Finding Courage (A Rescue Alaska Mystery Book 3) Read online

  Eventually, Dani spoke. “Are you saying the man who sent the mountain down killed Val?”

  “I don’t know. I only saw a flash. I don’t know if he killed her or just happened to be with her. I’ve been asking myself whether he kidnapped her and took her to the cave where we found her body, or if she really did get lost and he stumbled across her. I can’t know unless I can figure out a way to get into his head again.”

  “We need to find this guy,” Landon said.

  Jake still sat silently, devoid of color but seemingly intent on what we were saying. I imagined he was questioning everything he thought he knew, just as I had.

  “I’m new here and don’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” Houston started off, “but I think we can all agree that finding this man and bringing him to justice is our priority. To do that, we need a place to start looking.”

  “We need a suspect list,” I said.

  “This man is most likely known to one or all of you,” Houston said. “If Harmony did experience a memory yesterday, it sounds as if he was around when Val died thirteen years ago. That’s not a great starting point, but it’s something. We’ll make a list of every possible person you can think of, then I’ll start getting alibis and eliminating them.”

  It was slow going, getting those first couple of names on a whiteboard, but once we got started, there were over twenty names on the list within the first thirty minutes.

  “Do any of these men wear a size twelve boot?” Houston asked.

  Dani raised a brow. “A size twelve boot? The guy was up on the mountain. None of us saw him. How can you know what size boot he wore?”

  Houston looked at me.

  “I had a prowler,” I admitted. “I don’t know when exactly, and I don’t think they got close to the house, but when I walked the dogs this morning, I noticed boot prints in the snow where it hadn’t melted.”

  “Do you think it was the guy?” Jordan asked.

  “Probably not. It was probably a fisherman or a hiker. I called Houston just to be safe. He took photos and a couple of casts.”

  “I should have more information about the brand of boot once the lab has processed everything,” Houston said.

  “I don’t want you staying by yourself at that cabin until this is resolved,” Jake said.

  “I have seven dogs,” I reminded him. “I’ll be fine.”

  Houston said, “Seven dogs aren’t going to protect you from a guy with a gun.”

  “And neither will a roommate,” I argued. “I have animals to take care of. I’m not leaving my cabin.”

  “I’ll stay with her,” Landon offered.

  Everyone, including me, appeared to be surprised by that. “You’d be willing to stay out at my place?”

  Landon shrugged. “Sure. Why not? You have a guest room, and we’d all feel better if you weren’t alone.”

  “I’d welcome the company if you’re serious, but I’m a lot better with a gun than you are, so I’m not sure how much protection you’ll be.”

  “So you can protect me. I’ll bring my stuff by later.”

  With that settled, the discussion went back to the list we’d made. This was important and I wanted to pay attention, but I couldn’t help but notice the way Jake had checked out. Sitka, who had been lying nearby with Yukon and Kojak, must have sensed his distress, because he got up and wandered over to where he was sitting. He put his head in Jake’s lap, and he began to run his fingers through Sitka’s hair in response, but from the look on his face, his mind was a million miles away. Not that I blamed him. The revelation that Val hadn’t been alone when she died was huge. I was having a hard time coming to grips with it, and I’d had over twelve hours to get used to the idea.

  “I get why these names are on the list,” Landon was saying. “Everyone is known to one or more members of the team, and they were all around when Val was with us. But I don’t think any of them would have intentionally sent a mountain down on anyone.”

  “I agree,” Dani said. “These are our neighbors. People we go to community picnics with. People we stop to chat with when we run into them in town. I can’t see any of them being the person we’re looking for.”

  “I don’t know them the way you do, but I understand what you’re saying,” Houston replied. “Still, someone did it. Someone called in a fake rescue report with the intention of killing one or all of the members of the team who responded. All we can do is make a list and then work to eliminate people from it until someone begins to stand out. If any of you have a better idea, I’m open to it.”

  No one responded. I was sure that while there wasn’t anyone on the list we could believe would want us dead, someone did, and chances were, it was someone we stopped to chat with at the market.

  Houston looked at me. “Any dreams, visions, intuitions since last night?”

  I shook my head. “No. I didn’t sleep much last night, so I couldn’t have a dream. If I do make a connection of any kind, I’ll let you know, but to be honest, I doubt I will. I think the only reason I connected last night was because I was searching for someone in trouble, and the man’s pain was so intense, it came through.”

  “I can’t claim to fully understand what you do and how you do it, but when we worked together last spring to track down the man who was killing people from his past, you seemed to have an intuition of how he felt and why he did it. Is that a normal response to connecting with the person you’re looking for?”

  “Not really. In fact, that was the first time it happened. A very disturbing first. Normally, I can only connect with a victim: the person I’m meant to help rescue. I don’t know why I connected with the killer back then or last night.”

  “It sounds like your gift might be growing,” Landon observed.

  I huffed out a breath. “Maybe. Though sharing thoughts and memories with a person who has so much evil in their heart isn’t a gift I’m interested in.” I looked at Houston. “But if I do connect with him again, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  “Is there anything the rest of us can do to help with the investigation?” Sarge asked Houston. “I’d like to be involved, and I think the others would as well. When you lose one of your own, the urge to fight back is strong.”

