Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Dana Mentink (e books free to read TXT) 📖

boulders and hiked to the hiding place where they stuffed empty buckets and containers between the rocks for protection during the winter. A red bag stuffed in a crevice caught her eye. The logo matched her own. Had a rafting guide left a pack here all winter? Somebody should’ve reported it missing. Leaving food, sunscreen or even wipes out on the riverside went against their land use permit with the forest service.

“Everything okay?” Henry called. He appeared between the two boulders.

She reached, on her tiptoes, to grab the bag. “I think one of my guides made an overwintering mistake.” Her foot began to slide on the loose rock.

Henry rushed to her side. “Please, allow me.” He stretched his arm above her and tugged on the red fabric. The bag tumbled out of the crevice and fell to the ground between them. A small white cloud drifted in the air from the partially open zipper. “I don’t think that’s dust.”

Their eyes met. Nora took a knee and examined the writing on the side of the bag closest to her. “This belonged to Dexter.”

Henry grabbed a glove from a pouch on his holster belt and unzipped the red bag. Inside were several plastic packages, sealed with clear tape, of crystalline white powder. Henry leaned back and placed a hand on top of his rafting helmet.

They’d argued once before over white powder, but this looked nothing like the burn cream powder Nora had found in her sister’s room all those years ago. “What do you think it is?” she finally asked.

“Meth.” He blinked rapidly. “If I had to guess, we are looking at over four pounds of meth. Tens of thousands of dollars’ worth.” He zipped the bag up and looked over his shoulder. With one hand, he grabbed the handle of the bag, but she didn’t miss the way his other hand drifted to his gun. “We might be dealing with a mobile meth ring.”

“Motive for murder?”

He spun back to her, his eyes wide. “Stay close to me, Nora. I think you’re in greater danger than we thought.”

* * *

Henry rushed through the maze of boulders, conscious of Nora’s movements behind him. He had very little chance of getting a signal with high rock walls and towering trees in the middle of nowhere, even with satellite capabilities. He tensed even more when they stepped onto the sandy beach area, out in the open. They were vulnerable here. He grabbed his phone and Dispatch answered. “Get me a direct line to the sheriff.”

While he wasn’t ready to admit to Nora that he had his reservations about Perry, the sheriff’s office needed to be in the loop first and foremost. Nora crossed her arms over her chest and stared into the trees and foliage. Henry took five strides toward the trees and angled himself in front of her. If there was a mobile meth ring hiding in there somewhere, Dexter’s murderer could be watching and waiting to take the only witness out.

Zach answered the call. “What’s the situation?”

“Found a gift-wrapped package. Ten-two hundred at—” Henry, using the police code in case there was someone in the trees listening, glanced at Nora.

She frowned and looked down the river, understanding that he wanted a location to meet the deputies. “If we get back on the river, Sangster Creek will be the closest take-out point. On the Bureau of Land Management side.”

“Sangster. My side. ASAP,” Henry repeated.

“On it.” Zach ended the call.

Henry moved to dial Perry. He hesitated, wanting to explain his intentions to Nora, yet not wanting to argue about how to do his job. Still, she had made a good point last night. Trust had to be mutual. With a little work, he felt certain they could reach a point of trust without getting too personal. Trust could be earned without feelings getting involved. He held the phone in his hand and looked into her wide eyes. “You said it yourself. We found the bag on forest service land.”

Her shoulders dropped. “You need to call Perry.”

“I’ll admit I’m on my guard.” He hoped she saw his admission as an olive branch, a trust-building step.

“I get it. Perry’s in charge of the case and you have to play it safe.” Her voice was slightly monotone, as if disappointed but accepting. “Thank you for keeping me in the loop. Can I hold that bag for you? I’d feel better if you had both hands free.” Her eyes flicked to his holstered gun.

Her calm demeanor took him off guard. “Thanks.” He handed her the bag and paced the shoreline while relaying his findings to Perry. “Can you reach this location by ATV?”

“No. That’s impossible given the canyon walls before and after. I could get there by horse or on foot,” Perry said, “but the space between the rocks and the trees wouldn’t fit an ATV. Makes it a great hiding place when you think about it. Best way there is by boat.”

“We’re about to leave to head for Sangster Creek. Deputy Zach O’Brien will meet us there.”

“I’m not too far away, but I don’t know about meeting on Bureau land.” His typical dry humor shone through. While the forest service and land management had a well-known rivalry, Perry and Henry couldn’t afford to take it seriously, mostly because they’d started as friends. He wondered, though, if Perry could ever see him as an equal. They had a fifteen-year age difference and Perry still remembered Henry as a punk wannabe lawyer when they’d first met. “I can meet you at the sheriff’s office.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Henry ended the call. There were a fair amount of wide, unmarked trails that law enforcement could use to get to the river fairly fast. It was no wonder their vehicles needed to be replaced every few years. “We better get going. Zach will be ready to pick us up soon if he takes all the dirt roads. How long to get to Sangster Creek from here?”

“Thirty minutes. Maybe longer.” She held up