The Devil's Woods Read online

  Besides, that was the way he was going.

  Looking back, she saw Jorgen sit up behind the wheel, grinning. “You want to play with me, bitch!” He gunned the Mack truck’s engine. The dual exhaust pipes spat black smoke.

  Kendra hurried up the paved road, favoring her right foot. There was no shoulder. Just the shadowy woods choked with pine needles and underbrush.

  The truck growled as it lurched several feet then stopped. Jorgen spun the wheel and turned the big rig at the junction. He poked his head out the window. “Have a nice walk. Be careful when you pass the old Indian reservation. Those woods are haunted.” Laughing, he drove the long flatbed down the dirt road, kicking up dust.

  Kendra hobbled along the paved road, fighting back tears and losing the battle. No matter where she went, she seemed to always attract bad men.

  * * *

  As Shawna and Zack followed Ray into the marina’s general store, Eric and Jessica stopped outside. He was eager to get down to the boat rental shack where he’d spotted a pretty young thing in a bikini top and shorts.

  Eric handed Jessica a twenty. “Go inside and get us some snacks. I’ll line up the boat.”

  “Okay.” His girlfriend clung to his waist, gazing up at him. “Thank you, love.”

  “For what?”

  “For bringing me here. For introducing me to your family. This is a big step for us.”

  “You mean you’re not ready to run?”

  She laughed. “No. Your family’s quite nice, actually.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see what you think after a whole week with them.” He guided her toward the store’s front door. “Now, go get us some snacks.” He swatted her on the behind.

  “Eric!” Jessica blushed and then entered the general store.

  He hurried in the opposite direction toward the boat rental shack. Behind the counter stood a girl with a dark tan and an amazing body. Eric approached with a swagger. As soon as her eyes met his, he feigned stubbing his flip-flop on a dock board and hopped around on one foot. He gave the girl an embarrassed look. She smiled big.

  Game on.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Let me start over.” He walked away, turned around and walked back toward the girl at the counter. “Was that more graceful?”

  “Much. You must be from the city.”

  “Yes. And you must be a local.”

  “Born and raised.”

  He offered his hand. “I’m Eric.”

  She placed her small hand in his. “Nadine.” The feel of her skin against his was electric. She let go too soon. “What can I do for you?”

  “Well, let’s see, Nadine.” He glanced back at the marina store to make sure no one was coming. Then he leaned against the counter, inches from Nadine’s face. “Do you know anyplace around here where a man can rent a boat from a girl with beautiful brown eyes?” He knew the line was cheesy, but the small town girls ate it up.

  She giggled. “I can do that for you.”

  He held her gaze for several seconds. She looked away and then back at him. Damn she was cute. No older than nineteen, maybe twenty. Her tan skin was so smooth and toned, and Eric imagined what her large breasts must look like underneath that bikini top. She’s probably a firecracker in the sack. He should have come on this trip stag. Then he’d be free to roam the town and check out the local talent. Maybe he could break away from the group one evening.

  The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “So, um, would you like to see our boats?”

  “I’ll take the fastest ride you’ve got.” Eric gave her his most charming smile. “And then you can give me your phone number.”

  * * *

  As Kyle and a dockworker stored everyone’s luggage in a shed, the distant sound of a motorboat reverberated off the lake. A flock of ducks flew up as a red speedboat torpedoed across the water toward the marina. Eric stood behind the boat’s wheel. He was shirtless now, wearing his swimsuit, bucket hat and sunglasses. He swerved the boat sideways, splashing water against the docks. Jessica, Shawna and Zack all sat on the boat in their bathing suits, drinking beers. Music blared, disturbing the serenity of this normally quiet haven.

  Eric raised a beer can. “We’re going for a spin around the lake. Come join us.”

  “You guys go ahead,” Kyle said. “I’m going to hang back and get some writing done.”

  “Ah, come on,” Shawna said. “Even Stephen King takes a vacation. Let’s have some fun.”

  Getting drunk with his siblings was not high on his list of fun activities. Whenever any of them got wasted, the family demons surfaced. “I’ll pass. Maybe later this week.”

  “Suit yourself, bro. We’ll be back before sunset.” Eric spun the boat around and sped off.

  Kyle grabbed his backpack and retreated to a table on the deck of the Beowulf Tavern. A waitress dressed like a medieval wench took his order and then brought him a bottle of Coke and a bowl of venison stew. He pulled out some printed chapters of his manuscript, the fifth installment of his Detective Winterbone Series. Alex Winterbone was a private eye who solved mysteries for ghosts. Kyle’s editor had been on his back all month to finish this book. “Kyle, you’ve got rabid fans hungry for your next Winterbone novel. Check out your Facebook fan page. They’re getting restless.”

  His previous four novels had risen to the top of the best-seller lists and had been optioned by Hollywood. The first movie had been released last Halloween and was a cult hit with horror fans. Since his career had exploded, the pressure to write the next installment had intensified. His publisher and fans expected nothing less than a blockbuster. His publisher’s blog reported that Kyle Elkheart was busy writing the final chapters of the fifth Winterbone novel, Ghost Vengeance. What the fans didn’t know was that Kyle had been creatively blocked for two years.

