“Sure.” Chet backed up a step. “Um, but my car doesn’t have snow tires, and—”
“Everything okay over here?” a gruff voice interrupted.
I spun around, startled. The employee who’d broken up that fight last night was standing right behind us. Talk about stealthy! I hadn’t even heard him coming.
“It’s nothing, Rick,” Josie said quickly, squeezing the towels more tightly in her arms. “We were just talking.”
I glanced at the man’s name tag. It read Rick Ferguson.
He caught my eye. “I hear you boys are taking off soon,” he said.
“Yeah.” I wondered if he was going to start begging us to stay too.
Instead he nodded curtly. “Let me know if you need any help getting your bags downstairs.” Then he glanced at Josie. “Mrs. G was looking for you down in the kitchen.”
“Okay.” Josie scurried off. Rick nodded at us again, then followed her more slowly.
“Wow,” Chet said as we pushed through the door to our suite, which was standing ajar. “Josie seemed really bummed out about this whole blizzard thing.”
Frank stepped over to the closet and pulled out his suitcase. “Can you blame her? It sounds like things are pretty bad for the lodge right now.”
“Maybe that’s how that warning ribbon went missing yesterday,” Chet said. He grabbed a crumpled pair of jeans off the floor where he’d dropped them the night before. “Too few people trying to do too many things.”
“Maybe.” I traded a look with Frank, realizing we’d never filled Chet in on what we’d found in the bushes. Just as well. He’d probably accuse us of looking for a mystery where there wasn’t one.
Or was there? Even if the warning ribbon could have blown off into the bushes, that rock definitely hadn’t rolled itself on top of it.
“Yeah, maybe.” Frank shot a look at the window. The curtains were pulled back, allowing us to see the fat, lazy snowflakes drifting steadily to earth. “But come on, let’s get going before the storm gets any worse.”
I pushed all thoughts of missing ribbons out of my mind. It didn’t matter now. We were leaving.
• • •
Fifteen minutes later we were back in the lobby. Chet dropped a duffel bag atop our pile of luggage, then fished his car keys out of his pocket.
“Let’s find Cody and say good-bye,” he said. “Then I’ll bring the car around and we can load our stuff.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I glanced around and spotted Cody right away. He was perched on an overstuffed leather armchair near the fireplace, watching those rowdy little kids we’d seen earlier. There were three boys and a girl, ranging in age from five-ish on down to barely walking. All four of them were clustered around Blizzard, patting her on the head or tugging on her shaggy fur. Her brown eyes had a soft, patient look as she nosed at one of the boys.
Cody spotted us coming and stood up. “You guys taking off?” he asked.
“Yeah. Sorry,” Chet said.
Cody shrugged. “No, it’s okay. Seriously.” He smiled. “Trust me, I wouldn’t expect you to stay through the Blizzard of the Century or whatever they’re calling it.” He glanced around the lobby. “I’m surprised a few people are actually planning to ride it out here. Even most of the staff has already cut out.”
He sounded resigned to the situation. “Yeah. Well, thanks for inviting us,” Frank said. “It was good meeting you.”
“Right,” I put in. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back.”
“Cool.” Cody smiled and lifted a hand to high-five all three of us. “Safe driving, okay?”
I laughed. “Easier said than done with Chet behind the wheel.”
Cody chuckled. “Some things never change.” He elbowed Chet. “Remember that time at camp when you crashed your bike into the—”
“Kids? There you are!” He was interrupted by a harried-looking woman in her midthirties. She hurried over and grabbed a couple of the kids. “Leave the poor dog alone and find your shoes. Daddy’s almost packed up.”
“Do you need any help, Mrs. Richmond?” Cody asked politely.
We drifted away toward the entrance. “So what’d you crash into at camp?” I asked Chet.
“The head counselor.” Chet’s cheeks went pink as Frank and I laughed. “But that was a long time ago. I’d better go fetch the Queen.”
He disappeared through the big glass double doors leading outside. Frank and I wandered over to our little pile of luggage.
“Should we start dragging this stuff outside?” Frank suggested.
