Authors: Leigh Bale
“Done.” He put the truck in gear
and pulled onto the two-lane Center Street and drove three blocks to the Hidden
Lodge Diner.
“Can we get it to go? I’m anxious
to get home,” she urged.
“Sure, but I want to ask Miriam and
Tate if they’ve served food to any visitors. Nothing gets by them and they can
tell us if someone came through town recently.”
Inside the restaurant, Toni scanned
the booths and counter, noticing almost every table filled with people. She
found herself being hugged by almost everyone there as they expressed sadness
over Eric’s death.
Miriam, the waitress, lifted a
deep-dish apple pie from beneath a glass cover. “I’ll be sure to slip a couple
pieces of this pie in with your burgers and fries. Eric always ordered a double
cheeseburger and Tate’s apple pie when he came to visit us.”
Tate winked at her from behind the
grill. A big, burly man with a shiny bald head, he wore a white apron tied
around his enormous waist. “You come in for my apple pie anytime, girl.”
Tears burned Toni’s eyes. “A burger
made with Swiss cheese.”
“Of course,” Miriam nodded. “It had
to be Swiss for Eric.”
Somehow, Toni felt closer to her
brother knowing he loved Tate’s apple pie and Miriam served him Swiss cheese on
his burgers. Over the years, Eric had spent a lot of time here with Mac and
Hank, working as a guide. In high school, after she and Mac had realized they
were in love, she’d spent time here also. She couldn’t help feeling like she belonged.
Strange she didn’t feel that way in Vegas, inside her own house. Yet here, a
place she only visited occasionally during the summer months, she felt as
though she’d come home.
Looking across the counter at Mac,
she noticed him staring intently at her face.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
He gave her a quirked smile that
tripped her heart into double-time. She felt conscious of him as a man. When he
reached out and clasped her hand, she flinched. She felt comfortable with him,
as though she belonged in his arms, and yet he’d put barriers between them.
She tensed.
He disengaged his fingers and
pulled away. “I’m sorry. It still feels so natural.”
The heat of embarrassment filled
her face. She didn’t want to mistake his actions as a desire to get back together.
As she looked at him, she felt lost in his dark eyes, but she couldn’t read his
thoughts. How she wished they could go back in time and undo the hurtful things
they’d said to one another during their breakup. She wanted to marry a man of
God who put his family above everything else. Now, it appeared Mac had lost his
faith in the Lord. His career was his first priority. They could never bridge
the problems in their relationship enough to be together again.
“You haven’t had any strangers in
the diner yesterday or today, have you?” Mac asked Miriam when she brought them
their sodas.
Miriam leaned her hip against the
counter and slipped a hand inside the pocket of her pink-and-white striped
dress. “Yep, I sure did. Last night, a man with blond hair, wearing a suit and
tie came in just as we were closing up. We’d already turned off the grill, so I
gave him soup and a ham sandwich. You know I’d never send anyone away hungry.
He came in again this morning for pancakes and eggs. He ate every bit, then
drove out of town about three hours ago.”
“That’s it? No one else?”
“Nope, not in here. But you might
check with Viola.”
“Thanks, Miriam. I’ll do that.
We’ll be back for our burgers in a few minutes. Can you get it ready to go?”
“Sure thing.” Her gum cracked inside
her mouth.
Mac glanced at Toni as they stepped
away from the counter and headed for the door. His smile made her stomach turn
somersaults. “See, hon? I told you the people in town were good investigators.
Miriam just described Derek Hooper. Let’s go to Bigby’s General Store and see
if Viola saw anyone.”
Toni noticed Mac walked more easily
here in town. On the flat surface of the boardwalks, his limp wasn’t as
pronounced and he didn’t clench his jaw as often. Even with a limp, he
commanded attention, his stride confident and strong.
A bell tinkled above the door as
they walked into Bigby’s General Store. Viola Bigby stood behind the counter, a
plump woman clutching a gray feather duster. Like all the other people in town,
Viola embraced Toni.
“I was so sorry to hear about Eric.
He was such a fine young man. I’ll never forget how he and Mac helped me unload
dry goods and stock my shelves after Emmett got laid up with a broken leg. I
don’t know what I’d of done without their help.”
