Mountain Peril

Something horrible had happened in the wilderness.

Danielle ran to Jack before he’d reached the end of the trail. “Tell me what you found.”

The dim light accented the sadness in his eyes. “We found Tricia’s body.”

“W-w-was it like the Web site?”

He took her arm and guided her across the parking lot. Then he slumped against the side of the car and rubbed his hands over his eyes. “It was horrible.”

Danielle’s concern for Jack overshadowed her grief for Tricia. Nothing she could do would help the young woman, but Jack needed someone to care about him.

She stared up into his face. “I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been there.”

The hard lines of his face softened. “I still can’t believe what some people are capable of doing.”

“You’re a man who doesn’t share his feelings, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any. I can tell you’re strong, and you’ll be able to do your job.”

He straightened. “Thanks. I’m glad I brought you with me tonight.”

SANDRA ROBBINS,

a native West Tennessean, is a former teacher and principal in the Tennessee public schools. She now writes full-time and is an adjunct college professor. She is married and has four children and five grandchildren.

Her fascination with mystery and suspense can be traced to all the Nancy Drew books she read as a child. She hopes her stories will entice readers to keep turning the pages until wrongs have been righted and romance has blossomed in her characters’ lives.

It is her prayer that God will use her words to plant seeds of hope in the lives of her readers. Her greatest desire is that many will come to know the peace she draws from her life verse Isaiah 40:31—But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

To find out more about Sandra and her books, go to her Web site at www.sandrarobbins.net.

Mountain Peril
Sandra Robbins

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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You are forgiving and good, O Lord,

abounding in love to all who call to you.

—Psalms 86:5

To my dear husband who has encouraged me in my writing journey. Without his love and support this book wouldn’t have been possible.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

The Webster Falls Sheriff’s Department Asks for Help in Apprehending a Killer.

The flashing words, accompanied by the steady drone of a drumbeat and the eerie sound of distant guitars, hovered above a picture that sent chills down Danielle Tyler’s back. She leaned closer to the computer screen and stared spellbound at the scene below the words. As Dean of Students at Webster University, she was familiar with some of the Web sites her students frequented, but she’d never seen anything like this.

A young girl lay on her back, her dark hair fanned out on a pillow of mountain foliage underneath. Red-tinged leaves littered her blood-drenched clothes. Her open eyes stared upward as if offering a silent plea for release from pain.

Danielle closed her eyes for a moment to shut out the grisly scene of the girl she knew so well and reopened them to stare at Detective Jack Denton from the Webster Falls Sheriff’s Department sitting across from her desk. “H-how did you find this horrible site?”

He opened the notebook he held and glanced at a page. “A man named Harrison Coleman from Marietta, Georgia, called our department this morning. He said his son who attends Georgia Tech said the Web site has become the main topic of conversation on the campus. When I pulled it up, I was surprised at what I saw.”

Danielle crossed her arms and hugged herself to suppress the icy feeling flowing through her body. “It’s given me quite a shock, too.”

“I can understand. I intended to take this to the university’s president, but when I arrived, his secretary told me he was in Asheville today. She suggested I bring it to you.”

Danielle nodded. “Dr. Newman will be back tomorrow. In the meantime, how can I help you?”

The muscle in the detective’s jaw twitched. “The Web site claims the girl on there is a Webster student and has been murdered.” He paused before he continued. “Our department doesn’t know anything about a murder, but we’re concerned that the scene is identical to the murder ten years ago of Jennifer McCaslin who was a student here.”

Danielle took a deep breath. “I realized that when I saw the picture.”

A frown creased his forehead. “Did you know Jennifer McCaslin?”

Danielle sank back in her chair. “We were roommates. She was murdered our senior year at Webster.” She pointed to the screen. “But this girl’s not Jennifer.”

“No, I realized that. I looked at a picture from Jennifer McCaslin’s cold case file. We don’t know who the girl on the Web site is.”

