Every Vow She Breaks (34 page)

No contest.

* * * *

Jed threw a stick for Scoop then tipped his head to gaze up at the stars. Was Claire doing the same and thinking of him? He pulled out his cell, the urge to call her again strong, then shoved it back into his pocket. It was after ten o’clock, and she’d admitted to being exhausted. He didn’t want to wake her if she was already asleep.

Warmth filled him, remembering her tear-choked voice as she’d thanked him. What an ass he’d been, agreeing that selling her great-aunt’s home was the smart move. Selfish didn’t begin to describe him. His driving need to maintain a carefree lifestyle had caused her unnecessary pain. Turned out, all he’d needed to do was open up to new possibilities, ones they could both embrace, instead of stubbornly holding his ground. He really had been a thoughtless jerk. Lucky for him, Claire was an understanding and forgiving woman. He was damned fortunate.

When the dog dropped the stick at his feet, he bent to retrieve it. With a grunt, he heaved it down the beach.

Everything would be perfect just as soon as the police figured out who was harassing Claire. Worry for her was eating a hole in his gut, and he was sick of harboring the nagging fear. He’d stopped by the police station when he got back from his appointment in Willits to find out if they’d made any progress, but the chief hadn’t revealed squat. Still, something in his tone gave Jed the impression they had a suspect…

He pulled his phone out again to punch in his brother’s number. Kane answered on the first ring.

“Did you find out anything?”

“Have a little patience, for God’s sake. Gathering information takes time. I did talk to the chief in Shady Bend like you asked. He was a little more forthcoming with me than he was with you.”

His grip on the phone tightened. “And?”

“He wouldn’t give me a name, but he did say they had their eye on an old co-worker of Claire’s. Until they’ve established the man’s whereabouts when a few of those photos were taken, he won’t reveal anything more. The chief did admit the suspect looked promising.”

“Why the hell wouldn’t he tell
me
that?”

“It’s still an ongoing investigation. He only gave me that much information out of professional courtesy. But, I did a little checking on my own using the list of Claire’s co-workers and neighbors you sent me. Seemed obvious to me which man they were checking out.”

“Who?”

“Preston Meyer. The guy’s been in Shady Bend for weeks. The most likely suspect is usually the guilty one.”

Jed let out a breath. “Of course I thought about Meyer being the stalker, but Claire said they were just friends. Nothing more. Ever. They didn’t even date, so what possible reason could he have for believing she’d broken her promise to marry him? I still think it’s Ian Rutledge, even though Claire doesn’t and Preston gave him an alibi.”

Kane snorted. “The last thing you worry about is motive. Who knows what a crazy person is thinking. All I care about is opportunity.”

“I suppose you have a point.”

“Anyway, Meyer could have lied about the alibi.”

“Why would he? There’s no love lost between those two. Ian has shut him down more than once when it came to getting his Bigfoot story.”

“Frankly, I think it was a lame attempt on Meyer’s part to throw the authorities off his trail. If they believed his story about being with Rutledge, then he’d be in the clear for the incident in Crescent City.”

“You don’t believe him?”

“No, I don’t. I’d bet my badge it’s either Meyer or Rutledge. If you toss out the alibi, both had opportunity. It makes no sense to hunt for another man on Claire’s list when they have two viable suspects right there in town. I suppose they wanted to make sure no one else who’d been close to her in the past was in the vicinity. Unless another man turned up on their radar, I’d focus solely on those two since her old high school boyfriend’s alibi is solid.”

Jed rested a hand on Scoop’s head when the dog dropped the stick and whined. “Still seems like Rutledge is the son of a bitch after her.”

“Maybe, but I did a little checking on Meyer. The guy’s at loose ends. No home. Last known address was from six months ago. No current employment.”

“What?” The dog yelped, and he released his grip on his fur. “Sorry, boy.” He drew in a breath. “What the hell are you talking about? Meyer works for
Nature Exposed
, has for years. That’s where Claire met him, when she was on staff at the magazine.”

“They fired him eight months ago. From what I can tell, the man lost his home a couple months later and has been living out of his car.”

“He said he was in Shady Bend for a Bigfoot story.” Jed frowned. “He told Claire he hoped getting a photograph of the creature would send his career to the next level.”

