Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (21 page)

I
don't like this.” Ever since the envelope had been taken first thing this morning, Drake felt like he had to do something—anything—to prevent what was about to take place. But the time had come, in spite of everything he'd done to try to talk Kate out of the rendezvous.

He followed her out to her yellow Volkswagen. “At least let me come with you. Or even take Jackson with you. You could stop by Dixie's and get him.”

She'd changed into slim-fitting jeans with a long-sleeved top. It was almost as if she was dressing for a date with the man, for Pete's sake. He gritted his teeth and fought down the words that wanted to burst out.

She opened the car door. “He might be watching, Drake. You can go with Jonas and hide out to watch. He's in charge of the operation anyway, and he'll know where he wants you positioned. I don't want Jackson to interrupt anything, nor do I want him to get hurt.”

The tight-lipped deputy had stopped by with instructions from the sheriff two hours ago. What if it all went wrong?

She stood on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “Did you check on the girls?”

“Yeah, they're fine. Dixie has them with her at the hotel room. They'll be safe there. The sheriff has a deputy in the lobby watching too.”

She slid into the seat with the door still open, and he leaned on it. “I'm going to be fine, Drake. Shut my door, and let's get this over with. The sooner I get out there, the sooner he'll be in custody.”

“I know.” He squatted beside the car. “Be careful, Kate. Trust your instincts. If something alarms you, run. Right then. Don't wait for the sheriff or Jonas to rush in. Okay?”

Her blue eyes twinkled. “I love it when you're so protective. Did you call the UPS office to see what happened to your package?”

He shook his head. “I'll worry about it tomorrow when I know we have this guy.” With reluctance he stood and shut the door.

As her car pulled away, he pulled out his cell phone to contact Jonas, but before he could call the number, he saw the deputy's truck pass Kate's.

Jonas waved at Kate, then accelerated to the driveway. He ran his window down. “Let's get going.”

Drake hopped in the passenger side and fastened his seat belt. “Everything in place?”

“Yep, we're all ready.” His tone was grim.

“Are you worried at all?” Drake pulled out his phone and glanced at it in case Kate had texted him, but the screen was blank.

“Nope. I've got this under control.”

Drake wanted to tell him to notify his face. The deputy was strung as tight as trout line. “Everyone else in place?”

“Everything is ready.” The deputy turned the truck onto a narrow road that led out to Mermaid Point.

Drake shut up and turned his face to the window. He hadn't
been out this way before, and the vegetation was thick enough to blot out the late-afternoon sun. The road was rocky and filled with potholes. This place felt very separated from the rest of Folly Shoals. He wished they'd set it up earlier. Seven o'clock felt like a long way away, though it was already six. They were going early to get things in place, and he wished he could fast-forward to when this was all over and Kate was safely beside him again. He didn't like to think about her being out there alone and waiting for a nutcase.

The truck rolled to a slow crawl, then the deputy whipped the steering wheel and turned into a tiny opening in the trees, a spot Drake would have missed. The bushes scraped the side of the truck, and the opening widened to a small clearing that would be completely hidden from the road. Tall cedar and birch trees blocked out the sun, and the grass was matted down as if other vehicles had parked here. The deputy had probably checked this out earlier today, and the thought calmed Drake.

Drake tried to see the ocean through the trees. “Are we close?”

“Yeah, the Point is just around the curve up there. I don't want my truck to be spotted. I'm going to put you where you can see the shoreline. There's also steps cut into the side of the cliff so you can get down there fast if you have to. Come on.” Kissner opened his door and got out. He reached back inside and plucked an extra magazine for his gun from the floor under his seat.

“You think you'll need that?”

Kissner shrugged. “I plan to be prepared for anything.” He put the magazine in his pocket.

Drake climbed out and shut his door quietly, then followed the deputy along a trail that was barely there. Bugs swarmed
his face, and he swatted them away. He was perspiring by the time they fought their way through the vegetation to where it all opened up and he could see blue water.

The breeze on his face was sweet relief, and he spotted a boat in the distance. “Is that Luke's Coast Guard cutter?”

“Yeah, it should be.” Kissner pointed to a spot near the edge of the cliff. “You should have a perfect view right there.”

Drake walked over to the side and peered over. The water was right below him instead of the rocky beach he expected. “Where's the shore?”

