Page 143 of Swept for Forever
The water was up to my belly, maybe four feet. It was enough to wade, and I could swim if I had to.
But where did it lead?
To reach Buffaloberry Hill, I had to follow the riverbank east, downstream. A few steps later, the river bent sharply. It was a deep bend, carved out over time.
But from here, the bank turned rough, and there was no way to keep walking without slipping or falling in.
Which meant I’d have to get in the river. But it was not ideal, especially not with the bag.
I looked up. The lodge sat just over the ridge, with one window angled directly toward the bend. The shape was familiar, and it was low to the ground. It had to be the basement window.
In order to get back to town, I might have to wade. Maybe swim. And if the bag went with me, everything inside could be ruined.
The gun alone might not be enough. I needed the whole bag intact.
I looked around, my pulse ticking.
Burying it wasn’t an option. The river would claim it the moment the tide surged.
My eyes caught on a tree. It was tall and wide-limbed, with branches spaced just enough. That would work.
I climbed like I used to during rope-ladder drills in conditioning, my arms shaking, knees driving, and core tight to stay centered. Vault prep, they called it. Control up, control down.
At the top, I wedged the bag between two solid branches and memorized the angles, the bark, and the curve of the trunk. Then I dropped, my legs bent and body angled for the landing.
Now, the part where I had to save myself.
41
DOM
My phone rang just as I was pulling into the dirt lot behind the Hamilton Sheriff’s office.
It was Susan.
I picked up and said, “Talk to me.”
“The facial recognition came back,” she said, brisk but energized. “There are two possibilities.”
I tensed. “Go on.”
“One is David Spears. He owns that organic grocery chain out of Missoula called Whole West.”
“And the other?”
“Allan Spears. He runs Spears Automotive, which is a big franchise, statewide.”
“Brothers?”
“Yep,” she said. “And if you want to see something creepy, I’ll send you a side-by-side. They’re practically twins, a few years apart.”
I already had the names pulled up in a browser. She wasn’t kidding.
“Well, the more the merrier,” she quipped, dry as ever.
“Wait,” I said, something clicking. “Do either of them have a neck injury?”
“Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” she muttered, clearly already on it.
