Zachary nodded. He picked up the recorder and slid it into his shirt pocket without turning off the recording. They both went to the door and started putting on their warm-weather gear again. Kenzie was not excited about going out into the cold again. She had just started to thaw out.
“Do you know which cabin is Stiller’s?” she asked Zachary.
“Farthest one back, I believe. He needs his privacy.”
“Yeah, acting like he’s better than any of the rest of us,” Redd sneered. “That guy has got to be the biggest—”
“I agree,” Kenzie headed him off. “And I don’t usually say that about people. You know, a person can be wealthy and powerful without acting like a giant butthead. People like him give wealth and fame a bad name. I’ve met plenty of people who were very gracious and humble about a lot more fame and fortune than he probably has.”
“He’s got an inferiority complex,” Redd agreed. “The ones like him always do. It doesn’t matter how much they get what they want, they’re always afraid that everyone else is better than they are. Or that someone else is better than they are. And they have to trample everyone down to prove it.”
Kenzie nodded. “You’re probably right about that.” She lowered her voice and leaned closer to him. “Thank you so much for helping out with Andy. I just don’t think he should be alone right now. You’re being a really good friend. A really good human being.”
Redd smiled, straightening to stand a little taller. “Of course. How could I leave him alone after something like that?”
Kenzie nodded. “Yeah. But thanks.”
She turned back toward the door and, in doing so, tripped over the two pairs of boots standing to the side on the doormat. She set them back up carefully after a glance at the soles. Both were very similar to each other, maybe even the same brand and model, in slightly different sizes. Both similar to the treads of one of the pairs of the boots that had walked the same path as Brook Collins on her way to her death.
They went back out into the cold. Kenzie walked as quickly as she could to the farthest cabin away. They were all within easy walking distance. In the summer. In the cold temperatures, it was brutal. Kenzie held her hand up in front of her mouth and nose to keep them a little warmer, tucked her chin in, and hunched into the wind, looking down at the snow trail she was following. She had to look up every now and then to correct her course, but in a few minutes, they were outside of Stiller’s door. Zachary raised his hand and knocked on it hard. The knock was muffled by his glove. They waited for a minute to see if Stiller had heard. When there was no response, Zachary took the glove off and knocked on the door as loudly as he could. He shook his smarting knuckles out and they waited again.
30
Do you think... he went out?” Kenzie suggested. “Maybe he went up to the farmhouse while we were talking to Collins?”
“No, I haven’t seen him all morning. He didn’t walk by the cabin while we were talking.”
Kenzie didn’t know how he had been able to keep an eye on what was going on outside and keep up with the conversation and everyone’s faces and body language inside of the cabin at the same time. She felt exhausted from trying to read everyone’s faces for any tells as she conducted the questioning.
“Then maybe... he could be in Brittany’s cabin? If the two of them are together...?”
“Why would they rent separate cabins if he was planning to stay with her?”
“Maybe so that he had a place of his own to work. Or they might not have planned to spend the night together, but he fell asleep while they were at her place, so she just let him sleep there.”
“It’s possible,” Zachary admitted. “He wouldn’t have had to walk past our cabin to get to Brittany’s.”
“Maybe we should knock on her door?”
Zachary tried the doorknob. It didn’t turn under his grasp. “Okay, we’ll check hers. But if he isn’t there...”
“We’ll come back. I still have Mr. Dewey’s keys.”
“Yeah, okay.” Zachary led Kenzie to one of the other cabins. She knew he was a private investigator, but it still amazed her how he knew which cabins were whose when it had never been discussed. When they had all introduced themselves at the dinner that first night, they hadn’t introduced themselves by cabin number. Zachary had just paid attention. Kenzie had been so wrapped up in her own plans that she hardly even noticed who was next door to them.
Zachary knocked on the door. This time, there was an answer. Brittany opened the door and looked at them. “What is it? It’s cold out there.”
“Can we come in, then?”
She looked as if she would tell them no, but then took a couple of steps back and let Zachary and Kenzie in. She didn’t indicate that they should make themselves at home. “What is it?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her and rubbing her arms to warm them up.
“We were looking for Vance,” Kenzie explained, assuming Brittany would probably be a bit warmer toward another woman. “There’s no answer at his cabin, and we thought that maybe...”
“Why would he be here?” Brittany asked.
“I just got the feeling that... you two knew each other. Isn’t that why you were both here?”
Brittany shrugged. “Maybe.”
“But he’s not around?”
“Not here. He’s got his own cabin, that’s probably where he is.”
“Does he sleep late? I assumed he would be the type who was up before dawn to get a head start on making money.”
“Yeah, he’s usually an early riser,” she admitted. “But he was up late last night, so maybe he decided to sleep in for once.”
“Was everything okay last night? I mean... with the storm...? And the two of you didn’t see anything unusual?”
“Unusual? Like Mrs. Andy Collins wandering off in the middle of the night? No. Why would we have seen anything? They wouldn’t have to go by our cabins to get to the house. Maybe the barn, but why would they go to the barn? No hayrides in the middle of the night.”
