Mountain Peril (2 page)

The music of Jade Dragon, the hottest rock band in history, filled the interior. They’d been his favorite band since his teenage years. Whenever the past threatened to intrude, he could always depend on them to distract his thoughts.

For some reason it didn’t seem to work today. Jack sighed and glanced toward the building. In another time of his life, he would have made it his business to find out all he could about the woman with the tantalizing eyes. That person had vanished, though, and had left a shell of a man who was incapable of caring for anyone. There was no time to think about a woman he’d probably never see again. He had a job to do.

He had come to Webster Falls hoping he could find peace in the small mountain community. Instead, he’d encountered a town with an unsolved murder and a Web site depicting a gruesome reenactment of that crime. It was enough to raise the concern of any law enforcement officer.

Was there some evil force that resided in the mountains around Webster Falls? If so, perhaps there were other secrets waiting to be discovered.

T
he sun was beginning its descent into the west when Jack walked out of the courthouse. The trial had taken up most of the day. He’d have to talk to the district attorney tomorrow before he went back to see Flynn Carter.

The name of the Webster student brought to mind the woman he’d met earlier in the day. Throughout the day, he’d thought about her from time to time. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. It was ridiculous to dwell on a fleeting encounter. For all he knew she had a husband and children at home.

The idea of home with its frozen meals waiting to be defrosted and the makeshift dinner table in front of the television filled him with sadness. He hated the thought of going to the small apartment tonight and repeating his routine. A stop at the Mountain Mug, home of the best cup of coffee in Webster Falls, could delay that for a little while.

Fifteen minutes later, he stepped up to the counter at the Mountain Mug and ordered a large cup of the dark Colombian coffee he’d come to enjoy. He glanced around the crowded room for an empty table. Most of them were taken by young people engrossed in their computers.

His traveling gaze came to an abrupt stop at the sight of
Danielle Tyler, wearing jeans and a Webster sweatshirt, seated toward the back of the room. Her dark hair, pulled up in a ponytail, revealed the earphones of an iPod strapped to her arm. From time to time her head bobbed at the music only she could hear. She stared at the screen of her laptop and sipped from a large mug.

Realizing he was blocking the exit of customers with their orders, he took a step to his left and collided with a man who’d just left the counter. The coffee in his mug sloshed over the sides and onto the floor.

“Watch out.” The man’s voice rose over the din in the shop.

Convinced everyone in the room had turned to stare, Jack grabbed a napkin from the counter and stooped to wipe up the spot at his feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“No harm done.” The man gave a quick nod and headed toward a woman seated at a table by the door.

As Jack rose from his squatting position, Danielle looked up. Her lips parted in a smile, and she pulled the earphones out. She looked around at the filled tables and motioned to him. “Detective Denton, come join me.”

He started to decline, but there were still no unoccupied tables. Taking a deep breath, he ambled forward and slipped into the offered chair. He set his cup on the table and tried to smile. “I didn’t expect to run into you.” He nodded toward the iPod. “What are you listening to?”

A smile pulled at her lips. “My favorite rock group, Jade Dragon.”

A chuckle rattled in his throat. “It looks like we have something in common. They’ve been my favorite band since I was a kid.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners, just as they had done earlier today. Then she smiled again, and he suddenly felt at ease. “I’m glad to hear you say that. They’re my parents.”

The cup almost slipped from his fingers. “You’re kidding. Kenny and Mary Tyler are your parents?” He laughed and shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I think I have all their CDs.”

“So do I.” Danielle cleared her throat and straightened in her chair. “But tell me, did you get a chance to talk to the D.A.?”

“No, I didn’t get out of court until about fifteen minutes ago. I’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Good.” She leaned over and propped her elbows on the table. “Dr. Newman didn’t get back from Asheville today, but I e-mailed him and Mr. Webster about the site.”

“Who’s Mr. Webster?”

“He’s the chairman of the board. His great-grandfather founded Webster University—gave the land and built the first buildings. Their family has been involved with the school ever since. Nathan is very committed to the school’s success. I’m afraid he’s going to be upset when he sees the Web site.”

“I don’t blame him. It’s not good publicity for a school.”

“No, it’s not.” She picked up her cup and peered at him over the rim. “I’ve never seen you in here before, Detective Denton. Do you come often?”

“Several times a week, Dr. Tyler.”

