Steven kept watch on Julie out of the corner of his eye. If Tony was going to gun his legs out from under him, so be it. “Wait!” Jill cried. “Please...why?”

  “Shut up!” Tony roared.

  “Hey, don't you talk to my wife like that, you slug!” Jim roared back. “You're nothing but a punk, do you hear me? A pathetic punk—a coward with a gun—nothing else! Do you hear me!” Jim formed his hands into two fists. “Put that gun down and face me like a man, punk...or are you too scared, huh?” Jim knew he was painting a target on his chest, but Steven was up to something. Jim felt it, and so did Jill. Whatever Steven's plan was, the man needed help.

  “I think Jim could take you, Tony.” Steven let out a taunting laugh. “What do you say? Are you brave enough to go ten rounds with an old Marine?”

  Tony looked down at Jim's face. Jim Cunningham represented everything he despised about mankind—goodness, decency, morality, integrity, and true courage. A courage Tony knew he would never possess. “You're a dead man.”

  Bullets erupted into the air, causing the inside of the barn to sound as if a barrage of artillery rounds had exploded. The bullets tore into Tony's face like hungry, venomous snakes latching onto a shadowy closet monster. Bethany looked up just in time to see an evil snowman cry out in pain and then vanish, allowing a monstrous face to appear...but a face that was now-human. The snowman...I saw him leave…

  Tony Ricci didn't know what hit him. He was dead before his body hit the floor of the barn.

  “Not bad,” Steven spoke in a calm voice and walked over to Julie and squatted down. “You did good.”

  Julie was in too much shock to lower Ben's gun. Had she just killed a man? Yes. “I...well...”

  Bethany scrambled to her feet and ran to Julie. “Honey, are you all right?” she begged, taking Julie into her arms.

  “Hot dog, that's what I'm talking about!” Jill grabbed Jim and stood up. “Julie, lunch is on me!” Jill and Jim hurried to Ben and checked on the man. “Ben, speak to me!” Jill slapped the sheriff’s face a few times.

  “I'm alive...I'm alive,” Ben promised, mumbling out pained words.

  “Yeah, you're alive.” Jill wiped cold sweat off her forehead. “For a minute, I thought you were dead.”

  “Me, too.” Jim patted Ben's shoulder and looked at Steven. “Nice bluff.”

  “I try.” Steven let out a worried sigh. “But...” He surveyed the barn. “Tony Ricci was running this operation. We need to finish the movie when Ben is able. We have to make the outside world believe I'm dead...but there's going to be a few changes made to our movie.”

  Bethany looked up into Steven's shadowy face as she held Julie in her arms. I think the snowman attacked because it knew Steven joined us and tried to stop it. The snowman will be back. It'll never go away. Never.

  Outside in the dark night, a cold, hard rain continued to fall.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Peter has assured me that your plan worked,” Sarah said confidently as she sipped on a cup of coffee. “Sheriff Ben Nayes went on national television and made a public statement. Jill and Jim were at his side. Also,” she added, “I was filmed at the airport Montpelier with Amanda, watching two empty caskets being loaded onto an airplane.”

  “It's hard to cry on demand,” Amanda complained, shoving a chocolate donut into her mouth. “You Yanks expect so much drama.”

  Julie smiled a forced smile, but a smile nonetheless. Amanda was a nut. “Can I have a donut, love?”

  “No, all mine.” Amanda grabbed a box of delicious donuts and held them to her chest. “Get your own. I'm in a grumpy mood. Sarah won't let me have no more kosher chili dogs.”

  Sarah folded her arms over a green sweater with a red leaf sewn on the front. “Amanda, you've nearly eaten every kosher hot dog in O'Mally's. Can we save some for the customers?”

  Bethany grinned. I'm home where I belong. Back in Snow Falls, back at O'Mally's. I don't think I'll ever leave home again. “I watched the news,” she told Sarah, grateful to be wearing a green sweater that matched her friend’s. It felt wonderful to be back at O'Mally's helping her family prepare for a major autumn sale. All autumn clothes would be marked at half off. Thanksgiving was on the horizon, but in Snow Falls, winter arrived early—and so did the snow. “I have to admit that Ben did a great job. If I didn't know any better, I would say the entire scene looked very authentic.”

  “Me too,” Julie agreed, giving Amanda the stink eye. “Can I have one donut? Just one?”

