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But Beatrice wasn’t completely sure what she was looking at. On her own computer, her homepage was Google. But this looked like a completely different browser altogether. And not one of the three she was familiar with. It was something called Tor.
Beatrice also noticed that there was no online connection to the browser and sighed. She’d hoped that perhaps she could send an email to Wyatt later to explain what had happened, but it looked like that definitely wasn’t going to be the case.
Hesitantly, she looked at the bookmarks that Aspen had saved. This puzzled her again, because instead of ending in .com or .org, the sites ended in .onion.
“What on earth?” muttered Beatrice under her breath. She took a few pictures with her phone, and then carefully closed the laptop again.
Beatrice ventured back outside. The weather, if anything, had gotten worse. Ice was spitting out of the sky and gales of wind were slinging it into her face. What was worse was the fact that she couldn’t hurry, or she’d slip on the treacherous ice under her feet. When she reached the dining hall, she looked into the room for Olive, but didn’t see her there. She saw that many of the quilters were now up and being fed by Meadow.
Beatrice tried the lodge next. There were only so many places Olive could be, considering she’d just been in her cabin and the conference room was closed off.
She finally found her in front of a roaring fire in the lodge, looking a bit drowsy and absently petting Lucy, the golden retriever. Lucy seemed to be enjoying the attention and was practically grinning.
“Just wanted to bring key back to you. Oh, and your gloves,” said Beatrice. “You’ll need them out there.”
Olive nodded curtly, then studied Beatrice’s features. “You found something.” Her voice was flat but certain.
Beatrice said slowly, “I did, but I’m not exactly sure what it is that I did find.”
“What do you mean?” Her gaze was piercing.
Beatrice showed her some of the pictures she’d taken with her phone. “I wasn’t sure what all this was.”
Olive frowned, eyes narrowed, as she scrolled through the photos. “I see.”
“What do you see?”
Olive handed the phone back to Beatrice. In that same flat voice she said, “The dark web.” Her brows knit together as she considered the implications of that.
Beatrice’s eyes widened. “You think Aspen was involved with illegal activity?”
Olive gave a short laugh. “Most likely. You only get there with a special web browser, so it’s not like she just happened upon it while she was shopping online.”
“The only thing I know about the dark web is that a lot of stolen credit card numbers end up for sale there. And stolen identities.”
Olive nodded. “There’s more to it than that, of course. I don’t know a lot about it myself, but I’ve read you can buy and sell weapons, drugs, passwords, and other illegal things. I can’t say I’m surprised. Aspen was the type of person who would get into that sort of thing. Plus, she was very computer-savvy.”
“It sounds like you’re pretty computer-savvy, yourself,” said Beatrice.
Olive shrugged. “Somewhat. Like I said, I’m a math teacher. I’ve dabbled in some programming and have an interest in IT.” She glanced toward the door leading from the lodge. “Ugh, it looks like Ivy is coming in. I just don’t have the patience for her nonsense right now.”
With that, she abruptly stood up, clasping the leather gloves, and swept out of the lodge through a different door. Lucy, the golden retriever, sadly watched her go. Beatrice reached out and scratched Lucy behind her ears and the dog gave her a grateful look.
Beatrice remembered Olive had mentioned that Aspen had been having an affair with Ivy’s husband.
A few moments later, a woman in her late-forties came in. She looked tired and cross. Beatrice could tell that she must have been a great beauty in earlier years, although that beauty was somewhat faded now.
“This place is the worst,” she muttered to Beatrice, sitting next to her in one of the armchairs facing the fire. “Their stupid PA system woke me up with a meeting announcement. Who has a meeting at this time of the morning?”
Beatrice glanced at her watch. It was after nine o’clock now.
The golden retriever looked askance at Ivy, worried about her irritated tone.
Perhaps sensing a lack of sympathy from Beatrice, Ivy sniffed. “It’s vacation time. The last thing I want to think about is a stupid meeting.”
