Mountain Secrets

by Elizabeth Goddard

  “Are you saying that you drugged her?”

  “Works like a charm. She never even realizes that she’s missing time. She doesn’t have a clue that you hold her life in your hands.”

  Jewel gasped.

  Colin, come on. Find me. Notice I’m gone!

  She’d wanted to escape before Colin found her, and now she wished he would hurry up. He hadn’t let her out of his sight until now. Was he still freaking out over what she’d told him? Still on his phone?

  “Come on.” Buck pushed her away from the visitor center and through the trees, away from the center’s entrance and the channel where The Alabaster Sky had been anchored.

  Jewel thought to fight him. She wouldn’t go willingly. She tensed, preparing to use a self-defense move, but he pressed the weapon to the base of her skull. Fear corded her neck. Could she fight him and live?

  “Don’t even think about it. Remember, you have to think of Meral. You fight me and I’ll make sure she suffers before I kill her.”

  “What kind of monster would kill his own wife?” But she knew. She knew what kind of monster. He was a con artist. He’d never loved Meral. Jewel had seen that from the beginning.

  Buck had turned desperate and was showing his true self now. What had happened to change his tactics?

  He grabbed her hair, sending shards of pain through her head, and shoved her deeper into the woods. Then suddenly he stiffened. He yanked her close and stepped behind a broad cedar tree. Pulling her against his body, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and thrust the gun against the side of her head.

  He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, making her shudder. “One word and you’re dead. Think of Meral.”

  He was pure evil in human form. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears. She’d known, felt it all along.

  What had he heard? Someone following?

  Was it Colin?

  Please, God!

  A minute, maybe two he waited, and with his proximity those seconds felt like an eternity. She was so close she instantly felt when the tension drained from him. His fear of discovery had gone.

  He whispered again. “I’m warning you, Jewel, don’t try your lame self-defense tactics on me. A firearm is the great equalizer. Even if you were a match for me, I’m the one with the gun. I’ve been impressed with your resilience; I’ll give you that. The way you survived that tumble into Dead Man Falls. That alone should have killed you.”

  He grabbed her hair and shoved her forward and away from the tree.

  Jewel stumbled over a root and fell. He didn’t relinquish his hold on her hair, so she cried out, the pain searing. She was sure he would rip her hair out of her scalp. Her eye burned.

  “Get up,” he snapped.

  Using her hands to grab his on her head, she stood up, or more likely she was pulled to her feet. She wanted to do her part to make the slow going even slower, to stall as much as she could. Maybe someone would see them. Maybe Colin would finally discover she was gone and catch up to them. But if she delayed his plans, then the monster would do much worse than rip out her hair before it was over. Kill her and then Meral.

  They marched deeper through the undergrowth that ended when it banked against the glacier.

  “Why kill me? Why not just take what you want?”

  Where was he taking her? Why back toward the glacier?

  “Because I couldn’t get to it—or thought I couldn’t. Our second day at your B and B, I heard you mention to Meral that you’d willed everything to her years ago after your husband died, your way to connect back to your family. Your death would have meant Meral had access to the diamond. I figured you had it in a safe- deposit box in a bank like most people. One quick shove into Dead Man Falls and it would be mine. But no, you had to survive that. Good thing, too. When I saw you sneak up to the attic I knew why.”

  “How? How could you know?” She turned to face him.

  “The same way I know you brought the diamond with you on this trip. I’ve made a living reading people who have things to hide.” He smacked her across the face. Her eyes watered again. “That’s for making me work so hard for it.”

  Cheek burning, Jewel pressed her palm against her face.

  “Keep going.”

  She stood her ground. “Where are we going? Why don’t you just ask me what you want to know? Why drag me out here?”

  “All in good time. We have to get away from your knight in shining armor first. He’s probably on his way to the yacht to look for you. Good thing I made it more difficult. I underestimated you, Jewel. You know how to hide things. Now I’ve had to go to extreme measures. Things would have been so much easier if you had just died any of the times when you were supposed to.”

  He pressed her forward. Jewel shivered, growing tired. Through the forested incline she could see the icy edges of the glacier only a few yards down where it hedged against the mountain on its journey to the channel. Jewel stumbled and fell to her knees again, but this time Buck did not have a hold on her hair.

  He grabbed her arm and jerked her up. Jewel cringed from the pain. He ushered her forward and down, then around a crack in the ice and shoved her into an opening—a cold chute into another ice cave, different from the one they’d explored earlier.

  “Why are you taking me here?” How did he know about this cave at all?

  He forced her ahead of him into the cave without crampons or backpack or gear. Her gloves were stashed in her pack. At least she still wore her jacket. As she climbed over icy boulders and slipped a few times, she was positive this was off the tourist path. Then he shoved her to the ground, where she fell between two boulders and cut her hand on the ice.

  “Nobody will find you here.”

  “So you mean to succeed in killing me this time.”

  “It’s simple, really. If you tell me where the diamond is, you can go back to your police chief and sister. I’ll disappear. When she wakes up, you get to tell her I’m gone. Tell her the truth about why or not. It’s up to you. But either way I’ll disappear with the diamond.”

