Pick Up Sticks: Yellowstone Investigations, #2

By Clara Kendrick

This second book in the series, with over 79,000 words of romantic suspense, tells the story of Shannon and Xander…

 

Shannon: If statistics say most children are abducted by someone that they know, what does it say when twenty-two kids go missing on a hike? I know what happened to those kids. I just have to find someone who will listen to me. At least Xander doesn't immediately tell me I'm just trying to cover up my incompetence.

 

Xander: Wild animals behaving badly, and children running wild all over the park—lately, Yellowstone has turned into a circus. But my team and I aren't going to leave those kids out there any longer than we have to. So when the mother lies and the father is clueless, the teacher is the only one to listen to. It doesn't take me long to realize that Shannon knows exactly what happened to those kids. The only real question left is why.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clara Kendrick
• Release date: May 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9798224053384

Clara Kendrick

Discover the captivating world of Clara Kendrick's romantic suspense. With her masterful storytelling and skillful blend of intrigue, romance, and passion, Kendrick draws readers in and keeps them hooked until the very end. Get ready to be swept away by her thrilling and steamy tales of love and suspense. Signup and follow at: Books2read.com/ClaraKendrick Facebook.com/AuthorClaraKendrick

Book preview

Chapter One

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Xander Allen stood on the front porch of the snug little house that Yellowstone Investigations had repurposed as their main office. Beside him the firm’s dog handler was using a shedding rake to take some of the excess hair from the back of a huge Great Pyrenees. Xander shook his head as he listened to Dallas Masterson croon nonsense to his dog.

You’re ridiculous, Xander finally announced. I’m surprised that you asked Mary to be your wife when you’re pretty much already committed to Sally there.

Dallas snorted. I’ve seen you do the same with your horses.

Xander could not fault him there. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to admit it. Removing his ball cap from his head, he ran his fingers through his hair. It sure feels like July. I swear it’s got to be a million degrees out here.

Don’t let Mary hear you say that. Paco Ortiz came out the front door of the office onto the porch and took a long drink from a water bottle. Paco was the team’s helicopter pilot.

Shawn Rourke quickly followed Paco out the door with a handful of water bottles to hand around. No doubt. He threw a water bottle right at Dallas’s face, but the dog handler was quick and plucked the bottle out of midair before it could make contact. Your wife loves to spin tales of the horrible climate in Kansas City. I swear, Dallas. She’s made it so that I have absolutely zero desire to ever visit the Midwest in general.

You have to cut her some slack, Dallas told them with a laugh. He opened the bottle and took a long swig before offering some to the dog by pouring into his cupped hand. Mary is just so happy to be here in Montana that she’s completely thrilled to be far away from the Midwest in general.

"Are you guys going to spend the whole day doing nothing out here?" Callum Mackenzie, the firm’s owner, came out the door.

Before Callum could say anything else, Shawn threw a bottle of water at him. Drink this and it will help cool off that hot temper of yours, Callum.

Callum snorted. You guys think this will help my temper? He downed the whole bottle in one go. Xander watched with a deep sigh. Then Callum tossed the empty bottle to Dallas’s other dog, Harry. There. I’m still pissed off. So how about we get moving?

And what is it we’re doing today? Xander was hoping to hell that the answer was different from the one he’d gotten about an hour ago.

Callum shot Xander a dirty look before wrestling the water bottle out of Harry’s mouth and throwing it across the yard for the Anatolian shepherd to chase. I think you remember what you’re supposed to be doing today, Mr. Allen. It’s not like I stuttered when we talked about it an hour ago.

Damn. Xander rolled his neck until it gave a satisfying pop.

Of course, by now Shawn, Dallas, and Paco were all laughing. Dallas even gave Xander a wink. You have fun with those Mammoth Hot Springs cabin security checks.

Yeah. Thanks. Xander pointed to Dallas. You’re next, Masterson. Allen, Masterson, Ortiz, and then Rourke. Alphabetical order, remember? So I won’t have to do it again until next year!"

With those final words Xander headed for his truck. It was the sad truth that working at Yellowstone Investigations meant you took whatever security, surveillance, cold case, missing persons, kidnappings, and even homicides and animal attacks happened to come along. They weren’t picky. In an area as sparse as the town of Wildcat—with its population of less than two thousand—you took every single job that came along no matter how mundane or silly. And actually this contract for security and safety inspections in the guest cabins at Yellowstone National Park was no small chump change.

Xander started his engine and pulled out of the small gravel parking area at the main office and out onto the deserted two-lane highway. At least he wasn’t hauling one of his horse trailers behind him for this excursion. It often made maneuvering around tourist’s poorly parked vehicles very tricky to say the least.

