Shadow of Doubt Read online

  “Sir.”

  Mad Dog didn’t correct him as he had the first couple weeks after the guy arrived. If the guy needed that to help him adjust to the far-less-regimented civilian world, more power to him. That was what Sanctuary was about after all.

  “Everything all right?” Mad Dog asked.

  “Yes, sir. Couldn’t sleep, so ...”

  “No need to explain. I’m just checking in. Looks like you’ve got everything under control. Have you seen Sam or Smoke yet?”

  “They came in right before you did, sir.”

  “Thanks. Carry on.”

  “Sir.”

  Mad Dog found Sam and Smoke in the kitchen, locked in an embrace. Normally, he would walk away and come back later, but there was a sense of urgency riding his ass.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” he said after clearing his throat, “but I’m heading into town.”

  Sam took one look at his face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Kate’s not answering her phone.”

  “It’s five a.m. She probably turns it off at night or at least mutes it, so she can get some sleep.”

  Under ordinary circumstances, that would be plausible, but these circumstances weren’t ordinary.

  “Not with her dad in the hospital.”

  “Good point. Maybe she just forgot to charge it with everything going on.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” he agreed, but he highly doubted it. “I’m just going to do a drive-by, make sure everything’s tight.”

  Smoke met his eyes over the top of Sam’s head. He understood because he’d experienced it himself when Sam was in trouble. Men like them, they trusted their instincts, and at that moment, Mad Dog’s were clawing at his insides.

  “Want company?” Smoke asked.

  “Not necessary.”

  He snorted, kissed Sam’s temple, and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go.”

  Three inches of snow had fallen overnight, and more was on the way. They passed a couple of salt and cinder trucks on the way down into town.

  “Not like you to leave Sam alone in the kitchen this early in the morning, man. What’s up?” Mad Dog asked.

  Smoke shrugged. “Figured you’d appreciate the company.”

  “I do. And?”

  Smoke exhaled. “Sam says I hover.”

  “Nothing wrong with looking out for your woman.”

  “That’s what I said. She told me I’d made my point and marked my territory good and clear and that I needed to give her some space when she was working. She said I was too distracting.”

  Mad Dog chuckled. “That’s a good thing, man.”

  “I guess. So, tell me why we’re driving into Sumneyville at the ass crack of dawn.”

  “Something’s wrong, Smoke. I can feel it.”

  Smoke didn’t question him. “When’s the last time you talked to Kate?”

  “Around six last night. She texted me when she was leaving work, saying she was heading over to see her father but had a surprise planned for later.”

  And nothing since. No updates. No response. No good night.

  Things were eerily quiet as they pulled up in front of Kate’s house and cut the engine. The house was dark, as was the store across the street.

  “I’m going to see if her Jeep’s in the back.” Mad Dog got out of the truck and walked up the driveway, returning a few minutes later. His footprints were the only ones visible in the fresh snow cover. “It’s not here. No tracks, tires, or otherwise.”

  That meant that Kate hadn’t been here all night.

  “Do you think something happened with her father?”

  “I think she would have texted me if it did—unless it was really bad.” He sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case.

  Kate would be devastated. Her love for her father shone in her eyes every time she talked about him.

  “We could swing by the hospital.”

  “I doubt they’d tell us anything.”

  “No, but we can cruise the lot and see if her vehicle is there.”

  “Right.”

  Mad Dog was irritated that he wasn’t thinking clearly. He needed to get a handle on that shit, pronto, or he wasn’t going to be any help to Kate. As they drove through town, he took the worry and fear and locked them away, focusing on the mission, as he had been trained to do.

  Her Jeep wasn’t in the hospital lot either. They cruised the streets, paying particular attention to the few places that were open on the off chance that Kate was running some early morning errands, and found nothing.

  “What time does Handelmann’s open?” Smoke asked.

  He thought back to the hours posted on the door. “Seven.”

  “It’s just about that now.”

  They drove back to Main Street. Handelmann’s Hardware remained dark and locked, as did Kate’s house. That bad feeling in his gut intensified. Once again, he parked and exited the vehicle to have a look around. The sidewalk wasn’t shoveled; there was no fresh sprinkling of salt or ice melt or cinders.

  The same went for the parking. He walked around to the back of the property, where the storage building was. His spirits lifted briefly when he looked back at the store and saw a light shining through a window. Mentally reviewing the interior layout of the store, he guessed it was the office. The back door was locked up just as tight as the front, and he detected no movement within when he peered through the glass.

  “What about her parents’ house?” Smoke suggested, appearing from the other side of the building. “Maybe she spent the night with her mom and sister.”

  Fuck. He should have thought of that, too. “It’s a good idea.”

  Smoke’s hand landed on his shoulder in a silent show of support. Yeah, Smoke got it.

  Mad Dog looked up the address on his phone. Kate’s parents lived in a development about a mile and a half away, and it took only a few minutes to get there. Like most of the houses surrounding it, it was relatively new construction and at odds with the older structures in the center of town.

  There was no sign of Kate’s Jeep and no recent tracks in the driveway leading up to the attached garage.