She laughed, and the sound tinkled like tiny bells. “Please call me Danielle. I have trouble thinking of myself as anything but a girl who grew up watching her parents perform at rock concerts all across the country.”

He crossed his arms on the table, and his mouth crooked into a half smile. “Call me Jack. I’m just a soldier turned deputy sheriff.”

She twisted in her seat and pulled one leg up under her. Her head tilted, and her eyes grew large. “Soldier? What did you do?”

“I was in Special Forces. After I got out, I looked for a nice, quiet town and ended up in Webster Falls. It’s close to home. My mother lives in Asheville.”

She scooted her computer to the side and clasped her hands on the tabletop. “My parents live in Atlanta now. I see them several times a year. It must be nice to live so close you can visit your mother whenever you want.”

He averted his gaze and took a sip from his cup. “Yeah. I try to go at least once a month.” They sat silent for a few moments. Then he reached for her cup. “Want a refill?”

Her ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded. “That would be great.”

Jack rose and walked away from the table. What was he doing sitting with this woman? He’d talked with her more since he’d walked in the door than he had with any woman in the past three years.

He stopped at the counter and glanced back at Danielle. She smiled at him, and he forced his lips to respond. He should leave. He didn’t need any complications in his life, and something told him she could be just that.

The day had produced more surprises than Danielle had experienced in a long time. The last thing she would have expected was to be sitting drinking coffee with Jack Denton. She had to admit, though, there was something about the quiet detective that intrigued her.

“Tell me, Jack…” she began but stopped.

He swallowed the coffee in his mouth and set the cup back on the table. “What?”

“I started to ask you about your family, but I don’t want you to think I’m prying.”

“No, it’s okay.” His eyes clouded, and his forehead creased into a small frown. “My mother is my only family. She has
Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home in Asheville. That’s why I go once a month.”

A pang of regret pierced her heart. “I’m sorry, Jack. That must be very painful for you.”

Jack nodded. “It is.” He cleared his throat and glanced at her. “But what about you? I’m sitting here with you, and for all I know you may have a boyfriend, or even be married.”

Another memory she struggled to suppress drifted into her mind. As she’d done so often in the past, she tried to shake it from her head. “No, there’s not a man in my life. There was one when I was in Chapel Hill attending graduate school, but he died.”

Jack leaned forward. “Oh, I’m sorry. What happened?”

Danielle swallowed before answering. “He was killed during a robbery of his apartment.”

“That’s terrible. Did the police catch the killer?’

Danielle shook her head. “No. They said there had been an increase in robberies in that area. They decided he must have walked in on a burglary in progress.”

Sympathy shone in Jack’s eyes. “Then I guess we have something besides Jade Dragon in common. My wife died in a car crash with another man while I was away on special assignment with the army.”

Danielle sucked in her breath. “Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry.”

Surprise flashed across his face. “I can’t believe I said that. You’re the first person I’ve told that to since I came to Webster Falls, and I’ve only known you one day.”

She smiled. “Then maybe this means we’re going to be friends.”

“Maybe so, but I have to warn you. I don’t make friends easily.” He leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. “The way you talk, it seems you’ve been able to accept what happened in your life. How have you been able to do that?”

Danielle tilted her head and arched her eyebrows. “Oh, I have times when I feel overwhelmed. Two of the people I’ve loved most in my life, Jennifer and my fiancé, both died, but my faith got me through the bad times. So I try to remember that my life isn’t over and God still has plans for me.”

Jack cocked an eyebrow. “Faith, huh? Glad it works for you.”

His stony expression relayed his skepticism. Danielle shifted in her chair and debated what to say. “It can work for anybody, Jack.”

He sighed and pushed back from the table. “Not me.” He glanced past her toward the door, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Flynn Carter just walked in, and I recognize the girl with him from the Web site.”

Danielle stared in the direction he was looking. She hadn’t seen Flynn since early this morning, but his arrival reminded her of his behavior then. “He seems a lot happier now than when he was in my office. I wonder if he’s told Tricia about our meeting.”

Jack shrugged. “They don’t seem to be too concerned, do they?”

Danielle sighed and shook her head. “One thing I’ve found out about working with college students is they don’t tend to get too upset about anything but what’s happening at that minute.” She glanced at Jack. “Don’t get me wrong. We have some great kids at Webster, but they haven’t had the life lessons yet that will mold them into the adults they’ll become. They’re preparing for the world, and they have no idea how tough it can be at times.”

