Arctic Witness Read online

  Sean’s memory flickered with recognition. He’d said something similar to Trooper Will Stryker when he’d been trying to keep the woman Will was falling for safe. “I’ve had my fill of bold and stupid criminals lately.”

  Gabriel stood and paced the length of the room with Bear at his side. “Agreed, but Ivy also has a point. She’s the most qualified to help us investigate the evidence without dogs or troopers getting maimed. If her babysitter is willing to watch Dylan in a new location for the morning, we might get what we need to wrap this case up by nightfall.”

  Despite his pessimism, hope sputtered to life in his chest. “All right. I give up. If Ivy’s willing...”

  “You know I am,” Ivy murmured, bouncing Dylan on her knee.

  The toddler smiled contentedly, then turned around and climbed up her shoulder. “Mama. Doggy.” Her face glowed with joy as she kissed his cheek in response.

  Sean’s insides turned cold. He couldn’t really pinpoint exactly why that happened every time she kissed her baby boy.

  “Speaking of tracking our suspect down...” Helena interjected. “Gabriel, did you get the rundown about our guests from Fiona, too?”

  Gabriel smirked. “Yes, along with a history of the best and finest visitors ever to grace the shores of the Golden Beaches. I don’t believe any of the guests in the dining room are suspects. Bear or Luna would’ve given us some unusual behavior. Especially Luna if she got her teeth close to the man.”

  “That’s true,” Helena said.

  Gabriel held up an index finger. “But I’d like to follow up with the man who wants to buy huskies for an Iditarod team. Ask him a few questions and perhaps interview the breeder he’s here to see.”

  “Mark Gilles is his name,” Helena said. “And I think that’s a good idea.”

  Sean pondered the new information. “You want to interview him because of the husky Ivy spotted? Sounds like a peripheral lead, but I’m all for turning every stone.” He nodded at Gabriel. “So you’ll take the interview? I think Helena might be more useful at the shack if Luna really got that close to the suspect.”

  Helena stood and wiggled her fingers at Dylan. “Let’s get this cute little guy somewhere safe with Minnie and hit the road.”

  Thirty minutes later, Sean drove the Jeep back in the direction of the shack. A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed Helena trailed behind them in the SUV. In the back seat of the Jeep, Grace had settled her head into the now-empty car seat. He wanted to let off a joking warning about not getting too attached to the boy, but he had a feeling the commentary would fall flat. Ivy sat rigid in the passenger seat.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “You don’t have to do this, you know?”

  She blinked rapidly and pulled her shoulders back. “I’m actually glad to go back to the scene so soon, with you and Helena. It’s like getting back on a horse after you’ve fallen. This is my home. I can’t be scared to be here. I’ve always loved going until the road ends. Dad would take us to the Niukluk River to fish for fun.”

  Sean pulled his chin back. “For fun? You mean for food?”

  “We usually went to the store for food. I mean we needed to know how to catch a fish in the event we needed to, but...” She eyed him. “You might have a different idea of my childhood than the reality of it.”

  “I’m just a little surprised, I guess. You said you didn’t want to raise a child the same way you were raised.”

  “That was back when I was under the impression you still wanted kids. Just because I don’t want to repeat the choices my parents made doesn’t mean I didn’t learn a lot of valuable things from my childhood. Clearly, there are a lot of things I love about the survivalist way of life or I wouldn’t have chosen the occupation I did.” Her voice lost the earlier warmth. “Please stop at the mission first. I’d like to pick up some supplies that’ll make it easier to spot the traps.”

  He flipped on the turn signal in advance to give Helena warning. Grace sat up in the back and stared right into the mirror. It seemed like she was shaking her head ever so slightly as if even she knew he’d put his foot in his mouth. He pulled into the gravel parking lot and parked right next to the trooper SUV he’d left in the lot the night before.

  “Sean—”

  The side door, ajar, waved back and forth in the arctic breeze. There was no way Helena would’ve left that open. “Stay here.”

