Mountain Peril (14 page)

D
anielle pulled the living room curtain back and peered out at dark clouds hovering over the rolling mountain peaks. She’d hoped for clear weather on this Thanksgiving Day for the trip to Asheville. Interstate 40’s winding road toward Asheville snaked through valleys guarded by the steep mountainsides of the range. Hanging rocks loosened by bad weather could trigger massive landslides without warning.

She let the curtain drift from her hand. Why was she concerned about the weather? She hadn’t heard from Jack in the week since her telephone call. He probably wouldn’t even show up today.

A car door slammed out front, and she knew he was here. Grabbing her jacket, she ran to the door and had it open before he could knock. His eyes sparkled, and the tired lines in his face had disappeared.

“Hello, Jack. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

“Sorry. I slept a little later this morning. Are you ready to go?”

She nodded, and they hurried to the car as raindrops began to fall. He held the door for her and ran around to the driver’s side. Just as he climbed inside, a strong wind shook the vehicle and sheets of rain pounded the windshield.

Danielle leaned forward and stared through the windshield. “Do you think we’ll be in this weather all the way to Asheville?”

Before he could answer, his cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket. “Excuse me, Danielle. This is Will. I need to take it.” He flipped the phone open. “Hello, Will. What’s up?”

The sparkle she’d seen in his eyes earlier grew duller by the moment as he listened. He chewed on his bottom lip and cast a quick glance at her from time to time. Danielle’s stomach fluttered with the certainty that something was terribly wrong.

“I was just about to leave town, but I’ll be right there. See you in a few minutes.”

He closed the phone and turned to Danielle. “I’m afraid our trip to Asheville is going to have to wait.”

“What’s happened, Jack?”

He put his elbow on the steering wheel and rubbed his eyes, then turned to her. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Danielle, but…”

Chills ran up her spine, and she grabbed his arm. “Please don’t tell me something’s happened to someone else I know.”

He nodded. “It’s Flynn. An officer found him in his car with a suicide note that he’d killed Tricia.”

Her body began to shake, and tears rolled down her face. “Not another one,” she wailed.

Jack jumped out of the car, rushed around to her side and pulled her from the car. They hurried through the driving rain toward the house. When they stood on the porch, he wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and cried out her rage at yet another unnecessary death.

When she’d calmed, he looked down at her. “I have to go to the station. Let me get you inside.”

She wiped her hands across her face and blinked. “You go on, Jack. I have to see if Nathan and Jeff have heard this latest news. I’ll probably have to go to the school.”

He held her at arms’ length and studied her face. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I’m okay. I should be used to this by now. Everybody around me dies. You’d better watch yourself, Jack. You could be next.”

She pushed away from him, whirled and dashed inside the house.

Danielle had wanted this last day with Jack, but it wasn’t to be. Tragedy had struck another student at Webster University and left her wondering why death followed her.

There was something about Webster’s campus that spawned evil, and she was glad she was leaving. She needed to stay as far away from that place as possible. However, there was a downside to her leaving. She didn’t know what she’d do when Jack wasn’t nearby anymore.

Silence covered the halls of Webster University’s Administration Building the day after Thanksgiving. With students and faculty gone for the holiday, the deserted building reminded Danielle of a mausoleum. She stopped in the doorway of Jeff’s office and surveyed the all-too-familiar scene.

Jeff sat behind his desk, one elbow on his desk and his chin propped on his fist. Nathan slumped in a chair beside him, and Jack sat facing them. The only difference today was that Landon wasn’t in attendance.

They all rose as she walked into the room. “Good morning, Danielle,” Jeff said. “I’m sorry to bring you in on a holiday weekend, but Detective Denton wanted to bring us up to date on Flynn’s death.”

She could hardly meet their gazes. Just days ago she’d
voiced her feelings about Flynn putting Tricia in danger, and now she’d found out he was the killer all along. She still found it hard to believe that the boy who had worked in her office could be a killer. But then she didn’t know what might have prompted his actions.

Nathan motioned to the chair next to him. “Sit here, Danielle.”

She nodded and eased into the chair, then glanced up at Jack. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze raked her before he turned back to Jeff. “I wanted to let you know that Carter’s body is being sent to Asheville for an autopsy this morning. His parents have been notified and will make arrangements for the body to be returned to California when it’s released.”

