Target on the Mountain by Elizabeth Goddard (the chimp paradox .txt) 📕

Sarah... “While you’re looking for the person who killed four people, I’m looking for the person who killed one person. Sarah. You can’t get in her head like I can. You can’t walk in her shoes or think the way she would have thought. That’s all I’m doing.” She and Sarah were sisters. No one could know her better, even with the fact that Tori had lived far from Sarah for four years.

His forehead furrowed. Eventually he would come to the same conclusion about whom the murderer had intended to kill—the one target—if he hadn’t already.

In the distance, they saw two county SUVs pull up behind Ryan’s unmarked vehicle.

“Looks like the wait is over.” He sounded relieved. “I can’t stop you from investigating on your own. But don’t make me charge you with obstruction. If you find evidence, please call me.”

Even a private investigator looking into a major crime like murder could get charged with obstruction if he or she wasn’t careful. “I will, I promise.” She eyed him. “I trust you with this case, honestly.” More than he would ever know or believe. “And you’re a good detective. You’re a good man, Ryan.”

He stared at her as if he didn’t know how to take the compliment, but she saw the doubts swimming in his eyes. Being a county detective hadn’t been good enough for her. Before emotions rushed through her, she looked at the river. She shouldn’t think about the past, but she almost regretted the choices she’d made that caused her to lose him.

Almost.

Because truly regretting her choices would mean she’d made the wrong ones. And she couldn’t accept that.

While Ryan spoke to his team of deputies and his techs who would process and then transport the kayak, Tori waited near the river. Was the shooter out there somewhere, watching?

Two techs began processing the kayak—taking pictures and documenting everything. Tori was glad Ryan hadn’t just hauled it in his SUV as if it had no importance. The slightest detail could be vital in a case like this.

He left his team to work and approached her. “You ready to go?”

“I thought we were going to look up top for rifle shells. We could help those deputies search for evidence. We aren’t doing anything.”

“Let the county sheriff’s department handle it. I’m taking you home.”

Though she didn’t need the lead investigator acting as a chauffeur, how else would she get home? Dad had already gotten her car from the river. Back in his SUV, Ryan steered them toward town.

“Is there any remote chance that the fact someone targeted you has to do with something unrelated to Sarah—maybe one of your past cases?”

“I suppose anything is possible, but it’s not probable.”

They remained quiet for the remaining miles back to town. As he drove down Main Street in Rainey, her mind constantly flashed to memories of them together. It seemed so strange to be with him again, only for an entirely different reason than because they simply wanted to be together.

A gut-wrenching reason. Her breath hitched and she squeezed the hand rest.

“I keep asking if you’re all right.” He steered into the driveway of Sarah’s small bungalow and parked. “You keep telling me that you are. But you’re not okay. I’m worried about you, Tori.”

“You’ve said that.” Tori hung her head. She didn’t want to get into this conversation with him. Why did he have to keep asking? Why did he have to care? Of course she wasn’t okay.

“Is it me?” he asked.

That question brought her head up to look at him. “What do you mean?”

“Is being here with me too much for you? Too awkward? I know we’re both trying to stay focused on the case, but maybe it’s too much. Maybe it’s just too hard to work together.”

And you want to avoid me, Ryan? She kept the question to herself. “Even if it’s too hard, we have to push past that. We can’t change it.”

“We can. You can go back to work in South Carolina. Be safe. Let me find who killed these people. Your sister. I don’t need your help.”

Tori had no response to that. She got out of the vehicle, slammed the door and stomped up to the home that reminded her so much of Sarah. She remembered when her sister had picked it out. Sarah had emailed so many pictures to Tori. She’d been so excited to find such a cute place to live in on her own.

Oh, Sarah...

What had happened to her was wrong on so many levels. Why couldn’t Ryan understand that Tori could not leave this alone? She wanted to look Sarah’s killer in the face. And deep in her heart, she wanted to be the one to bring him down.

At the door, she fumbled for the keys in her purse with shaking hands and then finally unlocked the door. Ryan remained in his vehicle, making a call, waiting for her to get safely inside. She wished he would hurry up and leave.

Inside, she slammed the door and pressed her back against it, her heart pounding for no other reason than she was upset with Ryan. Upset with herself. Upset that this nightmare was real. Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes.

She swiped them away. No time for grieving.

Tori needed an escape from the events of the last weeks, days and hours. Unfortunately, Sarah’s home was full of reminders instead. She shoved herself away from the door and dropped her bag on the table in the foyer. Dad had retrieved it from the car and Mom had brought it up to the hospital. Mom. She’d better text—

Clank, clank...

Tori froze. She listened.

The hair on her arms rose. Someone was in the house just down the hallway.

She pulled her weapon from her bag. Even on leave, she was required to always carry her FBI-issued weapon with her.

Weapon at the ready, she crept down the hallway toward where the sound had come from and cleared the first room. That left only one more