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CHAPTER FIVE

E mily willed tears away as she considered the families whose loved ones were buried by Boulder Field.

She glanced around to be sure her neighbor wasn’t lurking nearby before climbing out of her vehicle and hurrying up the footpath. She didn’t have the energy to chat today. As she slid her key in the lock, Bob’s voice reached her. She pretended she didn’t hear him and slipped inside. As she heated a can of Campbell’s soup, she prayed for the victims’ families.

When she’d driven away from the park, they were excavating another possible grave. The state police would need to identify at least three Jane Does. Possibly more. She was grateful to the cadaver dogs and their handlers for finding the victims but dreaded working at Hickory Run in the upcoming months. Morbid serial killer enthusiasts would want to visit Boulder Field.

A buzzing drew her attention to her cell phone, so she glanced at the screen. Samantha.

Sam: You off tomorrow? Maybe we could go hiking.

Emily: I am. And I’d love that.

Sam: Your place or mine?

Emily: How about we hike here this week and Promised Land next time? We can save Ricketts for next month.

Sam: Sounds like a plan. I’ll meet you at the park office around 9 a.m.

Emily: Perfect.

Or it would be perfect if it wasn’t being used by a serial killer for a burial place. Maybe word hadn’t spread far and wide yet, and she could enjoy one last hike on her day off before the news became common knowledge. Emily spent plenty of time hiking during the work week leading nature trail walks and occasional night hikes to allow the visitors to spot owls, bats, and other nocturnal creatures, but it was a rare treat to relax and enjoy her time in the woods.

Emily yawned as she drove to the park the next morning. Once again, she hadn’t slept well, but she was looking forward to spending time with her friend away from the chaos of the crime scene.

When she pulled up by the park office, Sam was waiting and not alone.

She took a deep breath and pasted a smile on her face before climbing out of her Ford Fusion to greet her friend, and the man who had haunted her dreams the previous night.

“There you are. We were going to send a search party,” Sam said.

She glanced down at her smart watch. “I’m right on time.”

Wade laughed. “In the military, if you’re not early, you’re late.”

“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t join the service.”

“Your friend here tells me you two are planning on hiking the Shades of Death trail today?”

Emily nodded.

“Haven’t you seen enough shades of death in the past days to last you a lifetime?”

“I picked that trail because it would keep me far away from Boulder Field.” Emily didn’t add that the real reason she chose the trail was because there was less chance of running into him. Seemed no matter what she did, Wade turned up. “Don’t you have the weekend off?”

“Technically, yes, but I wanted to check in on things here and find out if the excavators made any progress with Dr. Mastriano stopping them every few minutes.”

“Did you get any answers?”

“Just returned from there. They finished uncovering the remains. Now we impatiently wait for DNA results so we can follow any leads they produce. We can look into the jewelry found on the victims, but unless they had something incredibly unique, it isn’t likely to help.”

“It might if the family remembered what jewelry they were wearing when they went missing,” Emily said.

“True. Yet somewhat unhelpful if we don’t know whose missing person’s file to look through to find each particular piece.”

“Isn’t it in a searchable database?”

“Some is. Much of it isn’t.”

“Would you care to join us for a hike, Wade?” Sam asked.

Emily jabbed her with an elbow.

Wade noticed the move and chuckled. “I’d love to, but I have some errands to run. I’ll see you ladies around.”

They loaded into Sam’s car to head to the trailhead.

Emily looked over at her friend. “Why did you invite him? What if he’d agreed to join us? We would’ve been stuck with him all day.”

“I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Give the guy a chance. He’s not a teenager anymore.”

“He still thinks Austin and I are seeing each other.”

“You haven’t remedied that yet?”

“No. It’s the easiest way to protect myself from him and his charm.” She frowned. “If he thinks I’m in a relationship, he’s honorable enough to keep his distance.”

“Wow. That’s not even right. You’re using the man’s own goodness against him. Tell the guy the truth.”

“I will.” But when? No time would be best.

“We could probably catch him before he leaves if I turn this car around.”

“No. That can wait.” She looked down at the floorboards. “I’ll tell him. Eventually.”

Sam swatted her arm playfully. “You think he’s charming, huh?”

“No.”

“You let it slip. I believe your exact words were ‘to protect myself from his charm.’”

