1<\/p>\n

Puget Sound<\/p>\n

For a few hours every Saturday morning, Erin Larson could forget that evil existed.<\/p>\n

And usually, only on the water.<\/p>\n

She dipped the double-bladed paddle into the sea, then again on the other side\u2014left, right, left, right, left, right<\/em>\u2014alternating strokes in a fluid motion to propel her kayak across the blue depths. Her friend Carissa Edwards paddled close behind.<\/p>\n

Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the water she was close to nature and far from the chaos and noise of the city even though she and Carissa paddled along the shoreline and could see the cityscape in the distance. The quiet calmed her mind and heart. The rhythmic paddling mesmerized her. The exertion exhilarated her. Cleansed her of the stress and anxiety acquired after a week of forced labor.<\/p>\n

Okay, that wasn\u2019t fair. Her suffering certainly wasn\u2019t physical in nature.<\/p>\n

Water. Mountains. Sky. She took in the sights and once again . . . forgot.<\/p>\n

Beautiful snowcapped Mount Baker\u2014the Great White Watcher\u2014loomed large in the distance to the east.<\/p>\n

Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.<\/em><\/p>\n

The slosh of paddles along with the small waves lapping against her boat soothed her and were the only sounds except for seagulls laughing above her\u2014ha, ha, ha<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To the west, the impressive Olympic Mountains begged for attention. Erin couldn\u2019t wait for Mom to join her out here, when she finally convinced her to move.<\/p>\n

A salty ocean breeze wafted over her as peace and beauty surrounded her.<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t ask for more.<\/p>\n

She shouldn\u2019t ask for more.<\/p>\n

But God . . . I need answers.<\/em><\/p>\n

Carissa caught up with Erin and paddled next to her kayak. \u201cThanks for coming with me today. I needed this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exercise or the scenery?\u201d Erin had just broken a sweat despite the early morning cool.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about a little of both. And the company makes all the difference, I\u2019m not going to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Erin answered with reluctance. She and Carissa had an understanding between them. On their kayaking excursions, peace and quiet were supposed to reign.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, I listened to your podcast last night,\u201d Carissa said.<\/p>\n

Maybe she\u2019d forgotten their unspoken pact.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erin wanted to know Carissa\u2019s thoughts, but at the same time, she didn\u2019t want to hear the criticism. Nor would she trust any praise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy keep it anonymous?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could get complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carissa\u2019s laugh echoed across the water. \u201cIn my case, I\u2019d probably want the dean of the college and my students to know. But then again, I wouldn\u2019t be talking about crime or missing people. I\u2019d be talking about history. So, what took you so long to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erin lifted a shoulder, opting for silence. Maybe it would be contagious.<\/p>\n

Now she wished she hadn\u2019t told Carissa, but letting her friend in on her secret was a step toward opening up. She kept too much hidden inside. Erin had never been good at letting others in. Although as a psychologist, she was all about learning what made people tick on the inside.<\/p>\n

Erin breathed in the fresh air, listened to the mesmerizing ripple of the water, felt the warm sun against her cheeks, and chased away thoughts of crime and work.<\/p>\n

\u201cCold cases. Do they ever get solved?\u201d Carissa asked.<\/p>\n

Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSome do.\u201d Few.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need a hobby, I guess.\u201d Erin couldn\u2019t begin to explain the complex events that drove her to talk about missing person cold cases in hopes that answers could still be found.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking.\u201d Carissa\u2019s kayak inched ahead.<\/p>\n

Erin remained silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do this every Saturday,\u201d Carissa continued.<\/p>\n

Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a lifesaver,\u201d Erin said. \u201cThanks for inviting me along.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a week working for the State of Washington, the endless hours spent researching and writing reports for forensic evaluations, she needed the break. The job wasn\u2019t what she had dreamed about when she\u2019d become a criminal psychologist. Still, she hoped it was a means to an end. In the meantime, she\u2019d started the cold case crime podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about we switch it up? Go hiking. Mountain trails and lush forests all around us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is close. We don\u2019t have to drive far. Plus, I really love the water.\u201d And have an aversion to dense forests.<\/em> Carissa didn\u2019t need to know that, as a psychologist, Erin was a walking oxymoron.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might enjoy a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m good with this.\u201d Erin\u2019s shoulders and biceps started burning. She was relieved they would soon turn around and head back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you\u2019ll think about it. I\u2019d love for you to join me next weekend. I\u2019m hiking in Mount Baker National Forest, and I\u2019m inviting you to join the group.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? You\u2019re ditching me to go hiking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm . . . Is it just me, or is that boat heading directly for us?\u201d Panic edged Carissa\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

