by Adele Huxley
~
It’s crazy about that missing girl, isn’t it?
I grinned as I looked at my phone, a dark idea quickly forming. I was really pushing the envelope with this one. My thumbs flew across the screen, hesitating before I pressed send.
Didn’t you hear? They found her
~
No shit? Is she okay?
I jogged to the front door and leaned outside. With my pointer finger, I carefully wrote out M I A H in the snow, snapped a picture, and sent it to him.
They found her frozen in the forest. Apparently, before she died she had the strength to carve the name of her killer into the snow.
I giggled as I pressed send, shaking off the cold and shutting the front door as I walked in. Liz glanced up from the TV, frowned, but didn’t question what I was doing.
You are a twisted human being, ha ha. I love it.
I grabbed a cookie out of one of the plastic containers, poured myself a glass of water, and took a seat next to her on the sofa. “Any news?”
Liz’s head swiveled without breaking her gaze, almost as if she physically couldn’t pull her eyes from the screen. “Now they’re saying we’re going to get another three feet before the end of the night. And the storm isn’t supposed to stop until the day after tomorrow.”
Miah replied and as I read his text, my heart beat faster.
I know we can’t drive anywhere, but I could meet you in town. It’s only a 20-minute walk for me, how far is it for you?
I felt the color rush to my cheeks inexplicably as I typed the response.
About the same. I’m not sure though…
I thought about how best broach the subject. Liz was enthralled in the Weather Channel, and Jack was napping. All the cookies were finished and packed, our bags were sitting by the front door ready to go. I stood casually, stretched my arms over my head with a long yawn, and put my hands on my hips.
“So, I think I’ll walk into town. Nothing’s really going on and…”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Liz said with a tight voice. She didn’t even look up from the screen to tell me no.
I tried to keep the sarcasm from infecting my voice. “Well, it’s not like you need me to be here. I seriously doubt this arsonist is just roaming the streets with a torch looking for his next victim,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“It’s not that. The snow is only going to get heavier and nothing in town is open anyway. Bryan will be here soon.” She glanced back at the TV before giving me a sideways look. “You going to meet a guy?”
I felt the phone go off. I stuffed my hands in the pocket of my sweatshirt. “No.”
Liz looked up at me as if she wanted to say something, but bit her tongue. I thought back to the conversation I had with Bryan while I puked up a fifth of vodka and remembered to take it easy on her.
“I don’t have to. Maybe we could play a board game here, you know, while we’re waiting for Bryan?”
Liz blinked at me a couple of times before responding. “Yeah, maybe.” She turned back to the television as if the forecast would change if she weren’t watching.
I huffed and plopped into the chair. This is what I get when I try to be friendly, I thought.
I quickly typed out a message to Miah.
I don’t think so. I’m lazy and while walking downhill in the snow does sound fun…
The lights flickered. They browned out a few times before going completely black. Both Liz and I looked up and then to each other. The room fell eerily silent, the TV going black. The power outage must’ve only lasted for a few seconds before the lights came back on.
“Well, that’s a fun development.”
“The generator must’ve kicked on,” she said as she jumped up.
Power’s out here :(
~
Yeah, here, too.
A few seconds later, Liz’s phone rang. I eavesdropped on her conversation with Bryan.
“Hey, baby. Yeah, here, too. The generator is on, though… Seriously? Do you really think… Yeah, no. I get that. It makes sense.” There was a long silence as she listened to him, her eyes darting up more than once. She paced around the living room nodding, her expression growing more concerned by the second.
Trying to keep the situation light, I sent Miah another funny text.
Tellure Hollow the next Donner Pass? It’s more likely than you think!
Liz got off the phone and looked at me with an expression of disbelief. “We’re actually doing it. The evacuation is on.” Liz paced around the room as she spoke, retelling me the high points of Bryan’s call. “The fire hall is completely full. Power is out across the whole town and since a lot of the roads are blocked or shut down, we don’t have any way of fixing it quickly. Normally, we wouldn’t have to do this, but because it’s supposed to go on for days…” She trailed off, probably running through a list of things she needed to get ready before we went up to the lodge.
I have to admit, I didn’t think a blizzard was anything to get that worked up over. Living in Southern California, where people lose their shit at the slightest drizzle, you’d think I would be panicking. But really, how much trouble could snow get up to? It’s fluffy and harmless, right? Yeah, it’ll get in the way, but that’s why we have plows and shovels. Apparently, I didn’t give snow the proper amount of respect.
After double-checking my packed bag, I settled into my spot by the window and watched the storm. The precipitation had changed slightly. Now late afternoon, the temperature had warmed enough that it was coming down in wet chunks, like thick, white rain. The pine boughs hung low with the weight of the damp snow, changing the entire shape of the forest.
A local plow rumbled up the road, his orange lights flashing on top while the metal plow scraped the pavement, flinging snow to the side. A long train of cars followed behind at a glacial rate, little mechanical ducks following their big truck mother. Twenty minutes later, I looked out and the road looked untouched.
