Capturing the Huntsman Read online

  “We’re staying at a motel in town,” Ford said, jutting his jaw. “Our mobile unit won’t make it up these paths. But that shouldn’t matter. We don’t consider this location a hot zone.”

  Regardless of what the FBI thought, how would she ever feel safe again with the overarching sense of violation and terror that had clung to her since the moment she and Thor had seen the body? “How can you know he won’t return?”

  Special Agent Ford lifted his brow as if her question amused him. “We know his profile. We know how he behaves. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some questions I’d like to ask in private.”

  “I’m more comfortable with Nathan staying with me.” Where had that come from? The words had popped out of her mouth before she could censor them. She didn’t know who looked more surprised—Nathan or Ford. If he was planning to question her about Blaine, she wanted someone else in the room as a buffer. She would become defensive about her brother, and her irritation with Sheriff Daniel would shine through.

  “Let me stay. You know I’ll ask her the same questions you’re planning to,” Nathan said.

  Ford set his jaw. He looked between her and Nathan.

  After a few moments of hesitation, he let out his breath sharply. “Ms. Reed, tell me what you were doing before you found the body.”

  Nathan moved closer to her, and the air around her heated. His stance was protective, almost as if he wanted to shield her from this unpleasant conversation.

  Autumn answered Ford’s question, trying to give helpful details, but not sure what was important. Images of the victim flashed in her mind, but not clear enough to form a complete picture.

  Living in this area, she was friendly with many of the trail’s frequent hikers. Was the victim someone she knew? Autumn had read every article she could find online about the killer and his victims, and as yet, each victim had been identified. All females, but it made her anxious to think about Blaine on the trail.

  She would have recognized tonight’s victim if he was her brother, right? She wanted someone to reassure her the victim wasn’t Blaine. “Do you know who the victim is?” Autumn asked.

  Ford shook his head. “We don’t expect to make that information available until we’ve gotten positive identification and notified the victim’s family.”

  The FBI agents weren’t allowing her near the crime scene, and fear fogged her brain. Could the victim be her brother?

  “Do you routinely walk your dog on this path?” Ford asked.

  Autumn struggled to clear her mind and focus. Routinely? No. Frequently? Sure. “Sometimes. I don’t really—”

  He lobbed another question at her before she could finish her thought. “Have you read or heard the news reports about the dangers on the trail? Have you spoken with your brother about the Huntsman? Have you taken any precautions?” Ford asked.

  Was he trying to catch her off guard? Did he think she had something to do with the murder? Ford studied her, his eyes burning into hers, as if the answers were hiding inside them. She needed a few minutes of quiet alone to compose herself and her thoughts. “I’ve read about the Huntsman and I’ve been more careful about going out at night. I keep my dog with me as added protection.” He was a rescue dog and Autumn thought he might be part Labrador retriever. She didn’t add that Thor was more friendly pup than fierce beast.

  “Why did you take your dog to that location?” Ford asked.

  His questions were starting to sound familiar. Was he asking the same question in a different way to trip her up? Autumn pressed her hand against her roiling stomach. “I don’t know. I don’t plan a route.”

  Ford stared at her. “And?”

  Frustration pulled at the edges of her temper. “And nothing. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  Nathan moved his body partway in front of hers. “Ford, come on. She’s had a rough night. She told you what she knows. If she thinks of anything else, she’ll call. Let her get a good night’s sleep and revisit this tomorrow.”

  Gratitude for this near stranger surged inside her. She needed a break to try to cope with the horror of the night.

  Ford stiffened, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning, Ms. Reed.” Ford’s gaze swerved to Nathan. “Go home. Stop forcing your way into my investigation.”

  Ford stalked away from them in the direction of the crime scene. Autumn relaxed, realizing she’d been fisting her hands and curling her toes in her shoes.

  Autumn pulled the collar of her jacket up to block the wind that kicked up. “Mr. Bradshaw, if you want to follow me, I can register you.”

  “Please, call me Nathan.” He set his hand on her lower back, steering her toward her lighted porch. Normally, she wouldn’t have liked a man being so forward with her, but Nathan’s hand through her jacket was warm and comforting. After what she had seen in the woods, she didn’t want to be alone and she welcomed the connection.

  When her brother had announced his plans to hike the trail, Autumn hadn’t realized how unsettled she’d feel alone at the campground. It was the first time she had been alone for any length of time at the Trail’s Edge, and without any campers, she felt even more lonely. The short distance to town didn’t feel like a short distance in the middle of the night when it was utterly quiet and she was poignantly alone. And now, knowing someone had been murdered on her property sent a chilling sense of fear along her spine.

