“Good point.”
Miggy is also frowning. “Besides, it’s not like slugging your friend for getting your sister pregnant and leading her to have an abortion is a criminal offense. Tim still took off on his own. What happened after that remains an accident.”
Martin snorts derisively.
I ignore him. “Another good point. Except . . .” I study the three friends. “Didn’t you all say you went to bed first, after Tim left? But not Josh. Last you saw Josh, he was sitting in front of the campfire.”
One by one, they nod.
“Meaning you don’t actually know if that was the end of the story. Maybe Tim did return. Or Josh went after him.”
They clearly don’t like this thought.
Miguel speaks up. “And did what? Chased Tim down, killed him with his bare hands, then returned to camp and went to bed? Wouldn’t we have found the body by now? I mean, that particular area.” Miggy looks at Nemeth for confirmation. “Those woods have been gone over dozens of times.”
Nemeth nods. “Course, we were looking for a missing hiker. Not something like, say, a shallow grave.”
“The dogs would’ve found it,” Luciana provides. “Any SAR dog, even one not specifically trained for cadaver recovery, will react to a dead body. You had to have been using dog teams.”
“We used half a dozen different dog teams.”
“Then whatever happened, it wasn’t in that area, or . . . I don’t know. This Josh kid knew some particularly ingenious method of body disposal we’d better hope no one else ever figures out.”
“Josh is smart. The smartest of all of us,” Miggy comments.
“Josh is clever,” Neil agrees tiredly. “But he’s not vicious. Never.”
No one has an answer for that.
“I’m leaving,” Luciana states levelly. “I am taking Daisy, and whomever else, with me. Once I get to town, I’ll notify the sheriff of the situation. In addition to organizing a rescue chopper, I’m sure he can check into Josh’s status.”
Nemeth nods, returns his gaze to me. “That leaves you,” he says. “You go with her.”
“There’s another solution.”
“To you staying here with no food or survival experience?”
“I have peanut butter cups.”
Nemeth gives me a pointed look, as if that says enough about my survival skills.
“You should go with her,” I tell him.
“I’m the leader—”
“Yes, meaning you’re the one responsible for getting us help. Neil can’t make it down on his own. Given that, it makes sense to have Miggy and Scott stay with him, as they aren’t the strongest hikers anyway. That leaves Martin, who’s clearly gone rogue. No way you should be putting his safety ahead of the rest of the party. Bob would be a good choice to accompany Luciana, but turns out he’s working for Martin. So why not let him earn his keep? He can starve up here with the rest of us while you and Luciana hightail it down. You two should be able to reach civilization and summon the cavalry in record time.” I shrug, concluding bluntly, “Face it, at this stage, we need a medevac chopper more than we need you.”
Nemeth doesn’t flinch. I respect that about him. I deal with so many people who lie, it’s always nice to meet someone who can handle the truth.
“Why are you doing this?” he asks me quietly.
I reward his honesty with my own. “Because I don’t know how to live any other way.”
He nods thoughtfully. He sees me. I see him. But mostly, I long for a detective in Boston.
Nemeth never says yes. He simply turns and hands the rifle to Bob. Then he takes in Luciana and quivering Daisy.
“How long till you’re ready?”
“Twenty minutes.”
He regards the rest of us. “Hope for the best, plan for the worst. That means start rationing your remaining snacks right now. Then look for the chopper come nightfall.”
We nod. I’m feeling shaky and queasy and far less brave than I want to be. Secrets and lies I understand. But this, alone in the wilderness. Off the grid. Out of touch. Food gone, companion injured, whole party under attack by person or persons unknown.
I’m used to being the hunter.
Never before have I been the prey.
CHAPTER 24
The camp feels different the moment Nemeth, Luciana, and Daisy depart. With their tents whisked away, the leadership grouping has been reduced to two, while my shelter now sits alone, a sad little blue dome. I think I should move it closer to the others, except I have no idea how to do such a thing. And I’m still not sure that’s a good idea. So far, I’ve caught all five of my remaining companions in at least one lie. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.