  He stepped out of the Jeep and reached for his holster, with a glance at his colleague. “I see it,” Helena said. “I know I locked up before I left. I’ll lead with Luna to check it out.”

  “I’ll be your backup.” Sean turned around and led Ivy and Grace into his trooper vehicle. “You’ll be safer inside here.” Though, he hoped they wouldn’t need the extra ballistic protection the vehicle offered. “Wait here until I give the all clear.” Ivy wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. “Grace, protect.” He flipped the locks and closed the door.

  Helena waited on the stairs to the deck. He jogged up behind her and they approached with renewed caution. She grabbed the swinging door, keeping it from slamming closed again.

  He tapped her on the shoulder. “Let me peek through the windows before you go in.” He kept his hand on his weapon as he stepped past the doorway. With an uneasy feeling in his gut, he flattened his back against the small strip of siding in between the doors and windows, then peeked inside. Great. Just as he’d suspected. The store was destroyed. Nothing left on the shelves. Everything scattered on the ground. “Ransacked. No sign of anyone, but I can’t see the upstairs apartment.”

  Helena nodded and shouted inside. “State Troopers! Hands up and exit the building. I’m about to release the dog and she will bite you.”

  They waited, staring at the empty threshold for what seemed like forever. Then he gave the nod. Helena released Luna and the dog tore through the building at breakneck speed. She ran back, panting, the familiar look of disappointment. “No one’s here.”

  “So, was the ransacking a statement? Or was he looking for something?” Helena placed her hands on her hips and stepped inside.

  Sean followed her. “Assuming it’s the same guy, I think he’s after something.” His heart pounded harder with the implication. “Ivy said the man demanded to know where something was. He never said what.”

  “I think it might be helpful to ask her again. She might remember something, a small detail, which could prove invaluable.” Helena gingerly moved a backpack on the floor with her foot. Blankets, ropes, packaged food and every other necessity needed in the wild were strewn all over the floor. “We’ll also need her to give us an inventory list and a statement. She might notice something missing. Maybe he got what he was looking for. Does she own this place?”

  His neck heated. He wasn’t 100 percent sure. Ivy had talked a lot about the mission and her life in Nome the last time they’d spoken on the phone, but she’d also never mentioned Dylan. There might be other things she’d held back. “A friend owns this, I believe. Ivy just manages the place and lives here.” He nodded toward the stairs. “I want to do one more sweep upstairs before we bring her in.”

  Helena glanced at Luna but nodded.

  “I’m not questioning Luna’s skills. She would’ve let us know a person was here, but I want to make sure he didn’t leave some gruesome kind of threat for Ivy anywhere.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that.” She nodded to the door. “We’ll start the inventory down here while you check.”

  The stairs creaked as he took the steps two at a time. Entering her living space was surreal. This was where Ivy lived, without him. The living room held a love seat with a purple afghan. Sean’s lips quirked. She loved purple. The kitchen and dining room were adjacent in the open layout. He passed by the kitchen counter on the way to the two bedrooms. In the center was a stack of papers with a pen to the side. Had he been right? Had the
man left a written threat?

  His eyes drifted to the top of the sheet. Adoption Application Letter of Intent. His fingers rested on the papers. Foster care was one thing...but adoption? His insides churned. No wonder she refused to leave. She wouldn’t go anywhere without her soon-to-be son.

  He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds. There was no going back. No trying again. She had a child, and he needed to accept it and shut the door on any what-ifs for their relationship. The only way to do that was to make sure she was safe. The man had gotten careless. They’d catch him, but he needed proof to make the murder charges stick. Ivy’s and Helena’s voices could be heard from below. Grace sprinted up the stairs to his side. Timely. They had a body to find.

  * * *

  Ivy tightened the paracord to the thin branch she’d found on the dirt road near the river.

  “Are you—” Sean began.

