Cold Sweat by J.S. Marlo Read Free Book Online

The only tracks were mine. Someone would have needed to groom over—” His eyes popped out of his skull. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I swear.”
    Arms crossed over her chest, Amelia stared in confusion. “What exactly am I thinking?”
    “You think I ran her over by accident, and that...that I took her and...and groomed that section again so no one would know.”
    That scenario sounded as ludicrous as the one she’d conjured up seconds earlier involving a helicopter. “Is that what happened, Todd? An accident?”
    “No...I don’t know. Maybe it was an accident, but it wasn’t me. I don’t know how come the trail was groomed perfectly when I operate the only grooming machine we have.”
    “Sit down and take a deep breath. You’re not a suspect.”
    In order to stay alive on foreign soils, Amelia had learned to rely on her ability to read friends and enemies alike. Her instincts were telling her that the River boy wasn’t involved in Hope’s disappearance. That was proof enough.
    In this part of the forest, the trail was narrow, too narrow for two snowmobiles to ride side by side. Had her daughter seen anyone coming toward her, she would have stepped off the trail into the snow to let the vehicle pass. The same scenario could be applied in case of an ambush.
    No matter how it happened, Hope’s kidnapping would have spilled off the narrow trail into the fresh snow. Amelia had experienced too many combat situations not to recognize the potential or drawback of a hot spot. This particular section of the trail was not a good place for an ambush.
    “Todd, are you absolutely certain there was no disturbance in the snow along the edges around here?”
    “Yes, ma’am.” As despondent as the young man looked, there was a decisive quality to his voice.
    Logic dictated Hope had been abducted somewhere else down the trail, and that the individual or individuals responsible had backtracked to erase her trace so it would be impossible to determine the exact location from which she was taken.
    The apparent methodology chilled Amelia’s blood. She dug her hand into her pocket and wrapped her gloved fingers around Hope’s transmitter and wallet, seeking strength in the personal objects she’d taken from her daughter’s room. “We need to farther extend the search area.”
    ***
    “You’re late, Sheriff.” With her pinched lips, pointed nose, and narrow glasses, Norman’s secretary looked like a buzzard ogling a roadkill. “The senator requested your presence an hour ago. He’s not happy you’re playing havoc with his schedule.”
    Unfortunately for Verna, Rich had no intention of falling dead or alive at the senator’s feet.
    “You may want to remind your boss I’m not his personal assistant. Next time he can stop by my office. Is he in?”
    Before meeting with Norman, Rich had contacted his deputies. The update hadn’t been to his liking. While the second picture had proven to be fake, Rich had no doubt the first one was genuine.
    He should be looking for Hope Craig while his deputies chased after the delinquent that slashed the four tires of their cruiser while they were having lunch. Searching for the blackmailer who exposed Norman’s dirty secrets ranked low on anyone’s list of priority for the day. Who plays with fire deserves to be burned.
    The secretary, whose name was written in gold letters on her desk, picked up the phone. “I will announce you. Please wait.”
    “I don’t think so.” As a former sniper, patience was a virtue Rich had cultivated. As a sheriff whose missing case led nowhere, patience had given way to frustration.
    As she leapt off her chair, Verna dropped the handset. “You can’t—”
    “Try me.” A bouncer armed with a bazooka wouldn’t have deterred Rich from walking into the senator’s office and slamming the door behind him.
    “Ever heard of knocking, Morgan?”
    The senator’s arrogant tone grated on Rich’s nerves. To think he’d once behaved like the