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Oh.” She turned toward the counters and pulled open the drawer where she tossed all the weird items that collected in the various corners of her apartment. Notepads, pens, small flashlights, batteries that might or might not be dead, and several screws that appeared randomly. She had no idea where they came from or if something was about to fall apart without them. She reached in to grab a small item at the very back. Turning to Kaden, she held out her hand. “Here’s a spare key for the back door. I’ll leave the office unlocked so you can get in if you’re late.”
Something flared in his eyes. An emotion that was impossible to read. Then, stepping forward, he plucked the key from her palm.
“Thanks.”
* * *
Kaden aimlessly zigzagged his way out of town. He was supposed to be looking for . . . well, he wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for, but he assumed he would know when he spotted it. Instead, his thoughts were consumed with Lia Porter.
He’d been amazed when she’d offered him the use of her spare room. But he truly hadn’t considered the trust she’d placed in him until she’d held out the key. The hint of vulnerability in her expression had stirred a fierce urge to prove he was worthy of her faith in him. Not only that he was a decent guy but a dependable partner to share their ongoing investigation.
Realizing he’d reached the railroad bridge where Vanna’s body was found, Kaden pulled the Jeep to the side of the road. He left the engine running as he stepped out and glanced around.
Last time he was here, his mind had been focused on the possibility that he’d finally located Vanna. Now, with the clouds hanging low and the wind sheering through the pine trees, he concentrated on the remote location.
Why the hell was Vanna in this precise spot? And how did she get there? Her car was never found. And if the kids who discovered the skeleton were telling the truth, there wasn’t a purse or cell phone with her. So where had they gone?
It was possible, of course, that she’d been killed somewhere else and dumped there. Or jumped off the bridge to kill herself. But why was her body found so far away from the road? She couldn’t have accidentally rolled that distance.
No. For now, he was going with the hypothesis that she’d had a particular reason to come here. Or that she’d been lured to this area by her killer.
With a shiver, Kaden shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and plowed his way through the snow toward the road that cut through the thickly huddled trees. Lia had said the Walsh farm was in this general area. Was it possible Vanna was there that night? He was certain Cord was hiding something.
But if she was fleeing from the farm, why would she turn toward the bridge? It would make more sense to try to reach town. Especially if she’d lost her phone. Of course, it was late at night. Maybe she’d become lost in the darkness?
Trying to picture Vanna tromping through the woods in the middle of the night, Kaden stiffened as he heard the unmistakable crunch of someone or something walking through the snow.
“Hello?” He glanced over his shoulder. It sounded as if it’d come from near the bridge. “Is someone there?”
Silence. A thick, unnerving silence that sent chills down Kaden’s spine. He’d faced death more times than he could count, but suddenly, he wanted to be away from this spot.
It felt . . . cursed.
Indifferent to the knowledge there was nothing rational about his urge to leave, Kaden returned to his Jeep and drove down the road leading through the trees. He had more important matters to think about. Starting with the fact that it was possible there was something besides the Walsh farm that had attracted Vanna to this area.
Someone dumping trash? Cows roaming on public land? A meeting with someone who had agreed to pay her bribe?
He bumped over the icy track, clearing the far end of the wooded area. Over the rolling hills, he could see the distant outline of peaked roofs. Presumably, that was the Walsh farm. There was another snow-covered road, however, that veered off toward town.
Kaden hesitated. He had four-wheel drive, but it was impossible to judge the depth of the drifts. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Kaden at last planted his foot on the gas pedal and plowed his way down the narrow lane. He had his phone with him and plenty of gas in the tank. If he got stuck, he’d call for help.
Inching his way around a sharp curve, Kaden widened his eyes in surprise as he caught sight of the large, cement-block building off to his left. It was just one-story, but it extended in an L shape, with large chimneys belching out white smoke. There were no windows he could see, but there was a cement parking lot that was cleared of snow for forty or so cars. This was obviously one of the larger businesses in the area.
Intent on figuring out what the place was doing out in the middle of nowhere, Kaden nearly missed the figure that stepped out of a small wooden shack across the road to flag him down.
With a muttered curse, he took his foot off the gas, but he didn’t slam on the brakes. It’d been years since he’d driven in snow, but he hadn’t forgotten the dangers of fishtailing. Slowing to a stop, Kaden rolled down his window as the short, heavyset man in a thick coat and stocking hat trudged around the front of the Jeep to stand next to Kaden’s door.
He was younger than Kaden had first assumed, maybe in his late twenties, with a round face and brown eyes. His expression was more curious than threatening, and Kaden released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“Sorry,” the man said as he reached the window. “This is private property . . .” His mouth fell open and his eyes widened as he got a good look at who was driving the Jeep. “You’re Kaden Vaughn.”
“Yep.” Kaden smiled, relieved to be recognized. It made it much easier to ask complete strangers intrusive questions. “And you are?”
“Manny Boren.” The man beamed in blatant pleasure at the unexpected encounter. “I heard you were in town.”
“I got turned around on my way back to Pike,” Kaden lied smoothly. “I didn’t realize this area was off-limits.”
“Not really off-limits. It’s just that Mr. Burke doesn’t want anyone roaming around back here.”
