Page 67 of Final Escape
“When you go, I want to go along. If I’m right, this boy is in danger.”
“Butonlyif the killer knows about the final drawing and actually sees how accurate it is. Right? And I won’t let that happen. So he’s safe for now.”
“So who else has seen them?”
“Me. Marie, one of the other teachers. She’s a nice lady in her fifties, and has lived here all her life. And the principal—who is paunchy and about as flabby-looking as a middle-aged guy could be. He’s also a bit of a whiner.”
“You said he’s a difficult man to deal with.”
“Not in an aggressive, dangerous way. I certainly can’t see any woman wanting to have an illicit affair with him—or see him having enough energy to trudge up into the mountains and throw Noah’s mother over a cliff. I hear that his wife rules their home with an iron fist at any rate, so she probably doesn’t let him stray out of their yard. Not only that, but both Marie and Grover just blew off the other drawings as normal kids’ stuff, and were incredulous over my concern.”
Penny had been listening quietly, her eyes filled with concern. Now, her cell phone rang and she startled at the sudden noise, then glanced at the caller ID and took the brief call.
When she pocketed the phone, she looked up. “I told some friends that I want to talk to Dante, on the pretext of wondering about the best trails up to Sumner Peak. One of them spotted him this morning not too far from here, over on Liberty Ridge. There’s an older trapper’s cabin up there, right?”
Logan nodded, reaching for the keys in his pocket as he started for the truck. “I’m on my way.”
Carrie jumped up. “Me, too—just let me put this box upstairs.”
He didn’t miss a stride. “It’s better if you don’t come along. Those are some advanced trails up there, and it’s a long hike from the parking area.”
She hurried up the stairs, shoved the box under a pile of camping gear in her closet, then raced back down to climb into the passenger side of the truck. Logan was already behind the steering wheel, an elbow resting on the open window at his side and the motor idling.
“Don’t worry about me,” Penny called out. “I’ll just stay here all alone...and bored...and try to fend off the sheriff and his posse.”
“If we’re lucky, this will all soon be over,” Logan retorted. “And when we’re vindicated, we’ll be back to being too busy to eventhinkabout being bored.”
* * *
THE CLOSEST PARKINGarea for Liberty Ridge was along the highway to Battle Creek. The poorly marked, rarely used six-mile trail rising above that point wound through boulders and up steep, rocky trails more suited for mountain goat than man.
At roughly the halfway point, Logan pulled to a halt. “How are you doing?”
She frowned. “This has to be terrible for your back. I’m more concerned about you.”
“I’m good.”
Which wasn’t exactly true, but if these six miles up meant finding some answers, it would be worth every Ibuprofen and hot, steaming shower it took to ease the pain that would follow.
She’d brought a backpack with her, and now she reached inside and offered him bottled water, then took one out for herself. “I’ve got four more, plus a box of granola bars.”
He grinned at her. “What are you, a Girl Scout?”
“I was. So I’ve also got...let’s see. Matches. A two-man nylon tent that folds as small as a paperback book. Water purification tablets. A matchbook-size sewing kit, with scissors. One of those all-purpose, multifunction, folding Swiss army pocket knives. And...folding cups. Oh, and a first-aid kit. And bear spray.”
Now, he couldn’t help but laugh in appreciation. “How did you pack so fast?”
“Since I’ve been living out here, I just keep it ready. I go hiking quite a bit, actually.”
He eyed the pack, which had to weigh ten or fifteen pounds. “You should let me carry all that from here on out. The rest of this trail is a lot more rugged.”
“Nope. I brought it, I lug it.” She studied him, her humor fading. “And you don’t look all that comfortable as it is. Are you able to go on? You could wait here until I get back.”
“Maybe Dante is harmless, but the bears aren’t. Let’s go.”
He set a slower pace, figuring that she had to be getting tired, until he looked back and found she was right on his heels, giving him an impatient flutter of her hand as a signal to step aside.
She disappeared up the trail after that.
