Alaskan Christmas Cold Case

Her shoulders fell. At the very least, she could assure him that wasn’t the case—though, yes, it would have been better for her to have spoken up three years ago when the Ice Maiden case had come across their desks. She could have told him that she’d worried that Janie’s “death” had been the work of the Foster Kid Killer, as Janie dying accidentally when so many people she’d known had been killed had seemed too coincidental to her. But when the other officers had ruled it an accidental death, something far too common in the Alaskan wilderness, she’d hoped it was true. Thought maybe she was paranoid. Hadn’t wanted to believe they were all wrong and she was right.

It had been murder.

But she hadn’t obstructed justice. She’d just...stayed quiet. Erynn rubbed a hand across her forehead, winced against the throbbing of her building headache. She’d wanted so badly to be free from the fear, that entire chapter of her life, that she’d ignored the coincidence it would have been that a former foster kid she’d known had ended up dead.

She exhaled. “Okay. Where do you want to go?”

“My house.”

She nodded. “I’ll follow you there.”

“No. You can ride with me.”

She didn’t have the energy to argue.

Noah did not have anything to say on their drive. What was there to say? “Hi, I’m Noah Dawson. Who are you really?” He’d known the woman for five years and she’d never once mentioned a connection to a serial killer case in Anchorage, or the fact that her life was ever in danger at all. She’d acted like a Moose Haven native, hanging out at the diner, doing the polar plunge into the bay in January, but she had secrets.

He’d never even imagined that. Maybe that’s why it hurt so much.

He turned down the gravel drive to his place, stealing a glance at Erynn as he parked the car.

She was just looking out the window. Silent and more serious than he’d ever seen her. Wasn’t she the one always telling him to loosen up? Calm down? She’d been a steadying influence more than once, but now he felt like he didn’t even know this woman next to him.

“Erynn?” He finally broke the silence after they’d been sitting for a full minute and she still hadn’t moved.

“I’m sorry.” She unbuckled, turned to him when he didn’t move. “Are you ready?”

Was he? He didn’t know. “Just waiting for you.”

True in more ways than she knew.

She pushed her door open. He did the same, stood to follow her to his front door, eyes open and scanning—he didn’t think she faced danger but better safe than—

Erynn stopped.

Noah did the same. Seeing nothing. “What is it?”

“On your porch. What’s that on the table?”

He squinted. The sun was still high in the sky even at this time of evening, due to Alaska’s midnight sun, and the rays were in his eyes. He didn’t see what had her so riled.

Noah stepped forward. There it was. A piece of paper?

Part of him rebelled against the idea that she could be spooked by pieces of paper. That wasn’t the woman he knew. And this was Moose Haven. He’d worked quite a few crimes here, but the town as a whole was still sort of an Alaskan coastal Mayberry. It felt wrong for her to be so on edge here.

Still, before his brother, Tyler, had gotten married, someone had been after his future wife, Emma. Tyler had been able to reassure Emma that she was safe and Emma had trusted him.

Erynn knew too much to be that easily reassured. A threat could come out of nowhere. And if she was acting like this, there was a reason.

God, help me listen when she’s ready to talk. And help me know what to do. He prayed in his head, even as he started toward Erynn. He wasn’t going to be able to do this on his own. “Stay with me. We’ll go check it out together.”

She swallowed hard but offered him a small smile. At least he’d said the right thing this time.

He fought the urge to reach for her hand, settling instead for a hand on her back as he guided her along. Perfectly platonic. Not at all over the firm boundaries of their friendship and history as coworkers.

Again, nothing like his brother had been through. Or his sisters, for that matter. His siblings had found love amid danger, but Noah had long since given up on that for himself.

Because the only woman he was interested in had walls around her heart a mile high and he’d long ago realized that if he wanted to keep her as a friend he needed to respect those restrictions.

“It’s a note,” he said as they got closer to the table.

She reached for it.

“Don’t.”

She stopped at the sound of his voice, speared him with a look. “What are we going to do, call the police? We are the police, Noah.”

“I am. You’re a trooper. I believe you’ve been pretty clear about that a few times.” He couldn’t resist teasing her. Moose Haven treated its police officers well, but Alaska state troopers were proud of their title, their elite standing in the law enforcement world.

She made a face and, despite the tension in the air, despite the fact that Noah was looking over his shoulder—their shoulders—every few seconds, it felt good to know that whatever else was going on now, they still had a friendship. Or he thought they did.

Erynn reached for the paper, paused and looked at him.

“Same paper.”

“As what?”

She shook her head.

“I’m going to need the pieces I’m missing, Erynn, or I can’t help.”

He watched her face as emotions chased across it. She had never been good at hiding her feelings, except in work circumstances, and then she’d managed.

Erynn said, “It’s the same paper the serial killer Janie mentioned left with all of his victims. Thick, cream stationery. The blue ink is nothing special, your general economy pens available at any store. The paper comes from a special company, but they went out of business fifty years ago. Someone’s got a stockpile of the stuff and it’s impossible to trace.”

She paused. His mind spun in circles, trying to think through everything she’d just said.

After a moment Erynn reached forward again, picked up the stationery.

She’s mine. You’re next. And then it’s over.

Noah managed to read the words before she dropped the paper, watched as it fluttered to the table. She was back to looking pale again. He needed to get her inside, to feed her, to hear what was going on so he didn’t feel like he was always a couple of steps behind.

Wait. He grabbed up the note. “‘She’s mine’? He’s talking about—”

“Janie.” Erynn ran back to the car. “We have to get Janie out of the jail.” Noah followed her.

“She’s there to keep her safe, Erynn. There are officers in the building. She’s fine.”