Tainted Mountain (9 page)

Thirteen

The Legend. Barrett McCreary
here at Kachina Ski. What was he doing with that Native American girl? She was the one at the courthouse with Alex the Knife Guy. Should Nora run from her or slap her? Either way, she wanted the girl off her property.

Barrett put a hand on the girl's back and brought her forward. “I'd like to introduce my daughter, Heather.”

Daughter? She was more the age of a granddaughter and clearly not of his European background.

Barrett shot a pointed look at the girl and she glared back. The standoff felt as familiar to Nora as an old movie. Although Barrett and this girl didn't look at all like Nora and Abigail, the body language was their same tango from fifteen years ago.

Finally the girl turned her attention to Nora. “I'm here to apologize for my part at the courthouse. I'm sorry.”

Maybe the girl lost the silent battle with her father, but she didn't shirk her duty. She impressively held Nora's gaze and her voice sounded strong.

What do I do with that?
she wondered. Maybe Heather hadn't actually harmed Nora, but she'd been with a very dangerous man. Her friend had pulled knives, strangled Nora, probably killed Scott. “You're hanging out with bad people,” Nora said.

Barrett nodded in satisfaction, apparently approving Nora's firm stand.

“Nora!” Abigail sounded as though Nora scalped the poor girl. “Heather came to your home and humbled herself. She deserves your gracious forgiveness.”

Abigail didn't need facts; she made them up for herself.

Barrett shook his head. “Nora's right. An apology isn't sufficient.”

Heather inhaled. “I know there's nothing I can do to change what happened. But I would like to make restitution by working for you the rest of the summer.”

No way.
“That won't be necessary.”

“Actually, it is,” Barrett said. “If you'll agree to Heather working here it will probably save her from time in juvenile detention.”

Maybe locking her up would teach her a lesson.

“While she might deserve that treatment,” Barrett said, as though he could hear her thoughts. “I believe in rehabilitation.”

And I get to have the murderer's apprentice on my property? Hell no.

Barrett continued his sales pitch. “She's a good worker.”

Heather obviously fought to keep her dignity in the face of what amounted to a slave auction. Abigail in all her evil glory couldn't have been any worse.

Abigail focused her feminine attention on Barrett. “What a caring father you are. Raising children isn't easy.” She probably didn't know Barrett McCreary steered the course of one of the largest energy companies in the country, but Abigail certainly had the ability to smell money, even in the fresh mountain air. It was a valuable skill, her version of Nora's MBA.

Charlie crushed his can, put it in a pocket, and stood. Surprising bitterness crisped his voice. “You'd have to look far and wide to find a more caring father than Barrett McCreary.”

If Nora could harness the frosty look her mother shot Charlie she wouldn't need snow-making equipment.

Barrett chose to address Abigail. “I think Nora is an inspiration to young women.”

Abigail beamed. “Well, growing up she gave me some challenges, but she turned out well.”

Just like that Nora felt like the prize pig at a stock show. In the newly revised History According to Abigail, the only reason she'd achieved anything was due to Abigail's steady parenting. What credit would her mother accept for the financial ruin of Kachina Ski? Nora couldn't help feeling a connection with the sullen teenager. While Barrett and Abigail focused on each other, Heather and Nora made eye contact.

Charlie simply produced another beer from a jacket pocket and popped the top.

Abigail took a step closer to Barrett. “Now, dear,” she said to Nora. “Didn't I teach you about giving back?”

What you taught me was to smile, keep my nails painted, and if I acted really pleasant, I could marry rich.
Well, it had worked for Abigail—three times. Her mother lived a life of leisure with no worries.

“I believe your mentoring would be a turning point for my Heather,” Barrett said.

The poor girl was doomed. With this bull of a father it's no wonder she raced down the wrong path. Nora looked at her with a smidgeon of compassion. “I really hope you don't have to spend time in jail. But I can't help you out.”

“Nora!” Abigail said.

Nora shook her head. “To gear up for snow making, I'll be devoting all my time to raising financing. I can't take on mentoring.”

Barrett's smile reminded her of Dracula. “If it's a matter of money, we should be able to work this out.”

Incredible. She'd spent years straining for ever more creative ways to keep Kachina solvent and suddenly money was as easy as turning on the faucet. Even more incredible, Nora felt a real aversion to the obvious salvation Barrett offered. “Actually, I'd prefer to keep this a family business.”

Abigail's eyes looked wide in her pale face. “Nora, honey. Can we talk?”

