Danger in the Snow

by Wendy Meadows

  Andrew eyed Bertha and lowered his voice to an undertone. “Me and the wife did have a good time,” he agreed, “but what a price I'm paying now.”

  Conrad grinned. He felt sorry for Andrew sitting in his office, stuck all night in his itchy chief's uniform catering to the whims of a cranky old woman. “I'll be down as soon as I can.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Andrew said and began to hang up. But then he caught himself. “Say, Conrad?”

  “Yeah?”

  Andrew turned around in his chair and faced his office window. “This woman seemed very determined to get to Amanda’s cabin. Anything I should know about?”

  “Amanda says Bertha is bad news, so be careful of her,” Conrad warned. “And don't fall for any sweet little old lady tricks, either. Amanda said that Bertha can sweet-talk a grizzly out of a fish.”

  Andrew glanced over his shoulder and saw her cruel eyes looking at him. “Conrad, are we talking about the same woman?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The woman sitting in my office looks mean enough to scare a grizzly out of his den,” Andrew whispered. “She looks like a rotted prune with dead eyes.”

  “I heard that,” Bertha snapped and knocked her cane into the side of Andrew's desk sharply. “How dare you!”

  Andrew turned back around. “Lady,” he said, trying to remain polite, “you want to eavesdrop on an officer of the law and then get mad about what you hear, I’d be happy to arrest you. If not, you can get yourself out of my office, you hear me? I'm not obligated to help you by law. Out of courtesy, I will let you stay the night in one of the jail cells, but come morning it sounds like you’re headed out of town.”

  “I'll do no such thing,” Bertha yelled and whacked Andrew's desk with her cane again.

  Conrad heard Bertha yelling at Andrew. He gave Sarah a confused look. “Lady, if you hit my desk again, I'll lock you up for misdemeanor assault, is that clear?” Andrew told Bertha in a tone that made her sit back and shut up—for the time being. “Conrad, I'll talk to you when the roads clear.”

  “Yeah,” Conrad said and rubbed the back of his neck, “I'll be down to the station house as soon as I can. In the meantime, keep a close eye on that woman.”

  “Will do.”

  “And also,” Conrad added in a quick voice, “inform her that come morning she isn't to come within a hundred feet of Amanda.”

  “You're making my night just dandy, aren't you?” Andrew told Conrad with a chuckle and ended the call.

  Conrad put down the telephone and walked over to the kitchen table. “Amanda, whoever is sitting in Andrew's office isn't some little old lady set on charming her way into everyone’s good graces.” Conrad picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip. “The woman I heard in the background snapped at Andrew and she sounded mean as a starving wolf.”

  Amanda felt a chill crawl down her back. “So it's true...she has come to punish me,” she whispered. “Now that she's away from London she can show her true colors.”

  “Suggestions?” Sarah asked Conrad in a tone that told him she was in police mode.

  “I told Andrew to tell Bertha she isn't allowed within a hundred feet of Amanda,” Conrad explained. “There's not much more I can do unless she breaks the law or makes a verbal threat. All we can do is hope she gets the message and leaves town.”

  “Conrad, how did Bertha even get into town?” Sarah asked.

  Conrad sat down and glanced at Mittens. Mittens was chewing on a rawhide bone and tussling on the warm rug near the fire. “Andrew said some ex-con wanting money hooked a plow to his truck and drove her in.”

  “All the way from Fairbanks?” Sarah asked.

  “Some cabbie with a record for running drugs,” Conrad said with a shrug. “Some guy named Robbie Nelson.”

  “That makes me wonder how Bertha found a person like that to begin with,” Sarah pointed out. “Was he just hanging out at the airport waiting to get picked up by the cops for endangering the lives of sweet old ladies? Besides, an old lady wouldn't take a ride from a guy who looked like an ex-con.” Sarah looked at Amanda. “Maybe not so sweet. Looks like you were right, June Bug. Not that I doubted you.”

  “You had every right to doubt me,” Amanda replied. “I did act a bit...dramatic. But at least now you can understand why.”

  “Put your mind at ease,” Conrad assured Amanda. “Bertha will not come near you.”

  “Oh, she'll find a way,” Amanda warned Conrad.

