Mountain Secrets

by Elizabeth Goddard

  The thief’s light bobbed through the forest maybe twenty yards from where they were. Jason scanned the landscape below. It was hard to discern much of anything. He chose his path and made a run for it, knowing that Isabel would be right behind him. He put his foot forward but found only air.

  The hill dropped off abruptly. He lost his balance. He tumbled, rolling through the snow. He righted himself. The chill of the snow soaked through his skin. Isabel came to a stop beside him.

  A gunshot reverberated through the silence as the light came toward them. The noise of the fall had been enough for the thief to find them. Cold and wet, he grabbed Isabel’s hand and made a run for it, coming out on the road behind the running car.

  Another gunshot stirred up snow in front of them. Isabel stumbled. He pulled her toward the car. The thief emerged from the trees, lifting his gun. Jason pulled Isabel to the ground as the third shot whizzed over them.

  She bolted to her feet and raced toward the car. Jason pulled his gun from his waistband and fired a shot to deter the thief. He didn’t want anybody to die here tonight.

  The thief dodged back toward a tree. Isabel climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. Jason raced toward the car, grabbing the back-door handle as Isabel eased the car forward. He jumped in as another gunshot shattered the back window. Jason stayed low in the seat. Isabel hit the gas and sped down the road.

  They’d have to turn around and go past the thief one more time if they were to get to town. The car rumbled down the road. Though it swerved on the unplowed pavement, Isabel kept it moving.

  Jason glanced at the shattered back window.

  Isabel stared straight ahead. “Just looking for a place to get turned around.” Her calmness surprised him. She waited until she found a shoulder and performed a three-point turn with ease.

  “Nice driving.”

  “Thanks. I’ve had a little experience.”

  He wondered what she meant by that. “He’ll be waiting for us.”

  She focused on the road in front of her. “I know, but there is no other way off this mountain.”

  He liked that she was so cool under pressure. They rounded a curve. They weren’t far from where they’d left the shooter. Jason pulled his gun out, rolled the window down and then crouched low in the back seat. Isabel did the same, though she had to stay high enough to see the road.

  He listened to the rhythm of the car’s tires rolling over the compressed snow where they’d driven before while he watched the trees for a flash of light or movement. He held his breath.

  Isabel increased the speed of the car.

  Tension threaded through his chest as he rested the barrel of the gun on the windowsill.

  A single gunshot boomed through the air. Jason caught a flare of gunfire by the trees close to the road. He aimed his gun in that direction. The car fishtailed and swerved.

  “I think he must have hit the radiator or something vital.” Isabel sounded like she was speaking through gritted teeth. “I’m going to take this thing as far as it will go.”

  The car limped along down the dark road. The engine began to chug and then quit altogether.

  Isabel sat behind the wheel, staring out at the darkness.

  After a long moment, Jason said, “There must be a house between here and town.”

  “Not on the main road there isn’t,” she said.

  “Maybe hidden back in the trees. We’d see the lights at this hour.”

  “Maybe.” Isabel nodded. “There’s that convenience store that sells fishing supplies in the summer. Maybe the owner lives there. Must be a couple of miles. Course, everything seems closer when you’re driving.”

  A heaviness seemed to descend into the car. All of these ideas for getting to safety were long shots at best.

  He pushed open his door, stepped out and reached for Isabel’s door handle. Preparing to trek through the snow—again—he didn’t need to see her face clearly to know that she was feeling the same despair as he was.

  They hurried down the road, both of them looking over their shoulders from time to time. Maybe they had gotten enough of a head start on the thief to outrun him. Jason’s feet padded on the fluffy snow. He scanned the area around them, peering through the trees for any sign of a dwelling. Isabel trudged beside him, her shoulders slumping forward.

  “We’re going to make it.” Jason tried to sound upbeat. “We’ve made it this far.”

  She just kept lumbering ahead.

  At one point, he had a view of the road below them with the switchbacks. No sign of any cars. The storm had dumped a ton of snow. Though no rational civilian would go out at this hour after such a downfall, he’d hoped to maybe see snowplows or the highway patrol.

  Snow swirled out of the dark sky. Under different circumstances, the scene would have seemed almost serene.

  Isabel stopped and turned toward the forest. “I thought I saw a light.”

  He followed the line of her gaze as a lump formed in his throat. Seconds ticked by and he saw only the shadowy outline of the trees. Was this just wishful thinking on her part?

  “There.” She grabbed his arm just above the elbow and pointed with her free hand.

  He still didn’t see anything. “Isabel, I—”

  “I know what I saw.” She planted her feet and continued to stare.

  He glanced up the road, half expecting to see their pursuer. He caught the flash of illumination and turned to where Isabel was looking.

  A light emerged from the trees and seemed to be gliding across the landscape. A cross-country skier with a headlamp and reflective clothing.

  Isabel took off running. She shouted. The skier stopped, turned and came toward them.

  Isabel spoke breathlessly. “Can you help us? Our car went off the road.”

