Page 50 of The Lake Escape
“It would be one explanation for his profound mistrust of the police.”
“And what’s another?” Julia wanted to know.
“That he’s guilty of a crime,” said Baker.
Julia was too keyed up to go kayaking. And she certainly wasn’t up for snapping pics for Insta. She could see it now, posting a bright, smiling selfie captioned:Great day for a search warrant.
Ugh.
Instead, she changed into hiking clothes, found Nutmeg in the yard, and took her for a walk through the woods. A little pet therapy was in order. Nutmeg held up her end of the bargain.
After forty-five minutes of fresh air, movement, cherishing her dog’s unbridled joy while she zoomed along the woodsy path, Erika’s mindfulness practice tottering about in her head, Julia turned toward home feeling far more grounded. She hoped Christianwould be there so she could update him on the new developments. He hadn’t been home when she left for her walk, but perhaps he’d returned. She had a lot to tell him, and he could be a good listener… sometimes.
As she hung Nutmeg’s leash on a hook by the door, Julia took off her trail runners and stretched her feet. Sitting down to decompress would be great, and she knew something that would help with that.
Julia headed for the fridge to get a bottle of wine, but stopped dead in her tracks.
There was Christian, her Christian, half slumped at the kitchen table, a tall glass in front of him and a half-empty bottle of whiskey by his side.
Chapter 20
Izzy
I’m hauling the added weight of Lucas’s deception as we slog up yet another steep incline. With each step, my legs remind me that twice a month at the gym won’t cut it. I figured we’d be gone a few hours at most, but that’s not how Captain Coyote Killer likes to hike. From minute one, Rick has been a nonstop motion machine, taking us through a dizzying maze of intersecting trails. He’s like a migratory bird able to find its way through thousands of miles of territory.
My muscles and lungs sigh with gratitude when Rick finally has the decency to take an extended meal break. Hopefully, David won’t be livid at me for abandoning my post for most of the day, but Taylor assured me all would be fine.
We eat at the aptly named Overlook Pass. From our lunch spot on an exposed ledge, we can see Lake Timmeny far below. The water reflects like a mirror framed by lush greenery. Above, a hawk makes a looping circle, scouting its prey. A chipmunk scurries by, taking shelter under a nearby rock. Naturally, I’m rooting for the cute and fuzzy critter to make it through the day alive, but the hawk needs food, too, and now I’m battling with myself over the morals of the natural world.
But here I am, enjoying a ham-and-cheese sandwich, so I have no business passing judgment on anybody—except maybe Lucas.
“Beautiful,” Lucas says. He leans back, taking it all in.
Rick grunts. “If you’d put down that guitar and leave your roommore often, you could enjoy this view every day.” He passes his son a sly look. “Though I guess you’ve enjoyed other pleasures recently.”
His observation doesn’t come across as playful ribbing. It’s obvious what he’s referring to, but is he reprimanding Lucas for inappropriate behavior, or could he be…jealous? It’s difficult to say. His eyes are as dark and emotionless as I imagine the hawk’s to be.
I can’t stop thinking about Fiona. I care a lot more about what happened to her than what she and Lucas might have done in the dark. But Rick’s displaying the same compassion for the missing woman that he shows for the animals he shoots.Strange.
After lunch, we finish the trail and reach the anticlimactic summit. While I feel invigorated from my time in nature, my mission is incomplete. Lucas has been untruthful, but I can’t be sure there’s anything nefarious behind it. It could be he’s just embarrassed.
I need more time alone with him, so I’ll have to get creative. Obviously, his dad is a powerful presence. That might be causing him to clam up.
The best idea I come up with is to lie, yet again. Here I am, questioning this boy’s character because he told a fib, and I’m about to do the same. We’re maybe two-thirds of the way down the hill when I shout, “Look! Over there—a coyote!”
Rick snaps to attention. “What? Where is it?”
I point to a particularly overgrown patch of forest some distance away. “He was over there. I just caught a flash of movement, and I swear it was as big as Nutmeg.”
“Damn,” Rick seethes. “Can’t believe I missed it. Must be losing a step in my old age. I’m gonna try to track it down. Lucas, we’ve done this hike enough times that you know the way home, right? You can escort Izzy back?”
“Yeah, sure,” says Lucas. He doesn’t sound enthusiastic.
Rick is off in a flash, soon swallowed by the forest, as he races to catch his imaginary quarry. I’ve caught mine, but I have no idea what to do with him. We walk in an uncomfortable silence. The sound of leaves and sticks crunching underfoot is extra loud. I feel like an obligation Lucas has to lug around. He doesn’t know me,we’ve hardly interacted, and he’s unhappy that I outed him as a cougar toy. If something is going to happen, it’ll be up to me.
“I wouldn’t have said anything if I’d known you and Taylor were together.” I’m speaking to Lucas’s back because he’s walking several paces ahead.
This stops him in his tracks. He turns to look at me, his penetrating stare making me flinch. “What makes you think we’re together?” he asks.