  “Well...just one...” Amanda reluctantly released the box of donuts she was holding and scratched at herself. “These sweaters are so itchy and silly. Green sweaters with a red leaf...you Yanks have no taste, love!”

  “We need to match, and you picked the autumn sweaters we wore last year, remember?” Sarah reminded Amanda. “Yellow sweaters with a muffin on them...not exactly stylish.”

  Amanda winced some. “Well, I wasn't feeling well.”

  “You were feeling fine.” Sarah laughed, then glanced around the cramped office. “Alright, we have to open the doors in half an hour, but before we do...” She focused directly on Julie, watching the brave woman take a coffee donut from the box she was holding. “How are you doing, Julie?”

  Julie met Sarah's eyes. It was clear as day that Sarah loved Julie more deeply than a sister. “I'm still a little shaken up. I had a nightmare last night. I saw myself shooting that awful man repeatedly. Sometimes I jump at my shadow.”

  Bethany placed a loving arm around Julie. “You saved our lives. Tony Ricci was preparing to kill us.”

  “I know.” Julie looked down at the donut she was holding. “Bethany, Sarah, Amanda...can I tell you something? And you all might think I'm insane for what I'm about to say, but I need to say it or go mad.”

  “We're right here, honey. We love you. You can tell us anything,” Sarah assured Julie.

  Julie reached out and handed Amanda the donut she was holding. “When I shot Tony Ricci,” she began, speaking in a low, scared voice, “I thought I saw...oh, never mind. You'll call the mental institution on me and have a bunch of men wearing white coats chase me with a butterfly net.”

  “No, we won't,” Amanda promised. “Look, I'm crazy and no one cares.” She shoved the donut Julie had relinquished into her mouth. “I don't care if people think I'm crazy. All I care about is getting my hands on more kosher chili dogs.”

  “Amanda,” Sarah sighed. “Julie, honey, we love you. You can tell us what's in your heart.”

  Bethany stared into Julie's eyes. She understood. Julie saw the snowman, just like I saw the snowman. “Did you see the snowman?” she asked.

  Julie's eyes grew wide. “Yes, love. I did...did you?”

  Bethany nodded. “I saw the snowman leave Tony Ricci when you shot him.”

  Sarah stiffened. An image of a leather-jacket-wearing snowman chewing on a candy cane entered her heart. “So the snowman is still alive,” she whispered.

  “Yes,” Bethany confirmed, looking to Sarah's pale face. “Sarah, the snowman is after me and Julie now because it can't defeat you and Amanda. I don't know how I know this, and it took me three murder cases to finally understand it.” She stood up from a wooden chair sitting in front of the office desk. “When I arrived in Snow Falls, I faced killers. I was thrown into a state of confusion and shock that consumed every fiber of my being. I arrived in Snow Falls a broken woman...a woman who wrote that perfect murder, remember?”

  “We remember.” Sarah nodded. “Bethany, your book wasn't—”

  “My book was a way to vent, right?” Bethany asked miserably. “But maybe I truly killed my husband in my book, Sarah, in my heart? Maybe I allowed myself to actually kill him in here.” She touched her heart. “Maybe that's why the snowman is after me now...because I understand the darkness. And Julie.” She looked at her dearest and best friend. “Julie understands the darkness, too. I know she hasn't spoken of it, but she left London carrying a shadow.”

  “I believe I did, love,” Julie agreed. “Now my son thinks I'm dead. My ex-husband thinks I'm dead. I allowed myself to die because I was worried our connection to Steven might harm my son. I was—and still am—afraid of the snowman.”

  “Me too,” Amanda confessed, and then gobbled down another donut. “Julie, love, that snowman is one evil creature. I can't tell you how many times me and Los Angeles nearly kicked the bucket because of that pile of sour water.” Her lovely face became very solemn. “The snowman is back...and it's not going away.”

  Silence filled the office. Bethany, Julie, Sarah, and Amanda all looked at each other. “I saw the snowman leave Tony Ricci's face,” Julie finally whispered. “I know what I saw, and I'll never forget it.” She slowly folded her arms. “Bethany is right, and I've thought about this. The snowman attacked us as soon as we arrived in Snow Falls, and it follows us.”

