Line of Duty (Fog Lake Suspense Book 4)

by Christy Barritt

He blanched yet again. Another detail that Abby hadn’t shared with him. Was that because she was guilty? Jaxon didn’t want to believe that was a possibility. Only a few minutes ago, he’d been convinced that she was innocent and had just been dealt a bad hand. But what if that wasn’t the case?

  He ran a hand over the top of his head and wondered what he should do.

  He needed to tell Luke what he had found out. He probably already knew, but just in case he didn’t, Jaxon had to share this.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Though Abby tried to lie in bed and rest, there was no chance she would be relaxing. Not with everything that had happened.

  She’d been a fool to accept Jaxon’s offer of help. Not only did he think she could be guilty, but, if the Executioner did find her, Jaxon would become a target also. She couldn’t exploit his kindness. She’d never forgive herself for doing so.

  Abby knew without a doubt that she could no longer stay here. She had no idea where she would go or how she would get there. But certainly in this day and age there was another way out of town.

  She knew there were no buses here. Jaxon had told her there were no Ubers. Abby couldn’t imagine any passenger trains coming through here either.

  Abby frowned. Other than hiking or calling someone she knew, there were very few ways for her to get out of town. Besides, Sheriff Wilder had told her she needed to stay in Fog Lake.

  She frowned. She didn’t want to stay here. Not only did the Executioner know she was in the area, but she was out of resources, and she had no one to trust.

  You’re a smart girl, Abby. You run your own bakery. You even received some awards for your work. Certainly you can figure out a way to end this.

  No good ideas formed in her mind.

  Maybe she would ask Jaxon if she could borrow a few bucks, just to get her out of town. Like she’d told him earlier, she didn’t like living off charity. She would pay him back.

  She stood. It was the only solution she could think of. She had no other choice at this point.

  Slowly, Abby made her way downstairs. She paused as she reached Jaxon’s door. Before she could knock, Jaxon’s voice floated out.

  “I think she really might be guilty, Luke . . . that’s what all the evidence points to . . . I don’t want to believe it either.”

  Jaxon wasn’t going to help her, she realized. She was on her own. She turned and glanced behind her at Fog Lake. If she followed the edge of the lake, it would eventually lead her back into town. Once she was there, maybe she could figure out something.

  But what if the Executioner met her on the way?

  Fear wracked her body at the thought. But right now she had no other choice.

  She had to get out of here.

  Abby couldn’t stop glancing around her as she followed the edge of the lake. There were sandy stretches of shoreline, followed by rocky areas, followed by parts thick with trees that were difficult to navigate. That wasn’t to mention how frigidly cold it was out here. She’d heard somebody in the diner even mention that it might snow today. The air definitely had that feel.

  Another tear formed into the corner of her eye. She quickly wiped it away.

  She was so tired of crying. She thought she had gotten past that. But everything that had happened here in the past two days had shaken her to her core. This wasn’t something that was going to go away. It was something that she was going to have to deal with—and she needed to deal with it head-on.

  On one hand, it felt great to get everything off her chest and to bring the truth into the light. On the other hand, seeing the way Jaxon had reacted had been sobering. This was something that she would have to live with for the rest of her life.

  Farther down the shoreline, she saw the docks around the harbor area near downtown. If she could just make it there, she could figure out something. Most likely, she would call Renee for help.

  Abby didn’t want to pull her friend into this, but she had no other choice at this point. She would either borrow someone’s cell phone or see if she could find a pay phone. But, one way or another, she had to talk to Renee.

  As Abby navigated around another boulder, her blood froze. What was that sound?

  Her feet rooted where she stood.

  She glanced around but saw no one. She’d seen no one since she started her walk. It was too cold for anyone to be on the water, and most normal people were bundled inside their houses.

  Maybe it had just been a squirrel, she rationalized. That made sense.

  But she knew the truth. It could have been the Executioner.

  What were the chances that he’d already discovered where she was staying?

  Abby wanted to think that the chances were slim, but what did she really know?

  She was obviously a terrible judge of character. Her head throbbed at the thought. Or was that her heart? She wasn’t sure. Maybe it was both.

  There the noise was again.

  A sound out there didn’t fit with her surroundings.

  She kept moving but glanced over her shoulder, looking for something to signal where the noise was coming from.

  That’s when she realized what it was.

  Someone was whistling.

  Her lungs tightened until she could hardly breathe. It was the same song the Executioner had been whistling when he’d chased her through the woods yesterday. She was sure of it.

  Where had she heard it before? Someone she’d known had played or sang it. “Little Red Riding Hood.”

  The Executioner was here. He’d found her. Now he was going to finish what he had started.

  She tried to scream but couldn’t.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jaxon headed upstairs to Abby’s apartment. He still wasn’t sure how to react to her or what he was going to say. But Luke needed him to bring her down to the station for more questions. Again.

  After all the new facts he’d learned, Jaxon found it hard to think she would be able to stay here. Or that he would be able to act like everything was okay. What Abby had done had been equally as horrific as what Patrick Finnegan had done. She’d played it off so well, never even mentioning why people might suspect her being involved.