“Maybe that’s true. Maybe a shot at salvaging his career is part of his motivation for being there, no matter how remote the possibility. Claire’s just an added bonus. Or Claire was always the primary goal, and a Bigfoot picture is the bonus. Do all these crazies actually believe in Bigfoot?”

“I really think they do. Well, hell.”

“What now?”

At the amusement in his brother’s tone, Jed straightened and gave the stick a final toss. “Ian irritates the crap out of me. I wanted it to be him. Now I’m not so sure. Preston lied, which tells me he has something to hide.”

“Just to be on the safe side, I’d keep Claire well clear of both men. You can’t be too cautious. The guy stalking her is a freaking nutcase.”

“Don’t worry. I will. Just as soon as she gets back.”

“She’s not with you?” His brother’s voice rose. “Where is she?”

“Photographing lighthouses. She’ll be back tomorrow.” He kicked a clump of seaweed strewn across the sand as his gut knotted. “She’s safe. We were careful.”

“I hope so. Jed…”

“What?”

“Call Claire. Tell her to be extremely cautious. If either of those men comes anywhere near her, tell her to get the hell away from him as fast as she can.”

“I will. Thanks for your help.”

“You bet.”

Jed disconnected then checked the time displayed on his phone. Nearly eleven. He’d let her sleep and call first thing in the morning. Early. Before there was even the tiniest chance that she’d be on the road. Hopefully by then the police would have enough evidence to make an arrest. No matter whom the stalker turned out to be, Claire would be safe.

Which was the only thing that really mattered.

Claire yawned so wide she feared her jaw would crack. “Stay awake. Stay awake.” She’d been repeating the words for the last half-hour, hoping her new mantra along with the loud rock blasting on the radio would keep her from drifting off. Only a few more miles to go….

“What the heck?” She stomped on the brake and prayed as the motor home lurched to a stop just short of the waving figure. What kind of idiot stood in the middle of a dark highway? Was the guy crazy?

He’d flung up an arm to cover his eyes in the glare of her headlights, but something about his posture was familiar. She rolled down her window and leaned out. “Preston?”

“Claire? When I saw the motor home, I had a feeling it was you.” He stepped around to the side to gaze up at her, a wide smile lighting his face. “That guy, Vern, who’s working on your house, told me you’d left town for the day when I got to talking to him in the grocery store. Thank heavens you came home when you did.”

“What’s wrong? What’re you doing in the middle of the road?”

“My battery died.” He pointed toward a turnoff where the rear of his van was just visible in the moonlight. “Since the evening was so beautiful, I hiked into the woods to do some star gazing, hoping to get lucky and maybe spot a Bigfoot.”

She frowned. “You hiked from here?”

“There’s a trail of sorts. Anyway, I got back late and discovered I’d left my parking lights on. Stupid, I know, but it was still light when I headed out, so I didn’t notice. My battery’s completely dead, and it’s not easy to sleep right beside the highway even though the traffic is spotty.”

“Do you want me to give you a jump start?”

“Would you? I stopped a few other cars, but people were nervous about helping a stranger at this hour. Can’t blame them, I guess.”

“No doubt. I would have freaked out a little if I didn’t know you. I’ll pull up beside your van.”

He stepped away, and she drove the RV forward to the side of the road, setting the brake when she was in position. “How’s that?”

“Perfect. Can you come hold the hood up while I hook up the jumper cables? The prop bar is broken.”

After unfastening her seatbelt she stepped to the door, opened it and jumped down. “What a pain. Car trouble is the worst.”

He glanced over, eyes bright in the glow of the headlights. “My luck’s never been great, but that may be changing.”

“Good to hear.” She paused beside him. “Ian wasn’t imagining things, then? Do you expect to get that photograph after all?”

“Something I want even more. Sorry, Claire, but this is the only way.” His arm lifted, a metal bar clutched in his hand.

Fear slammed into her as she stepped back and dodged to the side.
Too late.
Pain exploded in her head as she fell into blackness.

* * * *

Scoop’s frantic barking dragged Jed out of a deep sleep. He struggled to hold onto an image of Claire dancing naked in the moonlight with a Bigfoot, swaying to and fro.... The dream faded into wakefulness, and he groaned.

“Damn it!”

