 
Death Out of Season

A Kat Johnson Mystery

By William Wresch

Copyright 2020 William Wresch

Smashwords Edition

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### Cover image by Valentin out of Romania via Pixabay.com

A woman lies dead on an old logging road in Wisconsin, rifle in her hand. Deer season has just ended. It's possible she was hit by a stray bullet fired at a deer. But Kat thinks otherwise. Kat Johnson has retired after twenty years with the military police. Her new business, Northwoods Experiences, is a chance for women to gather and explore outdoor options from wildlife photography to fly fishing and bird watching. Each year she takes a group of women deer hunting. One of the women she trained to hunt now lies before her, and nothing about the scene suggests accidental death.

As Kat searches for the woman's killer, she discovers the victim is much more complicated than initially thought. She also discovers some think the killer is Kat herself.

Chapter 1

The Wrong Road

Kat ran most mornings. Four miles double time. Twenty minutes there; twenty minutes back. This morning there was new snow. Didn't matter. Didn't matter in Afghanistan, didn't matter in Amberg. Didn't matter if it snowed, if it rained, if the wind blew sand in her face (Afghanistan, not Amberg). She wore an old pair of jump boots - good soles, good support around the ankles, room for a pair of wool socks over cotton.

The route changed. If her head seemed crowded (that still happened), she would run on the road. Asphalt was bad for the knees, but the surface was level, even, so there was no need to watch where she put her feet. She could just put one foot in front of the other, let her feet do what feet do, while her head dealt with whatever it needed to deal with.

Today was a quiet-head day, so she ran through the woods. Plenty of old logging roads. Dirt now covered with snow, two ruts with grass in the middle rising through the new snow. Rocks and depressions in the ruts. She needed to watch where she put her feet, but she never slowed down. She had a pace, and she held it.

Logging roads were everywhere. Some went back a hundred years to when the real trees had been here. White pines hundreds of feet high. Massive. Two men with crosscut saws had taken all day to bring one down. Men and winches had pulled them onto horse-drawn sleds to be pulled over roads covered with ice to make sliding easier on the teams.

Those trees were gone now. Extracted. Funny how she remembered that word. An old comedian performing as "Father Guido Sarducci" had a bit called "Five Minute College." Supposedly ten years after college everything you remembered from those years could be listed in five minutes. Economics? "Supply and Demand." Probably right. But there were odd bits here and there in addition to the main pieces. Pulled out of those economics courses from way back when was the word "extractive." In some places the local economy was based on extracting natural resources.

Here in Amberg, the first extraction was white pine logs, then granite. Both were long gone. Now there was a little bottling plant owned by a Swiss company. It extracted water from the local aquifer, mostly snow melt south of Lake Superior. The other current extraction was second-growth logging – well, really third or fourth growth now, as the poplars and birches replacing the pines could be logged every twenty years or so. Trucks drove down these old logging roads. Men took chainsaws to poplar groves, cutting the logs into hundred inch lengths and getting them up onto the trucks. Tomorrow's newsprint and toilet paper. Less and less need for newsprint, but toilet paper seemed a permanent requirement.

It was a good day for a run through the woods. The annual gun deer season had ended the day before – Sunday. Running through the woods during the gun season – even wearing blaze orange – was fool hardy. Five hundred thousand men (and a few women) hunted the Wisconsin woods. Maybe a hundred thousand less than when Wisconsin was in its prime, but still a lot of hunters. Most knew what they were doing with a deer rifle, but there were always a few. Eight or ten hunters died every year. Mostly heart attacks, but always one or two shooting themselves as they crossed a fence and didn't safety their weapon, or shot by others certain they had heard a deer.

So Kat never ran in the woods during the season. Today she could. There was fresh snow, but not too much – maybe a couple inches. The air was cold, but not too cold. This was Wisconsin at the back edge of November. The serious cold was still in the future. Wind? Almost none. If anything, she needed to worry about over heating as she neared the halfway point in her run.

The road hadn't been too bad. She had hit one stone hidden by the snow, but didn't fall or twist an ankle. The brush had crowded close to the road and some low bushes rose up in the middle. It might have been a year or two since any section of this forest had been logged. But mostly she felt sand under the snow, a fairly soft surface to run on, and she had been able to keep a steady pace. Double time. Her feet had learned double time. Twenty years of double time.

The road took a bend, and she could see a slight rise ahead. Top of the rise would be almost perfect. Twenty minutes meant two miles double time. She would run to the rise, stop for a drink, then double time back home.

But she froze at the top of the rise. Just past the rise was a person – a woman. Dead. Kat knew death. This woman was dead. Others might have approached the body, but Kat knew to keep her distance. The woman could not be helped, and Kat's jump boots would make a mess of any evidence. Evidence of murder. The woman had been shot. Even at this instance, that was obvious to Kat. So the priority now was evidence. Kat stayed back ten feet and looked – carefully.

The woman was lying across the trail. She hadn't been running up the trail, she had been coming out of the woods – to the trail. Taking a step. That was clear. One leg was bent at the knee, about to take another stride. One arm was outstretched, maybe to catch her fall. The other arm held a rifle. Winchester Model 94. Lever action. Cheap, but good enough for deer. No scope. Fine. In these woods you couldn't see anything more than fifty yards off anyway.

That arm was down at her side, and the rifle was pointed down. Was she carrying it down? Did it twist into that position when she fell? But why wouldn't she have brought that arm up to help break her fall? It was like she was holding the gun down. Or back. Had she been pointing it behind her?

It was tempting to walk to the woman and check her weapon. Had it been fired? Was she trying to protect herself as she ran? As she was shot. There was snow on her, and entry wounds were small, so where she had been shot was not visible from where Kat stood. But she had no doubt. The woman had been shot, and shot either in the head or in the heart. Shot fatally enough to drop her mid-stride. No sign she had moved after she hit the ground.

A shot that well placed had come from someone close. The woods were thick here. Yes, it was all poplar and birch, trees maybe fifty feet tall and six to eight inches in diameter. But poplar will stop a bullet. The woman had made the shot marginally easier by running out onto the road, but still, even ten feet off, and too many trees would have blocked the shot. The killer had been close. Close enough for the woman to hear. Close enough for the woman to turn and point her own rifle. Maybe she had fired. Maybe she had not had time.

Kat took out her phone. Zero bars. Closer to Highway 141 she might get two bars. This far west, nearer to Nicolet National Forest, zero bars was the rule. For the moment, the phone wasn't to make calls, it was to take pictures. Her gloves came off, and her hands did what they did. Her feet knew double time; her hands knew pictures. Pictures of death. She walked a circuit around the woman, never closer than ten feet. But she wanted every angle. She took twenty pictures.

Then she walked into the woods. She stayed five feet off any indication of foot prints. The snow was several inches deep. Tracking snow. Deer hunters always wanted tracking snow to see routes deer used, and places they bedded. These days they put up cameras to watch deer along such trails. They could see the deer and knew their size and their characteristics. They knew how many points would be on the antlers they took if they were lucky.

Tracks here? Human. Muddied by the new snow, but two inches wasn't enough to fill in where boots had stepped. The path was varied as you might expect as people ran through trees. But it was generally north – toward the road. Did she know about the road? Is that where she wanted to go? And the shooter? Kat kept her distance. Five or six feet, as best she could. It was no easier for her to walk through these trees than it had been for the woman and killer to run through them. She stepped through snow, and over fallen branches and leaves. Uneven ground. Running through it would have been exhausting.

She saw where the killer had stopped. Just ten feet from the road. Close. Close enough to hear anything the woman had said. Close enough to hear the woman's breathing. Close enough to hear her last gasps as she dropped to the ground. Still several trees between the two. It had been a quick shot through trees at a moving target. A shot by someone else who had been pushing through thick woods and underbrush. Working hard, breathing hard. Pushing a rifle through the woods, through branches, pushed by both hands and then raised quickly and fired. Rifles were heavy. You didn't just toss them up to your shoulder and pull the trigger. You stopped, braced, controlled your breathing – none of which was easy. This wasn't some gun range, this was outdoors, cold, uneven ground, shoulders cramped by branches sticking out like an endless series of porcupine quills. The shooter had stood in the midst of all this, and hit a moving target. In the heart. Lucky shot? Experienced shooter?

Kat stood and looked back up the trail the two had used. The shooter had gone back. Back to where? She was tempted to follow, but didn't. Her responsibility was clear. She took another dozen pictures, then struggled back to the road, back around the woman, then double time back to her home.

Chapter 2

Who is this?

It took over an hour for the sheriff's deputy to arrive. The dispatcher had told her how long it would be. Kat had used the time to shower and make herself a sandwich. She even started cleaning the rooms.

Kat ran a lodge. Northwoods Experiences. There are eight thousand lakes in Wisconsin. Her lodge was on the shore of one of the least interesting – an oval about a hundred and sixty acres in size, and maybe thirty feet deep, shallow enough to weed up fast if any agricultural or lawn chemicals flowed into it. That wasn't going to happen, not because people were conscientious, but because no one had any interest in the lake. It had trees around much of it and only two other cabins on it, both annually up for sale. Amberg was not one of the go-to places in Wisconsin. If you had money, you vacationed in Minocqua or Door County. If you didn't have money you vacationed in Crivitz. Amberg? You didn't go there.

So, Kat had been able to afford an old lodge that had gone through half a dozen owners and three repossessions. It had been built by a fairly successful fishing guide who thought if he built something like the lodges he saw in Canada, he could get fishermen to Amberg. He was wrong. He gave the keys back to the bank in under a year. What he left behind was a two story classic lodge with log walls, fieldstone fire place, huge windows overlooking the lake, six bedrooms on the second floor, each with its own bathroom, plus an extra bedroom downstairs, a great room with massive bar, a formal dining room (with large musky hanging from the wall and antlers forming the chandelier), and the largest kitchen in Marinette County.

In his dreams, each bedroom would be occupied by a millionaire happy to pay thousands to sit by the fireplace and learn the intricacies of fly fishing. In the real world, they paid thousands to fish in Wyoming, learning from guides who had their own TV shows. Multiple owners later, Kat had been able to buy it for every dime she had in her life savings, plus every dime she was liable to earn as a guide or collect on her service retirement pay.

Deer season was good for her. If twenty years in the Army had taught Kat anything, it was to be flexible – and determined. Rather than just use the lodge for the fishing season, Kat brought women to it year round for one outdoor experience after another. Some experiences, like deer hunting, were approximations of what men did. But she had a whole additional set of outdoor experiences more attuned to women. There were times in the spring and summer when she took women out after wild flowers. There were weeks for wildlife photography. There was even wood carving with or without chainsaws.

But the third week in November was deer hunting. Women signed up for the first weekend or the second. Five hundred dollars per head, room, meals, hunting instruction and guide service included. And most of the women had gotten their deer – mostly does, but one woman had a twelve point buck. None of the women wanted the deer, they just took their picture with it. But each of them field dressed the deer – up to their elbows in blood and guts – and loaded the deer on a truck so it could be taken to a butcher and donated to a local food bank.

Eight women the first weekend, seven the second, enough income to make the November mortgage payment. They were all gone now, the second group out the door after Sunday dinner. Facebook and Yelp reviews all said good things. It had been a good week. The plan was to follow it with a week of cleaning and rest before a group came for ice sculptures on Friday.

She had barely finished the first bedroom when the deputy arrived. She heard the cruiser drive up. Life had given her very sensitive hearing. She was downstairs at the door when he got out of his car.

Dave Kekkonen. After four years in Amberg, she had the ethnic history of the place worked out. People were either German, Swedish, or Finn. Finns were easy to spot – shorter and thicker, they had been brought over for the mines, and you could well imagine, with that thick middle they could last an extra year or two before their backs gave out.

The mines were gone, but many of the Finns were still here. Kekkonen was one of them. Maybe five eight, mid-thirties, solid looking, a face that somehow seemed patient. Old enough to have sat in his cruiser for one endless shift after another, and to have seen people do about every stupid thing people can do.

"Can you show me the location?"

Kat nodded, put on her boots and coat, and got in his car.

"The brush will scratch your paint a bit, but you should be able to get through to it. It's about two miles, mostly west and north." She pointed, and he drove.

"I know you were careful, but I have to ask. Did you touch the body?"

"I stayed out three meters. I circled the body and took pictures. After I talked to your dispatcher I forwarded all the JPEGs to your office. Loading took forever, but I would expect them to all be there now."

"Thank you for that. Our investigators will be up here in another hour. Putting the county seat in the far corner of the county was not the most clever move ever made."

"Take this road here." She pointed to the right.

"I can see your footprints. Any others out here?"

"The shooter stayed in the woods. After the shot he walked west. I didn't follow his trail."

"You know of anything to the west?"

"I've never been much farther west. I assume it's just endless logging roads. Then Nicolet Forest. That goes on for three counties."

"I've got a request in for a state helicopter. That may take a couple days. Not sure what he'll see through all the trees, although it will be easier this time of year than summer." The cruiser was bouncing over rocks and tree roots. He kept his speed down. Brush scraped the sides of the car.

"You come out this way often?"

"First time in weeks. I had guests both weekends."

"How'd they do?"

"Pretty well. Women know to be patient."

"I assume women will be taking over the world." He looked over at her with a smile. "Just tell Bonnie to be kind when the time comes."

"I'll put in a good word for you. Now stop the car. She is just over that rise."

Getting out of the cruiser wasn't easy. They had to push back against tree limbs and low bushes to get the doors open. When they finally managed it, Kat walked up to the top of the rise, and then waited while Kekkonen did his evaluation.

"Heart shot." He was squatted down next to the woman, carefully brushing snow off her back. "She was dead before she hit the ground."

"The shooter was still in the woods, about ten feet away, shooting at a moving person through some trees." Kat pointed into the woods.

"Either a crack shot, or the luckiest shot ever." Kekkonen brushed some snow from around the woman's face. "Twenty something I would guess. No one I know. How about you. Recognize her?"

Kat stepped in Kekkonen's foot prints. She didn't have to take more than two steps before she knew who it was.

"Rainbo Kelsey. She stayed with me last weekend."

"Rainbow?"

"R-A-I-N-B-O. No W."

"Good. I wouldn't want to get her confused with all the other Rainbows." He stood up and stepped back to Kat. "Show me where you think the shooter stood."

Kat led the way around the woman's body and back to where she had previously walked into the woods. She stepped into her own footprints.

"The fresh snow has filled in some of the detail, but you can see where a second pair of footprints stops. I assume the shot was taken from there. There is maybe a five inch break between the trees. One helluva shot."

Kekkonen walked up to where the shooter had stood, careful to avoid the existing foot prints. He looked toward where the woman had fallen.

"I'm seeing maybe six inches. And we are thinking the heart shot was purposeful. Maybe it was just a shot in the back. Knock the woman down, and finish her off with the second shot. Only it wasn't necessary."

"The shooter knew that – standing back ten feet?" Kat asked. "Looking through the trees at a person who is down on the ground. Why not walk up and make sure?"

"Good question."

They retraced their steps and got back in the cruiser. There was no room to turn around, so Kekkonen backed up nearly a mile before getting to a larger road.

"The detectives will go to the scene first to do what they do, but I am sure they will have lots of questions for you. Anything I should know about Rainbo?"

"She was the only one from last weekend who didn't get a deer."

Kekkonen parked at the lodge and started making his report. Kat went back into her lodge and stripped all the beds so she could do laundry.

Chapter 3

Rainbo

It was afternoon before the detectives came to talk with Kat. Nothing happens fast in Marinette County. All services are in the city of Marinette, an hour's drive – when the roads were clear. The logging road didn't make things any easier. There wasn't room for an ambulance. Investigators arrived in three cars, so three cars had to push up the logging road, investigate, and then slowly back out. Somehow the woman's body was removed and the murder scene investigated.

Kat stayed in her lodge, cleaning, washing dishes, doing laundry. She knew they would come for her. Obviously there would be questions. She had questions of her own. Rainbo. Stupid name, but that just meant the poor girl had stupid parents. The young woman who had spent the weekend at the lodge had not seemed stupid, just quiet. In fact her name was the only thing about her that did not seem serious.

The hunting weekend schedule was strict. Arrival by noon Friday. Late arrivals were barred from participation, their deposit forfeit. Lunch at noon with introductions over soup and sandwiches. Women interviewed each other, and then introduced each other to the group. There had to be a point of pride, and a point of silliness. Every woman had to learn the names of all the other women. Apple pie was the dessert, and no one got it until they could do all the names.

It had gone well. The women seemed pleased. The group had a range of ages – mid-twenties to forty – but age didn't seem to interfere in conversations. Kat gave them time to talk and time to explore the lodge and the grounds. None of the women had seemed moody or stand-offish. Rainbo had fit in, as had all the others.

About one thirty she had moved them out to the garage. She had a long table set up. They were to clean the rifle they would be using. Four women had brought rifles with them, four had not. Kat had brought out four Winchester 94s and their cleaning kits. Obviously the rifles were already clean, but she wanted the women to go through the process. Mostly she wanted to see them handle their weapons.

The rifles brought by the women were older, she guessed cast offs from husbands, boyfriends, or fathers. Hers were older too, purchased at gun shows or from friends over the years. New Winchesters were over a thousand dollars. Hers had been anywhere from two hundred to five hundred, depending upon how desperate the seller had been after a car breakdown or bad night gambling.

All were laid out on the table, gun oil and rags out. Two of the women had scopes on their rifles. She got out a screw driver and asked them to remove it. Scopes limited vision as much as they enhanced it. The women were pretty good about following directions and seemed to have a good general sense of safety. She hadn't had to tell them where to stand. They all knew to stay on one side of the table, their rifles pointed toward the empty side of the garage.

Guns cleaned, actions open, they had walked with her behind the lodge. Much of Amberg is flat, but there was a pretty good hill behind the lodge. She used that as a backstop for her shooting range. She had one target, and one target only set back fifty yards. Shooters were to kneel behind a post and board, rest their arms on the board, and sight their guns.

Again, there had been no problems. The women were patient. And they were supportive. If the shooter missed the target entirely there was some laughter, but even a crease in the corner of the paper drew compliments. Kat worked on their posture, grip, and breathing. Each woman fired three shots, opened the action on her rifle, then went to the back of the line to watch, breathe, and relax.

Each woman cycled through four times, then it was back to the garage for cleaning. Safety disciple was perfect. Rifles were cased and left in the garage so they would keep an outdoor temperature. Dinner went well. She allowed them one glass of wine. They ate well, laughed about the antler chandelier in the dining room, listened when Kat had told them how they would be placed the next morning. You want perfect? Relaxed but attentive is it. That's what she had gotten from both weekend groups.

Hunting had been simple. Kat had cameras along trails she knew the deer were taking. She knew where the deer would be, and where they would move once the sun came up. She had posted the women in pairs as she always did, sat with the pair she thought might need the most support, and waited while the sun rose. The women had taken four deer before noon. They took two more late in the afternoon, and another Sunday morning. Everyone but Rainbo got a deer.

She had taken a shot. She had missed. She was good about it. She hadn't fired off half a dozen shots as the deer bounded into the woods. That led to wounded deer and often dead hunters. She had been disciplined. She had held her fire. Everyone had said good things to her at dinner and as they loaded up their cars to go home. She got hugs and kind words. She seemed fine with it. Kat had stood and talked with her as she loaded her car. The conversation had been about trying again next year. If there was anything else going on, Kat had missed it. She thought back to that final hug and final words. Anything? No. Just one more young woman who seemed to have had a good, if disappointing, weekend.

The sun was already setting when the two detectives finally came for Kat. Four, going on four thirty. The sun set early this far north. Kat sat them in the great room, some light from the fire in the huge fireplace, but most light from four floor lamps. There was a chandelier over the room, but it was a huge, garish collection of antlers. The one in the dining room was funny. This one was too large to be funny. She never turned it on.

The chairs were original – large and leather. Seats for the executives who had never come. The detectives took two seats next to each other. Kat sat across from them. In the four years she had lived in the lodge she had gotten to know all the men who did patrols up here at the northern fringe of the county. She didn't know these two. Both were deep into their forties, probably approaching retirement. They had taken their snow-covered boots off at the door. Gentlemen. Both wore ties and sport coats. Both had bellies that slid over their belts when they sat. Each had an automatic in a holster on their hip. Neither had a notebook or pencil out. They sat with their hands on their laps, but occasionally crossed their arms over their chests.

They wanted to know about Rainbo, but the questions were few and superficial – age, attitude, friends, shooting ability. Kat gave short answers, and they were fine with that. Their body language changed completely when they got to her rifle. Suddenly they were sitting straighter, their hands at their side. One even rested his hand on his weapon. Kat watched them carefully.

"When women come for these hunting weekends, do they bring their own rifles?"

"It's about half and half."

"So you provide rifles?"

"Yes. That is clearly stated on my website." There was a pause. Kat wondered if they would admit they had checked her website. It was an obvious thing for them to do. They were detectives.

"What model rifles do you use?"

"Winchester 94. They are light, there are a million available used, and lever action seems easy to use. Also, I have some women who prefer to shoot left handed. Lever is easier than bolt action for that." Another pause. Silence was a very effective interrogation technique. These men had been trained. Kat wondered if they had any other techniques.

"How many do you own?"

"Six."

"And you keep them..."

"In a gun safe in the garage." Another pause. The next question was obvious, but she would wait for them to ask.

"May we see them?"

"Yes." The three of them rose. No one moves quickly during a Wisconsin winter. There were boots and laces, coats and buttons, hats and gloves. Eventually they got outside and walked to the garage. It was large. Four doors. Executives would want to park inside. And the fishing guide would want his boats inside for the winter. Kat used one bay for her minibus and the others for storage.

She used a side door and led them to the back wall where her safe stood. It was six feet tall, steel, and bolted to the wall. It required both a key and a combination. She opened it to show six Winchesters lined up in a row.

"You have no other weapons?"

"You don't think six rifles is enough?"

"I just thought, with your background, maybe something a bit more military."

"I'll have time to buy an AR-15 before the Chinese invade."

It was dark, they had asked their questions, it would be past quitting time by the time they got back to Marinette. The detectives walked back to their car after a very formal handshake and "Thank you."

Kat was tempted to make a list of questions they could have – and should have – asked, but it was dinner time for her too. The kitchen was filled with leftovers from the weekend. She would think through her own questions as she worked the microwave.

Chapter 4

Amberg

Kat spent Tuesday morning waiting for the detectives to call. There were always follow up questions in an investigation. Surely they would want more information. Hell, they could start whole new avenues of investigation. But the calls never came.

She cleaned bathrooms. There were eight – one in each of the "executive" bedrooms, one in hers, and one near the front doors. There were towels in each. Three wash loads. Drying took forever. Floors needed mopping, showers, sinks and toilets needed cleaning, but it was always the mirrors that took the most work. How could so much water end up splashed onto mirrors?

She spent the afternoon vacuuming, her phone in her pocket, ready for a call that never came. The sun was already partially hidden by tress when she gave up waiting, and drove into town. Her vehicle was a twelve passenger van. It took forever to warm up, and the tail hung out an extra four feet so corners took some practice, but it had a new battery and good tires. It easily held twelve customers plus all their gear. Today it held her.

The ride to Amberg took ten minutes. She just began to feel some heat from the vent under the dash when she parked. Amberg. Maybe twenty houses spread over several blocks. Maybe fifteen of the twenty were still occupied. None of the houses were less than fifty years old. The business district was one block long and all on one side of the street. Vacant lot at one end, then bar, restaurant, small grocery, vacant lot, post office. Across the street were train tracks that had last been used sometime in the fifties.

There were eight or ten cars parked in front of the businesses – more than usual for midweek. Kat parked across the street, parallel to the train tracks. No sense leaving the backend of that long van sticking out into the street. Traffic wasn't a problem; drunk drivers were.

Kat started with the grocery store. The sign named it a "Party Store," meaning it sold equal amounts liquor and snacks. For real groceries you drove down to the Wausaukee IGA. But you could get a gallon of milk and a six pack of beer here. The place was empty. Ed stayed open until ten, and Kat suspected he got almost all his business between nine and ten as people grabbed a six pack to take home with them.

What did she need? Wine. There were three long shelves of wine, and more in the cooler. Amberg had discovered wine. Kat ignored the shelves and stepped over to the counter near the front door.

"One case or two?" Ed Schneider was mid-sixties, paunchy and bald, but friendly enough. Retired from the paper mill in Niagara, he had gotten out just a year before it closed down. So far, he was still getting a pension, but he was happy to tell one and all, "You can never trust the bastards." So he sat behind his counter, picked up a few extra bucks a week, played solitaire on his computer, and talked the arm off anyone who came into the store.

"Two. I only have six coming up for the weekend, but this is an art weekend. They will go through a lot of wine."

"Any cancellations because of the murder?" Kat just stared. It hadn't occurred to her that business might be affected. Leave it to Ed to find yet another problem.

"It happened miles from my lodge." She needed to make that clear to one and all.

"But she was a customer, right?" How did that get out? One more thing she would have to clarify before this one-man rumor mill told the world.

"She left a week earlier. I have no idea where she went, or what she did during that week."

"Oh."

"Can you deliver the wine?" She would give him something to do. "One case of chardonnay, and one case of that Prairie Fume Wallersheim makes." She didn't wait for an answer. If he wanted two hundred bucks, he would drive out to the lodge with the wine.

Next stop, the restaurant. They were closed, of course. They had served dinner during deer season, but now they were back to regular winter hours – open for breakfast at eight, closed after lunch. The sign on the door said "Closed," but the lights were on. Kat assumed they were cleaning. Nine days of deer hunters walking through with snow and mud on their boots, and every business up there had lots to clean. Kat knocked on the door, and then waved to Lois when she came out of the kitchen.

Lois and Marie fed Kat's guests. The two of them worked out who did which meals. Mostly Lois did Friday lunch and Saturday and Sunday breakfast. Marie did Friday and Saturday dinners. Saturday and Sunday lunches seemed to vary. Lois and Marie were sisters. Mid-fifties, their kids were grown, their husbands winding down whatever work they had done when younger. The restaurant had a total of five tables and a menu that never exceeded ten items. The food was cheap, and the service fast. Fortunately they were much more creative when it came to meals at the lodge.

"I was trying to remember which one was Rainbo." Lois opened the door and backed away so Kat could get in.

"She was one of the younger women. Brunette. Decent figure." Lois just stared at Kat. Obviously she still couldn't picture the woman. If she wanted more description, she wasn't going to get it. There wasn't much more that Kat remembered.

"Imagine that. Just lying out on an old logging road. If you hadn't been up there, she would have laid there for years."

"Maybe."

Marie came out of the kitchen, both her hands in yellow rubber gloves, a scrub pad in one hand.

"Are you still doing a workshop this weekend?" She asked.

"Of course. Do you have a menu worked out?"

"Can we text it to you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Plan for seven - six customers plus the sculptor." Kat opened the door and let herself out. Why would she not be open? The question was annoying.

The real reason she had come to town was the bar. She went there next. Basically it was one large, open room, rest rooms and store room at the back. Left, a bar ran the length of the room. Ancient oak boards with a leather trim edge for elbows. A dozen or so stools. Right was a pool table and a card table. There wasn't really room for both, but both were in use. The card table was on the end closest to the door. Wind blew the cards whenever the door opened, and the men around the table had to bend out of the way if a pool player needed room for a shot. It seemed really inconvenient, but that's the way it was, and people seemed to accept it.

Kat took a stool as far from the door as she could get. Still, a chill ran through the place every time the door opened. She kept her coat on.

Jim was bartending. He brought her a glass of beer. She put a five on the bar. That would get her five beers, four more than she would drink.

"How's your father doing?"

"Better. They're talking about moving him to a nursing home for recovery. I guess that means Medicare has covered all the hospital stay it will cover."

Jim was late thirties. High school biology teacher. He did the usual – went off college, then the unusual - he came back. It didn't happen that way very often. Wausaukee High was glad to have him. A marriage and a divorce later, he was still here. His family owned this bar and several other businesses. He tended bar lots of weekends. With his dad in the hospital, he tended nights now too.

"You have time for this?" Kat gestured around the bar.

"I'll make time until we figure out what to do." And he was off to get another guy a beer.

Bigger towns have multiple bars – one for the geezers, one for the kids, maybe one for the red necks, maybe one for the hoods. Amberg only had one bar, so it served all. It was mostly old men playing cards, and young guys shooting pool. Down the bar were two young girls – maybe they were twenty one, maybe not. They seemed excited. Proud of themselves. They were all grown up now – they were in a bar. They had lots to say to each other, while paying lots of attention to the young guys shooting pool. Cold as it was, they had their coats off to show their chests.

A couple loggers were next up the bar. They still wore their safety chaps, sawdust trapped in their knit caps. Next, an empty stool, then an older woman with both her hands wrapped around her drink. Sometimes she looked up from her drink, but mostly she stared at it. Her face drooped and her head hung. She was a regular. Too regular. She would have one more brandy and then drive home to an empty house.

Two middle aged men sat next to her, staring at the TV. Some sort of football highlight show. Big plays of the weekend. It had their complete attention. To Kat's right were two more young loggers and their boss – Chuck White. He had been telling them some story about some job he had done in the Nicolet Forest, but he broke off when he saw Kat. She ignored him, but she could see from the corner of her eye he was watching her, making a plan, getting ready to come over.

When he came over it was to lean against her shoulder, put a hand on the small of her back, and offer to buy her a drink.

"Mr. White, we have had this conversation before. I will buy my own drinks, and I would prefer you keep your hands to yourself." She said this quietly, while turning to look at him. He wasn't a bad guy, just handsy. He was married, but liked to strut around. A few women let him put his hands on them. She didn't, especially as his hands started on a shoulder, but quickly moved south.

"Sure I can't buy you a drink?" He was all smiles, a hand already on her shoulder.

"Mr. White, let me tell you a story. My first assignment in Afghanistan was commanding a company of MPs, mostly assigned near the entrance to Bagram." She looked directly at him. She was glad to feel his hand stop moving along her shoulder.

"My second day on deployment I had one of my sergeants come to me. I had been warned about the guy. Twenty year man, been everywhere, seen everything. He gets in my face, not in front of the whole company, but in front of several of my guys. We are chest to chest, nose to nose. He says, 'You may have heard I hate women. Not true. I love them in the kitchen where they belong. They don't belong in the army. And certainly not out here. Not when the shit hits the fan, and it always hits the fan. That's when every weapon needs to be firing in the right direction, and every soldier needs to pick up the wounded and get them back to safety. Every soldier who can't, is just an empty uniform. And I don't care how many bars are on the shoulders of that uniform.'"

"I picked him up, ran down the road with him, and threw him in the first pile of donkey shit I found. He ended up being the best NCO I ever had in my unit. Now. Mr. White. I want you to think how it will look to your boys if I pick you up, carry you out of here, throw you in a snow bank, and put my boot on your chest." She looked at him. He looked at her, then he straightened up and took a step back.

"Thank you for your service." He went back to his seat with the young loggers.

A few minutes later Jim brought her a second beer. "It's from Chuck White."

Obviously a peace offering, Kat turned to White, raised the glass in a toast, and drank the beer. Better a friend than an enemy.

Kat sat at the bar for another ten minutes or so, people watching. Then she stood and waited a minute until she had Jim's attention. When he looked at her, she raised an eyebrow. He nodded. She took her van back to the lodge.

Chapter 5

Jim

Kat had met Jim three years earlier. Wausaukee High had a "Career Day" in late April. It was Kat's first year in business, and she went hoping to hire some kid to help over the summer. She spent an afternoon sitting behind a table in the hallway, a name tent in front of her, kids occasionally stopping to talk.

She saw Jim working the tables, stopping and talking at each one. She assumed he was the principal. He wasn't. He was a biology teacher, but his family had businesses, so he knew most of the people at the tables. If there was a new business, he asked about it. He seemed especially curious about hers. They talked in the hallway, then over coffee at the Wausaukee Diner, then over dinner at the Wausaukee Supper Club, then in her bed.

In some ways, they were the perfect match. Both high school basketball players, he had been power forward on the Wausaukee High team that had won the state title. But at six two, he was too short for college ball. At five ten, Kat was tall enough to play shooting guard both high school and at UW. She had even been a starter her junior year. They both had gone to UW Madison, although she graduated three years before he arrived. She took a commission in the army; he got a biology degree then teacher certification, then spent two years doing teacher training with the Peace Corps in Namibia.

The other match? They rocked her bed like the world was coming to an end. The bed got rocked every week or two. He had two boys from his first marriage and spent a good amount of time with them besides helping out the family businesses and teaching school. She had a business to run, a business that kept her house full almost every weekend. So, neither had time for constant companionship, but what they had seemed to work. You might expect such a relationship might fizzle over time, but both seemed happy with it.

It had been a week and a half since Jim had been to the lodge. Kat guessed it would take until about ten thirty for him to chase the last drunks out of the bar and lock up. That gave her over two hours to get ready. Clothing? Easy. She had a long, white satin night gown and matching robe. His hands would feel good through the material.

And the rest? She worked at her hair for a while. At forty six, she was too old to have it flowing down her back. She did wear it longer than she had in the Army – an inch or two past her shoulders, just enough to show some curl. She got to the salon in Wausaukee enough to keep some sheen in and gray out. It was still the same sandy brown it had been when she was a child.

Makeup? In bed? While asleep? She wore little during the day. He had seen her this way. Still, he would be close, so she worked a bit on her eye brows and tried some lip gloss. Maybe.

Where to be when he arrived? That was easy. There was a huge leather couch in front of the fireplace. That was their spot. Well, their spot until they moved to her bedroom. She sat there and waited, her feet pulled up under her and wrapped in the folds of her robe.

While she waited, she reviewed the faces she had seen in the bar. The boys shooting pool and the girls who watched? Had to be local. Just kids finding their place in the local social scene. The loggers? Obviously local, as was the older drunk lady – sad, but local. The two guys watching TV? She didn't recognize them, but they were both wearing orange coats. Orange was required for hunting safety. Locals saved money by buying an orange coat and wearing it year round.

Could a local have killed Rainbo? Theoretically possible, but unlikely. Where would she have met someone, and how could she have gotten involved enough to lead to murder in just a week? Amberg had its share of drunks and fools, but there had been no recent murders, so why start now with some woman from out of town? It didn't feel right. If she had learned anything in twenty years it was to not exclude any possibility, but she also had learned there were likely places to look for criminals, and unlikely places.

Jim arrived about then. He was a good looking man. He had kept himself in shape and took the time to keep his hair trimmed and his face shaved. Blond hair and blue eyes were always a winning combination. And then there was the smile. He let himself in the door and stood in the entryway taking off his shoes and his coat. But he looked at her and smiled while he did it. Between his classes and his hours at the bar, he had put in a fifteen or sixteen hour day, but the smile said he had plenty of energy for what he knew was coming. You had to love athletes.

He sat close, put his arms around her, pushed her head back onto the top of the couch, and kissed her. And then kissed her again. It was pretty clear this was going to be one of those nights with limited foreplay. No problem. She started unbuttoning his shirt, while he slid a hand inside her robe.

"You're about thirty seconds from the best sex you've had in two weeks, but I need to ask you about the woman who was killed."

"As a biology major, I assure you, male sex organs don't work that way. You can't start me up and then hit the pause button. I will answer every question you have – after."

He pulled her off the couch and half carried her, half pushed her to the bedroom. She kept working on his shirt buttons while shuffling backward. She had his shirt off by the time they hit her room. Then she was on her knees getting his pants down. She took him in her mouth and got him right to the edge, but she wanted him in her, so she pushed herself back onto her bed, pulling him on top of her. She had padded the back of her headboard, but she still heard drywall crack as he rocked her, and the bed, and half the house. She grabbed his hair in both her fists and held him as he rocked once more and then came. She wrapped her legs around him and held him as tightly as she could. She could feel his breath on her neck, and his thighs between hers. Both were hot.

It was a long time before she let go of him, which was selfish since she knew he had to be up and showered and out the door by six thirty. He needed sleep. She needed him. Eventually she let him slide partially off her, his face still hot against her neck, one hand on her breasts, one leg between hers. She played with his hair, but let him sleep.

She pushed him into the shower at five thirty. She washed him, he held her against the wall, he was in her again. When you have a water heater for eight bathrooms, you can take really long showers. She had time to make him breakfast, or to hold herself against him. He never got breakfast.

She was toweling off his hair when she asked again.

"I need to ask you about Rainbo."

"The woman who was killed."

"Yes. I am trying to learn where she went and what she did after she left here. Maybe she went straight home. Maybe she stopped along the way."

"At my bar?"

"Could be. Any chance Rainbo stopped in your bar first Sunday night of deer season? It would have been about six or six thirty."

"There were a few women in that weekend, but not many."

"Here's what she looked like." Kat brought out her phone and showed Jim pictures of Rainbo.

"Is she old enough to drink?"

"College grad, about twenty five."

"Doesn't look it. If she came into my bar, I would have carded her, and I would remember her. Like I said, not many women were in that weekend. Hell, not many women ever come in."

"And since then, were there any strangers in the bar?"

"Just locals. Why? Deer season is over. They all went home."

"Maybe."

"You're thinking maybe the guy who did it hung around town for some reason?"

"It happens. The amateurs do it because they worry maybe they missed something. Maybe they left something at the scene. They want to hear what people are saying – what they might have found. The sickos do it because they like being talked about."

"You're assuming it was murder. It was the last day of the season. Maybe it was just a stray bullet. It happens."

"There was no deer sign out there."

"Doesn't have to be. The hunter could have been on the edge of a corn field half a county away. Even the bullet from a twenty two can travel a mile."

"Not through acre after acre of forest."

"Accidents happen, Kat." He was buttoning his shirt as he hurried to the door. He was going to be late – again. He tried to lace his boots and ended up getting them tangled. Kat got down and did his boots while he pulled on his coat. When she stood up he held her, kissed her, and smiled. The guy knew how to make an exit. She knew about exits too. She stood in the door wearing her night gown, one strap hanging over her shoulder, her hair tangled across her face. He backed his car around and then sat in the drive smiling at her. She pulled the other strap down and smiled back.

Chapter 6

Dave

Okay, fun over, Kat pulled on a sweater and jeans and headed to the kitchen. Even for a big lodge, the kitchen was huge. Did the original guy think a world famous chef would cook for him? Subsequent owners had taken much of the equipment and most of the dishes, but still, there was plenty for Kat to serve herself and her customers. Her routine breakfast was oatmeal, orange juice, and coffee. Something solid, some vitamin C, and an eye opener.

As she stirred the oatmeal with one hand, she scrolled through her emails with the other. Message from the sculptor – was everything still on for Friday? Stupid question. Yes. Message from one of next weekend's group – something had come up. If Kat didn't want to return her deposit, she would understand. Great. Guilt for breakfast. Kat replied she would keep the deposit, but credit it to the next activity she wished to join.

Would there be other cancellations? The first two years the lodge had been touch and go. A single cancellation might have put her under. Now she had a little more support, but still, cancellations hurt. How many would it take to send her back to her bank, hat in hand? If this was somehow tied to Rainbo's murder, it would be great if the sheriff's office resolved it. If an accident, say so. If a murder, find the bastard.

She finished her oatmeal, finished her emails, and sent one of her own – "Dave. Any progress?"

One last thing to check on her phone – weather. Twenties and cloudy for the next couple days. Maybe some sun on Friday. Large front coming in Saturday night or Sunday. Heavy snow was likely. It might or might not impact her ice sculpture weekend. It would certainly bury any evidence where Rainbo had been. Assuming she didn't get five more cancellations, she would be busy starting Friday. That left her Wednesday and Thursday to do some checking on her own. She pulled on her jump boots and a down jacket.

Double time. Five or six cars had been past her lodge and up the logging trail. She put one foot after the other in their tracks. Two miles. As she ran it, she looked around, almost taking a header when she missed a rock in the road. But she wanted to see. Was the lodge at all visible through all the trees? No. Much too far. Might she have been able to hear the shot? No. Much too far. And not only were there endless trees, but there were several hills.

But. Rainbo had gotten out onto the logging road. Did she know it might eventually lead to the lodge? How would she know that? They had not hunted anywhere near this area. Kat had driven all of them much closer to Amberg, closer to the remaining farms where deer would be. Deer were thieves. They took corn or other crops. There was no reason for them to be this deep into second growth forest. Yes, they ate shoots, but not in November, and not in the middle of nowhere. If they weren't here, why would Rainbo or anyone else be?

Double time up the last rise. There was no police tape or anything else to mark where her body had laid. The area had been tramped down by a dozen boots. Kat walked to the edge and then knelt down where Rainbo had died. She had made an impression in the snow, an impression that had been blurred as her body had been turned over and then removed. Her life's blood had poured into that snow, but now it was just an area of darkened snow pressed down by the weight of the blood or by her body as it was handled.