Danielle gritted her teeth. “She’s Tricia Peterson, a student here at Webster. But I saw her on campus this morning and she was fine. She was only a child when Jennifer was killed. How would she even know about the murder?”

“I don’t know.”

Danielle glanced back at the screen. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“We know that, but we wanted to see if anyone can give us information. From what my caller told me this morning, this Web site is causing panic on college campuses. Not to mention the fact that it doesn’t look good that a sheriff’s office is advertising for help in catching a killer.”

Danielle frowned. “But why are students frightened by this obvious prank?”

He nodded toward the computer. “Why don’t you read what it says next?”

Danielle turned back to the computer and read the lines printed underneath the flashing heading.

The Webster Falls, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Department asks for your help in the apprehension of Damien Carter, the chief suspect in the murder of Lila Barrett. The victim, a student at Webster University, was found on a Smoky Mountain trail outside of Webster Falls in September. Carter, also a student at the school, disappeared soon after the discovery of the body. Various sightings of the fugitive have been reported, but so far he has eluded capture.

Danielle shook her head and frowned. “We don’t have a Lila Barrett or a Damien Carter enrolled at Webster.”

Detective Denton nodded. “I know. When I went to the president’s office, his secretary told me.”

Acquaintances of the suspect report the young man had become obsessed with murders on college campuses and had often threatened to wage his own rampage across the country. Having been blackballed by a fraternity, he harbors animosity against anyone belonging to a Greek organization. Students enrolled in institutions of higher learning are warned to be on the lookout for this suspected killer. If he is seen, notify the Webster Falls, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Department at once.

Danielle leaned back in her chair and pointed to the screen. “I can’t believe this. Who would construct such a Web site?”

Detective Denton glanced down at the notebook. “Actually we know. Our tech guys traced the Internet Service Provider and found out the Web site owner is Flynn Carter.”

Danielle sprang from her chair. “Flynn?” she screeched. “He’s my work study student and Tricia’s boyfriend. Why would he do this?”

“That’s what I need to find out. Can you get Carter in here?”

She reached for the phone, but her hands shook so that it slipped from her fingers. Clutching it with both hands, she brought it to her ear. “Betty, would you find out what class Flynn Carter is in and get him to my office right away?” After hanging up, she glanced at the detective. “Is there anything else?”

Detective Denton nodded. “There are pages of forensics information, a picture of the victim and killer together before the murder. There’s even a page with pictures of the suspected killer at places all across the country—Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, a museum in Oklahoma City, Graceland. It says these photos were sent to the department by tourists who just happened to catch him in their family vacation pictures.”

Danielle clicked on the page with the photographs and gasped. “That’s Flynn in those pictures.”

“That’s what I suspected,” Detective Denton said.

She started to speak, but Flynn shuffled into the room. Wearing faded jeans with blown-out holes and a muscle-fitted, sueded cotton shirt, he looked like any other Webster student, not the designer of a gruesome Web site. His bleached hair tumbled over his forehead, and he glanced from one to the other, before he settled a deadpan expression on Danielle. “You sent for me, Dr. Tyler?”

She nodded in Detective Denton’s direction. “This is Detective Jack Denton, an investigator with the sheriff’s office. He’d like to ask you some questions.”

A crimson flush spread across his face and forehead. “What about?”

Danielle sucked in her breath and frowned. She opened her mouth, but Detective Denton interrupted her. “I’m here investigating a complaint I had today and need to ask you a few questions.”

Flynn tensed. “Fire away.”

“Are you responsible for the Web site that claims to document the murder of a Webster student?”

Flynn’s body relaxed, and a smirk crossed his face. “Yeah.”

The detective’s mouth thinned into a straight line. “Can you explain what made you construct such a site?”

Flynn chuckled. “What’s the big deal? It was just a joke. You know, shake some fraternity and sorority kids up a little.”

