Chapter 1
Bethany Lights wanted nothing more than warm sunshine cascading down from a clear blue summer sky. She planned to take a trip to Key West, Florida, with her best friend, Julie Walsh. After nearly being killed in two avalanches and then nearly freezing to death while fighting her way through another murder case, Bethany was ready to say goodbye to the snow-covered town of Snow Falls for two solid weeks. But a mild summer filled with cool winds quickly galloped by, and Bethany had been unable to escape. The first crisp winds of autumn arrived like a messenger hurrying to deliver ominous news. Bethany couldn't believe she had allowed summer to vanish. However, Sarah Spencer, her close friend and ally, had suffered an ankle injury, and Bethany had been devoting her time to taking up extra duties at O'Mally's Department Store in order to help out.
Now that autumn had arrived and Sarah was getting around better, Bethany knew any chance of escaping to a warm land filled with sun was pretty much out of the question. Sure, Key West would still be warm and sunny, but the idea of visiting Key West at the tail end of September just felt empty. “Well, maybe next summer,” Bethany said and sighed, driving her SUV down a lonely Alaskan road toward O'Mally's. Bethany loved O'Mally's. It was like a safe, comforting friend that she could rely on. But at that moment, Bethany was about as interested in driving to O'Mally's as she was in having someone deck her in the face with twenty snowballs. “Yes, next summer.”
Soon, the lush autumn trees on either side of the lonely road cleared and revealed an open lot. A delightful but very old building stood in the distance to the right. A large, glowing sign that always looked Christmassy—no matter what time of year it was—was planted near the street on a red-and-white pole that resembled a candy cane. The word "O'Mally's" shone in bright red and green letters above a set of reindeer. The reindeer were attached to a sleigh full of presents, minus a jolly fat man—Amanda Hardcastle, Sarah's best friend and business partner, claimed Santa Claus was a creepy old guy that she wanted nothing to do with, hence the reindeer minus a fat man in a red suit. Still, the sign was cozy and welcoming. "O'Mally's: Where Sarah and Amanda have allowed Christmas to be alive year-round," Bethany mused.
Bethany swung her SUV into a lot that was never really crowded and parked beside Sarah's green Jeep. She sat still for a minute and listened to the sound of autumn winds howling and growing stronger through the Alaskan wilderness. Snow Falls is home. I can't imagine living anywhere else now, and I do love O'Mally's. I just want to get away from the cold and enjoy a warm summer. It never really got warm in Snow Falls; sure, the snow melted every year and the sun did come out, but the air always felt cold, even lost. When the sun was out, it felt so far away. She knew Snow Falls was really far north, and she did love it there, but she had to admit she would settle for a hot desert right now. I feel so cold, and now that autumn has arrived, it won't be long before the snow comes again. Bethany glanced down at a warm green and brown sweater she had tossed over a long gray dress. "I'm a red-headed Jane Wyatt who feels frozen to the core. Daddy would laugh at me, I guess."
Bethany grabbed a green purse and forced her way out into the strong winds. The wind indeed carried the touch of a frozen whisper. Bethany could smell the threat of snow as her eyes took in the trees lit with bright autumn colors. The autumn foliage was very beautiful, of course, but so lonely. "Maybe my mood is just lonely." Bethany glanced up. A gray sky loomed overhead. "Yes, my mood is lonely."
Hugging her purse to her chest, Bethany let out a heavy sigh and then trudged into O'Mally's to punch in for a short evening shift. Paula Mayes went home early due to a fever, so Bethany had volunteered to run the front register until closing. Once inside, Bethany offered a quick wave to Amanda, who was manning the main register. In total, O'Mally’s had four registers to offer customers less wait time, but usually, only one register was open unless it was Christmas time. "How many kosher chili dogs have you eaten today?"
"None. Sarah hid the freezer key from me." Amanda pouted and then continued to flip through a clothing magazine. "I was stuck eating four cheeseburgers and three plates of chili cheese fries."
"That's it?" Bethany managed to smile a little. Amanda always made her smile.
"I'll find the key to the freezer yet!" Amanda declared. "Once you take over for me, I'm going on a hunt!"
