Winter Chill

by Joanne Fluke

  It was ten o’clock when Dan opened his eyes. The house was quiet, but he could smell coffee. Marian was awake.

  “Marian? Is there any more coffee?”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Her voice sounded thick, as if she’d been crying. Dan sighed as he remembered. There was something about another note from Laura. Marian had tried to wake him, and he had snapped at her. Now he felt guilty for being so insensitive. This note business was getting to him. Perhaps he should bring it up, try to convince her that she had written the notes herself.

  By the time Marian arrived with his coffee, Dan had changed his mind. It was a mistake to discuss her delusion. That would only lend credence to the whole thing. It was wiser to wait and see if she mentioned it.

  It was mid-afternoon, and Marian was restless. She couldn’t show Laura’s note to Dan. Not after his rejection this morning. She’d have to deal with the problem herself. There must be a way to make her baby happy again.

  The Ringstroms’ cat was scampering over the snowdrifts. Anywhere else, Marian thought, a sensible cat would stay indoors. But Zuzu was a true Minnesotan, frolicking at twenty degrees, as if it were spring.

  Marian decided to go for a walk. The exercise would be good for her, and the fresh air might clear her head. She took her coat out of the closet and pulled on her boots.

  When Marian peeked in the den, Dan was asleep again. The Broncos were getting the best of the Raiders, but it was only a minute into the second quarter. She stood in the doorway and watched one play.

  There was a notepad by the bed, and Marian wrote a quick message. Gone for a walk. Back soon. She propped it up where he’d be sure to see it. She could hardly wait to get out of the house!

  The cold air was bracing. Marian walked down the sidewalk, swinging her arms. She’d walk until she was tired. It would be a relief to let her mind relax and think of nothing at all.

  CHAPTER 15

  It was a boring afternoon. Becky Fischer walked down Main Street, kicking up clouds of snow with the toes of her new fur-lined red boots. She hated vacations. There was no one to play with. She stopped in front of Heino’s Our Own Hardware and admired her reflection in the plate-glass window. Her curly, black ponytail was tucked up inside the hood of her brand-new red parka. With her red boots and brown snow pants, her mom said she looked like Santa’s helper.

  It was cold just standing still, and Becky ran on down the sidewalk, boots squeaking against the snow. Rexall Drugs was her next stop. She hoped Ginger was home. The Allens lived in an apartment up over the drugstore.

  Becky rang the bell outside, her mitten pressed tightly against the cold metal button. She could see all the way up the stairs, right through the lace curtains, but no one was coming down. Becky shifted from foot to foot and glanced in the drugstore window. LET REXALL BE YOUR SANTA THIS YEAR, a sign read. She hoped Ginger’s dad had made a lot of money over Christmas. Her mom said the drugstore might be the next business to close down in the winter. Then the Allens would move away or go somewhere warmer until spring. Becky didn’t like Ginger all that much, but she was the only other girl who lived in town, now that Laura was dead and Jenny had moved.

  Why didn’t they come? Becky pressed the buzzer again, three sharp pokes. Maybe the doorbell wasn’t working. She couldn’t hear it ringing upstairs. There was another door up there, but Ginger’s mom kept it closed in the winter. She said there was a bad draft from the street.

  Maybe they weren’t home. Becky frowned grumpily. No one was home today. She wanted to show Ginger her new Fascinatin’ Lady Makeup Kit, and now she wasn’t home!

  “They ain’t home, Becky!” big Jake Campbell called out from across the street. “I seen ’em leave in the car. They was goin’ over to Pequot Lakes to visit relations.”

  “You want to see my Fascinatin’ Lady Makeup Kit, Jake?” Becky asked, running across the plowed street to where he was standing. “I got it for Christmas. Look, it’s got lipstick and everything!”

  “Mighty nice, Becky.” Jake grinned down at her. Becky could smell liquor on his breath, and she turned her face slightly. Mom didn’t like her to talk too much to Jake. He was the town drunk, and sometimes he said things that didn’t make sense. Her dad said Jake was a war casualty. Becky liked him, though. He was always nice to her. He was big and strong, and one time he’d fixed her bicycle wheel when it was bent.