“Sure, why not.”
Before long we’d transferred the entire pile to the sheltered pickup area right outside the main doors. I leaned against a column and watched a couple of cute college-aged girls with perky ponytails trying to shove a too-big duffel bag into the trunk of a subcompact.
Did I mention that Frank is kind of a nerd? He didn’t even seem to notice the cute girls. Instead he was scanning the parking lot on the other side of the drive. There were only a few cars still parked over there. The snow was already starting to accumulate on top of them.
“What’s taking Chet so long?” he wondered. “I can see his car from here.”
I followed Frank’s gaze. The yellow jalopy was sitting where we’d left it yesterday. I could see Chet inside, but so far the car wasn’t moving.
“He’s probably chatting with the Queen,” I said. Then I stepped toward the college girls, who were still struggling with their bag. They really were awfully cute. And I wasn’t one to ignore women in need. “Need some help with that, ladies?”
Just then Rick Ferguson appeared out of nowhere. “I’ve got it,” he said in his gravelly voice. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” I watched as the employee managed to wedge the girls’ bag into their trunk. As the girls climbed in and took off, I shifted my gaze to the fluffy flakes falling beyond the portico. “Snow’s picking up,” I commented.
“Yeah.” Frank squinted at the parking lot. “Let’s go hurry Chet along.”
We headed out into the snow. I blinked as flakes blew into my face and stuck to my eyelashes. The temperature had dropped since we’d left the slopes, and the wind was picking up. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I walked.
When we reached the car, Chet rolled down the window. “What’s the holdup?” I asked.
He looked sheepish. “The car won’t start.”
“What?” Frank frowned. “It was running fine two days ago!”
I smirked. “What do you expect from that old jalopy? I told you guys we should’ve borrowed Mom’s car.”
“It’s probably nothing.” Chet climbed out of the driver’s seat. “Maybe a loose wire or something. Let me take a look.”
He hurried around and opened the hood. “Come on, Joe,” Frank said. “No sense all of us standing out here getting covered with snow.”
“Come pick us up when you get her running again,” I told Chet.
Cody and his father were just coming outside when Frank and I reached the portico. They both had several bags slung over their shoulders. An anxious-looking older couple emerged right behind them.
“Do you think it’s too late?” the wife fretted. “I hope the roads aren’t too bad yet.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, dear.” Her husband cast a worried look at the cloud cover. “We have four-wheel drive. I’ll go get the SUV.”
Another group of departing guests burst out of the lodge, bringing a whoosh of warm air with them. Rick was with them, wheeling a hotel cart with several bags on it.
“I hope we’re not in the way,” Frank commented, kicking one of our duffels back a few feet.
“We wouldn’t be if Chet could get that heap of spare parts moving already.” I stepped forward, squinting through the steadily increasing snowfall. All I could see was a blob of yellow where the jalopy was. Still not moving.
As I turned back toward the lodge, I noticed a flash of movement in a first-floor window off to the left. It was Josie,
the waitress-slash-maid. She was staring out at all the activity. It was hard to see clearly through the snow, but she looked kind of anxious. No wonder. The way she’d acted earlier, it had to be killing her to see so many people leaving at once.
“What were you looking at?” Frank asked when I rejoined him under the shelter of the portico.
I told him. “Maybe that’s what happened to the Queen,” I joked. “Josie seemed pretty freaked out about everyone leaving. Maybe she’s sabotaging cars to keep people here.”
“If so, the only one she got is Chet’s.” Frank watched as another car pulled away. “Anyway, the jalopy usually doesn’t need any help to break down.”
I grinned. “Good point.” Squinting out into the snow, I spotted Chet walking toward us. “Uh-oh. This doesn’t look like good news.”
It wasn’t. Chet had a hangdog look on his face that required no explanation.
“Sorry,” he said, brushing snow off his hair. “It still won’t start, and I can’t figure out what’s wrong.”
Frank and I looked at each other. “Oh well,” Frank said grimly. “Looks like we’re going to have front-row seats to the Storm of the Century.”
