Polar (Book 1): Polar Night

by Julie Flanders

  Within seconds, a tall blond man appeared and turned on the lobby lights.

  “Can I help you?” he asked.

  “I hope so,” Danny said. “You the owner of this place?”

  “I am. But if you want to book a tour or a room, we’re closed for the winter season.”

  “No problem. We’re not interested in staying here. We just need to talk to you.”

  “Talk to me? Why?”

  Danny held up his badge. “I’m Detective Danny Fitzpatrick, Fairbanks PD. And this is Sergeant Yazzie.”

  The blond man nodded. “What can I do for you?”

  “We’re investigating the disappearance of a young woman from Fairbanks.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “How about telling me who you are? I feel kind of strange talking when I don’t even know your name.”

  “I’m Aleksei Nechayev. Why do you want to know?”

  “The woman I’m looking for, she and her boyfriend came up here a few weeks ago and toured your place.” Danny took out a photo of Maria and showed it to Aleksei. “You remember her?”

  Aleksei stared at the photo. “Possibly. We’re always very busy in the weeks before we close, and we get so many people in and out that it’s hard to keep track.” Aleksei shrugged his shoulders. “I do think I remember this woman, but I can’t say for sure.”

  “Do you keep a record of your guests?”

  “Of course. Would you like to see it?”

  “Yeah. That would be great.”

  Aleksei slid behind the desk and produced a large leather bound book. “I like having an old-fashioned guest book for our guests to sign. It adds to the atmosphere of the place.”

  “I can imagine.” Danny pulled the book around to him, and thumbed through the pages until he got to Thanksgiving weekend. Sure enough, he found the names he expected.

  “Here she is,” he said, pointing to Maria’s name. “And her companion, Nate Clancy.”

  Aleksei looked at the names and pretended to search his mind. He shrugged again. “Obviously they were here, but the names really don’t ring any bells.” He leaned backwards against the wall behind the desk. “I can tell you though that from here they likely went to Prudhoe Bay. That’s how the tours work.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’ve been told.” Danny stared at Maria’s crisp handwriting, and drummed his fingers on the desk.

  “What is it you’re hoping to find here, Detective? How can I help you?”

  Danny flipped through the rest of the book. The last entries were in 2011. He looked up from the book and stared at Aleksei. “What about your older records?” he asked. “Where are your listings of guests who were here before 2011?”

  “We don’t keep the books, but we have records of our guests on computer files. Why?”

  Danny could have sworn he saw Aleksei flinch. But maybe that was just wishful thinking.

  “I’d like to see your files from 2009.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Aleksei’s voice sounded the same. Maybe he hadn’t flinched.

  Before Danny could answer him, Aleksei spoke again.

  “Was this…” he glanced down at the book and re-read the name. “Ms. Treibel here in 2009 as well?”

  “I’m not sure,” Danny said. “I’d be interested in finding out.”

  Aleksei booted up the desk computer and waited for the programs to load. “I can show you our database,” he said. “It will just take me a minute.”

  “I don’t mind waiting.”

  Danny glanced around the lobby while he waited for Aleksei’s database to load. He knew very well how long a computer could take to actually get going. It had been too dark to notice much in the lobby when he arrived, but now he could see that Aleksei liked having an old-fashioned touch to everything here. Tacky brochures lined the desk, all promising fabulous Arctic adventures and polar bear sightings, but none looked as if they had been touched in decades. The whole lobby looked like that of a roadside hotel in the 1950s. The huge stuffed Arctic Owl that hung over the doorway behind the desk merely added to the creepiness factor. Danny expected Norman Bates to enter from the back room at any minute.

  “Here you go,” Aleksei said. “2009. Are you interested in a particular month?”

  “November.”

  Danny looked for another flinch, but didn’t see any. Aleksei clicked the mouse and stepped back from the computer to make room for Danny.

  Danny stared at the screen and scrolled down the list of names. It took only a second to find Anna Alexander. He highlighted her name and hoped for some kind of a reaction from Aleksei. He didn’t get any.

