Page 5 of Only One More Lie

There was no response, only static.

It didn’t make sense. Mom had radioed her less than fifteen minutes ago. Where could she have gone in such a short amount of time?

Why would she leave if she’d asked Juniper to hurry home?

She remembered walking into their cabin two days ago to see her mom and dad whispering about something. They’d quickly shut down their conversation when they saw her.

Her parents had their own secrets. Maybe even their own lies.

She didn’t want to think they might. But didn’t everyone have aspects of their lives they kept hidden? That was what Juniper was learning.

Tundra whined beside her.

“What is it, boy?” Juniper rubbed the dog’s head. “Do you know something I don’t?”

Tundra let out another low whine and paced toward the back door.

Juniper followed and peered outside.

Three sets of footprints were pressed into the snow, leading from the house to the metal barn in the back, a place where the family stored farm equipment and personal UTVs.

Wait. Three sets of footprints?

Who did the third set belong to? Juniper hadn’t seen anyone else approach the house. Employees knew not to come to thefamily cabin except for emergencies. Dad insisted their family should have a little separation between personal and business.

Juniper shoved her shoes back on, pulled her coat over her shoulders, and opened the back door. She would follow the tracks to the barn.

But the bad feeling brewing in her gut grew larger.

She should have come right away, she realized. Why hadn’t she come right when her mom asked?

CHAPTER 2

DECEMBER, PRESENT DAY

FOUR DAYS UNTIL THE NEXT MURDER

“Slasher was not the name of one of Santa’s reindeer,” Duke McAllister called over his shoulder with wry amusement in his voice. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“You’re thinking ofDasher.” Andi Slade turned from the front seat and looked at Mariella Boucher, who sat in the SUV behind her, her twin brother Matthew beside her.

“Wait . . . how did I mess that up so badly?” Mariella rolled her eyes at herself.

The four of them were playing a silly Christmas trivia game as they headed to their next investigation. Things would turn serious soon enough. For now, it felt good to relax a moment.

“Let’s face it: our lives now revolve around murder,” Matthew said. “Slasher is only appropriate.”

“You’ve got a good point.” Andi tugged her stocking cap down lower on her brow, chilly despite the heat billowing into Duke’s SUV through the vents at her feet. Christmas music played on the radio—“Jingle Bells.” The lyrics about dashing through the snow seemed especially suitable right now.

“Isowish we were coming here under other circumstances.” Mariella peered out the window at the winter wonderland around them.

As Andi followed Mariella’s gaze and observed the snow covering every visible surface around them, she couldn’t help but agree.

Though Andi normally boasted about enjoying tropical vacations, she might make an exception for this place. At least, she might if she weren’t here to hunt a killer.

But Andi and her team had come to the Borealis Reindeer Camp for work, and they couldn’t lose sight of that. Someone’s life depended on it.

A moment later, they spotted the sign for the camp.

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