Secrets at Cedar Cabin

by Colleen Coble

  Bailey tried to make sense of Lily’s words.

  “Their affair started when she was in high school. He was older and already married.”

  That explained why Mom didn’t date. The judge was the mystery man who already had her heart. “She saw the murder, didn’t she?”

  Lily’s eyes were clouding again, and she looked past Bailey’s shoulder to the barn door. “The curse of Cain. Devil’s spawn.”

  Bailey wanted to ask more questions but it was useless. The storm wasn’t letting up either, and if they had any hope of getting out of here alive, they had to move.

  She opened the SUV’s back door and helped Lily inside. Ellie got in with her, and Shauna got into the front passenger seat. Bailey stepped to the barn door and yanked it open. She froze and blinked at the snow swirling across the opening. How could she even see the road?

  Bailey went back to the car and got in. The heater blasted out heat. She gripped the steering wheel. It will be all right. Unfortunately, her bone-dry mouth told a different story. They’d never make it.

  Shauna’s voice broke her paralysis. “Bailey?”

  Bailey wetted her lips. “I’ll never be able to see the road in this. I don’t think we should try to make it down the mountain until the storm dies down.”

  Shauna reached over and switched off the engine. “I think you’re right. Let’s hole up in the cabin. We can leave the vehicle here, safe and hidden. In the morning we’ll try to get down the mountain. Maybe there’s a phone inside as well.”

  Bailey nodded. “I don’t see any other options.”

  Ellie leaned forward. “We’ll have to help Lily to the cabin. Those drifts are deep.”

  “Wait here until I get the front door open,” Bailey said. “There’s no sense in wearing her out if we can’t get in.” She started the Suburban again. “Ellie, you take care of Lily. I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I’m coming too,” Shauna said.

  Bailey knew better than to argue. She got out of the Suburban and spotted a crowbar on the wall. If she couldn’t get in any other way, she could force the door or break a window with it.

  Shauna rummaged through a toolbox in one corner. She held up a screwdriver. “We might be able to jimmy the lock with this.”

  “Take more than one size,” Bailey said.

  Shauna stuck several smaller sizes in the pockets of her jacket. “Let’s go.”

  The barn door was still open, so Bailey stepped out into the snow with Shauna right behind her. The wind buffeted her at once, and she staggered and fell into a four-foot drift. The intense cold took her breath away, but she struggled out of the snowdrift with Shauna’s help and bent her head into the wind. It was only in slight cessations of the blowing snow that she caught sight of the cabin’s roof now and then, but it was enough to keep her oriented in the right direction.

  Finally, her foot hit a step, and she fell facedown into the snow again. The softness enticed her to lay still, just for a moment. To enjoy the way the drift enveloped her and protected her from the worst of the wind. No. One moment would flow into the next, and she’d freeze to death out here.

  Shauna grabbed her arm. “You have to get up.”

  Bailey forced herself to get up, to face the wind again. Her face and fingers felt numb, and it was hard to think. The cold was taking its toll. She rapped on the door first, just in case there was an occupant, but the cabin had that empty, lifeless feel.

  “Can I have the smallest screwdriver?”

  Shauna put it into her hand, and Bailey inserted the blade into the lock and moved it around. It felt like a hopeless task, but she persisted.

  There. Was that a tiny click? She twisted the knob and shoved. The door opened, and she nearly fell inside. She felt along the wall for the switch and flipped it. Nothing. This was probably a winter cabin without heat or electricity. Probably no water either, but that was the least of their worries. She made out the vague outline of a woodstove. Maybe they could at least have some heat.

  Shauna crowded in behind her and went to the fireplace. “There’s a lantern and matches here.”

  There was a scratch and light flared into the dark space. Shauna adjusted the wick and held the lantern aloft. “And there’s a supply of wood! Praise God. You get a fire started, and I’ll go for the others.”

  Bailey closed her eyes in a brief moment of relief and thanksgiving. “Hurry. Everyone needs to be out of the storm. I’ll see if I can find some blankets to wrap around Lily. Older people can die of exposure quickly.”

