Читать книгу Capturing the Huntsman - C.J. Miller - Страница 9

Chapter 2

The Huntsman moved to an area and killed one or two victims every four to seven days. Seven victims in total, each a seasoned female hiker or camper spending time on the Appalachian Trail, each a model citizen by the accounts of her friends and family. Nathan didn’t believe the killings were random, especially given the descriptions of the victims. They were carefully planned and executed, in the same manner that a lion stalked its prey, waiting for a vulnerable moment to attack.

Nathan had four days, maybe one week max, until another body turned up. If the killer was hunting in this area, Nathan needed to get one step ahead of him. He needed an expert in the region, someone to help him pinpoint hiker hangouts and popular camping spots. Though the trail had had few hikers in recent weeks, the Huntsman would find someone. “How much do you know about this area?” Nathan asked Autumn.

He had been working the case since Colleen had been killed and he’d found locals to be the most helpful. He wasn’t the outdoors type, and this investigation required a lot of time on the trail. If Autumn could fill in the knowledge he was missing, Nathan would find the killer that much faster.

Autumn shifted in her seat, pushing her dark hair over her shoulders. “I’ve lived here all my life. I know the trail and the plants and animals, at least in this immediate area.”

It was what he’d hoped to hear. “I’d like to hire you to help me.”

Autumn inclined her head. “To help you how, exactly? My brush with his victim is as close as I plan to come to a killer.”

Nathan leaned forward. “I need to know more about the trail in this area. I can tell you about the places where he strikes and you can tell me if anything near the Trail’s Edge fits the description.”

Autumn shook her head, her hair falling around her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you. I understand this is difficult for you.” She touched her fingertips to her chest, momentarily distracting him and drawing his attention. “It’s too dangerous for me to be involved.”

Returning his gaze to her face, he tried to hide the eagerness in his voice. “Please, Autumn. My family is counting on me. I will protect you and keep you safe. I will stay until we know the killer has moved on.” He had given his mother his word. He had promised her that Colleen would have justice. He couldn’t go home until he had seen his promise through.

Autumn searched his eyes. She was considering it. Weighing her options. The Huntsman was a dangerous man, and he was looking to add more victims to his list.

Nathan played his trump card. “Ford suspects your brother and I know how Ford operates. He wants someone to pin this on. Do you want that person to be your brother?”

Autumn leaned back in her chair and her eyes went wide. “My brother did not do this. I don’t care what the sheriff said or what Ford thinks.”

Though Nathan wasn’t ready to say her brother was innocent, he wasn’t jumping to the conclusion he was guilty, either. Nathan wasn’t looking for a patsy. “Then work with me to prove it.”

Autumn appeared dumbstruck for a moment. “I could show you a few places around here that are popular.”

Relief rushed over him. “Thank you, Autumn. You’re doing a brave thing.”

Autumn set her elbows on the table and rubbed her forehead.

The urge to comfort her struck him and Nathan laid his hand over hers. Unexpected heat flared at the contact. Her eyes flew to his and he held her gaze for a long, loaded moment. He had noticed how beautiful she was. It wasn’t relevant to the case, except that he’d need to remind himself to keep every interaction professional. He wasn’t opposed to breaking the rules, but only when it benefited the investigation. A flirtation or an affair with Autumn Reed would be a distraction.

Nathan withdrew his hands before he was tempted to stroke her hand or her wrist with his thumbs. “I know you’re worried about your brother. He’ll be fine. The FBI has undercover agents spreading the word to hikers.”

Autumn tucked her hands against her body. “My brother is impulsive at times. He doesn’t always stay on the trail. He might not know how dangerous it is. The best I can hope is that Blaine won’t cross paths with the killer.”

What could he say to make her feel better? The odds were small of meeting the Huntsman, but as evident by his victims, not impossible. “The trail is hundreds of miles long. The chances of this man finding your brother are slim. Males have not been his target.”

“A man? Are you sure the Huntsman is a man?” Autumn asked.

His work in psychological forensics told him they were dealing with a man, possibly ex-military, with a love of guns and an obsession with nature. “I can’t say for sure until we find him, or her, but I have a basic profile. A man, mid to late fifties, may have had a regular job in society at one time, but now he keeps to himself. People who know him would describe him as a loner.”

Autumn stood and walked to the stove. She set a teakettle on it and turned on the burner. “I don’t want to be forced from my home, but I don’t want to be foolish, either. Do you think it’s safe to stay here? I might be able to stay with a friend in town for a few nights.”

If she was away from the trail, she would be out of the killer’s reach. Based on what he knew, the killer didn’t leave the general vicinity of the Appalachian Trail. He was probably more comfortable where he had places to hide. “It’s your decision if you want to leave.” Nathan didn’t want her to feel unsafe in her home, as if she had to run and hide.

Autumn took a deep breath and seemed to consider that. “How often does a serial killer break pattern?”

Nathan hedged. He hadn’t expected the killer to leave a body this far from the trail in a nondiscreet location. “The Trail’s Edge is the first campground where a body has been found.”

Autumn shuddered. “In other words, he’s broken his pattern or there isn’t a pattern.”

Both were possibilities. “Right.”

Autumn swallowed hard. “I won’t let him chase me away from my home. I won’t go running scared. If he comes here, I’ll be ready for him.”

* * *

Autumn hated leaving the Trail’s Edge. Even when she had errands, she made them quick. In the past decade, she could count on one hand the number of times she had spent the night away from her home. The slim possibility that the killer would return to his crime scene while the FBI was circling seemed too remote a reason for relocating, something that would put her even more off balance.

Her world had been flipped upside down by the killer. She’d lost reservations. Parents who’d enrolled their children in her after-school nature program had pulled them out. She lived with the constant fear of Blaine being in danger.

Her kettle of hot water whistled and she pulled out two mismatched mugs, one with a picture of a bear stamped across the front and the other with the Trail’s Edge logo. Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate would calm her. “Can I get you a mug?” she asked and held up the box of hot chocolate.

“Thank you. That would be great.”

Autumn fixed the two drinks and handed one to Nathan. She stirred her mug and then lifted it to her lips to take a sip.

Nathan did the same with the cup she’d made him. “Thanks for the hot chocolate. What would you say to allowing me to return the favor? I can take you into town for dinner.”

Autumn almost spilled her mug. His question was a jolt to her system. Was Nathan asking her out? His interest was in tracking a killer. Was his request in that vein?

Nathan flashed a smile at her, one that reached to the corners of his eyes. It made his entire face change. The intensity disappeared, the harshness erased. He seemed more approachable and laid-back. She pressed her hands to her mug, keeping herself from reaching out and touching his jawline. Running her thumb over his lips to see if they felt as soft as they looked. Pressing her lips to his to taste him. Pushing her body up against his. One gorgeous smile and her imagination took flight. She was already reconsidering her stance on relationships—that is, that she wasn’t ready to date after ending her engagement to Daniel.

