Page 58 of Canyon Killer
“I agree that the canyon is beautiful,” Ian said. “I want people to appreciate that beauty. I have no intention of installing a bunch of lights or a restaurant. If my facilities aren’t enough for people, then this obviously isn’t the place for them.”
“At the rate things are going, you might not get a chance to find out whether it’s enough,” Walt said. “Someone is going to a lot of trouble to keep your via ferrata from ever opening. I’m worried about you, son.”
“Thanks for your concern,” Ian said. “Now, you need to leave.”
Walt turned and stalked into the shadows. After a moment, an engine roared to life. Headlights illuminated and he jolted down the drive toward the county road.
Ian put his arm around Bethany. “Let’s go inside,” he said.
She followed him into the trailer and dropped her backpack onto the sofa in his office/living room. “That was weird,” she said. “Why was he even out here, waiting in the dark like that? He could have called you on the phone.”
“Maybe he thought it would be more intimidating to deliver the message in person.”
She looked him up and down. “You’re several inches taller and a lot younger than he is. Did he really think he was going to scare you?”
“He’s tougher than he looks,” Ian said. “When he grabbed my arm it was like being in a vise.”
She moved in and wrapped her hands around his biceps. The muscle bulged there, honed from years of climbing. “I still think he was being foolish, coming here at night like that.”
“I can’t believe you kicked him.” He pulled her closer and grinned at her.
“He frightened me,” she admitted. “And when I’m afraid, I fight back.”
“Good for you.” Ian rubbed her back, then looked thoughtful. “I wonder if maybe we frightened him, too. Or, at least, caught him by surprise.”
“Oh! You mean, maybe he wasn’t waiting for you, but he was up to no good and we interrupted him?”
“I don’t have any proof of that, but did you notice how he parked his truck some distance away from the trailer—farther back in the canyon where it really couldn’t be seen by anyone driving in?”
“He hasn’t made any secret of being opposed to the project,” she said. “I’ve always thought he could be behind some of the things that have happened.”
“The sheriff says he has an alibi for every time something has happened,” Ian said.
“He was here when that climber was injured.”
“Mike falling was an accident,” Ian said.
“Maybe that’s what gave the vandal the idea to cause trouble,” Bethany said. “They saw how much trouble it caused and thought it might be a way to stop the via ferrata.”
“I need to tell the sheriff’s department about the note Walt showed me,” he said.
“I don’t believe for a minute that anybody but Walt wrote that note,” she said. “He’s just trying to cover his tracks.”
“I’ll let the deputies decide about that.” He squeezed her shoulder.
She smiled up at him, and the band that had been tightening at the base of his neck from the moment they’d seen Walt emerge from the darkness loosened a little. He would worry about the man later. Right now, he and Bethany were alone, and he planned to take advantage of the opportunity.
Ian leaned down and kissed her. “I don’t want to think about the via ferrata or anything else right now,” he said.
“What via ferrata?” She wrapped both arms around his neck and arched toward him. “Kiss me like that again, and I’ll forget my own name.”
“That sounds like a challenge to me.” So he kissed her again and did his best to make them both forget about everything but this moment, in each other’s arms.
* * *
Bethany was lostin a haze of desire and pleasure. She and Ian were still standing in Ian’s living room, but they might have been floating on a cloud. Being with him was so amazing. How had she gotten so lucky? She pulled back enough to smile up at him, then frowned. “What’s that noise?” she asked.
“What noise?” He nuzzled at her neck.
