Fritters and Fatality Read online

  Fritters and Fatality

  Snow Falls Alaska Cozy - 2

  Wendy Meadows

  Copyright © 2022 by Wendy Meadows

  All rights reserved.

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  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

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  Majestic Owl Publishing LLC

  P.O. Box 997

  Newport, NH 03773

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  More from Wendy

  About Wendy Meadows

  Chapter One

  A warm fire played in an old stone fireplace connected to a rugged, Alaskan cabin sitting on a narrow two-lane road surrounded by nothing except frozen, untamed wilderness that seemed to stretch forever in each direction. Bethany Lights knew Alaska was still a wild, dangerous, and very much “untamed” land that lured brave hearts and daring souls into a life of rugged living. While the world below was poisoned with crowded crime-infected cities, traffic jams, overcrowded airports, overpriced resorts, and unhealthy restaurants, Alaska maintained a pure breath of life that whispered over snowcapped mountains, glassy lakes, roaring rivers, and beautiful wilderness that no writer or poet could accurately place words to. Yes. Alaska was free and clean and beautiful—dangerous, yes, but wasn’t danger everywhere? Wasn’t it more dangerous to be stuck in work-hour traffic in Los Angeles or Atlanta?

  “Yes,” Bethany whispered to herself as she cuddled up on a brown recliner with a heavy brown blanket and a cup of hot coffee.

  Outside the rustic cabin Bethany called home, a heavy snow was dancing with a howling wind that sounded a bit creepy if not downright scary. Bethany was used to the sounds the icy winds made—but deep down she had to admit the winds seemed to come from a very frightening cave that no man dared to enter. “Up here, the world is different…so different.”

  “Talking to yourself again?” a voice consumed in a thick British accent asked.

  “I’m afraid so,” Bethany said, smiling. She turned her head and spotted Julie Walsh entering a warm and safe living room that pretty much resembled a 1950s sitcom living room. Julie carried a cup of coffee over to a green couch and sat down. “I would have washed the dinner dishes—”

  “You still have a slight fever, love.” Julie eyed her new friend with careful attention. “Your fever is down from yesterday.”

  “I feel fine. Honest.” Bethany appreciated Julie’s kind care, but she had to admit that cabin fever was setting in. “I’ve been wearing these pajamas for three days straight. I’ve already braided my hair a dozen times, and if I do another Sudoku puzzle, I’ll go insane.”

  Julie simply smiled. Living with Bethany was a joy that she had not expected. Bethany got along with Julie as if they were best friends—no, more than best friends…sisters. The relationship that had blossomed between the two women was sudden and powerful, secure and faithful. Julie was amazed at how deeply she had come to care for Bethany. In the deep chambers of a wounded heart, she knew that God had given her a true sister, a sister that she needed.

  “Well, I admit that the blue pajamas you’re wearing are becoming a little stale,” she teased.

  Bethany managed to smile. Julie always dressed so…lovely and stylish. Bethany found her own wardrobe to be bland and boring. Julie wore fun pajamas with little smiley faces on them—Bethany wore boring blue pajamas. Ah. Being roommates allowed Bethany to quickly realize just how drab her wardrobe was—a wardrobe that was slowly starting to match her life. While it was true that Bethany had encountered a pack of killers when she first arrived in Snow Falls, the life that followed had slowly dropped into a dull routine. Wake up. Shovel snow. Go to the coffee shop for a few hours. Eat at the diner. Go see her friends at O’Mally’s Department Store, come home, cook dinner, go to bed. Getting sick had actually broken up a monotonous boulder that had become perched on Bethany’s heart. “If I ever find a man that wants to take me out for dinner, remind me not to wear these pajamas.”

  “Deal.” Julie glanced down at a heavy pink sweater she was wearing, a sweater that complimented lovely black hair. She had to admit, life had become a little…boring…as well. Taking care of a sick friend had stirred a little excitement. When two women fuss over who gets to wash the dinner dishes…well, something is wrong.