“The tide is going out. You'll see it shortly.”

Before Drake could answer, he felt a hard shove in his back. He tried to recover his footing, but he was too close to the edge, and he went sailing off the cliff. His arms pinwheeled and his chest squeezed. He was falling to the waves below.
Kate!

* * *

The package looked innocuous enough, and he wondered what was in it. He'd been lucky to grab it off the porch as soon as the delivery guy left.

He drove along the island coastal road to a remote spot overlooking the water and parked in a pull-off. Once he tossed this box, it was toast. The waves would batter it against the rocks, and there would be nothing left.

He got out of his vehicle with the box in hand. It wasn't that heavy, and his curiosity got the best of him. It would be destroyed out of the box more easily. He reached back inside his car and got a pocketknife out of the glove box, then slit the tape and opened
the package. A bubble-wrapped object fell into his hand, and he unwrapped it. An external hard drive plopped onto the ground.

Not surprising. Hard drives all across the world held the proof of many a crime. He'd been hoping for something more dramatic. He plucked it out of the dirt and started to fling it over the side, then paused. Why not keep it for insurance? He didn't trust his boss one iota, and he'd never know if this had been destroyed or not.

Grinning, he put the box and its packaging back inside his car, then strolled over to the edge of the cliff and looked out on the glistening water. It was going to be a beautiful night, but he wished he were back in Boston. Soon, though.

He grabbed his laptop from the backseat, then fished out a USB cord and attached the hard drive to it. In half an hour he had the answer. His boss had been taking money under the table to help skew the investigation to frame Wang. Wang was guilty as sin of a lot of crimes, but not the crime he was charged with. His eyes widened at the amount of money that had traded palms. Ten million dollars. No wonder the boss was willing to part with so much money to clear this up.

His smile faded as he considered again what he had to do. The plan he'd put into place was to send them all an invitation to a free puffin tour on a boat he'd hired. He'd planted a device at the fuel line, and it was easily detonated with the remote in his glove box. The boat owner was already instructed to call and tell them he'd drawn them to receive a free day out on the water. The plan should be foolproof. With Kate's love of puffins, Newham wouldn't deny her. The sister was sure to want to go along as well.

His troubles would be over, and he'd be on his way back to Boston a whole lot richer. He might have enough to retire down
in the Caribbean in a hopping little tourist town with plenty of beautiful women. It might be enough to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth about having to kill the kids. A shudder worked its way up his spine, and acid churned in his belly again. He hated it, but there was no getting out of it.

He saw two figures across the Point as they approached the edge of the cliff. The sea foamed against the rocks below. A boat rode the waves, and he squinted to make out that it was a Coast Guard boat. Lots of activity for such a remote spot, but with any kind of luck, the Coast Guard would cruise on by. He grabbed his binoculars and turned his gaze back to the two men just in time to see one shove the other off the cliff. Was that Newham who'd just gone over? His mouth gaped as he watched the figure plummet and vanish into the pummeling waves.

Holy cow, what had just happened? He had to find out.

* * *

The cool breeze off the ocean lifted the loose strands of hair on the back of Kate's neck. She jumped at the rattle of pebbles behind her, but it was only a stray cat wandering down to take a look at her. She wished she could see Kevin's house from here. It would make her feel safer. She hadn't caught so much as a glimpse of any law enforcement, but that was the way it should be. She didn't want to scare off her stalker, but she was so ready for this to be over.

Pebbles rolled under her sandals as she paced the shore, then checked the time on her phone. He was unlikely to be here for at least forty-five minutes unless he arrived early. She thought
she heard a shout in the distance and whirled, but she saw only a splash across the bay. Probably a fish or a dolphin.

She walked along the water's edge and tried to calm herself with deep breaths. Should she get out her bear spray? It was a small can that she could easily hide in her hand. She dove her hand into her purse for it and slipped it into her palm.

She saw a boat far out to sea heading for the opposite shore. Would it scare off her stalker? She wanted to wave off the vessel, but the captain would never see her from here. She turned and walked back toward the steps, but before she reached them, she heard shoes crunching on rocks behind her. Jonas was heading her way with a big grin. Her pulse responded with a happy leap.

“You've caught him?”

He nodded. “He's in jail right now. It's over. I let everyone know they could call off the surveillance. Let's get out of here.”

