Free Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers Page A

and her classmates were nothing like the soldiers he was used to in the military. But he was so thorough, and that was a good thing. Otherwise she’d have tossed a sundress or something equally useless into her pack, because she was so crazed she couldn’t think.
    â€œNora,” Devin said, his voice tortured. “Come on—”
    â€œI have to go.”
    She shivered as if she were already on Cameron Mountain. She’d left her cell phone in the kitchen because it was a way for someone to track her.
    And she didn’t want to be tracked. Every instinct she had told her to get up on the mountain and disappear, even if it violated the basic tenets of safe hiking. Don’t hike alone. Leave her route with someone. Tell someone how long she expected to be gone. Nora didn’t care. She didn’t want anyone to find her unless she wanted to be found—unless she knew exactly who was looking for her and why. She’d been planning this trip for days. She’d meant to ask Devin to go with her—but forget that now. She wanted to get away from everyone.
    Devin took another step toward her. “Did your dad find out you were snooping into Melanie’s background?”
    â€œNo, I don’t think so. And I’m not that concerned if he does. He should have checked her out himself. He’s too trusting.”
    â€œAre they on their way up here? Is that why you’re doing this?”
    â€œNo, they’re not on their way. Devin, please.” Her head was still spinning, and she didn’t want to start crying in front of him. “I just—Devin, the money…” She hadn’t wanted to get into it with him. He’d come to the café knowing something was wrong, and she’d refused to talk to him. She blinked back tears now and hoisted her pack onto one shoulder. Devin was right—it was heavy. “I’m missing a hundred dollars,” she said.
    â€œAnd you think I stole it?”
    She looked away.
    â€œWas it in your wallet?”
    â€œMy kitchen.” She nodded back toward the front door of the guesthouse. It was divided into two side-by-side apartments—she’d had her pick and chosen the one with the better view of the pond and surrounding hills, so gorgeous when the leaves were turning. She’d never been afraid there. Not once, until today. “I keep a hundred dollars in cash for emergencies, and it’s gone.”
    â€œWhere? A drawer, the freezer?”
    â€œUnder a pot of parsley in the window. I check it every morning. I checked it yesterday morning, and it was there. I checked it this morning, and it was gone.”
    â€œThere’s no sign anyone broke in?”
    â€œNo. I worked late yesterday, then went on a bike ride.”
    â€œYou don’t lock your doors,” Devin said. “Anyone could have walked in.”
    â€œI don’t want to discuss it.”
    She marched down the steps with her backpack and brushed past him, her throat tight, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her mother had probably called by now. Nora had turned off her cell phone. She didn’t want to talk to her. She couldn’t bear her mother’s grief—couldn’t handle having her mother dump on her to make herself feel better. Nora had talked to a friend whose father was a psychologist, and her friend had said that was what her mother did.
    It still seemed selfish and wrong not to talk to her mother when her husband had just been killed. She and Alex had truly loved each other.
    Nora continued down the stone path toward the gravel turnaround where she’d parked. The main entrance to the estate was a quarter-mile up the road. The air was chilly, but she had all the right clothes. She was a little afraid of staying up on the mountain at night this time of year. Elijah had lectured the class about the dangers of hypothermia.
    That was how his father had died in April, right before her father fell for the