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  “Glad...I… found you…,” Lucas panted. He then stood up, placing his hands on his hips. “Sorry…ran all…the way here.”

  “Everything, okay?” Lane gave Philip an annoyed look, swatting his protective arm out of her path as she walked towards the young man, offering her water bottle.

  Lucas, still gulping in air, nodded his head in the affirmative and accepted the bottle, taking a long pull.

  “Yeah. Sorry…I just wanted to let you know… We got you a ride.” He was finally catching his breath. “Gabe remembered we weren’t far… from a jeep trail… and figured we’d head back that way. We spotted Ranger Kody... and waved him down. If Sheriff Lane doesn’t mind sitting on someone’s lap…we can all ride back together.”

  “Excuse me?” Lane asked, appalled at the suggestion.

  Philip, just as startled at the thought of Lane sitting on anyone’s lap as much as she, quickly volunteered to walk back. Grabbing Lucas’s arm, Philip pointed him in the direction of the jeep road, hoping to save the young man from a tongue lashing.

  “Why did you run all the way back to find us? Why didn’t you use the radio?” Philip asked, as they started to walk back together. Lane, a few steps behind, was muttering to herself about how sheriffs don’t sit on people’s laps and what kind of suggestion was that? And whose lap did he suppose she should sit on?

  “We did. You never answered. Figured your battery had gone dead,” Lucas said, keeping pace with Philip and a wary eye on Lane.

  “Ah. Must have been the squawking I heard. Forgot I put it in my backpack.” Philip grimaced an apology. “Thanks for coming back for us.”

  “Lucas, you knew Janie. Can you tell me about her?” Lane fell in step with them, motioning for her water bottle back.

  “Sure.” Lucas handed the bottle over, his smile gone. His good-natured mood seemed to have drooped at the thought of Janie. “She was a lot of fun. Always up for a laugh. The kind of girl who would pick dare over truth, ya know?”

  Lane smiled, completely relating. She’d been the same type of girl growing up. But then again, she had to be with four brothers.

  “She loved the outdoors. She seemed almost tom boyish, except there wasn’t anything “tom” about her, if you know what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t know what you mean.” Lane was amused at his description.

  Philip chuckled. “He means she could hang with the boys, but still be a lady.”

  “Yeah, what Ranger Russell said. She was tough, but soft.”

  “Just like a tootsie roll lolli—” Philip was stopped short by Lane’s elbow in the stomach.

  He’d once described her the same way, when they had first met, pointing out she had a tough exterior but a chewy center, much like a tootsie roll lollipop.

  “Complete opposite of her sister.” Lucas smiled at the exchange, understanding he’d stumbled across a private joke.

  “Sue Carter mentioned the girls come out each summer. What is her sister’s name?” Lane turned her attention back to Lucas.

  “Danielle. But like Janie, everyone called her Danie.”

  “They sure were quite the pair.” Philip smiled himself, thinking of the girls.

  “Hmmm. Being opposite, do they get along?” Lane asked. Philip shook his head, his smile disappearing.

  “Danie WAS the opposite of Janie. She died last summer.”

  “How?” Lane asked, completely shocked by the statement.

  “Accidental drowning here in the park.”

  “Pretty sad to lose both of them,” Lucas said, somberly. Philip nodded his head in silent agreement.

  “When was this?” Lane was still shocked at the revelation.

  Lucas looked at Philip and then straight forward, ignoring Lane’s question. “I’m gonna run ahead. Make sure they’re still waiting for us.”

  “Sure, Lucas. Appreciate it.” Philip clapped the young man on the shoulder and then watched as he took off in a light jog.

  “What was that all about?” Lane whispered. Lucas was still in ear shot.

  “Danie died a year ago this month,” Philip whispered back. “Lucas was sweet on her.”

  “Geez.” Lane’s heart broke a little for Lucas. “How tragic.” She shook her head slowly, “Strange to lose both sisters.”

  “Weird, huh? What are the odds?” Philip asked the question more as a statement than an actual query. Lane took his question seriously though and asked herself just that. What were the odds two sisters would die a year apart in the same park and both by apparent accidents? Lane put her hand on Philip’s arm, stopping his forward progress.

