Page 73 of Canyon Killer
The platform where they had seen the shadowy figure was a third of the way through the one-and-a-half-mile route. The platform itself was strung with white party lights, and as she drew closer, she could see that it was the figure of a man, slumped against the canyon wall, a hat pulled down low over the face. Could it be a person, sleeping off too much alcohol?
“Hello!” she called just before she stepped onto the platform. “Wake up!”
She took two steps forward, feeling a little foolish for shouting at a dummy, though it was a very realistic dummy. Ian moved onto the platform behind her. “What the—” But the words died as the figure lurched to its feet. A hand pushed back the hat and a familiar figure glared at them.
“Mr. Boston, what are you doing here?” Bethany asked, even as he raised a pistol and pointed it at them.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“How did you get up here?” Ian demanded. Though his gaze was drawn to the gun in Craig’s hand, he forced himself to look at the man’s face, though much of it was in shadow.
“My ankle has been healed for weeks,” Craig said. “I only wore the boot and carried the cane so you’d believe I was hurt worse than I really was.”
“What are you doing here?” Bethany asked.
“I’m trying to stop you from making a big mistake,” he said.
“What mistake?” Ian took a step toward the man, but Craig waved the pistol.
“Back off, or I’ll shoot,” he said.
Ian froze, acutely aware that Bethany stood between him and the gunman. He needed to find a way to get in front of her. “What mistake are you trying to prevent?” he asked again.
“Nobody even remembered Gerald and Abby until you came along,” Craig said. “If anyone did think of them, they believed they moved away. You had to go uncovering their bodies and letting everyone know they were murdered. And you won’t let people forget, with your photographs and memorial plaques. As long as people remember, they’re going to keep looking for the person who killed them.”
Had Craig killed his uncle? But asking that might anger him enough to pull the trigger. Instead, Ian asked, “Were you the one who shot at me? Did you set the fire?”
“I had to silence you.”
“We didn’t mean to upset you,” Bethany said.
Craig turned his head toward her, though the hand that held the gun remained steady. “That picture was the last straw,” he said. “With me and Abby.”
“Abby was with you?” she asked.
“She was mine before Gerald ever knew her. Katherine was mine first, too. Then Gerald decided he wanted them and took them from me. I was upset about Katherine at first. Who wouldn’t be? But then I saw he had done me a favor, taking Katherine off my hands. I met Abby, and I knew what love truly was.”
“I’m sorry that happened,” Bethany said. She sounded so calm. Had her search and rescue training taught her to be so calm in a crisis, or did that come naturally?
“Abby was withmethat day we rode horses,” Craig continued. “You’re right. It was here in this canyon. Gerald had never even seen her before that day. But as soon as he saw her, he decided he had to have her. He didn’t stop until he had stolen her from me. He even tried to kill Katherine so she would be out of the picture.”
“How did he try to kill Katherine?” Bethany asked.
If only she could keep Craig talking, maybe Ian could get to his phone. He slid one hand toward his pocket.
“Gerald was driving the car the day Katy was hurt,” Craig said. “He ran over her and drove off. When she tried to tell people what had really happened, he told everyone she was a drunk, that she had been cheating on him with another man. She didn’t deserve that. I went to see her in the hospital—because I was a true friend, even though I wasn’t in love with her anymore. She told me the whole story. When Gerald divorced her and married Abby, it broke her heart. She really did start drinking then. He ruined her life.”
“Who set fire to Gerald and Abby’s house?” Bethany asked.
“That was me. I didn’t want to hurt them, just frighten them.” He chuckled, a sound more chilling than any of his previous anger. “He thought Walt set that fire. Gerald even accused him of it.”
“Why would Gerald accuse Walt?”
“Because Walt was Katherine’s friend, too. Walt believed her story about the accident. Told Gerald if he didn’t set aside money to support Katherine, he would tell everyone what he had done. The two of them argued, but in the end, Gerald gave in. He wanted everyone—especially Abby—to think he was a good person. Abby had no idea.” He jerked his head back toward Ian. “Stop fidgeting. Don’t think I don’t see you over there.”
“What did you do, Craig?” Bethany asked. “To Gerald?”
“All I wanted was Abby to leave him and come back to me. I asked them to meet me here, in the canyon, where Gerald and Abby first met. I told them I had a present for them. They had no reason to suspect me. I was careful to not let Gerald see how much I hated him,” he said. “All I wanted was to get him out of the picture. He didn’t deserve to live—after the way he had treated Katherine. The way he treated me. We were like brothers growing up, yet he had betrayed me twice. I knew if I could make Abby see what he was really like, she would love me again.”