She felt light-headed. “I'm so glad it's over!” The steep ascending steps were to her left, and she headed toward them. “Let's go have some ice cream to celebrate. I'll text Drake to bring the girls to join us. Claire and Luke too. It's a happy day.”

He slid her purse off her shoulder. “I'll carry this for you.”

“Thanks.” She started up the steps and glanced back to make sure he was behind her.

She quickened her pace and wished she'd taken time to put away the bear spray. Not having both hands free impeded her speed in climbing the cliffside, but her spirits were as high as the sky overhead. She reached the top and glanced toward the forest. No deputies emerged from the trees to greet her, which seemed odd. Surely they hadn't all managed to return to town.

She paused to catch her breath and waited for Jonas to reach her. “I don't see Kevin's truck. Is he still hiding?”

“I don't think anyone is around.” Jonas spoke in a strangely flat tone as he continued to approach her.

A tiny shudder made its way down her back. Something felt off here, and she couldn't put her finger on it. Tons of law enforcement should have been crawling all over these woods. There hadn't been time to call them all off. At least she didn't think so. And she didn't like the intent way Jonas eyed her. Unless it was her imagination, an air of menace twisted his features.

She tightened her fingers on the can of bear spray. “Where's the sheriff?”

He didn't answer, and his hand drifted to his unsnapped holster.

Run!
The inner compulsion made her tremble. This was Jonas. Why should terror be washing up her neck like a rogue wave? To gain time, she turned and walked toward the forest.

She glanced back over her shoulder. He was just three feet behind her and was starting to pull his gun from its holster. He'd shoot her in the back if she just tried to run, so she stopped and turned. She whipped the bear spray up, then shot a full blast into his face as he drew his gun.

He screamed and dropped his gun on the ground. Profanities spewed from his mouth like vile sewage. Part of her wanted to see if he was okay, but this was her only chance to escape. She darted into the shadows of the forest and angled for the thickest part. She had hunted these woods with her uncle, but Jonas might know the area as well as she did, so she had to think about how to throw him off her trail.

She paused and listened. It was all quiet except for the rasp of her breath and the chirping of birds overhead. When she looked at the ground, she saw she'd left a clear trail. If she backtracked
in her steps a few feet, she'd be able to hop along a fallen tree to an area where pine needles might cloak her footsteps. But first she had to lead him in another direction.

She ran forward fifteen feet, then marked a big tree with her feet as if she'd climbed in. Was he coming yet? She still heard nothing, so standing on tiptoes she reversed her steps by twenty feet and managed to get along the fallen log to the area she'd spied earlier. Still on her toes, she walked as lightly as she could over the needles, then grabbed a fallen tree branch and erased all trace of her passage until she reached a rocky cliffside. It would be a hard climb up, but she had to go this way if she wanted to avoid Jonas.

Where were Drake and Luke? And the sheriff? How had Jonas gotten them out of the picture?

H
er chest tight, Claire peered over the side of the boat at the water churning onto the rocks. “Are you sure you saw someone fall? We need to get to town and help search for Kate.” She'd alternated between crying and wanting to scream ever since Jonas had called to say the stalker had Kate. Everyone was meeting at the sheriff's office to coordinate search efforts. According to Jonas, the guy seemed to have realized what was happening. He'd forced Kate off the road on her way to the rendezvous point and vanished with her.

Claire should have done something to prevent this plan in the first place.

Luke stood at the bow with binoculars while one of the other men steered the boat. “I saw a man fall from those cliffs, honey. We can't just leave him out here to drown.” His arm went up. “There! I see him. Three feet to starboard.” He seized a life ring. “Oh, man.” He kicked off his shoes and dove overboard with the ring in his hand.

Claire ran to the railing and searched for her husband's head. He'd nearly reached the dark shape flailing in the water. With a few more strokes he was at the man's side and had the ring around him.

Luke's arm came up. “Pull us in.” Helping hold the man's head above water, he swam toward the boat.

One of the crew members began to pull on the rope holding the life ring and the hapless victim in the water. It seemed like an eternity before the two men were floating near the ladder. Claire gasped when she recognized the pale face of the rescued man. “Drake?” She backed away to allow the men to assist Drake and Luke into the boat.