Kat knelt and looked. Was there anything to see here? Were there clues the detectives had missed. No. But she stayed on her knees, feeling the cold through her pants, paying a bit of respect to Rainbo's resting place.

She found herself looking back into the woods where Rainbo had emerged. Ten feet away her killer had stood. This was no accident. Kat was sure of it. The killer had stood, and fired as Rainbo had reached a trail. Rainbo's rifle was at her side, pointed back into the woods. As she lay face down, did she look back at her killer? Did she say any final words? Did she try to raise her own rifle? What was happening as blood loss took her away?

Kat stood and stepped to the edge of the woods. The detectives must have walked into the woods. They had not stayed to one side as Kat had done. They walked directly to where the second pair of tracks stopped. Where the shooter had stood. Had they tried to get boot impressions? At least gauge size? Two inches of snow had fallen after the shots were fired. Still, if careful, might they have learned something about the shooter? Kat knelt again and immediately saw the problem. Whoever had stood there had turned. Yes, to go back to wherever he had come from, but also – and with care – to crush any footprints.

But that was stupid. The killer had left footprints all the way here, and all the way back. The chance of obscuring all of them – nil. This was the work of an amateur. Somewhere along the way there would be enough of a footprint to show the grid pattern on the boot, the size, and maybe even the manufacturer. Two inches of snow was not enough to hide it all. Not if care was taken.

Kat got up and walked the trail used by the killer, being careful to stay to one side. As she walked, she looked for signs the detectives had also come this way, signs they had examined one or more of the footprints. No. It appeared they had gone as far as where the killer had stood, but had not backtracked him. Odd.

Following the trail was not easy. Branches grabbed at her coat, and her feet never seemed to be landing on anything solid. One step she would land on a fallen branch, the next a pile of leaves or a rock hidden in the snow. She hadn't been on the trail five minutes when she had her coat unzipped. This was work. Rainbo had run through this? Rifle in hand, killer behind? How far had she gone? Where had she come from? There seemed to be nothing out here.

An eternity later, Kat was thinking this was all impossible. It didn't matter how young she was. No one could cover this much ground through the middle of a forest.

And then she heard it – the click of an automatic pulling a bullet into the chamber. She dropped to the ground and slapped her hip. Shit. No weapon. Maybe she had been seen. Maybe she had been heard. If she had been seen, she was dead. The killer would just walk up to her. Kat could try to run, but she could never run through this woods. She would never make it as far as Rainbo had. She lay still and hoped.

She had been seen. She could tell. Every step was directly towards her. She stood. Lying down, she was just an easy target. Standing, maybe the killer would get close enough to reach. She moved her feet around, trying to get a solid foundation.

"Kat." Dave Kekkonen took another step towards her, and now she could see him between the trees.

"I'm unarmed, Dave."

"Sorry." He cleared his weapon and holstered it.

"Why has no one examined any of these footprints?"

"Because we have better prints over here." He pointed behind him. Kat struggled over the uneven ground and saw where he was pointing – a driveway.

"Where are we?"

"School forest." He pointed past the drive to a stone foundation, all that remained of a farmhouse. Farming had been tried in Amberg. 1900 to the mid1930s. The soil was bad, the growing season short, life was hard. Then the Great Depression finished them off. Farms were taken for unpaid taxes. Trees were planted, their stumpage fees earmarked to support the local schools.

Kat walked closer, then stopped near the driveway. Two inches of fresh snow didn't hide the tracks beneath. A car had been parked in the drive. Footprints led from each side. Both sets had been marked.

"Where was the second car parked?"

"We only found tracks from one."

"Rainbo and the killer both arrived in the same car?"

"That's the way it looks."

"That makes no sense."

"I agree." Kekkonen stared at her. "See anything in the woods I should know about?"

"All I learned in there is I never want to walk through that patch of woods again. From the logging road to here took me over an hour. Sixty hard minutes. There's no deer trail, no breaks in the trees, just endless branches and uneven ground. Sixty minutes, and I'm exhausted."

"Let's sit in my car and talk." His cruiser was parked at the base of the drive, just off the road. He got behind the wheel and Kat tried to get in the passenger side. It wasn't easy. Besides the shot gun mounted on the dash, he had a computer system that took up all the room between the seats, and a first aid kit on the floor.

"We used to bitch about how tight it was in a Humvee." She picked two file folders off the seat and pushed them next to the computer.

"You should see it when I've got lunch and a change of clothes in here." They closed their doors and Kekkonen started the engine. His heater worked faster than Kat's.

"Were you able to get an impression from the boot tracks?"

"We have a pretty clever guy in the garage. He came out with a blower and was able to get enough new snow out that we could get pretty good impressions."

"And?"

"We sent them off to Madison, where they may sit a month, but the initial reaction they had was the boot soles are made in China and glued onto millions of boots. Not much help."

"What about size?"

"One size small – Rainbo's. One size medium. Which basically tells us nothing. Truth is, we don't even know if a crime was committed here. It's deer season. People get shot. Two people get out of their car, walk to the edge of the forest, and for some reason, walk in. You said Rainbo was new to hunting. Maybe she didn't know this was the wrong place to hunt deer. Her partner shoots at a sound he thinks is a deer, or he trips over a rock under the snow and his gun goes off."

"And then he runs off."

"People panic. People do stupid things all the time."

"People also kill all the time."

"Why?"

"We will probably never know." Kat turned toward Kekkonen. "Sorry. Here's my standard lecture to new MPs. I spent most of my time at Fort Meade outside Washington. NSA headquarters. They call it a fort, but it looks like an office complex. Huge office buildings like you might find at Microsoft. Massive parking lot outside. Outside the front gate is the National Cryptologic Museum. Interesting place. They even have an Enigma machine – one that helped them break the German codes in World War II. I sent all my new people over there for a couple hours to learn some history and see some of the tools. Then I had them drive through that sea of cars. And I asked, tell me which cars belong to good guys, which to traitors, which to cowards, which to greedy bastards. Which machine will tell us?"

"So, your point is we will never know why."

"We will never know why in any form that makes sense to us."

"So?"

"So we give up on why, and ask how."

"Kat, we already know how she was shot."

"Yes, but we don't know how the killer got her out here."

"We are already checking her friends."

"Maybe I can do some checking too. I saw her with seven other people."

"Women."

"Why not? Sugar and spice and everything nice – along with twelve percent of US homicides."

"Fair enough. Let me drive you back to your lodge so you can start checking."

"Thanks. I don't even want to think about walking back."

The drive back? Long. She would need to check a map, but it appeared the old farm was northwest of her, four miles for sure. They drove the county road east to 141 and then down to Amberg and around to her lodge. That old farm seemed much more than four miles from her.

Chapter 7

A Very Useless Afternoon

You know you are getting old when you need a nap. That was Kat's last thought as she collapsed on the huge couch by the fire. She was out like a light. She might have spent the afternoon curled up – like a cat – in front of the fireplace (long ago converted to propane for convenience), but far too soon she heard a knock on her door about the same time she heard her phone beep for incoming mail. End of nap.

She took the door first. It was Ed Schneider with her wine.

"I found a good chardonnay for nine ninety five a bottle, and got the Prairie Fume for nine bucks even." He was holding the first case of wine. She took it from him while he went out for the second case. She put the first case down by the bar and then hurried back to the door. If she gave him time, he would come in, take his boots off, and she would never be rid of him. She rushed back and got to the door at the same time he did. She took the case of wine from him and put it just behind her, standing at the edge of the entryway. He was in the lodge, but she wasn't letting him get any farther – any more comfortable. If he kept his coat on, she could keep this conversation to ten minutes max.

"There was a big article about the murder in this morning's paper. Your name was mentioned." All the local papers had collapsed into a daily serving Marinette, Menominee, and Peshtigo. Supposedly it served all of Marinette and Menominee Counties, but only two local reporters remained, so not much was included outside the cities of Marinette and Menominee. No surprise that it had taken until Wednesday for the news from Amberg to be reported.

"Did they say who shot her?"

"No, just that it had occurred the final day of the season, so they were investigating whether it was an accidental killing, or whether it had been a murder. They said the investigation was ongoing."

"Yes, that makes sense." She stared at the man. The entry way was one step down from the rest of the room, so she was looking down at him as he spoke. He wasn't a bad guy. You just had to remember anything you said to him would be repeated a minimum of fifty times over the next week. So, the less said, the better.

"Are you at all afraid out here, all alone?"

"Ed, if the shooting was accidental, the killer probably doesn't even know he did it. He went home Sunday like everyone else. If the shooting was murder, the guy is already back home in Milwaukee or Waukesha hoping he doesn't see a police cruiser in front of his house."

"Unless the person was local."

"Don't go there, Ed. There is no reason to think someone here suddenly decided to start killing people." She paused for emphasis. "Stay where you are, and I'll get you a check for the wine. I am sure you need to get back to your shop." The lodge had a small office off the great room. She hurried to it and to the check book in the desk. Speed mattered. If she got back to him before he could get his coat off, this all might be over quickly.

It was close. He had his coat unbuttoned and his scarf unwound.

"Would you like me to help uncase the wine?"

"No thanks, Ed. The bill?" He pulled an invoice from his coat pocket.

"I gave you a ten percent case discount."

"Thanks." Kat glanced at the invoice and wrote a check while standing in front of him. "I'll stop by next week once I know how many will be attending my next activity." She handed him the check and stepped past him to open the door. The open door seemed to do the trick. He put away the check, rebuttoned his coat, and left.

Next, emails. Kat returned to her couch and her phone. First email? The newspaper. They didn't have the budget to put a reporter in a car and drive all the way to Amberg. So, they reported by email. Did she have any comment about finding the body? No. What could she possibly say that would be useful to the public? If the family contacted her, she would try to say something. But the general public? Why? She deleted the reporter's email.

Next, one of the women booked for the weekend. She was suddenly ill. Could she get her deposit back? So, Kat was down to four for the weekend. Of did she even have four?

Odd, the next six emails were women who wondered if they could still sign up for the sculpting weekend. Six! Did they want to sculpt, or did they want a story to tell about their visit to Amberg – you know, the place where that young woman was just killed.

It was so tempting to say "no." But, she had room for them, and three thousand dollars would pay for a lot of propane this winter. She accepted all six and directed them to the website where they should make their deposit. She now had ten for the weekend - if there wasn't another cancellation. Would there be? Who knew?

Kat called the restaurant and told Lois she would be feeding twelve for the weekend – ten participants, the sculptor, and Kat. Lois seemed surprised. Maybe she thought killings scared people away. Apparently not.

The couch felt good, and Kat was tempted to resume her nap. But it was midafternoon already, and she was hungry. And curious. The kitchen was filled with leftovers. She grabbed a little of this and a little of that and filled the microwave. A steaming plate of mush in front of her, she sat at the monstrous kitchen work table, a fork in one hand, her phone in the other.

Pictures. She took pictures of every group that came through. Great for the website and Face Book. Year one she had paid a company to "build a social media presence." Several thousand bucks later, Kat figured she could post pictures on her own.

She went back a weekend. Deer hunt group one. Eight happy women. She had sixteen images, several of which she had already posted to her website and to Facebook. She studied all sixteen. Did any of the other seven women look at Rainbo in a way that suggested, well, suggested anything? Love, hate, concern, even simple annoyance? Oddly, she couldn't find a picture in which anyone was even looking at Rainbo. She was there, smiling, participating in every activity, joining right in with the rest, and the rest were smiling and being busy, but in none of the pictures was anyone looking at Rainbo.

Was it her age? Kat didn't ask ages on any forms. Sometimes she got girls in their teens. But usually it was women in their thirties and up. Usually married (another question she didn't ask but had no trouble learning from conversation), some of the women wanted to do outdoor things with their husbands but were annoyed by "mansplaining". They would go hunting with their husband, but not if they had to put up with endless lectures, all of which contained some element of belittlement. Other women just wanted to go off and do things on their own. They wanted to spend more time outdoors, but they had little interest in the things that drove men – no hunting, shooting, or competing. They would sign up for the ice sculpting, cross country skiing, or wildlife photography. Doing it with other women would be fun. And, being in their thirties or older, if they had kids, the kids were old enough to be left on their own, or with the husband. This was also an age where they could begin to afford five hundred dollars for a special weekend.

That particular weekend had a mix of ages, but mostly they were in their thirties. One woman had to be fifty, and another was probably close. Rainbo? Late-twenties. But somehow she looked younger. Less mature. Less experienced. A girl surrounded by women. Had she been excluded? It didn't seem so. She was in just as many pictures as the other women. Sitting on a couch with two other women. Standing alongside the road as they gathered at the end of the day. Laughing at a joke as they gathered for dinner. She was there. She was included. She was involved. But. Kat scrolled through the pictures yet again, but could find no grouping where anyone was talking to Rainbo, or even looking at her. No eye contract. Somehow she was like a ghost superimposed on the gathering. There but not there. Or was Kat just imagining it now that she knew Rainbo's future.

Kat slid through the images several times. Did anybody look at anybody? Yes, the women were having fun, facing each other and talking. They had quickly formed as a group, sharing email addresses and phone numbers – pretty much like most of her groups. There was one woman who seemed to stand out. Julie. Julie Ames. Early-thirties, so a little younger than average, but not particularly so.

She looked for Rainbo, but mostly she saw Julie. She was the woman the others seemed to be looking at in many of the pictures. Somehow she drew more attention. Maybe her smile was bigger. Maybe she talked more. She was attractive, so that might have been part of it. Somehow she was charismatic. It happens.

Julie was always having fun, always near one of the other women talking or touching. Seemingly always in the midst of some conversation. Kat went back through the pictures again. Julie sitting next to this woman, Julie walking out to the van with another woman, Julie applauding and smiling at another woman who had just gotten her deer. Kat wasn't sure that Julie had interacted with every woman, but it was clear there was one woman she never seemed to talk with – Rainbo. Odd. They were not too different in age. They were a natural pair to share a room, but they hadn't. Kat couldn't even find a picture of them sitting at the same end of the dining table.

But then, that had been Rainbo. In every picture, she was there, smiling, participating, but just a couple millimeters away from the rest, just a bit aloof. Kat hadn't noticed it over the weekend. Especially with weapons involved, she generally was alert to those who might be nervous, hesitant. She hadn't seen that in any of the women. Not in Rainbo. They had all seemed comfortable learning to shoot, and they had all walked to their deer stands alert and ready. Hell, most of them had gotten a deer their first weekend out in the woods. So, no problems. At least no problems she had seen then.

Now? Maybe Rainbo had been just a bit aloof. Maybe Kat was just imagining things now that she knew what would happen a week later. Maybe.

Two hours and half a plate of mush later, Kat gave up. Maybe Rainbo was just introverted. In any case, no picture showed another woman looking at Rainbo in anger. No picture said – hey, this lady is the killer. Look at her staring at Rainbo with blood in her eyes. Nope. The pictures were telling her nothing. She cleaned up after herself, then put on her coat and went out for some air. It was dark already. You just turned around, and it was dark. Just a couple days from December when it would be even darker.

Kat stood out in front of the lodge, light from the windows stretching out around her. She rocked a bit in her boots. The snow squeaked. Take a walk? No. She decided to stay where she was, staring off across the lake. It looked even less impressive in winter. Just a flat expanse of snow. Blank. Empty. Nothing there. Pretty much like the expanse between her ears. A woman she had known was dead, killed within walking distance. And Kat didn't even have the beginnings of a theory.

It didn't take long for her ears to get cold. At least she knew what to do about that. She went back into the lodge and went to bed.

Chapter 8

Sculptors are Bad Drunks

Thursday was prep day. The sculptor would arrive around noon. At least that was the plan. Kat had never worked with her before. Ice sculpting was a new activity. Kat tried to do ten new activities a year. Keep it fresh was the thought. Some worked, some didn't. Ice sculpting along the lake seemed a reasonable risk.

The sculptor was part of the risk. Ra'shell Jenkins. Did her parents know they would be raising an artist? Maybe they were artists too. Ra'shell. Took some getting used to. Kat had found her by doing a Google search on ice sculptors. She was based in Green Bay, and according to her website led weekly classes all winter in her garage studio. Kat had called, the conversation had gone well, Ra'shell had provided half a dozen references.

Ra'shell was supposed to arrive at noon. She pulled up to the lodge at eleven, driving an F-150 that had rust on all four wheel wells, and a big pile of gear in back. She jumped out of the truck and got to the front door at the same time as Kat. Big smile, hand out stretched, she appeared to be early thirties, black hair exploding from her head in every direction, leggings under a jean skirt under a huge khaki coat that appeared to be war surplus from a war long forgotten. She kept her face forward of her body, her eyes wide like she was struggling to see without her contacts.

"I knew I would love this place." She pointed to the lodge, then listed at least ten virtues of the place, starting with the "glorious" windows and eventually getting to the "sterile pallet presented by the lake." Kat nodded, shook her hand, and adjusted to the fact Ra'shell would be doing pretty much all the talking over the weekend.

The next two hours were all work. Ra'shell strode down to the shore of the lake, picked out the places where the sculpting would be done, and set out wooden stands for the ice blocks. Kat carried several of the stands over, but Ra'shell placed each one. Ra'shell kept up a steady flow of words, outlining how she would spend each minute of the weekend, and how each stand was exactly where it should be, and how the sun would enhance each stroke of their tools, and... well, the topics changed but the words kept flowing without pause. Kat stood, helped, listened.

Ice sculptures require blocks of ice, and that took another hour. She had brought old five gallon paint buckets, and they filled them with water in the kitchen sink and then dragged them out to the lake to freeze. Five gallons of water weigh over forty pounds. Ra'shell appeared to weigh less than her hair, but she was strong enough to carry out several of the buckets. Kat took out the rest.

While the buckets froze, Kat showed Ra'shell her room (Kat's room), and made her a sandwich. Ra'shell eventually got to the kitchen, but first she was all over the lodge, providing non-stop commentary about every room. She might actually have been the first person ever to appreciate the antler chandelier over the great room. "Oh, now that's character." She spent the next fifteen minutes turning the chandelier lights on and off and describing how the shadows "presented" by the antlers were "mythic."

Kat became exhausted just from listening. Sometime during the afternoon she was able to describe some of the basic schedule for the weekend – when women would arrive (any time after six on Friday, drinks at six, dinner at eight), how she normally did introductions the first evening, when breakfast would be served, and how long she thought women could carve ice before they got too cold. She was fairly sure Ra'shell was listening, but listening ended pretty fast, and then the running commentary recommenced. The leather seats in the great room were "male-centric," but it would only take a few color swatches to "co-opt" them.

They checked the ice buckets several times. Actually Kat checked the buckets several times to escape the barrage of words. Ra'shell said it would take four hours for the water to freeze, and she was right. Just as the sun was setting, Ra'shell came out with a kettle of hot water, up ended the ice buckets on the stands, and poured hot water over the bottom of the buckets until the plastic came free of the ice. A couple buckets were a struggle, but it didn't take too long to have ten ice blocks set for the weekend.

Kat had thought she would cook something for dinner, but now the idea of spending two or three hours sitting with Ra'shell scared the hell out of her. She imagined being battered to death by words.

"Should we go into town for dinner?"

"I would love that. Which restaurant has the best wine list?" Kat had been thinking of the Wausaukee Diner, but they didn't serve alcohol. The only place within fifty miles with a wine list was the Hilton resort.

"There is a Hilton resort not too far from here. They don't have a formal dress code, but..." Kat motioned to what they were wearing. Carrying ice buckets had not done wonders for their clothes. The Diner would happily take them as they were. The resort...

"Not a problem. I brought a dress along just in case. Give me five minutes to change."

She disappeared into Kat's bedroom for about an hour and a half. When she came out, she looked like a girl who had stuck her finger in a light socket on her way to the prom. She had combed her hair, but it still exploded in every direction. She now wore most of the products of Maybelline, applied in multiple layers. Her dress was red satin, spaghetti straps over a plunging neckline, with a flared skirt that didn't reach her knees. It was the dress a high school girl might wear to a wedding reception in August. Ra'shell didn't have the chest for it, and she would be frozen solid in that outfit, but Kat just smiled and asked for a few minutes to change.

It looked like a clothes closet had exploded across her bed. Ra'shells' suitcase was somewhere under all of it. Kat ignored the bed and went into her closet. She had a winter dress that worked on those rare occasions when a dress was required. Forest green, it was a heavy weight cotton with long sleeves, a squared neckline, and a flared skirt that hung past her knees two inches. She had worn it before, and knew she could wrap the skirt around her thighs and be fairly warm.

Makeup? She found her things in the corner of her dressing table. She did a little around her eyes and used a bit of lip gloss. That was plenty for Amberg, even at the Hilton Resort.

She had been in her room maybe ten minutes. When she came out she found Ra'shell sitting at the bar in the great room. She had opened a bottle of chardonnay and a bottle of prairie fume. Her glass was nearly empty. Apparently she approved of both wines.

"Shall we go?" Kat motioned to the door. Ra'shell drained the remainder of her wine and hurried to the entryway. Kat was scared to death she would pull on high heels, but Ra'shell laced up the same boots she had been wearing all day. So, some sense of reality remained.

There was a little discussion of who would drive. Kat explained her vehicle was a large van. Ra'shell offered to drive her truck. Kat considered it. After two glasses of wine she was probably still legal, but two glasses of wine on snow covered roads unfamiliar to her... They took the van. Ra'shell thought it was hilarious for the two of them to be in such a huge van. Kat thought Ra'shell would freeze even under her huge coat, but she sat up in the front seat, leaning toward the windshield, commenting on everything she saw. If she was cold, she didn't mention it.

As they got close to the resort, Kat took over the conversation. She explained the place was an island in the Menominee River, large enough for a nine hole golf course and a large hotel. The place had a history. Nearly a century ago it had been rumored to be a Capone hangout. Twenty years ago, another Chicago area criminal had taken part of the city treasury to do upgrades on the hotel – a whole new wing. All very nice. All illegal. Eventually the city clerk went to jail and the resort closed. Several owners later, Hilton had taken over.

Ra'shell was suddenly even more interested in the place, and asked a million questions while Kat drove through the woods, and then across the bridge and onto the island. There were two entrances to the place – a lower level where hotel guests registered, and an upper level for the restaurant and bar. Kat drove to the upper level and parked. Plenty of room for her van. There was only one other car in the lot.

Ra'shell practically ran to the entrance and then to the restaurant. Kat's legs were cold, and she moved pretty fast herself. Rumors were that three million dollars had been siphoned out of city accounts and put into the new wing and renovations to the older part of the hotel. The money showed everywhere. Every wall was paneled with deep-stained hardwoods. All hardware was brass. All doors were double and wide.

The restaurant was empty. A young woman came out of some corner and seated them at one of the ten available tables. Table cloths, candles, two chandeliers set with the lights dimmed. If you were looking for a romantic dinner, this was the place. Apparently no one was looking for romance. Not at these prices, and not in Amberg.

Ra'shall was looking for more wine. She found a forty dollar bottle of chardonnay. Kat had expected the meal to set her back a hundred dollars. Now she knew it would be north of that. On the plus side, the waitress was happy to talk – family, Iron Mountain (she drove nearly forty miles for this job), her waitress history, even the latest on the woman who had stolen from the city accounts (she was due to be out of jail any day now).

Ra'shell matched her with stories about restaurants around Wisconsin, the art scene in Green Bay, the wonders of ice sculpting, and the several men in her life. Kat sipped her wine (she had one glass while Ra'shell finished the bottle), ordered the cheapest pasta dish on the menu, and enjoyed an hour where the word barrage was fired in another's direction.

Ra'shell decided they should have an after-dinner drink. They had their choice of two empty bars. The formal bar was opposite the dining room. Paneling, brass, a U-shaped bar that might seat thirty. That night it was seating none. The bartender looked up hopefully as they stood in the door, but Ra'shell saw a sign for the sports bar, so that's where they went.

The sports bar was a sports bar by virtue of two pool tables and half a dozen flat screen TVs showing basketball games. It was down a narrow stairway and almost as empty as the bar upstairs. Two guys in their early thirties were the only customers. They had been talking to the bartender (another guy their age), and looked up to watch Ra'shell and Kat enter. Both women were carrying their coats, so you can imagine who they were looking at – the skinny lady in red.

The bar was shaped like a J and could seat about thirty around the three sides. Ra'shell took the seats right next to the guys. She dumped her coat several seats away, and introduced herself to the guys as she pulled a stool even closer to guy number one – Carl. She ordered two glasses of chardonnay while she played with her skirt and told Carl her life story. Carl immediately leaned toward her, looking like he had not only won the lottery, but the lottery had come to him with cash and a smile.

Kat took the next stool down and put out a ten for the wine. Guy number two – Tom – decided it was raining women, and he should get his too. He picked up his beer and moved down the bar to sit next to Kat.

"Hi. I'm Tom." He sat with his back to the bar, staring directly at Kat. He held out his hand.

"Kat." She shook his hand. He kept hold of her hand, and lowered it so it rested on his thigh. He was sitting so close that his thigh was also tight against hers. She tried to remember the last time she had been in a bar for a potential hook up. It seemed he had some practice in it.

"Are you two up here for a visit?" He seemed to be leaning closer.

"I live here. You?"

"Carl and I work for the resort." His second hand was now on hers, slowly stroking it.

"Odd, I haven't seen you around."

"We just got here a couple months ago. Transfer. We heard the hunting was interesting." He was getting very close.

"Tom, your friend may get lucky, but you and I aren't happening. I am old enough to be your mother, and I am seeing someone."

"You don't look a day over thirty five." His hand came up and brushed some hair from her face, his hand then sliding along her cheek, his fingers in her hair, palm against her face, his thumb stroking her temple. He definitely had all the moves. She wondered how many women had taught him.

He kissed her, and she had to admit he did it well. Blue eyes, longer blond hair, a beard, he was good looking. His hand felt soft, and his kiss was gentle. She wondered how far she would let him go before she stopped him.

Then she felt movement behind her. Ra'shell was up. She was pulling her man up with her, already moving to the music being piped in. She took several steps into some open space, turned, and wrapped her arms around Carl. She had her lips glued to his neck, and her hips pressed against his. The poor guy was probably about to lose it.

Tom decided he wanted the same. He stood and pulled Kat near the other couple. She stood with him, but assumed the standard dance format, taking his hand in hers and putting her other hand on his shoulder. He put an arm around her back and pulled her close, but she managed to keep a millimeter or two from his hips.

For some reason, maybe it was just his style, he decided to rock from side to side. He especially leaned to the side where their hands joined. And she struggled not to laugh. Whenever men danced this way, she always thought of kindergarten. I'm a little tea pot, short and stout. Lean me over and pour me out. And she stretched out her hand when he next leaned in that direction. She was on the brink of laughing, knowing the complications that might cause, when the song changed.

Achey, breaky heart.

Instantly Ra'shell pushed Carl away and started line dancing. Carl didn't have any choice. He lined up next to her, then Tom and Kat joined the line. They stumbled into each other for the first couple moves, but then they got organized. The guys knew the steps. The line formed and the first vine went well – two steps to the right, two to the left, shuffled step, and quarter turn.

Two things happened with the turn. First, there was no dance floor, just a narrow space between the bar and the pool tables. So when they turned they had nowhere to go. Second, a quick turn after six glasses of wine can be a problem.

Ra'shell froze. She looked at the bartender. "Where is the bathroom?" He pointed up the stairs, and she rushed off. Kat grabbed the coats and purses and hurried after her.

She made it in time – barely. Kat leaned back against the sinks and waited. Ra'shell threw up four times. After the third time she flushed the toilet, and began to get up. Kat told her to wait. She did. Five minutes later she had her head over the toilet again. Six glasses of wine. Ra'shell staggered over to the sink and washed her face and rinsed her mouth as best she could. Kat hung her coat over her shoulders and led her out to the van.

For the first time that day, Ra'shell was quiet. She slumped back in her seat while Kat drove home. It took ten minutes of quiet for a new idea to surface in Kat's brain. Outsiders. She had been looking for them in the Amberg bar. They were all over the resort. Two new ones just in the last two months. How many others were there? And those two? What would a young woman like Rainbo think of them? That was pretty obvious. Kat had liked his kiss too.

She got Ra'shell into bed, hoping she wouldn't puke all over the floor. She put a waste basket next to her bed just in case.

Kat pulled a blanket from her closet and laid out on the couch opposite the fireplace. She was plenty tired, but she lay awake for a long time thinking about strangers.

Chapter 9

The Arrivals

Last minute checks Friday morning. Kat walked through the upstairs bedrooms to check she had put out towels and emptied wastebaskets. Downstairs she straightened the stools by the bar in the great room and carried Ra'shell's wine glass into the kitchen. No sign of Ra'shell yet. While in the kitchen, she made her usual oatmeal and checked she had what she needed in the refrigerator.

She set her phone in front of her as she ate her breakfast. Weather? Cool but not much wind. Maybe some sun. No snow until Sunday evening. Emails? Another cancellation – on the first day of the event. There would be no return of that deposit. Kat looked through the rest of her emails and saw a new request. Julie. Julie Ames. One of the eight women from two weekends before. The young one the others had liked. She wanted to sculpt. Nice message. She had such a great time last time, and she always wanted to try ice sculpting, any chance she could join? Kat agreed, and told her the schedule for arrival – and where to pay on-line for the weekend.

Julie. Kat scrolled back through some images to that weekend. There she was. Always with someone. Always smiling. In every image, she was smiling – always the person having the most fun. She even smiled while cleaning her rifle. And, somehow she always seemed to be standing closer to the other women. Engaging with them. Engaging with every woman but one. What would she know about Rainbo?

Ra'shell strode into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Sorry about last night." Those four words were buried under a blizzard of words exclaiming on the resort, how much fun "the boys" were, how good the steak was (Kat thought it should be at $54), and how cool it was to have a criminal hotel just down the road. She didn't seem to mind that Kat was still reading emails.

"What more do we need to do to be ready for the weekend?" Kat asked in the middle of Ra'shell's description of Carl ("Did you like his eyes? I didn't like them much. Did you?"). Ra'shell stopped, looked confused for just a second, and then changed subjects.

"I have everything in my truck. My plan is to do the weekend as I would the first five meetings of my regular course. Tonight we do some drawings. Tomorrow we get out the tools and start carving. Will that be okay?"

"That will be fine. I have some errands to run, but I will be back by mid-afternoon if you need me for anything." Kat took her breakfast things to the sink and washed them.

"Kat?"

"Yes."

"I really am sorry. It looked like you and that guy were beginning..."

"No. Nothing was happening there."

"Okay." And she went back to talking about Carl, following Kat out to the front door, and talking about his dance moves as Kat laced her boots and put on her coat. As near as Kat could tell, Ra'shell didn't let a hangover slow her down. Good. It was going to be a long day.

First stop – Wausaukee IGA. Wausaukee was about ten miles south of Amberg on 141. Not a bad drive, actually. A few hills, forests running to the horizon on both sides. Wide shoulders, so it didn't feel like the trees were engulfing the road.

Wausaukee had about five hundred people. Enough to support a hardware store, three bars, a bowling alley, and an IGA. The biggest employer was the school. It was at the north end of town. She glanced it as she started to slow coming into town. Built in the 70s during an energy shortage, it was a single story, with dirt covering the lower half of the walls. Insulation. She wondered what Jim thought of it. Funny the things they had never talked about even after three years of sleeping together.

The IGA? All businesses were along 141. The IGA was about in the middle. An average sized grocery store. Kat was there for safe snacks. Apparently peanuts were dangerous, as was some kind of wheat (gluten?). But you didn't just serve wine without something to eat. What was left? Cheese and fruit. And ideally, the cheese and fruit would be served in a way that required tooth picks, not utensils. So, grapes were good (they didn't even need toothpicks), and apple slices. But oranges made a mess, as did pineapple. Kat carefully filled her grocery cart. She also took a carton of fruit dip and vegetable dip and a bag of those little carrots. The cheese was pricy (even in the cheese state), and she needed three varieties just to show some class. She got enough to provide snacks for two nights. It came to nearly fifty bucks.

Now what? It was a little early for lunch, but she was pretty sure the Wausaukee Diner would make her a cheeseburger. Meals at the lodge would be dainty. Lois and Marie would serve good meals, but the portions would be just adequate, and there would be little grease or fat. Dainty and healthy. Fine. But there was a reason why America liked cheeseburgers.

Kat drove down the road to the diner. The breakfast crowd was finishing up, and the lunch crowd had not yet arrived. She pretty much had the place to herself.

Sarah took her order, said a cheeseburger would be no problem, gave a slip to the cook, and then sat down opposite her.

"Do you feel safe up there all by yourself?" Kat had lunch at the café once or twice a week for nearly four years. A regular. Enough that she could order a cheeseburger at ten thirty. Apparently also enough that Sarah felt she could sit and talk. Sarah was sixty if she was a day, owned the place, and lived the place. She was everyone's friend. And everyone's spokesperson. If she asked about your safety, it was certain fifty others had already mentioned the subject. That sounded nice, but if people thought the lodge was dangerous, sooner or later that would get back to her customers.

"For all we know, it was just a shot out of nowhere. Some hunter desperate on the final day, taking a shot he shouldn't have taken."

"Maybe." She reached out across the table to take Kat's hand, and then continued as if Kat hadn't said anything. "Someone said it looked like she was trying to get to your lodge."

"She was on an old logging road. I looked on a county map. It's not on it. I don't know where the road leads. My lodge is over two miles one direction. Who knows what's the other direction? It's just an old road. Sarah, she was out hunting. She got shot. It happens."

"I suppose." She got up. It was painful to watch her stand. She had swollen ankles and Lord only knew what was wrong with her feet. But she stood and touched Kat's hand again. "But be careful, honey."

"Will do."

Sarah shuffled to the cash register and took money from a couple. The register had to be as old as Sarah. A bell rang when she opened it. Several minutes later she brought Kat her cheeseburger. It was fabulous. The bun was toasted, the patty was covered with fried onions, and the cheese was just barely melted. It was well worth the drive. Kat decided she needed to come for a cheeseburger at least twice a week, both for the burger, and to feel which way the wind was blowing.

On the drive back to the lodge she thought about that logging road. What was farther up that old road? And, she thought about her exercise regimen. A four mile run. Always four miles. She knew better than that. You needed to stretch it, stress it, vary it. When had she gotten so lazy? Monday or Tuesday, after the sculpting, she would add a few miles – up that road.

Back at the lodge, as she put away the snacks, she saw Ra'shell had made herself a sandwich – and drunk half a bottle of wine. Problem? Why had none of the references mentioned the drinking? Kat was going to have to watch her. But first she needed a shower and a change of clothes – in her room. Her bed was a mess, her bathroom was a mess, and Ra'shell had used all but one of her towels. Ice sculpting was going to be a once-only activity.

Out of the shower, Kat put on fresh jeans and a heavy sweater. She wanted the guests to see her dressed casually so they would dress casually and relax. The weekend was to be fun. Comfortable. She wrapped a towel around her wet hair and went looking for Ra'shell.

Kat found her at the ice blocks along the edge of the lake. She had been busy. Several of the blocks had been moved, and all now had saws and files alongside them. Kat relaxed. The woman was prepared.

"This setting is so perfect, these women are going to have two of the best days of their lives." Another million or so words followed, and then she made an interesting point. "Have you thought of a fire? You could build one right there, and it would give the women a place to warm and a place to mingle. And if you had hot chocolate..." She had a whole lot more to say about the hot chocolate, but Kat got the idea. And it was a good one. There was certainly no shortage of firewood. Kat had a chainsaw, and in one of her less successful weekends (only three women had signed up), she had taken down several dead trees and cut up the branches. A large stack was behind the garage. While Ra'shell directed her (she knew the exact perfect spot for the fire), Kat found a wheel barrow and brought several loads of wood. There would be a fire in the morning.

By midafternoon, Kat had the fire set to go, had changed her jeans again, and had created several pretty good looking snack trays. The lodge was ready. Kat sat near the front entrance reviewing the three sentence bios she had asked of all participants. She was pretty sure she had the ten names memorized. Next? The arrival of the weekend guests. Any time after six.

Julie arrived at four. She got out of her car and walked up to Kat, her arms extended. "I am so glad to see you are safe." Julie wrapped her arms around Kat's neck and kissed her cheek. "I'm sure this has been very hard for you." She was practically eyeball to eyeball with Kat, her arms still tight around Kat's neck. "I am really pleased to see you are continuing to operate." Her face took on a reassuring smile, a smile usually seen on mothers when one of the kids had skinned a knee.

"Thank you for your concern. I am pleased you were able to join us this weekend."

"Anything I can do to help." Another smile, and another kiss on the cheek.

Kat wasn't sure what to do next. She had wanted to talk to Julie about Rainbo. But how did she start that conversation? Was now the time? Maybe.

"Let's get you inside." The woman had gotten out of the car wearing a sleeveless silk blouse and a cotton skirt that barely made her knees. She had to be freezing. "Let me help you with your luggage." Julie stepped back and opened the trunk of her car. She had two large suitcases for a three day weekend. Kat didn't comment. She picked up the bags and led the way into the lodge and up the stairs.

"Do you have a preference for which room?"

"They're all fine, Kat."

Kat put her in the room closest to the great room and the stairs. As she set down the bags, Julie took her hand and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Kat, I mean it. Tell me what I can do to help."

"Can you tell me what you remember about Rainbo? Did she talk about her friends? Did she seemed stressed?"

"I spent time with all the women. When I thought about it later, Rainbo was the one I knew least about. She was pleasant, happy enough, helpful when asked, but I am not sure she ever said a word about herself. I don't think I even learned what city she was from." While she was talking, Julie continued to hold Kat's hand. She also sat tight against her, hip to hip, her shoulders turned so she could look directly at Kat while she talked.

"Well, thank you for telling me that. I guess some people are just more private." Kat moved a bit, preparing to get up. Julie reached across and put a hand on the far side of her neck, pulling Kat toward her.

"Kat, I know you are concerned, but this might be one time when you never know what happened."

"Yes, that might be true." Kat smiled, took Julie's hand from her neck, and left the room.

The other guests started arriving, and the rest of the evening seemed to rush by. Kat greeted them at the door and took their luggage (most only had one bag). She led them up to their room, and then went back to the front door. Ra'shell decided she should play hostess in the great room, mostly at the bar. She brought out Kat's snack plates, poured wine, and talked nonstop.

There was a bit of confusion about the dress code. Kat greeted everyone wearing jeans and a sweater. Ra'shell wore her red satin prom dress over a pair of leggings. Julie changed into a yellow silk cocktail dress and spent a lot of time on the balcony above the great room, talking with each woman as they came out of their room. Women coming straight from office jobs arrived wearing anything from dresses to pants to jeans. Several changed to something more comfortable, but two switched to nicer dresses. It looked like it might be one of those weekends.

Dinner? Lois did a fine job, although the big hit of the evening was the dining room – not the candles and the crystal and all the things Lois had worked so hard on. It was the fish. Ra'shell decided there should be a free bottle of wine for whoever could come up with the best name for the huge mounted fish that graced the wall behind Kat's chair. Things started out simple enough – Monty Musky – but it didn't take long before the names got more risqué. They were still coming up with names until late in the evening.

After dinner Ra'shell passed out notebooks and art pencils and asked people to draw a head they wanted to sculpt. Copying from images they had on their phones was encouraged. One rule? Sculpt a female. Ra'shell walked around behind Julie and put her hands on each side of her head.

"Men have ears. Ears take forever to sculpt, and then they break off. Forget men. Take a head like this one." She ran her hands down Julie's hair. "Easy flowing hair, very round, very simple to sculpt. Try a wave here and there if you wish, but keep it simple. The face will be outlined by the hair." She now put her hands on the edges of Julie's face. "See how the hair frames it? Do a nice easy curve down each side. See?" She played a bit with Julie's hair, deciding how much face to hide or reveal. "Go for round, go for smooth. Then work on the face, but be careful. Eyes take forever, and the nose, well, ask for my help when you get to the nose."

Ra'sell then walked around and helped each woman. Very professional. Kat had to admit to being a bit shocked. She stayed to one side, sitting at the bar and pouring wine for those who asked (most did). She got to see a few of the drawings and thought they looked pretty good.

By eleven or so, women started drifting up to their rooms. Ra'shell also went to her room (taking a bottle with her). Kat stayed seated at the bar, filling a final wine glass and answering questions about breakfast (any time after eight).

Julie was the last to go up. She came over to Kat and stood close at her side, one hand on her upper arm.

"It must have been frightening. You are walking up an old road, alone in the forest, and there is a body. Did you know it was Rainbo?"

"Yes. Not initially, but I could see it was her when I came back with the local deputy and stood closer. She was lying on her stomach, but her head was turned. I could see her face."

