Afraid

by Jo Gibson

  Julie kept her expression carefully neutral. Vicki had set him up! But she couldn’t tell Ross how she knew that. “And that was the start of your affair with her?”

  “What affair?” Ross looked puzzled. “It was only that once. Six weeks later, she told me she was pregnant. And a week after that, she was dead.”

  It was almost one in the morning when Julie let herself back into the apartment. There were no lights on in the living room, Aunt Caroline and Uncle Bob had gone to bed hours ago, and she was careful not to make any noise as she tiptoed past the couch toward the hallway. Suddenly, the swivel chair creaked and someone grabbed her arm roughly. Julie gasped in shock, and whirled to face her uncle. “Uncle Bob!”

  “What are you doing out this time of night?”

  Julie could see his face in the moonlight, and his eyes blazed with rage. She gulped, and tried to explain. “I . . . I couldn’t sleep so I . . . I took a walk.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Victoria! I know you were in his room!”

  His fingers dug into her arm and Julie winced. Uncle Bob was so angry, he’d called her “Victoria.” And she could smell liquor on his breath. “That’s true, Uncle Bob. I couldn’t sleep, so I went out on my balcony. And Ross was out on his. We started talking, and it was so cold out there, he invited me to come to his room. I didn’t tell you that, because you were so angry. And I didn’t want to upset you any more.”

  “I told you to stay away from him, and I meant it!”

  Julie frowned. He’d never told her to stay away from Ross. “No, you didn’t, Uncle Bob. I had no idea you wanted me to stay away from Ross.”

  Uncle Bob looked confused. He stared at her and blinked. And then he dropped her arm. “Julie?”

  “Yes, Uncle Bob?”

  “Julie.” Uncle Bob shook his head, as if he were shaking off a bad dream. “I’m sorry, honey. I must have fallen asleep in the chair. When you came in, you woke me up. I guess I was dreaming about Vicki. And for a minute there, I . . . I thought you were Vicki.”

  Julie gave a big sigh of relief. Of course! Poor Uncle Bob. From what she’d learned about Vicki and her boyfriends, he had a perfect right to be angry.

  “Can you forgive me, Julie?” Uncle Bob looked very upset. “I didn’t mean to grab you like that. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  Julie’s arm was smarting and she knew she’d have bruises, but she didn’t want to admit it. It would only make him feel guilty. “It’s all right, Uncle Bob. And there’s nothing to forgive. I understand.”

  “Thank you, Julie.” Uncle Bob looked very relieved. “How about a glass of milk and one of Mrs. Robinson’s chocolate chip cookies?”

  Julie nodded, even though she was exhausted. All she really wanted to do was go to sleep, but Uncle Bob seemed to want to talk. “I’d like that, Uncle Bob.”

  A few moments later, they were sitting on the couch with a plate of cookies between them. Julie munched a cookie and smiled. Mrs. Robinson’s chocolate chip cookies were the best she’d ever tasted. “Can I ask you a question, Uncle Bob?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why did you want Vicki to stay away from Ross?”

  Uncle Bob sighed. “Ross was all wrong for her. And I knew that if she started going out with him, there’d be trouble.”

  “You thought he was too old for her?”

  “That’s part of it. And Vicki could be . . . uh . . . very distracting. I saw Red Dawson almost cut off his finger when Vicki watched him skin a buck.”

  Julie nodded. Aunt Caroline had told her about Vicki and Red. And the night she’d talked to Red in his workroom, he’d seemed upset when he’d mentioned Vicki. But she didn’t want to know about Vicki and Red. She wanted to know more about Ross. “Do you want me to stay away from Ross, too?”

  “I’m not really in any position to order you around, Julie. Would you stay away from Ross if I asked you to?”

  “Yes, I would . . . if you told me why.”

  Uncle Bob sighed again. “All right. I’ll tell you. But don’t repeat it.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Ross’s mother, Marsha, was a very sad case. Her family was poor, and they lived in a little shack up in the mountains. Her mother died when she was quite young, and Marsha’s father used to beat her every time he got drunk. She ran away from home when she was fifteen, and your grandparents took her in.”

