Jack Frost: Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Thriller Series Page 12

  “We can organize a search and rescue,” Jack offered.

  Leah shook her head. “He’s a survivalist. A night on this mountain is nothing to him. He has gear; he may have headed to one of the unused tents. He knows where they all are. When we resumed filming, we had to set up all the past contestants’ tents too. The rules state that any equipment utilized in any given season must remain in use for the remainder of the season.” She paused to think for a minute and came to the only logical conclusion. “In the morning I’ll have Harvey start looking for him with the drone.”

  “You need to let Vicky know that Eric is still up here.”

  “Believe me, I know.” Leah crossed her arms. “This is just great. On top of everything else, now I’ve got her latest crazy ex-boyfriend running around.”

  “Can she stay in the lodge?”

  “No. Not unless I pull in all the other contestants, too. It would give her an unfair advantage.”

  “You can’t just leave her out there by herself. Eric made specific threats against her.”

  “What the hell am I supposed to do?” Leah kicked the side of the gondola. “Post a guard outside her tent?” She paused, then looked at Jack. A smile slowly spread across her face.

  “No way. Are you serious?”

  “Look, we have a tent back at the lodge. I’ll give you a portable GPS and you can put your tent right outside hers.”

  “Me?”

  “As long as you don’t give her any assistance, you’re not violating any rules.”

  “From a security standpoint she’d be safer in the lodge.”

  “That’s not happening. My other option is to do nothing. Eric is a bigmouth and likes to talk tough, but I don’t think he’d actually do anything. He’s probably sulking in his sleeping bag somewhere.”

  “You can’t be certain of that.” Jack shook his head and looked toward the mountain. “Were Eric and Vicky a serious item?”

  “They had a fling, that’s all. Ryan played it up for ratings.”

  “Clearly it was more than a fling to Eric,” Jack said. “This morning, before the contest, he was furious that Vicky wasn’t in her tent last night.”

  Leah’s brow creased. “Do you mean… You think she was fooling around with another contestant?”

  “No. Harvey would have caught it on camera if she had. I think she was fooling around with a crew member.”

  Leah chuckled, then laughed. “No one on my crew is stupid enough—” Her laugh trailed off, and she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. “Gavin.”

  Jack nodded. “I was going to share my suspicions with you at our next meeting. And there’s something more. After the ‘Jack and Jill’ contest, when I went around to collect the colored tiles, Vicky didn’t have hers. She said she lost it on the course during the climb. Five minutes later, Gavin dropped that same tile into the lot basket.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “Vicky drew her tile last, right? And when she drew her tile, she didn’t hold it up, didn’t show it to the camera—and we didn’t question that, because everyone already knew it was the blue tile. But I think her hand was empty. I think Gavin removed the blue tile from the basket before offering it to the contestants—to make sure no one else could pull it. Gavin and Vicky worked together to ensure that Vicky would get the easiest course.”

  Leah let fly with a stream of swears. “Eric was right! Gavin, that stupid idiot! And you didn’t bring this to my attention right away?”

  “I wanted to watch them first to gather more evidence. Right now, we’ve got nothing concrete. Gavin can always say he found the tile lying in the snow.”

  “So why are you telling me now?”

  Jack crossed his arms. “Look, I don’t know about all the drama on this show. Before this, I’d never even heard of Planet Survival. I’m looking at this like a cop, and from that point of view, what happened back at the cliff was basically a domestic violence incident.” She showed increasing disbelief, but he had to barrel over her skepticism. “And knowing what I do about situations like this, with Eric as mad as he was, and now missing? I’d tell both Vicky and Gavin that they need extra security. You need someone watching Gavin. But don’t mention the tile. Eric threatened him—that’s enough to make him cautious.”

  Leah groaned. “What a mess. Fine. I’ll have Ollie stay in Gavin’s room tonight. I’m sure they’ll both love that. And I take it you’ll keep an eye on Vicky?”

  Jack nodded. “I just hope we find Eric sooner rather than later.” He looked down the gondola cables that disappeared into the darkness. “There’s no other way off the mountain?”

