Page 76 of Wind Valley

Ugh, did he really know that much about her time here?

“I heard she left and isn’t coming back,” said Lachlan. “And that was before the snowstorm. She’s probably in the Lower Forty-Eight by now. Word has it she didn’t like using an outhouse.”

She squeezed her arms around his chest to give him a “stop talking now” message. Lachlan wasn’t enough of a practiced liar to know that less was more.

SS said nothing else, but Maura felt him staring daggers into her back as they zoomed down the road toward Firelight Ridge.

40

“What is going on?” she hissed to Lachlan as they reached the town, which was barely recognizable under so much snow. “Is he really claiming I committed industrial sabotage? Of what? It makes no sense.”

Lachlan pulled into the gas station, where Gunnar was clearing the snow from around the gas pumps with a John Deere tractor with a snowblower attachment.

“No, it doesn’t,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t think they’re looking for you.”

“But they described me perfectly, down to the dyed hair. Did I mention that I dye my hair? I mean, normally I don’t, just now, so that SS can’t find me. It hasn’t worked at all, has it?” She was babbling. The fact that SS was here in Firelight Ridge absolutely freaked her out.

“I know all that, and it’s not important right now. SS must have offered to lend a hand with this suspect search while he was in the area. The police here are always understaffed, they’ll take help from anyone with experience. Notice how he only mentioned your name at the end? I’m not sure Officer Cromwell even heard him.”

“So who are they looking for? Who else would be out here in the middle of a storm?”

“My guess? Dr. Reed’s ex-wife, Andrea.”

She gave a gasp of surprise. “Andrea? Why?”

“That part, I don’t know. But remember someone mentioned a woman was working with the Chilkoots? I thought it might be Jackie Silver, but I was wrong about that. Andrea must have known the Chilkoots from when she lived here, right? Maybe they’re plotting something regarding Reed’s energy device. That could be considered industrial sabotage, I suppose.”

Maura’s head was spinning. This was all too much. “So they’re not looking for me?”

“If I’m right, the police aren’t. But SS is. We still need to keep you out of sight.”

Gunnar parked the tractor and climbed down, his boots crunching onto the snow. He wore a repurposed luge uniform that made him look like an Olympic star from one of the Scandinavian countries. As he joined them, Maura saw that in place of his usual grin, he wore a worried frown. “Did you see the police out there? They’re looking for some woman. I didn’t tell them that the only new woman around here is you, Maura.”

“I promise you, I have nothing do with whoever it is they’re looking for.” Maura held onto the seat while Lachlan slid off and unscrewed the gas cap. “But if they come back, please don’t mention you saw me.”

“Okay.” She saw the doubt on his face, the wariness, and was suddenly so very tired of watching every word she said. “One of those officers is from Colorado and he’s looking for me because he’s a crazy stalker.”

Gunnar stared at her in horror. “A stalker?”

“Yes, and I’m trying to stay as far away from him as possible. I can’t believe he made it all the way out here. He’s a maniac.”

“Well, don’t worry, we’re not going to let him get any closer to you. He’s the one with the beanie, right? The one who isn’t Cromwell? I got my radio in the back and I’ll send out an emergency call. Hell, we can do a citizen’s arrest. Wouldn’t be the first time out here.”

“No need for that,” said Maura, alarmed at the thought of some Wild West confrontation. “Just don’t tell him anything, that’s all.”

Lachlan finished gassing up and handed Gunnar some cash. “I’ve got this, Gunnar,” he said firmly. “We’ll stay a step ahead of him. Do what you can to spread the word, though. That’d be a big help.”

“Will do. Be safe out there.” A ping sounded from inside his shop. Gunnar gave them a “good luck” salute and hurried inside.

As they were cruising down the road, they heard a shout from the gas station and Lachlan brought the snowmobile to a stop.

Gunnar was waving his arms and running down the road toward them, clunky in his snow boots. When he caught up with them, he panted, “Message…from Lasse Ulstrom…on the radio.”

Maura gasped, her entire body going cold. “What happened?”

“In…intruder.” Finally, he managed to catch his breath enough to speak normally. “Intruder at Pinky’s. He had his hands full with his dog team, but got to his radio as soon as he could.”

Lachlan swore loudly. It had to be SS. He must have followed their snowmobile tracks back to Pinky’s.

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