Elle Scott dug her fingernails into the steering wheel of her rented silver sedan. She made a sharp right turn, slamming on the brakes as her car skidded over River Birch Park’s rocky terrain.
Dusk had fallen over her hometown of Bradford, North Carolina. Gone was the afternoon’s bright blue sky. It had transformed into a sea of pinkish gray mist. The low-hanging sun was fading behind a curtain of clouds. That had been Elle’s cue to pack up and head back to her parents’ house.
A stinging chill crawled along the private investigator’s skin. She inhaled slowly, waiting for her breathing to stabilize.
She had just left the crime scene where her best friend, Taylor Jacobson-Hendrix, had been found dead. Taylor’s brother, Todd, was the one who’d called Elle a week prior to break the news.
“Taylor is gone,” he’d whispered so faintly that she asked him to repeat himself.
“Gone? What do you mean, gone? Did she finally run off and leave her husband?”
“No, Elle. She—she’s dead.”
The words had numbed her limbs and sent her crashing to the floor of her Manhattan apartment. She’d remained there for almost an hour. Todd stayed on the phone with her the whole time. He explained how a park ranger had spotted Taylor’s lifeless body lying underneath a massive tulip tree along River Birch Park’s running trail.
The coroner ruled her death an accident, blaming her broken neck on a fall caused by the path’s jagged ground.
Todd didn’t believe it. Neither did Elle.
Taylor could’ve jogged the park’s trail blindfolded. She’d been running it for years. It had been her and Elle’s personal track all throughout high school and college. When Elle moved away ten years ago, Taylor continued to utilize it religiously.
Todd was infuriated when the sheriff’s department stood by the medical examiner’s ruling and closed the case. As a former US marine turned deputy sheriff in training, he felt betrayed by his hometown’s law enforcement agency. Todd was convinced that his sister’s death involved foul play. He’d begged the sheriff to further investigate the case, but his pleas had gone unanswered.
So he’d turned to Elle, asking that she bump up her plans to return home for the holidays and help him investigate Taylor’s death. She’d booked the first flight out.
What really happened to you, Taylor?
A pair of blinding headlights flashed through Elle’s back windshield. She peered into the rearview mirror. A black pickup truck was tailgating her down the park’s gritty, sloped road.
“Could you back up, please?” Elle grumbled just as her cell phone rang.
Todd’s name flashed across the screen, along with the photo of him and Taylor she’d saved under his contact information.
Her chest pulled at the sight. Todd and Taylor had taken the picture last year at the Marine Corps birthday ball.
Taylor’s bright, wide-set eyes and signature crooked grin jumped off the screen. She and Todd had their arms wrapped securely around each other, which was how they’d always posed for photos considering how close they were.
Todd’s crisp blue uniform was pressed to perfection. He could’ve passed for a young Blair Underwood with his dark, closely cropped hair, perfectly trimmed mustache, deep brown skin and smile so radiant it could light up a movie set.
Elle had had the biggest crush on Todd when they were younger. But she’d admired him from afar, figuring that he saw her as nothing more than his little sister’s bestie. Eventually he’d enlisted in the military and she’d moved away, furthering the gap between them.
Taylor had acted as their liaison through the years, keeping them posted on what the other was up to from time to time.
And now she was gone.
Who knew I’d end up reconnecting with your brother through your death...
Elle’s cell phone rang for a third time. She snapped out of her thoughts and tapped the steering wheel’s Bluetooth button.
“Hey, Todd.”
“Hey, just checking in. How are things going?”
His smooth, deep voice flowed through the speakers. It managed to relax her tense shoulders as she melted into the seat.
“I was just thinking about you,” she said. “I’m actually leaving River Birch Park now.”
“Really? You were out there for a long time. Sorry I couldn’t join you. My weapons use training class went way over. But please tell me that you found some sort of evidence that we can work with. Anything.”
Elle’s lips twisted in defeat. “Unfortunately, I didn’t. And I scoured every inch of the area where Taylor’s body was found. The only reason I left is because it started getting dark and I forgot to pack my flashlight. But I was confident that I’d find something. I guess I should’ve added crime scene investigation tactics to my forensic accounting and surveillance techniques studies.”
“Look, don’t underestimate your capabilities, Elle. I trust your investigative skills. You are truly gifted. I’m convinced that together, you and I are going to solve this case.”
“Thanks, Todd. I appreciate your faith in me.”
Elle slowed down when she reached the bottom of the road. The pickup truck that had been trailing her came to a screeching halt inches away from her bumper. The driver pressed down on the horn.
