River of Danger Read online

  “Alcohol and I have a complicated relationship. Genes, you know.” She sighed. At least, she’d done her best to avoid alcohol since a long talk with Jacob years ago when he’d held her hair while she’d thrown up. River grimaced at the memory. Besides, she had a prime example of what could happen to her if she befriended tequila like her father had.

  The view of the forest gave way to emerald-green fields sprinkled with lonely oaks. A minute later, the truck was on the bridge. The water sparkled in the sun like a myriad of light blue diamonds. Rios Azules meant “blue rivers” and had probably been named thanks to this beauty.

  According to her dad, River’s mother had given her that unusual name because they’d met at the riverbank. She barely remembered her mom now. River swallowed a hard lump in her throat. Did her mother ever miss her?

  “What was the last place you stopped?” Jacob asked.

  Uh-oh.

  River didn’t mean to put him on alert. The old scar on her neck itched, as if predicting a storm, though there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. She shrugged with as much carelessness as she could muster. “Why?”

  “We passed your tire. It didn’t look blown up to me. And your car seems to be brand new. It’s too early to have mechanical problems. Somebody unscrewed the bolts, right?”

  “Oh, come on, how many murders by runaway tires have you heard of? If anybody wanted to do me bodily harm, they could kill me while I was sitting in the car.” She worked up a reassuring smile. “Rios Azules is a peaceful place, isn’t it?” The attack that had left her scarred had been an exception to the rule.

  The compliment to his beloved town seemed to win him over. Jacob smiled back at her. Then he reached for her hand, laced his fingers through hers, and the world stopped moving.

  River held her breath in anticipation of what he’d do next.

  “Are you okay?” Jacob’s voice was full of concern, reaching deep inside her soul.

  He obviously cared. A pleasant wave of gratitude washed over her, but she pushed the feeling away. Jacob had always been friendly, partly the reason he’d been so popular. Especially with women.

  And she might not be an awkward teenager anymore, but the new River had too much on her plate. Dad and his alcohol issues. Investigation of serial murders in Dallas. Tight deadline and ultimatum from her boss. And now the runaway tire…

  River had no time for her former crush, who’d once made her forget about everything. Besides, she couldn’t handle another heartbreak. She moved her hand away.

  “I’m okay.” She wanted to believe her own words.

  He paused. “So…are you dating anyone?”

  “From time to time. But it never works out.”

  “Why?” He sent her a curious glance.

  A green sign announced Rios Azules was ten miles away. She shrugged. “Not many guys can survive my crazy schedule. I even work on weekends. Or tolerate my dad’s drunken jokes. And those few who do… I always walk away.”

  Maybe because nobody could measure up to Jacob. Or maybe, deep down, she’d been always afraid the guy would turn out to be someone like her attacker.

  “So you became an investigative reporter…” For some reason, Jacob changed the topic. He probably wanted to talk about something more pleasant for her than her many failed romantic relationships. “Like you always wanted. I’ve read your articles. They are amazing.”

  Warmth from his praise spread along her body. “Thank you. And you became the editor of Rios Azules Chronicles.”

  “Thanks to you, to your tutoring.” He paused. “Was it difficult to leave your latest investigation unfinished? I read the first article. About a serial murder dubbed the Smiling Killer by the media. Strange nickname, isn’t it?”

  “I want to finish the investigation. Not only because it would mean a star moment for me. It’s more than cold cases to me. I want to bring justice for the victims and their families. I want to help stop the killings. The nickname derives from his signature, cutting the victims’ mouths upward with a knife. As if leaving them with an eternal smile.” She shuddered.

  You wouldn’t want me to put a permanent smile on your face, would you?

  The chilling threat of her attacker rang in her ears. After all these years, the words hadn’t faded in her memory. There was another important reason why she’d kept track of the Smiling Killer. Could she have been his first victim? The one that had gotten away? And if so, one day he could come back to finish what he’d started.

  “It takes a lot of courage to do what you’re doing.” Jacob studied her with his gorgeous eyes as he made a turn.

