“Yeah, Mom. I just wanted to let you know before you hear about it on the news that we found some dead bodies. Lots of them.”
The line went momentarily silent as if her mother had to digest that information. “You’re safe, though. Your dad and I are at the ski resort. You should drive over.”
“Mom.” She lowered her voice. “I saw the ghost again, and this time I’m sure the dead woman was dad’s aide. Please be careful.”
“Honey, I’d remember if one of your father’s aides went missing. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. Your father is a good man. He’d never harm another soul.”
She lowered her head. Isn’t that what people always said about serial killers? She couldn’t make her mother believe. Hell, even if the evidence supported what Destiny believed, her mom would still go to her death bed denying the truth. Her mom loved her dad that much.
“I’ll try and drive over in the next day or two.”
“Okay, but, Destiny, please be careful.”
“I will, Mom. You too.” She disconnected the call, pulled the inn’s door open, and stepped inside.
She paused just over the threshold. Putnam was in the main sitting room, drinking a cup of coffee and staring out the big window to the street and mountain beyond.
Destiny joined him. He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the window and speaking. “You know what’s crazy?”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“How the weather changes on a dime. One minute the peak of the mountain is covered in snow and the ground is like ice, and then the next, it’s turned to summer and the snow is just gone.”
“Global warming,” she offered as a way of explanation.
If he believed her lie, he didn’t say. He left the view of the window and eased down onto the couch and rubbed his ankle. “You ready to tell me why you lied to the ranger?”
“I didn’t totally lie. I was worried when I couldn’t reach you.”
“The last time you were worried about me was at your father’s victory party when he was elected to the senate. You’d just spilled champagne on my suit.”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting to find you in my father’s office.”
Putnam’s eyes flared as if remembering the encounter. “Well, I was the punk dating his daughter. Warning me to not hurt you was his job as a father.”
Unbidden memories rushed in. She’d been so naïve back then. She would have followed Putnam anywhere, including believing him when he said he had an authentic picture of Bigfoot and he’d talked her into writing the piece. That story had damaged her career, but not beyond repair. It had sent her down another path, one that included ghosts and monsters hidden in the dark. It wasn’t a bad place to be, just different from the ten-year plan she’d written when she was only sixteen.
Those years had come and gone and then some. Her plans to write an article about her father had diminished over time. Until she found the picture and started to question everything she knew.
“I remember you were ready to run from the party,” she teased him.
“Yes, well, he was intimidating, but even he couldn’t scare me away from you for too long.”
He had ghosted her for two weeks after that party, claiming he was just busy. She had been ready to move on when he’d finally called her again. It had taken several weeks of groveling on his part before she took him back.
“Yeah, well, ancient history, and I was still worried.”
He nodded. “So, are you ready to tell me what the ranger found in that crevasse?”
“It’s an active investigation,” she said. “They’re searching for clues on the woman’s identity, just like you thought.”
His eyes narrowed, but only slightly. “Nick Bennett, the shrink that showed up at the hospital said he could tell by the clay under the woman’s fingernails where she came from. How is it that you and the ranger figured it out?”
“Nick and Walker are brothers.” Mercy’s voice drifted through the doorway. Destiny and Putnam turned toward the entry.
“And who are you?” Putnam asked.
“I’m Mercy Bennett-Weller. The sheriff’s wife,” she answered before meeting Destiny’s gaze. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but, Destiny, can I steal you for a bit?”
