Burnt River (35 page)

*   *   *

Macy drove past the patrol cars and SWAT vans parked along Main Street. At the elementary school, the last of the patrol officers were entering the auditorium.

Her eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror. Aiden had seen her. He’d been talking to Ray. Even from a distance Macy could tell it was a tense exchange. Seconds later her phone rang.

Aiden’s voice was muffled. “Where are you going?”

“The dog handlers lost Lana’s scent. It’s a long shot, but it’s possible Tyler doubled back and followed a stream heading east. A trail leads straight to the Flathead River.”

“He’d need someone to help him.”

Macy checked the wing mirror. “That’s where Sarah Reed comes in.”

“I want you to call me if you see anything suspicious.”

“Will do.”

“I don’t like the idea of you heading down there on your own.”

“Don’t worry, it’s probably nothing.”

“You thought that about Karen Walcott and look what happened.”

Macy turned south onto Route 93 and increased her speed.

“Keep this to yourself, okay? I don’t want to turn this into a circus.”

“I suppose you’d like to show Ray up.”

“To tell you the truth, I think that would just make matters worse. In a way, I’m hoping I’m wrong about this.”

*   *   *

Macy crossed over railway tracks before coming to a narrow bridge that sat low over the Flathead River. To the north the shoreline was choked with rock and dotted with wildflowers. The view was hazy in the morning light. A thin mist hovered inches above the water and birds flitted above the deeper pools. The dirt road swung sharply to the north and she was instantly swallowed up by the quiet cool of a densely wooded area. Macy rolled down her window and cut her speed. The smell of fresh pine mingled with wood smoke. Shadowy pathways branched out in all directions. The truck bounced along for another few minutes before the trees suddenly vanished. The western slope was flattened out and the plant life was sparse. It looked as if there’d been a landslide at some point. She stopped at the trailhead and pulled out her binoculars. The path snaked upward in a series of tight switchbacks. There was no movement whatsoever, and she’d not seen a single car since leaving Route 93. She turned around where the track widened, and parked so she had a clear view of the area. She stepped outside. Other than birdsong and the flowing water it was silent.

If Tyler had decided to bring Lana here, there was no way of knowing how long they’d take to make the journey. It was seven miles. Depending on how much Lana slowed him down, that could take all day or less than a couple of hours. The ground near the trailhead was hard packed and dusty. There were traces of tire tracks everywhere, but it was impossible to tell if they were recent. Macy stepped down onto the boulders that lined the river. The water level was low enough that it could be traversed safely on foot. She climbed down onto the wash of bleached stone and walked to where the span was at its most narrow. There was a single footprint in the wet sand. She squatted down low. The heel was deep and rounded at the back. It could have been made by a cowboy boot.

The land on the opposite side of the river rose to the reinforced embankment that supported the railway line. From there it was only a matter of a few feet of open ground before you reached a densely planted stand of pine trees. Macy could see nothing in the deep shadows. It would be easy to conceal a car in there. She pulled out the map again. The area could be reached on a farm track that ran in a straight line from the secondary road she took from Route 93.

Macy followed the gravel farm track until it gave way to a deep-rutted road leading into the center of a stand of pine trees that covered at least three acres. A vehicle that had passed through recently had flattened the vegetation. She walked slowly with her weapon drawn. From a small clearing, the opposite shore of the Flathead River was almost visible through the trees. Some bark was scraped from a tree trunk. There were green flecks of paint embedded in the wood. She glanced back toward the river. She could have sworn she saw something move.

Macy kept low as she made her way west. The undergrowth was so thick it was difficult to find a path. Fallen branches crackled underfoot and above her restless birds flitted through the canopy. She found Sarah Reed standing on the edge of the railroad tracks. Her back was to Macy and she wore a long white wedding dress. Her arms hung limp at her sides and she was holding a gun in her right hand. There was an open suitcase on the ground next to her.

Macy brushed away a cloud of gnats. “Sarah Reed. My name is Detective Macy Greeley. I want you to drop your weapon and keep your hands where we can see them.”

Sarah didn’t move.

