Chapter Twelve

Thursday afternoon, Tammy sat at her desk in the Examiner office and paged through the folder of information she had assembled about Valerie Shepherd’s disappearance. She had all the original newspaper articles and notes from search and rescue about their role in the hunt for the missing girl, as well as the copy of the sheriff’s department file that Travis had given her.

She stopped and reread the initial interview with Victor and Susan Shepherd, then took out a highlighter and ran it over the section where they talked about the camper Valerie claimed to have seen. “Right after we got to camp, Valerie climbed up onto a boulder and said she could see another camper nearby. Someone with a blue dome tent,” Susan said. Her husband hadn’t even heard this remark. The most information came from Vince, who said Valerie told him she met the man when she went to collect firewood. He had given her wood he had gathered and smiled at her. “She said he had a nice smile,” Vince had said.

The sheriff’s deputies had asked every person in the area that day if they had seen a lone male camper or backpacker, or one with a little girl who matched Valerie’s description. No one had seen him. Appeals to the public who might have seen such a man had yielded nothing.

A man with a nice smile. Had the smile won Valerie over enough that she had gone with him? But where? Vince and his parents swore they had never seen the man, who, if he had been real, had seemingly vanished without a trace. Valerie had risen before the rest of the family and gone out to search for more wood. Had she encountered the man again and he had spirited her away in those early hours before anyone else was on the trail? It was possible, but if that was the case, where had they gone?

She continued reading through the file and came upon a single paragraph from a statement taken from a woman and her boyfriend six months after Valerie’s disappearance. They had seen a man with a backpack on a trail near the one the Shepherds had taken, on the day before the Shepherds’ camping trip. They described him as medium height and build, brown hair, early to mid-twenties. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt and hiking boots, and had a blue backpack. They hadn’t spoken to him and had only come forward after seeing repeated appeals for information about a lone male hiker. “But it was the day before the little girl disappeared, and on a different trail,” the woman—Jennifer—had said.

A handwritten note at the bottom of the page stated they were unable to obtain any further information about this man. A second note, in a different colored ink and different handwriting, contained just two words: probably unrelated.

That was the last entry in the slim file. Tammy closed the folder and stared into space, hoping for inspiration but finding none. Her stomach growled, and she decided maybe she would think better after lunch.

She walked down the street and was waiting in line for a booth at Kate’s Café when a voice behind her said, “Tammy Shepherd? That is you, isn’t it?”

She turned to find Elisabeth slipping in behind her. Tammy glanced past her, expecting to see Mitch. Elisabeth laughed. “Mitch is showing a big ranch over near Delta,” she said. “I’m on my own. And it looks like you are too.”

The pause after these words was so weighted Tammy felt it pushing against her. “We should have lunch together,” she said.

“I’d love that.” Elisabeth linked her arm with Tammy’s. “It will give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

The server arrived to escort them to a booth along the side, and Tammy focused on the menu. But after a few moments, she became aware of Elisabeth studying her. She looked up. “You don’t look like Mitch, do you?” Elisabeth said.

“He takes after my dad,” Tammy said. “I look more like my mom. Though people say there’s a resemblance.”

Elisabeth shook her head. “I don’t see it. Though maybe some family traits run stronger than that. For instance, my brother and I looked just alike. People thought we were twins.”

“Oh. How many siblings do you have?” It seemed a safe enough topic of conversation.

“None. At least, not anymore. He died. My whole family is dead.” She smiled, the expression so at odds with her words that Tammy was taken aback.

The server arrived to take their orders, providing a reprieve. Tammy tried to gather her thoughts. When they were alone again, she asked, “Have you been enjoying your time in Eagle Mountain?”

“I have. This morning I went shopping. There’s a boutique in the Gold Nugget Hotel. Lucky Strike—do you know it?”

Tammy knew of the boutique, though its prices were beyond what she could manage on her reporter’s salary. The styles displayed in the boutique’s front windows were more upscale than what she usually wore. She dressed for comfort, ready to race out to the scene of an accident or to interview someone at a construction site or mine. Elisabeth, in her short skirt and heels, looked straight out of a magazine spread. There was no missing the way heads turned to follow her when she crossed a room.

“You’re the first newspaper reporter I’ve ever met,” Elisabeth said. “I thought that was one of those jobs that didn’t exist anymore.”