  “Bethany?”

  “Yes?” Bethany asked as she took a sip of delicious, hot coffee.

  “Are you…bored?” Julie asked in a hesitant voice as her eyes—beautiful, intelligent eyes—walked around a cozy, warm living room that offered a sweet sense of comfort, security, and safety that Julie desperately hungered for.

  “I’m afraid I am,” Bethany quickly admitted. “Sarah and Conrad were smart to take Little Sarah and fly down to Los Angeles and see Pete.”

  “I’m not so sure leaving Amanda in charge of the snack café at O’Mally’s was very clever.” Julie laughed some. “My cousin cleans an entire buffet within minutes.”

  Bethany saw a silly, sweet, loving face appear in her mind. Two hungry hands appeared beside the face holding kosher chili dogs. “Yes, Amanda does have an appetite…and she can definitely polish off an entire load of kosher chili dogs in one sitting.”

  “My limit is three….” Julie took a sip of her coffee, looked toward the stone fireplace, and then let out a little sigh. “Of course, we talked about Amanda’s appetite last night too. I’m afraid we are bored, love.”

  “We can play Scrabble?” Bethany offered.

  Julie scrunched up her nose. “No, thank you, love. I’m quite bored with that game.”

  “To be honest…so am I.” Bethany stared at Julie for a second. It was uncanny how much Julie resembled a young Judi Dench. Julie was definitely a beautiful woman. Bethany guessed the woman she saw in the mirror each morning didn’t favor an ugly dog. People always insisted that she favored Jane Wyatt—and Jane Wyatt was a beautiful woman. Yet, Bethany never felt beautiful or attractive. She always felt bland and…square. Up here in Alaska, a woman has to be more concerned with keeping warm than the current fashions. Not that I care about any current fashions. I prefer the 1950s. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era. “I thought about working on my book, but I still have writer’s block.”

  “Yes, I’ve noticed.” Julie walked her eyes around the living room again. “Maybe we need to take a holiday, love?” she asked in a careful voice.

  Bethany felt her heart pick up a little. “A vacation would be nice. I’m not getting any foot traffic at my coffee shop. Snow Falls is the middle of what people call the ‘Great Ice’ and the ‘Polar Bear Winds.’ A lot of people leave Snow Falls during this time of year and return when spring arrives.” Bethany took another sip of coffee. “I’ve come to love the snow…and it’s not the snow that I’m bored with…or Snow Falls. Julie, I truly do love my new home, and I know you do too. I’m simply—”

  “Bored,” Julie finished for her.

  “Yes, bored.” Bethany took a quick nosedive. “When I arrived in Snow Falls, I was forced to fight off a pack of killers wh
ile trying to…well, trying to understand where I truly belonged, I guess. I was running from a very painful past…as you were. Now that I’ve survived that awful scene…with the help of my friends, of course…it seems like all I’ve accomplished is writing a few miserable sentences in a book that is collecting dust and selling a few cups of coffee at a lonely coffee shop.”

  “You’ve accomplished more than me, love,” Julie insisted. “At least you have a purpose. All I’ve been doing is going to O’Mally’s every day…sweeping the floors…stocking shelves…driving into town to eat the same meal over and over again at the diner. I’m very grateful for my new life here in Snow Falls, and I truly do love it…but—”

  “You’re bored.”

  “Very bored,” Julie confessed. “I feel as if I need to take a holiday, love. My heart is yearning to get away for a while. But…and this may sound insane, I’m not wanting to get away from the snow or leave Alaska. As a matter of fact, I’m not wanting to go to any city or a place where there is a lot of people.”

  “Really?” Bethany asked in a shocked voice. Julie nodded. “Julie, I feel the same way. As a matter of fact….” Bethany reached under her blanket and pulled out a tattered old book. “I’ve been reading all about Alaska in this book,” she explained.

