Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (11 page)

T
he side-yard light cast a wide circle of illumination into the backyard. Drake stood on the back porch as Kevin O'Connor snagged the raccoon with a noose under the cottage and transferred it to the cage. “That didn't take long.”

Drake had called the game-warden service after the animal started scratching at the floorboards in the kitchen. The girls had refused to go to bed with the terrifying noise. He tried to reassure them that it was Vince, but they'd been hysterical. Phoebe had liked the raccoon when it had seemed a cuddly stuffed animal, but the noises it made now had evaporated all her warm feelings.

Kevin put the cage in the back of his pickup. “I'll relocate this big fella and everyone will be happy.” He smiled at the two girls peering out the backdoor screen. “You did the right thing by having your uncle call me. This guy will be a lot happier out in the woods.”

“Uncle Drake thought we were being silly,” Emma said. “Are there bears out there? He said the sound couldn't be a bear.”

“In this case he was right. A bear couldn't get under that small space.” Kevin slammed the tailgate shut.

“In this case?” Drake glanced around but saw nothing in the dark beyond the circle of light cast by the overhead lamp.

Kevin nodded and pulled his keys from his pocket. “It's late July, and the bears are trying to fatten up as much as possible. They love any kind of berry so they've been known to come this way. Make sure you don't put any trash out unless it's in a bear-proof can.” He pointed to the big rubber trash can Drake had bought in town. “That thing will just attract them. Get a metal one with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the shed out back. Or in the garage.”

“I'll get another kind. Anything else?”

Kevin pointed at the apple tree at the edge of the property. “Make sure you pick up any fallen apples. Fruit like that attracts them also.” He stepped to the overhang on the porch and took down the hummingbird feeder. “Bring this in at night too. And make sure you clean your barbecue grill after using it.”

The entire thing sounded daunting, but Drake nodded. “Is it safe to let the girls play outside alone?”

Kevin considered the question as he looked at Phoebe and Emma staring with big eyes through the door. “If they're paying attention, they'd see any animal coming across the fields, but kids don't always look for those things, and the girls aren't used to living up here. I'd keep bear spray handy. I know Kate is looking after them, and she knows how to handle herself.”

At the mention of Kate, Drake decided he wanted to talk to Kevin in private. He turned toward the cottage. “The raccoon is gone, so you girls go brush your teeth. I'll be up in a minute to read you a story.”

Phoebe's lower lip came out. “I want to stay with you.”

“Emma will be with you. Go on to bed. There's nothing left to be afraid of, and I'll be there to pray with you in a minute.”

With a final protesting glance, the girls moved away from the door. Emma's comforting voice faded as they went up the
stairs to the bathroom. Drake followed Kevin to the vehicle and leaned against the truck bed. “I wanted to ask you about Kate's situation. I just found out her uncle has escaped from prison and her mom is in jail too. Murder is a pretty ugly word, and I'm having second thoughts about hiring her.”

“Kate's had a raw deal. She's nothing like her mom or her uncle. You've probably heard the story about how she and Claire are twins?” When Drake nodded, Kevin went on. “She's been the one who kept this business going even when she was sick. It belongs to her mom, a payoff for turning Claire over to Harry Dellamare to replace the dead daughter his mistress killed. I wouldn't punish Kate for the sins of her family. She was a victim as much as Claire or anyone else.”

“I don't want to do that either, but I'm worried about the girls. What if her uncle shows up when she's watching them? I wouldn't want them to be in the middle of something this unpleasant.” And he had his hands full with investigating his brother's death without getting tangled up in her problems too.

Kevin opened the truck door, and the light spilled out onto the grass. “Kate can handle her uncle. I don't think he's in the area anyway. All of the wardens have been on high alert looking for him, and we haven't seen any evidence that he's here.”

“But until he's captured he's still a threat. And would Kate help him if he showed up at her door? He's her family. I can't see her turning him away.”

“Kate has a strong streak of justice. I think she'd call me the second she could. Trust her a little. She's a good person and has a big heart. She will take good care of those girls.”