“People are still interested in the news,” Tammy said.

“On television and online, maybe. I thought printed news was going the way of the dinosaurs.”

This wasn’t the first time Tammy had heard similar statements. “Not our paper,” she said. “There’s no other source for local news.”

“Then you enjoy your job,” Elisabeth said.

“Yes.” The hours were long and the pay wasn’t the best, but reporting was what she had always wanted to do. “The work offers a lot of variety,” she said. “And I end up knowing about everything going on.”

“What interesting things are going on in Eagle Mountain?”

“Everyone’s gearing up for the Fourth of July. It’s a big holiday here, for the locals and the tourists. There’s a festival and a parade and fireworks.”

“It sounds charming.”

Tammy couldn’t tell if charming was a positive or a negative to Elisabeth. “Do they do anything special for the Fourth where you’re from?” she asked.

“Different places have fireworks.” Elisabeth unrolled her napkin and spread it across her lap. “Mitch told me the two of you have a sibling who died. That’s too bad, isn’t it?”

Was that a question or an observation? Tammy was saved from having to reply by the arrival of the server with their food. She focused on the food, pondering a way to take the conversation in a less personal direction.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Elisabeth asked.

Tammy had just taken a large bite of her sandwich and almost choked. She chewed and tried to think of an answer that wouldn’t beg elaboration when Elisabeth added, “I saw you with a cute guy outside the sheriff’s department. Tall, dark and handsome.”

Tammy’s face warmed. “That was just a friend.”

“Uh-huh.” Elisabeth gave her a knowing look. “Does your friend have a name?”

“Vince.”

Elisabeth poked at her salad with her fork. “What’s he like?”

“He’s a great guy.”

“And you like him a lot. I can tell.”

“I do.” There was relief in admitting this out loud, an easing of pressure. “But I’m not sure how he feels about me.”

“Hmm. Then maybe you should ask him.”

Tammy made a face. “I don’t want to put him on the spot.” And risk scaring him off.

“Okay. Then why not try a little experiment?”

“What do you mean?”

“Turn up the heat and see how he responds.”

Tammy flashed back to the one kiss she and Vince had shared. There had been plenty of heat there, but nothing had happened since. “I don’t know...”

“Oh, come on,” Elisabeth said. “Just try a little seduction. If he goes for it, you’ll at least know he’s attracted to you physically. That’s a place to start.”

“Thanks for the suggestion, but that’s not my style. Say, how long are you going to be in town? Mitch mentioned you weren’t sure when you first moved here.”

“I’m still not certain, though this place is growing on me. And I like your brother. He and I have really clicked.” The way she said the words—and the smile that accompanied them—left no doubt that Mitch had responded well to any seduction Elisabeth had directed at him.

But Tammy could have guessed that, seeing how besotted her brother was with this gorgeous woman.

Her phone buzzed, and she slipped it out of her pocket and checked the screen. Where are you? Russ had texted. She imagined the irritation behind the words. The editor wasn’t known for his patience. “I have to get back to work,” she said. She took out her wallet.

“Oh no.” Elisabeth raised a hand. “This is my treat.”

“Oh. Thanks. At least let me get the tip.”

“It’s all taken care of.” She pulled out a sleek black credit card.

“Thanks. And I’ll, uh, see you soon,” she said, and made her exit. No one, she was sure, watched her as she hurried away.

Lunch had been...unsettling. Elisabeth had been friendly and the two women had gotten along, but Tammy realized she still didn’t know anything about her brother’s new girlfriend—except that startling revelation about a dead brother and two dead parents. Though she had mentioned when they first met that her father had recently died. Elisabeth had deflected any questions about herself, each time turning the conversation back to Tammy.

Maybe Elisabeth was a private person who didn’t like to talk about herself. Tammy could respect that. But she wished she and her brother’s girlfriend had connected better. Mitch liked her so much that Tammy wanted to like her too.

Some people take longer to warm up to than others, she reminded herself. If Elisabeth did decide to remain in Eagle Mountain, the two of them would have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better.

V INCE WAS JUST stepping out of the shower Saturday morning when his phone alarmed with an Amber Alert for a missing teen. He was reading through the description of a fifteen-year-old male who had walked out of his family’s home the night before when he received the call-out for search and rescue.

