Her Last Letter (34 page)

Wolfgang roared back out of the trees. He stopped, left the snowmobile on idle, then dropped his skis from under his arm onto the snow.

I skied over and nodded at him. “I’ll take it down first. Let you guys get a run.”

“No,” said Linda. “I can take it. I don’t mind.”

“Next time,” I said.

I planned to take the snowmobile much farther below than we’d gone previously. The more time it took for Wolfgang to march back up, the better.

I straddled the machine and started off. “See you guys at the bottom.” I guided the snowmobile down, staying close to the trees. When I stopped, I could see neither Wolfgang nor Linda. I waited, watching for them to appear. Then, off on the far right side of the ridge, I spotted loose snow tumbling down, and my heart rate quickened. I searched for any sign of them, then glimpsed a speck, someone skiing down fast toward me.

Linda.

Still far up the mountain, she fell in a burst of snow. Faintly, I heard her calling to me. I turned back up the slope and raced toward her.

“Gwyn,” she gasped as I slid to a stop. “We have to … help him.” She pointed in the direction of the slide.

“Where? Show me.”

She tossed her skis and hopped on. I hit the accelerator and we leapt from the snow, charging across the slope. “I told him not to go,” she shouted over the engine noise. “He wouldn’t listen. Oh God. Hurry, Gwyn. You know what’s down there.”

I certainly did. And only a fool would venture close to that side of the ridge. Below the line of trees, where the snow accumulated in deep endless drifts, lay a set of cliffs that angled down, the first, a steep narrow step called, God’s Hands, to catch the unwary before the mountainside plunged straight down toward the valley.

Loose snow slides were a frequent occurrence near the cliffs, but this was untended backcountry and nature made its own rules. The possibility always existed that an entire slab could tear off and break away. A few big avalanches had been reported over the years, along with the occasional casualty. The locals were aware and kept a respectful distance.

I slowed, glancing uneasily uphill before crossing the slide, but the snow appeared to have settled. I could see no sign of Wolfgang, his tracks obliterated. I clicked on my transceiver, crossed the compacted snow and continued moving in the direction indicated, closer to the cliff. I slowed again, checked the digital readout, the numbers dropping steadily.

Wind whipped and whistled high above us in the trees. “Where is he?” Linda cried out, her voice shrill, competing with the wind.
“Wolfgang! Wolfgang!”
I could feel her body quiver against me as she began to sob.

I drove closer to the edge of the cliff, following it down.

Up ahead, I glimpsed a small dark object sticking out of the snow. It looked as if it might be a gloved hand. Linda saw it too. “What’s that?”

I approached, holding my breath. But it was the tip of Wolfgang’s ski, the remainder hidden beneath the snow.

“It’s not him,” I said, “only his ski, not according to my transceiver. Unless …”

“Unless
what?”
Linda squealed in my ear.

“Wolfgang wasn’t wearing his transceiver under his jacket like us. Maybe it got ripped off in the slide.”

“Oh God. I told him. Should we dig here? Should we?”

“The beacon says he’s still up ahead of us. What do you want to do?”

She hesitated. “Keep going … I guess.”

The signal drew us closer to the periphery of the cliff.

“Take it to the edge,” Linda said.

I shook my head. “No, we’re already too close. It’s not safe.”

“Take this thing to the edge so I can look down.”

“No.”

“Do it, Gwyn
.
“
She made a grab for the accelerator.

I swiped her hand away. “Are you crazy? Stop it.”

“Do it. Or I will.”

“No. Listen to me. He’s not worth risking our lives. He murdered Kelly.”

“What?”

“He killed her. He did it.”

“No. No, he didn’t. What are you talking about?”

“Linda, I have proof.”

I winced as her fingers dug deeply into my flesh. “I don’t
care
what kind of stupid proof you think you have. Now you get this thing moving. Do you understand me?”

“He was having sex with her. I found photos.”

For an instant, she didn’t say a word, and then her voice, low and cold at the back of my neck, murmured, “That doesn’t mean he killed her. Now you get this goddamn thing moving or I’ll push you off and go find him myself.”

“Linda-don’t do anything stupid. You’ll kill us both.”

“Then don’t make me.”