By the time Xander drove the short distance from the office to the Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone, he was already feeling as though he shouldn’t have skipped breakfast. It was a gorgeous day in July. The sky was brilliant blue. The weather was warm. Not a cloud marred the sky—for this moment in time anyway. And at the moment Xander was happily reminding himself that for the week at least he had work to do as he did the quarterly inspections on the guest areas throughout the massive National Park.

Oh, for Pete’s sake, Xander groaned as he pulled into the Mammoth Hot Springs visitor center parking lot. School busses in the summertime? Surely not!

But there was no mistaking the enormous bright yellow school bus gleaming in the summer sun. Obviously there was a field trip in progress out here somewhere. He would have to endeavor to avoid it.

Xander, hi!

He turned as he finished locking up his old-school, manually locking truck. "Hey there, Mary Masterson. He winked as he emphasized her new last name. Mary and Dallas had only gotten married at the end of June, but they were a very happy and very sappy couple. How’s your day here at the old visitor center?"

Mary gestured to the bus. Busy! You would not believe how many of these ten year olds have no interest in learning about Fort Yellowstone or anything about park history. They just want to see the geyser blow something up.

Stupid old wives tales, right? Xander teased her.

Mary rolled her eyes. Exactly!

She was such a nice gal. Xander always felt a pang of envy for his friend Dallas that he’d managed to find such a great woman to share his life with. There weren’t a lot of choices in the greater Wildcat area. Most of them had grown up somewhere in southern Montana or northern Wyoming together. It was kind of hard to start up a new relationship with someone that you went to preschool with when there had only been a dozen or more kids in your area during high school to date. Newcomers were rare, and generally they were seasonal. Nobody wanted to hang out in Montana during the winter.

Well, Miss Mary, you have a fantastic day. Xander gave her a little wave. Dallas was doing nothing and being totally lazy when I saw him less than half an hour ago.

Of course. Mary’s giggle should have been annoying. But the way her blonde curls bounced around her face made her look adorable. Yep. Dallas was lucky. And you have a great day inspecting all of those cabins.

Just a walk between the houses, Dallas joked. He pulled out his clipboard and waved it at her. I’ve got my checklist all ready to go.

Watch the elk, Mary advised. She made a face and put her hands on her hips. We had to have a talk with some of the kids about trying to feed them or distract them long enough for someone to sneak up and pet one.

So what you’re saying is the elk population is now feeling retaliatory and might strike out at random visitors as payback for the indignity of being harassed by local schoolchildren, Xander teased. He was having trouble not dying of laughter at the mental image of a bunch of ten year olds trying to distract a bull elk so they could smack it on the ass. All without getting skewered by those horns, of course.

A few more months and the bulls will lose their antlers. Then we’ll be fielding all of those awkward questions from visitors about how to tell the bulls from the cows. Mary waved over her shoulder as she sauntered back toward the visitor center.

Xander had never met a happier person in his life. That was really something considering her father was currently sitting in the Bozeman jail awaiting trial for the murder of Mary’s mother over twenty years ago.

Feeling upbeat and not even knowing why, Xander started walking toward the guest cabins scattered about the visitor center and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The area itself was a little oasis of civilization amongst the wilds of the Yellowstone National Park. The security inspection was always just a cursory look at the area in general for anything that might pose a security risk. And they weren’t actually looking for human perps either. This was more about the animal population. Were there signs of increased or unusual animal activity? Had the maintenance crew been keeping up with the dumpsters and the landscaping? Were there any cabins that showed a pronounced risk because of geographic features that had developed around them?

The park always hired an outside contractor for this sort of work as a form of checks and balances. For the most part it was considered more for show than anything else. But that was probably for the best.

Xander marked off the different areas and items on his checklist. He noted a few guests with long term summer passes who had become a bit lazy with their food storage. Someone was actually attempting to bait a bear, which was stupid. And of course there were about a hundred elk wandering around looking a little more boogly-eyed than normal as though they’d had a fright that morning.

Xander chuckled to himself, marked off a few more items, and then headed back toward his truck. He had made it all the way to the parking lot before he spotted the school group pouring out of the Albright Visitor Center. Behind them he could see Mary Masterson trying to herd the crew toward the nature trail. She was doing a pretty admirable job, but then she’d once been a middle school teacher in Kansas City before making the move to Montana.

But Mary wasn’t alone. There was two other teachers with her trying to funnel the thirty-odd ten year olds into some semblance of order as they headed for the sand and aggregate trail that would lead them toward the hot springs terraces.

Xander smirked as he took a good look at the first teacher. The woman had spinster schoolmarm written all over her. In fact, Xander would not have been surprised to find out that she was actually Ms. Hyde, his fourth grade teacher back in Bozeman. The woman had on khaki capris that looked more like a skirt than pants. They hit her mid-calf and ballooned out around her legs like a giant brown bell. Her hiking shoes could have doubled as nursing shoes. And her hat was one of those safari numbers with the flap that protected the back of her neck from the evil sun.