“Sarah, nod if you can hear me.”

She nodded.

“Drop the gun, Sarah.”

Sarah’s shoulders were shaking. She may have been crying.

“Sarah, did you come here to meet Tyler Locke?”

Sarah’s words escaped with a sob. “He lied to me.”

Macy fought the urge to lower her weapon. “He lied to everyone.”

“He was just going to leave me here.”

“Was Lana Clark with him?”

“She hates him. Even I could see that.”

“Sarah, you need to put your weapon down. I will shoot you if I have to.”

She glanced down at the gun in her hand and stared at it like she was noticing it for the first time. “He didn’t think I’d do it. Said I was a stupid bitch. Always had been.” She was laughing and crying at the same time. “So I shot him.”

“Do you know where is he now?”

“He left me here.”

The ground started to tremble. At first it was so slight that Macy thought she was imagining it, but then a metallic shudder ran through the steel rails. A train was approaching from the north, and it was coming fast.

Sarah raised her eyes. She was shivering in her long dress. There were brambles caught in the lace. Her feet were bare.

A warning whistle blew.

“Sarah, I want you to come over here where it’s safer.”

The gun slipped from Sarah’s hand and tumbled down the gravel embankment. She turned to face Macy with her arms half raised, but she didn’t move away from the tracks. A fan of fine wrinkles fishtailed her eyes. The DMV photo they had pulled didn’t do her justice. She may have been an older woman, but Sarah Reed was fiercely attractive. There was a second high-pitched whistle, louder and more frantic than the first.

Macy had to raise her voice to be heard. “Please, Sarah, step away from the tracks.”

The earth shuddered. The metal rails ticked and hissed. Brakes screamed. Sarah jumped just as the train blew past. Macy stared at the spot where Sarah had once stood. Despite her best efforts to hold it in, Macy started crying.

The last train carriage was at least fifty yards to the south. It had taken a long time to stop. Aside from the crackle of her police radio the woods were quiet. Macy had difficulty making herself understood. Instead of slowing down and speaking clearly, she raised her voice. The woman working dispatch told her to take her time.

“Tyler Locke is driving a green F-150 pickup truck registered to Sarah Reed. He was last seen in the company of Lana Clark, twelve miles south of Wilmington Creek near the Devil’s Canyon trailhead. He might have a gunshot wound.”

She requested assistance. “No, an ambulance will not be necessary.”

Macy walked along the empty tracks until she reached the northern edge of the stand of trees. The air was so clear she could see all the way to Canada. She took a deep breath. Tyler Locke could be anywhere. She didn’t like the odds. She turned around and started heading back to the train. The driver was walking toward her. His shoulders were slumped and a baseball cap shaded his face. He wore heavy work gloves and inspected the track as he made his way north. He was twenty feet from where Sarah had stood when he stopped and stared out in the direction of the river. His shoulders slumped further. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world.

*   *   *

Macy pulled up in front of the truck stop’s diner and cut the engine. The parking area was almost empty. Three mobile homes sat on a patch of bare earth at the far end of the lot. One was now a burnt-out shell and another one’s middle had caved in. The third home appeared to be occupied. Every so often the curtains shifted. Macy felt as if she was being watched. As a professional courtesy, she’d put in a call to Ray. She’d been relieved when he didn’t pick up. According to his personal assistant, he was already on his way back to Helena. She had to admit that it was unsettling to be cut loose so suddenly.

Macy couldn’t stop thinking about Sarah Reed. She blew her nose and tilted up her sunglasses so she could look in the mirror. It was obvious she’d been crying. She rooted around the glove compartment for a bottle of eyedrops, but came up with a wreath-shaped Christmas ornament she’d been given by someone at the office. There was a picture of Luke in the center. She slipped it into her bag. She had to stay focused. The sooner she found Tyler, the sooner she could go home.

Her cell phone rang and she put Aiden on speakerphone. Macy had been relieved when he’d insisted on going on his own to speak to Dylan. She pictured Sarah’s white satin dress crumpled, torn, and covered in blood on the opposite side of the tracks. Her body had flown all the way to the river’s edge. She was lying on her front. It looked as if she’d crawled there. Macy couldn’t help but feel she’d failed them both.

