by Cindy Bell
“You did?” Sonia’s eyes widened.
“That was weird, he didn’t seem to recognize me.”
“It was, but maybe he will next time.” Sonia shrugged. “You couldn’t have spent much time together at the gas station.”
“You’re right.” Nikki nodded. “What Betsy said was interesting.”
“She is the first person to describe Ashley as if she was a good person.” Sonia shook her head. “We learned more about her in a few minutes than we have this whole time.”
“And quite a bit about the Merners.” Nikki watched as Max smiled at the next guest who stepped up to the desk. He had to be worried about Gloria in the office with the police officers, and yet he didn’t show it. He was a good actor. “Perhaps those two are hiding a lot more than we thought.”
“The way Gloria reacted just seemed so over the top.” Sonia narrowed her eyes. “Almost theatrical.”
“Maybe she thought she could throw the police off her trail by being so offended by their questioning.” Nikki nodded slowly. “I think that’s definitely a possibility.”
“I think she’s hiding something.” Sonia nodded.
“Maybe it’s time we took a look inside the owners’ cabin.” Nikki looked over at Sonia. “We can just peek in through some of the windows, since we know they’re busy with the police and guests right now.”
“I think that’s a good idea, but we need a cover story in case we are caught out there. The cabin is out of the way, but it is on the way to the slopes.”
Nikki shifted her gaze towards the skis that lined the walls. She had skied many times with her family, her father’s brother used to live near the mountains and they would often visit and go skiing.
“Do you know how to ski?”
“Sure, I used to ski every year. Let’s gear up!” Sonia smiled.
Once they had everything they needed, Nikki led the way towards the Merners’ cabin. In order to get to it, they had to pass by Ashley’s cabin. Nikki glanced in the direction of the cabin, and wondered if she might have left anything behind that could prove she was there. The thought left her more chilled than the cold wind that blew against her cheeks. As she slowed down, she noticed a figure at the rear corner of Ashley’s cabin.
“Who is that?” Nikki squinted through her goggles as the figure slid along the side of Ashley’s cabin. “He has no business being there.”
“I don’t know, I can’t tell from here. Do you want to try to get closer?” Sonia leaned forward. “You’re right, it does look like a man.”
“Let’s just veer towards the cabin. We don’t want to get too close. It could just be a guest with some morbid curiosity.” Nikki shifted her path towards the cabin. As she did, the figure beside the cabin, suddenly bolted. He launched down a trail beside the cabin. Nikki’s heart skipped a beat as she realized that he was going to get away without them having a chance to get an idea of who he was, or why he was by the cabin.
“I’m going after him!” Nikki glanced over at Sonia as she dug her ski poles into the snow.
“I’m going with you.” Sonia lined up behind her.
“Stay close, Sonia.” Nikki bent forward and launched down the same path the man had traveled down.
“I’ll be right behind you.” Sonia pushed off with her ski poles.
As Nikki skied down the trail, she felt a sudden lurch in her stomach. Even though she’d been skiing many times in her life, she always felt strange when she began to slide across the snow. Within a matter of seconds, she began to pick up speed. The farther she traveled down the hill, the more uneasy she felt. She tried to turn her skis in to slow herself down, but it seemed as if she picked up speed instead. Her heart raced as she wondered if she had made the wrong decision by going after the person in the ski mask. Of course, he was wearing a ski mask, it was a ski slope. She tried to slow herself down again. When it didn’t work, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Sonia was still behind her.
Nikki spotted Sonia, farther up the hill, going at a much slower pace than she was. It looked as if she was in complete control. Nikki turned back to look at the path ahead of her just as she veered off onto another trail. A much steeper trail.
“Oh no!” Nikki gasped and tilted her skis again in an attempt to stop. In her panic she crossed them, and suddenly she began to tumble. The world spun as she rolled down the hill. Her ski poles were ripped out of her hands along the way.
