by Mary Daheim
“Describe it,” Judith urged.
“A blazer,” Wayne replied promptly. “Dark color, blue or black, I guess. It was hard to tell.”
Wayne’s girl was watching him with pride. “You should be a detective,” she said in a soft, sweet voice.
Wayne flushed, but her admiration spurred him on. “And that kid in the baseball cap—the one who was keeping in tune to the music. You know, I told you about him.”
Judith nodded. “How old?” Her smile was growing stiff.
Wayne considered. “Oh—thirteen, fourteen.”
“What was he wearing? Besides the baseball cap.”
Again Wayne furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure. A sweatshirt, maybe. And pants or jeans. Gee, I just don’t remember exactly.”
Judith forced her facial muscles to relax. “That’s fine. Anybody else?”
“Not then. But as soon as the lift stopped, people began to take notice and come over to see what was going on. Well, you were there. We got quite a crowd.” Wayne’s grin managed to be both sheepish and engaging.
Judith had one final question. “Did the lovers or the man in the blazer or the kid come back?”
Wayne thought not. At least he didn’t remember seeing them again. But on the other hand, with so many people suddenly surrounding the bottom of the lift, he might not have noticed.
Judith thanked Wayne and started out of the bar, then was struck with another inspiration. She grabbed Renie’s arm.
“Charles de Paul,” she whispered in her cousin’s ear. “Let’s have a little chat.”
“I thought you didn’t want to face him again,” Renie remarked.
Judith didn’t, but had to set embarrassment aside. Or so she thought, though it turned out not to be necessary. Charles de Paul wasn’t on duty behind the bar. A plump blonde was mixing drinks with a sleight of hand that would have done a magician proud. The cousins commandeered a pair of empty stools.
“I’ll bet you’re Hilde,” Judith said brightly.
“I’ll bet you’re not.” The blonde burst out laughing. “Hilde, that is. Because you’re right, I am. What will you have?”
Judith and Renie ordered Drambuie. “Is this Charles’s night off?” Judith inquired as Hilde served them each a small snifter of the pungent amber liquid.
Hilde nodded. “He likes a midweek break.” Her round, pleasant face expressed puzzlement. “Sorry, I don’t know you. I don’t think you’ve been here on my regular shift.”
“We’re simple American tourists,” Judith replied. “We talked to Charles the other day. He told us about your tooth troubles. How is it now?”
Hilde put a hand to her cheek. “It’s fine, except that I have another appointment. I’ve got a temporary now.” She turned as a bald man at the far end of the bar called to her. “Excuse me. I’ll be back shortly.”
Renie leaned closer to Judith. “What are we doing?”
“Drinking.” For emphasis, Judith sipped her Drambuie.
“Besides that. Charles isn’t here. What’s the point?” Renie swirled the liqueur in her glass.
Judith let out a small, exasperated sigh. “I’m not sure. But as long as we’re here…” She shrugged and took another drink.
Having served up a vodka martini, Hilde returned. “Dentists!” she lamented. “I can’t believe what they charge. It’s a good thing we’ve got decent coverage in Canada.”
Briefly, the cousins commiserated. Renie asked a few questions about Canadian health care in general. Judith bided her time, though she was growing impatient. Hilde was interrupted by a server who had a trayful of orders. Almost five minutes passed before she returned. Judith and Renie were nursing their drinks.
“Say,” Judith said before another topic could be broached, “do you know a man named Esme MacPherson? English, or maybe Scottish. Older, a regular.”
“Esme?” Hilde laughed good-naturedly. “I do indeed. Quite the caution. Harmless, though.” Her expression changed. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him tonight. He must be making the rounds elsewhere.”
Judith didn’t enlighten Hilde. “He had a pal with him Monday. A little guy, ex-jockey. Do you remember?”
Hilde’s eyes rolled back in her head. “Do I! What a lecher! There I was, absolutely miserable with my tooth, and this pintsized twit is driving me crazy with his corny come-ons! Not that I don’t hear my share in this job, but he was outrageous! He even pinched me as I was coming back to the bar with a tray of wineglasses. I felt like taking Esme’s walking stick and cracking him over the head. In fact, I went to reach for it, just to threaten him a little, and I couldn’t find it. That’s when I dropped the tray. Never try to do two things at once.” Regretfully, Hilde shook her head.