"That must have been awful." She was now leaning against Kat, both arms around her. Julie's silk sleeves were against Kat's face. She could smell her scent. Kat waited for the hug to end, but it didn't. If anything, Julie held her tighter, her face against the side of Kat's head. "If you want to talk about it," she whispered, "I'm here for you."

Kat stood up from the bar, thinking Julie would let go of her. She didn't. She stayed tight against Kat, her arms around her neck, her face inches from Kat's, her body pressed against her.

"Thank you." Kat put her hands on Julie's waist and gently pushed her away. Julie kissed her on the cheek, then turned and walked away, her hands and hips moving her silk skirt with every step. Kat watched her climb the steps to her room. There was a final turn at the top of the stairs, the skirt flaring and rising, then Julie went into her room.

Kat got out her blanket and settled into the couch by the fireplace. She had two thoughts before she went to sleep. Julie seemed to know nothing at all about Rainbo. So why was she here? And Ra'shell. She had helped the women go through ten bottles of wine the first night. How would they make it through tomorrow?

Chapter 10

Sculpting

Kat woke at six thirty. She needed to call Dave Kekkonen. If he had the day shift, he would be up. If he didn't, well, she still needed to call him. Her brain had been working while she slept. It had processed her conversation with Julie.

"Dave?"

"No, it's Bonnie. Who is this?"

"Sorry, it's Kat Johnson. I was hoping to talk to Dave about a case."

"The murdered woman."

"Yes."

"He's in the shower. I'll get him." While Bonnie got Dave, Kat walked to the little office and closed the door.

"Kat?"

"Dave. I know when Rainbo was killed."

"When."

"Just before the snow started."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I could see her face. I wasn't close enough to recognize who she was, but I could see a face and know I was looking at a woman." There was a pause. Kat waited, sure that Kekkonen would make the connection her brain had made over night.

"There was snow on her back, but less on her face. Therefore, her skin was still warm enough to melt the initial snow as it fell."

"Yes. One other thing. I could see she had a rifle at her side. It wasn't covered in snow. So, it was also warm."

"It had been fired. This is confidential, Kat."

"Agreed."

"There was just one bullet left in her rifle. Assuming she carried a full load, she had fired four times. Maybe at deer, maybe at something else."

"If I remember right, the snow didn't start until after sunset. But the weather service can confirm that. If it was after sunset, she was killed after sunset, and this was no accident."

"Accidents happen after dark, Kat."

"You don't believe it's an accident, Dave."

"No. I don't. I'll talk to our detectives and get back to you."

"Thanks."

Kat stayed in the office a while. She was embarrassed. It had taken her nearly a week to make the connection. Snow covered the woman's back, but didn't fully cover her face or her rifle. The reasoning was obvious. She had missed it. Maybe it was good she had retired.

She heard Lois drive up. Time for breakfast. She would help unload, help set the table, smile and pour coffee. At least she could do that correctly.

How did the rest of the day go? Pretty well. Guests were up, fed, and out the door by eight thirty or nine. Ra'shell seemed impervious to hangovers. Coffee in one hand, chisel, saw, or file in the other, she guided each guest through the first steps of their sculpture, then kept coming back to guide and instruct. Each guest was given a pair of leather work gloves and all the tools they needed, and all of them seemed to take to the task with enthusiasm, although, from Kat's perspective, it seemed like progress was slow.

Kat's job was simple enough. She got the fire started and kept it going. Ra'shell had been right about how attractive it would be. Filing ice, or sawing it, or chiseling it – any tool they used took work. The women might be enthusiastic, but every twenty or thirty minutes, they would be over by the fire, massaging their hands and talking to the other women. Kat brought out a thermos of hot chocolate and that went over fine too.

The fire was also a great chance to talk with all the women. One or two would come over, stand near the fire, accept a cup of hot chocolate, and Kat could start a conversation. Mostly Kat steered the conversation toward the event. How were things going so far? Did they like working out by the lake, or should sculpting be moved into the garage to get some break from the wind? Had they liked the meals so far?

At some point all of the women asked about the shooting. Kat played defense. It had happened miles away, deep in the woods. It was still being investigated, but since it had happened the last day of deer season, and the woman had been out deer hunting, it was likely just a wild shot. Unfortunately such things happened every season.

When she had the chance, Kat turned the questions around. Any experience hunting? Five said "no," and said it in such a way, it was clear they didn't even like the idea of hunting. One woman said, "yes," she and her husband, two daughters and son, all hunted near La Crosse. They went every year, and it was a family outing they all enjoyed. The other woman? Yes, she had gone with her husband once to a cabin in the woods joined by four other men. Since she was the only woman, they had made her camp cook. She had never gone back.

Kat also took lots of pictures when she had time, thinking something might be revealed through how the women interacted with each other, but she was pretty confident none of these women had been involved in Rainbo's murder.

Who else was working the group? Ra'shell of course. She was everywhere. But so was Julie. She kept up a nonstop conversation with the women sculpting on either side of her, and joined any group of three or more at the fire. She talked, she laughed, she stood close, she touched a hand or adjusted a hat. This wasn't an office gathering, but clearly, she was "working the room." Kat was certain she had been homecoming queen and president of the student council in high school. The woman had energy and personality.

Lunch came - just sandwiches, but that was fine, since the guests wanted to get right back out to their sculptures. Were they making progress? Not so much that Kat could tell, but to hear Ra'shell say it, major art works were emerging. She arrived at a block of ice, file in hand, shaved off a few quick layers, all the time explaining how well the head was shaping up, how good a curve was, how nice the hairline would look, how brilliantly the face would emerge. And the women ate it up. Ten happy women worked on their ice blocks all day, still filing away as the sun set.

Dinner was a celebration preceded by an hour of wine and cheese, and followed by an hour of wine and dancing. Through some general agreement, all the women dressed up. Not all had brought skirts, but all wore the best they had, and many had something nice in their bag. Ra'shell got out her red prom dress again, and Kat went back into her closet and pulled out the forest green dress she had worn to the resort. The best outfit? Julie. Yellow satin, sleeveless, ruffles on the skirt, it was meant for the dance floor.

And tired as they might have been after a day shaving ice, dance they did. Several of the women had iPods that they plugged into the lodge sound system. Everybody danced. Well, they at least stood and moved. There was an open area adjacent to the bar, and they gathered there, not quite in a circle, but in a group. They each had their own style, but style was impacted by age. The younger women danced with their hands over their heads, none higher than Julie. Hands up, hips and skirt flying, she was the main attraction. But all the women joined in. Hands might have been down at their sides for the older women, but they still had their moves.

Kat? Twenty years a soldier, her hands stayed low, close to where weapons had once hung, but she knew her way around a dance floor. Besides, these were her customers. If they danced, she danced.

But it had been a long day, and several women moved to the bar, both to get a drink, and to rest. Julie changed the track on the iPod. Slow. "Unchained Melody" for starters, several similar to follow. There was a moment's embarrassment. Women were not going to slow dance with other women. Julie didn't hesitate. She took one of the women, put the woman's hands around her shoulders, and hugged her as a man would. Five steps later, she whispered in her ear, then moved her hands. The woman laughed and danced a little longer. Then Julie let her go and grabbed another woman while the first woman walked to the bar laughing.

"What did she say?" a woman at the bar asked.

"Push harder with my breasts, and my husband would go nuts."

So. Dance lessons they don't teach in school. Julie worked with several more women, whispering as each laughed. Each came to the bar and reported. "Slide my hips across him. That's what she said. Then make him wait. I can imagine. We already have three kids." That got a laugh.

Finally everyone decided it was Kat's turn. She was tempted to decline, but went along with it. They made an odd couple, Kat at five ten, and Julie maybe reaching five six. But Julie had Kat take the woman's position, hands high around Julie's shoulders, Julie's hands moving from place to place as they danced.

Her advice? "You are much too stiff. You have great hips. Use them. Every time your man turns, slide that hip tight to him. Yes, like that. Make him push you when he turns. Now. Use your hands. One should be on the back of his neck, sliding up into his hair." They danced to the end of the song, then Kat went back behind the bar. Her report? "Maybe I should turn slower."

Julie saved Ra'shell for last, the two of them laughing and clowning as they danced, their hands and positions changing constantly.

It was Ra'shell who ended the evening. She came back to the bar and held up her glass of wine.

"Ladies, here's to the men we are going to drive crazy." She finished her glass and said, "I will be out on the lakeshore at eight. Join me whenever you wish." She then took a bottle of wine, looked at Julie, and walked back to her room. Julie followed.

The other women stood talking at the bar for a while, but then they started drifting upstairs. They had been outside working all day. Warm lodge, big dinner, wine, and dancing. It was barely ten when the first women climbed the stairs to their room. Once the first few were gone, the others followed pretty quickly.

Kat turned off the music and stretched out on her couch. Last thoughts before she pulled her blanket up and slept? Ra'shell might be a good choice to bring back next winter. And, Julie? This was a complicated woman. She had talents, and she had personality. She had reached out to every woman at the lodge. Why not Rainbo?

Chapter 11

Most of them go home

Sunday was a mixture of stress and excitement. Stress – could they finish their sculptures by the end of the day? Excitement – this was fun, and maybe they would have their sculptures done by the end of the day.

Kat rolled off the couch, still wearing her green dress. She expected Ra'shell and Julie would keep her room occupied for a while. She ran her fingers through her hair, straightened her skirt, and went to the kitchen to make coffee. Lois arrived a few minutes later. Blueberry pancakes. She served bigger meals on Sunday.

Women came to the kitchen in ones and twos. They were all amazed by the size of the kitchen, but rushed in and out. If they ate at all, it was to take a couple pancakes and sit at the kitchen work table. Most just wanted coffee. Kat encouraged the pancakes – not only were they good, but they would help keep them warm. She was persuasive enough to get two women to rush through one pancake. The others filled their coffee cups and were out the door.

Kat waited until Ra'shell came in for her coffee, then went to her room to change. Her closet would have a heavy sweater and clean jeans. Julie was still in bed. It looked like she was wearing one of Kat's night gowns – the shortest one she owned. Kat walked past her, straight to her closet.

Julie was behind her in an instant, her hand tight around the back of Kat's skirt.

"Never in the history of the world has a man said, 'I wish my woman would wear a green dress.'"

"You are an expert on dance moves, and an expert on women's fashions?"

"Yes." She moved around to Kat's front, one hand still holding her skirt, her other hand now up into Kat's hair.

"Julie, you did a great job last night entertaining my guests, and I am grateful. But if you think something will happen between us, you are wrong." Kat put her hands on Julie's waist, prepared to push her away.

"I think I am right." Julie pulled herself up against Kat and kissed her. It was a long kiss. When she was done, she held herself on her toes, looking into Kat's eyes. "Relax Kat. Just put your arms around me and hold me. That's all I want."

Kat paused, then slid her arms around Julie. "I don't know what you want, but I am certain it is more than this."

"I want us to be friends, and maybe lovers." She kissed Kat again, holding it even longer, the hand in Kat's skirt now tight against her ass, slowly stroking it. Then she whispered in her ear. "I have things to tell you. Things you will want to hear. Now put your hands where I want them, and hold me tighter." Kat moved her hands across Julie, and pulled her to her. She could feel her warmth.

"Your turn to kiss me, Kat." Kat did, one hand under Julie's ass pulling her up to her. "After everyone leaves tonight, I will stay. We will have all night to hold each other. And to talk."

It was Julie who broke it off at that point. She stepped back, smiled, then turned and walked away. Kat could hear her leave the room and walk out across the great room and up the stairs to her room, still just dressed in a nightgown. Kat stood frozen for a few minutes, then did what she had come for. The green dress went into the hamper, and she pulled on clean jeans and a heavy sweater. She had work to do.

How did the sculpting go? Really well. It helped that Ra'shell was everywhere with a file or a chisel. She probably did almost all the eyes, and most of the noses. And she was quick to cover mistakes. Chin too misshaped? No problem. Just shave off here and there, and get the perfect pointed chin to go with a heart shaped face. And, she knew exactly how to not do too much. She always left just enough for the student to do so she felt ownership. Kat was certain she would have her back next year. Maybe even again in March.

Kat's job? She kept the fire going, poured hot chocolate, and kept the compliments flowing. "You really handle that file well." And, "I love the way you did the cheeks." For two of the heads, compliments took some effort, but really, the women had generally done a good job. Kat took lots of pictures and emailed them directly to each woman, as well as posting many on Facebook.

Lunch came and went. Four o'clock arrived and Kat took lots of group pictures while there was still some sunlight. Four thirty, time to stop, but every woman had one more area she wanted to work on, one more surface to smooth. Kat didn't rush them. But she did point out that as the light faded, they might make a mistake here or there. That idea, plus cold and fatigue finally got everyone to stop.

The heads were all going home. There were lots of final pictures of heads and of the women – alone and in groups – and then the heads were wrapped in blankets and put into trunks. Ra'shell collected her tools and carried everything over to her truck. The sculpting was done.

Dinner consisted of hot dogs, brats, and burgers eaten around the fire. No wine. They would all be driving. Kat got out marshmellows and sticks. Most women ate with one hand while roasting a marshmellow or two with the other hand. It was a happy bunch. It took forever for them to leave since everyone needed to hug everyone before anyone got into a car. They texted each other to make sure they had phone numbers, then hugged again.

Once away from the fire it got cold pretty fast. That was what finally drove them into their cars and down the road. Nine happy guests, one happy sculptor.

Kat was shivering by the time she had hugged the last lady and waved as each drove away. Inside, Marie already had all her dinner things packed up. Kat wrote her a check and helped carry one box to her car. The weekend was officially over.

Julie? She had already changed into a very short satin gown. She had also cleaned Kat's room. As soon as she heard Marie drive off, she came out, took Kat's hand, and led her back into her bedroom. She had picked Kat's night gown for her – white and long – the night gown she wore for Jim. Kat might have objected, but Julie was already pulling her sweater over her head, and unbuttoning her jeans.

Kat pulled on the night gown, turned off the lights, and got into bed. Julie was in bed and on top of her in an instant. She held her head just above Kat's.

"I'm waiting." Her lips were just above Kat's but apparently Kat was to make the first move.

"If I understand my earlier instruction, I am to wrap my arms around you, putting my hands where they will please you, and then kiss you."

"Yes, but this is also where you say something nice. It doesn't have to be I love you. It could just be how nice I feel in your arms, or how good I look. Make me feel wanted."

"First tell me why you are doing this. Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I was attracted to you when I was here two weeks ago. I was impressed. You are bright, well traveled, successful. Also, I thought you had a great ass. I decided I would find some way to be right where I am now."

Kat looked up at her. She studied her face. She waited. Julie didn't move. She let Kat look.

"I am vain enough to think maybe you are telling me the truth. But I am mature enough to think it's more complicated than that."

Julie played with some hair that had fallen across Kat's forehead. "I'm still waiting."

"I won't tell you you are beautiful. You already know that. And you know exactly how you feel in my arms. My hands are telling you that. What I will say is that watching you dance last night was amazing. I couldn't take my eyes off you."

"Good. Now you can kiss me." Kat raised her hand and pulled Julie's head down to her. They kissed, gently at first, and then with far more intensity. Kat pulled her tight and held her. Then slowly she released her. Julie laid her head on the pillow next to Kat, one arm under Kat's neck, the other across her, her fingers on Kat's cheek and in her hair, her thigh deep between Kat's legs, pressing against her. Kat held her with both arms. They kissed several more times, and slept in each other's arms.

Chapter 12

Julie

Kat woke with Julie still wrapped around her. And, she noticed she still had her hands on Julie's backside. Kat had never taken a female lover. Well, not like this. There had been other women who stayed late. Maybe for a quiet conversation after the workshop. Maybe for more than talk. But nothing like this. She had not taken a woman like this. But maybe it was more accurate to say she had been taken. Julie had initiated everything, and in fact still controlled their position, one arm under Kat's head, the other across it, fingers deep in her hair. She was also lying across Kat, a leg between hers, much of her weight on Kat's chest. She controlled Kat, not that Kat was fighting her off. Both her arms were still tight across Julie, one hand up by her shoulders, the other all across her ass. She was holding Julie to her. She had held her all night, and was holding her still. She loved her feel, loved her scent, loved Julie's fingers in her hair.

She turned her head and looked into Julie's face lying next to her on the pillow. Julie was awake. She smiled at Kat.

"This is where you say good morning, kiss me, and then tell me how much you love holding me."

"I do love holding you."

"Good. Now add something. Tell me how I am special." She looked at Kat and waited.

"Energy level. I saw you spend time with every woman in the group. You danced with them, talked with them, and never stopped smiling."

"Energy level? Kat, there's a reason you live alone. But you can kiss me."

They kissed, and pulled tighter against each other. Julie rolled up so she was centered over Kat, her hands on each side of Kat's face, her thigh pressed harder between Kat's legs. She held Kat's head, kissed her, and watched her eyes as she slowly slid her thigh against Kat and made her hot. She kept her mouth on Kat even as Kat arched her back and started to moan. Julie held her, and slid her thigh and pressed against Kat, watching as Kat closed her eyes, moaned, and clutched Julie tight against her.

Julie stayed tight against Kat, even as Kat struggled for breath. She held Kat's head in both her hands, her chest resting on Kat's chest, her hips on her hips, her thigh pressing down. She pressed her mouth against Kat.

"Now, Kat, tell me you love me and want me."

"Yes, I love you and I want you."

"We are lovers now."

"Yes."

Julie gradually took her weight off Kat, but stayed over her, her face above Kat, really the only thing Kat could see in the dim light of dawn. She would play with Kat's hair, kiss her, smile, then kiss her again, light kisses, more intended to tease than to entice.

"How shall we spend our first day together?" She asked.

"Monday, I do laundry. There is a mountain of it."

"Laundry. You have a new love in your arms, and you want to do laundry."

"It can wait."

"Yes, it will. First, we take a bath." All the rooms had large tubs with jet sprays. Julie stood beside the bed and pulled her gown over her head, standing naked for Kat to see. Kat slid out of bed and pulled the straps over her shoulders, dropping her gown to the floor. They were quickly in the tub, warm water rising to the chests as they lay back against the tub. Julie washed Kat, and Kat washed Julie. Both of them washed very slowly.

"When we get out of here", Julie whispered to Kat, her face resting against Kat. "I will dress for you, and you will dress for me."

They were in no hurry to get out of the tub, but when they did, they dressed as agreed. Julie held up her dance dress – yellow ruffles and deeply scooped neck. Kat nodded agreement. Then Julie started going through Kat's closet.

"Tell me you own a dress that is not green." She dug back into a corner and saw a long silk dress in a floral pattern."

"Bride's maid dress. My college roommate's second marriage. Three years ago. It was a destination wedding. Hawaii. She thought the dresses should match."

"Try it."

There was an under skirt and sewn in cups, so it took a minute for Kat to pull it up. Julie pulled up the zipper for her.

"I think the idea was the three of us would disappear against the floral background while all eyes were on Janet." Julie played with the bodice. It was off the shoulder with half sleeves, the sleeves intended to be puffed out. Julie pulled at the sleeves, then raised the neckline higher on Kat's shoulders before lowering it again. The floor-length skirts were measured to be worn with heels. They puddled on the floor around Kat's bare feet.

"I like it."

"I'll be tripping over the skirts all day."

"Walk carefully."

Julie took her hand and led her to the kitchen. Kat raised her skirts with her other hand and followed behind. And that began a day that in many other ways was normal. They made breakfast. Kat made the coffee and the toast. Julie fried the eggs. They stripped all the beds up in the guest rooms and the big bed in Kat's room. They put in load after load of laundry in the little room off the kitchen. While the laundry was in, they vacuumed all the rooms and washed all the glasses on the bar.

Midway through laundry, they had lunch. Kat pulled leftovers out of the refrigerator. Julie made sandwiches. Laundry done, they remade all the beds, Julie taking one end of the sheets while Kat took the other. Julie made her corners to match Kat's. Beds done, they gathered up a mountain of towels and started them through the wash.

While they worked, they talked. Well, mostly Julie talked. Describing her job took most of the morning.

"I upsell. It pays really well. I came out of college with a psych degree. Great major. Very interesting, and half the profs are goofs. Class was never boring. But then you graduate. You owe forty grand in loans and discover all the counseling jobs require at least a masters, or a doctorate if you want to be taken seriously. So, do you double down and get an advanced degree, hoping to get a job, knowing you will be four or five years older and now owe a hundred grand, or do you go out and get a job now?

"I got a job. Cable TV. I make over a hundred grand a year in commissions. People call with a complaint about service or about their bill. I answer, and they are ecstatic they aren't getting someone from the Philippines. There's a problem? Oh, I am so sorry. I will send someone right out. By the way, I see you have one HD receiver. Do you have just one TV? I can arrange free installation if you would like a second. Our way of apologizing for the problem. Or, problem with your bill? I will fix that immediately. So sorry. As our way of saying thanks for your loyalty, I can arrange for you to get a thirty day trial to the NFL Network.

"Blah, blah, blah, a little bit of free followed by years of billing. Sixty three percent of the time, if I got you on the line, I left you happy – and with a higher bill. I paid off my college loans my first year on the job."

All this while they made the beds. By the time the towels were mostly through the drier, it was getting dark. They still had two bottles of wine left. Kat opened one, and they sat in a love seat by the windows. Most of the great room windows face south, towards the lake and the sun. But there were windows to the west too. That's where Julie sat. She waited for Kat to sit first, then she sat, her legs across Kat, an elbow on the top of the seat, her left hand playing with the hair on the back of Kat's neck, her right hand holding the wine glass on her thighs.

It was snowing. The forecast had been right. It had held off until Sunday night, but it had come down all night and continued through the day. Six inches so far, but it was hard to tell with the wind blowing drifts around every corner and in front of every tree. Snow raced across the windows, punching the glass before sliding farther south and dropping in the lee of the lodge.

Kat rested her wine glass on Julie's thighs, her other hand reaching around behind Julie, pulling her toward her until her head rested on Kat's shoulder.

"You haven't said much today, Kat. Do you like hosting these groups of women?"

"Yes, they are almost all nice people. The weekends are pleasant, even fun."

"Until one of the women is killed."

"Yes, until one is killed."

"It was over there?" Julie pointed out the windows to the west.

"West, and somewhat north. Two miles, or just over."

"Where you go running."

"I normally run around the lake, or down the road toward town. There are two old logging roads that head off into the woods. I sometimes run them in the summer. Last week I just wanted to see if there was enough snow for cross country skiing."

"Lucky for her. By now she would be buried in snow. Who knows when someone would have found her."

"Yes." Kat looked out at the snow. Julie set her wine glass on the floor and started playing with the neckline of Kat's dress.

"I'll bet everyone at the wedding was looking at you and wondering if they could get their hands where I have mine."

"There were huge floral arrangements. I think I just looked like a flower pot with a face."

"I like the face." She pulled Kat's face toward her and kissed her. Then she sat up higher on Kat's legs, and forced her head back against the top of the seat. "This is where you tell me you want me."

"I want you. You know that."

"Now say something nice."

"I have loved our day together."

"And tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow I normally do some shopping, but it may be Wednesday before the roads are clear."

"No, dummy. You tell me you want me to be with you tomorrow. It is what you want most in the world."

"Yes, Julie, I want you to be here with me tomorrow. I was looking at the snow thinking it would give me at least one more day with you, maybe two."

"Learn how to talk to me, and it might be longer." Julie held Kat's head back and kissed her. They never finished their wine or bothered with dinner. Julie pulled Kat's neckline practically to her elbows, and then led her back to their room.

Chapter 13

Out in the Snow

Julie knew Rainbo. She had to. There was some connection Kat hadn't seen. Friend? Enemy? Lover? Maybe more important at the moment was Julie herself. Good person? Bad? This woman lying across her chest, her hands around Kat's head, the woman that Kat loved to have in her arms. The woman she loved waking up to. The woman she wanted to keep in her bed. Who was she sleeping with? A sales lady with a psych degree. What was she selling Kat?

Somehow Julie felt Kat wake and turned herself tighter against her.

"What do you have planned for us today?"

"I don't know how much snow we got, but it will probably overwhelm the one snowplow the town has. If we get plowed out at all, it will be late this afternoon or sometime tomorrow."

"So?"

"So you won't be able to leave until then."

"Is that what you want?" Julie's face was maybe an inch from Kat's. She had a hand on the back of Kat's head and was holding it. It was barely dawn, barely light out, hard to see anything, but she was holding Kat's head close and studying her face.

"No, I want you to stay."

"That's it? 'I want you to stay'? I assume you didn't write a lot of poetry as a teen. Try again."

"Julie, you are a complete mystery to me." Kat put a hand on her face and played with her hair. "You show up at the last minute, you practically throw yourself at me, you wind up in my bed, and I have no idea what the hell is going on."

"Good start. Keats or Shelly are eating their hearts out."

"Okay. Let me tell you what I know. When I have my arms around you, I want to pull you tight. When I kiss you, I want the kisses to last forever. When I feel you against me in the night, I want you to be there with me always."

"Much better." Julie slid up over Kat and held her head in both hands. She peered down at Kat. "My turn. You are perfect to sleep with. You are solid, but also soft. You are quick to get a hand on my ass, which I like. I don't know when I will leave, but I know I will enjoy every moment I am here. Now. Kiss me."

They were all over each other for a while, then Julie stopped, her face again centered over Kat's. She held her face there and waited. Time to talk. That's what the position said. Kat laid there patiently. Julie had something to say. Good. It was time. But nothing happened. Julie's eyes looked down at Kat, staring, waiting. It was Kat who broke the silence.

"You are a complex woman to be with. I am certain you want to talk. There is something you want to tell me. Apparently now is the time. But I have to ask. Okay. Fine. I will ask. Why are you here? It isn't my great ass. This has something to do with Rainbo. Who is Rainbo to you?"

"You do have a great ass, and I like being with you."

"We have established that. Great ass. Warm bed. But there's more. I was looking at the pictures from your hunting weekend. You stood and talked to every woman. Every woman but one."

"I got her fired." Julie looked down at Kat. "Hold me like you did before, and I'll tell you what happened. One hand on my ass, the other in my hair." Kat moved her hands, then waited. Julie just looked at her until Kat started stroking her hair.

"I train new employees. I am one of the best salespeople the office has. So they send new people to watch me work. They have a second set of headphones and listen to my calls. Rainbo was assigned to me. This was about three years ago. She was straight out of college. A history major. And a complete introvert. She could barely talk on the phone, and if people yelled at her (and most do yell at us), she would just break down. There was no way she was ever going to do what the company wanted her to do. So at the end of the week I told HR to find her something in clerical. They didn't. They fired her."

"And then you saw her here."

"We exchanged maybe two sentences. We were both embarrassed by what had happened."

"And now you want to know who killed her?"

"I knew her, but I barely talked to her. I talked with every other woman here. I knew the names of their kids and how often their husbands were fucking them. All I had to do was talk to Rainbo for five minutes. I would have known who she was seeing. I didn't ask."

"So, you are feeling some guilt and decide to play detective. Except you are playing detective – in my bed. You think maybe I did it?"

"Think it through. She's an introvert. Maybe she has no one. She sees you. You smile, she smiles, she comes back after the others leave."

"And I kill her because..."

"I couldn't figure that out. I thought maybe after a few days with you, I would know."

"Or you could have gotten yourself killed. I shot one woman in the woods, why not another?"

"I thought I would be okay in here."

"Safe in my bed? But not in my woods?" Kat lay on her back, her hands at her side. Julie got her fingers deep into Kat's hair and held her head.

"Kat, I need three things from you." She peered down into Kat's face and waited. When Kat didn't respond, she continued anyway. "First, I need you to forgive me. Yes, I came here under false pretenses. But I also loved being with you. I really did love your touch. Second, I need your help. Help me figure out who killed Rainbo. I owe her that much. Third, please kiss me and put your hands on me. I want that more than you can imagine." She kissed Kat, then laid her head down next to her and waited.

Nothing happened for a long time. Then Kat rolled over and was on top of Julie. She studied her face. She even put her hands on Julie's throat. She waited and watched. Then she rolled off and laid by herself.

"You can stay for a few more days if you like. I don't know if we can find the killer, but we can talk to some people. Maybe we will think of something. In the meantime, it might be best if you go back to your room upstairs."

"No." Julie jumped on top of Kat and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. "I'm not your guest, or your colleague. I am your lover. That's part of the package." She kissed Kat's neck and held on tight.

"Do you plan on choking me to death?"

"Put your hands where they belong, and I will loosen my grip." Kat put one arm across her back and the other across her ass. "Much better."

"You're still choking me."

"Don't be such a whiner."

They held each other, Kat gradually relaxing her body and moving her hands all over Julie. When she finally kissed Julie, Julie took one of her arms from around Kat's neck and started stroking her hair.

"Tell me if you like this."

"I do."

"Tell me if we are lovers."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No. Now tell me what I want to hear."

"Yes, I want you." Kat looked up at Julie, speaking softly and slowly. "I love holding you. I love looking at you. I love being with you. Your touch, well, I love that too."

"See? There's romance in you. You just needed some encouragement. Now tell me how we are going to spend our day, the two of us snowbound – cut off from the rest of the world, just you and me in a big bed."

"I normally clean the bathrooms on Tuesday."

"Jesus, Kat. Really?"

"Sorry."

They wrestled around in bed for another hour, then finally emerged, both a bit breathless and sweating. And smiling.

"I get to pick the dresses again." They were in the closet, both stepping out of their night gowns. Julie quickly pulled on her yellow club dress.

"This feels like two little girls playing dress up."

"Really?" Julie handed Kat the floral bride's maid dress and helped her get it on. "We are two women, and in our version of dress up, I can slide your dress down over your shoulders so the neckline shows the top of half of your very beautiful breasts." She pulled Kat's dress down and kissed her chest.

"Also in this version, Kat, you can pull this strap down past my shoulder." She stood looking up at Kat. "Maybe I wasn't clear. In this version you can pull my strap down past my shoulder." She put Kat's hand on her shoulder and Kat took it from there. "And if you pull it all the way down, my arm will be free and most of my breast will be out where you can see and appreciate it." Kat pulled the strap down while Julie pulled her arm out of it.

"Hmm. That's one strap, I wonder what would happen if you pulled the other down." Kat followed instructions. Once her second arm was free, Julie put both hands at the back of Kat's neck and pulled herself up against her. "I want you to do that at least five times today."

"While we clean the bathrooms."

"Especially while we clean the bathrooms."

And that was how they spent most of the day – trips to the kitchen for food, spraying, mopping, and wiping all eight bathrooms, and frequent stops to paw each other while playing with their clothes.

It was late afternoon, the sun already resting on the top of trees, when Julie made her next request.

"Kat, let's take a walk."

"Where would you like to go?"

"You know where." They were standing in the great room. The sunlight was fading fast. Snow was piled up against the bottom of the windows and reached out in every direction like a white sea.

"That's a really bad idea." Kat didn't know what else to say, or why she needed to say anything. Wasn't it obvious? "The road will be plowed tomorrow. We can get out then, and maybe walk a bit along the lake. But that logging road is going to be covered from now until April. It will have at least a foot of snow on it. Walking two miles up that road will take forever."

"Yes. But I want to do it."

"And see what? I'm not sure I can even find the exact spot again with all this snow, and even if I can get you there, all you will see is snow and trees."

"Yes, but I want to do it." Julie had moved so she was directly in front of Kat, both her hands on Kat's shoulders. There was about four inches difference in heights, so she was looking up. Kat stared into her eyes.

"I assume you always get what you want when you stand like this, but I wouldn't be doing you any favors. It's cold out there, and it's going to get colder. In deep snow like this, it will take well over an hour to get there. Maybe two. It will be dark, and you will be exhausted."

"Please." She was standing tight up against Kat, and one of her hands slid up to the back of Kat's neck. She pulled herself closer. Kat looked into that perfect face, and found a way to agree.

"Have you ever ridden a snowmobile?"

"No."

"You don't have a snowmobile suit, so you will freeze half to death. We will need to plow through fresh snow, so it will take us twenty minutes to half an hour to get there. The trip is too cold, and too long. It is a bad idea."

"Maybe, but it's only going to get colder. Let's do this now. Please. Take me to where she was." She had pulled herself up on her toes, her face an inch from Kat's.

"I'll take you out, but within a hundred yards you will change your mind."

"Thank you."

They went into Kat's room and changed clothes. Kat was careful with what Julie wore. She had jeans and a sweater, but the sweater was thin. Kat had Julie put it on, then she had her add one of Kat's sweaters over the top and a pair of Kat's pants over her jeans. She also made sure Julie had heavy socks, a knit cap she could pull all the way down to her eyes, and a scarf wrapped around her neck once her coat was on and collar raised. She had spare boots for Julie and watched carefully as she laced them – firm but not tight.

Kat dressed herself carefully as well. Even with a snowmobile suit, this was a bad night to be out. It was a stupid night to be out. She didn't like letting Julie talk her into it.

The snowmobile was in the garage. The place was huge. Nearest the house was shelf after shelf of tools and equipment. In the middle was a work area where she could take a class on a rainy or windy day. At the far end was her minibus, her snowmobile parked next to it.

Kat opened the garage door and backed the snowmobile out into the cold and wind.

"Thanks, Kat. I appreciate you doing this."

Kat stood for a while, letting the engine warm up. She was also watching Julie. The wind was bad. She could see Julie turn away from it

"You still want to do this?" She asked.

"Yes I want to see where it happened."

"Sit tight against me, but I will only be a partial block to the wind. You have a real risk of frost bite to your nose and ears. Wrap your arms around my waist. If you get too cold, or start feeling pain from the cold, signal with your hands. I will stop and get you back here."

"Okay."

"Julie, I am serious. People get injured riding on nights like this."

"Please, Kat, take me."

Kat stepped across the machine and sat. Julie sat behind her, and held on. Kat pulled the snowmobile ahead a few feet to see if Julie was holding on. She was, so Kat went farther, wondering how long it would be before Julie got too cold.

Kat pushed down the driveway and turned onto the lake road. Mostly it was flat, even snow, but there were plenty of drifts. Kat leaned forward to put extra weight on the front skis. Snow blew back over them every time they hit a drift. They were both snow covered before they had gone a hundred yards. This was a very bad idea. Kat could feel Julie lowering her head to avoid the plumes of snow.

The sky was clear. Not good on a winter night. The temperature would drop fast. The snowmobile had headlights, but there was moonlight and stars to also provide some light. They might freeze to death, but they would at least be able to see where they were going. Kat had no problem finding the logging road veering off to the right. She stopped the snowmobile before turned into the woods.

"Here's the road. Do you still want to do this?"

"Yes." It sounded like Julie was out of breath. Kat waited. Julie raised her head and repeated her request. "Kat, please. I want to see the place."

Kat looked at her face to see if there were any raw spots yet. She pulled Julie's collar up and her hat down over her eyes, and then she started again. "There are ruts left and right, with some brush up the middle. We will follow the ruts, but you may get hit by branches as we pass through." Kat waited, and saw that Julie was not going to change her mind. She turned the throttle and started up the road.

Kat wasn't sure if she could find the exact spot where Rainbo's body had been. There would have been lots of footprints from the investigators, but those would now be under six or eight inches of new snow. She thought she could remember the rise she had reached that morning, and even if she didn't get to the exact spot, she could get close, close enough for Julie to get some sense of the road and the woods.

As it turned out, the investigators had marked the spot. Yellow police tape was wrapped around several trees. She wondered when they had put that there. What reason did they have to come back? But, there it was. Kat drove up to that spot, and then worked to turn the snowmobile back around. It was a narrow road and snowmobiles are not noted for tight turns. By the time she got it back around, Kat was sweating. She shut the machine off and waited for Julie to raise her head.

"Here?"

"Yes."

Julie got off the snowmobile and looked. There was nothing to see, really. Just the same snow that covered the rest of the road, but of course she was imagining the scene. Kat said nothing. She stood and waited. Julie looked down at the road, then over into the trees with the tape, then down at the road again. She probably stood for ten minutes before saying another word.

"Lying across the road?"

"Yes."

"On her face?"

"Yes."

"And you say her head was turned down the road, the way we came."

"Yes."

"And her killer?"

"Her killer didn't come out onto the road. There were no footprints in the snow."

"It might have been a wild shot? A hunter thinking he saw a deer?"

Kat didn't answer.

"Kat?"

Kat didn't answer.

"When you took us hunting, you didn't take us up this road. It would have been fast and easy. But you didn't bring us here." She pointed into the woods. "Because there aren't any deer here. You made that point before you took us out. Deer live on the fringe. They steal crops and then hide in the woods. They wouldn't be this deep in the forest, would they?"

"No."

"This was no accident."

"No."

"And? Kat, this is where you tell me what you know."

Kat pointed into the woods. "There was a second pair of footprints that stopped about ten feet back from the road." Julie looked into the woods.

"Ten feet. The bastard shot her in the back from ten feet, and then just left her to die." She looked at Kat. Kat made no response.

"Kat, she lay here, alone, in the dark, her face in the snow, her killer close enough to watch her die. Why?"

"I don't ask why. I don't think killers ever really know why. They have some explanation, but it's wrong. They think its justice, but it's just pride. They think it's about power, but it's about fear. We think maybe they got screwed up as a child. Doesn't matter. We will never know why. Not the real why."

"So?"

"Ignore the why. Think about the how."

"How she was killed?"

"How she got here. Young woman. Quiet. Few friends. Someone got her up here. She trusted someone enough to get into a car and take a very long walk in these woods. She was killed by someone she trusted."

"We need to get that bastard."

"Yes, we do."

Julie got back on the snowmobile, her arms tight around Kat. Kat could feel Julie's head against her shoulder blades. Even through her heavy snowmobile suit, she was sure she could feel Julie crying.

Chapter 14

Hunting

They got back to the lodge wet, exhausted, and chilled. And angry. Standing in the dark, in the cold, in the emptiness where Rainbo had died enraged both of them. But neither of them spoke of it. They went straight into the lodge where Kat got Julie and herself out of their layers of clothes. They were both shivering. Maybe cold, maybe anger. They stood together under the shower. Kat had lots of hot water. They used it. Julie stood with her head on Kat's shoulder and her arms around her waist. Kat had her arms around Julie's shoulders and held her tight. Julie shuddered as she cried.

They slept holding each other, Julie's head on Kat's shoulder, her lips against her neck. Kat held her tight with one arm and stroked her hair with the other. From time to time she kissed Julie's forehead. They slept late.

"We need to find the bastard." It was mid-morning. A sunny day. Neither paid any attention. Julie had pulled herself tight against Kat, her head still on Kat's shoulder. She talked across Kat's chest.

"We may not have to." Kat was talking to the top of Julie's head. "The sheriff's department was out here. They have investigators. They will go back to Rainbo's home, check with friends and neighbors and relatives. They will try to find who might have been with her."

"Introvert. I doubt if she spoke fifty words a week. No one will know her or anything about her."

"That might make it easier. She is always alone, and suddenly there is someone with her. People would notice."

"She was killed up here. What if it was someone up here? The people back home wouldn't know anything about it."

"Who's she going to meet?" Kat shook her head. "She leaves here around six. Then what, she stops for gas? She stops for a drink? She's an introvert."

"Introverts drink."

"I checked last week. There's only two bars in town. My boyfriend is a bartender at one of them. He never saw her. The other bar is at the Hilton Resort. It was practically empty. And it is miles off the highway. Why would she go there?"

"If the cops think like you do, they won't check it either. We need to go to both bars." Julie slid on top of Kat, her face now hovering over Kat's. "Please."

"Okay. But let me do some work first."

Kat made a move to slide out of bed, but Julie wrapped her arms around Kat's neck. That started some wrestling that lasted nearly an hour. When Julie was finally ready to let Kat out of bed, she followed her into the closet and pointed to another bride's maid dress. Yellow satin, endless ruffles.

"Another wedding?"

"Same woman. Wedding number three. This time in California."

"You wear that. I'll surprise you with something."

So Kat spent the morning tripping over yellow ruffles. On the plus side, the long skirts kept her legs warm, and the big puffy shoulders at least made it easy to move her arms as she worked. Julie's surprise? She wore a little black dress that was short and tight around her ass. But the real surprise came when Kat went back to her bedroom. Julie's suitcases were now empty. She had pushed Kat's things down to one end of the closet, hung half a dozen dresses, and filled two shelves with pants and sweaters. Her underwear was now in Kat's dresser. She stood and let Kat look. When Kat said nothing, she kissed Kat's cheek, patted her ass, and went into the kitchen to make herself some lunch. Julie had moved in.

Kat's work for the morning? Email. The next two weekends always sold out. They were the Christmas weekends – Nature's Christmas Decorations. Kat would take them out into the woods to find birch logs and various greens. Then they would use the garage to saw and drill. By the end of the weekend, everyone had two or three beautifully decorated birch candle holders. Her website was filled with pictures of the best, and there were many that were outstanding. Birch logs never looked so good.

