Face Off (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #3)

Still, he was more than ready to go back to the good old days when he let someone else pay the bills. He’d been through two marriages so far and neither wife had any inkling of who he was deep inside or what he’d done.

And yet … his first wife must have realized she was dealing with someone dangerous. The day she left him, she abandoned everything she’d owned before they met. The only reason she’d make such a sacrifice was because she understood things would not end well for her if she upset him too much. So he guessed she understood what he was capable of, if not what he’d actually done. He hadn’t heard from her since, so it wasn’t as though she’d ever caused him any trouble. He had no idea where she’d gone. As soon as she had the chance, she moved out of the area where they’d been living at the time, without leaving a forwarding address. She’d run instead of standing up and fighting—unlike Evelyn, who’d been so visible in her crusade against him. Maybe that was why Evelyn mattered infinitely more than anyone else. She was the only one who’d ever really dared to defy him. Even his parents had played along.

He stopped to get a bite to eat at The Dinky Diner. Then he went over to the gas station, where he filled his tank before driving partway down Nektoralik Road. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to go through what he was about to tell Amarok. He just hoped Amarok wouldn’t leave the trooper post while he was driving around, frittering away thirty or so minutes. Jasper had rolled by and seen Amarok’s truck in the lot. He’d been tempted to stop while he had the chance to catch him there. But he’d known he couldn’t deviate from his plan, couldn’t send Amarok out of town too early. Tonight timing would be everything. He’d visited Spenard Road again last night and left Amarok a little present at the shack near the cabin he’d burned down, one that would keep the trooper busy for a couple of hours, at least. But Jasper would still need to make the most of every second Amarok was away, couldn’t waste that time waiting for Evelyn to leave work.

Everything had to come together at once.

After three miles, Jasper turned around. It was starting to get dark. It would be five o’clock when he reached the trooper post, which would be just about perfect. Although Evelyn often stayed late at the prison, he’d walked up to see her before leaving Hanover House himself, told her he’d been talking to Brianne, who was worried about her safety, and that he’d be happy to act as an escort to be sure she got home and remained safe until Amarok could join her. And she’d said that wouldn’t be necessary today, that Amarok would be meeting her at their house as soon as she left at five thirty.

That was valuable information to have. But Amarok could always head home a little early, which was why Jasper wanted to get to the trooper post barely after five. Hopefully Amarok wouldn’t leave that early. And if he did? Jasper would have to catch him at his house.

Either way, everything was going to be fine, he told himself—and he knew that was true when he rounded the corner to see Amarok’s truck still in the lot.

It hadn’t moved.

*

Amarok was so deeply immersed in cross-referencing the flight manifests that he didn’t want to be interrupted. That was part of the reason he’d sent Phil, who had a tendency to talk too much, to get himself some dinner. Amarok would soon be eating with Evelyn, who’d said she’d cook, but he was craving a bit of solitude so he could make some good progress before he had to pack up and move everything to the house.

When the door opened and Makita barked, he assumed it was Phil returning, so he was surprised to hear Andy Smith’s voice.

“Sergeant?”

Amarok pulled himself away from the computer work he’d been doing, trying to get the manifest files ready for cross-referencing, and silenced his dog with a quick, “Makita!” Then he looked at the CO. “What can I do for you?”

“I think I might’ve seen the man responsible for the murders we’ve had here recently.”

Forgetting about the manifests, Amarok got to his feet. This was the first time he’d had anyone—other than Sam, whose reports had been dubious, at best—come forward with possible information. “What do you mean? Where did you see him? What made you think it might be the man I’m looking for?”

Smith appeared to be a little rattled by what he’d just seen. “I was buying some gas and this guy—about my age, I guess—climbs out from behind the wheel of a Ford Excursion at the other pump.”

There was only one gas station in town, and it had exactly two pumps. Amarok could see why Andy might notice the other driver. “Go on.…”

“He accidentally dropped the gas nozzle, and when he bent over, I saw that he had a bandage around his middle. You’d told us to look out for anyone who’d been hurt, remember?”

“Of course I remember.”

“So that caught my attention right away. He stood up and pulled his shirt down really fast, but still … I thought it didn’t mean anything. Finding the guy who killed those girls, seeing him at a gas station, just seemed too easy, you know? I didn’t think I could be that lucky, but I kept watching him, in case.”

“And?” Amarok was eager to get to the bottom line.

“By the time he finished pumping the gas and got back in, I’d convinced myself that I was being a paranoid idiot, so I turned away to take the nozzle out of my own tank. But when I glanced over as he was leaving, I noticed something in the back of his truck.”

Amarok felt his pulse kick up. “What’d you see?”

“I can’t be positive. The windows in an Excursion are tinted, and it was already almost dark out, but I thought I saw someone in there.”

“Someone?”

“A woman. With long, blond hair. She appeared out of nowhere, as if she’d somehow just managed to sit up, and she pressed her hands against the window like … like they were tied and she was pleading with me to save her. I tried to get a clearer look, to be sure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me after seeing that bandage, but the vehicle was already in the street. I couldn’t make out anything behind the dark glass. So I got in my own truck and followed him.”

“Where’d he go?” Amarok asked.

“Down Nektoralik Road. He was driving pretty fast, too. It freaked me out, knowing the cabin where Sierra Yerbowitz went missing is down that way. I kept asking myself if I should continue to follow him and try to help, if there was a woman bound in the back of his SUV, or if I should come back to get you.”

Amarok tensed. “You should’ve come here immediately! Maybe I could’ve caught him before he got too far out of town.”

“I know, but no one wants to be the asshole who raised a false alarm. I just wasn’t sure. I’m still not, to be honest.”

“Did he see you?”

“I think he did. That’s why I turned around. The way he kept looking back at me in his side mirror made me suspect him even more.”

Amarok would give anything for another chance at Jasper. He hoped he wasn’t getting this information too late. He hated to contemplate the disappointment he’d feel if Jasper slipped through his fingers. “I’m glad you came back. At least I know which direction he was heading.”

“So you think it might be him?”

“I do.”

“The bastard who tried to kill Evelyn?”

“Yes. He’s here in Alaska. He’s the one who murdered those women.”

“I’d heard that, but I wasn’t aware you knew for sure.”

“DNA confirmed it today. Did you happen to get the guy’s license plate?”

“Only the first three digits. There was so much mud on the rest of the plate I couldn’t make out any more. The whole truck was filthy, as though he’d been four-wheeling.”

Amarok grabbed his coat and hat and scooped his keys off his desk. “Write down every detail you remember about the man you saw, his truck, the woman in the back—all of it. Put it on that pad right there.” He gestured to indicate Phil’s desk. “I’ll call Phil once he’s back from dinner and have him read it to me while I take Nektoralik to the cabins that are out that way. If I hope to catch him, I can’t waste any more time.”