Timberline Trail (12 page)

“And just what happened after you and Steve left?” sh
e asked her quiet comrade.

“Well,” said Jon rousing somewhat.
“I followed him to the main road where he revved his engine for quite a while before turning right toward Timberline. He still had some rough going since the snowplow was about a quarter of a mile away. We could see them in the distance with their bright yellow trucks and a flagman who was apparently cautioning anyone without snow tires not to continue. I followed him to the snowplow and then backtracked, anxious to return to camp. After arriving I discovered both tents were in pretty good condition, though mine had come loose from its stakes and took me quite a while to repair and reinforce it. Concerned about the wolf, I decided to drive back up the road to check on you. I banked the fire and headed out, totally forgetting I’d left the kettle on.”

“You actually went to my cabin?” asked Tia.

“Yes. It was deserted and the front door unlocked. I went inside and called your name, but no one answered. Noticing your Blazer still parked outside I became concerned and headed back up to the gravel road to look for you. By that time the snow had began to fall. I actually drove by the place you said the truck had gone off the road but didn’t notice anything unusual. I guess by that time the snow had fallen heavily enough to cover the skid marks you mentioned. Anyway, I finally gave up and returned here. You know the rest.”

“Were you able to get hold of your partner Ben?”

“Yes, I managed to contact him via the Timberline Lodge who relayed a message to him. He was supposed to arrive tomorrow but got grounded in Juneau after purchasing some extra photographic supplies for me.”

Tia took a deep breath and decided to ask him. “You mentioned earlier you hadn’t been going through my things.
Is that true?”

Jon studied her intently before nodding.
“I won’t lie to you. Though mighty curious about what an attractive woman like you is doing out here all alone, I wouldn’t dream of going through your filing cabinet; that indiscretion belongs to Steve.”

Tia’s head jerked up abruptly.
“Steve? But he said it was you!”

“That’s right he did,
didn’t he? I’m afraid Steve may not be who you think he is Tia. He said he was in advertising, right? Well perhaps his advertising has a little more to do with sharing other people’s personal lives to a paying audience than selling RV’s.”

“
You think he tracked me down because of my father?”

“I believe so.
Your father’s case was highly sensational and hit all the major newspapers, not only the tabloids. Then, when your father dropped out of sight, I’m sure quite a few people wanted to find out his whereabouts so they could have a
conversation
with him.”

“Well
that would be difficult for anyone to do right now,” said Tia vaguely.

“
He’s on holiday... in Mauritius or something?”

“Dad’s
traveling around the world, first visiting the Southern Hemisphere before flying up to Europe. I told him I hoped it took him a good six months and didn’t expect him back until winter’s over.”

Jon
watched the falling snowflakes, deep in thought.

“I just remembered something else,” said Tia. “When I called town over the short
-wave after you left, Roy told me there’s a bunch of strange men in town, apparently on official business. They’re supposed to have an appointment with the sheriff this afternoon.”

“Did he indicate whether or not they were polic
emen?”

Tia’s head jerked forward.
“Why? Do you think they could be?”

“Look Tia, I haven’t told you this before, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Steve and your ex-boyfriend Paul have
both picked this time to pay you a visit.”

“It does seem
an unlikely coincidence,” mused Tia, “but then again, you also showed up”

Jon didn’t respond, only peering
at her for a couple of moments under narrowed eyes.

“And?” said Tia, hoping to break his disconcer
ting stare. “That still doesn’t explain the filing cabinet incident, unless I’m to totally believe what you said about Steve.”

Jon leaned back in the rickety chair
, lost deep in thought. Tia took the opportunity to study his profile. Its long lean angles were browned by the sun, with worry lines deeply grooved over murky green eyes; eyes so dark they nearly appeared brown. His straight nose and the puckered scar above his eye were too prominent for real handsomeness, but Jon was strangely attractive, as if his entire being were firmly entrenched in the earth he so revered. Jon suddenly seemed to make a decision, and glancing upward, stated softly;

“I don’t believe your father should have left you alone
here while the case regarding Andrew Carson still remains unsolved. The murder, if I recall, was brutal and calculated. It’s likely his killer may still be at large.”

Tia’s spoon hit her metal plate with a clatter.
“But what does this have to do with me? I’m a children’s author for God’s sake. I have nothing to do with it.”

Jon straightened and
gazed intently at her face, framed by windblown hair. The oversized ski pants billowed about her and her feet felt sloppy in the enormous boots. He broke eye contact and asked almost as if it didn’t matter.

“Who stands to inherit Heath Enterprises if your father dies?”

Tia felt her mouth flop open at his question. “Inherit?” she sputtered.

Jon nodded solemnly, compelling her to answer.

“Well, my dad’s brother Jeffery I guess. Some will go to my brother RK, me, and my Grandma Heath, although she really doesn’t need it. I also know he planned a hefty donation to the American Cancer Society and the Seeing Eye Dog Society. RK has his own company and I make enough money writing not to need Dad’s money.”

“Do you have any idea the amount of money we’re talking about?” asked Jon.

Tia thought long and hard. “At the last board meeting my father attended, he said the company was worth over eight hundred million dollars.”

“Of course much of that is
in stock and overhead. What do you think you’ll receive personally?” asked Jon.

“Probably over twenty million when all is said and done I suspect.”

Jon whistled and rubbed his hands together.

“That would be enough to make you a tasty tidbit for a fortune hunter.”

Tia looked angrily at him and set her plate down with a bang. “I’m not susceptible to gold diggers and besides, what does that have to do with anything anyway!”

