by Cindy Bell
“I know that. That doesn’t change the fact that I wish I would have been here.” Steve leaned close and met her lips for a light kiss. “I’ll text you as soon as I know anything.”
“I’ll be up.” Kerri managed a smile as her heart raced in reaction to his kiss. She held his gaze for a long moment, then turned and walked over to the jeep. Sometimes it was still hard for her to believe that he liked her just as much as she liked him. Her thoughts flashed back to Colin, in the shop, with his secret gift. Had Pam even had the chance to receive it?
Chapter 7
George squinted at the windshield, then leaned forward and wiped his sleeve along the inside of it.
“Not the best time to be driving.” Kerri watched him, the tension in his face, and the tightness of his grip on the steering wheel.
“It’s fine.” George wiped the windshield again.
“Grandpa, do you want to talk about it?” Kerri frowned as he jerked the wheel to the side to avoid a deer that watched from the side of the road.
“There’s nothing to talk about. As usual, I’m her target, and what’s worse, she has good reason to suspect me. I was alone outside my tent when you came out. I have no way to prove that I had nothing to do with this murder.” George narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t need to prove it. She needs to prove it.” Kerri sighed and rested her head against the window beside her. “I’m sure she doesn’t really suspect you.”
“Maybe you’re right.” George shot a smile towards her.
“I am right.” Kerri noticed how tight his lips were, and that his eyes revealed no warmth. She rested her head against the window again and stroked Cashew’s fur. Minutes felt like hours as they traveled along nearly empty roads. She felt some relief when he turned into the driveway, but that relief faded as she realized that nothing would be better just because she closed the door to her house. There would still be a murder to solve.
After they unloaded the necessities, George stretched out on the couch.
“I just want to lay down for a minute.” He rubbed his forehead. “Then I’ll help you.”
“Help me what?” Kerri watched him stuff a throw pillow under his head.
“With your research.” George covered a yawn.
“How did you know?” Kerri smiled as she watched his eyes drift shut.
“Oh Kerri, I know you pretty well. See what you can find out,” George mumbled his last words as he yawned again.
“Okay, I will.” Kerri grabbed her computer and set it up on the kitchen table. Within a few minutes she heard her grandfather’s snores from the couch. She admired him for being able to sleep. Her mind was going a million miles a minute, and as much as she wanted to close her eyes and forget everything that she’d just seen, she couldn’t. When she closed her eyes, everything came back, even more vividly. She doubted she would get a good night’s sleep until Pam’s killer was caught.
Kerri began to skim through pictures of Cascade Grove State Park. It hosted the campsites, as well as several animal sanctuaries. It spanned nearly the entire mountain. She guessed that if Pam was there to visit the park, she might have taken a picture, or checked in through social media. After a few minutes of digging, she came across a picture posted that tagged the park and a woman named Pamela Suesa. It was a photograph of towering trees, and a nearby waterfall. She clicked Pamela’s name, and was transported to her social media page. There she saw a photograph of her. The image made her heart stop for just a second. There was no doubt in her mind that it was the same woman that had been in her shop, and the same woman that she had seen pinned beneath the tree.
Kerri’s stomach churned as she looked through what information was available about Pam. She was twenty-four, and single. She had graduated from a high school in the next state, and listed herself as an environmental entrepreneur. As Kerri shifted her attention to the photographs on Pam’s account, she noticed one of her chained up to a tree, from two days before. Her heart began to pound. She was a protester. She was there as part of the group that Elm had spoken about. Intrigued, she dug deeper through the pictures. There was a photograph of her with about thirty other people, all wearing the same t-shirt, that declared their intentions to protect Mother Earth.
Kerri scrolled down a little farther and found a picture of Colin as he hung from a branch of a tree. He grinned into the camera, his expression radiant with joy. She read the comment located beneath it out loud.
“Nothing better than spending the day in the woods with your best friend. I’m so lucky to have someone in my life that understands how important the environment is to me.” A small smile crept across her lips as she thought of the special friendship they shared, however the smile faded as she wondered if Colin even knew that Pam was dead. She clicked on his name, and the page changed to his profile. She noticed his settings were far more stringent.
“Colin Niande.” Kerri skimmed what information she could about him. “Single, and twenty-five.” She noted that he went to the same high school as Pam. “You must have been best friends for a long time.” She frowned at the thought. She hadn’t had many close friends growing up, but now that she had Natalie, she couldn’t imagine losing her.
Kerri rubbed a hand across her eyes and was about to give up for the night, when she decided to check out the rest of the pictures on the park’s page in the past week. If she could get a good idea of who the protesters were with Pam, she might find a few suspects. As she skimmed through the photographs, she came across another one of Pam. This time she stood before a large clump of giant trees. Her beaming smile made Kerri’s breath catch in her throat. She gazed into the young woman’s eyes and could easily imagine herself in her shoes. They were about the same age, and likely at the same stage in life.