Nathan set his mug on the table. “You can show me where the locals hang out on the weekends. We might catch some rumors about the murder that could prove useful.”

Not a date and that was good, right? Why did she feel disappointed? In the space of a couple hours, her emotions had been slammed around inside her, leaving her off-kilter. Fear. Excitement. Lust. Confusion. “Going into town has nothing to do with the trail.”

“You can point out the people who have stayed here and I can talk to them about what they’ve heard about the Huntsman. With the number of investigation vehicles here, rumors will run wild. People will want to talk to you about the murder and I can ask them what they know.”

Autumn swallowed hard. She avoided going into town for a number of reasons. Among them was keeping away from gossip and crowds. Dealing with everyone knowing a body had been found at the Trail’s Edge was overwhelming. She hadn’t processed the events of the night and wasn’t ready to discuss them in public. “I don’t want to talk about the murder.”

Nathan inclined his head. “I’ll deflect the questions from you. You won’t have to say anything.”

But she’d have to hear it. The gossip. The slander. She was best staying at the Trail’s Edge. “I’ll take you to an available cabin and give you a list of places to eat in town. I’ll give you directions and you can go on your own.”

He shook his head. “I won’t know whom to talk to and insiders won’t talk to an outsider like me. I need you with me, Autumn. You’re honey to the bees.” His voice was low and smooth, rolling off his tongue, utterly persuasive. It wasn’t what he said; it was the smooth way he said it. He could have told her he wanted to go for a hike naked, and she’d strip out of her clothes and sprint toward the trail.

Perhaps she was making a big deal about nothing. She could go into town this once and get it over with, show the town she was fine after her broken engagement and a murder at the Trail’s Edge. She’d face the gossip head-on, set the record straight and not let it blow out of control. “We can have dinner in town. A quick dinner.” Of course, showing up in town with a handsome stranger would set off rounds of new gossip, but Autumn would hold her head high.

Nathan radiated an air of authority, and in combination with his good looks, he could talk his way into anything. Autumn didn’t care for that. Daniel had been that way, charming and sweet. But he wasn’t ready to settle down, a fact he’d hidden from her but not many others in town.

“I’ll show you to your cabin.” Autumn set her mug on the counter and grabbed the key to the cabin she’d rented him. The paperwork could wait. She’d put some distance between them before he talked her into doing something else.

She and Nathan trudged outside. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped. Many nights, Autumn had enjoyed sitting on her front porch rocker and drinking in the tranquility of her slice of heaven. But tonight, for the first time in years, she was afraid of the woods and of what she couldn’t see. The perfect, soothing darkness was now a hiding place for a killer.

Autumn ignored the people milling around, tried not to think about the body and pretended Nathan was another guest renting a cabin. “Have you ever been camping before?” Autumn asked. If she were alone, she would have cut through the woods, but she made it her policy to teach guests to stay to the marked trails. Staying to the trails meant she and Thor could find them if they were lost, versus attempting to locate someone in the vast forest that lined the trail for miles on either side.

“This case has required I spend a good number of nights under the stars. But I’m not really the camping type.”

Mother Nature was strong, swift and unforgiving. “I’ve marked the paths through camp. I recommend you stay on them whenever possible.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, sounding serious.

If he did as she asked, she wouldn’t spend the night wandering in the dark looking for him. Desire edged at the fear inside her. Finding Nathan Bradshaw in the dark could have some interesting possibilities.

“I plan to have my trusty trail guide with me if I venture onto the trail,” Nathan said.

She stopped and faced him, feeling uneasy about the idea of Nathan depending on her too strongly. “I said I would help you, but I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do. Don’t get your hopes up.” Set the bar low and be pleasantly surprised if things went well.

Nathan touched her upper arm and heat waves shuddered down her body. “You’ve already helped more than you know, and I have confidence in your outdoor skills.”

She gave him a wry grin and stepped away from him. “Usually people assume when it comes to the trail, I’m incapable and incompetent.”

“Why’s that?” Nathan asked.

Was he digging into her psyche or did he really not know? “I’m a woman, which many people assume means I don’t know how to rough it or that I’ll complain if I can’t wash my hair. Also, I’m what my dad used to call ‘scrawny.’” All her life she’d been waiting for curves that hadn’t come. “I don’t pack a lot of muscle but I’ve got endurance, and on the trail that can be important.”

Autumn took the stairs to the front door of the cabin. She looked around and noticed that Roger Ford was watching them. Why was he opposed to Nathan working the case? Did he worry that Nathan would undercover something he couldn’t?

“I don’t think you’re incompetent or incapable, but I do want you to be cautious.” Nathan was standing close behind her, his breath hot on her neck. “I’ll be watching over you, and I take that job seriously. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

A warm shiver ran down her spine. She fumbled with the keys trying to make them work, her hands behaving as though disconnected from her brain. With Nathan standing behind her, she felt jittery and nervous in a very feminine, giddy way. “I will advise you to do the same.”

His fingers reached and covered her hand, taking the keys from her. “Let me try.”

The brushing of his hand against hers sent electric currents moving from the point of contact all the way to her toes. She released the keys and he unlocked the door quickly, pushing it open and stepping inside.

She could feel the heat radiating from his body, and she fought the impulse to lean close. Entirely inappropriate. Uncalled for. She had more control than this. Nathan would think she came on to every man who stayed here. She shoved her loneliness into a deep, dark place and slammed the door on it.

“Nice place,” he said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I’ve stayed in motels less inviting.”

It had been Autumn’s idea to remodel the cabins and outfit them with modern-day luxuries—coffeemakers, microwaves and quality linens and curtains to create a sense of home away from home. She did the cleaning and maintenance herself. Though the cabins were small, she’d arranged the furniture into a small eating area and a sitting area and placed a queen-size bed in the alcove opposite the fireplace. Two additional single beds folded out from furniture in the sitting area for children. The pellet stove in the middle of the room generated enough heat to keep the cabin toasty in the winter, and the shade from the trees kept it cool in the summer.

Autumn walked to the far end of the room where a double bay window gave an amazing daytime view of the forest. “This cabin is one of my favorites. It was the first one we remodeled.” Autumn pulled closed the hunter green curtains that covered the windows. Not being able to see into the woods made her feel as if someone was watching them. “In the morning, you’ll probably catch a few deer wandering past. I’ve seen a few foxes at night, too. I think they have a den nearby. I’ll bring you some fire starters and some logs.” She turned, feeling the heat of Nathan’s gaze at her back. He was watching her with those perceptive eyes, eyes she knew were taking in every detail.

She started the pellet stove. Though it was weak when first ignited, an hour from now, it would be throwing off a lot of heat.

“Don’t put yourself out. I can gather wood if I need it.” His voice had taken on a husky baritone, lower than it had been before. She felt the shift in the atmosphere, heat that crackled in the air.

