Leoti Read online

“I don’t like you lying to me. It invalidates everything we share, Elu. Last night you proved that no matter how much you care about me you don’t trust me.”

  He blinked surprised. “Not true.”

  “It is true. How else can you explain it?”

  He walked over. His hand went to her face. “I don’t trust me, Leoti. I promised to let you go if I had to. I’m not sure I can do that anymore. Do you understand?”

  She sighed. “I do.”

  “You should read the journal.”

  “I’m not ready.”

  She backed away. “I’m going to shower, I’ll fix breakfast.”

  “You know how to cook?” he chuckled.

  “I think some things come naturally. Take last night for instance?” she called over her shoulder. He smiled watching her go. She hurried back inside with Po following. She’d take it one step at a time.

  Elu’s Rental cabin

  Carlton rolled out of the bed and set his feet down on the cold cabin floor. The cabin was modest at best. It was decorated in Native American artifacts. The quiet serene feeling of this place was something Josie had been on him to explore since they’d hooked up. After a night playing his guitar under the moon he understood why.

  His baby was so wise.

  Carlton frowned. He’d come all this way and he didn’t have a ring. How could he get this proposal thing right without one? His cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. For a moment he thought it could be Josie. But when he lifted it he saw it was Tiffani.

  “Hi, Tiffani.”

  “Hi. So I’m off to meet Ma for lunch and I want to tell her the good news. You two shagging yet?”

  Carlton sighed. “I haven’t found her.”

  “Found her?”

  “Do you know how many cabins are out here? I’ve been driving all night looking for hers.”

  “Oh, well just call her.”

  “She won’t answer.” Carlton reached for a forbidden cigarette. As the lead singer of a platinum selling band he knew better, but he was stressed. He needed something to chill him out. He fired it up and dragged on it. “I tried all night.”

  “Strange, she’s not answering my calls either.”

  Carlton frowned. “Have you spoken to her at all?”

  “Come to think of it no, and she would have called by now.”

  Carlton put out the cigarette and rose. He wore nothing but pajama bottoms. “That’s not like her. Fuck, this place isn’t like her. Josie would be bored within a day out here. Something’s wrong.”

  “Wait, Carlton, I don’t think—.”

  “I do. I need to find her. I will call you when I know something.”

  “Um, okay, bye.”

  He tossed the phone. “Where the hell are you Josie?”

  Carlton took a quick shower. After getting dressed he ventured out to his car. A truck rolled up the gravel drive then over the grass toward him. Carlton stopped, watching curiously.

  “Mornin’,” Milton said hopping out.

  “Morning.” Carlton answered.

  “How was your night?”

  “Fine.”

  “Elu Takotie should be in town today. You can square the balance with him.”

  “Town? Where in town?”

  “At Nathan’s. He should be there. You… find that lady?”

  Carlton studied him. “No. You seen her?”

  Milton looked away and then back to him. “No. No I haven’t. Well, um, see you in town.”

  Carlton watched him get back in the truck. Watched as he backed out and drove away. If he thought something was strange before he was convinced of it now. He planned to get to the bottom of it.

  Elu’s cabin

  “Josie?” Elu said walking inside. “Josie!”

  She walked out with one side of her hair curled. The other had a comb stuck in it. Elu smiled that she’d abandoned her city clothes and put on one of his shirts. She unbuttoned and tied the front tails around a white tank she wore underneath. “I have to go into town. Nathan called. He needs me to cover a shift this morning and into the afternoon. I haven’t been there to help him in two weeks so I couldn’t refuse the old guy. Are you going to be okay in here by yourself?” he asked. He was searching the fridge for bottled water.

  Josie laughed. “I’m a big girl, Elu, I think I can handle myself alone in a cabin.”

  He bowed his head at the assumption that she couldn’t. Josie walked over to him and placed her hands around his neck. They bumped foreheads and rubbed noses gently.

  “We okay?” Elu asked.

  “We’re better than okay,” she confirmed.