I continued inching forward, easing the snowmobile nearer the periphery. A slab of snow broke off and slid over the rim, crashing down. “That’s it,” I said. “We’ve got to stop. I don’t know where the cliff ends.”

“Fine, stop here. I’ll take a look.” She stood, hands on my shoulders, and peered over the precipice. “I don’t see anything. Keep going.”

A low groaning came from below us in the snowpack, a sound that sent chills streaking up my spine … nothing human this sound, but a warning of rifts forming layers below. “Sit down, Linda.”

I slowly guided the snowmobile along the edge, following the signal.

She called out again.
“Wolfgang
.
Do you hear me?”

Suddenly we both looked up, though at first I wasn’t certain of what I’d heard.

“Over there.” She pointed.

We crept forward, and Linda stood again. “Yes, I can see him.”

“Sit,” I said, standing myself and venturing a look. He was partly buried on the narrow ledge, mere inches from the vertical face. “We can’t go out there. The snow is too loose. It could let go, and we’ll all go down with it.”

Wolfgang looked up at me. He shouted over the wind. “My foot is caught. It’s the ski. My leg is twisted. I can’t get to it.”

“We’ll get you out, honey,” Linda shouted back. “I promise.” She leaned forward, stared wide-eyed at me. “We have to do something. Quick.”

I studied her face, and suddenly remembered what Janet had said on my last visit.
Did it ever occur to you that Linda knew about the affair?

I pulled off my backpack and reached inside for the rope. “We’ll loop this under your arms, then I’ll tie the rope to the snowmobile. You can try to dig him out.”

At least this way, Linda would have an even chance to survive if the snow did give way. Maybe. And maybe we’d all be pulled over the edge.

I looped the rope around her, then knotted it tightly to the snowmobile. I handed her the telescoping shovel. “Do it fast as you can, but be careful.”

I brought the snowmobile around, facing away from the drop, ready to move fast if conditions warranted it. Linda slid onto the snow and crawled to the edge. When she signaled she was ready, I drove forward and brought the rope taut. I backed toward the cliff, easing Linda over the side.

Minutes passed while I listened for more signs of shifting snowpack, watched for more evidence of loose snow.

I could hear Wolfgang and Linda talking below, but not their words. Finally, Linda shouted up, “He’s okay. I’ve got his leg free. Pull us up.”

Carefully, I drove forward and the rope tightened, the knot stretching wide, but holding. I dragged the two of them up, then over the rim. I continued pulling them across the slope, out of the area in immediate danger of sliding.

I stared at Wolfgang and he stared back. One broken ski, still attached to his boot, dangled behind him in the snow.

“Are you injured?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “I’m okay.”

“Then I think we should get out of here. It’s not safe.”

“I agree. Guess I’m lucky to be here.”

“You are. Linda, hop on. I’ll take you up first.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Take Wolfgang. I can wait.”

“Do as she says, Linda,” Wolfgang said, his eyes focused steadily on mine. “It’s okay. Let her come back for me.”

She stared at Wolfgang, then at me. “All right.” She climbed on and we took off up the mountain, stopping only to retrieve her skis.

Once we reached the top, she faced me. “Don’t go back down there. I’ll go.”

“Why?”

“Because … I.… Just do it, okay? Take the Jeep and get out of here.”

“Not a chance. You’re coming with me. We’ll send someone else back for him. Preferably the cops. Linda, I know he beats you up.”

She flinched. “No. Where’d you get that idea?”

“Don’t try to deny it. But he’s not going to do it again. Not ever.”

She averted her eyes, looked down toward the valley. “You don’t understand how it is between us. It’s not that simple. And it’s not all his fault. You know how antagonistic I can-”

“Stop it. Don’t even
try
to blame yourself. You’re finished with him.”

“Oh,” she said, “so easy for you to say. You with your Trevor, your Mr. Perfect, who never does
anything
wrong. Yeah, Wolfgang is a bastard, but he’s all I have, and I won’t leave him.... I can’t. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you have the keys to the Subaru?”

“No. He has them. Gwyn, let me go back for him. He won’t hurt me. Not now.”

“You’re not going anywhere near him. The guy’s a vicious killer.”

