“Uh-huh.” Sami slid her bagel into the toaster oven. “No one is buying that, so you might as well drop the act.”
Piper grabbed a muffin and set it on her tray. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do. No sense denying it. Landon spilled the beans.”
“He what?”
“He tried denying it, but come on, it’s so obvious. You two are totally into each other.”
“Me and Landon?” She forced a laugh.
“Ah, honey, you can’t really be that clueless.” Sami took her bagel, plopped it on her tray, and headed toward the cashier.
Piper followed Sami. First the lady went on a date with Landon, and now she was insulting her? “I’m far from clueless.” Though she didn’t exactly feel as in the know as she was accustomed to.
Sami handed her employee’s card to the cashier. “Don’t get your knickers in a bunch.” She took her card back and proceeded to the turnstile.
Piper paid and stepped after her.
Sami looked up as she sat down at a table overlooking the base of the mountain. “All I meant was, when it comes to Landon you obviously don’t see what the rest of us do.”
Was she trying to suggest that she knew Landon better? “And what, pray tell, is that?”
“That he is a catch and that he only has eyes for you.”
Piper’s knees wobbled. “For me?”
Sami gestured to the open seat across from her. “You were practically all he talked about last night.”
Piper sat. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But Landon and I aren’t—”
“Then you should be.”
“You don’t understand. Landon is . . .” How could she sum up everything Landon was to her in a handful of words? “He’s . . .”
“Handsome, intelligent, passionate,” Sami supplied.
Piper smiled. “I’ll give you the first two, but passionate?” The very idea of Landon being passionate . . . Memories flooded her mind. . . .
The way he’d cradled her after the shooting, the fire in his eyes when he pressed her up against his wall while trying to drive home a point. Had she missed it all these years? Landon in his driveway after she’d found Becky Malone at his place. The haggard hunger in his eyes, the despair as she drove away—it was the fiercest emotion she’d ever witnessed in him.
“You still with me?” Sami said, waving a hand in front of Piper’s face.
“Yeah, sorry, I was just . . .”
“Don’t sweat it.” Sami shook her orange juice carton before opening it. “Landon said you are headed up to Glacier Peak resort.”
“Yeah, Tess said that’s the last place Karli worked.”
“Sounds about right.”
Piper tried to focus on Karli, on the case—hard as it was to drag her thoughts from Landon and from what Sami had just shared. “Did you know her well? Karli?”
“Yes and no.” Sami shrugged. “The gal had a lot of baggage. Sometimes I even felt halfway sorry for her. Other times . . .” Sami slid a straw in her juice. “Guess it doesn’t matter now.”
“Landon said Karli told you she was younger than she let on.”
“Yeah.”
“And you believed her?”
“Karli rarely said anything truthful, so on the few occasions she did, it stood out.”
“Anything else that stood out to you as truthful?”
“I don’t know . . . Something about her mom dying too young.” Sami took a sip of her juice.
“Karli ever mention having another name?”
“Landon asked me the same thing, but no, I don’t remember her ever going by anything other than Karli.”
“She ever have family visit her, friends?”
“No. She was one of the few willing to work over Christmas. Never talked about her family, her home . . .” Sami cocked her head.
“What?”
“Well, there was this one time we were talking about the best boarders, and she was adamant that surfers made the best boarders.”
“Not much surfing around here.”
“You’ve got a few crazies that hit calving glaciers over in Alaska, but I got the feeling she’d grown up surfing.”
“She ever say where?”
“Nope, and I didn’t ask. Didn’t really care.”
“It seems barely anybody cared about Karli.” It was sad.
“She did it to herself.”
“Sounds like she was really lost.” And alone.
“Yeah, but the thing about Karli is, I’m pretty sure she liked being that way.”
Piper waited outside the lodge entrance as Landon loaded their bags into the back of their rental car. The exterior of the burgundy 4Runner had seen better days, but the luxurious tan leather interior remained in nearly prime condition.
She watched the faint orangish hue of sun slipping through the cloud cover pick up the russet highlights of Landon’s hair. How had she missed the allure of his rugged handsomeness all these years?
“You ready?” He held her door open.
She nodded and settled in.
Landon climbed in on his side and started the engine. “So what did you mean about the real work you did on the investigation last night?”
She put on her seat belt and clicked it in place. “It means I made some calls.”
“Learn anything new?”
“Actually, yes.” She relayed what Gage and Darcy had told her about Theresa Masterson.
“When are they checking into Theresa’s alibi?”
“They’re flying to Kodiak today.”
“Anything else? Did they find anything suspicious in Karli’s records?”
“Not exactly.”
“Meaning . . . ?”
“Darcy said everything fit, but it felt fixed or clinical somehow.”
“If Karli was with Witness Protection, I’d expect as much.”
“About that . . .” She shifted to face him better. “If Sami was right and Karli joined the circuit at seventeen, there’s no way that Witness Protection would allow her to do that.”