  “Not unless he can fly.”

  19

  Tent Trouble

  “Hello?” Jack called outside the tent. “Vicky?”

  The ditzy diva peeled back the flap and popped her head out. “Seriously? Are you trying to make me wet my pants? People don’t exactly drop by to visit out here. You scared the crap out of me.”

  “Sorry. I just wanted to let you know I’m setting up a tent out here. Eric never showed up at the gondola. Ollie looked for him for over an hour, and Leah wants to continue the search in the morning.” Jack gave her a moment to process that.

  “Wait. What? You’re saying he’s running around loose up here?”

  “Yes. He’s probably just blowing off steam someplace. But to be on the safe side, I’ll be right outside your tent.”

  “I want to talk to Leah. This show has a responsibility to keep me safe.”

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Great. Now I have nothing to worry about.” Vicky scowled and yanked her tent flap closed.

  It took Jack a few minutes to set up the tent and drive a few stakes partially into the frozen ground to secure it. He put it close enough to Vicky’s door that if Eric decided to show up, he’d have to push past Jack’s tent to get to her. He didn’t blame Vicky for being upset. She had a lot to worry about. The cold alone, not to mention an angry jilted survivalist armed with ice-climbing tools, was enough to worry Jack, too. He threw in his sleeping bag and pack.

  But he was hesitant to go inside. The cold, wind, and danger were fanning his testosterone into a slow burn, and he liked it. Surrounded by darkness, he listened to the howling wind and wanted to howl back. He felt like nature was throwing down a gauntlet—and he wanted to pick it up and run with it.

  A big gust of wind smacked him in the face with a swirl of icy snow, and he finally decided he could contemplate the majesty of nature just as well from the tent, cocooned in his high-tech featherweight sleeping bag. But in this weather, you’re either in or you’re out, though he’d sleep in his clothes in case he did need to go outside again. He wasn’t concerned about falling asleep; he was used to pulling double shifts.

  Now the cold-weather drill: he got down on hands and knees to crawl in—his tent was much smaller than Vicky’s, too low for him to stand.

  He’d just gotten comfortable when he heard the zipper on Vicky’s tent.

  “Hi, there,” said a sultry voice from outside.

  Jack sat up as she pulled back his tent flap. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I wanted to apologize.” Vicky slid into his tent, pressing her body against his as she did.

  “Don’t worry about it. You had a right to be upset.” Jack scooted over to the side. The tent was barely large enough for the both of them. “But I don’t know if you can come in here. Doesn’t that break the rules?”

  Vicky smiled. “There are no cameras in here. No one will know.”

  “I will.”

  “You’re not going to tattle on me, I hope.” She tipped her head down and gave a doe-eyed, pleading gaze, then pouted her full lips, adding a sultry smolder.

  “You’re safe in your tent. I’ll be right here.”

  Vicky stretched out on Jack’s sleeping bag. She lay on her side and placed her head on her hand, her red hair draping down her arm. “But I’m still scared.” Her finger softly
traced an outline on the fabric. “You did come here to protect me, right?”

  “No one can come into your tent without my knowing.”

  Vicky laid her head down on her arm. “But I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

  “Look, there’s no camera in here, but there’s one in your tent, and I guarantee Leah’s watching. If you’re gone too long, she’s going to get worried, and then she’ll have to send someone else out here, in the middle of a snowstorm, to check on you.”

  Vicky’s expression darkened. “What gives? You really want me to leave?” Judging by her shocked look, she didn’t get turned away often.

  “I just don’t want to see you jeopardize your chance of winning five million dollars…” He stared her down until he could tell from her eyes that she knew she didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell with him.

  “Fine. Stay out here in the cold, but once I leave, I know who you’ll be thinking about all night long.” She yanked the tent flap open and left in a huff.

  Jack listened to be sure Vicky entered her tent and zipped herself in, then snuggled into the sleeping bag she’d so thoughtfully warmed up for him. She’d been right about one thing: he would be thinking about someone all night long. He closed his eyes and pictured Alice, her green eyes with dancing gold flecks and the dimples that melted him every time she smiled.

