Run, River, Run

by C. F. Francis

  “How are you doing?”

  “Not bad,” she answered, swinging around in her desk chair. “I managed to find a vendor who has an aquamarine that will fit the mask.”

  “That was quick. I can ask Rick to run him through the system.”

  “I already did. He’s checking them out and will get back with me.”

  “Smart.” Kevin was feeling tongue tied. The urge to wrap her in his arms was so overpowering he had to fold them over his chest to avoid a slip.

  “I need to get the mask out of here before I head north.”

  “You still have a couple of days. Can I help with anything?”

  River shook her head as another transformation took place. Her shoulders sagged and the light went out of her eyes. It was as if a shadow had passed over her. Her emotions appeared to be constantly in flux. “I hate that his death has a connection to me. God. What if it’s my fault?”

  Kevin gave up the fight. He found himself in front of River, cupping her elbows and coaxing her out of her chair. “Would you mind if I held you?” he asked. “I really need to hold you.”

  She surprised him when she didn’t argue and went quietly into his arms, laying her head against his chest. He rested his cheek against the crown of her head for a second time that day. He wished—actually wished—empaths existed, and he was one of their ranks. He wanted to draw the fear, pain and hurt from her. Hadn’t she suffered enough?

  Still, she’d managed to remain strong. Was she naturally tough or did that strength rise out of the ashes of her family’s slaughter? He ran his hand over her hair then laid a kiss against it.

  He continued to hold her even when her shoulders relaxed, her tension easing. Comfort was the only form of care he had to give. There was no bandage, no surgery, no medicine that could heal her wounds.

  Her hands dropped to his waist, creating some breathing room between them.

  “Did you talk to your aunt?” he asked.

  She felt his warm breath as it bathed her face. “My phone rang before I could place the call. She’d just heard the news.”

  “Let’s sit down.” He steered her toward the living room. She was too tired—too whipped to argue. The sofa sunk when he took up the seat next to her.

  “How’d she take it?”

  “Pretty much how I expected. Stunned and sad. We cried.” River paused. “He was a kind and decent man.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kevin said again, taking her hand in his. It was warm against her frigid skin.

  “Aunt Amy believes the cabin is bad luck. Maybe it is.”

  “Places and people aren’t bad luck.” Kevin said, releasing her hand. A chill settled over her as he left her side.

  “Dan didn’t have enemies. I don’t understand why anyone would kill him.”

  “How close were your aunt and Dan?”

  “I don’t know how to describe their relationship.” River’s gaze drifted out through the sliding glass doors. “They liked one another. They were friends, but they didn’t socialize. I was the common denominator. They both stepped in to help raise me, but each in their own way. Aunt Amy has always been a bit of a loner. I may have inherited that gene from her side of the family. Dan was outgoing.” She paused, willing her voice to steady. After a deep breath, she continued.

  “While Aunt Amy took over mom duties—helping with my studies, shopping for prom dresses, that sort of thing—Dan became my cheerleader. He attended almost every school event. He didn’t have to do that. He had a family of his own. For some reason, I gravitated to him when I needed to talk about relationships. God help the boy who hurt my feelings.” River was surprised she could still smile. “He took me to my high school’s Father/Daughter dance so I wouldn’t miss out.” Her breath hitched at the memory. “He never tried to take my dad’s place. He’d simply lessen the loss when he could.” She would always be grateful that he was first on the scene. She couldn’t imagine those early years without Dan in her life. As she grew older, he became her best friend.

  “He asked Aunt Amy if it would be okay,” she continued. “I later learned he’d contacted the school to find out the date. Then cleared it with his supervisor so there would be no conflict with his work schedule. Only after everything was in place did he ask to escort me. He didn’t want to disappoint me if I’d said yes and his deck wasn’t clear.”

  Kevin now stood in front of her—a glass of wine in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. She took the wine.