“Maybe there was something they needed. Help with a fire or finding candles when the power went out. I think Mr. Burknall was at the barn all night.”
“I didn’t see them,” Brittany said, making a wiping-away gesture with her hand. Not something she was concerned about or wanted to talk about anymore. “There were a lot of strange sounds last night. Heard voices and howling. Maybe owls. They can be very creepy at night. Or wolves. Even a mountain lion. They make this screaming noise...”
Kenzie was a little surprised. She had pictured Brittany as the quintessential city girl. Someone who wouldn’t know anything about mountain lion screams or owls that sounded like ghosts.
“You’re right, yeah. So you heard a lot of noise. But you didn’t think it was human.”
“Animals can make sounds that you think are human. I just figured they were animal noises.”
“Did you see Mrs. Collins at all last night? Were you at dinner at the house?”
“Yes, of course I was. You guys have guests, so maybe you don’t want to socialize with us, but the rest of us... part of the reason we come here is to have a little fun. Do a little socializing outside of our circles, with people that we wouldn’t have a chance to meet otherwise. People who aren’t all starstruck and who have interests that extend beyond getting a celebrity’s picture or autograph.”
Kenzie nodded understandingly, even though that was never something she’d had to contend with. While people sometimes knew her by her parents’ reputation and her family wealth, she hadn’t had to worry about celebrity status and people always wanting something from her. She’d been able to be her own person, though she was expected to put in appearances.
“So after the dinner... did you all stay up at the house visiting, or...? I don’t imagine there was a bonfire last night.”
“Too windy and wet for a bonfire. Unless you want to soak the whole thing in gasoline.” Brittany gave a short laugh. “No... we talked for a while, but everyone w
as feeling kind of restless and hemmed in by the weather. We wanted to get back to our cabins before it got so bad that we couldn’t see them or get through the snow drifts.”
“So you came back here. You and Vance?”
“No.” Brittany gave Kenzie a hard, cold look. Then she finally thawed a little. “I went to his cabin. For a little while. I didn’t spend the night. I wanted to be back in my own space. Everything just seemed... off last night. I thought it would be romantic to be caught in the storm. Power out, a fire and candlelight, cuddling under a blanket on the couch... talking half the night...” She shook her head. “But it wasn’t like that. With the wind, and the noises... it just all seemed so wild and disjointed, and we were both out of sorts and couldn’t agree on anything. Ugh. I hate it when you just can’t... connect with someone.”
Kenzie nodded.
“So after a while, I just said I wanted to come back here to get some sleep. It took me a long time to get settled in, but eventually I did get to sleep, and I didn’t wake up until my alarm went this morning.”
Kenzie must have shown her surprise that Brittany would set a wake-up alarm when she was on vacation. Brittany chuckled.
“I still vlog when I’m on vacation or traveling. I generally do it first thing in the morning so that it is done and I can work on other things the rest of the day. It’s my job, so I am professional about it. I didn’t turn my alarm off last night because I didn’t think about it. Not having any power or internet capabilities today, I mean. So my alarm still went off. I did a recording anyway, and I’ll post it when we have internet again. People will think it is exciting that I shared my blackout experience with them.”
“And then you noticed that something was going on outside?” Kenzie suggested.
“Yeah, lots of voices. They carry when it’s cold like this. So I put on my coat and went out to see what was happening.”
“And you haven’t seen Vance yet this morning?”
“No. I figured he’s still in bed. He’s usually an early riser too, but we were both pretty wrecked last night, so maybe he decided to sleep it off.”
“Do you... want to check on him? I’m just worried with everything that has happened here that something could be wrong. It’s possible that he’s not just sleeping. He could be sick or need assistance.”
Brittany looked uncertain of this. Her lips pursed and she considered, studying Kenzie and then Zachary. Apparently, she decided they weren’t just paparazzi out to get a good shot of Vance. She nodded.
“I’ll see if he’s okay. That means that I’m going in there, not you.”
Kenzie would have to be satisfied with that. “If there is anything wrong... I have some medical training.”
“So do I.” Brittany gave Kenzie a challenging stare. Kenzie had no idea what Brittany did in the real world before she had become famous. Or what she did now that she was. The woman was obviously intelligent. She could be a doctor, nurse, or first responder. Or maybe just someone who took first aid and felt qualified to make an evaluation when she went in.
Or it could be a lie and she had no training, and just didn’t want anyone else near her boyfriend.
Her gaze held steady. Kenzie didn’t know whether she was telling the truth or was a very good liar.
31
Great,” Kenzie said, forcing a smile. “I really appreciate your being willing to do that. We just want to make sure that Vance is safe and well. It’s important for us to take care of each other, when we’re isolated like this. There isn’t anyone else he can rely on, no matter how much money he has.”
“Yeah, well, money doesn’t make people any more inclined to help you. It just means you pay a premium price for it.”
Brittany sighed and reached past Kenzie to grab her coat from the peg by the door. She slipped her arms through the thick fur sleeves and pulled it around her. She pulled the hood over her head, almost obscuring her face. She drew leather gloves out of her pocket and pulled them on. Then she opened the door, letting in the frigid air once more, and they all stepped back out into the cold.