My first real flash of concern came when the police SUV slowly rolled by, the cop inside broadcasting the equivalent of an emergency message. Liz jogged downstairs just as he passed, two heavy duffel bags slung over each shoulder. I’d packed for a couple days. She’d packed for a few weeks.
“What is he saying?” she asked as she tossed them by the front door.
I squinted, as if that might help me hear better. “I think he’s telling everyone about the evacuation. He said there will be a plow coming through to clear a path up to the lodge.” I sunk back into the chair and watched as Liz flew around the kitchen. “This is serious, isn’t it?”
She gave a sarcastic laugh. “Definitely not the way I was expecting to spend Christmas this year.” She stood and did a full spin in the middle of the kitchen as she counted things off on her fingers. “I opened all the taps so they don’t freeze, I’ve packed our bags. I have enough formula for Jack and plenty of diapers…”
I almost made a joke at her expense when the phone rang in my pocket. Frowning, I glanced at the number to see Miah was calling. Liz looked over as I answered. “Hello?”
“Dani, I need your help,” he blurted. My pulse spiked.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my eyes locked with Liz’s.
“It’s Mrs. Goldberg. I can’t get our generator to kick on and she’s on a respirator.” My throat clenched at the panic in his voice. “I’ve already called 911, and they said it might be nearly an hour before they can get out here.”
“Shit, I’m sorry, but what can…”
I heard a vaguely familiar voice call out in the background. “Tell her the damn car won’t start either.”
“Did you hear that?” Miah asked.
“Yeah,” I hesitated. “Is that Marie?”
“Yeah, we live together. It’s her mom. Listen, is Bryan there? You’re the only person I could think of that might help us faster. If you ask Bryan, maybe he knows someone…”
“Got it,” I interrupted, not waiting for him to finish
that thought. I pushed the throb of jealousy away at the idea of Marie and him living together. I wanted to know the whole story behind that, but there were more pressing things I needed to deal with first. “Hold on.” I lowered the phone and spoke to Liz. “A friend needs help. They don’t have any power and her mom needs it for her respirator.”
Liz frowned and shook her head in confusion. “The ambulance…”
“Is nearly an hour away,” I cut in. “Can you call Bryan and find out if someone could go over there specially to pick her up? They need to get to the lodge as soon as possible.” I lifted the phone to my ear, not even waiting for Liz to respond. “Miah, can you text me your exact address?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure. Hold on.”
I looked to Liz who gave me a tight nod. She put her hand over the receiver and whispered, “He’s trying to find someone.”
“Okay. Tell him I’ll text him the address.”
A few moments later, they had a friend heading out to Marie’s house. “They should be there soon,” I said, relief flooding my veins. It felt good to pull together and actually help someone in the middle of a crisis.
“I know I called you a disturbing human being,” he said with a chuckle, “but you’re also pretty awesome. Thank you, Dani Marsh.”
My cheeks reddened. I turned away from Liz and smiled. “You’re welcome. See you up at the lodge.”
Bryan was at the house twenty minutes after we had resolved the crisis with Mrs. Goldberg. Knowing we had a full town plus God-knows however many tourists flooding into the lodge, I filled every single shopping bag I could with food. I packed the spiral ham, the turkey, plus all the cookies I had baked. Fuck the storm. I’m bringing Christmas with me, I thought wryly.
With everyone safely packed in the truck, including Walt, we made our way down the drive to the main road. Ever the cautious driver, Bryan slowed at the end to make sure no one was coming in either direction. As he swung the truck onto the road, the back fishtailed, slipping on the slushy mixture of wet snow. I squealed and grabbed the hand-hold above my head, reaching behind me instinctively to steady Jack in the car seat. A look of fright spread across Dani’s face as Bryan regained control.
“Well, that’s not a great start, is it?” Bryan said with a nervous laugh.
“You drive like you ski,” Walt muttered.
“Before or after the accident?” he asked, looking at them through the rear-view mirror.
“Hopefully not during,” Dani quipped.
I gritted my teeth and rested my hand on the dash. Just when I thought I was building something with the girl, she tore it all back down again. “These roads really are terrible, aren’t they?”
“To be honest, we should’ve made this call twelve hours ago. Even with the plows clearing the way, people are going to have a hard time getting up there.”
Our new house sat to the left side of Powder Mountain’s base, part of the new construction that had developed the area over the past decade. On a normal day the commute up to the lodge was less than ten minutes. With the snow, it took us a half an hour. I kept the radio low and the interior quiet so Bryan could concentrate on the road. Because we didn’t have to wait for the plow, we were one of the few headed up to the mountain, so the going was slow. The tension drained from all of us as he swung the truck up to the curb of the lodge. We parked just outside so we could easily unload all the food and bags. As we hefted the last ones out of the back, a county plow led a trail of at least twenty cars into the parking lot.
We bundled past the oversized Adirondack chair at the front of the building. It was a favorite photo site for tourists and where Diane’s twins were climbing.
“Your mama know you’re out here?” I asked with a smile.
Both girls gave me identical smiles and nodded. “She told us to get out of her hair,” June said with a toothy grin.
“You play safe,” I said as I walked past. “Walt, can you take these things to the kitchen? Bruce should be waiting for them.”
