No comment came from the rear. No camera sounds.
Weird. Totally weird.
Unease slid through her gut, and the hair at her nape stirred. The sooner this flight ended, the better for her nerves and sanity because this didn’t feel right.
To Renee’s relief, she spotted lots of polar bears on the ground. She even spied a wolf, not that her passengers seemed impressed. Renee breathed out a sigh when the end of the two-hour tour neared, and she could turn her bird back to base.
Once she’d contacted base and landed, she jumped out of the copter and strode to the rear to open the doors and let out her passengers. Each of the men climbed out and walked away without a word of thanks.
Renee frowned after them, ill at ease because of their unsociable behavior. She mentally flicked through her contacts on the outside. With Hunter gone, there weren’t many she trusted. Maybe it was her imagination, and she was worrying over nothing. Yeah. She watched the men disappear into the main building.
They hadn’t given off the soldier vibe although it had been difficult to discern their builds beneath those jackets.
A sliver of fear stalked down her spine. No, if they’d meant her harm they would’ve acted during the flight while she was alone with them. Unless they were gathering intel…
Mind busy withwhat ifs, she took her time going through her checks and preparations for the next flight, giving the two passengers plenty of time to leave before she entered the office.
“What’s next, Janet?”
“A family group for a tour,” she said.
“My last two passengers were peculiar. They didn’t seem interested in the polar bears. All they wanted to know was how long I’d been flying.”
“Funny you mention that,” Janet said. “They asked me about your flying experience. I told them our pilots are qualified and had years of on-the-job training.”
The two men still weighed on Renee’s mind when she entered the dorm room at the end of her workday. Someone had taped a note on her room door. She ripped open the envelope and smiled.
Hey, sexy Renee,
I’ll pick you up for dinner a little earlier at seven. Looking forward to seeing you.
Matto
Renee glanced at her watch and decided there was time to check her email account. Only one other person had the address. Renee needed to know if there were any changes in the ongoing case. They hadn’t caught Hunter’s murderer or deemed his death connected with the killing she and Hunter had witnessed. Yet every one of her instincts screamed only an idiot would believe the two events unlinked.
Even though her inbox was empty, Renee sent a query to her contact Susan—the detective in charge of the case. It was Susan who’d suggested a move elsewhere—just in case. Renee had met a guy who’d worked a season flying choppers in Churchill. Her fascination with the place increased tenfold once she discovered the restricted entry to the town. Now that the train was out of commission, a flight in from Winnipeg or Thompson were the only options. Tourists filled most of the spots on the planes, and it was necessary to book in advance. Weather became a factor too, restricting inward and outward flights and the small town looked after its own. Strangers stood out, especially those who didn’t fit the tourist mold.
She opened the compose screen and hesitated. What should she write? That she had two weird passengers who’d given her the willies as her mother used to say. She ended up shutting down her email without sending a thing.
A glance at her watch made her yelp. She needed to hustle. Tonight, she wanted to look her best, and that meant makeup.
A knock on her bedroom door came at precisely seven. Renee gave her eyelashes a final stroke of mascara and checked the result. Not bad. Tonight, she’d gone for a dress. Her one red dress that made the most of her slight curves. She’d already pulled on her jacket, and she picked up her one purse and strode to the door, wobbling a little in her dressy black boots.
Even though she suspected Matto had arrived, she opened the door with caution.
Matto stood waiting. So handsome in his black pants, his pale blue shirt and his black hair tied back to reveal his chiseled features. A smile crawled across his face, and his brown gaze brightened in masculine approval. “Hey, sexy lady.”
Renee’s stomach did a slow churn and heat converged in her cheeks. She shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble. She should’ve dressed in smart-casual—her black pants and a nice blouse.
“You look beautiful.”
Some of her anxiety dispersed at his sincere compliment.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She picked up her keys and locked her door before following Matto down the corridor to the front door.
He opened the door of a red SUV for her, and once she settled in the front seat, he rounded the vehicle.