  “Well, I gotta go, Jake. I’m going over to the school to see if anyone’s there.”

  Becky waved and took off down the center of the street. It was easier walking here than on the sidewalk. Some people hadn’t shoveled, and the snow was deep. Maybe they were all gone for Christmas. Or else they thought they didn’t have to shovel on a holiday.

  The playground was deserted. The swings hung down lifelessly on their metal chains, creaking slightly in the wind. The slide was covered with snow, and Becky brushed off some and sat at the bottom, staring off at the trees. This was no fun at all!

  She supposed she could go to see Mrs. Larsen, but that was no fun, either, now that Laura was dead. It wasn’t fair that Laura was dead. Laura was her best friend ever!

  Becky sniffed and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her new parka. She used to have fun with Jenny and Laura. It was great having two best friends, but now Jenny lived way out on that farm, and she never saw her, either, except for school. Vacations were awful. There was nothing to do!

  She could see the old icehouse in the distance, way out past the Northlakes Creamery. Becky shuffled her feet in the snow and dug ruts with her toes. They were all going to sneak in there last summer, but Laura and Jenny chickened out. Laura was scared, and Jenny said her mother would skin her alive if anyone found out. Becky still wanted to go. It was dark and black inside, and there might be lots of stuff people had put there and forgotten. There could be diamonds or money or anything!

  She didn’t consciously decide to go, but her feet moved, and then she was walking toward the old icehouse by the river. It was getting colder, and she curled up her fingers inside her mittens to make her hands warmer. The snow was higher here, and she jumped across the ditch to the other side. It sure was a long walk to the icehouse, but it would be worth it. This time she was going in, all by herself. Well, maybe she wouldn’t really go inside, but she’d peek through the cracks to see what was there. Jenny would be green when she told her about it.

  The closer she got, the more she decided she’d just peek in. The icehouse looked scary and black against the gray sky. Jenny would think she was really brave for coming here all by herself.

  What was that! Becky heard a noise, faint and high, carried by the wind. She stopped and listened, tipping her head to one side. There was no sound now. Whatever it was, was gone.

  There it was again! Becky moved up to the door and pressed her ear to the crack. Yes, there was someone inside the icehouse.

  She wanted to run for home. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone inside. Thinking of someone in that shadowy, gloomy place scared her. But what if it was a kitten that had slipped through a crack in the wall? It would die in there if somebody didn’t go in and get it.

  The thought of a kitten alone in the dark made tears come to Becky’s eyes. She loved kittens. She should go in and get it, even though she was scared. Her mother might let her keep it.

  “I’m coming, kitty.” Becky’s voice was no louder than a whisper. She tugged at the door, but it was stuck. Finally, she got her boot in the crack and pried it open.

  “Here, kitty, kitty!” Becky stood in the doorway, squinting into the shadows. “Where are you?”

  Becky took a hesitant step inside. She didn’t see the kitten anywhere. She moved forward another couple of steps and called out again.

  There was a scraping noise from the back of the building. A large shape loomed in the darkness. There was someone here!

  Becky froze in fear. Her knees started to shake, and her breath caught in her throat. She was afraid to take her eyes off the shape in the
shadows.

  Panic made her awkward as she backed toward the door. She stumbled against the wall and cried out in terror.

  There was a deafening roar as the huge old saw whirled into life. It made so much noise that no one heard her horrified screams.

  “I was beginning to get worried.” Dan frowned slightly as she came back to the den. “Where were you, Marian? I thought you were going for a short walk.”

  For a moment the question startled her. She had gone for a short walk. Then she caught sight of the clock by Dan’s bed. Four fifteen. She had been gone almost two hours!

  “It was nice outside,” Marian tried to explain. “I . . . Well, I guess I just poked around, Dan. I didn’t realize it was getting so late.”

  “That’s okay.” Dan nodded. “You look better, Marian. There’s color in your cheeks now. Were you cold?”

  “No . . .” She tried to think. “At least, I wasn’t cold until I came in. Now I’m freezing. I guess I’d better have some coffee to warm up.”

