Mountain Secrets

by Elizabeth Goddard

“Yes, indeed.”

  He patted her hand. “You’re looking forward to it, aren’t you, Blondie?”

  She cringed. She hated being called Blondie. “Of course I am, Nick. You and me, just like old times.”

  “You have an in with Sun and Ski, so no more having to fish out the entry codes.”

  At least now she knew her boss wasn’t involved. “What do you mean fish out the entry codes?”

  Any information she could garner would be helpful.

  “What do you care?” Suspicion clouded his words, and she feared she’d overplayed her hand.

  Nick kept the gun pointed at her as she came to the edge of town and made several turns to get to the Sun and Ski office.

  As they approached the building, Nick sat up straighter. He looked from side to side, homing in on the dark cars parked on the street. He waved the gun in the air. “Go past. Keep driving.”

  The Bureau probably was watching the office and her home.

  She checked the rearview mirror by raising her eyes but not moving her head. Just as she turned onto another street, headlights came on at the end of the street opposite the Sun and Ski office.

  Nick instructed her where to turn until they came to a trailer park on the outskirts of town. They pulled up to one of the trailers where the lights were still on and a television glowed through the window. She’d been here before when she dated Nick.

  “Go in and get a pair of black pants and a shirt from Aunt Phoebe’s closet. Hurry.” He lifted the gun slightly. “Don’t try anything.”

  She met his gaze. “You know I wouldn’t, Nick.” Her voice had sounded a little too forceful. She remembered Aunt Phoebe from when she had dated Nick all those years ago. Chances were she was passed out on the couch with her two cats.

  Isabel stepped inside the dimly lit trailer.

  True to form, Aunt Phoebe snored away in an easy chair. There was only one cat resting on her lap, though.

  Isabel saw no landline or cell anywhere in the living room. She hurried down the hallway to where the bedroom was. As she grabbed a black shirt and pants from a drawer, she glanced around, searching for a cell phone.

  She spied it on the bureau beside Aunt Phoebe’s bed. She slipped into the shirt and zipped up the pants. Phoebe was maybe a size bigger than Isabel. She’d stepped toward the bureau when Nick’s voice pelted her back.

  “You’ll need a coat too.” He held up a ratty-looking dark blue ski jacket, then stepped toward her and kissed her on the lips.

  Everything in her wanted to push him away, but she planted her feet and let him kiss her as she went cold as a stone on the inside. She stepped back. “We better hurry, don’t you think?”

  Nick squeezed her upper arm. “Let’s do this, baby.”

  He made her drive up to the cabin. She focused on the tiny bit of road illuminated by the headlights. Now was her opportunity to try to get as much information as she could.

  “Why does the guy in charge pick these vacation homes for the drop-off and pickup? There has to be an easier way to do the smuggling.”

  Nick chuckled. “I think he likes the game of it. Breaking into rich people’s fancy digs. He likes the idea of people coming into their homes and feeling like something is off but not being able to say why.”

  The guy behind this was a little twisted psychologically. She drove on in silence for a few more minutes. She had to choose her words carefully to not give herself away. She knew from experience that Nick could spin out of control if he felt betrayed. “He told you that?”

  “Yeah. One night when we’d had too much to drink.” Nick shook his head.

  So Nick hadn’t been bragging about being close to the top in this whole operation.

  “I gotta hand it to you, Nick. I’m impressed. Word on the street is that millions in merchandise changes hands.”

  The flattery changed Nick’s whole demeanor. He sat back in his seat, lowered the gun and tilted his head toward the ceiling. “I’m telling you, Isabel, this is the big time. I think I might be able to take over this whole operation.”

  Nick had always had an overblown view of his criminal skills.

  She had a hundred other questions she wanted to ask him, but she needed to bide her time.

  The road curved around several more times.

  Nick sat up straight and peered out his window, suddenly alert.

  Her heart squeezed tight. “What is it?”

  She hadn’t seen any headlights behind her since they’d left town. She couldn’t assume Jason had made it to safety and been able to alert the agents, though she prayed that was the case.

  Nick twisted from side to side, clearly nervous. Now she remembered how mercurial his moods could be. When she was with him as a teenager, it was like the ground was always shifting beneath her feet. “What’s that helicopter doing out here?”

  Was it possible the FBI had decided a helicopter was a better choice in tracking them on this remote road? “The resort does rides, remember?”

  “Yeah, but at night?” He curled his hands into fists and pounded one against the other.

  “Maybe. I don’t know,” she said.

  Nick slammed the back of his head against the seat and stared at the ceiling.

  “It’s probably just a private citizen. Lots of people own helicopters around here.” She struggled to keep her voice neutral. His volcanic personality affected her even now. “I think we should go forward with the plan. You don’t want your boss upset with you, right?”

  Tension invaded the car like a lead blanket.

  Nick continued to stare at the ceiling. He let out a heavy breath. “Are you ordering me around, Is...a...bel?” He dragged out her name as his voice filled with accusation.

  Sweat trickled down the back of her neck. To hide the fear in her voice, she enunciated each word with care. “I. Would. Never. Do. That.”

