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EIGHT

EMERALD FALLS

Derrick talked to several guests who remembered meeting Ellie, but none of them had heard from her or seen her since breakfast.

“She mostly kept to herself,” a woman in a red dress said.

The woman’s husband wrinkled his brow. “She seemed troubled.”

“We knew she was a detective so we kept our distance,” a younger guy stated. “I thought she might be here investigating a case.”

“Me too,” his girlfriend added. “I saw her on the news a while back, that she caught a serial killer.”

Ellie was earning quite the reputation.

Derrick thanked them, then looked up to see Cord coming down the stairs. “She’s not here. I’m going to hike to the falls and hunt for her.”

“I’m going with you,” Derrick said.

Cord gave a nod, and they went to his truck to retrieve their hiking gear. Always prepared, Cord also grabbed a backpack full of emergency supplies. He’d taken one of Ellie’s ski hats from her room; he let Benji sniff it, then Cord and Benji set off to lead the way.

Derrick admired the way Cord and the dog seemed to be in sync as Cord guided them onto the trail. The wind hammered the trees, roaring like a wild animal. Snow swirled and created a thick blanket of white on the ground, covering the fall leaves and flowers in the garden area. Derrick spotted deer running through the forest as they followed the trail, pushing at brush and weeds along the way.

Icicles were starting to form like jagged knives from the tree limbs that were already bowing from the weight of the snow. Twigs and sticks cracked, limbs breaking off. Derrick adjusted his ski hat, battling the freezing temperature and scanning every direction for Ellie.

He and Cord shouted her name over and over, using flashlights to peer through the snowy branches. A mile in, then they veered left. Benji barked and took off running, sniffing the ground as he trotted.

Derrick and Cord followed, Derrick’s heart racing. His boots dug into the snow as they hiked another half mile before he heard the roar of the falls as the water spilled over the rocky ridge.

Although the scenery was majestic, Derrick couldn’t enjoy it for the fear pressing against his chest.

Cord threw up a hand as Benji came to a stop. “The pond is frozen over although ice in that section is cracked so we need to go around.”

“There are footprints near the edge,” Derrick said.

Cord walked closer and examined them. “Look about the size of a woman’s boots.”

Cold fear washed over Derrick. Ellie was tough and tenacious. But… what if she’d fallen into the pond and drowned?