Jack studied Flynn and Tricia as they purchased coffee to go. “I hope their little prank doesn’t cause them to get some of that experience.”

“I do, too.” Danielle watched Flynn and Tricia as they disappeared out the door.

After a moment, Jack stood. “I guess I’d better be going. It was nice to see you.”

She stuck out her hand. “It was good seeing you. I hope we’ll meet again.”

He grasped her hand, and his gaze moved over her face. “Maybe we will. I’ll probably be back out at the school in a day or so if Carter doesn’t take the Web site down.” He smiled. “Good night, Danielle.”

“Good night, Jack.”

He turned and strode toward the door. Danielle watched him go before she picked up her iPod. As she stared at it, she replayed her conversation with Jack Denton in her mind. She’d never talked with anyone who seemed to guard each word like he did, and yet there had been a connection between the two of them.

They shared a love for her parents’ music, but there was more. They’d both had a tragedy with the person they loved. The difference was in the fact that Jack couldn’t accept what she’d found—faith. If they became friends, perhaps in time she could help him face his difficult memories.

D
anielle sat at her desk the next morning studying a report on students’ midterm grades. She ran her finger down the page until she came to Flynn Carter’s name. His extracurricular activities hadn’t caused any academic problems for him yet. She hoped it remained that way.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up. “Danielle Tyler. May I help you?”

“Danielle.” Nathan Webster’s soft voice sounded in her ear. “I’m in Jeff’s office and Detective Denton is with us. Can you come?”

“I’ll be right there.” She hung up and pressed her hand against her chest. She knew Jack was coming, but she thought they wouldn’t call her to the meeting.

She pulled a compact from her purse and took a quick look at her reflection. Her makeup and hair looked okay. Standing, she smoothed the pants of the new suit she’d put on this morning, straightened her jacket and headed toward the president’s office.

Jeff Newman stood from behind his desk as she entered. Nathan Webster, to his left, smiled, but Jack Denton’s stony gaze made her wonder where the man she’d spent time with the night before had gone.

She nodded to Nathan and turned her attention to Jeff. “You wanted to see me, Dr. Newman?”

“Yes, Dr. Tyler, have a seat.”

Jack pushed a chair toward her, and she sat. He settled into one next to her and leaned toward her. “How are you this morning, Dr. Tyler?”

Her eyebrows arched at the formal tone of his voice. “I’m fine, Detective Denton.” She turned back to Jeff. “Have you met with Flynn?”

Jeff nodded. “I’m afraid we got nowhere with him. He insists he hasn’t broken any laws, and he refuses to take down the site. He said if we try to force him from school, his father will take us to court.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Nathan Webster’s shoulders drooped, and Danielle noticed how tired his eyes appeared this morning. Although in his mid-forties, Danielle had always considered Nathan to be the most handsome man on campus with his brooding good looks and dark complexion.

Nathan glanced from Jeff to Danielle. “If it comes to that, we’ll have to let our lawyers handle it. Maybe we should leave it alone for a few days and see if Flynn comes to his senses.”

Jack tapped his index finger on the notebook in his lap. “I really doubt he’ll do that, but I could be wrong. If he doesn’t, maybe the police department can contact the service provider and see if they would ban the site. Of course, Carter might just go to another one.”

Jeff’s brow wrinkled as he stood and stuck out his hand. “Well, whatever happens, we appreciate your help, Detective.”

Jack gripped the hand and nodded to Jeff. He pushed up from his chair and shook Nathan’s hand. “I’ll be in touch.”

Danielle rose and smiled at Jeff. “Thanks for letting me know what happened. Now I’ll get back to work if you don’t need me for anything else.”

She turned and hurried toward the door, but she could sense Jack was right behind. In the hallway she slowed her gait, and he fell into step beside her. He leaned close, and their arms brushed. “It’s good to see you again. I enjoyed our time together last night.” His soft voice held a hint of reluctance.

“I did, too.” They stopped at her office. She opened the door and turned to him. “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”

He swallowed. “I’d like that. How about tonight?”

Her forehead wrinkled. “You want me to meet you for coffee tonight?”

He stuck his hand in his pocket and jingled some coins. “Sorry. You can’t read my mind. I meant dinner. How about having dinner with me?”

Danielle smiled. “I’d like that. What time will you pick me up?”

“How about seven o’clock?”

“That will be fine. I live at 295 Pikeville Road. Do you know that area?”

He nodded. “I do. I’ll see you then.”

