Alaskan Hideaway

by Beth Carpenter

  It was all too familiar. In his work, Mac had studied the records of too many psychopaths, too many manipulators. “Did it escalate?”

  “No direct violence, but she felt threatened. She began to avoid being alone with him. She says a boyfriend broke up abruptly after one of her brother’s visits. He wouldn’t explain, and seemed afraid.”

  “And nobody else caught on?”

  “The stepmother may have sensed something. At her urging, the father encouraged Thaine to attend college across the country. He did return for spring break his freshman year, with a chip on his shoulder about having been sent away. Midway through that week, the whole family experienced a nasty case of food poisoning, except for him.”

  “Details?”

  “Family cookout. Thaine shunned the homemade potato salad, saying he disliked the dill. Nobody tested it. They wrote it off as an unfortunate accident. Thaine was helpful while everyone was sick, but his sister says he seemed smug. Anyway, it was enough to convince her to cut all ties with her brother once she was out of her father’s house.”

  “Suggestive.”

  “Yes. But nothing anyone could pin down. He’s slippery.”

  “You’ve talked to the stepmother?”

  “Dead. Car accident, five years ago.”

  “Suspicious?”

  “Not at the time. Winding road. Rainy night. Blown tire. Although the tires were fairly new.”

  “Have you given all this information to Detective Ralston?”

  “I will. I wanted to talk to you first. Oh, and I doubt it will lead to anything, but the sister mentioned a conversation they’d once had. They were discussing a television show where a fugitive had been hiding out in Omaha. Thaine said Omaha was the perfect place to disappear. Big enough so a stranger wouldn’t stand out, and not on anyone’s radar.”

  “You think there’s anything to it?”

  “Not likely. He would have only been about sixteen.”

  “But his sister did remember after all this time. For some reason, it stuck with her.”

  “I’ll certainly check it out.”

  “Good. And Chandler? I want you to stick to this case, but if you have someone else available, I’d like some background information on the parents of Kendall Normand Houston.”

  “Kendall Normand, the skier?”

  “Yes. Kendall and her husband died in an accident a few months ago, and her daughter is living with a neighbor of mine. Her parents are challenging her custody.”

  “Does this have anything to do with Thaine?”

  “No. Just helping out a neighbor.”

  “So you want leverage?”

  “I...yes. I hope we don’t have to use it, but...” He let the rest go unsaid.

  “Got it. This neighbor’s name?”

  “Ursula Anderson. Runs a B&B outside Seward, Alaska.”

  Chandler paused, and Mac could sense his unspoken questions about his involvement in a neighbor’s custody suit. Fortunately, as employer, Mac was on the safe side of Chandler’s investigative skills. “I’ll put someone right on it.”

  “Thanks, Chandler. And good work.”

  Mac set his phone on the table with exaggerated care. Thaine was a psychopath. Self-centered, jealous. After all the books Mac had written, all the studies he’d pored over, how could he have missed the signs? It was all there. Why hadn’t he investigated into Thaine’s background before, when it would have made a difference? When it might have saved Andi’s life?

  Blossom nudged his hand. She always seemed to sense when he was falling into despair and tried to help. She was a lot like Andi in that way, constantly trying to make things better. He stroked the dog’s massive head. He wasn’t giving in this time, wasn’t going to sink into a well of self-pity and regrets. He’d promised Ursula he’d be there for her and Rory, and he intended to keep his promise.

  Andi was dead. No amount of self-torture and regret would bring her back. Eventually Thaine would be found and brought to justice. Mac would do whatever he could to ensure that, but it didn’t change the facts. Andi was beyond his help.

  But Rory wasn’t. He was humbled by the courage of that child. Courage to live on, to run and play and laugh. She’d lost her whole world, and yet she hadn’t numbed herself to life. Ursula was a big part of the reason why. They belonged together, and Mac was going to do everything in his power to make sure they stayed together.

  He’d promised Ursula everything would be all right. He just hoped that this time, he could keep his promise.

