Capturing the Huntsman. C.J. Miller
and she didn’t want him hurt.
Ford’s words didn’t comfort her. The Huntsman was still at large.
Suppressing a shiver of fear, Autumn stroked Thor’s ears. “This is Thor. He was with me when we found the body. He found it first. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will make a very good witness.” She dragged Thor away from the door, and after Nathan stepped through, she shut and locked it behind them. The warmth of the room stung her face. She hadn’t realized how cold it had gotten outside.
As soon as she registered Nathan into one of the cabins, she would turn up the pellet stove and curl up near the heat with a cup of hot chocolate. Though she doubted she would sleep tonight, perhaps she could rest in the warmth and comfort of her cabin.
“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” Nathan said.
Autumn blinked, her eyes feeling gritty with exhaustion. She sat at the kitchen table, her registration sheet blank in front of her. “Why here? Why would he pick this campground of all places?” The Appalachian Trail was more than two thousand miles long. When she’d read about the case three weeks ago, she hadn’t considered the killer would strike so close to her home. For so long, the Trail’s Edge had been her sanctuary from the world.
Nathan took a seat kitty-corner from her. His nearness both calmed and excited her. “I haven’t determined how he chooses an area or why he chooses the victims he does and what makes him move on to another location.”
“Does that mean he could come back?” Autumn said. “Ford didn’t seem to think so.”
Nathan looked from her to her dog. “I don’t think he’s finished here. You described the smell of burning to Ford, but no fire. At every other scene, he has burned his victims’ body. I think you and Thor interrupted the killer before he was finished with his routine.”
Her stomach grew queasy and Autumn closed her eyes. “He was planning to burn her? That wasn’t in the news.”
“It’s a detail the FBI has been keeping close to the chest.”
What about Nathan? “Why are you working this case? Special Agent Ford indicated he didn’t want your help.”
Nathan’s face darkened and a shadow crossed his eyes. “My twin sister was the killer’s third victim. I’m doing this for her and our family.” Grief underscored every word.
“Oh, Nathan. I’m sorry for your loss.” Her words were a useless platitude. She remembered the article in the news about the third victim. The unnamed victim had been planning to go hiking with a friend, but when the friend became sick, she’d gone alone. A park ranger had found the body less than a quarter of a mile from the trail. It made sense now why the ranger had been drawn to the location. A fire along the trail was cause for concern.
“Thank you. Finding Colleen’s killer is the only way I’ll sleep easy at night,” he said.
“You don’t trust Ford to find her?”
“No.”
No explanation.
With his intense dark eyes watching her, she found it hard to think, hard to put together rational thoughts. She’d never had this kind of reaction to a man. It had to be the stress from the night. Finding the body and the exhaustion catching up to her. Being lonely for too long. Missing her father and missing Blaine. She needed a friend, and at the moment, Nathan was the only one who fit the bill.
Nathan straightened his shoulders, as if pulling himself together. “I know you’re tired, but I’d like to ask you a few more questions, if you’re willing to answer them.”
Autumn pulled her hair free of the elastic band holding it. She rubbed her fingers along her scalp, trying to massage away the headache that pulsed there. “Does that mean you’re not planning to follow Ford’s suggestion?” Seeing the raw emotion, she wondered if it was wise for Nathan to stay involved in the case. But how could she refuse to answer his questions knowing how much this meant to him and his family?
“Never considered walking away. Stopping him from killing again is too important.”
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.