Silent Fall

overhead. They were all sounds of nature -- or were they?
    She put a hand on the trunk of a nearby tree to steady herself. It didn’t help. Images flashed through her mind.
    The ground was flying by at an amazing pace, as if she were running. She could hear the blood pounding through her veins. Her chest hurt more with each breath o air in the high altitude. She stumbled and ell to the ground, then scrambled back to her feet, desperate to get away. He was coming closer.. .
    But it wasn’t her. Those weren’t her shoes. And her hands... There was a ring on the finger of her right hand, a sparkling opal that was changing colors with the heat of her skin. Who was she? And who was she running from?
    The sound of a horn startled her.
    The images faded away. She was back to herself again. The sun seemed brighter. The shadows had lightened as well. Her heart began to slow down. The horn came again. Catherine moved closer to the edge of the cliff to investigate the noise. A sharp outcropping of rock fell down to the lake a few hundred yards below.
    Two boats were anchored not far offshore. One bore the logo of the coast guard. Someone was in the water, a diver. He held up something red to show to another man on board. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what it was -- Erica’s red scarf, the scarf she’d seen around the pretty brunette’s neck not only last night, but also in her vision.
    Was there a body in the water, too?
    Had Erica run through these woods, taken a misstep, and tumbled to her death off the side of the sheer cliff into the cold waters of Lake Tahoe? Or had she been pushed?

Chapter Six

    Dylan was immersed in his computer files when his cell phone rang. "Mark, what did you find out?" he asked, hoping for some good news.
    "You’re in deep shit, buddy," Mark said.
    That was not what he wanted to hear. "What do you mean?"
    "I spoke to Detective Richardson at the sheriff’s office. He said that Erica Layton is still missing and they’re extremely concerned about her welfare. A guest in an adjacent cabin reported hearing a woman scream last night. A security guard investigated and discovered that the cabin where Erica was staying had been broken into, and apparently there was evidence of a struggle, including blood evidence, which they are now testing for DNA. Please tell me they’re not going to find your DNA at the scene."
    "I wish I could, but I have a cut on my hand, which I acquired sometime in the night while I was passed out," Dylan said. "I suspect Erica cut me to plant the blood. It was part of the setup."
    "Not the best explanation I’ve heard."
    "It’s the truth, and whatever other evidence they have Erica planted as well. The blood tests I took earlier this morning should prove that I was drugged and incapable of hurting anyone."
    "Speaking of which, why the hell did you agree to have your blood tested without talking to me first? At the very least we could have stalled until we had a better idea what we were dealing with."
    "Yeah, I know. I thought I was going to prove my innocence before the drugs left my system, but I suspect I made things worse. Damn, I hate to be wrong."
    "You can’t go off half-cocked anymore, Dylan. This is serious."
    "Believe me, I’m very aware of just how serious it is. What else did the detective tell you?"
    "Not much. They conducted a brief search of the woods but found nothing. They’re trying to contact Erica’s relatives and friends with the help of the San Francisco Police Department. They plan to launch another search tomorrow if Miss Layton hasn’t turned up by then. You need to find her. If she’s alive, most of your problems go away."
    "Most?" Dylan echoed.
    "They could still charge you with assault, breaking and entering, but at least you wouldn’t be facing a murder charge."
    The idea that he could be arrested for murder sent chills down Dylan’s spine. Surely it wouldn’t go that far. It couldn’t. He was an innocent man. "I can’t believe this is happening. I drove up here yesterday for my brother’s wedding, and now I’m a suspect in a murder investigation? How is that possible?"
    "You do lead an exciting life. I think I should come up there. I know you like to handle things yourself, but this is too big. If you didn’t kill this woman, someone is working damn hard to make it look like you did."
    "Yes. But for the moment I’m going to stick with