BIG SKY SECRETS 01: Final Exposure (12 page)

Jack came out into the kitchen. “Did you say something?”

“If you have a minute, look at these with me. I used a 300mm telephoto to shoot these from across a river running through the park. Until now, I didn’t know if they’d be sharp enough with that lens, but maybe they’re okay.”

She studied the photo a moment longer, then pressed Slide Show for the rest of the photos to move
automatically from one to the next. “Maybe I could frame some prints and sell them in the store.”

He nodded. “Or you could do a coffee-table book, though I have no idea of how one goes about getting those published. These are excellent shots.”

“Well, oops. Guess I goofed on these.”

She studied a series of photos with brilliantly backlit gold and ruby leaves that seemed to glow and leap from the screen. There was a stray male figure in each one, off to the side.

As the photos automatically marched past in slideshow mode, he appeared to be coming out of the undergrowth, then into full view, as if in a jerky, old-time movie.

“I was using motor drive to shoot these and didn’t even notice him. I could try cropping him, but then the balance would be lost.”

“You could try to use Photoshop to get him out.”

“Or I could just add these to the wedding album—though come to think of it, he probably wasn’t with us. I don’t think there was a bridge anywhere in the area, so he couldn’t have gotten over the river.” She stopped the slide show and leaned forward, trying to make out his features, then hit Zoom to enlarge the view. “Yet we were in an awfully remote part of the park.”

The sudden appearance of the man’s surly features startled her. “What an unpleasant guy.”

She increased the zoom until the photo turned grainy. Behind him was a long, dark shadow of something on the ground. A boulder? A log? If she let her imagination run wild, it could even be a pile of dirt from digging a good-size hole.

Jack frowned. “What is he holding—a rifle? I think it’s a long handle of some kind. It’s…it’s…”

“Go back a frame or two.”

They went through all the photos of the stranger, one by one, enlarging each. Watching the evolution of his dawning awareness that he was being photographed from afar. The morphing of his expression from smug to fierce.

Erin felt her heart beat faster. “I could be wrong, but it looks like a shovel to me. What was he doing in the middle of nowhere with something like that?”

“It
could
be a long walking stick. Lots of hikers carry them in the mountains. And I still think it could be the barrel of a rifle.”

“Or a shovel,” she repeated.

“If so, maybe he was illegally burying his dog out there to save the cost of cremation at a vet’s. That could account for his expression at being caught on film.”

“Or he could’ve been stealing protected vegetation of some kind,” she suggested dryly.

“I know you’re afraid that this might be something
far worse. Do you remember hearing anything on the news that night?”

She shook her head. “As soon as I finished taking these pictures, I hurried back to my car so I could head for Lost Falls. I had a long drive ahead of me, and I hate traveling late at night when I’m tired. I listened to CDs all the way.”

“Maybe you should talk to your friends in Colorado and see if they remember anything.”

“I will.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s still early enough. I think I’ll run to the drugstore in Lost Falls and get prints made of these. You can send away for double prints or use their automatic machine. The store doesn’t close until ten.”

Max wandered over to the table. “Can I see the snow pictures now?”

“Of course you can, sweetheart.” Erin gave him a quick hug and pulled him onto her lap. “Let’s look at them right now, and then I’ll get prints made for you, too.”

Jack disappeared, then came back with an armload of their jackets. “We should go. I’ll give you a ride, Erin.”

“That’s not necessary,” she protested. “Really.”

He tipped his head toward the windows and the black night beyond. He smiled, but there was a definite thread of steel in his voice. “Then let us come along just to make
me
feel better. Please.”

Grace Millard had worked at the drugstore when Erin was a child, and she’d looked old and gray even then.

Now she appeared to be pushing 110, but she still had a spritely bounce to her step and a twinkle in her eye as she toddled over to the photo machine and gave it a swift, hard kick with a lace-up roper boot. “Silly thing. I swear it decides to balk like an old mule just to spite me. Try again.”

Erin dutifully touched the proper buttons, but once again, all the lights flashed on and off, and then the screen read Service Needed.

