Darby's Decision, page 7
Gage didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I don’t like coincidences. Steve told us a man fitting Reyes’s description took this hike on Friday. Today is Tuesday, and we find a squirrel embedded to a tree. It feels like a warning of some kind. Reyes must have been the one to do this, maybe hoping that if another hiker stumbled across it, they’d tell your boss and you’d hear about it, maybe check it out for yourself.”
That was a lot of supposition, but she couldn’t come up with anything better. Especially since the squirrel was killed after she’d crashed into a tree when the zip line broke. “Do you think Reyes is still out here?”
“It’s hard to say.” Gage glanced around the area. “You know this area better than I do. Is there another way out of here? Maybe a shortcut to a different trail?”
Having something constructive to consider helped steady her nerves. She nodded slowly. “The Hawk Eye Trail isn’t far. It will be rough going through the woods, though. We’ll make more noise than if we simply take the Willow Point Trail back down.”
Gage took a long moment to consider their options. “We weren’t hiking long, maybe fifteen minutes, so heading back down the trail seems reasonable.” He rose to his feet. “Stay in front of me, Darby. I’ll cover your back.”
The thought of Reyes shooting Gage in the back brought on another wave of nausea. “Maybe we just stay here and call the police.”
“About a dead squirrel?” Gage shook his head. “They can’t do anything about that. For all we know kids could have been playing out here.”
The idea of kids impaling the squirrel onto the tree wasn’t much better than imagining Reyes doing the deed. But she understood what he meant. “Okay, let’s go, then.”
She stood and eased silently through the brush toward the trail. Gage followed close behind. Darby resisted the urge to look over her shoulder, concentrating instead on getting down the trail to civilization.
Being in a crowd of people was something she normally avoided if at all possible, but not now. She didn’t want to put anyone else in danger, but she also didn’t want to be alone. To this point, the attacks were targeted specifically at her and Gage.
If Reyes shot up an entire group of people, the police wouldn’t rest until they tracked him down.
The urge to get to the police department had her increasing her pace, her body tense as she prepared for the worst. Gage didn’t have any trouble keeping up, and she was reminded again at how much better he looked than the last time she’d seen him, six years ago.
Twenty-four hours before she’d been arrested.
Working construction had honed his muscles and tanned his skin. Streaks of gold shimmered in his brown hair, highlighted from his time in the sun. There was a lot to admire about Gage, and it occurred to her how unusual it was for two former druggies to have put their criminal pasts behind them.
Darby burst into the clearing near the adventure park office building. For the first time since seeing the squirrel, she relaxed, tension easing from her.
“We made it.” She glanced at Gage as he stood beside her.
“Yeah.” Gage still looked a bit antsy, sweeping his gaze over the area. “Let’s go. We’ll take a rideshare to the police station.”
“Sounds good.” She led the way down the adventure park to the main road. Within minutes, a car pulled up beside them.
“Gage?” the driver asked.
“Yes.” Gage took one last look over his shoulder before following her into the car. She wondered if he’d heard someone moving along the trail behind them.
Gage gave the driver the address for the police station. The air-conditioning streaming from the vents felt nice against her sticky, sweaty skin.
She felt Gage’s muscles relax as the driver pulled away. “Did you hear something back there?”
“No, but we were vulnerable to an attack.” He reached over to take her hand. “I don’t like knowing you’re in danger, Darby.”
“Back at you.” She tried to smile. “But we’re okay. And the police will surely follow up on Reyes.”
“I hope so.” Gage stared down at their joined hands for a long moment. “After we talk to the police, I think you should stay with Leo and Edith for the rest of the week.”
For a fraction of a second, she wanted to agree. But she shook her head. “No, Gage. What if my going there puts them in danger?”
“I need to know you’re safe, Darby.” Gage’s hand tightened on hers. “I don’t like the way Reyes scoped out the adventure park last Friday, mere days before your cable broke.”
Followed hours later by the gunfire outside the Knotty Pine Motel. She tightened her grip on his hand. “I don’t like it either, but once the police find Reyes, the danger will be over.”
“Yeah.” Gage didn’t sound convinced. “If they can tie him with evidence to the crimes.”
That punctured the balloon of hope in her heart. For a moment, she considered asking Gage to go with her to stay with Leo and Edith, but then she realized that would only prolong the inevitable.
Even if they did disappear for a while, Reyes wasn’t going to simply pick up his toys and go home. No, he’d hang out, watching and waiting for them to return.
Unless they left Knoxville to relocate somewhere else? She instinctively recoiled from that idea.
She liked her job and the townhouse she shared with Leo and Edith. Gage had a good job too. Leo had his preschool friends and would start kindergarten in the fall.
Not to mention her narcotics anonymous support group was here. It wouldn’t be hard to find another program, they were located in almost every city, but she liked the group of people she met with each week.
The fact that she was already imagining a future with Gage, not a personal relationship but as Leo’s father, surprised her. And made her more determined than ever to find a way to get Reyes behind bars.
Their rideshare driver let them off in front of the police station. Gage held her hand as they went inside, and she wondered if he needed the physical connection between them the same way she did.
