“You don’t believe for a minute his death was accidental, do you?” Darian asked after watching him for a few minutes. “You’re trying to convince me because you’re hoping to convince yourself.”

  “Did I mention how inconvenient it is that you know me so well?”

  “More than once, if I’m not mistaken. But it’s all good. I have a feeling you can suss out what I’m thinking most of the time, too.”

  “Not always,” Argo admitted with a quick smile that instantly dispelled all of Darian’s fears that he wanted to break up again. “But I’m getting better at it.”

  “All right, then. Let’s go through it all again. At least we’ll have some options on the table. Kind of like those games where you can choose different routes and end up in a different place depending which path you follow.”

  Argo nodded. “I’m going to start with Vaughan. You saw him arguing with Kim in the woods. She admitted that much, but we’re still not sure what exactly they were arguing about.”

  “I know Vaughan griped about her efforts to find Matthias. He told her they both realized it wouldn’t do any good. I assumed that was because he didn’t think Matthias would head for the sticks, but at the time I also wondered if it was because they knew where he really was. They were going through the motions to divert suspicion.”

  “I thought the same thing. Kim seems exactly the type who might buy the kid a bus ticket out of town and smuggle him out before anyone even knew he was missing.”

  “Or maybe he was hiding out at their house. At that downstairs music studio. Maybe that phone call Vaughan got while they were searching was from Matthias.”

  Argo stirred his coffee while he churned through ideas. “Let me go all conspiracy theory on you for a moment. Assume Matthias did call Vaughan. Maybe Kim wasn’t as outraged about Vaughan leaving the search as she pretended. Maybe she deliberately goaded him into looking for an excuse to get away from her. You’ve heard those lurid true crime stories...young female teachers drawing in their teen male students by pretending to take a special interest in them…then manipulating them into knocking off their husbands.”

  “You’re saying Matthias might have been with Vaughan at the river and pushed him? He and Kim were in on it together?”

  “I told you, I’m speculating. You have to admit it’s a possibility. Matthias is just a kid, but in the right frame of mind, with the right degree of desperation…”

  “But how would they end up at Chet’s accident site? Vaughan’s ride was still at Birchwood. I guess Matthias could have stolen a car, but no one’s reported one missing, have they?”

  Argo shrugged. “People don’t always notice right away. Besides, there’s another possibility. There was a car at the scene, remember?”

  “Krell.”

  “Exactly. If all these cases are related, and I’m beginning to believe they have to be, he’s the nexus. He knew Chet and suspected he was being scammed. Matthias was the person scamming him. And I haven’t figured out how Vaughan fits in, but he definitely knew Matthias. It’s possible he also knew Krell. If Vaughan propositioned you, he might also have ventured onto the same dating sites as Krell and Chet, looking for hookups.”

  Darian scowled. “You know, something else just occurred to me. Rory Zinksi, Chet’s assistant at the library, seemed keen to avoid Vaughan at the search. I thought it was because he’d met Vaughan through Kim, but it’s possible he was also at the receiving end of Vaughan’s unwanted affections.”

  “Another link to Chet, then.” Argo got up, gathering their plates. “I need to talk to Krell again. I’m convinced he knows more than he’s admitting. What if Vaughan knew what Matthias was up to and told Krell about it? Maybe Krell wanted to teach Matthias a lesson and get revenge for Chet? He and Vaughan meet up at the search and concoct a plan to drive Matthias out to the accident site. Maybe Krell just wants to scare him—or maybe he’s into eye-for-an-eye style vengeance. Vaughan goes along either for kicks or because he’s also got a score to settle with Matthias for driving a wedge between him and his wife. Somehow things go sideways, maybe because Matthias has his own agenda thanks to Kim, and Vaughan ends up on the rocks. Afterward, Matthias takes off on foot. Krell pretends to find the body, thinking no one will put two and two together. Fits, doesn’t it?”

  Slowly, Darian got up and helped Argo carry the dishes to the sink. He unreeled Argo’s proposed storyline in his mind, visualizing every awful scene. He struggled to poke holes in it, but found that he couldn’t. “I’m sorry to say so, but it does.”

