Dana Mentink - Escape from the Badlands

He shifted. “I know it sounds crazy, but the people here are not who they seem to be.”

“What do you mean?”

He walked to the window and opened one of the curtains to check out the other trailers. No one was watching, at least that he could see, and if anyone was, he was just returning Kelly’s belongings. “It would be better if you just trusted me and left.”

She tried not to gape. “Trusted you? How can you even ask that after you walked out on me?” She fought for calm. “All your professed love evaporated as soon as you got wind of Charlie. The responsibility scared the love right out of you. That’s a guy I’m supposed to trust again?”

“That isn’t why…” He broke off. His voice was low and soft when he answered. “I guess not, but I’m asking you to anyway.”

She bit down on her impatience. “Why? What’s going on here? I’m not leaving, so you might as well tell me.”

“Did Devin Ackerman hire you?”

She shrugged. “He told me his boss, Martin Chenko, did.”

“On Ackerman’s recommendation?”

“I suppose. Devin brought Gleeson into the clinic. I was just subbing there for a girl on maternity leave so it was actually my last week. He liked my work, and I suppose he recommended me to Mr. Chenko.”

“Don’t trust Ackerman, Kelly. You’ve got to get away from him.”

“Why?” Her voice came out louder than she’d intended. Charlie stirred in the bed, and she lowered her volume. “What do you know about him?”

Shane turned determined eyes on her. “He killed Olivia.”

“How…?” She tried again, head still whirling from the shock. “How do you know that?”

“There are lots of reasons which would take too long to give you now. Main point is my brother is in jail awaiting a murder trial for killing his wife, while Ackerman is the real killer.”

“I’m sorry about Todd. I know how much you love him.” The truth finally dawned on her. “So that’s why you entered this race? To wander around pretending to be a racer to somehow find proof that Ackerman is guilty? That’s not much of a plan.”

“I’m going to find a lead to locate Ellen Brown, the woman who provided Ackerman’s alibi. Someone here will know how to find her. Many of these people raced with her last year.”

“Shane, that’s crazy. You’re desperate to help your brother—I get that—I feel the same way about my sister. But this isn’t logical or rational.”

“I’m past rational.” Shane’s faced blazed with emotion. “We mortgaged the ranch and hired the best lawyer we could afford, and you know what? It still looks like Todd is going to be convicted, even though I know he’s innocent.”

“Just because he’s innocent doesn’t make Ackerman guilty.”

Shane shook his head. “I’m not going to get into the details. Please, Kelly. I want you to leave before you get hurt.”

The look he gave her made her feel dizzy, as if she’d just stepped off a merry-go-round. That face that had lit up at the sight of her, the mouth that kissed her with the promise of forever, the mischievous eyes that looked at her now, shimmering with loss and heartbreak. Whether or not Shane was right about Ackerman, he believed wholeheartedly that the man was a killer.

She glanced over at Charlie. He was so small and vulnerable, and he had experienced more pain than a child ever should. She straightened. “I’ve already been hurt worse than I ever imagined, and I’m not leaving.”

Shane was still, as if he was in another place with his thoughts. Then he nodded. “I’ll let you get some sleep now.”

She watched him walk into the darkness, headed for the trailer two spaces away from hers, head bowed against the heavy mist. He didn’t look back at her, and she found herself oddly disappointed.

Follow your own advice, Kelly. Stay away from him, and the whole thing will be over soon enough.

She saw him fish the key out of his pocket. Then he stiffened, head cocked.

Something about the posture made her hold her breath. The weak porch light cast shadows against the trailer as he stood there, key in hand. She watched as he backed quietly away, before she poked her head out of her trailer door.

“What is it, Shane?” she whispered.

He darted a look at her.

“Someone’s in my trailer. Go inside and lock your door.”

Her body grew cold. “What are you going to do?”

He flashed her an almost grin, reminding her of the cocky Shane Mason she used to know. And love.

Then he vanished into the shadows. Kelly followed his advice and shut herself inside, but she opened the curtains and slid the window open. Heart in her throat, she considered calling someone to help Shane, until she remembered that her phone was on the floor of her car, wedged in the canyon. There was no one to call anyway, except Uncle Bill—and he was nearly two hours away.

The air was heavy with the promise of more rain. Droplets of mist danced in the air near the various porch lights, leaving the rest of the area cloaked in darkness, redolent with the scent of wet earth. She strained to make out any sign of Shane. It was quiet, except for the clunk of wet pine needles falling now and again to the metal roof of the trailer.

The situation was nearly preposterous as she considered Shane’s wild allegations against Ackerman and his plan to pose as a racer to sniff out proof. She knew he was grief-stricken, so consumed by worry for his brother that he’d convinced himself Devin was some sort of calculating murderer. Her heart squeezed at the thought of his paranoia. He was not like the Shane she’d known, brash and unafraid of anything.

Except when Charlie had showed up.

Through all the anger and hurt at his abandonment, she could not shake the notion that there was a strange and unaccountable fear inside him. She’d just turned to check on Charlie when a shout cut through the silence. Out in the darkness, she saw a blur of movement. Shane? Someone else? She couldn’t tell.

Another shout brought her out on the front porch and into the night. She ran toward the sound until Shane barreled around the corner. “What happened?”

He was breathing hard and unable to answer when Devin Ackerman jogged up. “What’s going on?” he demanded, hands on his hips. His dark hair was expensively cut, a tiny diamond stud winking in his ear.

Shane straightened. “Someone was in my trailer, going through my stuff.”

Devin blinked. “Who would want to do that?”

They were interrupted by the arrival of Martin Chenko on a golf cart. He pulled to a stop in time to hear Shane’s explanation. He stepped out of the golf cart and smiled broadly, his stocky frame a few inches shorter than Devin’s. Kelly guessed him to be in his early forties, fit and hearty. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Devin explained. “I’m sure it was nothing. Probably someone got disoriented and went into your trailer by mistake.”

Shane fixed Chenko with a dubious look. “The lock was picked. I thought I saw someone running away.”

Chenko’s thick eyebrows shot up. “Now why would anyone want to do that?”

Devin laughed. “When I heard you shouting, I thought someone had set their trailer on fire.” He clapped Shane on the shoulder. “It’s your imagination. You probably left your door unlocked. Too much late-night TV.”

Kelly saw Shane stiffen, but he did not pull away.

“We don’t have any dishonest racers around here, now do we?” Devin asked.

Kelly thought there was a challenge in Devin’s eyes before he turned to her.

“Kelly,” he said, clasping her hands in his, long fingers wrapping around hers. “I’m so glad you’re okay after what you’ve been through today. It’s like a bad movie or something.”