Bethany smiled again. Amanda was decked out in a red and brown autumn dress that made the woman from London look a little cheesy. No matter. Bethany adored Amanda—even in her cheesiest of dresses. Red and brown normally complemented each other, but the spiral pattern on Amanda's dress made Bethany dizzy. "I'll go count down a drawer and be ready for work in a few minutes."
"Take your time, love," Amanda said and sighed. "It's been a slow day. This time of year is always slow. We make our pennies during Christmas and when the snow arrives. People get cabin fever and like to shop when the snow arrives."
"Yeah, including me." Bethany looked around. The interior of the store resembled a fantasy land filled with autumn delights: pumpkins, hay bales, scarecrows, a rusted life-size antique tractor, a wagon filled with hay—it was like seeing the inside of an old barn, really, except the air smelled of pumpkin and apple spice instead of dirt and hay. Normally, the autumn décor would feel welcoming and cozy, but for some reason, it felt strange and lonely to her today. "No, not the décor, just my mood."
Bethany made her way down a narrow hallway lined with old photos of O'Mally's and stopped at a closed office door. She drew in a deep breath and then knocked. "Sarah? It's Bethany."
"Come on in, honey," a friendly voice called out.
Bethany opened the door and stepped into a cramped but warm office. A lovely woman wearing a green sweater and a thoughtful expression greeted her with a smile.
"How is your ankle?"
Sarah Spencer was sitting at a wooden desk going over some papers. A wooden cane was perched next to the desk beside her. "Oh, better. I can put more pressure on it now. The cane helps. Soon I'll be able to walk without it. Did you see Amanda when you came in?"
"Amanda is stationed at register number three wearing a grumpy face," Bethany answered and then managed to smile just a little. "You hid the key to the freezer from her, I hear."
"It was the only way. Amanda is eating us out of house and home," Sarah said with a groan. "All of our paying customers have given up on ever having a chili dog. Well, no matter. I've hidden the key to the freezer in a place where Amanda will never find it."
"Where?" Bethany dared to ask.
"Under the cash drawer in the snack bar." Sarah grinned. "Sometimes you have to hide the cheese right under the little mouse’s nose." She lifted a piece of paper. "This is an invoice for a shipment of kosher chili dogs. Kosher chili dogs are not cheap, but we always aim to buy meat that is kosher. So far this year, Amanda has eaten 88 percent of the kosher chili dogs that have arrived at O'Mally's—88 percent."
"Amanda loves her kosher chili dogs."
"Our profit margin doesn't…" Sarah let out a heavy sigh. "Well, it's not like we're hurting for money. During Christmas time, we make enough to cover us through the entire year, and when the snow arrives—"
"Yeah, Amanda told me."
Sarah looked into Bethany's eyes and perceived a heavy sadness. "Missing Julie?"
"Yes, but that's not why I'm sad." Bethany took a seat on a brown chair. "Sarah, I was more than happy to help out all summer, but summer has passed, and now we're in for another harsh winter. I guess I just wanted to see a warm beach before all the snow came again."
"I'm very grateful for your help, but I know what you mean." Sarah reached out and patted Bethany's arm. "I wanted to take another trip down to Los Angeles to see Pete, but here we are, you and I, stuck. Misery loves company, right?"
"Right," Bethany said, nodding.
Sarah patted Bethany's arm again. "You can always take a trip."
"Not without Julie. When she left last week to fly to London to deal with her son again… well, it wouldn't be right to go alone." Bethany put her purse down on a side table that had been transformed into a small coffee station. That’s when she spied two empty boxes. "I see Amanda has gotten to the donuts."
"That woman can out-eat a horde of hungry elephants. I did, however, manage to sneak a coffee donut. And speaking of coffee, how was business this morning at the coffee shop?"
"Not good, I'm afraid. I've opened my coffee shop every morning all summer for four hours before closing up and coming here for my shift. Sarah, I've sold maybe twenty cups of coffee at most."
"Well, wait until the snow. Business will pick up," Sarah promised.
"When the snow arrives, will the snowman come back?" Bethany asked before she could catch her tongue. "It's been a very quiet and uneventful summer, Sarah. And spring, for that matter. I kept waiting for the snowman to show up, but nothing yet. Besides feeling lonely and depressed, I'm a bit on edge."
