Page 51 of North

“I just wanted to secure them while I called the sheriff. So…” He sighed.

North stiffened, suddenly terribly aware of Miriam’s strained expression.

“You do what you have to do to protect your family.”

North cocked his head. “Did you hurt⁠—”

“No,” Miriam said. “Of course not. He’s not that kind of man.”

But he recognized the truth in Frank’s eyes.

He was that kind of man. The kind that did hard, terrible things.

“They, uh, escaped.”

Escaped. “How?”

“Took my ATV.” He sighed then, his hand on the table. “Listen. I got the sense that she wasn’t being coerced.”

North just stared at him. “She doesn’t know.”

Miriam had come over to them, holding that daisy cup of coffee. She set it down in front of him. “What doesn’t she know?”

Right. “The man she’s with just might be…”

“A murderer.”

North nodded. That was one word for it.

“I think he murdered my buddy,” Frank said. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep him here.”

North didn’t know what to say to that, especially since that would’ve included imprisoning Selah too.

Still. “It’s okay.”

“He meant well,” Miriam said.

North nodded. “Which way did they go?”

“Through the trees—the old logging trail. It leads to a forest service road, and my guess is that they probably headed south, down the mountain. They’re probably already back to civilization by now.”

“I’ll get you something to eat.” Miriam got up.

North pushed back from the table. “I need to⁠—”

His knees buckled. Miriam caught his arm.

Frank too. “You need to sit down before you fall down.”

“You’re not going anywhere until you warm up and eat something,” Miriam said, her tone changing.

“I can’t wait⁠—”

“Yes, you can. Frank will drive you to town as soon as you’re warm and dry and fed.” Miriam’s eyes softened. “You’re in no condition to help anyone.”

North sank back into his chair and reached into his pocket. “My phone’s dead.”

“I’ll find you a charger cord,” Frank said. “But it won’t do you any good. We don’t get good service up here. Especially in a storm.”