“We’d like to talk to whoever is investigating the broken cable at the Great Outdoor Adventure Park,” Gage announced. “Ms. Walsh is the victim in that near fatal event.”
“Just a moment please.” The woman behind the bulletproof glass picked up a phone and spoke so softly Darby couldn’t hear what she said. “Please wait, Detective Pride will be with you shortly.”
“Thanks.” Gage glanced at her. “Did you talk to a detective yesterday?”
“No. Just an officer. It’s probably a good sign they’ve assigned a detective to the case.”
Gage nodded. “Yeah. Although I would have thought he’d want to talk to you. Could be he tried to find you at the townhouse.”
“Why not call me?” She patted her phone. “I still have my cell.”
Gage frowned, but before he could say anything, a man roughly their age emerged from the locked door. “Ms. Walsh? I’m Detective Joel Pride.”
“Darby, and this is a friend of mine, Gage Killion.” She eyed the detective. “We’d both like to discuss the cable incident, among others.”
He narrowed his gaze. “I believe the cable was nothing more than an accident, but we can certainly discuss it if you’d like.” His tone belied his words. Pride didn’t seem to want to talk with them at all, especially given the way he kept glancing at his watch.
“Yes, I would like to discuss it further,” Darby said forcefully. “Hasn’t anyone mentioned the gunfire at the Knotty Pine Motel?”
Pride sighed and stepped back. “This way.” He raised his voice to reach the woman behind the desk. “We’ll be in interview C.”
“Okay,” the woman agreed.
Darby continued clutching Gage’s hand as they followed the detective through the door and down a narrow hallway. The fact that he’d so easily dismissed the cable as an accident bothered her. Especially after they’d almost been hit by gunfire.
As she dropped into a seat across from the detective, she found herself wondering what on earth she and Gage could do if the police didn’t believe them.
Gage inwardly seethed at Pride’s dismissive tone but held his anger in check. He decided to let Darby take the lead, ready to jump in to help as needed.
“I’ve been working at the Great Outdoor Adventure Park for three years,” Darby began. “Never once has a cable failed until yesterday morning.”
“Zip lines are notoriously dangerous,” Pride pointed out.
She lifted a hand. “You didn’t let me finish. I have seen a cable wear down, begin to sag in the middle. That wasn’t at all what happened here. The cables are also on a routine maintenance schedule, which was done just three months ago in the spring. We always gear up for the tourist season.”
Gage almost smiled in satisfaction when the detective sat back in his seat with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Furthermore, it wasn’t long after that cable broke that Mr. Killion and I were outside the Knotty Pine Motel. You really think that someone shot at us by accident?” Darby waved an impatient hand. “Come on, it’s clear someone is trying to hurt me. And Mr. Killion.” She turned toward him. “Tell him about your rear-end collision.”
He picked up the story. “Last weekend I was coming home from working a Saturday shift with the Morehead Construction company when a black SUV rear-ended me. I managed to stay on the road, and the driver took off. There’s a police report on file about it, and my white truck still has a sizable dent in the rear bumper. Oh, and my truck is still parked at the Knotty Pine Motel, along with Ms. Walsh’s sedan. I believe the same man, Tyrone Reyes, is responsible for all three incidents.” He drew out the articles he and Darby had printed at the library, pushing them across the table.
“See this guy?” Darby tapped the picture of Reyes. “One of my co-workers believes he attended a nature hike on Friday. Three days before the zip line cable failed.”
For the first time since they’d started their tale, Detective Pride looked interested. He leaned forward and looked at the mug shots of Reyes and Archer. “Why would this man try to hurt you?”
Gage drew in a breath, knowing this was where things would get sticky. “Because when I was arrested six years ago, I gave the state evidence of his drug running. He went to jail as a result of my testimony.”
“And I mentioned his name to the police as well,” Darby added. “Look, I know how this looks, both Gage and I have troubled pasts. But you need to know we’ve both put that behind us. We’re working and staying clean. We learned Reyes is out of jail, maybe because he’d ratted someone out too. It’s no stretch of the imagination to think he’s come after us to settle a score.”
A flash of annoyance crossed the detective’s face. Gage knew it was because of his criminal record.
“Hey, attempted murder is still a big deal. Just because we were mixed up in something we shouldn’t have been six years ago doesn’t mean it’s okay for someone to try to kill us now.” He pinned the detective with a narrow look. “Maybe you don’t realize that Ms. Walsh has a five-year-old son. Does that child deserve to lose his mother to this maniac?” He gestured to the article on Reyes. “And what if the kid gets in the way, huh? Are you going to sit back while some innocent kid dies because you didn’t take us seriously?”
“I never said I wasn’t taking your concerns seriously.” Detective Pride backed down beneath his verbal assault. “I can see how these three incidents might be related.”
Might? Gage had to bite his tongue.
“I’m curious as to whether or not Reyes is still on probation,” Darby said. “It’s possible he’s with Archer, which would violate his probation, correct?”
“There’s no evidence they’re together,” Pride countered. “What was the name of that employee who recognized Reyes? I’ll talk to him.”