  She’d be furious with him for missing tonight’s scheduled call. What with Eric’s and then Vicky’s shenanigans, he’d forgotten about the call until now, but hopefully Leah would fill in the general outlines so Alice wouldn’t be too worried.

  Jack wondered if she was as lonely without him as he was without her. Probably not. She was warm and safe; she had Lady and Mrs. Stevens and—

  Kiku.

  “Kiku and Alice together? What could go wrong?” he muttered.

  20

  Complicated Colleagues

  In the passenger seat, watching the wipers struggle to clear the heavy snowflakes from the windshield, Alice let her mind go where her heart was. After Jack left, all she’d wanted was to be up on the mountain, helping him with the case, but now she desperately wanted Jack down here with her, helping her with the case of her lifetime. She closed her eyes to speak to the deep ache somewhere, everywhere inside her. Could you love someone so much it hurt?

  I miss you, Jack. Can you hear me? She hadn’t heard from Brian or Leah yesterday, but both Mrs. Stevens and Kiku had tried to allay her fears, citing the many things that could temporarily go wrong with communication up on the mountain, even without a storm brewing.

  “Your landlady seems to enjoy the task you’ve given her,” Kiku said, snapping Alice out of her fog. They were driving through the section of town that wasn’t featured in the glossy Chamber of Commerce welcome packages—the no-tell motels, used-car lots, and pawnshops.

  “Mrs. Stevens is awesome and really great company. She takes my mind off Jack being gone. I’d be climbing the walls without her.” Alice felt guilty leaving her to watch film footage, but she couldn’t pass up a chance to meet with the detective who’d worked her family’s car accident. “I still can’t believe that I didn’t get to go on assignment with Jack. It’s hard not seeing him, but not talking to him is killing me. I just can’t help wondering what’s going on up there. I worry… ” Alice fidgeted in her seat. Kiku had heard it all before.

  “Jack has military training, and even if he is no longer on the force, he is still a police officer inside. He can more than hold his own.”

  “It’s hard not to worry about him. If Jack’s comfort zone had a name, it would be In Harm’s Way. It seems to be where he thrives.” Alice pulled a pair of gloves from her coat pocket and began to put them on.

  Kiku chuckled, her brown eyes sparkling from the street lights.

  “What?”

  “You and Jack are like-minded. Right now, I imagine his thoughts mirror yours and he is lying awake worried for you. It would seem you are already married. You think as one.”

  Alice resisted the urge to squeeze Kiku’s hand. There was something about Kiku that put up an invisible barrier. It would be like petting a tiger. But she knew Kiku was trying to comfort her.

  Kiku pulled up outside a small bar set between a diesel gas station and a used car lot filled with vehicles already blanketed by a fresh inch of snow.

  Zipping up her winter coat, Alice glanced at Kiku’s leather jacket. Fawn-brown and waist-length, it complemented her figure and went well with her jeans and boots—but it was awfully thin. “Is that jacket warm enough?”

  “I do not wear the jacket for warmth,” Kiku said with a smile.

  I suppose if I had a body like hers, I wouldn’t cover it up that much either. “Are you nervous?” Alice asked.

  Kiku laughed. “I have to thank you, Alice—I do enjoy your sense of humor. But I am afraid you are projecting. Something like this does not make me nervous.” Kiku tipped her chin toward the bar. “Meeting two detectives in a seedy bar elicits quite different emotions.”

  Alice studied Kiku. She was only in her mid-twenties, and no wrinkles lined her face, but there was something about her that seemed ancient. As Alice looked into Kiku’s brown eyes, she wondered what they might have seen.

  “You aren’t nervous at all? I’m ready to leap out of my skin.”

  “I am not concerned. It is true that Detective Clark knows something about me. But he trusts Jack. And I trust myself.”

  Alice exhaled. “I guess I was just worried that you were a wanted criminal or something.”

  “Did I say I wasn’t?”