Anger flashed on Jack Denton’s face, and he advanced on Flynn. “I don’t consider it a joke when our department gets calls from parents in other parts of the country who have kids scared to venture out on their college campuses.”

Flynn glanced at Danielle. “You mean they thought it was real?”

The frown on Detective Denton’s forehead deepened. “Yeah. There’s no telling what harm your little prank has caused. With all the crazy people out there, all it would take would be for one to see your site and decide to copy the murder.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. Nobody would do that.”

Detective Denton jabbed his finger at Flynn’s chest. “Look, Mr. Smart Guy, if you could see all the information that comes across my desk about copycat crimes, you’d have thought twice before you put up that Web site.”

Flynn gritted his teeth. “I can’t help it if there are crazy people out there. It has nothing to do with me or my Web site.”

“Well, just to make sure, our department wants you to take it down.”

Flynn shook his head. “You can’t make me do that. My dad’s a lawyer, and he’s taught me all about my rights. I haven’t broken any laws, and you know it.”

“That remains to be seen.”

Flynn started to respond, but Danielle interrupted him. “I suggest you do as the detective tells you, Flynn, before your enrollment at this university is affected.”

Flynn’s eyes widened. “Dr. Newman wouldn’t kick me out, would he?”

Danielle nodded. “You involved the university when you depicted the murder scene of a former student. Since that case has never been solved, you used information from an ongoing investigation.” She paused and took a breath. “And I might add that in all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you act as disrespectful as you have today. Now unless the detective has more questions, I want you to leave.”

Detective Denton held up his hand. “I do have one more question. What about the pictures on the Web site of you at different spots across the country? How did you pull that off?”

Flynn pulled his attention away from Danielle and faced the detective. “That was really cool, wasn’t it?” A laugh rumbled in his throat. “A friend and I drove from California when we came back to school. We stopped at tourist attractions along the way. We’d spot a family group. I’d walk over close to them, and my friend would snap the picture. I posted them and said they were pictures sent from people who caught a killer by mistake on their vacation photos.”

“Humph!” The snort reflected the disgust on Jack Denton’s face. “That’s all the questions I have at this time. I’ll be talking to you later, though.”

Flynn glanced from one to another before he whirled and stormed toward the door. When he’d left, Danielle turned back to the detective. “I want to apologize for Flynn’s behavior.”

Detective Denton closed his notebook and smiled. “I’m used to it. That’s one of the hazards of police work.”

Danielle walked around her desk and stuck out her hand. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.” He grasped her hand, and his touch warmed her cool skin. She pulled away and flexed her fingers. “What will you do next?”

He glanced at his watch. “I’ll talk to the district attorney. See if we have legal grounds for making Carter take the site down.”

“Will you do that today?”

“I don’t know. I’m expected in court to testify in a case. I have no idea how long I’ll be there, but I’ll get back in touch as soon as I know anything.”

“Thank you. Do you think you can charge him with anything?”

He shrugged. “I doubt it. He really hasn’t broken any laws. I suppose his dad could say he was just exercising his right to free speech.”

She clenched her fists. “Well, his right to free speech has brought back one of the most horrible times in my life.”

He said nothing for a moment, and she saw a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Dr. Tyler. We’ll do everything we can to get this matter resolved.”

“I appreciate that.”

As he walked out the door, Danielle thought about the surprising turn her morning had taken. As much as she had tried, for the past ten years, she hadn’t been able to put Jennifer’s death from her mind, and now it had returned to haunt her even more.

She crossed her arms and hugged herself. Jennifer’s murder made no sense when it happened, and ten years later it still didn’t. The police had never found any motive for the murder, and they had eventually abandoned it to the cold-case files.

Maybe Flynn’s Web site would provide a reason for them to study the murder again. Detective Denton hadn’t given any indication the department was willing to reopen the investigation, but something about his demeanor gave her the idea he was a dogged investigator. Maybe he would be the person who would finally shed some light on the nightmare she’d lived with for ten years.

