Boot Scootin' Boogeyman

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Me either.” He moved his thumb over her brow, marveling at her soft skin. “We should keep walking. If we stand here and stare at each other too long, we’re going to draw a crowd.”

  “Will they think we’re performance artists?”

  “That or perverts.”

  His response was enough to elicit a bold laugh from her. “It’s a fine line.”

  “It is. I still want to walk off some of this dinner, though.”

  “That’s probably a good idea.” She moved to pull away, but he kept a firm grip on her shoulders.

  “We can walk like this.”

  “Yeah, we can.” She slid back into the warm place at his side and they fell into step with one another. They’d spent the bulk of dinner incessantly questioning one another in an attempt to learn things. It was fun enough that she wanted to return to the conversation. “What’s your favorite food in the world?”

  “Like ... Chinese or Mexican?”

  She shook her head. “No. The one food item that you can always eat because you love it. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be from a fast food restaurant ... or a food cart ... or a Little Debbie box. I just want to know.”

  “Well, if I’m being honest, I have a weak spot for Taco Bell.” He was sheepish. “I know it’s not real Mexican food, but those Doritos Locos tacos make me want to sing to the heavens ... while double-fisting the tacos. I don’t know what it is, but I eat them at least twice a week.”

  She laughed, delighted. “That’s good to know.”

  “What’s your favorite?”

  “Well ... McDonald’s has this breakfast sandwich.”

  “The McGriddle? That’s a pretty good sandwich.”

  She shook her head. “No. Not the McGriddle, although that’s really good, too. This is a bagel sandwich, with steak, egg, and cheese. I swear I could eat it for breakfast every morning. I haven’t had it since I landed here — I honestly haven’t even seen a McDonald’s — but I’m going to get one eventually.”

  He chuckled at her serious expression. “There’s a McDonald’s not that far from Casper Creek. Now that I know your weakness, I think I have a surefire way to bribe you with food.”

  “I’m one of those people who can always be bought with food.”

  “Me, too. I —” He didn’t get a chance to finish what he was going to say. The sound of a woman screaming drew his attention to the building down the way. Darkness had fallen while they ate so it took him a moment to register what he was seeing. When he did, he gripped Hannah tighter to him. “What the ... ?”

  “Is she going to jump?” Hannah’s eyes were wide as she took a determined step forward. “Is that what she’s doing?”

  Cooper was in the dark as much as Hannah. He took a second to glance around, looking for a group of people to indicate that perhaps this was some stunt gone awry. There was no one, though. Several people were exiting area restaurants, their gazes going to the woman on the roof of what looked to be a bank, but they looked as confused as he felt.

  “There is no happiness for those who are lost,” the woman announced, moving closer to the edge of the building.

  Hannah gripped Cooper’s arm tightly. “She’s not going to jump, is she?”

  He wanted to reassure her that it wasn’t a possibility, but the sense of growing dread in his stomach told him otherwise. “I ... .”

  “Evil is in the eye of the beholder,” the woman announced, extending her arms on either side. “When the devil chases you, the only thing to do is ... fly.” With that simple statement, the woman took one more step, and plunged over the side of the building.

  “Oh, my ... .” Cooper slid his arms around Hannah’s head to hide the view as the woman hit the ground. The noise her body made when making contact with the pavement was disturbing, and he was certain it would haunt his dreams ... and likely Hannah’s as well. “Don’t look, sweetheart,” he admonished as he kept a firm grip on her with one hand while reaching for his phone. “Don’t look. You don’t need to see this.”

  Hannah readily agreed, but curiosity was often stronger than common sense. She managed to peek through a gap ... and grimaced when she realized what she was looking at. “Is she dead?”

  Cooper nodded. “There’s no way she could survive that fall.”

  “Why did she do it?”

  “I have no idea. We need to call someone to figure it out, though. Just hold on. I’m calling Boone right now.”

