Hard Evidence (10 page)

Delighted, Janna settled at a table in the corner and started working on her latest stack of bills, glancing at the kids now and then. Sure enough, Rylie beamed up at Ian a moment later, then went back to her drawing.

Suddenly the door to the family’s wing of the lodge flew open and bounced against the wall with a resounding crack. Startled, Janna launched to her feet at the sight of Claire standing in the doorway, her robe hanging off one shoulder and her hair disheveled.

“The shotgun—where is it?” she demanded as she strode into the lobby. She rapidly scanned the room, as if expecting to find one hanging on the wall. “I need it.
Now
.”

Rylie and Ian both jumped, then turned to look at Janna, their eyes wide.

“Um, Mom,” Janna soothed as she hurried over to Claire. Was she delusional? “Everything’s fine.”

“There’s a bear outside. I can
hear
it,” Claire snapped. “And unless you want it ravaging your trash cans, you’d best scare it off—or I will.”

“I don’t think—” Janna stilled. Now she could hear some sort of ruckus outside, too—filtering down the long hallway of the north wing.

But the distant sounds were coming from the direction of the cabins, not the well-secured trash cans outside the kitchen door.

“Just leave it be, Mom. It can’t do much harm.”

Claire gave her a look of utter disdain. “Give me a rifle or a shotgun if you’re afraid, city girl.”

There were weapons in the lodge, but they were safely locked away, thank goodness. Only Janna had the key.

She lifted her cell phone from her pocket and speed-dialed Michael, spoke to him briefly, then ended the connection. “No one is going out in the dark to confront a bear, Mom. That just doesn’t make sense.”

“In my day I handled a lot worse than this.”

Ian and Rylie were now staring at the two of them, their faces pale.

Janna forced a calm smile. “I’m sure you did, but we’re still staying inside.”

If it wasn’t a bear, it could be something far worse. And there was no way she’d let anyone take that chance.

J
anna fingered the key to the gun case—one of many keys on a ring in her pocket. The noise outside probably
was
just a bear looking for food. Maybe one of the kids had left a candy bar or half-eaten sandwich by one of the cabins, and the scent had lured a passing sow and her cubs.

Still, Janna mentally counted the strides it would take to reach that gun case, the motions required to unlock it, and load ammo into her favorite old Remington. Three minutes, tops, and she’d be armed and ready for anything that tried to break into the house.

Those steps became a constant, silent litany running through her head, because if anything tried to come through the door, it wouldn’t be a bear. Only a two-footed predator would try that kind of assault.

So between planning each move she’d need to make, she lectured herself on facing off against another human being. Could she do it? Could she pull the trigger?

One glance at her frightened daughter and Ian, whose freckles now stood out in sharp relief against his pale face, and she knew she could do anything to defend these children—even if it meant facing the consequence of nightmares for the rest of her life.

“Lord, please let it be just some old, moth-eaten bear rambling around outside…and make him just wander away,” she prayed quietly. “And please, Lord, protect us from all harm. In Your blessed name we pray, Amen.”

“Amen,” Rylie echoed.

Ian shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but didn’t chime in. “I could go out and chase it away,” he blurted after an awkward pause. “I’m not afraid of some stupid bear.”

“You’ll do no such thing.” Janna smiled at him to soften her words. “Though I do appreciate your offer.”

He wouldn’t be that foolish, but Janna hadn’t been too sure about Clair. Knowing that her unpredictable mother might just go out the private entrance unarmed and defenseless in sheer defiance, Janna had insisted she stay in the main area of the lodge with everyone else.

So now Claire sat in an easy chair by the fireplace, impatiently flipping through the stack of ranch magazines Janna had brought to her. Occasionally, she looked up and fixed Janna with an irritable look that spoke volumes, even though Claire had refused to say another word.

All four of them sat up and listened intently at the first, faint sound of tires crunching up the lane.

“That’s Dad—I know it is,” Ian announced as he rushed to a window and peered out, male bravado once again ringing in his voice.

A second later Janna’s cell phone rang.

“I’m here,” Michael said. “But I’m going on up to the cabins to take a look around. Just sit tight.”

“A-alone? In the dark?” Janna bit her lip, imagining how many dangers could be lurking in the darkness. Unseen, until it was too late. “Wait until daylight at least.”

He chuckled softly, his easy confidence reassuring her in a way no words could have. “This is my job. I don’t take chances.”

“But—”

“I have a spotlight on my car. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She held on to the cell phone with both hands long after he disconnected, and joined Ian at the window. The headlights of the patrol car swung wide, sweeping an arc of illumination across the lodge. Then the vehicle slowly headed up the lane, its spotlight penetrating the rows of trees surrounding the first couple of cabins.