  “Faith helps me. And I love my job. I care about the investigations. Especially this one.” She’d been left in shock and with a scar after the attack, but nothing worse. River couldn’t even compare what she’d experienced to what these young women had gone through.

  After all, she’d survived.

  She was the lucky one.

  “If you want to talk…” Jacob started. “Like in old times.”

  “No.” She stiffened. “Thank you, but it’s never going to be like old times. I didn’t want to come back here. Especially not now, when I’m needed in Dallas.”

  “I always liked your honesty. That you never pretended to be who you’re not. And you know…it’s good to see you again. I missed you.” He smiled.

  And just like that, her heart melted. “I missed you, too.”

  River had to remind her silly heart that he’d missed her as a friend. Jacob was wrong because she’d pretended to be someone she wasn’t. To be his friend when she’d wanted so much more. But she’d made her peace with it, and moving to Dallas had helped.

  Dallas had helped in other ways, too. Nobody had known her there as the daughter of an alcoholic. And she’d been less afraid there. Every time she’d visited the Danger Girls and her dad, she’d been scared that her attacker would return. And that this time he’d succeed in killing her. A shiver went through her body.

  “I hate coming back,” she whispered.

  “River…” Jacob stretched his hand toward her. “How can I help you?”

  When she jerked away, the hurt in his eyes made her wince.

  They’d been friends once and could become friends again. But even with all her newfound curves, he’d never see a woman in her, only a buddy. And even if he did… No, it was best not to go there. With a few cuts of the knife, her attacker had branded her well and had changed her forever.

  “Thanks, but no thanks. You helped me a lot before. But I had to learn to stand on my own feet.” She moved away from Jacob and from the scent of his cologne, as far as she could in the space of his truck, rolled down the window, and took a breath of fresh air.

  “You’ve always been determined. That’s another thing I liked about you. But sometimes, chasing a goal, you forget about everything else.” A muscle moved in his jaw.

  She’d obviously touched a nerve.

  “I appreciate your help, I really do. But you’ll be better off staying away from me.” In some odd way, her attacker had made her belong to fear and to him.

  River fully intended to change that.

  *

  The big green sign said, Rios Azules, population 7,000.

  “Seven thousand thirty-three,” Jacob clarified. “Or seven thousand thirty-six when the Sparrow triplets are born.”

  He sent her a sidelong glance, drinking in the astonishing changes. River looked more attractive and healthier now, with curves in all the right places, and dressed to impress. But even with humble clothes, the teen River had always had a quiet charm and kindness about her, which other people had mistaken for weakness. His blood still boiled at the way the kids had treated her in school, bullying her and voting “the ugliest girl.”

  Now River had blossomed into a beautiful, confident woman. He’d heard about the men she’d dated in Dallas from their mutual friend, Mari Del Lobo, one of the so-called Danger Girls, and every time, he’d had an inexplicable flare of jealousy.

  He reduced an already low speed to a crawl.

  River frowned. “What happened? Are you enjoying my company so much you don’t want me to ever get home? Dad’s place, I mean.”

  He swallowed his disappointment. Unlike old times, River didn’t seem to be happy to spend time with him, and that hurt. “Historical district. Thirty-mile zone. A local chief of police is notorious for his love of history and rules. And desire to give tickets to anyone who disrespects them.”

  “When in Rome…” She sighed. “Okay, I didn’t mean to be rude to you earlier. You were a great friend to me once…”

  “We can be friends again. I don’t ask for you to share your secrets. But maybe you can let your guard down.” Frankly, he’d prefer the awkward but familiar and trusting River he’d known to the gorgeous stranger she’d become.

  For years after she’d left, he’d felt empty without her sincere companionship, admiring glances, and easy laughter. Sure, he’d had many friends and never had a problem finding a date. But he hadn’t had the same bond with any of them that he’d had with River. River had also been the only person who’d always believed in him. Now, the rose bloomed but grew thorns as well.