Oh, Ms. Hyde, how could you not have retired by now? Xander murmured to himself. Then he laughed at his own joke. Ha! That lady has to be dead by now. Paco and I practically killed her during the school year and then Dallas finished her off a year or two later!

About the time he was feeling very funny and ready to pat himself on the back for his own cleverness, Xander spotted teacher number two. He probably attempted to mouth the words holy shit. But nothing came out because his mouth was hanging open as though he were trying to catch flies.

Teacher. No way. Teachers had not looked like that when Xander was a kid. If they had, he probably would have paid more attention in school. Even Mary with her sweet blonde curls and bouncy personality paled in comparison to this beauty.

She had black hair. Not just dark, but black. It was gorgeous. Her skin was the burnished color of someone who had more than a few drops of Native American blood running through their veins too. She had the most incredible bone structure. Even at this distance Xander could see the high cheekbones and the delicate shape of her nose and chin. She was absolutely, classically beautiful and had a body to match with curves in all of the right places.

Unable to stop himself, Xander actually started to walk toward her without remembering that his truck was sitting right in front of him. His hip banged against the back bumper and he grunted as the discomfort of that blow brought him right back to the moment. He was being ridiculous.

Of course she was ridiculous too. At least that’s what he kept trying to tell himself as he stared at her beautiful legs in their army green cargo pants. There was an elastic band just below the knee and she was wearing sport sandals laced up to her ankles. Her legs were muscular and tanned to a dark coppery color. Her T-shirt was low key and neatly tucked in at the waist. The simple red garment appeared to have the school logo and name on it.

The school group was quickly swarming toward the path. The beautiful woman, who could not possibly be a teacher and yet inexplicably was, followed along as though herding goats. Xander could not hear what she was saying, but he could certainly catch the timbre of her voice. It reminded him of the story of the pied piper.

Feeling confused and perhaps a bit shell-shocked, Xander unlocked his truck and set the clipboard on the front seat. He could not bring himself to leave just yet. His stomach rumbled and reminded him that he was starving. The Terrace Grill was just on the other side of the parking lot by the hotel. It would be no problem at all to just nip over to the popular restaurant and grab a seat at the bar. He could order a burger and then maybe by the time he finished eating, he could contrive a way to meet the super hot fourth grade teacher who was not Ms. Hyde.

Yes. That was a good solution.

Xander left the clipboard on his front bench seat and then began slowly walking toward the Terrace Grill. He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt the need to be super casual about what he was doing. He was starving so it would have made more sense to hurry. Right now though, hurrying was the last thing on his mind. No. He was too consumed with images of what the beautiful teacher’s voice might be like. Or what she might look like when she smiled? That was a good thought. A smile from a woman like that would probably make Xander swoon and reduce his intellect to near zero. With a sigh he tried to turn his thoughts to lunch. Lunch. Food. Anything but the pretty teacher with the beautiful complexion.

Chapter Two

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Shannon Morris swiped her hand across her forehead and wished she’d thought to bring her hat. From the corner of her eye she could see her fellow teacher, Mrs. Enid Karst, in her super safari-style ball cap and Shannon had to hide a smile. Mrs. Karst acted as if this excursion to the Mammoth Hot Springs was just about the worst possible sentence of death that any teacher could ever have placed upon them.

Ms. Morris? A dancing, squirming ten year old with a gap-toothed smile and long, tangled blonde hair grinned up at her. I really gotta pee, the kid insisted for about the millionth time that day. Can you take me to pee? Please?

You can’t wait just a little longer? Shannon consulted her map and saw that they were just a few yards from another public restroom on the well travelled trail. We’re almost to a bathroom.

I have to go now! The fourth grader—an imp by the name of Audra—had already peed about a thousand times that morning. I can’t wait. My mom says that waiting is really bad for you.

Shannon could not suppress the snort that wanted to slip out. Audra was in the summer program at Shannon’s elementary school because she had been homeschooled by her mother and was only now trying to integrate into a public school program because of a court order. The girl’s father thought that it would be easier for her to handle starting school in the summer months when the day wasn’t quite as long and the work wasn’t as rigorous. To say the child was behind was a massive understatement.

Audra, Shannon said as patiently as she could. It wasn’t the academic stuff that this intelligent kid was missing. It was the basic idea of delayed gratification, patience, taking turns, and social interaction. You can wait. It won’t hurt you. The group is almost to a stopping point where everyone will be taking a potty break. You can take your turn with everyone else then.

The young girl with the tangled long hair and the too small clothes frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest and wandered toward the edge of the group as though she might actually be tempted to sit down on the ground and pout. Shannon struggled to maintain her patience as the other twenty-nine kids in the group surged toward a spot where they could see the beautiful terraces filled with flowing hot springs.

It smells! someone shouted. It’s like a big fart!