  Jewel didn’t believe him. Why would he let her go? She could then be a witness against him if he was ever caught. No, once she told him where to find it, he would kill her.

  Jewel pushed up to sitting, the best she could. Pain jabbed her from new injuries and echoed from her recent ones—all due to Buck’s attacks. If only she could have confronted him from the beginning.

  “You can’t just sell a diamond like that. It won’t work.”

  He laughed. A strange sound coming from him.

  “I’m in the business of imports and exports. What do you think that means? I’m a jewel thief and a fence. I already have the connections. I already have a buyer. All I need is the diamond.”

  Jewel squeezed her eyes shut. She never could have imagined this twenty years ago when she’d taken what she’d thought would be a safety net.

  “Come on, Jewel. The diamond for Meral’s life.”

  “She’s your wife.”

  “And your sister.”

  “Answer me this, did you ever really love her?”

  “She’s a beautiful woman with top-notch society connections. Marrying her had more than a few benefits. But what you’re missing here is that Meral married me for my money. She doesn’t really love me, although she’s convinced herself that she does. She likes to think of it all as a fairy tale. But the truth is she loves that I can provide a comfortable life for her. Her last husband depleted her funds. Meral was broke.”

  “But if you have money, why go to such lengths for this diamond? Why marry a woman you don’t even love?”

  His smirk speared through her. “I’m in business. I must keep generating revenue, and we’ve had a few hard years.”

  Jewel hung her head, wanting to get as much truth out of him as she could, if she cou
ld trust anything he said. “Does she... Does Meral know the truth about you? Was Meral in on your plans to steal the diamond?”

  “No. Meral’s habit of turning a blind eye, and not wanting to see the ugly truth of how things really are, is how her first husband got away with draining their accounts. She learned years ago, probably while she was still at home with your family, not to let herself notice things that might upset her and simply look the other way when it suited her. And because she did, you were able to get away with the Krizan Diamond when you stole it and left to marry a poor man. She shared the truth about you and the Krizan Diamond with me, her soul mate, the first night we were together as lovers. That same night I knew I should propose. It’s a gift, really. A sixth sense for a big opportunity that has paid off well in business dealings. And Meral accepted. After all, I was charming and had money. Marrying me would benefit her. She dressed it up in more romantic thoughts, but getting married was a mutually beneficial business arrangement.”

  Jewel nodded, understanding things better now. It fit with the image she had of her sister to learn that Meral wouldn’t choose to do something she felt was wrong...but she’d be easily convinced to look the other way when someone else did something wrong—as had Jewel years ago.

  “Now time’s up,” he said. He tugged some plastic straps from his pocket.

  “Buck, no. You can’t leave me in here, tied up so I can’t even move. I’ll freeze to death.”

  He gestured with his head. “You’ve got your coat. But I stashed a few blankets. You’ll be fine. I just need time to verify you’ve told me the truth. If I find it, then I’ll make a call and let someone know where you are. And if I don’t, then I’ll be back with a piece of Meral.”

  Right. If he found it, then he would leave her here to die, or come back and kill her himself. Either way she was dead.

  Buck shifted toward her, lifted her chin with the muzzle of his gun. “Now, Jewel. Where did you hide the diamond?”

  * * *

  Colin stood outside the cave listening, getting most of what Buck said, but missing a few words.

  He’d come around the building in time to see movement in the woods and had followed his gut. Even though The Alabaster Sky was already cruising away from the glacier, and Jewel should have been heading that direction trying to catch the boat before it was out of sight, he had listened to his instincts.

  That had paid off.

  He hadn’t gotten a chance to attack Buck, to free Jewel from his grasp, because the man had had a weapon pointing at her head the whole time. With the trees and brush hindering his view, getting a shot off at Buck would have been too risky.

  No. Colin had to wait for the right time, and now that time had come. Buck would be leaving Jewel here. Colin could wait until he left to free her, but if she didn’t tell Buck the truth about the diamond, he might kill Meral before he came back for Jewel. There could be another murder on Buck’s hands. On Colin’s conscience.

  Better to arrest the man now after both Colin and Jewel had heard the man’s confession. Buck had been the attacker that day at the falls. But he hadn’t said a thing about Jed. Colin needed that confession, too. He needed something concrete.

  “Winters,” the man called from inside the cave. “Come on in.”

  Heart jumping up his throat, Colin sank away behind the tree. No, no, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go down. He’d put in a call for help, but it would take too long for backup to arrive.

  “Jewel is waiting for you, Chief Winters. Join the party.”

  Jewel cried out in pain.

  He couldn’t leave her in there alone with this murderer. He had no choice and felt as if once again he was becoming entangled in a fight he wasn’t smart enough or strong enough to win. If he’d been the first to attack, the one to surprise Buck, then this would all be over.

  He hadn’t brought his department-issued Glock on this venture, but his personal SIG P224. A compact 9-millimeter pistol he could hide out of sight—which he did, tucking it away carefully under his jacket along with an extra magazine loaded with ammo before he strode into the cave.