Emails? Last minute questions about arrival times – six for drinks, eight for dinner. Concerns about driving – Kat watched the town plow clear the lake road and responded with a picture of sunlight shining off the lake, the open road now clearly visible. And two cancellations –maybe fears about the killing, maybe just the illness they claimed. There were three other emails asking for last minute admission to the weekend, so she just took the first two, and the problem was solved.

Next job? Now that the road was clear, she needed to clear her driveway and the parking area for her guests. At least two hours with her snowblower. She changed into jeans and a sweater, and put a heavy parka over it all. The machine would blow the snow, and the wind would take it mostly where she wanted, but some back in her face.

Two hours turned into three. The snowfall had been at least eight inches, and drifts were two feet or higher. She had a huge snowblower, but drifts were often higher, so she needed to push in, bury the front of the snow blower, then back out and hit the pile again. And of course the town plow had left a huge mound at the end of her driveway. In some ways it was a beautiful day to be out – bright sun, little wind, fresh white snow in every direction. A post card. Except post cards never showed people walking behind roaring machines, pushing them in one direction and another, jamming them into mounds of snow. Her guests would love the views as they pulled into her driveway and looked out at the lake. She loved the quiet as she finally rolled the snowblower into a corner of the garage and shut it off.

That only left Julie's car. It had been in a corner of the guest lot, and of course was buried under all the snow. She had blown most of the snow around it, but now she wanted to brush all the snow off her car, and then shovel that snow out of the way. It only took a couple minutes. Under all the snow she found a nearly new BMW. Well, if you make a hundred thousand a year, she thought. She was less sure what to think of the license plates – LUVHR. She was pretty sure Julie wasn't in love with her human resources department – HR. So, who was the "her" she loved?

Back in the lodge, she left her parka and boots in the hall closet and headed for the kitchen. Julie was waiting for her.

"I have soup and a sandwich waiting for you in the dining room, but you need to change into your ruffles first."

"Who's her?"

"What?" Julie was standing close. Her little black dress was very little. Kat was tempted to reach out to her, but first she wanted an answer.

"Your license plate says you love her. Who is her?"

"Her is me." Julie moved even closer and put Kat's hand on her ass. "My first year my department manager was all over me. He was bald and had coffee breath, but he wasn't bad in bed. He gave me lots of gifts, including those plates and the first year's lease on the car. Of course most people think I work in human resources. I get into lots of annoying conversations." She reached up and kissed Kat. "Did I make you jealous? He transferred to the Dallas office a year ago. He's gone, and I am here with you."

"Just curious." Kat backed away and went to her room. She came back wearing her green cotton dress. When Julie objected, she said "It will be better tonight. You should change too."

Over lunch, and later, as they sat in the great room by the fire, Kat described the two bars they would be going to. Julie sat close, and kept one hand under Kat's skirt. She seemed very curious about Jim.

"Okay, I get the general situation. You have been seeing him for three years. He comes over every week or two, and you get it on. And this works for you?"

"I'm busy every week with my business. He has two jobs. We just don't have much free time. We get together when we can."

"Let me guess. Not on the weekends. Not Monday because you do laundry then, or Tuesday because you need to clean the bathrooms. So, Wednesday? Would tonight normally be the night? Locked in the arms of passion, you get your weekly roll in the hay. You're like an old married couple. Once a week if you're not too tired."

"Now who's jealous?"

"Tell me who makes you moan louder. Him, or me."

"I'm not saying."

"Well, today is Wednesday. Are you spending tonight with me, or him?"

"You."

"You just answered my question." Julie pushed Kat back on the couch and climbed over her. "I'm going to buy you plates that say "love her." And the 'her' will be..."

"You."

They lay together on the couch the rest of the afternoon, Julie periodically explaining why she was a much better lover than Jim, both women playing with the other's skirts. As sunset approached, Kat got Julie to change into something more reasonable. Julie's idea of "reasonable" was a rust colored cotton dress with a flared skirt that barely made her knees. Kat warned her she would be cold. Julie's response was to drag Kat into their bedroom and work on her makeup. Kat explained she was doing too much, and Julie kept ignoring her. Julie also decided Kat's hair needed to fall much more over her forehead, nearly over an eye. Julie said she looked beautiful. Kat thought she looked like a woman of mystery who might be a hooker. She was certain Jim would be put off.

He wasn't. There were about half a dozen guys in Jim's bar. Kat thought they all looked familiar. No strangers hanging around. Kat and Julie were the only women in the place, so they would have gotten noticed anyway, but Julie walked in, her mouth going constantly.

"Now this is a bar. Pool table, card table, dark wood bar that looks like a million elbows have rested on it. I love this." She had her coat off in an instant, her skirt flowing down her legs as she got up on a stool, a skirt in a bar that hadn't seen a woman in a skirt in a generation. Kat unbuttoned her coat, but left it on. Jim was in front of them in an instant. Kat did the introductions.

"Jim, this is Julie. Julie, Jim." Jim and Julie shook hands. It looked to Kat like Julie held Jim's hand a little longer than usual. It also looked like Jim wasn't sure what to say.

"Jim, how is your father?" That was enough to get Jim looking at Kat. Once she had his attention, she could see he was looking carefully, trying to determine what was different about her. She felt like saying, Jim, it's just Maybelline.

"They pushed him out of the hospital. The doctors won't say it, but they have pretty much given up on him. They have this oxygen system under his nose, and that's supposed to help. He is being pretty good about it. He has a small tank that he has to pull behind him. He calls it his pet 'dog.' He smiles, we smile, everyone does their best."

"I'm sure he is grateful for everything you are doing here."

"It's not so bad. I close at nine now. That gives me time to get home, do some grading and my class prep, and still get some sleep."

"Great." While their mouth are exchanging words, their eyes are talking too. He is looking at Kat, and then at Julie, and his eyebrows are showing confusion. Kat decided maybe more talking would help.

"Jim, could I talk to you privately for a minute?" He pointed to the store room, his eyes now showing gratitude.

Kat followed him in to the room. He closed the door and then pushed her back against it.

"Who is she, and can I still come over tonight?" He was standing close, both his hands inside her coat, one quickly finding her ass while the other slid up her back and pulled her to him.

"She's my cousin, and she will be here a few more days. You can't come over tonight. What about tomorrow? Can't Morgan work a night? I'll come over to your place and cook dinner while you grade papers. All you get tonight is a chance to feel me up for a few minutes, but you already have a pretty good start on that." She shook her arms out of her coat and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel her skirt sliding up as she kissed him.

"Easy, big guy. You get to feel me up all you want, but I'm not getting laid in a store room." From the way he was pulling her ass tighter and tighter against him, she wasn't sure he was getting the message. "I'm also not getting on my knees in a storeroom. It stinks in here, Jim. Now pay attention." She took her hands from behind this neck and put them under his chin, forcing his head up. "Are you listening?"

"Yes."

"You liar. Look at me." She waited until he did. "You aren't getting laid tonight. You will get laid tomorrow. Tonight you are free to unzip my dress and feel up my breasts if you wish. You can also put your hands anywhere you want. But your dick stays in your pants. Understood?"

He nodded. He had her dress unzipped faster than she thought possible, and then her bra was down around her waist, but he stayed within the rules. She kissed him, and periodically moved his hands, but by and large, she liked what he did.

Of course there was a time limit to how long he could be with her. After all, he was the bartender. So there was a clock ticking in his head. At one point he just lifted his head and smiled at her.

"You know you drive me crazy, right?"

"It's mutual, Jim. Now see if you can get me dressed again." He was actually pretty good at it. "While you're playing with my bra, I need to ask again. Any characters in here that I should know about? They still haven't caught the guy who killed Rainbo."

"Kat, I've been thinking about that. I know you are looking for outsiders. We haven't had any, by the way. Business is way down since deer season ended. But think about something. What business in Amberg brings the most outsiders to town? Yours."

"Middle aged women are only dangerous to their husbands."

"Maybe. Just saying." He had her bra on and her dress zipper halfway up. He didn't seem interested in getting it up the rest of the way. Both his arms were around her, and he was kissing her.

"Tomorrow, Jim, I promise. Now go out there and sell some beer." He gave her a final kiss and walked back into the bar. He immediately drew a round of applause. She stayed in the storeroom a little longer, checking to see if her dress was right and her hair was mostly where it belonged. Finally she walked out of the room, pulling her coat on as she walked. That also got a round of applause.

Julie was standing between two young loggers. She had their complete and undivided attention. Kat picked up Julie's coat, and gave it to her. "Time to leave."

"Give me a few more minutes. Go sit by your man and have a beer." The loggers seemed very pleased with that suggestion. Kat nodded, and took a seat near Jim. He brought her a beer.

It was another hour before Julie was ready to go. In that time she introduced herself to every man in the place – all seven of them. Each got a short conversation, a smile, and maybe a touch on the arm. Kat drank her beer and watched Julie work the room. No question, Julie was good at it. Each man got about five minutes, maybe a bit more. Her smiles never stopped. Her head nodded as she listened, apparently truly interested in whatever she was hearing.

When she was done, she put on her coat, came around the bar to give Jim a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then led Kat out to the car.

"He's a hunk, Kat." Julie led the way down the deserted main street of Amberg. Hers was not just the only BMW on the block, it was the only sedan in a street full of pickup trucks. "Just remember who you will be sleeping with tonight."

"Will do. Now tell me if you found the killer."

"Evan Kowalski. Put him down as a possible."

"Why?"

"His hands. Aggressive guys all use the same moves. They get their hands on you early, keep them on you, and very quickly the hand that was stroking you is now holding you. He goes for control. If he can get it, he keeps it."

"And he took control of Rainbo."

"Simple as can be. She's desperate to have a man in her life. She stops for a beer, he shows her some attention, and she goes off with him. A week later she begins to balk, and the guy isn't having it. Out to the woods, and she dies."

"Except she was never in the bar. I checked with Jim."

"Busy place over deer season. He might have missed her."

"Did you see how much attention you got in that bar? Women are noticed."

"Maybe. Put Kowalski in your 'possibles' list. If we don't find our guy at the next bar, we come back here and check again."

"It's not a local guy."

"Keep saying that, Kat. Right up until we bust the guy."

Julie drove them out of Amberg. The Hilton Resort was about ten miles east of town. The road there had been plowed, but still, it was snow covered, with massive banks of snow along each side. Julie kept her speed down. There were a few farms along the way, but most of the route was wooded. One pickup truck passed them. No one else seemed to be out. The farther they went, the more certain Kat was that Rainbo had not gone to the resort.

"Everyone left my place by six that weekend. It was dark, it was cold, and they were all tired after spending the day out hunting. Rainbo was from Oshkosh – two hours to the south. Why would she drive here? It's ten miles off the highway, so it's not like she happened to see it and decided to stop to check it out. Julie, I think we are wasting our time."

"I am ninety nine percent sure you are right. But. Maybe she read something about it and decided to give it a look. Maybe she wanted to extend her weekend with a night at the Hilton. Maybe. Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to look."

There was nothing more to say after that. The last couple miles were even more snow covered, and more isolated. Julie slowed even more. For a big resort, it had a pretty small sign, and even going slow, if Kat hadn't pointed, she would have missed the turn.

"You still think Rainbo would have come out here?"

"Let it rest, Kat. We're here; we'll have a glass of wine, and we will leave." She slowed even more as she came to the one lane bridge that took them over to the island. She got halfway across the bridge and stopped.

"You were serious. This is an island."

"Yes. The Menominee River flows around it. Big enough for a nine hole golf course and for a good sized hotel."

"Where Capone used to hang out."

"That's the rumor."

"It looks pretty fancy." The hotel was on the other side of the golf course, but it was large and well lit. After driving through so many miles of nothing, it seemed huge.

"The restaurant and bar and meeting rooms are at the far end – the old part. The three floors extending this way are the hotel rooms – the ones built by the embezzled money."

"Amazing."

Julie drove through the golf course and up the main drive. There was a small lot outside the main doors. No problem parking. Hers was the only car.

"How is this place even open?"

"They do okay in the summer. Lots of weddings and some golfing. Why is it open in the winter? I assume Hilton can afford it."

They walked through the double doors into the lobby. An antique car took up much of the space. The restaurant was to the right, the bar to the left. Both appeared to be empty. Kat led the way down stairs to the sports bar.

She found the same two men who had been there before. She and Julie sat at the far end of the bar, their coats across their laps. The bartender was in front of them in an instant.

"The usual?" That had to be a joke. But, given the business they seemed to have, maybe it wasn't. It's not like it would be hard for the bartender to remember his customers.

"Yes, white wine."

By the time he poured two glasses of wine, the other two guys had picked up their beer glasses and sat with Kat and Julie, her old friend Tom sitting with Kat, and Carl, sitting on the other side of Julie. She could hear Carl introducing himself. Tom didn't bother. He sat as he had before, his back to the bar, one hand across Kat, resting on her leg. She picked his hand up and put it on the bar.

"I was hoping you would come back. I liked dancing with you last week."

"Julie was interested in the place."

"And you?"

"It's an interesting old place."

"Some days are more interesting than others." He smiled to make sure she understood he was referring to her. Kat looked closely at him. The right age for Rainbo to be attracted? Blond hair just long enough to seem right for the north woods. Blond beard highlighting his chin. Brown eyes a little too close together. The mouth showing a bit of silver when he spoke. Part of a tattoo emerging from his shirt collar. Would she be interested in a bad boy?

"I remember you said you came up here for the hunting. How did that go?"

"It was fucked." There was a light in the eyes now. The man was quick to anger. "Everyone said there are a million deer up here. Just sit by the side of the road, and you'll come right to you. Right."

"Where did you hunt?"

"Down near Wausaukee. There are some old farms down there. They said deer like that. So we pay all the money for rifles and permits and sit freezing our asses in the woods, staring out across this huge empty field. And we see nothing. Two days of that was plenty."

"Sorry it didn't work out."

"No big deal. I'd rather be down here anyway. You can see every football game in America, college or pro. You should come by more often." At this point he leaned in close, his hand sliding a lock of hair across her forehead. "Let's dance." He stood, and pulled Kat from her seat, an arm already around her waist. Her coat fell on the floor, and she reached to pick it up.

"Not tonight, Tom."

"Just one." And he pulled her to him, slowly rocking with the music. She could barely hear the song. Something from the seventies. Rather than take her hand, he put both his arms around her, his face tight against hers.

"Not tonight, Tom." She got her hands on his shoulders to push him off.

"Don't play this game, girl. You came here for a reason." He now had one hand behind her head, holding it so she was looking directly at him. "Don't pretend. No one likes a tease. Now just relax. Dance with me, drink your wine, and we'll take you and your friend over to our condo. You'll like it. I'll buy a bottle of wine, and we'll have a party."

"No."

He just smiled. He had a hand on her ass, and was pulling her tight against him. She could feel the bulge in his pants. He was going to be out of control very quickly. She slid her hands up his shoulders to the base of his neck. She pressed with both her thumbs. She was careful not to press too hard, but a nerve is a nerve. His head jerked up, and his arms froze.

"I said no. You are going to take your hands off me, and we are going to leave." She kept her thumbs where they were until he dropped his hands. Then she picked up her coat and motioned Julie toward the stairs.

It should have ended there, but the boys followed them outside. Carl was on Julie in a second, pressing her back against the car, his hands all over her. Tom stood an arm's length from Kat, his steel teeth menacing.

"Want to play rough? Took some girl course? I'll show you rough, and then we will go to our condo, and we will party til dawn." He took a step forward and reached out to grab her coat. Kat set herself and punched him mid-chest. She was careful not to hit him over his heart. The breath exploded out of him, and he reeled backwards. His face was red, and he was obviously having trouble breathing. She hoped it would be enough. It wasn't. He started forward again.

"Don't do this. I will hurt you."

"Try your best, bitch." He raised both fists, ready to come in swinging. Kat waited for him to take one step forward, then did a spin kick and caught him at the back of his head. He flew forward and slammed his chest against the side of the car. He bounced off the car and landed on his back. He didn't move.

Kat turned to the boy who was holding Julie. She stood and looked at him. He immediately let go of Julie and backed away. Julie straightened her clothes and got into her car. Kat walked around to the passenger side and got in.

"Should we do something for him?" Julie asked.

"We should go home and never come back."

Julie backed her car around and drove away. She was halfway back to the lodge before she said anything.

"I don't know if I was most afraid of that thug, or you."

"I gave him every chance to back off."

"He's a man, Kat. They don't do that."

Kat didn't answer. Julie drove the rest of the way back to the lodge and went straight to bed. Kat walked into the great room and sat on the couch by the fire. It was nearly an hour before she was ready to join Julie in bed.

Chapter 15

The Morning After

Deputy Kekkonen was at the door at seven. Kat was expecting him. She wrapped a robe around herself and let him in.

"Coffee?"

"Sure."

She led him in to the kitchen and started up the coffee maker.

"Cream, no sugar, right?"

"Right." Kekkonen sat at the table, watching Kat. He would wait. Kat poured two mugs of coffee, and sat across from him.

"He's not going to press charges. He could, Kat. They think he had a concussion, and his nose is broken from where he smashed it on your car. He won't work for weeks." He sipped some of his coffee. "How about you? Will you press charges?"

"I should, Dave. He needs to treat women better."

"I'll fill out the forms if you want." They both sipped their coffee for a while.

"No."

"Why were you over there?"

"We're still wondering who killed Rainbo."

"And you thought those guys?"

"I had to check. I asked a few questions. I decided it wasn't them. We left."

"We checked last night. Both have been arrested for theft. Minor stuff. Probation. Hilton transferred them up here as punishment. What makes you think they didn't shoot Rainbo?"

"They went hunting near Wausaukee. South. Not west. They are new here, don't know the area, how would they know to find that old school forest? They are dumb and dangerous, but not deadly."

"Hilton will fire them. Should we keep them around just in case?"

"No, we have enough misfits here. Send them back wherever they came from."

"Okay." He finished his coffee and took his mug to the sink. "I have to tell you, we are not making much progress on the shooting. We sent a team down to her home to check with friends and neighbors. If she has friends, they couldn't find any. Her neighbors say she smiles and waves, but never talks. Her employer barely knew her. Just there five weeks. She called in sick the Monday after she was up here. They were not surprised when they never saw her again."

"Family?"

"Her mother say she never owned a gun in her life or got into any trouble. She blames you. You taught her how to shoot a gun. All the trouble started with that."

"For all we know, she's right."

"We have the usual hotline to call, and a thousand dollar reward. We are getting the usual calls."

"What about the rifle. Any registration?"

"Sold last summer at a gun show. No record. Someone sold it to someone who sold it to someone. Everyone is proud they kept it a big secret from the federal storm troopers. All we know for certain is that it was in operating order and fired four times that day."

"You might ask your lab guys how long it would stay hot enough to melt snow."

"I'll take you to the offices some day and show you the 'lab.' You will laugh. Still, I'll ask."

That pretty much ended their conversation. Kat walked him to the front door and waited while he drove away. Julie came out of their room wearing a red satin nothing. She stood with Kat for a minute, then wrapped her arms around her.

"It's cold out here. Let's get back into bed." She took Kat's hand and pulled. Kat followed and slid into bed after her.

"I missed the conversation in the kitchen. What did the deputy tell you?"

"No charges against him or against me. Both guys have records, but just for theft. I don't think it was them."

"You're sure? If Rainbo went down there, they would have been all over her. And they had a place to put her for a week. At some point they decided enough is enough, and they take her hunting. Accidents happen. They get away with murder."

"Too many assumptions. She somehow finds the Hilton. They somehow find this remote abandoned farm. For some reason she walks into the woods with one of them. It doesn't work for me."

Julie was tight up against Kat. After she arranged herself, she put Kat's hands where she wanted them.

"You're sure."

"Am I certain? No. But think of it this way." Kat stroked Julie's hair as she talked. "The car was parked so far from where I found her, it took me an hour to get to it. An hour walking through thick woods. A really hard hour. Imagine some guy takes her up there, thinks he's going to get laid. They fight. It happens. She gets out of the car. She runs. Why does he follow her all that way before shooting her? He can run her down in a minute, or just shoot her from his car. It makes no sense to go through all that woods."

"Unless he didn't want the body found."

"Sure. But fifty feet into the woods is just as good as a mile."

"But she has a gun too. Maybe she held him off."

"I have no idea why she had a gun. That just baffles me." Kat stopped. She waited. If a brilliant insight was going to come to her, it didn't come then. "I do know that she was a bad shot. She missed a deer from twenty feet. And that was from a seated and braced firing position. Now she is shooting through trees while running? She might as well have been throwing snowballs."

"What if we go back to the initial conclusion? It was an accident. She was walking through the woods and got shot by another hunter. Maybe the guy she was hunting with. He panics and leaves."

"Maybe." Kat went back to stroking Julie's hair. "But it still doesn't explain why they were there in the first place. I taught her better than that."

"Maybe she wasn't paying attention. You, by the way, are paying zero attention to me." Julie slid on top of Kat and began kissing her. She got Kat's attention pretty fast.

They showered together, and then got dressed, but it was not a day for bride's maid dresses. Kat had to create paths women would take to several birch stands that weekend. She put on a snowmobile suit, complete with helmet, and spent most of the morning going back and forth to the birch clumps near the lodge, basically packing the snow down so women could easily walk to the birch logs they would collect.

All the stands of clump birch were within two hundred yards of the lodge. She went out to each one, out and back three times. Women would still need boots, but walking would be fairly simple on the packed snow of snowmobile trails she was creating.

It didn't take much over an hour to beat the snow down. On her last trip out to the farthest birches, she stopped the snowmobile. It was not yet noon. She had time. Why not? She pushed ahead to the logging road, and just kept going. Two miles took under ten minutes. She stopped where the police tape was. She turned her machine off. The silence in a winter woods is amazing. Wind might move trees and make the frozen wood creak as it bent in the wind, but there was no wind that morning. There were no sounds.

What am I missing? She stared at the police tape. Could it all have been an accident? But that assumed Rainbo and her killed decided to walk an hour through thick forest. Why? Wouldn't normal people turn back at some point? Why take an exhausting walk for an hour, and then start shooting? Why walk through those woods for more than five minutes?

But if it was murder, why here? When did murderers get so patient?

It was frustrating. Kat couldn't put any combination of two and two together. Kat restarted her snowmobile. Anything farther along the road? The snowmobile was deafening as she twisted the throttle and pushed ahead. She decided she would give it a few miles to see if Rainbo had been heading to some possible destination.

No. There was no other answer. She gave it half an hour, then an hour, her gas gauge getting far lower than she would have liked. What did she find? Not a damn thing. It was a logging road. It went through woods. Endless woods. Endless poplars, birches, and pines. In a few low spots there were cedars. She sped past several forties that had been logged within the last few years, but otherwise, it was the same secondary growth for mile after mile.

She did eventually come to a town road. She didn't recognize it. Probably far enough north to be Beecher. She pulled out onto it to see if there were houses anywhere near. Maybe. On the horizon. But, it had taken her nearly an hour to get to this spot on a snowmobile. On foot? On a November night? Rainbo would have died from exhaustion and hypothermia long before getting to the road.

Kat turned her snowmobile around and sped back to her lodge. Whatever explanation there was for Rainbo's death, the logging road wasn't part of it. She just happened to be shot on the road, rather than in the woods. Coincidence. Just coincidence. She drove the snowmobile back into her garage, and went into the lodge for lunch.

"You were gone a long time." Julie was wearing her little black dress and pressed herself against Kat the minute Kat had her snowmobile suit off.

"I wanted to see where that logging road went. It goes nowhere. Just miles and miles of trees."

"Oh." Julie had her arms around Kat's neck. "Thanks for checking." And suddenly her head was on Kat's shoulder.

"Julie, I'm going to spend the night with Jim."

"Comparison shopping. You'll find I'm the luxury model. Quicker to warm up, softer seats, an engine that purrs."

"Julie, I'm going to ask one more time. Why are you here?"

"I came." She held the back of Kat's head, pulled herself up, and kissed Kat. "I saw." Another kiss. "I fell in love." Longer kiss.

"When will you leave?" Kat had her arms around Julie, one hand sliding down toward her ass, but then it stopped.

"I have a good feeling about this weekend. I think the killer will be with us. Or at least we will learn something important. Monday morning you can throw me out." She held her face an inch from Kat's. "Or you can keep me. I can work my job from anywhere. You have wi-fi. I can take calls all day while you look at me and play with my hair." Kat had put a hand in Julie's hair. She took it out.

"Okay. You can stay the weekend. We'll talk more on Monday."

"Kat, if you were going to throw me out, you would have done it days ago." She had her arms tight around Kat's neck, and was slowly sliding her hips against Kat's, smiling as she saw the expression on Kat's face. "I'm the woman who will keep you warm this winter."

Kat had no answer to that. She kissed Julie, then pulled her arms from around her neck and walked back to the kitchen to make herself some lunch. A sandwich and glass of milk were waiting on the table. Before she finished the sandwich, Julie joined her, taking the chair next to hers, and pulling it even closer.

"I packed for you. It's in a brown paper bag. Very discreet. Carry it in with your groceries."

"I will be buying groceries?"

"Don't play dumb, Kat. You are predictable as a clock. You will leave here about three, go to the Wausaukee IGA and carefully select items for dinner. You will be cooking for him, so you will want something special. You will stand in the store taking much longer than you usually do to shop. But you will be done by four so you can be at his house the minute he gets home from school."

"Okay, psychology major. And what did you pack?"

"I packed a dress you can change into once you get there. You won't wear one now. You want to wear the standard local uniform – jeans and a sweater. I also packed several sets of underwear and a shirt so you can change in the morning, but also so you can mark your territory."

"I'm not a dog."

"Of course not." Julie had a hand on the back of Kat's neck and was stroking her hair. "But the same principle applies. I assume you already have a bottle of your shampoo in his shower, and a toothbrush in his holder. Convenient, but also a way to tell anyone you have been there, this is your man. Now we take it up a level. You take a drawer in his dresser. You don't leave much, but it must obviously be yours. Underwear and a shirt or two. Every time he opens that drawer, he thinks of you. I packed one of your prettier bras – actually it was the only one – so he can see that before he starts off to work in the morning. Also, you will leave your dress hanging in his closet after you change back into your sweater and jeans. I even put some scent on it. Lying in his bed at night, he can see your dress, and smell your scent. He will sleep thinking of you."

"You are planning my seduction of him." Kat put down the last of her sandwich and turned fully toward Julie.

"I am giving you your best attempt. Maybe it leads to something. But it has been three years. Maybe you see your best offer is waiting for you back here."

"What dress did you pack?"

"Let it be a surprise to you and to him."

That ended their conversation. Kat finished her lunch, and then walked through the lodge to see if the rooms were ready and everything that needed dusting had been. Then she put her snowmobile suit back on and went out to the garage.

This is where they would all work over the weekend. The garage was insulated and had two propane heaters, so it could be brought up to a temperature somewhere in the fifties. Cool, but not too cool, and the women would be working at their decorations, so they would generate some of their own heat.

Kat had done these Christmas weekends each year, and they had always been successful. Actually the most successful weekends of the year. She prepared as she had in the past. First, out came the work tables. There would be twelve women. Each would want room. So, six folding tables, each three by six. Half a table per lady. That gave each woman someone to talk with as she worked, and another decoration to look at – and maybe copy in some ways.

Tools? She had two, both of which she set well off to one side. She would spend most of the weekend standing by them, instructing their use – and being careful everyone went home with the same number of fingers they arrived with. The drill press would be fairly simple to use. She had a drill bit the size of a candle. She powered that up and checked to see it still ran well. No problem.

It was the miter saw that would give her the most trouble. It had a large blade, and while it had a guard over it, once it was turned at an angle to cut the birch logs in interesting ways, the guard just seemed less protective. She would stand close. One virtue of the saw was its noise. It made a racket. Good. A warning. Rattlers warned before they struck. Saws should warn before they took off a hand. She set the saw on its own table well away from the other tables. She plugged it in and cut a piece of two by four. It was deafening. Good.

She would have much of Friday to make final arrangements, but she was satisfied she would be ready.

Three o'clock? Kat waited until three fifteen before she left. So much for being predictable. She used the extra time to comb her hair and put on a little makeup. She also changed into a nicer sweater and clean jeans. The paper bag she was to take was sitting on her bed, the top folded shut. She assumed Julie would expect her to open it, so she didn't.

Julie, of course, was lying on their bed, watching Kat get ready.

"Three fifteen, Kat. Time to go."

"What will you do tonight?"

"There's half a bottle of wine in the fridge, and I have a dozen romcoms on my laptop. I'll be fine for one night."

Julie got up and walked Kat to the door. She waited until Kat got her coat and boots on, then put both hands on the back of her neck, pulling herself against Kat.

"I guarantee, sometime tonight, you will be holding him, and you will think of me."

"Maybe."

"Kat, where are your hands?" Kat had both her hands on Julie's backside, pulling her up. "You already know which one of us you will pick."

"Keep the place clean. I will see you in the morning." Kat turned and left. The van was cold all the way to Wausaukee.

Chapter 16

A Night with Jim

She had two stops to make in Amberg. First, the grocery to put in her order for wine. Three cases of white. Ed said he would deliver in the morning. More importantly, he said nothing about the shooting, so maybe folks were losing interest. Good. Next door at the restaurant, she gave Lois the final number for meals. Again, nothing said about the shooting. Very good.

Shopping at the Wausaukee IGA went pretty much the way Julie had predicted. Kat walked the aisles and stared. Some things were obvious. Jim was putting in long hours, and probably eating the terrible pizzas they heated up at the bar. No nutritional value. Probably two steps from scurvy. Fine. But try to serve a man a big salad. No chance he would go for that. Yes, he would eat it, but he would just be eating it to satisfy her. So what to cook?

She ended up working backwards. Dessert first. Ice cream buried in fruit. Vitamins C & D and no complaints. Main course? They had some pretty good looking steaks. Add potatoes and green beans, and he would get the vitamins he needed, and would actually enjoy the meal. Done. She had her bag packed and was out the door just at four.

Jim lived in a side-by-side duplex on one of three residential streets in town. Snow covered his roof, his lawn, and was piled high along the edge of his street. Winter in Wisconsin. His driveway was shoveled and his garage door open. She parked next to his car and carried her two paper bags in through the garage and right in to his kitchen. He was standing at the sink washing dishes.

"Sorry. I meant to get these done last night."

"After working until nine or ten and then coming home to grade papers. Let me." She put her bags on the counter and gave him a hipcheck to move him aside. "Go grade papers or do your lesson plans. Can you be done by six? I want your complete attention when I put out your dinner."

"I can be done by six."

"You're lying." He was still standing next to her by the sink, and she was looking up at him. "I can read you like a book Mr. Martin. Let's do this. You open a bottle of wine just before seven. We eat about seven thirty."

"Thanks, Kat." He kissed her, and then took a stack of student papers off the kitchen counter. His little house had two bedrooms. He had a desk (and not much more) in the second bedroom. The kitchen was just off the living room. The one bathroom was between the two bedrooms. That was all there was to the place. She could see him sitting at his desk while she finished the dishes, and then cleaned the rest of the room. Bachelors don't see dirt like women do, and bachelors working two jobs see even less. It was almost six before Kat felt ready to get her food out and start cooking.

But first she changed. She took her other paper bag into the bedroom and closed the door. In the bag? Two tee shirts, underwear, and two night gowns, both satin and featuring spaghetti straps and not much else holding them up. Jim was going to see lots of chest, no matter which she wore.

She went through Jim's dresser looking for a drawer to take. Top drawer? The usual mess of papers and pens and IDs going back to his UW ID and his Peace Corps ID. He looked skinny in both. But a great smile. Next drawer down? Socks. The guy had more gym socks than anyone. Maybe they were souvenirs from his playing days. Next drawer? Underwear. A complete jumble. T-shirts, briefs, mostly on one side or the other, but just piles of each. Down another? Shirts.

Her drawer now. She pulled his shirts out and hung them in the closet. In went her underwear, and night gowns. Neatly folded. Yes, one of her bras had small flowers on it. She put that one on the top of the stack. So. She had marked her territory.

Bottom of the bag? One of her bride's maid dresses. The yellow satin one. Puff shoulders and endless ruffles. Really. Would she wear that? She pulled it out of the bag and looked at it. She was tempted to fold it back up and put it back into the bag. But. Why not? She had worn it for Julie. Why not wear it for Jim? What would she say to him? Maybe nothing would be best. She put it on and looked at herself in a mirror Jim had on the back of his door. It looked good. She looked good. Why not.

She opened the door and hurried into the kitchen before she changed her mind. There was an apron in the tiny pantry, and she put that on. Next? She focused on food. The beans needed to be cut to length, the potatoes needed peeling. She worked on that, her back turned toward the bedroom where Jim worked on his papers. Could he see her? Yes. He must have. He was at her side in seconds. He pulled her apron off her and wrapped her in his arms.

"I think I'm done with my lesson plans." One arm went around her shoulders, his other hand held the back of her head as he kissed her.

"You will wait one more hour. No recess until your homework is done."

"That's not the way biology works."

"No, you can't use that biology major card on me every time you want to get laid." She got her hands up into his hair, tempted to pull him tighter, but instead pushed him off. "Seriously. I am here all night. And obviously I came prepared to please. But you have to be days behind in your grading. Get it done. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll finish it later."

"Now you sound like one of your students. Finish it."

He didn't move away very quickly. They kissed, and he had his hands all over her. She did some grabbing herself. But eventually she got him out of the kitchen. He went back to his desk, but she could see him looking over at her. She smiled. He smiled. She hoped he was doing at least some grading.

Was this evening going as she had hoped? Yes. She was bare foot and the skirt was cut to meet the floor while she was wearing four inch heels, so she had to kick her skirt out of the way every time she moved along the kitchen counter or pulled something out of the refrigerator, but it was fun to have him looking at her. Truth was, their time together had become routine. One day a week, he graded, she cooked. Two glasses of wine and then off to bed. Great sex, but sex on a schedule. Like an old married couple – as Julie had said.

Kat tied her apron back on and brought pots to boil for the potatoes and beans. She would grill the steaks. After three years with Jim, she knew his kitchen as well as she knew her own. His oven grill was smaller, but hotter. She had learned how to grill steaks without turning them into shoe leather.

Precisely at seven Jim promised he was done with all his grading. He opened a bottle of wine, poured two glasses, and stood with her in the kitchen while she monitored the steaks. One hand held his glass, the other held her. She moved from the stove to the sink but always managed to back into him, her ass pressing his hips.

"Thank you for coming over. And, well, thank you for driving me crazy."

"I wish we could do it more often." She sipped her wine and put it on the counter. If her timer was right, the beans were ready. She pushed a fork into one of the potatoes. It seemed close too. She waited another minute and then started mashing. She got out plates and loaded them with the steaks, beans, and potatoes.

Jim's kitchen was too small for a table. The living room was arranged so that one could be put there if necessary, but the kitchen counter extended for three feet past the cabinets – a breakfast bar that served all meals. They slid their plates and wine glasses down to the breakfast bar and pulled his two stools close together.

"What's the news with your father?"

"No change. He and my mother are trying to decide what to do with his businesses. He knows he will never work again."

"Will you take the bar?"

"I have to keep teaching to have health insurance for me and my boys. If I also take the bar, I will work myself half to death, and have no time for my boys. I haven't seen them in over a week. On the other hand, if I keep the bar, I can put away some money for their college costs."

"So you win either way, and you lose either way."

"Pretty much."

They ate their meals, with Jim managing to get a hand on Kat's thigh pretty often. She slid her leg against his. The steak was tougher than she expected, but he ate all of his.

"Did you really get all your grading done?"

"I finished two classes. I can do the other class during my study period tomorrow."

"I have ice cream and fruit for dessert."

"You know what I really want."

"I want it too."

They moved their plates to the sink and stood for a few minutes holding their wine glasses – and each other.

"You know I love you, right?" He had her backed against the sink, one hand holding her head.

"If you love me, take me someplace more glamorous than your kitchen."

"Hawaii, San Francisco, or my bedroom."

"All of the above. Let's start with your bedroom."

When they got into his room, she showed him her dresser drawer. She pulled out the red satin nightgown and handed it to him.

"Help me out of this dress, and then help me into that."

"You are full of surprises tonight."

"It's okay?"

"That you have clothes here? Absolutely."

She wrapped her arms around his waist while he unzipped her dress, then kissed him and hung the dress in his closet. She paused so he could see what she had done. He pulled the nightgown over her head, and then held her tight against his chest.

"Kat, you know you can move in here any time."

"And I have room for you at my place. What neither of us has is time."

"We have tonight."

He was out of his clothes in seconds and lifted her into bed. He was into her quickly. He was hot. He rocked her so hard she thought the bed would crack the wall. And as he was doing it, he looked at her and actually smiled. It was a gentle smile. A smile of love. Of appreciation. Of pure enjoyment. He loved being with her, and loved loving her. She smiled back. Yes, it was good to be with him, good to feel him in her, good to feel his hands, his thighs, his chest. She liked having his weight on her. She liked how broad his back was as she reached around to hold him. Her smile was one of contentment.

Chapter 17

Project Weekend

They slept close to each other. And they slept almost immediately after they finished making love. Middle aged. Long days ahead of them, long days behind them. They slept.

He got up first. Kat checked the clock next to his bed. He had maybe twenty minutes to get out the door. No time for joints showers. She made him some oatmeal while he showered and dressed. She was still wearing her nightgown. That would have to satisfy for early morning passion.

She stood next to him while he ate his breakfast. She kept one hand on his shoulder or in his hair. He kept one hand always around her hips, often sliding back to stroke her ass. He pulled her against his side time and time again.

"Tell me when you will be back."

"Not until Tuesday."

"I have to wait until Tuesday? I will be the horniest man in Marinette County."

"Good. You will be thinking about me."

The minute he had finished his oatmeal, he had both hands all over her. She slowly backed to the door. Groping was fine. Better than fine. But he needed to get to school. As a final tease she got down on her knees and tied his shoes. When she was done, she stayed there and looked up at him.

"Not fair. Now I'm the horniest man in America."

"Go teach America's children."

He bent down to kiss her, and to pull both her straps down past her shoulders. She stayed in that position as he backed out the door, never taking his eyes off her. She waited until she heard his car back out into the street, and then got up to make her own breakfast, shower, and clean his kitchen. She spent some extra time in his bedroom, looking at his closet, and then looking at her things in his dresser. Why had this taken three years? She had every right to claim this space. She belonged here, didn't she?

She was proud of herself as she drove back to Amberg. Forty six years old, and she could still drive a man crazy.

Julie was still in bed when Kat got back to the lodge. Julie pulled back the covers and slid over to make room for Kat. An obvious invitation. Kat took off her jeans and sweater and joined her.

"I assume you had a good time?" Julie was already sliding onto Kat.

"Yes, I did." Kat pushed her hands into Julie's hair and smiled up at her.

"You look so proud of yourself. Did you wear the dress I packed, and did you mark your territory?"

"You should stop calling it that. I am not a dog."

"Don't avoid the question."

"He is fine with having some of my things there. He would be happy if I lived with him. I would be happy to have him here."

"But he's not here, and not likely to get here any time soon. Meanwhile, you have me." Julie kissed Kat midsentence, and was pressing her thigh in between Kat's. Her hands were everywhere.

"You understand it is unlikely we will ever find Rainbo's killer."

"But we will keep trying. And I will keep driving you crazy." She kept her mouth on Kat's, and stroked one of her breasts while her thigh continued to work on Kat. They were both getting hot, pushing on each other with more and more force. Kat moved her hands around to Julie's back and held her tight against her. Julie smiled as she felt Kat's hands pull her.

"Kat, I am working pretty hard here. I need you to tell me you love me, or want me, or something."

"I want you."

"Good start. Now tell me you want me to stay with you." Kat hesitated, but then said it.

"Yes, I want you to stay."

"Good. But I need to hear one more word." A longer hesitation.

"Please."

"Good. I will stay with you. And I will even help with your business. Call me your assistant if you like. But every morning I want to hear four words from you."

Kat looked up at Julie. She put one hand on Julie's head and pulled it close.

"Please stay with me."

"Say that every morning, and I am yours." Julie smiled down at Kat, kissed her, and then got up to shower and dress.

Kat lay in bed a little longer, wondering what she had just agreed to. She pulled the hair out of her face, and wiped her mouth. Slowly she slid to the edge of her bed. Her chest was still warm from where Julie had laid. Her thighs were red where Julie had pressed against her and slid along her skin. She wondered how long she would feel that warmth. She heard Julie in the shower, but got dressed again and walked the other way, to the kitchen. Guests would be arriving in another six or seven hours, and she had so much yet to do.