Danielle walked to the door, stepped into the hallway and gazed at the retreating figure of Jack Denton. Just before he reached the foyer, he turned his head and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes widened as if surprised to see her standing there. For a moment their gazes locked before he turned away and disappeared through the front door.

There was something about the handsome detective that intrigued her. Perhaps it was that momentary flash of sympathy for her feelings she saw in his eyes. Then again, she might be imagining his concern. After all, he knew nothing about her or the devastating events in her life that started with the discovery of Jennifer’s body on the mountain trail.

Days went by when she wouldn’t think about what had happened. Then something would remind her. Old wounds would be laid bare, and those things best forgotten would resurface. All she could do was pray that she would survive again as she had done so many times before.

Jack Denton climbed into his car and sat there taking in the Webster University campus. The stately, brick buildings surrounded by manicured lawns and ringed by the Appalachians in the background provided a picture of wealth, affluence and privilege, not anything like the small state college he’d attended.

He stared at the Administration Building, which he’d just left. The structure was really a mansion that sat in the middle of a bustling campus. The information he’d read said it had been home to generations of the Webster family before Thaddeus Webster, at the end of World War I, established a university on the property. Today the mansion housed staff offices and classrooms.

The more modern buildings that bordered a rectangular grassy area across the back of the campus looked slightly out of place in the shadow of the main house. He’d read that the newest structure, the Nathan Webster Pavilion for concerts and recitals, had been completed a year before.

Students hurried from one building to another on their way to class. He thought of Danielle Tyler and wondered why she’d returned to work at Webster after going through the trauma of her roommate’s death.

Her sea-green eyes had held a sparkle until she saw the site, and he’d been disappointed to see it disappear. He could smell the perfume she wore, and the familiar scent reminded him of another woman from what seemed like another lifetime ago. He grunted in disgust, turned the ignition and punched the play button on the car’s CD player.

The music of Jade Dragon, the hottest rock band in history, filled the interior. They’d been his favorite band since his teenage years. Whenever the past threatened to intrude, he could always depend on them to distract his thoughts.

For some reason it didn’t seem to work today. Jack sighed and glanced toward the building. In another time of his life, he would have made it his business to find out all he could about the woman with the tantalizing eyes. That person had vanished, though, and had left a shell of a man who was incapable of caring for anyone. There was no time to think about a woman he’d probably never see again. He had a job to do.

He had come to Webster Falls hoping he could find peace in the small mountain community. Instead, he’d encountered a town with an unsolved murder and a Web site depicting a gruesome reenactment of that crime. It was enough to raise the concern of any law enforcement officer.

Was there some evil force that resided in the mountains around Webster Falls? If so, perhaps there were other secrets waiting to be discovered.

TWO

The sun was beginning its descent into the west when Jack walked out of the courthouse. The trial had taken up most of the day. He’d have to talk to the district attorney tomorrow before he went back to see Flynn Carter.

The name of the Webster student brought to mind the woman he’d met earlier in the day. Throughout the day, he’d thought about her from time to time. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. It was ridiculous to dwell on a fleeting encounter. For all he knew she had a husband and children at home.

The idea of home with its frozen meals waiting to be defrosted and the makeshift dinner table in front of the television filled him with sadness. He hated the thought of going to the small apartment tonight and repeating his routine. A stop at the Mountain Mug, home of the best cup of coffee in Webster Falls, could delay that for a little while.

Fifteen minutes later, he stepped up to the counter at the Mountain Mug and ordered a large cup of the dark Colombian coffee he’d come to enjoy. He glanced around the crowded room for an empty table. Most of them were taken by young people engrossed in their computers.

His traveling gaze came to an abrupt stop at the sight of Danielle Tyler, wearing jeans and a Webster sweatshirt, seated toward the back of the room. Her dark hair, pulled up in a ponytail, revealed the earphones of an iPod strapped to her arm. From time to time her head bobbed at the music only she could hear. She stared at the screen of her laptop and sipped from a large mug.

