Deadly Fate (Krewe of Hunters #19)(46)

That was true. Old Oslo was a “chusky”—a new designer mix of a chow and a husky. Oslo was huge; he wasn’t to be messed with.

“Do you need me to come there?” McGinty asked.

“No, sir. Thank you. If I do need you, I’ll call.”

“Don’t hesitate,” McGinty told him.

“I won’t,” Thor promised, and hit the end button.

Someone had been out here—someone might have been here even as they had come driving up to the place.

Just the same as at his family’s property, the backyard disappeared into a forest of trees that, especially during summer, seemed to have a life of their own, intruding on the lawn or yard. Thick and heavy—with a million places to disappear.

But how could someone have gotten out here? Where would they have left a car? There was no snow on the ground so a snowmobile or dogsled couldn’t be stashed anywhere. Some people did have wheeled sleds that they used in summer, keeping their dogs fit. But, if there were dogs, they would hear them. He’d sure as hell never heard a silent dog team.

Logical conclusion: someone had been here. Perhaps they had first tried to jimmy the lock. But that had proved to be unnecessary when Connie Shaw had left the door open.

How would they have known that Connie would be here?

It wasn’t privileged information, but it wasn’t advertised online, either.

When a criminal wanted information, they tended to be good at getting it.

Jackson came walking back from the tree line.

“Anything?” Thor called.

Jackson shook his head with disgust. “If someone was here, that someone heard us when we turned down the road to the house. You’ll know better than me if someone crashed through that pine forest. I went all the way back—there’s a dirt service road out there. I guess it’s used by police or rangers or the trash company? Nothing out there and it doesn’t seem to lead to anything, but there could be a small vehicle back there. I’d have heard a motorcycle, but if someone drifted out of there in Neutral before I was actually into the trees, I wouldn’t have been able to hear them.”

“So, she could be hysterical and nervous because of what she heard, or someone might have been back here,” Thor said, adding quietly, “Which would mean the murderer isn’t just after the women who had to do with the television crew.”

“She can’t stay here, that’s for certain,” Jackson said.

Thor told Jackson about the jimmied lock on the door and his conversation with McGinty.

“No, Connie Shaw can’t stay out here,” Thor agreed. “Not that I think she would now.”

“Let’s try talking to her again,” Jackson suggested.

Clara had gotten Connie Shaw to sit down in the living room. She looked up gratefully when Jackson and Thor arrived. Connie sprang off the couch and flew into Thor’s arms. He disentangled himself gently and sat her back down.

“We’re here. We’re not going to leave you. You’re all right. What I’d like for you to do is tell me when you got here and everything that happened after that,” he said.

“I came in this morning—snagged a ride in on another ship,” Connie said. She looked at Clara. “I should have stopped and met up with you all, but I figured that this might be like...well, you know, like my afternoon! I drove out here about an hour ago—I was in love with the place. It was just what I wanted. I turned the television on and heard what had happened...my mom says I should listen to news and not music all the time! But, I... I had on satellite radio, singing all the way! When I saw the television, I was horrified. My coffee was outside—I saw the deer. Then I thought about how what happened all had to do with Wickedly Weird Productions and I realized that people might be trying to get in touch with me. So I came back inside to get my phone...and that’s when I heard it!”

“Heard what, exactly?” Thor asked.

“The whisper. It sounded as if it was coming from the back windows. Someone was saying my name—saying it all softly and like, like...eerily! ‘Connie... Connnnniiiieee... Connie...Shaw.’ I heard it, I swear I heard it. I was in the bedroom, the back bedroom, where I was going to sleep. I wasn’t imagining it! Then, of course, I realized that the whisper was out there—and that I hadn’t locked the back door! I was flying out to the kitchen when I heard the rap on the door!” Connie said. She stared at them and added quickly, “I need a drink!”

“Did you bring anything?” Clara asked her.

“No!”

“Check the little cabinet above the refrigerator. McGinty usually keeps a bottle of Jack there,” Thor advised her.

“Yes, please, please, I can’t stop shaking!” Connie said.

“You really don’t want to be blitzed right now,” Thor advised.

“Yes, I do!” Connie said.

“No, but one shot...” Thor said, nodding at Clara.

Clara headed into the kitchen. Thor could hear her there, finding the bottle, opening it. Connie kept murmuring about the way the person had been saying her name. “It was creepy, so creepy!”

He heard the rattle of glass, the opening of old man McGinty’s foot-powered trash can.

Clara came back into the room.

She was the color of the snow on Black Bear Island.