  “I’ve never known a better man than him, other than my father. I want the bastard who killed him,” she said, angrily slashing away the tears. “I want him in prison with the scum who killed my family. Dan was family.”

  “We’ll do everything we can to see to it. Troy and Colt are already on the ground.” His mouth was drawn in a straight line. His brown eyes, pinched. He shared her anger.

  “You were all still willing to help me after I insulted you and chased you out.” Still a bit shaky, she used both hands to lift the glass of wine to her lips.

  “It’s not in our make-up to stand down when someone needs help.” Kevin shrugged. “Troy and Colt plan to be discreet.”

  “Let them loose,” she said. “I don’t care who they disturb, as long as someone finds out who did this.”

  22

  Kevin touched base with Troy and Colt while River sequestered herself in her room to talk to Dan’s family. Regardless of what he’d told her, it was evident she took responsibility for her friend’s death. Guilt was a heavy burden to bear. It was no stranger to him or his friends. He wanted to be with River to help her past it. He wanted to be with her—period.

  The timing sucked. It always sucked. She didn’t need some moonstruck medic hovering over her. She was under personal siege and had lost a close friend. She’d had enough sense to back away from their earlier sensual encounters. He needed to show the same common sense. Didn’t she have enough to deal with without getting involved with someone else who’d be leaving her? How would his deployment affect her if they got involved? Who was he kidding? They were already involved.

  A knock on the front door interrupted his musings. Rick slipped in first when Kevin opened the door, followed by Steve and Gib. Each of them carried two six packs of beer. They loaded the refrigerator with the brews, each helping themselves to one as they did. Rick grabbed an extra.

  “You look like you could use one,” he said, holding the bottle out for Kevin.

  “She’s had a rough day,” Kevin explained, twisting the top off the beer. “She’s talking to Dan’s son now. The authorities called earlier and interviewed her.”

  “Shitty day, I’d say,” Gib agreed, taking a pull from his cold one. “Does she have an issue with us being here?”

  “None. She wants Dan’s killer caught. She’s more than happy to have us step in if that’s what it takes.”

  “Interesting lady,” Rick commented. “First she kicks us out because she worries we’ll get hurt. Now it sounds like she’s on a crusade to avenge his killer.”

  “I don’t know about avenge,” Kevin answered. “But she wants the person caught and sharing a cell with her parents’ killers.”

  It wasn’t long before the door to her room opened, followed by the closing of the bathroom door. When she finally rounded the corner into the living area, it was obvious she’d been crying again, but her eyes were now dry. She stood as tall as her short height would allow.

  “I appreciate that you’re willing to help after I was such an ass.” She glanced at each of them. “I owe you all an apology.”

  Gib rose before Kevin could intercept him. “We’re all good,” he said, placing a light kiss on her cheek. “I’d be on edge if I had to spend time around this guy,” he added, nodding in Kevin’s direction. “Say the word and I’ll kick him out so we can be alone.”

  The wink Gib gave her apparently made a crack in her wall of grief. She hesitantly returned his coquettish smile. Despite the source, Kevin was relieved to see it. Timid as it wa
s, it still brightened her face.

  “Is the stone precious?” she asked Rick. Kevin took some satisfaction when she seated herself on the cushion next to him.

  “Extremely. It’s a blue diamond. The FBI should be able to trace its origins. It’s their case now,” he told her.

  “And the murder?”

  “We still have the lead on that, but I suspect it will wind up in their court eventually. We’re working with them for the time being.”

  “Don’t make us pull it out of you,” Kevin warned to Rick, picking up his beer. “Is River safe?”

  “The FBI isn’t happy,” Rick huffed, “but I think so.”

  “You’re driving me nuts,” Gib kneaded his friend. “Spill.”

  “The FBI was brainstorming the idea of keeping the information regarding the stone under wraps. They wouldn’t be able to keep the murder out of the news but staying silent on the whereabouts of the diamond could draw out the interested parties.”

