Page 99 of Pied Sniper

By the time I got there, darkness had fully descended and only a small crowd of people sat in front of the building. They were gathered for a small vigil with dozens of lit candles crowding the entry. I bypassed them, heading directly for the parking garage. I slipped in through the pedestrian gate and jogged to Tiffany’s car. Beeping it open, I climbed into the driver’s seat and activated the electrics. The GPS popped on and I hovered my finger over the controls, wondering how it worked. A few presses later, I saw Tiffany’s journey from the previous Wednesday. She drove out of town, going around the big country park before hitting the highway that headed out to Lake Pierce. Then she turned toward the opposite side of the park and stopped. According to her GPS record, she spent over an hour here two weeks ago. I scrolled through the records as far back as they went, noting regular trips every week. Sometimes she stayed an hour, sometimes a little longer. As far as I could remember, there was nothing to see on that side of the park. There was a parking lot on the near side with a café, an aviary for injured birds, and the ranger’s headquarters. Several trails began here and also a rustic playground for children. It was made from logs felled in previous storms. My parents took us there as kids and we often picnicked in the woods, one of the traditional things we continue to do with the next generation.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t imagine Tiffany coming out here for a weekly hike. So what was the attraction? Why would she make a secret trip there every week for at least the past month? I pulled out my phone and opened maps, tapping in Montgomery Country Park. I scrolled as far north as I could, then a little south and zoomed in, finding nothing but trees. I scrolled back to the road and a street name popped up.One Hundred Pines Road.Where did I hear that before? I shook my head, failing to remember, then scrolled east, then west. I almost moved on when I spotted a single path cutting between the pines. I zoomed in and followed the trail south until it ended in a clearing with a small collection of buildings I’d never seen before. A Jeep was parked outside. I guessed it must be an old ranger’s house. The new one was built twenty years ago nearer the parking lot, a two-story cabin, on the other side of the park. The first floor was a visitor center, and the top floor was private accommodation. I couldn’t remember anything about the old one. I supposed it was feasible and made sense to have one at the opposite end of the park, given all the miles of hiking trails between them. What failed to make any sense was why Tiffany would go there.

There was only one way to know and that was to check it out. Since I had no other vehicle and this one had a full tank, I gunned the engine, adjusted the seat and buckled myself in. Abigail gave me the keys so it wasn’t theft, I was simply borrowing it for the sake of helping Tiffany. I planned to return the car before anyone knew it was gone.

The drive was smooth and the houses gradually grew wider apart as I left Montgomery behind. With its higher elevation and fancy, heated seats, I could definitely get used to driving a luxury vehicle like this. But my new VW would still be helluva lot easier to park.

As I slowed to round a sharp corner, I noted the speed limit and checked the speedometer. Of course! That’s where I saw the road name! Tiffany’s parking tickets! And now that I thought about it, I would bet a sweet one C-note she received all of them on a Wednesday. I was definitely on to something!

I missed the turnoff the first time due to the overgrowth of the surrounding bushes, but once I realized my mistake, I stuck the car in reverse, backed up and made the turn. I began breathing deeply as the car squeezed through the branches. Now I knew where all the scratches came from. A few feet in, I braked. I had no idea what I was driving into. Did I really want to walk up to the front door, knock on it and demand to know why Tiffany visited every Wednesday? That idea didn’t sit well with me. I wasn’t armed because I didn’t expect to venture beyond the parking lot. The right thing to do was call for backup or drop a text to Solomon but when I checked my phone, I didn’t have any reception. Still, I’d come too far to turn back. All I needed was a little reconnaissance.

There was a copse on my left. I steered the car into it, nearly turning it around and heading back, but I’d come too far for that. I didn’t notice any mailbox on the road but I would definitely check for one as I left. If I could get the names of the occupants, I could run them and look for a connection. What did it hurt to check the buildings out and then get in the car, return it, and head back to the office? I flicked the lights off, zipped up my jacket and eased out of the car. The bushes were so overgrown, I thought about hacking them with my knife but decided it wouldn’t do much good. I jogged back to the narrow road and turned towards the building I knew lay ahead. I jogged half a mile before the road curved and opened onto a weed-cracked, blacktop courtyard. The Jeep I saw in the online map was parked in front of the building and the lights were on in one of the two buildings. One looked like a large cabin or house. I checked the smaller structure first. A padlock secured the barn doors and there were no windows to peep into. The wood looked old, but well maintained and the padlock was freshly oiled and new. I pressed my ear against the wall but I couldn’t hear a thing.