Ivy tinkered with her cell phone for a few moments before dropping it into her lap. “At least we could have better wi-fi. I can’t get through to anybody.”
Beatrice decided that Ivy was apparently not the most observant person. “That’s actually due to the weather outside. The ice you walked through.”
Ivy’s pretty face furrowed with annoyance. “That’s another thing. I tend to expect better customer service when I travel. You’d think the staff could at least have shoveled the walkways. They’re going to be sued up one side and down another if anyone falls and breaks something.”
“You can’t really shovel ice,” noted Beatrice. “And there isn’t any staff here, aside from the manager, who walked from her home. The roads are all closed because they’re too hazardous to drive on.”
Ivy was determined to rant about the management. “Then they should never have allowed us to be here in the first place.”
That was something Beatrice could agree with, despite the fact that no one had really seen this weather coming. Still, she supposed the retreat could have closed out of an abundance of caution.
Ivy huffed, “Maybe they’re holding the meeting to say they’re going to refund us our money because of all the inconveniences.”
Beatrice shook her head. “The meeting is on a slightly more serious topic.”
“There’s nothing more serious than poor customer service.” Ivy pressed her lips together.
Beatrice thought she knew the answer to the question she was about to ask, but she wanted to see Ivy’s reaction. “Are you close to Aspen?”
Ivy blinked at her as if the words didn’t compute. “Close to Aspen? You mean geographically? Or emotionally?”
“As a friend.”
Ivy spluttered into a laugh. “No, of course not. Aspen is a thoroughly unpleasant woman. No one is close to Aspen.” She paused. “Don’t tell me she took off and left for home before the weather got bad. Deserting us is just the type of thing I’d expect from her. We’ll all probably be getting text messages with pictures of Aspen curled up at home drinking wine while we’re trying to manage third-world problems at this so-called retreat.”
Beatrice decided she’d gotten a bit more feedback on Aspen than she’d planned for. At least it was very clear what Ivy’s feelings about Aspen were.
“So you didn’t see Aspen late last night?”
Now Ivy was looking cranky. “What’s with all the questions? Is Aspen missing? I don’t think she wandered off into the snow and ice. Taking walks or communing with nature isn’t what Aspen is all about. Like I said, she most likely drove off and abandoned her fellow guild members. She drives an all-wheel drive . . . a tricked-out Jeep. Well, that’s one of her cars, anyway, and it’s the one she brought here. She left us, I’m sure of it. And I, for one, am delighted to hear she did, even if I do get an obnoxious, gloating text message later.” She paused, seeing Beatrice still looking searchingly at her. “But to answer your question, no. No, I didn’t see Aspen last night or this morning. I turned in early and just got up. I slept like the dead.”
Beatrice said, “The reason I was asking is that I was trying to figure out what might have happened. Aspen is dead. She was murdered last night.”
Ivy’s eyes opened wide in astonishment. Then Beatrice thought she saw the slightest hint of unholy glee. “You’re kidding.”
Now Beatrice was the one who felt cranky. “Of course not. Who would joke about something like that?”
“Dead? Aspen? But how? Where?” Ivy started looking around her as if Aspen’s body might pop out from behind an armchair or from around a wall.
Beatrice again realized some of the details might best be kept quiet. After all, it was a police strategy to divulge as little information as possible. Only she, Starr, and Olive had seen Aspen. She said, “She’s in the conference room that was set up for quilting. The room’s been locked up now.”
This appeared to peeve Ivy even further. “No quilting? But that’s the entire reason we’re here. Of course Aspen managed to mess that up.” She looked at Beatrice with narrowed eyes. “What happened to her?”
“We don’t really know. That’s up to the police to decide.”
Ivy pressed on. “But you said she was murdered.”
“It’s a suspicious death.”
Ivy now seemed to be in a much better humor than she was previously. “So the meeting is about the murder?”
Beatrice nodded.
