by Dale Mayer
“Royce did.”
“Nice job, Royce.”
She glanced up to find him walking out to the boot room. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. As the door slammed shut, she figured he definitely had. “What’s his problem,” she muttered to no one in particular.
Stevie just laughed at her. She forked up another bite and ignored the rest of them.
She hadn’t slept well. Maybe that was the cause of her appetite. Or maybe she was just starting to heal. She certainly felt better. Stronger.
“Hey, did you leave anything for the rest of us?” Stevie asked, sitting down beside her.
She shook her head. “Hope not. If I did, it was a mistake.”
“Wow, aren’t you nice.”
She popped a big bite of sausage into her mouth and stood up. “I’m about to get seconds. Did you get any?”
He held up a cup of coffee. “I’ll drink this first.”
“Your loss.”
“Whoa, you weren’t kidding about extras, were you? Geesh.”
He bounded to his feet and raced around until he was ahead of her. He was busy scooping up eggs when she snagged a piece of toast and returned with a cup of coffee.
He sat down beside her.
“Did you ever notice the effect of death on the others?” He said it in a low voice as several other people were still getting dressed.
She nodded. “Just because we’re used to it doesn’t mean anyone else is.”
“It’s like their fear of mortality kicks in. Really weird.”
“Everyone likes to think we’re invincible. Instead, we’re an organic system that is way too delicate.”
“Soft shelled with no defense system against Mother Nature,” he mumbled around his food. “Such easy prey.”
The way he said that last bit had her studying his face with a sharp look. He was right. But it sounded as if a predator looking for easy prey was a great game. Something it wasn’t.
“That’s a horrible thing to say,” Yvonne said from the couch across from them. “I had no idea you considered humans so inferior.”
“Not inferior. We have brains and we can think. Reason. Act. Rationalized action. That’s what saved us from extinction,” he said.
Yvonne snorted. “Doesn’t sound like what you were saying before.”
“What?” he asked in an injured tone. “It’s not like I meant it in a bad way.” He caught Stacy’s gaze and rolled his eyes. In a low tone, he said, “See what I mean? Add a dead body and everyone has an issue with life and death.”
She laughed. “Of course, it just reminds us that we can’t escape death.”
“Yep, today or tomorrow. Our time will come.” In a dark, mocking voice, he added, “The question is will we die by our own hand, old age, or is someone else going to help us along the way?”
*
“George,” Royce called out quietly to his friend, walking behind him. “Did you hear anyone leave the cabin in the night?
“Nope.” George walked up beside Royce. “What time are we talking?”
“Between two and three.”
George shook his head. “I was sound asleep. I had trouble going to sleep but once I made it there, I never woke up until this morning.”
“I wish. I woke to something weird. Thought I heard someone walking around but couldn’t see anyone. I realized it was the outside door I’d heard, at least I thought I’d heard, but again I never could confirm that.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Chances are it was the wind slamming the door closed. You know that outside door is always being left ajar.” George shifted his pack to his other shoulder. “Besides, so what if there was someone walking about? We’ve both done that many times ourselves.”
“True. I don’t know why it bugged me but it did. It seemed…” Royce thought about it, adding with a foolish grin, “Maybe sinister.”
He expected George’s laughter, but instead George nodded and said, “I can see that. I thought I heard someone the first night we were here. I didn’t understand it at all. Why go out during the night?”
Royce stared at him. “Really? Two of three nights? That’s odd.”
“Unless someone is going out to have a smoke.”
“Then they are keeping it a secret as I don’t know anyone here that smokes.”
George plodded along, sinking into the deep snow with each step, both working harder than they had to as the path was really only wide enough for one.
“I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned the dead guy we found,” George said in a low voice.
“I would have, but there’s always someone around.” Royce glanced around to see Kathleen in deep conversation with Yvonne over the latest boards. “I’m trying to figure out how the guy got out here.”
“I know. If we’d seen any vehicles, it would make more sense. There was a mention of it on the news this morning, but they are withholding the guy’s name at this time and haven’t released much in the way of details.” George glanced back at his girlfriend. “I wish it hadn’t happened on this trip. I wanted to get Stacy away from death.”
“I hear you. Unfortunately, she’s a magnet for death.”
“Not intentionally.”
“She’s coming out today, isn’t she?” Royce asked, hating that sense of wrongness he’d woken up with and hadn’t been able to shake.
“Yes, why?” George asked.
“No reason.” He paused, thought about it, then added, “Except something feels off.”
“Yeah, glad you said that. I feel the same way.” He waved to Kathleen. “Let’s keep an especially close eye on the women.”
“Definitely. I really don’t want this holiday to involve a death again.”
George, already walking back to Kathleen, turned and with a somber voice, said, “It already does, remember?”
Chapter 20
Out in the sunshine, there was lots of laughter and teasing. Ten minutes into the trip, Stacy stopped, thinking she might have left her camera back in the cabin. She put her pack down and dug through it. After a frantic moment, she found it in the side pocket.