  With her hat and gear on, it was hard to judge the skier’s age. She wore a reflective vest that looked official. Her gaze moved from Isabel to Jason.

  “Are you avalanche patrol?” Jason asked, hoping to allay the woman’s suspicions.

  “Yes. With all the snowfall, I thought I’d better get out and have a look. Plus, there’s nothing in the world like skiing at night in the silence.”

  “Please, if we could just use your phone.”

  The desperation in Isabel’s voice must have won the woman over. “My place is back through the trees. You can call, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone come get you until the plows have been up this way. They get them out as soon as the storm lets up, so I would say another hour or so.”

  The woman led them back to a small trailer that had been skirted around the bottom to keep the plumbing from freezing. They followed her into the tiny space. The woman tore her hat off, revealing braids and a bright smile. She probably wasn’t more than twenty.

  She did a half turn in her trailer. “It’s not much. But they pay me to ski, so I can’t complain.” She grabbed a phone off the counter and handed it to Jason. “You’ll have to go outside to get a signal. I’ll put a kettle on for tea.”

  Jason took the phone and stepped outside.

  His contact at the Bureau would be the best choice. That way he could run the idea of going undercover past them. They’d been through a lot tonight, but maybe he could turn it around for the best.

  The biggest concern was Isabel. She didn’t need to be caught up in the middle of this, but the thieves had seen her. Even now he felt himself drawn to her. She was a hard person to read. That kind of complexity intrigued him. More than anything, he wanted to protect her.

  His contact picked up on the third ring. “Michael?”

  “Hey, Jason, we were starting to worry about you.”

  Jason gave the edited version of what had happened and his approximate location. Michael agreed to send an agent to pick them up and decided on a location to meet them when they got to town. He and Isabel
would probably have to hike out to the road to be seen. He’d have to make arrangements for his van to be towed from the location.

  When he clicked off the phone, he was surprised to see Isabel standing in front of him. Her arms crossed over her chest.

  “My friend will come and get us.”

  “You owe me an explanation for what happened here tonight. I could lose my job for the mess that house was left in.”

  Yes, things might work out for the best with the investigation. But then there was the problem of Isabel’s safety and her demand to know more.

  SEVEN

  It was still dark when Jason’s friend picked them up. The echo of the snowplows clearing the roads seemed to be everywhere. From the vantage point on the mountain where they stood waiting, Isabel could see three sets of headlights clearing different roads of the snow.

  A truck approached them and slowed.

  Jason waved and the truck came to a stop. He opened the door for her to get into the front seat and then climbed in beside her.

  “Thanks for coming to get us, Larry,” Jason said.

  “No problem.” Larry had graying temples and a beak-like nose. Though he wore a ski jacket, something about him seemed very formal or official in some way.

  Back at the trailer, Jason had still not offered her an explanation that made sense. He’d been evasive.

  She didn’t think he was a criminal or up to no good anymore. He’d kept her alive at the risk of his own safety and stayed with her through everything. Why, then, was he keeping secrets from her?

  They were squeezed like sardines in the cab of the truck.

  She let out a heavy breath, relaxing for the first time since she’d had a knife put to her throat at the Wilsons’ house.

  “I can’t wait to go home, take a hot shower and get some sleep.” A few hours, anyway. She had some explaining to do to her boss about the condition the Wilsons’ home had been left in. The broken vase in the entryway, the shattered window in the studio... The groceries she was supposed to stock were still in her car, which was wedged against a tree. Her stomach clenched. Would she even have a job after all this? She couldn’t tell Mary the truth. It sounded too outrageous. Always there was the fear that because she had a record, she would be suspected if any crime took place in her proximity. Mary had been nothing but supportive of her, but other people hadn’t been so kind.

  “Actually, Isabel, I need you to come with me.” Jason’s gaze darted to Larry. “Can you drop us off at Ralph’s Café? I’ll borrow your phone and have Michael meet us there.”

  Larry nodded and handed over his phone. Really, their interactions didn’t seem like they were friends, more like coworkers. And who was this Michael person and what was Jason up to? Her stomach tightened. “Wait a minute. I need to get home. I have to be at work in four hours. And I don’t have access to a car anymore.”

  Jason gripped her hand. “This is important for both our sakes.”

  Something in the force of his voice told her protest would be futile.

  She pressed her back against the seat. “Just for the record, I need to keep this job and I need a car that runs.”

  They drove toward town in silence as a dozen anxious thoughts whirled through Isabel’s head. She’d been so focused on staying alive, she hadn’t had time to process what all that had happened meant for her future. By this afternoon, the Wilsons would be arriving to a home that was in disarray—or worse, where the thieves were hiding out. She needed to make sure the Wilsons weren’t going into an unsafe situation.

  “I’ll go with you, but you have to let me call my boss in a little bit.” Mary wouldn’t be waking up for at least another hour, well before the Wilsons were set to arrive.

  “We can do that.” Jason nodded and then pressed the numbers on the phone and spoke to the man he called Michael.