Suddenly, Ivy’s face fell again. “But wait! That means we’re here with a killer loose. Where are the police? Why aren’t we all being rescued?”
Beatrice wasn’t sure if Ivy was a little slow on the uptake or whether she was simply so self-centered that she couldn’t think beyond her own needs. “Because the police can’t get here. The roads are too dangerous. The rescuers would end up needing to be rescued themselves.”
This was apparently a most unsatisfactory response. Ivy glared at Beatrice as if the whole thing were her fault.
“What about security? Isn’t this manager or whoever she is, going to call in some staff to handle this? Is she the only one who lives close-by?”
Beatrice nodded.
Ivy’s breath hissed out of her. “It was probably some drifter trying to get away from the storm. The conference room was open all day and all night . . . that’s what the staff had said yesterday at the orientation. Anybody could have walked in to get warm. Then, when Aspen surprised them, they killed her.” She looked at Beatrice. “That’s it. That’s what happened.”
“That could have happened,” acknowledged Beatrice.
“But you obviously don’t think it did.” Ivy threw a petulant look at her, disliking being crossed.
“Considering what I’ve heard about Aspen, it sounds likely that someone might have harbored ill-will towards her.”
“Is that your polite way of saying no one liked her? Because I agree with you. She was a horrible human being.” Ivy sounded grimly satisfied that Aspen was no longer a problem.
Beatrice said, “Someone mentioned that you might have had reason to dislike Aspen, too.”
Ivy’s eyes filled with malice. “Who said that? If there’s one thing I can’t abide is gossipy women.”
“Is it true?”
Ivy looked away. “My husband is a good husband. A good provider, too. He cares about me. But I guess Aspen stumbled across one of his few weaknesses. He couldn’t resist the silly woman.” Her gaze sharpened again as she looked back at Beatrice. “No one was suggesting I had anything to do with Aspen’s death, were they? What a horrid thing to say! I’ve been nothing but law-abiding my entire life. An excellent citizen in every way. I volunteered with the Junior League for ages before I became a sustainer. I had no involvement with her murder.”
Beatrice nodded.
Ivy added, “But I’d like to give an award to whoever did.”
Beatrice had never really met someone as venomous as Ivy. It made her want to be back in Dappled Hills with Wyatt. Somehow, Wyatt always seemed to see the good side of everyone. It was a quality that made him such an excellent minister. Ivy, on the other hand, made Beatrice feel almost tainted by association. No wonder Olive hadn’t wanted to stick around and talk to Ivy.
“I still feel it must be some sort of drifter who did this. But I do know someone else who wasn’t crazy about Aspen. Olive. Olive and I have had many long talks about Aspen. She married Olive’s brother, Doug, and treated him horribly.”
“In what way?”
“In every way. The poor sap was clearly crazy about her and she acted as if she could take him or leave him. She spoke very condescendingly towards Doug, almost as if she didn’t have a whit of respect for him. Then she kept cheating on him.” She lowered her voice dramatically, looking around to make sure no one was listening. “In fact, Doug took his own life.”
Beatrice shook her head. “That’s awful,” she said quietly. Olive hadn’t gone into any detail about Doug and Aspen. Perhaps it was a topic that was too painful for her to discuss.
“It’s truly awful, yes. Doug found out Aspen had been cheating on him and was planning on leaving him. Olive has blamed Aspen for it, and rightfully so. Olive and Doug were very close.”
The golden retriever bumped her head against Beatrice’s leg, and she absently reached down to rub Lucy. “It must have been very awkward, having Aspen in the same quilting guild.”
Ivy snorted. “Maybe it was awkward for Olive, but it didn’t seem to bother Aspen one whit. She was delighted at all the trouble and angst she was causing. She was never happier than when she was making everyone talk about her. She loved the attention. Reveled in it.”
Beatrice thought back to Aspen’s computer and what she’d seen inside. “Do you know anything about the dark web?”