  It was strange. Marian stood by the sink while the coffee heated. It seemed as if she’d been outside only a few minutes. And she couldn’t seem to remember where she’d walked. She had rounded the corner by the Lutheran church and then . . . nothing. Marian shivered slightly. It was almost frightening. Time had passed, and she had no idea where it had gone. She hoped she hadn’t met anyone she knew and had failed to speak.

  The phone rang while she was preparing supper. Marian answered in the kitchen. The cord stretched as far as the stove, and she flipped the potatoes with one hand and held the phone in the other.

  “Marian? It’s Donna Fischer. I was just wondering if Becky might be over there. She was supposed to be home an hour ago.”

  “No, she’s not here, Donna.” Marian turned the potatoes again. “Did you check the school? Sometimes the town kids meet at the playground during the vacation.”

  Marian felt sad as she hung up the phone. Donna hadn’t called in a long time. Not since Laura died. Before that, the three girls had been inseparable. Laura, Jenny, and Becky. The Terrible Trio, Marian had called them. They were always at one place or another, getting into mischief together.

  She hoped Becky was home by now. Marian glanced out the window. Shadows were lengthening over Heidelberg Hill. Surely, Becky would head for home the moment she realized it was getting dark.

  The phone rang again. This time it was Sally.

  “Is Becky at your house? Donna just called here, and she’s fit to be tied. She called me on the off chance that Becky got a ride out with Ronnie.”

  “I haven’t seen her.” Marian turned off the burner under the potatoes. She had a terrible feeling that something was wrong.

  “How about the places where the girls used to play?” Sally suggested. “I know she’s not at the drugstore. I called there. How about the icehouse? Weren’t they fascinated by that place?”

  “Yes. They always wanted to go there, but it was off-limits. Dan said it was so run-down, it might be dangerous.”

  Marian stopped speaking and took a deep breath. The abandoned icehouse was no place for a child to go alone. Becky certainly wouldn’t have gone there! Or would she? There was no telling what a bored seven-year-old would do for excitement.

  “I’d better run over and check, Sally. If Becky’s there, she could be hurt.”

  “Wait for me.” Sally hollered out something to Jenny in the background. “I can be there in ten minutes. That darned place hasn’t been used in years. Maybe a board fell in or something.”

  Marian carried a tray in to Dan, but she was too nervous to eat. She kept thinking of Donna and how worried she must be.

  “Sally’s coming in,” she told Dan. “Becky Fischer hasn’t come home yet, and Donna’s worried. We’re going to go out looking for her.”

  “She’s probably down at the gas station, conning someone out of a Coke.” Dan shrugged. “I’m sure she’s all right, Marian. But if it makes you feel better, go ahead. I’ll watch the news while you’re gone.”

  Sally honked, and Marian grabbed her warmest jacket. It was turning cold as darkness fell. Donna said Becky was warmly dressed, but even an insulated snowsuit was no match for subzero temperatures. They would go straight to the icehouse.

  Marian’s heart was pounding as they drove up in front of the sagging wooden structure. It was two stories high, bare and black against the darkening skyline. Becky certainly wouldn’t have gone in there alone. Laura used to have nightmares about the place!

  “There’s a big flashlight under the dash on your side.” Sally pointed. “Grab it and let’s go.”

  They heard the noise as they got out of the car. Marian gasped as she recognized it. “The saw’s running! We’ve got to hurry, Sally!”

  The wooden door groaned on its hinges as they pulled it open. The noise of the saw was earsplitting. Sally found a switch by the side of the door and pressed it. The saw stopped with a screech.

  “I wonder how long that’s been running.” Sally’s voice was loud in the stillness. “I’m surprised it still works.”

  The silence was almost more deafening than the noise. A smell of old sawdust and dampness came from the dark inside. Marian turned on the flashlight, but it cast a feeble yellow circle against the vastness of black. It was scary. Yes, she admitted it. It frightened her even to think of going inside in the dark. But Becky could be here, hurt, injured, even . . . ! No, she couldn’t think of that! Becky was probably safe at home by now, but they still had to make sure.