  He stepped out of her arms and went to the drawer. He removed the journal. “I’d like to know your name,” he said. Josie stared at the journal. She rubbed her arms unable to look away from it. He walked over and touched her cheek. “When you are ready.”

  “Deal,” she nodded.

  “My cell number is on the fridge. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Will you be back for lunch?”

  He kissed her forehead. “An early dinner.”

  “Sounds good,” she walked him to the door and watched him go. He whistled for Po, rubbed the dog’s head and instructed him to guard her. The dog raced up to the porch. Josie opened the door for him to enter. She watched Elu drive away with a thoughtful sigh. Turning, her gaze went to the journal then cut away. She ignored the pull of curiosity and went back to the bathroom to finish curling her hair.

  ****

  Carlton drove out onto the side road. He’d spent over an hour searching for her car. He had to have seen all the cabins in town. Nothing with a rental tag, and no convertibles in sight. She wasn’t there. He gripped the steering wheel and cursed himself for letting her go, for not fighting harder. He drove back into town and passed the general store. He’d try the Sheriff’s office. Right now she was missing. He felt it in his gut.

  ****

  Elu parked. Leoti at home waiting for him made him wish the hours in the day to speed away. The bell over the door signaled his arrival. “Nathan!” Elu called walking up to the counter.

  “Hi.” Nathan closed the paper. “Thought you forgot about me friend.”

  “Yeah, sorry. I had things to do and—.”

  Nathan waved off the excuses. They’d been friends longer than any excuses. “Never mind, just glad you’re here now.”

  He stepped down. Nathan paused. “There’s a fella who rented from you yesterday.”

  Elu walked around the counter taking Nathan’s abandoned post. “Really? You rented the cabin?”

  “Nah, Milton did. He was all worked up. This city-boy.”

  “Why?”

  “Don’t know that I got the whole story. Looking for that pretty black lady that was in here about two weeks ago, you know the one that dropped the groceries.”

  Elu’s eyes flipped up. “He was asking for her?”

  Before he could respond Sheriff Rogers came in with a man in tow. Nathan looked back and nodded. “That’s him. That’s the man that rented from you.”

  Elu stared into the eyes of the stranger, a young black man of about twenty seven or eight. He had a muscular build and a hard look of determination in his eyes.

  Sheriff Rogers removed his hat. “Elu, Nathan.”

  “Morning, Sheriff,” Nathan answered.

  “Are you Elu?” the man asked. He walked around the Sheriff. “I’m Carlton Woods.” He removed his wallet. I need to pay you for the cabin. Elu couldn’t speak. Just in an instant everything in his world came to a screeching halt. Rogers walked over. “Elu, this fella is looking for a lady. She rented a cabin up there and I can’t find Milton. He says she’s been missing for nearly two weeks.”

  “You don’t say?” Nathan scratched his head.

  Carlton frowned. He continued to hold his credit card out. But Elu hadn’t moved a muscle to accept it. The young man stuck it back in his wallet and removed a picture. He placed it on the counter. It was a beautiful smiling picture
of his Leoti. Elu felt as if he was going to be sick.

  “Her name is Josie. Josie Eastman. Have you seen her?”

  “Sure he has.” Nathan chirped up. “He helped her pick up her groceries and walked her to the car.”

  Rogers stepped closer. “This true, Elu?”

  Elu’s jaws clamped tighter and his eyes narrowed on Carlton. All the jealous rage he swore he’d not carry in his heart if her life came to claim her surfaced. “Seventy dollars.” He ground out between clenched teeth.

  Carlton frowned. “What?”

  “Seventy dollars a night for the cabin.”

  The young man nodded. “Oh, okay.” He handed him the credit card.

  Sheriff Rogers put his hat on his head. “You seen Milton?”

  Nathan shrugged. “No he ain’t been in here since earlier.”

  Rogers nodded. “Fine, we’ll take a ride out on 23 and see if we find anything. Have him call me if he comes in.”

  Carlton signed the receipt. He frowned at the tall Indian who glared back at him. “I’ll be staying a couple days, until I find her.”

  Elu said nothing. Carlton turned and walked out with the Sheriff.