  * * *

  TWO DAYS LATER, Mac pulled his car into a busy parking lot in front of a cedar A-frame. The sign on the front read Snow Country. He and Ursula were there at Rory’s request. She’d called last night to remind him she’d never given him that cross-country ski lesson, and when he pleaded a lack of equipment, she’d ordered him to go to Anchorage and get some. “Everybody needs skis.”

  Since he’d already planned a trip to Anchorage with Ursula for her meeting with the family lawyer Fred had recommended, he agreed. Rory seemed to be taking the news about the custody suit in stride. According to Ursula, her main response was curiosity as to who these people were and where they lived.

  Mac felt like the visit to the family lawyer had been productive. Darlene Henderson was candid and friendly, insisting they call her by her first name. She seemed quite confident that Ursula’s position as Rory’s guardian was secure. Mac couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t going to be as straightforward as it seemed. But there was no use upsetting Ursula with pessimistic premonitions.

  Now here they were at what Ursula explained was Rory’s ski shop. “Kendall and Coby put their heart and soul into the shop, as well as the majority of their money. Most of the staff here has been with them from early on. They were devastated over the accident. Kelly Lee, who was the assistant manager under Coby, is running it now. The trustees handling the estate are discussing whether it would be better to keep the store or sell it and invest the money.”

  “What do you think?” Mac asked.

  “I lean toward keeping it. It’s Rory’s legacy from her parents. Once she’s old enough, she can make up her own mind whether to sell it or run it. Of course, a lot depends on whether it can remain profitable without Coby and Kendall, and their star power.”

  An employee working with another customer greeted them as soon as they stepped inside the store. “Welcome to Snow Country. Someone will be right with you.”

  Mac looked around. The decor landed somewhere between rustic cabin and Scandinavian modern. Light wood floors gleamed under pendant lights hanging from the high ceiling. A circular staircase led to a loft above the main sales area. Several clerks were busy fitting customers with ski boots or ice skates, while other people browsed the clothing racks.

  Ursula led him past a gas flame flickering in a stone fireplace to a rack of skis. He randomly selected a pair and picked one up.

  “Those are skate skis. You’ll want to start with classic.”

  “Classic. I like the sound of that.” Mac chuckled. “I know nothing about cross-country skiing. I’ve only been downhill skiing a few times and always rented whatever the shop recommended. I put myself into your hands.”

  A slim woman with a long black braid hanging over one shoulder hurried over to them. “Ursula! How are you?”

  “Kelly, hi.”

  “Great to see you. Is Rory still doing Anchorski with me next weekend?”

  “Is that next weekend? Time flies. Yes, she’s looking forward to it. Kelly, this is my neighbor, Mac Macleod. He wants to take up skiing.”

  “More accurately, Rory wants me to take up skiing,” Mac said. “She’s promised me lessons.”

  Kelly grinned. “Then you’re in good hands. Let’s get you fixed up.”

  Mac left the store an hour later loaded down with skis, boots a
nd poles. Ursula followed, carrying two bags full of ski clothes and assorted waxes. “You should be all set. Betty gave away all their ski equipment, but I think there’s a wax bench in your garage.”

  “Is that what that is? I thought it was some sort of jig for woodworking.” Mac packed the skis and equipment into the back of the SUV. “I didn’t know learning to ski would involve alchemy.”

  “Waxing isn’t all that complicated. At least it doesn’t have to be. The racers all have their special formulas, but for casual skiing you just need to use the right wax for the temperature. Rory can tell you all about it.”

  “I’m sure she can.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of Rory, we’d better head back if you want to beat her home.”

  “You’re right. I’m sure as soon as Rory walks in the door, she’s going to want all of us to hit the trails.”

  Mac chuckled. “I’ll be ready.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  MAC CARRIED A stack of dishes to the table, his body protesting every movement. Rory was an excellent ski instructor but a hard taskmaster. He’d thoroughly enjoyed spending the afternoon learning to ski with her and Ursula through the forest behind his house, but now muscles he never knew he had were stiffening up. Blossom, having accompanied them on their ski, had collapsed on the dog bed in Ursula’s kitchen and looked as though she might never move again.