PLAN B
5
FRANK
JOE DIDN’T SEEM THAT UPSET about being stranded. He started chatting about whether the Gallaghers would let us try snowboarding during the blizzard. Yeah, right. If I had anything to say about it, that wouldn’t be an option.
“Look, there’s only one road off this mountain,” I said. “That means everyone’s going the same way. Maybe we can catch a ride at least as far as the nearest town with a car-rental place.”
“Do you think so?” Chet looked hopeful.
“Can’t hurt to ask.” I hurried inside and looked around the lobby. It had cleared out a lot since the last time we were inside. Cody was over by the reception desk fiddling with the computer, and his dad was just disappearing up the stairs. The only other people in sight were a young couple sitting on the wide stone hearth of the fireplace, sipping something out of chunky ceramic mugs. The male half of the couple was the guy we’d seen arguing with Stanley Wright the evening before.
I almost skipped talking to him. The guy seemed to have a serious temper. But this was no time to be choosy. I hurried over and introduced myself. Now I could tell what they were drinking—hot cocoa. The sweet scent tickled my nose and made me hungry.
“Nice to meet you, Frank.” The man set down his mug, then stood and shook my hand. His grip was firm and his smile was friendly. “I’m Nate Katz, and this is my beautiful new bride, Cassie. We’re here on our honeymoon.”
Cassie smiled at me and said hello. She was gorgeous, with black hair and amber eyes.
“So what do you think about this blizzard, eh, Frank?” Nate asked, settling back into his seat. He seemed much more relaxed now than he had in the dining room last night. “Pretty exciting stuff.”
“I guess.” I looked at the snow falling outside. “Um, actually that’s why I came over. Are you two planning to head out of here soon? Because our car broke down, and my friends and I are looking to hitch a ride down the mountain.”
“Sorry, we’d be happy to help if we could.” Nate took a sip of his cocoa. “But Cassie and I are staying put.”
“Really? You’re staying through the storm?” I was a little surprised. Based on Josie’s hysterical reaction earlier, I’d thought pretty much everyone was cutting out. Then again, Cody had said something about a few people sticking around.
“Yep, we’re staying,” Nate said. “Why not? This place runs on a generator—it’s the only way to have power this far up the mountain.”
“That also means the lodge shouldn’t lose power even in a bad storm,” Cassie spoke up.
“Right.” Nate smiled at his bride. “Mr. Gallagher tells us he’s got plenty of food laid in, and there’ll be a skeleton staff staying here to keep things running smoothly. So anyone who wants to ride out the storm is welcome to stay.”
Cassie nodded. “We don’t want to cut our honeymoon short.” She leaned closer to Nate. “It’ll be extra romantic to be snowed in together.”
“Definitely romantic.” Nate set down his cocoa and put both arms around her, nuzzling her cheek.
Okay, the public display of affection was getting to be a little much for me. “Thanks anyway,” I said. “Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.”
“We definitely will.” Nate glanced up briefly. “Good luck finding a ride.”
“Thanks.” I stepped away. The sound of voices was coming from the hallway leading off toward the dining room, so I headed that way.
It was Stanley Wright. He was talking to Cody’s mom. Well, more like talking at her. It sounded like he was complaining about his room.
“. . . and I also found a very mysterious stain on one of the pillowcases,” he was saying. “What if I catch a disease or something? I have very sensitive skin, you know. I’m sure I mentioned that when I checked in.”
“I’ll speak to Josie about getting you a fresh set of pillowcases right away, Mr. Wright,” Mrs. Gallagher said soothingly.
“Fine.” Stanley frowned. “Now, about my towels—”
“Excuse me,” I broke in. “Um, sorry to interrupt, but I have a question.”
“Of course.” Mrs. Gallagher looked relieved. “What is it, Frank?”
“Actually, my question is for Mr. Wright.” I forced a smile as I glanced at the man. It wouldn’t be pleasant sharing a car with him all the way down the mountain, but like I said, things were kind of desperate. “I was just wondering if you were planning to leave soon, because I—”
I didn’t get to finish the question. “No, I’m not planning to leave,” Stanley said sharply. “I paid good money for this vacation, and I’m not going to leave early because of a few snowflakes. I mean, the whole point of this place is snow, right?”