And leave our guests unattended? This must be serious.
“I'm sorry you came all the way out here for nothing,” Nora said to Barrett. She nodded to Heather. “Good luck.”

Abigail placed her hand on Barrett's arm. “Would you mind waiting while I talk to Nora?”

She couldn't tell if Barrett was pleased with Abigail's attention or angry with Nora. “Of course.”

Abigail took hold of Nora's arm and pulled her into the lodge.

“What's this about?” Nora said.

A bead of sweat appeared on Abigail's upper lip. “You have to take this offer.”

Confused by her own reaction, Nora could only say, “Something about it doesn't feel right.”

“What other options do you have?”

This wasn't how Nora hoped to broach the subject.
Here goes
. “I thought you might want to loan me the money for a few seasons.”

Abigail's voice squeaked. “You have to talk to Barrett right now, before he changes his mind.”

“Mother, you aren't listening to me. I don't want to work with Barrett.”

Abigail paced across the room and back to Nora. “You can't get any money from me.”

Ouch. Abigail had no faith in Nora. She scrambled for other options.

“You have to keep Kachina. I'll help you run it,” Abigail said.

“What?”

“I'll be living with you anyway so I might as well earn my keep.”

“You are not living with me.”

“I have to. I sold my house in Denver. I sold the condo in Boca.”

Nora's stomach started to churn. “What are you saying?”

Abigail stared out the window.

“Are you out of money?” Nora hated asking such a ridiculous question.

“I met a man at church. He had this idea of a great investment and it was making money hand over fist. Even in this crazy market.”

Nausea pushed at the edges of Nora's belly.

“Remember the Madoff news story?” Abigail said.

“Madoff? Ponzi-scheme Madoff?”

Abigail nodded and looked sick. “It was something like that.”

Nora sank onto the bench. “You're broke?”

“We're family. We need to take care of each other. And right now we need Barrett McCreary.”

Fourteen

For the third time
in less than two weeks, Nora wore her business suit and played the professional entrepreneur. This time the uniform felt more like a collar and leash, complete with muzzle. Four years ago she sold her soul to Kachina Ski for Scott. Today she mortgaged her future to Barrett for Abigail.

Barrett shook the attorney's hand while everyone gathered papers and pushed back from the conference table. It seemed that power and money created efficiencies Nora had only dreamed about. In an hour they'd seen two top attorneys, who Barrett had flown in from his law firm in Los Angeles. One was a corporate tax expert who'd magically drawn up partnership agreements ready for Nora's blood signature. The other was a criminal attorney prepared to shield Nora from any inconvenience associated with being a person of interest in the murder—
murder
—of her husband.

In a few short days she went from destitute and alone to secure under the wing of Barrett McCreary's millions.

She felt like her life was careening downhill like a sled on an icy luge run.

Abigail, perfectly coiffed and looking every bit equal to Barrett's bank account, smoothed her skirt and lifted the chain of her slim bag over her arm. “We should have lunch to celebrate this happy arrangement.”

Happy. Yep. All Nora's heavy money problems were over. She should be floating like a helium balloon, not sinking like a bowling ball. “You and Barrett go ahead,” she said. “I've got to call the snow sprayer contractor.”

Barrett gave a final back pat to the tax attorney. “Don't worry about that. I contacted a firm in Colorado and they've expedited the equipment. Should be on its way.”

“You ordered it? Without talking to me? When?” Heat rose from her belly to her face.

“Work crews are due by the end of the week. We'll have snow by Christmas.”

Abigail already had a soft hand on Barrett's arm. “I was thinking Thai.”

Barrett walked toward the door. “I'll take care of the snow making and leave the rest to you. You've got enough to do with operations.”

Nora pressed her foot to the brakes but it looked like Barrett had cut the lines. “You said you'd be a silent partner and let me run things. I know what kind of eco-friendly equipment I want up there.”

Barrett barely slowed his exit. “We have a limited window to get the equipment functioning. I've got contacts and, dare I say, some weight to throw around.” He winked at Abigail and patted his belly.

“For once, just let someone help you, dear,” Abigail said.

Help or take over?
she thought. “We can't put just any equipment up there. It has to be energy efficient and work with the environment.”

Abigail scowled at her. “Don't be so controlling. Barrett hasn't gotten this far by making poor decisions.”

Frustration twined through Nora. Abigail was right. Barrett had created an empire, while Nora succeeded in nearly destroying one small business. She could use a mentor, not to mention a bank-roller. She waved them off, keeping her temper in check. “Go ahead. Enjoy the Thai. I'll see you later.”