  Alice sat there waiting for some sign that Kiku was joking, but it became clear she wasn’t. Oh, great…

  Alice jumped at the knock on her window. Detective Clark stood outside the car. After they had exchanged greetings, Clark briefed them.

  “Ladies, I thought it was best if I meet you out here, then go in with you and make introductions. I asked him to review the file, but he didn’t know I’d be bringing you. Joe was a good detective—had a memory like a steel trap—but he’s had a hard time leaving it behind. Maybe he remembers too much. Jittery, you know?”

  “Thank you for reaching out to him on my behalf,” Alice said.

  “Happy to help. But I might have picked a bad time to stop carrying my gun.” He gestured to the bar. “This used to be a pretty rough place back in the day.”

  “I am sure we will be fine,” Kiku said. “Shall we, Detective?”

  A man exited the bar, fumbling with his keys. When he saw Kiku, his eyes traveled up and down her body. He stumbled down the stairs and managed not to fall only by grabbing the railing with both hands.

  Kiku winked at Alice.

  Clark’s laugh drifted off as they entered the bar. It didn’t feel like the kind of place where good cheer or laughter were welcome. From the worn wood floor to the ebony bar, all of the furnishings were dark. The oak paneling on the walls seemed to soak up the few dim lights.

  To Alice, the men appeared just as unwelcoming. A group of five big guys in matching blue-and-white shirts surrounded a table on the right near the fire exit, and two more sat at the bar. None were the kind of man she’d want to run into in a well-lit public place, much less a dark and seedy bar. She wished she’d taken the Taser out of her purse and put it in her pocket so it was more accessible—like Jack had taught her.

  “There’s Joe.” Clark headed for a table in the corner.

  An older man leaned heavily on his elbows, staring at the beer bottle and empty shot glass in front of him.

  “Joe.” Clark held out his hand.

  Bloodshot blue eyes searched Clark’s face and slowly softened in recognition.

  “Derrick. Good to see you. Have a seat.” Joe didn’t stand or extend his hand but just nodded to the chair across from his and ran a trembling hand over his stubbly chin. His drawn complexion and the whites of his eyes had a yellowish hue, and Alice didn’t think it was just because of the dim lighting.

  Clark introduced Alic
e and Kiku as friends, and they settled around the table.

  Alice tried not to make a face as she noticed the contrast in the way she and Kiku sat down. Alice had just flopped into the chair, while Kiku had displayed a consummate grace of movement. Always elegant, even in the simple act of sitting.

  “Kiku?” Joe asked. “Like the flower?”

  Kiku nodded.

  “My ex-wife loved them. I couldn’t stand them. They stink; made my nose itch.”

  Alice felt her lip curl slightly at the man’s brusque manner, but once again she noted the difference between her reaction and Kiku’s. Kiku was the one who’d been insulted, but you’d never know it. Her face was a mask, while Alice’s every emotion was written on her face.

  Clark gently defused the tension. “Have you had a chance to look at the police file on the fatal car accident in Westford?” Clark asked.

  “Yeah, and besides, I remember. That’s not something you could see and ever forget.” Joe shook his head like he was trying to erase a picture from an Etch A Sketch screen. “What are you drinking?” He held up his hand and a bored-looking bartender strode over.

  “Draft beer for me,” Clark said to the bartender.

  “For me as well, please,” Kiku said.

  Alice shook her head. “I’m all set, thanks.” She and alcohol didn’t mix well, and the last thing she wanted was to blow a chance to get information about her family’s accident.

  “Draft with a whiskey chaser,” said Joe.

  The bartender walked off, and Joe put his hands flat on the table and looked at Clark. “I’ve been off the job a long time. Why are you asking me about this now?”

  “This is Alice Campbell,” Clark replied.

  Joe blinked a few times as he studied Alice’s face. “The little girl who lived?”

  Alice’s throat tightened, but she nodded. A wave of fear washed over her. She’d spent years trying to forget about that night, and now the thought of stirring up those sleeping memories was making her stomach flip.