Jeff bit down on his lip. “We’ve been in touch with the family, too. We’ve assured them we’ll assist them any way we can.”

Danielle scooted to the edge of her chair. “I understand the reason for Tricia’s body being sent for an autopsy. She was a murder victim, and the police needed all the information they could get about her death. But why Flynn? You already know his wound was self-inflicted.”

Jack shook his head. “It’s standard procedure. In Flynn’s case the autopsy will help us rule out the possibility of murder.”

Nathan’s eyes grew wide. “Murder? But I thought the police had ruled it suicide.”

“Not yet. It’s a suspected suicide, but we have to be sure. I did have one question I wanted to ask.” He glanced from one to the other. “Do any of you know whether Carter was left-or right-handed?”

“I know,” Danielle answered. “He was left-handed. He was always complaining that the world is arranged for right-handed people, and he was at a disadvantage in whatever he did. Why do you ask?”

Jack shrugged. “Just part of the investigation.” He pushed up from his chair. “By the way, Landon Morse made bail the day before Thanksgiving.”

Danielle gasped. “Then he was out of jail when Flynn died.”

“That’s right.” He turned to Jeff. “If it’s all right, I’d like to search his office while I’m here.”

“Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“No. It’s just a hunch.”

Jeff stood. “Then go right ahead.” He held out a key ring. “Danielle can show you where it is.”

Jack’s forehead wrinkled. “I think you should come, too. Morse is still under investigation, and I’d like your permission if I find anything I need to take.”

Jeff glanced at Nathan. “Then why don’t we all go?”

Nathan nodded, and they filed from the room. Danielle strode down the hallway, aware that Jack walked beside her, but she didn’t look at him. When they reached Landon’s office, Jeff stepped around her and unlocked the door.

Once inside, Jack went to Landon’s desk, sat down and opened the top drawer. Danielle walked to the window and looked out onto the quadrangle. She turned back to Nathan. “I’ve never noticed before that Landon’s office faces the quadrangle.”

Nathan stepped up beside her and gave a snort of disgust. “I suppose he had his own view of all the girls going to class. I can’t believe we brought somebody like him back to this campus.”

Danielle turned at the sound of Jack opening Landon’s storage closet. A jacket hung inside and books and music lined the shelves. Jack stood on tiptoe and ran his hand along the top shelf. He frowned and stretched taller.

“What’s this?”

Danielle and Nathan turned as Jack pulled a laptop from
the back of the shelf. Jeff stepped closer. “That’s Landon’s laptop. Every teacher has one they can take home.”

Jack set the computer on the desk and opened it. He started to press the power button but hesitated. Closing it again, he looked up at Jeff. “I don’t think our tech guys checked a laptop in Morse’s office when they were here. Do you mind if I take this one with me?”

Jeff nodded. “Of course.”

Jack stood and picked up the computer. “I’ll let you know if we find anything interesting on it. Now I need to get back to headquarters.”

They stepped from the office into the hallway and walked back toward the front of the building. When they reached Jeff’s office, he shook Jack’s hand. “I’m sorry Webster has caused you so much trouble, Detective Denton. I hope everything will soon be brought to a conclusion.”

Nathan nodded. “So do I. Jeff and I have some matters to discuss. Danielle, there’s no need for you to stay. Go on and enjoy what’s left of your holiday.”

She and Jack walked down the hallway toward the front door. When they stepped outside, he stopped and faced her. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to go to Asheville yesterday. I wanted you to meet my mother.”

Danielle tried to smile, but something in his eyes told her this was his goodbye to her. “I feel like I already know her, Jack.”

He frowned. “How?”

“Because she raised a nice son. Only a special woman could have done that.” She paused a moment and took in every detail of his face. “I’m going to miss you, Jack.”

“I’m going to miss you, too.”

He leaned closer, and she took a step toward him. His eyes bored into her. She closed her eyes and turned her face up to
him. Her lips burned, awaiting Jack’s first kiss. The fire that consumed her dwindled to embers as his lips grazed her cheek.

“Goodbye, Danielle,” he whispered.

