Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
How could I say, “Hey, best friend forever, I think your dad is a serial killer and that’s why he left you and your mom—to kill women.”
It was nuts, completely nuts. What was I thinking? And yet the thought wouldn’t leave me. Had he killed upon his return here? Hadn’t my dad mentioned something about two murders in the county? One was a possible domestic dispute and the other—there was no clue. But Noah would have been smart enough to cover it up so as not to get caught. Or had something happened that he couldn’t cover it up? Had age slowed him down? Had the girl fought him?
I was so deep in thought that I jumped when the passenger’s side door suddenly opened, and Amy’s dad hurried into the seat. That quickly turned to shock when he turned a gun on me.
26
“If only you weren’t so good at solving mysteries?” Noah said. “And don’t bother to tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about. I saw you talking with William Strathmore and instinct told me that he gave you the puzzle pieces you needed to make everything fit. And, unfortunately, that has left me no choice.”
I did not like hearing that. It sounded too final.
“Drive,” he ordered. “If anyone texts you or calls your vehicle will let them know you are driving, and they will assume you’re on your way home.”
“So that’s the reason you drive an old car—no tracking device.”
“You are far too smart for your own good, Pepper,” he said with a bite of anger. “Now drive!”
“Where to?” I asked, wondering how to get away from this crazy man before he got the chance to kill me.
“Lodge property. You know the service road on the east end.”
“That road is no longer drivable,” I said.
“You’re right. It’s not, but it’s a good place to hide your vehicle. We’ll walk the rest of the way.”
I drove out of the parking lot with a grain of hope. I knew the lodge woods far better than Noah, which meant there was a chance of escape.
I figured since I had his attention, I’d find out all I could. “Why did you hurt Stan?”
“I had no choice. I needed that pin. I wasn’t worried about Stan. He saw me briefly back then when I worked at the lodge. I doubted his recall would be that good and he wouldn’t remember seeing me. It would be easy enough to convince him that it wasn’t until years later when I returned that it was actually then that he saw me. On the other hand, the pin was a different matter. The only reason Deanna wore that pin was to aggravate her mother. She didn’t even like it. It felt good to throw it in the grave and bury her on top of it. Now it has come back to haunt me.” He shook his head. “I was shocked when I met Kate Meadows. I thought Deanna had come back from the grave. Kate is the spitting image of her, and I knew you would seek her advice on the pin if found. Then it was only a matter of time Deanna’s identity would be discovered and someone would recall me being there. I kept a watch on the crime scene crew and once I was sure they were done, I went see if I could find the pin. Of course, Stan interrupted me, and I hurried off. I watched through binoculars and saw that your dog found it. I had to get it and once I did, I figured I better hightail it out of here, never to return.”
“Amy didn’t expect to ever see you again once you left.”
Noah smiled. “She’s a smart one, my daughter. I feared between the two of you that you might figure it out. Especially with Amy saying how great you were at solving mysteries and that there wasn’t a mystery you hadn’t solved. And when she mentioned a pattern she had found.” He shook his head. “I never figured my own daughter might bring about my demise. So, with you such a driving force in this case I figured if you were found dead, everyone would be too busy to care about the thirty-five-year-old murder and with everyone thinking I was on a plane, I wouldn’t be given a second thought. Seeing you speaking with William Strathmore confirmed what I believed, I have no choice… I have to get rid of you. The one unfortunate thing is how difficult your death would be for my daughter, but it can’t be helped.”
My cell dinged.
No Noah the screen for the text to be read.
It was from my mom.
Where are you? You should be home by now.
It was only a moment later another text came from her.
So glad your vehicle lets me know you’re driving and can’t text. Let me know when you get home.