“Whatever.” Emily tried not to smile but failed. Her friend knew how to say the wrong thing in the right way, so it didn’t agitate as much as amuse.

After their hike, Emily followed Sam into the dim interior of O’Brian’s Mug, and after a five-minute wait, the hostess seated them.

A perky server set their drinks down and offered them a few minutes to peruse their menus.

“I’m glad we decided to go out to dinner. I don’t mind making a tuna fish sandwich or having a can of soup, but occasionally it’s nice to sit down, order, and have someone else bring you food.”

“Does Wade cook?” Sam asked.

“How should I know?”

“If neither of you can cook a respectable meal, that could be a problem.”

Emily glared at Sam. “Stop acting like Wade and I are an item. We’re not. We haven’t been a couple in eleven years. He left. I moved on.”

“I’m not sure ‘moved on’ is accurate. I don’t think you’re over him.” Sam set her menu aside and made eye contact. “You haven’t exactly given other guys a fighting chance. Not even your fake boyfriend Austin.”

“I tried with Austin. I adore him, but we need different things. I want to focus on work, and he wants to find a wife who would settle down, stay home, and raise kids.”

“Are you sure you don’t want those things?” Sam pursed her lips. “Maybe you just didn’t want them with Austin.”

“I’m not going to quit my job to stay home?—“ ”

“Wish I could,” Sam said.

“Seriously?”

“I’d love to stay home if I could find a guy like Austin who would provide for us while I raised our children.”

“I thought you loved your job?”

“I do. But I’d make keeping the home and raising babies my full-time job.”

The server came to the table, and they placed their orders.

“Austin, huh?” Emily asked.

Sam’s face colored at the question. “Not Austin. Someone like him.”

“You like him. How did I not know this before now?”

“Shush. Keep your voice down. One of your co-workers walked in, and I don’t want it getting back to Austin that we were talking about him.”

Emily craned her neck to see who’d come into the restaurant. It was Pete. The man was a chauvinist, but he was pleasant enough otherwise.

He strolled over to their table. “Good evening, ladies.”

“Hi, Pete. Would you care to join us?” Emily asked.

“I’m meeting a date. Too bad. I would’ve enjoyed joining you two lovely women for dinner.”

Sam smiled.

“I’ll see you first thing Monday morning,” Emily said.

“Hopefully, I won’t have to rescue you from a bear again.”

“Funny.”

He ambled up to the bar, and a gorgeous redhead sat beside him.

The server set down their salads, and Emily picked up her fork.

Sam waved her hand to get her attention. “Pete saved you from a bear?”

“No. He helped me disperse a crowd gathered around a sow and her cubs, but he was incredibly rude. The man gets under my skin.”

“He is a man.”

“At least the bears were cute.” Emily grinned around a lettuce leaf.

“Pete’s not bad looking, but Austin is adorable.”

“Is this you admitting you have a crush on Austin?”

“I work at Ricketts, and he works here. An hour-and-fifteen-minute drive on a good day. Long distance relationships don’t work. I wouldn’t even try.”

“You’re both DCNR rangers, so you could transfer here, or he could relocate there. I could ask him if he’s interested.”

“No.” Sam put a hand on Emily’s arm. “I’m not ready. Besides, it needs to wait until after you tell Wade that you and Austin aren’t an item.”

Emily raised her hands in surrender. “Fine. I give up.”

Sam laughed. “Eat your salad.”

Emily stared at her steak but couldn’t eat another bite. She pushed her plate away to prevent the temptation to overeat.

Sam’s eyes widened to saucer proportions as she stared over Emily’s head.

“What’s the matter?” She turned in her chair to see what caused Sam’s reaction, and her gaze met Wade’s. She turned back to Sam. “Did you tell him we’d be here?”

“I didn’t.”

“Maybe he’s meeting a date.”

“That makes sense. He’s handsome and has a good stable job. A woman would have to be crazy not to notice him,” Sam said.

“If you say so.”

“He’s coming this way.”

Emily took a deep breath and counted to three before he arrived at their table. “I didn’t know you two would be here. Do you mind if I join you?”

Sam smiled. “We’re finished eating, but we can keep you company while you eat.”