Her skin felt achy and hungry to be touched. It had been six months, almost seven, since she’d had a date, too long since she’d gone out with a man. Her last date had been with Daniel, and by then their relationship had been circling the drain. She had found out he was cheating, and they’d been pretending they could move past it. That denial lasted about a week. “If you’re running short on time and can’t find dry wood, I have a woodshed twenty feet behind my cabin. You’re welcome to take whatever you need. The pellet stove is pretty warm, but it can get cold in the morning. The bucket on the hearth has more fuel.” She was rambling, a nervous habit, trying to deflect some of her feelings away from Nathan and fixate instead on the cabin.

He stopped a foot from her, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets, setting his attention on her. His gaze smoldered and a shower of sparks burst from her chest. Was she imagining the fire between them, or was this a reflection of her feelings for him?

He shifted and she caught a glimpse of the gun strapped to his side. His eyes blazed with passion, never leaving her face. This man was dangerous in more than one way.

She was hyperaware of the bed eight feet away, knowing the sheets would be cool and clean, and the feel of his body on top of hers heavenly. She drew in a deep breath, feeling as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in it. She wouldn’t let herself be stupid over a man again.

Nathan had warning signs she couldn’t ignore. He had lost his sister, he was desperate for her help to find a killer and he was around for only a short time. They could keep their relationship firmly on professional ground for a week. When the killer moved on, so would Nathan.

Autumn needed to go outside and get some fresh air before she became light-headed. “Let me know if I can get you anything.” She said it casually, but replaying the words in her mind, she wondered if he heard the unintended double entendre. Anything. Her in bed?

He caught her arm and heat sizzled in his touch. “Tomorrow evening, drinks and dinner at seven?”

She made the mistake of meeting his gaze. It was impossible to say no to him when his face filled with intensity and expectation. “Seven is fine, but I can’t stay out late.” She needed some boundaries between them and she wanted an excuse to end the night early.

He dropped her arm and stepped back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With a final nod, Autumn fled outside.

* * *

The FBI and park rangers finished at the scene at 10:00 a.m. the morning after Autumn and her dog had found the body. The last vehicle to leave was the county coroner’s van.

Nathan had slept restlessly. It wasn’t just the noise. It wasn’t just the gorgeous brunette sleeping in the cabin next door. He was closer than he’d ever been to catching the Huntsman. Excitement and determination sizzled in his veins. Nothing could get in his way. Not Roger Ford and not Nathan’s attraction to Autumn Reed.

Nathan dragged a hand through his hair, rereading the page of case notes he’d written. Too little sleep and too much coffee had his nerves on edge, his concentration frayed. The words on the page were interrupted by thoughts of Autumn Reed. Of course the only witness on the case would be strikingly beautiful. Nathan enjoyed the company of a pretty woman, but in this situation, he would have preferred a bridge troll whom he found unbelievably unattractive and who wouldn’t create any unnecessary distractions. He needed to focus on the case. He had enough factors playing against him.

Nathan turned to a fresh sheet of paper and jotted down a few notes about Autumn, her brother, Blaine, and the Trail’s Edge. It was easier to record his observations of her while she was on his mind. Maybe if he wrote it down, he’d stop thinking about her.

He was sucked into his work, one detail leading to another, and when he looked at the clock, it was nearly six-thirty. He’d been reviewing the case since six in the morning, and after more than eleven hours of graphic descriptions, photos and notes, he needed a break.

Nathan showered and changed into clean clothes, figuring he’d treat his evening out with Autumn like a date to make it easier to blend with the residents of Smithsburg. Waltzing into a local hangout and announcing he was investigating a murder had a way of sealing lips and making people nervous. But taking a woman out for dinner had a way of inviting gossip, and if anyone had learned what had happened at the Trail’s Edge, they’d be eager to talk about the case.

Which suited his motives perfectly.

At precisely 7:00 p.m., he knocked on Autumn’s door. She opened it almost immediately, making him wonder if she’d been waiting for him, and if she had, why it sent a pulse of excitement through his body. He was doing this to find justice for his sister, not have an affair with a pretty outdoorswoman.

He let his eyes wander over Autumn. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and she wore a pair of black trousers and a green fitted top. It was a casual outfit, but it would catch the attention of every man in the restaurant.

A possessive streak tore through him and Nathan found himself disliking the idea of her flirting with someone else. He had suggested this outing as a means to gather information, purely professional. Yet seeing her now, his interest roved south of professional, straight into the full burn of sexual interest.

He focused on their professional relationship. Autumn could point out people most likely to have heard rumors about the killer, or better, have useful information about the case. It didn’t matter how she looked. His attraction shouldn’t factor in to their relationship.

Realizing he was staring, he strove for indifference. “You look great,” he said.

She touched the ends of her hair with her left hand. “Thank you. You look nice, too. Maybe a little too dressed up for the Wild Berry.”

“I’m more comfortable in a suit than I am in hiking gear.”

She shrugged and stepped onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind her. He tamped down the disappointment that she hadn’t invited him inside. His primary intention was to find Colleen’s killer. As Autumn moved past him, her shoulder brushed his chest and he caught the scent of pine and spice, a unique and yet distinctly feminine scent.

The drive down the mountain took twenty minutes and it was another five to the Wild Berry. Nathan parked next to a pickup truck with a rusted-out bumper and a red sedan with a plush monkey pressed to the back window. He took the keys from the ignition and turned to Autumn. “I’d prefer it if we pretended to be a couple.”

Autumn fiddled with the strap of her handbag. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He set his hand on her upper arm and smiled at her. If anyone saw them, he didn’t want to blow his manufactured story. “I’m an outsider. If they think I’m with you, people will open up.”

Autumn reached for the door handle. “If you think it will help. But I think you’ll find most people are pretty blunt regardless of your relationship to me.”

Nathan liked the idea of having an excuse to keep Autumn close. “It will help.”

They climbed out of the truck and he circled it to stand next to her. He set his hand on her lower back and she jumped. She glanced over her shoulder at him, questions in her eyes. In response, he lowered his mouth close to her ear. “Just playing the part.”

He guided her toward the entrance to the restaurant, and the sound of country music seeped through the door and covered windows into the parking lot. As he opened the door, the music grew five times louder, nearly deafening. Nathan scanned the restaurant and the patrons, a few who looked from their beers to Autumn and him, most who ignored them. After entering the bar, they found an open table near the window. He held Autumn’s chair, waiting for her to sit.

The formality was intentional. Everyone in the room would recognize this was a date. Once Autumn took her seat, Nathan did the same.

A waitress with blond hair nearly to her waist tossed two menus on the table, and then set her hand on her hip, jutting it toward Nathan. “Hey, Autumn, who’s your friend?”

Nathan caught a fleeting look of annoyance on Autumn’s face.

“This is Nathan Bradshaw. Nathan, this is Francine.”

Francine turned her attention to Nathan, letting her gaze linger on his face. “Nice to meet you. Can I get you a drink?”

“I’ll have an iced tea,” Autumn said, folding her hands on her lap, an edge in her voice.

