Ice Maiden Read online

  “Well, I knocked a while ago, and nobody answered.”

  “Nobody likes to answer anyway,” she said candidly. “Nobody here likes to come down three flights of stairs just to open the door either. Essentially we’re all a lazy lot.”

  “So, if somebody is coming over, you don’t open the main entrance door for them?”

  “Well, of course, if we know they’re coming,” she said. “But nobody was expecting you, were they?”

  A little lost in the conversation, he nodded slowly.

  “See? So it’s not like anybody was planning on you coming, so why would they let you in? You could have been anybody, like a serial killer or something.”

  “Ah,” he said, “you mean, you don’t open the door to strangers?”

  “Isn’t that what I said?”

  He looked at her, frowned, and said, “Uh, no. You gave some convoluted explanation that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.”

  At that, another voice joined them. “Well, that’s our Gabby,” Wendy said.

  He looked over and recognized her friend, who had been on the mountain. “And she’s like this all the time?” he asked humorously.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’ve known her a long time. We came to Aspen together.”

  The threesome headed up three flights of stairs in silence. Wendy watched as Gabby walked into their apartment and headed to the living room, then flopped on the couch. “You could at least invite him in,” Wendy said.

  “Come on in,” Gabby said, with a wave of her hand.

  He stepped inside, wondering at the odd turn of affairs. He looked at Wendy and said, “I wanted to speak to you. To ask if you saw who pushed her on the mountain yesterday.”

  “I didn’t,” she said immediately. “It was the darnedest thing. We were all just about to head down the mountain, and she was right there beside me. The next thing I know, she’s careening off at breakneck speeds, heading off the mountain,” she said, shuddering. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”

  “And yet she slept fine apparently,” he said, nodding at Gabby.

  Gabby just lay there, watching the two of them. “I don’t know why,” she said. “It’s only you guys who seem to think it’s weird.”

  “Yeah, you’d think it’s weird too if you were me. You’re the one feeling good and energetic,” Wendy said. “Me, on the other hand, the one who’s feeling like death warmed over, does find it weird. Very weird.”

  At that, Gabby grinned. “You know I’m always a little bit on the high-energy side.”

  “More than a little bit, I would say,” she said, “and that’s okay too. We love you anyway.”

  Immediately Gabby hopped up, and the two women exchanged a quick hug. She sat back down on the couch, now beside the detective. “I really don’t know what to tell you. I didn’t see who pushed me. Wendy didn’t see who pushed me. I was hoping somebody might have seen something.”

  “Well, we were hoping for that too,” he said, “but we haven’t found anybody else who was up there at the same time who might have seen the incident.”

  “That’s too bad,” she said. “They would help me feel like I wasn’t making it up.”

  “Are you making it up?”

  “I said, I wasn’t making it up,” she snapped.

  He grinned. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll take that at face value.”

  “Good,” she said. “It would be nice if somebody did.”

  “How was your boss today?” Wendy asked, changing the subject.

  “Oh, the usual. Glum, depressing, dour. You know, all the downer words.”

  “Old man Jerry?” Damon asked. “He’s always been like that.”

  “Always? Something must have happened to make him that way.”

  “Well, he’s old and alone,” he said. “That might do it. His world is probably pretty dark sometimes.”

  “No wonder he doesn’t carry the book with Aspen’s dark history in the store,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Dark history?” Damon asked.

  Gabby hopped up, as he watched, and walked to her purse that she’d set on the counter and took out the book. “He told me this was the book with the dark history of the area, but he refused to carry it in the store.”

  “Well, it’s a tourist town. He probably thinks it’s best for Aspen to put its best foot forward.”

  “I feel so sorry for him,” Gabby whispered. “It never occurred to me how lonely he probably is. Yet he doesn’t welcome any extra conversation or anything. I guess that’s why I know so little about him. Who knows what his life may have been like?”

  “Everybody’s got a story,” Damon said. “People just generally don’t like to share.”

  “True enough,” she said. “Anyway, I need to get cooking. Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

  He shook his head. “No, but please keep an eye on your injuries,” he said.

  “Well, I would,” she said, in exasperation, “but, as I keep telling you, there aren’t any.”

  “And that’s just the damnedest thing too,” Wendy said, staring at Gabby.

  “I’m doing well, and I won’t feel guilty about it. I’m blessed that a scary tumble was all there was to it. For once, something went right in my life.”

  On that note, Damon looked at Wendy to see her studying her friend Gabby with an odd speculative glance. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Wendy looked at him in surprise, shook her head, and said, “No. It’s just Gabby. She’s a very unique person.”

  “I can see that,” he said. “I just don’t know if I should hear anything else about this.”

  “I don’t know,” Wendy said in surprise. “I’m not sure what to tell you.”

  “But you’ve known her for a long time.”

  From the kitchen, Gabby called back, “I can hear you two.”

  “Good,” Wendy said, “because we’re talking about you.”

  Gabby poked her head around the corner, then grinned and asked, “Nachos for dinner?”

  “Perfect,” Wendy said. “I might get a few of those down.”

  “Not a problem. If you don’t want them, I do. I’ve been starving all day.”