  Julie eyed the book Bethany held up—Forgotten Places of Alaska.

  “This book talks about many forgotten places that used to be very popular…mostly old hunting lodges and ski resorts,” Bethany explained. “We’re both aware of the resort that Amanda and Sarah were going to buy—”

  “The resort where they became infected with a deadly virus,” Julie pointed out.

  “We’ll be more careful.” Bethany’s voice caused Julie’s face to transform into a curious expression. “Julie, there’s an old ski resort north of us…about two hundred miles north, give or take. The map in this book is very old. Anyway—”

  “Uh, love, are you suggesting we buy a ski resort?” Julie asked in a confused voice.

  “No, no, of course not.” Bethany laughed. “Julie, last week an old man came into my coffee shop. The old man’s name was Mr. John Richtore…at least that’s what he told me his name was. Anyway, Mr. Richtore said he was on his way north to help his daughter fix up an old ski resort. That’s when he showed me this book. Mr. Richtore talked about the ski resort with a great deal of excitement—at his age, I suppose having something to do was exciting. I was a little taken aback that Mr. Richtore was traveling alone. Anyway, to make a long story short, when Mr. Richtore left my coffee shop, he accidentally left his book behind.”

  “And you decided to read the book.”

  “Well, I searched the book for a phone number, but then I became interested in reading about the ski resort Mr. Richtore told me about. The following day, I had Sarah help me find a phone number to the resort and made a call. I spoke to a woman named Shelia Vermont. Shelia Vermont claimed to be the daughter of Mr. Richtore.” Bethany lowered the book she was holding up. “Shelia and I talked for a while. She told me that she and her husband were attempting to fix up a run-down ski resort but weren’t having much luck. They couldn’t find anyone willing to travel so far north to work for them, help them make needed repairs, stuff like that.”

  “Ah…so you want to lend a helping hand?” Julie asked.

  “I mentioned that thought to Shelia…well, only after she jokingly asked if I wanted a job,” Bethany confessed. “Shelia didn’t shy away from the idea of free help. She seemed so sweet and sincere on the telephone. I could call her and…maybe…we could travel north?”

  “But how?” Julie asked. “The roads north are very treacherous.”

  “Snowcats,” Bethany said, offering a confident smile. “Shelia explained to me how to get to the ski resort. She and her husband parked their truck at an old hunting lodge and a man who lives at the lodge with his wife took them to the resort on a snowcat. The only problem was, the man who owns the snowcat charges a very high fee and it’s nearly a full day’s ride from the hunting lodge to the ski resort.”

  “Very rugged, huh?” Julie asked.

  “According to Shelia, the ski resort she and her husband are trying to repair is located in a very rugged location, yes. Very remote, to be perfectly honest. But…maybe that’s what we need, Julie? To get away…sweat some…get our backs sore…get a few blisters on our hands.”

  Julie considered Bethany’s offer. “We’ll have to wait until the storm that’s over Snow Falls passes and the roads are plowed clean for us. Then we’ll have to make a run for it before the next storm arrives. And we’ll need lots of supplies and extra winter clothing…blankets…,” Julie began creating a mental checklist. “Dry, warm socks are a must….”

  “Does this mean—?” Bethany began to ask in a hopeful voice.

  “Love, I need to go into the kitchen and get a writing pad and a pencil. We’re going to need to write down everything we need. I’m a very meticulous woman when it comes to taking a holiday.”

  “Oh, Julie!” Bethany exclaimed as an excited smile burst across her face. “Thank you. I didn’t want to make the trip alone—and I wasn’t sure if I was even going to take the trip. I just feel that I have to get away.”

  Julie took a quick sip of coffee. “Love, you and I are both suffering from cabin fever. I agree with what you told me; maybe going to bed with a sore back is what we need. I’m sure your friend has plenty of work for us. And, as strange as this might sound, the idea of working myself silly at a closed-down ski resort feels…right to me.”