The inside of the lodge was bustling. Without us having to ask, every staff member had gotten straight to work as they arrived. Walking through the hall towards the Great Hall, the largest lounge area, I was surprised at how organized everything seemed. The sofas and chairs were pushed to one side, allowing space for sleeping bags and cots. Fires roared in the fireplaces, staff helped people get settled in, and every Christmas light twinkled, making the whole scene feel like a festive sleepover.
“I’ve got a few things to check in the office,” Bryan said. He threaded his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “You doing okay?”
I took a deep breath and smiled. “Better than some, worse than others… for a Marsh at least,” I replied, repeating Dani’s comment from earlier. “I’ll go check on the food situation. Pretty sure Bruce ordered enough for the holiday season, but I want to be positive we’ll have enough to feed the whole town.” I took a step back and looked at him, shaking my head in disbelief as that thought sunk in. “Wow. Like, literally the whole town. This is something else, isn’t it?”
“Sure is. We’ll get through it just fine,” he said, giving my forehead a quick kiss.
I got Dani and Jack settled in a spot near the fire in the center. The way people were claiming space, I worried if we were at all prepared to house so many. Spreading out a blanket on the floor, I tossed a few of Jack’s favorite toys to her and explained I would be back in a few minutes. “Your friends should be here soon, you can go hang out with them when I get back.”
“Okay, sure,” Dani replied as her cheeks flushed. I was proud of the way she had handled the situation and figured she’d want to see this guy as soon as possible. At least I knew she couldn’t get into too much trouble with him at the lodge.
I made my way through the cafeteria back to the kitchen where I found Bruce already in his chef whites. Every oven was on, steam rolling from boiling pots. I recognized a few people chopping vegetables, not all of whom were employees.
“So what’s the verdict? Are we all going to starve to death?” I asked as I tapped Bruce on the shoulder.
He turned around, his face lighting up as soon as he saw me. Bruce’s pale blue eyes twinkled, the corners crinkling as he grinned. It was hard to work out his exact age. He had the look of a man who could be sixty and pass for no older than forty. Slightly salt-and-pepper hair, but still muscular and young looking. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“We brought our Christmas dinner, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones. I can enlist a few more people to help you out here if you need it,” I said, looking around. To be honest, it didn’t look like he did.
“We should be fine,” he replied as his gaze followed mine. “Can I talk to you for a second? Privately?” I nodded and followed his lead. His expression darkened as he touched my elbow, pulling me to the side of the room where it was quieter. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of them,” he said, nodding to the other kitchen staff, “but when I came in this afternoon, I smelled gas.”
A twinge of intuition tickled the hairs on the back of my neck. “Okay, did you figure out what it was? I mean, the inspector was just here,” I said as I looked around the industrial kitchen, “but a lot of the equipment is old…”
Bruce shook his head and scratched his neck. “No, it was nothing like that.” He ran his tongue along his gums as he mulled over his words.
“Come on, you’re starting to freak me out here,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“I’m a little freaked out myself. You see,” he said, his voice growing even lower, “one or two burners I might understand. It happens to everyone. You’re cleaning or walking past, your pocket catches, and you accidentally leave it on.”
I frowned, not liking where this conversation was going. “Right… so how many did you find on?”
“They weren’t just left on. Someone tore the knobs clean off.”
I tried to hide my concern and casually look around. Sure enough, every oven I cou
ld see had a few missing. “How many?”
“Practically all of them,” he whispered darkly. “Told everyone we were getting them refit, don’t think they believed me. That has to be deliberate, right?”
With my heart thumping in my chest, I pushed aside the possible outcome of that much gas filling up in a confined space. I looked around the bustling kitchen as if I’d find the answer there. “How many people were here? Did you see anyone?”
“That’s just it. They shut down just after three, when they got word the mountain was closing. Today was my day off, but I came up here just after, before they confirmed the evacuation,” he said as his skin turned rosy. “I got a little extra from the meat guy for Christmas dinner and I forgot it in the freezer.”
“Bruce!” I exclaimed with mock surprise. “You’re taking kick-backs?” I needed the humor to dull the shock of what could be a potential sabotage. He smiled shyly, looking more like a little boy caught with cookies before dinner than a grown man. “Have you told anyone else about this?”
He shook his head. “No, but there’s one more thing. I went all over and turned off the burners, opened the windows to air out the place, right? But I could still smell the gas. I looked behind every stove and found that one line had been physically pulled from the wall.”
I frowned, trying to wrap my head around this. “That doesn’t just happen. So that means it has to be deliberate, right?” I asked slowly.
He nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. It almost seemed like… shit, I hate saying this, but it felt like the burners had been left on as a way to distract anyone who might come along, ya know? Make ‘em think they fixed it while letting the slow leak carry on all day.”
“Jesus…” I muttered. “Sorry,” I corrected, glancing at the cross around his neck.
He smirked and shook his head. “I called on Him a few times myself this afternoon. Other than that, we’re doing okay in here. I think Chris was having trouble downstairs with one of the generators. Found him in here earlier saying he was looking for a toolbox, though why it would be in here I have no clue.”