The week leading up to Christmas break saw the heaviest single snowfall in eastern Ohio since 1950. Forty-two inches of fresh powder blanketed the frozen earth over the course of two and a half days. Schools had little choice but to remain closed from Monday through Thursday while the county plows and salt trucks attempted to deal with the mounting drifts. By the time the precipitation finally ended and the major streets, sidewalks and parking lots were rendered usable, only Friday remained. Drawing on wisdom and experience gained from eleven years on the job, the superintendent of public schools for Jefferson County knew better than to embark upon a futile campaign for the hearts and minds of thousands of children during that one solitary day that teetered precariously on the precipice of a twelve-day winter break. Not wishing to generate ill will among the county’s parents and teachers for his lack of both pragmatism and holiday cheer, he proclaimed Friday a snow day as well and became an instant local hero, if only for a day.
It was a wise move. Many families had already left town for an early start to their winter vacations. The Stevensons were among them, with the notable exception of Ben, who’d decided to remain at home. Sam’s assertion that it was only a matter of time until the second body was uncovered contributed to that decision, as did the chief’s inquiries regarding Nat. It had been disconcerting for Ben, finding himself in the unexpected position of having to defend his amiable, good-natured assistant. And now Ben had been asked to get them a biological sample for DNA analysis. He felt ridiculous snooping around for something like that. More important, he felt like a traitor. Nat looked up to him, respected him, and had an allegiance to both Ben and the CO. In order to accomplish this, Ben would be going behind his back, even if it was to prove his assistant’s innocence. He didn’t like it – didn’t like it at all.
There was another thing, as well. Sam suspected that the amputated appendage had been left for Ben personally, as a message. Or a warning, Ben thought to himself with a shudder. Either way, it was an ominous sign. If Ben was being targeted by the killer, then his family might also be in considerable danger. He’d been immensely relieved when Susan had agreed to take the boys to visit her parents in Sedona, Arizona, for the holiday. It was difficult to know how much of a difference those two weeks would make, but moving his family to a safe location eased his mind. ‘You should come with us,’ Susan had suggested, but Ben had declined. It was important that he be available to assist the detectives if and when the body was discovered. Anything he could do to help them catch this guy had to take precedence.
And yet, now that Susan and the boys were gone, Ben was surprised to discover how much he longed for them. His daily activities provided distraction enough, but in the evenings he found himself wandering from room to room, Alexander the Great padding steadfastly behind him. ‘It’s quiet in the house without them, isn’t it?’ he’d asked the dog, who had swished his tail back and forth in commiseration.
‘How are you two getting along?’ Susan had asked him that evening on the telephone.
‘Alex and I have been watching a lot of movies,’ Ben advised her. ‘How’s Sedona?’
‘It’s beautiful,’ she told him. ‘Arizona’s spectacular this time of year. Dad’s taking us hiking tomorrow. I’ll email you some pictures.’
‘Great,’ Ben said, trying to sound more chipper than he felt.
There was a pause on the line. ‘You okay?’ she asked.
‘Yeah.’ Ben reached down and ran his hand along the side of Alex’s broad neck. ‘I miss you guys, that’s all.’
‘You could still catch a flight out to join us.’
‘I can’t,’ he told her. ‘Not right now.’
‘Now might be the perfect time,’ she suggested. ‘Nothing will turn up until the snow melts.’
‘And if there’s another murder between now and then?’
‘There won’t be.’
Ben sighed. ‘You don’t know that,’ he said. ‘I’ve been telling myself for months that this guy has probably moved on. Thing is, I never really believed it. And now this. He’d just been waiting for the right opportunity, Susan – waiting this whole time.’
And mostly, Ben realized, that’s what it came down to now: an act of waiting. Waiting for the snow to melt. Waiting to discover what was lying out there somewhere beneath those infinite drifts. Waiting for another dismembered body part to materialize on the front steps of the CO. Waiting to see where the investigation would lead, how the pieces would fit together, and whose life might be claimed in the interim. Waiting, he thought as he said his goodbyes to his family for the night and hung up the phone. Waiting like a sentenced man, standing blindfolded and rigid before the firing squad. Waiting and listening for the hammers to fall.