a tree and watch.”
This was unlike him, cane or no cane. Kat knew only one thing could keep Nick from going out on that bridge: an ulterior motive. He was giving her time alone with Eric, presumably so the two of them could get reacquainted.
As Nick gingerly backed himself against a nearby oak, Kat faced forward again. She took another tentative step, practically on her tiptoes. Although the bridge seemed fairly solid, she did the same with her next two steps as she gripped the waist-high railing. After another two steps, she eased up on the caution and was walking normally.
The bridge creaked slightly under her weight, but that wasn’t cause for concern. All bridges creaked. It wobbled, too, which worried Kat more than the creaking. But by that time it was too late. She was at the halfway point. Through the cracks between the bridge’s planks, she saw the creek flowing swiftly beneath her. If the bridge collapsed, there was nothing she could do about it.
To her left, the creek was a ribbon of water that curved slightly through the trees. A couple of large rocks jutted through the surface, sending the water swirling around them in ripples that caught the sun. On the right side of the bridge, the water picked up speed. It gathered in long white streaks that slipped over the falls and vanished from view. If she fell in, there was very little to prevent her from tumbling down the falls.
Her only hope, Kat noticed, was a low-hanging branch from an oak tree next to the creek. Strong and sturdy, it stretched over the water at the point where the stream ended and Sunset Falls began. If she managed to grab the branch and hold on tight, she could survive. If she missed, then she’d be dead.
Thankfully, Eric caught up to her and she no longer had to think about survival plans, which made her nervous. To put her mind at ease, she engaged in small talk instead.
“How long are you going to be in town?”
“A few more weeks,” Eric said. “I still have to pack everything up and put the house on the market.”
“Your mother was a good woman. I was sorry to hear about the cancer.”
Kat had considered going to Maggie Olmstead’s funeral but eventually decided it wasn’t a good idea. Seeing Eric again under those circumstances would have been awkward for both of them. Being alone on the bridge with him was awkward enough.
Yet it was also oddly exhilarating. For a moment it felt as if she was once again that shy freshman finally freed of braces and Eric had become that cute senior in Buddy Holly glasses. Memories she hadn’t thought of for decades suddenly flashed through her mind. Most of them were good. Only one was bad.
“Should we push on?” she asked.
They crossed the bridge to the other side, where the path was practically invisible. Now a strip of dirt, it slanted downward, pointing the way to the bottom of the falls. Kat took a deep breath and began the descent, with Eric following close behind. It was rough going. A few rogue branches swiped at their heads while weeds scraped their legs. The waterfall, plunging directly to their right, sent off clouds of mist that stuck to their skin and made the ground muddy and slick beneath their feet.
“So,” Eric said, “are you and Nick Donnelly …”
His voice trailed off, letting Kat pick whatever euphemism she wanted. Dating? An item? Lovers?
“We’re just friends,” she said. “Good ones.”
“How do you two know each other?”
“Nick used to be with the state police,” Kat said. “He helped me with a murder investigation last year.”
“I heard about that. It’s hard to believe something like that could happen in Perry Hollow.”
It was also difficult to imagine Eric’s brother being snatched by a stranger in the woods. Certainly, it was possible. About 80 percent of child abductions by strangers were committed a quarter mile from the victim’s home. But this was a remote area, with only one way in or out. Someone on the street would have noticed a stranger coming or going.
They had reached the base of Sunset Falls. The path leveled off and the trees receded a bit, giving way to a pebble-strewn shore. The waterfall emptied into a deep pool that swirled and churned from the impact. According to official town records, the drop was thirty feet. But from Kat’s vantage point, it looked much higher.
“If someone went over, do you think they could survive?”
“I doubt it,” Eric said. “But someone could get lucky.”
They’d have to be very lucky. A handful of ragged rocks jutted from the water at the base of the falls. They looked sharp and menacing, making Kat think of dinosaur teeth waiting to catch and destroy whatever fell their way.
Beyond them, the creek continued its journey, cutting a path through the land toward the horizon. Was Charlie Olmstead’s body somewhere along its banks? Maybe dragged underwater by branches or lying somewhere in the trees, hidden from view. That was assuming, of course, that he had gone over the falls at all.
“Do you really think my mother was right?” Eric asked.
“I don’t know. But Nick will find out as much as he can.”
Despite tagging along with him, Kat still didn’t want to get involved in the investigation. Her intention had been to stop by, see how Eric had changed—for better or for worse—and let the two of them try to solve the unsolvable mystery that was Charlie Olmstead. She had no desire to waste time before coming to the same conclusion her father had reached.
So Kat took one last look at the falls before retracing her steps along the path. This time, the climb made it even more arduous. By the time they reached the top, both she and Eric were out of breath. Back on the bridge, Kat saw Nick climb to his feet with the help of his cane. Apparently alone time with Eric was over.
“I think the native is getting restless,” she said.
Eric took the lead and crossed the bridge quickly. “Nick seems like a pretty determined guy. Am I right?”
“You have no idea. Once he sets his mind on something, he doesn’t quit until he gets it.”
Kat, following Eric off the bridge, heard a loud creak that stopped her cold. The noise came from beneath her feet, soon changing from creaking to outright cracking. Then, before Kat had a chance to move, the plank beneath her splintered and fell away.
She managed a strangled yelp before falling with it, slipping helplessly into the gap the missing board had created. She came to a stop halfway through it as her rib cage and chest lodged between the boards on either side of her. Kicking her legs, Kat felt one foot splash into the creek. The broken board knocked against her ankle as it floated on the water’s surface. It soon slipped past her and headed toward the falls.
In a flash, Eric was standing over her, gripping her arms. Kat, who had a prime view of his sneakers, saw the board beneath him start to bend from the weight and movement.
“Stop,” she said. “Get on your stomach. Distribute the weight.”
Cautiously, Eric moved into a crouch. Then he was on his stomach, sliding toward her. Just over his shoulder, Kat saw Nick step onto the bridge.
“Kat? Are you