“Humph.” Grace folded her bony arms across her chest. “It was working earlier today for the Sampson. They were in here for a good half hour printing their Hawaii pictures.”

“How soon will a repairman be here to fix it?”

“He comes from Billings and has to put me on the schedule for when he’s in the area. Could be a day, could be a week or two.”

Jack glanced up at the clock. “Is there another place in town?”

“A couple of tourist shops have them, but those stores are closed till spring. Closest is Battle Creek. But that’s thirty-six miles and the roads are pretty icy up that way. You’d never make it in time for tonight.”

Erin sighed. “Not a good option.”

“If it isn’t a rush, you could just use the mailers. Cheaper, plus you get doubles and a CD copy, to boot. There’s a pickup tomorrow and then they’d be back here in a week. Of course you get your memory cards back, empty and ready to go.”

She could come back another day, but there’d still be no guarantee that the processing machine would be repaired. And keeping the memory card any longer sent an uneasy feeling twisting through her stomach.

She reached for one of the mailer envelopes, filled it out and sealed the memory card inside, then dropped it through the photo mailer slot in the counter.

She smiled at the older woman. “You sold me, Grace. Sounds like a good idea.”

Grace tilted her head and gave her an odd look. “Is everything all right?”

“Fine—just busy.”

Grace frowned. “Well, you just look mighty stressed. I think of you girls often, you know. I remember when you and your cousins would come to stay with Millie and Pete. You three were such scamps, and you all grew up to be such lovely young ladies.” Grace shook her head sadly. “But poor little Laura…Oh, my. I’ll never forget that night. Nosiree.”

You and me both.
Uncomfortable with the grisly memories that started creeping back into her thoughts, Erin hiked the strap of her purse higher on
her shoulder and gave Jack a pointed look. “I guess we’d better get going, don’t you think?”

They were just heading out the door when Grace called Erin’s name. “I knew there was something I wanted to tell you, but I plumb forgot.”

Erin stopped with one hand on the door and looked back with a smile. “What’s that?”

“The nicest fella was here a while back, looking for you. Handsome as can be. He was asking all sorts of questions,” Grace added in a conspiratorial voice. “Like he was real interested, if you know what I mean.”

Erin stilled. “Did he give his name?”

Grace’s snowy brows drew together as she thought. “Can’t rightly say. I figured maybe he was an old beau of yours hoping to look you up.”

“What did he look like?”

“Medium tall, nice face. Dark hair. Or maybe it was sort of sandy…Anyways, he was real proud to hear that you were running your grandpa’s store and said he would look you up one of these days. Just thought you’d like to know.”

By the time they reached the cottage, Max and Charlie were both asleep in the backseat.

Jack looked over his shoulder at them, then turned back to Erin. “I still don’t like the idea of you staying here all alone. You heard that woman—some guy
has been asking a lot of questions. Maybe he’s the one causing all the trouble.”

“I’ll make sure every door and window is locked tight. I’ve got a cell phone and I’ve got Charlie. I’m not going to let anyone scare me out of my own home.”

He hesitated, then opened his door and got out. “Come on, then. I’ll go inside with you and check everything out.”

“But, Max—”

“As soon as you step out of the car, I’ll hit the locks. Max’ll be fine for a couple minutes, and I’ll only be a few yards away, at any rate.”

She let Charlie out of the backseat and turned him loose in the yard, then unlocked the door of the cottage and reached inside to flip on the porch and interior lights.

Jack insisted on going inside first.

She watched from the doorway as he went from room to room and checked every closet, behind every door and under the bed, jiggling window locks and checking the back door as he went.

“All clear,” he said on a long sigh, standing in the front doorway where he could keep an eye on his car and Max. “For now. Are you
sure
you won’t change your mind and come with us?”

“I’m sure. I’ll probably be up half the night, anyway, wading through invoices and such. I’ve got to
regenerate a lot of bookkeeping for the store now that my laptop is gone.”