Drake collapsed onto the deck. His skin was bluish, and his eyelids fluttered. Claire knelt beside him and touched his face. It was cold. Was he in shock? He'd probably been in the water about twenty minutes by the time Luke had pulled him out.

Luke dripped cold water on her as he stood behind her. “Man, that was close. Someone grab a thermal blanket. Let's get him warm. Hot coffee too.” He knelt beside Claire, his body emanating cold from the water. “I jumped in when I saw he was too far gone to try to grab the ring.” He tapped Drake's cheeks, and the man's eyelids fluttered again. “Wake up, Drake.” One of the crewmen brought a blanket, and Luke wrapped Drake in it, then held up his head to get some hot coffee down him. “Take a sip, buddy.”

Drake muttered something, then blinked and opened his eyes. He took a gulp of hot coffee, and his eyes became more alert. He struggled to sit up and Luke helped him. “K-Kissner.” His lips were blue and his teeth were chattering.

Luke's expression grew grim. “We heard from him. We're heading in to try to reach Kate with Jonas and the rest of the sheriff's department.” He handed the coffee to Claire.

Drake shook his head. “W-what do you mean?”

He was probably still confused. Claire offered him another sip of coffee. “Kissner is sure they'll find her.”

Drake's eyes darkened. “Kissner has h-her.”

“No, no. He's looking for her.” Surely his thoughts would clear shortly. She gave him more coffee.

The color started coming back to his face. He pushed the coffee away and shook his head. “Kissner pushed me off the cliff.
He's
the stalker.” He shook off their grips and struggled to stand, and Luke helped him up.

Claire's skin prickled with goose bumps. She looked at her husband. “What's he mean?” Kissner was a friend—and a deputy.

Drake gripped the railing to steady himself. “I mean what I just said. Kissner was supposed to be setting me up to help watch over Kate, but he lured me to the edge of the cliff, then shoved me off the side. I should have hit the rocks and been killed instantly, but a big wave rolled in as I plummeted down, and I hit the water instead. It dragged me out to sea. We have to get to shore and look for her.”

A wave of dread shuddered over Claire. “How is this possible? He likes Kate.”

Luke directed the boat's captain to head for the dock a little ways down the shore from where Kate was supposed to be waiting. “Stalkers often know their victims. They see them in normal circumstances and get obsessed.”

Drake shivered in his blanket and looked toward land. “We've been feeding Kissner information all along. I bet he got to work this morning and heard it was all a trap, so he laid one of his own. What story did he tell the sheriff and all of you?”

Luke grabbed another blanket and draped it over his shoulders. “He told us the stalker had forced Kate off the road, and she disappeared.”

“That's impossible even if he hadn't shoved me off the cliff.
He came to pick me up, and Kate left only moments before me. He passed her on the way to get me. It's the story he used to cover up what he's done. He called off everyone else with that story, but he assumed I'd be dead and there'd be no one to contradict his tale.”

Luke asked one of the men to radio the sheriff and tell him what had happened. “It's only been twenty minutes since I saw you fall into the water. He couldn't have gone far with her. We were just getting into position when I saw you fall, so we never reached our viewing spot. We'll look for her tracks near the granite steps up the cliff. We'll find her. Have the sheriff call in some search dogs too.”

Claire went to the railing and gripped it with cold fingers. She stared toward the approaching cliff walls. What if they found Kate dead on the shore? She'd never forgive herself for letting this crazy plan go forward.

* * *

Kate sat on a flat rock at the top of the hillside. She had no idea where she was. The woods were dark with approaching storm clouds blocking out the light. She hadn't been in this area in quite a while. The trees had gotten bigger, but she recognized the rocky hilltop she'd managed to climb. It wasn't the best place to hide. He might be able to see her from the bottom, but her muscles trembled with fatigue from the arduous climb, and she was having trouble thinking of a plan. She'd escaped him, but for how long?

She still couldn't absorb the fact that Jonas was the stalker. She'd befriended him in high school and had encouraged him as much as she knew how. Why would he want to hurt her?

If only she had her purse with her phone. She'd call the sheriff and someone would be here to rescue her. She pressed her hand to her head and willed herself to think past the “whys” and the “what ifs” and figure out how to save herself. No one would know where she was. They might think the stalker had taken her in his vehicle and may not even look for her in the forest. And they certainly wouldn't be looking for Jonas. He'd likely fed them wrong information all day.

