Carla Neggers - Cold Pursuit

A.J. was impassive. “Go home, Hannah.”

She didn’t back down. “Devin isn’t obsessed with Nora Asher, and he didn’t cause your father’s death. That was a horrible tragedy, and I’m sorry. Devin actually did you all a favor by finding him.” Her control faltered slightly. “And he doesn’t steal. We grew up poor, but that didn’t turn us into criminals.”

But A.J. was just as tightly controlled as she was and looked at her in that uncompromising way he had. “Money’s missing from the café, isn’t it?”

Hannah dropped her arms to her sides. “That’s none of your business, A.J.”

“Come on,” Elijah said gently, easing in between her and his older brother. “I’ll walk you back to your car.”

“I’m perfectly capable of walking back on my own.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Prickly, Hannah.”

“I’m sorry.” She drew in a breath and spoke directly to Elijah, ignoring A.J. “I believe in my brother. Period. There’s nothing else to say.”

Elijah started to speak, but Hannah spun around and headed back toward her car.

Jo jumped in front of the Cameron brothers before either one could move. “Let me talk to her, okay?”

“I’ll be at the lodge,” A.J. said tightly. “Elijah?”

He didn’t respond immediately, then gave a curt nod and joined A.J.

Jo caught up with Hannah at the edge of the parking lot. “Hannah,” she said, “have you talked with Devin?”

“Are you asking as a friend, Jo, or are you going to show me your badge?”

“I’m sorry I was hard on you last night,” Jo said simply.

“I can take it.” But she softened slightly. “I’ve left a couple of messages on Devin’s cell phone. I don’t know if he’s gotten them. I haven’t heard from him. Elijah said he wasn’t hurt badly. That’s true, isn’t it? Elijah wouldn’t not tell me if something was seriously wrong, right?”

“Right. Devin’s not hurt badly. He has some scrapes and bruises, that’s all.” Jo frowned suddenly. “Isn’t he here?”

“He took off on Elijah.”

No wonder he and A.J. were in rotten moods. Jo asked, “When?”

“Just before I got here. Apparently Elijah had gone to get some ice. Devin hasn’t done anything wrong. A.J. and Elijah can’t just hunt him like he’s a rabid dog.”

Hannah was a gentle soul, but she was proud-and she wasn’t afraid of anyone, especially when it came to defending her two younger brothers. Jo had to admire Hannah’s belief in Devin and her grit in standing up to the Cameron brothers.

“A.J. and Elijah are still here,” Jo pointed out. “They haven’t gone after anyone.”

Hannah looked out toward the mountain. “Nora wasn’t thinking clearly yesterday, obviously, after the shock of her stepfather’s death. I’m sure Devin’s just trying to be a friend to her. That other business I mentioned last night. Whatever they’re up to, I’m sure it’s innocent.”

“Do you have any idea where they could be?” Jo asked.

Hannah tightened her unzipped jacket around her, hesitated a split second, then, without a word, returned to the walk and headed straight up to the map sign. Jo followed, noticing that Rigby was now at the lodge’s main entrance, talking with A.J. and Elijah.

Hannah pointed to the section of the map marking the remote north side of Cameron Mountain. “Devin found Drew’s body in this area here,” she said, calm and serious. “Native Vermonter that I am, I’m not much on wilderness hiking. Day hikes are fine, but I don’t need to spend days tramping through the woods. Devin’s a lot like the Camerons. I think that’s why he and Drew got along so well.”

“I’m glad they did, Hannah. Is that why Devin was able to find Drew in April?”

Crossing her arms on her chest, Hannah stared at the whirl of lines on the map. “Devin helped Drew with something up on the north side of the mountain last fall. Apparently it’s where the Camerons first settled when they came to Vermont. Most of the land was cleared back then. Devin didn’t tell me exactly what he did. He said he really doesn’t know what Drew was up to.”

“He didn’t tell the police about this project after Drew died?”

“He answered all their questions truthfully. Drew asked Devin not to tell anyone. Whatever he was up to was meant as a surprise.”

A lawyerlike response, Jo thought. “How long have you known?”

“A few weeks. He’d gotten pulled over for a broken taillight. This was right after a fight he had outside the café one night. A couple of guys were picking on Toby, and Devin let them have it. He fell apart later and finally told me about Drew. He felt guilty-as if he’d violated Drew’s trust. I promised I wouldn’t say anything. Now…that might have been a mistake.”

“You all have a lot to deal with,” Jo said.

Hannah faced her without a hint self-pity. “I never tried to pretend I was anything but Devin and Toby’s older sister. We’re a family, but I’m well aware that my brothers grew up without a mother and father.”

So had Hannah, when it came down to it. Jo handed her Devin’s daypack. “You might want to hang on to this. He dropped it when he fell. Does Nora know about his and Drew’s project?”

“No one does that I’m aware of. It’s a haul up there.”

“But that’s why Devin was on the north side of the mountain in April. That’s why he was able to find Drew.”

“He said it never occurred to him Drew would go up there at that time of year. He was so sure he was wrong. Otherwise he would have told the search teams.”

Jo thought of her own unsettling conversation with Drew two weeks earlier and understood.

“It hasn’t been good since then,” Hannah said quietly.

“Have you talked to this Rigby guy?” Jo asked, nodding to him as he edged their way.

“Yes, briefly, earlier this morning.” Hannah tightened her jacket around her. “I didn’t tell him about Drew’s project. I haven’t told the Camerons, either. No one, Jo, except you.”

Jo acknowledged the statement with a nod.

“Look, I should go,” Hannah said. “I’ll let you know if I hear from Devin. I have nothing to hide.” She glared back toward the lodge.

“Something happened to that money, Hannah. Do you think Nora-”

“No, I don’t. I don’t know what happened to it.”

Hannah headed off briskly, in the opposite the direction of Rigby. Jo studied the map with its detailed designations of trails, streams, knolls, gullies, sags and peaks. The north side of Cameron Mountain bled into a remote wilderness area with few recreational trails. It wouldn’t be a good place for an inexperienced hiker like Nora Asher to get lost.

“It’s beautiful country up here,” Rigby said as he approached the map. “I’ll say that. I’m guessing, based on this morning’s festivities, that Nora is sticking close by. Hannah Shay have any idea where her brother took off to?”

Jo shook her head. “There’s no reason to think he’s a danger to Nora.”

“Maybe not, but if anything happens to her, he’ll be the first one police will want to talk to.” He squinted out toward the mountain. “It could be a tad warmer for my tastes. I’ll grab my pack out of my car and get moving. From what I’ve been able to learn about her, Nora’s emotional, but if she set up camp and got through the night, she’s got her act together. That’s a good sign.”

“If you need assistance, or if you feel she’s in trouble-”

“I know what to do. Keep me posted, Agent Harper.”

She let him go and returned to the lodge, scooping herself a bowl of piping-hot chili bubbling in an iron pot in the dining room. A month ago, at the height of foliage season, the lodge would have been bustling with guests. Now the place was almost empty, just a handful of diners enjoying a late lunch and the views.