Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery (21 page)

Sue finally
wound down and sank into an easy chair, exhausted by the entire situation.
 
Lin decided to brew some fresh
coffee—that always seemed to help. She managed to find a package of
cookies too—sugar and caffeine—Sue’s personal remedy for most
situations.

Neal sipped his
coffee, gazing thoughtfully. “I really wish I didn’t have to leave so soon,” he
said. “I hate leaving the two of you alone to cope with this situation.
 
Don’t get me wrong.
 
I know you’re both quite capable of
looking after yourselves, but I just wish you could depend more on support from
local law enforcement.”

“Don’t worry,”
Sue said. “I’ve already demonstrated that I’m not afraid to use force if need
be against any intruder.
 
I really
don’t think whoever came last week will be back, and I’ll do the same thing if
anyone does try to bother us.
 
Meanwhile, I’m going to try to find someone who will listen and pay
attention to the information I’ve already uncovered about these unsolved
cases—especially the links and connections to the present day.
 
Maybe someone from the local
newspaper—there are ways to draw attention where it’s needed.”

***

The weekend
arrived far too quickly; Lin and Neal left Friday morning and before she knew
it, Lin was waving goodbye as she dropped him off at the airport curb.
 
She’d wanted to park the car and go
inside with him, but he’d nixed that idea. “I’d like to be with you until the
last possible minute also,” he’d said, “but that minute would come so quickly
it doesn’t make sense for you to come in.
 
As soon as I check in I’ll be heading for security and that’s that.
 
I’ll call when I get to Phoenix.”
 

Lin drove from
the parking lot and headed back toward Davidson.
 
It would save time going back to Boone
if she left directly from the airport, but she’d decided she wanted to take a
little time to make more wedding arrangements.
 
She and Neal had discussed some things
the day before, but there wasn’t enough to time to see anyone about them.
Actually, there would’ve probably been plenty of time to do these errands had
the two of them not spent so much time engaged in “other” activities”—she
had to smile at her memory of how they’d spent much of the previous day and
night.

Neal had,
however, taken measurements in his new office, and he seemed very excited about
the possibilities there.
 
The room
wasn’t large, but it did have a big closet that could be easily adapted for
storage and a large window provided a beautiful view of the lake beyond.
 
The room would easily accommodate his
favorite recliner and his grandfather’s cabinet plus a generous desk.
 
Lin even thought there would be
sufficient room for a daybed or futon to accommodate the occasional overflow
guest.
 
In fact, she’d already
decided that her wedding present to Neal would be a new desk, preferably in
cherry to match the existing cabinet.

By the time she
arrived back at the condo it was lunchtime.
 
She grabbed her list of errands and
began to make some calls, arranging to see several folks that afternoon.
 
Hopefully, she could book a place for a
wedding breakfast to accommodate out of town guests along with making final
arrangements for some flowers and invitations.
 
At some point she also had to find a
wedding dress, but there’d not be time for that today.

Her cupboard
was basically bare, so she headed for town, stopping at Wendy’s for a salad on
her way.
 
Thinking about her wedding
dress had renewed her motivation for healthy eating.

Getting involved
in making wedding arrangements helped her to push the fact that Neal was no
longer there to the back burner.
 
She was excited about the wedding, and it was fun to pick out flowers
and invitations.
 
She and Neal had
discussed their preferences, and he had said she should go ahead and make the decisions.
 
By the time she’d retreated to Starbucks
to rest and enjoy a grande iced tea, she was feeling much better.
 
The wedding now seemed more real to her,
especially when she realized the date was only a few months away.
 
She’d just finished her tea and was
heading to the counter for a refill when her cell phone rang.
 
It was Neal, announcing his safe arrival
in Phoenix.

“I’m on my way
to pick up the shuttle to Flagstaff.
 
I’m surprised you answered.
 
I expected you to be on the road to Boone by now.”

Lin glanced at
her watch.
 
It was later than she
thought.
 