He looked to Emily for confirmation, and she nodded. What else could she do? It would be rude to refuse.

She scooted over in the booth and Wade sat beside her. He was so close she could feel the heat of his leg next to hers. It didn’t take long for her to notice something was off with him, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was as if his cocky self-assuredness had drained away, and all that was left was the boy she’d fallen in love with back in high school. But, in that moment, she wanted to bring back his easygoing confident grin. “What’s wrong, Wade?”

“Is it obvious something is bothering me?”

“Yes.”

“I was sifting through missing persons’ files all afternoon, and I came across a familiar name.”

“Nora?”

He nodded.

“Was there anything new in her file?”

“There was.” The server brought him a water. He nodded in acknowledgment, but there was a sadness in his smile. “Thank you.”

The server requested his drink order, and he asked for a root beer.

Emily reached out. “What?”

“A police department in Virginia requested her dental records.” He took a sip of water. “Maybe nothing.”

“Do my parents know?”

“I doubt it. The records were in the file, so they would’ve transferred them electronically. Your parents would only be told if there was a positive match. No sense in dredging up old news.”

“But seeing her name brought everything back to the surface for you.” It wasn’t a question. She could see the pain written on his face. Why hadn’t she seen the effect Nora’s disappearance had on him? She’d been so wrapped up in her own pain and her parents’ pain she hadn’t considered how their friends and loved ones were affected.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned it. There is no reason to cause you added stress.”

“The human remains found at the park did plenty to bring my memories to the surface. I’ll be fine once those women are identified and their families are notified.”

The server came and took Wade’s order.

“What makes the Virginia officers think it could be Nora?”

“A man down there bought an old farmhouse. He was doing renovations and found bones inside a wall, but they don’t know who it is. I’m sure they ordered dental records from more than one department.”

“That’s disturbing.”

“Exactly.”

After they sat in silence for several minutes, Sam asked Wade how he got into law enforcement, and the conversational mood lightened considerably. By the time Wade finished eating, Emily had relaxed.

“Emily’s car is back at the park. I’m going to have to take her back.” Sam’s matchmaker skills were obvious. She hoped Wade would volunteer to drive her, but Emily didn’t appreciate the gesture.

He turned to Emily. “I can take you to get it.”

“No. That’s okay.”

“I really don’t mind.”

“Sam brought me here. She can take me back.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting on the road as long as Wade doesn’t mind.”

“I’m happy to do it.” Wade grinned.

She shot daggers at her friend before turning back to Wade. “All right. Thanks for offering.” Sam would get an earful when they next spoke.

Despite Emily’s protestations, Wade picked up their check along with his own, and Sam left the tip.

They walked Sam to her car. “Text when you get home, Sam,” Emily said.

“Will do.” Sam wiggled her fingers and backed out of her parking spot.

Emily stood beside Wade, and they both waved as Sam drove out of the lot.

Emily couldn’t stand the silence in Wade’s truck any longer. “So…”

“It was less awkward with Sam around, huh?”

“Ya think?”

He laughed. “If we’re going to be bumping into one another, think we should get past the awkwardness and become friends? He shifted his gaze to her briefly before turning back to the road. “Do you think you can forgive me?”

She slowly nodded. “I forgave you a long time ago, Wade.”

“You did?”

“I had to for my own piece of mind. The hurt and anger were eating me up. Thankfully, a long talk with another woman in my church helped me to see things from your perspective.”

“I appreciate that. Sounds like a wise woman.” He smiled.

She pushed him playfully.

“Friends?” he asked.

“If someone told me I’d be friends with Wade Brunner a week ago, I would’ve told them they were crazy, but, yes, I think I’d like to be friends.”

“What have you been up to for the past eleven years?”

“Seriously? Eleven years?” She laughed out loud. “School. Work.” She raised an eyebrow. “You?”

“Army. State Police Academy. Work.”

With that out of the way, she relaxed against the seat. “What did you do in the military?”

“31 Bravo. MP.”

“You were military police. I should’ve guessed.”

“It made the transition to state police a natural one.”

“Do you miss the military?”

“Sometimes.” He pulled into the lot at the park office. “Made for a tough transition to civilian life, but I’m mostly happy with my decision.”

She took off her seatbelt and turned to face him. “Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we stayed in touch?”

