Illusive Witness Read online

  Illusive Witness

  Copyright © 2015 by S.Y. Thompson

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Other Titles from S.Y. Thompson

  Other Quest Books

  About the Author

  Visit Us On Line

  Also by S.Y. Thompson:

  The Under Series

  Under Devil’s Snare

  Under The Midnight Cloak

  Other Titles

  Destination Alara

  Now You See Me

  Fractured Futures

  Woeful Pines

  Illusive Witness

  by

  S.Y. Thompson

  Quest Books

  by Regal Crest

  Texas

  Copyright © 2015 by S.Y. Thompson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters, incidents and dialogue herein are fictional and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Print ISBN 978-1-61929-234-5

  eBook ISBN 978-1-61929-233-8

  First Printing 2015

  9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Cover design by Acorn Graphics

  Published by:

  Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC

  229 Sheridan Loop

  Belton, TX 76513

  Find us on the World Wide Web at http://www.regalcrest.biz

  Published in the United States of America

  Acknowledgments

  Heartfelt thanks to go the following people for their continued support: Beta Reader extraordinaire Linda North, Editor Heather Flournoy, Editor in Chief Patty Schramm, and Publisher Cathy Bryerose.

  A special thanks also to Linda North and Mary Hettel, who so generously allowed me to bounce ideas with them at any time of the day or night. I’m also grateful for the beta reading/editing skills since they’re not afraid to say, “No, that just won’t work!” There are no better friends than these two.

  Dedication

  This is for Linda North, the best friend who hangs in there no matter what.

  And for Debra May, for weathering my emotional hurricanes. They named one for you, didn’t they?

  And for Heather Flournoy, without whom my literary voice would remain silent.

  Epigraph

  We forget cruelty and past betrayal,

  Heedless of where the next bright bolt may fall

  ~Robert Graves

  Chapter One

  “KARL, WHERE ARE you?” Ruth Gallagher peered upward in frustration and attempted to blow the sweaty bangs out of her eyes.

  The thirty-seven-year-old redhead was a novice mountain climber at best. Having her closest friend rush to the top while she dangled from a solitary line didn’t improve her mood. Ruth couldn’t see Karl anywhere near the ledge. She expected a middle-aged physician to be smarter than that. Leaving a climbing buddy behind was a serious no-no. Plastered against the granite face, Ruth blinked against bright sunlight and falling dust as she attempted to spot him.

  With no response forthcoming, Ruth ground her teeth and dug her fingertips into the unyielding surface, mentally preparing to complete the climb on her own. She tried to motivate herself with the reassurance that she had the latest in mountain climbing equipment. Besides, they had deliberately chosen a short summit in direct relation to her abilities. How hard could it be?

  As if the fates were taunting her, one of the pitons anchoring Ruth’s safety line in place suddenly gave way. A startled scream erupted past her lips as she plummeted twenty feet toward the scrub, rocks and trees of the forest floor. Fortunately, the other anchors held, preventing Ruth from slamming into the ground another thirty feet below. The rope snapped taut and she spun around before careening sideways against the rocky wall.

  Ruth’s breath rushed out when the rope harness tightened abruptly around her groin and mid-section. Pain resonated up and down her spine. Gravel cascaded down over her head and shoulders. Ruth gripped the rope so hard her knuckles whitened. Her heart pounded in fear and adrenaline sang in her veins, but the balance of the pitons seemed secure. Suddenly, Karl’s blond head popped into sight as he peered down at her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, peachy.” Ruth spit out a mouthful of dirt and wiped grit from her eyes. She tried to ignore the cramps in her groin, generated by the overly tight harness. “Where were you?”

  “I had to take a leak.”

  “Charming. Do you think you could give me a hand?”

  “Okay, hold on a second.”

  The instant he disappeared Ruth heard a muffled thud. She thought he had probably tripped over his own feet. It served him right for leaving her hanging, literally. Still, she should check on him.

  “Karl? Karl, is something wrong?”

  He reappeared at the top and he seemed fine. Then a look of confusion came across his tanned face and he fell to the ground just out of sight. Ruth didn’t hear him moving around. She could barely see the top of his head and one hand that dangled over the edge.

  “Karl!” Ruth screamed, as if the increase in volume could generate an answer from someone who was possibly injured. “What’s happened?”

  A drop of something splashed against her cheek and she flinched. Ruth reached up to wipe the substance away and when she checked, she saw it was red. More saliently, it was blood. Karl’s blood.

  Unexpected movement made her look up again. Someone dragged Karl from the ledge of the cliff. She thought a stranger must have seen what happened and had come to their rescue. Maybe, they were trying to perform first aid on Karl. That notion vanished when Ruth saw an unfamiliar form dressed in camouflage clothing step into Karl’s place near the cliff’s edge. Judging from the form, Ruth couldn’t tell if the attacker was male or female and she couldn’t see their face. She assumed from the violence of the attack that the perpetrator was a man. The fact that he wore a black stocking mask told her this person’s intentions were not benevolent.

