Chapter Twenty-Six
Bleary-eyed but armed with strong coffee, Seth and Presley had set off before dawn to find the hunting cabin with the scant directions they were able to get from Tanner. Seth had been unsure about bringing Presley but when she’d told him that Eliza had terrible morning sickness again and that they wouldn’t be meeting at the coffee shop, he’d known right then that he wouldn’t be able to talk her out of going. She was enjoying this detective work far too much. Besides, he’d pitched in most nights since they returned from Vegas and almost everything but the final touches were ready for the grand opening at the beginning of the month.
He was certainly proud of Presley and all of her hard work. This coffee shop was her dream. She was tough on herself about the past but no one could now say she wasn’t ambitious.
The drive, however, was uneventful and he and Presley spent most of it making plans for upgrades to the house. With two growing children, it was beginning to feel small and not unlike an overstuffed toy chest. The situation was likely to get worse before it got better, so they’d both conceded that perhaps they needed to think about adding on maybe a family room and another bathroom. Lulu was going to be a teenage girl someday – perish the thought – and she’d probably spend most of her time in the bathroom if Presley was to be believed.
“I don’t know that I’ll ever get over all these mountains around me,” Presley marveled. “It’s so flat in Florida. But warm.”
His girl did suffer the cold and she missed the beaches every now and then, despite living in Montana for years. Who was he kidding? Sometimes he hated the cold, too.
“But we have snow-capped mountains and beautiful lakes.”
“That’s true. It is beautiful out here. I can see why Danny Harbaugh loved it so much.”
Seth was trying to see this situation through Danny’s eyes. Was it the remoteness of the location that appealed to him? The sheer beauty of the mountains? Or had it been something else altogether?
“We’re getting close. Keep your eyes peeled for a side road or even just a path.”
Presley craned her neck to get a better view. “We’re already on a side of a side road. Is this even on a map?”
Rutted and rough, the dirt road was on no map that Seth knew of and Tanner’s instructions had been vague, but after studying a map of the property there were a few places that stood out as better locations for a hunting cabin. This was the first on his list. Sometimes a man just had to follow his instincts.
“There.” Presley pointed to a break in the trees. “It’s barely a road, though. Do you think we can get the truck back there?”
Seth pulled the vehicle off to the side. “I’ll take a look. Stay here where it’s warm.”
Hopping out of the truck cab, the chillier mountain air at this altitude hit Seth hard, making him pull his jacket closer around his body. Luckily, though, he didn’t have to walk far to see that his truck would make it, although it would be tight. Hurrying back to the vehicle, he swung into the driver’s side to deliver the news.
“We’re good to go, at least as far as I could see. If we get to a point where we have to stop, I’ll get out and walk.”
Caution was deeply ingrained in Seth so he drove slowly up the winding road, the branches from the trees brushing against the sides of his truck. It was narrower than he’d originally thought, but it was passable and that’s all that Seth could ask for. He really didn’t want to have to hike this property but he would if he had to. Wherever this cabin was located it was far away from anyone else.
That’s probably what appealed to Danny. Not the hunting or the scenery. The location.
Just when Seth thought he’d chosen the wrong spot a cabin came into view in the distance. Small and rundown, it wasn’t much more than it had been described – a hunting shack. Immediately he stopped the truck and backed it up slightly, but they could still see the shack in the distance.
“What are you doing?” Presley asked, looking in front of them and then behind. “We’re going the wrong way.”
Seth shook his head and smiled grimly. “We’re going the absolute right way. Didn’t you see the smoke coming out of the chimney? There’s someone in that cabin and I don’t want them to see us driving up.”
“Some detective I am,” Presley laughed, smacking her forehead. “I didn’t notice that. I was too busy looking for a car parked out front.”
Seth had looked for that too but only briefly. “They could have parked behind the building or some trees. And don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not a cop, remember?”
Killing the engine, Seth reached behind him to gather up his supplies. His service revolver was tucked under his coat but he was also going to take his shotgun as well. Once again caution was the order of the day. He didn’t feel that the situation was necessarily dangerous. He wouldn’t have brought Presley otherwise, no matter how much she complained. But this was the unknown and if he’d learned anything in the Army and then law enforcement was that he should always be prepared. Whoever was residing in that cabin might be friendly or they might not. At the very least they’d be surprised about a visitor.
“Stay here in the warmth of the truck,” Seth instructed in his most no-nonsense tone. “I’m going to talk to the inhabitant of the house and ask if I can look around a little bit. If I’m lucky they may actually let me.”
“If you’re lucky they won’t even be home and you can look around all you want without them knowing,” Presley laughed. “That would be easier.”
It would be but he wasn’t that lucky.
“And you’ll stay put?” Seth hesitated as he climbed out of the truck. “Promise me, Presley.”
Rolling her eyes dramatically and sighing, she raised her right hand. “I promise. You know, the lack of trust in our marriage is disturbing. I said I would stay here.”
“I trust you but I also know you. Don’t leave the truck.”
He could hear her snort as he shut the door and locked it behind him. People in hunting and fishing cabins tended to be the friendly and helpful sort to their fellow outdoor sportsmen, but Seth wasn’t as sure they would be open to him snooping around the property. If his first impression was anything to go by the property didn’t have many places to hide money unless it was actually inside the building. There was a wood pile stacked against the side of the cabin and some trees circling the clearing but that was about it, although as he neared the structure he could see a small economy car parked behind it.
Stomping up the steps, Seth paused to take a longer look at the cabin. Although weathered, the shack was obviously well-maintained. It wasn’t large but it would be warm and safe on a cold Montana night. He knocked on the door and waited but a movement from behind the curtains caught his eye.
Someone was home.
He knocked again, hoping it sounded like a friendly greeting but not really knowing how a friendly knock would sound. He wanted to make friends with whomever was inside and hope they let him wander around the property.
The door finally swung open slightly and a man stood there frowning. It took a second for the face to register with Seth, but when it did it was like he’d been smacked on the side of the head.
It was Eric Harbaugh.