She’d need to head out
soon. “I got caught up making plans for our big day,” she responded.
 
She quickly filled Neal in on what she’d
accomplished. “I’m leaving Starbucks right now and I’ll be home in about two
hours,” she told him. “You should be back in Flagstaff about the same
time.
 
I’ll give you a call
later.”
 
With that she ended the
conversation, grabbed her tea, and headed for her car.
 
It was well after five already and she
could see that there were gathering clouds ahead of her.
 
It might already be raining in Boone,
she thought; I need to get going.

The trip up
I-77 was uneventful.
 
Her point of
departure was already north of the heaviest rush hour traffic out of
Charlotte.
 
She arrived at the exit
to Hwy. 421 in good time.
   
Lunch was long forgotten; she decided to stop for a bite in Wilkesboro
before heading on up the mountain to Boone.
 
She could call Sue from there and let
her know when to expect her.
 

Wilkesboro was
already experiencing light rain.
 
Lin
opted to stop at McDonalds.
 
It
would be faster and she was beginning to worry that the weather might grow
worse.
 
She didn’t want to try to
eat and drive however, so she went inside.
 
She ordered a grilled chicken sandwich but no fries, giving herself a
pat on the back for her choice.

 
Sue was already home from her day on the
Parkway and picked up her phone quickly. “Lin, I’ve been expecting to hear from
you.
 
I was beginning to get worried.
 
Where are you?”

“Having a
sandwich in Wilkesboro,” Lin responded, “I should be on my way shortly.
 
I’ll be home in about an hour at
most.”
 
She explained her tardiness
in returning by telling Sue about the wedding arrangements she’d been making
during the afternoon.”

“Be careful,
coming home,” Sue advised. “It will most likely already be foggy in Deep Gap,
other places too, but everyone tells me that Deep Gap tends to be bad.
 
If you get stuck, give me a call.”

“I’ll be fine,”
Lin said. “Got to go now.
 
See you
soon.”

The rain
remained light, but the mist began to thicken as Lin drove up the mountain
toward Boone.
 
Her progress was
slowed by the low visibility, but still she could see traffic ahead.
 
I must be getting more accustomed to
these fogs, she thought.
 
This one
doesn’t seem to be too bad.

Her thoughts
quickly changed as she approached the entrance to the Parkway nearest Deep
Gap.
 
The mist soon became an
impenetrable wall.
 
She could barely
see anything on the side of the road and could only hope that vehicles
ahead
 
of her would have fog lights
and low beams on.
 
Still, she
pressed on.
 
This fog likely wouldn’t
lift before morning, so there was no point in stopping now.
 
She crept on slowly.
 
I probably should call Sue to tell her
I’ll be later she thought, but she didn’t dare try to talk and drive, and she
didn’t want to pull off the road.
 
First of all, she couldn’t see a safe place to do so, and she wasn’t
sure she could see how to get back on the highway safely either.
 

She’d just past
the first recognizable landmark she’d seen in awhile, the sign marking the turn
to Parkway Elementary School, when a large, dark colored pickup truck suddenly
appeared, pulling into the road from a parking lot just ahead of her.
 
She hit the brakes, barely avoiding
running off the shoulder, as she managed to avoid hitting the vehicle.
 
The truck pulled ahead on the road and
disappeared into the fog almost immediately.
 
Lin was shaken.
 
I’ve got to stop, at least collect my
wits, she thought, but I’d better not stay on this shoulder.
 
She realized that an entrance to the
parking lot must be to her right.
 
The truck had pulled out from that direction, and it had been right in
front of her.
 
She inched the car
slowly ahead, driving half on, half off the shoulder relieved to see that she
was right.
 
A driveway sign appeared
just ahead, and she carefully made her way around it and turned into the
parking lot.
 

Lin cut her
engine and reached for her cell phone.
 
Fortunately, she found that the signal was good and dialed Sue’s
number.
 
She could tell Sue was
worried when she answered. “Where are you? I’ve been watching.
 
The fog is really bad here.”