  The exercise didn’t seem to have the same effect on Ursula and Rory. Ursula danced around the kitchen, whipping up some sort of chicken and pasta dish while Rory assembled spinach salads for each of them. “Do we have any sunflower seeds?”

  “Yes.” Ursula reached into her pantry and pulled out a mason jar. “But ask Mac before you add any to his salad.”

  “Mac, do you want sunflower seeds? They’re really good.”

  “Sure.” Mac finished setting the table. Rory brought the salad bowls and set one on each plate. She’d arranged slices of peppers and cherry tomatoes to form a face on the top of each salad, with shredded carrots for hair. “Hey, very artistic salads.”

  She beamed. “You can take a picture if you want.”

  “I’ll do that.” Mac dutifully pulled out his phone to snap a photo. He noticed a missed message that must have come in while they were skiing. It was from the lawyer in Anchorage. Ursula was still cooking, so he opened it. Hmm, the Normands wanted to schedule a preliminary meeting for Monday. They weren’t wasting any time.

  He must have frowned, because Ursula had stopped cooking and was watching him, the wooden spoon still in her hand. “Is everything okay?”

  Mac nodded. “I think so. Check your phone when you get a chance. Looks like things are moving forward faster than we’d expected.”

  Ursula’s eyes darted to Rory before she resumed sautéing vegetables. “Can you pour yourself a glass of milk, Rory? Dinner’s almost ready.” While Rory was busy in the refrigerator, Ursula looked over at Mac, her eyes worried. But then she smiled. “Wine, Mac? I have a half bottle in the refrigerator.”

  “I’ll pour.” Mac followed her lead. They could discuss this later, when they were alone. No use worrying Rory.

  Ten minutes later, Ursula set the food on the table and Mac gingerly lowered himself into his chair. Ursula smirked. “Did Rory work you too hard today?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s going to take some practice before I can keep up with you two.”

  “What do you mean, you two? Rory can ski circles around me if she wants to.”

  Rory plopped into the chair beside him. “I’m skiing in a race in Anchorage this weekend.”

  “I heard about that. How long is the race?”

  “It’s a twenty-five K.”

  “Wow, that’s a long way to ski.”

  “Rory was the youngest finisher in last year’s Anchorski,” Ursula said as she dished some of the pasta onto Rory’s plate.

  “Impressive.”

  “Last time I skied with Daddy, but this year Kelly’s gonna ski with me. She works at the store.”

  “I met Kelly,” Mac sad. “She seems very nice.”

  “She is. She has two huskies and she goes skijoring. She says when I’m older, she’ll teach me how.”

  “What’s skijoring?”

  “It’s a cross between mushing and skiing,” Ursula explained. “You hook a dog to a harness around your waist and they pull you along the ski trails. I’ve never done it, but I hear it’s lots of fun.”

  “Maybe you could teach Blossom,” Rory suggested.

  Mac pictured himself getting dragged through thickets and over logs every time Blossom spotted a squirrel. “Maybe I’d better perfect skiing under my own power first before I get her involved.” He looked over to where the dog lay sound asleep in the corner. “Besides, I’m not sure Blossom is up to it. You wore her out, too.”

  Blossom opened one eye when he mentioned her name and immediately closed it again. Rory and Ursula laughed.

  They finished dinner and Ursula sent Rory off to work on homework. Mac started to clear the table. Once Rory was out of sight, Ursula grabbed her phone and listened to a voice mail from the lawyer. She set the phone down and turned to Mac. “You’re right. They are in a hurry.”

  “That’s good, though. Better to get it over with, right?”

  “I guess so.” She picked up a plate to rinse and loaded it into the dishwasher. “But it worries me. My admittedly limited experience with legal things is that they always move slowly. The fact that the Normands can send me a letter arriving Saturday and arrange a meeting with lawyers just over a week later sounds like they have some clout.”

