Page 107 of Cold as Hell

I stare at that clothing. It’s Haven’s Rock issue. A pair of jeans, socks, and boxers. There’s a shirt, too, one that isn’t standard issue—a burgundy pullover, the sight of it making something inside me spasm. I’d seen that shirt, complimented the wearer on how nice the color looked on him.

“Jerome,” I whisper. “That’s… that’s his shirt.”

Dalton nods grimly.

I keep looking, my brain racing to process what I’m seeing.“A fire, where he dried his clothing after he… No, that’s not possible. This is just his clothing. Someone must have taken it.”

That doesn’t make sense. No one is removing wet clothing from a corpse. Then I see the duffel on the ground. Dalton glances over to track my gaze to it.

“That’s his,” he says. “It was missing from his room, along with a bunch of his belongings. He stole some supplies, too. Protein bars, an extra canteen, a whole carton of matches. Will and I figured he packed a bag and left it in the woods for later, knowing he wouldn’t be going back to town.”

“He did that before he took Yolanda. Preparing. Someone else found his bag. One of the miners maybe.”

Found Jerome’s duffel and settled in for a campfire? Used his clothing and then hung it to dry? Got bored, wandered off and left it all behind?

My gaze moves from one item to the next. To the canteen hanging from a tree. To the empty wrappers. To the boot prints all around the clearing.

“I didn’t watch,” I whisper. “After he went under the water, I knew I should watch in case he came out, but I blacked out. I thought it was only for a moment…”

“You were in labor,” Dalton says, “and you’d seen him fall in ice-cold water. Even if he got out, he wasn’t going to be in any shape to bother with you.”

“He climbed out,” I whisper. “While I was unconscious. His duffel must have been nearby. Dry clothing. Matches.”

“We need to get back. Now.” Dalton turns to me. “He might be long gone. That fire is cold. But I’ll put together a party and come out to track him.”

I nod, still feeling dazed. Was it possible that Jerome had climbed from the ice and stumbled into the woods and I nevernoticed? I should say no, but I think back to that moment, and I know it’s entirely possible.

Even after I came to, I’d been deep in labor. I couldn’t hear, could barely see, intent on finding a spot to have my baby.

“I should have said something,” I say as Dalton scans the clearing and grabs an item of clothing for Storm. “I should have told you I wasn’t watching to make sure he went under and stayed there.”

“We never asked. Never checked either. Will and I should have gone back later to look for a body. Or signs he climbed out.”

“But there was a baby and Yolanda and Grant to think about, and we were just all relieved it was over.”

“Yep, so we’re going to skip the blame game and be thankful we found his camp in time. I have a feeling that even if he’s still around, he’ll stay far from Haven’s Rock. But we won’t take any chances. We’ll track him and bring him in.”

“And I’ll stay out of that unless you need me to help with Storm,” I say as we leave the clearing.

“I can be her handler, but we’ll bring you in if there’s a problem.”

Dalton falls in behind me as Storm takes the lead. We both keep our guns out and our senses sharp as we walk. Earlier, I’d found the crunch of the snow reassuring and peaceful. Now each step sounds like a gunshot.

“If he’s around, he’d have already heard us,” Dalton murmurs.

“Is he armed?” I whisper. “I presume Yolanda’s gun went in the water with him.”

“Would it still work?”

“It depends on how long it was under. He only had it shoved in his waistband. I doubt he was making sure he kept it as he hauled himself out, but we still need to be aware he could be armed.”

“Gotta admit,” Dalton mutters, “I liked the idea of him drowning in a frozen lake. Fitting… and saved us from dealing with a new threat.”

“Hopefully, he just calls for help. I’ll notify Émilie as soon as we get back so she can prepare—”

Storm stops. She lifts her head, sniffs the air, and then her muzzle swings right and she whines.

I move up beside her as I aim my gun in the direction she’s looking.

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