  “I don’t see Ms. Treibel’s name there,” Aleksei said.

  “No, I don’t either.” Danny paused. “But I do see Anna Alexander’s name. Anna also went missing not long after she stayed here at your lovely home.”

  Now, Aleksei flinched. “I can’t say I remember Miss Alexander.”

  “Of course you don’t. But regardless, we’re going to have to take a look around this place.”

  “Okay. But first I’d like to know what this is about,” Aleksei said, his voice sharp.

  “I’ve told you what it’s about. Two missing women named Maria Treibel and Anna Alexander. And before you ask, we’ve got a warrant.”

  Aleksei cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Not a problem.” He opened the door of the lobby and held it for Danny and Terry. “Help yourselves, gentlemen. Or, I’d be happy to give you our tour.”

  Danny held up his hands. “No, we don’t need the tour. We’re fine on our own. I’d suggest you stay here.”

  Aleksei glared at him, and forced his mouth into a smile. “Suit yourself.”

  Danny and Terry left the lobby and found themselves in an empty hallway, with rooms lining the walls on each side.

  “You know anything about this place?” Danny asked.

  “Only that it’s supposed to be haunted. Supposedly, people have heard crying and screaming, doors slamming, disembodied voices, that sort of thing.”

  “Nice.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true. By all accounts, they didn’t exactly treat prisoners well up here.”

  “It was an insane asylum, right?”

  Terry nodded. “Yeah. For the criminally insane. I think they just dumped people here when they didn’t know what else to do with them.”

  Danny shook his head. “Why the hell would anyone want to stay here as a vacation?”

  “Novelty I guess. Hoping to see ghosts or hear scary noises.”

  As if on cue, Danny heard the sound of a door slamming in the distance. Startled, he jumped and turned to Terry.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So I’m not crazy?”

  Terry shook his head. “If you are, so am I.”

  Danny instinctively put his hand on his gun, noticing Terry had done the same. They moved down the hallway, entering each room as they passed and checking every closet and restroom they found.

  Aleksei had furnished the old asylum cells to resemble hotel rooms, and each was decorated in a rustic Alaskan theme. Thick quilts covered the beds, and the walls were lined with photos of the frozen Arctic landscape, complete with polar bears, arctic foxes, and fluffy snow-white rabbits. The rooms were chilly, and Danny could hear the howl of the wind outside. It was the only sound besides Danny and Terry’s footsteps, as none of the rooms showed any signs of life.

  The only thing they found of interest in any of the rooms was a closet full of women’s clothing. Long velvet dresses, button-up blouses, thick flowing capes and long full skirts were meticulously hung on padded hangers. Pointy-toed boots and velvet slippers were lined up on the floor. Danny thought the clothes looked old-fashioned, and they reminded him of clothing you’d expect to find in a costume shop.

  “What do you think of this?” he asked.

  “Can’t imagine,” Terry said. “Maybe they have some kind o
f costume drama here sometimes.”

  “No men’s clothes, though. Or children’s.”

  Terry shrugged his shoulders. “No clue.”

  “We’ll have to ask Nechayev what he’s doing with these clothes.”

  “Maybe he likes to dress in drag.”

  Danny fingered through the dresses and skirts. “You saw how tall he is. None of these clothes would fit him.”

  They left the room and came to the end of the hall, where they entered a large circular room with picture windows lining the walls. The hardwood floor was bare, and the room was empty of furniture.

  “What is this, some kind of solarium?”

  “I think it was a day room,” Terry said. “I’ve read about these kinds of asylums. They used to tie people to chairs and sit them in here for the day. Let them get some sun I guess.”

  Danny and Terry both jumped as they heard a woman’s voice coming from the corridor they had just vacated. They ran back to the hall and through each room, searching for the woman they had heard yell. They found nothing.

  “This place is giving me the fucking creeps,” Danny said.