Realizing he was blocking the exit of customers with their orders, he took a step to his left and collided with a man who’d just left the counter. The coffee in his mug sloshed over the sides and onto the floor.

“Watch out.” The man’s voice rose over the din in the shop.

Convinced everyone in the room had turned to stare, Jack grabbed a napkin from the counter and stooped to wipe up the spot at his feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“No harm done.” The man gave a quick nod and headed toward a woman seated at a table by the door.

As Jack rose from his squatting position, Danielle looked up. Her lips parted in a smile, and she pulled the earphones out. She looked around at the filled tables and motioned to him. “Detective Denton, come join me.”

He started to decline, but there were still no unoccupied tables. Taking a deep breath, he ambled forward and slipped into the offered chair. He set his cup on the table and tried to smile. “I didn’t expect to run into you.” He nodded toward the iPod. “What are you listening to?”

A smile pulled at her lips. “My favorite rock group, Jade Dragon.”

A chuckle rattled in his throat. “It looks like we have something in common. They’ve been my favorite band since I was a kid.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners, just as they had done earlier today. Then she smiled again, and he suddenly felt at ease. “I’m glad to hear you say that. They’re my parents.”

The cup almost slipped from his fingers. “You’re kidding. Kenny and Mary Tyler are your parents?” He laughed and shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I think I have all their CDs.”

“So do I.” Danielle cleared her throat and straightened in her chair. “But tell me, did you get a chance to talk to the D.A.?”

“No, I didn’t get out of court until about fifteen minutes ago. I’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Good.” She leaned over and propped her elbows on the table. “Dr. Newman didn’t get back from Asheville today, but I e-mailed him and Mr. Webster about the site.”

“Who’s Mr. Webster?”

“He’s the chairman of the board. His great-grandfather founded Webster University—gave the land and built the first buildings. Their family has been involved with the school ever since. Nathan is very committed to the school’s success. I’m afraid he’s going to be upset when he sees the Web site.”

“I don’t blame him. It’s not good publicity for a school.”

“No, it’s not.” She picked up her cup and peered at him over the rim. “I’ve never seen you in here before, Detective Denton. Do you come often?”

“Several times a week, Dr. Tyler.”

She laughed, and the sound tinkled like tiny bells. “Please call me Danielle. I have trouble thinking of myself as anything but a girl who grew up watching her parents perform at rock concerts all across the country.”

He crossed his arms on the table, and his mouth crooked into a half smile. “Call me Jack. I’m just a soldier turned deputy sheriff.”

She twisted in her seat and pulled one leg up under her. Her head tilted, and her eyes grew large. “Soldier? What did you do?”

“I was in Special Forces. After I got out, I looked for a nice, quiet town and ended up in Webster Falls. It’s close to home. My mother lives in Asheville.”

She scooted her computer to the side and clasped her hands on the tabletop. “My parents live in Atlanta now. I see them several times a year. It must be nice to live so close you can visit your mother whenever you want.”

He averted his gaze and took a sip from his cup. “Yeah. I try to go at least once a month.” They sat silent for a few moments. Then he reached for her cup. “Want a refill?”

Her ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded. “That would be great.”

Jack rose and walked away from the table. What was he doing sitting with this woman? He’d talked with her more since he’d walked in the door than he had with any woman in the past three years.

He stopped at the counter and glanced back at Danielle. She smiled at him, and he forced his lips to respond. He should leave. He didn’t need any complications in his life, and something told him she could be just that.

The day had produced more surprises than Danielle had experienced in a long time. The last thing she would have expected was to be sitting drinking coffee with Jack Denton. She had to admit, though, there was something about the quiet detective that intrigued her.

“Tell me, Jack…” she began but stopped.

He swallowed the coffee in his mouth and set the cup back on the table. “What?”

