Page 24 of Echoes of Sin

Thecrispautumnairwhistled through the colorful foliage of the trees behind a two-story log cabin that had been converted into a charming inn. The bed and breakfast, aptly named Hiker’s Haven, stood proudly amidst the splendor of the fall season. Its weathered wooden exterior blended harmoniously with the vibrant reds and oranges of the leaves that had managed not to fall from the branches above. Even the front porch, which was adorned with matching rustic rocking chairs, offered a serene spot to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Smoky Mountains.

Brook had pulled the rental SUV into a spot next to a Jeep Wrangler. She closed the door before taking notice of an elderly gentleman looking out one of the windows on the lower level. He didn’t seem to mind that she’d caught him staring at her. It wasn’t until she began to walk up the wooden steps of the porch that he let the curtain fall back into place.

She’d wanted to see Luna Breen’s room herself, though the forensics team had already taken the victim’s belongings. They wouldn’t release the room for Mauve Benson to rent out for another few days. It was standard procedure, just in case the team found something that would initiate their return.

Brook readjusted the strap of her purse as she reached for the silver knob and turned it to the right. Stepping inside, the quaint lobby exuded an inviting charm with its exposed wooden beams and cozy seating area. A grand fireplace made of river rock took up most of the far wall, with bookshelves on either side on the mantel. The blazing fire crackled and popped, casting a warm glow that mirrored the gentle hues of the garland made of autumn leaves that had been draped over the mantel.

A middle-aged woman was sitting in a rocking chair while knitting, but she’d immediately set her project to the side upon hearing someone come through the front entrance. The check-in counter was to the left of the door, and there was a very large bulletin board to the right covered with maps of the immediate area. Trails were listed with specific overlooks, along with popular campsites for those hikers who preferred company.

“May I help you?” the woman asked with a welcoming smile as she stepped behind the counter. The older gentleman who Brook had spotted at the window must have vacated the area, because he was nowhere to be seen. “I’m Mauve, owner of Hiker’s Haven.”

“My name is Brook Sloane, and I’m a consultant working with the FBI on the Breen case,” Brook explained as she took out her identification. Mauve glanced down at the credentials, but she had clearly taken Brook’s word at face value. She wasn’t so sure how she felt about that, but it wasn’t like there was anything left behind to tamper with in the room. “I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”

“My heart breaks every time that I see that girl’s mother and sister. They arrived this morning, you know. I had Kirk take them some of my chili for lunch, though I doubt they’ll eat anything. They didn’t even eat breakfast,” Mauve said as she retraced her steps and came back around the counter.

Mauve pulled the sides of her cardigan sweater together as she motioned toward the fireplace. Plush chairs and couches that were adorned with soft blankets offered a large cozy area for the guests. Brook understood why the hikers, especially those who only went out for the day, stayed at Hiker’s Haven.

“When Luna didn’t return that evening, her mother had called several times,” Mauve explained as she sat on the couch. “It wasn’t a surprise when Sheriff Jackson stopped in. He asked me if there was a chance that Luna decided to camp out, but I saw her leave Sunday morning. She only had her day pack.”

“How was Luna’s demeanor?” Brook asked as she claimed one of the overstuffed chairs. “Did she seem preoccupied? Upset?”

The beige pillow gave Brook’s back some support so that she wasn’t swallowed by the cushions. A part of her was tempted to call Bit and have him pack up the portable monitor and all the materials that they’d only just started to collect before it became too cumbersome to move. Then she thought of the bar and its patrons, specifically Ned Proehl. There was a reason that she’d chosen to stay in Moonshine Valley, and that reason hadn’t changed.

“Goodness, no. That girl was all smiles, all the time.”

“And Luna checked in by herself?”

“Yes, although Luna had originally booked a room with two beds. Her friend was supposed to have joined her for the weekend, but I guess something came up and the other girl had to cancel.” Mauve shook her head in despair. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard that she’d been found murdered yesterday. I told those people who were here earlier this morning that I didn’t let anyone besides the sheriff and his deputy inside Luna’s room last weekend.”