As Kerri’s thoughts drifted over what Pam’s life might have been like, she noticed something in the trees behind her. Her eyes widened at the sight of a face between two thick branches. With a few quick clicks she managed to enlarge the photograph. She gasped as she recognized the face between the branches. It was Elm, the logger she had met. He seemed to be gazing right at Pam, however she couldn’t be sure. It was possible that he could have just been passing by at the time that the photograph was taken. Still, she saved the picture to her computer. It could have been a coincidence, or it could be something far more dire. Had he planned to kill her? Was he stalking her?
Whether or not Elm was involved, Kerri knew that Detective Carver would want to see the picture. She made sure she could access it on her phone. As she looked back at the screen, her vision blurred. It was pointless to try to discover anything more. Maybe after a few hours sleep, she would be more productive.
Kerri left George on the couch with Cashew curled up beside him and headed to her room. Finally, she felt as if she could close her eyes and fall asleep.
Chapter 8
Kerri woke the next morning to warm licks on her cheek. She scrunched up her nose and laughed as Cashew continued to bathe her.
“Stop, I can take a shower you know, you don’t have to clean me.” Kerri scratched behind the dog’s ear. For just a few moments she was lost in her love for her dog, and the simple joy of seeing her first thing in the morning. Then the events of the camping trip slammed back into her mind. She looked over at the clock as her heart pounded. Only ten, that’s not too bad. She shooed Cashew down from her bed and climbed out of it. As she padded out to the living room to check on George, she found him at the coffee pot in the kitchen instead.
“Morning.” George tipped his head towards the pot. “Coffee is still hot.”
“How long have you been up?” Kerri grabbed a mug and poured the remainder of the coffee into it.
“About an hour.” George ran his hand across his face and frowned. “Cashew decided it was time for me to get up.”
“Oh no.” Kerri laughed. “I’m sorry about that.” She set the mug down and opened the refrigerator. As she pulled out a bottle of creamer, she glanced back at him. “Are yo
u okay?”
“I guess.” He took a sip of coffee. “Did you find out anything last night? I thought you would wake me up.”
“I wanted to make sure you got enough sleep.” Kerri poured some creamer into her coffee, then set the bottle back in the refrigerator. “Besides, I didn’t find much. I found out that Pam was part of the environmentalist group that was protesting the logging. I also found a strange picture, with Elm in the background. I think I’m going to send it to Detective Carver. It might be helpful.”
“Do you think he had something to do with it?” George followed her to the small kitchen table and sat across from her.
“I think it’s possible. Really, anything is possible at this point. It just seems odd that he was in that area of the woods for a walk, only hours before this happened.” Kerri blew across the top of the coffee to cool it off. “Also, she was working in opposition to him so that’s something to consider.”
“It is. But to murder a protestor? That’s a little extreme.” George swallowed the last of his coffee and set the mug down hard on the table. “Sorry, I’m a little distracted. Are you going to be okay if I run a few errands today?”
“Errands?” Kerri quirked an eyebrow. “What is that code for?”
“No wonder Detective Carver suspects me, my own granddaughter is always so suspicious.” George stood up and carried his mug to the sink.
“I just know you.” Kerri smiled a bit as she took another sip of her coffee. “I’m not sure if you’ll ever be straightforward with me.”
“Really?” George turned around and met her eyes, his own narrowed. “Is that what you think?”
“It was just a joke.” Kerri hid her face by having another sip from her coffee mug.
“Sure.” George hesitated, then continued. “Kerri, I don’t have time to discuss this now, but I do think we need to talk about it.”
“Grandpa, seriously, it was a joke.” Kerri finished her coffee and stood up from the table. “Run as many errands as you need, I’ll be just fine.” She turned on the water and let it run into the two mugs in the sink.
“All right.” George eyed her for a moment. “I’ll check in with you later.”
“Sounds good.” Kerri watched the water spill over the rim of his coffee mug. Once she heard the front door close, she sighed and turned the water off. Lately, the tension had eased between them, but now it seemed to be bubbling to the surface again. It didn’t help that neither of them slept much the night before. Her stomach rumbled with the desire for breakfast, but she didn’t feel like making it herself. “Time to get out of the house.” She headed back to her room and gathered a change of clothes, then stopped in the bathroom for a quick shower. Once dressed, she made sure Cashew had plenty to eat and drink, then stepped outside.
Clouds dotted the sky, not heavy enough to produce rain, but dark enough to spread gloom. She settled in her car, turned the key in the ignition, and checked behind her for traffic. As she backed out of the driveway, she wondered just what her grandfather might be up to. She doubted it had anything to do with dry-cleaning or groceries. One thing she and her grandfather shared was a sense of determination that some labeled as stubbornness.
It didn’t take long to reach the local diner where she often had breakfast. She and her grandfather would sometimes share a meal, but lately it had become a meet-up spot for her and Steve. He didn’t always have time for dinner, and she was rarely free for lunch, but they could usually share breakfast a few times a week. As she parked, instinctively her hand reached for her phone to text him, but she resisted. She needed some time to think, and although Steve could be a great help with figuring things out, he could also be stuck on his own views at times. As she headed into the diner, she noticed that it was fairly empty. Seated near the back, at a table for two, was a familiar face. Her eyes locked to him as her heart skipped a beat.
