“You handled the whole thing really well,” said Jude.
“Thanks. So was that guy some sort of crazed landowner or something?” She really wanted to give Jude the benefit of the doubt, but she needed to know whom she had just rescued.
He took a moment to answer. He ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair. “No, it’s a little more complicated than that. I’m a private investigator. That’s all you need to know.” He turned away and stared out the window.
Okay, so he wasn’t going to tell her much. At least he was on the right side of the law.
When she checked the rearview mirror, she could no longer see the man with the rifle. But his face was burned into her memory. Though she could not say why. She had the feeling she had looked into the face of a murderer.
Lacey could see the tiny cluster of lights that was Lodgepole as she drove toward the base of the mountain. By the time she pulled onto Main Street, the wind and snow had intensified.
“Probably too dangerous to drive into Garnet to report what happened to you. Might have to wait until after the storm.” She searched for a parking space.
“I suppose I can phone it in.” His voice lacked commitment as he stared out the window. He seemed distracted. His mind must be on something else.
“If you can get a signal. Maybe we should do that together. I saw the guy pretty clearly.”
Jude perked up. “Really?”
Downtown Lodgepole was all of five blocks long. Many of the businesses did double duty. She rolled past a post office that was also an information center for tourists. The hardware store advertised that you could get your car fixed there. There was one café next to the hotel where she was staying.
The Davenport Hotel had probably been the talk of the town when it was built at the turn of the century. Meant to be an elegant stopping place for weary railroad travelers, it was now run-down with only a few rooms still being used. Much of the hotel was boarded up and closed off. The railroad didn’t come through Lodgepole anymore. No one came through here except the occasional hunter or hiker. She glanced over at Jude. And the occasional tight-lipped private investigator.
The residents of Lodgepole were not used to strangers and had a suspicion of them.
If she included the people who lived in remote cabins outside of Lodgepole, the population count might tick up by fifty. She’d been here for only a few days.
She pointed at the café. “We can find out about road conditions by going in there. The locals will give a better report than any weather channel or app on your phone. Are you hungry?”
“I really need to track that man down. I’ll need to get another car. And I need you to describe him for me.” A sense of urgency entered his voice. “I can’t wait around here in this town.”
“Sure, I can describe him. But honestly I don’t think anybody is going anywhere.” He seemed almost nervous now. Lunch might give him an opportunity for him to explain himself.
She headed toward the café which was also a sort of community center and place to get gossip and news. In addition to the cars parked on the street, there was probably an equal number of snowmobiles. Because the snow stayed almost year-round at this elevation and roads sometimes didn’t get plowed quickly, snowmobiles were the preferred mode of transportation for most of the residents.
The second they pushed open the door and the tiny bell above it rang, the place fell silent. All eyes were on Jude and her. The chatter resumed almost immediately, but she felt the shift when she stepped into the café.
They weren’t used to outsiders. She was still an outsider, and Jude wasn’t from here either. Her research would keep her here for at least a month. People might warm up to her a little.
She searched the room for an empty table but didn’t see one. All the seats at the counter were taken, as well. As she passed by the table, the talk was about the storm. She heard enough of the conversation to know the roads were already impassable.
She patted Jude’s shoulder. “Looks like you’re stuck here for a while.”
The news didn’t seem to sit well with Jude. His expression hardened.
A table opened up at the back of the café.
The teenage waitress came over and plopped down two menus. “We’re out of the patty melt, but the tomato soup isn’t too bad.” The girl whirled away.
“Boy, she really sells that soup.” Jude seemed to be mildy amused by the waitresses’s casual behavior.
Lacey laughed and leaned forward, glad that he seemed to relax a little. “They probably just open up a can. It’s not like the fresh produce truck makes its way up here.” She liked the warmth she saw in his eyes and appreciated his effort at lightening his mood. “Maybe I could help you if you could tell me why that guy was after you.”
Jude’s forehead creased. He looked slightly off to the left. Then he leaned closer to her and spoke in a low voice. “A girl has been kidnapped. Part of the initial communication from the kidnapper was that the FBI not be contacted. But her father couldn’t do nothing, so he hired me. Her father is a fairly well-known millionaire real estate developer in North Dakota. It’s all got to be under the radar, or something bad might happen to the kid.”
Lacey’s breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the gravity of what he had just told her. Now she understood why he wasn’t crazy about contacting the sheriff or being trapped in Lodgepole.
“It helps my case, but I’m concerned about you being able to identify him.” He twirled the pepper shaker.
She spoke slowly. “You think he might follow us into town and try to hurt me?” Her old truck was distinct enough and Lodgepole was the only town for miles. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out where they’d gone. Her heart squeezed tight.
“I don’t know.” Jude shook his head. “I just wish I wasn’t stuck here. I was so close to catching him.”
Lacey stared at the jelly packets and tried to process what Jude was implying. The man, who was probably a kidnapper, might come after her. “One good thing. If the roads are impassable for us, then he’s stuck too. Either on that mountain or in town. Anyway, there are people around. I’m sure he wouldn’t try anything.” Her voice sounded weak, like she was trying to convince herself that she was safe.
Jude was grateful when the waitress walked back over to them before Lacey could ask him more questions. He’d already told her too much. He would be forever grateful to her for saving his life. She had been an answer to a very frantic prayer.
The waitress twirled a strand of her hair. “So, what will you two have?”
He hadn’t had much time to study the menu. “A burger sounds great.”
“I’ll have the club sandwich.” Lacey closed the menu and handed it over to the waitress.
He noticed the ketchup stain on his menu as he lifted it so the teenager could take it. This place had a certain uniqueness to it.
He turned his attention to Lacey. She kept her auburn hair tied up in a braid. Soft wisps of red hair framed her face. She offered him a brief smile when she caught him staring.
“You’re not from around here?” he asked.
“I move around a lot for my research work.” She rearranged the jam packets that were in the metal container.
“How about you tell me about your research.”
Her