Winter Prey

Chapter 5

When the sunset faded, Kymbria called Scarlet into the cabin. While Kymbria removed her heavy clothing, the setter curled up on the thick braided rug near the hearth. Kymbria re-stocked the fire with fresh logs, replaced the firescreen, then entered the kitchen. A few minutes later, hot brandy toddy in hand, she walked through the high-ceilinged room to the sun porch her father had enclosed along the front of the cabin. There, she opened the heavy curtains wide.

Kymbria settled in a comfortable stuffed lounge chair beside the vast windows that overlooked the immense lake, now iced over and covered with snow. The moon was rising, and its light offered a scene nearly as stunning as the sunset. She sipped her drink as the light played with shadow, black and various shades of gray.

Tomorrow she would call Keoman. Tomorrow she would worry about the snowmobiles. Tonight she would keep the unpleasant memories at bay in favor of replacing that space in her mind with recollections of the fun and enchantment of summers and short winter vacations at the lake. Years with her family during her childhood, and later, her teenage companions.

One summer would remain a buried memory, however, not unveiled for examination.

Something far across the lake drew Kymbria's attention. She couldn't see the cabin over there due to the thick trees bordering the lakeshore, just a plume of smoke curling into the night sky. Someone else was up here, also. No surprise. Lots of the summer people slipped away now and then during the winter to escape their stressful city lives. At the moment, she didn't recall who owned that cabin. Growing up, she'd known each and every family, every kid her own age, around the lake. Things had changed over the years.

Things always changed.

For the better...for the worse.

Tonight is for good thoughts.

She stood and headed for the kitchen to renew her toddy, then flinched when the weird shrill of the Northwood phone system echoed through the high-ceilinged room. Forestalling a stab of preliminary fright that could deteriorate into an episode that released contained memories, she hurried to answer. The old-fashioned Northwood system had no Caller ID feature, but only one person knew she was already here, and she was late checking in.

"Sorry, Mom," she hastened without a preliminary hello and before the anticipated scolding began. "Calling you was the next thing on the top of my to-do list. Honestly."

"At least the phone company turned on the cabin phone, like they promised," Niona said, proving Kymbria's instinct as to the caller's identity correct. "I would have tried your other phone next."

"Sorry to have worried you," Kymbria apologized again. "Scarlet and I are fine, the same as we were this morning. It's gorgeous up here, and I'm so glad I came."

"Things are in shape, then? You haven't found any problems at the cabin now that you've been there a while?"

Better not to dodge that bullet again. If her mother found out, she would be hurt by Kymbria's dishonesty, perhaps even angry.

"Well, now that you mention it," Kymbria said with a sigh of submission, "what's happened with Len? It doesn't appear that he's been here since the last snowfall."

A frown in her tone of voice, Niona replied, "That's not like him. I called him a week ago and said we'd be using the cabin soon." Kymbria caught the hint of criticism when Niona went on, "When I thought all three of us would be there. But I led Len to believe it would be a couple days from now before we arrived. I'm sure he'll be around. His phone number is in the little book in the drawer beneath the phone. Call him right now and tell him you're already there."

She already had, but she would call again to keep from totally lying to her mother. "All right. And I'll be fine until he gets here. My hands still fit a snow shovel, and I've got four wheel drive on the SUV. Is Pete in town or is he traveling?"