teenage waitress came over and plopped down two menus. “We’re out of the patty melt, but the tomato soup isn’t too bad.” The girl whirled away.
“Boy, she really sells that soup.” Jude seemed to be mildy amused by the waitresses’s casual behavior.
Lacey laughed and leaned forward, glad that he seemed to relax a little. “They probably just open up a can. It’s not like the fresh produce truck makes its way up here.” She liked the warmth she saw in his eyes and appreciated his effort at lightening his mood. “Maybe I could help you if you could tell me why that guy was after you.”
Jude’s forehead creased. He looked slightly off to the left. Then he leaned closer to her and spoke in a low voice. “A girl has been kidnapped. Part of the initial communication from the kidnapper was that the FBI not be contacted. But her father couldn’t do nothing, so he hired me. Her father is a fairly well-known millionaire real estate developer in North Dakota. It’s all got to be under the radar, or something bad might happen to the kid.”
Lacey’s breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the gravity of what he had just told her. Now she understood why he wasn’t crazy about contacting the sheriff or being trapped in Lodgepole.
“It helps my case, but I’m concerned about you being able to identify him.” He twirled the pepper shaker.
She spoke slowly. “You think he might follow us into town and try to hurt me?” Her old truck was distinct enough and Lodgepole was the only town for miles. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out where they’d gone. Her heart squeezed tight.
“I don’t know.” Jude shook his head. “I just wish I wasn’t stuck here. I was so close to catching him.”
Lacey stared at the jelly packets and tried to process what Jude was implying. The man, who was probably a kidnapper, might come after her. “One good thing. If the roads are impassable for us, then he’s stuck too. Either on that mountain or in town. Anyway, there are people around. I’m sure he wouldn’t try anything.” Her voice sounded weak, like she was trying to convince herself that she was safe.
Jude was grateful when the waitress walked back over to them before Lacey could ask him more questions. He’d already told her too much. He would be forever grateful to her for saving his life. She had been an answer to a very frantic prayer.
The waitress twirled a strand of her hair. “So, what will you two have?”
He hadn’t had much time to study the menu. “A burger sounds great.”
“I’ll have the club sandwich.” Lacey closed the menu and handed it over to the waitress.
He noticed the ketchup stain on his menu as he lifted it so the teenager could take it. This place had a certain uniqueness to it.
He turned his attention to Lacey. She kept her auburn hair tied up in a braid. Soft wisps of red hair framed her face. She offered him a brief smile when she caught him staring.
“You’re not from around here?” he asked.
“I move around a lot for my research work.” She rearranged the jam packets that were in the metal container.
“How about you tell me about your research.”
Her eyes lit up and her whole face seemed to brighten. “I’m tracking the migrations and feeding patterns of an elk herd that mostly hang out on Shadow Ridge. I’m looking at how human activity might affect that.” She continued to share details about her job. He liked the way she became so animated when she talked.
They continued to visit until most of the patrons had left the café. A silence fell between them.
Jude cleared his throat. “Are you okay with telling me what the man who shot at me looked like?” Though he didn’t like making her revisit the attack, he needed to know if he was to find him.
Lacey stared at the table. “Yes, I can do that. Broad shoulders, built like a wrestler but older, gray-and-white hair, a beard. The expression on his face was...such rage.” She shuddered.
He leaned toward her and patted her shoulder. “I still can’t thank you enough for getting me out of there.”
She nodded before glancing around the nearly empty café. “Looks like we closed the place down. I suppose we should get going. There is only one hotel in town.”
When they stepped outside, it was pitch-dark. The wind had picked up, creating little tornadoes of snow swirling down the street. Jude buttoned his coat up against the cold. “I really want to have a look around this town. If that guy did follow us down the mountain, he probably hid his car, but I could knock on a few doors with some kind of story. Maybe check some backyards. If there is only one hotel, I doubt he’d stay there.”
“I don’t think you would get very far in the dark and cold.”
A gust of wind hit him. His eyes stung from the intensity of the cold. He could only see a few feet in front of him. His jaw clenched in frustration. “Okay maybe you’re right. So, what is this hotel?”
“It’s called the Davenport Hotel,” she said.
“Guess I should stay there too.” More than anything, he wanted to get back to tracking his suspect. Things were more complicated now that the suspect knew he’d been made and could be identified. He feared for the little girl’s safety. If she was being held in one of the houses on that mountain road, would the man just leave her there to come into town after him and probably Lacey?
Several snowmobiles putted by, their headlights cutting through the blackness. Leaning into the wind, Lacey and Jude crossed the street and entered the hotel.
An old man slept in an overstuffed chair in the lobby. “That’s Ray. He’s the manager. Rather than wake him, I think we can just grab a key and leave him a note that you’ve got a room,” she said. “You can pay him later or just leave the money in an envelope by the note. It’s fifty dollars a night.”
“Okay, if that is how it’s done.” The informality of the place only added to its charm. Jude pulled some money out of his wallet while Lacey found an envelope and paper to write on.
A wide sweeping staircase with an ornately carved bannister filled up most of the lobby. Though everything looked dusty, there was still a yesteryear elegance to the place. A huge mural of forest and wildlife, with a train puffing through it, took up one wall. Faded by time, it was nevertheless impressive. The trim on the ceiling looked like it had been carved by hand. The red carpet and matching velvet curtains indicated this had been quite the classy joint at one time.
Lacey walked behind the counter and grabbed a key. “You can have room ten right next to me. I’m in twelve. Some of the rooms aren’t used anymore, but I know that one is.”
They walked up the stairs together. Though frustration over being stranded made his jaw ache, meeting Lacey had been a nice reprieve. Lacey went back and forth between warmth and seeming guarded. Still, having dinner with her had been fun. Fun was not a word that was in his vocabulary much anymore...not for ten years.
She turned to face him. “Ray told me earlier today that two hunters checked in to the hotel