Erin glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Carissa\u2019s wide-eyed stare. A thirty-foot cruiser sped toward them. She and Carissa had strayed a bit from the shoreline. Regardless, that boat shouldn\u2019t be approaching them in this area or at that speed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurry.\u201d Erin quickened her pace. \u201cWe can get out of its path.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t make it.\u201d Carissa stopped and raised her paddle, waving to get the boater\u2019s attention. \u201cHey, watch where you\u2019re going! Kayakers on the water!\u201d<\/p>\n

Arms straining, Erin paddled faster and propelled the kayak forward. Her friend hadn\u2019t kept up. \u201cCarissa, let\u2019s go! Just angle out of the path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carissa renewed her efforts and joined Erin. Together they paddled toward the shoreline that had seemed so much closer moments before.<\/p>\n

Carissa screamed. Heart pounding, Erin glanced over her shoulder. The boat had changed course and was once again headed straight for them.<\/p>\n

Fear stole her breath. \u201cJump! Get out of the boat and dive!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was all she could think to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, now, now!\u201d She sucked in a breath and leaned forward to flip the kayak until she was upside down in the water for a wet exit. Holding her breath, she found the grab loop and peeled off the skirt. Then she gripped the sides and pushed the kayak away from her body as she slid out. Instead of heading for the surface, she kicked and dove deeper. She was grateful she was wearing a manually inflatable life vest over her wetsuit or it would drag her back to the surface, which was normally a good thing.<\/p>\n

But today that could get her killed.<\/p>\n

She pushed deeper, deeper, deeper . . . away from the surface.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to make it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Erin twisted around to glance upward. The water was murky and visibility was only about ten feet, but she could still see her friend struggling to get free of her kayak. Terror stabbed through her. Erin swam back to Carissa to help her, even as the boat raced toward the kayaks and was almost on them.<\/p>\n

Her eyes wide, Carissa pushed forward, freeing herself.<\/p>\n

The hull of the speeding boat sped right over the top of the kayaks, breaking Carissa\u2019s in half\u2014the stern of her broken kayak propelled toward Carissa. Her head jerked forward.<\/p>\n

All the bubbles of air burst from her lungs, then her form floated\u2014unmoving. Unconscious? Or was she lifeless?<\/p>\n

Her pulse thundering in her ears, Erin swam toward Carissa, grabbed her, and inflated their life vests. They rose quickly to the surface. Erin broke the water and gasped for breath as she held Carissa. The water remained disturbed from the speeding boat\u2019s wake and crashed over them.<\/p>\n

Erin confirmed what she already feared. Carissa wasn\u2019t breathing. Adrenaline surged through her. She had to keep moving. Holding on to Carissa, Erin started swimming them back to shore.<\/p>\n

She spotted the errant boat making a big circle.<\/p>\n

Coming back? Had someone lost control? She had to make it to shore to give Carissa CPR. And maybe even to save them both.<\/p>\n

Stay calm.<\/em> Panic wouldn\u2019t help either of them. The water was cold, but not so cold that she needed to worry about hypothermia. At least not yet. The whir of a boat from her left drew her attention, kicking up her already rapid heartbeat. As she took in the slowly approaching trawler\u2014a far different boat from the speeding cruiser\u2014relief eased the tension in her shoulders. Three men and a couple of women waved.<\/p>\n

A silver-haired man in a Seahawks cap shouted, \u201cDo you need help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes! Hurry!\u201d<\/p>\n

The boat edged slowly toward her, and she swam to meet it. The men reached down and pulled Carissa up into the boat.<\/p>\n

Erin used the ladder on the side. \u201cShe needs CPR. She\u2019s not breathing!\u201d<\/p>\n

When she hopped onto the deck, she saw that one of the men had started administering CPR.<\/p>\n

A redheaded woman wrapped a blanket around Erin. \u201cOh, honey, are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hot tears burned down her cold, wet cheeks. \u201cNo . . . no, I\u2019m not okay.\u201d She dropped to her knees next to her friend.<\/p>\n

Carissa coughed up water and rolled onto her side. When she\u2019d finished expelling seawater, she sat up and looked around.<\/p>\n

