Cold Pursuit - Carla Neggers [83]
Nora could feel her own resolve faltering. She was so tired from hiking, from the cold—from crying. Alex’s horrible death had undermined some of the cocky self-confidence she’d had earlier in the week. “I’m scared, Devin. I have all these bad vibes. If Melanie really does have something awful to hide, she could fight back. We’re threatening to ruin her life.”
“If she’s as smart and as conniving as you think she is, she won’t bother with you—she won’t waste her time on revenge. She’ll just focus on saving her own skin.”
Nora didn’t argue. She knew she was freaked out and cold and maybe not acting rationally, but she was determined now to see through what she’d started. And up on the mountain, at least she could think. She didn’t have to worry about anything or anyone.
But she realized Devin hadn’t continued. Her heart pounded. “Dev?”
“This is the spot,” he said simply, pointing off to his left. “The trail down to the logging road is just over there.”
“How did you ever manage to find him? Now that I’m here…” She shivered from a breeze that created shifting, spooky shadows, as if Drew Cameron was there, trying to tell them something. But she shoved that thought aside before she really freaked out. “It’s nothing but trees and more trees.”
“I had an idea where to look.” He sounded tired and resigned more than depressed. “He had me help him bring stuff up here and dump it off on the trail. Beams, plywood, two-by-fours, tools.”
“You never said—” Nora contained her shock. “He was building something?”
“I guess.”
“You don’t know?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. He said it was a surprise.” Devin stared down at his hands. “He said he knew he didn’t have long to live and he wanted to do this one last thing.”
Nora bit back tears. “Dev. My God.”
“It was easier just to not say anything. I didn’t lie to anyone.”
“Devin, what could he have been building up here in the middle of nowhere? It’s a mountain. It’s the wilderness.”
“The Camerons first settled out here. It wasn’t as remote back then.” He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter now. He’s gone.”
Nora reached a hand out and brushed his arm with her fingertips. “I guess it never sunk in until now…” She bit back tears. “You miss him a lot, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” Devin nodded toward the trail. “There’s a level spot over there where I used to leave Drew’s supplies. You can set up your tent there. I have my—”
“My tent will sleep two people easily.”
He looked awkward. “You’re sure? I promise…you know.” He turned bright red.
Nora smiled. He was so innocent sometimes. “Damn straight, Dev. We’re both filthy.” But when he didn’t move off, she realized there was more bothering him. “What is it?”
“I didn’t want to worry you, but you should know.” He hesitated only a fraction of a second before he continued. “Hannah left a message on my cell phone. I listened to it while Elijah was getting ice for my leg. A big guy’s up here looking for you. Your father hired him, but it was Melanie’s idea. She knows him.”
“A big guy? Who?”
“His name’s Kyle Rigby.”
Nora suddenly felt very cold. “Devin. I don’t want this Kyle Rigby to find me. Reassure me. Please, tell me I can trust you.”
“You can trust me. Maybe you should talk to Elijah. Maybe we both should. He’s tough, and he won’t back off. You trust him. I do, too, even if he thinks I’m responsible for his father’s death.”
“He doesn’t think that,” Nora said.
“I took off on him today. I lied to him. I pretended to be hurt worse than I was.”
“Devin…”
“And I broke my word to him. He’ll drop-kick me off a ledge when he catches up with me—that’s the way he is. Jo Harper, too. But I don’t care. Nora, whatever’s going on, we can’t do this ourselves. We need help. I can’t get a cell signal out here, but—”
Nora shook her head, stifling a surge of panic as everything rushed at her—her father marrying this woman he hardly knew and the police thinking he had something to do with Alex’s death