I crept over to the house, jumping when I heard an owl hooting. The Jeep felt cool to the touch. Exterior lights flashed on so I paused, crouching down. After a quick scan of the house, I didn’t spot any security cameras. Windows lit up the front so when the exterior lights flicked off, I crept around the side. Thick tire tracks marred the mud and I paused, frowning. Another vehicle had been here but now it was gone. Since this side of the cabin didn’t have any windows, I took a photo of the tire tracks, then slid my phone back in my pocket. I crept on, stopping when I found a window I could peek in. It was a small bathroom, unoccupied, and the lights were off. I moved on, stopping at the next window. This one was a bedroom fitted out with a double bed, a thick comforter and a couple of pillows all in a dark striped pattern. Several clothes were scattered on a chair. Someone was living here. I squinted. The clothing was masculine in color and size.

I moved onto the next window but the drapes were shut, although I could tell the lights were on. The window next to that also had the lights on but the drapes weren’t as fully closed as the set I just passed. I was cautious as I stretched up on my tiptoes to look in. A man stood at the far side of the room, his back to me and his arm raised. He was jabbing a finger at someone in front of him and shouting. “…the stupidest idea you ever had,” he scolded. “I never should have listened to you!”

“It’ll work, I promise it will,” countered the woman. “Just a little longer, please! He’s got it and he’s bringing it to us. It’s nearly over.”

I winced, wondering if I stumbled onto a couple’s argument like a creepy voyeur.

“That chump can’t even follow basic instructions,” the man continued angrily. “None of this has gone according to plan! You said it would be a piece of cake.”

“He will. He’s already doing what you told him and it would have been easier if you…” She stooped to pick up something and I missed what she was saying.

“He’d better because this is it now—” I lost the conversation again when he turned and sidestepped the woman. Gasping, I clasped a hand over my mouth. In front of him stood Tiffany Rose! She changed the clothes she was wearing when she was kidnapped and now wore an expensive leggings-and-sweater set. Her hair was nicely combed and pulled into a sweeping ponytail. Whatever injuries she incurred seemed to have vanished, although I couldn’t discount a bandage under her sweater. Most importantly, she clearly wasn’t tied up and sobbing in a corner, desperately waiting to be rescued. I couldn’t wait to call Garrett and Maddox to bring their team out here. Tiffany had to be arrested along with her supposed attacker and both fully interrogated.

I squatted down and pulled out my cellphone. Still no service. I’d have to hightail it back to the car and get as close to town as necessary to get some service, then hole up until Garrett and Maddox could come out here. After I thought about it, however, I wondered why they were chasing Davy and the perp who was collecting the money when Tiffany and her alleged kidnapper were here? As we initially thought, there had to be another person involved. He or she must have been the one collecting the cash from Davy. They were the one to leave the fresh tire tracks. Even if Garrett and Maddox arrested these two, there was no guarantee they would reveal the name of their accomplice. He could abscond with all the cash! And wouldn’t it be easy for Tiffany to then turn around and claim this man rescued her or offered her shelter? She could sell her story and capitalize on her fictional suffering. They could all get away with it!

I snuck around to the corner of the house, hunched over and low so I could fit under the windows, but poised to run for the cover of the undergrowth.

“What do you think you’re doing?” said a man blocking my way as I rounded the corner. His eyes narrowed.

“I—” I started to reply. He punched me hard in the face and all I could see was the black sky filled with stars closing in on me as I dropped to the ground.

Chapter Twenty

“Urrrrr...” I groaned. My head throbbed, a trickle of something wet slid down my cheek, and my eyes were stuck together. I was lying on something cold and hard. Nearby, I could hear people talking, their voices low and hazy. It took all my strength to suppress a moan and just lie there, trying to listen while they thought I was still out cold.

“She’s waking up. What’ll we do?” said the female voice. “You said no one ever came out here! I don’t even like coming here. Who the hell is she?”

“No one ever has before! Hardly anyone knows about this place,” said the second voice from a male.

I bit my tongue, trying to stop another groan from slipping out. I had to listen closely and fake unconsciousness while I gathered… wait, what was I supposed to gather? The thought slipped away as quickly as it came. My head throbbed painfully but when I carefully wiggled my toes and fingers, I didn’t seem to be hurt anywhere else. Okay, that was good.

“She’s probably just a busybody. Maybe her car broke down somewhere,” said another male voice. “You might check.”

“That doesn’t explain why she was snooping around behind the cabin,” said the first man. “Most people would knock on the front door and ask to use the telephone.”

“What if she recognized me?” chirped the woman’s voice.

“We don’t know that she saw you,” said one of the men. “She was just stumbling around.”

“No one stumbles around out here. We should check her ID.”

“Then what?” asked the other man after a long pause. I could only imagine them staring down at me.

“Then we’ll…”

---