  “Was it really an accidental drowning?”

  Philip looked down at Lane, seeing if she was earnest in her question. “That’s what the coroner reported.” Philip looked perplexed. “Why?”

  “Did YOU think it was accidental?” Lane pressed him.

  Philip thought about it for a second. “Never had any reason to think otherwise.” He looked back down at her. “As strange as it seems, coincidences do happen, Lane.”

  Lane lifted up Janie’s camera as they heard the jeep horn blare two impatient honks. “I agree. But this might not be one of those times.”

  Chapter 8

  Kody promised he would return, once he’d dropped Sheriff Lane and the others off. Philip told him that was fine and there was no need to rush. He didn’t mind walking the rest of the way to the station. Truth was, he wanted the time to think. Lane had posed him with a question and like most of his interactions with her, she was forcing him to think outside the box.

  Was Janie and Danie dying a year apart just a coincidence? Most likely. Some families were doomed to sorrow and heartbreak. With their parents dying when the girls were little, maybe fate had simply stepped in. That wasn’t the kind of answer he could give Lane though. She would never accept… “because sometimes bad things happen to good people” as an answer.

  Instead, Philip began trying to remember everything he could from that August day. He knew Lane would grill him on it, so he might as well be prepared. She was a smart cookie and, if there was anything odd to be found, she most likely would find it.

  The first thing Philip recalled was Kevin Givens driving like a bat out of hell towards him. He’d been heading down the park’s graveled dirt road at a reckless speed, blaring his horn all the way. Philip, parked on the side of the road, flashed his caution lights and Kevin hurriedly wrenched his vehicle to the side of the road in a cloud of dust and flying gravel. The kid had barely shifted into park, before he’d hopped out, yelling to Philip his friend needed medical attention.

  Philip knew the young man, recalling him and his friends from earlier in the day. They’d wanted to light a bonfire on the beach and he had told them no, reminding them fires were not permitted this time of year. Convinced they’d decided to ignore his answer, Philip had stayed in the area, determined to check up on the small group later on in the evening when it got dark.

  Instructing Kevin to lead the way, Philip had flipped on his siren and emergency lights and radioed for an ambulance. He then followed Kevin the short mile and half to Shallow Point. Screeching to a halt, he’d hopped out of his forest truck and ran towards the small crowd. Kevin, hot on his heels and panting, was explaining it was Danie Engels who had been found face down floating in the water.

  Reaching the small group, Philip had to work his way through the circle of friends. Using his shoulders, he pushed Lucas and Amy aside, so he could see what was going on. In the center of the small gathering, he found Gabe bent over a young girl dressed in a yellow bikini top and matching cotton shorts. A sun yellow flipflop still on her right foot.

  Assessing the situation, Philip had quickly gone down to his knees next to Gabe, hearing the young man talking to himself as he counted the compressions. Philip could tell the kid was exhausted, his pace slowing slightly after each return from mouth to mouth. Preforming CPR was hard work and Philip had surmised he’d already been at it for quite a while by the blue color
of the girl’s lips.

  After unsuccessfully trying to find a pulse, Philip had put his hand on Gabe arm, telling him to move over, so he could do the compressions. But Gabe had shrugged him off, refusing to budge. Philip tried again, telling Gabe the ambulance was on its way and he needed to let him take over. The young man had simply shaken his head no, while continuing to count.

  Knowing Gabe was enrolled in the medical program at UW, Philip felt confident Gabe knew what he was doing. He also knew, the young man was close to losing his cool. The girl was not coming around and Gabe wasn’t accepting it.

  Watching Gabe closely, Philip had reached over and took Danie’s wrist again. There was still no pulse, not even a hint of one. Saddened, he had started to tell Gabe, when it suddenly dawned on him. Gabe knew it was too late. And he knew legally, once you started preforming CPR on someone, you had to continue until paramedics arrived. The determined young man would stay with it until he legally didn’t have to anymore.

