Chapter 4

4

Dev stood on the sidewalk outside the local candy company known for their homemade fudge in downtown Boulder Lake. He inhaled the sweet vanilla scent drifting from the building and cutting through the wildfire smoke that had increased overnight. Any other day he'd be in line to buy a piece of each flavor to go. Not today. He didn't approve of the trip into town, but Kinsley and Jada had insisted on it, and he'd given in.

After all, how would their shooter have tracked Kinsley to this location? The only suspects for the shooting that made any sense were disgruntled contractors she'd investigated. These contractors wouldn't possess the skills to find her at the campground.

The shooter could hire a private detective who could trace her back to her hometown, but her parents didn't live in the area anymore, so she really had no apparent connections now. The only way the detective could make that link to the campground would be to stop in town and talk to someone who lived here for years and knew everyone. Knew that Kinsley had spent most of her childhood at the campground.

And that's where the problem lay. And why Dev couldn't relax but continued to scan the sidewalk and street. Because, unfortunately, such people existed.

He prayed that Kinsley's whereabouts didn't reach the locals' ears.

Kinsley and his sister, arm-in-arm and mouths full, pushed out of the building.

Kinsley moaned and swallowed. "There is nothing better than Wilson's fudge. I hope they never go out of business and I can come back here more often."

Dev wished she could come back here permanently, but he wasn't about to say that. "For now let's get moving. Where do you want to stop next?"

"Don't be so pushy. Have a piece of fudge." Jada handed him a chocolate brown chunk with nuts. "I got your favorite even if you aren't being very nice."

He accepted the piece, but before putting it in his mouth, he gave her a pointed look. "You know I'm just concerned about you two. So can we please move on?"

She wrinkled her nose. "That was a nicer way to ask, so yes. Where do you want to go, Kinsley?"

Kinsley's eyes lit up. "Let's have T-shirts made with today's date. We can wear them all week like we did when we were kids."

Dev shoved the chocolate in his mouth to take his mind off the dire feelings that tightened his neck, threatening a headache.

Let it go. Focus, and she'll be fine.

He motioned for them to precede him down the walkway, devoid of tourists. Not typical for Saturday, not even in the off-season. Maybe the increase in smoke clogging the air was keeping most people inside.

At the door, he cracked it open, took a long look inside, and gave a nod to the women while swallowing his bite of fudge.

Kinsley took out a maple piece and handed it to him. "To keep you sweeter."

He rolled his eyes, but she giggled and stepped past him to enter the store, where the odor of a hot press used to complete the T-shirt transfers drifted out.

He wouldn't turn down the fudge, and popped it into his mouth. He savored the maple sweetness as he searched through the yellow-tinged sky, seeing very few cars had parked on Main Street today. He could count them on one hand, and most of them were clumped near the grocery store. Likely locals getting their weekly supplies. Didn't mean he would take his eyes off them. No. Sweet sugar in his mouth or not, his attention remained focused on the street and any potential danger.

A patrol car turned the corner and headed in his direction. The large SUV pulled to the curb in front of him, and Chief Gibson got out. Wearing a khaki uniform, he strode over to Dev. "Glad I caught you. Saved me a trip out to the campground."

Dev stepped closer to keep a couple strolling down the sidewalk from overhearing their conversation. "Did you locate something on that truck at the boat ramp?"

"First things first." Gibson rested his hands on his duty belt. "I know who broke into your cabins at the campground."

News Dev had wanted to hear, but suddenly he wasn't sure if he did. "Who?"

"You know Jimmy Finchley?"

The name was familiar to pretty much everybody in town. "The guy who loves to race motorcycles through town?"

"One and the same." The chief frowned, drawing down his already long face. "Guess he got tired of trying to evade my guys with his bikes. Anyway, he and a couple of teens went on a spree in the area, breaking into vacant homes. He said after they got into a few of your cabins and saw there was nothing of value, they took off. Thankfully, they didn't realize your manager has a home on the property. With him out of town, they could've raided his place."

