. I get packets from the health food store. It’s easier than pills.”

  Her pulse sped up. “You said you lost the bottle. Where?”

  He set the bottle back down, with the liquid still inside. “That was a year ago. It’s hard to remember.”

  Thoughts rattled around her brain, trying to solidify into a coherent idea. “Try.”

  “I know I filled it in the motor home before heading up the mountain. I thought I put it in my duffel, but I can’t be sure. However, when I went to get it, I couldn’t find the bottle in the locker or my bag. I figured I must have left it behind. I searched for it later but couldn’t find it.”

  “Could someone have taken the bottle out of your locker or your bag?”

  “Maybe. Locker rooms aren’t exactly high-security places.” He tilted his head. “You think someone took my water bottle? Why would anyone do that?”

  “Maybe to put something in it. Something they wanted you to drink.”

  It didn’t take long for his quick intelligence to process the implications in her words. He staggered back a step. “You think someone tampered with my water bottle intending to harm me and Cody drank it instead?”

  “Think about it. What if Cody’s death was actually an attempt on your life?”

  The glazed look of denial in his eyes ripped at her heart. “No. Cody died of a broken neck because he tried a trick that he wasn’t ready for. My trick.”

  “But what if he drank from this?” She gestured to the bottle. “Bear with me here. I know it sounds crazy, but then so does someone trying to kill you.” She took a breath and slowly calmed her racing heart and put voice to the incredible thought that grabbed a hold of her. “Suppose whatever is in the water disoriented Cody? Impaired him somehow?”

  She tugged on the sleeve of his button-down shirt. “Remember, there were witnesses who said he was behaving like he was on something.”

  “But nothing showed up when they examined his body—” Nick’s voice broke on the last word.

  Julie hated putting him through this, but the more she thought about it, the more the idea that Nick had been the one intended to be hurt that day became clear. “There are toxins that won’t show up in a routine drug screen, Nick.”

  He let out a noisy breath. “If what you’re saying is true...” He shook his head. “I can’t let myself believe—”

  “Let’s take this to Detective Agee. It’s worth checking.” And the results could absolve Nick of the guilt he had been carrying around like a weight dragging him down.

  For a second he stared into the sink. Then he nodded and reached for the bottle.

  “Stop. Put the bottle in a paper bag,” Julie said. “Just in case there are fingerprints the police can use.”

  “You watch too much TV,” he commented, but did as she instructed.

  “I took a criminal law class when I thought about becoming a lawyer.”

  “That would have been my next guess.”

  She smiled, appreciating his quiet sense of humor.

  “Let me tell Mom and Dad we’re leaving.” He handed the bottle to her. “But I’m not going to tell them what we’re doing, okay? I don’t want to upset them with this needlessly.”

  “I understand.”

  He disappeared down the hall while Julie related her theory to Ted in the living room.

  “Anything is possible” was his response.

  A few moments later Nick returned with his parents following behind. His mom looked tired, her eyes rimmed red and tears staining her cheeks. She walked over to Julie. Julie held the paper bag behind her back with one hand.

  “I apologize for my earlier behavior.”

  “No need to apologize,” Julie told her, holding on to the hand Evelyn offered. “I enjoyed lunch. Thank you.”

  Nick hugged his dad and then his mom. Evelyn held on to him for a moment. “We’ll see on you Thursday?”

  Nick’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Yes, of course.”

  Evelyn turned to Julie. “We’d love for you to join us. It will be a small, intimate gathering.”

  Touched by the offer, Julie replied, “Thank you.”

  Nick ushered Julie out the front door. He was anxious to get the water bottle to the police. They would analyze the contents and determine if there was anything in the liquid besides year-old vitamins. If a substance had been added that had caused Cody to be disoriented and impaired his ability to complete the jump—Nick’s heart raced, his thoughts scattered, afraid to allow the possibility of absolution.

  Officer Comer was waiting on the front steps. He escorted them to his patrol car and didn’t bat an eye when Nick explained they wanted to go to the police station to talk to Detective Agee.

  At the station house they found the detective at his desk.

  “I was going to call you,” he said as he rose from his chair. “We found the van that tried to run you down abandoned on Highway 97. It had been reported stolen two days ago.”

