Justice Overdue: A Private Investigator Mystery Series by Rayven T. Hill Page A

your way?” Jake asked Matty.
    “We followed the sun. At first it was straight up and didn’t help much, but it moved and we followed it.”
    Jake grinned and messed up Matty’s hair. “You’ve no idea how worried I was. And I guess I had no need to be.”
    “If it makes you feel any better,” Matty said with a playful look. “We were a little worried too.”
    Jake chuckled and asked, “Where’s this cabin you saw?”
    Kyle turned and pointed. “It’s that way.”
    “Probably about a mile away,” Matty added.
    “Are you sure somebody lives there?” Jake asked.
    “For sure,” Matty said. “There were cigarette butts and beer bottles lying around.”
    “And I saw stuff on a table in the cabin,” Kyle added. “And the weeds in front of the cabin were all trampled down.”
    Jake gazed into the forest, his brow wrinkled in thought. He wondered if the owner of the cabin was the person on the beach, the one who destroyed the sandcastle, and the prowler at the camp the night before. If so, perhaps he was a harmless squatter checking out those who had intruded into his territory.
    And now he had the problem with the SUV to worry about. They had to head back on Sunday and he didn’t know whether or not they would see another human being by then. If not, they would have to leave everything here and hike back; a long way to go if they took the same route they came in by. They could always hike through the woods to the highway, less than five miles away. Surely they could get some help then.
    He decided if no one came around they would start hiking early Sunday morning, get some help, and they should be on their way home by noon.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 24
     
     
     
    Friday, 2:55 PM
     
    THE BOYS WERE hot and tired from their experience and wanted to go swimming. Jake agreed, the boys changed into swimming trunks, and the three of them went down to the lake.
    Matty and Kyle ran straight into the water while Jake wandered to the left and perched on the rock where he’d fished that morning. He watched the boys awhile. Jake had taught Matty how to swim a few years ago and he had taken to it immediately. Kyle knew how to stay afloat, and Matty was helping him with some of the finer points of swimming.
    He turned his attention to the calm lake in front of him, tranquil and undisturbed by the boys splashing twenty yards away. The water displayed countless hues of blue, reflecting the bright sky. He gazed into the depths of the clear water. Minnows swarmed just out of arm’s reach. A fish broke the surface a few yards away, ripples widening out.
    At the far end of the lake, to his left, a flock of geese caught his eye, and then his attention was drawn to a moving patch of red. Someone was over there. More than one. He could make out three or four people at the edge of the lake. He cupped his ear and heard voices, laughing, talking.
    He glanced over at the boys. They were back on the beach, rebuilding their sandcastle. He went over and watched them awhile. Finally, he spoke. “If you guys are done swimming for now, I’m just going to go down to the other end of the lake. There’re some people there and I want to see how they’re doing.”
    Matty looked up and scratched his cheek with a wet, sandy hand. “We’ll stay right here.”
    “I’ll be able to see you from there,” Jake said. “Just don’t go in the water until I come back.”
    “We won’t,” Kyle said. “We’ll stay here and work on the sandcastle.” He grabbed a plastic pail, went to the edge of the lake, filled it with water, and then returned to where Matty sat.
    Jake watched the boys a moment, and then made his way toward to the end of the lake, walking through knee-high grass, wildflowers, and over rocks jutting from the sandy soil.
    As he drew closer, he recognized the girl he’d talked to in Whaleton the previous day. The other three stood in a group, talking and laughing. A pair of small tents was set up a little further back, just