“Steve Auckland. He’s working the balance bridge today with Teddy O’Neil.” Darby reached for the articles. “I would think you’d at least want to bring Reyes in for questioning. See if he has an alibi for the timeframe of the incidents.”
“This isn’t a TV show.” There was a hint of derision in the detective’s tone that set Gage’s teeth on edge. “If I can verify that Reyes was at the park, I’ll put out a BOLO for him.” He stared at them. “Anything else?”
Darby glanced at him, silently asking if they should mention the impaled squirrel. Gage shook his head. “No, that’s all.” He rose, drawing Darby up beside him. “Thanks for your time.”
“Yes, we do. I just hope you find Reyes before he tries to hurt us again,” Darby added. “I would appreciate any updates in the case as well.”
“Of course.” Detective Pride joined them at the door. “I believe we have your number on file, Ms. Walsh.”
“I would feel more comfortable if you’d take down Mr. Killion’s number as well.” Darby spoke politely, but her narrowed gaze indicated she wasn’t happy. “He is as much a victim in this as I am. And we should both be included in any updates you’re able to provide.”
“Sure.” Pride made a show of pulling out his notebook. “What’s your number?”
Gage rattled it off, not believing for a moment the guy intended to keep them updated on his progress. Despite the fact that Pride did give them both copies of his business card.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything else they could do now other than wait for the detective to validate with Steve Auckland that Reyes had been at the park on Friday. Gage hoped Steve took the detective up the trail far enough to see the impaled squirrel.
If it was still there. It could be ravaged by wildlife by now, or even removed by whoever had stuck it there.
The entire time he’d followed Darby down the trail there had been a nagging itch along the back of his neck.
As if someone was watching from deep in the woods.
Not that sitting and watching was Reyes’s style. If the former drug dealer had been back there, Gage felt certain he’d have taken a shot at them. Especially since there wouldn’t have been any witnesses.
In fact, he’d been braced for that to happen with each step they’d taken.
But now that they were safe, he figured the feeling had been nothing but sheer paranoia. Ironic that he needed to watch his back, and Darby’s, more now than he had while in prison. Despite the horror stories some people told, he couldn’t complain too much about how he’d lived over those four years. Thankfully, he’d been in a minimal security prison, away from those who committed crimes like murder and human trafficking.
If they could prove Reyes was involved in the attempts against them, Gage hoped the guy would do time in a maximum security facility.
Where he belonged.
He and Darby left the police station on foot. He was going through his savings at a fast rate and didn’t want to call for yet another rideshare. “Are you hungry? We can find someplace to eat.”
“That works.” Darby glanced at him. “Do you think the detective will find Reyes?”
“I hope so.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a lot of faith in him.” Darby sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “The minute he heard you did time his whole attitude changed.”
“It’s not the first time that’s happened,” he felt compelled to point out. “And probably won’t be the last.”
“It’s not fair, Gage. The fact that you’ve turned your life around should count for something.”
“No one said life was fair.” He caught her hand. “You and I both know that all too well.”
“Yeah.” She grimaced. “Tell me about it.”
He carefully broached the subject of faith, or her lack thereof. “I know it’s hard to understand why God allows children like us to be abused. It’s one of the aspects of faith I spoke to Pastor Davies about at length. You can see people living wonderful lives, seemingly unfazed. And yes, it truly isn’t fair for some children to go hungry, be abused, die of cancer before their tenth birthday . . .”
There was a long pause before she looked at him. “And what did that pastor of yours have to say about that?”
“He agreed there is evil in the world and many suffer for it. Even Jesus was horribly abused and tortured before he was killed. And the reason God sent Jesus to live among us was to prove that if we loved and believed in God, we would be saved.”
She didn’t respond, and he hoped that meant she was considering what he’d said. They turned up a side street where a family-style restaurant was located.
“I still find it hard to believe that God would allow bad things to happen to children,” she finally said. “They are the true innocents in all of this.”
“I know, Darby.” He offered a tired smile. “I agree it’s difficult to comprehend but look at where we are now. Reyes and Archer aside, we’ve both risen above our respective pasts. We’ve moved on with our lives. You’re raising a wonderful little boy. Think back to when we first met, did you ever think we’d be standing here like this?”
“No,” she frankly admitted. “Never.”
“Exactly. I believe God had a hand in our success. That maybe this was all a part of God’s plan all along. That if we hadn’t done those bad things, we may not be here today.”
“Maybe.” Her voice lacked conviction.
“Darby.” He put a hand on her arm, stopping her progress. Having this discussion in the middle of the sidewalk wasn’t optimal, but he needed to help her understand. “If you and I hadn’t met when we did, you wouldn’t have Leo.”
She gazed into his eyes for a moment, before looking away. “Believe me, Gage, I’ve often thought of that. Without Leo . . .” She shrugged. “I doubt I’d be alive. I was close to spiraling out of control back then. And I had no interest in changing until I discovered I was pregnant, shortly before my arrest.” She put a hand over her lower abdomen as if remembering that moment. “I changed my life for Leo. And so far it’s been working out. One day at a time, or so my counselor says.”
“One day at a time,” he agreed. “I was more about making money back then, but I did my share of drugs in an effort to forget.”