"Well, I'm glad to have that case closed. I assume you put the fear of God in them, and I also don't have to worry about them coming back since they didn't find anything."

The chief frowned. "Not sure anyone can put the fear of God in Jimmy, but his friends' parents won't abide their sons' behavior and will take care of it."

"That's good then." Dev took a step closer. "Now, what about the boat? What did you learn there?"

"You're not gonna believe this." He lowered his voice. "It belongs to Louis Luongo."

"That guy!" Dev blinked at the chief until he could get his shock under control and think straight. "The guy who everyone thinks killed his wife but got away with it because he bribed a juror?"

"One and the same." The chief grimaced. "I don't like the fact that this guy is in my jurisdiction. I don't even like the fact that he'd be anywhere near my jurisdiction. But one of my men tells me he's buying the Addison property."

Dev knew that place. Everyone in town did. "The biggest house on the lake."

"Apparently not big enough for him. Rumor has it that he's planning to remodel the whole place and seriously enlarge it. Who knows, maybe he'll just tear it down and start over."

Dev thought back to everything he knew about this man. He made his money in numerous concrete driveways all over the Portland metro area. In fact, there was serious consideration at one point that he buried his wife in fresh concrete on one of his job sites. But X-rays proved that rumor wrong, and they never found her body.

"Did he retire after all the bad publicity from the trial or does he still run his company?" Dev asked.

"I think his son's in charge now, but Luongo's still the official head of the corporation. Probably making backdoor deals with some of the most unethical contractors out there."

Had Kinsley run into Luongo on one of her investigations and made him mad? He couldn't have known she would be here, could he, and this was likely just coincidental? But Dev didn't believe in coincidences. He would have to look into Luongo. First, by asking Kinsley if he'd ever been part of one of her investigations and had threatened her.

"Looks like you think this is important," Gibson said.

"Could be. Kinsley is a forensic engineer and could possibly have shut down one of his projects due to malfeasance. If so, he could be mad and seeking revenge. Even if he didn't know she was coming here, he could've easily figured it out while he was in town."

"Let's hope he's not coming back for the foreseeable future. I don't need a murderer in my town gunning for one of my guests."

"Is there any way you can determine how long he hung around yesterday? If he wasn't here during the shooting, he might not be our perpetrator. Or not. He could've hired someone else or has someone else on his payroll to do the shooting for him. Sounds like just the thing he might do."

"I'll ask around. See what I can find out." The chief eyed him. "Until we know something concrete—no pun unintended—I urge you to be extra careful and diligent with Kinsley's safety. I hope she's at the campground now under the supervision of your brother or one of your teammates."

Dev's stomach churned. "Actually, she's in the T-shirt shop, but I fully intend to tell her about Luongo and encourage her to go back to the cabin. I can't say she'll go—she's pretty strong-willed—but she should take it seriously."

He tried to fill his words with confidence, but he wasn't at all sure she would comply. Especially if she didn't have any interaction with Luongo in the past. She might go about her business in town, putting herself at further risk. Maybe not for immediate attack, but anyone who saw her could find out where she was located. The grapevine was rampant in this town, and it wouldn't be long before the entire town knew she was staying at the cabin. Even if Luongo wasn't their guy, that bit of news spreading rapidly could very well get back to the shooter and end her life.

Kinsley stood with Jada next to the steaming T-shirt press where the store associate, whose nametag read Stella, was preparing vintage T-shirts. Kinsley requested a design very much like the ones she and Jada had worn as kids. The heat transfer for the logo emitted a hot smell as it melted the custom transfer onto the fabric, the familiar odor taking her back to the start of summer every year.

"Do you remember when we would come here?" Kinsley could barely contain her excitement as she fired off memories with Jada, who responded a bit less enthusiastically. Still, they giggled like schoolgirls, earning frequent eyerolls from the older sales associate who was new to the shop since Kinsley had last been there.

The door swung open and banged into a metal display rack holding sample T-shirts. Kinsley startled and spun to face the door.

Dev raced into the room. He took one look at Kinsley and charged across the space.