  “What do you mean, June Bug?” Sarah asked.

  Amanda took a sip of coffee. “Bertha will call my husband,” she said. “My husband, as loving as he is, will insist I take her in. She’ll play the stranded little old lady card—oh poor me, I just need a place to stay for a few nights, sorry to trouble you, kind sir. If I resist...oh, he'll think the worst of me. I can deal with that, I suppose. But with his father being so sick...and with me falling into trouble nearly every step...oh, my husband will give me an ear full.” Amanda sighed. “My father-in-law is honestly sick...if I cause him trouble with Bertha…? No, it's better if I handle Bertha on my own...somehow.”

  “Honey,” Sarah said, “marriages are built to manage problems, not ignore them. You can't hide this problem with Bertha from him just because he's dealing with a sick parent.”

  “You don't understand, Los Angeles,” Amanda explained in a desperate voice, “it’s not just that his dad is sick. My father-in-law, he...well, he despises the ground I walk on.”

  “Why?” Conrad asked. “You're a decent woman.”

  “Not in the eyes of a man who wanted his son to marry a posh London socialite,” Amanda told Conrad. “His parents assumed he would marry a lovely girl from another rich English family…my hubby married a middle-class girl instead.” Amanda took a glum sip of her coffee. “My hubby and I have done well for ourselves. It's not like we're alley beggars.”

  “You're a very talented and special woman,” Sarah assured Amanda.

  “I'm very loved,” Amanda replied in a grateful voice. “But money-wise...my father-in-law never thought I was good enough for his son, not even after you gave me half of your fortune.”

  “Not a fortune, honey,” Sarah smiled, “just royalties from my books that you deserved to have.”

  “That's a fortune to me,” Amanda said in a grateful voice. “Money was starting to get a little tight,” she continued. “It's expensive to fly back and forth to London from Anchorage. But now, because of you, I can be relaxed. I can even have a grand shopping trip in London. Our cabin is paid off and money is put up for my son. But,” Amanda finished, “it wouldn't matter if I had a billion dollars...it wouldn’t be good enough for my hubby's daddy because I simply don’t have the right society pedigree. And if my husband was called home to mediate a fight between me and Bertha, well, his father would probably start a war.”

  “But earlier you agreed—” Conrad began to speak.

  “I know I agreed to send Bertha packing,” Amanda told Conrad. “That was when she was still in Fairbanks. Now she's too close for comfort, and I'm sure she's going to call my husband and make it worse.”

  Before anyone could speak a word the telephone next to the refrigerator rang. “I'll answer it,” Conrad said and hurried over to the phone. “Hello? Oh...yeah...right here.” Conrad held the phone out. “Guess who?”

  “My hubby?” Amanda moaned. Conrad nodded. Amanda eased up to her feet, crept over to the phone, and took it from Conrad. “Hello love, how is your father?...Resting? That's good…What? Bertha? Oh, I heard she's holed up at the police station for the night...real bad snowstorm here...what’s that? Bertha was told she can't come near me? Well...dear...my love...I told you how I felt about Bertha...I'm not acting childish...I know your father is sick...I know I almost died...” Amanda felt her heart sink. “Love, please listen to reason...I didn't ask you to send Bertha...I'm not a child...”

  Sarah saw Amanda go from upset to angry. “Stand back,” she warned Conrad. Conrad stepped away from
the refrigerator.

  “Now you listen to me...I didn't ask you to send that awful woman to babysit me...Sarah is my friend! It wasn't her fault…no, you’re not listening. Love…it wasn’t my fault some deranged woman set a virus loose in the hot springs I wanted to buy...no, you listen! I was sitting here worried about upsetting you, but if you're going to act like a...a jerk...then you can go soak your head in the snow. And one more thing. Bertha can take a hike!” Amanda slammed down the phone, looked at Sarah, and then burst out crying. “Now I’ve done it!”

  Sarah ran over to Amanda. “Girl time,” she whispered to Conrad. Conrad nodded and left the kitchen. “Now, now,” Sarah told Amanda and walked her friend back to the kitchen table. “Your hubby will understand…you were just upset and hung up on him in the heat of the moment. I’m sure you’ll make up when he calls back.”