  Fire truck sirens had suddenly blared in the distance and Philip knew they’d be on the scene within minutes. Pushing up from the ground, he’d walked over to Brent, who was pacing back and forth at the girl’s feet, biting his thumbnail, his eyes glued to her face.

  “Brent, what happened here?” Philip had taken a spot next to him, trying to view the small group all at once.

  Huddled together, Amy Holmes had her arms wrapped around Janie, who was weakly struggling against them. Lucas, still standing in the same spot Philip had shoved him, had his mouth hanging open. Clearly having a hard time coping with what was happening. While Kevin had stationed himself like a brick wall on the other side of Janie, helping Amy to keep her restrained.

  At the sound of Philip’s voice, Brent looked up surprised, as if just noticing Philip had joined the group. He’d shaken his head, shrugging his shoulders as if he had no words, but answered all the same. His voice pitched low, almost in reverence.

  “I don’t know really. Was gathering wood for the bonfire, when someone yelled Danie was drowning in the shallows. I dropped everything and ran here. Saw her floating and just jumped in. We pulled her out and Gabe started CPR. That’s all I know.”

  Philip had noticed a trickle of watery blood trailing down the back of Brent’s ear and neck. He’d lifted the young man’s hand to the top of his head, assuming he must have hit it on a rock when he dove in.

  “Here, Brent. Sit down, you may have a concussion. Keep your hand there and apply pressure.” Philip then led him over to a fallen log, sitting the young man down. He noticed Brent’s eyes never left Danie.

  Philip had tried to ask Brent who had found her first, but his voice was drowned in a sea of sirens. Help had arrived. Calvin Morton and Ethan Richardson, the island’s fire department, had reached them.

  Roughly, Calvin had pulled Gabe away from Danie’s body as Ethan checked her vitals. Philip could already tell by the look on Ethan’s face, there was nothing to be done further. Danie was officially pronounced dead.

  Philip stopped walking, his feet still on the jeep road. Was there something about the look on Ethan’s face? Or was it the look on someone else’s? Philip closed his eyes and he suddenly saw her…Of course, it was Janie. He had quickly glanced at her, after having seen Ethan’s expression and noticed how queer she looked. Instead of being hysterical, as she’d been a moment before, she was calm. No, not calm. Calm wasn’t the right word for her wide eyes. Panicked? Scared? Was that the impression he had at the time? And why shouldn’t she be? She was virtually alone in the world now. Why should that have perplexed him?

  A loud honk blared behind Philip, jarring him out of his memories, causing him to jerk. He opened his eyes and found a jeep quickly approaching, followed by a huge cloud of dust in its wake. Kody was most definitely behind the wheel. Philip frowned, forgetting what he’d been thinking of. He was going to have to lecture his young ranger once again about jeep trail edict and driving safely.

  Chapter 9

  Back with the search team at the forest station, Lane borrowed Philip’s office to break the news to Sue Carter with the help of the pastor. Next, she had an impromptu news conference with the media, letting them know the hiker had been found deceased and the next of kin already notified. They could expect an official statement to be released within the next couple of days. She then disbanded the volunteers, making sure to thank every single one of them for their time and efforts.

  Watching the dust coated jeep pull up with Kody behind the wheel and Philip holding on for dear life, Lane waved, indicating she needed to have a word with the elder ranger. Guessing what was coming, Philip promised to be at her office bright and early the next day with his cell phone, which contained the scene photos. Almost peeved he’d read her mind, she cautioned him not to share them with anyone else…which meant Kody… or with the media. Philip knowing better, let her have her say, swearing he wouldn’t.

  Commandeering Philip’s office, she then sat herself down behind his cluttered desk and placed a call to the coroner’s office, who immediately placed her on hold. Impatient and feeling antsy from the days search, she began to straighten his desk in an effort to pass the time. Busily, she picked up pens, scooped up loose paperclips, and unstuck his stapler. Then she folded his reading glasses and placed his coffee mug on a pad of post-it notes using them as a coaster. Next, she grabbed the paperback he’d left open, the spine being split in two, lying flat on the desk. She looked around for a bookmark and not finding one, tore a sheet of paper from her own leather notepad, placing it in the novel and closing it shut.

