3
I watched Rikter for several seconds before following. He moved fast, but didn’t run, like he marched toward an unspecified destination, though I couldn’t see what drew his eye. His eyes scoured the ground, but he passed so fast he couldn’t have processed much of it. He was obviously looking for something in particular and apparently thought he’d recognize it with a cursory glance.
“Rikter, what’s going on?” I wiped sweat from my brow and thought about a Gatorade I’d left in the Jeep. That had been the safest looking drink in the refrigerator at Kaylyn’s Pit Stop, and I’d checked the expiration date before purchasing.
He paused, muttering something I couldn’t hear as he surveyed our surroundings. I shook my head to show I didn’t understand, and he stepped in closer while speaking even more quietly than before.
“Something’s not right about this.”
“Why whisper?” I glanced around. Sagebrush and red dirt were all I could see in every direction. Nothing else was around. Not even traffic on the road. “Do you think the killer is still here?”
He didn’t answer as he put his hand into his pocket like he was checking to make sure he could draw a pistol.
I thought about my own weapon in a bag buried in the back of my vehicle. I hadn’t considered the possibility I might need it. I’d only brought it because I’d been in the middle of nowhere for an off-roading event, and I always made sure to have protection when in an environment like that. But seeing Mike reach for his weapon to check it was still there sent a shudder down my back and made me concerned I’d missed something significant.
“It’s almost like…” Rikter crouched and moved rapidly but was still not running. He was occasionally head and shoulders above the sagebrush, but he went fast enough he would’ve made a hard target. I tried to do that too but found it hard to move while feeling foolish. I quickly gave it up and followed normally.
It soon became obvious Mike’s path was taking us toward the mesa, which probably wasn’t even a hundred fifty feet tall. Only the bottom part had vegetation. When we arrived at the base, he started around, working his way through the sagebrush while navigating rocks and boulders.
“You know more than you’re saying,” I whispered. “What makes you concerned the killer is still out here?”
Rikter avoided eye contact while surveying our surroundings. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Then why whisper?”
“Why not?”
“And when you checked your pistol earlier?”
He shook his head, looking further out than he had before, his eyes focused briefly on the abandoned vehicle.
His expression made me more concerned.
Rikter had seen battle during his time with the Marines, of that I was sure. I didn’t know the full extent, but if he was subconsciously picking up on something, it was worth listening to.
He worked his way around the mesa until he stooped to examine the ground. “Anything about this dirt seem odd to you? Like it’s too fresh?”
“It’s red.” I shrugged, only glancing at it before looking back toward my Jeep. Even though I didn’t see anybody else around, I was ready to go. Perhaps it was the thought of what had happened here only a few hours before that made me anxious.
“It’s also recently disturbed,” Rikter said. “Somebody moved it earlier, like they were covering tracks. You can tell by comparing this spot to over there. No, this didn’t occur naturally.”
I studied where he pointed out and compared it to the other place that he’d indicated but didn’t see anything different. If it wouldn’t have been for his serious expression, I’d have been tempted to think he was playing a joke.
He lifted his eyes and focused on the mesa, walking forward until he found a boulder and started around.
“You think Edgar hid something?” I asked.
“I’d bet on it.”
“Why?”
Rikter shook his head as he felt around the far side of the jagged boulder. “Hmm.”
He stepped back and headed toward another further down that was more than double the size. He bent to examine the mesa wall before motioning me to join him.
When I did, he pulled something back that appeared to be part of the mesa but was actually a cleverly crafted illusion. A piece of heavy canvas covered with red dirt to camouflage the entrance into a cave.
“Edgar had a hidey hole,” Rikter muttered as he held the flap higher and examined the three-foot opening. Pulling a flashlight out of his back pocket, he shined it around and then entered, letting the flap fall back. Once in place, it was difficult to make out, but I could still see the outline where the canvas met the face of the hill. It was obvious now that I knew where to look.
Maybe there is something to that dirt he pointed out.
I crawled inside and discovered something close to standing room. But I had to crouch to keep my head from hitting the irregular ceiling.
“Edgar was staying here.” Rikter shined a light on a duffel bag that contained bags of MREs.
Next to it was a backpack. Rikter opened it and rifled through, making me think this was what he’d been looking for in the first place.
Judging from the sharp natural edges of the wall and ceiling, the cave had been here before. Edgar had probably widened the entrance hole.
After he finished with the bag, Rikter lifted a flat object, revealing a solar panel. Beside that stood a battery. A box next to that appeared to be for trash because it contained a couple empty MRE bags.
“Why was he hiding here?” Sweat drenched my face as I looked around the claustrophobic space.
A padlocked trunk stood in the back. Rikter bent to examine it before stomping the latching mechanism and removing it in one go.
He flipped open the lid and revealed bundles of cash and boxes of ammo.
“Safer than a bank if it’s ill gotten,” I muttered when he didn’t reply.
Rikter shined the light around the room once more, but there was nothing else to see. “Where’s his iPhone?” He frowned, muttering. “Why would the killer take it? Encryption is so good they don’t have a chance of breaking into it without massive computer power, but even then, it’s difficult.”
“Edgar might’ve had it on him.”
Rikter shook his head. “The cops didn’t bag an iPhone. I was here before they processed the scene, remember?”
“You sure it wasn’t an Android?”
“He’s an Apple fanboy. Wouldn’t even consider it.”
“Who was Edgar hiding from?” I asked. “His employer? Are you sure you can’t remember anything about who he worked for?”
“Can’t think of a thing.” Rikter focused on me. “You gonna tell the cops about this place?”
“Don’t you think we should?” I asked as his eyes hardened. “They’ll never find it on their own, and there could be trace evidence. How bad do you want to make sure the killer is caught? I doubt the cops will come back out to look around again, and they certainly won’t look this far from where his body was found.”
“Something to consider, perhaps.” Reporting this was the last thing in the world Rikter would do. “Maybe an anonymous tip a month from now.”
I didn’t respond. I had an obligation to bring this to law enforcement’s attention, but I didn’t need to do it right that second. I’d never turn a blind eye to evidence that could be used to solve a murder.
After we were both back outside, I studied Rikter, intending to make another attempt at getting him to explain the incident Edgar wanted to talk about.
A puff of dust formed on the mesa right behind him.
I didn’t have a chance to process it before Rikter pushed me over and fell beside me.