  “You and me both.”

  “Let’s hurry up and get through the rest of it. He’s gotta be hiding Maria here somewhere.”

  They went back through the day room and searched the kitchen and dining area, where they found nothing out of the ordinary. As they continued their search, they came to the attached bungalow which had to be Aleksei’s living quarters. Danny felt his pulse quicken. Instinct told him this was what they were looking for.

  But his instinct was wrong. They searched Aleksei’s living room, study, bedroom, guest room, and bathroom and found nothing of interest. A fire roared in the study and it was clear that Aleksei had been sitting in an old-fashioned leather arm chair in front of it and enjoying a glass of vodka when Danny and Terry had interrupted him. The half-empty glass sat on a coaster on the end table next to the chair, with a copy of the St. Petersburg Times folded haphazardly next to it.

  “There’s nothing here,” Danny said. “What are we missing?”

  “I think we’ve seen everything.”

  “But where the hell is she?”

  “I don’t think she’s here, Detective.”

  Danny shook his head. “I was so god-damn sure.”

  They left Aleksei’s bungalow and Danny jumped again as they heard the sound of another slamming door.

  “Holy shit this place is something else,” he said.

  “I’m ready to get out of here,” Terry said.

  Danny nodded and the two walked briskly back toward the lobby, where they found Aleksei waiting for them.

  “I trust you didn’t find anything of interest, gentlemen?” he asked.

  “Why do you have a closet full of old-fashioned women’s clothes?” Danny asked, forcing himself to ignore Aleksei’s smug demeanor.

  “We put on a play here sometimes in the summer. Try to recreate the asylum days. Those are some of our costumes.”

  “Those clothes didn’t look like anything anyone would be wearing at an asylum.”

  Aleksei shrugged. “We make do with what we can.”

  “Do you only have women in this play?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “There weren’t any costumes for men.”

  “Oh, well my cook has those. He’s away for the winter season though.”

  Danny knew Aleksei was lying, and he was certain if he researched Snow Creek he’d find that a play had never once been held at the resort. But as he hadn’t found a thing to back up any of his suspicions, he had no choice but to let it go. For now, at least.

  “I guess we’ve seen everything we need to see here then,” Danny said. He couldn’t deny he was anxious to get away from this creepy place and its equally creepy owner.

  Danny forced himself to hold his hand out for Aleksei to shake. He flinched when he felt Aleksei’s strong, ice cold grip.

  “Cold hands,” Danny said.

  “So I’ve been told. A hazard of living in the Arctic, I guess.”

  Danny stared at Aleksei, looking into his dark blue eyes, and felt a spine-tingling chill pass over him. He pulled his hand away, startled at the terror that had momentarily overwhelmed him. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d dealt with plenty of psychos before. But there was something different about this guy. Something really off.

  “Let me know if you need anything else from me,” Aleksei said, his voice cordial. “You can always call. Fairbanks isn’t exactly a short trip from here.”

  “Thanks,” Danny said. “We’ll be in touch if we have any other questions.”

  “I hope you find that woman.”

  Aleksei watched Danny and Terry walk back to their waiting truck, and noticed they were walking much more quickly now than when they had arrived. They moved like men in a hurry now.

  Aleksei waved at Doug Matheson, and shut the door behind him. He had to admit, this had been unexpected. He’d dealt with nosy cops before, but not any that seemed to know about two of his guests. He knew the Irish detective had highlighted Anna’s name on purpose.

  Aleksei locked up the lobby and headed back towards his living quarters. He wasn’t really worried, as the cops had found nothing and would probably be out of his hair now. Most likely, Fitzpatrick was merely some stiff who had stumbled on the fact that Anna and Maria had both been to Snow Creek. Beyond that, he had nothing to go on. Aleksei knew he had covered his tracks. He always did.

  Still, if this cop kept sniffing around he’d have to do something. He wouldn’t have his winter ruined. If the cop came back, he’d get rid of him. That wouldn’t be a problem.