Coffee first. She made a pot, and heated some water so Julie could have oatmeal. A coffee mug in her hand, she stared into her refrigerator. It was time to make a shopping list for last minute items, but she stood with the door open, just staring.

Julie? How had that happened? Her first serious female lover, even though there had been plenty of chances in the Army. Never even tempted. Now suddenly she not only wanted Julie, she wanted her to stay and be part of her business. After just one week. How did that happen? How was that even possible? Her sex life had been settled. Jim. Once a week. Jim. Or was that the problem? Once a week. She needed more? When did that start? When had she become needy? The whole thing was baffling.

She stood in front of the open refrigerator door for ten minutes at least, before breaking out of her daze. She grabbed a small pad of paper and pen from the kitchen desk and started making the same list she made every Friday. Cheese. Fruit. Apple and orange juice. Crackers. Why was she even writing that down? She closed the refrigerator door, finished her coffee, and left.

Julie almost collided with her at the kitchen door.

"I have some water heating for your oatmeal. And there is fresh coffee. I am going down to the IGA to get snacks for the weekend."

"Basic agreements, Kat." Julie had her arms around Kat's neck. "When you go some place you tell me where you are going, and you kiss me good bye."

"Will do." Kat grabbed her around the waist, and kissed her. Julie didn't move. Her arms still holding Kat's neck, her body pressed against her. She was wearing her little black dress again.

"Maybe a little more enthusiasm." She moved one of Kat's hands from her waist to her ass. "When you go, I'd like to think you will be coming back in a hurry."

"Enthusiasm it is." Kat kissed her again. "But we are going to be very busy for the next three days."

"What can I do to help?"

"We will be doing a lot of Christmas decorating, starting with a tree. Find a place you think it should go in the great room, and position the furniture for it."

"Will do." Julie kissed Kat again, and then took Kat's hand and slid it across her ass as Kat moved past her. She kept Kat's attention until Kat was across the lodge.

Kat's morning? Back down to Wausaukee. Probably should have stopped on the way back from Jim's house. She wasn't being very organized. Time to Wausaukee? Twenty minutes. Time in the IGA? Fifteen minutes. Time to get home? Twenty minutes. Almost a whole hour gone. By the time Kat got her groceries put away, it was nearly noon. When was the last time she had been this distracted? Six hours left.

Julie had moved the dark leather furniture around the great room to make space for a Christmas tree. It blocked some of the windows on the west side, but Kat thought the windows might light the tree during the day, and besides, she didn't want to argue with Julie. It was time to go get a tree.

Some previous owner had planted a grove of white pines along the edge of the lake. White pines grew fast, and the DNR sold them for nearly nothing as people tried to put something on abandoned farm land. Whoever had done the planting had spaced them only three or four feet apart, so they were crowding each other out. Kat always took one of the trees as her Christmas tree, even though the crowding left them with one or two sides stunted. They were always Charlie Brown Christmas Trees – gangly, and unbalanced. But they were free, and cutting one down helped the remainder.

So she got a bow saw out of the garage and walked to the pine grove. The sun was shining, and the snow was blindingly white. She had left her sunglasses in another coat, and had also forgotten her gloves. This wasn't like her – to be so forgetful and disorganized. But she did maintain one characteristic – persistence. She walked through the deep snow that edged the lake, placing one foot in front of the other, stepping down into ten or twelve inches of snow. The snow reached just to the top of her boots. Another mistake. She had a snowmobile. What good was it doing sitting in the garage?

The pines? There were thirty or so. She could study the ones at the edge of the grove. Behind them was just a jumble of branches, some green, some brown. It would be most helpful to take one of the interior trees, but she wasn't sure how she could even get back to them, and if she did, they would undoubtedly look even worse than the ones she could see on the outer edge of the grove. She could see seven or eight trees clearly from where she stood. None looked very promising. Finally she picked based on height. Most had grown to about ten feet; one stood about twelve. She took that one.

Cutting the tree first meant getting down to the trunk – under the lower branches, above the snow, one arm reaching out with the bow saw, the other arm protecting her face from the lower branches. It looked so simple on the seasonal TV commercials. She reached as best she could, lying in her side, deep in the snow, slowly cutting the trunk. Advantage to white pines? Soft wood. Even with limited leverage, she was able to get a good cut going. Once started, she pushed lower branches the direction she was cutting, so the trunk would not bind the saw. Halfway through she reminded herself she had not done any pushups in a long time. All she was doing was pulling a saw back and forth, but she was working up a good sweat. Her DI would be wondering whether he should laugh at her or scream at her for letting herself get so out of shape. Probably scream. Drill instructors come prewired for screaming.

The tree finally was cut through and fell a foot or so against the surrounding pines. Kat got to her feet, brushed the snow off herself and caught her breath. She looked at the trunk. It was no more than four inches in diameter. And this had made her sweat? One more embarrassment for the day.

Next disappointment? She pulled the tree out from the grove so she could see all around it. She should have looked before she chose it. One side was practically branch free. The other sides had branches, but there was no symmetry. Some of the longest branches were in the middle of the tree, while the base had just a few branches as likely to be brown as green. Up at the top the tree split into two trunks, both bent. No city Christmas tree lot would sell any tree looking like this. No one else would want this in their living room. But she had cut it. She had laid down in the snow and sweated for the tree. She was keeping it. She grabbed one of the bottom branches and pulled the thing behind her.

Julie laughed when she saw it. "I hope you didn't pay more than a dollar for it."

Kat pulled it in through the front door and dropped it at the edge of the great room.

"We have a tradition of the guests decorating the tree. We have a full house. Maybe a few of them are creative enough to make a silk purse out of this sow. Now help me move in the decorations."

Kat used the side door into the garage. Four large cardboard boxes were stacked against the back wall. She took one and carried it into the house. Julie, still wearing a little black dress, and bare feet, came out to the garage, took another box, and followed Kat back into the great room. They stacked them near where the tree would go, and then went back out for another pair of boxes.

"Somewhere in here is a tree stand. If we can find that, and get the tree set, most of our work will be done."

Both women opened the four boxes. The stand was buried at the bottom of the third box. Kat let Julie place the tree stand in the space she had selected. Kat dragged the tree over and stood it up in the stand. Julie dropped down on the floor and tightened the screws of the stand up against the trunk. It seemed vertical and steady. Unfortunately it didn't look any more attractive. The two of them rotated the tree several times trying to find the least ugly side to face the rest of the room. It wasn't easy.

"Maybe if we give them a couple glasses of wine before they start trimming the tree, good things will happen."

"Maybe." Kat stared at it, looking for another side to show.

"Should I start decorating it?"

"No. Let them do the tree. You and I should put up the wreaths and garlands and other decorations. I think I've got about five Santas in there."

At that point the doorbell rang. Ed Schneider with the wine. Kat hurried into her office to get her checkbook and get to the door. Ed had already let himself in with the first case. She managed to keep him in the entryway.

"Ed, give me the bill, and I'll write you a check while you bring the other cases in." And that seemed to work. He gave her the invoice, he stacked three cases of wine just inside the door, and it looked like he would leave without too much bother. Then he saw Julie.

"I see you have an assistant."

"Yes, an old friend."

"I see." Julie was bent over the decoration boxes. The skirt on her very little black dress was pulled even higher as she bent over. One consequence was that Ed was staring too hard to know what to say.

"Well, Ed, we have guests arriving soon. Thanks for bringing the wine." Kat didn't quite push him out the door, but she did approach him, making it clear she would be closing the door behind him. He left, still looking at Julie. In ten minutes he would be back at his store. In fifteen minutes all Amberg would know Kat had an assistant – an assistant that, well, Ed would have his own way of describing her. Kat closed the door and took her check book and invoice back to her office.

Julie seemed to be doing okay with the decorations, so Kat took the chance to sit at her desk and rest. She updated the checkbook, filed the invoice, and then leaned back in her chair for a minute. Julie was an assistant. Okay, any problem with that? How might it appear? She was allowed an assistant was she not? Maybe it even showed the lodge was doing well. Now it could afford some help.

And sleeping arrangements? Maybe she gave Julie the bed, and she slept on the couch again. Fewer explanations that way. It might work. Why get a small town talking?

Okay, that problem solved. Next, the guests who would be arriving. Twelve. Two in every room. A full house. She had yet to do any preparations for these twelve. Normally she added all guests to a spreadsheet with contact and payment information. She also kept a word document with a three sentence description plus picture. She made every effort to greet guests by name and at least know enough to ask about their drive from X.

Had she done any of that yet? No. Kat went back through all her email reservations to update her spreadsheet and Word records. She never asked ages. Too intrusive, and really unnecessary. She could tell just by looking. She also had a sense for who was drawn to which activity. Hunting and fishing – younger. Christmas decorations – older.

But as she went through the reservations, she did check addresses. Rainbo had been from Oshkosh. Anyone coming up from Oshkosh this time? Two women. Kat read their information carefully. There was still a chance the killer would come up for the weekend to see if they had missed anything and to get the latest on the investigation. The killer could be a woman. Not likely, but possible.

One other thing Kat hadn't checked in a while – her surveillance cameras. She had eight. Four were still tied to trees so she could watch deer. Deer would be bedded down in the snow, not moving much other than to browse where they could. Not much to see. The other four were near the lodge. There had never been any intruders since she had moved to the lodge, but people did break into cabins in the winter. So she had two cameras monitoring the drive and doorway, one more staring down at the great room, and one in a corner of the garage. She brought up the video files and scanned the exterior cameras at high speed. Nothing. No cars going by at slow speed. No cars at all, and certainly no one lurking around the lodge. Julie flashed by, getting some things out of her car. Nothing else to see. Kat didn't bother with the interior videos. There had been no break in to catch.

Kat printed off the Word file with customer information and took it with her. She would reread the information every hour until the guests arrived. In her twenties, she could have read it once and have it down. But she wasn't in her twenties any more.

Julie, meanwhile, had done miracles in the great room. She was pulling a bar stool around with her and climbing up to hang green garland over all the windows. She also had all five Santas sitting in interesting places. The room already looked festive.

"Nice job. Our guests will love the look of the place."

"What's the plan for tonight?" Julie was standing on the bar stool reaching up to hang garland over a corner of a window. Kat walked to her and put a hand on her leg to steady her. Julie reached down and pulled Kat's hand farther up her leg, and under her skirt.

"What plan did you have in mind?"

"I already have a plan for you after the ladies go to bed. I was wondering what you plan to do with the women after they arrive."

"As for the first plan, I will be sleeping on the couch, and you will be sleeping in my bed. Let's leave things like that for the time being. As for the ladies, mostly wine and tree decorating. If they want to sing carols, that's fine."

"So I am your assistant. Maybe some time down the road, I will become your 'good friend.'"

"Can we have this discussion another time? We still have lots to do."

"If you like." Julie finished hanging the garland, but stayed up on the stool, her hand now holding Kat's hand to her thigh. She smiled down at Kat. "But I think I am already 'your special friend.' Don't you?"

"Later, Julie. Please." Kat helped steady Julie as she got down off the stool, then she left her to start carrying the wine into the bar area. There was a huge wine cooler under the bar, and she filled it. Then she worked on the snack trays, checked the rooms one more time to make sure each had the required number of towels (at least six), then she changed into her green dress and worked on her hair and makeup. The afternoon vanished. She did one more reading of the Word descriptions, and then stood by the front door ready to welcome her guests.

Julie also changed. Red satin. Short. She stood next to Kat, leaning into her, one hand playing with her hair. Sometimes she kissed Kat's neck. Sometimes she stroked her ass. She made it clear she would be more than an 'assistant'. Kat sent her off on one task or another, but she kept coming back.

Guests started arriving at five thirty. Older people did that. The first two had to be in their sixties. No apologies for arriving before six. They got out of their cars, all smiles. Kat put on boots and walked out to help them with their bags. Hugs and cheek kisses. Kat carried bags into the lodge. Julie took things from there.

All twelve had arrived by six fifteen. Fifties and sixties, they were free of kids, free to travel at any time of the day, happy to do at least some of the driving before dark. Kat got their bags into the lodge, Julie led them upstairs. All twelve said nice things about the lodge. All twelve said how much they liked the scent of the newly cut tree. Kat had fruit juice and wine out. All twelve took wine.

Kat poured wine. Julie opened the decoration boxes and stood around the tree as women decided what to put where. All twelve women decided Julie was 'so cute' and 'just like their daughter'. They got so busy finding the perfect ornament and then finding the perfect place for it, Kat never had time to do introductions. And the room was so noisy, Lois had to tell Kat three times that dinner was already on the table. So, they were off to a good start.

Kat hadn't noticed, but Julie had hung green garland from the antler chandelier in the dining room, and had put a Santa hat on the musky behind her chair. The group didn't seem to need conversation starters. The Santa fish was just one more. Kat took the head of the table, Julie took the foot, six women on each side continued conversations they had already started. Kat checked to see if any woman was being left out. No. Most seemed to be turned in the opposite direction, directing their comments to Julie.

Kat did talk to the two women sitting closest to her. One in her fifties – Angela Stone – and one in her sixties – Stephanie Barnes. Kat was a bit proud of herself. She had remembered names and even remembered Angela was from Waukesha, and Stephanie from Madison. Their discussion? Some questions about the projects they would do. Stephanie seemed to have big plans. Angela seemed more interested in Julie.

"Has she been with you long?"

"No, she just started."

"She is very pretty. About mid-twenties, isn't she? I think that's when women hit their peak." She is saying this to Kat while turning her head to look at Julie. Stephanie answered her.

"At that age they still have a waist, and their hair takes much less work."

"I think women of all ages look good." Kat wore a big smile. Time to compliment her guests. She got a smile back from Stephanie. Angela continued rotating her head – Kat to Julie, Julie to Kat.

"When did you say she started here?"

"Just a few days ago."

Kat was wondering about Angela's persistence. Why the questions? Did she know Julie? She was wondering what to say next when Julie left the table and came back with a wine bottle in each fist. That got her a cheer and a round of applause. As the wine bottles were passed up the table, Kat and Stephanie talked about the history of the resort. Angela turned to the woman next to her, and they started a different conversation.

Meanwhile, Lois refilled plates, and then brought in pie and ice cream for dessert. Kat noticed none of the women declined any of the food. At fifty or sixty, diets seemed less important.

After dinner it was back to the tree, back to ornaments, with Julie now leading carols. Kat stood by the bar, ready with more wine, but she began to feel more and more the outsider at her own party. Julie was the leader. If anything, it was Kat who was the assistant.

It was also Julie who noticed more and more of the women had stepped back from the tree and found someplace to sit. It was nearly ten, late for women who had driven several hours (and had three or more glasses of wine). Julie led the way upstairs, checking with each woman that they were comfortable in their room and had everything they needed. Kat followed the last woman up and stood in the landing above the stirs, ready to run for another blanket or towel if asked.

The six rooms formed a semi-circle around the large landing. As the women settled in, Julie stood with Kat, an arm around her waist, her head often on Kat's shoulder as women said "good night" and closed their doors. When the last of the doors closed, Julie led the way downstairs. The two of them did a quick clean up, putting wine glasses in the dishwasher and snack trays back in the refrigerator. Lois had already finished with dinner dishes and was gone.

The last of the work done, Julie took Kat's hand and led her back to their bedroom. Kat stopped at the door.

"I should sleep on the couch."

"Kat, every woman up there knows we are a couple. If they see you sleeping on the couch, you will have to spend all day tomorrow answering questions about whether we had a fight. Do you want that?"

Kat followed her into their bedroom and changed into the nightgown Julie picked for her. Julie opened a dresser drawer she had claimed, and made Kat pick out the nightgown she wanted on Julie. She didn't hesitate. She picked satin and short. The two were in bed together in seconds.

Chapter 18

Christmas Projects

Saturday was a work day. This was the day they would actually build their birch log candle holders. Lots to do. Kat and Julie had left their bedroom door open so they could hear if any guests were up or needed anything. And they heard Lois or Marie come in with breakfast. It was past time for them to get up, showered, and dressed.

Julie wasn't having it. She had her arms wrapped around Kat's neck, her body on top of Kat. Kat put her hands on Julie's hips, ready to push her to one side if needed.

"Julie, we need to get going."

"You know what you need to tell me each morning."

"Yes. Please stay with me."

"Not good enough. I need to hear some passion. Convince me you mean it." Her face was an inch from Kat's. Her hair hung down each side of her face, and each side of Kat's. It was still dark out, and even darker under Julie's face and hair. Kat looked up at Julie. She put a hand at the back of Julie's head, pulled her head down, and kissed her.

"Now. With passion. Please stay with me."

"I need to hear a little more emphasis on 'please.'"

"Pleeeese stay with me."

"This where you tell me I did a great job yesterday. I was a big help."

"That's true. I think all those women loved talking to you."

"So I was a good assistant. Fine. Now. You tell me more. You tell me you watched me all day. You loved seeing me up on that stool, loved touching my leg, and could hardly wait until the day was done and we were back in bed together."

"You know all of that is true."

"Yes. But you need to say it."

"Can it wait until Monday when we have more time?"

"Monday you will have even more to tell me. Tell me now what you need to tell me."

"Julie, you are going to be incredibly high maintenance."

"You know what you need to say. Now say it."

"Yesterday I was jealous." Kat paused and looked up into Julie's face. "All the women, my guests, were far more interested in talking to you than me. But I was like them. I was also drawn to you. I looked. I noticed every time your skirt moved, and every time your hair slid over your shoulder. I wanted to have my hands on you then, and I want to have my hands on you now. I have lots of things to do today, but I will check my watch far more often than I should, waiting for my time to be with you again."

"Thank you for that." Julie dropped her head and kissed Kat. She held the kiss as she slid to one side and slowly got out of bed. "Now join me in the shower."

Of course the shower involved far more than washing and rinsing. Julie insisted on wrapping her arms around Kat's neck and hanging off her. She also told Kat where she was to be washed, and how best to do it. The result was a shower that took far longer than it might have. They also discovered that when the six rooms upstairs were occupied, the hot water disappeared pretty fast.

Clothing for the day – jeans and sweater for Kat, fairly modest cotton dress for Julie. One would be outside, one inside.

Both women went straight to the kitchen and helped Marie cut up several quiches and get them to the dining room. Several of the guests were already in the kitchen offering to help. Kat thought – older women –earlier start. She got them each a mug of coffee and gradually moved everyone into the dining room.

Within ten minutes the last of the guests came down the stairs and joined the rest for breakfast. As each one entered the dining room, Julie got up, welcomed them by name, and hugged them. Kat was at the far end of the room, away from the door. She just waved.

Kat had a stack of project descriptions, and she passed those out while women ate.

"You've seen some of these on our website. We'll go out after breakfast and gather some birch logs, and some greens. We also have a huge collection of ribbons and bows. I suggest the candle holder for starters, but feel free to make whatever you wish. We'll do most of our work in the garage. It is heated, but not as well as the lodge. I suggest sweaters and light coats. Questions?"

There were lots. It was clear the women had come with ideas for Christmas decorations, some of which might be easily done, some of which might be a real challenge. Kat answered questions and reminded everyone that they also had much of Sunday to work, so there was no rush. That seemed to settle most people.

Then there was Angela. She had taken a chair much closer to Julie this time.

"And Julie, what will you be doing?"

"Well, after I make your beds and get you clean towels, I thought I would spend the day making hot chocolate. How does that sound?"

Everyone seemed pleased with that answer. Kat was more concerned by the question. Why the interest in Julie? It just seemed off. She had eleven other women to keep occupied and satisfied, it was a bit annoying that she would also have to watch Angela to see what was going on with her. Who needs a mystery?

It was another half hour before everyone finished eating and had gone back to their room to get warm clothes on. Kat put on her coat and boots and waited at the back door. She would take them through the garage first. Eleven women gathered around her fairly quickly. Kat did a quick count and knew who was missing. Not much she could do about it. People standing around in winter coats get hot and uncomfortable fast. She didn't wait for Angela. She led the group out to the garage.

The propane heaters had been on low all night. She turned them up, and then explained the way the room was set up. They could pick any table they wanted. Two per table. She would stay with the machines. They would do their own sawing and drilling. She would show them how to operate the machines, and she would be there to help, if they wished. She did a quick demonstration of the drill press. That seemed fine with the women. When she started up the miter saw, they all backed away.

"It's noisy, and there is some danger. But look at this." The saw was hinged at the back. She took the handle and slowly lowered it across a piece of scrap wood. She brought the blade all the way down, made the cut, and then brought the blade back up and turned off the saw.

"You don't lift the saw, or push it. There is no weight. You just take the handle, bring it down and cut. It is like closing a clam shell. I will show you how to hold the wood you are cutting. You brought one hundred twenty fingers up here with you, I promise you will take a hundred and twenty home with you."

"Yes, but will they still be attached?" That got a nervous laugh.

"If any of you would prefer not to use the saw, I will do the cuts for you. But we'll get lots of pictures, and it will make a good Christmas card, don't you think – here's mom making your present."

That seemed to satisfy them for the moment. Kat noticed that Angela had finally joined the group. Kat grabbed two bow saws off hangers, and led the way back out the side door of the garage.

The clump birches were a bit of a walk, but the sun was out, there was little wind, and the temperature was in the low twenties. For December, and northern Wisconsin, a pretty decent day. It took well over an hour to gather what they needed. Part of that was simply people being selective. They wanted birch logs that were somewhere between three and five inches in diameter. And straight. And not too many branches. And long enough to get more candle holders out of it. They ended up finding six they liked.

Then there was cutting. And phones out to get pictures while each of the women did some of the cutting. And of course posing while cutting. Then more cutting. Some pine branches, a few spruce, a few cedars. Then more cedars. They all decided cedar branches would go well on their logs.

Everything they cut then had to be dragged back to the garage. Some could be dragged by one woman, some took two. All had to be photographed. Kat took some pictures herself. The bright sun and brilliant white snow would make the pictures really pop on her website. But of course all of this took time. And twenty degrees might be warm for Wisconsin, but it was still cold every time the group stopped to do more cutting or more posing. Kat didn't try to do too much pushing, but she knew she needed to get the women back inside the garage.

The pine and other trim branches they left outside the garage door. The birch logs they dragged in and closed the door. It already felt like they had accomplished something. Julie was waiting with hot chocolate. It felt like a celebration.

Fifteen minutes later they were warmed up, rested, and ready to try the saw. At least a couple were. Kat was fairly sure after a few showed how to do it, all the others would follow. And she got a volunteer. Stephanie. Good. One of the older women. If she did it, more would try. Kat helped move a birch log to the floor near the saw, then she got out a marker and a measuring tape.

"Two cuts for the feet. I recommend three quarters of an inch, but if you want something thicker, that is your decision. Then the body. I think it looks better with angled ends, but that's up to you. You also decide how long your candle holder will be. Most are about twelve inches. Stephanie? What do you think?"

"I'd like something a little longer." She and Kat got down on their knees. Kat held the tape, and Stephanie marked the distances for the feet, and then for the main holder. They stood and Kat gave Stephanie ear plugs and safety goggles, and put on a set herself.

"I need two women to hold the log while Stephanie cuts."

Two women quickly came forward and picked up the log. It was over eight feet long, so it took two of them to lift it and hold it waist high while Kat positioned it on the base of the saw. Stephanie took her position, with her right hand poised on the handle that would lower the saw. Then she stopped and gave her phone to another woman.

"My husband never lets me touch his tools. We have to get a picture of this." She waited until the woman was ready with the phone, and then she wrapped her hand around the handle, pressed the starter, and slowly lowered the blade. She kept her left hand well to the left of where she was cutting, and took forever to make the cut, but she managed to get the blade all the way down, and make the first clean cut on the log. Everyone cheered.

Kat helped her put the log in position for the next two cuts – the feet – and stood just behind her while she made those cuts. She did them much more quickly. Kat told her to raise the blade all the way back up and wait until it had stopped moving before taking the two log feet she had made.

"Now we'll cut the main holder. Do you want straight ends, or angled ends?"

"Angled."

"Good. Let me show you how to change the saw for that." Kat loosened the restraint holding the angle plate on the base, and turned it thirty degrees. She showed Stephanie and the rest what she was doing, and how she was doing it, and then tightened the restraint screw. Stephanie made the first angle cut, they slid the log forward, and she made the second. Everyone cheered.

Stephanie turned and hugged Kat. "That was so much fun." She turned to the woman with her phone. "Please tell me you got lots of pictures." She handed Kat her goggles and took her log pieces to her work table.

It took an hour for all the women to make their cuts, but every woman did it. And every woman got cheers when she finished.

Lunch time. A happy group is a loud group. This group was deafening. Marie served soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Every morsel of food disappeared. Every woman had something to say about the decorations she planned for her log, or who she would be giving it to, or where she planned to put it in her house. Questions for Kat included- could they make a second one? Of course. Could they go back out for more greens? Yes, but it starts getting dark up here by four, so go early. Was there a charge for the box of ribbons and bows? No.

So, a group of happy, active women. Kat looked to see what Angela was up to. Nothing special. She had made her log cuts the same as everyone else, and she seemed to be just as talkative as the rest. So maybe there was no problem with her. Good.

No one lingered over lunch, so Kat was back out to the garage quickly as well. She got out two cordless drills and helped several women screw the feet onto their holder, although most women seemed comfortable doing that on their own. She also stood in the general vicinity of the drill press, and helped women measure the distances between the holes they would make for candles, but women did their own drilling with little assistance.

By mid-afternoon all the women had the candle holder pretty well built, and were either decorating it with greens or ribbons, or had gone back out to find more branches or greens. Kat took a step back and relaxed. No injuries, no fear of the saw, no problems. Lots of talking as the women working at the same table described their decoration ideas, their plans for Christmas, their children, their world. The garage was a happy place.

By four, everyone had a completed project, and several had a good start on a second – either another candle holder, or some other decoration idea. About half had left the garage. She knew Julie would be serving wine in the lodge.

Was anyone back out in the woods? Kat counted noses in the garage, then counted in the lodge. Eleven. Angela was somewhere. Kat put on her coat and headed into the woods, back to the places where they had cut branches in the morning.

She found Angela nearly a mile from the lodge. She was standing, staring back at the lodge, clearly waiting for Kat.

"Angela, do you have something you would like my help with?"

There was a long wait as Angela stared at Kat. Clearly, she was angry. She stayed silent while Kat tried to determine what was going on.

"Did you also have my Rainbo in your bed? Is that what you do with young women who come up here for a weekend? Everyone else leaves, but you get one of the young ones to stay. Be my assistant. Be my lover."

"I assume you are her mother? I am sorry for your loss. But I did nothing with your daughter."

"She was a quiet girl. Few friends. Few dates. Too sensitive. I was stunned when she said she would be coming up here to hunt. My Rainbo – with a gun? She wouldn't hurt a fly. Half of high school, she was a vegetarian. Somehow you convince her to come up here, and I never see her again."

"I had no contact with her before she arrived. She applied the same as everyone else. As far as I can remember, she had a good time, same as everyone else. She arrived Friday, and left Sunday evening, same as everyone else."

"I don't think so. I think we will find her car somewhere in this lake. You asked her to stay after the others left. You have this beautiful lodge. Why not stay an extra day? Why not take a job here? You get her alone. You get your hands on her. You get her into your bed. But she doesn't like it. She's a good girl. She says she will report you to the police. So you kill her."

"The police have checked on me. There's no way I could have hurt Rainbo. I was here at the lodge with my guests when she was killed."

"So you say. It must be nice to be an ex-military cop. You know all about killings and alibis. You know about evidence, and how to fake it. The local rubes up here in Outer Duckwirth can't catch you. You are too clever for them. So you think. But my current husband has friends in Madison. I plan to spend Monday in Marinette giving the local idiots one last chance to do their job. Then we will take this to the State Patrol. You aren't going to get away with murder."

"As I said, I am sorry for your loss. I know the county sheriff has assigned deputies to find your daughter's killer. If the State Patrol wishes to help locate the killer, I will do all I can to help. She seemed like a nice young woman. Her killer should be punished."

"Nice words. We'll see if you are still saying them in prison." Angela strode past Kat, purposely bumping her as she passed. Kat waited. Angela Stone. She remembered the name. Obviously a second marriage. New name. New location. No way Kat could have known she was Rainbo's mother. Well, maybe, if she had spent more time checking on her guests.

Now what? Either Angela went into the lodge and made a big stink with the other guests, or she got in her car and left. What a crappy way to end a good day. Kat gave Angela a head start of about a hundred yards, and then started walking back towards the lodge. It was now totally dark. The snow had gotten colder again, and it squeaked as she stepped on it. The clear sky meant she could see a million stars overhead. It also meant the temperature dropped like a rock.

Twenty minutes walking all the way back to the lodge. Twenty minutes to watch Angela. What would she choose? If she chose to disrupt the weekend, what could Kat say? I didn't do it. Would she have to stand face to face with Angela and dispute every point? I didn't do it. How do you dispute a grieving mother and not come across as an ass hole? The weekend would be a loss. The business would collapse soon after. Twenty minutes to watch Angela. Every minute was agony.

Angela got in her car and sped away. Reprieve. At least until Monday. Would the sheriff's detectives come back? Of course. That was their job. Angela would give them another approach to the murder, another theory. It was their job to check it out. Kat stood out on the driveway, not sure if she would puke.

Angela's tail lights were long gone before Kat finally had the courage to step back into the lodge. She walked into a party. Julie had a Christmas CD going. No hymns included. This was Christmas dance music, and ladies were either dancing or at least swaying to the music. This was the point of it all, Kat thought to herself. They didn't pay five hundred dollars to make a couple Christmas ornaments. They paid to have three days of fun. A chance to meet new people, talk nonstop, drink too much wine, and not worry about whether it was okay for grandma to laugh or dance or drink. Kat had made this happen. Kat had created this opportunity. Kat had every right to be proud of what she had accomplished. And, Kat knew, she would be crushed when this was all taken away from her.

But she had one more day left. Wine, and dancing to Christmas music. Needless to say, Julie was in the middle of it all. Kat poured herself a glass of wine and danced opposite Julie, then danced with one woman after another. When Burl Ives broke into "Holly Jolly Christmas", every woman in the lodge joined in. By the time he got to "Oh by Golly..." the place was deafening. Kat felt like crying, but she also felt like shouting – hey look – we know how to have fun.

Eventually they went in to dinner. There was one less chair at the table. Had Julie managed that? Good move. It didn't appear too obvious, and Angela didn't seem to be missed. Women had put their birch log in front of their place, and Julie had found enough candles to fill every log. Nobody lit the candles – the wax might tarnish the log, but they did look good now all set with candles in every hole they had drilled. Phones were out, of course, and women swapped phones back and forth to take pictures of the room, and their birch candle holder.

Talk? Everyone had so much to say, it was a wonder that anyone ate what was a really good chicken oscar. But they did eat. And they did talk. So and so had done an interesting thing with that greenery. That combination of ribbons worked well. Red candles matched those bows well. Every comment was a compliment. Every face was proud.

Every face was also very drunk and very tired. Dinner lasted until nine thirty or so, and everyone who left the table went straight up to bed. Kat and Julie followed them up and stood together to see if anyone needed anything. They didn't. Doors closed pretty fast, and Kat and Julie were left to clean the great room while Lois cleaned the dining room.

Half an hour later, Lois was gone, and Kat and Julie were in bed. They had lots to talk about. Julie went first.

"I saw Angela leave. Do you know what that was about?"

"She's going to tell the sheriff that I killed Rainbo."

"She talked to me for a while this morning after breakfast. She wanted to know all about us. I told her we had been together for a week. And I explained how it had all started. Only then did she tell me she was Rainbo's mother."

"She thinks I seduced Rainbo the way I seduced you."

"Kat, no offense, but I don't think you seduced anyone in your life. Maybe Jim, but I'm betting he was beating on your door before you had your U-Haul unloaded."

"What matters is what she believes, and what the sheriff's department believes."

"They will believe you, not her."

"We will know if that is true, first thing Monday morning."

Chapter 19

Sunday

Just after dawn, Julie climbed over onto Kat, one hand in her hair, the other stroking her cheek. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Some."

"I could feel you tossing and turning."

"Sorry."

"Kat, I think I can help." Julie looked down at Kat, then continued. "For Rainbo's mother's theory to work, Rainbo would have stayed after the rest of us left that weekend, right?"

"Yes, that seems to be what she thinks."

"Fine. If the police ask, I just say I saw her leave."

"Did you see her leave?" Kat looked directly up at Julie. The hope in her face was obvious.

"Yes. We loaded our cars at the same time, and I watched her drive off while I stood talking to that woman from Chicago."

"That doesn't prove she didn't come back later, but it does show she left. It's a help. It's help I may need." She had her hands on Julie's back and was slowly sliding them up to her shoulders, and then back down.

"But you didn't do anything."

"Yes, and that can be proved several ways. You saw her leave. Good. She called in sick the next morning, but maybe someone saw her in Oshkosh. And there is always the timing of the murder. I was surrounded by people when it happened."

"Two problems, Kat. What if she didn't even go back to Oshkosh? She could have stopped anywhere. And wherever she was, she is not the kind of person who is especially visible. She could get lost in a crowd, even if there was no crowd. And, here's where you have to help me, how can anyone know the time of death? By the time you found her, she was frozen, right? How could anyone tell if she had been frozen one night or five?"

"Let's hope she was seen somewhere by someone. As for time of death, they have the snowfall. It covered parts of her body, but not her face. So her face was still warm when the snow came."

"Sorry, Kat. I don't see a jury buying that. Too many other reasons the snow might be gone. Wind, makeup on her face... Who knows? If that's all you have, well, let's hope that's not all you have." She kissed Kat and then got out of bed, pulling Kat after her into the shower.

Julie was the aggressor in the shower. She pushed Kat against a wall and kept one hand on the back of her neck as she washed her while also pressing herself against Kat. At one point she got up on her toes and bit Kat at the point where her neck and shoulders met. She bit hard. Kat pushed her away, but Julie held on to the back of her neck and kept pressing Kat, her free hand stroking Kat's breasts and then her ass. She pushed her hips tight against Kat's and then bit her again.

"Don't." Kat held Julie's head back. When she looked, she could see bite marks, but no blood.

"Wait until these women are gone, and it is just you and me again. I'll be all over you like a python."

"A python is fine, but no biting."

They finished their shower and got dressed, Kat in her usual jeans and sweater, Julie in a cotton dress that didn't make it to her knees. Not winter wear, but it did show off her legs.

"What's the schedule for today?" Julie had her back to Kat, pointing to the zipper she wanted Kat to close.

"They are here for breakfast and lunch. No dinner. They will keep making decorations. I will be mostly in the garage watching over the miter saw. They usually start leaving pretty soon after lunch. They will want to get some driving done before dark." She pulled Julie's zipper up for her. Julie used it as an excuse to back into her. She reached back, took Kat's hands, and pulled them around herself.

"The sooner the better." She pressed her backside into Kat, and then strode off towards the kitchen.

Kat did some work in front of her mirror. She had kept her hair covered in the shower, but it definitely needed combing. As she combed, she also looked at her neck. The sweater didn't cover much of the bite mark. If anyone had any questions about her relationship with Julie ... Well, it was like she was now branded as Julie's lover. Julie's form of marking her territory.

By the time she got to the kitchen about half the women were there, helping themselves to a mug of coffee, gathered around Julie and talking about this and that. No question, Julie drew a crowd.

It was Lois who got things moving. She was making blueberry pancakes. Her skillet would make four at a time. As they finished, she would put two on a plate, pass two plates back to women standing in the kitchen, then start another skillet full. The women took their pancakes back to the dining room, and the other women followed. Kat was impressed. No woman liked a crowded kitchen. Lois had managed to clear the room without making a scene.

When the next pair of plates was ready, Kat took them and joined the others in the dining room. The log decorations were still on the table, and still the main topic of conversation, although two of the women were already talking about their drive back home. It appeared the lodge might empty pretty quickly after lunch.

Breakfast was leisurely. Lois brought in plate after plate of pancakes, and everyone had at least three. Guests took their time coming down from their rooms and to the table. They also took their time finishing breakfast. Each of them had accomplished the main event. They had made a log decoration they would show off for years. If they made a second or a third, that would be nice, but if they didn't, that would be fine too. Three of the women said they would spend the morning taking a walk along the lake. The sun was bright again, and it seemed a good morning for casual meandering.

They sat around the table for over an hour before getting up to begin their day. Kat announced she would be in the garage if anyone wanted help with the tools there. Julie said she would help with packing. Eleven guests got up and scattered.

Kat thought the morning went pretty well. Four of the women did want more log candle holders, but they were quick about it and needed little help. Also less time was taken with pictures. There were some, but they seemed less intrusive. Two women did an interesting job with some greens and a vine they had found. They managed to turn it all into a fairly large wreath. Kat made sure to get a picture of it. She thought it might be a good project for others to follow, and it would also look good on her website.

Lunch time came, and the first women left immediately after. Half a dozen weren't ready to go home (a good sign), and both Julie and Kat joined them for a walk along the lake road. The plow had cleared the road so walking was easy, and of course, being Amberg, there was no traffic to bother them. They got nearly to the opposite end of the lake before the cold finally penetrated, and they decided it was time to get back. They paused in front of the lodge for a final group picture, and then it was inside for suitcases and hugs, and then back out to the parking lot.

Kat helped carry suitcases, and she and Julie stood with each guest for a final hug and a final picture. Every woman left with a smile and at least one Christmas decoration. It was barely three, and they were gone.

Kat and Julie stood waving as the last cars drove out, Julie with her free arm around Kat's waist. When the last car drove around a curve, Julie put her other arm around Kat, her face deep into her throat.

"You are mine all this week. I am not sharing you with Jim. I will cook for you, and clean with you, but you are mine in bed. Starting now." She started to push Kat back towards the lodge.

"You get me in about an hour. There is some place I want to look at while there is still daylight."

"Let me come with you."

"No. I need quiet. I need to figure this out."

Julie objected, but Kat hit the garage door opener, and went to her minibus. Julie stood watching her, then went back into the house, her back to Kat, her protest obvious.

Kat had an objective – the abandoned farmstead. And she was desperate. She was certain Angela would have the detectives at her door in the morning. Julie had been right about Rainbo. She might be invisible. If so, Angela's theory would be hard to disprove. Where had Rainbo been all that week? Could she have been with Kat? Yes, in a court of law it was necessary to prove guilt, not innocence, but courts can do funny things. And in the court of public opinion? If Kat didn't prove her innocence, her business was dead.

It was a long way around to the abandoned farm. Up 141, then over on a county trunk, then a town road. The sun was already getting low. Light would be limited by four. She pulled into the drive of the old farm at quarter of. She left the motor running and the lights on. She didn't know what she might see here, but whatever was here, she didn't want to miss it. She parked just off the road. She didn't want to drive over any evidence that might miraculously appear.

First observation? She wasn't the only one who had come out here. Dave Kekkonen had parked in the same place she had used. But he didn't smoke. Three cigarette butts were lying where a driver might pitch them as he sat in a car. Maybe a she, but the brand was Marlboro and there was no lipstick. Marlboro. Name brand. Seven bucks a pack? Eight? Dumb enough to still be smoking, but rich enough to afford a top brand. Probably not local. Plenty of locals still smoked, but three Marlboros? There was a dollar's worth of butts lying in the snow. Locals worked too hard for a buck to spend it that way.

And that proved? An outsider had been here. Since the last snow, and parking where he would not obscure the site. An outsider looking, just as she was. She stepped around the butts and climbed the slight rise to where the drive ended next to the stone foundation of the old farm.

Foot prints. Large. Boots. Walking, then standing. Looking at where the killer's car had parked. Those tire prints were largely snow covered, but you could see where the investigators had taken a mold of the tire print. She walked closer. How good had the mold been? Not very. Two inches of snow had fallen after the killer had left. They may have tried to blow the new slow away, but that was exacting science, and these guys were, well, not exacting. As near as Kat could tell, they might have gotten some tire tread, plus a general idea of size. If it was her investigation, she would not have felt good taking the mold into a court room.

But maybe they were all looking down, when they should have been looking up. Someone had gotten Rainbo into a car, gotten her to ride all the way to this empty corner of the planet, and then gotten her out of the car and into the woods. Why would she do that? Maybe there was a gun pointed at her, but she had a gun of her own, and she had fired it. Why fire it on the logging road, and not here?

Kat stood and looked around her. The killer had parked here, and Rainbo had gotten out. What did the place look like to her? To her right were rows of plantation pine. Ten feet between each row. Close, so they grew tall as they competed for sunlight. The rows ran for a hundred yards, maybe more -an old field some poor guy had spent half his life clearing of stumps so he could plant corn. Now the field was pines that would be cut in another five to ten years, stumpage fees buried somewhere in the consolidated school budget.