Even though they moved quickly, Kenzie was already feeling the cold by the time Brittany put her key in the lock. Her toes were numb. She hadn’t had enough time inside Brittany’s cabin to get thawed out.
Brittany knocked on the door a few times. Much more quietly than Zachary had. Then she turned the key and opened the door. She gave Kenzie and Zachary a look that clearly said they were to stay outside, not even standing just inside the door to get warmed up.
Kenzie wrapped her arms around herself and tucked her hands under her armpits. She stomped her feet, trying to get the blood circulating again, but they stayed numb. They were going to hurt when they started to warm up again.
“Vance?” They could hear Brittany calling him before she shut the door all the way.
“Do you think he’s okay?” Zachary asked.
“Yes... probably. It sounds like he’s maybe just sleeping off whatever they had to drink or any recreational substances that they enjoyed last night. I have to say, everyone certainly seems to have gone a bit overboard last night. Do you think it’s just the idea that they were isolated? They wanted to escape their troubles with a little chemical assistance?”
“Maybe. It could have triggered a lot of fears... claustrophobia, being out of control, fear of death... maybe the kind of people who come here to escape are more likely to escape through others means as well.”
“Yeah.” It seemed strange, though, that she and Zachary would be the only ones to break that mold. They had booked the Lodge to get away from the stress in their lives, but neither of them was inclined to take drugs to escape.
They waited, stamping their feet and trying to stay warm. Kenzie started to relax. If Brittany had found Vance badly injured or dead, she would have come back for help. But since she hadn’t, that hopefully meant that all was well. It still seemed like forever before Brittany came to the door again.
“He’s fine,” she said curtly.
“Can we come in and talk to him?”
“He doesn’t need you. You can go back to your own cabin and warm up.”
“I’d like to be able to see that he’s okay,” Kenzie said. “Forgive me for being so untrusting, but with everything else that has happened around here and two people dead, I think it is important for me to check. And we need to know if he saw or heard anything to do with Brooke Collins’s death.”
Brittany rolled her eyes. She blew out her breath and eventually nodded, gesturing them in. Once more, they were forced to stand just inside the door, not invited in to get comfortable. But at least it was warmer. Kenzie kept shifting her feet, trying to get the blood circulating again.
Vance was in his kitchen, heating what Kenzie supposed was instant coffee in a pot over a camp stove. Zachary tensed at the sight of the flame and watched it intently.
“Mr. Stiller,” Kenzie said. “I’m glad to see you’re okay. I just wanted to ask you about what you remember from last night. We’re trying to get a picture of people’s movements and to see if anyone saw Brooke Collins during the night.”
He tapped on the side of the pot, as if that might encourage it to heat up faster. He was probably desperate for his caffeine fix. “Which one is that? The maid?”
“The newlywed,” Kenzie told him crisply. He could at least have paid enough attention to his fellow vacationers to know who was who.
“Oh, her.” He shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Not like she had anything to do with anyone but her husband. I don’t think she even looked at anyone else. The rest of us might just as well not have been there.”
Kenzie might have said the same thing about him. But apparently, he had noticed her behavior, even if he hadn’t remembered her name. Even Kenzie hadn’t known that her first name was Brooke until after she died. But Kenzie had known she was Mrs. Andy Collins.
“Did you see her?”
Stiller rubbed his temples. “I have no recollection of last night. I hav
en’t the foggiest idea. I don’t even know how I slept for so long. I never do that. But I feel like...” he squinted at her, his head obviously painful. “I don’t know if it’s the flu or what. I feel like I could sleep for another full day. Or two. I can barely focus.”
“Would you mind if I have a look at you? If you have a fever or other symptoms...”
“Why would I want an accountant to examine me?”
He had, at least, remembered that much.
“I’m actually not an accountant. That was sort of a... misdirection.” Kenzie smiled apologetically at Brittany as well. “I’m actually a doctor.”
Stiller studied her balefully. “Sure you are.”
“We’re just supposed to take your word for that?” Brittany demanded. “After you have apparently lied to us already?”
“I’m sorry about that. We never foresaw that we could get into a situation like this where it could be important.” Kenzie shrugged. “I just wanted to avoid getting asked to look at everyone’s weird moles or hearing all of their other medical complaints.”
“Then why would you want to know now?” Stiller asked.
Which was a good question.
He apparently decided that the coffee was warm enough. He wasn’t going to wait any longer for his caffeine fix. He took it off the burner and poured it into a mug. He turned off the cook stove and Zachary relaxed visibly.
“I’m concerned by the deaths that we’ve experience already. Especially Brooke Collins’s death. Mr. Dewey’s looks like natural causes, but Brooke’s... was not.”
“What do you mean? Because she went outside and got hypothermia? That’s natural enough. If she’s stupid enough to go outside in the middle of a storm like this and to stay out until she’s in trouble...”
“It was not hypothermia.”
“I’m sure it contributed,” Stiller argued.
“No. I don’t think it did,” Kenzie told him firmly.
He took a sip of the coffee and grimaced, either because it was still too cold, or just due to the fact that it was instant. Assuming it was instant.
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