What must he have felt when he realized the letter she'd left was a trap? Probably after he'd gotten into work and heard the plan from the sheriff. No wonder she'd felt the rage shimmering off him in waves. It was ridiculous to feel pity for a man who stalked her now like a hunter, but would he have listened to her if she tried to talk to him? Probably not.

She put her hands over her face and tried to pray, but all she could whisper was, “Please, God, please.” Her breath was harsh in her ears, and she longingly remembered the bottle of water in her purse.

The muscles in her legs protested as she rose and looked around. If she remembered correctly, the east side down ended with a sharp cliff overlooking the water. No escape there. She'd come up the west flank. The north and south sides were both extremely sharp inclines, and she'd likely fall before she reached the bottom. Her best bet might be to find a place to hide up here and wait for him to be gone, but where?

Crouching over, she roamed the top of the rocky hillside. She almost gave up when she found a small indentation in the hillside, just the right size to crawl into. While not a cave, if she moved some rocks around the side of it, he might miss her if she huddled into a ball. It was worth a try.

She picked up a rock and put it into place, then another and another. By the time she was finished, her fingertips throbbed and she'd ripped her right thumbnail, but her chances might be good for escaping detection.

Shaking with exhaustion, she crawled into her hidey-hole and leaned her head against the rock to rest. Did everyone think she was dead? She prayed again for deliverance, and the tension seeped out of her body. She relaxed and began to drift to sleep when the snap of a twig brought her out of her twilight state.

She clenched her hand around the bottle of bear spray she still held. Her only weapon would be useless if he kept his distance and shot her, but she clung to the can like her last hope.

Barely daring to breathe, she waited and prayed he wouldn't find her. Footsteps crunched on rocks, and she heard heavy breathing. He was close, so close. Her heart pounded in her ears. He was going to find her.

She shrank into the smallest ball she could manage and waited. If only she'd had better cover of some kind. Her pitiful efforts weren't enough.

Then the footsteps trudged off. She lifted her head and waited. Was he leaving?

“I know where you are, Kate. That puny little hole can't hide you. I'm far enough away you can't hit me with your bear spray this time. That wasn't very nice, by the way. My eyes still hurt, but they aren't so bleary I can't shoot you. Come out of there.”

What if she just stayed where she was? He'd have to get closer to haul her out, and she could hit him with another dose of her bear spray. Maybe it was all a ploy to flush her out. He might not really know where she was.

Then a sharp retort of gunfire rang out, and a bullet zipped by her head. She gulped and tried to press harder against the rock at her back.

“All I have to do is stand over you and shoot inside. This can be your coffin if you'd like.” His voice was hard, and a thin layer of rage vibrated through his words.

Did that mean he didn't intend to kill her? Where there was life there was hope.

She rose on shaky legs and exited her small haven. She held out her hand toward him in a plea. “I've always liked you, Jonas. I'm really upset that you want to hurt me.”

The skin around his eyes was a lurid red where she'd hit him with the bear spray. “You're the one who hurt me, Kate, in so many ways. Hitting me with the hoe should have told me what you were really like.” He held the gun pointed at her chest. “You chose this way. I thought you were different. I read that letter and thought you understood me like no one else. I wanted us to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“I didn't know it was you, Jonas. If you'd just given me the gifts from yourself, I wouldn't have been afraid.” She wet her lips and attempted a smile. “Can we start over? I remember how nice you were to me after Claire was rescued. Then after my stem-cell transplant, you brought me flowers. I saw your kindness, but I never knew you were interested in more.”

His scowl faltered, and he lowered the gun a few inches. “How could you not know it was me?”

“Think about it! How could I know? Please, let me make it up to you. You frightened me when I saw you pull your gun. I wouldn't have hurt you otherwise.”

His mouth worked and he blinked rapidly. “I have our marriage license in my pocket. I'd thought we'd go to Bangor and get married tonight.”

If she could get to a courthouse, she'd have help. “I think that's a fine idea. Let's go now.” She held her hand out to him.

The gun came back up. “Prove you mean it and throw the bear spray away.”

She managed to keep her smile pinned in place as she tossed the can onto the ground. “There, see? I trust you.”

He lowered the gun again, and a smile finally lifted his lips. “Let's go.”