  Anxious thoughts pounded through her mind. What would she tell Mary? That thieves had been in the house, and she’d had to flee. The short version would be the best. Still nervous, she laced her gloved hands together.

  They pulled up to an all-night café on the edge of town. Jason opened the passenger-side door, thanked Larry and held out a hand for Isabel to step down from the big truck.

  He locked onto her with his blue eyes, watching her. “I’m sorry about all of this,” he said.

  The soft features of his face, the warmth of his voice. He seemed so sincere.

  “Please, my job is very important to me.”

  He took her hand and led her toward the café. “I’m going to try to get this straightened out.”

  They went inside the café. Only a waitress and the cook were inside. Jason chose a corner booth.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.” Her stomach rumbled on cue.

  The waitress, who had orange hair, sauntered toward them. She had to be at least in her seventies. “What can I get you two?”

  They both ordered burgers and milkshakes.

  A car pulled into the parking lot. A moment later, a tall man got out and stepped inside. He held a computer. Jason rose to his feet. “I need to talk to Michael alone.”

  More secrets.

  A weariness settled into Isabel’s muscles. She needed sleep. The two men took a booth at the other end of the room with Michael facing her. The older man flipped open his computer and started typing while Jason spoke to him. Jason pulled out the bookmark wrapped in cardboard and handed it over to Michael. The conversation went on for several minutes with Jason doing most of the talking. Though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, she could read lips enough to know that Michael had said, “Sun and Ski Property Management.” He glanced in Isabel’s direction and then proceeded to type on his keypad.

  Jason turned his head to look at her. Though she believed Jason could be trusted, suspicion and fear niggled at the corners of her mind. She’d trusted Nick Solomon too. She hadn’t dated since Nick, fearing that she might only be able to attract another bad boy. Jason and Michael caused that doubt to come back into her head. Not that she saw him as dating material, but what if she was wrong about Jason? Why was he insisting that she stay close and not letting her go home? What if he was up to no good?

  * * *

  While Michael pulled up files pertinent to the investigation, Jason tried to push past the tension knotting the muscles in his neck. Would the Bureau be open to the idea of his going undercover or would he be out of a job after tonight’s fiasco?

  After a moment, Michael spoke while still staring at the computer screen. “I thought the name Sun and Ski Property Management sounded familiar. It seems they manage a lot of the properties where the thefts have taken place.” He glanced toward Isabel. “Are you sure your new friend can be trusted?”

  He’d spent a harrowing night with her, both of them fighting for each other’s lives. “I believe so, yes.”

  “Maybe she’s clean, but that doesn’t mean Sun and Ski isn’t somehow involved.” Michael scratched his chin. “They would certainly know when houses were vacant and have security codes.”

  “If we could just get her some protection. She saw the thieves more clearly than I did, and they can probably identify her.”

  “You said that the thieves think the two of you are partners.”

  “Yes, but it’s too dangerous to ask her to become involved in the investigation,” Jason said.

  “Look, find out what her last name is. We’ll run a check on her. Meanwhile hang close to her and see what you can find out about Sun and Ski. That will give her some protection. The couriers are pretty low-level thugs. Chances are their desire for revenge will blow over in twenty-four hours.”

  “I’m not so sure. They were pretty determined. And now they think we’ve horned in on their profit margin and can identify them,” said Jason.

  “Take her to the city police station and see if she can iden
tify the two men she saw at the house. Maybe we can get them picked up for something else.”

  “Isabel deserves an explanation. All she knows is that I’m a PI.”

  “For now, we need to keep her in the dark,” Michael said.

  The waitress moved across the floor, holding two plates, but hesitated when she saw Jason at a different table.

  “Why don’t you go eat?” Michael closed his computer. “I’ll make arrangements for a ride.” He tossed a set of keys on the table. “You take her down to the police station.”

  Jason motioned for the waitress to take the plates over to where Isabel waited. He grabbed the keys and returned to where Isabel was already slathering ketchup on her burger.

  He sat opposite her. The aroma of the burger made his mouth water and his stomach rumble.

  “Is that guy a policeman?” She took a bite, closing her eyes while she chewed, savoring the taste.

  There was something endearing about the way she enjoyed her food.

  Jason shifted in his chair. “I still can’t explain everything to you.”

  “Secrets make me nervous.”

  “It’s for your protection. Please take my word for that.”

  She picked up a fry and popped it into her mouth while her gaze rested on him. She didn’t speak until she finished chewing the fry. “Your word has been good so far.”

  He relaxed a little. At least she’d chosen to trust him. “We need to go down to the police station to identify the two guys you saw at the house. You got a better look at them than I did.” He didn’t want to worry her that she might still be a target.

  “Fine, but I need to swing by work and talk to my boss first. She gets into the office bright and early. Plus, I’ve got to find a way to get my car back into town.”

  “Okay, we can do that.” Driving her around gave him the excuse he needed to stay close until he was sure the thieves wouldn’t come after her.