Judith stared hard at her. “Freddy was there but the walking stick wasn’t? Where was Esme?”
Hilde blinked, frowned, and acknowledged a patron who wanted a refill for his schooner. “I don’t know. I don’t remember seeing him at the time.” Turning toward her thirsty customer, she laughed mirthlessly. “I suppose the walking stick wasn’t there because Esme took it with him.”
Judith carefully sorted through her few remaining Canadian bills and put her last ten on the bar. “Let’s go,” she said to Renie out of the side of her mouth.
The sky was threatening by the time they emerged from Crest House. It was growing dark, and the expected lightning storm was about to break. A long line had queued up for the lift. Judith judged that the early diners had finished eating and were heading back to the village for their nighttime revels.
Renie was not in a good mood. “It’s bad enough to ride that damned thing, but waiting for it makes my stomachache worse,” she groused. “I don’t see why we had to come up here in the first place. Especially since you won’t tell me anything.”
Judith gave her cousin a placating smile. “Then let’s walk. We can go the other way, and end up at Crystal Lake. Come on, coz. We need the exercise.”
“Phooey,” said Renie, but she followed Judith.
“It beats the chairlift.” Judith began the descent, noting that the route leading away from the village was as precarious as the one they had taken the previous day.
“Okay, okay, so I’m a wimp,” Renie conceded. “But I trust my feet more than a bunch of cables suspended over Certain Death. We’ve made five trips up and back. I figure the odds are against us.”
Lightning struck just beyond Fiddler Mountain. Judith gave a start and Renie stumbled slightly. The trail was deserted at this time of night, but after the first turn of the switchback, the grade leveled off. Both cousins gained confidence.
They had reached what Judith judged to be the halfway point when a second bolt of lightning illuminated the landscape. Crystal Lake shimmered briefly beyond the evergreens. The scenery was magnificent. Judith was enthralled; Renie’s mood improved.
“How far is it from Crystal Lake to our condo?” Renie called as they rounded a sharp corner in the trail.
“I’m not sure. You’re the expert. You’ve been here before.” Judith spoke over a rumble of thunder.
“Crystal Lake wasn’t developed when we were here,” Renie shouted back. “For all I know, it’s halfway to the Yukon Territory.”
The lightning was closer, turning the landscape an eerie shade of green. Below, the cousins could see scattered lights. The lake grew larger, its waters pale as a shroud. Judith plunged ahead, her eyes on the darkening sky.
That was a mistake. She didn’t see the depression in the trail. Her ankle turned on her and she fell, striking her right knee. She swore and winced with pain.
“Jeez.” Renie was at her side. “What did you do, hit a gopher hole?”
Judith swayed back and forth. “A washout, I think. Or something. Damn!”
“Is it broken? Sprained? Or just a turn?” Renie’s voice was full of concern.
Gingerly, Judith tested the ankle. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s nothing serious. But it hurts.”
The lightning j
olted both cousins, striking directly above them. Renie squatted beside Judith. “No hurry. We’ll wait until you can go on. It looks as if we’re almost down the mountain.”
Distractedly, Judith followed Renie’s gaze. Through the trees, there were lights no more than a hundred yards away. At the side of the trail, a small waterfall trickled into a gully, then flowed on, probably into Crystal Lake. As another bolt of lightning struck, the cousins saw two smaller lakes, almost at the edge of town. Inching toward them was a train, lights glowing in the passenger cars.
“I wonder if Esme is waiting on the platform,” Judith said, tenderly rubbing her ankle.
“I doubt it,” Renie answered. “That train is coming from Port Royal. He probably left hours ago.” Spying a boulder next to the trail, Renie sat down. “As long as we’re here, why not tell me what’s going on? I don’t mind being your stooge, but I hate to be stupid as well.”
Judith expelled a sigh. “If I’m wrong, don’t mock me, okay?” Taking in Renie’s bemused but sympathetic expression, Judith continued. “The chairlift is the key. Why was the seat behind Agnes empty? There had been people waiting, as you may recall. The only reason I could think of for a vacant place was because it was occupied when it left Liaison Ledge. The killer was in it, having already whacked poor Agnes over the head.”
