Page 91 of See How They Hide

The sketch showed a woman practically floating on the page in a gown, like an angel. Though there were only a few marks outlining the body, they could see a curvy woman, the gown flowing around her. Her face was all sharp angles, beautiful and grotesque at the same time. As if looking at her one way, you saw the beauty of her angular face, her large eyes, her high cheekbones, her lush lips. Another glance the cheeks looked sharp enough to cut, the mouth about to bite, the eyes filled with a dark ominous glow.

But there was no doubt the hair was snakes, like mythological Medusa. Long, flowing, coiling, ready to strike.

Riley had drawn her mother larger than life, beauty and cruelty leaping off the page.

Kara didn’t have to be a shrink to understand the underlying emotions of how Riley perceived her mother.

“Can I have it back?” Riley asked.

Dean reluctantly handed the sketch pad back to her. “Some of those sketches may be helpful.”

“Okay,” she said. “Can we do this upstairs? I’m uncomfortable here. I feel like I’m in a fishbowl.”

Kara looked around. The lobby was large and open with three-story ceilings, and a wall of windows on the western face of the building. Behind the windows was a deck spreading out far and wide—Kara knew from the brochure in the rooms that the deck was often used for weddings and wedding receptions. It was a nice place for that sort of thing. Not today, however, as the gray skies were darkening and it looked like the weatherman was right and they’d be getting snow tonight.

No one seemed to be paying much attention to them in the lobby. Most of the guests were coming in from an early afternoon of skiing, as wind had started to pick up, swirling the snow in the field between the lodge and the towering mountain.

Were Kara’s instincts fuzzy? Had she missed something?

She glanced at Dean. He didn’t act any different, his eyes on Riley.

“If it makes you more comfortable,” he said.

Riley got up first, her sketchbook tucked under her arm. She started walking toward the central staircase, but Kara quickly caught up to her. “Stick with me,” she said.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be trouble. I just got this...feeling.”

“Like you were being watched?”

Riley nodded.

Kara definitely believed in those kinds of feelings. She steered Riley through the restaurant and lobby. When they passed the bar built into the opposite wall of the restaurant, Riley froze.

“Keep moving,” Kara said firmly, practically pushing her up the stairs.

Riley stumbled. “Daddy. Anton.”

Her voice was a whisper, faint and hollow and tinged with fear.

“Now,”Kara said. She looked for Dean; he was still at the table reading something on his phone. What the fuck?

Her job was to protect Riley; Dean should have been behind them, he could have gone after the threat.

She followed Riley’s gaze. A man in his late forties with dark hair, a thick moustache, and piercing brown eyes stared at them. He had a beer on the bar in front of him, but it was barely touched. He didn’t make a move, didn’t so much as flinch, when Kara stared back.

She had two options. Get Riley to safety then return; he would likely be gone. Or alert Dean and hope he could apprehend the suspect while she got Riley upstairs. The odds were slightly better for the latter option, so Kara put her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly.

Dean immediately looked at her, confused but alert.

“Anton, bar,” she shouted as she put herself between Riley and the bar and pushed her charge up the stairs.

Dean jumped up, then Kara lost sight of him as she focused on getting Riley to Matt’s room. As they started on the second set of stairs she heard a commotion echoing below. She pulled out her phone and hit Matt’s number. As soon as he answered she said, “Situation in the lobby, open your door!”

She didn’t wait for a response, but pulled Riley around the bend and down the hall, keeping her on the inside. Kara spared a glance down into the lobby, but she couldn’t see the bar from this angle.

The door at the end of the walkway opened and Matt stepped out, hand on his holstered gun, face set. Michael stepped out and ran down the hall toward Riley and Kara, then escorted them into the room.

“Riley saw Anton from Havenwood. Watch her,” Kara said, then immediately turned around and ran back down the hall.

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