  “He refused to listen to reason...he’s blaming you…he’s blaming me…he’s treating me like a child,” Amanda cried.

  “He's only worried, honey,” Sarah told Amanda. “Conrad and I had an argument the day I left for the hot springs with you. And now look at us...right as rain. Stormy seas soon settle, I promise.”

  Amanda lifted her teary eyes up to Sarah. “My father-in-law is going to turn my hubby against me. I can see his hand in this mess already.”

  “June Bug, I know your husband. He's a good man who loves you very much. I'm sure he'll see reason.”

  Amanda wiped at her tears. She began to speak but then the phone rang again. Sarah quickly answered the call, expecting it to be Amanda's husband. Instead it was Andrew. “Hello? Oh…hi, Andrew.”

  “Sorry to bother you, Sarah,” Andrew said in a heavy voice, “but I wanted to let you know. I tried my hardest, but I couldn't keep her.”

  “Keep who...you mean Bertha?” Sarah asked.

  “Sarah, that woman insisted I allow her to leave the station. I...kinda lost my temper and let her. I had Michael drive her to the hotel.” Andrew scratched the back of his neck and then loosened the button at his collar. “That old lady...I never saw anything so mean and ugly in all my life, Sarah. I could have thrown her out in the snow with my bare hands. I was more than happy to let her leave. Besides, I had no legal way to hold her at the station. We don’t have a restraining order against her or anything.”

  “How long ago was this?” Sarah asked.

  “Not more than two minutes. Michael is driving off with her right now,” Andrew explained and then added: “I have some more bad news.”

  “I'm all ears.”

  “That old lady told me she has no intention of leaving Snow Falls. As a matter of fact, she told me she's thinking about moving here,” Andrew told Sarah. “How? Who knows. But the one thing I'm sure of is that she's out to get Amanda. When I told her she couldn't go near Amanda she dared me to stop her.”

  “Really?”

  Andrew nodded. “I wish I could have arrested her right then and there, but on what grounds? She didn’t exactly threaten her. Being an ornery old fishwife isn’t a crime. I have to wait until she breaks the law first. You and I both know that's the hardest part about being a cop.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Sarah nodded. “We have to let some known criminals run free until they break the law. Even then they have every rat attorney begging to defend them.”

  “Keep a close eye on Amanda,” Andrew told Sarah. “I'm going to call her husband in London and tell him what's going on and ask why in the world he sent that woman here.”

  “Uh...well, good idea,” Sarah agreed. “Maybe it'll do that man good to hear the truth from an outside party. Make sure you tell him every word Bertha said to you.”

  “Will do,” Andrew promised. “I'll be in touch.”

  “Thanks for calling, Andrew,” Sarah said in a grateful voice. “You're a real friend.”

  “Don't thank me yet,” Andrew replied, “we still have trouble in town. I'll be in touch.”

  Sarah put down the phone and returned to the table. “Bertha insisted Andrew let her go. Andrew had no choice. He's having Michael drive her to the hotel on his snowmobile.”

  “Good grief.”

  “But don't worry,” Sarah said, “Andrew is going to call your hubby and tell him just what kind of woman Bertha is.”

  “He is?”

  “Now the blame falls on that awful woman and away from you. And that,” Sarah said and hugged Amanda's worried shoulders, “should make your hubby see reason. Now, let's have some more coffee and settle down for the night.”

  Amanda wiped tears from her eyes. “I told you Bertha was an awful woman,” she said into the telephone. “No...it's okay, love...I know you meant well. Bertha can be a real snake charmer. No, haven't heard a word from her...if I do, I'll send her packing right back to London...don't be sorry...I love you, too.” Amanda looked at Sarah with relief in her eyes. Her hubby had called to express concern and remorse after speaking with Andrew and getting a better picture of the situation.

  Sarah saw the relief quickly turn to anger. Amanda’s husband confessed a dark secret. “Your daddy did what?...He was the one who insisted you send Bertha to Alaska?...What do you mean, Bertha spoke with him? Oh, I'm going to kick that awful man in his leg!”