When Nikki finally skidded to a stop, her body ached from the fall. There was no sharp pain to indicate a break. She took a breath and pushed her face up out of the snow. As she did, she noticed a figure that towered over her. He wore the same black ski mask that the man by Ashley’s cabin had worn. Her eyes widened as he reached a gloved hand towards her.
“Are you okay?” He grabbed her hand and leaned down some. “Here, let me help you up.”
Still dazed from the fall she allowed him to help her to her feet. “Thanks.”
“You took quite a tumble there.” He pulled his goggles off to reveal deep blue eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Ken?” Nikki blinked as she stared at him. He was the person sneaking around Ashley’s cabin? Her heart began to pound. “What are you doing out here?”
“Skiing.” Ken narrowed his eyes. “What else?”
“Oh right, of course.” Nikki cleared her throat. “Sorry, I guess I got a little jostled in that fall.”
“Seems that way.” Ken peered up the hill in the direction she had come from. “Is Sonia with you?”
“We got separated.” Before Nikki went to find Sonia, she wanted to know what Ken was up to. “Did you know her?”
“Who?” Ken glanced back at her.
“Ashley. The woman who was killed. I saw you near her cabin.” Nikki’s heart skipped a beat as he gazed straight into her eyes.
“Did you?” Ken adjusted his ski poles in the snow.
“I only met her once.” Nikki infused her voice with confidence, despite the sudden awareness that flooded through her. She was alone, on a rarely used trail, with a man who might just be a murderer.
“Well, I didn’t know her. I only saw her a couple of times. I’m just here for a few days to enjoy the slopes. But I guess curiosity got the better of me. I thought I’d just take a look at her cabin. I mean, she died, right outside my door, practically.” Ken sighed. “I’ve had a hard time sleeping. I keep wondering if I could have done something to help her. If only I’d known that she was in trouble.”
“I understand that.” Nikki pursed her lips and held back a wave of guilt. “I wish I had gone outside earlier. Maybe—” Her voice trailed off.
“Maybe she would still be here.” Ken nodded, then pulled his goggles back down over his eyes. “No point in thinking about it, is there? She’s gone now. You okay to get back to the cabins?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine. Thanks.” Nikki watched as he glided off down the remainder of the hill. By the time she reached the bottom of the slope, her mind was filled with curiosity about him. He’d taken the time to make sure that she was okay. She ran her gloved hands along her arms and assessed whether she really was okay. The aches that throbbed through her had already begun to fade. She looked back up the hill that she had tumbled down. The sight made her heartbeat quicken. She was very lucky to be okay. If Ken wanted to hurt her, he had every opportunity to do so. He could have killed her, and left her body behind. The police would have assumed that the fall had killed her. Instead, he made sure she was safe. Did murderers do that? She doubted it. But his explanation as to why he was near Ashley’s cabin didn’t ring completely true to her.
Chapter 10
It took some time for Nikki to get back to the populated area of the ski slopes. As she neared it, she heard a shrill voice call out to her.
“Nikki! Nikki!” Sonia waved to her.
Nikki sighed with relief as she drank in the sight of the woman. She’d worried that she might have had trouble getting down the slope as well.
“
Nikki, are you okay?” Sonia rushed towards her, though she was slowed down by the ski boots she wore.
“I’m fine.” Nikki brushed a few chunks of snow from her jacket. “I took a tumble, but I was okay. Ken was there to help me.”
“Ken?” Sonia’s eyes widened.
“Yes, he was the one that we saw near Ashley’s cabin.” Nikki frowned. “He claimed he was there because he hasn’t been able to sleep. He keeps thinking about her murder.”
“He could be telling the truth. I don’t think either of us have been getting much sleep, have we?” Sonia met her eyes. “I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“He does seem like a kind man.” Nikki rolled her shoulders as an ache carried through them. “But I don’t think we can rule out possible ill intentions. At this point, everyone needs to be a suspect.”
“I know.” Sonia frowned. “But he just seems like a nice man.”
“Yes, he does.” Nikki recalled the way he looked at her with concern in his eyes. “We didn’t get a chance to check out the Merners’ cabin, but it’s getting late now. The dogs probably need to get out for a walk.”
