Chilled by Death Read online

  Chilled by Death

  Dale Mayer

  Books in This Series:

  Touched by Death – Part 1 – FREE

  Touched by Death – Part 2

  Touched by Death – Parts 1&2

  Haunted by Death

  Chilled by Death

  CHILLED BY DEATH

  Dale Mayer

  Valley Publishing

  Copyright © 2015

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN-13: 978-1928122296

  Kindle Edition

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Praise for Dale Mayer

  I love to read Dale Mayer’s books… keeps me guessing…. I am getting good though trying to figure out who did it…. I am on my fourth book….

  …Review left on Vampire in Deceit, book 4 of Family Blood Ties

  Dale Mayer’s work is always outstanding and Haunted by Death is no exception.

  …Review from Haunted by Death, book 2 of the By Death Series

  This is a GREAT series that you don’t want to miss out on!

  …Review from Broken Protocols Series

  This is my favorite author I enjoy all her books and I can’t wait for more… her books are easy to get into and I love the storyline

  …Review from Dangerous Designs, book 1 of the Design Series

  Dale Mayer is a gifted writer who now has me hooked as a new fan. She characters are complex and she shares her knowledge of energy work clearly and simply. Makes for fascinating reading…

  …Review from Rare Find, book 6 of Psychic Visions Series

  Don’t underestimated Dale Mayer. Combination of JD Robb and Heather Graham. Paranormal suspense………

  …Review left on Maddy’s Floor, book 3 of the Psychic Visions Series

  Wow! I read a lot, and I can honestly say that there a few books that I have read that I will remember for years. This is one of those books. Thank you Dale for giving me the gift of this magnificent story. It was both heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

  …Review left on Skin, book 1 of Broken and yet…Healing Series

  Touched by Death is an outstanding novel by Dale Mayer. Unlike her usual novels that contain paranormal activity, this novel is sheer malevolent actions from ordinary humans.

  …Review left on Touched by Death, book 1 of By Death Series

  Dale’s books are spellbinding in more ways than one. She has a unique way with words. Her characters are fun and funny and loving. I love the way the story flows. Her characters all have personality. She takes you from suspense to love, then fear love and eternal love.

  …Review left on Second Chances, book 1 of Second Chances… at Love Series

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Praise for Dale Mayer

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  Also by Dale Mayer

  Chapter 1

  Stacy Carter slid across the fresh white powder to come to a rest on the top of the small rise. She smiled up at the stunning blue sky and tall evergreen trees dusted in white.

  It was a gorgeous day on Blackcomb Ski Resort in BC. A place she and her brother and their friends considered their home away from home. Their winter and summer play home was close enough to Portland to make it an easy drive and far enough away to make it a change.

  They were staying at the cabin owned by her brother’s friend, one they’d come to many times over the years. It was perfect. The day. The mountains. The situation.

  Her best friends – they were like sisters really – were up ahead. Or they should be.

  They’d been boarding – she hadn’t been feeling good and had been in town all morning. Feeling better, she’d come out to meet them at the top of Gorman’s Peak. It was a well-known run that could take one further into the back country, and yes, out of bounds if they wanted to – and her friends often wanted to. She wasn’t the same as they were. She hated breaking the rules. But so many of the others loved to ski and board the pure untouched runs down the backside. They’d been doing it for years, and conforming to the new rules and regulations was difficult. And not appreciated in many cases. Areas that her friends had played in for years were carefully watched now.

  Many of the tougher runs had been closed all week to due to avalanche hazard and although that disappointed several of her friends, she didn’t mind. She’d been skiing this resort since forever. There were lots of runs to keep her interest.

  Then, she was calmer, more relaxed when compared to the other two women. They were the play-hard-and-love-harder variety.

  Stacy was much gentler. More safety conscious and much more laid back. She’d have been happy to grab a coffee and sit at the top of the run and just enjoy the moment. She worked hard at her job and preferred to relax when on holiday. Life was about balance.

  Two of her friends, Francine and Janice, were both dashing, raise-a-little-hell-kind of modern women. Stacy had never understood just what drew the three of them together, but something had and it worked. They were opposites that complemented each other. They’d been friends for close to a decade. They’d changed over the years that they had known each other, with Stacy becoming more laid back over time whereas her friends had gotten wilder, becoming even more dare-devilish.

  The men loved it. Loved them.