Sarah leaned back in her office chair. "I know what you mean, honey. I've been keeping an eye out, too. But the enemy attacks when you least expect it. That's why we have to keep going about our business. We can't let fear stop us."
"We're three days into autumn. The enemy will strike soon." Bethany folded her arms. "Uncle Riley is still in Utah. Julie is gone. The cabin is empty. Perfect timing to attack, I would say."
Sarah picked up a brown coffee mug, took a sip of hot coffee, and thought about Bethany's words. "You're afraid to leave Snow Falls, right?"
"Sometimes I'm afraid to even step out of my own cabin," Bethany confessed. "It's like the snowman is hiding, watching, waiting." She sighed. "Sarah, the last murder case we solved was so strange. I felt like a side character. I still can't make any sense of it. All the murder cases I've fought my way through seem so random and strange. I lie awake at night exploring each case, trying to figure out if there is a pattern. So far, nothing."
"You and I are in the same boat," Sarah confessed. "In time, we'll know. But for now, why don't we get you a cash drawer to count and get you out in the store? I find that keeping my mind occupied helps me think better."
"Sure, and—"
Someone knocked on the office door.
"The door is open," Sarah called out.
Conrad Spencer, Sarah's husband, opened the door and entered the office wearing a heavy frown. "Oh, hey, Bethany. I didn't know you were here."
"What's the matter? Are the kids all right?" Sarah asked.
"Little Sarah and Little Conrad are fine. Mrs. Cunningham is watching them," Conrad assured her. "You know how much the kids love that old woman, and they aren't babies anymore. Sometimes I think they take better care of Mrs. Cunningham than she takes care of them, but that's beside the point."
Something was the matter. Bethany could read Conrad's face like a book.
"What's the matter?" Sarah asked. "You're on duty today. Did something happen at the station?"
"Afraid so." Conrad stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket. "A young man who appears to be in his early twenties was found dead near the south county line, way down there near Old Ice Bridge Road."
Bethany and Sarah glanced at each other with sharp eyes. "Cause of death?" Bethany asked before Sarah could.
"Not sure yet. There were no signs of violence. Mr. Smith found the young man lying face down on the side of the road—no wallet, no backpack, but no signs of violence, either. If he was attacked, there’s no evidence to prove it as of now. That can change."
"And you want my help, right, honey?" Sarah asked her husband.
"Dr. Downing is on vacation, Sarah. We have that rent-a-doctor up from Fairbanks. That guy isn’t worth the salt Snow Falls is paying him." A heavy, sour expression filled Conrad’s tough face. "Dr. Tom Jenkins is about as helpful as a blind mouse. Anyway, I need you to look at the body for me and see if there’s anything I might have missed."
"Sure." Sarah bit down on her lower lip. "Which way was the body facing when Mr. Smith arrived on the scene?"
"North, which is strange because he was wearing nice clothes and some very fancy loafers."
"Ah, I see." Sarah looked at Bethany. "Well, honey, maybe the snowman has finally appeared on the stage again. Want to take a ride with me to the hospital? Amanda can watch the store. We were just going to go over some inventory tonight, but that can wait."
Bethany tensed up a bit. Did she want to drive to a creepy old Alaska hospital, visit a creepy old morgue, and look at a creepy body? Stop it, Bethany! Your mood isn't going to help this situation. You don't even know what's going on yet. You know better than to let your mood influence your mind. If the snowman had finally appeared again, she needed to be fully alert. Summer had slipped away, and now that the cold winds were arriving, the snowman was back. I shouldn't have expected anything less.
What Bethany didn't realize as she agreed to drive to the local hospital with Sarah was that the murder case she was about to fall into actually had a bit of humor and a little suspense in store—that for once, the snowman haunting her, the snowman determined to kill Sarah, would not be the main character. Or so that’s how the case was going to start, but the snowman chasing Bethany was never far away.
"I’ll follow you in my SUV, Sarah."
Sarah nodded and then reached for her walking cane. "All right, Conrad, lead the way."