  They all could die on a night like this.

  Chapter 38

  The skin on Lance’s face felt numb even with the ski mask on as he drove the snow machine on the road up the mountain. The tire tracks had come this way, strange as it seemed. The snow was filling in the tracks at an alarming rate, and if they didn’t find the women soon, it might be impossible. The snow machine was low enough to the ground that they were able to see the tracks much better than if they’d been in a vehicle.

  Daniel rode behind him, and he leaned forward to shout above the wind. “This is crazy, Lance. The tracks will be gone in another five minutes, and we don’t even know if we’re following someone who has the women or some random person.”

  Lance shifted his head and shouted back, “I know, but this is the only lead we’ve got.”

  Grayson and Zach were on the other machine beside them in the road, and he knew the other men were just as anxious.

  Hang on, Bailey, I’m coming. All he could do was pray and talk to her in his head as he focused on staying on the road.

  The whine of the engines vied for dominance with the howl of the wind. The other snow machine revved up to take the lead, and Lance let Zach move into the front position. He didn’t know this road at all, but he hoped Zach did. The snow machines began to labor up the incline, and he had to squint to make out the tracks in the headlamps. They rounded a curve and came to a crossroads.

  The engine on Zach’s snowmobile powered down, and Lance stopped as well. He and Zach got off to examine the tracks. There were faint tire impressions in both directions.

  Zach studied them carefully, then sank to his knees in the deep snow. “I can’t tell which way they went!” His anguished voice was almost a wail.

  “Stay calm, Zach. Remember, we’re not even sure these tracks have anything to do with the women. How about we split up? You guys go west while Daniel and I continue up the mountain. Let’s meet back here in an hour.”

  Zach sprang up and nodded. “Let’s do that. We have to find them.”

  Lance understood the man’s desperation. He’d lived it daily for the past five years searching for Ava, but words of comfort wouldn’t move past his tongue. Platitudes wouldn’t help in this moment. There was a very real possibility things would not be okay no matter how much they desired it.

  Zach remounted his machine and gave a quick wave as the engine revved and carried him and Grayson to the west. Lance got back on his snowmobile. “We’ll go this way.”

  His head throbbed from squinting to see in the snow, and he couldn’t feel his face or his hands any longer. They came to another crossroad, and when he stopped this time, no tracks were visible. Only the blowing snow in their headlights. It would take hard work and a miracle to get back down safely themselves.

  He slammed his palms on the handle grips. “Where could they be? We haven’t seen another vehicle at all.”

  “Maybe they took refuge in a house somewhere. The snow was blowing too hard for us to see any cabins, but there are probably some along here. I think we have to go back, Lance.”

  He sat on the snow machine and tried to tell himself they had to go back, but it felt wrong. What if they were just ahead, around the next bend in the road? But how long did they push forward with no tracks? Could a vehicle even make it through this much snow? He wasn’t sure he could maneuver his Acadia in this kind of weather.

  He yanked off a glove and pulled out his phone, but his fingers we
re so numb it took two tries to get Zach’s contact information. He placed the call, and it rang four times before going to voice mail. “Zach, we’re turning back. The snow is bad up here. I don’t think they could even drive through this. Call me back and let me know if you’ve found anything.” He ended the call and pulled his glove back on.

  “Give me your phone and I’ll answer it if Zach calls back,” Daniel said.

  Lance handed it over and turned the snow machine in the other direction. Though this decision was wise, it still didn’t feel right when he wanted to find them with everything in him. He prayed they had found shelter somewhere. The thought of them out in this weather didn’t bear thinking about.

  They rode back the way they’d come. The snow had nearly obliterated their tracks already. He dimly heard Daniel speaking, so he must be on the phone. Lance slowed the machine as Daniel put the phone back in his pocket.

  “Zach’s turning back too. The road is impassible except for a snowmobile. He’s pretty devastated. He plans to go back to the lodge and see what he can find by plane.”

