Threat: Follow up to Stranded but not Alone (Dragoslava Connection) (17 page)

“Tell me what you see, Bethany,” Greg restated pointing out past her shoulder.

More steam. “Hush and let me do this. I need to concentrate.” She let her mind focus on what she couldn’t see until the picture formed. “A small blue cooler with black letters…spicy pork sausage.” She blinked sliding her focus to the right of the cooler. “A container of coffee creamer, some sugar, and a pair of brown or burgundy gloves hung off the back of the table. And a cell phone poking out from under the gloves.”

Wow, once she stopped staring that was easy. Sitting back, she turned to Greg and his focus, thankfully, was still set in cop mode and scrutinizing.

“Nice job, you couldn’t see them before when you were focusing on the wrong picture. It takes time to train your mind to deselect certain images and heighten your awareness of other things. I’m impressed, Bethany."

So am I
, she thought, with the sun down and the thick steam rolling off the pots. “It’s easy to focus on the wrong thing and miss the true picture. Thank you.” Bethany held up her sausage taking a healthy bite, the savory spices a satisfying reward after the long ride.

“Hold still,” Greg said, and dabbed juice from her chin with a napkin. Both her hands full she sat stunned. “There,” he said eyeing the campground for a trash bin before crumbling the napkin to stuff in his coat pocket.

Shrugging off her apprehension she leaned in as he unfurled the map with the clues marked in red. “Why does that one have a green dot over the lake?” she asked indicating the dot beside a severe bend in the trail.

Greg shrugged under the moonlight. “Anybody else have a green dot next to a severe bend in the trail between the first and second stops on their scavenger hunt sheet?” Paper rustled as everyone began checking their maps turning them over and up to the light of the fire. Mikhail pushed away from the stone he sat on to cross around the fire and sit beside her, his big body grazing the length of her side.

“Let me see the map,” Mikhail urged waving his hand out to Greg. Greg handed him the crinkled paper and something hostile had started to form between the men. “There are no green dots. I verified the order before they went to print and there were no green anything,” he accused vehemently until he noticed the green dot alongside the river at the edge of the forest. He shoved a hand into his coat breast pocket and retrieved his copy unfurling the tan paper. Bethany tried looking at it, but Mikhail fumbled with it, making it hard to see more than a flipping of colors. “Where did you get this map from, Bethany?” Mikhail asked eyeing her then Greg suspiciously.

“It was in the cubby with my ski boots back at the lodge.” Bethany looked from person to person sitting around the fire. “Wasn’t everybody’s there?” The headshakes confirmed someone was still out to get her.

Mikhail shot a stare to Greg than back to her. “This leads straight into the river.” His face flashed a beet red.

That made her breath catch. “Had I not mentioned it, I would have walked into the icy river.”