“Well, thank heavens for that.”
She stood back up again and realized that the group was slightly ahead. She took several pictures of them, loving the casualness of the scene. Friends walking, talking, laughing. Looking forward to the day ahead. She glanced around as she settled her pack on her shoulders. The place was pristine white. It was beautiful. Clean. So innocent looking. Except for the treachery always underneath.
Speaking of which…she lifted her camera again. Click. Click. There were phenomenal icicles hanging off the trees to the left. They were huge. And would give someone a severe blow if they came down on top of their head.
She had no illusions when it came to snow and ice conditions. They were here snowboarding and skiing, but there were no guides. No safety guardrails. They were all past that level. They had all helicopter skied and done other equally demanding sports. They were all fit.
But shit happened.
“Stacy? Come on.”
Damn, she’d gotten lost in her camera again.
She watched the group ahead of her stop and point out a snow cat slowly walking down the mountain. She’d heard the resort was opening up new runs on this side of the mountain but hadn’t thought to see the equipment actually working on it right now. From that long ski run, they could ski into the village below and hook up with other runs. And that was a damn good idea. Except the cat was walking down the hill and not up. So not the way she wanted to go.
In fact, right now she wasn’t sure she wanted to go anywhere. She waved the other group off to go on ahead then she found a spot to sit in the sun. She hated to admit it, but she was tired. Maybe this was as far as she was going today. She needed to tell the group her plans so they wouldn’t worry. Just then her phone rang, Royce wanting to know where she was. Apparently the second group had said she wasn’t with them. She turned to study the direction the other group had gone and s
ure enough, they were out of sight already.
She texted back, telling him exactly where she was and that she was in view of the cabin.
Shit.
She laughed at that succinct answer. He had such a mastery of words. I’m fine. I’m just going to take a few pictures. There’s nothing wrong with me sitting here and enjoying life.
Not alone
Sigh. Why not?
Because I don’t like what’s going on.
She glanced back at the text to reread it several times. Cautiously, she responded with, What is going on?
There was such a long silence, she wondered if he’d planned on answering her. Then it came back, I’m afraid that man was murdered.
*
Royce stared down at his phone, wondering if he should have sent that text. Still, he wanted her to stay safe. The one day that George wanted to keep an extra eye on the girls and Stacy chose this day to be on her own. Like really? He was already on the other side of the second mountain. He’d be almost an hour getting back over to her.
I’m fine. I’ll be careful.
That was so not his point. He loved that she didn’t address his comment. Did that mean she agreed? Had considered it? Or thought he was making a big deal out of nothing? And maybe he was, but something was not right.
He carved left and then right. These runs were empty as they so often were at this time of morning. They weren’t the easiest to access and commanded skill to do well. George and Kathleen were closer to town. They’d decided to have lunch at the pub. He’d loved to have joined them but got the impression that they were looking for a few moments of private time.
He wished. Then he brightened. If Stacy was alone, he could get some private time with her. Hell, he could be there in less than an hour. He had to hit the bottom of the run, catch the lift going up the opposite side, and come down the seven-mile run and grab the trail leading to the cabin. He dropped lower and picked up speed. At the bottom, there was a coffee shop. He bought two cups and hopped on the first lift up. With his hands full, he couldn’t text her that he was coming. And boarding the lift with two hot cups was not the smartest move on his part. He could only hope that the coffee would still be hot by the time he reached her. It was tricky taking the corners he needed to take. A part of him was hoping she had her video camera running as he came around. What a classy shot that would make. He finally hit the homestretch and cut to the right hard and slowed. Ha, he made it.
He straightened up and searched the trees for her. Someone was up ahead on the left. He called out, “Stacy? You there?”
Nothing. He searched the trees and thought he saw someone moving past another pocket of greenery. A red stripe on the jacket. Stacy didn’t have any red on hers. At least none that he remembered.
He came to a stop and studied the furtive figure. His hackles rose. Nothing special wrong. Just nothing spectacularly right. There could be people here for any number of reasons, but none good he could think of. The area was only accessible if the person knew the area well. And that he was doubtful of.
It was off the beaten path.
“Stacy?” He called her name louder again and again. No answer. He slid forward another few feet, his gaze hard. His ears were tuned and his gaze intent on the area he’d last seen that person.
There was no sign of him.
Anywhere.
Worse, there was no sign of Stacy either.
Damn it.
Where was she?
*
Idiot. Show off. Lovestruck fool. Did Royce really think it would be that easy? To see him? To understand he was there? To understand what he was doing? So not.
It wasn’t like he was going to be stupid here – unlike Royce, who stood holding two cold cups of coffee in his hands searching the woods. Stacy wasn’t here. At least not right here.
He thought she had been. He’d tracked her down to this area but when he finally picked out the perfect spot to watch her, she was gone. He kinda liked that. He had no problem with a game of hide and seek. Predator and prey. Winner and loser.