  “Maybe the storm will clear by the time we get back and he can see something.”

  It was a vain hope. He’d seen these kinds of storms, and this one showed no signs of letting up for hours yet. It would probably be morning before the wind died, and maybe not even then.

  He lowered his chin to his chest. God had them in his arms, just like he had Ava. His sister was alive when Lance had thought all hope was gone. That was the only thing he could cling to right now.

  The sky had quit dumping white stuff, but it continued to blow and pile into higher drifts. Bailey threw another log on the fire. The other women slept huddled together under one blanket close to the stove. She and the other two women had taken shifts keeping watch over Lily all night.

  Lily had gotten sick around midnight, and she looked bad. Her color was high, and she was burning up with fever. They couldn’t wait for the plows to clear the roads. This far up the mountain that could be several days, and Lily needed attention now. Bailey knew how quickly fever and illness could take someone Lily’s age.

  Shauna stirred and opened her eyes. “What time is it?”

  “A little after seven. Sun’s coming up and it doesn’t look good. There are huge drifts out there. I don’t think we can even get out of the drive.”

  She’d snooped through the cabinets and found a few cans of soup and dry goods. If they rationed it, they might not starve for a day or two, but it wouldn’t be fun. Some bottled water was stored in a closet, but they could also melt snow on the stove. The bigger question was how to get out of here. There was a phone but it wasn’t working.

  Shauna crawled out from under the blanket and stood. “I wonder if there are any snowmobiles in the barn or the shed outside.”

  “Not in the barn. I searched it pretty well last night. I haven’t checked the shed yet, but I’ll go look. This place appears to be a summer cabin, so I doubt we’ll find anything useful.”

  “Even snowshoes would be helpful. Lily’s not good. One of us could get to a house with a phone and call Zach to come get us by air.” Shauna’s eyes went wide, and she put her hand to her mouth. “Excuse me.”

  She rushed for the back door, and the wind carried the sound of retching into the cabin. Bailey went after her and grabbed a paper towel from the kitchen counter. She handed it to Shauna. “Morning sickness?”

  Shauna dabbed her mouth with the paper towel. “I think so. I’d been feeling a little nauseated for the past few days, but this is the first time I’ve thrown up. Of all times for it to start. I’ve got to figure out a way to get us out of here.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it. I’m going to walk to the road and take a look at the conditions. If I think I can get through on foot to find help, I’ll go on while the rest of you stay here. Lily needs medical attention.”

  “I don’t want you to go alone, Bailey. I’ll come with you.”

  “You’re pregnant. Even the effort of walking in deep snow might be harmful to the baby, plus you could fall. I’m used to snow. I can handle this.” At least she hoped she could.

  Shauna’s eyebrows drew together, and she pursed her lips. “I don’t like it, but I have to admit you’re probably right.”

  “I know I am. I don’t want anything to happen to my new little niece or nephew.” Bailey headed for the tiny bedroom. “I need to find the warmest coat I can as well as gloves or boots. Anything winter weather related. See what you can find too.”

  A few minutes later they had a pile of lightweight jackets, a ball cap, cotton gardening gloves, and rubber rain boots. Bailey had checked the shed and found a pair of snowshoes that might help too. She braced her hands on her hips and examined what she had to work with. “I’d hoped for more.”

  “And what about using a towel as a ski mask? I can cut holes for your eyes and we can tie it around your neck with something. I saw kitchen shears in one of the drawers.” Shauna went to the kitchen to rummage in the cutlery drawer and held up a pair of red shears. “Got ’em. And you need to wear Lily’s parka. It’s the warmest thing we have. You can layer a lighter weight jacket under it.”

  Bailey looked at the coats the other women were wearing. Lily had on the warmest one, a true parka. She hated to wake the elderly lady when she was so sick, but Bailey needed the coat. “Okay.”

  Shauna measured the towel on Bailey and cut out holes for her eyes. “I found twine in the drawer too. I think we can make this work. You need to eat, too, maybe some chicken noodle soup.” She pulled a pan out of the cabinet and opened a can of soup. “I’ll heat it on the stove.”

