Jeff smiled. “You’re the best.”
“She’s my sister, and I can’t stand watching this anymore. I would do anything for you. You deserve some sanity in your life.”
Jeff picked at the label on his beer bottle. “If she wouldn’t walk out on him tonight, I can’t believe she ever will. She deserves what she gets.”
“You don’t mean that. Try to understand from your mom’s point of view.”
“Are you kidding? Donny’s her son. How could she side with that bastard?”
“Did she see Donny get hit?”
“What?”
“Maybe she thought you hit him. From what you told me, your dad was worse off than Donny. At least give her the chance to explain.”
“I’ll think about it,” Jeff said.
“She’d be embarrassed to take him to the hospital. How could she face the other nurses and explain what happened? She might have felt she had to treat your dad at home.”
“Were you at the hospital this whole time?” Jeff asked Donny.
“I went to Nora’s looking for you.”
Jeff’s head began to throb. “I don’t want to talk about her.”
Lisa looked from one nephew to the other. “What’s going on?”
“I made an idiot of myself. I asked Nora to get back together right when she was getting ready to go out on a date. What a moron.”
“You weren’t the moron,” Donny said. “I was.”
“I doubt it,” Jeff said.
“I lost my temper. When she told me Ian is the baby’s father—”
“What?” Jeff shouted.
“You didn’t know.” Donny reached for Jeff’s hand, but Jeff snapped it away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blurted that out.”
“I don’t know if she’s sure,” Lisa said.
Jeff and Donny stared at her.
“The night Steve broke up with her, she called and told me it was because he didn’t want the baby. She’d told him it was his. Days later she told me it might be Ian’s.”
Jeff looked at Lisa. “You knew she was pregnant and didn’t tell me?”
“How could I say anything? Nora’s my daughter. I couldn’t betray her.”
“She’s angry with you,” Donny said to Lisa. “She said you lied to her. What’s going on?”
“It’s just a misunderstanding. I’ll set it right with her tomorrow.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Disturbing dreams had kept Kalin from getting a good night’s sleep, so she’d felt sluggish all morning. After talking with Nora the previous night, she’d lain awake dwelling on Steve McKenzie’s murder. She thought she knew who killed him, but without solid proof, she needed to talk with Nora before she called Constable Miller. Nora had confided in her as a friend and not as the head of security. No matter how much she wanted to, Kalin couldn’t keep her work and her private life separate.
She hadn’t discussed her thoughts with Ben. They had their own issues to overcome, and she didn’t want to complicate their relationship. She smiled at the thought of The Fallen Goddess slinking out of their bedroom, down the hallway and out the front door. Kalin had won the war.
Kalin spent half the day organizing employee orientation. She chased Monica down and grilled her about the hiring numbers. But each time a lull occurred, her mind returned to Nora. Finally she gave in and found Nora in the rental shop.
New snowboards had arrived that morning and Nora was unpacking, getting them organized. A stack of snowshoes rested in the corner, needing unpacking too, but Nora focused on the boards. She was dressed for behind-the-scenes work and wore loose pants, black boots and a baggy sweatshirt. Kalin noticed her hand shake as she slid a box cutter along a seam of tape and opened the flaps.
“I brought you an herbal tea.”
Nora reached for the cup. “Thanks.”
Kalin persuaded Nora to take a break and get some fresh air. Without race training filling the hill, the pristine ski run glistened in the sunlight. The dull thrum of the chairlift was absent, leaving no hint of the tragedies that had occurred. The chairlift would remain silent until opening day, but the groomers and snowmakers would continue to ready the mountain.
“I’ve been thinking about everything you told me last night,” Kalin said.
“I shouldn’t have dragged you into my mess.”
“I don’t mind.” They strolled across the courtyard in front of the empty cafeteria, keeping to the sunlit areas. Nora’s face glossed over with a false cheeriness, and Kalin sensed her closing off as if last night’s conversation never happened. “Have you seen Donny today?”
“No. We closed the tuning room yesterday.”
Kalin blew steam from her tea. “Have you talked to him?”
Nora shook her head. “I don’t know what I’d say.”
“I’ve thought a lot about what you said last night.”
“There’s nothing you can do. I’ve known Donny like forever, and it’s the first time we’ve fought. We’ve been friends for too long not to get over it. He was just venting.”
“I think it was more than venting.”
“What do you mean?”
“You told me he lost it when you said the baby was Ian’s.”
“He’s mad for Jeff, I think.”
“What if it’s something else?”
Nora stopped walking and faced Kalin. “I don’t like where you’re going with this.”
Kalin held Nora lightly by the wrist and felt how delicate she was. “Donny had a big reason to hate Steve.”
Nora removed her arm from Kalin’s hand and resumed walking. “I told you, it’s not Donny’s style to be violent.”
Kalin had to pick up her pace to keep up with Nora. “Think about it. Steve paralyzed him. Then Steve dumps you because you’re pregnant.”
“Donny didn’t know Steve dumped me or that I was pregnant.”
“Lisa did. Could she have told him?”
“I doubt it.” Nora stopped walking again and stared at Kalin.
