a threat.
Andrea’s sobs had finally subsided. She raised a haggard
face and spoke in a surprisingly strong voice. “We’ve got
another, more important job, if you ask me. In case it
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slipped everybody’s mind, I’m vice president-human resources. We’ve lost two of those human resources, in a most
inhumane manner. I want something done about it, and I
want to start now.”
The motherly velvet glove had been thrown down; the
plump iron fist was shaking at Frank Killegrew. He drew
back, looking unsettled.
“Now, now, Andrea, I don’t see what we can do.” Killegrew’s glance of appeal fell on Gene Jarman, who had returned from the kitchen and was cradling a towel that contained the freezer bag with the soapstone carving. “What’s
your considered opinion, counselor?”
“For now, I want somebody to open the safe. I don’t much
like holding on to evidence like this,” Gene replied.
Killegrew went behind the registration desk. The safe was
in a recessed area below the room slots. “Damn,” he
muttered. “It’s locked. We don’t know the combination.”
Judith felt herself wince. In years gone by, she had become
adept at figuring out combination locks. It had begun with
necessity, when Dan McMonigle would hide his occasional
earnings as a bartender and leave Judith holding the bag for
the household bills. Later, the knack had served her well
when on the sleuthing trail. She preferred not revealing how
she’d acquired her skills. Fortunately, no one asked.
The combination proved remarkably simple. Judith wrote
it down on a piece of lodge stationery and passed it around
to the others. There was safety in numbers, she decided.
With a scowl, Gene handed the towel and the carving over
to Killegrew, who put the items inside the safe after only a
brief, awkward juggling act. “There we go,” he said, dusting
off his hands as if he’d accomplished a feat of derring-do.
“Lock it up.”
Judith complied. The group reassembled around the
hearth. Killegrew again turned to Gene Jarman. “That’s that.
Safe as houses. Now let’s hear your words of wisdom on
what we do next.”
88 / Mary Daheim
Gene sat back on the sofa, his brown eyes lifted to the
rafters. “I’ll have to think this over,” he said after a long
pause.
“We don’t have time for that,” Killegrew retorted. “Come
on, Gene, for once, forget about all that due caution and
deliberate care bunk.”
Gene uttered a heavy sigh. “We can do one of two things.
We can all keep our mouths shut and not discuss what’s
happened today. That’s what I’d advise. Or,” he went on,
with a sardonic look for Killegrew, “we can start asking each
other a lot of embarrassing questions and try to get to the
bottom of this. If we do that—and again, I’m not advising
it from a legal standpoint—we might at least get our stories
straight before we have to answer to the authorities.”
Nadia, who had been mixing Russell Craven a rum and
Coca-Cola, stared at Gene. “Are you suggesting that we lie?”
“Of course not.” Gene’s dark-skinned forehead creased.
“I’m saying we pool our knowledge—such as it is—so that
we don’t end up looking like babbling idiots when we finally
talk to outsiders.”
Killegrew gave a brief nod. “That makes sense. Okay,
Gene, you’re in charge.”
Max and Ward returned at that moment. They had removed Leon Mooney, not to the basement, but to a room
on the third floor. “More homeylike,” Ward said. Andrea
began to weep again.
After Killegrew had filled Max and Ward in on Gene’s alternative plan, Judith noted that the mood shifted. The group
was getting down to business, a grisly business perhaps, but
they were tackling it in a style they understood. Despite the
bathrobes and slippers and cocktails and subject matter, the
OTIOSE executives were taking a meeting, and the atmosphere seemed to relax. Even Andrea dried her eyes and reasserted her iron grip.
SNOW PLACE TO DIE / 89
Judith poked Renie. “We’re still here,” she whispered.
“How come?”
Renie gave a little shrug and a shake of her head, but said
nothing. It didn’t take long for the question to be answered.
Gene Jarman, who had traded places with Frank Killegrew,
addressed the cousins. “It’s unfortunate that the two of you
had to be present during such a tragic time for OTIOSE,” he
said gravely. “But we can’t change that, and what’s even
more unfortunate, is that you both seemed to have played
big parts in that you found the bodies. We’d better start by
going over what happened this afternoon and now tonight.
Nadia, would you take notes, please?”
Nadia picked up a notebook and a pen from the coffee
table, then slipped her glasses from her bathrobe pocket.
“I’m ready,” she said through pursed lips.
“Good.” Gene turned back to Judith and Renie. “One word
of caution—you must never speak of what went on in this
room tonight. If you do, the gravest of consequences will
follow.”
Given what had already happened at Mountain Goat
Lodge, Judith could guess that such consequences might be
fatal.
SEVEN
IT WAS ALMOST midnight before Judith and Renie finished
recounting their stories. Being questioned by Eugene Jarman
Jr. was like being on the witness stand. He was precise, exacting, and relentless. The hardest part came when he asked
about the items Judith had found at the bottom of the ice
cave.
“You actually went inside the cave?”
“Yes. There wasn’t much room because of the broken
branches, but…”
“Why did you go inside the cave?”
“To get a better look.”
“At what?”
“The body. And to see if there was anything that might
tell us who…”
“Aren’t you aware that a crime scene should never be
touched?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know it was a crime scene.”
If Gene was taken aback by Judith’s response, he didn’t
show it. “So you went ahead and disturbed the area around
the body?”
“I didn’t disturb it. I just picked up some things that were
lying on the ground. If I hadn’t, we would never have known
who…”
“Come now, Ms. Flynn, surely you realized that the
90
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authorities would eventually search the cave. Why did you
feel compelled to do it yourself?”
Because I was freezing to death and my brain wasn’t
working. Because I was bursting with curiosity. Because I’ve
done it before. But Judith only voiced these thoughts to herself. To Gene and the others, she merely said, “It seemed
right at the time.”
Gene’s tone reeked of disapproval. “Your heedless actions
may cause serious legal problems. Tampering with evidence
is a crime. On the other hand, we have only your word for
it that Barry Newcombe met with foul play.”
“Oh, come on, Gene,” said Margo. “If somebody finds a
dead body with something tied around its neck, what do you
think happened? I doubt that Barry was making a fashion
statement.”
“He did dress well,” Andrea noted. “And his shoes were