  “You’re right. We can try to be friends.” River looked in the window as he turned to Main Street, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Great Cuts used to belong to the butcher. Why do they display wigs there now?”

  “You know the Rios Azules slogan. If it ain’t broken, recycle it. It’s a hairdresser’s now. Wanda Kozlowski bought the place and decided the name suited her just fine.” He glanced at the restaurant next to Great Cuts. The parking lot there was completely full.

  “The Café seems to be doing great,” River said.

  “Yep. Mari totally turned the place around.” Jacob smiled, happy for their friend. Like River and him, Mari had fought the sad odds of her childhood and come out a winner.

  Minutes later, chipped-off paint and lawns in need of mowing showed they’d entered a cheaper district. The place where River had grown up. Jacob stole a glance at River, wondering if she was still self-conscious about that.

  It’s not about where you start from. It’s about how far you travel.

  Teenage River’s words rang in his ears. Even though she’d said it about his studies, when he’d barely started making Cs, it had applied to her as well. River had definitely traveled far. Including far away from him. He clenched his teeth. He’d never hold River where she didn’t want to be.

  Be it with him or in Rios Azules.

  He drove up to her childhood home driveway, like many times years ago. River shifted in her seat and touched the smooth, silky fabric of the scarf, which she seemed to be doing a lot lately.

  Jacob killed the engine and paused, not ready yet to leave. His hand itched to reach out to River, and he turned to her.

  Her phone played a melody, stopping him. She pulled it out of her purse and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hi, Lydia! I was just going to call you later tonight…” River’s eyes widened. “I’m already in Rios Azules. I’ll be at your place in several minutes.” She hung up and stared into space for a moment.

  Jacob tensed.

  “God brought me to my hometown for a reason,” she whispered.

  “What happened?” Jacob asked.

  “Lydia’s sister, Leda, is missing. I’ll need to be there for Lydia.”

  Premonition squeezed his lungs in a tight band. He didn’t know Leda well, but Lydia was a good friend. From what he’d heard from Lydia, it wouldn’t be like her sister to disappear.

  Jacob gunned the engine and took off. “I’ll drive you to Lydia’s place.” He knew River and Lydia were very close, so this was going to be tough on River.

  “Thank you.” She sent him a sad smile.

  “Maybe Leda decided to take a mini-vacation and didn’t tell anyone.” Like in old times, he wanted to protect River from harm, but he had a gut feeling it was going to be much more difficult this time around.

  “I pray that Leda Velasquez will be found alive and well soon,” River said.

  He wished he could join her in prayer. But he couldn’t.

  And a feeling of premonition wouldn’t go away.

  Chapter Two

  River knocked on the door of Lydia’s cottage while Jacob stood nearby, as if silently offering his support.

  The door opened, and River winced at the change in her friend’s usual cheerful appearance. Lydia’s eyes were swollen, and her blonde ponytail was skewed to the right side. Her friend hunched, making herself look smaller than her already petite frame. When Lydia waved for them to enter, her fingers trembled slightly.

  River’s heart sank. When one of the Danger Girls was hurting, they all were hurting, and at the moment, there was too much pain in Lydia’s eyes to bear.

  “We’ll find her.” River gave a promise she hoped with all her heart she’d be able to keep and hugged her friend tightly.

  Seconds later, River let Lydia go and stepped inside a cozy cottage. River studied her friend, looking for signs of deeper damage, which surely were more likely to appear in a time of crisis. Somehow, Lydia had managed to keep her “disease” a secret in a small town, and only her grandma, Leda, and the Danger Girls knew about it. Lydia met her gaze, understood the silent question, and shook her head almost imperceptibly.

  Jacob gave Lydia a quick hug. “If it’s too early for the police to search for Leda, we can. I have the phone numbers of many people. I can organize a volunteer search and rescue.”

  A weak smile tugged on Lydia’s pale lips. “Thank you. It’ll get dark outside soon. I don’t want to put anybody in danger. I still hope Leda will show up. But if Leda doesn’t appear, could you do it tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” Jacob nodded.