  He read his manuscript for an hour, striking out words and making notes. The chapters he’d written yesterday were a disjointed wreck. If his readers read this crap, they’d burn his books and “un-like” his Facebook page. His muse had not returned since he had been interrupted by his brother yesterday morning. Hopefully immersing himself in nature would inspire him again. All he needed was to free his mind from distractions.

  “This town looks straight out of a postcard, don’t you think?” spoke a woman’s voice with a familiar Australian accent.

  Kyle looked up, surprised to see Jessica. She had changed from her bikini to a T-shirt and cargo shorts. She looked beyond the marina toward the log structures of Hagen’s Cove. “I love rustic towns like this one, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, it’s much more peaceful than the city.” They stared at one another for an awkward moment. “So…you didn’t stay on the boat with the others?”

  She shook her head. “If I’m out in the sun too long, I turn beet red. Besides, I don’t really party like I did in my college days.”

  “Yeah, me neither.”

  Jessica was even cuter without her makeup. Freckles on her nose made her look young, but Kyle figured by the maturity in her eyes she was close to thirty like himself. Again, he became spellbound by her beauty. “Mind if I join you for lunch?” she asked.

  “Sure.” As he stood up to move his laptop and backpack, half his pages blew onto the deck. “Shit.”

  She helped him chase down the flying papers. As they scrambled after the same page, they bumped shoulders. “Oh, bugger.” She touched his arm. “Sorry about that.”

  “No, I can be such a klutz.”

  “Me, too.” She laughed and looked down at his jumbled pages. “So what’s this you’re reading?”

  “Uh, just some work I brought with me.” He stuffed his manuscript into his backpack and invited her to take a seat across from him. The waitress came over and Jessica ordered a bowl of freshwater mussels and a pint of ale from the local brewery. “Funny, they call the beer here ‘mead’.”

  “That’s what the Vikings used to call it,” Kyle said. “The Danish brewers ferment it with water, hone
y, malt and yeast. Careful though, you can get drunk off the stuff faster than beer.”

  As they made small talk, the waitress brought a bowl of steamed mussels and a stein of mead. Jessica clinked her drink against Kyle’s Coke. “Cheers.”

  He felt alive in Jessica’s presence. It had been too long since he’d had a stimulating conversation with an attractive woman. His leg wouldn’t stop bouncing. Chill out, she’s Eric’s girlfriend. The more she talked, the more baffled Kyle became. How could an intelligent woman like this be dating a self-centered asshole like his brother? “So, how did you and Eric meet?”

  “We met at a fundraiser for breast cancer. Eric donates a lot of pro bono work for the charity that I volunteer for.”

  Their mother had died of breast cancer. Maybe his brother wasn’t always self-centered after all.

  Jessica continued, “One of our fundraisers was to auction dates with Seattle’s most eligible bachelors. When Eric got onstage, a bunch of my girlfriends dared me to bid on him and I won. He turned out to be quite charming.”

  In college, Eric could charm the panties off any sorority girl. Women were nothing more than a game to him. Poor Jessica didn’t know her boyfriend had at least three other lovers on the side. “So how long have you two been dating?”

  “Almost a year. This weekend will be our anniversary.”

  “Wow, sounds serious.”

  “It’s getting that way. I moved in with him last month.” She glanced down at her left hand. No engagement ring yet. She rubbed her ring finger as she looked back at the lake.

  Kyle wanted to warn her that Eric would never propose. That he was going to date her until he got bored and then drop her like all the rest. But it wasn’t his place. Who knows? Maybe Eric will actually grow up and devote himself to her. Kyle wasn’t holding his breath.

  The tavern’s back door swung open, and a well-dressed man in a tan cowboy hat and alligator boots came out with a redheaded girl no taller than his knees. They walked hand in hand over to Kyle and Jessica’s table. “Afternoon,” the man said, speaking with a local Danish accent and tipping his hat. With distinguished features and silver hair, he looked to be in his mid-fifties. “I’m Mayor Jensen Thorpe and this is my daughter, Chloe.”

  “We’re going to feed the ducks,” the girl announced.

  “How fun,” Jessica said. “How old are you, Chloe?”

  She held up four fingers.

  “Well, you are just adorable. I love your dress.”

  “Thanks.” The girl tugged at the hem of her skirt.

  Mayor Thorpe picked Chloe up and perched her on his arm. “We saw your plane land and wanted to welcome you to our town. A lot of tourists visit Hagen’s Cove for the summer, and we like to meet as many as we can.” The girl nodded in agreement.

  Jessica said, “Kyle and I were just talking about how lovely it is here.”

  “We have plenty of fun activities to offer: fishing, hunting, boating, you name it, and lots of great places to camp.” Mayor Thorpe winked. “If you two lovebirds rent a boat, there’s a romantic spot around the cove that’s perfect for watching the sunset.”