“Nothing perhaps.
What can you tell me about your grandmother?”

“My grandma?
I don’t know. I don’t think she’d receive more than a million, if that. She has her own money from when grandpa died so she’s not a poor woman. Grandma Heath spends most of her time training seeing eye dogs since Grandpa was legally blind the last five years of his life and got around with the help of his Golden Retriever, Sunny.”

“And your uncle Jeffery, I believe that’s what you said his name is?”

“Well... Jeffery is on the board and has his own personal fortune as well since he sold a highly successful patent in his youth. He has only one child, my cousin Marilyn, who’s an interior designer and unmarried. She operates a studio in Bel Air and owns a pretty nice house near UCLA. I think she’s doing fine; at least I’ve never had reason to suspect otherwise. She’s quite a bit older than me, a full ten years, and has made quite a name for herself in Los Angeles catering to a huge clientele. I believe my uncle even had her design certain rooms in his house in San Marino. Why are you asking all these questions?”

“Just curious I guess,” said Jon continuing.
“Didn’t Andrew Carson have a large stake in the company?”

“He did, but after his death his widow
, Grace, decided to cash in her shares and leave the area. The publicity surrounding the case was killing her so she moved to Florida to be near her son and grandchildren. I know she didn’t walk off empty-handed, plus there was a hefty insurance policy of perhaps a couple million dollars, but I heard a rumor Andrew had invested in something that went bust and she settled his debts. I think that forced her to sell her shares although I have no idea what her personal finances are like.”

“Who bought her shares?”

“My uncle mostly. He jumped on them, saying he wanted to keep control of the company within the family. He snatched up about 40% of her shares, while my brother RK bought about another 15%. The rest were issued to the general public and snapped up within a matter of a week.”

“You didn’t buy any?”

Tia snorted. “I never had much interest in the company anyway and after Andy’s death I wanted totally out, but my uncle refused to hear me talk that way. He and my father demanded I keep my shares and interest in the company though I don’t know why.”

“And how much are those shares?”

“You sound like some sort of fortune hunter yourself!” replied Tia angrily, not appreciating his line of questioning.

“It
would
sound like that if I was pursuing you romantically, but I have to say that my interest in your money has nothing to do with romance. I just want to discover why you seem to be a target.”

Tia calmed down somewhat. “It’s about 11%.
I’ve wanted to sell so many times, but Dad and Uncle Jeffery remained adamant I keep my shares. Said I could sell them when my kids start college. Anyway, I have to admit the police asked lots of the same questions, particularly about Andy’s share in the company.”

“And what did they come up with?” asked Jon.

Tia flinched.
“They believe Andy might have been tied to some sort of organized crime and when he didn’t deliver the company to them, may have been hit. They say the murder wasn’t carried out by an amateur.”

“Do you believe the police
’s scenario; that he was associated in some way to organized crime and in such a manner that could have harmed the company?”

“I’m not sure,” sighed Tia. “I found out
later that he and my ex-fiancé, Paul Dale, were too close for comfort and that Andy always seemed to push Paul toward me but I could never reason out why. Later, after I had my own doubts about Paul, I admit I wondered.” She took another sip of her cocoa and then set down her chipped cup. “Do you have any more of this?”

Jon immediately hurried to the smoking fire; the flames valiantly
struggling to stay alive as the snow pelted down. He poured the last bit of cocoa into her cup and returned, handing the steaming container to her which she sipped thirstily.

“Did Paul own any stock?” asked Jon
, continuing.

“Only about a thousand shares I think.
He had most of his interests in a fitness chain. I know he and Andy invested over a hundred grand in Planet Fitness. One of his centers was not a half mile from my house and he always urged me to attend. I went a couple of times and everyone treated Paul like royalty. I think he earned a very good income.”

“Do you believe he wanted more?” asked Jon.

“What man do
esn’t,” said Tia bitterly. “Your breed always seems to want more; more money, more women, bigger and flashier cars, bigger slaps on the back. Of course Paul wanted more.”

“You’re
very cynical,” Jon said quietly.

“
And have good reason to be. Except for my dad and uncle, and to a lesser extent my grandmother and Marilyn, everyone else after the murder seemed like swirling vultures, ready to swoop down upon any juicy tidbit of information they could use to slander our family. My dad was hauled off to the county jail in the middle of the night. I had to post a half-million dollar bond just to have the honor of trying to prove him innocent of Andy’s murder. Of course, Paul dumped me three days after my dad was arrested and certainly didn’t come running back after he was exonerated.” Tia shuddered at the memory. “I’d had enough.”

“I
’m sorry Tia, but I have to ask. How’d your brother handle all this?”

“
RK and I have never been very close. He’s a good seven years older than me, and somewhat of a genius, as he’d be quick to tell you. The child of my dad’s first marriage, I always believed he resented me a bit. While not very good with people, RK’s fantastic with computers and started his own company in Las Vegas. He moved there because he said the tax breaks were better. Dad was very disappointed, hoping RK would take over Heath Enterprises, but my brother wanted to prove to him
and
the world he could make it on his own without my dad.”

“And did he make it?”

“Yeah, I believe so. His company doesn’t have the assets of Heath Enterprises, but RK has about twenty employees and creates some really neat products. His major thrust is developing software that makes everyday applications run more quickly; particularly in graphic design. He always scoffed at my father’s preoccupation with computer games, saying real men don’t play with kid’s stuff.”

“Those computer games made your father a fo
rtune,” said Jon, the snow swirling about his face.