  “What’s going on?” Nathan asked when the Sheriff and stranger left. “You were downright rude to the fella.”

  Elu stepped down. He saw Milton pulling up before the Sheriff could back out.

  “Elu? What’s going on?”

  He walked out and watched the men approach Milton. Milton, being the nervous sort, fidgeted and confessed what he knew immediately, revealing the name and location of her cabin while leaving the part of Elu searching the cabin conveniently out of the information. Carlton glanced over his shoulder at Elu after hearing the tale, and he could see the light of suspicion blink on behind his eyes.

  “I have to go, Nathan.”

  “Go? Wait.”

  Elu went to his truck. So her name was Josie. And Josie’s life was about to roll in over them.

  Elu’s cabin

  Barking, strong and loud, the ruckus caused her to nearly drop the plate she was drying in the sink. Po never growled and snarled so ferociously. Concerned she walked out of the kitchen in search of what had him so agitated. “Po? What’s the matter baby?”

  Out facing the cabin was a truck. All she could see behind the steering wheel was a Stetson cowboy hat. “Who is it, Po?”

  Po growled jumping up against the screen as if to break through it.

  Opening the door she grabbed Po’s collar to keep him from charging. She yanked and he whimpered, calming some. “Stop it, Po. Stop.”

  He obeyed and she let him go, but he stayed close to her side. Josie rubbed his head and stroked behind his ear to soothe him. Watching the man he opened the door cautiously and dropped a pointy silver tipped boot onto the ground. Slowly he got out of his truck. “Hey there pretty lady, can you keep that beast off me while we talk?”

  Josie frowned. She squinted against the sun beaming in her face. “What do you want? Elu isn’t here.”

  “They call me Rex. Just want to talk. I know Elu isn’t here I saw him leave. Thought it would be a good time to meet. What’s your name?”

  Josie stepped down off the porch with Po hanging close to her side, “Leoti.” she said cautiously. How did he know she was here? Was he watching Elu’s land? She stopped her approach a bit leery.

  “Leoti? What a pretty name.” Rex grinned revealing a gold capped tooth.

  “I think you should leave.”

  Rex took a step toward them. “Did Elu tell you that this property is no longer his?”

  “That’s your take on it.”

  “No that’s the state’s take on it. This land is valuable, more valuable than your Indian’s mystic feelings and beliefs about it.”

  “Don’t call him an Indian!” Josie snapped. Po growled.

  Rex put up his hands and smiled. “Whoa. Calm down. We’ve made a very generous offer. Elu is a stubborn SOB, you seem more levelheaded. Though I have to admit you were a lot prettier in that sheet you wore this morning.” Rex ran his tongue over his gold tooth giving her a hard lustful stare. “Maybe you can get him to see the potential in working with us.”

  “Get off his land. Or I’ll feed Po.” She warned. The husky growled, bearing the fangs of his wolf ancestry. Even Josie was a bit scared of Po’s anger.

  “Who did you say you were again?”

  “Your worst enemy if you try to hurt Elu or take his land from him.” She turned and went back inside.

  Rental Cabin

  Carlton approached the cabin with Milton and the Sheriff. Where was her car? Milton opened the door and let them both in. Carlton still didn’t understand why he had to get the law to make this man reveal where Josie was. It had him nervous and anxious to find her all at the same time. The cabin was tidy and in order, but quiet and empty. Carlton walked through the rooms finding no traces of luggage or her hair-curlers, or any of the things he knew his Josie would have. He checked the refrigerator and he saw her Evian water bottles, a container of chili and some other groceries. In the bathroom he discovered her fragrant soap. Carlton frowned. Josie had been here. Where the hell was she now?

  “Where is Josie?” he charged at Milton.

  The Sheriff stepped in between them. “Whoa…slow it down.”

  “Don’t know man, last week Elu came here asking about her. He looked around, touched her things and took her luggage then left. That’s all I know.”

  Carlton frowned, “Elu? The Indian?”

  “Why didn’t you mention this at the store?” Rogers asked.

  Milton lowered his gaze wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.

