Page 264 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

When they reached the distraught woman, Emily knelt down beside her. “Are you all right?”

“There was a bear. A big one. It had two cubs following it.”

“Did the bear come toward you?”

“She stared at me for nearly a minute. When I hollered, she ran off with her cubs.”

Emily breathed a sigh of relief. “How did you end up on this trail? It’s closed to the public.”

Wade stood nearby, but left Emily to do her job.

“I was on another trail and wandered down an unmarked path. I got turned around and ended up here.”

She didn’t believe the story. The hiker had more than likely ignored the warnings posted at the trailhead and had gone around the barriers. “Are you camping here at Hickory Run?”

The woman nodded.

“Why don’t we head back to my vehicle, and I’ll give you a lift to your campsite.”

Wade walked them back to her vehicle. “I’ll see you later, Em.”

She ducked her head, so he wouldn’t see the emotions brewing there.

After dropping the woman off, she realized she’d never finished her conversation with Wade. Maybe it was for the best, at least they’d been getting along well. If she told him the truth, he’d be angry and might not want anything to do with her. She wouldn’t blame him.

A call cameover the radio late the following afternoon. The dispatcher said they’d received a complaint about kids drinking beer and carrying on at Sandy Lake. Emily glanced at her watch.Her shift was over, but she responded to dispatch that she would check it out before heading home.

She pulled into the lot below the lake and parked. Nobody was in the lower parking area, but the hair stood up on the back of her neck, and an eerie sensation came over her. Was somebody watching her? Shaking off the feeling, she forced herself to leave her SUV and trudge up the staircase to Sandy Lake.

It wasn’t difficult to spot the disturbance once she reached the top of the stairs. A cluster of three guys and three girls were hanging out lakeside. One young man tossed his beer can, and it landed by the shoreline where the water lapped at it, pulling it into the lake. He made no move to pick up the can. She would issue a citation to him for littering in addition to the tickets the whole gang would get for consuming alcohol in a state park. Despite what dispatch had said, they appeared to be in their early twenties rather than their teens. She hoped they were all over twenty-one, so she wouldn’t have to cite them for underage drinking in addition to their other violations.

Walking up to them, she smiled. “Good afternoon. How’s everyone doing today?”

They scowled in her direction. She hadn’t expected them to be thrilled with her presence, but the open hostility emanating from the group was over-the-top.

She walked a short distance away, pulled the radio from her belt, and requested backup. It was unlikely the situation would get out of hand, but it was best to be prepared in case it did.

As she took a step toward the group, Jerry appeared out of nowhere. She might not be comfortable around the maintenance man, but right now she was glad for his presence. Besides, he was a churchgoing man, so how bad could he be? She recalled a special she’d seen about the preacher, Gary Heidnik. There was evil in all walks of life, and she’d do well to remember it.

Emily proceeded toward the group again. “Sorry for the delay. I had to make a call.” Her gaze traveled from person to person until it landed on a young man built like a linebacker. “We received a call about kids out here drinking and carrying on.”

“As you can see, lady, we’re not kids.” The young man towered over her when he rose to his feet.

“The park has a strict ‘no alcohol’ policy, so I’m going to issue you each a citation,” she said. “I’d like to see some identification, please.”

The man scowled at her and took a step in her direction. She moved her hand to rest on her service weapon. He received the message and backed down, removing his wallet from his back pocket.

Emily watched as Pete and Austin approached the area from the lot behind the bathhouse. As she was taking down information from the last of the violators in preparation for writing them each a citation, Pete sauntered over with his chest puffed out like a rooster. “Is everything good here?”

Emily fought the urge to laugh. His demeanor reminded her of the cartoon character Johnny Bravo. “Everything is fine. I’ve got things under control.” She glanced over toward Jerry who leaned against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest.

Pete’s condescending stare made it clear he didn’t think her capable of handling herself. She wished she hadn’t called for backup. Austin strolled over and broke the tension.

She issued tickets while the other two rangers chatted about the weather. Thankfully, one of the young women hadn’t been drinking, so Emily allowed the girl to drive her friends home.

As Emily nearedthe stairs to return to her SUV, Wade approached on foot. She stopped and waited for him.

“What’s going on here?” His stare took in the three DCNR vehicles in the upper lot.

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