  “I need to get going. I can drink it cold.”

  “It will warm in no time, and we still need to get Lily’s coat. I’ll heat water, too, and look for coffee or tea.” Shauna banged the pan down on the stove and clanged the spoon against the side of the pan. “This should wake her.” She made more noise, and Lily’s eyes fluttered open.

  Ellie sat up and rubbed her eyes. “It’s morning.”

  “Yes.” Bailey told her what they’d planned.

  “Let me go with you.”

  “There’s only enough warm clothing for one of us to go, and I’m used to snow. You stay here and help Lily. Get as much fluid down her as you can.”

  Ellie glanced at Lily who snuggled close to her side. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

  While Bailey swallowed as much of the soup as she could manage, Ellie got the coat off Lily and another jacket on her, then settled her back under the blanket.

  “I found some instant coffee and a thermos. Take this with you.” Shauna handed Bailey a small thermos. “Let me get the towel on you.”

  A few minutes later and Bailey was decked out in a makeshift ski mask, layers of coats, rubber boots, and cotton gloves. She tucked the thermos inside her jacket and headed for the door.

  “I’ll be back with help as soon as I can.” Bailey stepped out into the wind and strapped on the snowshoes.

  The snowshoes kept her on top of the snowbanks, and she slogged down the drive to the road. The drifts were just as high here, but she gritted her teeth and headed down the mountain.

  Chapter 39

  Lance’s hands hurt as they began to warm up and so did his face. The men had parked the snow machines near the tree line, then made their way back to the plane. They’d had to dig it out of the banks of snow trapping it in the clearing, but they were inside and ready to take off now.

  Zach’s face was grim as he ended the radio call with the sheriff. “He’s going to talk to the county and try to get plows up this way as soon as they can, but it’s going to take time. I want to get in the air and see if we can see anything.”

  “I talked to our supervisor too. He’ll do what he can to get us some help, but operations are paralyzed by the blizzard,” Daniel said.

  The sense of urgency and fear grew as Zach started the engine and got the plane in the air. The wind buffeted it, rocking it from side to
side until they were airborne.

  “I’ll fly as low as I can, but that will make for a bumpy ride,” Zach said.

  Lance nodded as he brought binoculars to his eyes and began a visual sweep of the white landscape below. Grayson had some, too, and they flew in silence with everyone’s attention on the search. Time ticked by but nothing moved below them. No cars or trucks braved the thick snow, and he saw a few curls of smoke as the plane swooped over rooftops and snow-covered fields.

  “I’ll have to head back to Lavender Tides to refuel.” Zach’s voice was tight and choked.

  None of them wanted to leave the search—Zach least of all—but they wouldn’t do the women any good if they crashed the plane into the mountains or a field.

  Lance’s thoughts tumbled and intertwined as he tried to think of who might know where the judge had gone. If they found him, they’d be a lot closer to discovering the women’s location. For all he knew they’d been on a wild-goose chase ever since they left the judge’s house.

  Lost in thought, he roused only when Zach set the plane down on the runway at Hurricane Roost Airport. It was a different world once they got away from the snow. The grass was green from the recent rain, and the blue of the ocean held no trace of snow or frost.

  Zach was out of the plane in a flash, and the rest of the men followed. The first thing Lance needed to do was make Zach understand that going back up the mountain to search might not be the best course of action.

  Zach was shouting for help from his workers to help get the plane refueled. Lance motioned for him to come over, and Zach frowned but strode his way.

  “I need to get us refueled and back in the air.” His voice was clipped.

  Lance put his hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Zach, stop and think. We don’t know that those tracks we were following had anything to do with the girls. We don’t know where the judge took them. Now, we could go back up there and continue to search, but the wiser choice would be to follow any leads we can dig up to the judge’s whereabouts. He’s the only one who knows where they are. There’s a vast area in the mountains to search, and we don’t have any idea if we’re even close to their location.”