Their tour guide was a former science teacher named Mary Masterson who was an absolute dream. She only laughed and started talking to the kids about minerals and how they totally smelled like farts. Shannon felt an amazing amount of relief that she was not the one required to explain all of this. Her specialty was English even though she had agreed to teach fourth grade for summer school. Normally she taught sixth grade English at the middle school.

Audra, Shannon said with as much patience as she could muster. Please join the group. We’ll have a chance to go to the bathroom in just a few minutes. You won’t suffer any damage to your excretory system before then.

Audra made a face. I don’t know what you mean by an excretory system. But my mom is smarter than all of you. She says so. She says that moms know way more than teachers. And my mom says that when you need to pee, you need to go right now.

I see.

Shannon struggled not to roll her eyes, laugh her butt off, or mock the child’s mother. It wasn’t fair to poor Audra. But Shannon was getting really tired of hearing about the miraculous homeschool teacher who apparently did not actually teach from curriculum or in any predictable pattern, which also meant that as a fourth grader Audra did not know how to tell time and could not count money.

So let me ask you this, Shannon said with mock seriousness as she and Audra followed along at the back of the class group. If you were in the middle of nowhere and there was no bathroom and you were driving in a car, but you had to pee really bad, what would you do? Would you just stop at the side of the road and pee?

I guess so. Audra’s features wrinkled into a frown. You know, she tells me I have to hold it when we go through the drive-thru window at the bank.

Uh huh, Shannon coaxed, waiting for the child to make the connection. And what about if you’re at a store and your mother is too busy to take you because she’s trying on shoes or something?

I’d have to wait. Audra actually rolled her eyes. That happens all the time. My mom really likes shoes.

This did not surprise Shannon in the least. I bet she does.

They kept walking. Audra seemed to be perking up. She ran ahead to look over the edge of the railing at the huge hot springs terrace. Mineral deposits had formed the semicircular pools and they were absolutely beautiful to look at. The blue and slightly yellowish colorations were stunning with the water trickling down over them. The sight was truly awe inspiring.

Hey! One of the boys was pointing to the other side of the trail where there were some dry terraces. "My dad said that they found some lady’s bones over there!"

Of course, the boys thought that this was far more fascinating than the hot springs themselves. Shannon sighed and shook her head. Sometimes boys were so bloodthirsty that they had to tell tall tales of gore and body parts just to keep themselves entertained.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Karst was absolutely horrified by these bold words. Don’t say that, Richie! You should not be out here telling lies that like! The older woman drew herself up until Shannon was afraid her blouse would pop open and send the buttons flying into the crowd of children. There are no dead bodies out here! And bones? I’ve never heard something so ridiculous!

Actually, the young man is correct. The guide sent a pointed look toward Mrs. Karst. They did find the remains of a woman in this area recently. She had been dead for over twenty years.

There was a chorus of fascinated gasping from the children. Their eyes were wide and they were utterly paying attention now. Thirty pairs of eyes were staring at Ms. Masterson. Of course Mrs. Karst was now riveted as though she were about to tell Ms. Masterson that she was a complete liar. Shannon watched the whole thing unfolding with interest. She had heard bits and pieces about the recent murder investigation. In Bozeman, the grand jury trial of the supposed murderer was big news.

Remember that hot springs come up out of the ground, right? The tour guide looked around at her audience and then pointed to the springs themselves. So there are underground waterways coming from one place to another. They can pick up all kinds of things and carry them through the underground channels.

Even bones!

Even bones, Ms. Masterson told the group with a dramatic flair that made the kids laugh.

I don’t believe it, Mrs. Karst sniffed.

Ms. Masterson tilted her head to one side. Well, just because you don’t believe it doesn’t make it untrue, ma’am. I’m sorry. But I was here while they were excavating. And I can tell you with certainty that the woman went missing in 1994 and then was not found until a cadaver dog discovered the first pieces of her finger bones just this past late spring and through the beginning of the summer.

Cool! The boy who had originally made the comment was so excited he seemed to be vibrating with it. That is so awesome! This is the best field trip ever!

Of course, the kid’s excitement had absolutely nothing to do with the actual park or the hot springs, it was the blood and gore that he’d been able to verify. But to Shannon it felt amazing to hear something like that from one of her students.

The tour group continued to walk toward the next potty spot on their way  to a meadow just below the visitor center where they could play and run around until it was time to get back on the bus for the eighty-mile drive back to Bozeman.

I have to pee, Audra said insistently. She pointed at Shannon. You told me there was going to be someplace for me to pee.

Shannon grit her teeth and squelched the urge to stick her tongue out at the kid. Right there. She pointed to the public restroom. You’ll need to get in line just like everyone else.

Of course, by this time the rest of the social convention-savvy class had already formed up lines to use the bathroom. The ten year olds were well versed