Warmth flooded Toni. It didn’t
surprise her that Eric had pitched in. He never shirked a little hard work. Mac
was the same. In high school, both men had earned their Eagle Scout awards
together, always helping others. They’d each served missions for their church
and, even before they finished college, she wasn’t surprised when they’d signed
up for military service. Mac had always loved the Lord and it hurt her that
he’d abandoned his faith.
“You haven’t noticed any strangers
in town over the past two days, have you?” Mac asked Viola.
“Yeah, there was a man in here
about an hour ago. Said he couldn’t get reception on his cell phone, so he
asked to use my land line. Impatient fellow. And rude.”
“What’d he look like?” Toni
couldn’t contain her eagerness.
Viola pursed her lips. “Kind of tall
and slender, red hair and a few freckles.”
Definitely not Derek Hooper, nor
the gunman from yesterday.
“Did you overhear his conversation,
by chance?” Mac asked.
Viola flashed a devilish smile. “He
didn’t think so, but I heard every word.”
Mac chuckled and Toni smiled. No
wonder everyone in this small town knew everyone else’s business.
“He tried to leave without paying
for the long distance call.” Viola frowned. “A sullen fellow, you know? Left
his friend sitting outside in the car.”
“His friend?”
“Sure. Olive-skinned with long,
black hair tied in a ponytail. He had a hooked nose just like that owl that
nested in our attic last year. He acted just as mean, too. Had a great big
scowl on his face.”
Toni inhaled a sharp breath. Viola
had described the gunman who’d shot at her last night. “What kind of car were
they driving?”
“That’s the thing. They had two
different vehicles. They talked for a few minutes outside, but I didn’t hear
any of that conversation. When they left, the freckled man got in a blue car
and drove out of town. The ponytail man drove a white jeep, but I didn’t see
where he went.”
Interesting.
“And what did the freckled man say
on the phone?” Mac prodded.
Viola stared at the ceiling as she
recited from memory. “Let’s see…he said, don’t worry, I’m taking care of the
problem. I’ll be in Vegas before noon.”
Relief settled over Toni. Thank
goodness her family was safe, but an inner voice warned that she was part of
the problem he planned to take care of. The thought caused butterflies to swarm
in her stomach.
“That’s it?”
Viola shrugged. “He wasn’t much on
conversation. I tried to find out more, but he just walked right past me and
out the door. Such a rude man.”
“Thanks, Viola.” Mac hugged her,
then turned to take Toni’s arm before leading her to the door.
“You come on back when you can stay
and chat longer, you hear?” Viola called after them.
Toni waved and flashed her
brightest smile. “I’ll look forward to it.”
They returned to the diner and
picked up their food, then got in the truck and Mac started the engine.
“Put on your seatbelt, hon.” Mac
glanced at her. “And stop worrying.”
She complied while Mac drove out of
town. After putting a straw in his drink, she dug into the white sack for their
food. She unwrapped his cheeseburger and handed it to him. Holding it with one
hand, he drove with the other and took a big bite, chewing with relish. She
watched his lean jaws work, unable to prevent a satisfied smile from curving
her lips. His presence helped her feel closer to Eric and she could almost forget
the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death.
Almost.
Mac glanced in his rearview mirror
and frowned. “Don’t look now, but I think someone’s following us.”
Toni turned and saw a white jeep
behind them, gaining fast. It soon snuggled close against their rear bumper and
she tensed, remembering the day before when the gunman had tailgated her car,
then chased her through the forest. Dust billowed up around them and she
couldn’t make out the driver’s face.
“Hey, man! Slow down.” Mac ignored
his fries and gripped the steering wheel with both hands.
A bad feeling blanketed Toni. “Slow
down and see if he’ll pass by.”
Mac pressed the brake when the jeep
rammed their bumper. They jerked forward and fries tumbled across the front
seat.
Oh, no! Not again.
“Hey!” Mac gestured at the other
driver to back off.
Bam!
The driver hit them again. Toni’s
head snapped back from the impact. She stared wide-eyed and her breath caught
in her throat.
“Mac, it’s him. The same man who
shot at me on Thorne Mountain.” Terror scorched her with the memory as she
stared out the back window.