  He debated on going up to the door and ringing the bell. He hadn’t yet met Kate’s mother, and to do so now seemed like it would be a rude introduction. Also, it was still pretty early, and Kate had said that her mom was having a hard time dealing and was taking sedatives. He didn’t want to add to her stress, not until he had exhausted every other option.

  Maybe Kate was staying with friends. He tried to remember if Kate had mentioned anyone and came up empty. He was running out of other options too damn fast.

  “What do you want to do?” Smoke asked, looking at the house.

  “Let’s do another drive around, see if anything shakes out.”

  As they approached Handelmann’s, he saw a familiar figure going in the front door. Unfortunately, it was not the one he wanted to see.

  “Who’s that?” Smoke asked.

  “Luther Renninger.”

  “Why does he have a set of keys to Kate’s store?”

  “He’s supposed to be helping out while her dad’s recovering.”

  Smoke made a low sound in the back of his throat. “Looks like a douche.”

  Good man, Smoke.

  Mad Dog pulled over and went inside with Smoke at his six. Renninger was no happier to see him than he was to see Renninger.

  “What the fuck do you want?” he challenged, puffing himself up while positioning himself behind the counter.

  Brave words from a weasel.

  “Where’s Kate?”

  The scowl on Renninger’s face deepened. He looked at Mad Dog, then at Smoke, and then smirked. “Oh. You don’t know, which must mean Kate finally came to her senses.”

  Fucker. “Do you know where she is?”

  “I tried to warn you. Kate’s not like the others. She—”

  I heard Smoke’s warning growl. “Choose your next words very carefully.”

  Renninger
smiled coldly from behind the perceived safety of the counter. “Kate knows where she belongs.”

  The smug fucker actually thought she belonged with him. Mad Dog could see it in his eyes.

  It was time to correct that erroneous assumption. Mad Dog got up real close and personal. “I’m going to ask one last time. Do you know where Kate is?”

  That was when he saw it. A brief flash of something in Renninger’s eyes before he hid it away again.

  “No.” He side-eyed a glance at Smoke and shifted his weight. “But she takes off sometimes when she’s upset.”

  “Takes off where?” Mad Dog pressed.

  “How the fuck should I know?” Renninger spat. “She drives around. Says it helps her work through things. Hey, do us all a favor and stay the fuck away from Kate.”

  “Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you,” Mad Dog replied, offering a chilly smile of his own.

  “Yep. Complete douche,” Smoke commented as they stepped outside.

  “He knows more than he’s telling.”

  “No question,” Smoke agreed, “but I don’t think he’s going to confide in you anytime soon. Not willingly anyway.”

  Mad Dog allowed himself a moment to enjoy an image of his hand around Renninger’s throat, applying pressure until his eyes bulged and he started talking. It wouldn’t take much. He’d probably piss himself first though.

  “No,” he agreed. He shelved that image for later and checked his phone again. If he didn’t locate Kate soon, he would be paying the weasel another visit.

  Did something upset Kate? And if so, where would she go?

  He must have spoken his thoughts aloud because Smoke said, “Honestly? My first thought is that she’d go to you.”

  Yeah, that was Mad Dog’s, too, but clearly, she hadn’t done that. That bad feeling in his gut turned into a sharp ache.

  He drove back to Kate’s parents’ place, out of ideas. Smoke hung back in the truck while he went up and rang the bell. It was Kate’s sister Kylie, who answered, looking as if she’d just woken up.

  Her eyes went wide when she saw Mad Dog. “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for Kate. Is she here?”

  “No.” Her brows furrowed. “She should be at the store.”

  “She should be, but she’s not. Can we talk for a minute?”

  Kylie looked over her shoulder toward a set of stairs and then nodded. “Sure. My mom’s still sleeping and probably will be for a while. I think I’m going to need coffee for this conversation though.”

  He followed her to the kitchen. His initial impression was that the place looked like a model home, the kind developers used to entice potential buyers with pricey upgrades and a professionally designed interior. Nothing was out of place, and everything matched. He had a hard time picturing Kate here. She was too ... real.

  Mad Dog declined Kylie’s offer of coffee and got right to it. “I’m worried about Kate. When’s the last time you heard from her?”

  Kylie thought about that as she poured unsweetened almond milk and emptied a packet of no-calorie sweetener into her mug. “Last night, around seven-ish, I guess. She was at the hospital, visiting with my dad. She didn’t stay long since he was out of it. Why are you worried?”

  “She’s not answering her phone or responding to texts.”

  Kylie shrugged. “That’s not unusual for Kate. She gets involved in something and forgets to check her phone for hours at a time.”

  He thought about the night the puppies had been born and how worried he’d been then, too. “Do you know where she went after she left the hospital?”

  “She mentioned going to the grocery store, something about a surprise. She seemed pretty excited.” Kylie brought her coffee mug to her lips and peered over the rim. “Did you guys have a fight or something?”

  He shook his head.

  Kylie set her mug down and picked up her phone. She scrolled through a couple of screens and then pressed a button and held it to her ear. “Kate, it’s Kylie. Give me a call when you get this.” She put the phone back down. “Voice mail.”