  She forced herself to play hostess. “Nathan, welcome to the Trail’s Edge. I wish you were visiting under happier circumstances. This is a great campground. The views are beautiful and it’s usually peaceful and quiet.”

  He tossed her a half smile and her heartbeat quickened. “Believe me, I wish the same.”

  She opened the door to her cabin, and Thor rushed to greet her. She snagged his collar before he ran outside and caused a commotion. She hated to keep him penned in the house, but now wasn’t the time to let him run around the campground. He would drive the investigation team crazy, 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 plann
ing 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.”

  Chapter 2

  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. A flirtation or an affair with Autumn Reed would be a distraction.

  Nathan withdrew his hands before he was tempted to stroke her hand or her wrist with his thumbs. “I know you’re worried about your brother. He’ll be fine. The FBI has undercover agents spreading the word to hikers.”

  Autumn tucked her hands against her body. “My brother is impulsive at times. He doesn’t always stay on the trail. He might not know how dangerous it is. The best I can hope is that Blaine won’t cross paths with the killer.”

  What could he say to make her feel better? The odds were small of meeting the Huntsman, but as evident by his victims, not impossible. “The trail is hundreds of miles long. The chances of this man finding your brother are slim. Males have not been his target.”

  “A man? Are you sure the Huntsman is a man?” Autumn asked.

  His work in psychological forensics told him they were dealing with a man, possibly ex-military, with a love of guns and an obsession with nature. “I can’t say for sure until we find him, or her, but I have a basic profile. A man, mid to late fifties, may have had a regular job in society at one time, but now he keeps to himself. People who know him would describe him as a loner.”

  Autumn stood and walked to the stove. She set a teakettle on it and turned on the burner. “I don’t want to be forced from my home, but I don’t want to be foolish, either. Do you think it’s safe to stay here? I might be able to stay with a friend in town for a few nights.”

  If she was away from the trail, she would be out of the killer’s reach. Based on what he knew, the killer didn’t leave the general vicinity of the Appalachian Trail. He was probably more comfortable where he had places to hide. “It’s your decision if you want to leave.” Nathan didn’t want her to feel unsafe in her home, as if she had to run and hide.

  Autumn took a deep breath and seemed to consider that. “How often does a serial killer break pattern?”

  Nathan hedged. He hadn’t expected the killer to leave a body this far from the trail in a nondiscreet location. “The Trail’s Edge is the first campground where a body has been found.�
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  Autumn shuddered. “In other words, he’s broken his pattern or there isn’t a pattern.”

  Both were possibilities. “Right.”

  Autumn swallowed hard. “I won’t let him chase me away from my home. I won’t go running scared. If he comes here, I’ll be ready for him.”

  * * *

  Autumn hated leaving the Trail’s Edge. Even when she had errands, she made them quick. In the past decade, she could count on one hand the number of times she had spent the night away from her home. The slim possibility that the killer would return to his crime scene while the FBI was circling seemed too remote a reason for relocating, something that would put her even more off balance.

  Her world had been flipped upside down by the killer. She’d lost reservations. Parents who’d enrolled their children in her after-school nature program had pulled them out. She lived with the constant fear of Blaine being in danger.

  Her kettle of hot water whistled and she pulled out two mismatched mugs, one with a picture of a bear stamped across the front and the other with the Trail’s Edge logo. Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate would calm her. “Can I get you a mug?” she asked and held up the box of hot chocolate.

  “Thank you. That would be great.”

  Autumn fixed the two drinks and handed one to Nathan. She stirred her mug and then lifted it to her lips to take a sip.

  Nathan did the same with the cup she’d made him. “Thanks for the hot chocolate. What would you say to allowing me to return the favor? I can take you into town for dinner.”

  Autumn almost spilled her mug. His question was a jolt to her system. Was Nathan asking her out? His interest was in tracking a killer. Was his request in that vein?

  Nathan flashed a smile at her, one that reached to the corners of his eyes. It made his entire face change. The intensity disappeared, the harshness erased. He seemed more approachable and laid-back. She pressed her hands to her mug, keeping herself from reaching out and touching his jawline. Running her thumb over his lips to see if they felt as soft as they looked. Pressing her lips to his to taste him. Pushing her body up against his. One gorgeous smile and her imagination took flight. She was already reconsidering her stance on relationships—that is, that she wasn’t ready to date after ending her engagement to Daniel.