Mikhail stood up. “We ride together until we pass the river.”

~~~CB~~~

Tromping through the snow, their horses followed a trench in the trail and Greg at her side. Mikhail and Glenda led the way with many from the office she recognized. Mark from HR, Martha who works as an assistant for many of the level five managers and a number of people from the sixth floor, split up as the trail forked off in different directions.

“Okay according to the map, if we go around the river, there should be a partially covered cave where the blue crystal is buried,” Greg said, holding the map out to Bethany beside him on her horse. The horse’s big hooves denting the trail stomping through the fresh fallen snow caused her to wobble in the saddle.

Steadying herself in the saddle, Bethany bit her glove yanking them from her fingers, to caught the edge of the map flapping in the light breeze and smoothed it out over her horse's neck. “How many yards or miles is this from here?” she asked.

“About a mile or so,” Mikhail said turning back to stare at her, and she couldn't suppress the naughty tingle that slid down between her breasts. Mikhail's profile caught slices of light from the hidden floodlights in the trees, and Bethany looked away hoping no one saw her blushing. Yet the way he took a second look, said Mikhail and Greg saw. Mikhail focused his attention on Greg more and more. He pointed out to the right. “On horseback it's just over the hill. On foot it’ll take a couple hours to get around the river and up the hill.” Bethany couldn't stop focusing on Mikhail's behind bumping over the saddle in front of her. Gripping the horse’s reigns, she let her gaze drift down to the ground. It was too much of a temptation to see his thighs clutching the horse, flexing behind every bump on the trail.

“So Officer Greg, you're not convinced Bethany sent the threat are you?” Glenda asked, glancing from him to Bethany. Bethany couldn't believe she asked.

“This is an open case, Miss. I don't discuss my cases with civilians.”

“But...you can’t believe Bethany had anything to do with this. You’ve spent time with her; she’s the kindest most generous person. Your detective is wasting his time watching Bethany.”

Wow. She wasn’t expecting that, but it felt good to hear. “Thank you Glenda.”

“Bethany, dear,” Martha said, her horse’s nose brushing Bethany's horse’s flank. They were too close. Did the woman know how to ride? “I'm sorry, I'm not comfortable on horses, and I prefer more refined activities.” Bethany angled her reins over putting space between their horses. “Bethany, Glenda’s right, but it must get to you at some point having family so far away in Arizona. No one would fault you if you went back to the states. You helped get the diversity program off to a wonderful start, and I’m certain they would love to have you back. I can't imagine coming all this way with no family or friends for thousands of miles. You must feel so alone once you leave the office.”

“Excuse me,” Bethany said wrapping her hands tight around the horse’s pommel, she had to hear that again. “How do you know where my parents live?”

Martha looked to Mikhail. “Am I mistaken, Mikhail? You did say Arizona right. I’m not completely familiar with the names. Was that a secret?”

Flabbergasted, that was the only word she could think of and shot Mikhail a glowering stare from between her horse’s ears. “You discuss my personal life with other employees, Mikhail?”

He pulled the reins back on his horse stopping in front of Martha. “It wasn’t your business to repeat, Martha.”

“Mikhail?” Bethany said unable to tone down her irritation. How dare he speak about her personal business with another employee without her knowing?

He sat frustrated, eyes focused on Martha before swinging his attention back to her. “The comment, Bethany, was a compliment,” Mikhail tried assuring her, but she was fuming by this time. “Martha anything you hear in my office is confidential regardless to your location. Monday morning in my office…first thing.”

Well Bethany couldn’t wait until Monday for what she had to say.

“Martha perhaps you should revisit the company manual on privacy in the workplace. I’m certain there’s a violation of my privacy in there somewhere.”

Martha shifted in her saddle, cheeks flush and eyes wild. “I wasn’t aware that trying to be conversational was a violation. I just thought you might find more friends if you shared more about yourself. No one really knows that much about you…or your family.”

Every face paled at Martha’s comment.

Bethany clenched her fist in the horse’s mane. Calm down. Attacking Martha in front of all these people will only add believability to the accusation of guilt. And she wasn’t going to prison for punching Martha.

But she had to stand up for herself. “Martha, don’t waste your hollow friendship on me. I don’t accept fakes and there’s nothing genuine about your offer.” Movement at her side brought her around.

Mikhail’s hand on Martha's horse directing her away from Bethany sent fire down her spine. He gave Martha a sterile scrutinizing tongue-lashing without a word, as her father would always say. Martha’s actions were childish.

Martha dropped her gaze to the ground and mumbled under her breath, “Ich wette, sie hat von ihren kunden zu stehlen.”

Bethany could have leapt from her horse at her words but stayed professional. “If you ever accuse me of stealing from my clients, you better have evidence or I’ll sue you for slander and defamation of character.”

Martha blanched. She assumed Bethany didn’t know enough German to know what she said. Bad gamble.