  The news didn’t come as a total surprise. Nick had figured the van would be stolen. He glanced at Ted. By the stoic expression on his face, Nick guessed the bodyguard wasn’t surprised, either.

  “What about the shooter?” Ted asked.

  “We found some casings and pulled bullets out of the balcony railing and the door. No viable fingerprints. The striations on the bullets lead us to believe they were fired from a .223 Remington,” Agee said.

  “A varmint rifle?” Ted’s voice held a note of puzzlement.

  “Varmint?” Julie’s confused gaze circled the men. “What’s that?”

  “The .223 Remington isn’t a big rifle and is mostly used on small nuisance game like rodents,” Agee explained.

  Julie wrinkled her nose. “Rats? There’s a specific rifle for shooting rats?”

  “Rats, squirrels, moles, opossum, raccoon, skunks,” Agee explained.

  “The rifle is a good choice for small, long-range targets,” Ted commented. “The guy must have fashioned some sort of homemade noise suppressor to it.”

  “Nice. This guy considers me vermin,” Nick remarked dryly as images of rats and squirrels marched through his mind, all with his head attached, like little bobble-headed targets.

  “Show the detective what we brought,” Julie urged Nick.

  “We found something which might be relevant.” Nick placed the paper bag on the desk and quickly explained Julie’s theory that something toxic could have been added to the liquid inside and Cody drank it by mistake.

  Eyeing the bag with skepticism on his lined face, Agee said, “That seems a stretch.”

  “Not really, considering someone’s tried to kill Nick four times now and he received a threatening note,” Julie insisted.

  Agee’s dark eyes considered her. “I’ll have the crime lab run the contents to see if they detect anything unusual.”

  “I’d appreciate you doing that.” Thinking Cody’s death wasn’t just an accident made Nick’s stomach ache with more guilt. If it was true that Nick had been targeted and should have been the one to drink the toxic water...then Cody was a victim of a malicious killer. A killer who was still after Nick.

  Burning anger chomped through him, making him sweat. “Could you let us know what they find as soon as you can?”

  “I will.” He tipped his chin to Officer Comer standing a few feet away. “Take them home and keep an eye out.”

  “Yes, sir,” Comer said and motioned for them to precede him out.

  “Detective,” Ted said, halting everyone. “Did you interrogate the courier guy?”

  Eager to hear the answer, Nick retraced the few steps away he’d taken.

  “Funny thing about that,” Agee said. “First, Thunderbird had no record of sending you anything. And the delivery service said the
guy was a new hire and hasn’t been seen since he delivered your package, which they don’t have a record of, either. The guy gave the delivery service a false name and address.”

  “Didn’t they check him out before hiring him?” Julie asked. “Who hires someone these days without vetting them?”

  Agee shrugged. “The ID looked legit and the manager was in a bind and needed someone right away. Though he did say he saw the guy get out of a truck driven by a dark-haired woman. He didn’t get the truck’s license number.”

  Julie touched Nick’s shoulder. “Kitty?”

  He thought about the expression on Kitty’s face, a mix of hurt and anger, the first time he’d turned her down. The second time. And the third time...

  “Maybe,” he answered. “She does seem to be present every time something happens.”

  “Was she present when your brother died?” Agee asked.

  Nick thought back to the week of Cody’s death. “I don’t recall seeing her. She didn’t come around during the week, only on weekends and usually only to competitions, not practices.”

  “Have you spoken to her?” Ted asked the detective.

  Agee inclined his head. “I did.”

  From the twist of the detective’s lips, Nick figured it hadn’t been a pleasant experience. “What did she say?”

  “She’s a bit off,” Agee said. “She definitely has her eye on you and grew really agitated when I suggested she had something to do with the attempts on your life.”

  Was her agitation from guilt? Nick wondered.

  “She’s from a very well-respected family in Idaho farming country, according to the local sheriff I talked to,” Agee continued. “I can’t find anything to link her to your skiing accident.”

  “But that doesn’t mean her fixation hasn’t turned deadly,” Julie said.

  “It happens,” Agee said. “Life in the public eye opens the door to obsessive fans. I’ll have another chat with her.”