  Kyle said, “Oh, we’re not together.”

  “My apologies,” the mayor said. “With the number of honeymooners who stay here at the lodge, I’ve gotten in the habit of talking like a travel brochure. Chloe, you want to give our guests your mother’s card?” The girl reached into his breast pocket and handed each of them a business card. Mayor Thorpe said, “If there’s anything you need, feel free to call my wife, Celeste. She’d be more than happy to book your activities.”

  “Thanks,” Kyle said.

  Thorpe looked proudly at Chloe. “You ready to go feed the ducks?”

  The girl nodded.

  He looked at Kyle and Jessica and tipped his hat. “Enjoy your afternoon.”

  As the mayor and his daughter walked down the hill toward the lake, Jessica said, “Wow, you don’t get this kind of hospitality in a big city.”

  Kyle looked down at the marina. “The others still aren’t back yet.” He called his brother’s cell phone, but it went to voicemail.

  “They must be having a bloody good time,” she said. “I guess we’re on our own for a while.”

  It surprised Kyle how much he was enjoying Jessica’s company. He grabbed his backpack. “Hey, come with me. I want to show you something.”

  * * *

  Jessica felt a little guilty following Kyle, but who knew how long it would be before Eric and the others returned? Besides, Kyle had made her curious. “What are you going to show me?”

  “You’ll see.” He led her inside the Beowulf Tavern. Jessica was greeted by the aroma of venison stew, beer and pinewood. She ran her hand across a log column adorned with intricate carvings that reflected Danish folklore. Mounted on every wall were dozens of game animals with jutting antlers—deer, elk, moose and mountain goats. Even a few wild boars with large tusks.

  Kyle whispered into her ear. “Everybody hunts out here in the sticks.”

  “I can see that.”

  He pointed to a giant stuffed grizzly bear standing in one corner. “Ray Roamingbear brought that one down himself.”

  Above a rock fireplace hung a large tapestry of a Viking warrior swinging a sword toward a giant ogre. Kyle said, “That’s Beowulf slaying the mythological monster, Grendel.”

  Jessica nodded. “The hero from the poem, The Eddas.”

  Kyle gave her a sideways glance. “You know Norse mythology?”

  “I took a course in college that covered Scandinavian history. I found it so fascinating that a girlfriend and I traveled to Denmark and Norway during our summer break. The Beowulf tale was my favorite.”

  “You’re full of surprises.” He smiled and guided her through the dining hall. The tavern was packed with locals sitting in booths. Several old men sat around one long table, smoking pipes, playing dominoes and talking in Danish. Most of the patrons were thick-bearded loggers drinking beer. A few ogled Jessica like they hadn’t seen a woman in ages. There were also a couple of Royal Canadian Mounted Policemen in red uniforms eating lunch. They stared at the new arrivals, nodding their heads with friendly hellos. In another section, men were shooting pool, and a jukebox in the corner played an old Willie Nelson song. The atmosphere reminded Jessica of her hometown in Australia. It was the tight-knit community that she missed most when she had moved to Seattle.

  She followed Kyle down a hall to an alcove decorated like a museum.

  He said, “This shows the history of Hagen’s Cove.”

  The walls were covered in framed photos of several decades: men at the barber shop, Mounties on horseback, Mayor Thorpe in a suit and hardhat with a group of loggers at the mill. The color photos faded as Jessica walked backward along the timeline of the town’s evolution. The back corner held the oldest pictures, grainy black-and-white photos of lumberjacks posing in front of felled trees.

  “Absolutely charming,” Jessica said. “I love towns full of history.”

  Kyle leaned in close to her. “Hagen’s Cove started out as a logging town back in the 1880s, when a large number of Danish immigrants migrated from Denmark to Canada.” He pointed to a photo of lumberjacks meeting with Indians. “These are my Cree ancestors who settled on the reservation right outside of town. Our people were here long before the Danes arrived.”

  Centered among the lumberjacks and Cree men stood a stout white man dressed in a three-piece suit and top hat. He had a bushy mustache and a strong jaw. He looked more educated than the others. A sign next to the man read, Thorpe Timber Company. Estab. 1882.

  “Who’s the tall man in the suit?” Jessica asked.

  “Hagen Thorpe, the town’s founder.”

  “A relative of the mayor’s?”

  Kyle nodded. “The Thorpe clan has governed this community since the mill first opened. They own this hunting lodge and tavern and practically every business in town.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go tal
k to Ray about renting a vehicle. Be right back.” He went up a staircase.

  Left alone, Jessica looked back at the wall of photos. Using her Nikon camera, she snapped pics of them for her blog. She heard footsteps. A tall woman had stepped into the alcove and was examining the color photos. The lady gave a friendly nod, then turned back toward the pictures. Jessica snapped a few more photos. When she lowered her camera, she noticed the tall woman had moved closer. Jessica said, “I was admiring the town’s history.”