“What are you thinking?” Kalin asked.
“Jeff could have. I saw him when I was walking home from Steve’s that night. He didn’t know why Steve dumped me, only that I was upset about it.”
“Donny saw you in the drugstore. After he found out you were pregnant for sure, he could have assumed Steve was the father. There’s a record of him picking up keys early at front desk that morning.”
“I know. I saw him go into the tuning room when I was walking to the rental shop.”
“But you never told anyone.”
“Of course not. There’s something else you don’t know. Donny said their dad hit Jeff every time Steve got a better time racing.”
“See. Donny had more than one reason to resent Steve.”
“Oh, God. Donny told me last night he thinks Rachel committed suicide because Steve dumped her right before the car crashed. He said she lost her baby in the accident. He thinks she felt guilty, that it was her fault he would never walk again.”
“Who else knew that?”
“No one. Rachel made Donny promise not to tell about the baby. I didn’t even know she’d been pregnant. I never would have gotten together with Steve.”
“Donny must have felt horrible after she died. You said he snapped last night. What if it wasn’t the first time?”
Nora shook her head repeatedly. “Not Donny.”
“I need to tell Miller.”
“Please don’t. Let me think about it. If it was Donny, it’d be better if he went to the police himself. Can’t you give me some time to talk to him? What harm can it do?”
* * *
Late afternoon, Jeff returned to his aunt’s house. He hadn’t spoken to his parents since last night, and he hadn’t seen Donny all day. He entered Lisa’s den and flopped face down on the pullout couch. He buried his face in the pillow. Exhaustion settled throughout his body, yet sleep wouldn’t come.
He rolled over and examined the photos and paintings hanging on the wall.
His aunt was talented. Her paintings were cheery. Considering what had happened in her life, he didn’t know how she kept that up. He’d thought her art would take a dark turn after Rachel died, but it hadn’t. She liked bright colors and scenes of action. She must have the same coping mechanism as Donny.
He couldn’t count the number of times he’d hidden at her place over the years. She didn’t interfere often in their family life, but she was a stable force behind it. She was his mom’s sister, but they were so different. Lisa was strong whereas his mom was weak. Maybe he should give his mom a chance. At least find out if she knew their dad hit Donny. He owed her that much.
He stared at the painting hanging over Lisa’s desk. She’d modeled it after a photo taken in his garage. After the accident, Donny had decided to tune Jeff’s skis and maybe make a career of tuning. Lisa was teaching him, and they were practicing on her skis. Jeff had taken the photo, and she’d liked the composition. She’d changed the dull grey of the garage into vibrant blues and greens. She painted her skis bright red with flashes of yellow. She captured joy in Donny’s face and in her own while she looked at him.
“I would do anything for you,” she’d said last night, and he wondered what “anything” meant.
He stared at her painting. She was tuning skis.
“Anything.”
Tuning skis.
And he knew.
The doorbell rang. He groaned and shoved himself upright.
Nora stood on the front porch. She looked forlorn and beautiful, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to her. After last night, he was embarrassed. Not only had he acted like an idiot, it sounded like Donny had been worse. She stared at him through the glass window that framed the front door, and he couldn’t tell if she was happy to see him or not. He guessed not.
She used her key and entered the front hall. “I’m looking for Donny.”
Jeff loved Nora, but he didn’t know how to reach her anymore.
Nora pointed to the living room. “Can I come in?”
“Whatever. It’s your place as much as mine.” He stepped to the side and allowed her to pass. He was about to explode. She was so close, and yet he couldn’t touch her. “Can we talk?”
“Sure.”
“I know about Ian.” Jeff saw her hesitate. “The baby.”
Nora lowered her eyes and picked at a fingernail. “I don’t know what to say. I made a mistake, but if the baby’s his, he has a right to be involved.”
“You don’t love him?”
“I don’t. It’s not like that.”
A feather landed on his heart. She didn’t love Ian and that was something.
“I’m sorry about your dad. Donny came to see me after it happened. I’m frightened for him.”
“Why?”
Nora’s green eyes blurred behind tears. “I think Donny killed Steve,” she whispered. “I’ve been trying to call him, but he’s not answering his phone. I thought he might be here.”
“He didn’t kill Steve.”
“I want to believe that, but you should have seen him last night. He completely lost control. I’ve never seen him angry like that.”
“My dad broke Donny’s nose. He watched me kick the shit out of the bastard and then he watched Mom take Dad’s side.”
“I think he was more upset for you than himself, but that’s not when he lost it. It was when I told him Ian was the baby’s father.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Donny thought I was pregnant with Steve’s baby and Steve dumped me because of it. Maybe it was too much for him and after everything Steve had done, he killed him. Last night he lost his temper because he killed the wrong guy, thinking Steve was the father.”
“You’re wrong.”
“I know he’s your brother and you love him. I love him too. We have to do something to help him. Kalin’s going to tell Miller.”
“Does Aunt Lisa know?”