  “We’re—that is, I’m—a long way from proving it, but a working theory is more than I had last night. Let’s go round up Krell and see what he has to say for himself. Hopefully he didn’t pack up and head for Canada while we were twiddling our thumbs yesterday.”

  “We should talk to Kim again, too, I guess.”

  “It’s possible she really is just a slightly annoying but innocent dupe in all this. But if she did mastermind this whole sordid mess, she’ll play the bereaved widow and claim total ignorance of what her husband was up to. My best bet is to get her co-conspirators to crack.”

  They were about to head downtown when Argo’s phone buzzed. Darian hovered nearby, blatantly listening in.

  “Hey, Cutler. What? You’ve got to be kidding me. Can you send it to my computer? Now? Okay. Call you back in a minute.”

  “What’s going on?” Darian asked.

  “Slight delay in our plans. I need to get online.” Argo put down the phone, left the room, and came back with his laptop. He opened it on the kitchen table and fiddled with it while Darian leaned over his shoulder. “Cutler just got hold of the stuff they pulled out of Kim and Vaughan’s after we towed it. He found what appears to be Vaughan’s burner phone. The call logs are full of suspicious data…including quite a few communications from Chet.”

  “So they did hook up online?”

  “Yep, but not in the way you might think.” A series of files, forwarded from Cutler’s computer, flashed on Argo’s laptop screen. “Sure enough. Check this out. It’s called a recovery scam. After a victim gets taken for a bunch of money, like Chet did, someone new contacts them out of the blue and pretends to be the FBI, or an agent of some internet task force, and says they can recover their lost money. The catch is that reversing the original scam costs money—but it’s just a few more payments, a drop in the bucket compared to what they originally lost.”

  “I know what you’re talking about,” Darian said. “It’s known as the sunk cost fallacy. You’ve come this far, so why not see it through?”

  “Exactly. Another way to put it is ‘in for a penny, in for a pound.’ The victim is smarting, feels desperate to get back the money he blew, and hands more over without thinking it through. Wham! The scammer scores another windfall. If they do it right, they can keep milking the victim for weeks, even months.”

  “So what are you saying? Matthias was scamming both Chet and Vaughan?”

  “No. Take a closer look. Vaughan was running a recovery scam on Chet. He and Matthias were in this together.”

  While Darian was still trying to wrap his head around this new information, Argo’s phone went off again.

  “Yeah? Cutler, I told you I’d call you right back—oh, really? Interesting. Okay. I’m leaving right now. Tell the caller not to approach the scene until I arrive. Send backup but tell them not to hit the sirens.”

  “Do I dare to ask?” Darian asked when he clicked off again.

  “Cutler says a maintenance guy reported a break-in at one of the local cabin colonies. It’s within hiking distance of both the Birchwood campus and the accident site.”

  “You’re thinking it’s Matthias,” Darian surmised.

  “A reasonable guess, don’t you think? There’s another possibility, too.”

  “Chet.”

  “Exactly. Come on. Let’s check it out.”

  “You’re inviting me along on an investigation?” Darian could hardly believe his ears.

  “I just did, didn’t I? Or was I wrong in assuming you’d want to come?”

  “Of course you weren’t. I ought to be there, don’t you think, in case you do come across our missing student? Birchwood would want a representative on the scene.”

  “That’s kind of the way I figured it. You’ll have to stay behind me, though, since he might be prepared to fight his way to freedom. I have no reason to assume he’s armed, but anyone’s capable of picking up a branch or a rock.”

  “And if it’s Chet?”

  “If it’s Chet, I’d honestly be more concerned about him hurting himself than either one of us. Still, you never know. When people are cornered, they do desperate things. Your role is to observe from a distance. Keep that in mind at all times.”

  “Promise.”

  While Argo steered the SUV down a seemingly endless series of winding dirt roads, Darian played out various possible scenarios in his head. Argo was right that Matthias might come out swinging at them, but more likely he’d be cold and afraid, not to mention hungry, after spending a lonely night in the cold. Even a jail cell might seem preferable to a city kid. And, as he now knew, it wouldn’t be the first time Matthias had been inside one of those.

