anything as seedy as murder being linked to OTIOSE.
Whatever will our board of directors think? And our shareholders will be up in arms! This is simply terrible!”
“It’s rough, all right,” Renie agreed.
“It had to be some lunatic,” Nadia declared. “Someone
SNOW PLACE TO DIE / 55
wandering around the mountains. I’ve heard there are all
sorts of strange types who live in the forest. Hermits, and
other kinds of eccentrics. They often kill people. That’s what
must have happened to Barry.”
They had reached a door at the far end of the hall. Nadia
sorted through a large key ring. “Two-thirty-nine,” she said
under her breath. “Here we are.”
There were twin beds, a small fireplace, a bathroom, and
a wet bar. There were also two hooded bathrobes hanging
on wooden pegs. Matching terrycloth slippers sat side by
side on the polished hardwood floor. Judith and Renie both
sighed with relief.
“Nice,” Renie remarked. “Thanks, Nadia. We’re sorry to
impose, but that storm out there is really something.”
Nadia’s smile was tense. “It should blow out in a few
hours. That’s what happened last year when we were at
Mountain Goat.”
“You had a storm just like this one?” Judith asked, setting
her purse down on one of the twin beds.
“Oh, yes,” Nadia replied. “It was terrible. We weren’t sure
if we could get out by Monday afternoon. But it finally broke
that morning, and we were able to leave.”
“Who drove?” Renie had uttered the question from the
fireplace where she was putting a match to the pile of wood
and kindling.
“I did,” Nadia replied. “Barry had driven us up here, but
when he…disappeared, it was up to me to get us back to the
city. Fortunately, we were able to chain up at the summit.”
Judith sat down on the bed with its counterpane woven
in a bright Native American design. “Nadia, weren’t you
worried about what had happened to Barry?”
Nadia hung her head and clasped her hands. “Not terribly,”
she replied in a sheepish tone. “You see, Barry was gay. He
was given to…following his special star.” She paused, her
thin face very earnest. “It had happened before. Two summers
ago at the company picnic, Barry was in
56 / Mary Daheim
charge of the food. About halfway through, he suddenly
disappeared. He’d met someone on the adjacent tennis
courts. Then at the Christmas party a year ago, he went off
with Santa Claus.”
“I see.” Judith took a deep breath. “So you thought—what?
That he’d met someone outside of the lodge or at the summit
or down in the next town—or what?”
“Any of those things.” Nadia now appeared to be on surer
ground. “Even here at the lodge, there are cross-country skiers
who pass through. Not to mention snow-mobilers and hikers.
It may seem isolated, but it really isn’t, not when the
weather is decent.”
“Except that you had a big storm last January,” Judith
pointed out. “That would have cut down on the sports enthusiasts.”
“Y-e-s,” Nadia said slowly. “I suppose it did.” She glanced
around the room, her practiced mind taking inventory. “I
hope this will do. Everything seems to be in order. Now I
should get back downstairs. I must see what’s happening
with Frank and the police chief.”
Judith locked the door behind Nadia and slid the deadbolt. “We ought to be safe in here,” she said, then gritted her
teeth as Renie lighted yet another cigarette. “Coz—must you?
This is a small room, and it’s too cold to open a window.”
Renie waved the cigarette. “It’s either this or we raid the
buffet.”
Judith sniffed at the trail of smoke. “That’s not a bad idea.
It just dawned on me that I’m starved. I haven’t eaten since
breakfast.”
“Then let’s forage after they’ve finished. Meanwhile, we
can check out the honor bar.” She nodded at the compartment built between the room’s two small windows.
The little refrigerator contained soda pop, sample-sized
bottles of liquor, and water, both plain and flavored. There
were also packets of various snack foods. The cousins
SNOW PLACE TO DIE / 57
opened a bag of chips and a bag of pretzels before making
themselves a drink.
Sitting in a wooden chair with a comfortable padded back
and seat, Judith gazed around the room. “There’s no TV. Or
radio. How are we going to hear about what’s happening
with the weather?”
Renie also studied their surroundings. “No phone, either.
I guess this is one of those places where you’re supposed to
get back to nature or in touch with yourself or some damned
thing. Bill and I stayed at a lodge like this in Oregon a few
years ago. After an hour and a half, we were ready to kill
each other.”
Judith got up and went to one of the windows. “All we
can do is watch what’s happening outside. Once the storm
dies down, I suppose we could use the phone in the kitchen
to check on highway conditions.”
Renie uttered a terse laugh. “Assuming we can reach the
right part of the state and don’t end up with a report on the
ocean beaches.”
“I’ve got a feeling that this blizzard is going to last well
into the night,” Judith said, still peering through one of the
window’s six small panes that were trimmed in bright red.
“I vaguely recall hearing a weather report at home yesterday
that said we might get some snow in the city by Sunday, but
of course I didn’t worry about it because…” She stopped,
cupping her hands around her eyes. “What in…? I just saw
a light.”
Renie, who had been reclining on one of the twin beds,
went to the other window. “Where? I don’t see anything.”
“It’s gone. Which way are we facing?”
Renie considered. “We’re at the end of the hall, which
runs the width of the lodge. I’d guess that we’re looking out
from the east, opposite from the parking lot and the creek.”
“That makes sense. The wind is from the north, and it’s
blowing the snow right by us.” Judith remained at the win- 58 / Mary Daheim
dow, but the light didn’t reappear. “Did you say there was
a caretaker?”
Renie had returned to the bed. “Right, but he’s at least
half a mile away. I doubt he’d come out in this storm. Besides, he’s under orders to keep away. The OTIOSE gang is
very set on privacy.”
“Where’d the staff go?” Judith asked, finally deserting her
post and sitting down again.
“Home?” Renie gave little shrug. “I understand some of
them usually sleep over, up in dormer rooms on the third
floor. But during the conference, they were all sent away. It
is a three-day weekend, and they were probably delighted
to have the time off.”
Judith finished her bag of chips and sipped at her Scotch;
Renie ate three pretzels, lighted another cigarette, and drank
her bourbon. The fire, which Judith had lighted a few minutes
earlier, burned in the small grate. They could hear the wind
howl in the chimney, causing the flames to waver and dance.
“I should have mentioned to Nadia that we left her
clothes—and Ava’s—in the dining room,” Renie said,
breaking the sudden silence between them.