"We have to go now!" His frantic tone erased her fun and sent her heart beating.

She took a deep breath to stop from falling victim to her emotions. "Our T-shirts aren't ready yet, and we want to go to three more stores."

He took her by the arm and led her to the back of the store, steps hurried and urgent. Jada rushed to keep up with them. When they stopped, he released Kinsley's arm, but Jada took hold of her.

Dev glanced around the room, then moved even closer to her. "I just talked to Chief Gibson. I don't want to get into details here, but trust me when I say we need to get out of here."

"I don't know." Kinsley looked at Jada to see if she wanted to leave.

Her cheerful expression had evaporated. "I know my brother, and he only gets this look on his face when he's seriously freaked out about something. We need to listen to him."

"Then let's go." Kinsley's worry ramped up even higher. She extricated her arm from Jada's hold and turned to leave.

Dev grabbed her shoulder. "Hold up. I don't want you on Main Street."

She didn't fight his touch but remained in place. "Then how do you propose I leave?"

"Through the back door." He faced Jada. "Since I was at the parking lot shooting, our shooter could associate me with Kinsley, but not likely with you. In case he's watching, can you get the vehicle and bring it around back while I wait here with Kinsley?"

"Of course." She held her hand. "Just give me the keys."

Dev dug them from his pocket, and the metal jingled as he dropped them on her palm.

"I'll be back in a jiff." She raced for the door.

"Hold up." Dev bolted past her. "Let me take a look outside first."

He opened the door and poked his head out, turning it right then left, then slowly standing back. "It's clear, but be careful. Keep your eyes open for anything unusual."

"No worries. Any action at all in this sleepy little town will stand out." She laughed and took off.

Dev closed the door behind her and marched up to Stella. "Can we use your back door?"

Stella took a step back, likely from the force he was projecting and opened her mouth to respond.

Gunshots rang out on the street, and she gasped.

Dev spun. "Down, Kinsley. On the floor. Now."

She dropped to the vinyl, her heart hammering.

He faced Stella, now lying on the floor, too. "Do you have a room without windows?"

"The office." She pointed to the open doorway.

"Kinsley, go in there with Stella. Lock the door. Move in as far away from the door as possible and lie on the floor."

A violent burst of bullets coming from the street sounded like staccato pops, one then another in rapid succession.

Kinsley didn't move. "But Jada?—"

"I'll go to Jada," he said. "But not until you're safely in the office."

Her muscles were like solid brick, but she managed to get to her feet and run to the back with Stella. They stepped into a small, orderly office holding a desk and chair along with a credenza. Barely any room for two people to lie on the floor.

"Let's shove the desk against the door." Kinsley didn't wait for help but started pushing.

"Lock the door." Dev's raised voice came through the antique wood.

She turned the deadbolt and dropped to the dusty floor where Stella already lay curled in a ball. Wide and terrified eyes behind her thick-framed glasses peered at Kinsley. She swiped a trembling hand over her face. "Is this shooter trying to kill you? Does that mean he's going to break in here and kill us both?"

If Kinsley hadn't insisted on coming into town, Stella wouldn't have to be going through this terrifying experience. Likely life-changing experience. And not in a good way.

Why, oh why, had she been so stubborn and insisted on a trip to town today? Obviously she didn't really believe the parking-lot shooter had been gunning for her.

There'd been a reason for doubt until now. Zero proof existed that the shooter had intended her as the victim. That he wasn't randomly shooting at anyone, and she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But today's situation confirmed his intentions, didn't it?

If a shooter was firing his rifle on Main Street in the tiny town where Kinsley had fled, she had to face facts. He was gunning for her, and anyone in her orbit was unsafe. That included Jada. Maybe Dev, too, and even this store associate. Kinsley was a pariah.

She gritted her teeth. From this moment on, she had to act accordingly.

She would follow each and every instruction Dev gave her. She would no longer argue. Not in the least little bit.

She got it now. Understood completely. Complying with his instructions could be the very thing that saved not only her life but the lives of those around her.