“Not to mention, you need to make sure you haven’t done any serious damage to yourself.” Sonia narrowed her eyes as she looked her over. “Do you want to go to the first aid office?”
“No, I’m fine. I promise.” Nikki headed off in the direction of their cabin. After a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that Sonia was still behind her, she quickened her pace. She felt an urgency to get back, though she wasn’t sure why. A subtle pressure formed in her mind. What if Kyle had been arrested while she was gone? Worry for her brother filled her mind.
After they stowed their skis, Nikki snapped the leashes on the dogs, and led them outside. She could feel a few more aches, and while changing her socks to some dry ones, she had noticed some bruises. Sonia stepped outside behind her.
“Can I get any colder?” Sonia shivered as she took Princess’ leash from her. “I can handle Princess.”
“Are you sure?” Nikki glanced at her. “Wouldn’t you rather be inside warming up?”
“I’m right where I want to be.” Sonia held her gaze. “Until I know for sure that you’re okay, you’re going to have to get used to me being at your side.”
“Thanks.” Nikki smiled at her. She knew better than to argue. Sonia had one of the strongest wills she’d ever encountered. “At least the snow has slowed down.” She took a deep breath of the crisp air.
“For the moment. The weather forecast calls for a few more inches today.” Sonia shook her head. “It is tragic what happened. I’ve never felt more eager to get back to Dahlia.” She reached down to pet Princess as she lingered near her side.
Nikki and Sonia turned at the sound of someone walking towards them. He was too far away to see his features, but he was too big to be Kyle or Ken. As he walked towards them Nikki noticed that his spiky, dark hair, reminded her of someone. All of a sudden, she recognized him as Brent, the man from the gas station and café.
“Hello, ladies.” He smiled as he approached. “Oh, what beautiful dogs you have.” He reached his hand down for Princess to sniff.
Princess gave a sharp yap, and ducked behind Sonia’s legs.
“Sometimes she can be a little shy.” Sonia cringed.
“I understand.” Brent straightened up. “All of this must have put a damper on your vacation.”
“Did you know Ashley?” Nikki asked.
“Ashley, well yes. I’d been here for a few days and she came to clean my cabin each day.” He lowered his voice. “She wasn’t very pleasant.”
“No?” Nikki met his eyes. “Did you two have some trouble?”
“Not trouble exactly.” Brent shook his head, then lowered his voice further. “I caught her doing something she shouldn’t have been.”
“You did?” Sonia took a step closer to him. “What?”
“I don’t want to speak ill of the dead.” Brent grimaced, then took a breath. “I thought she was a bit nosy when she cleaned my cabin. I asked her why she looked at everything. She picked up my books, and asked me about where I came from. She said she considered herself a bit of a detective. That she liked to watch detective shows, and that people’s things could tell a lot about a person. Well honestly, I didn’t like it much.” Brent cleared his throat. “I’m a private person.”
“I wouldn’t have either.” Sonia narrowed her eyes. “Being a housekeeper doesn’t give someone the right to dig through other peoples’ things.”
“I agree. Anyway, after that, I kept a closer eye on her. One day she was a bit late to show up, so I started looking for her through the windows. I was kind of hoping she wouldn’t show. But I spotted her, at the cabin across from yours.” He pointed towards Ken’s cabin. “She opened the door, and went inside.”
“To clean it?” Nikki shrugged as she listened to the man’s story.
“No, not to clean it. That was the point. The day before I overheard the guy that’s staying there arguing with Ashley about her coming into his cabin. He told her that he didn’t want her in there at any time and he refused housekeeping. Ashley got pretty sharp with him and tried to insist, but he warned her that if he saw her near his cabin again, he would report her to the owners. I thought it was a little over the top myself. She might have been a little nosy, but she was a really great housekeeper. She cleaned things fast and well. She was only slowed down when she was being nosy.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “Anyway, when I saw her at his cabin again, I thought it was strange. I didn’t want to get her in trouble.”