  “Just talk to people. You’ve all lived here for a long time. That background is valuable. There’s a good chance someone knows something, even if they don’t realize it.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Dani looked unsure.

  “I’m sorry to be confusing. What I mean is, in the course of going about their day, people observe and overhear thousands of pieces of data. If prompted, the individuals with whom you cross paths might remember something about you or vice versa. Oftentimes, a comment tossed out in a restaurant or an overheard telephone conversation can provide just the lead we need.” Houston looked at the whiteboard on which we’d made the list. “I’ll talk to these folks and track down and verify alibis, so we can pare down the list one at a time. If none of them pan out, we’ll meet again to come up with another list. I can’t say we’ll be able to wrap this up quickly, but I’m committed to working on it for as long as it takes.”

  When the meeting broke up, Jake excused himself and headed toward his house, which was across the parking lot from the bar. Jordan followed. I hoped he’d be okay. He hadn’t said much at all since I’d shared my news. Val’s death had been such a dark time for both of us. I hated that we were being forced to relive it.

  Dani announced that she had a charter that afternoon. People often hired her to fly them to remote locations to take photos of the wildlife that’s so abundant in Alaska. She’d be out of cell range, but she had her radio and would check in with us when she got back.

  Sarge headed to the kitchen for some cooking therapy. While Neverland was closed there wouldn’t be any customers to feed whatever masterpiece he came up with, so I had a feeling if I stopped by later in the day I’d be treated to a feast worthy of a king.

  Landon kissed my cheek and
reminded me he’d come by my place later that afternoon with his things and left as well. He didn’t say where he was going, but the serious expression on his face told me that he had an idea he intended to follow up on. He was by far the smartest member of the S&R team. Not only was he a genius by anyone’s standards, he was a master hacker as well. I didn’t think there was an internet site he couldn’t hack in to, and his skill had come in handy on more than one occasion.

  “I guess I’ll get started on this list,” Houston said as he motioned to Kojak that he was ready to leave. “Are you heading home?”

  “No. At least not right away. I’m going to the shelter for a couple of hours. We’ve been really busy since the grand opening and fund-raiser last month. I think Harley plans to come in today, and I want to catch up with him before he goes back to Los Angeles.”

  “I thought he was going to be in town until after the holidays.”

  “He was. And he’ll be back. He’ll only be gone for a couple of weeks.”

  “And after the shelter?”

  “After that, I’ll probably head home.” I met Houston’s gaze. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know. You’re very capable. I’m worried about everyone on the team.”

  “You think this guy might not be done?”

  “The thought has occurred to me,” Houston admitted. “Until we catch him, you all should be extra careful.”

  I nodded. “I’ll be careful. If you get any leads, call me.”

  “I will. And if you have a vision, call me.”

  I picked up my bag and motioned to Yukon.

  Houston put a hand on my shoulder as I turned to the door. “I know how hard this is, but I want you to know I’m going to get this guy.”

  “I know,” I said. And I believed we would. The problem was, I couldn’t be sure we were destined to track him down before he took another life.

  Chapter 4

  When I arrived at the Rescue Alaska Animal Shelter, I found one of our regular volunteers, Serena Walters, on duty. She was holding a puppy and talking to a woman in a brown coat when I walked in, so I waved to her and went back to the little office we used for administrative duties. I took off my jacket and hung it up on the coatrack. There was a pile of mail on the desk, which I picked up and began to thumb through.

  “Who is this little guy?” I asked Serena, who was still holding the puppy, probably a mixed breed, when she joined me.

  “This is Chester. The woman wants to surrender him to us. Her daughter got him from a woman who was giving away puppies in front of the grocery store, but she didn’t have permission to bring home a pet, and she absolutely doesn’t want to keep it.”

  I held out my arms and Serena passed him over. “He sure is a cute little thing. And of course we’ll take him. He’s better off with us than with someone who doesn’t want him. Was the woman willing to leave her contact information?”

  “No. She just handed me the pup, explained the situation, and left.”

  While we tried to get contact information for everyone who surrendered a pet, more often than not those dropping off animals weren’t willing to take the time. “That’s fine. Let’s get him set up in one of the kennels. I’ll run him over to Kelly,” I said, referring to the local vet, “so she can give him his shots and a healthy puppy check. Have we had any other new arrivals since I was in on Friday?”

  “No. The lady from the clinic, the tall one with the short red hair whose name escapes me, came in and picked up the poodle she filled out paperwork for. I had just left, but Trevor took care of it. Harley stopped in yesterday. He was sorry to have missed you but might be back today on his way out of town.”

  “I thought he wasn’t leaving until tomorrow.”

  “He changed his flight and is leaving from Fairbanks this evening. Oh, and some guy was in looking for you this morning. He gave me an envelope to give to you.”

  I narrowed my gaze. “What guy? What envelope?”

  Serena plucked an envelope from the bottom of the stack I was holding. “This envelope. As for the guy, I didn’t recognize him. He was tall. Dark hair. Built.”