  He shook his head. Some people were disgusting.

  He knocked then stood outside her door and waited. There was no answer and no noise inside.

  Irritation snaked up his spine. What was she doing in there?

  Jaxon knocked again, faster and louder this time. Again, he waited. And again, there was no sound inside.

  His irritation turned into a moment of concern. He grabbed the handle and twisted. The apartment was unlocked.

  With a healthy amount of caution, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open. “Abby?”

  No answer.

  Jaxon scanned the inside of the place. It was small, the only walls being for the bathroom and a small closet. There weren’t that many places to hide.

  He didn’t see Abby anywhere.

  He supposed she could be in the shower, but Jaxon didn’t think so. She was gone, wasn’t she?

  Concern squeezed his heart. No matter what happened between them or what the accusations were that had been leveled toward her, she was clearly in danger now and didn’t need to be alone. Had she fled out of guilt?

  Jaxon didn’t know, and it didn’t really matter.

  Quickly, he checked the bathroom and the closet. Abby was definitely gone. He needed to find her. Not only was she in danger, but Luke needed to talk to her.

  After he told Luke what he’d discovered, Luke also told him about a discovery. A body had been found in the woods near Abby’s cabin. Whoever this man was that was after her, he wasn’t someone to be messed with.

  And, in order to find the killer, Jaxon needed to find Abby.

  Abby’s gaze swung around. Where was he? All she saw was the lake. The woods. Nothing else.

  But he was here somewhere. And he was watching.

  As she heard the whistle again, fear trickled down her spine.
One moment, it sounded like it came from the woods, and the next it sounded like it came from a different direction. The sound echoed over the lake, as if nature played a trick on her.

  Abby couldn’t just stand here. She had to keep moving.

  Her lungs tightened until she could hardly breathe. Images of what the man had threatened to do to her played over and over in her head. If the Executioner caught her, she was going to experience pain like she had never imagined. Death didn’t necessarily scare her, but the process of dying felt terrifying.

  She scrambled over some rocks. They were still slippery from this morning’s frost. Flakes of icy precipitation floated from the sky and made everything even more slick.

  Be careful, Abby. You can’t afford to mess up again. No more slips or falls. If you do, next time you might not be so lucky.

  Her foot ached where she’d cut it while running barefoot yesterday. The faster she moved, the heavier she breathed and the more her head pulsed.

  What had the doctor told her? That she should refrain from doing any vigorous activities?

  Abby had little choice right now. She scrambled over another rock and then slid down the other side. As she did, her shoe hit a puddle of water below her, and moisture spread up her jeans.

  She shivered as the icy cold lake water shocked her skin.

  Again, that was the least of her concerns. She had to keep moving. Her life depended on it.

  The whistles were louder. It was almost like the man moved more quickly toward her. But how could he whistle if he was hustling to catch up with her?

  Abby had no idea. But that fact only made his presence even more eerie.

  How had he found her? Had he seen her in town and followed her here?

  Dear Lord, I know I don’t deserve saving, but I’d really love some help right now.

  The rocky shore ended, and thick trees formed a blockade in front of her. On the other side, a steep embankment led into the water. Abby was going to have to navigate around the landscape somehow.

  Just beyond this obstacle, another cleared shoreline appeared. Was another rental cottage there? She had a feeling it was.

  The whistling came from behind her. Abby felt certain. That meant she needed to keep moving forward.

  But, as she did, her foot continued to ache and her head to pound.

  She was going to have to force herself to move. Otherwise, she was going to die trying to escape. Whatever happened, she was going to fight to the bitter end.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jaxon stepped outside the cabin and scanned everything around him for a sign of where Abby had gone. He saw no indication.

  As he hurried to the steps, his gaze homed in on the path stretching from the stairs to the lake.

  There were footprints in the soft ground there. Small ones. Prints that could easily belong to Abby.

  Had she left and headed toward the lake?

  Jaxon followed the steps to the sandy shore around the water. He felt certain that this was the way Abby had gone. It made sense, he supposed. Following the lake would be a more direct path into the town. The road was winding as it twisted along the mountains—not to mention, there was little edge to walk on.

  He searched the shoreline, but he couldn’t see very much. Fog still covered the area, concealing most of the landscape around him.

  Jaxon knew which direction Abby was heading. He also knew the basic layout of the area—knew about each of the houses between his and downtown.

  With that in mind, Jaxon hopped into his truck and took off down the road. He would follow the shoreline and stop at various places along the perimeter of the lake to see if he could spot her. Abby couldn’t have gotten that far on foot. He still had a chance to catch her.

  Most of the houses weren’t occupied at this time of the year, so Jaxon didn’t foresee any trouble checking them.

  His heart throbbed in his ears as he headed down the road. There was a killer out there targeting Abby. He didn’t know what role Abby had in the murder of Theresa Finnegan, but he’d like to think she deserved the benefit of the doubt, at least.