Mac pressed the accelerator. His
old truck pulled ahead, but not for long. The engine wasn’t what it used to be
and the jeep hit them again.
Toni studied the man’s hostile
expression. “I think he’s yelling at us. I’ve never seen a total stranger look
at me with such hatred before.”
“Well, I’m not stopping to chat.”
Mac floored the accelerator.
Dust billowed through the air
vents. Toni coughed as she gripped the arm rest on her door.
The jeep zoomed forward, driving
neck-and-neck beside them along the narrow road.
Toni stared out her window at the
jagged rocks below and began to pray.
Please help us, Heavenly Father.
Get us out of here safely.
The jeep smashed against the side
of Mac’s truck, trying to force them off the road. The seatbelt bit into Toni’s
shoulder as she bounced against the door. Mac locked his jaw and glared, his
gaze shifting back and forth between the road ahead and the other driver.
They skirted the dirt road, doing
eighty-five miles per hour. Small rocks flew up, pelting the windshield. To the
right, a narrow gulley ran along the edge of the road. At this speed, if the
other driver forced them off the side, Mac’s truck would roll.
Wham!
The ponytail man hit them again
hard. What did he want? If he’d been the one who trashed Mac’s cabin, he knew
she no longer had Eric’s letter. So, why did he want to kill them?
Thump-smash!
“I’ve had enough,” Mac yelled.
The gulch yielded to an open field
of tall sage brush and tufts of dried cheat grass. Mac spun the steering wheel
hard and the truck left the road, driving through the field, leaving billows of
dust in its wake. Sage brush slammed against the front fender, but the truck
swallowed it up as it sped on by.
The ponytail man tried to pursue,
but his jeep bottomed out on sage and came to a dead halt.
“Yee-hah!” Mac whooped as he drove
the truck over mounds of dirt and headed for the mountains.
Behind them, Ponytail got out of
his vehicle and raised a fist in the air, looking furious.
Toni breathed in great drafts of
air, trying to calm her shattered nerves. “You think we lost him?”
“Oh, yeah. This old truck may not
be fast, but it’s got sand. And I know how to get back to the next road. That
guy’s stuck there unless he can dig himself out. Can you dial 9-1-1 on your
cell phone? I’d like to call Sheriff Parsons and see if he can pick him up.”
Toni dialed the numbers, but the
surrounding mountains caused too much static on the line. “The call won’t go
through.”
“By the time we reach the next gas
station with a land line, it’ll probably be too late.”
“I’m just glad he’s far behind us.
Do you recognize Ponytail?”
“Ponytail?”
“Yeah, that man back there. Viola
described him pretty well.” She shivered with the thought of being chased
through the forest by the gunman.
“Nope, I’ve never seen him before
in my life.”
“Do you think he’s the one who
trashed the cabin this morning?”
“Could be. Remember, he had a
partner. The freckled man.”
“But why would Ponytail want to
kill us?”
“He must think we have Eric’s
missing file,” Mac said.
“But if he kills us, he may never
find it.”
“True.”
They reached the main road and Mac
slowed the vehicle as they drove up onto black pavement. Returning to a sane
speed helped restore Toni’s composure. She glanced over her shoulder, praying
they really had lost Ponytail for good.
“Mac, what could be in Eric’s file
worth killing for?”
He brushed her arm with his
fingertips, his touch brief but soothing. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
He flashed her a smile of
encouragement. She shuddered to think what might happen to her if she were all
alone trying to figure this out. She gave silent thanks Mac was here with her.
Though her stomach felt tied in knots, she relaxed a little, feeling safe with
him.
As they drove out of the mountains
and headed along US 95 into the desert toward Las Vegas, she tried not to think
about what might happen if they didn’t find Eric’s secret file. Then she
reconsidered. What would happen if they did find the file?
At this point, neither option held
any appeal.
In Vegas, Mac parked his truck out
front of Toni’s home. She stared at the house with white and blue trim. A small
patch of lush lawn swept around back, edged by flowerbeds of desert marigold,
silver cholla and purple cave primrose. In spite of her advanced years, Grams
kept the weeds pulled. On weekends, Toni mowed the lawns and watered
everything.