  I opened the envelope and found a photo of me standing next to Yukon. The photo had been taken on the mountain just minutes before the explosion. Given the angle of the photo, it looked to have been taken with a telephoto lens from above where I stood. “This guy—did he leave a name?”

  Serena shook her head. “No. He just came in the front door and asked if you were here. When I said you weren’t, he gave me the envelope and asked me to give it to you when I saw you.”

  There was nothing in the envelope other than the photo, but it might have prints or DNA on it that would help us identify the person who left it, so I set both on the desk and called Houston. He immediately said he was on his way over, and I wasn’t to let Serena leave before he got there.

  I hung up and turned back to Serena. “Did anyone else see the guy who left this?”

  She shook her head. “No, just me. I was in the main lobby by myself when he came in. He handed me the envelope and left. What’s going on?”

  “Did you hear about our rescue last night?”

  “I haven’t heard a thing. Did something happen?”

  I took a few minutes to fill her in, leaving out the parts I thought might be sensitive to the case. I wasn’t sure how much Houston wanted us to share.

  Serena’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, Harmony, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know Austin well, but I know all of you were tight. Who would do such a thing?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

  She raised a brow. “Do you think the guy who dropped off the envelope had something to do with it?”

  “Maybe. The photo is of me just minutes before the explosion. As far as I know, the only person on that mountain besides the rescue team was the killer.”

  Serena gasped. “You think the guy who was here this morning was the killer?”

  “He very well might have been. Officer Houston is going to have some questions for you.”

  “Of course. I’ll help in any way I can.”

  With Houston’s help, Serena was able to provide a better description than she’d given me. The man was six feet three or four inches. He had dark hair that brushed his collar and wore dark glasses, so she couldn’t see the color of his eyes. She remembered thin lips that were almost completely hidden beneath a thick beard and mustache. He was thin but built, muscular, like someone who lifted weights. Serena estimated he was probably between thirty and forty, although it was hard to tell with all the facial hair. He didn’t have an accent exactly, but he tended to slur his Rs, and wore black boots, dark denim jeans, and a neutral-color sweatshirt; Serena thought beige. It seemed like a lot to go on, but between the beard and the dark glasses, it was hard to come up with a helpful image. I sorted through the details after Houston took them down, but not a single person who looked like that came to mind.

  Houston wore gloves when he handled the photo and envelope, then put them in a plastic bag with the intention of forwarding it to the county lab.

  “Do you think you can get DNA or a print?” I asked.

  “Probably not, but we’ll try. The flap of the envelope was folded in, not sealed, so we won’t get DNA there. He may have left prints on the photo, but I’d be surprised if he handled it without wearing gloves. I’d say it was careless of him to come to the shelter looking for you. If he just wanted you to have the photo, he could have left it on your windshield or under the mat outside the door. Why would he show up personally when he had to know we’re looking for him?”

  “I can’t think of a single reason unless he wants to get caught or he’s cocky enough to think we couldn’t catch up with him even if we figured out who he is.”

  “I’d say the guy who delivered the letter wasn’t the killer, just someone who was given some cash to do it, but I’ll have a sketch artist work on the description Serena gave me and follow any le
ad. If I can find the guy who made the delivery, he might be able to describe the person who gave him the envelope. Every lead is a worthwhile lead.”

  I leaned a hip against the desk. “Why did he have the photo delivered anyway? Is he threatening me? He obviously knows where I spend a significant amount of my time.”

  Houston frowned. “I wish I knew. It could be a threat of sorts, but,” he pursed his lips and shook his head slowly, “it feels like something else is going on.”

  “I agree.”

  “I don’t want you going off anywhere alone. I feel like if he just wanted you dead, he could easily have taken care of that last night. But he wants something, and that makes me very uncomfortable.”

  “I’ll be careful,” I promised. “After I leave here I’m going to the feedstore, then back to my cabin. Landon said he’d be there by this afternoon. I’ll wait for him to show up before I walk the dogs. If the guy who came here today is one we’re after, he made a mistake I plan to exploit. Landon is a genius on the computer. Once we have a sketch of him, Landon should be able to use his software to identify him.”

  “Good to know. The equipment in our lab is so outdated, it’s pretty worthless. If Landon has updated equipment, I might work something out with him for casework. Maybe I’ll pop by later to talk to him about it.”

  “Why don’t you pick up some takeout when you get off, then come by my place? The three of us can work together.”

  ******

  The dogs were more than ready for their walk when Landon arrived, so I grabbed my rifle and the two of us set off with them. There was a heavy cloud cover, but other than a few flurries here and there, there wasn’t a lot of moisture. The temperature drop the previous evening seemed to indicate we might be in for some snow, which was inevitable at this time of year.

  “I’ve been thinking about things since we met this morning,” Landon said as the dogs headed toward the property boundary where we often turned around. “I wasn’t there last night, so my opinion is going to be slightly skewed, but it seems as if for this guy to have set the dynamite in the exact location required to create a landslide at the narrowest part of the gulch, he must have had experience doing it.”