Without saying another word, he whirled and hurried down the hall. She watched him go for the second time in two days. He hadn’t seemed enthused about asking her out. In fact he’d mumbled so that one would have thought he was being forced to offer the invitation. Jack Denton perplexed her, but she had always been good at solving puzzles, and she intended to find out what made this man tick.

The flame from the flickering candle in the middle of the table cast a honey-colored glow on Danielle’s skin. Jack
studied her over the rim of his coffee cup as she put the last bite of linguini in her mouth.

When he’d left the Mountain Mug last night, he’d promised himself he would stay away from Danielle Tyler. That idea vanished the minute she walked into Jeff Newman’s office earlier in the day. Jack couldn’t believe it when he heard himself asking her to dinner, and yet it seemed the natural thing to say.

He had to admit it—Danielle Tyler fascinated him. It wasn’t just the fact that she was smart and beautiful. There was something more he still couldn’t understand. Perhaps it was the fact that she’d had two tragic losses in her life.

She finished chewing, wiped her mouth with her napkin and smiled. “That was delicious. Thank you for bringing me here tonight.”

He glanced at the customers in his favorite Italian restaurant. Soft accordion music drifted across the dining room filled with linen-draped tables. He pushed his plate back and leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I should be thanking you. You saved me from a lonely frozen dinner in front of the TV.”

She laughed. “Then I’m glad I accepted your invitation.”

“Would you like a refill?” The waitress stood beside their table with a silver coffeepot.

Jack nodded, and she poured the steaming liquid into their cups. When she’d walked away, Jack directed his attention back to Danielle. “I know you went to school at Webster, but what made you end up working there?”

Danielle sighed and traced the rim of her cup with her finger. “When I graduated, I couldn’t get away from this place fast enough. Everywhere I looked I was reminded of Jennifer and what had happened. But I still had good friends here. Nathan had been a fan of my parents, and he took a special
interest in me while I was in school. Jeff took over as president my senior year, and I worked in his office some. So they both knew me well. They were very supportive after Jennifer’s death.”

“I’m sure it was good to have someone to lean on during that time.”

“Oh, yes, and even afterward. They kept in touch with me when I went to graduate school because I had received the Webster Scholarship for Graduate Study.”

Jack frowned. “What’s that?”

“Nathan’s grandfather established a scholarship for the graduating senior with the highest grade-point average to attend the graduate institution of his or her choice with all expenses paid.”

“And you won?”

Sadness flickered in Danielle’s eyes. “Actually Jennifer should have been the winner. After her death, I was next in line. At first I refused to accept, but Nathan and Jeff told me I was being foolish. They said Jennifer would have wanted me to have it. I’ve always felt guilty because I benefited from her death.”

Jack’s heart constricted. Before he realized what he was doing, he reached across the table and wrapped his fingers around Danielle’s. “They were right to make you take the scholarship.”

Tears glimmered in her eyes. “Do you really think so?”

“Of course. I’m sure your friend would have been happy for you.”

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “As I mentioned, Jeff and Nathan kept in touch with me while I was getting my master’s degree and then my doctorate. In fact they both visited me several times. When they heard about my fiancé’s death, they began to hint at my returning to Webster to work.
At first I didn’t want to do that, but they finally wore me down. So I came back.”

“I’m glad you did,” Jack whispered. “I might never have met you otherwise.”

Danielle glanced down at their intertwined fingers. The ringing of her cell phone interrupted her response. She fished it out of her bag and frowned at the caller ID. “I don’t recognize this number.” She flipped it open. “Hello.”

She listened for a few moments before she glanced at Jack. “It’s Flynn Carter. He says Tricia was supposed to meet him two hours ago to drive to Asheville for dinner, but he can’t find her. He says he lost his cell phone this afternoon and he’s calling from his roommate’s phone.”

Jack’s eyebrows arched. “Ask him when he last saw Tricia.”

Danielle relayed the question and then looked at Jack. “He says he saw her at lunch in the cafeteria, then he spent the afternoon in the library. He thinks he lost his phone there. But he’s worried because he’s called her cell phone for hours, and she hasn’t answered.” Danielle’s eyes grew wide. “What did you say?” she squealed.

Fear flowed across her face. Jack grabbed her arm. “What is it?”

Danielle’s lips trembled. “He says there’s a message on the Web site that scares him.”

“What does it say?”

“It says,
Do you want an encore? Then watch it at Laurel Falls,
” Danielle whispered.