Abigail took Barrett's arm. “If you're sure … ”

Nora waited a few minutes before leaving the conference room and stepping into the hall. Her high heels sank into the plush carpet of McCreary Energy's corporate office. After years of struggle and worry, snow making was a reality. The sunrise of opportunity shone just below the horizon. Too bad it felt more like an alien spaceship aiming a laser at her.

God, what happened to me?
Nora used to be happy and hopeful. Challenges sparked her blood and the possibility of winning thrilled her. Somewhere in the seven years since meeting Scott, obstacles had become mountains that required exhausting effort to scale. Gone were the hurdles she sailed over on her sprint to the finish line.

The hallway led to the finely appointed reception area, escape only a few feet away. She'd head up to the mountain, get Abbey, and hike away this dread.

Abigail stood with arms crossed by the front door, her face impatient. Nora followed her gaze to a conference room where Barrett's muffled voice sneaked out. The door to the room stood ajar a few inches. Now would be a good time to tell Barrett to cancel the equipment he ordered. She needed to stop his intrusive management before it went any further. Since the receptionist no longer manned the desk, Nora veered around the corner, heading for the conference room.

She stopped outside the door to gather courage. A deep chill hardened Barrett's words. “How trustworthy is this information?”

Nora froze at the ice in Barrett's tone. Through the slit of the open door, she saw Cole Huntsman's lean form.

“Pretty reliable,” Cole said.

Something crashed like a chair thrown into a table. Barrett sounded as if his temper barely held. “Fucking Deavonshire. He said he'd get the votes.”

Cole's drawl contrasted with Barrett's heat. “Doesn't look likely. We'll need to switch gears. Do you have something up your sleeve?”

“Like what?”

Cole paused. “Favors to call in, maybe? Cash to spread around? Congressmen aren't angels.”

Cole worked for Barrett and advocated bribes to Congress? So much for her theory that Cole was a righteous enviro out to get Barrett. If he was working with Barrett, he was far more dangerous than she'd thought.

Barrett's voice became clearer as he headed toward the door. “I'll get that greaseball Deavonshire to pony up the votes.”

“How are you going to do that?” Cole hung back.

Nora hurried away from the door, slipping into the restroom across the hall.

She leaned against the door.

There was no hint of Barrett's anger as he obviously rejoined Abigail in reception. “How about that lunch? I'm hungry enough to eat a bear.”

Abigail laughed, her impatience vanishing along with Barrett's terrifying threats. “Bear curry with Thai spice. Sounds yummy.”

Nora waited inside the restroom door until Abigail and Barrett had time to leave the building. Then she moved as quickly and silently as possible from the restroom to the front door. The receptionist was back at her desk and issued a pleasant goodbye as Nora exited.

She hurried past the courthouse, her Jeep in sight. Barrett and Cole had to have been talking about the uranium hearing and the vote to withdraw lands from mining. Cole must be some sort of double agent working for both Big Elk and Barrett. He advocated bribing congressmen. She should tell someone. But who?

What a power-hungry maniac. Barrett tampered with Congress, ran a multi-billion dollar company, raised a teenage delinquent, and still had time to mess up Kachina Ski. The man was like a chainsaw juggler.

“Nora.”

Cole's voice slashed across her thoughts. He must have followed her out of Barrett's offices. She pretended not to hear him. Only two blocks down the sun-drenched sidewalk to the parking lot and ten miles north to the serenity of her mountain.

“Nora, wait!” Cole trotted to her.

This guy was a ruthless criminal who could very well hurt her if he suspected she knew about his duplicity. She froze and waited for him.

His face lit in a boyish smile. “Good to see you.” That flush started up his neck again. “Have you had lunch? Would you like to?”

What was his game? “I'm on my way home.”

“Oh.” He looked disappointed. “So, what were you doing at McCreary?”

“What were you doing there?”

“Business.”

“Same here.”

He studied her face. “What's your business with Barrett?”

“He's my partner.”

He scowled at her. “You and Barrett are partners? I don't like this.”

“You don't like it? I'm sorry to hear that.” She took a step away.

“That didn't come out right.” His face flared as if he really were embarrassed. “Obviously you can do what you want. But getting involved with Barrett isn't a good thing.”

A few minutes ago she'd been thinking the same thing, but she wasn't about to let one more person tell her what to do. “I see. It's okay for you to work with Barrett on whatever you do, but not okay for me to work with him and make snow.”

He didn't seem the least upset that she'd discovered he worked for Barrett. “It's not about snow making.”