Renie let out what passed for a whistle. “Good thinking! So what did the killer do, fly down the mountain?”
“No, it was much simpler than that. The killer jumped off the lift just before it got to the bottom. Once you’re approaching the ticket office, it’s only a five-foot drop to the ground. Wayne Stafford said the lift stops only when a chair is empty or the safety bar is released. Agnes couldn’t move the bar because she was dead. So whoever was behind her must have gotten off to make the lift come to a longer-than-usual stop.”
Renie was skeptical. “That’s a big risk—for a lot of reasons.”
“Not really. Wayne Stafford was studying, the lightning storm provided a distraction, and apparently kids do goofy things on the lift.”
Renie started to ask for a clarification, but an odd sound made her pause. Judith also cocked an ear. The noise was coming closer, seemingly moving down the trail. It sounded very much like the clip-clop of a horse.
Renie was quizzical. “Riders at this time of night? Doesn’t lightning spook horses?”
“I don’t know,” Judith replied. “I’m a city girl myself.”
The storm was actually beginning to move off over the village. The horse and rider, however, were coming closer at a walk. As they rounded the bend in the trail, Renie dragged Judith out of the way to let the animal pass safely.
But the horse, a sleek chestnut Arabian, was reined in. Judith recognized the outline of Freddy Whobrey, looking less like a jockey and more like a trainer in his flannel shirt, denim vest, and blue jeans.
“Two babes! Too much!” Freddy cried, his pointed teeth gleaming as the lightning flashed. “Hey, isn’t it a little late for a picnic, or did your dates stand you up?”
Standing up was what Judith tried to do, leaning on Renie. “We hiked down from Crest House,” Judith said, rubbing her ankle. Every ounce of her energy seemed to be invested in the throb of pain. “I took a tumble.”
Freddy evinced shock. “Without me? Hey, climb aboard Starbird. I’ll take you home and bed you down.”
Judith put her full weight on the ankle. The pain shot up through her entire body. “No, thanks, Freddy. I’ll walk.” She gave him a strained smile and sat back down again. “My cousin will lend me a hand. It’s not that far.”
Freddy was skeptical. “It’s not that far to the end of the trail, but it’s almost a mile back to your condo. You can’t go the distance on a game leg.”
Judith glanced down over the edge of the trail. She could see nothing but a dark void. Freddy was right, of course. Crystal Lake was now hidden by the forest. The two smaller lakes were farther away, where the train was whistling as it came to a stop. While lights shone through the tops of the evergreens that clung to the side of the cliff, the village itself lay behind them. Yet nothing would induce Judith to ride with Freddy Whobrey. Perhaps it would be possible to call a taxi or catch a bus.
Renie had sat down again, too, precariously close to the drop-off. She was completely caught up in the exchange between her cousin and Freddy. Her round face showed worry and bewilderment. “Maybe you can send someone up to get us,” she suggested to Freddy.
“Can do,” Freddy replied. “Freddy Can-Do, that’s me.”
Judith put on her bravest face. The initial shock of pain was receding. “Then go ahead, Freddy. We’ll wait.” She waved halfheartedly, before her hand paused in midair. “By the way, where are you going at this time of night?”
Freddy tugged on the reins as his mount began wandering off to crop at some of the tough grasses that grew along the edge of the trail. “Oh, just keeping in practice. I miss straddling a pretty filly now and then.” He leered, but for once, his heart wasn’t in it. Indeed, having had his offer rejected, he seemed anxious to be off.
Judith nudged Renie, trying to move her away from the drop-off. “Where do you rent horses around here?”
“Huh?” Freddy’s gaze was fixed on the distance, somewhere in the vicinity of the railroad station. “Oh, a couple of places.” His voice was vague.
Another sound, faint but persistent, caught Judith’s attention. Not footsteps, she thought, squinting up the trail. The noise was being made by something lighter than a hurrying human or even a fleet-footed deer.
They all heard, rather than saw, Rover. Barking his head off, he had careened in front of Starbird and planted his paws in the trail’s soft edge. The horse was startled, rearing her front hooves and whinnying in fright. Rover didn’t budge, but kept barking, a harsh, relentless sound.