She rocked back and forth in disbelief as the sound of his footsteps faded away. Finally she opened her eyes and stared in the direction he’d disappeared. Her heart shriveled just like the dried leaves whirling in the wind across the campus. She felt as lifeless and wrinkled as they appeared, and she doubted if she would ever feel alive again.

Anger shot through her, and she blinked back tears. What was the matter with her? She was about to embark on a journey that would improve the lives of destitute people in Africa. She was going to serve in the name of her Lord. Why should she be upset over a man who clearly had no feelings for her? She had a higher calling to answer, and that meant leaving this town and everybody in it far behind.

J
ack hurled the breaking-and-entering report into the desk’s top drawer and slammed it closed. He jumped to his feet and covered the distance to the window in two strides. With a yank of the cord, the blinds shot to the top of the sill, and he stared outside.

No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, his thoughts kept returning to Danielle. He hadn’t seen her or spoken with her since their parting at Webster a week ago.

Blood pounded in his temples at the memory of her closed eyes and lips raised, waiting for a kiss. He’d wanted to pull her to him and promise he’d never let her go, but in the end he’d retreated. Standard procedure for him. No involvement. It hurt too much. Jack raked his hand through his hair. Nothing could hurt much worse than the knifelike pain that clawed inside his chest.

The door to his office burst open, and Will rushed in. “Hey, man, we just got the report on Flynn Carter’s body from the state lab. It looks like the death wasn’t suicide. From the angle of the shot they said it was highly suspicious a left-handed person could shoot himself at that particular spot on the right side of the head.”

Jack frowned. “Highly suspicious, but not impossible?”

“That’s right, but here’s the clincher. There was no gunshot residue on Carter’s hands and none of his DNA on the gun. Looks like we have a murder here.”

Jack rubbed his hands over his eyes. “Another one to add to the list. When is this killer going to stop?”

“Well, I saved the best for last. The tech guys came back with their report on Landon Morse’s computer. You remember the encore message that was sent to Carter’s Web site the day of Tricia Peterson’s murder?”

“Yeah.”

“It came from Morse’s laptop. That’s why the tech guys couldn’t find the computer when they checked all of them at the school. Morse had it hidden.”

Jack sat down on the edge of his desk and shook his head. “Wow. Maybe we’re closer to solving this case than we thought.”

Will stuck his hands in his pocket and nodded. “Well, there is one more little piece of evidence I haven’t told you yet. Our tech guys also found a deleted e-mail message to Flynn Carter on Morse’s computer. It was from an online account, not his school account. The user name was Flasher, and the message asked Carter to meet him at the Laurel Falls parking lot. He said he had some information about Tricia’s death.”

Jack gave a low whistle. “I guess that’s enough evidence to arrest Morse for the deaths of Tricia Peterson and Flynn Carter. I wish we could connect him to Jennifer McCaslin.”

Jack grabbed his jacket off the coatrack beside his desk. “Let’s go arrest Landon Morse.”

They walked to the parking lot and climbed into Will’s car. As they pulled from the lot, Jack thought of Danielle. With Morse’s arrest she might finally have some peace.

Next week she would be leaving Webster Falls. If they could get Morse to confess to all the unsolved murders, then he could give her some closure to her nightmares.

Danielle punched the last grade into the computer and clicked out of the program. She gripped the arms of her chair and tapped her index fingers on the vinyl covering. How could she have let Jeff talk her into taking over Landon’s music appreciation class while he was suspended? She had more than enough to do just to get ready for the fundraiser, which was only four days away.

She glared at the computer a moment. Yawning, she fought the urge to lay her head on her arms and take a quick nap. With a wriggle of her shoulders she straightened in her chair. Even if her responsibilities appeared huge at the moment she could get through this. Exams would be over in a few days, and all her commitments to Webster would be fulfilled—Tuesday night, the fundraiser and Wednesday morning, leave for home.

A soft knock at her office door caught her attention. “Come in.”

The door inched open, and Jeff stuck his head around the side. “May I come in?”

She rose from her chair. “Of course.”

He stepped into the room and stopped in front of her desk. His big grin and the cocky tilt of his head made him look like a little boy bursting to reveal a secret. “I’ve got news.”

“What is it?”

