In the Shadow of Death (16 page)

Maggie slowed to make the Horsefly Road turnoff. “You'd better hang on. This road's full of potholes. What have you been up to since I spoke to you?”

“Ow!” The Rover had found a pothole.

They were almost at the ranch before he'd finished telling her about his phone call to Debra Wright, his visits to Nordstrom, Teasdale and Guthrie's mother. She laughed so hard at the graphic details of his visit to Sara Guthrie and of Henny playing detective that she had a job to concentrate on her driving. “From what you've just told me,” she said, slowing as the headlights revealed another pothole, “there certainly appears to be another side to Douglas Guthrie. And it seems,” she added, “to be one that Kate doesn't know anything about.”

“Well, this is it,” she said as they turned into the Guthrie's drive. “You'll feel much better after a shower and some food. Kate said she'd keep some supper for you.”

“I thought I was staying in one of the cabins.”

“You are. But Kate insists you eat with us in the house.”

“But when do I get to see you alone?” he asked plaintively.

“I'll come and tuck you in,” she answered with a laugh. She showed him to his cabin and left him to unpack and have a cleanup. “Be as quick as you can.” Maggie gave him a light kiss. “Kate's anxious to meet you.”

“Have you found out anything new?” Kate asked, as soon as the introductions were over.

“Just a little,” he hedged, sitting down at the table. “But I need to be brought up-to-date on everything that's happened here first.”

“I don't think the police are any further ahead,” she answered sadly. “I'm just hoping that you'll have more success.”

“Well, the first thing I need,” Nat said, hungrily helping himself to the food Kate had put in front of him, “is a good night's sleep. Then I'll be able to tackle anything.” He gave a tired smile to Kate. “I hope you don't mind if we talk in the morning.” Having been warned by Maggie that Kate was a blabbermouth, he was not about to tell her anything she didn't need to know, and while they ate, she rambled on, rehashing all the events to date.

Afterwards, Maggie accompanied him to his cabin. “Just look at those stars, Nat! Let's sit outside for awhile,” she said, guiding him to the porch swing. “Do you think I should've told Kate what I found in the mine?” she asked, snuggling down beside him.

“No, not yet. Are you sure no one saw you go in?”

“The only person I saw was the man who stopped my horse, and he wasn't anywhere near the mine. In fact, he . . . ”

“Stopped the horse?”

“Didn't I tell you about the rock slide? I had so much to tell you,” she said, “I guess I completely forgot. The slide spooked poor Angel into bolting and this man ran into the road and grabbed her reins. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't.”

“Rock slide? How did it start, for Chrissake?”

“It must've been the rain. How would I know?”

“What did this man look like?”

“Taller than you. Dark with a straggly beard. Wore one of those big western hats. I can't remember anything else.” She thought for a moment. “Oh, yes. He had an old white truck parked in the trees, and he drove off in it afterwards.”

“Did he look anything like this?” He took Chandler's photograph out of his wallet and passed it to her.

“A bit. But the man I saw had a beard. “I suppose it could be him.”

“Anything else you haven't told me?” he asked, returning the mug shot to his wallet.

“No. Except he made a point of saying I wasn't to tell anyone that I'd seen him.” Maggie stood up. “What's the agenda for tomorrow?”

“Well, after I've spoken to this Hendrix, what say we visit the mine?”

“Fine,” Maggie said. “I'd better get back to the house.”

“Aren't you coming in for a nightcap?” he asked, taking the key out of his pocket and unlocking the door. He pulled her inside the room.

“I thought you were absolutely all in and couldn't wait for a good night's sleep.”

• • •

IT WAS QUITE DARK
when Maggie slipped quietly into the house and up to her room.

At breakfast the next morning, Kate was anxious for the three of them to have a sit-down discussion, but Nat put her off. “Before we do that,” he said, “I need to familiarize myself with the ranch, have a talk with Hendrix and possibly the police, and see for myself where that Jeep accident was.” He'd decided not to tell Kate about his growing suspicions that Douglas might have been seen in Vancouver. “By the way, I met your mother-in-law a couple of days ago,” he said.