Fifteen minutes later, he gathered with other volunteers at search and rescue headquarters. “We’re looking for Nicholas Gruber,” Danny told the assembled rescuers. “Five feet nine inches tall. Blue eyes. Brown hair. Last seen wearing jeans and a black T-shirt and black running shoes.” He lowered the phone from which he had been reading the description. “Apparently, Nicholas had a fight with his mom and dad last night and stormed out. He has done this before, and he always returns in the morning after he’s had time to cool off. When he didn’t show up this morning, they contacted all his friends, but no one has seen him.”

“They must be worried sick,” Carrie Andrews said. Vince remembered that she had two children of her own.

“The Grubers live on County Road 7, near Coal Canyon,” Danny said. “Nicholas left the house on foot about nine o’clock last night. The sheriff wants to get Anna and her search dog, Jacquie, out there first to see if the dog can pick up the trail. We’re on standby to assist in a ground search if they don’t find him.”

Everyone shifted to look at volunteer Anna Trent and the black standard poodle at her side. The dog, Jacquie, wore a blue vest with Search Dog in large white letters on the side. “We’re ready,” Anna said.

“You and Jacquie can ride with me,” Deputy Jake Gwynn said.

He, Anna and the dog left, and the others moved in closer to Danny and Deputy Ryker Vernon. Bethany was there, standing next to Harper, across from Vince. She caught his eye and he nodded, then quickly looked away. He really didn’t want to encourage her attention. “We’ve established a staging area for search volunteers at the lumber mill about a mile from the Grubers’ home,” Ryker said. “If you’ll make your way there, you’ll be handy if we need you to help search or if we find Nicholas and he’s injured.”

While several volunteers piled into the Beast, Vince opted to drive his own vehicle to the lumber mill. Or rather, the car his mother had insisted on lending him when she learned of the damage to his truck. The white Ford Escape was newer and more luxurious than Vince’s truck, but he missed his own vehicle, which was still at the sheriff’s department impound yard, awaiting the completion of their investigation. Vince wasn’t pressuring them to give it back because he doubted he had the funds to pay for the work the truck would need to restore it.

Set back off the road in a stand of tall Douglas fir, the small mill specialized in deck railings, rustic benches and other rough-cut lumber projects. Though the saws were silent today, the smell of fresh sawdust hung in the air. Vince parked beside Ryan Welch’s pickup and opened the driver’s-side door to let in the scented breeze.

Ryan came over to stand beside Vince and was soon joined by Caleb and Eldon. “I hope Anna and her dog find the kid,” Eldon said.

“He’s probably just hiding out somewhere,” Ryan said. “I did the same thing a couple of times when I was his age—blew up at my parents, then just had to get away for a while.”

“Yeah, I guess I did too,” Eldon said. “But I’d go stay with my aunt—my dad’s younger sister. And she would call my dad and let him know where I was.”

“I would go and stay at a friend’s house for a couple of days,” Caleb said.

The others looked at Vince, who shifted uncomfortably. “I guess I was lucky,” he said. “I never fought with my parents.” Even if he had, after what had happened with Valerie, he wouldn’t have walked out on his mom and dad. It would have worried them too much not to know where he was, even for a few hours.

A loud whistle split the air, and they all turned toward the sound. Danny was standing in the bed of a pickup, motioning for everyone to gather.

“Anna and Jacquie found Nicholas,” Danny said when everyone was assembled around the truck. “Apparently, he got disoriented in the darkness and slipped or fell into the canyon. He’s okay, except he thinks he broke or sprained his ankle. We’re going to have to get him out.”

Relief that Nicholas was alive and not in imminent danger energized the group. They gathered equipment and set out to hike to the spot where the teen had fallen. A middle-aged man and woman, both with short hair in shades of brown, were already there. The man lay on his stomach, his attention focused on the boy sprawled fifty yards below. The woman sat beside the man. They both looked up as the rescuers approached. “We’re Nicholas’s parents,” the woman said.

“We’re with Eagle Mountain Search and Rescue.” Danny introduced himself and shook hands with each of them. “If you could wait back there, away from the edge, we’ll have your son with you in no time.”

“All right.” Mr. Gruber glanced down into the canyon. “He’s barely hanging on down there. Are you sure you can get to him without him falling?”

“We’ll take care of him.” Danny put a hand on the man’s shoulder and gently urged him farther back.