“I just had a call from Detective Denton. They’ve arrested Landon Morse for the murders of Tricia and Flynn.”

The breath left her body, and she fell down into her chair. Her mouth gaped open as she stared up at him. “Murder? I wasn’t surprised at the stalking arrest, but murder.” Even to her ears the statement sounded like a question. She couldn’t believe Landon capable of the brutality Tricia and Flynn had suffered.

He sat down on the corner of her desk. “I’ll tell you what Detective Denton told me.”

She listened in disbelief as Jeff related the mounting evidence against Landon. When he’d finished, he spread his hands. “That’s all he said, but it seems like they have this case tied up.”

“And Jennifer? What about her murder?”

Jeff’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “They can’t find anything to connect him to that murder. They think Tricia’s death was a copycat of what happened here ten years ago. We may never know who killed Jennifer.”

Danielle hesitated a moment before she spoke again. “Did Detective Denton say anything else?”

Jeff shook his head. “He said he’d be in touch as the trial date draws near, but that could be months away. Until then, Landon is in jail without bail.”

Danielle sighed. “I thought what Landon did to April was reprehensible, but I didn’t think of him as a killer.”

Jeff pushed off the desk. “Neither did I, but you never can tell what another person is like.”

“Have you told Nathan?”

“I called him. He’s been under the weather this week and hasn’t been coming to the campus. I think he wants to be well for the fundraiser on Tuesday night.”

The stack of work caught Danielle’s eye, and she pointed to it. “If I don’t get to work, there won’t be a fundraiser. Thanks for coming by to tell me, Jeff.”

“I thought you’d want to know.” He glanced over his shoulder as he walked toward the door. “Oh, by the way, Detective Denton asked me about the fundraiser. I got the impression he was fishing for an invitation, so I asked him to come. I suppose it’s the least I could do after all he’s done to help the university.”

Danielle’s heart thudded like a bass drum. “What did he say?”

Jeff shrugged. “Not much. You know how he is. He just thanked me for the invitation.”

Danielle waited for Jeff to close the door behind him before she doubled her fist and banged the desktop. Why was Jack doing this to her? She knew he liked her. His actions, though, resembled a callous man who didn’t care who he hurt. She’d thought she could find the real Jack underneath the self-imposed armor he wore, but she’d failed.

She hoped she never saw him again.

On Tuesday night Jack stood outside the ballroom in the Nathan Webster Pavilion and debated on whether or not to enter. Inside he could hear the string quartet performing above the low hum of conversation. He’d wrestled all day with the decision of what to do and finally had given in and come in hopes of catching one last glimpse of Danielle.

She’d be leaving Webster Falls tomorrow. All he wanted was to see her once more. He’d slip into the room, mingle with the guests until he spotted her and then leave. If all went as planned, she’d never know he’d been there. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and eased into the room.

Flickering candles adorned the white-draped tables that covered the room. Small groups of ladies in long dresses and men in tuxedoes stood talking while the string quartet serenaded them with pre-dinner music. Their elegant attire and relaxed mannerisms screamed money.

Jack glanced down at the suit he wore and realized how underdressed he was. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. When would he ever learn? He didn’t belong with people like Danielle’s friends.

He whirled to leave, but she blocked his path. “Hello, Jack. Leaving already?”

The vision of her standing there in the soft light took his
breath away. The strapless white evening gown she wore sheathed her body as if it had been molded for a perfect fit. A long shimmering stole of the same material draped her shoulders. He’d never seen anyone as beautiful in his life.

“H-how did you know I was here?”

She smiled. “I saw you come in and thought I’d speak to you.”

He tried to ease around her, but she moved in front of him. He gulped and nodded. “I just dropped by for a moment to see how the fundraiser was going.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around the room. “Your friends are very nice-looking people.”

Danielle chuckled. “They’re not my friends, Jack. I know most of the people in this room from seeing their names on our donations list.”

He took a deep breath. “Then maybe you’ll raise a lot of money tonight.”

“That’s the plan.”

The sad smile she directed at him pricked his heart. “Danielle, I wish I could have gotten Morse to confess to Jennifer’s murder before you left, but he refuses. He insists he hasn’t killed anybody.”

