Nora Roberts Land(115)
“But Tanner’s an extreme risk taker. He’s mentioned wanting to go. We’ve had some sunny weather, making it the perfect outing for an adventuresome couple like you two. It’s an excellent day for snowmobiling, don’t you think?”
“But it’s an avalanche basin.”
His mouth formed a maniacal grin “Yes, it is.” He lifted his phone in her direction. “Now, say cheese.”
She froze, rooted to the spot. She prayed Tanner wouldn’t come.
Barlow planned to kill them.
Chapter 51
Tanner tossed the yellow envelope into the passenger seat and waved goodbye to Hugo. Peggy would test the Swiss army knife for prints as soon as she received it in the mail tomorrow. Maybe it would give them their first piece of direct evidence.
He didn’t care if Arthur was calling in the cavalry. If he could hand them someone’s fingerprints, he would. That would be more damaging than a lab test. No question.
Tanner thrust his homemade coffee in the cup holder. It sloshed out, making him curse. His routine was shot. No morning swim or coffee. He tried not to think about how much it had hurt not to have Meredith in his bed this morning. It wasn’t just his routine, he realized.
It had become his life.
Nothing he could do to change the situation until he solved the case and told her the truth.
Tanner’s phone buzzed with a text as he drove down his driveway. He hit the display and swerved when he saw it was from Meredith.
Found something. Evidence at Killer Pass. Headed there now. Don’t tell Peggy yet.
Damn her. Even after last night she wasn’t backing down. He threw the phone aside. His gut quivered. What could she have found this morning? The place where Kenny had hidden his car and the drugs?
Dammit, he’d told her to stay out of it! What was it going to take? Wasn’t pulverizing her heart into dust enough?
He scanned the glen of trees, thinking. Why tell him? Okay, maybe she wanted to prove that she wasn’t giving up on the case. Even as pissed off as she was, who else would she tell? Her grandpa? He couldn’t climb Killer Pass.
Still, the allusion to Peggy bothered him.
Was it a trap?
He started counting to ten to calm down, but got as far as four before he slammed his fist on the steering wheel.
“Fuck!”
He took the curve too fast, sliding, fighting for control of the vehicle. Locking his hands around the wheel, he headed there to meet her.
It didn’t matter if it was legit or a trap.
It involved Meredith.
He didn’t have a choice.
***
Kenny was leaning against Barlow’s car when he arrived at Killer Pass. Tanner scanned the space as he left his vehicle. The snowmobile caught his eyes. He didn’t see Meredith anywhere. His guts oozed out of his body.
“I had a feeling Meredith wasn’t feeling up for a hike today. Where is she?”
He caught the phone Kenny tossed him. Meredith’s picture shone on the display. She was squinting in a sea of snow. She looked scared.
“And yet you came. Must be love,” Kenny drawled sarcastically. “Turn around. Hands on the car. Feet spread.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
The punch Kenny delivered to his guts made him grit his teeth.
“Give me your phone.”
When he handed it over, Kenny shoved him forward. “Okay, let’s go.” Kenny pointed to the snowmobile. “You take the back. If you try anything, I’ll shoot you. And she’ll die.”
His words burned like a brand. Tanner kept his breaths slow and deep, trying to maintain his focus. If he could get to her, he could save her. He had to believe that.
“You will anyway, right? Me too. Isn’t that the plan?”
“Shut up.”
Tanner straddled the seat behind Kenny. He hadn’t killed before, but now he understood how a man could be driven to murder. He’d do anything to protect Meredith—and himself.
Snow misted his face as they cut through the trail, the engine revving. Tanner looked up at the sun, its rays hot on his black fleece. The snow was wet and dense under the snowmobile. He knew that Killer Pass had a reputation for avalanches. He’d learned a fair bit about avalanches in Afghanistan, where mountains towered above many of the villages he’d visited. Moderate weather alone wouldn’t do the trick.
He had a bad feeling the criminals were planning on helping Mother Nature craft another accident.
He wasn’t going to let that happen.
In the distance, he spotted Meredith’s red coat and another dark form—his gut told him it was Barlow.
His breath caught in his throat as he peered across the acres of snow. He’d seen his share of avalanche basins, but this one took the cake. The Great Wall curved like a comma. The rock face was pocked with holes, small havens for birds or bats, and a few larger openings dotted the harder-to-reach areas.