  The cabin came into view. The car rolled toward it as Isabel tried to calm her nerves with a deep breath.

  Nick peered out the window again. “The chopper is off that way.”

  She stopped the car, turned off the ignition and waited for Nick to tell her what to do.

  Unbuckling his seat belt, he turned to face her. He waited for a long moment before saying anything, probably because he knew the silence would make her even more afraid. “You sure ask a lot of questions, Isabel.”

  Whatever suspicion he’d had about the helicopter was now being transferred to her.

  “I’m just curious about your life, Nick. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  The answer seemed to satisfy him. “You know the code for this house?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can get more codes, right?”

  “Well, I—”

  “It would really help me look good to the boss.”

  “Sure, Nick.” She wasn’t about to hurt Sun and Ski’s reputation in that way, but for now, to keep Nick on an even keel, she would agree to anything he said.

  “You’ll be picking up five silver coins sitting in a dish on the entryway table. Don’t turn on any lights. You know the layout of the place, right?”

  “Yes.”

  He leaned toward her and kissed her on the cheek, then placed a leather pouch in her hand. “Put the coins in here.” He let out a yelp. “This is the big time for you and me.”

  Her cheek felt slimy where he’d kissed it, but she didn’t wipe it away. Nick Solomon was a bad man, and she would do whatever it took to see he went to jail.

  “Okay, I’m ready to do this,” she said. Her voice didn’t even sound like her own, all light and airy. Anything to not make Nick fly off the handle again.

  “You do good tonight, and I’ll let you do the meet-up with the buyer.”

  She pushed open the door, zipped up the old coat against the nighttime chill and hurried tow
ard the house. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, and her fingers trembled as she touched the keypad and slipped into the dark house.

  Maybe that helicopter had been the Bureau’s. All she knew was that right now she was on her own. She’d be all right if she could keep Nick from erupting. He was paranoid. After this was all over, he’d probably stay close to her or demand that she check in with him every hour.

  She felt around on the table until her fingers touched the bowl. She scooped up the coins and put them in the leather pouch Nick had given her. She’d unearthed some valuable information, and she prayed Jason had made it to safety so she could find a way to communicate with him.

  TWELVE

  Tension threaded through Jason’s torso as he watched the glaring taillights of Nick Solomon’s truck.

  Through the use of a chopper, the Bureau had alerted him to their position. He’d slipped in to tail Nick’s truck as soon as they were close to town. From the outside, it looked like Isabel had switched loyalties back to her old boyfriend. From the chatter on the radio, that was what the Bureau thought. He knew otherwise. Back on that remote road, Isabel had saved his life.

  When she left him, it had taken him less than half an hour to get picked up by one of the agents. The Bureau had scrambled to put moving surveillance on Nick and Isabel.

  Now it was his job to get to Isabel and have her explain herself to the agents in charge.

  Nick’s truck came to a stop outside the Sun and Ski office on the opposite side of the street.

  Jason turned his own car up an alley and killed the lights. He slipped out onto the street.

  Isabel and Nick got out of the car. She handed him something and he gave her a hug.

  A twinge of doubt played at the corners of Jason’s mind. She sure hugged him like she cared about him. Maybe Jason just didn’t like the idea of her hugging anyone. He was starting to have feelings for her.

  Isabel crossed the street. Nick got back in the truck but didn’t drive away. So that was his game. He was going to watch her all night.

  Jason slipped around to the back of the building. The offices were dark. Even if they didn’t lock up during the day, they must lock the place at night. The window of Isabel’s little apartment looked like the old-fashioned kind that would swing open if it wasn’t latched. He climbed on top of a Dumpster that was just beneath the window. He shimmied up a pipe and hooked his hands onto the windowsill.

  He hung there for a moment wondering if he’d made a mistake. The rough texture of the brick wall provided him with enough traction to push with his feet until his hand touched the bottom of the window.

  He pushed on the window. It didn’t budge.

  He heard footsteps in the alley.

  Jason tried to pull himself up but felt his arms straining against his weight. He was going to fall on the hard metal of the Dumpster, or worse—onto the concrete below.

  The footsteps grew louder. No one else would be up at this hour. That had to be Nick doing some sort of patrol around the building.

  He was about ready to let go and make a run for it when the window swung open and hands wrapped around his wrists. Isabel pulled him through the window. They sat on the floor in the dark.

  “Stay low. He’s out there.”

  “I know. I stayed on the couch so I could watch him through the front window. I saw him leave his truck,” she said.

  The window above them was still open. Would that be a red flag to Nick?

  He held his breath, tuning his ears to the sounds outside. The footsteps moved past and then faded.

  Isabel’s hand slipped over the top of his. “I’m glad you made it out. I was afraid I’d made the wrong decision.”

  Her hand felt warm and silky smooth on top of his.

  He leaned close to her and whispered, “You saved my life. I’m pretty sure he would have killed me.”

  Warmth like a down comforter seemed to surround them as they sat very close together, their shoulders touching. It felt good to be this close to her, as if he’d known her all his life.

  A long moment passed before Isabel spoke.

  “I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I thought I might find something out if I went with Nick.”

