Page 55 of Knox

“No.” I kept my voice level despite the urge to tell him to keep his eyes off her. “Just a friend who knew my mother.”

“Uh huh.” Walter finally looked back at me. “Well, no. I never see anyone, but I’ve got about sixty acres back there.”

“What’s out there?”

He rubbed his chin. “Not much. Forest. You know. The old ranger station is on the northern edge of my property. It’s been out of commission for decades, but I check on that sometimes. Make sure nobody’s squatting.”

The ranger station. The location Mom had marked on her map.

“You own the property with the ranger station?”

“No, but it’s right there on the edge.” He scratched at his jaw. “You think something happened to those girls out there?”

“I don’t know. Just following my mother’s notes.”

“You haven’t seen anyone else out here, have you?” Walter asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. “On your way in?”

“No. Why?”

“Don’t want you running into trouble, that’s all.” Walter straightened, and I realized he was even taller than I’d initially thought. My height, perhaps.

I held his eye contact and waited. I suspected he had more to say, or maybe he’d already said more than he’d intended.

“Well, like I said, you’re welcome to look around. There’s a trail that starts behind the shed there.” He pointed. “Connects to the main hiking routes about a half mile in. You’ll see the ranger station near the intersection.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Might be better if you came back tomorrow. Looks like rain.”

Walter glanced at the sky where clouds raced over the sun. “Floods fast in those woods. Gets real dark, too. Easy to get turned around if you don’t know them well.”

“We’ll be careful.”

Walter chuckled. “I’m sure you will be, Marine.”

I stilled, and his smile tightened.

“Claire said you were the careful type,” he explained. “Tough. Trained. My son thinks I’m soft and let people take advantage of me. Maybe he’s right.”

“Thanks for the permission, Mr. Lehman. I’ll let you know what we find at the ranger’s station, if there’s anything to note.”

“Call me Walter. And hey—” He took a step down from the porch. “I’d be happy to show you around myself sometime, if you want. I know these woods better than anybody. Used to be a trail guide when I was your age. If there’s something to find, I can help you find it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“If you find anything out there, if anything seems wrong, call the sheriff. Don’t try to handle it yourself.”

I dipped my chin slightly in agreement.

“I mean it.” Walter’s eyes held mine with unexpected intensity. “There are dangerous people in this world. Sometimes they’re the ones you least expect.”

I backed toward the Jeep, keeping Walter in my peripheral vision. “Walter?” I paused. “Do you know if my mom ever had another trail guide or company help with her excursions?”

“No, not that I know of. She did it all herself. Your mother was unstoppable.”

My chest ached at his words, because she was stoppable, and no one had seen it coming.

Walter stayed on the porch, watching, until I climbed into the empty passenger seat.