Struggling up out of his sleeping bag, he staggered to the bedroom window where the dog stood, paws propped on the sill.

“There better be a freaking bear out there, not a squirrel.”

Rubbing his eyes, he blinked and peered through the gray of dawn. A police cruiser pulled to a stop beside his SUV. The door opened, and a uniformed cop stepped out. In a frenzy of barking, Scoop rocketed out of the room. Moments later, nails scraped the front door, grating on Jed’s raw nerves.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Grabbing his pants, he pulled them on to run down the stairs. He reached the door just as a knock sounded. “Down, Scoop!” Kneeing the dog out of his way, he jerked open the door.

The man on the other side lowered his raised fist. “I’m Officer Boylston with the Shady Bend police department. Is Claire Templeton available?”

“She’s out of town until later today. Can I help you? Is this about the investigation into her stalker? Did they arrest someone?”

The officer, who was probably close to Jed’s age with close cropped dark hair and a wicked scar down his left cheek, frowned. “When I called in the abandoned vehicle and the registration turned up Miss Templeton’s name, the chief updated me on the harassment case then sent me here to check on her. There’s been no arrest yet. You are?”

“Jed Lafferty, her…friend. Damn it, Scoop. Back off.” He held the door wide. “Come in. What abandoned vehicle?”

The cop eyed the dog with a cautious glance. “A motor home. The vehicle was parked by the side of the road about five miles from here. I stopped to tell the occupants they couldn’t camp there, but no one was around. When the plate came back registered to Miss Templeton, the chief got worried.”

Fear rose in Jed’s throat, tightening until he couldn’t breathe. He pressed a hand to his bare chest to drag air into starving lungs.

“You okay? Maybe you should sit down.”

He gripped the doorframe. “What happened? Where’s Claire?”

“We don’t know. There were tire tracks next to the motor home. Possibly she parked beside another vehicle and left with the driver.”

“Did you try calling her cell phone?”

“Of course. It went straight to voice mail, which is why the chief sent me out here to find her.”

“Son of a bitch!” Jed released the door and dug both hands into his hair. “No way she went willingly with some stranger—anyone for that matter. She would have called me.” He pulled his cell from the pocket of his jeans and checked the display. No missed calls. No new messages. He dialed her number and waited. When voice mail picked up, he slammed his fist into the wall. “Claire, call me right away. I’m worried.”

“Take it easy. We’re checking into a few possibilities.”

He turned on the cop. “What possibilities, exactly? I know the chief has a suspect. Preston Meyer. Is he the psycho who took her?”

“Look, I’m not at liberty to—”

“Screw procedure!” When Scoop growled, Jed rested a hand on the dog’s head and unclenched his other fist. He wouldn’t be a lot of help to Claire if they tossed his ass in jail for punching a cop. “Fine. I’ll call the chief myself. Better yet, I’ll head straight down to the station. I’m going to
live
in his office until he tells me everything he knows about Meyer, and then I’m going to hunt down Ian Rutledge just to make sure that nut case doesn’t have her.”

“Suit yourself.” The man’s lips curved in a brief smile. “I don’t envy the chief his morning. By the way, he mentioned having the motor home towed back here instead of to the impound lot. Hope that will make things a little easier once we find her.”

The officer turned to walk back to his car. Jed pressed his forehead against the smooth wood of the door to steady his breathing. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—panic. Before he went anywhere, he had to put on shoes and a shirt, grab his wallet and keys. Running up the stairs, he yanked his cell from his pocket to press a button.

“Kane, I need your help.”

* * * *

Claire blinked and moaned as she dragged the world into focus despite the throbbing ache behind her temple. With care, she pressed fingers to a lump the size of a walnut and winced. Trees shifted and blurred around her as she struggled to sit up. When nausea threatened, she bent double and swallowed hard, over and over.

“Take it easy. You have quite a bump. Would you like a couple of aspirin?”

Conquering the urge to vomit, she glanced up at Preston. “What I want is to go home.”

“First we need to talk.” He sat beside her on the sleeping bag. Brown eyes filled with remorse studied her. “I’m sorry I had to hit you. I couldn’t risk a scene on the highway in case someone drove by.”

“What do you want? I thought we were friends. Why would you do this to me?”