  Buck pointed his weapon point-blank at Jewel, who sat on the ground. When she glanced up at Colin, sorrow spilled from her gaze, followed by fear and something more.

  Determination.

  Good girl.

  She was doing better than Colin right now. Seeing her helpless, a man aiming a gun on her, nearly drove Colin to his knees. But he kept standing and allowed adrenaline to course through him. Fire up his nerves. Reinforce his muscles.

  “Good,” Buck said. “I wouldn’t expect any less of you. Now, hand over your weapon. The nine millimeter you like to stash out of sight when you’re off duty.”

  A few choice words ran through Colin’s head. A few scenarios tortured him. Like pulling out the weapon and firing at Buck. Dropping him then and there. But Jewel. What about Jewel? She could get caught in the cross fire.

  He pulled the SIG from his back and set it on the ground. His gaze fell on Jewel, who stared at the ground now. Did she think Colin had failed her? He hadn’t given up yet, and if he knew anything about Jewel, she hadn’t either. They would get their chance.

  “Now kick it over to me and back away.” Odd that the man would smile now. “You know, I think I was subconsciously hoping you’d find me here with Jewel. Sure, it would be simpler if this game ends with me getting the diamond and disappearing with no muss and no fuss. But seeing you here makes me happy. You are part of what made it more fun.”

  “You’re demented.”

  “Oh, you have no idea.” He inched away from Jewel, still aiming his weapon at her. Knowing that she was his leverage now.

  This was exactly what Colin had hoped to avoid. In the meantime, he needed to keep him talking. Get him talking about himself, buy some time and maybe Colin would get his chance to end this for good.

  “You’re wondering what I’m still doing alive, aren’t you?”

  “No. I figured it out. You’re Brock’s twin brother.”

  “Took you long enough. You know what you haven’t figured out? Brock wasn’t the one to steal those jewels or kill anyone—not the woman getting robbed or your witness, the woman you loved.”

  Anger boiled, frothing red-hot magma ready to erupt as he thought back to that time.

  Colin had been a detective in Texas investigating a jewel thief and murderer. The victim arrived home and surprised the thief. Colin had a witness—the woman’s neighbor, Katelyn Morrison. Over time as Colin investigated, even though it was against the rules, Katelyn had become the love of his life. He’d hoped she would say yes when he proposed, but he’d always feared he wasn’t good enough—her being independently wealthy while he was just a lowly police officer.

  Colin had been near wrapping up the case so he and Katelyn could get on with their lives when she had been murdered. The only witness, the only real evidence, gone. No one had known about his relationship with Katelyn, and he went on to investigate her murder, too. Brock Ammerman had been charged and put on trial. The DNA evidence found at the scene pointed to Brock. But he’d had a solid alibi. He’d been emceeing at a conference two hundred miles away during the time the murder had been committed. Hundreds of witnesses proved that. The DNA evidence at the scene of the crime had been shot down as being tampered with in some way.

  Colin hadn’t seen that coming. He should have bided his time and gathered more evidence. Buck had gotten away with murdering the woman he loved because Colin had acted too quickly, before all the facts were in and he’d had the wrong man all along—Buck’s twin brother, Brock.

  Keep talking, Buck, and I just might rush you and kill you with my bare hands.

  “That was all me. That’s why you couldn’t get the conviction. Couldn’t make your charges stick, Chief. And it was that kind of planning, because we share the same DNA, that made Brock and I a
successful duo. Partners in crime.”

  “How did you keep it a secret? How did others not know you had a twin?”

  “Simple. We had no idea either until we were in our late twenties. We had been adopted out, separated at birth. I don’t think that’s even legal these days. Have you ever read those stories about twins that are separated? How they dress the same, marry women with the same name, maybe even pick the same names for their children?”

  Colin nodded, grasping the truth. “You ran into each other in the same career.”

  “Trying to steal the same gem. Imagine our surprise, but we were smart enough to realize we could use that to our advantage. Together we were able to exponentially increase our potential as jewel thieves. After that we wondered how we had ever worked alone before. And we excelled until you came along and killed my brother. But you killed the wrong brother.”

  “It was in self-defense.” Colin wouldn’t beg for his life, though.

  “You ruined everything. When I learned of the missing diamond from Meral, I did my research and found Jewel easily enough. Giving the gift of a reunion with her sister seemed the fitting thing to do for a wedding present. But I always research the law entities where I’ll be working, too, and that’s when I discovered you were chief of police in Mountain Cove.”

  His smile twisted into the familiar smirk. “What a thrill to go another round with you, especially when you had no idea I even existed. I could get my revenge. A life for a life. I could kill the woman you loved. Again. After all, you killed my twin brother.”

  That was it.

  Colin exploded in fury and rammed into Buck.

  Gunfire blasted in his ear.

  FIFTEEN

  Covering her head, Jewel turned and scrambled behind one of the boulders near where she’d been sitting. From there she peered out and prayed for Colin. Bullets ricocheted off the ice walls from two weapons. Colin had grabbed his own gun, and the two fought each other in a deadly battle.

  A massive block of ice crashed down, shattering in an explosive display. Fragments hit dangerously close to where Colin wrestled with Buck for the upper hand.