“Of course not. Suddenly you're all for desecrating the sacred peaks and ripping uranium out of the Grand Canyon.”

“I don't necessarily think we should mine uranium at the Grand Canyon. There are places that should be left alone. I'm not sure we should risk this important watershed.” He stopped when he noticed Nora staring at him, probably with her mouth open.

“If you were any kind of environmentalist, you'd be screaming about uranium mining up there. But you're not cheering for Barrett, either. What team do you play for?”

He stared at her as if she'd gone bonkers. Finally he shook his head. “We're talking about you and the fact you shouldn't be involved with Barrett.”

She was as involved with Barrett as a person could get. Not only was he financing and making decisions on her business, he might be courting her mother, as well as placing his daughter in virtual daycare under Nora's watch. Having Cole confront her on it only made it worse.

Cole frowned and leaned forward. “You're in all kinds of danger. You've got Barrett with a hidden agenda, Alex Seweingyawma has already tried to kill you, and Big Elk is out to get you. Who is he, anyway?”

“Big Elk is exactly what he seems: a fake chief, beating his drum and creating attention for himself. Other people, on the other hand,” she glared at him, “are not at all what they seem.”

Cole didn't respond to her accusation. He was one smooth player. “But where did Big Elk come from?”

“He's Sioux. From Nebraska, I think.”

Cole shook his head. “That's just it. I have a Hopi friend who's pretty tight with several people up in Nebraska, near Rosebud. They don't know where Big Elk came from. He never spent time up there. He just came on the Native American activist scene working for other tribes, saying he was Sioux.”

“You know what? I don't care,” she said. “I just want to run my business and be left alone.”

He shook his head, his eyes full of concern. “That's not going to happen. You're in the middle of this mess and I'm worried about you.”

This was too much. “Worried about me? Maybe you should quit lying to me. Why not tell me what you really want?”

Dumbfounded. He stood mute for several beats. “You saw the meeting with Barrett just now, didn't you?”

Good one, Nora. Now he knows and he'll have to kill you.
“The one where you and Barrett plotted to bribe Congress?”

He grabbed her arm. “Forget about what you heard.”

“You'd like that, wouldn't you?”

“You don't need to put yourself in any more danger. These people don't mess around.”

“Sure. I should forget about it to protect myself. Right.”

He let go of her arm and ran a hand through his hair, agitation coming from him in waves. “Hell, Nora, someone killed your husband. Do you know why? Who? How can you ignore the danger you're in?”

Her knees buckled.
Scott. Murdered
.

Cole put a hand on her elbow to steady her. “I'm sorry.”

She tried to pull on her armor. “Leave me alone.”

Cole led her to a bench and they sat. The heat of the sun-warmed concrete soaked through her suit.

He looked her square in the eyes. “The woman at the funeral said Scott was working for someone. Do you know who it was? Maybe that has something to do with his murder.”

What was wrong with her? Cole might be all nice and warm and kind on the outside, but he'd already proved he had a dark side. It might be blacker than she thought. She jerked away. “I've got to go.”

Cole jumped up. “I didn't mean … ”

Her panic pounded in her heels clicking on the sidewalk. Just before jerking the door open on her Jeep she saw Heather in the park, leaning against a tree, scanning the area as if waiting for someone.

Nora glanced behind her and didn't see Cole. She headed toward Heather. “Aren't you supposed to be shoveling dirt from
around the lift house?”

Unruffled, Heather waited for Nora to get to her. “Abigail said since everyone else was going to town, I could have the afternoon off.”

Two days on the job and already Nora had lost control. “Abigail's not your boss.”

“Your mom's cool.”

“Yeah. I thought that once, for about two seconds.”
Now who's being a bratty teenager?

“You don't even appreciate what you have.” Bitterness tinged Heather's words.

As if Abigail couldn't irritate her enough, now her mother had her very own groupie. “I suppose you think your father's cool too?”

Heather's eyes narrowed. “My
adopted
father.”

Uh oh. The mention of adopted fathers brought Nora's thoughts to her own adopted father figure. The pressure overwhelmed Nora. It had nothing to do with Heather; the levy simply gave way. No more banter, no more holding it together. Nora fought one last moment and then tears overtook her. “What am I doing here? I never wanted any of this.”

Heather's eyes opened in alarm “Whoa. I can go back to work if it means that much to you.”

“I mean the whole thing. I never wanted the ski area or Flagstaff or snow.”

Heather relaxed a little. “Then why are you here?”

Nora sank to the grass, getting control of her sobs. “It was for Scott. And for Abigail. And for Berle.”