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As they all stood near the doorway, Duke tried to absorb each new detail.
Being here right now with Mariella and Matthew was anything but ideal. If he’d known this snowstorm would whip up like it did, he would have canceled their tour or tried to reschedule it. He never wanted to put his clients in harm’s way.
Then he’d stumbled upon Andi’s accident, and they’d been shot at.
Now Simmy was worried about this podcaster?
Everything around him seemed to be spiraling out of control—and that wasn’t okay.
Duke loved order and schedules and having a game plan, which was what he wanted to come up with now.
“Maybe this thing with Craig is all a publicity stunt.” Duke suggested, feeling the explanation could be viable. “Something to drum up more attention for the podcast.”
“He’s not that type. I think Craig is in real trouble.” Simmy rubbed her thin arms again, her normally cheerful voice on the verge of listlessness.
“But how can you be sure?” Duke asked.
Andi glanced at him, appearing as if she wanted to fill in some gaps and convince him that Craig wasn’t that kind of person. “Craig is a no-nonsense guy. He has been through wars, earthquakes, gang confrontations, and everything else you can imagine.”
“Craig wouldn’t play games like this,” Simmy added. “When I talked to him a couple of days ago, he sounded spooked.”
Something about the look in Simmy’s eyes made Duke pause. There was more to this story. He was certain of it.
He raised his hands to show he was standing down. “Understood.”
“Does anyone even know where he lives?” Andi’s gaze latched onto Simmy’s.
Simmy flushed but didn’t answer.
“Wait . . . you know where Craig Rogers lives?” Mariella cut in, obviously committed to this conversation.
DidSimmy know where he lived? Duke had listened to a couple of Craig’s episodes. Even though the man had said he lived in Alaska, he’d made his exact location sound top secret, like he lived in the middle of nowhere and didn’t want anyone to know where that might be. He talked about valuing his privacy and liking the quiet.
Most people didn’t realize just how big Alaska was. It was the perfect state to come to if someone wanted to disappear.
However, up here in the Arctic Circle, it was a small world. The tiny communities were secluded. Some had no roads leading to them and were only accessible by air or boat.
The people around you became your lifeline. No one could do it alone in a frozen wilderness like this.
Duke had quickly learned that lesson.
“Can you rewind the podcast?” Andi asked. “I want to listen to what happened right before that commercial break.”
Simmy hurried back to the desk located behind the checkout counter. She placed the computer near the register and hit a few keys before turning the screen toward them.
They all gravitated toward the computer—even Mariella and Matthew.
“This is about two minutes before the podcast was cut off,” Simmy said before hitting a button and stepping back.
Andi leaned closer, all her attention on the screen.
Duke grabbed a cup of coffee—the carafe was right beside him—and he listened also, curious about whether this was truly something to be worried about. As far as he was concerned, he already had enough on his plate.
“For years, the killer has gotten away with his crime and blended into the world around him unnoticed.” Craig sat in front of the camera, headphones on and bobblehead dolls lined up like an army behind him. “Now it’s time to end his subterfuge.” A moment later he added, “Stay tuned for the answer you’ve been waiting for right after this break.”
The screen went blank as a commercial began playing.