  River looked away, as a piece of the wall she’d constructed around her heart crumbled. Jacob’s willingness to help had been what had always attracted her to him, besides his great looks, of course. And he’d managed to infuse others with his enthusiasm for good deeds, be it organizing fundraisers to pay for the local church repairs or getting people to donate labor and materials to build a women’s shelter.

  But had he seen her as a charity as well?

  There was no time to think about that.

  River had no doubt the town would rally around Jacob, and the fact that Lydia’s grandma was the most powerful woman in Rios Azules should help, too.

  But as she walked across the living room, River had a bothersome feeling they shouldn’t wait until the next day. She forced herself to dismiss it.

  Lydia dropped herself on a couch near Mari as if her legs wouldn’t hold her any longer. The living room was full of neighbors and friends of the family, including Mari Del Lobo and Soledad Sokolova, the members of the Danger Girls. The fifth member, Julia Morrison, was missing, visiting her aunt in Canada, and probably Lydia had decided it best not to call her.

  Both Mari and Soledad hurried to hug River, taking turns, but they didn’t exchange any pleasantries.

  It was a sad reunion.

  River looked over Soledad quickly, but her friend appeared to wear her gray, baggy clothes more out of habit and not to hide bruises, like years ago. There was no fear in Soledad’s eyes, either. Of course, if anything had happened to Soledad, Mari or Lydia or Julia would have sounded the alarm, but River still allowed herself a small sigh of relief.

  Mari’s brother, Tony, hung nearby, and he gave River a quick hug as well. There was worry in his hazel eyes when he glanced at his sister. Mari had been the only one from their group to have a protective brother who’d always tried to help her. Tony probably had been one of the reasons Mari had survived her horrible childhood. The son of the richest man in town, and one of the most popular boys in Rios Azules, Tony nonetheless had never shunned their tiny group. He was here again, if not for Lydia, then for Mari. Tall, muscular, and with dark, rugged features, he was even more handsome now than in River’s teen years.

  River nodded to several other people she knew, squeezed on the couch near Lydia, and caught a concerned look from Mari. They seemed to worry about the same thing.

  “I’ll stay with her,” Mari mouthed to River when Lydia wasn’t looking.

  Soledad, with her dark hair in a tighter bun than usual, pointed at herself, as if signaling she’d take the next shift. River nodded and gestured in her own direction.

  But Soledad shook her head and mouthed, “Lydia’s grandma.”

  Jacob disappeared in the direction of the kitchen and came back with a glass of water, which Lydia accepted.

  “Tell me what happened,” Jacob said softly. “How long has Leda been missing?”

  “Just a day, but…Leda is very responsible. So it’s not like her not to show up at work and disappear into thin air. Her car is still in the driveway, and her dog was in her backyard. She wouldn’t take off without her dog. Grandma has the poor thing now,” Lydia said as she took several small sips, her hands shaking.

  Jacob held up the glass for her. “Were there any signs of struggle?”

  “No. No blood, no disturbed furniture.” Lydia sniffled as she finished the water.

  He put the empty glass on the coffee table. “Any signs of a breakin?”

  “No.” Lydia shook her head.

  “So if she was kidnapped, she let the perp in. It must be somebody she knows. Any new friends in her life? A boyfriend, maybe?” Jacob asked carefully.

  “No. I would know.” Lydia sniffled again, and Soledad grabbed tissues from the coffee table and handed several to Lydia.

  “What do the police think?” River asked.

  “Grandma filed the missing person report. But the chief said Leda wasn’t a threat to herself or others. She isn’t a child or elderly. And there was no sign of foul play.” Lydia wiped at her eyes with the tissues.

  River considered giving the chief a piece of her mind but figured that Lydia’s grandmother Evelyn had probably already done it. And technically, the chief had a point.

  “So they’ll add her name to the national database of missing persons. They’ll start gathering evidence and interview potential witnesses.” Lydia let out a sob and dabbed at her eyes with tissues.