Chapter 26
It took a lot of time to convince everyone to return to their rooms, but Sean eventually outlasted them. He gave Jennie a quick hug and a kiss before she returned to their room, and when Roger arrived with the requested tools, it was time to get to work.
The front entrance consisted of two doors, both of which swung inward. Two large glass panels were set into each door, giving them a view of the red slush on the other side.
“When I open it, it could be possible that the body comes through the door with the snowpack,” Sean said. “It’s important that you don’t touch anything. Do you understand?”
Roger nodded.
Because of the local climate and the fact that people were still murdered in the winter, this wasn’t the first time Sean had had to deal with a body in the snow.
He had worked with a few specialized teams to better understand how to retrieve a body and salvage evidence, and he relayed what he knew to Roger.
“Dig slowly and move small amounts of snow at a time,” Sean said. “We don’t want to damage the body with the tools. If you can, move the snow with your hands, and keep your gloves on. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, okay,” Roger said, and then he shook his head. “This is crazy.”
Sean reached for the door handle and pulled it open.
More red slush snow poured into the lobby, but it wasn’t as much as Sean thought. He opened the next door, and a bit more poured in, but there was still no body.
The pair moved slowly, and depending on how deep the body was buried, it could be a while before they found anything.
Sean considered calling Sheriff Johnson, letting him know that he shouldn’t bring the plows to the front door so he wouldn’t damage any evidence, but Sean didn’t think they would make it that far before they finished here.
“You ever done something like this before?” Roger asked, scooping more red snow from the wall of ice.
“I’ve pulled bodies out of the snow before,” Sean answered. “But no, nothing like this.”
Roger was silent for a moment, and then he shook his head. “This is going to be one hell of a call with my insurance after this is over.” He scoffed. “If I thought my premium was high before…” He laughed, and then looked to Sean, but dropped the smile when he saw that there was no reciprocation.
Sean and Roger fell into a rhythm, moving bits of snow at a time, getting closer and closer to whatever was buried beneath.
It was obvious to Sean now that the blood on the roof was the same as the blood here near the entrance. The most likely scenario was that the individual was killed on the roof, then dumped over the side.
It wasn’t the smartest way to dispose of a body, dropping it in the snow near the front doors, but perhaps the killer didn’t have time to think, or they believed they could cover up the rest of the crime by hiding the murder weapon in the sheriff’s room.
Either way, Sean believed that whatever had happened was a crime of passion. He thought back to Julie and Tim's heated argument and how Emily believed Ben and Karla were not really in love.
But what if it wasn’t Karla the bride in the snow?
Sean pushed those thoughts aside. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with them. Not after the visit to Jennie’s doctor last Wednesday. He’d already lost one child this week. He didn’t want to entertain losing another.
Sean was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the finger protruding from the snow until Roger dropped his shovel and jumped back.
“Jesus Christ, that’s a finger,” Roger said.
Sean took a closer look. It was just the tip, with a bit of the nail showing.
Sean carefully carved more snow away from the finger, exposing more of it.
He found himself dreading the idea of finding the little girl in the snow, and while it was a horrible thought, he believed it would be better if it were the bride.
It was a lose-lose situation either way, but the idea of such a young life being lost, especially after what had happened with the miscarriage, had made Sean overly sensitive to that fact.
Sean moved faster, digging more frantically, and he forced himself to slow down. Eventually, the entire hand was exposed.
The size of the hand would have given it away on its own, along with the painted nails, but the diamond ring sealed the deal.
It was the bride.