  “I haven’t changed my mind, Sean. Besides, I need something to distract me from the state of the store and my apartment.” Truth was her insides still vibrated as intensely as the two other times that man had violated her personal space. First, the kidnapping, then breaking into her room. And now...this. It was almost too much. Pawing through all her belongings and vandalizing the mission almost broke her. The back of her neck tingled as if the man was watching her still. She couldn’t escape him. Ivy turned her back to Sean so she could squeeze her fists tight without his noticing. It was either that or scream in frustration. “This is the only thing I know to do. I’m also good at tracking.”

  “I know.”

  “Please let me do what I can.” And if she didn’t succeed today, she’d take Dylan to the bunker. Away from the world. Safe. They’d stay there as long as it took.

  “So what’s the plan?” Helena approached her with Luna at her side.

  “I walk forward with this stick outstretched. The cord is weighted just enough to hang straight down but light enough it won’t trigger any trip wires. We should be able to see if it catches on anything before we step into danger.”

  Sean reached out his hand. “I’ll hold it, then.” She opened her mouth to argue, but his eyes narrowed. “Ivy, I draw the line at you going into the trees first. Besides, you’ll probably be able to notice faster if you’re not the one holding the paracord.” He offered Grace’s leash. “Trade?” At her resigned nod, he glanced at Grace. “Heel. Ivy.” He pointed.

  Grace shuffled backward, her spine straight and her head perfectly aligned with Ivy’s left foot. “I didn’t think she’d be willing to work with anyone but you.”

  “She won’t. She knows you, so I think she understands what I’m asking. Even without the leash, I’d expect her to remain in a heel with you until I release her.” He tilted his head with a smile. “She’s the best partner I’ve ever had.”

  Luna huffed behind them, prompting Helena to laugh. “No need for jealousy, Luna. You’re the best partner I’ve ever had, too.”

  Sean turned around and held his arm straight. The stick added a good four to five feet from his arm and the cord dangled just as Ivy had hoped. “Stay behind and be my eyes.” He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “Here we go.”

  Ivy’s heart rate sped up. Grace leaned against her leg for the briefest of moments. Was she trying to comfort her? Ivy fought against blinking, watching the string and scanning the environment for potential setups. There. The tip of the branch on the right tree hung down in a curve. “Stop!”

  Despite it still being daylight, she’d found a flashlight on the floor of her shop and brought it along. She flipped it on and pointed its light at a branch. The beam produced a reflection off a thin filament. And while the line might seem like a spiderweb to most, she knew better. “Stay put a second.” She dropped the leash, and Sean commanded Grace to stay. With a flick of her knife, she cut the line and located the spikes, hidden in the tall grasses, set to be used as projectiles. “Hopefully, the cord would’ve caught it, but if I can spot them before we get that far, even better. You were right. If I’m not holding the cord, I can see more.”

  She hated admitting her failures and weaknesses to Sean, no matter how small. Their divorce was like a giant F on her report card in marriage. He seemed to have changed in many ways. The old Sean would’ve stubbornly refused her help, even with her expert qualifications, and she would’ve defiantly refused his.

  He seemed more thoughtful now, too, but maybe that was just because he was on the job. He brought his best to work. She always knew that. And besides, she was becoming a mom, so she really needed to stop caring what he thought of her.

  She picked the leash back up and took a step forward, but Grace didn’t budge. Sean grinned. “Heel to Ivy.” The journey through the thick grasses was slow going. A few yards later, Grace whined before the dangling paracord had caught on anything.

  “I think this is the trap she found last time,” he said.

  Grace made a noise two other times, the paracord revealed three more traps, and Ivy found another right before they reached a small clearing by the river. “There.” She pointed. Through another set of trees, the shack blended in with the surrounding brush.

  Her insides twisted, but she took a deep breath and looked around, wondering if the husky was still in the area. No movement, except the slight breeze. Her heartbeat pounded against her throat. She might miss something if she didn’t get a grip. “I need you and Helena to keep an eye out, too, now,” she told Sean. “There’s a lot to watch for.”

  She spotted another set of traps identical to the log smasher she’d found the day she escaped. Luna helped Helena find a ground trap, and finally they made it to the front door of the shack. Sean reached around her for the handle.