  Stacy had watched in bemusement as Janice ate up a lifetime quota of men before she was twenty-nine. But with her long black hair, slightly olive tint to her skin, and massive brown eyes with long lashes and pouty lips all on top of long and lean physical perfection, yeah, she coul
d have any man any time. And she did. Often. She also never let her heart get involved.

  Francine was a slightly curvier and shorter, but just as much of a go-getter. She’d been following in Janice’s tracks since forever. Not quite as good as Janice in boarding, or with men, but she never seemed to care. She was content to take second place. But she’d never slide to third. No, that was always Stacy’s spot.

  Not that Stacy cared. She’d always felt slightly out of sync with the other two, but they all loved each other.

  It was all good.

  Her phone beeped.

  She pulled it out of her pocket and smiled. Janice.

  She read the text. Her smile fell away.

  Damn it. Janice wanted to end the day with a splash on the long back trail and cut to the cabin at the right time. Only that run was out of bounds. According to the text, the two would meet Stacy in a few moments.

  She quickly texted back, Back runs closed due to avalanche hazard.

  And waited.

  She didn’t have to wait long. The next text said, Phooey.

  That was it. Stacy stared down at it, chewing on her bottom lip, and wondered. Out loud she murmured, “Phooey what, Janice? As in phooey that’s too bad, or phooey like that’s going to matter?”

  She shifted positions so she could see her friends ride up the lifts. They’d be about ten minutes if there wasn’t much of a line up at the bottom.

  She sat back to relax.

  Francine texted her next, asking where she was. She answered. Then deciding it was better to ask than worry, she texted Janice and asked, “Which run do you want to take down? The face looks great.”

  She knew her attempt to convince Janice to go down the sheer drop in the front of the mountain wouldn’t likely work if she was set on going down the back to the bowl, but the face would be perfect. There was usually no one there, leaving them lots of space to take jumps, weave through the trees, or just cut a narrow strip racing to the bottom.

  Her phone beeped again. Janice. I want to take Gopher Run to the bowl.

  Damn it.

  “The bowl is closed, too.” The bowl was an inbounds area – as long as the weather cooperated. When it didn’t, it was a closed area. Like everything connected to the resort and winter sports, safety was paramount. They had a great medical center here, and the search and rescue teams were second to none. Thankfully Stacy hadn’t had any reason to use either.

  She studied the chairs swinging in the gentle breeze as the lifts toiled upwards, carrying the many groups of happy winter enthusiasts.

  “Stacy!”

  Stacy turned in the direction of the noise. There was Janice and Francine. She smiled and waved.

  Hearing her name again, she caught sight of her brother and his friends – her co-workers Mark and Stevie – several chairs below the girls.

  “Hey,” she yelled back.

  Within five minutes, they were all standing in a group at the top of the runs and just out of the way of the others getting off.

  “We’re going down for another run. See you in the cabin in an hour or so.” With a big wave and lots of hoots and laughter, the three men jumped over the steepest part of the face. Stacy grinned at their antics. They were all incredibly skilled and a joy to watch.

  “Awesome! We’ll follow.” With a big grin still on her face, Stacy turned her skis, planning to follow them off the top edge. “Come on, girls. Let’s go.” She slid forward slightly then twisted to make sure Janice and Francine were following.

  They weren’t.

  Shit.

  Awkwardly, she flipped her skis around until she was facing the direction where the girls had been standing and struggled back the short distance to where she’d left them.

  And found only their trails from where they’d plunged over the back of the mountain to the bowl. “Damn it, Janice. Why don’t you ever listen?” she cried out to the vast white expanse in front of her. “That whole area is a bad deal right now.”

  Then, Janice had always done as she pleased. Stacy wished she’d said more in her texts. Had she made it clear how dangerous the area was? It was closed. Surely that spoke volumes about the snow conditions. She studied the pristine area in front of her, looking for their tracks. The girls were already halfway down.

  “Fine, then I’ll catch you on the upside again.” Although as frustrated as she was right now, maybe she’d just head toward the cabin. She was in perfect alignment to cut across to a run that would take her back there.

  She hated to see them do this. They were always taking unnecessary risks.

  Like wild birds that had to be free to do their own thing.

  Sure, she had more understanding of the risks than most people given her job. So many ended up on her table at the morgue because they made the wrong decision.

  Given her experience with accidents and death, was it any wonder she worried about them?