No sign Rainbo had taken a single step in that direction. No reason to. The pines closed out any other species that might provide food for birds or deer. Nothing would venture in that direction.

Ahead and to the left? Fields that had been left alone. Maybe the county had planned to put rows of pines there, but they hadn't. No money, no time, no interest? Who knew? The land had been left undisturbed. Seeds blew over the ground, rains came, and here or there, seedlings sprouted. Ninety years later, farm fields became groves of aspen and birch. Rainbo had gotten out of the car and decided she would walk into those groves. Had she not paid any attention to Kat? Sure deer might browse on new growth later in the winter. But not in November. Not when every farm field was calling. She carried a deer rifle – one Kat had taught her to shoot – and walked into a woods where there would be no deer.

Conclusion. Rainbo – and her killer – were stupid, or they didn't go into those woods for deer. There was the chance that through those woods there was a farm that would attract deer, but they had parked next to an abandoned farm. The crumbling foundation stones shouted a message – no farms here. So. Why did they start that trek? And it wasn't like they had found an interesting path to wander on a pretty fall day. It was late in the afternoon, darkness was coming, and every step they took was a chore.

Kat had walked it. Yes, Kat was forty six, but she was pretty sure she was in better shape than Rainbo was or ever would be. And Kat had struggled with every step. Broken branches lay hidden by the snow. Piles of leaves gathered by small animals for bedding hid rocks or holes. And branches reached out from every side. A machete would have been more help than a rifle as they pushed through those branches. In fact the rifle would have been yet another burden – more weight, more length to get caught in a branch. A rifle that needed to be protected as branches reached out toward trigger guards.

So why was she out here? She led the way. She chose the path. Yes, her killer was behind her with a gun, but Rainbo could defend herself. She had fired four times before being shot in the back. She led the way. She chose where they went. With or without a compass, she had the setting sun to give her a general sense of direction. She had come in on a road. She might have even heard cars on it. Why not lead back towards the road? Maybe not back to the farm, but at least to the road. If she had been worried. If she wanted to escape her killer. The killer she might have turned and shot at any time.

How did any of this make sense?

A large Lincoln approached down the road and pulled up tight against her bumper. Marlboro man? He got out of his car. Angela got out of the car. Both had pistols at their side. Both pulled back the slide, chambering a round. Both raised their weapons, pointing at Kat.

"I was hoping we would see you on your own." Angela. She walked along the far side of Kat's minibus, her arm raised the whole time. "The local deputies will be coming to see you in the morning. Waiting until Monday. I think that shows you how seriously these local yokels take my daughter's murder. Why arrest you on a weekend? It just upsets everyone's schedule. It might involve some overtime. But we can save everyone a lot of trouble and just kill you where you killed her."

"Did your daughter like her job?" Kat stood motionless watching Angela approach, but she kept the husband in her peripheral vision. He was the one more likely to pull the trigger.

"What's it to you?"

"She called in sick Monday morning after leaving here. I don't think she was sick. Maybe she was applying for a new job. Did she say anything to you about another company? It would be worth calling there to see."

"Stop. You already know where she was Monday morning. She called in sick so she could stay with you. She probably called from your bed, you sick bitch." Angela was now around the minibus and was walking slowly up the driveway, her gun still out in front of her at arm's length. Not a very smart move. She was now blocking her husband's shot. She was also holding a heavy gun at arm's length. Unless it was a twenty two, her ability to hold it steady was already fading.

"There are three ways my innocence can be proved. First, people saw her leave. I have video surveillance of the lodge. We can check the tapes. Two, she is seen around Oshkosh. You should be looking to see who she might have been with. Third, we have the time she was murdered, a time I was at my lodge with eight guests."

"You've had two weeks to doctor any tapes. As for time of death, you dumped my beautiful daughter days earlier. You wanted my daughter for dirty sex, and she resisted. You dyke."

Angela was now right in front of Kat, her pistol inches from Kat's face.

Disarming Angela took a move Kat had learned her first week in MP training. The gun was in Angela's right hand. So Kat used her right hand, reach up and across, to take the weapon by the right side of the barrel, and twist it away from Angela's palm. There was always the risk that as Kat twisted against Angela's thumb, her index finger would hit the trigger. The risk was less to Kat as she twisted the gun away from her face and more to Angela as the gun came back toward her. Kat brought her other hand up to raise the gun above Angela's head where it would be safe as she took it from her hand.

Husband? Angela was between him and Kat, so he was unlikely to shoot, but movies were full of guys who managed to shoot the villain standing right next to their victim. Kat kept the gun above Angela's head and looked down at the husband. How stupid was he?

"You will throw your weapon over into the snow, or I will shoot your wife." The words didn't matter as much as the voice. A command. Clear. Easy action to take. The husband threw his gun into the snow several feet from him. Still a danger, but less so.

"Now get back in your car."

"Let my wife go."

"Of course I will let your wife go. But first we need to talk. Now get in your damn car." Husband hesitated a second. He needed to show some backbone. But then he got back into his Lincoln.

Kat lowered the gun, holding it at her side and slightly behind her leg. It was unlikely Angela would make a stab for it, but why tempt her?

"I am sorry you lost your daughter. I did not know her well, but she seemed like a nice person. The people in her group seemed to like her. I have pictures of that weekend if you would like to see them. She is smiling in all of them."

"We're not done with you." Angela stood, hands as fists at her side. Her face was red, her mouth twisted.

"Do you see the little video boxes on those pines?" Kat pointed towards the rows of trees.

"Either they were put there by deer hunters, or they were put there by the sheriff. Which do you think that might be?"

Angela looked over at the pines. The daylight was now almost gone, but the cameras were still visible.

"When the deputies come to visit me tomorrow, I will give them your pistols. I expect they will want to talk to you. For what it is worth, I will not press charges. But you should know they may prosecute you anyway. Now go to your husband, and go home. Let the local detectives do their job."

"I don't trust anyone up here. I told you. We are contacting the State Patrol."

"That's fine. Now go."

Kat stood where she was as Angela backed away and then walked to her car. The minute she was seated, the husband raced the car back out of the driveway and then down the road. He would be burning off a fair amount of adrenalin. Hopefully that was accomplished before he put the car into a snow bank.

Kat walked down and dug the other pistol out of the snow. Nine millimeter automatics. Probably paid nearly a thousand dollars for each. The guy could afford Marlboros.

She turned and looked up the driveway one more time. Did her headlights reveal anything daylight had not? No. Whatever mysteries were hidden here remained hidden. She got back in her minibus and took the long drive back to the lodge.

Dave Kekkonen was waiting for her. His cruiser was sitting near the front doors, but she noticed he had not gone in. He got out of his car and stood waiting for her as she pulled into the garage. She grabbed the two pistols by the barrel and held them at her side as she approached Kekkonen.

"Dave, I've got two automatics in my hand. I am holding them by the barrel. I will put them wherever you wish."

He pointed to the ground. She noticed he had his hand on his own weapon, although he had not drawn it. Good police procedure. She stepped out under one of the garage lights and slowly put the weapons on the pavement. She then stepped back two paces.

"Where did you get those?"

"I assume you are getting video of the site of the old farm. When you run that video file, you will see two parents who are very upset and confused."

"I'm sure they'll scan it first thing in the morning. Will they see a crime?"

"I won't press charges, but it wouldn't hurt to pay attention to them. Neither one is exercising their best judgment."

Kekkonen walked to the pistols and looked down at them.

"Are you armed?"

"No." Kat unzipped her coat and turned a complete circle, her arms outstretched. He had every right to be careful. She stood with her back to him and her arms out while he gathered up the pistols and put them in his trunk.

"So you disarmed them."

"Yes."

"Put your arms down, and let's talk." He pointed to the passenger side of the squad. Kat wondered why he didn't want to talk inside. It would be warmer, and there would be coffee. But there would also be Julie. Kat had the usual problem getting into the car. The seat was covered with folders and an iPad. He also had a sack lunch on the floor. She was careful not to step on it.

"Your dinner?" She pointed at the floor.

"And midnight snack. I am on four until midnight."

"You should be senior enough to get a better shift."

"We had lots of guys pulling double shifts during deer season. I'm glad we are down to just eight hours." There was a pause, finally broken by Kat.

"Why are you here, Dave? And why aren't we sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee?"

"This is an official visit. You will have investigators at your lodge at ten tomorrow. They will want to talk with you and with Julie Ames. They will want to look through your lodge. They will get a search warrant if you insist, but of course that would alert the local press. Will you allow them entry to your lodge and surrounding area?"

"I assume you are recording my response."

"Yes." He pointed to a microphone on the dash.

"I, Katherine Johnson, give permission for investigators to search my home and property. Now. Can you tell me why I am a suspect?"

"No. Sorry."

"Well, let me lay out the situation as I see it. Rainbo's mother is convinced I killed her. She is asking for an additional investigation of me, and your leadership has agreed. Fine. Here's where the accusation breaks down. She assumes I kept Rainbo after the weekend she stayed here, had sex with her, and then killed her. The accusation breaks down at any of three places. First, I have security footage of the place. I haven't looked back at it, but I assume it will show her leaving Sunday afternoon with the rest. Your investigators can also contact the other women who were here that weekend to see if they also saw her leave. Second, her mother told me she called in sick, but surely a credit card check and a little detective work will show her active in Oshkosh. Third, we have the time of death, a time I was here at the lodge seeing off the women of that weekend. So, I didn't do it."

"It happens I believe you. Although I have to say, having Ms. Ames here does not help your case. It just looks bad, Kat. This isn't a college town, or a big city. Here it is one man, one woman. If this goes to trial, they will be your jury."

"I understand." They sat and looked at each other. Neither had anything else to say. Kat opened her door and got out. She stood by the squad for a moment, wondering if there was anything else she could say. Finally she turned and walked into the lodge. Kekkonen sat out in her drive for a few more minutes, then drove off.

Julie was waiting for Kat just inside the door. Obviously she had been watching out the front windows.

"Kat." She pulled Kat's coat off and then hung her arms around Kat's neck. She had changed into her red satin cocktail dress, put on scent, and worked on her hair and makeup. Kat wondered what Dave could see from his car. Probably too much.

"Julie, we need to talk."

"Yes. Of course. Come in. Sit. Relax. I will get you a glass of wine. Better yet, change into something nice, and I will make a plate of cheese and crackers. We have a little left over."

"I'd rather not change."

"Please." Julie took one of Kat's hands and put it on her ass. Then she kissed Kat, and held it, her arms tight around Kat's neck, her weight hanging from Kat, pulling Kat's head down toward her. "Your bride's maid dress. I will make you dinner. We have worked hard all weekend. This is our time. Do this for me, Kat."

Maybe it was the hand on Julie's backside, but Kat felt herself change. Her other hand slid across Julie's back, and she held her tighter. She looked down at that perfect face and kissed her.

"All right." Julie gave her a quick kiss and a big smile. Kat walked back to their bedroom. She had the floral dress with the neckline Julie would no doubt pull lower. She took a minute getting into it, then combed out her hair and put on a bit of lip gloss. This was exactly what Dave had warned her against. But Dave was out cruising the roads. Julie was in the great room, waiting with a glass of wine.

"It was such a great weekend, wasn't it?" Julie pulled her onto a love seat positioned in front of the gas fireplace. As soon as Kat was seated, she gave Kat a glass of wine, and then sat with her legs across Kat's, one arm around her shoulders. With her legs in that position, her skirt slid up, showing most of her thighs. Kat put her free hand right where the skirt met Julie's thigh.

"You did a great job. Most of the weekend you were the hostess and I was the assistant."

"You were the one who led them through the project. That's what they were here for."

"No it wasn't." Kat sipped her wine and then put her glass down so she had another hand on Julie. "They were here to have fun. The projects just give them a souvenir."

"All the women used some pretty large tools. They will be proud of that. They certainly took enough pictures." She put down her glass and raised a hand to Kat's cheek. She turned Kat's head and kissed her.

"Julie. The police will be here tomorrow at ten. I need to know. Are you staying here, or are you going?"

"That's up to you, Kat. I will stay, but you have to ask me. And you have to show me. Pursue me, Kat. When we are together, I always come to you. Show me you want me. Come to me. Take me. Whenever we stand together, your arm should be around me. You should hold me, and you should kiss me."

"And you will stay with me."

"I will stay with you, and I will be your wife."

Kat put an arm around Julie and pulled her tighter. One arm across her back, the other across her thighs. They kissed, Julie laying her head back on the top of the love seat, pulling Kat's face down onto hers. Kat felt her in her arms, and smelled her scent. She thought of the woman in her arms, and for the first time wondered if she might be her wife.

Chapter 20

Their Night

Theirs was a long night. An intense night. There was dinner, wine, dancing, and talk. Lots of talk. Julie had made dinner from leftovers. Chicken, mashed potatoes, a mixture of three cooked vegetables. All had been cooked days before. A minute or two in the microwave. She filled two plates and carried them into the dining room. Kat had suggested the kitchen, but Julie was adamant. The dining room, lights low, three candles burning. They sat at the seats just inside the door, Julie in the end seat she had used over the weekend, Kat in a chair pulled close.

Main topic of conversation? The weekends. Julie wanted a rough schedule. Were there any weekends when it would just be the two of them? Were there breaks when they could travel? Could they hire someone else to do the cleaning and laundry? Short of getting out her tax forms, Kat explained they needed to have an activity at least forty five weekends a year, and there was no money for help. There was a four week break around Christmas when they could travel, but that was also a good time to give the place a thorough cleaning and get out some promotional materials for the next year. They ate in the glow from candlelight, but it didn't seem very romantic.

Julie was much happier after dinner. They danced. She had a playlist on her iPod that she connected to the lodge's sound system.

"I call it songs of seduction. Every one is from a movie. I start with 'Unchained Melody' from 'Ghost' and go from there." She adjusted the volume until she had the level she wanted, and then she wrapped herself around Kat. "The way this works is, I pull myself up and tight against you so we can feel each other's breasts. You wrap your hands around my ass and pull our hips together. Thirty seconds into 'Lonely rivers flow, to the sea, to the sea' and we are each hot as hell."

"Yes, that seems to be true." Kat had her hands where Julie wanted. They rocked from side to side and occasionally did a full turn, but clearly they were more engaged in groping than in dancing.

"If I am to be your wife, every evening after dinner, you will come to me, have a smile on your face that is really a leer, and you will ask me to dance. And we will hold each other like this. Mostly this will be when we are alone, but there will be some weekends when you will want to do it too. You will show your guests how much you love me."

"I will dance with you."

"You will come for me. You will desire me. And sometimes I will say 'no', and you will be frustrated."

"Julie, that's teasing."

"Wives tease. It's how we keep your attention."

They danced through seven or eight numbers. They held each other tighter and got hotter with every song. Kat tried twice to pull Julie towards their bedroom. Julie just smiled and stayed in place. The third time Kat pulled, Julie pulled the other way. She pushed Kat into a fat leather chair, and sat on her lap.

"Let's talk about my place in the company. You agree I am a big help with the guests, right?"

"Yes, you are." Julie was leaning over Kat, pushing her head back into the chair. The songs still played. Julie stroked Kat's hair in time with the music. Kat ran her hand up and down Julie's thigh.

"I'm not your assistant, Kat. I am your partner. That's how you will introduce me. And that's how I will appear on the website."

"And what will you do as partner?"

"For one thing, I will help you design new activities. I think I can come up with things that would attract younger women."

"Younger women who can afford five hundred dollars for a weekend and have time away from work and children."

"I got here, didn't I? And I'm not the only young woman who has a few bucks. If we advertise more in Chicago, I think we can fill this place."

"We can talk about some of your ideas." Kat pulled Julie's head down to her and kissed her. "Now, it's about time for bed, isn't it?"

"You have to seduce me first. Say the things that will make me melt in your arms. Work for me, Kat. Work for me."

"Julie, I worked hard all day, and then I was almost shot. I love being with you, and I love touching you and being touched. Now I really need to go to bed so I am ready when the deputies come in the morning. So. Please. I love you. I want you. Please go to bed with me."

"You mention me, you mention someone who almost shot you, and you mention deputies. I am just one of three."

"You are the prettiest of the three, and the only one of the three I want in my bed."

"Who almost shot you?"

"Do you really want to go into that?"

"No."

"Good. Then let's go to bed." Kat sat up in her chair, and while she didn't quite push Julie off her, she did rise up enough that Julie got the message. They walked together to their bedroom, and zipped each other out of their gowns. Julie made sure they both went to bed in satin nightgowns. The minute they were under the covers, Julie was all over Kat.

"I have been waiting for this all day." Julie was lying across her, one hand in Kat's hair, the other sliding down her body.

Kat lay flat on her back. She had one arm around Julie and was caressing her skin, but her mind was back at the abandoned farm. She had learned how to disarm a person in the first week of MP school. It was one of many things she had learned and then never used during a twenty year career. In Iraq and Afghanistan they took out your legs with an IED, or took out your Humvee with an RPG. And they never walked up to you pointing a pistol. They just opened fire from where they stood. And they never used a pistol. They always had a long gun, usually an AK.

Hard to know if Angela had any real intention of shooting Kat, but the danger had been to Angela. Out of practice, as Kat turned the pistol away from Angela's palm and into her thumb, she might have broken her thumb or even caused Angela to tighten on the trigger, the bullet hitting Angela's shoulder or chest as the weapon rotated. Kat might have been responsible for her death. It could have easily gone that way.

Julie seemed to want more of Kat's attention. The hand that was in Kat's hair slid to the back of her head, and Julie rolled into her back, pulling Kat over onto her. She kept her hand at Kat's head, pulling her down for a kiss. With her free hand, she took one of Kat's hands and began pulling it where she wanted it. Lesson time. She was showing Kat how she wanted to be touched, and where. Slowly she took Kat's hand down between her legs.

Kat thought about the woman who was holding her, and using her. Up-selling. She bet Julie had been up-selling since junior high. Trading up to the best boy in high school, joining the best sorority in college, always at the best parties. The psych major who could talk anybody into yet another feature on their TV. Now she was teaching Kat how to give her yet more pleasure.

There hadn't been much up-selling in the Army. A good patrol was the ones where you came back to the FOB with the same number of Humvees you left with. And those years at Fort Meade, you couldn't up-sell a menial assignment. Gate guarding and perimeter patrols at a fort where everything important didn't walk in or drive it, it arrived as electromagnetic waves collected in the huge satellite dishes on every building. Her life had been door locks and security badge updates.

Julie would up-sell from assistant to partner to... Julie took that moment to push Kat's head down across her chest. She wanted Kat's mouth on her breast. She kept it there while she held Kat's hand up between her legs. And then she began pushing Kat's head down across her belly. Down. She would take more from Kat. She would demand more from Kat. There would be far more up-selling.

Kat sat up. The time to stop it was now.

"Julie, don't push."

"You don't like..."

"I'll let you know what I like and what I don't. We need to talk about how we are in bed. And we need to talk about how we are together. And we need to talk about how we are in the workshops."

"You didn't like what I did this weekend?"

"Some I liked. Some I didn't."

"Tell me."

"In the morning. For now, let's just sleep." Kat moved her head back up on her pillow. Julie immediately slid tight against her.

"This is okay?"

"This is fine." Kat kissed Julie, slid a hand along her side, and closed her eyes. Both of them were asleep in minutes.

Chapter 21

Worst Morning Ever

Julie was the first to awaken. She pulled herself tight against Kat and slowly ran her hand down her hair, her face, her shoulder, and then down her side.

"That feels good." Kat smiled at Julie, a hand reaching toward her cheek.

"You had a rough day yesterday. Someone tried to shoot you. Tell me about that."

"It was Angela. She and her current husband were watching an old farm where Rainbo and her killer went into the forest. She put a gun in my face. She thinks I killed Rainbo. She didn't shoot me, but she has pressured detectives to come after me. I am now a suspect."

"How could she think you did it?"

"She saw how you and I are together. She thinks I got Rainbo to stay with me, just as I got you here. Rainbo wanted to break it off, so I killed her."

"But you didn't."

"Didn't what? Kill her? No. Get her to stay with me? No. But can I prove that? They see you with me, and they may think the mother is right."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No, but it may be for the best." Kat got out of bed and walked to the shower. Julie raced up behind her.

"Let me shower with you. Let me show you how much I love you. You know I am good in there."

"You are very good in the shower, but I think we have to break this off."

"Tell me what I need to do."

"It's not you, Julie. It's how this all looks." Kat got into the shower. Julie tried to get in with her. Kat held her off and closed the glass door. Julie stood just outside and watched her.

For the next two hours, that process repeated itself over and over. Kat got dressed. Julie stood close and helped Kat pull on her sweater. She followed Kat to the kitchen and stood next to her as Kat heated water for oatmeal. She filled her own bowl and sat next to Kat as she ate. When Kat went upstairs and started stripping the beds, Julie joined in. She was still wearing a short satin nightgown and moved carefully so Kat could see her breasts when she bent over to grab a sheet, or see her ass as she twisted to pull a bundle of blankets into her arms.

"Julie, you are beautiful. You are going to make someone a great wife. Now go get dressed before the deputies get here."

"I'm still yours."

"Please go get dressed."

Julie walked up to Kat, put a hand to her cheek, and then slowly walked away. "You know you want me."

The deputies arrived precisely at ten. There were three of them, the two old guys from the first visit, and a new guy, early thirties, probably mid-career, still looking to make a name in law-enforcement.

Kat saw them drive up and was waiting by the front door. Julie came rushing over. She had put on a short cotton dress, sleeveless. It was more appropriate for summer, but for now, it showed what she wanted to show. She stood with her hip touching Kat, her arm around Kat's waist.

The two old guys were the first ones through the door. They gave mumbled introductions, their attention completely on Julie. The new guy glanced at Julie, but he was here to see Kat. She got all his attention.

"Lieutenant Jason Thomas." He reached out to shake Kat's hand. Kat heard his emphasis on "Lieutenant." New rank. One he was proud of. He would be in charge here. He would be a problem. "I think it would be easiest if Sergeants Tilman and Zimmer interviewed Miss Ames while you and I spoke." He was smiling at Kat, but she thought it looked like a smile he practiced in front of a mirror.

Kat stepped back from the entryway and pointed Julie and the sergeants towards the great room. Kat led Thomas to her office. The office had always struck Kat as a mistake. If the original owner had thought he might have private conversations with his rich clients, he should have done better with the office. It was small. Maybe a room he had forgotten until the last minute. It was maybe eight by twelve. The desk was pushed against the far wall. There were only two chairs in the room, one at the desk, and a spare very close. Kat sat at the desk.

The lieutenant took his time getting his coat off and folding it carefully before hanging it over the back of his chair. Then he pulled a note pad from his pocket and made a show of reading through several pages before he sat and looked at Kat. It was clear he had taken a course in interviewing. Kat waited to see if it had been a one week course or two weeks. The one week course would focus on good questions. The two week course would focus on waiting for good answers. He waited. Okay, two week course.

"I am told you have owned this lodge for just over three years."

"That is correct." She would go with short answers and wait to see what he wanted to dig out.

"And you bring women here for weekend activities." He was sitting with both feet on the floor, his back straight, his hands and his note pad on his lap. He wanted all focus to be on his face. His expression was friendly. It would stay that way as long as he found it useful.

"Yes."

"Do women sometimes stay longer than the weekend?"

"No."

"But I notice Miss Ames has stayed on with you."

"She will be leaving this afternoon."

"Has any other woman stayed on with you?"

"No."

"So you assert that a Miss Kelsey did not stay on with you several weeks ago."

"Correct."

"Her mother thinks she stayed on with you."

"Yes. She has told me that."

"And you deny it."

"Yes."

Long pause as Thomas made some notes, turned back through several pages, and generally waited for Kat to become nervous. Kat sat as the Lieutenant did, her feet on the floor, her back straight, her hands in her lap. She looked at the lieutenant, her face expressionless.

"I understand you found the body of Miss Kelsey."

"Yes."

"Do you often travel up that particular road?"

"No."

"But you did that morning."

"Yes."

"It seems quite a coincidence that you would find her body well out on a road you rarely use." His face was no longer friendly. He twisted his face to look skeptical, even a bit angry. He looked at her and waited. She looked back.

"Well?" He now showed some anger. Kat wondered how much was real.

"Are you asking me a question?"

"Yes."

"And what is the question?" Kat kept her voice even. No reason to make him more upset.

"Do you think it is quite a coincidence that you would happen upon Miss Kelsey's body?"

"Yes." She knew her short answers were making him upset, but this man was not her friend. And while she was not under arrest, anything she said could and would be used in court.

"I would like you to describe your actions that morning."

"I often go for a morning run. I..."

He interrupted. "Did you go for a run this morning?"

"No."

"Did you go for a run yesterday morning?"

"No." Interesting. Kat imagined how this line of questioning would be used in a court room. For the first time, she felt uncomfortable.

"So there are many mornings when you do not go out for a run."

"Yes."

"And on those mornings when you do go out for a run, is it usual for you to run up that logging road?"

"No."

"Where do you usually run?"

"Sometimes on the road back to Amberg, sometimes on the road along the lake."

"Not usually along the logging road."

"No."

"When you do run on the logging road, is it a good place to run?"

"Not the best."

"Why is that?"

"The surface is uneven, and things might be hidden under the snow."

"But you chose to run there any way."

"Yes."

"You understand how unusual this all sounds." He was now leaning forward in his chair. He was not a big man, but he was puffing up his chest, and looked fairly large in the small room. "You sometimes run in the morning, but you often do not. On one of the few times you run, rather than run along your usual routes, routes that are easier to see and safer, you pick this logging road, a road you rarely use, and it just so happens that is the morning when you find a body."

He stared at Kat, and waited. She looked back. It felt a bit like a stare down, but that was childish. She met his eyes, blinked when it felt necessary, looked up at his forehead briefly, then met his eyes again. She monitored her breathing, keeping it as even as possible.

"You have given us permission to search your premises."

"Yes."

"Please wait here while we conduct our search. I may have additional questions for you."

Kat remained in her seat while he got up and left. He closed the door as he left, clearly to isolate her from Julie.

Kat sat back in her chair and reviewed the content of the interview. He had a done a good job with a challenging suspect. But he had also shown her the approach she could expect from the district attorney when charges were filed. And she was pretty certain charges would be filed. They may not have hard evidence against her, but there was enough circumstantial evidence to tempt a district attorney, especially if the DA was being pressured by a mother.

It was clear to Kat she was going to have to prove her innocence. To start with, it would help if she could show that Rainbo had left with the others that Sunday. Back to the video files.

Kat turned to her computer. Hers was a routine model she had bought at Best Buy. Nothing special. But these days, "nothing special" came with five terabytes of storage. Video files took up space, but remote cameras were set to a resolution and file storage strategy so that she could keep months of video if she wished. So, while it might be tedious to scan back four weeks, she could do it.

It took ten minutes of scanning and scrolling, but she got it. The camera on the front of the lodge covered the parking area. She could see women coming out, the final hugs, the bags going into trunks. She saw herself out there helping a couple women, but then she had gone back in, probably to get one more suitcase down the stairs.

Two women came out. No hugs, but they did seem to say something to each other as they loaded their cars. An initial comment, and then more. A conversation. Rainbo. And Julie. A conversation. Kat replayed the video, then froze it. This wasn't studio-quality video footage, but it was clear enough to see faces. There was no question. It was Rainbo, and it was Julie. Talking. Then they got in their cars, and drove out, one right after the other.

Kat collapsed back in her chair. What the hell! How was this even possible? Julie said she had watched Rainbo drive off. This was much more than a couple words and a glance at tail lights. Julie had lied. Julie had gone off with Rainbo. Julie had been able – whenever she wanted – to prove Kat's innocence. She hadn't. The bitch! Kat wanted to throw something.

But Kat now had some evidence of her innocence. Rainbo had left – with Julie. She could prove it. Kat made a copy of that section of the surveillance tape. She saved one copy on a thumb drive, emailed another copy to herself, and put yet another copy on her hard drive. It was clear she would have to prove her innocence, and now she could.

She expected the detective to come back to talk with her. Good. She would show him the video when he returned. This would soon be over.

What would also be over was her relationship to Julie. She had lied. Why had she lied? Good question. But something to think about later – after Julie was gone.

Now what? She opened the office door. Where were the detectives? The three of them, plus Julie, were standing just outside the front door. Lots of smiles. Easy conversation. A chance to talk to a pretty girl. Kat stayed near the entryway and watched as the men got into the squad and drove away, Julie waving to them as they left the driveway.

She turned, saw Kat in the entryway, and smiled.

Chapter 22

Rainbo's Story

"Julie, you have to go." Julie had come back into the lodge.

"We need to talk." She stepped up to Kat, all smiles. She put a hand on the back of Kat's neck, pulled herself up, and kissed Kat.

"Don't do that." Kat put her hands on Julie's hips and pushed her away.

"Kat, I just saved your life. I explained I saw Rainbo leave that Sunday. I even said I saw her in Oshkosh one night. They believed me. No more troubles for you."

"Julie, I don't want you here. Pack your things and go."

"We need to talk, Kat." She stepped up to Kat again, her face just inches away. She put a hand on Kat's cheek. "I am going to put on warmer clothes. You should put on your snowmobile suit, and we will go take a drive. You need to hear a story about Rainbo. And after you hear it, you will want me to stay." She smiled at Kat, then walked to their bedroom.

Kat stood where she was for a moment, but then went to the hall closet and got out her black snowmobile suit. If it took a snowmobile ride to find out what really happened to Rainbo, she would do it.

Ten minutes later she had her snowmobile out of the garage. Julie had changed into pants and a heavy coat. She sat behind Kat, her arms wrapped tight around Kat's waist.

"Where are we going?" Kat asked.

"You already know." Julie laid her head on Kat's shoulder as Kat turned the throttle and took them to the logging road and then to the place where Rainbo's body had been. A ten minute ride. Nothing had changed. Woods in every direction, police tape slowly sliding lower on the trees. Kat steered around the spot where Rainbo's body had laid, then stopped, turned off the engine and removed her helmet. The woods was silent. Just one more empty place in an empty forest.

Julie got off the back of the snowmobile, then sat again, this time using the snowmobile as a bench, sitting on the side facing where Rainbo had lain. Kat turned as well.

"You lied to me about watching Rainbo drive off. I finally took the time to check my surveillance tapes. You left at the same time as Rainbo. The two of you even talked. You could have proved my innocence with just a word. But you didn't."

"I did this morning."

"So this is over. And you will leave." Kat turned toward Julie. She saw tears running down Julie's face.

"This isn't over. Not for either of us."

"You and Rainbo?"

Julie nodded. "I told you I once knew her. It didn't end well. Lots of things for Rainbo have not gone well. Her parents divorced, she couldn't keep a job, any guy she found dumped her the morning after. She was a really quiet person, so no one could tell, but that was one angry woman. Then she sees this ad for your weekend adventures. You will show her how to shoot a gun, and help her practice on deer. She is pretty excited by this opportunity."

"You know this how?"

"We talked. Well, mostly she talked. I stood loading my car, and suddenly she was loading hers, and talking to me. Hadn't said two words all weekend, but now she wants to talk. Fine. She wants me to join her for a drink at Peabody's in Oshkosh. Shows you just how desperate she was. Oshkosh. Absolute worst place for single women to live, by the way. Any woman with any class drives up to Appleton to get laid. But Rainbo decides she will finally talk to me as we are packing our cars to leave, and says we should get a drink when we get back to town. Oshkosh has all of three bars that aren't a complete embarrassment. She wants Peabody's on Main Street."

"Julie – focus. You say this isn't over for us. Does that have anything to do with the quality of the bars in Oshkosh?"

"Just that we didn't go there. I live in Appleton. Near College Avenue. Twenty bars, all of them better than anything in Oshkosh. There are two nice hotels on College, and we go to the nicer one. Great bar, interesting men passing through. We're halfway through a Captain and Coke, laughing about my company call center, when two guys pick us up. We make them buy us two drinks, then I invite all of us to my apartment."

"You will like this. I have just one bedroom, and one bed. Queen size. I have done this before. Two couples, one bed. We'll have to try it some time. The guys try to show off how great they are in bed, so you really get their best. Of course the women compete too for most fake orgasms. It really is funny."

"Julie, none of this is funny. Focus. You were with Rainbo. Did you kill her?"

"No." Julie jumped off the snowmobile. "What the hell? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"You lie to me. I know that. You also lied to the detectives, didn't you? Did you tell them the two of you had been to your apartment in Appleton?"

"Yes, I lied. But I didn't kill her. If anything, she nearly killed me."

"When?"

"The next morning. After these guys fuck us and leave. Rainbo and I get up, shower, change the sheets, pull on a couple sexy night gowns and spend the next day in bed together. We both call in sick that Monday. She is all over me, by the way. Suddenly not so shy. Very aggressive. Has to be on top. Into bondage. Ties me to the bed and really goes to it. I had bruises for days. This is when I find out she has a side we never see. She has grievances. She tells me how much she loved your gun training. Her father is a gun nut. She plans to steal several of his guns while he is off deer hunting. He won't even notice – or dare call the cops – and she can settle some scores. I'm lying there tied to the bed and wonder if I get it first."

She paused at this point, both women looking down at the place in the road where her body had laid. Kat tried to assimilate what Julie was telling her. Sounded a bit like school shooters. Bullied or filled with some other grievance, they act out. But all were men. Women didn't do that. Rainbo? Even if Julie was telling the truth, Kat just didn't see it in Rainbo. She had only known her for a weekend, but she hadn't seen any signs. Of course that was what people said all the time – I had no idea. They seemed so nice.

"How long did she stay with you?"

"Just that Monday. She scared the hell out of me, made me apologize for getting her fired, took all the cash I had in my wallet, then untied me and left. The minute she was out the door I locked it behind her."

"She didn't say where she was going?"

"No. My best guess? She robbed her father's house and then went looking for trouble."

"She found trouble up here."

"Yes. Her mother thinks she found trouble with you. I told the cops I saw her leave, and you say you have tape of her driving off. Fine, but obviously she came back – to a forest practically on your doorstep. They can make a connection to you if they work at it."

"Agreed. I am not out of this. But neither are you. They'll keep checking, and at some point connect the two of you in Appleton."

"Yes."

There was ticking from the snowmobile engine as it cooled.

"Julie, I accept what you say. She was not as innocent as she seemed. There was a screw loose somewhere. But. And I mean this. Whatever she did, whatever she wanted to do, she didn't deserve to die like this. Not alone out here, lying in the snow in the middle of nowhere. No one deserves that." Kat stood and stared off into the woods, off toward where the killer had stood as he made the shot.

"Kat, the killer is here. In this town."

"Doesn't have to be. Could be someone she met anywhere."

"And she could have been killed anywhere. But she wasn't. She was killed here." Julie walked over to Kat and put her arms on Kat's shoulders. "I know you didn't kill her. I hope you know it wasn't me."

"You lied to me once, Julie. Don't ever do it again." Kat looked down into Julie's face. "We need to figure out who did this."

"We?"

"We know two people who didn't kill Rainbo – you and me. Now we work our way through the other twenty eight thousand residents of Marinette County and find the killer. We do this together." Kat stopped herself. "No. Let me ask it the right way. Julie, I enjoy being with you. Will you please stay?"

"Yes. I will stay with you." She got up on her toes and kissed Kat. Then they got back on the snowmobile and sped back to the lodge.

Two squad cars were parked outside Kat's garage.

Chapter 23

It Gets Complicated

Kat drove straight into the garage. She and Julie climbed off the snowmobile and stood looking at Dave and the other officer.

"Kat." Dave took a step towards her. She turned off the snowmobile so she could hear him. "You gave us permission to search your premises, now we would like to take your rifles for a few days to do a ballistics test."

"Did you recover a bullet from the murder site to compare against my Winchesters?"

"I can't tell you that. Please, just open your safe so we can take the rifles."

Kat stared at Dave long enough to know he was serious, then opened the safe and backed away from it. Dave and the other deputy labeled each rifle and then placed it in the trunk of a squad. Kat locked the safe when they were done, and then stood near Dave's car.

"I have surveillance footage of Rainbo leaving my lodge that afternoon." Dave had returned to his squad.

"I will pass that along."

"Dave, if this investigation becomes public, my business will be ruined."

"We have filed no formal charges. No comments are coming from our department. But you should know Rainbo's mother is talking to the press. There's not much press left in Marinette, but she will find someone to listen eventually. I am sorry." He got into his car and both deputies drove off.

"What are they doing, Kat?" Julie slid close to Kat and took her hand.

"They are checking any bullets they found to see if they were fired from one of my guns."

"They found bullets?"

"Pretty unlikely. The bullet that killed Rainbo almost certainly passed through her. It could have ended up anywhere. If the killer fired other shots, they might have embedded in a tree. But which tree? Finding one would be like finding a needle in a haystack – when the haystack is spread out over a mile."

"So you don't think they have a bullet. Then why take the guns?"

"They need to show they are doing something. I'm guessing Rainbo's mother is pressuring them pretty hard."

"That's not good."

"Actually it is very good. They have tools we don't have. They can do checks on her credit cards to see where she has been, and they can interview possible witnesses. They might actually find someone, now that they are looking harder."

"And if they find me?"

"Did she use a credit card when she was with you?"

"No, and neither did I. The guys bought our drinks."

"Will the bartender remember you?"

"That hotel bar is a meat market. We were just two more women looking to get laid."

"Lovely."

Kat went back into the lodge and got out of her snowmobile suit. The minute she was out of it, Julie handed her the floral bride's maid dress.

"More of this?" Kat took it and stepped into it.

"Make up sex." Julie had stripped down to her underwear and gave Kat her red satin dress to hold. She took a very long time getting into it. It was a very few steps to the bed, and they got there plenty fast.

"Kat, we are partners now?" Julie was on top of Kat, her nose practically touching Kat's, her hands tight in Kat's hair

"Yes."

"You trust me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Julie was all over Kat for a while, her hands, her legs, her lips. Then she just laid her head down next to Kat's, and went to sleep, her body still resting on Kat. Kat slowly caressed her back, recalling the conversation they had in the woods. Was Julie telling her the truth? She reviewed all the components of Julie's story and became confident, yes, it was the truth. Sometime after that conclusion, she fell asleep.

When she woke, Julie was gone. She had put a blanket over Kat and left. Kat took a minute to gather her thoughts. Her first thought was that she missed having Julie lying on her. Soft and warm. She liked it. She went looking for her.

The fireplace was going, and Julie was lounged in the love seat opposite. She waved her cell phone as Kat approached.

"Join me, sleepy head." She slid her legs off the couch to make room for Kat, then smothered Kat the minute she was seated, her legs over Kat's, an arm around her neck, her head pressed against the side of Kat's face for a kiss.

"You should have stayed with me in bed."

"Agreed, but there were some things I wanted to take care of." She kissed Kat another time, then pulled herself completely onto Kat's lap and looked down at her. "You trust me, right?"

"Yes."

"I've done some checking. I had no idea you were so poor. Mortgaged up to your eyebrows, two months late on your propane bill. They are not happy with you, by the way. But you can relax. I took care of that bill for you."

"You hacked my account."

"Relax. It will be a joint account soon enough. At least, I hope it will be." She smiled and played with Kat's hair.

"How?"

"Please. Any child could do it. You have one log in for all accounts – it's more efficient that way. Right? That's what everyone thinks. There is always some account that says you need to change your password – six months is up, or four months, or they got hacked, or it is just that phase of the moon. So you have to go back and change all your accounts. But they won't take a password you might remember – it has to have six numbers and two capital letters, and no recognizable words, and three special characters. You know, impossible to remember, and even if you did, they would make you change it in three weeks or three months or whenever they get a new IT guy. So you write it down. Let's see. Where might you put it? It took me like three minutes to find the folder where you write down your passwords."

"So you accessed everything on my computer."

"Yes. I like the way you have your files arranged, by the way, and your financials are well recorded. But your profits are thin."

"Julie, we are partners in finding Rainbo's killer. We are not partners in this business."

"I'll give you a hundred thousand dollars for a quarter interest."

"No." But even as she said "no," Kat was thinking how good it would feel to have that kind of money in the business.

"I know. Too fast. But think about it. And think about something else. We should marry."

"What?"

"You heard me. You have waited long enough for once a week Jim. I am here, I am with you, you know you love sharing your bed with me."

"I took a one hour nap, and you came up with all this?"

"You were asleep almost three hours. Stress will do that. And I am confident you gave your relationship with me some thought over the last week. You had your hands all over me."

"Let's just deal with this one thing at a time. Murder, then business, then marriage."