What was the dynamic between Autumn and Francine? The waitress seemed friendly enough.

Francine looked at Autumn as if forgetting she was there. “Okay, sure thing. And for you?” Francine faced Nathan, giving him a smile he’d bet had earned her a good number of dinner dates.

“Same for me. Thanks.”

Francine jammed her pad into the apron tied around her waist. “I hear you had some trouble up at the campground.”

Autumn’s eyes flashed with momentary panic.

“Not at the campground,” Nathan said, keeping his voice low and calm.

Francine leaned in. “I heard you found a body in one of the cabins.”

Autumn looked horrified, but Nathan chuckled, dismissing the lie. “Rumors can grow out of control quickly.” He’d promised to run interference on rumors, and he would do just that.

Francine opened her mouth, but the look Nathan gave her had her clamping it shut. He wanted to stoke her curiosity without making Autumn uncomfortable or causing her problems at the Trail’s Edge.

“We’ll come over to the bar a little later to talk,” Nathan said, looking across the table at Autumn.

Francine sighed. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She spun on her heel and strutted away from their table.

Nathan moved his chair closer to the table. Autumn’s jaw was set and she glanced over in Francine’s direction a few times.

“You two don’t get along?” he asked.

Autumn shifted in her chair. “We went to high school together. She was the prom queen and I didn’t go to prom. She’s friendly when she wants to be.” Autumn heavily accented the word friendly. “She’s currently dating my ex.”

Nathan caught something in her tone. Jealousy? Francine might be a good resource. Though she had come to their table and dug for information, she’d probably heard more rumors around town than he had. “Is your ex here?”

Autumn glanced around and then shook her head. “No. He’s not.”

Sensing she wasn’t in the mood to talk about her former relationship, he changed the subject. “We’ll give our waitress time to let the crowd know they might get a firsthand account of what happened at the Trail’s Edge. Best way to drum up rumors about the killer and conversation about the trail.”

Autumn studied his face, and he could see she didn’t care for the idea of rumors flying. She blew out her breath. “I don’t want everyone talking about me.” Worry tinged the corners of her eyes.

“They won’t be talking about you. They’ll be talking about the Huntsman.”

Autumn brought her hand to her forehead. “I have a business to run. It’s bad enough what’s going on at the trail, but encouraging more rumors only fuels the fire.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble. I need information.”

“I don’t want the Trail’s Edge or my family caught up in this disaster,” Autumn said.

Protective of her family. Nathan filed that away in understanding her family dynamic. “You and Blaine are pretty close?”

Autumn shrugged. “We’re all we have. It’s been the two of us since my dad died a year ago.”

Nathan had lived with his share of grief over the past year. The closeness of family was a concept that resonated well with him. “I’m sorry. That must make it doubly hard for you to be alone.”

Autumn folded her hands in her lap and lowered her head. “I’m not totally alone. I have Thor.” She let out a quiet burst of laughter. “You know, that sounds a little pathetic. But the truth is, I don’t come into town much. I prefer being at the campground with Thor.”

He heard something in her tone and he ran with it. “Why’s that?”

Autumn looked away from him for a long moment. “I thought you were here to find out about the Huntsman, not about me.” She lowered her voice. Not that their conversation could carry far over the noise of the music blaring through the speakers.

“I am. But before we get into that, I want to get to know you.” He regretted the words if only because of the flare of mistrust in her eyes. What had happened to make her this suspicious of him? Some people had a problem with authority. Was it that he worked for the FBI? Was it men in general who bothered her?

She cleared her throat and glanced around. “You’re only around for a short time. You shouldn’t waste it getting to know me.”

He shifted closer under the guise of hearing her better. He sensed being here was making her uncomfortable. “Do you want to leave? We can go somewhere else.” It was the first time he was putting the case behind other priorities. At the moment, that priority was Autumn’s well-being. He ignored the twinge of guilt. Nothing should come before justice for Colleen.

He laid his hand on her arm and she looked from it to him. Something lit in her eyes. Heat? Desire? Mistrust? Their eyes locked and held and pressure built in his groin. Under other conditions, he would act on that heat. He’d grab her, kiss her how a woman was meant to be kissed and let it lead somewhere smoking hot.

Autumn leaned away and, sensing her discomfort, he dropped his hand from her arm.

Francine appeared, setting their iced teas on the table. “Ready to order?”

Nathan hadn’t looked at the menu, but he scanned it. “I’ll have the cheesesteak with onions, mayo, tomatoes and fries on the side.”

Autumn ordered a Reuben.

Francine jotted down the order. “Coming right up,” she said, moving to another table and letting her hand brush over Nathan’s shoulder as she collected the menus.

Autumn watched her leave. She straightened and pushed her hair over her shoulders. “She doesn’t even care that we might be together. She intends to make it clear she could have you if she wanted you.”

“That won’t happen.”

“She’s dating Daniel now,” Autumn said. She shrugged and drew her shoulders in as if making an attempt to take up less space.

“Daniel? The town sheriff? He’s your ex?” Talk about adding another layer of complexity to the case.

“Yes.”

“He pointed suspicion at Blaine,” Nathan said, trying to get a sense of the subtleties.

“Yes. He and Blaine had a falling out.”

Over her? “Why?”

She shrugged. “Nothing to do with the case.”

She was making it clear personal questions were off-limits. He went another way. “I want to talk to anyone who loves to gossip.” Deciphering the bull from the truth wasn’t easy, but every now and then, he got lucky and caught a good lead.

Autumn glanced around the bar. “Loves to gossip? That’s half the town. This is a small place. Not much exciting happens in Smithsburg and when it does, it’s all anyone talks about.”

Then everyone should have plenty to say about the murders. Hang out long enough, and after the last of the dinner crowd left, the drinking crowd would linger. Once the beer and wine had been flowing for a couple of hours, turning the subject of the barroom conversation to the murders would be easy. Francine might even do it for him.

A song he recognized with a slow, steady beat played from the speakers. “Why don’t we dance?”

Autumn looked around. “What? Here?”

“No.” Nathan pointed to the empty dance floor. “There.”

She started to shake her head, but Nathan stood and took her hand, drawing her to her feet. “Come on, this will be fun.”

“I don’t see how this will help the case.”

“It won’t help the case. But you seem tense.”

She pursed her lips. “Dancing will make me more tense.”

“Give it a chance.” Surprised she didn’t refuse again, he led her to the dance floor, threading through the tables of people. He drew her into his arms, bonding her to him. She held herself rigidly against him.

“Relax,” he whispered into her ear. “Everything is fine.”

She relaxed, if only slightly, making it easier for him to move her around the small space. The wood floor was scuffed and worn. Autumn was the perfect height for dancing. If she laid her head down, it would rest in the crook of his neck. Her lips would be close to the part of his skin he loved to have kissed and her hair would be soft against him.