“I phoned her when I couldn’t find Donny. I didn’t want to talk to her. We had a big fight, but I thought Donny might answer if she called him. She got really upset when I said I suspected Donny. I think Donny should turn himself in, and I wanted her to convince him it’s the best thing. If he confesses before the cops figure out he’s guilty, they might go easier on him.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“To see Kalin. She wants to talk to her and see if she can change her mind.”
“Fuck. This is bad.”
Nora reached forward and grabbed Jeff’s hand. “What’s wrong?”
“Where are they?”
“Lisa was going to ask her to go snowshoeing. She wanted to talk with her in private.”
“Did she say which trail?”
“I didn’t ask. What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing. I gotta go. Stay here in case she comes back, and don’t say anything about Donny to anyone.” Jeff grabbed his truck keys and took off running.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
A light breeze carried snow flurries gently to the ground. At minus five degrees Celsius, the temperature was perfect for snowshoeing. When Lisa had called, even though she was tired, Kalin hadn’t hesitated in accepting her invitation.
Lisa was becoming her friend, and she hoped the mess with McKenzie and Donny wouldn’t interfere with that. Although she knew it was a wild hope, maybe if they came up with a plan together, their friendship wouldn’t be ruined.
Lisa hadn’t said anything about Donny when she’d phoned, and Kalin didn’t know if Nora had spoken to her about him.
She walked from her office and met Lisa at the entrance to the trails. Twenty centimeters of snow rested on top of the sign that announced the beginner, intermediate and advanced trails. Snowshoe traffic flattened the beginner trail, but the intermediate and advanced were pristine.
“Where’s your dog?” Lisa asked.
“At home. She needs to be on a leash right now, and she steps on my snowshoes when she’s close to me.”
“Does she run away?”
“No, but she has a thing for wildlife.”
“My car’s right there if you want me to lock your stuff inside,” Lisa said.
“Sure.” Kalin handed Lisa her backpack full of work files. No need to carry the heavy load.
When Lisa returned from the car, she said, “Let’s do Extreme Dream.”
“I’m up for it.” Kalin loved the Extreme Dream loop, and the exercise might wake her up. Rated for advanced snowshoers, the trail ascended through the forest, paralleling the Alpine Tracks ski run, and then traversed along the ridge on the south side of the resort. The sheer drop from the highest point along the ridge met a kilometer wide valley hundreds of meters below, hosting one of the best views on the mountain.
Kalin plopped her snowshoes in the snow. She tightened the straps and tested the holding. The sharp claws on the bottom of the snowshoes grabbed the surface and held. She clamped her headlamp over her toque and turned on the light. Lisa went through the same process. They started the steep incline, working their way to the top of the Alpine lift station, taking thirty minutes to reach the summit.
“What’s Ben doing tonight?” Lisa asked between breaths.
“He’s at fire practice. I didn’t get a chance to call him, but we’ll be back before he is. Maybe the three of us could have dinner together later. We can have something ready by the time he gets home.”
“That sounds good. He won’t mind the extra company?”
Kalin laughed. “Ben likes everyone.”
“Except Steve, I heard.”
“True. He had issues with him,” Kalin said. “Not many people liked Steve.”
“I don’t think he cared about anyone other than himself.”
“I didn’t know him well. Nora was the only person I met who liked him.”
“And look where that got her,” Lisa said.
They followed the trail as it turned toward the ridge. Several meters ahead of Lisa, Kalin stopped to catch her breath and sl
ow her heart rate.
Her headlamp dimmed. She removed it and shook it, giving the battery a bit more life. Her spare batteries sat in her backpack stored in Lisa’s car. Hitting the trails without backup gear was stupid, really stupid, but her mind had been too focused on Donny killing Steve.
Lisa caught up, and they continued to traverse the path. “At least with Steve dead, he can’t hurt Nora anymore.”
* * *
Jeff drove like a race car driver, trying to get to Stone Mountain in record time. He didn’t know what his aunt was planning, but he needed to get to her before she met with Kalin. He called her several times during the drive. No answer. He banged the phone on the passenger seat more than once and threw it on the floor.
There were four parking lots with trail access. He drove to the one closest to the resort entrance, looking for either Lisa or Kalin’s truck. Lampposts planted around the empty lot created a festive atmosphere. The light snowfall made the scene postcard perfect for a Christmas vacation and not for the nightmare he was living.
He spun out of the lot and sped to the next trailhead. Again, he had no luck. On his third try, he found his aunt’s truck. He slipped into the adjacent spot. He retrieved a flashlight from his glove compartment, phoned his aunt one more time and got out of his truck.
He needed snowshoes. He couldn’t catch up to them with boots alone. He checked Lisa’s truck for a spare pair and instead saw Kalin’s backpack in the front seat.
The rental shop had snowshoes, and he took off in its direction. At a full run, he reached the shop in a couple of minutes. The lights were out. He pushed on the door. Locked. Without hesitating, he kicked the window beside the door and smashed the glass. He crawled through the small opening and grabbed the closest pair of snowshoes.
Jeff ran back to the trails, strapped on the snowshoes and raced forward. He stopped and stared at the three trailheads. The beginner trail was trampled. There were no markings on the intermediate trail. Two sets of shoes left imprints on the advanced trail.
Descent (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 1) Page 28