"I need to jump ahead to business. Let me show you." She lifted her phone to show Kat. "Your Facebook page has some great pictures from this weekend. Here is the best – you and me dancing together. Under it I announced our deep friendship and listed myself as your new hostess. Look at the comments – everyone is 'pleased you found someone.' Kind of annoying, by the way. All the comments are about how good this is for you. What about me? Anyway, I would not be surprised if several women assume we are more than friends and bring engagement presents this weekend."

"You were essentially the hostess last weekend, and you are obviously a friend. Let's leave things there for now. I need you to focus. Murder. It happened up here. Is it someone up here?"

"Yes."

"And you know that because..."

"I feel it."

"And what do we do about it?"

"We go where Rainbo would have gone."

"Where would she have gone?"

"She's thirty five. A city girl. There are two bars in town. One she would avoid like the plague, the other would draw her like a magnet."

"You don't like Jim's bar."

"I would make friends in there instantly. She wouldn't."

"We already tried the Hilton bar. There's no one left to beat up."

"We tried one bar. The Hilton has two."

"There was no one in the place."

"There was no one the one night we checked. We check again. And again."

"Starting tonight?"

"Yes."

"Show me what to wear."

Julie refused to get off Kat for a long time, holding Kat's head back against the top of the couch as she kissed her and played with her hair. She waited until Kat slid her hands across her thighs, and then stood. She held out her hand and led Kat back to their bedroom. It was a while before they were ready to dress again.

Chapter 24

The Hilton

"Promise me, if those two guys are still there, you won't beat them up again." They were in Julie's BMW, just crossing the bridge to the Hilton.

"I assume they are long gone. That's the problem, by the way, the Hilton rotates staff. Those two losers should be gone, but the killer might be gone too."

Once again, Julie had no trouble finding a parking place. Her BMW joined a rusty pickup and a newer Volvo. As they came through the front door they could see an older couple in the restaurant (presumably the Volvo people). That left the pickup owner in the sports bar. No one was in the main bar. Julie led the way in. Empty or not, she was determined to sit, have a drink, and determine if the bartender was the killer. Kat took the seat next to her, not even taking her coat off. There were long shots, and there were ridiculous bets. She took one look at the bartender and knew he was not the guy.

He was reasonably pleasant, but slow. He had been seated in a corner reading a paperback. He didn't quite shuffle over, but it was clear his feet hurt. He attempted a smile while he greeted them and asked for their drink order. The smile disappeared the instant he turned away to get their wine. Age? Had to be pushing sixty. Worse than bald, he had about a dozen hairs that he combed over the crown of his head, all of them held down by sweat. It was hard to know if he had ever been good looking. Now he was just an old guy with flaccid features and a skin tone that said he had not seen the sun in a decade or so. Would Rainbo have left the bar with him? No chance.

Kat would have left without ordering a drink, but Julie was determined to sit and talk.

"How long have you been up here?"

"I arrived in October. They wanted me up here for the deer season rush. Pretty busy for a while there." The wine bottle he had gone to had been recorked multiple times. He struggled to get the cork out with his fingers, then reached for a corkscrew. Kat and Julie got the last two glasses in the bottle.

"Seems pretty quiet now."

"I hear we may get some more business around Christmas. A couple local insurance agencies doing parties. Maybe some snowmobilers." He stood opposite them to talk, but he eyed a stool near the cash register. He wanted to be pleasant, but he also wanted to be off his feet.

"Where will you go next?"

"Hilton rotates every four to six months. If I do six months up here, they give me six months on a beach next."

"That should be fun."

"Lots of rum drinks. Lots of little umbrellas." He had shuffled to his stool. The distance made conversation a little more difficult, but he was close enough that he could still talk with them without shouting.

"Is that the routine for all? Six months north, then six months south?"

"Pretty much. Younger folks like it. Off to explore the world, you know?"

"And here they are. Amberg, Wisconsin."

"Yes." You could see his shoulders slump as he said it. Amberg. Wisconsin. In winter.

Kat and Julie finished their wine. Time in the bar? Maybe ten minutes. Julie paid for the drinks and left him a five dollar tip.

Next stop, the sports bar. Kat stopped Julie at the top of the stairs.

"Are we agreed he's not the one?"

"Agreed. Chance of him walking more than ten feet in the woods? Zero." Julie gave Kat a quick smile and led the way down to the sports bar. She seemed to be having fun. Kat thought maybe that's why you took a rookie along with you on an investigation. They still asked the questions, even when it appeared the investigation was going nowhere.

When they got to the bar, Julie insisted Kat take her coat off. They stacked them on an adjoining stool. There were three guys at the bar, all dressed in blue work uniforms. Apparently the new snow removal crew. The bartender took one look at the Kat and Julie and leaned forward to whisper to the crew. All three stared at Kat for a moment, then decided the game on the large screen was fascinating.

"I'll serve you, but I want you to know Tom didn't deserve what you did to him." The bartender stood opposite them, gripping the bar with both hands, flexing so his forearms looked like Popeye's. Apparently he had lots of time for the hotel gym.

"Put on a skirt, and you may change your mind." Kat sat with straight back, her hands in her lap, staring back at the man. His mouth changed shape, like he was tasting something spoiled.

"Just tell me what you want to drink."

"Two glasses of white wine."

"And a menu." Julie added.

Kat looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"I'm hungry." Once the bartender had gone to get their wine, she added. "We're going to be here a while. For all we know, there is a whole other group of workers who come in later."

"How much later?"

"Patience, Kat."

Kat studied the bartender. Possible choice for Rainbo? Right age. Mid-thirties. Decent looking. The muscles might attract. If Julie's current theory was right, Rainbo had driven up here at some point the week before she was killed, hooked up with some guy, and then gone hunting with him. This guy? Maybe. Maybe not.

Apparently not expecting a big tip. He set their drinks in front of them, and then basically threw two menus on the bar. He was back with the three workers fast enough, commenting on the football game they were watching. "Say what you want, niggers sure are fast. Watch that one go." The next ten minutes was a mixture of racial insults and shouts at the TV to "catch the damn ball."

He did a good job of not looking anywhere near Kat and Julie, so they had no chance to order. Finally Kat got up and walked to where he was standing.

"Two cheeseburgers with fries." He looked at her like she had just spoken a foreign language. Kat tried again. "We each want a cheeseburger with fries. Is that possible?" He took his time, but finally nodded and walked off toward the kitchen. All three of the men looked at Kat, scanning her from top to bottom. Julie had insisted she wear her green dress. Now she was glad she had. She wanted to say, "Yes, I am a woman, and yes, I damn near killed the man you replaced. Care to try me?" She waited. They did their quick scan and then turned back to the game.

"Tell me why Rainbo would shack up with muscle boy." Kat took her seat again.

"She was angry. Maybe he was someone she could pound on." Julie said it, but didn't seem convinced.

"I think we're wasting an hour on bad wine and a greasy burger." Julie made no reply. The bar had six TVs hanging from the ceiling. She decided she was interested in the game. Kat played with her wine glass. She had no interest in drinking more of it. As for the football game, Monday Night Football had lost its allure for her years ago. Just one more game. Tonight was Lions versus Bears. Two bad teams competing for most fumbles and penalties.

But the burgers turned out to be fairly good. A Black woman came out of the kitchen with two paper plates and a smile.

"I made these medium so they would still be juicy, but if you want them more well done, I will do that for you." She stood and waited while Kat and Julie took their first bites. Kat guessed her age as late twenties. Her skin was fairly dark, her hair tied into corn rows. She had a quick smile, but tended not to show her teeth. Kat nodded that she liked her burger. Julie told her she really liked hers. The woman smiled, but stayed where she was. Apparently she wanted to talk. Julie got things rolling.

"How long have you been with Hilton?"

"Seven years. It's a great way to see the country." Another smile, genuine enthusiasm in her voice.

"When did you get up here?"

"I was with the group that came up in October. We just missed the peak of the fall colors, but I loved what I saw. And then we got snow. I had never seen snow before. I'm from Mississippi. Oh sure, once every few years we see a few flakes, but not real snow like this. It's amazing, isn't it?"

Kat and Julie agreed that snow was amazing, and continued the conversation. By the time they were done with their burgers they learned the woman's name was Evelyn, her hometown was Oxford, Mississippi, and she had a degree in Nutritional Science. She was still smiling as she took their empty plates away.

"That was a surprise."

"Yes, good burger. Nice person." Julie was working with a napkin to get the last of the grease off her fingers.

"Probably the only nice person we will meet tonight."

Kat was right. They sat another hour, and had a second glass of bad wine, but no one else came into the bar. Kat finally convinced Julie they should leave. Kat picked up the check, and left a good tip, but she wondered how much would make it back to the cook.

Kat was careful on the drive home. She was confident sitting in bars was not going to help them find Rainbo's killer, but she also wanted to be supportive. If Julie wanted to check out the local bars, Kat was good for another night or two. Truth was, she had no better idea for how to proceed. Twenty years as an MP taught her that not all crimes are solved. She was becoming afraid that this might be one of those.

Chapter 25

Tuesday and a New Normal

Tuesday was a funny day. Kat did laundry. Normally a Monday task, but the lodge had been full of detectives. So Kat laundered on Tuesday. She wore her floral bridesmaid dress without being asked. Julie liked to see her in it, she liked being seen, so... Kat pinned the hem higher so she wouldn't trip on the stairs, and she worked in it all day. Sheets and towels down the stairs, folded sheets and towels up the stairs. It took much of the day, but she got all the beds made.

Julie sat in the office. She was going back to work. Or at least she was trying to see if Kat's computer and the local download speeds would let her work from Kat's lodge. There were glitches the first hour, but then things seemed to smooth out. The home office in Omaha assigned calls to her new number, and Julie did what Julie was good at. She had tuned her voice so you could hear a smile in every word – a lady happy to help, skilled at resolving your problem, and pleased to give a bonus of an introductory rate or a free limited trial. She put in an eight hour day, still smiling for the final call.

Kat brought her a sandwich around noon, and several times slipped into the office and stood behind Julie to listen to her calls. She stood close, her hands on Julie's shoulders, slowly massaging them, and kissing the top of Julie's head before going back to her laundry.

Kat was impressed with Julie's work, but also pleased that she had been able to get all the technology to function. By the end of the day, it was clear Julie could do her work from Amberg. Which meant, she could stay in Amberg. She could stay with Kat. That first Tuesday could be the model for their life together. Julie is busy, and Kat is busy. Each does their own work. Kat is with Julie when she wants to be, but is also free to run errands, and do her jobs around the lodge as she wishes and when she wishes.

And there was talk in the lodge - Julie's voice coming out of the office, the door intentionally left open by Kat, just so she could hear Julie. No longer hour after hour and day after day of silence in the lodge. Kat had a friend. Kat had a partner. Kat was no longer alone. Kat stopped as she walked across the great room. She had a partner. It was only now that she had a partner that she understood just how desperately she had wanted one. She spend the rest of the day feeling – and enjoying – a new normal. She had Julie.

As the sun set, Kat spent some time planning their dinner, but also spent some time in her room, putting on makeup and combing out her hair. It felt like preparing for a date. Yes, they had slept together for days, but this felt new. This was what they used to call "Proof of concept." Could they live together? It had only been one day, but it sure seemed like the concept had been proven. She and Julie could be together. Maybe permanently.

Julie came back to the bedroom while Kat was working on her hair. She walked right up to Kat, wrapped her arms around her and bent her back for a long kiss.

"Honey, I'm home."

"Yes, I think you are."

They spent the next hour in front of the fireplace, sharing a bottle of wine. Julie sat on Kat's lap, a position that seemed to be permanent. It let Julie hold Kat's head back against the top of the couch and lean down to kiss her, while Kat was able to run her hands up under Julie's skirt.

"This works." Kat looked up at Julie and smiled. "We can both do our jobs."

"Yes."

"And I liked having you in the house. Knowing you were there."

"I liked having you come up behind me and massage my shoulders."

"Evenings?"

"Evenings I was thinking we cook together, then eat in the dining room by candle light. Then we come back here and neck, or put on some music and dance. Mostly we grope the hell out of each other."

"And the Hilton?" Kat looked up into Julie's face.

"Let's give it two more nights. But not tonight. Tonight we celebrate our first day working together. We celebrate the life we will have together."

"Agreed."

And they followed that plan. Cooking was mostly the exploration of the huge refrigerator, looking for the best combination of leftovers. Dinner was the two of them sitting side by side at one end of the dining room table, hints of light from the wall sconces, most light from the three candles in their birch log candelabra. Julie pulled Kat's sleeves lower and smiled at the glow of candlelight reflected from Kat's chest.

"Do you have any idea how good you look in candlelight? I look at you and think I am a lucky woman."

"Thank you."

"Kat, we are just getting started. I ordered several gowns for you this afternoon. I have Amazon Prime, so we should have them tomorrow afternoon. You will look so good."

"What did you order for yourself?"

"Something I want to wear Thursday. Kat, if you agree, I would like to drive down to Marinette Thursday afternoon and buy a pair of engagement rings. What do you think?"

"I thought we agreed murder first, then business, then marriage."

"I will wait as long as you want, but we did business today and it felt pretty good. I think our marriage would be good too."

"And the murder?"

"Let's go back to the Hilton tomorrow night and make certain we have talked to everyone. We work hard on this. But Kat, there will come a point when we have done all we can do. Maybe we are there."

"Let me sleep on it, okay?"

"Of course. Now, finish your dinner, and we can dance."

While Kat cleared the dishes, Julie put on her music. Slow numbers again. Julie came for Kat, took her hand, led her out of the kitchen, and danced wrapped tight around Kat. The two of them barely moved. Julie hung from Kat's neck, her hips sliding against Kat's, her mouth at Kat's ear whispering her love. She waited until Kat put her hands on her ass and held her.

"You love me, Kat. Your hands already do."

"All of me does."

Julie turned and led Kat to their bedroom, the music still playing in the background. There was a flurry of touches and caresses as dresses came off and night gowns slid on. Once in bed, Julie took the same position she had on the dance floor. And she felt Kat hold her again.

"Kat, hold me and think about our life together. Feel how good we are together like this. This is your future, and it is a damn good one." She kissed Kat, and slid her hips and thighs against her. She felt the heat coming from Kat and knew she was winning. Thursday they would drive to Marinette.

Chapter 26

The Killer

Wednesday was bathroom day for Kat, phone day for Julie. It was a beautiful day in many ways. Julie was all over Kat in the shower, pressing her against a wall, both hot and breathless. Julie again decided Kat should wear her bride's maid dress, and Kat again decided she was fine with that. She liked the way Julie looked at her. Julie answered phone calls in a yellow satin cocktail dress. Kat stood close behind her and played with her straps as Julie told yet another complainant that she had a marvelous opportunity for them.

Beyond the groping and stroking, it was an exceptional day in Wisconsin. The temperature climbed almost to thirty, which, while not high, can feel pretty good when the sun is bright and there is little wind to chill. Kat pulled a coat around her shoulders, took her mug of coffee out to the glider on the front porch, and rocked in the sunshine. She couldn't remember the last time she had done that.

Amazon delivered shortly after lunch. Six gowns. Julie made Kat try each one. Three were clearly for evening only, and even then for events that never occurred in Amberg. Julie said they would be for their private evenings. Three others were cotton, but much more elegant than anything worn in town.

"You can wear those when we are in California."

"We are going to California?"

"Next week." Julie zipped Kat out of one of the dresses and into another. "We will honeymoon there after our Vegas wedding. I can see you walking the beach in this." The current dress was a yellow print with a floral pattern, sleeveless, A-line skirt just above the knees. Julie played with the skirt a bit. "You're a knock out in this."

Kat saw herself in a mirror. It did look pretty good.

"Julie, let's do this. Tomorrow we will go to Marinette and look at engagement rings. Let's just do that. If it feels like things are working, we can talk about when and where to marry. And maybe after that we can talk about California. Okay?"

"You are definitely a one step at a time girl."

"Good description. Now. Let's get this all put away, and I can get back to cleaning bathrooms."

It was late afternoon before she had the last bathroom done, one of the problems with have an eight-bathroom home. And Kat was tired. An evening on the couch with a bottle of wine seemed like the perfect reward for a hard day. But she had promised Julie a return trip to the Hilton. Probably their last. Kat changed into the same green dress she had worn on other visits. Julie's dress was shorter, but it had sleeves. They could both make it through a couple hours in the basement sports bar.

As soon as they were changed, Kat got them moving. Julie might have taken it as enthusiasm, but Kat wanted to get to the Hilton early so they could leave early. This was now her fourth trip to the Hilton. She hadn't seen the killer the first three times, what were the odds she would find a killer the fourth time?

Julie parked next to the rusty pickup truck. No Volvos this time. Why was the place even open? They walked through the main entrance, hearing complete silence from the restaurant to their right and the main bar to their left. A whole hotel floor essentially unused. They quickly walked through and took the stairs down to the sports bar. It looked like the men in the place had not moved in twenty four hours. All three customers sat in the same stools, and the bartender bent over to whisper the minute he saw the women.

Kat was still unbuttoning her coat when she shouted her order.

"Two white wines, please."

"And two menus." Julie added. Kat decided not to fight it. If Julie wanted burgers again, they would have burgers.

The bartender took his time. He had more to say to the three grounds workers, important things to whisper, and then finally he got their drinks.

"Let me see if the kitchen is open." He put their glasses in front of them, and then walked back into the kitchen. Nothing happened for a while, then he came out and ignored them. A few minutes later, Evelyn appeared.

"Kat, Julie, how nice to see you again." Her smile was large. She came around from behind the bar and stood next to the two women. Close. Like old friends.

"Hi Evelyn." Julie was the first to respond. "We were hoping to get a burger. Are you open?"

"Of course. Would you like the same as last night? If not, I can make you anything you like."

"Just like last night. If it's not trouble."

"No, I love to cook. I'll be right back." And off she went to the kitchen.

"I'd love to know how Hilton manages their properties." Julie was looking over at the bartender as she spoke. "They take the most competent and personable person and hide her behind the walls, and put grumps and old men in the public-facing positions."

"I'm thinking we are wasting our time here. Imagine Rainbo walks in. She gets the ancient guy upstairs, or the grump downstairs, or has a scary conversation with grabby snow shovelers. Why does she spend more than five minutes in this place?"

"She was here during deer season. Maybe she ran into guys up hunting. Maybe they were more professional."

"Maybe." Kat took a sip of her wine. It hadn't improved. "It just seems funny that the most outgoing person in the hotel is the cook."

As the words were coming out of Kat's mouth, her mind was racing ahead of them. The cook. Oh shit. Really? The cook? Kat looked at Julie, not sure what to say. Then she saw Julie's eyes widen, and she knew she didn't need to say anything. The cook. Kat could imagine how it would play out. Rainbo stops for a drink, feels surrounded by creeps, then meets a cook who is willing to stand and talk with her. One thing leads to another. But how does it end in death?

"Let me do the talking." Julie nodded her agreement. She would let Kat take the lead. She would let Kat take this to a place she hoped it didn't go.

Neither woman said anything as they waited for their burgers. They stared at their wine glasses. Kat slid her fingers up and down the glass. Julie put both her hands in her lap and tried to hold them still. Both seemed to slouch a bit, their backs bending as if they were slowly hiding from something.

Evelyn brought out the burgers, putting the plates in front of each woman, a big smile on her face. She looked proud. She had taken care to align all the fries and center the burgers on the plate. Presentation. Both women carefully picked up their sandwich and took a bite. Both smiled.

"This is great, Evelyn." Kat put the burger down and picked up her napkin. She wanted her lips dry while she talked. "You are very good at this."

"Thank you. They purchase a pretty good grade of beef, and I watch temperatures closely."

"Well, it works." Pause. "Do you ever get a chance to get out of here, or do they have you in the kitchen all the time."

"They give me Sundays off."

"Great. Have you had much of a chance to see things around town?"

"Oh, I have a car. I love to just drive the back roads. It reminds me so much of Mississippi. All the trees. Then I see all the snow. It's like a fairyland."

"Yes, it is pretty. Did you get out at all when all the deer hunters were up? That's pretty interesting."

"Yes, I..." Evelyn's face quickly went through about five different expressions. When it stopped moving, it was showing sadness. "We are so busy here during hunting season, I didn't have a chance to get out."

"Yes, I can imagine. It's a busy time for all the businesses up here."

"Yes." Evelyn smiled, and then returned to the kitchen.

Kat and Julie stared at their paper plates. Neither wanted to talk. Both eventually picked up their burger and finished it. Neither ate many of the fries. The bartender slapped the bill in front of them. Julie paid it and left a twenty dollar tip. They were up the stairs the minute they got their coats on.

Once they were in the car, Kat pointed toward some housing just over the bridge near the entrance to the island.

"Employee housing. Drive around behind it, please."

"Why?"

"Because we will find something we do not want to find."

Rainbo's car was there. It was buried under a foot or more of snow, but it didn't take more than a few brushes with their hands to clear off enough to see the make and color. Julie used the flashlight feature on her phone to look through the window. One of Rainbo's coats was folded across the passenger seat.

As Julie drove back to the lodge, Kat called Dave Kekkonen. He was patrolling Pembine. He would be at the lodge in twenty minutes.

"What do we say?" Julie's words came out almost as a scream. And her driving was terrible. She kept looking at Kat and ignoring the road. There was no traffic. If there had been...

"All we have is a car and suspicions. It is up to him to put this together."

"What about the detectives?"

"Lazy, and arrogant. Dave lives here. I trust his judgement."

"She killed Rainbo."

"Yes, it looks that way. It could have been an accident. Hunting accidents happen. Her gun goes off, and she panics."

"If it was her, why did Rainbo do all the shooting? Isn't that what they told you? She shot four times. Who was she shooting at?"

"Julie, we aren't going to know any of this. Dave will talk with her. Dave will find out what happened."

"And our job tonight?"

"Our job is to set the tone. You were with Rainbo. You heard what she planned. You knew about her anger. She was not the innocent lamb people made her out to be. She had demons. Whatever happened out there, I believe she drove it."

And that's what they told Dave. He got to the lodge about five minutes after they arrived. They brought him into the kitchen and gave him coffee. He had a pocket recorder and took their statements. About midway through their conversations, he called Marinette and asked for another deputy to meet him at the Hilton.

From that point on it felt a bit like a race. Kat and Julie had the hour it would take the squad to come up from Marinette. During that hour they needed to explain Rainbo, and explain Evelyn. They even had a theory. Rainbo comes up to town, meets and likes Evelyn. She shares Evelyn's quarters for a few days. She says she will take her hunting. Evelyn is excited. Rainbo has the rifles and says she knows a great place to hunt – an old abandoned farm she saw on Google Earth. They go out there, Rainbo leading. Rainbo gets lost. She gets frustrated. She gets angry. She finds the old logging road and knows she is completely lost. She starts shooting her rifle. She startles Evelyn. Evelyn fires her rifle. Rainbo is hit. Evelyn runs back to her car.

Dave recorded everything, and took notes. When the hour was up, he got into his squad and arrested Evelyn at the Hilton.

Chapter 27

The Morning After

"I wanted a bad guy to do it. I wanted to be angry at the killer."

Kat had her head propped up on her pillows. Her bedroom windows faced east into the rising sun, but in mid-December the sun rose late – and not very high. Mostly what she saw was her poplars gleaming. They rose up out of deep snow. They were her weather vane. If the wind blew, they rocked from side to side, but never in unison. It was like they competed against each other - anarchy and chaos as they swayed in multiple directions, often smashing into each other. This morning they stood motionless. Still air in December. Usually that meant deep cold.

Julie had an arm under Kat's neck. It wrapped around Kat and held tight against each other. They had both slept. More than they expected, but not as much as they needed.

"I have gone over this five different ways." Julie leaned her head against Kat. "The way I like it best, is to think Rainbo had a good final week. Whatever reason she had for coming up here, she found a really good person to be with. I am sure she stayed with Evelyn. She didn't have the money to stay at a Hilton, and if she had checked in, a credit card check would have shown detectives where to start their search. So, as I see it, it is her and Evelyn in Evelyn's quarters, talking and well, maybe more. Evelyn is glad to have a friend. Rainbo is desperate for a friend. They spend her final days together, then go off on an adventure. Rainbo thinks she is an expert. Evelyn is excited to try something new with her new friend."

"This could end up very bad for Evelyn."

"You mean because Rainbo was shot in the back?"

"No. Actually that is more common than you think. Soldiers walking in a line. A man thinks his safety is on. He trips, and the man in front of him goes down. I would be more concerned if Rainbo had been shot in the chest. That implies a confrontation."

"So what's your concern?"

"Perception. We have met Evelyn. We liked her. So we are assuming an accident. Rainbo sees the logging road and realizes she is totally lost. She is angry, embarrassed, and probably scared. The sun is setting and she has no idea where she is. She starts shooting at stumps or trees or just into the air. She has failed one more time, and she can't handle it. Evelyn is using Rainbo's rifle, one Rainbo stole from her father. She knows nothing about the rifle, sees Rainbo has started shooting, so she levers a round into the chamber, and fires by accident. She is looking at Rainbo, so that's where the bullet goes."

"That makes sense, Kat."

"It makes sense if you know Rainbo and know Evelyn. The detectives won't know either. They'll spent today and tomorrow doing a background check. If Evelyn has any history of violence, or is shown to be an expert with weapons, the detectives will look at this very differently than we have."

"And Dave?"

"I trust Kekkonen. I think he will be fair in his arrest report."

They didn't have much to say after that. They both had work to do. They took time to be together in the shower, holding each other, then it was a quick breakfast and morning tasks. Kat had the garage to get ready for the weekend workshop; Julie was back in the office upselling cable services.

The garage was cold. Kat guessed the temperature was not much above zero. She turned the propane heaters up full to see how comfortable she could make the garage. She swept up remaining sawdust from the past workshop, and dusted all the work tables. It took her over an hour. Temperature in the garage with the heaters blasting? Still cold. She would have to turn the heaters on Friday night and hope they had the garage at least a little warmer when she brought the guests in Saturday morning.

She also cheated. This weekend would be the same as last – birch log ornamental candle holders. If it stayed cold, would they want to take a long walk into the woods to cut the birch themselves? Maybe. To be safe, she took her chainsaw out into the woods and took down half a dozen trunks with the right diameter. She piled them near the lodge. If the women wished, they could just pick from those logs and pull them into the warm garage in minutes.

Now what? Amberg. Three stops. The first two would be easy. The third would be very hard. First, back into the lodge to clean up and check the latest emails. She put on clean jeans and a good sweater. Just a touch of makeup. Some work on her hair. She checked with Julie who had been monitoring company emails in between calls.

"Two cancellations. Too cold."

"We allow cancellations for weather. It happens several times a year."

"Good. I already told them we would return their deposit. But I also highlighted several craft projects scheduled for spring, and told them I would move their deposit to those weekends if they wished. One already has. The other is thinking about it."

"I'm marrying a sales lady." Kat gave Julie a hug and explained where she was going.

"Put on a dress. This is not a time to look like a farm hand."

Kat changed into her green dress. She'd worn it more in the last two weeks than in the previous five years. But she thought maybe Julie was right. Jim deserved some effort.

If her fourteen passenger bus was cold other mornings, it was freezing now. Kat kept the defroster going full blast and didn't bother with the heater. Amberg was only a ten minute drive, but she thought her calves were already frozen when she arrived.

First stop. The weekly wine and gossip. Ed had her three cases already sitting by his front counter, no doubt put there by his distributor. He had to be making fifty bucks a week off this deal without ever touching a bottle. Kat wrote him a check and started loading cases. He made no effort to help. Just as well, she moved faster than he did.

The morning gossip? There had been an arrest in the logging road murder. Kat thought that was an interesting label – "the logging road murder." Some "Black woman" at the Hilton. The way he said "Black woman" gave Kat the shivers. Evelyn was going to need a good lawyer if this went to trial. She was the wrong color to get much sympathy in this county. Kat thought she would check with Kekkonen to see who her lawyer would be. Kat would help where she could. She got the three cases of wine into the bus. Kat guessed she had maybe forty five minutes before she had three cases of ice.

Second stop. The restaurant. Three customers having a late breakfast. Kat wondered why they were even open weekdays. She caught Lois' eye and told her ten guests plus two. Lois raised an eye brow at "plus two," but made no comment. She said she would text the weekend menu later in the day.

Stop three. Jim was open, but had no customers yet. He was working the bar on a school day. They were letting him take sick days to help out while his father recovered. He had enough saved days to make it to Christmas break. After that, he would have some decisions to make.

Kat stood just inside the door. Jim was sweeping around the pool table. His face lit up when he saw her, then sagged as he saw her expression.

"There's a look on your face that's making me nervous." He leaned the broom against the pool table and walked to her. He stopped about two feet short of her. His hands moved as if he might hug her the way he always did, but his feet knew to keep his distance.

"You know about Julie."

"Your new friend?"

"I've decided to marry her."

"What?" Jim looked completely baffled. The hands that had been reaching toward her, now moved back and turned into the classic questioning position. "You just met her a week ago."

"It's been longer than that."

"How long?"

"Three weeks, maybe four. I'm not really sure. Does it matter?" Kat was confused by the question, and a little irritated.

"You and I have been going together for three years. Three years, Kat."

"They were good years, and you are a good friend. But let's be honest. You had three years to marry me, and I had three years to say yes. Neither of us said anything."

"We are both really busy people. I'm working two jobs. You are working every weekend. When... How... I don't know, Kat. I guess time just got away from us."

"It did. And we both let it happen. I don't want it to happen with Julie."

"Julie's a girl." There was a new level of frustration in his voice.

"She's a grown woman, and sometime soon, we will marry."

"But..."

"Jim, I am grateful for our time together. I wish you the best. I wanted you to know before you heard it from others."

She stood looking at him for a moment, wondering if a final kiss would be the right thing to do. She decided it wasn't. Final words had been spoken. Time to leave. Kat pushed back out the door and walked to her bus. She wondered if he might follow her out. When he didn't, she knew she had made the right decision.

Chapter 28

Engagement Rings

Kat sat over a bowl of soup. Rather than take her lunch into the dining room, she sat at the work table in the kitchen. She only had a few of the lights on. The big room wasn't dark, but it was definitely dim.

"I understand the mood lighting." Julie took a chair next to Kat. "A tough meeting after three years together. You did the right thing. He deserved to hear it from you, not from the town gossip or one of the guys at the bar. Not an easy thing for you, but the right thing."

"You can put that in my next performance report."

"Easy, major."

"Sorry. Got time for lunch?" Kat pointed to the headphones Julie still wore.

"Sure. What have you got there?"

"Canned clam chowder. The clams taste like pencil erasers, and the chowder is watery."

"Sound delicious."

Kat opened another can of chowder, poured it into a bowl, and shoved it in the microwave.

"Kat, we had talked about buying rings today. But given what happened last night, maybe we should postpone."

Kat looked at Julie and couldn't help but laugh. She was wearing a yellow satin cocktail dress she was practically falling out of. She had also gone full makeup, and had worked on her hair.

"I see. And you dress like that every day to work your phones?"

"Sometimes."

"I'll bet." Kat put Julie's soup in front of her. While she was leaning over her, she grabbed both her breasts and kissed her shoulder.

"So you want to go?"

"First, I think one of us should propose."

"Not in the kitchen. And I think getting on a knee is stupid." Julie got up and pushed Kat from the room. Their destination was obvious. Once she got her back into their bedroom, she pushed Kat on their bed and laid on top of her, both her hands holding her head. She looked down at Kat, alternately smiling and kissing her.

"Do you plan to propose, or just crush me?"

"Stop whining. You have the girl of your dreams warming your chest, your thighs, and I hope everything else. Let me lie here and look at you, Kat. When I see what I want to see in your eyes, I'll do the asking."

Julie lay over Kat, sometimes kissing her, sometimes stroking her hair, sometimes pressing her thighs against Kat. It was clear she was in no hurry. Kat had her hands all over Julie, and wrapped one leg over her. She found herself pulling Julie tighter and tighter. Finally she raised one hand to the back of Julie's head, pulled her face down to her, and kissed her.

"I don't know what you are looking for, Julie, but I am as hot for you as I have ever been in my life."

"That's what I am looking for. And. I want you to hope you will feel this way the rest of our lives."

"I do."

"Then I need to say the words." Julie raised her head just above Kat's. "I love you, and I know you love me. I feel pleasure just looking at you. I feel comfort knowing you are my friend. My greatest joy would be to live the rest of my life with you at my side. Kat Johnson, I ask you to marry me."

"Julie, I accept your proposal. You just made me a very happy woman." She pulled Julie's head down again and kissed her.

They lay holding each other for much of the afternoon.

The trip to Marinette began after Julie changed into a dress more appropriate for winter. It was cotton, it covered her knees, and it had long sleeves. It was also more appropriate for Marinette.

The trip to Marinette? About forty five minutes. Like most towns, a mall had been erected on the outskirts of town while the downtown area crumbled. And, like most towns, the mall was crumbling too. The "Pine Tree Mall" of Marinette had once been anchored by a J.C. Penney. Poor choice. It had closed years ago. The remainder of the mall was one long hallway with a dozen stores on each side. Six store fronts were empty, but of the stores that remained, two were jewelry stores.

It was late-afternoon. Not prime time for retail. Julie took Kat's hand, and they entered the first store. A woman who might have been eighteen jumped up from the chair she had been sitting on, all smiles.

"Welcome."

"We'd like to look at your engagement rings." Julie was right up at the display case for the rings. Kat was half a step back. The clerk slipped quickly to that area of the counter, excited to have a customer, and daring to think she might even qualify for a sales commission this week.

"We have some great rings marked down for the Christmas season." She looked at the way Julie and Kat were dressed, and dared to get out a two caret solitaire. The price tag was carefully hidden under the case. She got halfway through her description of its clarity and caret weight, when Julie interrupted.

"I like the style, but I think one caret will be enough. Do you agree?" She turned to Kat.

"No, I was thinking half a caret was plenty." Julie shook her head. "Three quarters?" Julie nodded.

The clerk seemed a little disappointed until Julie added, "We want two of them. Matching rings." The clerk examined both women, trying to understand the relationship. Julie decided to help.

"Kat and I will be married next week."

"Oh. Congratulations." She smiled brightly at both women and pulled out another ring box. "Here's another very elegant solitaire. Do you like this one?"

Julie pulled it onto her finger, and turned to show Kat. "What do you think?"

"It's very nice." Actually, it was very nice. But Kat had seen the price tag. Almost three thousand dollars. She was considering where her credit card balance stood. Julie noticed.

"Stephanie?" Julie was looking at the clerk's name tag. "I like this ring. Do you have a match for it?"

"All our rings are one of a kind. Women have their own individual styles. But, we do have another that is very close." She reached into a drawer behind her and pulled out another ring that was a perfect match. Julie checked the price tag. $2885. She had Kat try it on. It needed to be sized, but Kat liked the look of it.

"Stephanie, rather than buying one ring for $2885, we want to buy two rings. We would like to pay $4500 for the pair. Do you have the authority to do that? Oh, and we will need wedding bands to go with the engagement rings. We would expect them to be included."

Stephanie handled the situation pretty well. She did have authority to haggle – within limits. But she called the district manager in Green Bay, not so much to get permission, as to raise the price. She let Kay and Julie hear her side of the conversation, and then reported back.

"He said he would need $4800 minimum to cover his costs."

"I appreciate his flexibility, and your willingness to help. We'll go $4600."

Stephanie had another brief conversation with the manager, then smiled and said $4600 would do it. After all, it was the Christmas season. She did the resizing herself, and had the rings done in an hour. The rings were still warm when the women put them on, kissed, and left the store. They were engaged.

One more stop. On the way out of the mall Julie spotted a dress in a women's wear store.

"That's what we need to wear this weekend, Kat." It was a red jersey material with green trim at the neck and cuffs, three quarter sleeves and skirt just past the knees. It screamed Christmas party. Julie didn't wait for Kat to respond. She took her hand and pulled her into the store. Fifteen minutes later they each had a size they felt comfortable in.

"Do you like it because it works for Christmas, or because we will be wearing matching outfits?" Kat was standing next to Julie, both of them sharing a mirror.

"Yes."

Julie's next stop was a shoe store. She bought black leather boots with a three inch heel. She walked once around the store to ensure they were comfortable, then walked straight up to Kat. Kat understood what was going on. Julie was no longer three inches shorter. The two stood eye to eye, smiled, and left with Julie now a match for Kat.

"Kat, you have made me a very happy woman."

She waved her ring finger to the nearly empty parking lot. She also gave Kat a quick kiss. Kat climbed into the passenger seat. She didn't wave her ring around, but she did hold it so she could look at it as Julie drove back to Amberg. It was an impressive ring. More importantly, it was her ring. She was engaged. Soon to be married. She was very happy with the idea.

She did have Julie make one stop on the way back to Amberg. The Wausaukee Diner.

"I can see why you might not want to return to the Hilton, but isn't there someplace nicer to celebrate our engagement?" Julie had parked in the gravel lot, but had made no effort to get out of the car.

"We aren't here for the food or the ambiance. Trust me on this."

"Fine, I'll even pick up the check. Can't be more than ten bucks for the two of us."

Julie got out, then rushed around to open Kat's door. The Diner did a great breakfast business, a fair lunch business, and almost no dinner business. Only two other tables were taken. Sarah greeted them instantly and pointed to a table by the front windows. Julie and Kat sat side by side.

"Sarah, I would like you to meet a good friend of mine, Julie Ames." As those words were coming out of Kat's mouth, she was taking Julie's hand, holding it on her thigh where Sarah could see. She examined Sarah's face, watching for any and all reactions. All she saw was a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Julie. I look forward to having you two in here many more times." She gave the two of them menus and went to help at another table.

"That mattered?" Julie asked.

"Yes, that mattered."

Dinner was unremarkable. Fried haddock. They finished their meals in half an hour. Sarah stopped by a couple times to talk, just as she talked to all the other tables. Nothing special. Julie paid the bill. As Julie stood at the cash register, Sarah quietly said, "Be good to her." Kat overheard that and felt her pulse slow considerably. It was a small town, and two women marrying would not go over well in many quarters, but the burden Kat and Julie faced just got a lot lighter.

Chapter 29

Evelyn's Story

Both of them wore their rings to bed. And they mauled each other pretty good before sleeping. Julie was still in the mood for mauling when she woke. She climbed all over Kat and put her ring in Kat's face.

"Kat, you have no idea how happy you made me yesterday." She lay on Kat, holding her in place. "We will be great together, Kat. Just wait."

"Yes, we will. Now get off of me. We have lots to do before guests arrive." She made a move to push Julie to one side, but Julie held on tight, her legs now twisted around Kat's.

"We have time." She held Kat tighter. Kat could have gotten Julie off her, but it would have taken work.

"If we are going to lie here and talk for a while, let me see if I can summarize something that has been evolving. We take your car. You drive, I sit in the wife seat. You get new boots. Now you feel as big as me. Morning comes, and you grope the hell out of me and decide when the groping will end. We are taking roles in this marriage, and you are assigning me to be the wife."

"I think the title for both women in such a marriage is 'wife.'"

"You know what I mean."

"I didn't think of it that way." Julie raised her head. She looked down at Kat.

"And you want to be on top."

"Yes, I like to be on top. And yes, I want to grope you. I hope you will let me." She held herself just an inch or two above Kat and waited.

"I like being groped. As for the rest of it, maybe I'll get used to it. I'll let you know what does and doesn't work for me."

"Good. Now. Back to the groping." Julie dropped her face for a kiss, and pushed herself tight against Kat. Eventually she pulled Kat out of bed and pushed her into the shower. Basically, she was all over Kat in the shower, as they dressed, and as Kat made breakfast. Kat decided she liked it.

After breakfast Kat vacuumed all the rooms and put out towels. Julie took over the office and handled calls. As noon approached, Kat was about to drive into Wausaukee for the weekly cheese and fruit purchase, when they heard a car drive up to the lodge. It was Dave Kekkonen.

"Can we talk for a few minutes?" He stood at the door. Both Kat and Julie came to greet him. Kat invited him into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

"Do you have news?" Julie was sitting next to Dave at the big work table while Kat heated water for coffee.

"There are a few things I can tell you. First, yes, that was Rainbo's car. Thank you for the tip. We have two very embarrassed detectives, but that's their problem. My problem is this. Ms. Trotter surrendered a rifle to me. It was in her trunk. She says Ms. Kelsey took it from her father. We have the detectives on their way to his home to verify that. He seemed uncooperative over the phone."

"Rainbo said he had a million guns. He probably wants to hide them." Julie sat across the table from Kekkonen, her hands spreading wide, trying to show what a "million" guns might be.

"Possibly. We are also doing some checking on Ms. Trotter."

"What do you need from us?" Kat finished Kekkonen's coffee and gave him a mug. "Cream, right?" He nodded. She gave him a small container of half and half.

