North Country(76)

“I wasn’t sure how tonight was going to go,” I admit.

I feel Logan’s gaze on me, but I keep my focus on my daughter as she skates hard after it.

“Why?”

I hesitate. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. But now that I’m with him, it’s all I want to do. “Holly’s case has gone cold. The investigators will keep reviewing and looking, but we’ve exhausted every lead.”

Logan curses.

“I had to tell Isla before the game. I was worried she’d hear it from someone else. I imagine Holly’s parents are already talking.” Blaming us for not doing our jobs. “It’s only a matter of time before all of Cold River knows.”

“I’m sorry. I know you’ve been doing everything you can to find her.”

“Obviously not enough.”

We quietly watch as Isla’s team handily kills the penalty against them and has two shots on net before a turnover.

“She blames herself,” he murmurs.

“What?” I’m acutely aware of Logan shifting closer to me, my nose catching the scent of his pine soap.

“For Holly. She blames herself.”

“She had nothing to do with it. She wasn’t even there.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. She thinks that if she had been, Holly wouldn’t be missing.”

“Or Isla would be missing too.” Panic flares just uttering those words. I’ve thought them plenty. “When did she tell you this?”

“This morning in the stables.”

I recall her leaving especially early, Duke at her side. It was still dark out. “I’m surprised you got two words out of her. She doesn’t say much lately.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, she’s not much of a talker in the morning. Neither am I, though.” The humor falls off. “I thought you should know.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” His eyes graze mine, and my heart flips as surely as if he’d touched me.

But then his attention snags on someone behind me.

I glance over to see a stalky form stroll past. I’d recognize him from his walk alone. “Swear to God, can’t turn a corner without one of them there,” I mutter.

“Who is that?” Logan’s eyes narrow on him.

“That’s Ian’s oldest son, Axel. I don’t know what the hell he’s doing at a U18 girls’ hockey game.” I scan the faces around the rink, but it’s difficult to make them out. Are there more Murphys here?

Logan watches him find a spot on the glass. “He was at the Bale House that night.”

“Yeah. Most of them were. He left early, though.” The gas station camera caught a glimpse of Axel’s cherry-red tow truck driving off around ten fifteen p.m.

“No, I mean, in the hallway, when Holly cornered me. He passed us on his way into the washroom. He knew who I was. He said something to me.”

“What?”

Logan frowns as he picks through his memories. “Something about me getting myself into trouble again already? I mean, I guess I can’t blame him. It probably didn’t look good.”

“No. It didn’t.” I know what I saw and it could’ve easily been misinterpreted, if you didn’t know Logan. And that explains why all the Murphys are stuck on their story—they’re regurgitating what Axel told them. But another thought strikes me. “Did it seem like Axel knew her?”

He considers it. “Maybe. He shook his head at her. Like disappointment?”

“Huh.” The only connection we’ve ever made to Holly and the Murphys was to Kyle, but what if Holly and Axel had something going on? He’s older and attractive enough.

“Are you sure he was talking to you?” I ask.

“I assumed he was.”

“Was he looking at you when he said it?” I push.

“I can’t remember. I …” Logan’s chest lifts with a heavy sigh. “He sa id it as he was walking by both of us. I guess it could have been for either.”

What if Axel and Holly had something going on, and seeing Holly flirting with Logan triggered Axel’s jealousy? Would it be enough for him to hurt her?

Kill her?

We’re still not sure if Axel’s following in his late father’s footsteps on the crime front, but I know he has a temper. He was expelled from high school for fighting.

I ponder this as we watch Isla race across the ice to back-check her old teammate, earning a round of claps in the stands on her new team’s side and, I’m sure, several flat faces from the old. I’ve heard enough backhanded compliments to know some of them look at us as traitors for leaving Cold River.

I shift to the far side of Logan where I have a better view of Axel.

He slaps his hand against the glass as Cold River outmaneuvers our defense and takes a shot. Thankfully, it lands in the goalie’s glove. I don’t know the men he’s standing with, which means they’re either from out of town or they’re law-abiding citizens. Who’s he here for? There aren’t any Murphy girls on either team, so what’s a twenty-six-year-old man doing watching a teenage girls’ hockey game?

I may be reaching, but given we’re at a dead end with Holly’s disappearance, any angle is worth pursuing. I dig out my phone and call Terry.