  Sarah leaned against the kitchen counter, took a careful sip of coffee, and listened to every word Amanda spoke. Something smelled fishy and she didn't like it. “What do you mean, Bertha visited your daddy before we arrived...how many times...? Well, why didn't you say something? No, I'm not mad at you...oh, this is all so frustrating. I don't like being kept in the dark.” Amanda looked at Sarah with confused eyes. “Your father truly hates me...oh yes, he does and you know it...can you finally admit that? Good...What?...Oh, okay. Call me back...but not until morning. I need time to sleep and calm down...yes, I love you...night, love.” Amanda put down the phone and threw her hands onto her hips. “Seems like a conspiracy was formed against me before my husband and I even returned to London.”

  “You've been on the phone with your husband for half an hour,” Sarah pointed out gently, wanting to know more. “I didn't catch the entire conversation.”

  Amanda dropped her hands from her hips, strolled over to the kitchen table, and plopped down. “Well, Andrew called my husband, as planned,” she explained and grabbed a brownie off of her white plate, “and Andrew told my hubby exactly what he thought of Bertha.”

  Sarah watched Amanda take a bite of brownie as the winds cried and howled. “I'm all ears, June Bug.”

  “You know Andrew and my hubby are good friends, right?”

  “Andrew is a good man,” Sarah nodded. “The entire town respects him as a friend.”

  “Yeah, he’s a good bloke,” Amanda agreed. “My hubby doesn't get along with just anyone. He's a picky fish.” Amanda took another bite of her brownie. “So Andrew told him how awful Bertha was, which didn't add more blue to an already gray sky. But my hubby respects Andrew and listened to him. Andrew drove the truth into his stubborn mind, which finally made him open up about some hidden secrets.”

  Sarah walked to the back door, checked the snow drifts accumulating against the cars in the driveway, and then made her way over to Amanda. “Storm is getting worse,” she pointed out. “I'm surprised we still have power. The only good thing is that there's nothing moving out there. I doubt we'll be seeing Bertha anytime soon.”

  Amanda watched Sarah sit down. “It's clear that Bertha manipulated my father-in-law and then manipulated my husband into the bargain. It was no coincidence that she was at the agency when we arrived. It's also clear that Bertha has traveled to America to complete her threat.”

  “It does seem that way, doesn't it?” Sarah asked. She sat down and looked at Mittens. Mittens was sound asleep. “What are these secrets he revealed to you, June Bug?”

  “Well,” Amanda said in a disbelieving tone of voice, “my wonderful hubby told me that Bertha began visiting his daddy about six months ago. She was assigned to him as a home visit nurse for some follow-up care. Now,
” Amanda pointed out, “that part could have been merely coincidental. Who knows? But let me tell you, once she found out I was in the picture…oh, what must have gone through her sick and diseased mind? And let's not forget that my father-in-law despises me, so he didn't exactly have an incentive to leash a rabid dog when he saw one.”

  “I’m sorry, honey.”

  Amanda polished off her brownie. “My hubby told me that Bertha retired from being his daddy's home nurse about a week before we arrived in London. Why? Who knows, probably another coincidence, right? Well...at least that's what I first thought. You cops are rubbing off on me.” Amanda studied the brownie plate and went for her coffee instead. “By resigning her position, Bertha must have known my husband would hire another home nurse for his father, which means a nice and convenient trip to the agency to interview for a replacement...where she would be waiting.”

  “You're turning into a regular detective,” Sarah replied, impressed. “Keep painting the scene, Matlock.”

  Amanda blushed a little and then continued. “Years and years of repressed anger inside of her,” she said, “and then all of a sudden Bertha finds a doorway that opens up into an opportunity perfect for what she wants…for what she needs...revenge. So, what does she do? She carefully plots out the perfect scheme, begins manipulating my weak father-in-law with her diseased charm, making sure he will help her control any opposition...and then...she strikes!” Amanda hit the table with her fist. “Like a black widow going after its mate.”

  Sarah would have laughed at her best friend’s dramatic narrative, but instead she simply nodded. Amanda had laid out a perfect scene and it felt right in line with her gut. “That sounds right, June Bug.”

  Amanda leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “The worst part is...until that awful woman commits a crime, there is nothing we can do. My hubby has informed Andrew to tell her that she is not to come anywhere near me or our cabin. But who knows the mental state this woman is in? Why, she might try and kill me regardless. She’s clearly not swayed by threats of legal consequences.”