Drake held Kevin's gaze. “Are you just defending her because she needs the money?”

“Nope. Her uncle isn't stupid. He knows everyone here is looking for him and would turn him in right away. If you let her go because of something she can't help, you'll just be compounding it.”

Drake watched Kevin slide under the wheel and put the key in the ignition. “Thanks for your honesty. I'll hold off for now. Maybe you'll be able to track down her uncle before too long.” He put his hand on the truck's roof. “I've got a chance to sell some of my drones to the Fish and Wildlife Service. They intend to use them to track poachers and to map inaccessible areas.”

Kevin's eyes widened. “I wouldn't have thought of that. Guess that's why I'm not a director. Is it a good order?”

“Yeah, I'll have to hire some new workers to fulfill it. They want me to make some modifications so the drones can deliver supplies to remote areas.”

“There's been a time or two I would have appreciated that.”

“I need to get home, make the alterations, and see if I can wrap up the deal.”

“I'll put in a good word for you. I think it sounds like a great idea.”

Drake removed his hand from the truck. The tires crunched on gravel and pulled out onto the road. He still had to figure out what to do about the revelation that Melissa was involved with Wang.

* * *

The recent rain had left the woods smelling of pine and fresh mud, an appealing scent after the dry days of the past week.
He'd parked his truck well out of sight on a fire-access road, then hiked in the rest of the way through the blueberry barrens. He wore Wellington boots and a rain slicker in case the storm struck before he got out of here.

Mud squished up the sides of his boots as he made his way through the trees. Ever since Claire's wedding, he'd haunted Kate's vicinity. Claire had been gone a week now and was due back soon. He might not have as much opportunity to observe Kate with her sister back, but he could watch them both. Not a bad night's work.

He'd driven slowly past the houses on the way here and had seen the cozy scene of Kate getting the girls into her car while Newham waved at them. The domesticity of it turned his stomach, but he was sure the man meant nothing to her. He was just her boss, and there had been no sign of anything more over this past week.

Where was she going with the girls at nearly dinnertime? To the library or maybe a movie? If she knew and understood his devotion, she would have invited him to join them.

He shook off the thought and ducked under the low-hanging pine branch in his way. His haven was just ahead through the thick copse of trees. He skirted a big puddle, then stepped into the clearing by the small lake. The sound of the waterfall was loud after the rain, and he stood a moment and watched the water glisten in the moonlight.

A rock face rose twenty feet in the air on the other side of the lake, and the water poured over it into the pool below. Access was behind the waterfall. He knew of a way to get there without getting wet, but it was a tortuous climb along slippery rocks. He had no choice though if he wanted to get his trophies.

He circled the lake and began to climb the slick stones. Four feet from the ground his foot found the three-inch ledge that would take him horizontally along the rocks where he could slip behind the falls. He was panting and perspiration slicked his skin by the time he felt the cold spray of the waterfall. Then he was behind the water and in total darkness.

He reached for the flashlight hanging on his belt and shone it around. This entry to the cave was always the hardest. The opening was small, nearly too small for him, but so far he'd still been able to wriggle through. He dropped onto his hands and knees, then onto his belly, and crawled through the opening. The place always felt so welcoming. The dank smell was something that reminded him he was completely alone.

He paused when a spider raced for his left hand. He let it crawl on him a moment, then smiled as he brought his right hand down on it. He relished the way it squashed under him. That's what he was going to do to everyone who got in his way. He was too close to his goal to turn back now.

He trained his flashlight against the left wall. The rock ended and jutted back into a small pocket. It was the perfect spot for his treasure. He reached in and his fingers closed around his precious pouch. He pulled it out and put it in the pocket of his slicker.

A sound broke the silence. Someone was outside. How could it be? A flashlight beam pierced the darkness at the mouth of the cave, and he looked around for a place to hide. The cave widened near the back and split in two different directions.

