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“Is there a chance you saw him hiking?” The two of them had gotten into the habit of bouncing questions and answers off one another. “There are some serious campers still up in those mountains freezing their asses off. Maybe he was one of them.”
Bit couldn’t see the appeal of spending the night out in the wilderness where any type of wild animal could sneak up on him. Not to mention mosquitos. Theo had come back with several bites yesterday, and he’d still been itching them this morning. There had even been a freeze last week when the temperatures had dropped, and Bit had always believed such cold got rid of those pesky bloodsuckers. Theo mentioned something about them hiding in the vegetation, but it was still a good reminder of why Bit should be grateful to be the one behind the scenes.
“No,” Sylvie said, drawing out her answer. Wyn finally came out from the kitchen with their food in hand. “Bingo.”
“Bingo? When did you have time to play bingo?”
“Not that kind of bingo.”
Bit gave Wyn a half-hearted smile, because Sylvie still wasn’t making too much sense. He handed over his corporate credit card to the burly bartender.
“I made sure to put extra barbeque sauce in there for you,” Wyn said after he took the credit card. He continued to carry on the conversation as he cashed out their order. “You ever consider moving to a small town? Your business alone could keep this place functioning on a daily basis.”
“I’m more of a city guy,” Bit replied as he pulled the two white bags closer to him. “Have you ever considered D.C.? You could make a killing there with these cheeseburgers.”
“Hey, Wyn?” Sylvie had waited for Wyn to hand back Bit’s credit card, receipt, and a pen. “Is that your brother?”
“Son. His name is Gabe.” Wyn cleared his throat before leaning down and resting his forearms on the bar. “I know that I don’t look it, but I was wild back in my day. I wasn’t always around for Gabe when I should have been, and as a result, he lived a hard life. Proud of him, though. He’s turned things around, got a steady job as a raft guide, and built himself a place not too far from here.”
“Gabe Raskins?”
Bit had signed his name before stuffing the small receipt into the back pocket of his jeans. Gabe’s surname brought him up short, though. Bit managed to push the pen back toward Wyn without drawing the man’s attention. Bit was always in awe of Brook, Theo, and Sylvie. The process in which they usually pieced together investigations was astounding, although Wyn seemed to sense that something was wrong. His bushy eyebrows practically touched in suspicion.
“Yes,” Wyn responded cautiously as he pulled back from the counter and straightened his shoulders. “Why?”
“I saw his name on the list of volunteers who joined the search party for Luna Breen,” Sylvie explained with a smile. “Thank him for us. Not a lot of people would give up their time like that, and those volunteers don’t get enough credit.”
Bit was reminded of why he wouldn’t be as good in the field as he was behind his computer screens. Sylvie’s excuse had done the job it was intended, and Wyn smiled proudly at the compliment that she’d given his son.
Only the bartender had no idea that his son would now be put at the top of the list to have a background check completed as soon as possible. Lying was part of the job that he would never get used to, and there would be no erasing the guilt that he experienced over deceiving someone as kind-hearted as Wyn.
“Just holler if you need anything else,” Wyn said as he finally turned his attention to the men who’d been waiting rather impatiently to place their drink orders. “What are you having tonight, gentlemen?”
“Bit, you read the updated profile. Brook believes that the unsub is returning to the scene a week or two later to bury the body and clean up any evidence left behind.”
“Which would mean there is a good chance that the killer inserts himself into the search parties with the sole intention of leading them away from whatever cabin or dwelling that he used as his interrogation room,” Bit finished, still not comfortable with the conversation they’d just had with Wyn. The man who fed them delicious cheeseburgers, and who made sure there was additional barbeque sauce. “I get it, Little T. I do, but there were a lot of volunteers. What makes Wyn’s son stand out?”
“The local news is on the television, Bit. They had a picture of Luna Breen in the top righthand corner while they interviewed the sister. Who, by the way, is still staying at Hiker’s Haven. Do you see anyone else in this bar watching the news?”
“No,” Bit replied reluctantly as he grabbed the bags of food. “Doesn’t mean I feel good about misleading Wyn like that.”
Sylvie hopped off her seat, giving Bit more room to maneuver around the stool. It was no wonder that no one ever claimed it. His hat had snagged on a portion of the wooden wall that hadn’t been sanded down. He’d felt the tug, so he’d quickly grabbed onto the knitted material before any damage could be done to his sister’s creation. She’d knitted him many hats, but the gray one was his favorite.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, Bit, but we’re not here to make friends.”
The two of them made their way up the stairs, with Sylvie leading the way. Bit hoped that Theo was still awake to enjoy his bowl of chili. It should help to warm him up after such a long day in the mountains. Thankfully, the fire that had been reported had been nothing of significance. As for Brook, she was still with the sheriff hoping to locate Ned Proehl. Thinking about the changes to the profile, Bit couldn’t help but glance back at the bar.
Gabe Raskins was no longer watching the muted television. Instead, he was monitoring their retreat without an ounce of embarrassment. His stare came across as almost mocking, and every ounce of guilt that had plagued Bit moments earlier vanished into thin air.
Chapter Thirteen
Brooklyn Sloane
October 2023
Monday — 6:16am
“Sloane.”