Freddy tried to gain control of his mount, but the terrified horse continued to shy. Rover didn’t give ground. Freddy swore, brandishing his riding crop. The nervous mare skittered out of the dog’s path, heedless of the cliff’s edge and kicking Renie’s shoulder with an errant hoof. Rolling away from Starbird, Renie felt her knees skid in the loose dirt. Losing control, she fell into what seemed like oblivion.
“Coz!” Judith screamed as Renie disappeared over the edge of the cliff.
Freddy flicked the whip, and the frightened horse took off at a gallop. “I’m going for help,” he shouted. Rover was in hot pursuit, yapping fiercely. Scrambling to the spot where Renie had fallen, Judith felt tears sting her eyes. She was afraid to look. The mare’s hooves and the dog’s bark grew fainter, but Judith’s only concern was for Renie. She was certain that her cousin had fallen at least fifty yards into the black chasm below the trail.
“Coz!” Judith’s voice was hoarse. Her legs shook as she groped for something solid beneath her feet. “Where are you?” Her cry grew louder, echoing across the valley. The tranquil mountain setting now seemed vast and uncivilized. Danger was almost palpable on the night air, making Judith suddenly go cold.
“Get me out of here!” The voice belonged to Renie, and it was irate. “I’m stuck in some stupid gorse bush!”
Now Judith peered over the edge. Her vision was blurred. Dimly, she saw Renie, no more than ten feet away, a furious, fighting ball, trying to free herself from a large thicket.
It was anguish for Judith to make the descent, but she tried. She failed. The cliff was too steep, at least in her crippled condition. By the time she had found the first foothold, Renie was on her knees, swearing like a sailor.
“Stay put. I can climb up now,” Renie finally called. “Jeez, I’ve wrecked my blouse and I’ve got a hole in my pants.”
“I don’t care if you’ve got holes in your head,” Judith said in relief. “I thought you were dead! I was sure you’d gone all the way to the bottom!”
“That is the bottom,” Renie answered testily. “This isn’t the Grand Canyon, it’s just a little drop-off.” She gained purchase on a rock and hauled hers
elf back onto the trail. “What about you? I didn’t think you could stand on that ankle.”
“It’s numb,” Judith said, retrieving their handbags, which had fallen by the wayside. “You scared the pain out of it. Let’s see if we can find Freddy.”
Judith had fibbed about her ankle, but walking was bearable. Renie had suffered various bumps and bruises, including Star-bird’s kick in the shoulder. The cousins began hobbling down the trail. After two more turns, they met pavement. Freddy was nowhere to be seen.
“He and Starbird are long gone,” Renie asserted. “So’s Rover. Do we care?”
Miraculously, Judith’s step didn’t falter. Pushing all thoughts of pain aside, she concentrated on her goal. Indeed, she willed herself to move briskly now, following smooth, new blacktop that ran past the far end of Crystal Lake. As they hurried by a sprawling Spanish-style villa, Judith realized that the thoroughfare was too narrow for vehicles but was intended to accommodate horseback riders, bicyclists, and unadventurous hikers.
“I wonder where Nat and Mia live,” she remarked to Renie over her shoulder.
“Are we trying to find them?” Renie asked.
“Not really,” Judith replied, sounding anxious.
“We’ve passed Crystal Lake,” Renie said, catching up. “Are we looking for Freddy?”
Judith gave a sharp turn of her head. “Yes. If we don’t, there may be another death. Just concentrate on—”
Judith froze in place. A horse and rider were standing some twenty yards ahead of them. It was Freddy, and his back was turned. There was no sign of Rover. Another man stood next to Starbird. He was speaking to Freddy and held something in his hand. The cousins approached cautiously. After the first ten yards, they recognized Esme MacPherson. Judith and Renie took a few more steps. Esme was holding a gun, and it was pointed straight at Freddy.
Renie turned to Judith. “What do we do? Rush him or run for help?”
Judith staggered slightly, then put a hand on Renie’s shoulder. “We do nothing. Don’t move.”
“But…” Renie was utterly confused.