He crab-crawled to the left corridor and pressed himself against the wall, then flipped off his flashlight. His pulse
pounded in his ears, and he touched the reassuring hilt of his hunting knife. He would dispatch whoever got close.

* * *

The cold spray from the waterfall hit Kate's face, and its roar filled her ears. She maneuvered the kayak as close to the rocks as she could until she saw the small space between the water and the rocks behind it. Holding her breath, she paddled for that opening, but the water drenched her as she entered the falls. In the next instant she was free of the cold flow. It was totally dark back here, so she groped for the flashlight and flipped it on.

There.
The maw of the cave was small, and she wasn't sure she would fit. Her sweep of the flashlight revealed tree roots hanging into the space. Kate tried not to look too closely in case she saw spiders and centipedes. She nearly reached for the paddle again to leave, but remembering her uncle's threat against Claire and Luke made her pause. She gritted her teeth and turned back to the cave. The light poked into the recesses, but she didn't see what she was supposed to retrieve.

She had to do this, but she didn't like it. She'd call Kevin the second her uncle left, and the place would be swarming with deputies and game wardens. She bit her lip hard and got out of the kayak onto the rock ledge, then dropped to her knees. She still couldn't fit into the opening, so she lay on her stomach and began to pull herself forward with her arms.

The dank smell of dirt and creepy-crawly things assaulted
her nose, and she nearly backed out again. The light wavered as she pushed the flashlight ahead of her, then moved along the ground to reach it. Her bare feet were fully inside the cave now, so she paused and trained the glow on the right side of the space. Something glinted and her pulse kicked. She'd grab that bag and get out of here.

Her fingers tugged at the bag, and a big wolf spider raced out from under it. She shrieked loud enough to wake the dead and smashed it with a nearby rock. Her hand shook as she yanked the baggie free. It was stuffed with hundred-dollar bills, and she caught a glimpse of a blue passport. This was what he wanted. How did she get back out without tearing the plastic up on the rocks? She shook the baggie to make sure no spiders clung to it, then stuffed it in the back of her tucked-in pajama shirt.

Her breath sounded harsh, and she felt some evil presence in the cave that made her shiver. It was just nerves. She made an effort to slow her breathing.
In and out.
She'd get out of here and forget this night.

Some small scuttling noise from the left came to her ears, and she shuddered as she imagined what might be in here. A sense of evil came in a wave again, and she backpedaled out of the cave. The cool night air brushed across her ankles. Moments later she drew in the sweetest breath she'd ever known. She quickly boarded the kayak and paddled for all she was worth through the waterfall and out onto the clear surface of the lake. After the darkness behind the waterfall, the moonlight was nearly as bright as the light of day.

She reached the shore, and her uncle yanked her out of the kayak. “Hand it over. Where is it?”

She dropped the flashlight. “I've got it.” She reached behind
her back and pulled out the baggie. Before he could grab it, she heaved it to his left, then turned and ran.

She leaped past him and into the blackness of the forest. He knew this area better than she did, so there was no place to hide. Her best chance was to get to the cottage across the road. He'd think she was heading for her house, but she needed help. Drake could call the sheriff and Kevin.

His feet pounded behind her, and his voice rang through the trees. “Kate, come back here! I'm not going to hurt you.”

She didn't believe him for a moment. If he didn't intend to harm her, why was he chasing her instead of just slipping off to safety? She darted to the right and entered a copse of evergreens that muffled her passage. She paused and heard his steps go the other way.

He intended to leave no witnesses.

Her throat thickened, but she
would not
cry. Though he was her uncle, he didn't love her. His past actions should have made that clear. She'd just been fooling herself to believe he wouldn't hurt her.

She crept out the other side of the evergreens and ran for the road. On the other side was a line of trees she could escape into as long as he didn't see her running through the fields. She stopped at the beginning of the field and listened. To her right she saw a glimmer as a flashlight swept the blueberry plants. He must think she was lying flat in the plants. She darted across the field, but he must have seen her because he called her name.