“She's quite something, isn't she?” Kate gave a little giggle. “She doesn't think much of me.”

“She's much older than I expected,” Nat answered.

“That's because Douglas was a late-in-life baby,” Kate said. “She dotes on him. No woman is good enough for her boy. Even Debra didn't come up to scratch, and
she
even provided the old biddy with a couple of grandchildren.”

“She really loves that television your husband gave her,” Nat said. “She's already hooked on the soaps.”

“When did he give her that?” Kate asked, surprised.

“A few weeks ago, according to the nurse on duty.”

“No,” Kate said firmly. “We both went to see her on our last visit. He didn't give her a TV then.”

“Perhaps he had it sent,” Maggie cut in. “Woodwards would be only too happy to oblige.”

“Yes,” Kate answered slowly. “Perhaps that's it. But why didn't he mention it to me?”

“I'm going over to talk to your manager, ” Nat said, getting up from the table. “I've a couple of questions to ask, then I want to borrow one of the Jeeps. Maggie's going to show me where the accident happened.”

They found Hendrix in his office, and after introducing Nat, Maggie left them to it.

“You've been with Guthrie a long time,” Nat began.

“Yup. But before you start, I don't know where he is.”

Unperturbed, Nat continued, “Kate told me that on the morning Guthrie disappeared, she heard the two of you talking outside the house.” Nat sat on one of the rickety chairs next to the desk. “Can you recall what it was about?”

“How the hell do you expect me to remember a conversation that happened . . . what . . . over two weeks ago?”

“It was the last day that Guthrie was here. You'd remember.”

“As far as I can recall, it was just things he wanted done while he was away.”

“Did you ever have anything to do with the mine?” Nat asked suddenly.

“The old mine up there? No, it was closed fifty years ago. Ain't nothing up there.”

“No,” Nat said calmly. “I mean the Shadow Lake Mine.”

Hendrix looked startled. “Shadow Lake? Not me. I was too busy keeping the ranch going to get involved with that.”

“You did know the co-owners, though?”

“Yeah. They were all here at some time or other.”

“But Mrs. Spencer tells me you didn't recognize this Sarazine when you helped haul his body out of the ravine.”

“Nobody would recognize you either, Mr. Southby, if you'd been lying dead for at least three days in that ravine.” He gave a hoarse chuckle. “This area is still pretty uninhabited and there are plenty of wild animals around scavenging.” He paused. “Even grizzlies,” he added dramatically. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I've work to do.”

“We need to borrow one of the Jeeps. Mrs. Spencer's going to show me where the accident occurred.”

“You can take the one that's out front. It's been gassed up.”

Nat was impressed with the vastness of the Guthrie range. With Maggie driving, he had a chance to enjoy the spectacular scenery that seemed to change with every added mile. Just before they started up the mine road, Maggie pointed out the trail that cut through the forest to end in the ravine, and the dirt track where she had encountered the bearded man. She stopped the Jeep beside the site of the accident and they climbed out. The yellow tape still flapped in the gentle breeze, and Nat put a protective arm around her shoulders as they peered down into the ravine. He realized how easy it would have been for the sniper to have killed her from this vantage point.
He mustn't have intended to kill her. Just scare her off.
Climbing back into the vehicle, they drove up to the mine.

First she showed him the boarded-up entrance, and then, leading the way to the side of it, showed him the track up to the top. “Have you got your flashlight?” she asked, before starting up. Nat nodded. “Okay, let's go.” As she climbed the familiar path, she could hear Nat puffing away behind her.

“But where's this trap door?” he asked, when they reached the flat stone above the mine.

“Over there, behind those little evergreens,” she said pointing. “Come on, I'll show you.”

A minute later, they were standing beside it, and bending down, Maggie grasped the iron ring and yanked the trap door open to reveal the gaping hole.

Nat looked down into the dark escape hole. “Bloody hell! You went down there on your own?”

“It's not so bad once you're down there,” Maggie lied.