  Decision made.

  She pushed off and glided along the ridge. She could see the girls a long way down the slope. They should be turning right to head to the bowl and connect to several other runs lower down to bring them back around to the bottom of the chair they’d just gotten off. Stacy debated waiting for the two to make their way back up again but decided she had already spent a lot of time waiting for them.

  She carried on for a few more feet when she glanced down at the girls and saw them cut to the left.

  Into the out-of-bounds area. And away from the chair that would bring them back up to where Stacy was. Were they going to turn left lower down and head toward the cabin? There was a run that cut off and would take them back home.

  Her heart damn near clogged up her throat as she watched their devil-may-care attitude as they raced across the mountain face and started the long, beautiful zigzag pattern.

  “Damn it Janice, why do you always have to push it?”

  She wanted to turn away and ski her own path down to the cabin, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the two girls. They were incredible boarders, so graceful they looked like birds floating in the sky, crossing the mountainscape below.

  As she watched, she thought she heard something. There was a deep, muted booming sound. And a gentle rumble. She glanced around, but no one else was close by and those further away were busy laughing with their own friends. Several groups came off the lift and never stopped, skiing right on down again.

  She glanced back at her girlfriends. Her eyes struggled to catch sight of them racing far below. They should be wrapping around the mountain to the left to catch the run toward the cabin. Only they were still going straight down the mountain.

  And then she saw the reason for the rumble.

  One of the hard crusted overhangs of snow at the top of the peak had finally let go of its tenuous hold on the rock and pounded onto the snow below. The impact started the massive sheet of snow to shift in a slow motion slide that picked up speed the lower it went.

  Within seconds, an avalanche was racing downhill.

  Down to her friends.

  “Janice, move it” she screamed, her hands cupped around her mouth, but they couldn’t hear her. Of course they couldn’t. There was no way her voice could be heard over the noise of the destruction racing toward them.

  Neither could she stop screaming at them to move faster.

  The girls needed to turn left. Now. And once again, they had to take it to the limit and go down even further. Finally, they started the curve to the left away from the cliff edge ahead of them.

  “Jesus.”

  Stacy could only watch in terror as the two women suddenly noticed what was bearing down on them. Both women crouched down and raced as fast as they could out of the oncoming path of the avalanche.

  “Faster,” Stacy screamed, “Faster.”

  And faster it was.

  The avalanche picked up speed…

  And picked up the two women…

  And tossed them into the white snow melee.

  As Stacy stood in horror an
d watched, the massive wall of snow and women slipped off the rock edge and out of her sight.

  Forever.

  Chapter 2

  Three years later.

  Stacy stared at her brother and said, “You want me to go back? To Blackcomb Mountain?” She shook her head, her long blonde hair flying wildly around her head. “No way.”

  “Yes,” George said to her. “It’s time.”

  “It doesn’t matter if it’s time. I can’t go.” In a quiet voice, she added instinctively, “I’m not ready.”

  And yet…she stared across the restaurant, almost blind to the steady stream of customers walking through the popular place…he’d pointed out a truth she’d come to realize lately.

  It was time. She shuddered. But that didn’t mean she was ready to face the grief…the loss she’d been through. Or face the place where it had all happened. Yet she knew she would remain crippled until she did. “I’d rather go where it’s warmer,” she muttered.

  “You might, but as you won’t go for a holiday at all, that’s not going to happen either.” Calm, direct, and gentle, George leaned forward earnestly. “Look, you don’t even have to do any skiing. Bring some books and hang out in the cabin. Enjoy the break. Face a few memories and move on. This isn’t an all-out, crazy sports event. It’s going to be a gentle, go-at-your-own-pace kind of thing. Yes, it’s the same cabin, so there will be a few ghosts. Face them,” he grinned, “then grab your camera and do what you do best. Well, besides dead people…”

  Trust him. She cracked a smile. “Yeah, I do those all the time, so why would I want to go back and see more – at least in my head?”

  “I think because you deal with bodies, and not being able to see your friends…have their bodies to care for, a funeral to arrange…it makes it that much harder for you to find closure.”

  Very insightful of him. She played with her coffee spoon, turning it over and over again in her hand. “I hadn’t considered that.” It was true she saw death like most never had a chance to see. She was a forensic pathologist after all. Bodies were her stock in trade. But the bodies on her table were strangers. Not best friends. It was different when the losses were personal.