Paula Graves - Blood on Copperhead Trail

Laney hid her surprise. For a guy who looked like all he wanted to do was catch the next big wave, Doyle Massey had clearly done his homework about Ridge County politics. “Technically, Ridge County Sheriff’s Department already covers Bitterwood.”

“If invited to participate in investigations,” Massey corrected gently.

“Or if the department in question is under investigation,” she shot back firmly. “Which you are.”

He gave a nod of acceptance. “Which we are. But I don’t see the point of fooling ourselves about this. You and I may both want to clean up the Bitterwood Police Department. But we’re not on the same team.”

“Maybe not. But if you think my goal here is to shut your department down, you’re wrong. And if you think I’ll go along with whatever my bosses tell me to do, you’re wrong about that, too. I’m looking for the truth, wherever that leads me.”

He lifted his hands and clapped slowly. “Brava. An honest woman.”

She felt her lips curling with anger at his sarcastic display. She pushed to her feet. “I expect full cooperation from the police department in my investigation.”

He rose with her. “You’ll have it.”

Frustration swelled in her chest, strangling her as she tried to think of something to say just so he wouldn’t have the last word. But the trilling of her cell phone broke the tense silence rising between them. She grabbed the phone from her purse and saw her mother’s phone number.

“I have to take this,” she said and moved away, lifting the phone to her ears. “Hi, Mama.”

“Oh, Charlane, thank God you answered. I’ve been tryin’ not to worry, but she was supposed to be home hours ago, and she’s always been so good about being on time—” Alice Hanvey sounded close to tears.

“Mama, slow down.” Laney dropped into the booth across from Ivy, giving the other woman an apologetic look. “Janelle’s late coming home from somewhere?”

“She and a couple of girls went hiking two days ago, but they were supposed to be home this morning in time for her to get to school. I knew I should have insisted they come home last night instead.”

“Hiking where?”

“Up on Copperhead Ridge. At least, that’s what she said. I’ve been trying to encourage her to get out and do things with her friends, like you said I should. I know I can be overprotective, but you can’t be too careful these days—”

“She’s old enough to go hiking with some friends. What do you know about these girls she went with?”

“They’re good girls. You know the Adderlys—they live over on Belmont Road near the church? Their daddy’s a county commissioner. I think you may have gone to school with his cousin Daniel—”

“I know them. They were supposed to be back home in time for school?” Laney interrupted before her mother went through the whole family tree. She knew the Adderlys well, even socializing with them sometimes as part of her job with the district attorney’s office.

“Joy and Missy are crazy about hiking club, and you know Janelle’s been walking up and down those mountains since before she could talk good, so I didn’t think it would be a problem. She’s so good about keeping her word—”

“You’ve tried calling her on her cell phone?”

“Of course, but you know how reception can be in the mountains.”

“Are you sure there weren’t any boys going with them? Or maybe they were meeting some boys up on the mountain?”

“She’s been sort of dating Britt Lomand, but I already called over there, and Britt’s home. He’s just getting over the flu—his mama said he’s been home all weekend.”

“Missy Adderly has a boyfriend.”

“They broke up a month ago,” Alice corrected. “Should I call the police and report her missing? It was awful cold last night on the mountain.”

Laney glanced at Ivy, who was watching her through narrowed eyes. “The police don’t normally drop everything to look for a teenager who’s a little late getting home, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Please call me if you find out anything.”

“You call me if you hear from her. I’ll talk to you soon, Mama. Try not to worry too much. Jannie’s probably just lost track of the time, or maybe she was running late and went straight to school.”

“I never thought of that,” Alice admitted. “I’ll call the school, ask if she’s showed up.”

“Good idea. Call when you know something.” She shut off her phone and met Ivy’s curious gaze. “My sister went hiking up in the hills over the weekend with a couple of girlfriends, and she’s late getting back home. She was supposed to be home in time to shower and dress for school.”

“Cutting it close.”

Laney saw the conflicted thoughts playing out behind Ivy’s expressive eyes. “Yeah, I know. At that age, they think they get to make their own rules. But Janelle’s pretty levelheaded.”

“Guess that runs in the family.”

Laney wasn’t sure whether Ivy meant the comparison as a compliment. Being thought of as a Goody Two-shoes wasn’t exactly the goal of any high school student—she herself had chafed under the moniker through her high school years. Calling someone a good girl back then had been the same as calling her dull.

Maybe Janelle was rebelling against the perception herself by skipping school and making everybody worry?

She punched in her sister’s cell phone number and waited for an answer. It didn’t go immediately to voice mail as it usually did when Janelle’s phone was out of range of a cell signal. After four rings, there was a click.

But it wasn’t her sister’s voice she heard on the other line. Nor was it Janelle’s overly cute voice-mail message.

Instead she heard only the sound of breathing and, faintly in the distance, the rustle of leaves.

“Hello?” she said into the receiver.

The breathing continued for a moment. Then the line went dead.

“Did she answer?” Ivy asked.

Laney shook her head. “But someone was on the other end of the line—”

Ivy’s phone rang, the trill jangling Laney’s taut nerves. Ivy shot her a look of apology and answered. “What’s up, Antoine?”

The detective’s brow creased deeply, and she darted a look at Laney so full of dread that Laney’s breath caught in her chest.

“On my way,” Ivy said and hung up the phone. “I’ve got to run.”

“What is it?” Laney asked, swallowing her dread as Ivy dug in her pocket for money, carefully not meeting Laney’s eyes.

“Someone called in a body. I’m heading to the crime scene to see what we can sort out.” Ivy put a ten on the table. “Ask Christie to box up my order and put it in the fridge. I’ll pick it up later.”

Laney caught Ivy’s arm. “Where’s the crime scene?”

Ivy’s gaze slid up to meet hers. “Up on Copperhead Ridge.”

Chapter Two

“What’s she doing here?” Doyle Massey asked Ivy Hawkins as she crossed to where he and Detective Antoine Parsons stood near the body.

On the other side of the yellow crime-scene tape, Laney Hanvey stood with her arms crossed tightly over her body as if trying to hold herself together. Her face was pale except where the hike up the cold mountain had reddened her nose and cheeks. Her blue eyes met his, sharp with dread.

Ivy looked over her shoulder. “Her sister went hiking up here over the weekend and didn’t show up this morning when she was supposed to. I couldn’t talk her out of coming.”

He dragged his gaze from Laney’s worried face and nodded at the body. “Female. Late teens, early twenties. Do you know what the sister looks like?”

Ivy edged closer to the body, trying not to disturb the area directly around her. “It’s not Janelle Hanvey. It’s Missy Adderly. No ID?”