  “Me too,” Bethany confessed. “I—”

  Before Bethany could finish, a brown telephone sitting on a lamp table rang. “Can you answer the call?”

  “Sure.” Julie walked over to the lamp table and answered the incoming call. “Hello?”

  “Yes, uh…I’m not sure if I have the right phone number. I’m trying to reach Bethany Lights?” a woman spoke in a nervous voice.

  “Oh, yes, Bethany is my roommate. One second, please.” Julie held up the telephone. “It’s for you, love.”

  The idea of leaving her cozy spot before the fireplace wasn’t appealing. Bethany had to drag herself out from under the warm blanket she was resting under. She trudged over to the phone, still feeling a bit rough, and took the call. “Hello?”

  “Bethany, this is Shelia Vermont. We talked—”

  “Oh, hello, Shelia,” Bethany said in a shocked voice. “My friend and I were actually just talking about you. How wonderful it is that you called. Maybe that’s a good sign.”

  “A sign?” Shelia asked in a confused voice.

  “Yes. Julie, my roommate…and my best friend, well, more like a sister…we were just discussing the idea of traveling to your ski resort and helping you and your husband…free labor, remember?” Bethany tensed up a little. Would Shelia still extend a welcoming offer? She wasn’t sure.

  “Oh, Bethany, that’s the reason I’m calling,” Shelia said, nearly breaking down in tears. “My husband…he left me here at the resort. He threw up his hands and left.”

  “What? Are you all right?” Bethany asked in an alarmed voice.

  “Oh, yes, I’m fine. I can contact Mr. Stewart to come and get me and my father at any time. The truth is, I’m not leaving, Bethany. This resort is all I have now. I was hoping that maybe…when the weather clears, you might extend a helping hand? I have no one else to turn to. I know we’ve never met in person, but my father met you and he said you were a very pleasant woman.”

  Bethany looked at Julie. “Looks like we’re traveling north. You better go get the writing pad and pencil. I have a feeling we’re about to take a very exciting trip.”

  What Bethany didn’t know as she focused her mind back on Shelia was that a killer was waiting at the ski resort she and Julie were about to travel to.

  “Three thousand dollars each!” Bethany could barely believe her ears.

  “Round trip,” a rugged, grumpy old man that looked meaner than a hungry grizzly bear info
rmed Bethany as he worked on a half-smoked cigar that smelled awful. The old man tossed some cigar smoke out of his mouth and wandered off to a marble fireplace stationed in an old wooden room that smelled of chimney smoke, hard winters, and coffee. “Take it or leave it. Gas ain’t free, and neither is my time.”

  Julie lowered her gaze to a wooden floor that was holding what appeared to be a ton of luggage. “Mr. Stewart, we don’t have three thousand dollars in cash, I’m afraid.”

  “I take checks,” Claude Stewart told Julie as he chewed on his cigar. “Wife is in the kitchen making lunch. You can pay for a room, and we can leave out for Ice Mountain tomorrow morning, or you can turn back and drive south before night arrives. Not much daylight this time of year.” Claude reached out a pair of hard, rough hands toward a blaring fire. “I don’t expect folks to carry cash on them. If Shelia vouches for you, then I’ll trust you to write me out a check. If your check bounces, I’ll hold Shelia responsible.”

  Bethany had the money Claude was demanding—and so did Julie. But three thousand dollars wasn’t chicken feed. “We’ve traveled so far already…it would be a shame to turn back. And Shelia was so excited when we called her a few minutes ago and told her we’d arrived here at the hunting lodge.” Bethany dropped her shoulders. “All right, Mr. Stewart, I’ll pay the fare you’re asking for—”

  “Bethany, I can—” Julie began to object.

  “Julie, I can cover our fare,” Bethany promised. “I know you have the money, but I also know money is tight for you at times.” Bethany stuffed a pair of hands covered with thick gray winter gloves into the pockets of a heavy blue winter jacket. “We’ll be paying to stay the night as well.”