“Hey Aiden, how are you holding up?”

“I’m on my way to see Dylan now.”

“I am sorry.”

“Me too.”

“I let his therapist know what happened.”

“That was probably wise. I’ve arranged for Jessie to meet me there, and for a family support officer to see him as well. Have you had a chance to interview Sarah’s colleagues?”

“I just pulled up at the diner.”

“You’ll have to get started without me.”

“Ray is on his way back to Helena.”

“Have you spoken to him?”

“He didn’t answer my call.”

“He’s telling everyone that you discussed your plans with him before heading out this morning.” He paused. “I don’t think anyone’s buying it.”

“Howard Reynolds called to compliment me on my swift recovery. I’m pretty sure he realized something wasn’t right about what went down at breakfast. He told me to give him a call later.”

“What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know. It’s tricky. I really don’t want to speak ill of Ray professionally.”

“I don’t think you have to. It’s obvious to everyone that’s paying attention that he’s made some bad calls over the past few days.”

“Ray doesn’t usually get involved on an operational level. I really don’t know why he’s been all over this case.”

“Could it have something to do with what’s going on between the two of you?”

“God, I hope not. He’s a professional. He wouldn’t let our situation affect his judgment.”

“That’s not how it looks from the outside.”

“I think you’re connecting dots that aren’t there.”

“Anyway, he’s gone now. You can breathe again.”

“And Wilmington Creek can go back to being the sleepy ranching community it’s always been.”

“Traffic has definitely thinned, but I don’t think anyone will rest easy until Tyler is in custody.”

“We need to take a look at Sarah’s financial records. It’s likely she withdrew a lot of cash in the last couple of days.”

“I’ll get on it.”

“Did you get warrants to search those three remaining properties Jessie told us about?”

“It wasn’t necessary. The owners are cooperating. Wade came through for us again.”

“Now there’s an interesting character. The state should put him on payroll.”

“Or put him on a watch list. He knows a lot of people he shouldn’t.” He paused. “Macy?”

“Aiden?”

“Are we okay?”

Macy ran her fingers along the grooves in the steering wheel. It felt like the curvature of a spine. Last night was when they should have made time for talking. Now it was too late to know in advance what each other’s expectations were. She had a feeling Aiden wanted more. She wasn’t sure how she felt. Somewhere in between cautious and interested was the best she could do.

“Define okay.”

“I just hope there’s no weirdness about us.”

“I can’t speak for you
,
but I’m good. Anyway, last night was good.”

“Last night was damn good.” He lowered his voice. “I just thought maybe we should talk about it.”

“Aiden.”

“Macy.”

“Don’t worry. We’re okay. I want to see you again. I like you.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

“It’s just that I don’t need to talk things through. If it’s working I don’t like to mess with it.”

“Okay.”

“Most men find it refreshing.”

“Maybe I’m not like most men.”

“You’re sensitive. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Aiden burst out laughing. “Okay, I can see where this is going.”

“I wish I had your confidence.”

“Call me if anything comes up.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

Macy pocketed the phone and grabbed her bag. She’d called ahead to let Sarah’s boss know she was coming. Macy went inside the diner and asked to speak to Traci. The waitress behind the counter handed her a cup of coffee and directed her to a small office in the back. Traci was in her midthirties, which was surprising because her voice was already very rough. She stood up and shook Macy’s hand before swinging the door shut. Macy took a seat and pulled out her notebook.

“You’re younger than I expected.”

Traci dropped into the chair behind the desk. “My mother gave up managing the day-to-day stuff just last year. I’ve been here a long time though. Started working during my sophomore year of high school.”

“I take it you’ve known Sarah for quite a while then.”

“Most of my life.”

“When did you last speak to her?”

“I think it was the day after—well, it was the day after we all thought Tyler died. She wanted to take some time off, which was understandable.”

“I’m sorry, but I have some very sad news. Sarah died early this morning. She was struck by a train. It was suicide.”