  At that, Damon looked at her. “How hungry?”

  “Starving,” she said, her tone exaggerated. She flashed that bright grin that he started to find a little too attractive for his peace of mind. “I mean, I ate sandwich upon sandwich today. I just couldn’t get full. Jerry even gave me one of his. But I was still hungry and had to buy more.”

  Damon frowned.

  She looked at him in surprise. “Detective, do you ever do anything but frown?”

  He glared at her.

  “Okay, okay. I shouldn’t tease you. I’m sorry,” she said. “But really, I’m fine. I keep telling you that.”

  “And then you tell me things like you’ve been superhungry all day, and you can’t get full,” he said.

  “What difference does that make?” Both Wendy and Gabby turned to look at him.

  “Nothing, I guess. It’s just, maybe it’s an odd thing.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “But hopefully it’s not a bad thing.”

  He shook his head. “Just an odd something I heard once.”

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Gabby said lightly. “What did you hear?”

  But he didn’t dare tell her. “Oh, nothing,” he said, as he stood. “I’ve disturbed you ladies enough. Please have a good evening.” And, with that, he turned and walked out. He hoped he was wrong, but he remembered hearing something at a psychologists’ forum on some of the more oddball cases that they had seen. One of them, a Dr. Maddy something, had mentioned that detail about, in the presence of psychic ghosts, people have experienced an incredible insatiable hunger. He couldn’t remember exactly what else she had said, but he would find out.

  When he returned to his office, he immediately searched for Dr. Maddy. Found the right one obviously, with all the psychic-related menti
ons about her, including confirmation of the connection between insatiable hunger and ghosts. Damon checked her website for her contact info, but she was booked a year out for consultations. However, she recommended Stefan Kronos, if anybody needed urgent help sooner.

  Damon shook his head. Stefan Kronos? His captain would hate this angle.

  Chapter Three

  “What was that all about?” Wendy asked Gabby, who was busy stuffing raw carrots in her mouth, to which Wendy just shook her head.

  When Gabby had finally swallowed, she said, “I have no idea. Something about my appetite bothered him but then, whatever.”

  “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Wendy asked slowly.

  She looked at her friend and frowned. “Don’t you start,” she said. “I’m fine.”

  “But you’re even more high energy than usual,” she said.

  “Yeah, but I feel like my old self.”

  At that, Wendy went silent, lowered her head.

  Gabby looked at her friend, worried. “What about that bothers you?” she asked, placing her hands on the counter and glaring at her friend.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “You just haven’t been like this in quite a while.”

  “In how long?”

  “At least since your adoptive father died.”

  “Ah,” she said. “Well, maybe I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that I have no father, birth or adoptive or foster or whatever.”

  “Maybe,” Wendy said, but her tone was doubtful.

  At that, Gabby raised both hands. “If I’m down and depressed, you worry about me,” she said. “Then, if I’m up and happy, you worry about me. Where’s the happy medium here?”

  “I know it sounds funny,” Wendy said, “but it’s just … you’re not acting like yourself.”

  At that, Gabby stopped and fully faced her. “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know,” Wendy said, frowning. “It’s just that you’re different.”

  “Is different bad?”

  At that, Wendy didn’t appear to have any answers either. “I wish we hadn’t gone up that stupid mountain,” Wendy said.

  “Hey, I’m starting to feel the same way,” Gabby snapped back.

  “I don’t know what happened up there, but something did.”

  “Well, whatever it was,” she said, “it’s over with. And I’m fine. I don’t know why I’m fine, but I am, and I’m grateful.”

  “Me too,” Wendy said with a rush. She got up, hugged her friend again, and said, “Come on. Let me get the cheese out and help you make the nachos.” Together, the atmosphere was restored once again, the two of them laughing and joking, as they made nachos and sat down to eat.

  “Where are the others?”

  “Well, Liz is working,” Wendy said, “and I have no idea about the other three.”

  As it was, nobody else showed up. Not even before they went to bed, which was unusual but not that unusual. Liz had a boyfriend, and she was working late shifts, so she might not even come back tonight. Besides, her boyfriend had a room to himself. There wasn’t much in it, but he had his own bathroom and a hot pot. More important, it was private, so she often stayed over there.

  “I’m beginning to wonder if Liz will move out,” Wendy said, as she got ready for bed.

  “Maybe, and, if she does, we’ll have to find somebody else in a hurry,” Gabby said. “You know the rent here is outrageous.”

  “I know. I can’t imagine trying to pay her share as well. Have you thought about what you want to do after this?”

  “No, because this has been our dream since forever. Remember?”

  “Oh, I remember,” Wendy said, “and I was willing to go the distance, but I don’t know for how much longer.”

  “Ugh,” Gabby said, turning to look at her. “You want to leave?”

  “I just feel like we could do so much more with our lives if we weren’t here.”

  “I know, and that’s why we said one winter. Remember?”

  “I remember,” she said. “It’s almost April. Remember that?”

  Gabby frowned. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, when is winter over here? It’s not like we set any guidelines for that.”