  Glancing at the cover, Lane’s eyebrow arched in surprise. She was stunned to find it was a romance novel…a smutty one at that. She’d been expecting a spy thriller or a non-fiction biography. Instead, she was staring at a cover which revealed a damsel in apparent distress. Her blouse falling off her shoulders, revealing a curvy bosom. Long, curly blonde hair blowing in the wind, her eyes looking lost, yet lusting at the same time and set upon the man standing behind her. A handsome, dark haired and muscle-bound hero, who held her roughly against his bare chest, his eyes fixed on the far horizon.

  “Sort of looks like him,” Lane said to herself, snorting at the same time in amusement, oblivious to her own resemblance portrayed on the cover.

  Just then, she heard a honk and peeked through the window blinds. The fire truck and ambulance were leaving. She took a quick inventory, wondering who was left, and noticed Gabe and Lucas talking to Brent Allister. It appeared they were having a serious discussion of some sort. Intrigued, she spread her fingers wider, opening the gap between the blinds as much as she could.

  Still talking to his friends, Brent suddenly broke away and started to make his way towards Deputy Pickens. Lucas grabbed his arm to arrest his progress, all the while shaking his head in the negative. On his other side, Gabe was busy nodding his head yes and pushing him towards the sheriff’s deputy. Lane stood up, curiously leaning into the window for a better look, the phone still up to her ear waiting on hold.

  Not to be sidelined, Brent pushed both men away and started stalking towards Caleb, intent on speaking with the deputy. Just inside her line of vision, Lane noticed a silver Mercedes-Benz pull up. She watched as Mike Allister, the town’s semi-retired lawyer, got out of his car and ordered Brent to get in. She frowned at this and then recalled the lawyer was his grandfather.

  Obviously frustrated, Brent gave a fleeting look towards Deputy Pickens, who was helping load the horses into their trailer. Mr. Allister seemed to say something profound, which caused Brent to break his determination and head towards the Mercedes-Benz. Climbing in, his grandfather turned the vehicle around and then drove off. In turn, Lucas and Gabe continued to have an animated conversation as they themselves climbed into Lucas’s truck and followed Mr. Allister out of the park.

  Lane let the blinds smack together with a loud clatter as the receptionist came back on the line. She quickly scheduled a meeting for the next day at 1:00 p.m. and hung up the phone, grab
bing her leather notepad off of Philip’s desk. With her deputy in tow, she then headed back to her own office, intent on tackling the pile of paperwork she knew was waiting for them.

  Caleb, who was not as eager to get the paperwork out of the way as Lane, had put on a fresh pot of coffee and volunteered to finish up the bowling alley report. Lane begrudgingly agreed and a short fifteen minutes later, Deputy Pickens was calling it a night.

  “Not so fast!” Lane called out, just as Caleb hit the door. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Caleb said something indistinguishable through a wide-open yawn, but Lane caught the gist.

  “Deputy, tomorrow is going to be even longer. Best to get this paperwork out of the way now.” Lane gave him a beady eyed stare until he took his hand off the door knob. “Unless you have somewhere more important to be?”

  Caleb shrugged his shoulders, not really answering her question. Instead he said, “Why don’t I just come in early tomorrow?”

  “You want to come in early?” Lane asked, dumfounded. Deputy Pickens not only had a bad habit of returning from lunch late, he also had a terrible habit of coming late into work. Sometimes Lane wondered why the young man had requested the assignment to the island.

  “I was hoping to meet up with Amy at Piper’s Place.”

  “The dive bar next to the bowling alley?”

  “You mean, the only bar on the island? Yeah, that’s it.”

  “Caleb, you realize Amy is dating Kody?”

  “Dating. Not married.” Caleb smiled slyly, putting his hand on the door knob again.

  Lane gave out a disapproving huff and eyed her young deputy. She sometimes forgot how young he was, having just turned twenty-four last month.

  “Alright. If you’re going to skip out on the paperwork, I have a little assignment for you.” Lane decided she’d get more work done with him gone anyway.