  If it was Chet…well, as unlikely as that seemed, Darian could picture an entirely different outcome. For all they knew, a devastating sight might await whoever stepped into that cabin first. He could have staggered away from his accident, hurt and disoriented, and forced his way into the first sheltering structure he found. After several days, chances were he was in poor condition at best. Or maybe he’d lost his nerve and jumped out of the car just before it went over the embankment. Had he pushed on into the woods, gathering up his nerve before he came to a sufficiently private spot to complete the task he’d started?

  When they reached the Pine Haven Resort, three of Argo’s deputies were already waiting by a small white building, clearly the administrative office. They were talking to an older man in work clothes, who gesturing toward the thick treeline behind them. The deputies shifted their weight and tugged at their uniform jackets, keen to start the manhunt. The group fell silent and turned to Argo as he approached with Darian right behind him.

  “Sheriff, this is the maintenance manager for the cottages,” one of the deputies explained. “He’s the one who called in the disturbance.”

  The older man seemed happy to start telling his story all over again. “We’re not open for the season yet, but I have repairs and cleanup to do before the tourists start coming later this month. I always do a walkaround when I get here in the morning, on the off chance wild animals are lurking around. I’d prefer they clear out before I get my toolbox out. Anyway, I noticed one of the cabin doors had been pried open and left ajar.”

  “Did you go inside?” Argo asked.

  “Nope, I didn’t, but I went around the side and peeked through the window. It looked like things had been rearranged a little. My guess is that somebody stayed overnight. Happens now and then, you see. Thought it best to let you folks handle it.”

  “You did the right thing. Okay, let’s go check it out. Darian, you wait here. If we need you, we’ll call you down once we’ve secured the scene.”

  Reluctantly, Darian watched the four uniformed figures disappear into the trees. Pine Haven’s caretaker grinned, delighted at the prospect of having someone to keep talking to.

  “Probably some teenagers, wanting to hang out where their parents won’t think to look for them,” he said while Darian fought the urge to sneak off after Argo and check out the scene for himself. “Could be just doing the normal things kids that age get up to when they’re alone. Then again, it could be drugs or someone hunting without a license. I’ve seen it all in my day, trust me. Haven’t come across any serial killers yet, but I’m not saying it couldn’t happen. To judge by those cable shows, they’re all over the place nowadays.”

  “I’m sure Argo will sort it out,” Darian assured him.

  “Perfect place for one of those creeps to hide his victims, don’t you think? No one would question a guy walking around here, carrying a shovel over his shoulder—or even an axe.” The caretaker mimicked a chopping motion while Darian suppressed a sudden queasiness. “Merciless, some of those murderers are. I saw this one show the other night. Guy’s boss caught him stealing construction materials from a job site and threatened to fire him. So he grabbed this big sharp tool and a bunch of cement and—”

  A series of shouts cut off his gleeful narrative. The loudest voice was Argo’s.

  “Sheriff’s department! Freeze! Hands in the air! Don’t move another muscle, either one of you!”

  Either one? Had Argo and his deputies cornered more than one person? Next, he heard Matthias.

  “Hey! I’m the one who needs help here! This crazy-ass guy attacked me! You can see that for yourself! Get him off!”

  “We’ll figure that out later,” Argo barked. “Right now, face-down on the ground with your hands behind your backs. Both of you! Now!”

  “Sounds like he got ’em, all right.” The caretaker shot a fist. “Score one for the good guys!”

  Moments later, the group came marching back up the path. Argo and his deputies flanked two people who trudged along with their heads down and their hands cuffed. Even so, Darian recognized them. One, as he already knew, was Matthias. The other was Osmond Krell.

  “Mr. Winter?” Matthias blinked when he spotted Darian. “What are you doing here?”

  “He could ask you the same question,” Argo answered before Darian had a chance to speak, “but I’m going to do it instead. Explain yourself, young man.”