He raked a hand through his hair. “All the time.”

Uh-oh. “I should get going.” She put a hand on the door handle.

“I’ll come around and let you out.”

“This isn’t a date. I can open my own door.”

“My father taught me to be a gentleman.” He jumped out.

She exited the truck before he could make his way around to her side. “I’ll see you around.”

He watched as she climbed into her car, and she had the feeling he wanted to say more, but he remained silent.

The following morning, Emily smoothed a wrinkle in her long skirt and looked around the parking lot. It was nearly full, which was unusual for White Haven Bible Church. She made her way into the room where the pastor would be teaching. Her usual seat near the front beside Bessie remained empty, so she grabbed a cup of coffee and hustled over.

She asked Bessie when her granddaughter planned to visit next, and the two made small talk until Pastor Clarke cleared his throat to start class.

The study on Jonah hit home. Not only did God give Nineveh a chance to repent, but He also offered that same chance to His prophet: a man who ran away to avoid a hard assignment. How many chances had the Lord given her? Yet, she played judge and jury when it came to Wade and convicted him of all crimes real and imagined. She claimed to have forgiven him, but now she wasn’t sure her forgiveness had been more hypothetical than real. Now she had to put it into practice and stop herself from snapping at him, she felt bitterness sneaking in. It was something she needed to overcome. And she would. With God’s help.

After Sunday School, she ambled over to the main church building. When she approached her pew, she nearly choked on her breath mint when she found Jerry, the maintenance guy from work, in her spot. Before he noticed her, she turned and moved to the back of the church and found a seat among visitors whose names she didn’t know.

Once again, the message on charity seemed directed at her personally. She hadn’t been charitable to Jerry. In fact, she’d been downright rude by not welcoming him to service. Calling him creepy behind his back was even worse.

She didn’t know if the maintenance man had a personal relationship with Jesus. He might need to hear the salvation message. This could’ve been his first time attending a service at a Bible church, and she’d been unwelcoming. She would attempt to rectify her error by taking some time to talk to Jerry after the service.

Her knee bounced as the pastor wound up the message. She wanted to talk to Jerry before he left. As soon as Pastor Clarke dismissed them, she made her way back to the pew where Jerry was seated and found him surrounded by church members taking their time to welcome him. Her guilt grew tenfold. Her church family were strangers to him, but they were more welcoming than she’d been. She waited silently as Bessie gave Jerry a hug. She gave a little wave. “Hi, Jerry.”

“Emily, how are you? I didn’t know you attended church here.”

“I’m glad you could join us this morning,” Emily said.

“I’d better get going. Lots to do at home.”

She invited Jerry to join them at the upcoming church dinner and watched as he made his way out of the church, loosening his tie as he went.

“He seems like a nice young man,” Bessie said.

“I work with him, but I don’t know him well.”

“I see.” Bessie patted her hand where it lay on the side of the pew. “I need to get going, but I’ll see you next week.”

“Sure thing.” Emily expelled a long breath and headed for her car. On the drive back to her house she prayed and asked God for wisdom. Unlike God, she couldn’t see the hearts of the people around her, but with God’s help, she could make better choices and stop thinking the worst of people. Of course, that would be easier to do if a serial killer hadn’t left her a threatening note.

Bob was on his front porch when she pulled up to the curb. He hurried over as she climbed out of her car. She smiled with practiced patience despite her desire to get inside the house and out of her high-heeled sandals.

“Emily, I’m so glad I caught you.” As if it wasn’t obvious he’d been waiting. If he’d been out to enjoy the fresh air, he would’ve been on his back deck overlooking Sunrise Lake.

“Why is that, Bob? Did you need me for something?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d seen the latest news report.”

“I fast from the news on Sundays, Bob.”

“Oh! Well, they mentioned you by name as the one to find that body. I didn’t want you bombarded by press when you got to work tomorrow.”

“I’m sure the press will move on to the next big thing, so I doubt they’ll bother me.”

The man shook his head solemnly before turning away from her and trudging back to his own house. He called out to her when he reached his front door. “Have you considered letting me take you out?”

“I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” She gave him a little wave and headed inside. Bob wasn’t her type and he creeped her out, so she’d rather stay home and study the ceiling tiles then spend time out with him.