  Aleksei knew exactly how to get rid of people.

  Chapter 20

  “I’m telling you, there’s something wrong with this guy,” Danny said.

  He had called Tessa from the Coldfoot hanger while he was waiting for the pilot to prep the plane.

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “I don’t know. But something sure as hell is. He gave me the fucking creeps. Gave Terry the creeps too. The whole place, Tessa. It’s like a god-damn haunted house.”

  “Isn’t that what it’s supposed to be?”

  “Yeah but you don’t expect those things to really be haunted, do you? I didn’t think we’d be hearing all kinds of shit while we were looking around. I thought I was going fucking nuts.”

  “But you didn’t find anything?”

  “No. God-dammit, I didn’t find a damn thing. Except that Anna and Maria were both there, but we already knew that. And we found a closet full of costumes that were fucking strange, but he had a cover story for them.” Danny sighed. “I kept trying to get a reaction from the guy, but he didn’t miss a beat. He was like a damn robot, saying all the right things, showing concern, insisting he didn’t know anything about Maria’s disappearance..”

  “Isn’t it possible that he really doesn’t know anything?”

  “Sure it’s possible. I told you I didn’t find shit. But I know there’s something there. I’m telling you…”

  “I know,” Tessa said, interrupting him. “There’s something off about him. I believe you. I just don’t know what we can do, Danny.”

  Danny shook his head. He wasn’t lying when he said he had been freaked out by the hallway lined with cells and the strange noises echoing around the building. He had no trouble believing there were ghosts there. And he already spent more than enough time with ghosts. Had he just imagined Aleksei’s strangeness?

  “Just get home now,” Tessa said in her best mothering voice. “You need to get out of there.”

  “I will. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  The pilot called to Danny and Terry that the plane was ready and the two of them quickly boarded. They both agreed they were anxious to leave this barren place behind.

  As the plane took off and flew through the snow, Danny couldn’t stop thinking about Aleksei Nechayev, his deathly cold hands, and his cobalt blue eyes with
their unflinching gaze. Danny had been around more rapists, murderers, kidnappers, and general human garbage than he could count, and none of them had ever given him the chills. None of them had caused him to feel a rush of terror that took him completely by surprise and floored him.

  He leaned his head back on the seat and tried to figure out what was so different about Nechayev. Unbidden, his mind drifted back to Amanda Fiske. She had described her attacker as unusually tall and blond, with dark blue eyes that were filled with evil.

  Danny frowned, remembering how his mother used to warn him that drinking too much alcohol would addle the brain. Maybe he had finally done it and his brain was addled. What else could explain where his mind was now going?

  Addled brain or not, he couldn’t deny what was now suddenly so obvious. Amanda Fiske may be crazy, but her description of her attacker had been spot on.

  She had described Aleksei Nechayev.

  Chapter 21

  Aleksei settled into his leather armchair and sipped his glass of vodka. He didn’t want to admit it, but the Irish detective had left his nerves on edge. He knew he could deal with him if needed, but he didn’t want it to come to that. He was angry that his winter had been disturbed and his home had been violated. His plans were important to him and they didn’t include dealing with a nosy cop.

  He was angry at himself that he had probably showed too much of the real Aleksei to Danny Fitzpatrick. He hadn’t been able to resist giving the jackass a glimpse of the monster inside him when he shook his hand. He’d wanted to frighten the man and he knew he had succeeded. But when he thought about it now, he knew he had let his anger at Fitzpatrick’s intrusion get the better of him. After so many years of perfecting his human cover, he never should have allowed that kind of a slip. It had been fun to give the detective a scare, but it had also been stupid, and he’d probably managed to pique Fitzpartick’s interest even more.

  He put his feet up on the ottoman in front of him and rested his head on the back of his chair. He considered visiting his guest, but he wasn’t ready for her yet. It wasn’t time. The cop’s interference made keeping to his schedule even more important. He needed to stick with what he could control.