Erin hugged her and spoke against her short, wet hair. \u201cI thought you were done for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carissa held on to Erin tightly, then released her to cough more. Erin took in the group standing around them, their watchful eyes filled with concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Vince. And this is my wife, Jessie.\u201d The man with the Seahawks cap gestured to the redhead, then made introductions. John, his son, and Terry, John\u2019s friend, and Mavis, John\u2019s girlfriend. A family affair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Erin, and this is Carissa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessie placed a blanket around Carissa. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you have a seat? I\u2019ll get you something warm to drink.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Erin sat with Carissa on the cushioned bench and took in her friend. She looked shell-shocked, and why shouldn\u2019t she? Was she going to be okay?<\/p>\n

Carissa closed her eyes. Was she in pain or thinking back to what happened? Jessie had disappeared below deck to grab warm drinks. Mavis, Terry, and John were trying to recover the kayaks and bring them onto the trawler.<\/p>\n

Vince remained standing, his arms crossed as if he were a sentinel sent to protect them. And at this moment, Erin needed that reassurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you hadn\u2019t come when you did,\u201d she said, \u201cI don\u2019t know what would have happened. I can\u2019t thank you enough.\u201d She searched the waters around them. \u201cIs that boat . . . Is it gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat boat?\u201d Mavis approached and glanced at Vince.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t see that?\u201d Erin got to her feet and pulled Carissa with her. She searched the waters. \u201cA boat came right for us. Ran over our kayaks and almost killed us. They must have lost control. Maybe they were drunk or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a boat heading west,\u201d Vince said, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t connect that to seeing you in the water swimming to shore. Kayaks and canoes are hard to spot sometimes. I\u2019m sorry that happened. But I\u2019ll contact the Seattle Police Harbor Patrol and let them know. In the meantime, is there somewhere we can take you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBack to the marina at Port of Edmonds. We could talk to the police there and tell them what happened,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n

Vince eyed Carissa. \u201cI\u2019ll let SPHP know we\u2019re on the way and to meet us there. Should we get you to the hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n

Erin shared a look with her friend. \u201cShe sustained a hit to the head. Maybe an ambulance could be waiting for us when we get to the harbor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carissa nodded but said nothing. Erin ached inside. She\u2019d almost lost Carissa. She was grateful that her friend had survived. They had both survived.<\/p>\n

Erin replayed the events in her mind. Had the boat deliberately veered toward them or had she imagined it? These boaters who\u2019d helped them had simply been out enjoying the day when they spotted Erin and Carissa in the water, their kayaks floating, Carissa\u2019s in two pieces.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t believe this happened.<\/em><\/p>\n

The water had been her place of peace and tranquility.<\/p>\n

But no more.<\/p>\n

Erin pulled her ringing cell from the plastic bag tucked in a pocket on her suit. She didn\u2019t recognize the number, but it was a Montana prefix. Her heart jackhammered as she answered, \u201cErin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Larson . . . Erin.\u201d The familiar male voice hesitated. \u201cThis is Detective Nathan Campbell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dread crawled up her spine. Nathan would never call her without a good reason. \u201cNathan . . . what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s . . . your mom. She\u2019s okay. But she tried to commit suicide. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few heartbeats passed before she could answer. \u201cWha . . . What?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan apologized again and repeated the words.<\/p>\n

The air rushed from Erin. She couldn\u2019t breathe and stood. She headed for the rail and hung her head over the water, gasping for breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cErin! Erin, are you there?\u201d Nathan\u2019s concerned voice shouted over the cell loud enough she could hear him despite the boat\u2019s rumbling engine and rushing water.<\/p>\n

Carissa joined her at the rail. \u201cErin, what\u2019s happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

The darkness closed in on her all over again, but this was different from before. Why hadn\u2019t she seen the warning signs? She had to fix this.<\/p>\n

Squeezing her eyes shut, she lifted the cell to her ear again. \u201cI need details.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan relayed that her mother was in the hospital and in stable condition.<\/p>\n

Ending the call, she stared at the cell. Mom was in trouble. The fact that the awful news had come from the man she\u2019d left behind compounded the pain in her chest. This, after she and Carissa had barely survived a boating accident.<\/p>\n

Evil wouldn\u2019t let her forget that it existed, even for a few hours.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Excerpt from Deadly Target<\/i> by Elizabeth Goddard. Copyright 2021 by Elizabeth Goddard. Reproduced with permission from Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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