  3

  Three

  Cooper kept Hannah tucked in neatly at his side despite the fact that he wanted to take charge of the scene. Even though there were only a handful of witnesses, word apparently spread — and fast — about what had happened in front of the bank. The crowd had easily tripled by the time James Boone arrived to take control.

  He was older, in his fifties but still strongly built, and he didn’t look happy when he saw the crowd.

  “What happened?” He scanned the gathered faces for a familiar one, stopping when he reached Cooper. “I’m talking to you.”

  “Stay here,” Cooper instructed, rubbing his hands up and down Hannah’s arms before stepping away. He was loath to leave her, but he had a duty to tell Boone the truth and he wouldn’t turn away from that duty.

  “She jumped,” Cooper replied calmly as he closed the distance. “I didn’t see the beginning of it, just the end. We happened to be walking down the street and she started yelling ... and then she just jumped.”

  Boone cocked his head and studied Hannah’s profile. She remained where Cooper left her, lost in thought, and she didn’t make eye contact. “Is she okay?” he asked after a beat.

  Cooper shrugged as he glanced back at his date. “It’s not easy to see stuff like this. I think she’s just in shock ... although not the type of shock that requires a doctor. It happened fast.”

  “Yeah,” Boone heaved out a sigh as his gaze traveled to the roof of the bank. “How did she even get up there?”

  “That I can’t tell you. She was already up there when we turned the corner. There were a few people watching. You might want to wrangle them up — before they start scattering — and question them. I honestly don’t know what to tell you.”

  “The coroner is on his way,” Boone offered. “I have two deputies coming, too. Until then, do you want to stand in and help me ask questions?”

  Cooper legitimately felt caught. On any other day, he would’ve jumped at the chance to help Boone. They were friendly, often hanging out together after work, and Cooper honestly loved the investigative side of things. He wasn’t keen on the idea of leaving Hannah, though. “Um ... .”

  “You don’t want to leave her,” Boone surmised quickly. The way Cooper kept looking back at the blonde was an explanation in and of itself. “You know what? This isn’t your responsibility. Take her home. Get her away from this.”

  In truth, that’s what Cooper wanted to do. He felt guilty, though, and wasn’t sure he should follow through on his instincts. “No.” Defiantly, he shook his head. “I’m going to stick with you. I want to help.”

  “Are you sure?” Boone wasn’t convinced. “Maybe that’s simply not in the cards tonight.”

  “It will be fine.” Cooper was adamant. “She’s okay. I’ll stick around until your deputies show up.”

  “I appreciate it. Just ... give me a second.” Boone moved away from the body and crossed to Hannah. He wanted to see for himself that she was okay. “Hey, Hannah.”

  She jerked up her head, seemingly surprised at being addressed. “Hello, Sheriff Boone.” She forced a smile that was so empty it looked as if it was pasted on the face of a cartoon character. “Nice night, huh?”

  He kept his expression neutral as he regarded her. “It is. There’s a coffee shop right over there.” He inclined his head. “Maybe you should head in that direction and get something to drink, huh?”

  The way he phrased the suggestion was enough to snap Hannah out of her doldrums. “I’m fine.” She pressed her lips into a l
ine that was more grimace than grin, although appropriate to the situation. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve seen things like this before.”

  Cooper, who had been watching the exchange with a growing sense of dread, made a face. “You’ve seen people kill themselves?”

  She nodded. “In Detroit. There was a suicide contagion a few years ago. For two weeks, it seemed people were jumping off buildings over three counties. I think it was actually only seven people total, but it got a lot of attention on the news. I happened to be near one of the buildings when it happened. I was on my lunch break.”

  Cooper’s stomach rolled at the admission. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Still, you don’t have to see this. You can grab some coffee. I’m just helping Boone until his deputies arrive.”

  Hannah was adamant. “I want to help. I won’t interfere. Just ... don’t send me away. I don’t want to be separated from you guys right now.”