“Interesting. Maybe she was just being stubborn.” Sonia tilted her head from side to side. “Ken told her no, and she didn’t like to hear no.”
“It’s possible.” Brent nodded. “She could be quite mean, though.”
“Mean?” Nikki narrowed her eyes.
“Nothing, it was nothing.” He smiled. “Enjoy your sweet pups. I’m going inside to get warm.” He glanced at both of them and turned around to walk off.
Nikki looked towards Brent as he crossed the snow to reach his cabin. He didn’t remember her. But she remembered him.
“Interesting.” Sonia glanced at Nikki.
“It seems like he knew quite a bit about Ashley.”
“Including that she let herself into Ken’s cabin. You know, I had assumed that Brent arrived here on the same day that we did, since I saw him at the gas station a couple of hours away.” She reached down to rub Coco’s back to ensure he wasn’t getting too cold. “But it sounds like he’s actually been here longer than we have.”
“I need to get her inside, she’s shivering.” Sonia scooped up Princess.
“Let’s all go in.” Nikki looked towards Ken’s cabin. She was tempted to walk over and knock on the door. Instead, she opened the door to their cabin for Sonia, and escorted Coco inside behind her.
As the dogs curled up near the fire to warm up, Nikki peeled off her coat and gloves. Then she pulled off her sweatshirt. Once she was down to her t-shirt, she examined her arms. There were a few bruises, but nothing too bad.
A knock on the door distracted her from her wounds.
“Who is it?” She walked over to the door.
“It’s me, Kyle.”
Nikki opened the door. “Hey bro.” She smiled.
“Hey bro?” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that all you have to say to me?”
“What? Is something wrong?” She frowned as he walked past her.
“I had to hear from someone else about your fall down the hill. Why didn’t you call me?” Kyle pulled off his jacket, then opened his arms to Coco as he bounded over to greet him.
“I’m fine, I didn’t think you would hear about it to be honest. Did someone see me fall?” Nikki sat down on the couch beside him.
“Max did. He called me about it. Said he wanted to make sure that you were okay.” He looked over at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, just a
couple of bruises.” Nikki sat back against the couch. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Okay, what is it?” Kyle smiled as Princess hopped up into his lap and lunged upward to lick his cheek.
“I know you said you didn’t have a meeting with Ashley planned. But she had the note in her notebook. Which means that even if you didn’t have it planned, she planned to meet someone on Fir Mountain.” Nikki pulled out her phone to show him the picture. “My best guess is that maybe she planned to meet you, but didn’t get to tell you about that plan before she was killed.”
“She’s nuts if she planned to meet anyone on Fir Mountain. It’s roped off because it’s too dangerous.” Kyle scratched the top of Princess’ head.
“Why is it so dangerous?” Sonia placed cups of hot cocoa in front of both of them, then joined them on the couch with her own cup in her hand.
“Thank you.” Kyle smiled at Sonia. “It’s dangerous because it’s steep, but that’s not the dangerous part. This time of year, there can be snow slides. Snow slides are like little avalanches. They don’t make it down here to the resort, but if you’re up on the mountain they can trap you. There are small crevices and caves that you can take shelter in, but if no one can get to you, then you just prolong your death.” He grimaced.
“Yikes, that sounds terrible.” Sonia clutched at her neck. “Could you imagine being trapped by the snow?”
“I’d rather not.” Nikki frowned. “But I’m sure that doesn’t happen all the time, right? Why would she plan to meet someone there? She’s worked here long enough to know that it’s a dangerous place. But she still planned a meeting there.”
“It’s dangerous, Nikki.” Kyle locked his eyes to hers.
“You haven’t worked here that long, though.” Nikki shrugged. “I thought we could take a trip up there, just to see where she wanted to meet. Maybe she left something behind, some clue as to what happened to her.”
“That is a terrifically bad idea.” Kyle shook his head and gently placed Princess on the floor. “You’re going to have to figure out what she was up to another way.”