If I Should Die_ A Novel of Suspense - Allison Brennan [159]
Patrick said to Lucy, “Get everyone in the library and stay there. I’ll get Steve.”
“You’re not going out there alone,” she countered.
“Dammit, you’re not a cop!”
“Are you going to argue with me or cooperate? You were drugged last night, Patrick. Grace is a killer and Steve’s emotions are running high. You need backup. Let’s go.”
She gave Patrick no opportunity to argue. She walked toward the garage where the snowmobiles were stored. Without snowshoes, it took longer. Patrick waved her over to the tracks his truck had made; walking on the pressed snow was definitely easier.
By the time they reached the garage, Grace and Steve had a six-minute lead and the steadily falling snow was covering up their tracks. Patrick uncovered the snowmobiles. “Why don’t we take Steve’s truck?” Lucy asked.
“We need to make up time, and we’ll never catch up to her before Steve. Trust me, snowmobiles are faster.”
He started one up, then motioned for Lucy to take it before he started the next. This was only the second time Lucy had ridden one of these vehicles—the first time being two days ago when they arrived at the lodge.
Patrick led the way. As they passed the lodge, Kyle came out and gave them a thumbs-up. She hoped that meant he had spoken to the sheriff. With that, Patrick rode off and Lucy followed.
They stayed on the path left by the truck. Lucy noticed that Steve’s skis had diverged from the road, leaving a clear trail through the trees.
She sped up and motioned for Patrick to stop.
“What?” he shouted.
“Steve went that way,” she pointed down the mountainside. “We should split up.”
“Hell no.”
“He’s going to cut her off. He knows these woods better than anyone.”
“I don’t care, we’re not splitting up.”
“We may not catch up with her in time, and I’m worried for Steve. Please—I’ll follow him.”
“And what if you get lost?”
“I’ll stick to his trail. I can catch up to him and stop him from doing anything stupid. You focus on Grace. We’re wasting time.”
It was clear Patrick didn’t want to agree, but Lucy took his silence as assent. She rode back to where she’d seen Steve’s ski trail, worried that the heavy snowfall would cover his tracks faster than she could follow them. But he’d been traveling fast, leaving deep gouges in the snow, and Lucy easily found the path he’d left.
Lucy started slowly because she was at a dangerous downhill angle. But it leveled off a bit and she picked up speed. The trees started far apart, but the more she went down, the denser they became. She paid close attention to the tracks, because if she lost them she would have to backtrack, and she might not be able to find his path again. Worse, the snow was making it difficult to see more than twenty or so feet ahead of her, and she had to slow when Steve’s tracks started swerving between trees.
Several minutes later, she saw a green figure in the distance. It had to be Steve, in his bright green jacket, and he was moving at a rapid pace. She sped up a bit, but stayed tense and focused on his trail. She didn’t know this area, and didn’t know if there was a deep gulley or drop-off.
She made good time. But just as she was getting closer to Steve, he suddenly turned sharply to the right and disappeared from view.
Lucy sped up, and spotted him. Steve lay unmoving in the snow.
She stopped the snowmobile and jumped off. Steve was trying to get up. One ski had come off.
“What happened?” she called.
“A rock. I wasn’t paying attention.”
She didn’t know if she believed him. She thought he might have gotten dizzy and collapsed, or lost his balance. “Steve, Grace has been drugging you, too. You can’t do this—”
“Why are you trying to stop me?” he said as he got to his feet.
“The police are on their way to Kit Carson. They have a description of Patrick’s truck and Grace. She’s not going to get away.”
“This is between me and that woman.”
“Steve—please, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“She killed my father!”
He pushed Lucy down and stomped toward the snowmobile.
“Steve!”
He jumped on.