  “What the hell is going on around here? What kind of town is this?” Carlton snapped. He glared at the Sheriff. “Something is wrong. She wouldn’t go off with a stranger, and she sure as hell don’t know that Indian!”

  “Son he’s a Native American. We don’t say Indian in these parts. It’s offensive.”

  “Dammit! I don’t give a fuck! My lady is out there with some crazy ass mountain man keeping her hostage!” The sound of her phone chimed hollowly. Carlton stopped and looked around. “That’s her cell phone.” He walked around the sofa listening, and then dug in the seat cushions and plucked it out. His heart stopped. She had 17 missed calls. “Christ. He has her!”

  “Is it her phone son?”

  “Yes, and she wouldn’t go anywhere without it. It’s that In—Native American. He did something to her!”

  “No.” Milton said shaking his head. “Sheriff—.”

  “Ever’body calm down. Elu wouldn’t hurt anyone. There has to be a rational explanation for this.”

  “I want to go back to the store. I want him to look me in the face and deny it. He has something to do with this. I know it.”

  The Sheriff walked out with him. They were in the car racing towards town when he slammed on brakes.

  “What is it?”

  The Sheriff’s eyes went to the rearview mirror. The trees they’d passed were charred and broken. Carlton looked back and saw skid marks on the road.

  “That looks fresh. An accident.”

  “Accident?”

  The Sheriff put the cruiser in reverse and backed up. He parked on the side of the road and then put the car in park. “Stay here.”

  Carlton was out of the car before he could finish. He hurried to the edge. He could hear the Sheriff calling it in. The charred remains of a car lay amongst the burned away trees. It had to be a hundred foot drop. “No. No. No. This isn’t happening,” he stammered.

  “Son, wait! Don’t go down there.”

  Carlton slid down the ravine sideways using the sides of his timberlands to keep himself from tumbling. “No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no!” he wheezed. He stopped at the cliff’s edge and could go no further. But he could see the car, what was left of it. Could it really be hers? Even if she survived she was hurt, badly.

  “Is someone in there?” The Sheriff called out to him.

 
“I can’t see a body, but it could be someone else’s car. Take me to the store.”

  “Can’t. It’s a crime scene. We have to hang back.”

  Carlton literally climbed his way out of the ravine. “Take me back! I have to find her!”

  Sheriff Rogers shook his head. “I will take you back as soon as I get a man here to secure this area. Okay?”

  The roads were congested with leaving and arriving tourists. It was quiet in Mission Creek on a weekday. But when the weekend arrived people from all walks of life crowded in and out of their town. That’s the problem with Route 23, it’s the one shot into town and the one shot out. Sometimes a bottleneck turned a ten minute drive into an hour long one.

  “Hello?” she said in a winded voice that immediately alarmed him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, I was outside and just ran back in to get the phone.”

  “Outside?”

  Josie wiped at her brow, “You checking up on me?”

  A smile went over his lips, she was fine. “I’m on my way.”

  “Why?”

  “We need to talk, something happened that you should know.”

  “What is it?”

  “We’ll talk when I get there. We’ll figure it out together. I want you to stay inside and lock up the place. Don’t let anyone in. Um, just wait for me okay?”

  “Okay, see you soon,” she said hanging up. Looking down at Po she winked. “We won’t tell him about Rex will we? A little omission of information isn’t a lie right?”

  Po barked. Josie sighed. “Uncle!” she grinned. “I’ll tell him when he gets here. Jeez, who ever heard of a dog that hates liars?” She turned in the kitchen and saw the journal again. Walking over to it she ran her fingers over the cover. Should she take the plunge and read it? She would have to eventually.

  Down the road from Elu’s Cabin

  Carlton paced the side of the car. “It’s not that far, where are your deputies?”

  “Got an accident on Route 23. It’s backed up the roads. Someone will be here soon.”

  A truck drove toward them. Carlton looked up and the Sheriff’s head turned. A man in a cowboy hat rolled to a stop. The Sheriff approached.

  “Everything okay?” Rex asked, arm hanging out of his window.