Colin. She recalled the photograph she’d seen of him the night before. He looked so much older now, his mouth slack, his eyes puffy with dark circles underneath, and his shoulders slumped forward. He didn’t look as if he wanted anyone to notice him, but she couldn’t let the opportunity to speak to him pass her by. As she approached his table, she saw that he only had a cup of coffee in front of him. She guessed that if she asked, he would turn down her company. She decided not to ask.
“Hi.” Kerri slid into a chair across from him. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you.”
“It’s fine.” Colin stared down into his cup of coffee.
“I just wanted to say, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Kerri met his eyes as he looked up. “I know that you and Pam were close.”
“I remember you now. From the store? Nuts about Nuts?” Colin smiled just enough to curve his lips.
“Yes, that’s me. Kerri.” She nodded. “Are you holding up okay?”
“I guess so.” Colin narrowed his eyes and sighed. “I’m not really sure how to answer that.”
“I understand, it’s not really an easy question to answer.” Kerri folded her hands on the table in front of her. “I wish I’d had the chance to get to know Pam better.”
“You would have liked her. Everyone does. Did.” Colin sighed and rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m not up for company.”
“You don’t have to be any sort of way for me, Colin.” Kerri sat back in her chair as she studied his thin features. “I just thought you might like someone to sit with, to talk to.”
“I would.” Colin nodded. “The other protesters, they’ve been avoiding me like the plague. I guess they just don’t know what to say. I can’t blame them, I don’t know what to say, either.”
“I remember the gift you picked out for her. One of my favorites in the shop.” Kerri smiled some. “I thought it was very sweet.”
“Oh, right. But it wasn’t for her.” Colin cleared his throat.
“No? You two weren’t together?” Kerri lifted an eyebrow. “I guess my instincts are off.”
“We were once, a long time ago, when we were in high school. But all of that was in the past.” Colin stared down at his coffee again.
“It didn’t seem that way when you spoke to me at the shop.” Kerri softened her voice and cast a brief glance around the diner before looking back at him. “It seemed as if that gift was for her, and it was a surprise.”
“Please.” Colin shifted in his chair and frowned. “I just want to drink my coffee.”
“You were in love with her, weren’t you?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” His sharp tone was punctuated by a grim frown and a flash in his eyes.
“I don’t want you to be in any more pain than you already are, Colin, but something happened to Pam out in those woods. Don’t you want to know what?” Kerri leaned across the table and lowered her voice. “I think it was deliberate.”
“Stop.” He closed his eyes. His hands balled into fists against the table top.
“Denial isn’t going to change anything.” Kerri grew silent as a waitress approached. “I’ll have toast and eggs please. Oh, and a cup of coffee.”
“Sure, coming right up. Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat, hon?” The waitress turned her attention on Colin, who finally opened his eyes.
“No. More coffee though, please.” Colin barely glanced at her before he looked back down at his coffee.
“I’ll have it right over.” She hurried off to another customer that summoned her.
“Look, I want to know what happened to Pam, of course I do.” Colin met Kerri’s eyes, his own heavy with the promise of tears. “But what can I do? Nothing. The police have to investigate.”
“They can’t do that, if you’re not telling them the whole truth.” Kerri frowned as she studied him. “There’s no reason to hide your feelings, unless you have something to hide.”
“Excuse me?” His eyes widened. “Are you accusing me of being involved in this?”
“I’m not accusing you of anything, Colin, but t
he police are going to know that you’re hiding something. It’s better to be honest.” Kerri fell silent as the waitress returned with her coffee, and a refill of Colin’s.
“Food will be up in just a minute.” She patted Kerri’s shoulder, then walked away.
“You want the truth?” Colin slumped back in his chair and gazed up at the ceiling. “The truth is, yes I was still in love with her. I’ve always been in love with her. I was going to tell her, I was going to ask her to give us another try, but she was gone before I had the chance to.” He tipped his head back in her direction. “There, does that make anything better?”
“I’m so sorry, Colin.”
“Don’t be.” Colin offered a smile, though his eyes were wild as he looked into hers. “You saw how beautiful Pam was. She could have any man she wanted. Why would she ever want a skinny dweeb like me? I followed her around for years like a lost puppy, and because she was always so kind, she let me. But the truth is, she never would have chosen me.”
“You don’t know that.” Kerri frowned as the waitress set her plate of food down in front of her. She no longer had much of an appetite. “Colin, I’m sure she cared for you very much.”
“Maybe. But if she cared for me so much, then why didn’t she tell me she was going out into those woods in the middle of the night? Why didn’t she ask me to go with her?” Colin shook his head and picked up his cup of coffee. “Someone took her from me, and I wasn’t even there to try to stop it.”
Kerri digested his words as he sipped at his coffee. His grief definitely appeared genuine, but she noticed threads of anger woven through his expressions, his words, and even his gestures. Was it anger towards whoever killed Pam, or was it anger at her, for not returning his affection?
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Colin,” Kerri repeated. “Did you know her family well?”
“No, she didn’t have any family.” Colin pushed his coffee mug aside. “It was just us. She was in and out of foster homes until my parents took her in for a few years.”