An image of Autumn naked in his bed sprang to mind. He could picture how their bodies would fit together, her long leanness and soft curves molding to his body. As quickly as the image surfaced, guilt snuffed it out. He had to stay focused on finding the Huntsman. With every moment that passed, they were closer to another kill.

She stepped on his toe and apologized. “Remember I mentioned I didn’t go to prom? Lots of reasons for that.”

Her breasts brushed against him and heat arrowed to his groin. “Doesn’t mean we can’t dance now.”

“We’re the only ones.” She spoke through gritted teeth.

Didn’t bother him to go against the grain. “Don’t worry about what other people are doing. If it bothers you, close your eyes and I’ll make sure we don’t walk into anything.”

She shut her eyes and he moved with her, holding her close. He inhaled, the scent of her hair like the outdoors, like pine, or juniper. Where that description came from, he couldn’t recall, but it fit her. Juniper, fresh, clean and invigorating.

Nathan had thought he had a plan for tracking the Huntsman.

Nowhere in his plan did he factor in becoming attracted to Autumn Reed.

* * *

Autumn hated gossip and yet here she was, in the arms of a stranger, starting rumors. Her engagement to Daniel had ended six months before and even though he was already dating Francine, they were keeping it somewhat quiet. Daniel had jumped into bed with Francine the day after he and Autumn broke off their engagement. Or maybe Francine had been one of the women Daniel was seeing all along. She didn’t want to know.

Autumn knew tongues would be wagging about her and the sexy stranger, yet she couldn’t find the strength to pull away from Nathan. His sexual magnetism was a powerful lure, and she found herself agreeing to every word his silver tongue spoke. Though she didn’t remember saying yes, she was out with him and she was dancing with him. Autumn didn’t dance. She chopped wood. She cleared trails. She walked her dog.

The band of Nathan’s arms around her back was strong as he held her, and it was too easy to sink against him. After what she’d been through in the past twenty-four hours, she needed this. He radiated confidence and it was easy to let him lead. With her head on his shoulder, she heard the sound of his heartbeat thundering in his chest, almost as loud as her own.

He brushed her hair behind her ear. “Our food’s on the table.”

The heat of his breath tickled her ear. She lifted her head. “What?”

“Francine brought our food.”

Did he want to stop dancing? Had the song changed? She couldn’t remember the song that was playing when they’d started. Nathan holding her was all that was on her mind. “We should eat.”

She stepped away from him, her body instantly feeling colder. Refusing to let an awkward moment pass, she turned and walked to their table, feeling the burn of his eyes at her back.

“Autumn, what brings you to town?” A friendly, familiar voice. Hilde Sinclair lived close to the trail and maintained one of the trail shelters close to the Trail’s Edge. She had been friendly with her parents when Autumn was young and she had been kind to Autumn after her father passed away, sending over dinner a couple of times.

“Having dinner with a friend,” Autumn said, nodding over her shoulder at Nathan.

Hilde smiled and waved. “I’ll come by this week for a visit, okay?”

Autumn nodded and smiled. “Sure, that sounds good.”

Moving to their table, she slid into her chair and examined her food. Nathan sat to her left and scooted his chair close to her. Why did he keep doing that? When they’d come into the restaurant, the chairs had been on opposite sides of the table and now they were inches apart.

The door to the lounge opened and Roger Ford stepped through. He scanned the crowd and sauntered to where she and Nathan were sitting.

“Looks like you two have gotten close.”

His tone left no doubt that he didn’t like what he was seeing. Why did he care so much? What was his grudge against Nathan?

“What do you want, Ford?” Nathan asked.

“I want you to leave town,” Ford said.

“Not going to happen.”

Ford slipped his thumbs through his belt. “You may have convinced Ms. Reed to help you, but does she realize who you are and what you’ve done?” The threat in his voice was strong, but Autumn wasn’t following.

She glanced at Nathan. He looked unaffected. “She knows everything she needs to.”

“About what?” Autumn asked, not liking the idea of being in the dark.

Ford grabbed a chair from an empty table and swung it around, joining their table. “Bradshaw and I go way back. You want to tell the story, or should I?”

Nathan gestured for Ford to continue. “You tell the story however you’d like.”

“Bradshaw met my sister at a fund-raiser for our unit. Two years later, they’re married and then he left her.”

Nathan’s face was unmoving, but his eyes conveyed his anger. “Are you done airing my dirty laundry?”

“Sure am.” Ford stood. “Enjoy your meal.” He walked away from the table and toward the bar, leaving a wake of curious stares in his path.

“You can ask me about it if you want to know,” Nathan said.

Autumn didn’t think it was her business. Nathan’s ex-wife didn’t factor into the investigation and opening the door to their personal lives wasn’t something she wanted to do. For now, she was happy with that door staying firmly closed.

* * *

Autumn and Nathan drove past Lookout Point, a cliff drop-off with an amazing view of the Appalachian Mountains. High white peaks dived to lush valleys filled with evergreens and streams. Clouds dotted the sky, translucent puffs that turned dark before it rained. The Point was one of the reasons her grandfather had decided to build the Trail’s Edge in this location. It looked different every time the seasons and weather changed, sometimes overcast, sometimes deep green and alive, sometimes white and icy with snow. Every scene was as beautiful as the one before.

Nathan turned into the Trail’s Edge campground, their headlights the only illumination. She’d meant to leave an outside light on at her cabin. She had locked Thor inside. Usually, she preferred to let him wander outside, but she couldn’t risk it with a killer loose.

He parked in front of her cabin and faced her. His dark eyes glimmered in the dim lighting. “Thanks for coming with me tonight. I didn’t mean to keep you out so late.” He glanced at the clock on the dash as he rolled down the sleeves of his shirt. He reached for his jacket on the backseat. The actions struck her as distinctly masculine. She couldn’t recall either her father or her brother wearing a suit to more than a funeral. Nathan wore his suit as if it was made for him. How could something as simple as a man in a suit send a rush of steamy sensation down her body? Usually, suits and ties weren’t her thing. She liked men how she liked to live her life: outdoors, simple and one with nature.

Sitting in the truck with him, she was unsure what to do. Bolt for the front door, waving good-night over her shoulder? Hug him and then flee? “I have some chores to do around the campground. I need to feed Thor and take him for a walk. He’s been cooped up all evening.” Why was she rambling?

“Let me come with you,” Nathan said.

Autumn unbuckled her seat belt and they climbed out of the car. The fresh air felt good against her neck. The lounge had been too stuffy and hot. “You don’t have to do that. I can handle it.” At the same time, walking alone at dark on the campground post-incident didn’t feel safe.

Nathan followed her up the steps to her front door. “I want to.”

She was hyperaware of him behind her, the heat of his body a contrast to the cold night air. Thor was waiting and bounded to her when she opened the door. He went to his dog bowl, waiting expectantly for her to fill it. “I’m not looking forward to taking another walk. Thor might find something, or someone, else.”

“I promise I will keep you and Thor safe.”