Jack pulled his wallet from his pocket and signaled for the waitress. “Where is Carter now?”

“In his room at the university.”

“Tell him to stay there. I’ll get an officer and check this out.”

Danielle repeated the message and closed the phone. She grabbed her coat and purse and followed Jack from the table.

At the door, she grabbed his arm. “Jack, what do you think this means?”

He halted and shook his head. “I don’t know. The message could have been left by some kook that came across the site. But it worries me that Tricia Peterson is missing.”

“What will you do?”

“I’ll call for backup and head to Laurel Falls.”

Danielle pulled her coat on. “I’m going with you.”

He debated what to do. After all, she didn’t have her car. “You don’t need to do that. I can drop you at home before I go out there.”

She lifted her chin and directed a determined stare toward him. “Tricia’s parents expect the school to keep her safe. If something’s happened to her, I need to know.”

Jack knew this was one battle he couldn’t win. “Okay, but you’ll have to stay in my car.”

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Dispatch as he and Danielle rushed out of the restaurant. The memory of the girl’s body on the Web site flashed into his mind. When he’d first seen it, he had hoped the beautiful girl wasn’t really dead. Now he realized it might be too late to repeat that wish.

Two patrol cars drove up to the Laurel Falls Trail parking lot just as Jack and Danielle arrived. Danielle sat up straight in her seat, grabbed his arm and pointed to a red sports car parked at the entrance to a path that led up the mountain. “That’s Tricia’s car.”

“Maybe she hiked up to the falls.” He patted her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her. I’ll leave the car key in case you get cold. You can start the car and turn up the heater.”

She pulled her coat tighter and shivered. “Thanks.”

Jack climbed from his car and nodded to the four deputies who joined him.

One of the officers pushed his hat back on his head. “What we got here, Jack?”

He tilted his head toward the parked sports car. “It may be nothing, but the girl who owns that car posed for the Web site we’ve been investigating. She’s missing, and a message on the site said to check out Laurel Falls.”

The deputies exchanged worried glances and hurried to their cars to get flashlights. When they returned, the officer in charge faced the three other men. “Two of you stay here. With this many police cars in the parking lot, we may have passersby who want to stop. Keep everybody off the trail until we get back.” He pointed to the third man. “Come with us.”

Jack shivered in the night mountain air as he and the two officers started up the trail. The beams from their flashlights cut through the darkness, lighting the path in front of them.

He waved his flashlight beam to the left, then straight ahead. “You two search up the trail and to the left. I’ll take the right side.”

They walked in silence for perhaps twenty minutes as they headed deeper into the wilderness that led to Laurel Falls. Jack struggled through the undergrowth that threatened to trip him. As the incline of the path grew gradually steeper, the vegetation became thinner, making it easier to walk. His heart hammered in his chest, and his lungs burned from the high altitude.

The sound of roaring water could be heard in the distance. They were approaching the falls, and they’d found nothing. Maybe Flynn had already found Tricia, and they were on their way to Asheville. They were probably warmer than he was right now. It was time to call it quits for tonight. If Tricia was still missing in the morning, they could bring in the mountain rescue team to search.

Jack was about to call out to the others that it was time to head back when he saw her. He pushed a low-hanging tree branch out of his face and stopped. Tricia lay just as she had on the Web site. He exhaled and squatted at her feet.

He gagged from the nausea roiling in his stomach, then stood and backed away so as not to disturb the crime scene. He couldn’t look away from the still form.

Jennifer McCaslin and now Tricia Peterson. How could he tell Danielle that the nightmare she’d lived with for ten years had returned? He thought of how her body had shaken all the way to Laurel Falls and how frightened she looked when he’d left her at the car.

With a sigh he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called the officers in the parking lot. Briefly he described what he’d found, asked them to notify headquarters and cautioned them to be on the lookout for anything suspicious.

As he flipped the cell phone closed, he took a deep breath and called out to the two deputies searching with him. “Over here!”

Within minutes the other two officers joined him. None of them spoke as they stared at the dead girl beside the trail.

Jack turned and started toward the parking lot. “I’ll be back shortly,” he called over his shoulder.

His feet felt like lead as he trudged down the path. Telling Danielle was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. At that moment he wished he didn’t know her. It would be so much easier to tell a stranger. In twenty-four hours’ time, she was no longer a stranger, and he was about to deliver news she didn’t want to hear.