Cold Sanctuary (John Decker Series Book 2) by Anthony M. Strong Page B

John Decker. Someone, or something, was running around killing people and here she was jumping headlong into the middle of it. She wondered if she was getting herself into a situation more dangerous than she realized.

 
     
     
    22
     
     
     
     
     
     
    At four-thirty that afternoon John Decker found himself in the office of town administrator Hayley Marsh. He had barely gotten back to his suite of rooms on the tenth floor when she called, asking if he would stop by a little later. Despite the fact that he had nothing to report – he certainly wasn’t telling her about his little excursion to the basement with Mina or their rendezvous that night – he agreed to meet Hayley anyway.
    So here he was.
    He glanced around, taking in the bland beige walls and bookcases lined with weighty t omes on such topics as town planning, accounting and public sector law. A pair of certificates hung in thin frames behind the desk. One was a Finance degree from the University of Anchorage. The other was a master’s degree in Public Administration. Next to these, in the corner of the room, stood an American flag on a vertical pole with a golden eagle perched on top.
    “I’m so sorry about last night.” Hayley sat behind the desk, her hands clasped in front of her. “Sheriff Wilder can be a bit of a bear to work with I’m afraid.”
    “It’s fine.” Decker wondered if she knew about the sheriff’s warning to steer clear of the investigation. “He feels that my presence here is surplus to requirements.”
    “I can assure you that I do not consider your presence unnecessary despite what Wilder may think,” Hayley said. “As I warned you upon your arrival, certain people, not a few of whom occupy positions of authority, are not on board with my decision to seek outside help.”
    “I have a feeling it’s not the outside help they object to.” Decker had grown accustomed to the strange looks, the whispered conversations, when he entered a room. He had also come to realize that he was viewed with distrust and dislike in certain circles. “I think it is me they object to.”
    “It is precisely because of what happened in Wolf Haven that I brought you in, Mr. Decker.” Hayley paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. When she continued, her face had taken on a grave appearance. “Regardless of what Wilder thinks, there is something wrong in Shackleton, and it goes beyond a few wild animal attacks. There have been sightings. People have seen things that they cannot explain, things that scare them.”
    “Have you seen anything, Miss Marsh?” John sat on the edge of his seat. He had a feeling that he would soon learn why Hayley was so insistent on bringing him up here. He also hoped he might gain valuable insight regarding the true perpetrator of the killings.
    “Yes I have. Two weeks ago, in fact. Although I still find myself doubting what I saw,” Hayley said.
    “Go on,” Decker urged.
    “I was walking back to the tower late one night.” Hayley’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “It was very dark and wet, with a sleet filled rain that made everything feel colder than it actually was. A cover of low clouds had rolled in from the glacier and shrouded everything with a fine mist. I was alone, and despite having walked the route a hundred times, there was something about that evening that made me pick up the pace. I passed the boat yards, followed the railroad tracks for a while, and then cut across a section of scrubland, following a shortcut that took me through the parking lot instead of forcing me to walk the long way around on the road. Except that before I got as far as the parking lot, I was overcome by a feeling that I was being followed. It was nothing much, the sense of a presence, the sound of soft footsteps in the mist, but when I glanced back nothing was there, just the swirling mist.”
    Decker nodded. “So what happened?”
    “I assumed the footsteps were another person out late, returning to the