Rachel shivered despite her coat. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
He exhaled, sounding frustrated. “I’m telling you that I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t kill a man over a deer or over a piece of land. I’ve got enough blood on my hands.”
Rachel inhaled softly. “Is it true that you caught Rosh Hertzler digging ginseng on your land and threatened to nail his ear to a tree and leave him for the bears?”
Chuck laughed, a deep, rumbling explosion of mirth. “I did. Do you know how rare ginseng is today? How much they sell it for? The state keeps making the season shorter and shorter to try and protect it, but Rosh doesn’t always follow the rules. And he doesn’t respect property lines. I’ve warned him to stay off my mountain. Do you know how long it takes a ginseng patch to get established? I didn’t set the dogs on him. I didn’t lay a finger on him, but I did try to scare the sh—scare the dickens out of him. And since he has two whole ears left, I don’t appear to have done him much damage.”
Rachel tried not to let her amusement show. “So, you didn’t hurt him?”
“Ask him yourself. Boy plays loose with deer and trout season, but I’ve never known him to lie.”
She met his gaze and held it. “Okay, Chuck, so tell me something. And this is what I really want to know because I think you might be one of those people who’s a good judge of character. Who do you think killed Daniel Fisher?”
Chuck shrugged. “Can’t say. I’d be less than truthful if I told you that I was sorry to be rid of him, but I’m not the murderer you’re hunting for.”
“You must have an opinion. You have strong opinions on most subjects.”
He tugged at his beard thoughtfully. “I haven’t given it much thought.”
“If you have any thoughts on it, I’d appreciate it.” She returned the pitchfork to the place where it belonged against the wall. “I’m trying to keep Daniel’s brother-in-law from spending the rest of his life in prison. I don’t believe he’s the guilty one and neither does his family. Don’t you have any ideas of who might have done the shooting? Any thoughts on who I should talk to?”
Chuck sighed. “All I can tell you is that, statistically, when something like this happens, it’s rarely a stranger. Usually, you’ll find that the killer is someone who knew the victim well. Maybe even the person who claimed to discover the body. I’d say you need to look closer to home.”
Who did discover the body? She didn’t know the answer to that. Rosh said it wasn’t him, but what if he had proved Chuck wrong? What if he was a liar? “How do you know that?”
Chuck grinned. “I read a lot. Mostly mysteries.” Then, he turned back to the door and raised the wooden bar. “I brought you something. A present. For your wedding.”
She was genuinely touched. “You brought me a wedding gift?”
“Sort of a cross between an apology and a wedding gift.” He opened the barn door. “I left it on your porch step.”
“Thank you, Chuck,” she said as she followed him out of the barn.
“I hope you like it.” He closed the door. “You might think it’s foolish. It was passed to me from my granny, but I’ve no use for it. If you don’t want it, do with it what you please.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Rachel admitted.. Charles Baker might be a long way from normal, but she believed him when he said he didn’t kill Daniel Fisher. Chuck’s might be a wounded heart and mind, but she was convinced that they were good ones. “I hope that you will let me come back and visit you someday. I like the idea that maybe we could become friends. And I’d like you to meet the man I’m going to marry.”
“Evan Parks? We’ve crossed paths already. He may not be aware of it, but I know him and I approve. You bring him up to the mountain. If it’s a good day, I’ll let you in.”
Rachel looked around. There were no unfamiliar vehicles in the yard. “Did you come on foot?”
Chuck laughed. “No. My truck is parked not far from here. You take care of yourself, Rachel. Don’t be too trusting. The world isn’t as friendly as you think.” He took a few steps into the darkness and then turned back. “And if the zombies come or the bad guys drop nukes on us, you and Evan come find me. I’ve got a shelter built into the heart of the mountain, protected by living rock. I’ve got an endless supply of fresh water and enough provisions to last us until Gabriel blows his horn. You and your husband . . . you’re welcome to join me in my shelter. I can’t promise how, but we’ll survive.”
Tears sprang into Rachel’s eyes, her heart touched by his offer. She didn’t believe in end-of-the-world scenarios, but she knew he did. Which made his offer all the sweeter. “Thank you.” She walked to him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “I like you, too, Chuck Baker.”
She stood there, then, and watched until his big form melted into the darkness. Not a twig snapped or a leaf rustled. She might have been watching a ghost vanish in the mist.
On the porch step, she found a ten-inch-high pine-needle basket, fashioned in the old Indian style and decorated with dyed porcupine quills. Carefully, she carried the beautiful object inside and placed it on the kitchen table. She lifted the lid and took