  “Which means the fight isn't over,” Bethany added. “Julie, we deceived our fleshly enemies, but not the snowman. Peter got us all new social security numbers and fake names—problems that Jill didn't consider when she suggested we all die...problems none of us considered except Steven, but he didn't say a word. Anyway, we're dead to the world, and in Snow Falls, we're two new people. But the snowman knows who we are. The snowman can sense us...sense our hearts.”

  “I agree,” Sarah spoke up. “The fight is far from over, girls. But for now, you're safe, and that's what matters.”

  A hand tapped on the office door. Bethany stiffened and bent down to snatch a gun out of a hidden ankle holster.

  “It's Steven,” Sarah said.

  Bethany paused, locked her eyes on the office door, and sighed. So this is how it's going to be from now on. Fear is an interesting friend to carry with you.

  “Come in, Steven,” Sarah called out, easing her right hand away from a desk drawer hiding a Glock 17.

  Steven glanced down a short hallway and checked the arm sling his right arm was resting in. He felt vulnerable and uncertain. Was he safe? Were Bethany and Julie safe? Everyone was resting in a secured safety net, but was the thought only an illusion? “Hello,” Steven spoke evenly as he opened the office door and carefully stepped into the cramped office.

  Bethany saw a handsome—and mysterious—man step into the office. Steven's eyes...he's uncertain about being in Snow Falls. He's been uneasy ever since we arrived. I can't blame him...he has many enemies. “You're talented at breaking into buildings. The store is locked.”

  “Old habits,” Steven confessed. “I've been walking around the back making sure no one is lurking about and checked the building for weak points. The back supply room door needs work.”

  “Told you, love,” Amanda told Sarah proudly. “The back door couldn’t keep out a sleep-walking moose.”

  “I know, I know.” Sarah focused on Steven. “If you're standing here, that means—”

  “I'm tense, yes,” Steven confessed. “The scheme we carried out seems to have fooled my enemies...or so it appears. My dead body was accidentally cremated, remember? Will my enemies buy that story?”

  “Ben was very convincing,” Julie insisted.

  “Yes, Ben was convincing.” Steven nodded, but not with absolute confidence. “Wallace Mayberry won't mess with me. The truth is, Wallace Mayberry will know I pulled off a lie. The guy will go along with it...but I have other enemies.”

  “But isn't Wallace Mayberry—” Julie started.

  “My mortal enemy? No.” Steven shook his head. “In the eyes of Tony Ricci, yes...but a man must know how to play his enemies. The truth is, Wallace Mayberry has helped me a time or two. We go way back...served in the Marines together. I saved his life four times, and Wallace never forgot. There are others who want Wallace dead, others who won't forget. I'm connected to a network of killers. That's why I've come to say goodbye. I can't stay in Snow Falls.”

  Goodbye? No. Steven can't leave. We've become...friends. Bethany felt a strange pain enter her heart. Why? Why was she caring for a man who could never love...a man who would always run in the shadows...a man who...who...

  What? Bethany asked herself, feeling confused and hurt. Steven isn't my husband. He's a stranger. So what if he leaves Snow Falls? That's his business, not mine...right?

  “You can leave Snow Falls, Steven, but you will never stop running. At least in Snow Falls you have friends,” Sarah spoke before anyone else could.

  “That's right, you silly bloke,” Amanda added before wolfing down another donut. “Stop thinking about leaving Snow Falls. Don't you know all misfits belong in Snow Falls?” She asked Steven as she chomped on her donut, spreading donut crumbs all over herself.

  “Amanda is right. You belong here, Steven, with us.” Sarah pointed at the office door. “There is nothing out there but falling snow, Steven...and a deadly snowman is lurking in the snow. You can run, but you won't get far. And trust me when I tell you this...the snowman wants you to run. When we're separated, we're at our weakest.”

  A hand reached through the office door and grabbed Steven's shoulder. Steven spun around, prepared to attack. When he saw Conrad standing in the hallway, his heart dropped. “You—”

  “I've been watching you.” Conrad removed his hand from Steven's shoulder then shook snow off his heavy, black leather jacket and removed his black muffler hat. “Snow is going to arrive around dinner time. You better go buy some snow salt for the front walk of the cabin you're renting.”

