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Past midnight, Winter Solstice
KENNEDY WINCED AS WILLOW’S fingernails dug into her arm. She wanted to ask what was going on, what Willow had found in the box that got her so freaked out, but she was paralyzed.
“Roger? You home?” The front door banged opened, bringing in with it a burst of cold and the foul smell of body odor.
Willow gave Kennedy’s arm one last squeeze and asked sleepily, “Someone there?”
“I’m looking for Roger. Where is he?” The voice was gruff.
“He stepped out for just a sec. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. Are you Buster, the guy with the radio?”
“Yeah, that’s me. Who’re you?”
“I’m Willow. Did you get hold of my parents?”
“Sure did. They were pretty worried, too.”
“Oh, good. Thank you so much for getting that message to them. Hey, did my mom mention my goat?”
“Goat?”
Willow’s voice was laced with concern. She sounded five years younger. “Yeah, she went into labor this morning, and I’ve been really worried about her. I thought for sure my mom would know how scared I’d be and give you a message to let me know how things went.”
Buster cleared his throat. “Oh, that. Yeah, she said everything went just fine. No problems. Happy mama, healthy baby.”
Willow let out her breath in a loud sigh. “I’m so glad. I’ve been worried sick.”
Kennedy couldn’t keep ahead of the conversation. What was Willow talking about?
Buster’s voice softened a little. He scratched his massive belly. “Where’s your friend? Roger said there were two of you here.”
Willow let out an airy laugh that held no indication of how tightly she’d been squeezing Kennedy’s arm just a minute earlier. “She’s dead to the world. That’s her way. She’s like Cinderella. Turns into a pumpkin after midnight, or something like that.” Another giggle.
Buster cleared his throat. “Roger say when he was coming back?”
“No. Should we sit and wait for him?” Something in Willow’s voice had changed. She wasn’t actually flirting with this mountain man, was she?
Buster lowered his weight onto the stump in the middle of the room. Now that he was closer to Kennedy’s corner, she tried hard not to gag from the smell.
“Is it still pretty cold out?” Willow asked. What kind of question was that? It was the dead of winter, and they were stuck here freezing in the middle of nowhere.
“You could say that.”
“I wonder if the stars are out. Want to step outside and see?” What was Willow thinking? Why would she go outside in the cold with this stranger? Kennedy thought about her roommate’s directive to run when she got the chance, but she wasn’t going anywhere by herself. Not without Willow, and not without a whole lot more answers.
What had Willow seen? What got her so scared? They were obviously in some kind of trouble, but until Kennedy knew what, until she found out what was in that box that spooked Willow so much, she had to be prepared for anything. What was lying around here that could make a decent weapon? There was a fire poker, wasn’t there? Which side of the stove was it on? Kennedy reached out her hand slowly, terrified of making any noise that would alert Buster and let him know she was awake.
“Come on,” Willow was coaxing playfully. “Take me outside so we can look at the sky. Don’t you love the stars?” She sounded like an eight-year-old begging for a ride on the merry-go-round.
“You can see the sky and the stars from here. Just look right out the window. Don’t even have to get cold.”
“Yeah, but there’s a spot right behind the house that I bet has an even better view. See that tree branch? It’s blocking the view.”
Buster made some sort of indecipherable grumble.
“Please?” Willow whined.
Think. Kennedy had to think. Figure out what she was supposed to do.
“Come on, let’s go look. Just for a minute. We’ll go behind the cabin, see if the view’s better without the tree blocking it, and then we’ll come right back in and warm up. Ok?”
Buster continued to speak in grunts and monosyllables, but since he was getting up off the log, Kennedy guessed he was assenting. Now was the time to make her decision.
Willow giggled. “Just behind the cabin,” she repeated, glancing back once, “and then we’ll come back real quick.”
The door opened. The burst of searing cold nearly stole Kennedy’s breath. As soon as she was alone she jumped up to grab the shoebox from the shelf. She had to understand what Willow was doing. Why she’d told Kennedy to run.
She shined the light from Willow’s phone into the box. An old faded newspaper clipping lay on the top. Anchorage Barista Still Missing: Police urge anyone with information to come forward. Beneath the headline, a girl in a tank top smiled at Kennedy.
She moved the clipping aside. Beneath it were piles of photographs of a young woman in lingerie. Kennedy was certain that even from outside Buster and Willow could hear her pounding heart.
It was the same girl from the newspaper article.
She had to get Willow out of there. That was all there was to it. Even if Willow had made the sacrificial decision to distract Buster behind the cabin so Kennedy could make her escape, there was no way she was leaving here by herself.
She grabbed the fire poker then ran to the kitchen drawer, hoping to find something sharper than a butter knife. She shoved Willow’s phone in her pocket. Stupid cell phone reception.
She eyed the radio. If she could figure out how it worked, would there be a way to signal for help? Would there be time?
“Buster? That you?”
Kennedy froze. It was Roger. She had no idea where he’d gone for so long, but his truck hadn’t moved. Wherever he’d been, he’d gotten there by foot.
“It’s me,” Buster said. “Your cute little houseguest here wanted to see the stars.”
Kennedy didn’t have time to think about the girl in the pictures in Roger’s shoebox. The front door opened, startling Kennedy so much she dropped the fire poker, which clattered on the hard floor, stinging her ears through the silence of the winter night.
“Everything ok?” Roger asked. Was he suspicious?
Kennedy wished she could absorb her roommate’s acting abilities. She forced a smile. “Yeah, I don’t know much about these wood stoves, but I was feeling a little cold in here, so I was ...”
Buster came in behind Roger, leading Willow who gave Kennedy a small shake of the head.
Kennedy stared at her feet. “I’m sorry. I probably should have left it alone.”
Roger let out a laugh. He seemed far more jocular than he’d been earlier. Maybe the pack of beer he was holding with two cans missing explained why.
“Shut the door.” Roger slammed the cans down. It took up his entire counter space. “I hope you girls got a little rest. Buster and me were thinking we’d treat you to an early Christmas party.”
Kennedy was trying to find a way to politely decline when Willow sidled up beside her and grabbed her by the wrist. “Actually, I’m dying for a drink, but can you show us where the outhouse is first?” She shot her radiant smile. “We girls like to freshen up before a good party, right?”
Buster, all 250 stench-infested pounds of him, was leaning over Willow, grinning so widely Kennedy was surprised there wasn’t already a puddle of drool on her roommate’s shoulder.
Roger furrowed his brow. “I’ll show you where it is, but there’s not room for both of you at once.”
Willow gave Kennedy a very obvious nudge. “Sounds good. You go first.”
Kennedy understood what Willow was trying to do but refused to leave her roommate here alone. “That’s ok. I can wait.” She winced when Willow’s fingernails dug into her wrist.
Willow sighed but kept her voice cheerful when she said, “All right, then. I guess we’ll use the outhouse later. Who’s ready to get this party started?