  Without a word, the assailant dropped to his knees and reached for Ruth’s safety line. His hands were also covered, encased in black leather gloves. He grasped the rope and began sawing through with a large hunting knife. Ruth’s focus seemed to narrow down to that one spot. She saw nothing except the blade, serrated along the upper edge and slightly curved at the end. Her brain kicked back into gear and she realized that in another moment, she would be falling to her death. Even if the distance didn’t kill her, it would definitely leave her severely wounded and easy prey for her attacker to finish her off.

  Ruth struggled against that scenario, rallying herself to plant her feet firmly against the rock and reach for the spare line hanging at her side. She needed to tie off quickly before the stranger cut through the rope anchoring her to the top. With the spare line looped around her arm, Ruth quickly attempted to secure it to the piton from which she currently dangled. Before she made the first knot, Ruth felt the rope bounce and knew she wouldn’t have enough time. A sob escaped her but she kept trying, refusing to give in
to the inevitable. Then, from the corner of her eye, she spotted an alternative that she should have thought of before.

  Ruth grabbed for Karl’s rope where it still lay anchored beside her. She fumbled clumsily with her harness but finally unclipped the D-ring that released her from the safety line. Using the other rope, Ruth quickly rappelled toward the ground. She had gone barely ten feet before the line went completely slack in her hands. Perspective made it feel as though she hung in mid air for a moment before the realization that the line had been cut registered in her mind.

  Arms and legs pinwheeled in the air as gravity asserted itself and Ruth plummeted toward the forest floor. Terror numbed her mind. Ruth felt the pain from bouncing off rock and branches. The crunch of breaking bone echoed loudly in her head as she came to an abrupt halt, forcing a shriek as agony tore into her body. The scent of crushed, musty moss surrounded her. Darkness closed in quickly, embracing her with the comfort of oblivion.

  Sometime later, flashes of images danced across her corneas, disjointed without context or continuity. Ruth’s thoughts were unmoored. She couldn’t latch onto anything, real or imagined. Instead, she felt as though she was floating in a sea of confusion. Through an effort of will, she opened her eyes. Bright lights flashed by overhead, voices raised in a cacophony of pandemonium and accompanied by the sound of mechanical beeps. Reality faded once more and this time she didn’t struggle.

  “THERE YOU ARE. Come on back. Ruth, I need you to open your eyes.”

  The voice sounded far away, echoing in a steel drum that reverberated in her head. Ruth reached for the feminine tones, struggling toward consciousness. With awareness came the throbbing fire. She flinched and immediately heard the voice again.

  “I know it hurts, but I need for you to wake up and talk to me. After that, I’ll give you something for the pain.”

  The promise of relief induced Ruth to try. She pushed the drowsiness back and reached for the soft voice. Ruth’s eyelids fluttered, and she finally forced them open. Cerulean blue captured and held her. Ruth stared into the depths, finding strength and compassion. Her gaze spread out to encompass dimples, a generous mouth, short dark hair and flesh pale from too many hours indoors.

  “Hi, I’m Doctor Jordan Pierce. Welcome back. You had us all pretty worried. We’ll be notifying your next of kin.”

  Ruth attempted to reply but the words rumbled in her throat. She felt like she’d gargled with broken glass. A sense of panic caused her to tense. Why couldn’t she talk? Doctor Pierce touched her hand and Ruth focused on that contact.

  “Don’t try to talk. We’ve had you on a ventilator and there’s a tube in your throat. We’ll see about getting it out when I’m sure you can continue to breathe on your own. Nod if you understand.”

  Ruth nodded once, the movement sharp from impatience. She had so many questions and this drawn out method of communication wore on her temper.

  “Good, do you remember anything about your accident?”

  What accident? Ruth frowned as she tried to recall such an event. She remembered leaving her house to go climbing with Karl and arriving at the site he’d chosen. Beyond the moment when he’d shut off the SUV, Ruth drew a blank. She shook her head.

  “That’s all right. It’s not uncommon to have memory loss given your condition. From what I understand, you fell quite a distance while climbing. You have a concussion. You also fractured your left wrist and both of your legs. We easily repaired your wrist, but I’m afraid your legs took some creative thinking. I’ve already operated once, but you’ll require a few more surgeries before I’m comfortable releasing you.”

  As interesting as she found the information, Ruth felt more concern for Karl. She wanted to know if he had also fallen. Was he all right? Where was he? What happened on that summit? Her body hurt all over, making it difficult to think.

  Doctor Pierce continued her monologue. “You’ve had someone watching over you since the paramedics brought you in. I’ll let him come back to sit with you once we’re finished. Would you like something for the pain now?”