  Her eyes turned calculating. “She might be with Luther. They used to be together, you know.”

  “Yes, I know, and no, she’s not. I spoke with him at the store before I came here.”

  She frowned. “Are you sure she just didn’t sleep in? Sometimes, she stays up late, cooking. Knowing her, she’s revamping Dad’s favorite recipes to be heart-healthy.”

  Yes, that sounded exactly like something Kate would do, except ... “Her Jeep’s not at the house, and based on the lack of tracks, it hasn’t been all night.”

  Kylie’s frown deepened.

  “Renninger said she takes off sometimes when she’s upset. Do you have any idea where she might go?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Thanks, Kylie.”

  “You’re really worried about her, aren’t you?”

  That was an understatement. What he couldn’t understand was, why wasn’t anyone else?

  Mad Dog pulled a sheet from the magnetic notepad on the fridge and scratched out his number. “If you hear from her, will you let me know?”

  “Sure. I’ll give Jerry Petraski a call at the police station, too, see if he’s heard anything.”

  The name chapped his ass, but if it helped find Kate ... “Thanks.”

  He gave Smoke a rundown of the convo when he got back in the truck and drove away.

  “What about the mines?” Smoke asked. “You said she used to go there as a kid.”

  “I thought about that, but that doesn’t explain what happened to her Jeep. The woods reclaimed the area around the Paxton entrance. No way to get a full-sized vehicle through there.”

  “Yeah, but there are other entrances. There’d have to be to get those stockpiles and equipment down there, right?”

  “Right.” It was possible, but it didn’t feel right. He had a bad feeling the surprise Kate had been planning involved him, and something had gone terribly wrong.

  He angled the truck toward the mountain as the snow picked up, falling harder and faster by the hour. “Call Sanctuary. Ask Church to gas up the snowmobiles and have Cage double-check the perimeter cams.”

  “You’re thinking something happened.”

  He nodded. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kate

  Kate’s first thought was that she had died. Everything was white and still and so peaceful.

  Then, her brain came back online and, with it, her ability to feel.

  “Ow.”

  A sharp blade of pain sliced through her skull. Her entire body ached, and when she tried to breathe, it felt as if someone were plunging knives into her side.

  She was also extremely cold.

  The last thing she remembered was rolling sideways down the mountain after the jerk who had been riding her bumper clipped her back end. What the hell had that been about? Road rage because she was doing forty in a forty-five zone?

  “Well, fuck him,” she said into the empty space. If there was ever a time to let the F-bomb fly, this was it.

  She wiggled her fingers and toes, just to be sure she could. Everything worked, except for her left arm. When she tried to move it, so much pain washed through her that she had to swallow the urge to vomit.

  The good news: she was alive and relatively coherent, and none of her injuries seemed to be life-threatening.

  The bad news: she hurt all over and was going to freeze to death if she didn’t do something soon.

  She didn’t know how long she’d been out, though it must have been some time. The windows were covered in snow, but there was enough backlight making it through that it had to be daytime. She did a quick calculation, subtracting the time she’d left from the approximate sunrise, coming up with a hell of a lot of hours.

  She also didn’t know exactly where she was or how precarious her current position was. She knew only that the right sid
e of the Jeep was lower than the left side, as if it were propped against something. Was the vehicle hovering at the edge of a drop-off? Would the slightest movement send her careening over?

  She stretched her right arm and felt around in search of her phone, but apparently, her good luck only extended so far. Her phone, wherever it was, must have been dislodged from the holder during the impromptu loop-the-loop and was out of immediate reach.

  Next, she called out a few times and laid on the horn, expecting no answer and receiving none.

  She had no choice. She had to move.

  With some difficulty and more use of the F-bomb, she managed to release the safety belt and then very carefully reached down and pushed her seat back to give her more room to maneuver, adding a banged-up knee to her list of injuries when her leg protested. Thankfully, the Jeep remained solidly in place.

  So far, so good.

  She braced herself against the pain and tried unsuccessfully to open her door, awkwardly reaching across her body with her right arm. It wouldn’t budge. Given the angle, she didn’t try the passenger side, just in case she was hanging over a precipice.

  Holding her broken arm tightly against her body, she crawled into the back inch by inch, crying the whole time because it hurt so bad. An eternity later, she reached the back window and it swung open without issue. She peered out and took in the situation.

  More good news: she appeared to be firmly wedged between two massive trees on a medium-grade downslope and didn’t have to worry about upsetting the balance and plunging to her death.

  More bad news: she was stuck on the side of the mountain in the middle of nowhere, and it was snowing like hell.

  She forced herself to calm down and think rationally. She wasn’t helpless. She was an outdoorsy girl with skills. Also, she kept a winter kit in the back of her Jeep for emergencies.

  First things first. She had to get warm. She extracted the extra hat and scarf from her emergency kit and put those on. She’d already been wearing fleece-lined driving gloves, so she had that covered, which she counted as another positive because there was no way she’d be able to get anything over her left hand now.