“You don’t know that. Not for sure.”

“Linda, by now he’s figured out something’s up. He’ll start climbing out. Come on. We’ve got to get out of here.”

She stared at me, then nodded.

I sat at the wheel of the Jeep, maneuvering it down the snow-choked mountain road, now almost impassable.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“Call the cops. They can deal with him.” I dialed my cell phone, but couldn’t get a signal.

“But what if they can’t get to him? The road’s so bad. He’ll freeze. And the cliff … it could avalanche. He’ll be killed.”

“
Would you stop it
?
Just stop
. The man’s a freakin’ monster.”

For a second, it was as if she’d turned to stone. Then her eyes flashed with fury and her lips thinned. “
He’s
a monster.
He’s
a monster. Haven’t you forgotten something here? What about your poor dear Kelly? What about
her
? You don’t think
she
was a monster? Fucking my boyfriend? Knowing how much I loved him?
She
was the monster.
She
was the goddamned monster.” Linda stopped, turned her face away. “She wouldn’t let me have anything. Not you-not him. Always taking away the people I loved. Take them away and laugh. She
deserved
to die. The
witch.
“

When we reached the house, I led Linda inside, where she began to cry quietly. I hurried to my studio, about to call the police on the landline, when it struck me that Annabelle hadn’t greeted me at the door. “Annie-B?” I called out.

I hesitated, picked up the phone, then stopped.

Someone was behind me.

I turned slowly around.

Craig stood with his back to the door, a finger to his lips. He pushed the door and it clicked closed.

“Did I scare you?” he asked.

“Well … yes.”

“I didn’t want her to know I’m here.”

I nodded.

“Did you see the pictures I left you?” he said.

“Yes, and I was just about to call the police … to pick up Wolfgang.”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“They’ll need more evidence. We have to put the pieces together, yours and mine. Did you figure out what T.D. meant?”

“Yes.”

I turned my head as Linda’s footsteps approached from down the hall. Craig squeezed back behind the door.

“Linda,” I said. “Wait out-”

But the knob turned and she walked in.

Craig, seeing he was caught, stepped out to reveal himself. Linda let out a shriek.

“It’s okay,” I said. “It’s okay. I was expecting him.”

“Who
is
he?” She shuffled over to me.

“Craig Foster.”

She did a double take. “What’s going on? Why the hell is he here?”

“He’s innocent,” I said. “He has the rest of the proof. I found something too.”

“Okay,” he said, “enough talk. I can’t stick around here. It’s not safe. Show me what you have.”

“What about what you have?” I said.

“Just get it, okay? I’ll explain soon enough.”

“It’s upstairs.”

I retrieved the bear and brought it back down to the studio. I held it out to him. “This belonged to Kelly. The initials, T.D., were short for Teddy. Kelly hid some things inside.” I pulled out the passport, license, key, and a note. “This is the part I don’t understand.” I handed him the note. “It’s some kind of weird code. I can’t make sense of it.”

He studied it, then smiled.

“Yes,” he said, “this is exactly what I need. You have no idea. Now, we don’t have much time. You have to help me out.”

“What?”

“I need you to drop me off. I left my motorcycle where they can’t find it. Outside of town. I’ll explain everything once we get there.”

“Here,” I said, “just take the keys to my Jeep. You can call and let me know where you left it.”

“You’re not listening. I
need
your help to do this. And everyone’s looking for me. They might recognize me if I drive.”

“Okay … I’ll drive you.”

“Her too,” he said.

“Why?”

“Why do you think? She’ll spill to the cops the minute we leave.”

Linda sat in the front of the Jeep with me. Craig crouched low in the back.

“Which way?” I said.

“Out to the highway, then hang a left.”

After several direction changes, I realized we were heading toward the old house. As we approached it, Craig leaned over my shoulder. “Park a couple houses down. I don’t want this thing sitting in the drive.”

“Where’s your motorcycle?” I asked.

“Hidden in the garage.”

The three of us hopped out.

“Come on,” he said, “follow me.”

I looked at Linda, and she at me.

“Well, come on,” he said, “before someone spots us. Oh, for …” He grabbed our wrists and began dragging us across the road. “
Hurry up.
“