“You'd better go down first and hold the ladder for me,” Nat said. Though it had obviously been installed long after the mine was closed, it still looked a bit frail, and he didn't like to admit that he was a mite claustrophobic when it came to caves or other small dark places.

When he joined her at the bottom, they stood for a few moments, letting their eyes adjust to the blackness, before entering the tunnel that led to the cavern. Maggie, going first, could hear her partner-in-sleuthing stumbling and cursing behind her, but at least this time with two flashlights, they could easily see where they were going.

He flashed his light around the small room, noting the ancient keg, boxes, picks and shovels that Maggie had described. In the meantime, Maggie had moved over to the tarpaulin-covered chest. “Over here,” she called as she folded the tarp back and opened the lid. “Oh my God!”

“What is it?” He moved quickly to stand beside her.

“It's gone. The money's gone!” Her voice had sunk to almost a whisper. “Nat, the money was right there with the briefcase.” She lowered the lid.

“You understand what this means?” he replied, as he helped her to re-cover the cooler. “Someone saw you on Thursday.”

“But there was no one. I would've seen them.”

“What about the man who stopped the horse?”

“No, he was too far away. It would've been impossible for him to have seen me here, then run down the mountain road to where he stopped Angel.”

“How long were you down here?”

“I don't know. I suppose about twenty minutes.”

“That's quite a long time.”

“Yes, but . . . he would've had to follow me up the road in his truck. And Nat,” she added, “I had to go back to get my flashlight from the saddlebag. I would've seen him then.”

“Let's get back up top,” Nat said. “This place is giving me the willies.”

They clambered out, and Maggie watched Nat lower the trap door. “Oh damn!” she said. “I was in such a hurry to show you the money that I forgot to see if the sand and grass I'd scattered over the trap door had been disturbed.”

“Well,” Nat answered seriously, “if the money's gone, then it must've been.” As they stood on the flat rock surveying the area, he pointed further up the mountainside. “Someone could've easily seen you from up there.”

“And I was down there alone.” And she remembered the panic and urgency she had felt as she climbed up to daylight again.

“Yes,” Nat answered, “and I suspect the rock slide was another deliberate attempt to get rid of you.” Sombrely, they made their way down to where they had left the Jeep.

“What now?” Maggie asked. “Corporal Brossard?”

“I suppose,” he replied, letting the Jeep into gear. “But let's stop at that rock slide on the way down.” When they reached the area, they hopped out of the vehicle and gazed upward. “You know, Maggie, I just can't see any real reason for all these rocks to have come down on their own.”

“Why not? There's plenty of them up there.”

“No, look,” he said pointing upward. “The rock face is smooth for a good thirty feet or more and then the wooded slope goes sharply back at a steep angle.” He stepped back, closer to the edge, to get a better look. “I know you said it was raining, but there aren't any streams up there to cause such a big rock slide.”

“But something caused it. Look at them all.”

“No, what's obvious to me is that this slide was deliberate. Someone saw you enter the mine, I'm sure of it.”

“Poor Angel,” Maggie said sadly as they got back into the Jeep. “I remember I had been thinking how difficult it was for her to keep her footing on the wet gravel, and then the rocks just started coming down.”

“Poor Angel, nothing! Suppose one of those rocks had hit you?” Nat put the Jeep into gear again. “Show me where you saw the truck.”

“Down there,” Maggie said, pointing to the narrow track. But when they reached the area, apart from the tread marks where it had been parked, there was no sign of the vehicle.

“I suppose we'd better go and see Brossard,” Maggie said again as they neared the ranch.

“Wait till I've spoken to Sawasky. He's running a check on Guthrie and his pals.” They parked the Jeep, and while Nat went into his cabin to clean up, Maggie continued to the house.

“So what did Nat have to say about the ravine?” Kate asked when she arrived in the kitchen entrance.

“He was horrified,” Maggie answered.

“Did you go down there?” Kate asked. “You're covered in dirt.”

“We hunted around the mine entrance,” Maggie improvised. “It's still pretty muddy up there from all the rain. I'll go and change.”