  “Can’t you figure it out? I don’t want to go to jail! I didn’t do anything wrong, but you keep coming after me. This guy is the one you should lock up! He came out of nowhere and just started beating me down. Guy’s totally nuts!”

  “I was making a citizen’s arrest,” Krell said. “You’re a fugitive from the law, so I had every right to do so. The sheriff should be giving me a commendation, or at the very least thanking me for doing his job for him.”

  “Don’t hold your breath. Okay, Krell, since you’re so eager to talk, your turn. How did you end up here?”

  Krell scowled. “I heard the call come in on my police scanner. I’ve hiked this area many times, so I remembered a shortcut to the cabins. I decided to check it out. I thought it might be Chet.” Krell paused, and this voice thickened. “He knew about this place, too. We often walked this trail together.”

  “Well, as it happens, I’m actually glad to see you, Krell. I was going to send someone out to pick you up and bring you to the station, but you’ve saved me the trouble. We’ll talk a little later, after you’ve been booked for trespassing and assault.”

  “Trespassing? I never entered any of those cabins. These woods aren’t private property! And as far as assault, that’s complete hogwash. I was detaining someone whose face has been all over the news!”

  Matthias blanched at that. “My face? The news?”

  Krell shot Darian an outraged glare. “Are you here to make sure he goes easy on this punk because he goes to that ritzy school of yours? Do they pay both of you off?”

  “Enough. The press release also specified to call law enforcement if you spotted the subject, not launch yourself at him like you were in some low-budget action movie. As for the charges, maybe I can make them stick and maybe I can’t. Meanwhile, you can cool your heels as a guest of the county.” Argo motioned to his deputies, two of whom escorted Krell to their car.

  Matthias watched them go. Though he stood rooted to the ground, his legs started visibly shaking.

  Chapter 13

  “It’ll be okay, Matthias,” Darian reassured him. “You know I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Matthias ignored him. “You’re trying to frame me,” he accused Argo. “I told you. I didn’t steal that stupid phone. It just appeared in my room one day. Like someone was leaving me a present.”

  “I’m glad you brought that up. I’m willing to work with you. Did you maybe buy that phone, along with some other items, with some online gift cards?”

  “Gift cards? Who the hell would send me gift cards? You think my mom bought them at the prison gift shop? If anything, she’s always pressuring me to send her stuff. I never do, because I don’t have any money. You can ask anyone—Mrs. Wexler, for one. She knows I’m on scholarship. And Mrs. Benedict, for another.”

  Argo sighed. “Matthias, it would be better if you told us the truth. Let’s start over. Do you have a lot of friends online?”

  “No,” Matthias said with a touch of sadness. “I don’t have many friends, period.”

  “We’re going to check, you know. We’ll also search that cabin, and the woods around it. Even the water. We’ll find anything you hid.”

  “Like what? You think I’m doing drugs too? Typical.”

  “Not drugs. Before you left Birchwood, you went back to your room for your laptop, didn’t you? Why don’t you tell us where you stashed it? It’ll turn up either way.”

  “My laptop?” Matthias gaped, incredulous. Either he was an actor with skill rivalling his roommate, Jordan, or Argo had caught him completely off guard. “Hell, no. I didn’t take anything with me. I went out the infirmary fire escape with the clothes on my back.”

  “The fire escape, huh?” Darian mused. “So that’s how you did it.”

  “Didn’t you know? That’s how everyone gets in and out of those buildings after curfew. Stake the place out some night and you’ll see. I’m not the only one.”

  “Okay, back to the subject at hand,” Argo cut in. “You said you don’t have many friends—but was one of them Vaughan Benedict?”

  “Mrs. Benedict’s husband?” Again Matthias blinked, clearly confused by the direction of Argo’s questions. “He’s okay. For an old guy. I’m not saying I’m a fan, though. For starters, he could treat Mrs. Benedict better.”

  “How? Explain.”

  “He says hurtful things to her. I’ve seen my mom’s boyfriends do the same thing. He’s not nice to her. Expects her to wait on him. Kiss his ass. Not the way a guy should treat a lady like her.”