  “Did she work here at the lodge?”

  Uncle Bob nodded. “She waited tables in the restaurant, and she went to high school with us. Caro was in her class. She worked here until she was twenty.”

  “Why did she leave?”

  “She ran off with a soldier. He was sent to Vietnam for the mop-up operation, and he got killed. Marsha came back here the next year with her baby boy.”

  Julie nodded. Ross had told her that his father had been killed in Vietnam. “Did she work at the lodge again?”

  “No. Caro and I told her she could have her old position back, but she found another job as a cocktail waitress down on Main Street. And then we started hearing rumors that she was involved with some of the married men around town. We didn’t believe them at first, but it was pretty obvious that Marsha was getting a lot of extra money from somewhere. Caro didn’t think we should get involved, but I tried to help Marsha. I used to drop by every week or so, to make sure that little Ross was all right.”

  “That was very nice of you.” Julie smiled at her uncle, but inside, she was seething. Ryan had told her that he’d heard Uncle Bob had a mistress. That just showed how hateful gossip could be. Those vicious rumors were probably based on Uncle Bob’s visits to check on Ross!

  “Marsha died when Ross was a senior in high school, and there wasn’t much of an estate. So we did what your grandparents did—we took Ross in until he graduated, and then we gave him a job so he could save up money for college.”

  Julie nodded. “That’s a wonderful story, Uncle Bob. But I still don’t understand why you want me to stay away from Ross.”

  “It’s because of his family background, Julie. As much as I hate to say it, Marsha wasn’t from the best stock. And nobody knows Ross’s father. I believe that heredity has a lot to do with the type of person you eventually become. I like Ross. He’s a fine young man. But he may carry some very undesirable genes.”

  “Oh. I see.” Julie tried not to look shocked, but she thought Uncle Bob’s theory was completely crazy. And it was terribly unfair to Ross.

  “Well . . . it’s time to turn in.” Uncle Bob stood up and yawned. “Don’t worry about these dishes, Julie. I’ll put them away. It’s late, and you’d better get straight to bed.”

  Julie was exhausted as she got into bed and turned off the light. Uncle Bob had been weird tonight, and she hoped he wasn’t going on another bender. All that talk about Ross’s family and bad genes. No wonder Vicki hadn’t told him that she was planning to marry Ross!

  Julie had thought of arguing when Uncle Bob had asked her to stay away from Ross. But then she’d reconsidered. She didn’t really want to date Ross now, she just wanted to be his friend. She wasn’t exactly sure how that had happened, but it had.

  Naturally, she’d promised to keep Ross’s secret, and not tell anyone what he’d told her. Ross had been through hell, and in Donna’s words, he’d been royally dumped on. He’d been trapped by an expert schemer . . . or had he?

  Even though she didn’t want to mistrust Ross, it was possible that he was the expert schemer. Vicki had set out to trap him. She’d admitted as much on the tape. But what if he’d slept with her anyway, and believed her when she’d told him she was pregnant? And what if he’d thought of a way to get out of a marriage he didn’t want by killing his bride-to-be on the way to the wedding?

  The possibility was chilling. Julie tried to erase it from her mind, but it held a terrible fascination. Ross could have been the stalker Vicki had described. The loss of his mother might very well have affected his mind. He was the poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks, totally
unsuitable for the boss’s beautiful daughter. Ross might have spied on Vicki, jealous that she was sleeping with Ryan, and Mr. Stratford, and Red Dawson, and Paul. He could have called her “wicked” on the phone, warned her to mend her ways, and threatened to punish her if she didn’t. Then Vicki had slept with him, or at least, he’d thought she had. And Ross could have killed her when he believed she was pregnant with his child, tricking everyone into believing that Vicki had been crazy enough to take her own life.

  Julie sighed deeply. She felt like a traitor. She didn’t want to believe that Ross was the stalker, but it all made sense . . . except one thing. Why was Ross stalking her?

  The answer came in a flash, and Julie shivered beneath her warm blankets. It was simple. And reasonable. And totally believable. Ross was afraid she’d ask too many questions about Vicki’s death. And she had. Now he was stalking her, trying to get everyone to think she was crazy, and setting the same kind of trap for her!