  Marian shivered as they walked into the darkness. Her mind screamed out a warning. Something was here, something hideous. She didn’t know if she could bear to face it.

  CHAPTER 16

  “Sally? I don’t like this. . . .” Marian stepped into the blackness and stopped, sweeping the light in an arc. “Wait! Over there!”

  Something pink had glittered in the beam of the flashlight. Marian spotlighted it again, against a pile of boards in the corner.

  “I’ll get it.” Sally crossed the old creaking floor to retrieve the pink case. “Fascinatin’ Lady Makeup Kit. Becky got it for Christmas. She called Jenny this morning to tell her about it.

  “Becky?” Sally called out her name, and they listened to the dark silence. “Becky?”

  “She was here.” Marian’s voice was shaking. “Do you think we ought to call the sheriff, Sally? I’ve got a bad feeling.”

  “Shine the light on the far wall, and work your way around.” Sally gave Marian’s arm a firm pat. “She might still be here. We’ve got to find her!”

  As Marian started to sweep the beam of light over the back wall, Sally grabbed her arm.

  “Wait! Shine it back in that corner, by the saw!”

  The flashlight moved slowly, fearfully, in Marian’s hand. It caught the old saw in its beam, blade gleaming dangerously, wet with blood.

  Marian drew her breath in sharply. There was a red boot, brown snow pants, a red parka, and Becky’s face, white and grotesque in death. She was lying in a pool of glistening blood.

  Before Marian could stop, the beam of light moved on. Becky’s arm was tossed in the corner. It was no longer attached to her body.

  For a moment the two women stared, stiffly frozen with horror. There was a watch on Becky’s small wrist, a red plastic band with Mickey Mouse on the face.

  “Oh . . . dear . . . God . . . !” The words hung heavy in the air. Neither Marian nor Sally knew who had spoken them. Then everything went black as the flashlight dropped with a crash from Marian’s nerveless fingers.

  “The sheriff!” Sally grabbed Marian’s arm and pulled her to the doorway. “Come on, Marian . . . move! We have to get the sheriff right away!”

  It was an accident, the sheriff decided. Becky had been playing in the icehouse, playing with the huge old saw. And her game had turned into tragedy. There were editorials in the paper about old, condemned buildings. The Lions Club offered to help tear the place down. The Fischers could sue, a leading lawyer said. T
he building was a community menace. But it was too late. Becky was dead.

  Marian had slept restlessly for the past two nights, reliving that terrible scene in the icehouse. When her thoughts were too frightening, she would sit in the kitchen, drinking cup after cup of coffee. Dan was kind. He offered to help, but Marian knew there was nothing he could do for her. She was numbed, but her mind would not be still. She had seen Becky’s face over and over again in her dreams.

  “You need to be around people.” Dan faced her over their breakfast coffee. It was two days since Becky died, and Marian still felt divorced from reality. She was living in slow motion, cooking the meals, doing the housework, but nothing was quite real.

  “Why don’t you call Sally? Ask her if they want to come in and play cards tonight?”

  “All right.” Agreeing was easier than trying to explain why it didn’t matter one way or the other. Maybe it would be good playing cards with Ronnie and Sally.

  At least she hadn’t said no to cards tonight. That was a good sign. Dan watched the listless way Marian walked to the phone. Seeing Ronnie and Sally should cheer her up. Sure, it was a terrible thing finding Becky that way, but Marian had to snap out of it.

  Marian looked over at Ronnie and began to smile. He was humming “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” under his breath. And it was her turn to declare trump!

  “Oh well.” Marian looked down at her cards and hid a smile. “I suppose it should be something black. . . .”

  Ronnie was really squirming now. It served him right for being so blatant!

  “I guess I’ll go with hearts.” Marian almost laughed out loud as Ronnie gave her a big grin. Wait until he saw her hand. She didn’t have a single heart!

  “What did the first-grade teacher say when she got a flat tire?” Sara looked over at her and laughed. “Oh, oh, oh. Look, look, look. Damn, damn, damn.”