“I started to ask you about your family, but I don’t want you to think I’m prying.”

“No, it’s okay.” His eyes clouded, and his forehead creased into a small frown. “My mother is my only family. She has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home in Asheville. That’s why I go once a month.”

A pang of regret pierced her heart. “I’m sorry, Jack. That must be very painful for you.”

Jack nodded. “It is.” He cleared his throat and glanced at her. “But what about you? I’m sitting here with you, and for all I know you may have a boyfriend, or even be married.”

Another memory she struggled to suppress drifted into her mind. As she’d done so often in the past, she tried to shake it from her head. “No, there’s not a man in my life. There was one when I was in Chapel Hill attending graduate school, but he died.”

Jack leaned forward. “Oh, I’m sorry. What happened?”

Danielle swallowed before answering. “He was killed during a robbery of his apartment.”

“That’s terrible. Did the police catch the killer?’

Danielle shook her head. “No. They said there had been an increase in robberies in that area. They decided he must have walked in on a burglary in progress.”

Sympathy shone in Jack’s eyes. “Then I guess we have something besides Jade Dragon in common. My wife died in a car crash with another man while I was away on special assignment with the army.”

Danielle sucked in her breath. “Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry.”

Surprise flashed across his face. “I can’t believe I said that. You’re the first person I’ve told that to since I came to Webster Falls, and I’ve only known you one day.”

She smiled. “Then maybe this means we’re going to be friends.”

“Maybe so, but I have to warn you. I don’t make friends easily.” He leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. “The way you talk, it seems you’ve been able to accept what happened in your life. How have you been able to do that?”

Danielle tilted her head and arched her eyebrows. “Oh, I have times when I feel overwhelmed. Two of the people I’ve loved most in my life, Jennifer and my fiancé, both died, but my faith got me through the bad times. So I try to remember that my life isn’t over and God still has plans for me.”

Jack cocked an eyebrow. “Faith, huh? Glad it works for you.”

His stony expression relayed his skepticism. Danielle shifted in her chair and debated what to say. “It can work for anybody, Jack.”

He sighed and pushed back from the table. “Not me.” He glanced past her toward the door, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Flynn Carter just walked in, and I recognize the girl with him from the Web site.”

Danielle stared in the direction he was looking. She hadn’t seen Flynn since early this morning, but his arrival reminded her of his behavior then. “He seems a lot happier now than when he was in my office. I wonder if he’s told Tricia about our meeting.”

Jack shrugged. “They don’t seem to be too concerned, do they?”

Danielle sighed and shook her head. “One thing I’ve found out about working with college students is they don’t tend to get too upset about anything but what’s happening at that minute.” She glanced at Jack. “Don’t get me wrong. We have some great kids at Webster, but they haven’t had the life lessons yet that will mold them into the adults they’ll become. They’re preparing for the world, and they have no idea how tough it can be at times.”

Jack studied Flynn and Tricia as they purchased coffee to go. “I hope their little prank doesn’t cause them to get some of that experience.”

“I do, too.” Danielle watched Flynn and Tricia as they disappeared out the door.

After a moment, Jack stood. “I guess I’d better be going. It was nice to see you.”

She stuck out her hand. “It was good seeing you. I hope we’ll meet again.”

He grasped her hand, and his gaze moved over her face. “Maybe we will. I’ll probably be back out at the school in a day or so if Carter doesn’t take the Web site down.” He smiled. “Good night, Danielle.”

“Good night, Jack.”

He turned and strode toward the door. Danielle watched him go before she picked up her iPod. As she stared at it, she replayed her conversation with Jack Denton in her mind. She’d never talked with anyone who seemed to guard each word like he did, and yet there had been a connection between the two of them.

They shared a love for her parents’ music, but there was more. They’d both had a tragedy with the person they loved. The difference was in the fact that Jack couldn’t accept what she’d found—faith. If they became friends, perhaps in time she could help him face his difficult memories.