“I guess,” I said. “But a lot of people are worried about the storm, so I just thought—”
Once again, he cut me off. “Other people can do what they want. I’m staying—and the lodge had just better make sure I get my money’s worth one way or another.” He glared at Mrs. Gallagher.
Mrs. Gallagher started talking calmly about the activities they had planned for the guests who were staying. I felt sorry for her, having to deal with a jerk like Stanley. Anyone witnessing that argument in the dining room the night before probably would have assumed the two participants shared equal blame, or might even have thought the bigger, stronger Nate was picking on wimpy little Stanley. But now I knew better. Nate seemed like a cool guy, while Stanley . . . not so much.
But that didn’t matter right now. I was running out of time. I needed to find someone who was leaving soon, or it would be too late.
“Excuse me,” I murmured. Mrs. Gallagher shot me a helpless, faintly amused look. Stanley didn’t even seem to notice I was leaving.
I headed back into the lobby. Poppy Song was just coming in from the opposite direction.
“Hi, Frank!” she called when she spotted me. She hurried over with a smile. “Hey, does this mean you guys decided to stick around through the storm?”
“Not exactly.” I quickly filled her in on the jalopy situation. “You didn’t change your mind about leaving, did you?” I asked hopefully.
“Sorry.” Poppy shrugged. “I don’t have a car here anyway—my friends took our rental when they left. One of the employees is supposed to drive me down to the airport in the lodge’s van next week.”
“Oh.” My shoulders slumped. “Okay.”
“Did you ask the owners if they could drive you out of here?” Poppy asked. “Like I said, they have a van for picking up guests who fly in. They advertise the service on their website, and everyone I’ve talked to who’s used it says it’s very convenient. I even heard they’ll sometimes let guests reserve the van to go into town for dinner or other activities.” She shrugged again. “Maybe someone could take you to town in it.”
I fel
t a spark of hope. Then I spotted Mr. Gallagher rushing through the lobby, loaded down with suitcases. Rick was right behind him, toting a folded-up playpen and a large stuffed bear.
“That’s okay,” I said. “They’re pretty busy right now. Besides, I think I see someone else I can ask.”
With a quick good-bye to Poppy, I hurried to intercept Mrs. Richmond, the frazzled mother of the four little kids who’d been hanging all over Cody’s dog earlier.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Are you guys getting ready to leave?”
“That’s the plan.” Mrs. Richmond sighed, hoisting the wiggly toddler she was carrying higher on her hip. “It’s taking a little longer than expected to pack everything up. I guess that’s life with kids, right?” She smiled wearily.
“Mommy!” The toddler tugged on her hair. “Where’s the doggie?”
“No more doggie,” his mother said sternly. “We have to go.”
“Um, listen,” I said. “I have a question.” I explained our situation.
She looked sympathetic. “Well, we won’t have much space in the minivan, as you can probably guess.” She glanced around at the other three kids, who were racing around, trying to hit one another with whatever toys, books, or mittens they were holding. “But you and your friends are welcome to try to cram yourselves into the back if you want.” She cracked a wry smile. “Heck, if you guys can entertain these little monsters for a while, we’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Great!” Relief washed over me. “I’m sure we can fit. We only need a ride to the first decent-size town.” I glanced at the kids. “And my brother’s a pretty good storyteller, if that helps.”
Mrs. Richmond chuckled and nodded. “My husband should be downstairs in a minute with the rest of our things. We’ll meet you outside.”
“Okay. Thanks a million!” I left her wrangling the kids and went in search of Joe and Chet. They weren’t in the lobby, and when I went out to the portico, they weren’t there, either. Mr. Gallagher was piling his latest load of luggage by the curb. “Have you seen my brother or Chet?” I asked him.
Rick heard me and looked up. “Those other two fellows from your group?” he asked in his gruff way. “They were heading out to the parking lot last I saw.”
Peril at Granite Peak Page 3