  “Hoping the SATG would make another move to recover it? They want to use it as bait?” Kevin’s question came out a slow growl. Such a plan would put River in the crosshairs again.

  “There was a suggestion to that effect, but that was nixed once word leaked out that the stone was in the possession of the FBI.”

  “Thanks, Rick,” Kevin said, knowing where the leak had originated. “What else have you got?”

  “You first,” Steve said to Rick. “I’ll piggyback on to your findings.”

  Rick pulled out his ever-present notebook. “I’ve talked to the cops who were assigned the case. It’s early. They don’t have much at this point. They’ve confirmed the blow to the head was the cause of death.”

  River scooted closer to Kevin, leaning into him.

  “What else?” Kevin asked, taking her hand—anchoring her.

  “No one saw anyone coming or going from the cabin.”

  “That’s not surprising,” River confirmed. “Its isolation appealed to me. At least it did when I moved in.”

  “They won’t be getting fingerprints off the piece of wood. The surface is too uneven—too rough. There is always the possibility of some DNA if the perpetrator wasn’t wearing gloves, but it will take time.”

  “So, they haven’t found much,” River said.

  “Troy and Colt will go over the place with a fine-tooth comb when they get back in there. The authorities are being helpful, but they don’t have much to share.”

  “What about the FBI?” Gib asked.

  “Why would the FBI get involved?” River cocked her head toward Gib.

  “They were part of the investigation into the death of your parents. This could possibly lead back to their murder.” Gib glanced at the others in the room. “Couldn’t it?”

  “Any connection?” Kevin asked Rick.

  “Nothing is impossible, but I don’t see one—at least not yet. Steve?”

  “You’re the expert on bringing in the Feds, Rick, but something did pop up on Josie’s radar.”

  The air stilled. As a successful freelance journalist, Josie had an extensive list of contacts in the field. What she couldn’t find out herself, she often called on her colleagues in the press for help.

  “Well?” Rick prodded.

  “It may be nothing, but as we know, the Engleharts do not have close family. Strangely, over the past year each of them has been visited by the same person. A minister.”

  “What’s so unusual about that?” Kevin prodded. “It’s not uncommon to have the clergy visit in prison, is it?”

  “No. Some prisons have a minister on staff. Most, however, rely on visiting ministers,” Rick explained. “What put this particular clergyman on Josie’s radar?”

  “According to her contact,” Steve continued, pulling his phone from his back pocket, “the Engleharts had refused all outreach from any ministry prior this particular preacher showing up.”

  “What made this guy so special to the Engleharts? How does he play into River’s problems?” Kevin gave River a quick glance. She was totally focused on Steve, listening intently. Her sadness temporarily pushed aside by the mystery.

  Steve laid his phone on the coffee table and tapped a call button.

  “Hi,” Josie answered.

  “Hey, Babe. I have River, Kevin, Rick and Gib here. Can you explain what you found out about the Engleharts’ visitor?”

  “Hi, everyone,” she started out. The ‘hellos’ flew around the table.

  “This may not mean a damn thing,” Josie warned them. “Hasan is a reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He covers most of their crime beat. He wasn’t there fourteen years ago, but since he landed in North Carolina, he’s kept an ear to the ground with regard to the Engleharts. River, I don’t mean to sound like I’m sensationalizing what happened to your family, but their murders were big news and fourteen years isn’t all that long ago.”

  “Go ahead and tell us what you found out. I know you mean no harm. North Carolina is one big, small town. It’s one of the reasons I have a home in the country—as far away from local gossip as possible.”

  Kevin held River’s hand snuggly. He was rewarded with a warm smile and a quick squeeze back.

  “Okay.” Josie took a deep breath. “Hasan developed an interest in the Engleharts when he took the job at the paper. Other than hurricanes, it was the biggest story the paper had ever covered. He made some connections with Central Prison outside Raleigh, as any good reporter would. The Engleharts aren’t the only interesting inmates housed there. Having a contact on the inside is just good investigative reporting.”