Why did his words feel so good? No man could promise to keep her safe. The best he could offer is that he’d try.

Autumn patted Thor’s head. “Sorry dinner is late tonight.” She retrieved the dog food from the pantry and Thor barely waited for the bowl to be full before he dug in.

“He was hungry,” Nathan said.

“He’s always hungry,” she said. “I buy more pounds of dog food in a week than I do human food.”

Nathan settled at her kitchen table. “While we wait for him to finish, do you have any maps lying around? I want a bird’s-eye view of the area.”

“I have the ones I give to campers,” Autumn said, walking to her desk drawer and grabbing one. She handed it to Nathan and he opened it, spreading it out on the kitchen table.

He traced his finger along the trails around the Trail’s Edge. What was he thinking about? The murders? “Tell me about places in this area where locals go that aren’t well-known.”

Autumn sat kitty-corner to him and peered over the map. She had it memorized, having given out so many in her lifetime and having walked the paths many times. From the time she was a child, she and Blaine had explored the forest surrounding the trail and had found a number of places well off the beaten path with great views or great hiking. “We have plenty of places like that. Unmarked trails and places for private picnics or parties.”

“What about places more difficult to get to? Places where it takes more than a brisk walk to access?”

Autumn let her eyes wander over the map, picturing the places in the area that matched his description. “I can think of a few places. I can mark the general area on the map if you would like, maybe write down a few landmarks that might help you find them.”

She took a pencil and put a star over those locations. Nathan leaned in closer. Her heartbeat escalated and she focused her attention on the map. If she turned her head, her lips would be close to his. Kissing distance.

“Some of these places aren’t near any trails,” Nathan said.

Autumn nodded. “I’m an experienced hiker and I know my way around. Most hikers don’t see these places.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I have you to guide me.”

Being in a position where she was alone with Nathan for hours, possibly days, made her equal parts anxious and excited. She was already thinking about how it would feel to kiss him and have his strong arms around her. That was dangerous. She wasn’t ready to jump into an affair, regardless of how brief.

Ford’s words at the lounge came to mind. Why had Nathan left his wife? It shouldn’t factor in, but Autumn wondered if Nathan was a man who could be trusted. He wanted to find his sister’s killer and seemed willing to do anything to accomplish that goal. Anything, including lying to her? Pretending to be interested in her? Thor’s wet nose nudged her hand, giving her a chance to escape the conversation. “He’s ready for his walk.” Thor didn’t have the same apprehension she did about walking through the campground.

Autumn grabbed the leash off the back of the door and attached it to Thor’s collar. Normally, she would let him run loose, especially when not many guests were staying in the cabins, but she was feeling protective of him.

Autumn took out a flashlight from her closet. When she was eight years old, she’d been lost in the woods after dark and had been terrified she wouldn’t be found. She’d done exactly as Blaine and her father had taught her, stood still and blew her emergency whistle. When they’d found her, she was shivering from terror and cold. She’d been careful since then about venturing out on the trail after dark without the proper equipment.

She’d take a short walk around the Trail’s Edge property and make it up to Thor tomorrow morning with an extra long jog along the trail.

Ten minutes later, Thor was meandering in front of them, dodging from side to side along the path, stopping to sniff the trees and bushes. As they walked, their feet crunched the leaves that had fallen to the ground.

“It’s so quiet,” she said, thinking about the chaos that had reigned the night before.

“Peaceful,” Nathan said.

Autumn hoped that the Huntsman had moved on, farther down the trail, maybe lost himself in the woods or decided to give up looking for victims with the winter weather coming. “I wonder if the FBI has found the identity of the last victim,” Autumn said.

“We might have to wait for the press release on that information. Ford isn’t eager to loop me into the case,” Nathan said.

“I sensed something between you two that first night and again tonight,” Autumn said.

“Ford and I worked together years ago. He follows the rules to the letter and I prefer to consider the spirit of the law and do what’s necessary to get the job done,” Nathan said. “And since I was married to his sister for a brief time, he holds that against me, too.”

Autumn stepped up her pace as Thor dragged her faster. He seemed bent on going to the location where the body had been found. The trees around the area had been roped off with yellow caution tape, but that wouldn’t stop Thor. She pulled back on the leash, trying to dissuade Thor from moving in that direction. He didn’t heed her, and since she rarely kept him on the leash, it wasn’t unexpected.

Autumn turned the flashlight to the path ahead of them. “Thor wants to see the location of the body.”

“Let him. We’ll keep him off the scene, but I wouldn’t mind having a look. Unless you want to return to the cabin and I’ll take Thor myself.” He watched her carefully. He was worried about her, and that warmed her. It had been too long since someone had cared about her.

Autumn didn’t want to be alone. Not out here. Not at her cabin. Something inside her, intuition or caution, warned her to stay near Nathan. “You won’t see much in the dark,” Autumn said. The flashlight provided only a limited view.

“It might help you sleep to see you have nothing to worry about. The FBI cleaned the area and any evidence was photographed, bagged and collected.”

Maybe seeing that tree, even in the dark, would begin to scrub the image of a body hanging from it out of her mind.

Allowing Thor to lead the way, Autumn pulled him to a stop near the yellow tape surrounding the crime scene. The wind blew, shaking more leaves from the treetops. Autumn let her flashlight pan over the scene, starting high, giving herself a view of the tree without someone hanging from a branch.

A crunching of leaves had her swinging the flashlight lower. A movement near the trunk of the tree caught her eye. She moved the flashlight to see more, frustrated that the narrow beam illuminated so little at this distance. It didn’t help that she was shaking and Thor was twisted for her to let him off his leash.

A shadow, looking very much like a man, was lurking near the base of the tree. If the light hadn’t given them away to the intruder, then Thor’s barking did. Nathan snatched the flashlight from her hand and pinned it on a figure moving away from the tree. The intruder ducked beneath the crime-scene tape on the side opposite them, running between trees, barely a shadow and impossible to track.

Nathan drew his gun and it made a clicking sound. Was he planning to shoot at the figure? “Stop!” he shouted.

The intruder ignored him, almost becoming a ghost and disappearing. Nathan vanished as he gave chase, the bobbing of the flashlight through the woods eerie and unsettling. And growing dimmer. Nathan was gone. It would have been safer for them to run or call for help. Fear and panic tightened her stomach. Autumn reached for Thor, drawing him against her, her shaking vibrating the both of them. She hugged him to her.

She was alone in the woods in the dark. Nathan was chasing a madman. Could she find her way to her cabin and call for assistance?

The campground that she had called home now felt threatening. The dark felt ominous, the cold chilling, and the trees and brush were places for a murderer to hide.

* * *

The Huntsman had returned to the scene. Perhaps he was looking for another victim, perhaps he wanted to relive the killing and hanging or perhaps he was hoping to finish his ritual by starting a fire. It could be a teenager on a dare or the media snooping around, but his gut told him the killer was close.