She nodded. “Thank you for trying. You know I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“My suitcases are packed, and the movers will be there early in the morning to load the furniture.”

“I hope you’ll be happy working with your parents.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “And I hope you’ll be happy, Jack. One of these days you’re going to find out that you don’t have to shoulder all your problems alone. You can have peace about the past.”

He shook his head. “If you’re talking about God again, I don’t think so. I don’t know anything He’s ever done for me.”

She stared into his eyes for a moment before she frowned. “There are many things about you that sadden me, Jack, but that last statement is the saddest of all. At some point in your life, you’re going to be faced with something you can’t handle. I hope you change your mind then.”

Before he could stop her, she whirled and hurried across the room. He watched her go and tried to memorize every detail about her appearance. It would be all he had in the coming days to ease the loss that already gouged at his heart.

Danielle pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen. Food service personnel bustled about the room putting the last-minute touches on the salads that waited on trays to be transported to the guests’ tables. No one appeared to notice her.

She cracked the door open just enough to give her a view of where she and Jack had stood and caught a glimpse of him leaving the room. The smell of cooking food that had seemed so enticing when it drifted through the dining room suddenly overpowered her, and she struggled to breathe. The walls began to slant, and the floor spun underneath her feet.

Fearing that she was about to faint, she stumbled across the room and escaped into the fresh air of the night. Outside on the driveway back of the building, she inhaled large gulps of air until her head cleared.

The door behind her opened, and she glanced around to see Nathan approaching. His forehead wrinkled, and concern shone in his eyes. “Danielle, are you all right? I saw you leave the dining room, and I was afraid you were sick.”

She smiled, but her lips trembled. “I’m fine, Nathan. It got too stuffy in there, and I felt a little faint. I’m okay now.”

He sighed. “I’m glad. You frightened me. Especially since you were talking to Detective Denton. I was afraid he’d said something to upset you.”

She turned her head away so her face didn’t reveal her anguish. “He came by to see how the fundraiser was going. He said he had hoped to get Landon to confess to Jennifer’s murder, but he hasn’t.”

Nathan stepped up beside her. “Don’t think about Jennifer or Tricia or Flynn tonight. You should be enjoying your accomplishment of making this event a success.” He held out a cup of punch. “I brought this to you. I thought we might toast your achievement together.”

She took the glass and stared at it before she looked up at him. “I really didn’t do anything. It was everybody helping me that made it all come together.”

He raised his cup. “Then let’s toast all who worked on the event.”

She smiled and tapped his cup. “I can do that.”

Danielle took a sip and then another. “This is really good.”

He nodded. “Yes. It’s a special batch I made just for you. Drink it all up.”

Raising the cup, she drained it. The fire inside her ebbed, and she smiled. “I think it’s relaxed me a lot.”

A door clanged shut behind them. One of the kitchen staff walked to the container at the back of the building and tossed some trash inside. A long, white apron hung to his ankles, and he straightened it before he turned and disappeared into the building.

The ground dipped from under her, and Danielle grabbed for Nathan’s arm. With a chuckle he took the cup from her and set it down on the ground. “Aren’t you feeling well, my dear?”

Danielle pressed her hand to her forehead. “I’m just a little dizzy.”

Taking her hand in his, he stared into her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

She swayed toward him. “I’m all right. You don’t need to take care of me.”

“Oh, but I do. You’re a wonderful woman, Danielle, and a very talented one. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me to see you working so hard for the school my family founded.”

She reeled to the right, but his hand held her tightly. “Thank you.”

“I can see it continuing after we’re married. You’ll be by my side every day helping make this institution one of the best in the country.”

Her eyelids drooped, and she blinked. “Married?” The words sounded as if they came from far away.

Nathan took her arm and nudged her toward the parking lot. “That’s right, my darling. You’ve never known how much I love you, but I’m about to give you the world. Anything you want is possible. I’m going to make your life so grand you’ll wonder why you didn’t fall in love with me earlier.”

She stumbled, but he caught her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Love you? But I love Jack.” She stopped and shook her head. “No, not Jack.”

What was happening to her? All she wanted was to lie down and sleep, close her eyes and not worry about Jack or Nathan. Her eyes grew wide. Nathan said they were going to be married.