  “According to Fred, Darlene Henderson is one of the best family lawyers in the state, and she’s ready to meet on Monday. Maybe when they coordinated their calendars, they just got lucky.”

  “Maybe. Does Monday work for you? If you want to be there, that is. I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

  “Of course I’ll be there. I told you—I’m committed to seeing this through.”

  She closed her eyes and let out a long breath. “Thank you, Mac. I could really use someone on my side. Sam’s working on the slope this week, and I hate to ask Dana to take off work.”

  He rested his hand on her back. “I’ll drive. You call tomorrow and accept the appointment.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rory burst through the kitchen door. “I finished my worksheet. Can you check it?”

  “Just a second, sweetie. Let me get the dishwasher started.” Ursula reached for another plate.

  “I’ll look at it if you like,” Mac offered. He sat down at the kitchen table beside Rory and read over her English homework. “Nice job. But here, take a look at this sentence. ‘The group were happy.’ Would you say ‘The girl were happy’?”

  “Girl was happy.”

  “Right. I know group sounds like more than one person, but it’s only one group, so you need a singular verb. Was.”

  “Oh, okay.” Rory made the change. “Are you gonna come to the ski race on Sunday?”

  He grinned. “As long as I don’t have to ski in it.”

  “No, you can wait at the finish. You don’t have to ski.”

  “I’ll be there, then, cheering for you.”

  “Yay.” Rory snatched up her homework and started toward her room, stopping on the way to pet the dog. “Can Blossom come?”

  “I don’t think so. She’s not good in crowds.”

  “Oh.” She stroked the pit bull’s head. “Don’t worry, Blossom. We’ll take you skiing next week. Mac needs another lesson.”

  * * *

  MAC TUGGED HIS hat lower over his ears. The temperature was in the high twenties, but a brisk breeze chilled the people standing around, watching the skiers cross the finish line. Dana was there with him, with the baby bundled up and cozy in a backpack.

  Just past the finish line, Snow Cou
ntry had sponsored a table where they were handing out water and some sort of goodie bag to all the skiers. The fastest racers had finished an hour ago, but the main body was streaming across the line now. The crowd still clapped and cheered for each racer. Mac caught sight of a familiar purple hat just as Ursula spotted him and waved. She’d accompanied Rory to the start of the race and stopped off to take pictures along the way. She hurried toward them.

  Ursula gave Dana a hug. “She was going strong at the three-quarters mark. They won’t be long. Hi, Griffin.” She leaned in to kiss the two square inches of skin exposed on his face. He gurgled and cooed at her. She turned to Mac. “You doing okay?”

  “I’m good.” Mac no longer worried about being recognized. First of all, these were ski fans, not gossip columnists. Second, he was old news. And finally, his own mother would have been hard-pressed to pick him out of the crowd of parkas and winter hats.

  “Oh, look,” Dana said. “Here they come!”

  Rory led the way, dressed in pink tights and a hat with kitten ears on top. Kelly was right behind her. They were both moving fast. Dana and Ursula cheered loudly and clapped as they crossed the finish line. Mac added a whistle and called out his congratulations. A voice on a loudspeaker announced that Aurora Houston was the winner of the eleven-and-under division, to more cheers from the crowd, especially the group staffing the Snow Country table. Rory and Kelly stepped out of their skis and accepted cups of water.

  Rory waved at Ursula, Mac and Dana. Before she could make her way toward them, though, a woman with blond hair under a dark fur hat stepped out from the crowd and spoke to her. Kelly stepped forward to join the conversation. Ursula hurried toward them and Mac followed. The woman seemed to be congratulating Rory on her victory and asking about her plans.

  Ursula smiled at the woman but herded Rory away before she could answer the questions. He suspected at some point in the near future, she and Rory would have a talk about giving too much information to strangers. Andi always had difficulty with that when she was Rory’s age, her natural enthusiasm overriding any innate caution. But he wasn’t going to think about that today. Today was Rory’s day.