“I don’t have GPS.” Jerry didn’t even have a cell phone. “I’ll meet you at the north parking lot and take you there.”
“On my way.” Logan ended the call and relayed the information to Tessa. “Do you want to come with me?”
“I do. We need to find Carl Hammer.”
7
Tessa rubbed an ache in her gut. How could she have been so wrong about the Waldens? Had her error killed Gavin?
She stopped at the station for Logan’s vehicle. Following his SUV, she drove out of town and turned onto Orcas Road, which wrapped around the west side of Widow’s Bay. She took a sharp right onto a gravel road that cut across to the western side of the island.
While she drove, Tessa called Cate and asked her to relieve her grandmother at Tessa’s house. “I’m really sorry, but I think we have a break in the case. We’re heading out into the state park after a suspect. I don’t know how late I’ll be.” Tessa explained about the pills Henry had left. “It’s new medication. I hate not to be there the first time she takes it, but I also don’t want a repeat of last night.”
“Not a problem,” Cate said. “If she gets upset, I’ll call Henry. Being engaged to the town doctor has its perks.”
Logan called her. She pushed answer and put him on speakerphone.
“Stop at my cabin. I’ll grab my day pack.” As the park ranger, Logan lived in a small cabin near the entrance of Bishop State Park.
Ten minutes later, she parked in front of the cabin. They went inside. Tessa used the bathroom while Logan grabbed his backpack.
“Protein bar?” she called as she opened his pantry. It was nearly dinnertime, and they were setting out into the woods.
“Yes, please.” Logan filled two stainless steel bottles with water and put them in his pack. “Let’s go.”
Tessa grabbed two bars and a package of trail mix.
Outside, she took her own day pack from the rear of her SUV. Then they climbed into the Range Rover, which was outfitted for rugged terrain.
A mile into the park, the road turned to dirt, forcing Logan to slow down. When they reached the gravel parking lot, Jerry was sitting on a split rail fence, waiting for them. They stepped out of the vehicle and slung their packs over their shoulders.
At six in the evening, several hours of daylight remained, but experienced hikers didn’t walk into the forest unprepared. Things happened. People fell, broke bones, and got lost. Any surprise could result in an unplanned night in the woods. In May, the nighttime temperature could still drop into the forties. No one wanted to spend a night in the woods without matches, a waterproof jacket, snacks, water, and extra layers of clothing.
The scents of pine and moss surrounded them.
Always happy and mellow, Jerry got to his feet and shook their hands. “It was the weirdest thing.” He strode out onto a path. “The wires caught the sun, or I would have tripped.”
With the sun beginning its descent, shadows covered the trail. They hiked for about a half mile; then Jerry took a steep uphill offshoot. Regular hiking and an organic lifestyle kept him fit. As they climbed higher, Tessa’s legs began to ache. Logan strode ahead. As the ranger, he hiked and ran in the forest every day. Since her mother’s condition had worsened, Tessa’s days off had been spent at home. She was more winded than she should have been. She stopped to catch her breath. She could hear the rush of water on a rock ahead. They must be close.
Jerry glanced back at her, his face concerned. “You okay?”
Tessa nodded, saving her breath.
“We’re close.” He turned back to the climb.
Ahead, the trail forked around a towering pine tree. Jerry stopped in front of the trail to the left. Glancing around nervously, he lowered his voice. “There’s the first one.”
Tessa crouched and photographed the trap. About six inches off the ground, a thin wire was tied between two tree trunks. The wire led to a group of tin cans. She straightened.
One by one, they stepped over the wire and continued hiking upward. A minute later, Jerry stopped again. “Here’s another one.”
The setup was the same. Tessa took another picture. Then she looked up. The trail steepened. Above them, she could see the plateau that overlooked the waterfall. An easier, but much longer, trail led from the main parking lot to the falls. “I wonder if he’s put up his alarms on the Overlook Trail?”
Jerry shrugged. “I never take that one this time of year. Too many tourists.”
The park and every other place on Widow’s would be crowded until September. But locals knew how to avoid the busy spots.
“We’ll check when we get up there.” Logan stopped to adjust his pack.
Tessa suspected he was pausing to let her rest. She squinted up the trail. “Let’s go.” She would not be the one to hold up the group. They had only about ninety minutes of daylight left. The descent would be rough in the dark.
Jerry scrambled up a rocky slope. Logan climbed onto a boulder and held a hand down for her. She took it, and he hauled her up beside him. Before Tessa could gain her footing, something struck her on the shoulder. A small rock bounced down the steep trail. Tessa rubbed her shoulder.
The sound of more rocks shifting caught her attention. She looked up. Rocks tumbled toward them.
“Shit!” A few feet above them, Jerry ducked behind a tree.
Logan shoved Tessa off the boulder they’d just climbed. After pushing her against the rock, he shielded her with his own body. A small avalanche of dirt and rocks rained down on them. When it stopped, Logan straightened. They were covered in dirt. Blood trickled down his temple, but the cut didn’t seem to be deep.
“Was that an accident?” Logan sounded doubtful.
Tessa scanned the trail. “There’s only one way to find out. We have to get up there.”
“Let’s go around.” Logan led her to the other side of the boulder.
A scream echoed from above, the sound chilling Tessa’s blood to ice. A rock the size of a bowling ball came flying down the slope toward them. They jumped out of the way.
Logan whispered, “I think I can climb up the back side of the plateau.”
“There’s no cover,” Tessa whispered. “Remember, he could have a gun.”
“Then why isn’t he using it now?”
Tessa frowned at him for a second, then nodded. “I’ll distract him.”
“Keep your head down.” He dropped his backpack and headed off the trail just as another rock tumbled down the slope.
Logan dug deep and propelled himself up the slope. Without the heavy pack weighing him down, he could maneuver more freely. He heard more rocks cascading down the slope. He needed to stop Carl from throwing rocks down on Tessa and Jerry. The only way to do that was to sneak up the back side of the plateau and surprise him.
He abandoned the trail. He circled around the boulder and scanned the twenty feet of rocky slope above him. There was only one way up. He reached for a handhold and began to climb. If Carl saw him now, Logan would not be able to avoid being hit. Sweat dripped down his back as he sought purchase with the toe of his boot. He pushed upward, trying to be both fast and quiet.
He stopped just below the plateau and listened. Once he stuck his head over the edge, there would be no turning back.