  He saw the mailbox up ahead and turned onto the gravel lane leading to a cabin by the water. As he suspected, there was no one here. Leaving his keys in the ignition, he hopped out and jogged toward the lake. His gaze scanned everything around him, but he saw no one.

  Jaxon really needed this fog to clear so he could see better. But he knew that probably wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.

  Out of curiosity, he knelt down on the sandy shore.

  Footsteps. These matched the ones at his house.

  Abby had been here. Now it was just a matter of catching her.

  He headed back to his truck and hopped inside. Putting the vehicle into Drive, he continued to follow the lake. The next house was probably a quarter mile away. Maybe—just maybe—Abby had made it that far.

  Jaxon reached the next gravel driveway and pulled down it. A massive chalet waited there, again with no cars in the driveway. He hopped out and started toward the shoreline. He needed to let Abby know that he was looking.

  He paused on the sandy shores again and glanced to his left then to his right. He hoped and prayed he would spot Abby.

  Everything felt eerily quiet and still around him. But he didn’t see Abby.

  Just as before, he glanced at the ground, looking for those same footprints.

  His breath caught when he finally saw them. He knelt down and ran his finger along the shoeprint there.

  These were Abby’s. She’d been here.

  Jaxon lifted his head and looked around. Where was she now? He had a hard time believing she was far away. “Abby?”

  No response.

  A sound behind him caught his ear.

  Was that a stick breaking?

  The noise was undercut by another.

  Was that a . . . bird?

  No, he realized, everything else suddenly feeling dull around him.

  Someone was whistling.

  Jaxon’s muscles tensed.

  He should have brought his gun. But he’d left too quickly.

  The next instant, he heard someone yell his name. Something hit him, and he collided with the sand just as a gunshot rang out.

  Abby heard the tires on the gravel and darted behind a tree. She needed just a moment to catch her breath. She knew she didn’t have much time.

  Every second she wasted gave the Executioner another chance to catch her.

  But she’d heard a vehicle arrive. Maybe it was someone who could help her.

  Her hands pressed into the tree as the icy air froze her lungs.

  Or maybe it was somehow connected with the Executioner.

  She didn’t know what to think or what the best move was.

  Get a grip, Abby. You mess this up, and there are no re-dos. If this guy grabs you, you’re a goner.

  Then she heard it. Her name.

  “Abby!”

  Her lungs froze. She knew that voice. Jaxon.

  What was he doing here?

  As she peered out from behind the tree, another figure appeared in the woods on the other side of the open shoreline. It was a man wearing a blue hat and a blue coat. Just as before, she couldn’t make out any other details. She only knew with a startling certainty that he was the Executioner.

  He was there. Maybe twenty feet away.

  Fear curled around her, squeezing so tightly that Abby couldn’t breathe.

  The man didn’t look at her, though. He was focused on the new voice that came their way.

  Jaxon.

  The Executioner slipped behind a tree.

  Abby’s gaze swerved to Jaxon as he walked toward the shoreline, no doubt looking for her.

  She fisted her hands until her fingernails cut into her skin. Jaxon shouldn’t have come. He should have let her go.

  Her eyes went back to the Executioner, but he was gone.

  Panic surged through her. Where was he?

  That’s when she saw him again.
Just barely.

  He was still behind that tree and probably out of sight from Jaxon, based on the angle where they were standing.

  Abby sucked in a breath when she saw something shiny there.

  The Executioner had a . . . gun.

  A gun? That didn’t fit his MO.

  But Abby didn’t have time to think about that right now.

  She saw Jaxon stand from where he’d knelt in the sand. He’d been tracking her, she realized. She must have left footprints behind. Of course.

  Her worst fears were about to be confirmed.

  Because of her, Jaxon was now in danger.

  The Executioner raised his gun.

  Abby had to do something.

  Please, Lord. Give me strength now.

  Pushing aside her fear, she darted from her hiding place. Running as fast as she could, she headed toward Jaxon. Her foot throbbed with pain, but she ignored it.

  First, Jaxon.

  She had to get to him before a bullet did. “Jaxon!”

  Still three feet away, a burst of energy propelled her. She dove across the sand and tackled Jaxon.

  They both hit the ground as the first bullet rang out.

  Jaxon looked up at her, his eyes wide and startled. “Abby?”

  “You’re not safe here.” Panic still scrambled through her system.

  That man was still out there. He still had a gun. And they were exposed with nothing to protect them.

  Jaxon turned so that his body covered hers. Transforming into the soldier that he was, he looked into the distance. Another gunshot rang out, this time hitting sand beside them.

  “We’ve got to move,” Jaxon said.

  Before Abby could ask any questions, he took her hand and pulled her toward the trees. “Stay low!”

  Just as they reached the patch of woods, another bullet flew through the air. It came close enough that Abby smelled the smoky, acidic scent of the gunpowder.

  Jaxon stowed her behind a tree and lingered beside her.

  “We’ve got to get out of here.” Jaxon drew in several deep breaths, his adrenaline obviously pumping.