  There was something so raw about her expression that Cooper couldn’t press her. He simply nodded. “Okay. Stick close to me then ... and don’t stare at the body. It will give you nightmares.”

  Hannah had no doubt that nightmares would be on tap regardless. Still, she forced a smile. “Let’s do it. I’ve always fancied myself being an excellent investigator.”

  “You’ve got the look,” Cooper agreed, winking at her before turning back to Boone. “Where do you want to start?”

  “Point me toward someone who was already out here when you arrived.”

  “Um ... right over there.” Cooper aimed his chin at a woman and a man, both of whom looked to be in their late twenties, who stood huddled together near a bench. “They were definitely here. I remember thinking they looked like they were on their first date, too. I don’t know why that jumped in my head, though.”

  “Oh, is this your first date?” Boone smirked as he glanced between a squirming Hannah and Cooper. “For some reason, it feels to me as if you two have been dating for weeks. Maybe that’s because you were all over each other from the start. It seems weird that this is your first date.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cooper rolled his neck until it cracked. “Do you want me to act as your sidekick or not?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” Boone bobbed his head. “Let’s talk to the other first-date couple. I’m sure they’re just as traumatized as the two of you.”

  Cooper was morose as he fell into step right behind Boone, making sure to check that Hannah was actually following. Now that she’d had a few moments to collect herself, her color was back and she seemed much stronger. Cooper wanted to ask her about the previous suicide she witnessed but figured now wasn’t the time.

  “You’re okay, right?” he said in a low voice as they traipsed after Boone. “I can take you home right now if you would prefer it.”

  She shot him an unreadable look. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m stronger than I look.”

  “Then you must be the Hulk because I’ve always thought you looked strong.”

  She was taken aback by the statement. Nobody had ever said anything like that to her. “Oh, well ... I’m sorry. This just isn’t how I saw our date going.”

  He nodded, frustration washing over him. “You and me both. We don’t have to stick around forever. Once Boone’s deputies get here, we’ll head out. I’ll get you home.”

  As if sensing what was really worrying him, Hannah impulsively reached out and grabbed his hand. “It was still the best date I’ve ever had.”

  The look in her eyes was enough to warm some of the coldness that had been invading him. “Yeah. It was pretty good.”

  LEAH WHITMORE AND BOBBY Kane were indeed on their first date. Cooper had pegged that correctly. They met on a website, which Bobby was quick to explain wasn’t for desperate people, and had just come from eating Mexican when movement on the bank roof caught their attention.

  “At first I thought it was a bird or something,” Bobby admitted. He stood close to Leah but didn’t hold her hand. He seemed awkward and afraid, which were perfectly reasonable responses to what had happened, Boone silently noted. “I couldn’t really see her at first because she was toward the back but ... then she got closer to the lights and I realized it was a person. Even then I didn’t think there was anything to worry about ... until she started talking.”

  “And what did she say?” Boone queried. “I’m told she was yelling. What was she yelling about?”

  “It was nonsense really,” Leah replied. She didn’t look fearful as much as tired. Apparently this wasn’t the sort of first date she had in mind and it showed. She was over the entire situation. “She just kept yelling about things being evil and stopping the evil. There was no rhyme or reason to what she said.”

  “I can vouch for that,” Cooper interjected. “I thought maybe she was doing some weird performance piece or something. She didn’t say anything of note, blame the government or anything. She just babbled.”

  Boone was thoughtful as he stroked his chin. “Did you recognize her? I mean ... are you local?”

  Bobby shook his head. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen her before. It was hard to make out her features when she was on the roof, though, and after ... well, after I didn’t look.”

  “That’s understandable.” Boone shifted from one foot to the other and then shook his head. “Thank you for your time. You can go now.”

  Both Leah and Bobby looked relieved at the declaration.