“Maybe she left.”
“Left Witness Protection?”
“It happens, more often than you think. It’s not an easy road to travel, leaving everyone you love, maintaining stringent guidelines, never getting close to anyone.”
“But wouldn’t Karli’s parents have stopped her?” She remembered Cole’s insistence that Reef not join the circuit until he’d finished high school and turned eighteen. Reef left the morning of his eighteenth birthday and had barely been home since. She’d really hoped that maybe this time he’d stay, but that had been before Karli’s death.
“Sami said Karli told her that her folks were deceased before she joined the circuit. Remember?”
“That’s right. Sami also said Karli mentioned something about her mom dying too young.”
Landon’s hand gripped the wheel. “You and Sami spoke?”
She nodded.
“When?” He was trying to act casual, but his discomfort was painfully apparent.
“This morning. In the cafeteria.”
“How’d that come about?”
“She was behind me in line at the breakfast buffet.” She narrowed her eyes. Had he really confided in Sami about his feelings for her? “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” He tapped the wheel. “What’d you two talk about?”
“Mostly Karli.”
He glanced over at her. “Mostly?”
She ignored his question, tossing one his way instead. “How about you?”
“How about me . . . what?”
“What did you and Sami talk about? Anything besides Karli?”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple dipping in his throat. “This and that.”
“Like what?”
“Look at that.” He pointed to the dash clock. “Eight o’clock already. Nash’s practice is open. I better try her again before her day gets going.” He gra
bbed his cell before Piper could argue.
Interesting. First fumbly, and now jittery. Maybe Sami had told the truth. Maybe she wasn’t the only one whose feelings had changed. The possibility warmed her immensely.
“Wellspring Physical Therapy,” a woman answered.
“Oh, hi,” Landon stumbled, his mind still racing. What had Sami told Piper? “May I speak with Taylor Nash?”
“Are you a client of Ms. Nash’s?”
“No.”
“Then may I ask what this is in reference to?”
“I’m calling about a client of Ms. Nash’s. Karli Davis. I’ve left several messages.”
“Just a moment.”
An instrumental version of “Silent Night” played.
The other end clicked on. “You’ve got some nerve calling back here.”
“I’m sorry. I think there’s been some mistake.”
“Breaking into my office was illegal, not a mistake.”
“Your office was broken into?”
“Don’t play coy with me. I know you did it. What, you didn’t get what you were looking for from the file you stole, so now you plan to badger me some more. Is that it?”
“Ms. Nash, there’s been a mistake. This is Deputy Sheriff Landon Grainger, and I’m investigating Karli Davis’s murder.”
“Murder?” A lengthy pause ensued.
“Ms. Nash?”
“Karli’s”—her voice cracked—“dead?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m afraid so.”
“This can’t be happening.”
“What can’t?”
“Look, I’m not comfortable discussing this without being certain of who you are. What city’s sheriff department did you say you are with?”
“I didn’t say, but Yancey, Alaska.”
“All right, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll look up the number for the Yancey sheriff station, and if everything checks out and you are who you say you are, then we can talk.”
Smart lady. “I’m not in Yancey. I’m here in British Columbia investigating Karli’s case.”
“Okay, give me a number where I can reach you. If everything is as you say it is, you can come into my office and we can speak in person.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be in touch.” The line went dead.
“What was that all about?” Piper asked.
“Seems Ms. Nash’s office was broken into and Karli’s file stolen.”
“She say when?”
“No, but by the freshness of her anger, I’d say it was recently.”
“That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Sure doesn’t seem that way.” But it was too early to make a judgment. He needed all the facts. No sense getting excited about something that may have no bearing on Karli’s murder or Reef’s innocence.
Less than an hour later, his cell rang.
31
The ride from Vailmont to Invermere, where Wellspring Physical Therapy was located, took roughly four hours. They arrived during the practice’s lunch hour, when it closed its doors to the public. Landon figured it couldn’t have worked out better. They wouldn’t be distracted by clients and could have Taylor Nash’s sole attention. She met them at the clinic’s double glass doors and waited until Landon showed his badge and license before unlocking the doors and inviting them in. She was tall, slender, late thirties, perhaps, and wore rimless glasses. She appeared both shrewd and somewhat frightened.
“I thought we’d speak in my office.” She led the way.
Her office was small, but open and airy. Everything was light in color—neutral cream carpet, muted lemon walls, white modern furniture. And it was immaculate. The citrus scent of Pledge hung in the air along with a hint of the more abrasive scent of Lysol. Bright paintings of vivid flowers hung beside a handful of diplomas on the far wall.
Taylor sat behind her desk. “Please have a seat.”
Landon pulled out a chair for Piper.
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him as she sat.
He nodded, trying to ignore the joy her smile filled him with. He sank into the chair beside her, praying for the resolve to keep his attention focused on the case at hand.
