Page 88 of Snow River

She gingerly extended her arm under the lip of the hole until she felt the plastic.“Got it.”

“Good.Keep pressure on it.Hold it to the wall while I take out the pin.”

She felt the plastic shift under her fingers and pressed harder until Bear came up with the pin.It was a beautifully carved wooden pin with a long stainless steel spike stained with dirt.Lila recognized the style instantly.Whimsical, ornate, a butterfly perched on a toadstool.

“Paulina made this.It must have been Gwen’s.”

“There’s another one.She wasn’t taking chances.Keep the pressure on,” Bear told her.

A moment later, he withdrew another hair pin and then a plastic package out of the dark hole.It was indeed the plastic wrapping that had once held toilet paper, tightly wound, several times, around a small notebook, about four inches by three, marked “Recipes.”

“Nancy’s?”Lila asked in a whisper.

“Let’s find out.”Bear carefully withdrew the notebook and opened it up.“Salmon chowder for fifty,” he read.He flipped a page.“Roast chicken with dumplings.”

“Keep going.Maybe she wrote more stuff at the end.”

He flipped to the back of the book, which was blank, then back to the closest page with writing.“I saw another girl arrive today on the plane with the men.She was probably about fifteen.Native.She looked terrified, but when I went looking for her, I couldn’t find her.They might keep the girls in the storage shed.I’m afraid to ask anyone about it.The only one I trust here is Billy, and I’m not sure I can even trust him.I’m stuck out here for another week and all I can do in that time is keep notes.”

“That’s it,” Lila breathed.“Does she say any more?”

“Oh yes, there’s more.There’s a list of names.Listen.”He read more from the journal.“Most people here use only their first names, but I recognized a few of their faces, so I’m including those last names.This is my witness that I’ve seen each and every one of them here with a minor girl.I finally asked Billy about the girls who come and go, and he said he stays out of all that.He says he has to avoid scandal because of his father.But then he also said that his father insisted he come here, to this particular retreat.I don’t know why, or what that means, but I think it’s because Billy’s trying to change his life and get clean.I fear for Billy.He’s a sweet man.He came to my room last night and we just held each other.There’s a real dark spirit to this place.I wish I’d never taken this job.Someone needs to know what’s going on here.”

Footfalls thumped as someone knocked the snow off their boots outside the door.Bear thrust the plastic bag inside his jacket, while Lila dragged the palette back over the hole.The door opened just as she got it into place, so she plopped down on it, as if the intruder had interrupted her in mid-poop.

“Who are you?”Bear demanded of the man in full snowmobile gear, including a thermal mask and goggles.Behind him, snow swirled in wild wind-driven patterns.Bear was right; a blizzard was coming.

“Cleanup crew.That’s all you need to know.”He tossed something just inside the door, then turned to go.

“Wait,” said Bear.“If something happens to both of us, police will be out here like flies on shit.”

“A disgraced cop and a kooky bartender?Doubt it.”The man snorted.“But hey, I got nothing against you.That’s why I’m giving you those blankets.You called it on that blizzard.We’re stuck here until tomorrow.There’s worse places to be stuck, I gotta say.”He gestured around the little shed.“Not this.This sucks.But the rest of the compound is deluxe.”

He pushed open the door, as the wind howled outside, and latched it from the outside.

Lila shivered from the gust of cold air still swirling through the shed.“What now, Bear?We can’t leave in a blizzard.”

“We have to.They’re going to torch this place.”

“But he said we have tonight.”

“It’s a lie.”He sniffed the air.“Smell that?”

She nodded, though she hadn’t noticed it until he pointed it out.There were so many other things to worry about.

“Those blankets are soaked with kerosene.As soon as it’s dark, we go.No matter what the conditions are.”

“But Molly knows we’re out here.There’s probably a rescue crew heading out already.”

“Not in a blizzard.They wouldn’t get very far if they tried.”

“And we will?”

“We have no choice.”

Just like Gwen, she thought sadly.But Gwen hadn’t had a Bear on her side.

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