  “Thank you.” Bobby put his hand to Leah’s back and prodded her away from the scene. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”

  “Good.” Leah scuffed her feet against the sidewalk. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”

  “I’m guessing you don’t want to go out with me again, huh?” Bobby sounded forlorn.

  “I wouldn’t say that.” For the first time, Leah cracked a smile. “I’m picking the spot for our next date, though, and it’s going to be someplace without buildings that people can jump off of.”

  Bobby’s grin was sloppy. “Sure. That sounds like a great idea.”

  COOPER AND HANNAH HUNG AROUND much longer than they intended. Once the deputies arrived, they found themselves essentially trapped as the witnesses were questioned. Most were caught off guard by what happened and couldn’t quite wrap their heads around it. Cooper found that Boone had to ask him clarifying questions more than once, which meant it only made sense for them to stay.

  By the time all the witnesses were cut loose, the coroner was on the scene studying the body.

  “Looks like crush injuries,” he said mildly as he lifted the woman’s hand and studied it. “She wasn’t homeless or anything. Her dental work is good and her clothes are nice. Somebody should be missing her.”

  “She looks like one of the missing women I saw on television earlier,” Hannah mused.

  Boone slid his gaze to her, surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “I saw a story on the news when I was freaking out about finding something to wear for our date,” Hannah explained. “It was a special report. They said three women had gone missing this month. She looks like one of the photos.”

  Boone’s forehead wrinkled as he looked from the body on the ground to Hannah. When his eyes shifted to Cooper, there was an accusation buried in them.

  “Don’t look at me,” Cooper groused. “I didn’t see the report. I can’t comment on it.”

  “I’m not angry,” Boone said after a beat. “It’s just ... she’s right. I don’t know why that wasn’t the first thing that popped into my head.” He knelt next to the body, ignoring the dirty look the coroner sent him for crowding his space. With gentle, glove-covered hands, Boone pushed the woman’s hair away from her face and studied her for a long beat. “She does look like one of the missing women.”

  “Do you know which one?” Cooper queried, his stomach doing a slow roll. It was bad enough when he thought he’d only watched some despondent — or perhaps mentally unstable — woman end her life. The notion that this was somehow bi
gger, that there was more going on, was almost more than he could stand.

  “June Dutton,” Boone replied hollowly.

  “Are you sure?”

  The look Boone shot Cooper was scathing. “I’m sure. I’ve looked over those photos thirty times. I just didn’t think ... I didn’t expect ... .” He couldn’t finish. It wasn’t necessary, though. Both Cooper and Hannah understood what he was saying.

  “How did she get here?” Hannah rubbed the back of her neck. “I assumed she was kidnapped, probably murdered. She’s not the most recent woman to go missing, though. That woman had the same hair but a different face ... and name. If this woman was alive up until a few minutes ago, where has she been?”

  “That’s a very good question,” Boone noted. “I have no idea ... and she doesn’t look as if she’s been mistreated. Sure, she’s got marks all over her now, but I’m guessing most of those were caused by the fall.” He looked to the coroner for confirmation.

  “I would agree with the statement, but I can’t say that with any degree of certainty until I get her into the lab,” the man replied. “It’s too soon to tell.”

  Boone nodded and dragged a frustrated hand through his hair. “She was twenty-seven. In a serious relationship. Loved. How did this happen?”

  “I don’t know.” Sympathy rolling through her, Hannah extended her hand and touched Boone’s forearm. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, though.”

  “I certainly hope so.” Boone heaved out a sigh. “Take her home, Coop. She doesn’t need to be here any longer. She already saved me a bunch of time. Who knows how long I would’ve been wandering in circles if she hadn’t pointed out the similarity.”

  “The news report was on right before I left,” Hannah offered. “It was still in my head.”

  “It should’ve been in mine.” Boone shot her a wan smile. “Go on. You and Cooper should get out of here. I’m sorry this ruined your first date. I have no doubt there will be many others to follow, though. You guys are just built that way.”