Ivy stared at her as if she’d suddenly grown two horns. “The what?”
“Never mind. It’s just something I was wondering about.”
Ivy picked up her phone again, punching buttons and frowning. She held the phone up to her ear. “Ridiculous.”
“No signal still?”
“None at all!” said Ivy. “Which would be okay if we actually had wi-fi. My husband is going to be worried about me. I need to let him know what’s going on.” She paused. “Maybe he can come and pick me up. He has a Jeep.”
Beatrice shook her head. “That’s not going to help when it comes to driving on a sheet of ice. Not on these mountain roads, especially. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.”
Ivy’s mouth curved down in displeasure. “It just stinks being in this situation to begin with. I don’t feel safe at all with the lack of staff and a killer running around.”
“I’ll say!” said a voice behind them.
The two women turned to see Meadow coming into the lodge.
Beatrice introduced Ivy to Meadow. Meadow gave Ivy a big, friendly smile, and Ivy pressed her lips together and nodded.
“Finally finished with your kitchen duty?” asked Beatrice.
“Yes, thank goodness. I like cooking, but people kept coming into the kitchen to help, and it was driving me crazy. One woman would walk off with a measuring cup and another had the butter. I finally just kicked everyone out.”
“You work here?” asked Ivy, looking as if she were about to launch into a litany of criticisms.
Meadow gave her a cheerful smile. “Nope! But I’ve volunteered to help out in the kitchen.”
“Which we’re very grateful for,” added Beatrice. “The expression on Starr’s face when she realized she would have to take over the cooking led me to believe she’s not much of a cook.”
“I wonder how much food is on hand?” asked Ivy.
Beatrice held back a smile. It looked as if Ivy’s imagination might be running away from her. A winter storm and then lack of food? “I’m sure we’re in good shape. Don’t you think so, Meadow?”
“From what I could see. They have an industrial-size fridge, for sure. The pantry looked huge and well-stocked.”
The door opened again, sending in another blast of arctic air. Starr came in, wearing even more winter gear than she had the first time Beatrice saw her. She strode up to the fire, rubbing her hands together. Lucy, the retriever, nuzzled at her leg and Starr reached down to give the dog a loving rub.
Ivy’s eyes narrowed. “You’re in charge here?”
“That’s right,” said Starr with a tight smile. “You didn’t make it to the meeting I held?”
Ivy shrugged. “I thought it was going to be something stupid. Could you give me a recap?”
“Considering that was the whole point of the meeting, I’ll let someone else fill you in. I don’t feel like repeating myself. I have other things to worry about.”
“Like food?” asked Ivy with trepidation, still thinking about her worst-case-scenario.
“No, like making sure everyone stays safe and warm. Food isn’t going to be a problem.”
Ivy visibly relaxed into her armchair.
Meadow fretted, “I wish I could let Ramsay know about the issues here. He would come over here and sort things out.”
Starr shook her head. “It’s too dangerous for anyone to risk driving here.”
“Even on an ATV?”
Starr said, “An ATV would be better, but I’d think it would still struggle.”
Beatrice said, “Plus, it’s so far away, Meadow. We drove ninety minutes to get here. Ramsay would be frozen through if he had to be out in the elements that long.”
Starr said, “Unfortunately, it looks to me like we need to handle things here on our own until help can arrive.”
“What does that look like?” asked Beatrice. “In terms of handling things, I mean?”
Starr sighed and rubbed her face. “Well, like I mentioned, keeping people safe and warm. Making sure everyone is fed and staying hydrated. Then, I suppose, hanging tight until we can get assistance.”
Ivy stood up in a huff. “Clearly our having a relaxing vacation is no longer on the agenda.”
Starr said in a tired voice, “Relaxation got preempted.”
Ivy stormed out of the lodge. Her flouncing exit was somewhat spoiled when she fell completely flat on her back upon stepping out onto the ice.