and took a long sip. The cold liquid iced her throat. “What a mess.”
“I hate to leave you right now, but Ian’s got a World Cup race at Lake Placid. I’m heading there tomorrow.”
Don’t go. “What about Ethan?”
“Pete’s taking him. And Susan will help out if he needs it.”
Kalin smiled at Nora for calling her dad Pete. Nora had only known since last spring that he was her father and hadn’t changed from calling him Pete to calling him Dad. Since she was already in her early twenties, maybe she’d always refer to him by his name. Ethan would be fine with his grandfather. Kalin just didn’t want Nora to leave. She needed her best friend right now. “I’m sort of surprised he’s still dating Susan.”
“I’m glad actually. I didn’t like her much at first, but she’s Ian’s mom, and Pete seems happy with her.”
“How long will you be gone?” Kalin asked.
“I’m not sure. I’m going to Toronto on my way back. We should know about Janet’s acquittal by then, and I want to be there for her. Either way.”
Janet was Nora’s birth mother and had spent eighteen years in prison for killing her own son. As it turned out, she might be innocent. Kalin hoped for Nora’s sake she was and the acquittal came through.
The front door opened and closed. Chica bolted from the room. Ben’s slow steps up the stairs didn’t bode well. He turned the corner to their living room and faced Kalin and Nora.
He didn’t need to say anything for Kalin to know he hadn’t found Roy.
“I gotta go,” Nora said. “I’ll call you from Lake Placid.” Nora lifted Ethan from Kalin’s arms, squeezed Ben’s shoulder as she passed him and trotted out of sight.
Kalin ran to Ben and buried herself against his chest.
CHAPTER SEVEN
On Tuesday morning, twenty-six hours after the avalanche, Kalin finished her video interview with the board of directors at White Peaks. She couldn’t believe she’d remained composed.
She’d asked them not to do a reference check until she had time to talk with her boss. When they asked her if she’d told Turner, she avoided a direct answer. She said only that she wanted to follow process and formally ask him for a reference.
Would Turner be good enough to give her a recommendation? He wasn’t known to support employees he perceived were going against him.
What was wrong with her? Her brother might be dead, and she was thinking about her career. She had faith Roy would be found. This was not the time to miss work. Her security manager was off the radar somewhere in Hawaii, so there was no getting him to come back early.
She arrived at the administration building just before ten a.m. and hustled to the finance center. Constable Miller and Paul Turner waited for her.
“Search and rescue will find Roy soon,” Miller said.
Not trusting her voice, Kalin nodded her thanks. She had a good relationship with Miller, and kindness right now would only make her cry. She cleared her throat. “Where’s your new partner?”
Miller glanced at Turner before answering Kalin. “Attending to other things.”
“Still a man of mystery, I see. So, where are we?”
“An officer checked if the combination could be read through the windows. The safe’s keypad can’t be seen from any angle, with or without binoculars.” Miller thumbed the latch on the window closest to the computer. “You might want to install higher quality locks.”
Disgusted with herself for not instructing her team to secure the room properly, Kalin entered a reminder into her phone to talk with Fred as soon as he returned from Hawaii. She relied on him for day-to-day security operations, but his strength didn’t lie in planning or improving existing processes. He needed direction, and his lack of strategic planning was one of the reasons she’d been promoted to director of security instead of him.
At least Turner hadn’t been at the resort last winter when keys had been a serious issue. She didn’t think
“I hate to leave you right now, but Ian’s got a World Cup race at Lake Placid. I’m heading there tomorrow.”
Don’t go. “What about Ethan?”
“Pete’s taking him. And Susan will help out if he needs it.”
Kalin smiled at Nora for calling her dad Pete. Nora had only known since last spring that he was her father and hadn’t changed from calling him Pete to calling him Dad. Since she was already in her early twenties, maybe she’d always refer to him by his name. Ethan would be fine with his grandfather. Kalin just didn’t want Nora to leave. She needed her best friend right now. “I’m sort of surprised he’s still dating Susan.”
“I’m glad actually. I didn’t like her much at first, but she’s Ian’s mom, and Pete seems happy with her.”
“How long will you be gone?” Kalin asked.
“I’m not sure. I’m going to Toronto on my way back. We should know about Janet’s acquittal by then, and I want to be there for her. Either way.”
Janet was Nora’s birth mother and had spent eighteen years in prison for killing her own son. As it turned out, she might be innocent. Kalin hoped for Nora’s sake she was and the acquittal came through.
The front door opened and closed. Chica bolted from the room. Ben’s slow steps up the stairs didn’t bode well. He turned the corner to their living room and faced Kalin and Nora.
He didn’t need to say anything for Kalin to know he hadn’t found Roy.
“I gotta go,” Nora said. “I’ll call you from Lake Placid.” Nora lifted Ethan from Kalin’s arms, squeezed Ben’s shoulder as she passed him and trotted out of sight.
Kalin ran to Ben and buried herself against his chest.
CHAPTER SEVEN
On Tuesday morning, twenty-six hours after the avalanche, Kalin finished her video interview with the board of directors at White Peaks. She couldn’t believe she’d remained composed.
She’d asked them not to do a reference check until she had time to talk with her boss. When they asked her if she’d told Turner, she avoided a direct answer. She said only that she wanted to follow process and formally ask him for a reference.
Would Turner be good enough to give her a recommendation? He wasn’t known to support employees he perceived were going against him.
What was wrong with her? Her brother might be dead, and she was thinking about her career. She had faith Roy would be found. This was not the time to miss work. Her security manager was off the radar somewhere in Hawaii, so there was no getting him to come back early.
She arrived at the administration building just before ten a.m. and hustled to the finance center. Constable Miller and Paul Turner waited for her.
“Search and rescue will find Roy soon,” Miller said.
Not trusting her voice, Kalin nodded her thanks. She had a good relationship with Miller, and kindness right now would only make her cry. She cleared her throat. “Where’s your new partner?”
Miller glanced at Turner before answering Kalin. “Attending to other things.”
“Still a man of mystery, I see. So, where are we?”
“An officer checked if the combination could be read through the windows. The safe’s keypad can’t be seen from any angle, with or without binoculars.” Miller thumbed the latch on the window closest to the computer. “You might want to install higher quality locks.”
Disgusted with herself for not instructing her team to secure the room properly, Kalin entered a reminder into her phone to talk with Fred as soon as he returned from Hawaii. She relied on him for day-to-day security operations, but his strength didn’t lie in planning or improving existing processes. He needed direction, and his lack of strategic planning was one of the reasons she’d been promoted to director of security instead of him.
At least Turner hadn’t been at the resort last winter when keys had been a serious issue. She didn’t think
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