  Steven stared at Conrad. How in the world had Conrad sneaked up on him? Steven was a trained killer. Conrad was a simple New York cop with clumsy feet—or was he? Maybe he was attempting to relay an important message to an uncertain man. “Conrad…”

  “You're not leaving Snow Falls, Steven,” Conrad told Steven sternly. “Andrew wants to see you later. Ralph is moving to Alabama to be close to his son. That means there's going to be an opening up at the station. Nathaniel Edward Dolstien. You will be the perfect person to replace Ralph.”

  “I agree,” Sarah spoke up. “Steven, you're meant to stay in Snow Falls with us. If you accept the position at the station, you will have access to vital databases and agencies. You'll be able to keep track of your enemies.”

  Steven stared into Conrad's eyes—the eyes of a genuine friend—and then turned and looked into Bethany's beautiful face. Steven had no desire to leave Bethany, but he also didn't want to put the woman's life in any danger. Tony Ricci had nearly cut off everybody's lifeline. “Do I stay?” he asked Bethany, staring deep into her eyes.

  “Yes,” Bethany whispered, shocked at the certain tone of her voice.

  “Hey, it's freezing,” Ben Nayes stepped up beside Conrad. “I fixed the loose hinges on the back door...did I miss something?” He quickly removed a brown muffler cap, spotted Julie, and smiled. “Conrad and I were outside.”

  “I told them,” Conrad informed Ben.

  Ben nodded. “Steven, Conrad and I meant no disrespect. We wanted to show you that you're not safe alone.”

  “I must be losing my grip if two flat foots like you two can sight me in the dark without me realizing it.” Steven kept his eyes locked on Bethany. Something was happening—what? Steven wasn't sure...or was he? “Okay, Conrad, tell your local police chief that I'll accept his offer. And Ben,” Steven finally looked away from Bethany, “have you heard from Jill and Jim?”

  “I did,” Ben smiled. “Jill and Jim are going to pay us a visit at Christmas and help me get my hardware store on its legs. Jill and Jim are stars now, and Jim is running for the county seat Rhonda Banks left empty. He'll have no problem taking the seat.”

  “Good.” Steven checked his shoulder. “Did you tell Jill that Wayne Tyler turned good in the end and that he was coming to Hay Lake to warn me? Did you tell her that the guy thought the state troopers who pulled him over were shadows instead of real badges?” Ben nodded. “Alright then...” Steven dared to look into Bethany's eyes one more time. “I need to go buy some snow salt...it snows a lot in Alaska, after all.”

  “I agree,” Bethany told Steven as a tender smile touched her eyes. Steven smiled back and eased out of the office.

  “Come on, Ben, we need to take Steven into town.” Conrad slapped Ben on his shoulder. “Later, we need to go check the pipes in the cabin you bought. Your aunt keeps complaining the pipes rattle too much.”

  “Don't remind me,” Ben moaned. “Julie, I'll see you for lunch?”

  “Of course, love,” Julie beamed. Ben smiled and walked away.

  “See you at lunch, honey,” Conrad told Sarah and moved away.

  “Love you,” Sarah called out.

  “Not as much as I love you,” Conrad called back. “Don't forget to call Mrs. Fleishman. She called me a few minutes ago. Little Conrad is out of his favorite cookies.”

  “Then why don't you go to the store and...oh...” Sarah rolled her eyes. “He always does that.”

  “He's a bloke, what do you expect?” Amanda shoved another donut into her mouth. “Come on, Julie, we need to check the snack café before we open.” She grabbed Julie's arm and dragged her out of the office.

  “Amanda, wait. Uh, Julie, we open soon...will you make sure all the cash drawers are counted at an even one hundred dollars?” Sarah shot to her feet. “Amanda, we're running low on kosher hot dogs. Amanda, stay away from the snack café...Amanda!”

  Bethany watched Sarah run out of the office in panic mode. So this is my new strange life...living in Snow Falls with misfits where I belong...fighting a hideous snowman now lurking out in the darkness somewhere. She folded her arms and drew in a deep breath. “Yes, this is my life now...and it's only beginning. The snowman isn't going anywhere...and neither am I.”

  Outside in an icy cold wind, a leather-jacket-wearing snowman hissed at a cozy department store soaked with early snow and vanished into a hideous song. “Oh the weather outside is frightening...so...so frightening. I'll be back, Bethany...when the snow arrives...so...so frightening...”