The rescuers moved in, the challenge of what they needed to do quickly apparent. The soil along the edge of the canyon was loose, crumbling and raining down onto the boy below repeatedly as they worked. “How are you doing, Nicholas?” Danny called down.

“I’m worried I’m going to fall,” came the thin, strained reply. “My ankle’s hurt, and every time I try to move, more rock falls.”

“Stay still and hang on,” Danny instructed. “We need to get things set up here, then we’re going to come down to get you.”

“Okay. But hurry.” Nicholas’s voice trembled with fear, but Vince thought he heard determination too.

They were forced to establish an anchor on a tree across the road and ended up using a shovel to dig to more compacted soil before Eldon began the initial descent. Vince helped with the rigging, monitoring the ropes and pulleys and passing whatever equipment Ryan requested as he helped first Eldon, then Danny to descend. Vince found himself holding his breath as the men searched for solid hand-and footholds, the descent slowed by the need to continually reroute to more stable ground. No wonder the kid had fallen.

“I wonder if I’ll ever be able to do anything so dangerous.”

Vince looked back and found Bethany standing there. She was focused on the scene unfolding below. Then her gaze shifted to him, and the brief, shy smile he had come to associate with her flashed across her face. “I’ve been doing a little climbing in Caspar Canyon. Sheri and Hannah and some of the others held a kind of clinic for female volunteers.”

“That’s good,” he said.

“At least I know the names of everything now so I can help with the gear.”

“You’ll get more comfortable the more time you have in.” Vince remembered his early days with the group, when he had been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job they did and uncertain where he fit in with the team.

Bethany was focused on the rescue efforts again, which gave Vince time to study her. She had her dark brown curls pulled back in a low ponytail, and exertion or the breeze in the canyon had reddened her cheeks. She wasn’t beautiful, exactly, but cute, in a girl-next-door kind of way. Valerie had been like that. In fact, she and Bethany had the same hair and the same dimple in one cheek. His heart stumbled in its rhythm at the thought, and he stared harder, waiting for some spark of recognition. But nothing happened.

He cleared his throat, and Bethany shifted her attention to him once more. “How long have you been in Eagle Mountain?” he asked.

“Two months.”

“Do you have family here? Friends?”

“No. I came for the job at Peak Jeep.” She shrugged. “I was ready for a fresh start.”

“Why search and rescue?”

“I was looking for a way to get to know more people. And I wanted to do something that would make a difference. Oh, look. They’ve reached the boy.”

Nicholas had been huddled against the ground, one hand over his head to shield him from the worst of the debris that rained down, though more than one fist-sized rock struck his back and many smaller pebbles or dirt clods peppered him.

But now the two rescuers reached him and established themselves on either side of him, and he slumped between them. Eldon fitted the boy with a helmet and harness while Danny assessed his physical condition. “I’m going to fit the ankle with an air boot and give him something for the discomfort,” Danny radioed up to Sheri, who was serving as incident commander. “I can’t find any other injuries, though he’s a little dehydrated from being out here all night. We’ll give him some water, and the paramedics can take charge once he’s up top.”

They sent down more lines, and with a volunteer on either side, Nicholas began the slow ascent. Once he slipped and cried out, but the safety gear arrested his fall, as it was designed to do, and the trio started up again.

Mr. and Mrs. Gruber had gradually moved closer and closer to the edge of the drop-off and were waiting to embrace their wayward son as soon as he stood, somewhat shakily, before them. “I’m sorry,” Nicholas said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

His mother wiped at the tears streaming down her son’s face, then dashed away her own. “You must have been frightened too, falling in the dark and spending the night not knowing where you were,” she said.

“I was worried I’d never get to see you again,” Nicholas said, and fought back a sob.

Paramedic Merrily Rayford approached. “We need to get you to the hospital to take care of that ankle,” she said. “Mom and Dad can follow in their car.”

Vince moved in to help with the ropes while Bethany cleared a path to the waiting ambulance. “That was pretty intense,” Vince told Eldon as his fellow volunteer stepped out of his harness.

“Good ending, though,” Eldon said.

“Bet he won’t be so quick to storm out of the house next time,” Ryan said.

“Or maybe his folks will pay a little more attention to how he’s feeling,” Caleb said.

Vince helped load the equipment, then headed for his car and drove back to his condo. He parked and looked up to find a familiar shapely figure standing in the glow of the light over his front door.