When the taillights disappeared over the first rise, Ian looked over at her. “You look worried, but my dad knows what he’s doing.”

Smiling at the pride in his voice, she reached over and gave him a one-armed hug. “I’m very glad you’re both living here, honey.”

At the gentle endearment, he seemed to melt against her, as if he were starving for a motherly touch, but then he stiffened and awkwardly pulled away. “It’s cool here. Better than I thought, I guess.”

She grinned. “I feel exactly the same way. Especially after you and your dad worked so hard on that cabin last weekend. Did your dad tell you that I want to pay you?”

“Uh…” he shifted uncomfortably. “I can’t take it. It wouldn’t be right.”

“I think it’s only fair,” she countered.

“He’s the one you should pay, if anyone. At least he knows what he’s doing.”

“He refused my money, too.” She burst into laughter at Ian’s smug expression, which told her that she’d just made his point for him—just as he’d planned. “Stinker.”

He sauntered back to his chair and video game, but the air in the room had changed, and her heart warmed as she watched him settle sideways in the chair, his gangly legs draped over the armrest.

A connection at last. They’d finally communicated without all of the walls that Ian had built around himself. He’d let it happen, she realized, because he’d seen how worried she was and had wanted to help.

The perceptive, thoughtful side of him touched her heart.

She glanced at the clock on the mantel. “Time for bed, Rylie, but I’m going to get your pajamas and keep you down here for a while longer. You can brush your teeth down here, too.”

By the time she’d finished Rylie’s bedtime routines and settled her on a sofa with some blankets, Michael was walking up the front steps of the lodge.

Relieved at his safe return, she met him on the porch and closed the front door behind her for more privacy. “Did you see anything?”

In the shadows, his face appeared weary and drawn. “Nothing moving out there now. But you definitely had a guest. Several, I’d guess.”

Janna’s blood chilled. “What did they do?”

“You were working on the farthest cabin over the weekend, right?”

“I cleaned out the trash and started emptying out the cupboards.” She shuddered, remembering the thick layer of mouse droppings on the shelves. Even the floors were thick with them, and her first assault with pine disinfectant hadn’t begun to obliterate the smell of decay and mustiness. For that job, she’d worn a face mask as much for the dust as for the risk of hanta virus exposure from the droppings.

“You locked it up afterward? Didn’t go back for a wild party with your friends?”

“As if.” She managed a nervous laugh. “Of course I locked it.”

She could sense that he didn’t want to scare her. That he was searching for the right words, but his hesitation made her tension escalate all the more.

“Cabin Ten was unlocked. The doors and windows were wide-open. Looks like someone had a major pizza party, because three or four greasy take-out boxes were thrown inside, and I found more along the trail.”

“A
party?
” Stunned, she thought back to the noises she’d heard earlier tonight. There’d been no music. No sounds of voices and laughter. And who on earth would hike this far from the main highway for something like that? A sudden thought hit her. “You said pizza boxes. No beverages containers?”

He canted his head. “Exactly. No beer cans or empty liquor bottles. No pop cans. No paper cups.”

“But then why—” she took a deep breath. “It was bait.”

“And it worked. There are bears all over these mountains, and they’ve got an amazing sense of smell. They love to congregate at landfills.

“At least one must’ve followed the scent of that pizza and wasn’t afraid to walk right in the open door of an empty, isolated cabin. Someone probably tossed leftover pieces of pizza all over, because the furniture is torn up, and some cupboard doors are hanging loose. The window screens are torn…even the refrigerator is tipped over. I’d say its door is twisted beyond repair.”

She sank into the porch swing and took a shaky breath. “This is just
crazy
.”

He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, his eyes dark and somber as he took her hand between both of his. “There was something else, too, Janna, and I’d say it’s a clear warning. Someone shot a coyote and dragged it inside. There’s blood all over the floor. I’ll bring the other officers out here at daylight, and we’ll comb the area for clues.”

Her stomach tightened into a painful knot. “But why would anyone go to all this trouble, when he could’ve—” she swallowed hard “—just broken into the lodge and come after us?”

“Think about it. Someone has been out here searching for something. Probably the killer, afraid he left evidence behind. Afraid it’ll be found, now that the lodge is reopening and more people will be here.”

“Those new holes being dug out in the woods. The guy lurking around your cabin. But my mother’s tires—”

“Logically, not a coincidence. He’s escalating. First the tires and now this—he probably hopes to scare you away. If you give up on opening the lodge, he doesn’t have to worry.”

“‘Escalating’ suddenly sounds like a very bad word.” She tried to calm her erratic heartbeat. “Maybe you should take Ian and move into that house of yours in town. Even if it isn’t ready, it’s still safer than here.”