“Martha that’s enough,” Mikhail said, but Bethany watched him watching Martha with a distant stare.

What was he doing standing at her side?

“Martha,” Glenda piped up shaking her head, both women’s blond hair glowed under the hidden lights in the tree limbs. “Give Bethany a break. The woman had been kidnapped and still she sat and answered every question the detective had. We've all had our integrity questioned enough to last a lifetime and since Mr. Shamochernyi invited us up to his family’s home, the least we could do is act civil. Bethany’s been nothing but accommodating to the polizei.”

“Pardon me, Mr. Shamochernyi, no disrespect, but I’m looking out for the safety of our office. We had no problems until she came to Austria,” Martha accused through compressed lips.

“Martha,” Bethany started, “Do yourself a favor and stay out of my business. You’re a grown woman; act as if you know better than to play with me. If you have something to say…say it.”

Mikhail watched as if he weren’t truly there. What was going on?

“Okay, you want honesty. I'm just not convinced, like everyone else is, that you had nothing to do with any of this.” She looked at everyone then back to Bethany. “I'm sorry. Everyone in the office knows you and Mikhail had a rocky breakup. It's no surprise people suspect you as the stalker.”

Bethany pulled back on the reins bringing her horse to a halt. He whinnied as she led him off the trail. “Is Martha the only person who thinks I'm stalking Mikhail?” she urged and watched the faces pale under the moonlight. Her heart sank along with her shoulders and a bit of her self-confidence because she was certain she had their support.

They'd all lied to her. Thought she was vindictive enough to send that trash through email. After a steadying breath taking in all the faces Mikhail’s face held no expression. When was he going to pipe up? Spouting how he believed in her to the detective. Well this was his opportunity to prove it. He said nothing when she looked at him. He’d lied to her too.

Bethany became angry. “Then I guess that’s settled, call the detective and tell him you’ve captured the stalker.” She slapped her thigh in disgust and stared down at the snow biting back the vile curses filling her throat. “What could I possibly have to do other than stalk Mr. Shamochernyi?” She raised her face to the sky then grinned, as everyone watched saying nothing. “I’d thought you all considered me a part of the Heinemann and Heinemann family. I was even proud to say I work in Austria and the people are wonderful. Now…,” she shook her head, she just wanted to go home. “Thank you Martha for opening my eyes and showing me where I truly stand with my co-workers. But try and pull my card like that again in front of everyone, and it won’t end well between us. Your comment was unprofessional and inappropriate and I would think, this isn’t the first time you’ve spoken your mind and no one’s addressed it or else you wouldn’t feel as if it were your responsibility to put me down.”

Mikhail’s fingers tightened on Martha’s pommel pulling her horse closer, she noticed. What was that? He whispered over to Martha. The woman sucked in a breath then glanced around the space. Folding her arms she said nothing just tipped her chin up until Mikhail shook the pommel again.

“I’m going to go back to the chalet. I seem to have made an enemy out of myself to Ms. Cansler.”

That she wasn’t expecting. Bethany watched Glenda's horse step forward coming up closer to her horse. She and Glenda shared a stare over the steam rising from the horse’s nostrils. “They need someone to point the finger at, and you’re an easy target. I’m sorry.” Glenda gave Bethany a sad smile.

Mikhail finally spoke, “Martha, tomorrow morning I want you off this mountain. Monday morning I want your resignation on my desk.”

“You can’t just fire me for speaking my mind.”

“Every employee signed a waiver to never divulge information to the media about anything or person within the firm. You’re on security camera outside of the office speaking to Channel 8’s reporter. Rules are there for everyone’s protection. I tried to wait until next week, but your actions today tells me of your volatility towards Ms. Cansler.”

“I…I,” she stuttered.

“You’ll leave in the morning.”

“Officer Greg will escort you back to the chalet.”

Greg sat quiet, then nodded to Bethany and followed Martha out of the forest.

“Everyone go finish your searches. Ms. Cansler is not being charged with anything, and you will not make accusations based on your fear.”

Edward rode up on his horse, a white stallion as large as Mikhail’s black shiny working horse that she’d come to love. She angled her smaller horse back along a tree. Everyone moved back except for Mikhail. The men came close and exchanged words. Edward nodded then moved close to Bethany.

“Ms. Cansler, I’m riding back to the chalet, if you’d like an escort,” Edward offered. “I could use a partner for darts.”

Bethany turned her horse to leave. “I appreciate your concern, thank you.” Mikhail’s pained stare crushed her. “Mr. Shamochernyi, you’ll have my resignation on your desk Monday morning. What client in their right mind will want me handling their account after this distrust is fed through the office?”

Faces glowed crimson under the lights.

Bethany tugged on the reigns getting her horse to dive into the darkening forest. She couldn’t wait to get away. Edward would have to catch up. Time for a reality check. This wasn’t working.

As she slowed the sweaty black horse in the calf deep snow, Bethany had no idea where they’d ran off to, except for the river gurgling under the sheet of ice just to the right of the trail.