The outcome was inevitable.
This was fun, but not challenging. It was better to drag it out. See the normal reactions change to that inner suspicion of needing to look over her shoulder – of not being sure why but unable to stop checking.
Because of course her instincts were there, just not as finely tuned as her ancestors of hundreds of years ago. Obviously Stacy’s instincts were better than most as she’d booked it out of here. Interesting. So where the hell was she?
Royce appeared to be searching for her himself.
Great. Now to see who’d find her first.
Chapter 21
Damn it. She wished Royce would stop yelling long enough to hear her own calls. But she was keeping her voice hushed, whereas he was letting the entire world know she was missing.
Great. If the guy watching her from the crest above her didn’t know she’d been down there before, he sure knew now. She didn’t know if that watcher was just an innocent bystander or not. She’d caught him in her camera view several times and had managed to get a couple of pictures, but they were a long ways away. She doubted there would be enough detail to identify him. But it would prove she hadn’t imagined him.
She’d held back texting anyone about it. She didn’t want them to think she’d crossed that fine line of paranoia with being back on the mountain.
But maybe after this, she shouldn’t. Or maybe after this, it just proved she was nervous over nothing. Something she wouldn’t have thought of herself. She wasn’t scared to be here. Or of something happening to herself. It was more that something might happen to her friends.
She wasn’t sure what to say to Royce’s earlier comment about the man being murdered. It wasn’t for her to say. And it was too early to judge. But all the indications pointed to foul play. It was hard to argue away the marks on his wrists. He might not have been murdered, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been running for his life to escape something horrible and had succumbed to the elements.
Silence had descended on the area. She peered through the boughs of the big fir tree she’d taken refuge behind to see Royce standing and staring, such a horrible look of loss on his face. And she realized maybe the others were correct. Maybe he really did care.
And damn if that didn’t make her feel terrible. She’d been keeping him at a distance. Thinking he’d been mocking her. Playing with her. Treating her like his other relationships. But what if he was trying to show her he cared?
Trying to let her know she was different.
Or was that just wishful thinking on her part?
There. A shadow shifted on the ridge above them. Movement to the left. Royce spun and stared up behind where Stacy had seen her stalker earlier.
“Hello?”
No answer. There was a heavy rustling sound but if anyone was still up there, they were leaving or already gone. She stepped out from behind her hiding place. “Royce,” she hissed.
He spun back again, relief washing over his face. Followed by instant anger.
“What the hell were you doing hiding back there? I almost had heart attack thinking—”
“Shh,” she snapped in a harsh whisper. “Someone was sitting up there for a really long time staring at me. But they were hidden from view. It made me really uncomfortable so when I thought I could, I slipped out of sight and waited.”
His gaze was intent, searching. And damn, he saw a lot. “He really scared you, huh?”
Trying to keep her voice calm and logical, she said, “There have been a couple of times these last few days when I felt like I was being watched. I never could see anyone though.”
“What?” He stared at her in shock, anger still burning bright in his eyes. “And you’re just telling me now?”
“When was I supposed to mention it?” she asked in what she thought was a reasonable tone of voice. Apparently he didn’t agree.
“Tell me all of it.” When she didn’t answer
fast enough, he snapped, “Now.”
Feeling a sense of déjà vu, she said, “It’s not much…” then gave him the little bit she knew.
“And last night? Were you awoken in the night for any reason?”
“Yes! Were you?”
He nodded. “I thought I heard the outside door open and close.”
“Which isn’t all that odd or alarming. People go outside sometime in the night.”
“I know.” He nodded. “That’s part of the problem. It could be completely innocent.”
“So why are you so worried? It sounds like everyone’s imagination is going wild.”
“And your stalker today? Was that also your imagination?” He held out a cup of coffee for her. “This is probably cold by now…”
“That’s fine. I could use the caffeine hit.” She accepted the cup gratefully, touched by his thoughtfulness. She had no idea how he managed to do it, but the cup was still full and lukewarm.
He took a drink from his cup and made a face.
She grinned at him and took a big drink. “It’s not hot, but it’s caffeine.”
“And the stalker,” he said, staying persistent.
She threw up her hand. “All right. So maybe that incident wasn’t my imagination.”
“And if it wasn’t, then likely the other incidents weren’t either,” he said thoughtfully. “Still, I don’t understand who this person is and what they want.”
“Neither do I.” Of course the clouds moved in and changed the bright sunlight to overcast and cloudy. The cool coffee was also having an effect on her. She shivered. “I think I’ll head home to the cabin.”
“Then I’m coming with you.” He bent down and picked up his board and motioned in front of him. “Shall we?”
She started off in the right direction. “You don’t have to come with me, you know.”
He snorted. “We’ve just finished discussing that there is a stalker following you…”
“Right. Fair enough.” She was happy to have the company.