He had to find and stop him. As Nathan chased the figure, it grew more difficult to see. The trees were close together, providing too many places to hide. Nathan stopped and shone his light around the area.

It was still and quiet.

Autumn! He’d left her and Thor alone. The Huntsman could have circled back to attack her. It hadn’t escaped Nathan’s notice that she fit the profile for the Huntsman’s victims.

How far had he run? How long had he been gone?

Nathan whirled, calling to Autumn.

His sister’s face flashed into his mind. Colleen had died at this madman’s hands. He wouldn’t let him hurt another woman he cared about.

Nathan pushed his body to move faster as his brain tripped over that thought. He cared about Autumn. He’d known her a short time, but he’d had an undeniable connection with her.

“Autumn!”

Thor barked in response. Nathan was desperate to hear Autumn’s voice. Was he too late? Had he made a critical error leaving her alone? His gun felt heavy in his hand. It did no good to shoot in the dark, but he would shoot to kill if Autumn was in danger.

When he yelled her name again, this time she responded. He moved in the direction of her voice.

When she came into view, relief rushed over him. She was squatting on the ground with her arms around Thor.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Thor growled as if chastising him for his mistake.

“Are you okay?” he asked into her hair.

“Except for being left in the woods alone in the dark after being scared by a psycho, I’m fine,” Autumn said. “Was it the Huntsman? Did you see him?”

He hadn’t seen enough of his face to provide any more details of the man they were pursuing. The glimpse he’d gotten had been quick. “I think it was the Huntsman.”

“We should call Ford,” Autumn said.

A crackling of a branch. An animal? Or the Huntsman stalking them? “Let me take you back to your cabin,” Nathan said. He didn’t want to alarm her further, but in their current position they were easy targets.

It was dark in an unfamiliar place, he had Autumn and Thor to protect and they were on the Huntsman’s hunting ground. He hated to admit it, but Nathan knew when he was outmatched.

* * *

Nathan took Autumn’s keys from her clammy palm and opened the door to her cabin. She walked inside, her face frozen in horror, her body tensed and her hands shaking. He guided her to the couch in the living room.

“Sit down. Let me fix you something to drink.”

She nodded numbly and he retrieved a glass of water, setting it in her hand. She took a few small sips.

“I’ll call Ford.” As much as he hated to involve the FBI, they had equipment and crime-scene investigators who could lock down the scene and look for footprints and evidence. If it was the Huntsman, he might have left evidence behind, having been startled at the appearance of Autumn and Nathan.

Nathan pulled a throw blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around Autumn’s shoulders. He took the lighter from the mantel and lit one of the starter logs she had set in the hearth. After the fire had spread the length of the log, he laid a few pieces of wood around it, hoping it generated some warmth.

“You know how to start a fire,” she said quietly. She kicked off her shoes and they hit the floor with matching thuds.

“I took a class on it in FBI school.”

“Really?” she asked.

He sat next to her on the couch and slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his body. He intended the gesture to offer comfort, but it had the unintended side effect of feeling good. Too good. “Nah, it’s something I picked up.” Nathan pulled out his satellite phone and dialed Roger Ford. Ford answered on the first ring. After explaining the situation, Nathan disconnected the call without waiting for Ford to bark commands at him.

Thor trotted over and sat next to the growing blaze, soaking in the heat. Autumn shifted next to Nathan on the couch, drawing her knees to her chest and leaning in to him.

After a time, the cabin grew warmer and her tremors faded.

The sharp knock on the door had Autumn jumping to her feet. Nathan caught her before she raced for the door. “Let’s be cautious, okay?”

Autumn nodded her agreement. Nathan peered through the peephole, and seeing a park ranger on the porch, he opened the door.

The man stepped inside, pulling off his hat revealing bleached blond hair. His goatee was dark and neatly trimmed. “I received a call from Special Agent Roger Ford to check in and see if everyone is okay.”

Autumn slipped past him and hugged the man. “Ben, thanks for coming out so late. I’m sorry you were pulled into this.”

Nathan watched the interaction, unsure of the relationship between the two. They seemed close. Were they friends? Something more? Earlier that night when he’d suggested they pretend to be a couple, she hadn’t mentioned she was otherwise involved with someone.

Nathan shoved aside his jealous line of thinking. It didn’t matter what relationship Autumn and Ben had. It was irrelevant to the case, and justice for Colleen was all that mattered.

Nathan stepped back, allowing Ben farther inside.

Ben threaded the brim of his hat through his fingers. “I have a couple more guys coming to the scene and the FBI should be here soon. If the media hears about this, I’ll try to keep them off your backs.”

Nathan lifted a brow. “You think the media already knows about this?” If they did, how?

Ben shrugged. “If the sheriff and the Feds turn on their flashers and start piling up the mountain, someone is bound to notice. There’s nothing up here but the Trail’s Edge, and that will have people curious.”

Small towns. Nearly every place Nathan had been in the past few months had been near a small town where the residents kept watch for their own.

Autumn wouldn’t like reporters poking around. Would this bring a fresh wave of rumors crashing down on her, giving her more reasons to isolate herself at the campground? Though she hadn’t mentioned the reasons why, she seemed to want to isolate herself at the Trail’s Edge. Being away from it made her nervous. Was it social anxiety or something more?

Ten minutes later, another car pulled in to the campground. Nathan watched from the front window. “Your rangers are here.”

“That’s my cue. Let’s lock this place down for the Feds,” Ben said.

Ben stepped away from Autumn and joined the other rangers, leaving Nathan and Autumn alone.

“Will you stay with me? At least for now?” Autumn asked.

Nathan slipped his arm around Autumn’s shoulders. He wanted to be outside, listening to whatever he could gather from Ford. “I’ll stay with you.” It would be at least thirty minutes before Ford arrived. He couldn’t put Autumn’s needs above Colleen’s.

Nathan steered her to the couch and sat down, pulling her feet onto his lap. He rubbed her feet, trying to force her to relax. “You’re safe here.”

“Ford didn’t think he would come back,” Autumn said.

If the intruder had been the Huntsman, it could be another break in his pattern. More erratic behavior, which ultimately meant more dangerous behavior. Or perhaps they were filling in the missing details of their profile. “He has never killed on two separate occasions in the same location.”

Autumn rubbed her temples. “That’s not comforting.”

He agreed with her statement, but didn’t add to her lost sense of security. “We have no reason to think he returned to the Trail’s Edge to harm anyone.”

Autumn shot him a look. “How do you do this?”

“Do what?”

“Stay calm. Have a job hunting killers,” Autumn said.

His sister had asked him the same types of questions. Colleen had been a dental hygienist. She’d built her life around her two kids, and she’d thought Nathan would have the same fate and not spend his days looking for murderers. His devotion to his job had ended his marriage. His ex-wife couldn’t understand what he did and why it was important. He couldn’t talk to her about the horrors he saw, and it had slowly destroyed communication between them. “I can’t let the Huntsman kill anyone else.”