Truth be told, he’d been doing an awful lot of praying lately. It was weird how easy the transformation came. After his dad’s betrayal, Landon had refused to pray, but now, after crying out to God, or rather grunting at Him, God had filled him with the urge to pray. He was in way over his head and he knew it.
Piper’s discomfort about his date with Sami felt good. It was petty, but having the tables turned for once filled him with a strange confidence. Maybe she did feel something beyond friendship for him. The way she looked at him. The way she pressed him about his conversation with Sami. He glanced over and caught her staring again. Did she know how he felt?
Piper blinked, her gaze shifting back to Taylor Nash. “Thanks so much for seeing us.”
“You’re welcome.” Taylor’s blond hair was pulled back in a low ponytail that she slipped over her shoulder to rest behind her back. “I spoke with your Sheriff Slidell.” She directed her statement at Landon. “He said you’ve taken a leave of absence.”
“It was the only way I could come to British Columbia to investigate.”
She crossed her long legs beneath the glass-topped desk. “Care to explain?”
He relayed the pertinent events and explained what they’d learned through their investigation, hoping Taylor would reciprocate. “And that brings us to you,” he said as she rhythmically tapped her pen atop an unused legal pad. “This morning you mentioned a break-in.”
With an exhale, Taylor set the pen aside. “A few weeks back a man called asking questions about Karli.”
“Did this man provide his name?”
“He claimed he was Karli’s father, but I knew it was a lie.” She studied Piper, clearly checking out her injuries.
“How did you know it was a lie?”
“Because Karli’s parents are deceased.”
“You’re certain?”
“That’s what Karli told me.” Taylor stiffened slightly. “Shouldn’t you know that?”
“We are aware of her parents’ deaths, but we are trying to discover what others know about Karli without revealing what we have learned. Does that make sense?”
“I suppose.” She lifted her pen again, this time sliding it up and down through her fingers. “What happened to you?” she finally asked Piper.
“Car accident.”
“Any neck stiffness?”
“No.”
“Be sure to keep an eye on it. It can take days, even weeks for symptoms to appear.”
Piper nodded. “Okay.”
“Too many people ignore a sore neck, not realizing the damage has been done.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep a good eye on it.”
“You’re welcome.” Taylor shifted her gaze back to Landon.
He took it as his cue to proceed. “Did Karli ever mention what happened to her parents?”
“No, but I asked about them. Karli had OI.”
“OI?” he asked.
“Osteogenesis imperfecta. It’s a genetic connective tissue disorder. It was very mild in Karli but present all the same.”
“Did Karli say which parent she inherited it from?”
“No, and she seemed very upset whenever I brought it up. Understandable enough, as it ends many athletic careers.”
“I’m not familiar with OI,” Piper said. “Could you explain?”
“Typically the patient’s bones facture easily, they experience joint laxity or loose joints, along with muscle weakness, early onset of hearing loss, and sclera, which is when the whites of the eyes have a purple or gray tint. Her surgeon discovered it while repairing Karli’s ACL.”
“You said Karli’s case was mild?” Piper asked.
“She only experienced loose joints and the early onset of hearing loss. Fortunately we were able to help her combat the wear of loose joints through therap
y. At least while she was here.”
“Which was how long?”
“Two days after her surgery until a few weeks ago.”
“Why did she stop coming?”
“She rejoined the circuit, which I warned her was too soon, but she didn’t listen.”
“What happened with the man who claimed to be Karli’s father?” Landon asked, returning them to the phone call they’d gotten sidetracked from. “Did you confront him about your belief that he was lying?”
“Absolutely.”
“And?” Piper asked, inching forward on her seat.
“He insisted he was her father and said that Karli was confused about her past.”
Piper’s brows pinched together. “Confused?”
“He didn’t elaborate, simply left a contact number he asked me to pass on to Karli.”
“And did you?”
“Yes. I thought she should know someone had called claiming to be her father. And I was rather intrigued myself. I’ve never had a patient quite like Karli—so . . . private.”
“How did Karli react when you contacted her?” He could only imagine the shock the news gave Karli.
“Not well.” Taylor sighed, pushing her rimless glasses back up the bridge of her slender nose. “She vehemently reasserted that her father was deceased and ended the call rather abruptly. It was the last time I ever heard from her.”
“Were you supposed to see her again?”
“Yes. She had a follow-up scheduled . . . maybe a couple weeks ago, but she never showed. I tried contacting her, but the number I had was no longer in use.”
“Do you still have that number?” He could run a records search on it.
“Her file’s gone, but I might still have it in the computer database.”
“You said her file went missing after the break-in?”
“Yes.”
“Any other files missing?” he asked.
“No. That’s how I knew it was him.”
“The man who claimed to be Karli’s father?” Piper asked, excitement raising her pitch.
“And her doctor.”
“What?”
“A few days after the call from her supposed father, I got a call from a man claiming to be Karli’s primary care doctor.”
“Did he have the same voice?” Piper asked. “Is that how you knew it was the same person?”