Page 10 of Cougar Point

“I highly doubt it. My dad keeps a tight rein on the money. His accountant probably keeps track of Mom’s transactions.”

Of course he would trust his accountant. Not the police, or his daughters.

“What can I do, Ronnie?”

NINE

Victoria lies still, slowing her breathing, listening. But she can only hear the wet sound of her breath coming through her broken nose. She doesn’t know how long she’s been here. One day? Two? She’s beyond feeling humiliation at being naked and lying in her own excrement. She hasn’t been offered any water or food and she’s thirsty and hungry. She’s slept randomly, jerking awake with a whimper and curling into a fetal position. The sides of her mouth and her tongue are raw from her muffled screams.

She thinks,I’m still here. I’m still alive.But she doesn’t know how much more she can take. The sinus drainage of snot and blood runs down her throat and causes her to retch painfully.

She knows she has to do something, anything, if she’s going to be saved. If she could talk to them, she could plead with them. Give them whatever they want. Promise not to tell anyone. She’ll tell Jack that she was mugged and left unconscious. Regardless of how they want to do this, she’ll make sure they get their money and that will be the end of it. She’ll refuse to cooperate with the police. She just wants to live.

Her breath comes in hitches. She sucks in air around the gag and is about to cry out in despair when something stops her. She hears the sound of footsteps coming from somewhere.

Victoria lies perfectly still, feigning unconsciousness, praying they can’t hear her heartbeat pounding. She’s surrendering to her death and prays to God that her Rebecca is safe.

TEN

FEBRUARY 2023

Whatcom County

Longbow insisted on driving the two of them over to the scene in his SUV. Perhaps it was his way of telling himself he was still easing Lucas back in gently, despite bringing him into what was pretty clearly a murder investigation in his first ten minutes back on the job.

“You know, Mike, if you want to talk about anything…”

“Thank you,” Lucas said quickly, cutting him off. “I appreciate that, Sheriff.”

They drove north, beyond the outskirts of town and into the country. The trees were still bare, their skeletal fingers reaching up into a sky the color of gunmetal. Longbow slowed as they reached the turn that would take them to the bridge over the creek. He slowed even more as the bridge came into view. There was a black-and-white patrol car parked across the road, though there was no sign of Deputy Cooney.

Longbow parked up at the side of the road and they got out. The air seemed colder out here than it had back in town. Lucas could see his breath. He turned up the collar of his coat andstarted to walk toward the parked patrol car, pausing when he heard the sound of an engine back at the main road. He looked back down the road and saw the coroner’s van make the turn.

As they reached the bridge, Lucas peered down the slope to the creek that flowed beneath. Deputy Cooney was standing just below the crest of the hill. Twenty feet farther down the slope, there was the body of a woman, lying in the shallows at the edge of the water.

She was naked, face down in the water. Her blonde hair was trailing with the westward current. The overcast sky and the surroundings made Lucas feel like he was looking at a monochrome image—the bleached hair, the skin so pale it was almost the color of the sky reflected in the water.

Lucas became conscious of Cooney’s eyes on him. He looked over at him, and the younger deputy looked away. That was one of the problems of life in a relatively small department: everyone always knew everyone else’s business.

Or thought they did.

Cooney cleared his throat. “Kids found it. One of the moms called it in.”

Longbow looked around. Only the three of them were there. “You talk to her yet?”

“No, sir. I called you as soon as I got out here.”

Longbow glanced down at the body again, and then over at Lucas. “Mike, are you sure…?”

Lucas sighed. “Take the kid gloves off, Sheriff. Let’s go take a look.”

Being careful to keep his footing, Lucas descended the steep slope, reaching the water line in a matter of seconds. He glanced behind him to see Longbow following in his footsteps with a little more difficulty. Deputy Cooney was standing by the body. Lucas realized he had removed his hat, and was holding it absently against his chest, like a mourner at a funeral.

“First body dump?”

Cooney blinked and nodded. “Yes sir. First one.”

Lucas reached out, pulled the kid’s hat out of his grasp, and put it back on his head. “You get used to it after two or three.”

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