  Julie thought back to day at the ice rink. He’d seen her skating with Ryan, asking him questions. He could have watched her from the trees at the ice rink, and then appeared to escort her home. Of course he’d told her she’d heard a raccoon. He couldn’t very well tell her that she’d heard him!

  Ross could have started the avalanche, and when that hadn’t worked, he’d been in a perfect position to move the warning flags to lure her over the fatal drop on Dead Man’s Run. He’d probably seen her kissing Ryan, after Ryan had saved her, so he’d called her at the switchboard again, warning her to stay away from the men who might know too much about Vicki.

  Ross could have been the face on her balcony. That would explain why there were no tracks at the bottom of the fire escape. He could have found that peephole in Vicki’s room, and he could have been spying on her all along. He could be the person who’d locked her in the game cooler, and he could have knocked down the icicles on the arch, in an attempt to kill her!

  Julie shuddered. If Ross was the stalker, how far would he go? Would he keep on trying to kill her until he succeeded?

  Fifteen

  “I’m sorry, but we’re not accepting any reservations for this weekend.” Julie tried to sound as friendly as possible as she read the prepared notice Aunt Caroline had given her. “We’re completely redecorating our guest rooms. Would you like to visit us next week, and stay in one of our beautiful new suites?”

  The woman on the other end of he line sounded very disappointed. She told Julie that her husband had managed to get a week’s vacation, and they’d decided, on the spur of the moment, to go to Saddlepeak Lodge for their wedding anniversary. She’d been hoping to get last-minute reservations, but now that was impossible.

  “I’m so sorry.” Julie thought fast. Aunt Caroline had told her that this was their slow season, and she wanted to make the reservation. “If you can just wait until Monday to come, we’ll reserve the bridal suite for you. At no extra charge, of course.”

  The woman seemed delighted, and Julie repeated the reservation. “Monday through Sunday in the bridal suite? We’ll be looking forward to seeing you then.”

  What had started as a weekend reservation had turned into a full week. Julie jotted it down in the book, and when she looked up, she found her aunt standing by the desk, smiling at her.

  “Good work, Julie. I couldn’t have done it better myself! Now tell me . . . which one is the bridal suite?”

  Julie giggled. “I’m not sure. The biggest one, I guess. How about three-oh-one? I took a peek today, and it looks beautiful.”

  “I’ll have someone make up a plaque for the door.” Aunt Caroline sounded amused. “Whatever gave you an idea like that? We’ve never had a bridal suite at Saddlepeak Lodge.”

  “I don’t know. It just sounded more romantic.”

  Aunt Caroline nodded. “Well, it was a great idea! Why don’t you take a lunch break, Julie? There’s a plate of cold cuts in the cooler, and the bread is on the counter.”

  “How about you?” Julie smiled at her aunt. “Shall I make you a sandwich?”

  Aunt Caroline nodded. “Thank you, honey. That would be nice. How about a ham and cheese with plenty of mustard? And if you don’t mind, we can eat right here in the lobby.”

  Julie nodded, and headed for the kitchen. The lodge was quiet and deserted, except for the workmen who would leave at dusk. Aunt Caroline had given the staff the weekend off, since they were closed for redecorating.

  It seemed strange to be in the huge kitchen alone. The only staff member who had stayed behind was Ross. The Larkins were visiting their married children in Greeley, Red Dawson was spending the weekend in Colorado Springs, and Mrs. Robinson was staying with her sister in Denver. Even Uncle Bob had taken advantage of the break to go on a weekend hunting trip. Last night had been eerie, with just Aunt Caroline, Ross, and Julie rattling around in the five-story lodge.

  Julie made two ham-and-cheese sandwiches with plenty of mustard, and set them on a tray. Then she poured two cups of coffee, black for her, and one with cream and sugar for her aunt.

  When Julie got back to the lobby, her aunt was on the phone. She carried the tray to the huge round table in front of the leather couch, and set it down quietly.

  “Of course . . . yes. I understand.” Aunt Caroline’s pen flew across the pad as she made a hasty note. “Five-fifteen. But you don’t know the flight number or the airline?”