Autumn seemed eager to talk, so Nathan listened as Autumn spoke about the Trail’s Edge. Nervous chatter, but it seemed to be calming her.

The Feds arrived with sirens screaming and lights flashing. They weren’t concerned about keeping their presence under wraps.

Autumn drew the blanket closer around her.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“A little. It’s getting better.” She reached out her hand and laid it on his.

The casual touch evoked an immediate physical response. Desire turned into the hot blaze of arousal. It wasn’t the time or the place, yet his body had its own ideas about what was important now. Spending the evening with her, touching her, being alone with her had set anticipation to a slow simmer.

Nathan drew his hand away. He couldn’t allow this heat between them to roar out of control.

Autumn leaned toward him. “Do you think he’s still here? Watching me?” She came to her feet, dropped the blanket and walked to every window in the cabin. She checked the latches and pulled closed the curtains, overlapping them so no one could see inside.

“This place will be swarming with Feds in a few hours. Unless the Huntsman wants to be caught, he’s gone.” How long or how far gone, Nathan couldn’t predict.

A knock at the door had Nathan rising to his feet. “I’ll get it.”

He pulled open the door and came face-to-face with Roger Ford, and from his expression, he was angry.

Ford let out a string of curses. “I knew having you involved would bring trouble.”

Nathan set his feet apart and refused to step back or allow Ford inside. “How does my being here control what the killer does? Is this the thanks I get for calling you first?”

Ford swore again and rubbed a tired hand over his face. “You’re too close to the case. You need to step back and let us handle this. Tell me what you know and then take a break.”

Nathan had heard the same line so many times, he expected it from every Fed he talked to about this case. “I’m not interfering with the investigation.”

Ford set his jaw. “I don’t need to tell you that I’ll have to speak with you and Ms. Reed individually about what you saw and heard.”

Nathan shrugged. “I’ll be happy to tell you what happened tonight. You can speak to Autumn, as well. Why don’t you talk to her first? It’s late, and she’s had a tough day.”

Ford cocked his head. “A tough day? We’re trying to solve a murder here. Get over having a tough day.”

Autumn set her hand on Nathan’s back, coming up behind him so quietly, he didn’t have time to prepare. His body reacted—strongly—to her touch. “I can talk now. Or later. It’s not like I’ll be able to sleep anytime soon.”

Ford looked between her and Nathan. “Fine. Let’s talk now. Do you mind talking outside?”

“Not at all.” Autumn stepped onto the porch and followed Ford down the cabin steps. Too far away to hear what they were saying, Nathan watched them. Autumn’s arms were folded over her chest and she kept glancing over her shoulder at the spotlights the Feds were setting up around the area. Her face was solemn, her fear obvious. The scene was similar to the night before, and he wondered if she was experiencing flashbacks.

Ford leaned toward her, listening and nodding, asking a few questions.

After about ten minutes, Ford walked Autumn to the foot of the stairs and inclined his head toward Nathan. “Let’s go.”

Nathan followed Ford to the same place where he’d spoken to Autumn. Nathan related the details of their night, starting from when they’d left the Wild Berry and what they had seen in the woods. He could feel the heat of Autumn’s gaze on him and knew she was watching, waiting.

“What’s your relationship with her?” Ford asked.

Nathan didn’t have a relationship with her, outside the professional one they were developing. “I’m renting a cabin from her.”

Ford narrowed his eyes as if he didn’t believe Nathan. “I saw you two together. You’re doing more than renting a cabin.”

“We’re working together.”

“So now you bring a civilian onto the case?”

“She’s lending her outdoor experience.”

Ford pointed a finger at Nathan. “Don’t get in my way.”

He didn’t remind Ford again that he had called him first to let him know about the intruder. Nathan’s priority wasn’t to be top dog on the case. Colleen deserved to have her killer brought to justice however that needed to happen. “I don’t plan on it.”

Ford rocked back on his heels. “You know, you should get back to work and get assigned to a case. You’re a good investigator, and the distraction would be healthy for you.”

“I wouldn’t be assigned to this case,” Nathan said, knowing Ford’s fake flattery was an attempt to get Nathan to back down. Men who were more manipulative and influential than Ford had tried to talk Nathan out of pursuing this case. But Nathan was dedicated. He wasn’t stopping his pursuit of the Huntsman.

“You’d be assigned to a case where you can do some good,” Ford said.

“I’m planning to do some good here.”

Ford shook his head. “You’re being a fool. I have real work to do. Stay away from my crime scene.” Ford stalked away.

Nathan didn’t argue. Poking around the scene wouldn’t get him more information. The footprints might provide some indication of stature, but Nathan could look at those after the FBI finished processing the scene.

Autumn appeared next to him. “How’d it go? Does he know anything more? Did he tell you anything about the scene?”

He hated disappointing her. “They’re working the scene now. I’m sure they’re looking for the killer. Ford won’t share information. We’re on our own.”

Autumn looked from him to the crime scene. “I don’t understand any of this. Why would the killer come back? What does he want?”

An interesting piece of the puzzle that would form the killer’s psyche. “Maybe he left something behind? Something significant to him? Maybe he didn’t finish the job and wants to complete his ritual.” Or did he return to confirm the body had been found and taken down? “Why do hikers hang packages from trees?” Nathan asked, thinking again about the body in the tree.

Autumn shivered. “Like food and such?”

Nathan nodded.

“I leave a few packages along the trail with emergency supplies and I string them in the trees to keep animals from getting to them. If anyone is hiking the trail and comes up short, they are welcome to it. It’s an unwritten rule on the trail.” She paused. “Do you think there’s a connection between emergency supplies and how the killer places his victims?”

“Not sure yet,” Nathan said, putting the information on file.

Autumn rubbed her arms and he wished he could sweep her against him and assure her she was safe. The need to hold her, touch her hummed in his veins. Being alone with her was utter temptation. The temptation to reassure, console and to claim.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

He wasn’t about to admit he’d been picturing carrying her into her cabin, stripping her naked and having her. “About the case.”

“You looked pretty intense.”

“It’s an intense situation.” Not just the murder. Her. Being with her. It wasn’t the right time to think about kissing her and holding her. His reaction to crime scenes had always been strong and visceral, and though he wasn’t proud of it, the need to blow off steam with some physical exercise—like sex—was enticing.

“I don’t understand why someone would do this,” she said.

Nathan forced himself to concentrate on her words and not her mouth. Her lips, pink and inviting. “Maybe he can’t control the urge.”

He stepped closer and Autumn took a step away. Had he been foolish to believe he could keep her safe? The killer had struck once and possibly returned to the scene, and Nathan’s gut told him he wasn’t finished.

In previous cases he’d worked, Nathan had had a partner, a team and trained professionals to bounce ideas off. This was the first case where he was on his own. The urgency to keep Autumn as his trail guide, and partner, escalated. Without the FBI’s resources at his disposal, he needed another advantage. He needed Autumn.

But was he drawing her into an investigation that would get her killed?