  Josie hesitated. “I feel like one of those paparazzi you were trying so hard to avoid.”

  “Go on,” River prompted. “I can tell the difference and I appreciate you’re helping me out.”

  “A while back, his contact called and told him there was something unusual about a visitor who’d been coming to see the Engleharts. A pastor would visit each family member individually. He wasn’t allowed to see them as a group. It’s against prison policy.”

  “Steve said they’d refused all pastoral offers in the past.”

  “That’s what caught his contact’s attention. Once Hasan had the name of the pastor, he checked further. Joseph Roxbury has a small congregation in Webster, North Carolina…”

  “Webster?” River’s eyebrows almost reached her hairline. “That’s clear across the state. It’s got to be a couple a hundred miles from Raleigh.”

  “Closer to three hundred,” Josie corrected. “And by small congregation, I mean small—twenty people or so and they meet in his barn.”

  “How did he get through to the Engleharts and why did they invite him in?” Rick asked. “I suppose he could be an honest, God-fearing preacher, but then why the small flock?”

  “Six hundred miles round-trip is a lot of driving,” Kevin noted. “How often does he show up? When did this start?”

  “Let her finish.” Steve raised a hand, calling a halt to the questions.

  Everyone stared at the phone on the table as if Josie were perched on it.

  “Hasan interviewed Roxbury, but he didn’t get anything noteworthy out of him. The pastor claimed his visits were private ministry, which didn’t surprise him. Hasan did a bit of background on the Reverend. He’s not a licensed minister. He can’t even marry anyone.”

  “You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you Steve?” Gib laughed, slapping his friend on the back.

  “Not now, Gib.” There was a snap in Steve’s tone.

  “Roxbury,” Josie continued, “appears to have taken up the cloth shortly before he started visiting the Engleharts. He’s not married. No children. Hasan said he’s about forty years old. Roxbury’s name is on the property deed. No mortgage. His mother owned it free and clear. Now he does.”

  “Where is his mother now?” Rick asked.

  “She passed away. Nothing suspicious there,” Josie noted. “Hasan had planned to return for one of Roxbury’s services, but he hasn’t made it back.
The paper has cut staff and the story was going nowhere, so he’s had to put it on the back burner.”

  “It will be on our front burner tomorrow,” Steve announced. “Colt is making the trip to Webster.”

  “I thought he and Troy would be sticking close to River’s place—trying to dig up leads there.” Kevin eyed Steve.

  “You go where the leads take you,” Rick explained. “It may not be much, but it’s the first one we’ve gotten.”

  “Besides, Webster isn’t far from River’s cabin. It shouldn’t take him long to get a read on Roxbury,” Steve added.

  Kevin was extremely aware of Colt’s interrogation skills and his ability to read the tell signs people inadvertently gave off. “Assuming he’s there.”

  “If he can be found, Colt will find him. And Troy’s working on getting in to visit one of the Engleharts,” Steve added.

  “I want to go with him,” River told them. “I need to head back sometime soon anyway.”

  “No, you won’t.” Kevin quickly regretted the words and tone.

  “Don’t start,” she snapped. “I haven’t seen them in fourteen years. If they are behind the harassment or had anything to do with Dan’s murder, I want to see their eyes when I accuse them. I want to be there to see them react.”

  “It might not be a bad idea,” Rick suggested. “Facing the sole survivor of their rampage may set them off. One of them could let something slip.”

  “And what about the agony River will go through seeing them again?”

  He faced River. “It’s not my call and I shouldn’t have said that but think of the pain they’ve already caused you. Do you want to give them even more of your soul?”

  “You have that wrong.” River shot him a pointed look. “They never took any of it. I would give my life to have my family back on this earth, but I would never let them take that part of me. I made sure they got word that I’d moved into the cabin. I wanted them to know they wouldn’t win. I want them to know they still can’t.”

  “You’ve been in touch with the Engleharts?” Steve asked.