  Julie grinned at her aunt. It sounded like another reservation. Saddlepeak Lodge provided service to and from the airport.

  “No, that won’t be a problem. We have a sign, and we’ll meet all flights in the waiting area. Do you have a list of names?”

  Julie watched as her aunt wrote down the names. It looked like a very long list.

  “No, that’s not a problem, either. We’ll bring them in every morning, and pick them up every night. And you said the convention lasts through Saturday?” Aunt Caroline jotted down another note, and winked at Julie. “Thank you for thinking of us. We’ll be there. And try some hot lemonade for that sore throat of yours.”

  Aunt Caroline hung up the phone and jumped to her feet. “Panic time, Julie. How many rooms do we have ready?”

  “You mean . . . right now?”

  “By tonight.”

  Julie frowned. “They did twelve yesterday, and they planned to finish the second floor by noon. That’s twenty. What’s happening, Aunt Caroline?”

  “I’m going to need every one of them. We’ve got a party of twenty-two arriving at the airport at five-fifteen. That means they’ll be up here by six-thirty. There’s one married couple, and two of the women want to share, so we can put them all on the second floor. Do you think we can get the rooms ready in time? Or did I bite off more than we can chew?”

  Julie shook her head. “We can do it, Aunt Caroline. All we have to do is dust and vacuum, and make up the beds. And it’s only a little past one.”

  “Let’s go see how many rooms are finished.” Aunt Caroline grabbed her sandwich, and motioned for Julie to follow her. “I guess I’m greedy, Julie. I should have told them we were closed for remodeling, but it’s twenty-two paying guests for a whole week. I just couldn’t pass on an opportunity like that!”

  “Of course you couldn’t.” Julie grabbed her sandwich, and hurried off after her aunt. “But Aunt Caroline? What will we do for food? The restaurant’s closed.”

  “Sandwiches will be fine for tonight. I explained all that, and these people are delighted just to find a place to stay. There’s some sort of big convention in Denver, and all the hotels are full.”

  “How about breakfast tomorrow morning?”

  “No problem.” Aunt Caroline reached the elevator and pressed the button. “I had them hold while I called Mrs. Robinson on the other line. She’ll be here at the crack of dawn to open the restaurant.”

  The elevator doors opened, and they stepped in. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Aunt Caroline started to laugh. “When the rest of our reservation comes in on Monday, we’ll be on
ly two rooms short of full occupancy. And I thought this was my slow season!”

  They were through with five rooms and starting on the sixth when Ross came up in the elevator. “I gassed up the van and your station wagon. Is there anything else I can do to help?”

  “I thought you’d never ask. Hold out your arms.” Aunt Caroline reached into the linen closet, grabbed a stack of new towels, and plunked them into Ross’s arms. “Follow Julie. She’s working on this end of the hall. Every bathroom gets four towels, two on the rack and two on the shelf.”

  Julie was uncomfortable as she walked down the hall with Ross. They hadn’t been alone together since Sunday night, when he’d broken down and told her about Vicki, and she was embarrassed she’d suspected him of being the stalker. She’d been so tired that night, everything had seemed to point to Ross. But when she’d awakened the next morning, she’d changed her mind. If there was a stalker, he could be any of Vicki’s boyfriends. Jealousy was definitely a motive to spy on someone. The stalker could be Ryan, or his father, or Red Dawson, or even Paul. And there was another possibility she had to consider. Perhaps there wasn’t a stalker at all. It was entirely possible that Vicki had imagined the whole thing, except for the phone call. And that could have been just a recurring prank.

  Even though she didn’t like to admit it, Julie knew she might have been imagining things, too. Paul had been right. She’d been under a lot of stress with her parents’ deaths, and her move to the States. She could have been unknowingly buying into Vicki’s paranoia. After all, she was in a strange town, surrounded by people she’d only met a few weeks ago, and it was natural to feel like everyone was watching her. They might be. People in a small community always watched newcomers with suspicious eyes. She’d gotten the phone calls, too, but there were lots of sick people out there who called the same number over and over. For all she knew, the other girls who’d manned the switchboard might have gotten similar calls.