WINTER CHILL

JOANNE FLUKE

KENSINGTON BOOKS
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

PROLOGUE

Her cheeks were red from the cold, and she grinned up at him as he turned on the seat. Come on, Daddy . . . just once more. Please? Better make it quick. Ronnie Powell snapped his visor down and glanced at his watch. Its coming down pretty heavy, and you two are novices. Five minutes more and we start for home. You heard the boss. Dan put his machine in gear as Laura clasped her hands around his waist. Hang on tight, honey. Here we go! They left Jenny and her dad in a cloud of white snow. The wind rushed past her stinging cheeks, and she laughed out loud. Jenny was right. Riding on a snowmobile was almost like flying. The cold took her breath away, and she narrowed her eyes to slits, squinting into the frozen brightness. They were rounding the far corner of the trail now, between the tall pines, and she didnt want ever to

Joanne Fluke

go home. If only she had wings and could fly through the snow forever! She gave a delighted squeal as the machine made a sharp turn to the right, cutting across uncharted snow between the trails. They were taking a shortcut directly through the center of a deserted field. She could barely see now, the snow was swirling so fiercely. The wind tugged at her blue and white stocking cap and threatened to blow it off her head. Oh! Laura let go for an instant, pulling at her knitted hat with both hands. It was an early Christmas present from her mom, and she didnt want to lose it. Hang on, Laura! Dan turned for only an instant, but that was enough. The heavy Snow-Cat crashed headlong into an innocent mound of snow covering an abandoned harrowing machine. Daddy! He sensed rather than heard her cry. Somehow he managed to hang on to the snowmobile with one hand, but she was gone, tipped out in a tumbling arc, propelled forward by the force of the crash. There was a sickening lurch as the machine toppled, and he heard a snap like a firecracker as pain exploded in his head. His last sight was of his small daughters body caught fast, impaled on the old farm implements sharp, rusty prongs. It seemed to take forever for the darkness to come, rolling over him in deep, compassionate waves. ***

WINTER CHILL

The wind picked up around two thirty and blew the snow in rattling gusts past the kitchen window. Soon ice crystals were pinging against the glass, and Marian peered out into the blinding swirls, listening for the car in the driveway. They should be on their way home by now. It was rotten weather for snowmobiling. She put on the coffee and poured milk into a saucepan for hot chocolate. Dan and Laura would be cold when they came in. An hour passed as she paced between the stove and the window. Perhaps they had stopped on the way. It was just like Ronnie Powell to convince Dan that they needed a hot brandy. Laura and Jenny were probably munching hamburgers at the truck stop right now, while their fathers sat in the bar. There was really nothing to worry about. Why didnt he call? At four oclock Marian began to worry in earnest. She tried dialing Sally to see if shed heard from Ronnie, but the lines were down. The phone was dead, except for a faint mechanical crackling. It was turning bitter cold now, and the wind chill factor was rising. Marian wished that shed given in and let Laura wear her new blue coat. It was warmer than the old parka. What if they were stuck out there in the middle of the frozen snow? Marian forced herself to calm down. Of course they were fine. She was just borrowing trouble. But the heavy curtain of snow outside the glass was an impenetrable barrier, and she couldnt help feeling that somewhere in that wall of icy white, her husband and daughter were in trouble. Her worst fears were realized when the patrol car

Joanne Fluke

drove up outside. They were hesitant about getting out of the car, Sheriff Bates first and then Sally. There was something they didnt want to tell her, something awful about Dan and Laura. Marian threw open the door and stood waiting, alone and fearful in the numbing cold.