"The DA will charge Ms. Trotter, but he needs a couple more days for this investigation to find out about the gun and about Ms. Trotter."

"He should also check on Rainbo." Julie was still moving her hands. This time she was pointing at herself. "She made threats. I heard them. Maybe others did too."

"Yes." Kekkonen glanced at Julie and then directed his attention to Kat. She was at the stove finishing two more cups of coffee. "While we wait, we could put Ms. Trotter in jail, but that would require charges and lawyers and questions we are not ready for."

"Please don't do that." Kat came over to the table. "We are sure this was an accident. Or something driven by Rainbo."

"The Hilton has thrown her out. Not for the killing, but for allowing another woman to share her room. A violation of their policy. And of course, if this does come to trial, they don't want any connection to the hotel."

"Those..." Julie started, but Kekkonen raised his hand.

"She needs to stay in the county. I could put her in a hotel in Marinette. I don't know if she can afford it."

"Dave, if you are asking if she can stay here, the answer is of course."

"Thanks, Kat. She is sitting out in my car. I was hoping you would take her."

The three of them immediately hurried to the front door. There was the usual muddle of boots and winter coats, then they were out the door. Evelyn was sitting in the back seat of the squad, a suitcase next to her. It was obvious she had been crying.

Kekkonen opened her door and took her suitcase. Evelyn slid out. She did a quick look at Kat and Julie. It was clear she remembered them. It was also clear she was in pain. Her eyes scanned faces, then immediately studied the snow covered drive. Kat and Julie both gave her hugs, but Evelyn's eyes only briefly left the ground.

Finally Julie took her suitcase and led the way back into the lodge. Kat paused for a last conversation with Kekkonen.

"How long?"

"She'll be with you until charges are filed. If that is okay."

"What I meant was, how long before she finds out about charges. She is obviously scared half to death."

"Maybe Monday. More likely Tuesday."

"So she has to wait four more days to find out if she is charged with murder?"

"Manslaughter is the more likely charge."

"Any chance she goes free? Just a hunting accident?"

"I don't know, Kat. I really don't." He was staring directly as Kat as he said it. She saw a man very uncomfortable with his duties. He stood opposite Kat for a moment, waiting to take any additional questions, then nodded his thanks and drove off.

Meanwhile Julie had taken Evelyn up to one of the guest rooms. Her suitcase was on one of the beds. Evelyn was holding Julie by the shoulders.

"It was an accident. I swear."

Kat stopped her. "Evelyn, anything you say to us, they will make us repeat in court. So stop. Relax. Breathe. If you want to talk to us, that is fine, but wait until you are ready. For now, just put away your things, and then I will show you around the lodge."

"I can do that." Julie nodded towards Evelyn.

"Are you sure? Don't you have to take calls?"

"I'll do that later. You need to do your cheese run. Go. We'll be fine here."

Kat paused briefly, but couldn't think of a counter argument. Julie would do fine. And Kat did need to get to the Wausaukee IGA before the guests arrived. She gave Evelyn a quick hug, Julie a quick kiss, and she was gone.

It was another cold morning, but at least there was no wind and no snow. Guests would be able to get to the lodge. Come morning, they might not want to go out after birch logs, but at least they would be able to get to the lodge and have a couple days' vacation.

Kat's bus was cold as ever. She was wearing jeans, boots, a heavy sweater and coat, and still she was chilled. Twenty minutes down to Wausaukee. She couldn't help but look at Jim's bar as she drove through Amberg, and Jim's high school as she drove into Wausaukee. She wondered how long she would be doing that. How fast would he fade?

The IGA was busy. She was not the only one stocking up for the weekend. Every other grocery cart had at least a twelve pack of beer. Kat rushed through her usual purchases – three different cheeses, crackers, grapes, and apples. There was actually a line at checkout. In Wausaukee. Good times before the whole county shut down for January and February.

Back in her bus, she thought through the usual preparations for the weekend, but also thought about Evelyn. They owed that woman. She saved Kat from all the suspicions that had been circling her, and she saved Julie from the suspicions that might have followed Julie if a deeper investigation had shown the two together in Appleton. And both Kat and Julie had escaped whatever madness walked with Rainbo in that forest.

Simple things. Kat reminded herself. When stressed, confused, distracted, retreat to simple things. Like running a workshop for women about to arrive in three or four hours. Kat parked the bus in the huge garage, closed the door tight, set the propane heaters to high, and carried her groceries into the lodge.

Julie and Evelyn were in the kitchen. Evelyn was making lunch.

"You don't have to do that." Kat set down her groceries and looked at Evelyn working on three sandwiches. "You are a guest here."

"Thank you for that, but I expect to pay my own way."

"Don't stop her, Kat. Look what she is doing. These will be the best sandwiches in the history of sandwiches."

Kat took a seat. And she understood. When stressed, retreat to the simple. Evelyn was about as stressed as a person could be. Julie was letting her retreat to the simple. Good move.

And the sandwiches were great. Salmon BLTs with pan seared salmon. Kat was vaguely aware they had salmon in the refrigerator. Vaguely aware. Mostly she just reheated whatever Lois had left after the weekend. And mostly it was whatever she saw near the front of the shelf.

"Would you like a job?" Kat was halfway through the sandwich, convinced Julie was right – she was eating the best sandwich in the history of sandwiches.

"Thank you." Evelyn stopped eating. She even put the sandwich down on her plate before responding. Formal. Careful. "I don't know what will happen next week. Probably nothing good. But when I finally get free of all this, I want to go back to my family. I hope you can understand that."

"We do."

They all worked on their sandwiches for a while. They could hear some beeping coming from the office. It appeared Julie's company wanted her. Julie paid no attention. The three sat waiting. And when the last of them was finished eating, Evelyn told her story.

"She was sitting at the sports bar. And she was miserable. Angry. Maybe scared. She was the only woman in the place. There were two hunters at the bar, but they didn't seem interested in her. Not their type. There were two guys who do the snow plowing. They paid the most attention. They had said something to her. I don't know what. Jake came back into the kitchen and said I was to take an order. She was looking at the two snow guys and said "no" in a way that seemed part anger, part hurt. I stood and talked to her for a while, and then made her a cheeseburger, just like I made for you. I stood with her while she ate it. I sort of stood with myself between her and the two snow shovelers. We talked about this and that. She said she had been up hunting and planned to do more of that.

"Eventually I had to go cook another order. When I brought that out, she was gone. I shut down the kitchen around ten, and started to walk down to my room. She was in her car. She drove alongside me, and asked if I wanted a ride. It was only a ten minute walk, but she looked like she needed someone in her car, so I got in. We talked. I asked her in to my room for some coffee. She stayed the rest of the week."

"Do you want to talk about that Sunday?" Kat tried to make sure it sounded like a question, not a command.

"Rainbo was moody. We would be together, and really enjoying touching each other, and then she would get rough. Two minutes later she would apologize, and be good to me again. I never knew what made her go through her moods. Sunday was like that. She had two rifles that her father had given her. She showed me everything about them, and loaded both. She had been checking on Google Earth, and she thought she knew about a place to hunt that no one else knew about. A remote farm. I told her I would drive. I love driving the back roads.

"We got there, and she seemed disappointed, and then she just cheered right up. It was an old farm. She was sure they had an old apple orchard, overgrown by the forest, but a million deer would be grazing on those apples. We just needed to find that hidden orchard. So off we went. She led this way and that. She was sure it was over this hill or around this bend. We walked, and we walked, and it started getting dark. I said we should go back to the car, and she just about took my head off. I was a quitter. I didn't trust her. She was an experienced hunter. She had been trained. She knew all about this.

"So I didn't say anything after that. We just walked and walked and walked. And then she saw this road. It would get us back to our car. But once she got to it, she got really angry. And then she started shooting. Scared me. Shouting as she shot across the road, and then to one side. I thought maybe she had seen a deer. Or a bear. Or something. She fired again and again. I was scared about what might be coming after us. The gun had a lever handle. I used it the way she said, and I held it to shoot at whatever was coming. And my gun went off."

"I could see I hit her. It was getting dark, but I could still see. She fell across the road. And she just lay there." Evelyn stopped. She was crying. Julie was closest to her. She wrapped her arms around her. But then Evelyn pushed her away.

"I ran. I left her there. I ran. I am such a coward. I didn't try to save her. I just ran away like a little girl.

"She was dead." Kat reached a hand toward her. "There was nothing you could have done. The bullet caught her in the heart. You could not have saved her."

"I didn't know that. I didn't go to her to see. I didn't try to help. I ran. Just like a little girl, I ran."

Julie reached toward Evelyn again, but Evelyn stood and collected all the dishes from the table. She took them to the huge stainless steel sink washed them.

"Evelyn," Julie and Kat stood up from the table. Both took a step toward the door. Before they left, it was Kat who made the final comment. "If you hadn't killed her, I am certain her last bullet would have been for you. I saw her body the next morning. Her rifle was pointed back at you."

Chapter 30

Julie's Workshop

A braid. That's how Kat felt about her emotions as the weekend workshop began. One strand was the love she felt for Julie. She would look across the room and see her in that new Christmas dress. And she would smile. Her Julie. Sometimes "her Julie" would look up and smile at her across the room. Her fiancé. Her wife – soon. A week, maybe two. They would work that out. But in the meantime, that beautiful woman across the room brought her pleasure.

Evelyn brought another mix of emotions. That part of the braid was complicated. Relief. Kat was no longer a suspect. Neither was Julie. Guilt. Kat had identified Evelyn as the killer. Sadness. Evelyn was likely to go to jail. Her crime? She befriended a dangerous woman. Evelyn herself seemed to be handling the evening well. She had found a red dress of her own. It went well with her coloring. She mixed with the others in the great room.

The third braid? Responsibility. She had a lodge full of guests who had paid good money to enjoy a Christmas weekend with her. Kat needed to care for them, get them to their rooms, get them fed, get them working on projects, make them feel good about driving to Amberg for a weekend. She had to mix, and mingle, and smile. And she did. But she also glowed with excitement when she looked at Julie, and cringed a bit when she look at Evelyn. Her moods flowing along the braid, melding from one strand to the other, surprising her all evening.

The weekend began well enough. By five thirty, the guests had started arriving, and all thoughts turned toward the workshop. Whatever Kat's moods might have been, Julie was mastering her own. She was a partner now – maybe the senior partner.

Things started normally enough with the first few guests. Kat put on a coat and boots and went out to greet guests as they arrived and help them with their bags. For the first three guests she brought the bags in the front door, and Julie took things from there. But from that point on, when she entered the lodge she saw Julie was in the far corner of the great room, near the Christmas tree, deep in conversation with guests who had already arrived. So, no help with the bags. Kat kicked off her boots and carried the new guests' bags up to their room. Then back out to the parking area to help the next arrival.

This became the pattern. Julie serving wine and snacks and entertaining all, while Kat brought in the bags. It occurred to Kat that she had become the bellhop while Julie was now the hostess. And, as near as she could tell as she passed through the lodge, Julie was exceptionally good at it. All women got a hug when they came down from their room, Julie did introductions all around, each woman got a glass of wine, and excited conversations continued.

Some of the conversations involved Julie's upcoming marriage, with lengthy views of her ring. Kat didn't catch all of the story as she walked back out to greet another arrival, but apparently she and Julie had been seeing each other for months, starting with a weekend last summer and followed by many midweek visits. It wasn't love at first sight, but they found they had so many things in common. Kat was curious to learn how she had proposed to Julie, but she heard another car come up the drive, so she was out the door before she heard that she had taken Julie out onto the lake on a moonlit night, and proposed, one knee down in the snow. Kat was marrying an exceptional storyteller.

By the time the tenth guest had arrived and Kat had climbed the stairs ten times carrying at least twelve bags, everyone in the great room knew the full history of their romance, everyone of course but Kat, who was frankly winded and fairly sweaty. She ducked out of the group to get back to her bedroom and change into the new green Christmas dress Julie had picked for her. Very Christmassy and fairly elegant. Back in the great room, she noticed most of the women wore dresses or pants suits. Kat couldn't tell if they had dressed for the season, or for Julie's engagement. Both seemed to be the focus of the evening.

The great room was, well, great in size and extended two stories up, but still it seemed loud as thirteen women seemed to have more and more to say after the second and then third glass of wine. Julie showed off her ring time and time again, and came to stand close to Kat on several occasions, wrapping Kat's arm around her shoulders while she put an arm around Kat's waist – inviting guests to take their pictures if they wished. And then Julie would be off to serve this woman some snacks, or join a particular conversation.

Evelyn had joined them. She had changed into a very nice cotton dress. She had also done miracles with Kat's cheese and crackers. She brought in three huge plates with cheese in artistic shapes, crackers covered with paste Kat hadn't known they owned, and fruit arranged in a tower. The guests were initially hesitant to disturb the artwork, but once they nibbled around the edges, the rest of the appetizers disappeared quickly.

Kat ended up near the bar, opening wine bottles. It was clear they would be well into the second case before the night was done. Several women came over to congratulate her on her marriage. Kat was so lucky - Julie was so beautiful, and energetic, this match was sure to work out. But there were two women who stood a little closer to Kat so they could quietly explain their concerns. One "couldn't help but notice" their age differences. It might seem a small thing at the moment, but over time, they were really from two different generations and that might cause conflict and misunderstanding. Kat thanked her for her concern.

The second woman was concerned about children. "I know these kinds of marriages are all very popular right now, very current, but I have to wonder if Julie will miss having children. I have three, and I know they can be a burden. They are far more work than anyone ever cares to say, but still, I know my life is better for them. Without them my life..." She went on for another five minutes and would have gone on longer, but two women came for refills, and by the time Kat had their glasses refilled, the conversation had moved on.

Kat poured her wine and looked across the room as Julie took over the evening. Kat even made it official as they moved to the dining room. She had Julie take the head of the table. Kat took the foot – the end by the door – so she could more easily get up and bring in wine as needed. Apparently a long drive in the cold made the ladies especially thirty.

At dinner Kat talked a bit about the birch candleholders they would be making, and the process they would use in the morning, but then Julie took over, asking each woman to describe her favorite Christmas memory. Several of the women got a bit wordy, but Julie moved them along without getting too rude, and the overall effect was pleasant. Now the women had even more to talk about during free times over the weekend.

Evelyn was at the table, seated near Kat. Her Christmas memory? A Christmas Eve in Mississippi. Coming out of church there had been snow flurries. All the kids had stood, mouths open, to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Kat talked about a Christmas Market she had frequented while posted to Germany. Her more enduring Christmas memories involved Afghanistan. Memories not to be shared. Julie told about her and Kat walking around the lake just last night, holding hands and feeling their rings touch for the first time. It was the first true story she had told, and Kat loved it.

After dinner Julie led the tree decorations. She brought out the last box of decorations, asking the ladies to help save their sad Charlie Brown tree. But she had also downloaded a dozen or so classic Christmas carols and played them at low volume. She had a remarkable singing voice and quietly joined in as they gathered around the tree, and soon all the women were singing, Kat included. There was a mixture of the spiritual and the popular, and both went well. During the quieter numbers, Julie moved close to Kat, her back to Kat as she pulled Kat's arms around her. It was sweet, and the guests seemed to love it.

The evening ended around eleven, with Kat and Julie following the women up the stairs to say good night and fill any final requests for an extra blanket or pillow. When the last door closed, Kat and Julie were still standing, smiling, on the landing with Julie's arm tight around Kat's waist, and Kat's arm around Julie's shoulders.

In bed they talked about Evelyn and about the workshop, but finally, as they held each other tighter, they talked about their marriage. Their agreement? Soon. Their question? Family. How would family members react to their marriage? They began naming one person or another in their family, and describing the reaction they thought most likely. It wasn't a happy discussion. Any person they named might object, or say something unkind. Maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would. Who knew? And did they even want to bother with all the potential drama? Why not just fly off and marry? A tacky marriage in Los Vegas, or a scenic marriage in Hawaii. In the end, they just talked themselves out and slept.

When Kat woke in the morning, she found Julie had maneuvered the two of them into the "spoons" position, her back tight against Kat with Kat's arms wrapped around her, one of them tight against her breasts. When she felt Kat awaken, Julie pushed her ass even tighter against Kat and pulled Kat's arms tighter around her. Kat tilted her head forward and kissed the back of Julie's neck.

"You did a good job last night."

"Thanks, Kat." Julie turned her head and kissed Kat's shoulder. "I was thinking about this afternoon and the bonfire. I was thinking right at sunset, and wine rather than hot chocolate. Okay?"

"Yes, that would be fine."

"Kat?"

"Yes."

"I like the way you hold me."

"I like it too."

"I like being engaged, Kat."

"I like it too."

"Let's give wedding planning one more week, and maybe make a couple calls. Let's see which way the wind blows. Any conflict at all, we fly to Hawaii and send back pictures."

"Good plan."

Neither of them moved or said anything for a while, then Julie slid out of bed and pulled Kat into the shower. They didn't talk there either, but they didn't need to.

As for the rest of the day, it went pretty well. There was cloud cover, and some intermittent snow, but no wind and the temperatures rose into the teens. Still cold, but not a bad temperature for working outside. The group followed Kat out among the trees, gathering greens and vines and taking their turn with the bow saws to take the birch logs they needed. There was the usual picture taking.

Back in the garage, several of the women queued up to cut their piece of the birch logs, while other women got right to work turning greens and vines and wire into wreaths. The miter saw was loud, but the women were louder. They all had something to say about their project or their table mate's project, or some project they could see across the room.

They broke for lunch, anxious to tell Julie about their projects, then came straight back to work in the garage or go back out for more materials. The afternoon flew by.

The bonfire worked perfectly. Kat had made it fairly large (she had plenty of firewood) since temperatures drop quickly at night, so it provided more than enough warmth. Julie's wine helped. She had a pitcher of warmed red wine, but also had two bottles of white. All of it was drunk. But the weather added a special touch. They had barely gathered around the fire when it started snowing again, and this time it was heavier – big flakes that came almost straight down and settled on shoulders and hats. Women stuck out their tongues to gather flakes, and held out gloved hands to collect and compare individual snowflakes. Evelyn did the same, and all the women laughed to see how much she enjoyed this new snow adventure.

It was almost seven by the time the cold chased them inside, and dinner by the time they had gone up to their rooms to pack away their projects and change into nicer clothes.

Dinner was loud, and fun. They ate everything Lois put in front of them, and spent much of the meal joking about the fish behind Kat's head and the silly antler chandelier. Their general approach was that deer were now wandering the woods angry with how their antlers were being used. It made for good stories. This was a creative bunch.

They filled the great room after dinner. A few had another glass of wine, but they were all obviously tired after a long day outdoors and in the garage, and most sat quietly enjoying the Christmas tree. Kat gave a general outline for how Sunday would proceed. Julie moved about the room complimenting each woman about something she had done or said during the day. She addressed each woman by name. Clearly she had been preparing all day to make her comments, and they were gratefully accepted.

Women were already drifting off to bed by nine thirty. A day outdoors will do that. Julie gave each woman a hug and a smile as they approached the stairs.

And then Angela Stone pushed through the front door.

"Here. I should have known it would be here." She crossed the room still wearing her coat and her boots. Kat recognized the pistol she carried in her right hand.

"They called to tell me they had caught Rainbo's killer. I drove up. Had the see her. Where is she? Not in the jail. So where? Won't say. Where did she work? The Hilton. I drive there. Where are you keeping your killer? Gone. Where? Maybe the lodge. Should have known."

She stood just inside the great room, her pistol now up. She waved it across the room. Most of the women were near the Christmas tree. Two of them dropped to the floor.

"Which one?" She held the gun in both hands, slowly scanning from left to right. She paused when she got to Kat. "You die tonight. You started all this. But first I want the woman who shot Rainbo." She moved the gun again. "Who did it?" She screamed at the women, and pushed her hands out farther, shoving the gun closer to her targets. Two women turned and ran from the room. The others stood frozen.

"Me." Evelyn had been sitting by the tree. She stood and faced Stone. "I shot her. It was an accident."

Stone directed her gun toward Evelyn, her arms extending the gun even further, as if she wanted to reach out and touch her. Kat was certain she would fire. She decided to rush Stone, but the instant she moved, everyone seemed to react to her motion. Complete panic. Several women dropped to the ground, two screamed, and others turned to run. One turned right into Kat and knocked her to the floor. Kat fought to get out from under the woman and back on her feet.

Julie had rushed from the other side, from the bottom of the stairs. She got her hands under Stone's and pushed up. Stone started firing into the ceiling as she went over backwards, with Julie on top of her. Stone kept firing as she lay on the floor, twisting back and forth under Julie's weight.

Kat got free and crawled to Stone just as she heard the pistol click. She punched Stone in the face, then twisted the gun out of her hands. Stone was screaming and trying to fire the empty gun at Kat. Kat took it by the barrel, raised it high, and then smashed Stone's hand. She held that hand down and smashed it again, and then again, and then five or six more times while Stone screamed.

It was only when the hand was just a smear of tissue on the floor that Kat realized Julie was not moving. She threw the gun against the wall, put her knees on Stone's chest, and slowly turned Julie over. Julie had a hand to her throat. Her mouth was wide as she struggled to breathe. Blood pulsed through her fingers. Pulsed out. Pulsed. Arterial blood. The carotid.

Kat carefully slid Julie farther from Stone. She needed room. Several women knew exactly what to do. Pillow cases came down from the bedroom, folded into compresses. Kat held them in place as other women called 911. Another woman watched, and as the arterial blood slowed, she raised Julie's legs.

There was an ambulance in Crivitz. It would take thirty minutes to arrive, another sixty minutes to get to the hospital in Marinette. No one with a severed carotid survived ninety minutes. Julie was dead before the ambulance arrived.

Chapter 31

Sunday

Dave Kekkonen arrived a few minutes after the ambulance. The EMTs, both volunteers from Crivitz, were still kneeling beside Julie. Their pants were soaked in her blood. Dave stepped close too, saw she was dead, and moved to where Kat sat on the floor. Several women gave Dave a summary of what had happened. Kat was motionless, staring in Julie's direction, tears pouring down her face.

Stone was lying on her side, one hand clutching what remained of the other, moaning, mumbling, and cursing. Once Dave understood what had happened, he forced Stone onto her chest and pulled both arms behind her back to cuff her wrists. She screamed and cursed. Dave kept his body between Stone and Kat.

"You have the right to remain silent."

"She smashed my hand. I want her arrested."

"You have the right to remain silent. If you remain silent, I will ask the EMTs to bandage your hand. If you do not remain silent, I will step outside and let Kat finish you off."

"But..."

"Last chance." He put a finger in her face.

She managed to remain silent long enough to get her hand bandaged. Then she started cursing again. Kekkonen yanked her up by the wrists and marched her out to his squad.

He needn't have worried about Kat. She stayed on the floor, her skirt drenched in blood, her eyes on Julie. It took Evelyn and several other women to pull Kat back as the EMTs brought in a gurney and placed Julie on it. Blood soaked through the sheet they strapped over her body.

A second squad arrived as the ambulance left with Julie. Kekkonen and the other officer spoke for a few minutes, and then Stone was transferred to the other car. Stone was taken away. Bonnie – Kekkonen's wife – arrived a few minutes later. She and the other women got Kat up onto one of the couches. They sat with her and talked quietly. Meanwhile, Kekkonen took names and got statements.

It was after two when the last of the women had talked to Kekkonen and then gone to bed. Bonnie and Evelyn were the last ones with Kat. Finally Evelyn said she would take Kat. She took Kat's hand, led her back to her bedroom, undressed her and got into the shower with her. For the first ten minutes she just stood holding Kat's head on her shoulder, slowly stroking her hair as the warm water flowed over them. Eventually she worked on the blood that had dried on her legs.

There was no rush. She caressed Kat, washed her, wrapped her in a towel, then pulled a nightgown on each of them and held her tight as she slept. She did sleep. Evelyn pulled herself against Kat, both arms holding her, finally sleeping herself.

What do you talk about the morning after a trauma? They talked about hair. They awoke facing each other. Kat put her hand on Evelyn's corn rows.

"I bet that takes forever to do. But once it's in place, is it much work?"

"If it's put in right, it stays in. How about you? Nice sheen to your hair. Did you have trouble finding a product that works for you?"

"I'm always looking. I think I try a new one each year. Lots of promises, not much real difference."

They heard Lois come in the side door.

"Blueberry pancakes. Every Sunday. And every Sunday people love them." Kat stopped and looked at Evelyn's face. "Thank you for last night."

"You are welcome."

"May I kiss you?"

Evelyn didn't answer. She slipped tighter against Kat, put a hand on the back of her head, and kissed her.

"We should get dressed and help serve breakfast." Kat pressed herself against Evelyn as she said it.

"Whenever you are ready." But Evelyn didn't move. "I know sometimes you just need someone. I am here if you want me." She kissed Kat again, and waited.

"Thank you." Kat smiled and got out of bed. She put on the green square neck dress she had been wearing all week, and walked to the kitchen.

Breakfast was strained, obviously. As women came down the stairs they could see an effort had been made to clean up all the blood, but there were still smudges here and there. And it had been almost three before Kekkonen finished his last interviews, so women were tired. And still in some shock. A woman had pointed a gun at them. A woman had been killed. No number of blueberry pancakes were make all that go away.

Kat thanked the women for their support, offered to refund all their payments (ultimately two made the request, the rest did not), and tried to explain Rainbo and Angela and her past encounters with the woman. It was a long story, and Evelyn sat through all of it. The women listened quietly, asked a few questions, ate about half as many pancakes as usual, and then packed up to leave.

Long before noon, the lodge was empty.

The weather warmed. Or at least it warmed as well as December weather ever warms in Wisconsin. Kat and Evelyn spent the afternoon walking around the lake. When they got back, they had a glass of wine and went to bed – each to their own room. Kat slept until Monday.

Chapter 32

Consequences

Dave Kekkonen arrived late Monday morning. Evelyn had made a remarkable breakfast, and Kat had started doing laundry. Evelyn was now in the midst of sorting through endless leftovers to determine what was still edible, and what needed to go. Both women hurried to the door when they heard Dave's car.

Dave followed them back to the kitchen and sat for a cup of coffee.

"They are going to charge you with involuntary manslaughter. It will take another day for all the paperwork, but then you will be arrested and brought to Marinette. After you go before a judge you will be eligible for bail. It will probably be February before the trial. So, you have time to get a lawyer and to line up bail money. By the way, here's the card of a lawyer I recommend."

Evelyn nodded.

"I'll cover bail." Kat gave Dave his coffee and sat opposite him.

"You should wait until you see what the amount is."

"Fair enough."

"Angela Stone is up for second degree murder. Crime of passion. Her husband has money and good lawyers. She is also threatening a civil suit for damage you did to her hand."

"I should have killed her."

"Yes, probably. It would certainly be cheaper. And she really is a despicable person. In any case, if you don't already have an attorney, now would be a good time to get one. You might also call your home insurance people since it happened here. If you have liability coverage, they might help."

"Will do." The three of them sipped coffee. Kat looked at Evelyn to see if she had any questions. She was staring deep into her coffee cup. "Please thank Bonnie for her help the other night. I take it she did the cleaning after I went to bed."

"She and two of your guests. She'll come back again if you think you need it."

"Thank you. I'll call if I do."

"Fine. Then I'm off." He sipped the last of his coffee and stood. Kat immediately wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"Thank you."

Dave was two inches shorter than Kat, and didn't appear too comfortable being hugged, but he stood patiently until Kat was ready to let him go. Then he walked back to his car and drove off.

Kat spent the rest of the day doing laundry, making beds, and cleaning bathrooms. Evelyn called her folks, spoke with the Marinette lawyer Kekkonen had recommended, and then Googled typical sentencing for involuntary manslaughter – one to two years minimum. When Kat went to bed that night, Evelyn asked if she could share her bed. Her turn to need someone to hold.

Dave and the Lieutenant detective were back the next morning. Evelyn cried when they put the cuffs on her wrists. It took two days for them to do interviews and appear before a judge. Bail was set and Kat drove to Marinette to guarantee her lodge against Evelyn's appearance. They were back at the lodge late that afternoon. Evelyn had nothing to say. Kat was at a loss as well.

The end of December and beginning of January is a down time for Kat. Time to see her brother, and maybe spend a few days traveling with Jim. This year the big event was the arrival of Evelyn's family for Christmas. Mother, father, baby brother. The first day was mostly hugging and crying, but things improved. Kat loaned the baby brother – James – use of her snowmobile. He tore up and down the lake for hours. Evelyn's father tried it too. Maybe the highlight of the visit was him taking Evelyn out, the two stopping at the far end of the lake and having a long talk. Both seemed to feel better about the world when they got back.

Christmas as a big event. The family found a Baptist church in Pembine. They and Kat attended Christmas Eve service. Candle lights and hymns. Big smiles for what was likely the first African American family to enter the church. Christmas day Kat built a huge bonfire on the lake. Evelyn's family were not drinkers, but they went through plenty of hot chocolate. They also took endless pictures. Kat assumed they were well along in the "up north" playbook. She only wished they could build a snowman or have a snowball fight, but the snow was too cold to pack.

The day after Evelyn's family left, Kat's brother brought his family up from Stevens Point. His kids were now early teens, so they were more into videogames than snowmobiles, but they liked wandering the lodge and laughing at the antlers. Over all, it was a good visit.

Families gone, Evelyn moved into Kat's room. It seemed natural enough. They spent the evening sitting together in front of the fire, talking family and drinking wine. When it came time to go to bed, they held hands and walked to the bedroom together.

It wasn't clear they were actually lovers. They slept together, showered together, groped and caressed each other, but it felt more like a deep friendship than love. Although as the days passed, it got closer and closer to love. They felt more comfortable when and how they touched each other, and when they looked at each other, there was intimacy in small changes in expression, the tilt of a head, the wink of an eye, a smile that led to a kiss. Caresses came quicker, and kisses lasted longer. Time in front of the fireplace started earlier each day.

They talked about it. Evelyn slid on top of Kat one night after they got into bed. Her eyes were large, and she was looking for a serious discussion.

"Do you think we could have been lovers?"

"We are lovers."

"We are lovers until I go to jail. I like this, by the way, but I know this is temporary. What I mean is, what if you had come into the Hilton one night, just you, and we had talked. Would it have gone anywhere?"

"It might have."

"Even though I'm Black."

"You are twenty eight. I think that would be the bigger barrier. At least I hope so. There's also the fact that we have almost nothing in common."

"Except."

"Except you feel good lying next to me – or on top of me. Julie also wanted the top. I'm fine with it, especially in January. You are one warm woman."

"So I'm here for the sex?"

"You're here because right now we both need someone to hold. At least I do."

"I do too."

Later that week there was a huge snow storm. Lots of wind. Lots of snow. Unusual to have a heavy snow in January. Usually the air was so cold it was dry. But something blew up from the Gulf, hit a front out of Canada, and a blizzard buried the Midwest. It was snowing and drifting when they woke in the morning, still snowing and drifting deeper as the sun set. Eight inches easy. Drifts around corners of the lodge going to two feet.

Every home was buried, isolated. All roads closed. Kat and Evelyn stood at their huge windows and watched a wall of white so thick they could barely see across the road to the lake. And for some reason, they hugged each other. And then danced. First Kat pulled Evelyn into their room. She changed out of her jeans and slipped into the bridesmaid dress she had worn for Julie. She gave Evelyn Julie's red satin dance dress. The skirt had been tight on Julie. It was tighter, and pulled shorter, on Evelyn. Next stop was the great room where Kat connect Julie's iPod to the sound system and played dance music. Most of it slow. The two just held each other and slowly rocked from side to side. They kissed after every song. By the end of the day their relationship had changed yet again. They were lovers.

Mid-January Kat's workshops started up again. Water color painting the first two weeks when the cold always forced people inside. Then two weekends of ice fishing. All four weekends filled, the first two because of the art teacher Kat brought from Escanaba, the second two because of Kat's motto – "Men ice fish to drink beer and tell dirty jokes. Women ice fish to drink wine and tell dirtier jokes." They actually drank more hot chocolate than wine, and the jokes weren't really all that crude, but the fishing was good and Kat had them pan fry their catch over a fire right on the lake.

Evelyn did miracles with all meals, and she helped entertain. Kat described her as her assistant. Kat ordered a pair of matching dresses for them to wear for workshop weekends. Big mistake. Ice blue might have been a good winter color, but it looked garish against Evelyn's skin tone. Evelyn ordered another pair, these dresses red and brown prints with short sleeves, a scooped neckline, and A-line skirts to the knees. Both women looked better in them.

There was an occasional question about the shooting at the lodge, but none about the woman killed on the logging trail. Memories are short. Kat gave a brief description of the night Stone burst in, but the story was uncomfortable to tell, and uncomfortable to hear, so no one pushed for details. Generally Evelyn was accepted as an ever-smiling assistant. She and Kat sometimes held hands, and they obviously went off to bed together each night, but nothing was said about their relationship.

Evelyn drove down to Marinette at least once a week to meet with her attorney. She always came back depressed, but worked her way through it. There were only two nights where she cried herself to sleep. Most days she helped with the cooking and cleaning. She also participated in all the workshops, attempting water color painting (no immediate success), and ice fishing (she got so excited with her first catch she lost it back down the hole before she could get a picture).

Her trial was the second week in February. She didn't sleep much the night before. Kat held her tight and felt her shake and cry. It was almost time for them to get up and get ready, when Evelyn put a hand to Kat's cheek, got her attention, and then spoke, her face just inches from Kat's.

"I lied about what happened in the woods. And I plan to lie again." Kat made no response. "Rainbo was messed up. When we were first together, she was nice to me. I needed that. I have been treated like shit by every man in every hotel. The men here were the worst. They would touch me and say things at work, and then pound on my door at night. They liked to shout, 'Open up Evelyn. I have something for you. It's big and warm.' Always the same words, always shouted while they laughed. And then Rainbo picked me up. Finally, someone nice. But she was only nice for the first couple days. Then she got more demanding. One night she tied me to my bed and pounded on me. And she said terrible things. I didn't think she would ever untie me.

"That Sunday she said we should hunt together. I think I agreed just to get out of the room. She had several guns in her car. She took out two, and I drove to where she told me. I have never seen a place so dreary. Just this little open space and the ruins of a farm house. She loaded both guns. She's an expert, to hear her tell it. I get one, she gets the other. She knows right where to find the deer. I just need to follow her. Off we go.

"But it's already late. She says it the best time to get deer, but I just feel the woods getting darker and darker, and it feels like we are at the far end of the world. And walking is nearly impossible. You can't see what you are stepping on because of the snow, and every tree has these little branches pointed straight out. They catch on your coat, or stick up by your face. I felt like I had to fight every single tree in that ugly dark forest. I wanted to stop after five minutes, but she is yelling how we have to keep going. Yelling. How do you sneak up on deer if you are yelling?

"This goes on and on and she keeps getting louder. And scarier. Back in my room she told me about people who had mistreated her. How she wanted to get even. As we walk through the woods, she starts yelling about how she wishes she saw one of them now. She would put a bullet in them so fast. That was when I used the lever to pull a bullet up ready to fire. In the chamber. And I took the safety off. I tried to get a little farther from her, and I thought, this woman is crazy.

"I wanted to run back to my car, but I thought if I did that, I would have my back to her. She would shoot me for sure. I was certain of it. So I followed along, through this endless ugly woods, giving myself more and more distance from her. Then she sees this logging road, and it sets her off. I have no idea why. Suddenly she just starts shooting at trees and down the road, and then she fires a bullet toward me. And I knew she was going to kill me. So I raised my rifle, waited until she turned to use her level thing to bring up another bullet, and I shot her. I saw her go down, and then I ran like hell before she could get back up and kill me."

"You could claim self-defense."

"White woman, black woman, white woman shot in the back."

"And this other story? The gun just went off?"

"I'm going to go to jail. I can go for being a silly nigger woman who didn't know how to handle a gun, or I can go for being a woman desperate to be with Rainbo, and willing to go out into the woods with a woman I already knew was not right in the head."

"I see."

"I don't know if I will see you after the trial, but I wanted you to know the truth. My crime was not being stupid around guns. It was being stupid around people."

"You know you have a place here after the trial. And if there is jail, after jail. This could be your home."

"Thanks, Kat. But my father was right. I should have stayed in Mississippi."

Evelyn went before a judge rather than a jury. Testimony took most of the day. Evelyn spoke in her defense. Kat and Dave also testified, as did a firearms expert who described the safety features on Winchester rifles.

Just after four, the judge declared her guilty. He explained all the safety steps Evelyn should have known to take. And, he told Evelyn it was her responsibility to render aid. She should have gone to Rainbo and helped her. So Evelyn was guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Sentencing would take place in three weeks. Evelyn was to be held until then. Evelyn's father arrived in time for the afternoon's testimony. He stood with Evelyn for a few minutes before she was led away. He and Evelyn hugged, and then both left.

Sentencing? Evelyn got the minimum – one year in the women's prison in Fond du Lac. Two years' probation to follow. Evelyn cried and hugged her mother, father, and Kat. Then she was taken away.

Kat drove down to see her several times. Evelyn seemed to handle the prison well enough. She was released two months early and went straight back to Mississippi.

Angela Stone's sentence was twenty five to life. Her husband spent a fortune on psychologists attempting to prove it was a crime of passion. But the sheriff's department had kept the videos from the abandoned farm. The jury saw her trying to kill Kat. Premeditation was obvious. Two days after she was sentenced, her husband filed for divorce. She was a dangerous woman. He feared for his life if she ever returned to their home.

Chapter 30

Jim

When not appearing in one of the two trials, Kat did what she always did – run workshops for women. That winter she was grateful for them – they gave her some sense of normalcy. A chance to be with normal women doing normal things. Ice fishing led to snowshoe weekends, then winter camping, ice sculpting, fly tying, hibernation exploration, bird migration monitoring, and finally fly fishing. Winters in northern Wisconsin last forever, but even "forever" eventually ends. With the beginning of trout season, spring had arrived.

Jim arrived that Wednesday.

Kat came to the door as she heard his truck in the drive. She stood just inside the door and watched him walk to her. He had a comfortable walk and a decent smile, a small white bag in his right hand.

"I come bearing a peace offering." He held the bag out toward Kat. She stepped out the door and took it. A cheeseburger from Wausaukee Diner. She pointed to the glider on the front porch. He waited for her to sit, and then sat close. She ate the cheeseburger. He talked.

"The boys are now eleven and thirteen. Rational behavior is at least a decade away. The things they need most in the world are rules and routine. Lisa and I have given them that."

"I'll be fascinated to know where this leads. But thanks for the burger." Kat was holding it in two hands, taking large bites as she looked out across the lake. There was still a small ice flow under some trees on the west bank. Spring in Wisconsin.

"The last time we talked, you said I had let three years go by without asking you to marry me."

"You're blaming your boys?" Kat glanced his way, and then went back to her burger.

"My original plan was the blame the bar. But actually, that only became a problem when my dad got sick. Until then, I had plenty of time."

"How's he doing, by the way?" Kat looked inside the bag. "No fries?"

"Sorry. He has formally retired. He split his businesses up among the family. I got the bar. Now that it is mine, I have hired two bartenders to help, and I am back to working reasonable hours."

"Won't work. Cash business. Too easy to put a few bucks in a pocket. Soon it is more than a few. I busted more bartenders than dope peddlers in my former life. Every officer's club had a problem."

"Okay, so I fire them and hire you."

"Jim, why are you here?" Kat finished the last of the burger and wiped grease off her hands and face.

"Down at the bottom of the bag – the one where you just put your crumpled napkin – is another napkin. Under that one is a surprise. You were supposed to find it when looking for your fries, and then get all excited. It happens on TV that way all the time."

Kat dug to the bottom of the bag and found his ring.

"This is where you are supposed to get down on one knee."

"If I thought there was any chance you would say 'yes', I would be down there on both knees, even though there is still ice under the glider."

"I am pretty sure I am worth both a cheeseburger and some ice." She handed him the ring. "And by the way, you are supposed to offer it to me, then slip it on my finger."

"You have lots of rules today."

"I've had three years to get ready."

Jim took the ring, and got on to one knee, one hand holding the glider from swinging, the other holding out the ring.

"Katherine Johnson, will you marry me?"

"Let's go back to your boys. I remember hearing 'not rational for ten years' and 'need stability.' If I say 'yes', when should I expect to say 'I do'?"

Jim adjusted his knee. He wasn't directly on the ice, but there was water where it had melted.

"Maybe next spring? We can have the boys over here every week or so. Hunting, fishing, canoeing on the lake. They would like it here. They get used to the place, and to you. Besides, don't women need time to plan? Get a dress, get a cake, find a band?"

"Get up off your knee and come in the house. Do what you're good at." She stood, kissed him, and took his hand. "We'll talk."

