Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

A ndi stared at the hand as horror washed over her.

No . . . it couldn’t be.

Had something happened to the members of her team while she and Duke had been in the office?

Panic raced through her at the thought.

She started to reach for the door so she could rush inside and see for herself.

But Duke squeezed her arm to stop her first. “It’s fake.”

Andi blinked, unsure if she had heard correctly. “What?”

He pointed at bloody appendage near the door. “The hand is fake, even though it was designed to look real, all the way down to the blood.”

She stared at the hand again, unsure if Duke was correct. But as she took a closer look, she realized his words were true.

Based on the weight of the appendage when it had fallen from the door to the way it moved upon hitting the ground, the hand was a high-quality replica of a real one.

This wasn’t just a cheap foam Halloween prank gone astray. Someone had to have this ready to use when the time was right. Maybe it had been used at a haunted house or something, given its realism.

Why was this the right time? Did someone—maybe the killer—want to scare the murder club away? Did the killer fear being caught? Or maybe this even connected with the message the killer had left in Pepper’s hands.

“Whoever is doing this is sick,” she muttered.

Duke’s jaw visibly tightened. “Very.”

Just then, the door flew open, and Ranger appeared, a questioning look on his face. Andi hadn’t even realized he and Simmy were back already after looking at the barn. She was surprised their paths hadn’t crossed.

“I thought I heard you guys out here.” Ranger squinted. “Were you locked out?”

His gaze followed theirs, and he glanced at the ground. His eyes widened when he saw the hand lying in the snow.

“What the . . . ?”

“It’s fake,” Duke quickly assured him.

“Someone either has a sick sense of humor or they want to send a message.” Ranger’s jaw hardened.

The rest of the gang appeared around Ranger, all gawking at the hand.

“That had to be placed on the door after we went inside.” Mariella wrinkled her nose with disgust. “It wasn’t there when we arrived.”

“I didn’t hear any unexpected visitors out here,” Simmy added.

Andi glanced above her, searching for any security cameras. But at places like this, security cameras could be seen as a breach of privacy. Guests didn’t like them.

Just as she suspected, none were within sight.

“We’re going to need to tell Juniper about this.” Andi shivered, suddenly realizing how cold her face felt, despite her surge of adrenaline. Her nose had gone numb already, and her lungs ached as the cold air filled them.

“Yes, we can see if she has any idea who might have done this,” Duke agreed.

“Do you think it was the killer?” Simmy’s voice came out just above a whisper. “Do you think he’s here still? That he hasn’t left the camp?”

“Which killer?” Andi’s throat burned as she asked the question. “The Burrows’ or Pepper’s? Or both?”

Her questions hung in the air.

Andi wanted to say that those things weren’t possibilities. But she knew better.

Anything was possible, especially when dealing with a killer with a warped mind.

“I don’t know who would have done this.” Juniper shook her head as she stared at the hand.

She’d come right over when they called. In the meantime, Duke had taken a plastic bag and placed the hand inside in case there was any evidence they needed to preserve.

Then they’d all moved into the living room, where Duke had set the bagged hand on the coffee table. Everyone had gathered around it to gawk some more.

“Is there anyone here on staff who’d see this as being a horrible joke?” Duke paced toward the door, on guard.

The person who’d left this could still be close—a thought Duke could hardly stomach.

“I want to say no.” Juniper swallowed hard and rubbed her throat as if the action hurt. “I mean, most people working here were pretty freaked out by what happened. Some wouldn’t even stay. They just quit on the spot and left because of the horror of it all. The ones who did stay were loyal.”

“Are any of your new hires fascinated with the macabre, by chance?” Andi was unable to sit still so she stood, occasionally pacing, near the couch.

Juniper thought a moment before shaking her head, a lost and almost dazed look in her eyes. “Not that I know of. I mean, if they are they haven’t made it obvious to me.”

“Do you do background checks on people before they’re hired?” Duke asked.

“I do. I don’t hire anyone with a criminal history.” Juniper sighed and brushed a hand through her hair. “This is just sick. I don’t know what else to say, and I’m so sorry you guys had to encounter this. What should we do? Call the police?”

“If it makes you feel better, this isn’t real blood,” Ranger shrugged nonchalantly.

“Are you sure?” Mariella’s voice trembled as she asked the question.

“I’m sure. It smells sweet—like corn syrup and food coloring. You want to smell?” Ranger held out the bagged hand toward them.

“No, thanks.” Mariella scrunched her nose again. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“We should let Gibson know,” Andi agreed. “At least that way it can be on record if anything comes of this. But I think this is a sick, elaborate joke—nothing more. But we can probably wait until morning. It’s not an emergency.”

Duke knew the truth: None of them were willing to face any other reality.

Because that reality would mean the killer was here at the Borealis Reindeer Camp and was sending them an ominous message.

That wasn’t something any of them were prepared to deal with right now.