  Relieved that Karl was there and unharmed, Ruth nodded. She felt free to give in to her own needs. Ruth watched as Doctor Pierce held up a switch for her to see.

  “This is a morphine pump. Press the button on the end once when you need some relief. Don’t worry about pressing too many times because the pump is regulated to only allow a safe amount of medicine. Understand?”

  Ruth nodded and Doctor Pierce pressed the switch. The medication acted quickly. Almost at once, Ruth felt the fire burning brightly in her limbs begin to lessen. Pierce scribbled something on a clipboard while a blood pressure cuff cinched down on Ruth’s arm. Drowsiness lurked, pulling relentlessly but Ruth resisted. The doctor had said Karl could come back in once they left. She desperately needed to see him before she could sleep, to verify with her own eyes that he truly was uninjured.

  Seconds passed that felt like an eternity. Ruth jerked awake, fighting the seduction of sleep. The medical staff concluded their business and headed for the door. Ruth heard the doctor tell Karl he could go inside. A welcoming smile lit Ruth’s face as a male form approached the bed. She blinked away the blurriness caused by the drugs and her smile disappeared.

  Mark Fuller, Karl’s cousin, lifted her limp hand from the mattress. He held on and settled into the chair beside her.

  “Hey there, it’s good to see you awake. I’m so sorry about Karl.”

  Chapter Two

  RUTH STOOD BESIDE the hospital bed, leaning her upper thighs against the mattress to keep them from wobbling while she dressed. Her legs still ached, but at least Doctor Pierce had finally removed the cast from her left wrist. The flesh on that arm was pale and scaly. It itched like crazy, but Ruth was happy to be free of the encumbering plaster. She could work the atrophied muscles back into shape in no time provided she was careful not to re-break the bones.

  Her legs would take months to heal, but Ruth was forever grateful that a park ranger had chosen the exact moment that she fell to arrive on the scene. Ranger Johnson had been driving around checking on campers in the area when it happened. His quick thinking had saved her life. Ruth almost choked on the thought. It was just too bad he hadn’t arrived in time to save Karl.

  Ruth still had no memories of what took place on the crest. She had tried to cooperate when the police questioned her about the incident, but she couldn’t tell them what she didn’t know. Ruth had the feeling that one of the detectives hadn’t believed her, but she had no choice but to acknowledge Karl’s death. Worse, Ruth had to face up to the fact that someone had murdered him and tried to kill her. The attacker hadn’t left any evidence behind, but Detective Conroy was heartless enough to let Ruth know that Karl hadn’t died instantly. Someone had stabbed him repeatedly, the wounds meant to inflict pain and a slow death. The police thought Karl had known something and been tortured for the information. They believed Karl must have shared that knowledge with Ruth.

  When she finally convinced them she didn’t know anything, they left her to her misery. Now, for the first time in two months, Ruth was preparing to leave the hospital. It felt so strange, leaving the room that had become her temporary home. Well, not quite. At least when she did get home, Ruth could lock out unwanted visitors.

  Mark Fuller had been by her side throughout the hospital ordeal. Almost daily, Ruth awakened to see him sitting at her bedside. She did her utmost to be polite to Mark considering that he had lost someone too. In spite of her best efforts, there was just something about him that she didn’t trust. Karl had spoken about his cousin as something close to saintly, but it wasn’t a quality Ruth could see.

  “Hi, I hope I’m not interrupting.” Mark spoke from the doorway, startling Ruth slightly.

  She had been standing with her back toward the door buttoning her jacket and hadn’t realized anyone was in her room. Ruth turned around slowly, trying not to show her surprise. “How do you do that? I never hear you coming.”

  “I’m
swift, silent and deadly.” Mark came farther into the room. “I think I used to be a jungle cat in a former life.”

  “I believe it.” Ruth wasn’t sure if she meant that as a compliment. “As for your question, no you’re not interrupting. I was waiting for my driver.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re looking forward to leaving this glorified country club?”

  “Actually, yes. I can’t stand being confined. But I’m being rude. Was there something specific you needed or were you coming to visit?”

  A frown crossed his face as though Mark was trying to decide how to phrase what he wanted to say. He shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets and finally looked up at her. “Truthfully, I came by to discuss a business proposition with you.”

  “Oh?” As a well-known professional golfer, corporations approached Ruth with business propositions on a regular basis. Still, she was a little surprised to hear such a statement coming from this man.

  “As you know I sponsor an annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Children’s Center. I thought that this year we could set up the Karl Stein Foundation. Nothing elaborate,” he added holding up his hand. “I just think Karl would have liked being remembered in this way.”

  “That sounds very thoughtful, but what do you need me for?” Ruth feigned innocence, knowing exactly where Mark was headed.

  “Well, we need donations to set up the fund. Of course, it’s for charity so everything is tax deductible. Unfortunately, I can’t contribute everything myself. What do you say?”