Chapter 10
We walk to room six, the three of us drained by the drama that has unfolded over the past hour.
"I need a nap," I confess as the door swings open, but my exhaustion fades when I take in the place we'll be staying for the next forty-eight hours.
"Oh, dang. This is tiny." Mara looks around, unimpressed.
Phoebe steps in behind us, hauling in her equipment and laptop. "Wow, uhh, okay. This is—"
"Tiny?" I repeat. "I wonder if the hot water even works in the bathroom. Does the toilet flush?"
"I'm sure everything works just fine, Sabrina." Mara walks over to the heater, brushing off some dust before releasing a half-laugh. "At least the heat is working?"
Phoebe drops her things onto one of the mattresses, but I stop her. "Wait! Don't put anything on the bed. Or the floor. Maybe we should keep our stuff in the car?"
"I still have a few scenes to edit from your interview with Holly. No way I'm leaving my laptop and expensive equipment in the car overnight. I don't trust anyone in this town, and the cold isn't good for this stuff."
"I brought extra sheets and a mattress protector," Mara admits, and I could kiss her for it.
"You're a genius! This is why you're my assistant!"
I should have said best friend, but that title has slipped between my fingers like sand. I can't pick up the pieces of the huge mess I put us in, and it kills me. And to top it off, I'm sleeping with my friend's boyfriend. Loyal girl's girl of the year, right here.
Mara strips the bed with clinical efficiency, tugging off the sheets and adjusting her glasses like she's flipping a switch from assistant to maid.
She's a modern-day Edna Mode with a thrifted twist—blunt Bettie Page bangs, thick black frames, and vintage clothes that somehow always work.
She's the organized one. The safe one. The one who's been my rock for as long as I can remember.
I don't even know how to function without her.
After unpacking the few things we brought with us, we get down to business and start discussing our plans.
"Should we split up?" I suggest.
"Are you insane? You've seen horror movies."
"Phoebe's right," Mara agrees. "But we could cover more ground. Let me check my itinerary."
The snow has settled into a hushed blanket over the dreary mountainside.
The wind has quieted too, leaving only the occasional soft drift of flakes as they float lazily to the ground.
This might be our best chance to interview the townsfolk before it picks up again.
We can't afford to wait too long. It feels like the calm before the storm, and we need to move while we still can.
"I call dibs on Chet," I say, raising my hand like he's up for grabs.
"You would. Fine, I'll visit the convenience store. What about you, Phoebe?"
"Do you care if I do a little work and research from the room?" she asks.
"Knock yourself out. Keep your location tracking on and text if you need anything, cool?"
Heading back to the check-in desk to see what I can squeeze out of Chet, I also send Aiden a quick text.
I see bubbles appear as he's typing something out, but then they disappear. They reappear in a quick burst, and then they're gone.
Shit, was the term of endearment too much?
I don't receive a reply for five minutes before I realize I'm wasting time.
What the hell am I doing? I'm about to ruin a friendship that means so much to me.
I know when Phoebe finds out, or if she finds out, I'll be dead to her.
I'll have to find someone else to edit out all my "umms," someone I won't love as much as I love the two friends here on this wild goose chase.
I wonder if Mara will drop me when she finds out I can't be trusted.
Our little tripod is threatening to fall, and it's all my fault.
I'm focused on my phone, not paying attention to where I'm going. As I keep my eyes on the screen, I collide with someone on my lonely trek to the front office.
"Excuse me," she apologizes, both of us grabbing each other's elbows to keep from slipping on the snow.
We both laugh, guilty of not looking where we're going and being lost in our phones.
"I'm so sorry." I lean on her a bit longer to regain my balance. This snow and ice are a nightmare to walk on.
"No, my fault. Hey, were you coming from six?"
"Yes, my girlfriends and I are here for a few nights. You?"
"Oh, I live here in town. I was visiting my boyfriend, Chet. We live onsite, in cabin one."
Must be weird living where you work, but I guess it's no different than a property manager at an apartment complex.
"I'm Sabrina." I extend my puffy gloved hand to hers.
"Hi, I'm Jessica."
"So, you live here? What's it like?" I ask, figuring I can use this as an excuse to talk to the locals and see if she has any dirt to share.
"It's amazing if you love snow," Jessica chuckles, offering little else. "Will you go skiing while you're here?"
Since she's not giving me much to work with, I decide to keep our plans to myself.
"I hope to. Hey, when we were driving in, some creep helped us.
He lives off Deadwood Grove? Chet said no one has lived there for a long time, but the guy freaked us out.
Pretty sure he'd get caught for indecent exposure, if you get what I'm saying?
We just saw him walking around the town and it has us all pretty spooked. Should we call the police?"
"Huh, I really don't know who that could be."
She's lying. I may not be great at a lot of things, but I can see the way her eyes drift up to the right, like she's hiding something. I know my judge of character hasn't been ten for ten, and sure, Mara thinks I'm helpless, but I can see she's holding back.
I let an awkward pause stretch between us, waiting for her to give me something else. Instead, she says, "Well, I better get going. Enjoy your time here."
"Will do. I need to go talk to Chet about something anyway." I dangle that in the air like a threat, something for her to worry about since she seemed to be worthless after all.
Jessica. I'll have to tell the girls that, whoever she is, she gave me nothing useful.