“Oh, come on!” Elle yelled, craning her neck toward the side-view mirror.
The truck’s windows were tinted. All she could make out was the middle finger being flipped at her.
Elle waved the driver off. “Jerk!”
“What is going on out there?” Todd asked.
“Some jackass has been tailgating me ever since I left the crime scene. Now they’re mad because I won’t jet off into the intersection and get hit by oncoming traffic.”
“I can’t stand road ragers. Where exactly are you?”
“At the corner of Birch Street and Livingston Avenue.” Elle looked to her right, then left. “The roads are jam-packed. Is there some sort of special event happening tonight?”
“Yep. The Christmas parade. I’m sure everybody is making their way downtown now. The main thoroughfare is gonna be flooded with holiday floats, sleighs, horse-drawn carriages, the whole nine.”
“Ugh. I used to love Bradford’s Christmas parade. But tonight, I couldn’t be in a less festive mood. I have got to get out of here. I need to take a detour—”
Bee-ep!
Elle jumped in her seat as the pickup truck’s shrill horn blared behind her.
“All right, all right!” she yelled.
“Listen, why don’t you cut through the Everest Forest Preserve? That’ll get you back to your parents’ house pretty quickly.” Todd paused. “Better yet, why don’t we meet up for a drink? Sounds like you could use one. I know I could.”
“After the day I’ve had?” Elle replied. “I could definitely go for a nice strong cocktail. Is Cozy’s still a good place to hang out?”
“Oh, absolutely. Gigi has already added her signature holiday drinks to the menu, too.”
“Okay, cool. I’d love to sit down and discuss our next moves over one of her famous cranberry bourbon blizzards. I’ll head that way now.”
Elle weaved between the cars blocking the intersection, then made a sharp left turn onto Oak Lane.
The trees lining the dim, narrow road created an ominous arc that loomed overhead. She slid closer to the steering wheel and pressed down on the accelerator.
“I should be at Cozy’s in about ten minutes. I’m looking forward to...”
Elle’s voice trailed off as a loud engine roared in the distance behind her.
Her eyes darted toward the rearview mirror. The black pickup truck that had been trailing her through the park was back.
“Oh no,” she muttered.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I’m being followed.”
“What?” Todd asked. “By who?”
“The same truck that was riding my bumper through the park.”
Elle heard his phone shuffle, then a door slam.
“Listen,” he said, “I’m jumping in my car and heading that way now. Just stay calm and be careful.”
“I will.” Elle turned on her bright lights and sped up. “Just get here as fast as you can. I’m heading north on Oak Lane.”
“Got it. I’ll stay on the line with you.”
She glanced in the side-view mirror. The truck wasn’t letting up. The faster she drove, the closer it got.
Elle slammed on the brakes and made a sharp right turn. Just as her car rounded the curve, the pickup rammed against the back of her car.
She screamed, jerking the steering wheel from right to left as she struggled to stay on the narrow road.
“Elle! What’s going on?”
“The truck just hit me!”
Boom!
“It just hit me again!”
Elle pressed down on the accelerator. Her boot’s heel tore into the floor mat.
“Hang in there,” Todd said smoothly, his calm voice helping to ease her anxiety. “I’m driving as fast as I can. All this damn holiday traffic is slowing me down.”
Bang!
The truck pounded into Elle’s bumper again. Her car skidded off the road and careened toward a cluster of red maple trees.
Her chest hit the steering wheel. She gasped for air. Her hands ached as she clung to the wheel, struggling to guide the car away from the trees.
Elle tried to call out for Todd. But fear took hold of her vocal cords. A thin wheeze replaced the words she fought to speak.
“Stay with me, Elle. Tell me what’s going on. Are you okay?”
Her body jolted uncontrollably as the vehicle bounced over the forest’s uneven floor. Branches scraped against the doors. Bright red and orange leaves slammed against the windshield.
Elle leaned forward, straining to see what was up ahead. “I’ve been run off the road!” she finally managed to say.
The truck rammed into her once again. The car flew farther into the cluster of trees at full speed. It slid across a pile of mud then crashed into a thick gray tree trunk.
Her body thrust forward. The seat belt kept her from flying through the windshield. But the airbags failed to deploy. Her forehead slammed against the steering wheel.
Elle whimpered softly as blood trickled down her nose.
“Elle! Elle? Talk to me! What is going on?”
“I... I’ve been hit. Crashed into a tree.”
She opened her eyes, watching as the truck sped off, then passed out.
Copyright © 2022 by Denise N. Wheatley