  Something didn’t seem right. Ivy blocked his hand. “Not yet.”

  Grace whined and Sean raised an eyebrow. “It’s best not to make contact with me like that. Grace might feel forced to choose her loyalty. She doesn’t give a warning if she feels she needs to protect me.”

  Irritation coursed through her veins, but she didn’t have time to examine why. Grace wasn’t a pet, after all—she was Sean’s partner—but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t love the dog. “I had good reason. If the murderer takes the time to set traps, he’s probably smart enough to know I’d bring you guys back here.”

  “Fair point,” Helena said.

  Ivy flipped on the flashlight and guided the beam along the peripheral of the door. Parallel to the doorknob there was the slightest change, but it could be simply part of the construction. “Might be light reflecting off the latch,” she muttered before moving the beam around the outer perimeter. Grace whined again. “I can’t see anything but—”

  Luna also complained. “Okay, it’s time to trust our instincts. Something definitely feels off,” Helena said. “Maybe our guy really is still inside there.”

  “Stand back,” Sean said, looking around for any potential projectile trap. “Put Luna on ready alert.”

  Helena guided Ivy and Grace to the side they’d already cleared of traps. They could see the door but were far enough away to miss any projectiles. “Ready,” Helena declared both to Luna and Sean.

  He moved to the opposite side of the doorknob and crouched down against the shack wall. “State Troopers!” He reached across the door and turned the knob until a click. He leaned back and used the stick with the paracord to shove the door wide open.

  A gunshot rang out. The dogs barked and lunged forward, straining against the leashes. A cloud of dirt and Sean’s prone body were all Ivy could see.

  SIX

  “State Troopers,” Helena shouted, a slight tremble in her voice that only other troopers would be able to detect. “You have five seconds to leave the premises with your hands up or I send the dog in and she will bite. Five...”

  “I’m fine,” Sean yelled back. “He missed me.” The jolt of hearing a shotgun at close ra
nge made him lose his balance and fall back. He was more on edge than he’d thought after discovering so many traps, but now they were going to get this guy. He popped back up on his feet, pressed his back against the wall and grabbed his weapon out of its holster. Helena’s counting grew stronger, steadier.

  “One.” She took a deep breath as the threshold of the shack door remained empty. “Attack!”

  Sean stepped inside immediately after Luna, his weapon raised. Helena stepped to the right. The shack was empty except for the gun, an old spring-loaded twenty-gauge shotgun rigged up to shoot in the corner. The K-9 still stood on guard, staring at the shotgun, while Helena sliced at the rig used to engage the trigger with the door’s motion.

  Sean moved cautiously in case there was another trap. His eyes roamed the interior, taking note of the rotting wooden roof, the structural beam, the ropes on the ground, the blood on the floor... His throat went dry.

  “He knew we’d come back,” Helena said.

  “He meant to kill.” Ivy stood at the door, her features unnaturally blank as she scanned the room. Grace passed her and stepped into the room, spinning and then sniffing the floor in front of him. Grace sat down and looked directly at Sean. A thick layer of dust formed a border, a perfect rectangle, around the K-9.

  “Did she just alert?” Helena asked softly.

  Sean didn’t want to discuss it in Ivy’s presence, but he nodded. Even if the body wasn’t actively in the room, the cadaver dog would be able to smell death for up to two weeks, though never past a month. While it probably seemed rare to Helena for Grace to alert without prompting, they thankfully weren’t accosted with the scent of recent death all the time.

  He wanted Ivy out of here as fast as possible. He pointed at the border of dust around his K-9 partner. “A rug was here?”

  She nodded but said nothing.

  Helena placed a hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “Are you okay? You don’t have to stay in here.”

  “I’m fine.” But her voice sounded barely over a whisper. “When I woke up, the man had already rolled the rug up.” She pointed to where Grace still sat. “I didn’t see the woman inside, but I...I saw a hand.” Her eyes drifted to the pole behind Sean and her entire face went white. “Excuse me. The dust must be getting to me.” She spun on her heel and stepped back outside.