Page 59 of Murder at Rescue Ridge

Tree branches dipped under the weight of some kind of creature getting the heck away from them. Good. As long as it was something running away and not toward, they would be okay. The adrenaline push that came with the scare caused her heart to hammer the inside of her ribcage. A thumping sound was all she could hear in her ears.

Conrad held steady. He was exactly the person she wanted to be with when the chips were down. His calm-steady state kept her nerves a notch below panic.

After several minutes that felt like hours, they resumed walking toward the spot. The trees thickened in this area the deeper they went and the closer they got to water. An occasional gust of wind whipped through the trees, sending her pulse skyrocketing again when it caught her off guard.

They’d been hiking for fifteen minutes by the time they first heard whistling. Was it Lukas Wayne? Was he alive?

Up to now, there hadn’t been the telltale stench she’d been half scared to death they’d be walking up to. That had to be a good sign.

Conrad slowed his steps, planting each foot with silent precision. Nikki did her best. She’d never been a hunter or one for spending time in nature, for that matter. She reached for Conrad and tugged at his arm. He stopped.

She got close, so close she breathed in his spicy, woodsy scent. Then whispered, “Should I stay back?”

It was clear to her that she was dead weight. As careful as she tried to be, she made noise. At this point, she feared she was breathing too loudly.

He locked gazes with her before giving a small headshake. The gravity and danger of the situation struck as she studied those eyes. He was saying that she would be safer if she stuck with him.

She nodded. He squeezed her hand. With his touch, warmth spread through her, comforting herandmaking her believe this might end well. Was that false confidence?

The thought she might be about to come face-to-face with her father’s killer struck. If Lukas Wayne wasn’t directly responsible, he was surely involved. The visit to his home to speak to his wife had convinced Nikki the man was up to his eyeballs in the business deal that likely got her father killed. A picture emerged. One of a high stakes deal sealed with secret handshakes. One that had ended with murder in order to keep the details quiet.

Her father had been described as Beaumont’s clean-up person. Had her father decided it was time to broker a deal himself? Or had he been covering for a boss that was already gone? Was it loyalty? Or greed?

Conrad froze as a small campsite came into view. A person sat with their back to them, facing the water. Three fishing poles shot out above the small waves, sunlight dancing off their small metal loops.

He motioned for her to stay put after tucking her behind a tree trunk.

Nikki immediately searched for something to use as a weapon, a stick or a rock. She dropped down to her knees. They cracked. She bit back a curse.

The noise didn’t seem to bother Lukas. It had to be him sitting at the lake’s edge. Right? This had to be his campsite. Right?

This was the first campsite they’d come across on the hike. Were the odds in their favor?

Since this was a single male, she hoped that increased their chances they’d found him. And if they had, could they finally get answers?

Growingup with the twins as brothers, Conrad had become an expert at sneaking up on people. He’d gone on hunting trips with his brothers that had helped hone his skills. The element of surprise could keep him from having to use his shotgun.

Each careful step brought him closer to Lukas. This had to be him. This was the right location. This was the exact right spot.

A flannel-shirt-wearing man wearing jeans sat there, legs crossed. He had no idea Conrad was less than five feet away. Or did he?

To be certain, Conrad slowed his movement even more. At this distance, he could dive into Lukas if the man caught on and turned around.

A two-person tent sat behind a small campfire; the fire was out. There was no garbage in sight. The male figure knew better than to attract wild animals, a good sign he did this often or, at the very least, knew what he was doing. Camping alone wasn’t a complete shock. However, Conrad had been almost certain a woman would be here based on Mrs. Wayne’s hushed tones when she’d spoken to Nikki. Nikki had made it clear she understood the fears of a significant other cheating. Conrad’s blood had boiled at the thought someone would do that to her.

It would be easy for a cheating spouse to hide a lover out here.

Mrs. Wayne wouldn’t be caught dead hiking. She seemed to take the idea her husband was cheating as part of the package so she could maintain life in a fancy home and drive a luxury vehicle. She came across as someone who cared more about appearance than almost anything else and would put up with almost any behavior so she wouldn’t have to change her lifestyle.

Was she worried about her husband or that the money train might disappear?

Then there was Beau. The fact Beau had betrayed Conrad stung more than it should. Trust wasn’t something that came easy to Conrad. He’d been determined to give Beau a chance and had lobbied for everyone else to do the same.

What was his repayment?

A lawsuit.

Another step closer, Conrad refocused all his thoughts on the man in front of him. This person wore a ballcap, and his collar was up, but from behind, this appeared to be the horse trainer. Conrad had seen the man around but had kept his dealings brief.

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