The Lost Door by Marc Buhmann Read Free Book Online

were scared for a while, waiting for something to happen to them.”
    It definitely couldn’t hurt to look into it. It wouldn’t be the first time an old case came back out of the blue.
    Stavic suspected Harold could be trusted to stay quiet, but he felt he had to say it just to be safe. “What I’ve told you you have to keep to yourself. Can you do that?”
    “I didn’t get to be this age by gossiping, Nick.”
    “Good.”
    They came to a point where a narrow waterway joined them.
    “What’s that?” Stavic asked.
    “Lake Crescent. Only lake in the area that connects to the river.”
    “Anything in there worthwhile?”
    “Nah. People’s cabins—all good people I might add—and that bar, The Thirsty Whale. Other than that not much. Good fishing if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s a good rock bed—”
    Stavic cut him off. “Let’s keep going.”
    They continued on another fifteen minutes in silence. The drone of the motor soothed Stavic, and he’d almost dozed off when Harold said, “Look over there.” Harold pointed to the right side of the river.
    Stavic did as instructed, the engine quieting as Harold slowed. “What am I looking at?”
    “A blind.”
    He didn’t see it. “You sure?”
    “Positive.” He idled in towards shore and, sure enough, there it was, made of pine branches and leaves sidled right up to the edge.
    “Pull in next to it,” Stavic instructed. Harold ran the boat aground, the aluminum boat echoing the scratching of sand and twigs beneath. He jumped out, grabbed the bow, and pulled the boat in. “Stay here.”
    Stavic inspected the blind. It was made of thick branches tied together with twine. The roof and walls were pine branches with leaves thrown over to fill in the gaps. It blended in perfectly with the forest around it. “I’m going to go take a look. Be back soon.”
    “Should I come with?”
    “No. I got this.”
    His walk was near silent over the earthen ground. The incline was gradual but long, and he started to get winded as he made his way up. Nature sang to him. As he climbed he tried to calculate where he was between town and where Waters was found. His rough estimate put him about two miles from Waters’ body—eight from town, three from where they started. They were also on the other side of the river, an area he knew next to nothing about.
    While he hadn’t grown up in River Bend, he’d grown up in a rural community that had plenty of woods where a boy could be mischievous. His mother had never remarried, and she was protective but not smothering which allowed for him to get into trouble from time-to-time. There’d been a couple times a police officer had escorted him home much to the dismay of his mother. He wouldn’t have considered himself a wild child, but he loved the adrenaline rush he’d get when jumping from the cliffs at the Eau Claire Dells into the cool water below, or drag racing out on a country road.
    Ironic that he became a cop.
    Stavic was ready to turn around when he crested the hill. Below sat a small log cabin no more than eight-hundred square feet. All was silent and still, no smoke wafting from the chimney. And while he did see a path running through the woods to the cabin he saw no vehicle. He was pretty sure he was alone and made his way down the hill quietly.
    Curtains were drawn across the windows. He walked along the perimeter listening intently for any sound coming from within. He was pretty sure he was alone so climbed the front porch.
    Should he knock or just enter? Best to play it by the book.
    Was that…? Stavic thought he heard movement. He rapped gently on the door.
    “Hello?”
    He listened. This time he didn’t hear movement but thought he heard something close. Maybe a cabinet or a door?
    “Police. Open up please.”
    When no one answered he took the knob and turned it. The door swung open.
    The dinginess made the hair on the back of his neck stand and he pulled his gun.
    “Show yourself,” he called