Chapter 14
Fourteen
CASSIE OPENED her eyes. The ceiling? She jolted upright.
She’d fallen asleep? How could she sleep while Joel and Jayce were still out there?
She scanned the room. The fire Scott built still blazed in the hearth.
But where was Iz? She’d been sitting on the other bed when Cassie said she was just going to rest for a second.
Her heart thundering in her chest, Cassie climbed from the bed and prayed she’d simply slept through Joel and Jayce’s return.
She looked at the mirror behind her. Flames danced in the glass. She took off her cap and gloves, running her fingers through her tangled hair.
She stifled a yawn. How long had she been asleep?
Having no sense of time left her reeling—like spinning in a storm with nothing solid to hold on to.
Joel had always been her solid. And since they’d ended, she’d been listing in the wind.
She knew God had her. Well, she thought He did, but it seemed evil was dominating in her case.
She took one last look in the mirror at her messy self and blinked. Was that . . . ?
Her entire body went rigid at the sight of the linen envelope on the table beside the hearth. No. No. No.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Please let my eyes be playing terrible tricks on me.
With a deep breath, she opened them. Still there.
She wasn’t crazy. He was here.
With her breath trapped in her lungs, she eased her way to the envelope, and lifting it with trembling hands, she opened the envelope and slid the letter out.
I saw you two. Have you forgotten the cardinal rule?
Last warning.
Remember, I go in and out with you.
Your Shadow
Tears flowed down her cheeks, rolling off her face.
Stumbling down the hall, she padded her way into the parlor, where Iz took one look at her and yanked her to the side.
“What’s going on?” Iz asked.
“I-I . . . I . . .” Cassie studied the faces in the room. Could it really be one of them?
“Let’s go back to our room and talk,” Iz said. With the gentlest touch, she tugged Cassie out of the parlor by her jacket sleeve. “I’ll be right back, hon,” she said to Talbot as they passed.
“Joel and Jayce?”
“They should be back soon.”
“How long—?”
“You were only asleep about a half hour. They’ve been gone about forty minutes.”
“We should send people to look for them.”
“We discussed it, but then we risk losing more in the snow. We’ll give them another ten, then rediscuss.”
They padded down the hall, a lantern in Izzy’s hand.
A shadow loomed large on the side wall.
She stopped short, her chest squeezing.
Izzy held the lantern higher. “Who is it?” she asked, her voice bold as she was.
Heath rounded the corner.
“When did you get back? We thought you were still looking for Brady?”
“A little bit ago.” He shrugged.
Iz narrowed her eyes. “We didn’t see you in the parlor.”
“Because I was rummaging around the kitchen.” He frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because Savanah just came from the kitchen and didn’t mentioned seeing you. We all thought you were still outside.”
“What is this, interrogation hour?” Heath snorted. “I came in the side door after I got turned around in the snow looking for Brady. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a blizzard out there.” He pushed past them.
“Did you see Brady while you were out there?” Izzy asked.
“Nope.” He kept walking away.
“That was weird,” Iz said. “He was all on the defensive.” She pulled Cassie into the bedroom and shut the door behind them. “Now, what on earth is going on?”
Cassie pointed to the letter she’d left on the bed.
Izzy’s wide-eyed gaze fixed on her. “He’s back?”
“Apparently, he never left.” Tension bubbled over in her, her limbs shaking. She picked up the crumpled paper and sat back on the bed. Something slipped off the pillow beside her elbow. She squeezed her eyes shut. Please no.
Her gaze tracked down.
“Another envelope?” Izzy asked, striding forward.
She grabbed it as Iz drew close.
Cassie opened it, and tears welled in her eyes.
Iz’s carriage turned stiff. “What did the madman say?”
She cleared her throat and read, “‘On second thought, I think you need a stronger reminder. Wait. One is coming soon.’”
Izzy frowned, the firelight casting shadows across her face. “What does that even mean?”
“That he’s going to . . .” Her breath hurt. “Or he already has hurt someone.”
Izzy’s eyes widened. “Do you think he followed you here? But how? How would he know we went heli-skiing? How would he get out here? There wasn’t time before the avalanche. . . .”
“Exactly.” Iz had just walked them through the logical conclusion. “He’s one of us.” He’d been there all along.
Her stomach heaved as she slipped the folded letters in her pocket.
“Oh no!” Iz braced her hands on her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you to the bathroom.”
They raced down the hall to the closest washroom as fast as she could manage on her bum knee.
Iz rushed inside with her and locked the door behind them.
Cassie dropped her weight on her good knee as she bent. “You can leav—” she said, trying to give Iz a get-out-of-jail-free card before she got sick, but she’d held back too long.
Foreboding wracked her mind as convulsions wracked her body. What did he have in store? And who could it be? The last two years flashed before her eyes—everything struggling for new context.
After an awful few moments, she sat back. The cold sink pedestal behind her back eased the sweat clinging to her.
“You okay?” Iz asked. She brushed back the damp hair fringing Cassie’s face.
She shook her head as tears drenched her face.
Iz pulled her into an embrace. “It’s going to be okay.”
She leaned back. “I know you’re just trying to be helpful, but how is it going to be okay? Joel tried the entire year to catch him. Officer Gonzales did too until he determined it a cold case—the culprit either gone or inactive. Like that was supposed to help.”
“Yes,” Iz said. Her voice was always calm in times of great distress, just like her brothers’. It was a wonder she didn’t go into law enforcement too. “But,” her florist best friend said, “he’s back now.”
Cassie narrowed her puffy eyes. “You say that like it’s a good thing.” She sniffed, her nose swollen shut.
“It is.” Iz smiled.
“Come again?”
“Because now they can catch him.”
“How?” She sniffed again. “What’s changed?”
“Now you have your suspects, and they’re all trapped here.”
I smiled. She knew. It was obvious the second I saw her beautiful, horrified face. But she didn’t know it was me. How could she not? I mean, who else in this ridiculous group could it be?
At least she knew I was here and I wasn’t going anywhere.
But she was breaking the cardinal rule—tsk, tsk, tsk—she’d told on me.
Just like that stupid kid who couldn’t keep his mouth shut and got me kicked out of another foster home.
Not that I cared. I could handle where they put me.
I wasn’t soft like some of the other sissies who cried at night in their beds.
I’ve always been tough. Hard. I had no choice, but it’s done me well.
But that kid—Donnie Brown—he took me from the only person who understood me, so I paid him back and got away with it.
I smiled at the delicious memory. Now they’d try to take Cassie from me, but I wouldn’t allow it.
Instead, they’d pay. Just as Donnie Brown had.
Just as Nat and Brady had. Brady I felt half bad for. The dumb lug was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, so was Nat, but her death was a long time coming. Always so nosey. Asking questions. Watching.
None of that mattered now. All that mattered was me and Cassie. And we’d be leaving together as soon as I took care of a little business.
I’d be missed, but I wouldn’t be away long. We’d made a pledge. Just the two of us—thick as blood. We’d never abandon each other as so many had abandoned us. I’d find her again. I always did, but I was leaving here with Cassie.
Too bad she had a thing for Joel. I hated to ruin her happiness of all people, but there was no choice. Joel Brunswick won’t leave this lodge alive.