Page 4 of The Ice Sisters

Yet the clouds burst open, and snow began to fall. Big thick snowflakes that whirled in the air and quickly accumulated on the leaves and ground. She spotted the falls several hundred feet away and smiled at the sound of water rushing over rocks and gathering in the pool beneath. Her boots sank into the snow, a gust of wind slapping her in the face.

The sky darkened and she decided she should probably turn back. But she was so close that she had to take a peek in the Reflection Pond. As she grew closer, she realized it was frozen over.

Suddenly movement caught her eye. A shadowy silhouette. Between the rocky wall and the overflow of the falls.

She strained to see if it was an animal or person, then spotted vultures soaring above the falls. Her gut tightened.

They could be searching for food. Maybe a dead animal was on the ground. But she was sure she’d seen a person. And she couldn’t go back until she’d checked the area.

Spurred by fear, she started to jog. The fastest way was to cross the pond before whiteout conditions set in.

Brush crackled. Twigs snapped. The wind hurled a tree limb down. She jumped sideways to avoid being hit and stumbled. Snow thickened, creating a white blanket. The wail of a vulture blended with the sound of ice cracking beneath her feet. Panic set in and she flailed to right herself. But her foot slipped through the ice. She clawed for a branch to hold onto, but it broke off in her hand.

Suddenly the sting of frigid water seeped into her boots as the ice splintered and she plunged below into the icy water.

THREE

CROOKED CREEK POLICE STATION

Ranger Cord McClain strode into the police station, his fists knotted. It was Thanksgiving Day and he wanted to talk to Ellie. But he hadn’t heard a peep from her in three weeks.

Three weeks of hell for him.

He’d stopped by her house a half dozen times and there was no sign she’d been home in a while. Her boss, Captain Hale, mentioned he’d ordered her to take some time off after the last grueling case, but Cord had figured that meant a day or two tops. Ellie thrived on work and was not a slacker. He’d assumed she’d gone off on a case—or a romantic vacation—with Special Agent Derrick Fox and had tried to accept it.

But he had to talk to her anyway. If she was happy with Fox, he’d wish her well. They’d still be friends. He also wanted to keep working with her and Fox on the task force.

Deputy Shondra Eastwood sat at her desk in the bullpen. She and Ellie were friends so he strode toward her. She looked up with a small smile, her gold turban accentuating her creamy dark skin. “Hey, Ranger McCord.”

“Hey. Do you know where Ellie is?”

A frown pinched her face. “No, I haven’t heard from her.”

“What about Fox?”

“He hasn’t been here either.”

“I’ll try him and see if she’s with him.” Still, a bad feeling climbed up his neck the way it did when he was on a rescue mission that didn’t end well. He stepped into Ellie’s office to make the call. Fox answered on the third ring.

“It’s McClain. Is Ellie with you?”

“No,” Fox answered. “I haven’t talked to her since the last case.”

Hell, if she wasn’t with either one of them, where was she?

“I’m at the station and Deputy Eastwood and the captain haven’t heard from her either. Have you talked to her father?”

Fox cleared his throat. “Randall’s not exactly friendly with me. Why don’t you call him and let me know what he says.”

Things were tense between Fox and Ellie’s father because Randall, the sheriff at the time Fox’s little sister went missing years ago, had dropped the ball on the investigation. Just recently Fox reopened it, and he and Ellie had found his sister’s body.

Cord ended the call then quickly punched Randall’s number.

“Reeves,” the man said in a gruff voice when he answered.

“It’s McClain. How’re you doing, sir?”

“Fine except I’m worried about Ellie,” Randall said. “I talked to her early this morning and she promised to be home for Thanksgiving dinner tonight but it’s almost six and she isn’t here yet. I warned her a snowstorm was coming and to get home, thought maybe she got snowed in. But she’s not answering her phone.”

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