  “That was a risk. He’s clearly unstable.”

  “I can handle him.” Her voice wavered a little.

  She’d been afraid, but she’d gone with Nick anyway. He admired her bravery. He turned to face her. “You’ve got some explaining to do to the agents in charge. They think you’ve gone rogue, but I never believed it for a minute.”

  Her face was very close to his, their noses almost touching. She reached up and brushed her finger over his cheek. Her touch sent a charge of electricity through him.

  “Thank you for believing in me,” she whispered.

  Her voice reminded him of a mountain stream or a cool summer morning.

  “What did you find out?”

  “Nick knows who the kingpin is. He’s in contact with him.”

  “That’s huge.”

  “He’s going to let me join in on the buyer pickup for the coins we took from the cabin.”

  “Isabel, there is risk involved with doing all this.” The thought of her being in danger, of having to deal with the volatile Nick, made his chest tight.

  “I know that. I’m willing to do it if Nick Solomon goes to jail for a long time.”

  He detected the resolve in her voice. Isabel had pushed the investigation further than anyone. Still, he didn’t like her going into the line of fire again. “We need to talk to the Bureau. Tell them what you found out. See what they say.”

  “Nick will be watching me day and night. He’s paranoid anyway, and I don’t think he is totally convinced I’m on his side. I’m sure he’ll come in and check on me first thing in the morning before I go to work. It was hard enough to convince him not to come into the apartment to guard me. Can I talk to them over the phone?”

  “Michael will want to talk to you in person. They have this thing about reading body language and all that. I’ll sneak you out tonight. You’ll talk to Michael. We’ll bring you back before first light so you can get some sleep.”

  “We can slip out the back. I have a rope ladder in case there is ever a fire.” She burst to her feet and hurried down the hallway in the dark.

  It would be a risk to even turn on lights.

  Still crawling, Jason made his way into the living room. Light from the street shone in. Nick’s car was now parked on this side of the street. He couldn’t discern if Nick was in the car or not.

  Isabel whispered from the corner of the living room. “I’ve got it.”

  He’d moved back toward the window when there was a knock on the door.

  “Isabel, it’s me. I need to see you.” Nick’s voice was filled with that nauseating whiny quality.

  Isabel tossed the ladder toward Jason.

  “Nick, I’m trying to get some sleep here.” Her voice sounded groggy. “You’ll see me in the morning just like I promised.”

  “Come on, Isabel. Just for a minute. Just give me a little hug. I need to see you, baby.”

  Jason scooted down the hallway and hung the ladder out the window, feeling his muscles knot up with tension. Why couldn’t that creep leave her alone?

  Come on, Isabel—don’t open that door.

  “Nick, I’m just really tired.”

  “Come on, baby. I’m out in that cold car.” The intensity of his voice changed, becoming less pleading and darker. “Open the door, Isabel.”

  He heard the door handle rattling.

  Jason craned his neck to see Isabel standing by the door. He wanted to run down the hallway, swing the door open and punch Nick in the face. The only thing that stopped him was that he knew it would put Isabel at risk in an even bigger way.

  “Nick, I’m going bac
k to bed. You should do the same.” After placing a chair underneath the locked door, she stomped through the living room. “Good night.” She opened and shut the bedroom door without going in.

  Jason barely heard her footsteps as she scurried to join him in the hallway.

  Nick continued to bang on the door and plead.

  “We should go now before he gets back to his car,” Isabel said.

  “What if he breaks in and finds you’re not here?” said Jason.

  “That lock is pretty solid and I put the chair there.”

  The banging stopped and footfalls sounded on the stairs that led down to the street. Nick had given up.

  Isabel burst to her feet, pushed the window open wider and swung her leg over the sill. Their plan was fraught with risk if Nick caught them. But the Bureau’s coming here would be just as dangerous as long as Nick was watching and running patrols.

  Heart pounding, Jason peered out the window. Isabel was halfway down. What if Nick decided to do another circle around the building?

  Hearing her feet hit the concrete, he crawled out.

  She shout-whispered up at him. “Make sure the window is closed.”

  After closing the window, he crawled down, struggled a little to disengage the ladder and then hid it in the Dumpster, so there would be no evidence of their escape. How they would get her back in unnoticed was a problem he’d solve later.

  He led her around to the alley where he’d parked his car. Her hand found his in the darkness. He squeezed her fingers as warmth from her touch spread through him.

  Here they were, inches from danger, slipping through the darkness, and the thought that was foremost in his mind was how much he liked being with her.

  They got into the car. Jason started the engine but didn’t turn on the lights. A truck blocked the alley up ahead. He’d have to back out onto the street where Nick was parked.

  He clicked the lights on, reasoning that that would look less suspicious, then backed onto the street and rolled forward.

  Isabel stayed low in the seat but craned her neck to watch Nick’s truck. “He’s not moving.”

  Jason phoned Michael, and they agreed to meet at an all-night coffee shop. He drove through the empty streets. Falling snow made the streetlights seem murky. They encountered only a little bit of traffic. A car slipped in behind them and followed them for several blocks but didn’t pull into the coffee shop.