He glanced at his watch. “I’ll call you at ten o’clock just to check in. You’ve got my cell on your speed dial, right?”

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “I will put it in. Promise.”

“And you won’t hesitate to call.”

His eyes were warm and intense, searching hers as if he really, truly cared for her—as more than a landlord, a friend, an accidental neighbor. She felt a gentle sensation of warmth embrace her heart.

“Believe me, I’m not a high-maintenance woman. But yes, I’ll call.”

“Good.” His gaze flicked toward the car, then back to her. “Because you’re one of the most stubborn, independent women I’ve met, and it worries me. A lot.”

“I can tell,” she teased. “Now go home.”

He started down the short flagstone walk, then pivoted and came back. Holding her with one arm around her shoulders and the other braced high on the door, he brushed a single kiss over her mouth, then rested his forehead against hers. “Keep safe.”

And then he was gone.

B
efore settling down to work on the books for the store, Erin searched for the missing laptop once more, praying she’d missed it the first time.

She knew it would be wasted time. She’d searched every square inch of the place already. But finding it would mean that no one had broken into the cottage while she was at the church potluck. That no one had gone through her things.

Just the thought made her skin crawl.

But now, standing at the right angle, she could see shallow gouges in the sill of her bedroom window. She could imagine the tip of a crowbar working its way slowly, inexorably beneath the sash…and the window flying upward with a powerful jerk.

And then, staring into the twisted face of an intruder coiling to launch himself into the cottage…

She shook away the horrible images and snorted at her own foolishness. There’d been a theft. The
guy had stolen the most valuable item in the cottage. So why would he bother to come back?

She strode through the cottage, checking the locks on the windows and doors once again, then sat cross-legged on her bed with Charlie at her side, thankful for his presence—even if he’d been sleeping and blissfully unaware of all possible dangers.

I guess he’s the one who got it right, Lord. I just need to let go and have faith that You’re here with me.

Her cell phone burst into its musical ringtone and she jumped, startled by the unexpected noise.

“Linda!” she managed, her voice shaking. “Good to hear your voice!”

“Oh,
no.”
A pause, then Linda continued, “I wasn’t even thinking about the time. I just saw your message from earlier tonight and thought I’d return your call. I’m so sorry—I can call back at a decent hour.”

“Please, don’t hang up.”

“Is something wrong?” Linda’s voice grew cautious. Tentative. “Are you all right?”

What did Erin say to that? The truth would only worry an old friend who could do nothing to help from so far away, anyhow. “Tonight I was studying the photos I took at your wedding. What a beautiful day that was.”

Linda chuckled. “That’s why you called? Whew!”

“Well…not entirely. I took a lot of shots of the park itself, so you’d have those, too. But I inadver
tently ended up with quite a few that show some guy down by the river.”

Linda was silent.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I was using a telephoto lens and hadn’t even noticed he was in the pictures until now. But I think he must’ve seen me, because I caught him looking straight at the camera, and he looks absolutely livid.”

“Can’t you just delete the pictures?”

“Sure, but I’ve got this uneasy feeling that won’t go away. He just looks…guilty, somehow. So I’m wondering if you remember anything about the local news that day. If anything bad happened in the area, for instance.”

Another long silence.

“Linda?”

“I’m just thinking, but I guess I can’t be much help. I left for the Caribbean with Carl on the afternoon of the wedding, and I wasn’t paying attention to the news for
days
before that. So I don’t have a clue. My advice? Delete those photos and forget about them.”

“Well…maybe so.”

“Or if you’re still concerned, check the newspapers online. I’m pretty sure the local papers are archived.” A male voice rumbled in the background. “Sorry—Carl says he needs the phone. But I’ll call you back later, okay? Thanks a million for taking the pictures. I can’t wait to see them!”

Ollie showed up in Millie’s at eight in the morning and swept the store with painstaking care as always, then beamed down at her as he handed back the broom. “Good?”

“Very,
very
good. Thanks.” She followed him into the café and served him his two caramel rolls and coffee. “I have something for you, Ollie. Have you had a paycheck before?”