Chapter 6 - Daniel Follows Tracks Into Snow
Daniel wanted to run immediately.
Claire stopped him.
“That’s what they expect.”
“My daughter is outside in a blizzard.”
“And if you walk into Harris’s hands alone, she loses you too.”
Daniel hated that she was right.
He checked Ethan.
Alive.
A bruise swelled behind his ear.
Daniel called downstairs for help, but Margaret was missing.
So was Harris.
Several relatives claimed they had seen Vanessa leave through the
service corridor.
Daniel found boot prints outside.
One adult.
One child.
Then another adult joined them near the garage.
A snowmobile was gone.
Daniel grabbed a coat.
Claire brought keys.
“The utility sled has GPS.”
“Can it track the other one?”
“If Harris didn’t disable it.”
They entered the garage.
A voice came from behind them.
“Daniel.”
Margaret stood in the doorway holding a handgun.
Claire froze.
“Mom.”
Margaret’s hand trembled.
“Give me the drive.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Where’s Lily?”
“I don’t know.”
“Your man took her.”
“Harris isn’t my man anymore.”
Daniel noticed the fear in Margaret’s eyes.
That complicated everything.
“What happened?”
“He called me ten minutes ago.”
“What did he say?”
“That he has Vanessa and Lily.”
Claire whispered, “Why?”
Margaret looked at her daughter.
“Because he wants the deal.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Everybody wants the deal.”
“Harris has been blackmailing me since Arthur died.”
“With the recording?”
Margaret’s face changed.
“So you heard it.”
“Yes.”
Daniel stepped toward her.
“You covered up Rachel’s death.”
“I protected my husband.”
“You protected a killer.”
“Arthur didn’t mean for her to die.”
“Rachel is still dead.”
Margaret lowered the gun slightly.
Daniel continued.
“And tonight you tried to take her daughter.”
“I was trying to keep the company together.”
“You burned Lily.”
“No.”
Margaret looked genuinely shocked.
“I never told Vanessa to do that.”
“You withheld food.”
“I told Vanessa Lily needed discipline before the custody evaluator
arrived.”
Daniel stared.
“Do you hear yourself?”
Margaret’s face tightened.
“I made mistakes.”
“You built a legal case around a frightened child.”
“For the family.”
“There is no sentence uglier than that tonight.”
Claire moved closer to Daniel.
“Mom, put the gun down.”
Margaret did.
Not from surrender.
From exhaustion.
“Harris wants the original mineral deed and the drive.”
“Where’s the deed?”
Margaret looked at Daniel.
“Rachel hid it.”
“Then why would Harris think I have it?”
“Because Rachel mailed something to you before she died.”
Daniel frowned.
“I never received anything.”
Margaret looked at Claire.
Claire went pale.
“Dad.”
Daniel understood.
“Arthur intercepted it.”
Claire nodded.
“Where is it?”
Margaret whispered, “The cable station.”
Daniel stared.
“The same place Harris took Lily.”
Margaret nodded.
“The old station contains Arthur’s private safe.”
They took two snowmobiles.
Daniel rode with Claire.
Margaret followed.
Snow cut sideways through the headlights.
The cable station sat two miles above the lodge, abandoned since the ski
lift was modernized.
When they arrived, the door was open.
Inside, Vanessa sat tied to a chair.
“Daniel!”
He ran to her.
“Where’s Lily?”
“Harris took her into the equipment room.”
Daniel cut the rope.
“Why?”
“He says she knows where Rachel’s envelope is.”
Daniel stared.
“How would Lily know?”
Vanessa started crying.
“Because Rachel left her a bedtime book.”
“What book?”
“The Mountain and the Moon.”
Daniel knew it.
Rachel had written and illustrated the little story herself before Lily
was born.
Daniel had read it to Lily hundreds of times.
Vanessa continued.
“Harris says the pictures are a map.”
Daniel’s mind raced.
Rachel had drawn a mountain.
A moon.
A cabin.
A black bird sitting on a cable tower.
He had always assumed it was imagination.
Then Lily screamed behind the steel equipment door.
Daniel ran.
It was locked.
“Harris!”
A man’s voice answered.
“Bring Margaret.”
Daniel looked at her.
Margaret stepped forward.
“What do you want?”
Harris laughed from behind the door.
“What Arthur promised me twenty-eight years ago.”
“What?”
“Half.”
Margaret’s face went white.
Daniel realized Harris had not been merely Arthur’s employee.
He had been his partner.
Then Lily shouted:
May you like
“Daddy! I found Mommy’s box!”
And Harris stopped laughing.