  “I know,” Gabby whispered. “Let’s not talk about it tonight though, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said, “but it’s not something we can keep pushing off.”

  “Maybe we can, though.”

  “And maybe we can’t.”

  With that in mind, the two friends split to their separate bedrooms. As she curled up in bed, Gabby realized that Wendy was right, of course. They had made the decision to come for a winter but had never discussed at what point winter was to be considered over. She hated to think that her best friend would move away because this wasn’t where Wendy wanted to be. But, at the same time, it was exactly where Gabby wanted to be, so she had some decisions to make herself. One of the realities of living here was that it was very expensive, particularly when they had low-end paying jobs.

  She groaned on that note, determined to get through the night with some rest and to wake up nice and happy again tomorrow. Soon she drifted off to sleep. The next thing she knew, she heard all kinds of odd sounds in the apartment. She sat up in bed, wondering if one of the windows had been left open. She walked over and opened her door just a hair, only to hear an odd wail coming from the living room. Wendy’s door beside Gabby’s door opened up, and the two of them stared at each other, terrified.

  “What the hell is that?” Gabby whispered.

  Wendy immediately shook her head. “I have no idea,” she said, “but I don’t like the sound of it.”

  Both of them were too terrified to go into the living room.

  “You should call somebody,” Wendy said.

  Gabby grabbed her phone and called the police. And, for whatever reason, her fingers ended up connecting her to the same detective. When his sleep-clogged voice answered, she said, “I don’t know if you can hear this going on in the background,” she said, “but that’s happening in my living room.”

  He came awake almost instantly. “What the hell is that?”

  “I don’t know,” she wailed, as softly as she could. “I don’t know. It’s coming from the living room.”

  “Stay in your room,” he said, “and lock your door, if you can. I’m on my way.”

  As she turned, Wendy was here in the room with her, shutting the door quietly, and the two of them sat and waited on the floor, their backs against the door. Then, all of a sudden, the noises stopped.

  They looked at each other, and Gabby jumped up. “I don’t know, but maybe it’s safe to look now.”

  “Hell no, it’s not safe,” Wendy said, in an adamant voice, rising to her feet. “We’ll wait for the detective to come through.”

  “But what if he doesn’t come?” Gabby said.

  “I’m not going anywhere until the detective gets here! Did he say he was coming?”

  “Yes. He said he’s on his way,” she replied. She turned to the door, put her ear against it, and looked at her friend. “It’s quiet out there.”

  “I know,” Wendy said, “and somehow, somehow that seems even worse.”

  Gabby hated to agree with her, but, when she opened the door a bit, she heard just this weird deathly silence. She immediately slammed the door shut again, then turned to look at her friend.

  When a loud bang came from the living room, the two women jumped together, arms around each other, as they clung tightly. Then they heard footsteps coming toward the bedroom door.

  “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God,” Wendy whispered, and they backed up toward the window, where they could look out of their third-floor apartment. “We’re never getting a third-floor apartment again,” Wendy whispered. “If we were on the first floor, we could be out and gone by now.”

  The two women trembled as the footsteps stopped just outside the bedroom door. Gabby’s phone rang. With their arms clenched around each other,
Gabby was too scared to even look at her cell. “Shit, shit, shit, shit,” she said, quickly trying to turn off the noise. If the intruder didn’t know someone was here, he did now. But her cell rang on, and, as her fingers fumbled, she answered it.

  “It’s me. I’m outside your building now.”

  “Oh, my God,” she said. “Come in. Come in. Come in. He’s right at our bedroom door.”

  “I’m here,” he said. “Just stay on the phone with me. I’m on my way in. Did you see him?”

  “I can’t see anything,” she said. “Whoever it was stopped just outside my bedroom door. Some horrible noises were out there.”

  “Okay. I’m at the front door. I’m putting the phone in my pocket, just stay on the line.”

  And, with that, the two women grabbed hold and waited. They heard something more in their apartment, but Gabby didn’t know what it was. Then more footsteps. Finally the bedroom door opened, and it was Damon. She looked at him in shock; then she raced toward him. “Oh, my God,” she said. “What happened?” And then, as he reached out to her, she didn’t give a damn. She threw herself into his arms, and he wrapped them around her.

  Damon said, “I’m here. Easy now. Take it easy.”

  Now Wendy clutched him, right beside Gabby. With his arms around both women, they burrowed close, looking for that reassurance that whatever hell had gone on was okay now. Finally they calmed down enough to look up at him, questions written all over their expressions.

  “Give me a moment. Just step back in your room and stay here.”

  “No problem,” Gabby said. The women both stepped back, but, with the door open, they could watch as he headed back out to the living room. Then she heard him on the phone but couldn’t understand what he said. Gabby looked at Wendy, the two of them standing there, close to each other.

  When he finally came back, his face was grim.

  “What did you find?” Gabby asked.

  “I think it’s one of your roommates,” he said hesitantly.

  “Oh, my God, who?” Gabby asked.

  “Who’s here right now?”

  “We don’t know,” Gabby said. “When we went to bed last night, it was just the two of us.”

  “And would you have expected your roommates to be home by then?”