Part 27 (2/2)
”Wheres Rob?”
”Im such a slow-poke that he wanted to spend some time skiing by himself.”
”Is the rest of his crowd here?”
”Wendy and Alan and Sophie came with us. Jeremys still in jail.” Kathy giggled. ”Sorry, forgot that was your fault.”
Smith had been skiing powder all day, and her arms and legs ached. Time to get out of here. As soon as she got in cell phone range, shed call Christa and ask her around for pizza and a movie. With Charlie back in town, Smith had promised herself shed keep a close eye on her friend.
She climbed the stairs once more and grabbed her backpack from the hook where shed left it. She rummaged for her water bottle and took a long drink. Tucked into one corner of the lodge was a small bar with a scattering of seats arranged around a wood-burning fireplace. Flames jumped as the bartender tossed in a fresh log. Every seat was taken and men stood three deep at the bar. As Smith put her water bottle away, the crowd s.h.i.+fted and she could see Wendy Wyatt-Yarmouth, lifting a wine gla.s.s to her lips, sitting alone against the far wall. Her yellow ski jacket hung on a hook behind her.
Wendy swallowed the remainder of her wine and waved her gla.s.s at the waiter.
Smith went into the bar.
”Not you again,” was Wendys greeting. Her eyes and nose were very red and her words were slurred.
”Mind if I join you?”
”There isnt an empty chair.”
”Ill stand.”
The waiter put the drink on the table. Someone had carved a pair of initials, surrounded by a heart, in the dark wood.
”Getcha something?” he asked, picking up the empty wine gla.s.s.
”No, thank you.” The man walked away. Wendy drank deeply. ”Your friends will be ready to leave soon,” Smith said.
”I dont have any friends.”
”What about Rob and Alan and the rest?”
”Jasons friends. Always Jasons friends.” She finished the drink. ”Get us a bottle, will you.”
”How much have you had, Wendy?”
”Not enough for it to be any of your business.” She hiccupped. The waiter pa.s.sed with a tray overflowing with mugs of beer, and Wendy shouted at him to bring a bottle.
Smith touched the mans shoulder. ”Cancel that.” He shrugged and pa.s.sed around the drinks. The table next to them was crowded with six young men packed around a table for four. They crashed their mugs together and cheered.
Smith leaned over and spoke into Wendys ear. ”Its too loud in here. I told the waiter to bring our drinks outside. Lets go.”
”What?”
Smith lifted Wendys elbow and guided her out of her chair. ”I wanna another drink.”
”h.e.l.l bring it outside.”
”Okay.” Wendy let herself be led. She was wearing ski boots and tripped over the chair leg. She stumbled against the young mens table. Beer mugs wobbled, and men grabbed for them. ”Hey, watch it. Stupid drunk.”
”Its all good.” Smith gripped Wendys arm, and with her other hand grabbed the girls helmet off the table and jacket down from the hook.
The main room of the lodge was busy with families packing up at the end of the day. Smith spotted an unoccupied, battered old couch close to the center of the room, and led Wendy to it.
Through the big windows, Smith could see a line of cars heading down the mountain. The earlier promise of snow never arrived and the clouds had left to dump their load someplace else. The winters night was closing in fast, although a full moon was low in the sky to the south.
She threw Wendys things on the couch. ”Im going to look for your friends, okay? I saw Kathy downstairs earlier.”
”Kathy thinks shes gonna get Rob just 'cause she wants him. Not gonna happen. Why are women so dis...disillusional?”
”You wait here, Wendy, okay?”
The girls eyes were glazed and unfocused. She wasnt hearing anything Molly Smith was saying. ”Robs too polite to tell her to get lost.”
Smith started to walk away. Over the din of the lounge, she caught one word that had her spinning around and crouching down beside Wendy.
”What was that?”
”I said Rob needs to be more like Ewan. And Ewan needed to be more like Rob. He was a f.u.c.ker.”
”So Ive heard.”
”No loss to the world now hes gone.”
Smith took a deep breath and settled herself on the edge of the couch, beside Wendy. ”Its tough when you like a guy like that, isnt it?”
Wendy started to cry. Although she wasnt really starting, just releasing another round of the tears that had been there all day. ”Wheres that d.a.m.n bottle?”
”You told him you liked him, didnt you? What happened then? He laughed, Ill bet, right?” Smith had a feeling that perhaps she shouldnt be having this conversation. This was out of her league. Shed take Wendy to her friends, then call Sergeant Winters and ask for help.
She stood up. ”Come on, lets find the others.”
”I want another drink.”
”Too late, Im afraid. The bars closing.”
”Doesnt matter. Weve ordered. Go get it.”
”Where are you supposed to meet the others?”
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