“But without plumbing or electricity,” Michael said with a wry smile. “I do want Ian to be with you at the lodge when I’m not here, though—until we figure out who’s doing this.”

“There’s the guy I glimpsed in the woods.”

“A strong possibility.”

“The man in town who threatened me, a few weeks ago.”

“True.”

“Or…it could just be a bunch of teenagers, on a lark—getting their jollies from trying to scare someone.”

Michael hesitated on that one. “I doubt it, but I’ve already got my deputies asking questions around town, and I’ll be following up on that, as well.”

A chill of fear made her shiver. She turned sharply and discovered Claire standing in the shadows just beyond the porch steps. Watching them.

“Mom,”
she said faintly. “I didn’t hear you come out.”

“I went for a walk,” Claire snapped. “Went out the other door, not that it’s a concern of yours.”

“Oh, Mom—this isn’t a good time for you to be wandering in the dark. Please, go inside.”

Claire snorted. “You’re the one who’s worried, not me. No one messes with the McAllisters around here.”

Michael’s eyes were deep with understanding when Janna looked up and caught his gaze. They both knew there would be no way to convince Claire of anything else, and trying would just start another argument.

“By the way,” Claire added. “I want to know what fool threatened you.”

Janna hesitated, but Michael nodded in encouragement. “A middle-aged guy. Tall and lean, dressed like a ranch hand. Had a low, mean tone in his voice.”

Claire didn’t miss a beat. “Square jaw. Crooked nose.”

Janna nodded.

“And dumb as an ox.” Claire made a sound of disgust as she came up the porch steps. “Lowell Haskins. Hired him on as a foreman—fired him six months later and warned him to never set foot on this place again.”

“Wh-what did he do?”

“I told you before, I never put up with boozers or brawlers, and he was both. He fought with some cowboy at a street dance and sent the guy to the hospital. Over some floozy, I heard.”

“Did he serve time?”

“The guy wouldn’t press charges, and the fool sheriff let him go.” Claire’s voice conveyed satisfaction. “But I made sure Lowell paid his dues. There wasn’t anyone in the county who’d hire him after that.”

Janna waited until Claire went back inside, then shook her head. “That’s certainly good news. My mother made a lifelong enemy of a man known for drinking and violence.”

“Though in her world, she did what she thought was right to protect her fellow ranchers. That took courage.”

“I…suppose that’s true.”

Michael smiled, his teeth flashing white in the darkness. “And now we have the name of a potential suspect. Tomorrow, I can start checking on where Lowell was this evening. I’ll also check the alibis of any teens who’ve been troublemakers in the past, too—just to make sure tonight’s incident wasn’t just some teenage prank. Who knows? Maybe your problems are nearly over.”

“Oh, Mrs. McAllister,” Lauren breathed, surveying the damage in Cabin Ten. Stepping farther inside, she scooped back her long, straight black hair and stared at the torn mattresses and ripped screens. “This is awful!” Her eyes dropped to the dark, still-damp areas on the floor and one wall. “And what is
that?
”

It was only fair to tell her. As a new employee, she needed to know exactly what risks she might face. Her eyes widened when Janna told her about all that had been happening at the lodge.

“I took care of the coyote blood yesterday,” Janna said quietly. “With gloves, detergent and a strong bleach solution.”

Lauren shivered. “Wow.”

“I haven’t had a chance to get back in here until today, but this is my next project.” Janna watched her expression closely. “If you have any hesitation about working here, there’ll be no hard feelings whatsoever. I’ll pay you for a full day’s work today, even if you leave right now.”

She needn’t have worried. The girl was seventeen, still filled with youthful energy and a certain amount of naiveté.

“I think it sounds
exciting
,” Lauren exclaimed. “And anyway, the cops will catch the bad guys before long.”

Janna smothered a smile. “I can’t guarantee it—but you’ll be here during the day, at any rate, and broad daylight ought to be pretty quiet.”

“So I’ll be mostly helping you clean up the place, then?”

“Just for now. I’ve got to get all of the cabins open and ready for guests. After that, I’ll need you as a cabin maid, and for watching over the place if I have to run errands. My mother—” Janna hesitated “—is older, so I hate to leave her alone. I’ve also got a nine-year-old daughter. With you here, I can start riding again. I love the solitude, but haven’t dared leave without someone else here.”

“Cool. So where do I start?” Before Janna could even answer, Lauren strode into the first bedroom and eyed the stained, ripped mattress. “Eeeeuw! Right here, I think. Can you help me lug this thing out?”

Janna caught up with her and gingerly took the other end. “There might be mice,” she warned.

“Raised ’em for my snakes when I was in high school. Not a problem.” Their eyes met, and Lauren broke into laughter. “Um, that usually isn’t a big selling point on a date.”