Those peoplewere members of the forensics team.

“Which deputy would that have been?” Brook asked, keeping all judgement out of her voice. “From my understanding, there are several deputies working under Sheriff Jackson.”

“My dear Riggs,” Mauve said with another smile before gently resting her hand on her chest. “He’s worked so hard to make something of himself, and I’d like to think that I pitched in and helped in some way.”

The moment that Brook had returned to her room above the bar after having lunch with the sheriff, she’d immediately crossed the threshold of the connecting doorway. Bit had practically lunged for the pizza, but he’d been extremely productive while she’d been gone.

Bit not only had background checks available on all the volunteers who’d given their time and effort to the mountain rescue team earlier in the week, but he’d also collected more information on Riggs, Jace, Dominic, Erica, and even Hal Eggers. While Erica didn’t fit the profile, and neither did Hal Eggers given his age, one could never discount an oddity here and there.

Brook had discovered that Riggs hadn’t had the best childhood, and he’d basically grown up without parents. His older brother had hidden the fact that their father had up and left when Riggs was still in diapers and their mother had been a drug addict. She had frequented the neighboring towns where the people dealing drugs could be found, and she’d be gone for days, sometimes weeks at a time. By the time that Riggs was a senior in high school, his mother had been found dead in a seedy hotel thirty miles from Moonshine Valley with a needle in her arm.

While his parents’ transgressions would not have prevented Riggs from applying for a federal agency, his juvenile record had the courtesy of sealing that coffin shut. Brook had to place a discreet call and phone in a favor to discover that Riggs had been arrested three days prior to his eighteenth birthday…for pulling a knife on another kid.

The other seventeen-year-old boy had needed stitches in his hand by the time a teacher had intervened and stopped someone from being seriously hurt.

It would have been easy for the sheriff—Roger Kitt, at the time—to press the prosecuting attorney to try Riggs as an adult. Hell, she’d been surprised that the prosecuting attorney himself hadn’t taken it upon himself to do so. It hadn’t made any sense to her until she’d dug a little deeper and discovered that the prosecuting attorney’s wife had been the guidance counselor for the high school where the incident had taken place.

There was obviously more to the story than what had been reported by the hospital, which was who had followed protocol and called the sheriff in the first place. It was very interesting to Brook that the staff members of the school hadn’t been the ones to place that call.

“Riggs came by the B&B on Sunday night?” Brook asked as she caught movement by the stairs. She kept her gaze on Mauve, needing the woman to be very specific about that day. The sheriff had mentioned that he was the one to stop by Hiker’s Haven. According to Otto, Riggs had been working second shift and then was the one to hike up in the mountains. “Or Monday?”

“I believe Monday or Tuesday.” Mauve waved her hand in the air as if the detail was minor. “Both he and the sheriff searched through Luna’s room, hoping that she might have left town without checking out. Unfortunately, her clothes and toiletries were still in her room.”

“Did anyone stop by the B&B to speak with Luna?” Brook inquired, casually skimming her gaze throughout the room. The movement she’d caught near the stairs hadn’t been the older gentleman. Instead, a younger man had come to a stop on the last step. He was staring down at his phone, only she wasn’t so sure that his attention was on the screen. “Did Luna make any friends while she was here? Maybe she connected with some of the other hikers?”

“Luna arrived on Friday, and she ate here that evening. She mingled with some of the other hikers, but I wouldn’t say she hit it off with anyone.” Mauve gestured toward a very long dining room table. “We always have a dinner buffet for our guests, as well as breakfast. Since no one is usually around for lunch, we don’t serve food then.”

“What about Saturday evening?” Brook asked as the male subject finally moved off the last step, but he only made it as far as the bulletin board. She doubted that there had been anything interesting on his phone, just as she suspected that he wasn’t really standing in front of the bulletin board in search of a trail to hike. “Did Luna eat breakfast and dinner here on Saturday?”

---