“Where I am
too,” Lin responded. “It’s not really dark yet, but it’s so thick you can
hardly see the front of your own car, much less anyone else’s.”
 
She related her close call to Sue who
immediately wanted to come meet her.

“Don’t do
that,” Lin insisted. “ There’s really nothing you can do and I’m so close
now.
 
There’s no point.
 
I just wanted you to know why I’d be
late, but I’ll be getting back on the road in just a few minutes.” Lin ended
the call and started her car.
 
She
reached to turn on her lights and jerked back with a start, crying out at the
sight before her.
 
A tall figure
loomed in the mist ahead, practically touching her car. Lin realized she was verging
on another panic attack.
 
Her breath
was coming in short gasps, and she felt as if she wouldn’t be able to move if
she tried.
 
She closed her eyes and
forced herself to breath deeply, forced herself to try to relax.

When she opened
her eyes again, she saw that the man—she
 
realized that it was a man—was moving
toward her side of the car.
 
He wore
a dark jacket and dark work pants of some kind.
 
The jacket was turned up against the wet,
and he had a broad brimmed hat that obscured most of his face from view.
 
The man approached her window, lifted a
gnarled hand, and knocked on the glass.
 
Lin froze, not sure what she should do.
 
The man knocked again. “You OK, in
there,” his voice was deep but muffled by the fog.

Summoning her
courage, Lin lowered the window, but only part way.
 
“I’m fine.
 
Someone just pulled out in front of me
on the road.
 
I almost hit a
truck.
 
I just pulled off the road
to collect myself, but I’m fine and I’m heading home now, thanks.”
 
She started to raise the window but
realized the man held the glass firmly in a strong grip.

“That’d be me
you almost hit.
 
Didn’t see you when
I pulled out.
 
Saw your lights turn
in; thought I’d better cut back in here and check on you.”
 
In spite of the concern of his words,
Lin felt a cold chill at the sound of his voice.
 
His words were distant and short, almost
mechanical.

“Well, I’m fine
now, and I’ve got to go,” she raised the window a bit more but still he didn’t
remove his hand.

Suddenly the
man laughed. “I know who you are.
 
Thought I’d seen you before. You’re one of those women up here from
Charlotte.
 
I seen you at the courthouse
one day.
 
You’re one of those
busybodies making trouble for my old Dad.
 
Hadn’t been for that girl he’d be taken keer of proper by now—be
in a nice home.
 
That girl was
staying with you folks—deputy said.”

Lin felt a
pulsing fear creep up her spine—this must be one of the Hinson boys, one
of Eustace’s sons—she saw his fingers slip to the edge of the glass and
hit the window button hard.
 
This
time the window closed, but not before pinching his fingers.
 
He cried out and jerked back from the window.
 
Lin took advantage of that moment to
slam the car into reverse, backing away from Hinson.
 
She focused on the entrance sign to mark
her position and pulled back into the driveway and out on the road as quickly
as she dared.
 

Knowing it
would take him at least a minute or so to return to his truck and follow her,
she drove as quickly as she dared in these conditions.
 
Finally she reached the edge of Boone,
where lights from the surrounding homes and businesses made visibility a bit
better.
 
Within fifteen minutes she
was pulling into the safety of the garage at the house.
 
She parked the car and then just sat
there, unable to move.
 
Thank God,
she’d managed not to panic.
 
She’d
been able to act.
 
Now her thoughts
turned to another question.
 
What
was one of the Hinsons doing out in that area on a night like this?
 
Of course, it was just now getting
really dark, but the fog had made evening come early.
 
Hadn’t Dave Winkler told them that the
Hinson’s didn’t live in that area?
 
Lin knew that Parkway School was close to the place where Ellie had been
shot, where her friend Pete had been killed, and she couldn’t forget that the
place where she and Sue had encountered Eustace in the woods was only a few
miles further north.
 
There had to
be a reason why the Hinsons were frequenting this area that apparently was not
close to where they lived.