15. December, This Year

CHAPTER 15

DECEMBER, THIS YEAR

THREE DAYS UNTIL THE NEXT MURDER

A ndi awoke with a start.

She’d heard something. She was sure of it.

Cold sweat covered her forehead.

What if the killer was here?

Her gaze skittered to the clock beside her. Three-thirty a.m.

She reached for Mariella and shook her. “Mariella? Are you awake?”

Her friend blinked before stirring. “What is it?”

“I heard something.”

Mariella sat up and glanced around the dark room, her eyes widening. “What did you hear?”

“I . . . I don’t know. Maybe a footstep.”

“In the room?” She pulled her blankets closer.

Had the noise come from inside the room? “No . . . not the bedroom. Maybe the living room.”

“Matthew probably just got up to get a snack or something.”

Andi’s heart slowed a minute. Mariella’s explanation made sense.

Why had she jumped to worst-case scenarios?

“You’re probably right.” Andi took a deep breath. “That’s all it is.”

Mariella turned toward, studying her face. “Why don’t you call Duke? Have him check things out, just to give you peace of mind.”

“That’s a good idea.” Andi knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep until she did. She picked up her phone and couldn’t deny how badly her hand was trembling.

Before she could dial Duke’s number, Christmas music began blaring from the living room.

She froze and glanced at Mariella. Some of the reassurance she’d just seen in her friend’s face disappeared.

Everyone in their group knew better than to start blasting Christmas music at this hour.

Movement sounded in the room beside her.

Duke’s room.

Then a door opened.

Then nothing.

Except the music.

What was happening out there?

She and Mariella gripped each other’s arms as they waited and anticipated.

Just breathe in and out, Andi told herself. In and out.

She couldn’t let panic take over. She couldn’t let it win.

Because if it did, she would be rendered powerless. Even worse—she’d become a liability.

The top of her head began pounding at the thought. The pounding turned into an ache.

Andi squeezed her eyes shut and began to pray.

Duke heard the music and jumped out of bed. Just to be safe, he grabbed his gun.

What was going on out there at this hour?

He hurried to the door and cracked it open, peering out to make sure danger wasn’t waiting on the other side.

He saw nothing.

Still, he remained cautious as he edged his way out and glanced around.

The living room appeared empty.

He didn’t see anyone—until Ranger opened his bedroom door, also holding his gun.

They nodded at each other, silently agreeing to split up and search the rest of the cabin.

A few minutes later, they determined that the main living areas and bathroom were clear.

Wasting no more time, Duke rushed toward Andi’s room and knocked. The door flew open, and she stood there looking breathless and disheveled. Her eyes were wide with fright.

“Are you okay?” she rushed.

He nodded, hating to see her so worried. “I’m fine. You and Mariella?”

“We’re okay. Just shaken.”

A few moments later, the whole gang all gathered in the living room. Music still blared, the happy sound a contradiction to the tension stretching across Duke’s chest.

“Where is that music coming from?” Duke grumbled as he surveyed the room. He didn’t see any obvious source of the music.

Ranger walked to a HomePod and hit the button on top. “From here.”

“How did that even get turned on?” Mariella ran a hand through her hair, leaving blonde strands standing on end.

“Good question.” Andi wrapped her arms across her chest and her skin glistened with a layer of perspiration.

Duke tried not to stare. But he wasn’t used to seeing her so shaken. She’d been through far worse than this. However, the walls she’d put up prevented him from digging deeper into the inner workings of her mind.

“Those things can be remotely controlled.” Matthew paused beside the device and studied it a moment. “That’s probably what happened.”

“Probably,” Duke agreed. “But I don’t like the fact it happened tonight. Don’t like the fact it happened here.”

“A few minutes before the music started, I thought I heard someone walking around out here,” Andi said. “Then I wondered if it was just a bad dream.”

Duke hurried toward the front door and opened it, searching for telltale footprints in the snow.

There were too many to distinguish, however. Too many people had recently been in and out of the house.

The team couldn’t catch a break. Danger and trouble followed them everywhere.

He caught a glance at Andi as she stood by the Christmas tree staring at something. Based on the tension in her shoulders, something was wrong—something no one else had noticed.

“Andi?” His question almost sounded hesitant.

She pointed to an ornament. “I don’t remember seeing this on the tree before.”

The gang gathered to look at whatever she’d seen.

Duke’s eyes widened when he saw the ornament was a painted wooden snowman.

What was Juniper’s one rule? No snowmen here at the camp.

So was this placement just an oversight? Had Juniper been joking when she’d said that?

He didn’t think so.

Because even though Duke hadn’t fully examined this tree since they’d been here, he didn’t remember seeing this ornament either.

What were the chances that some random person had broken into the cabin, left this ornament, and then started the Christmas music?

Considering that the song that had just been playing happened to be “Frosty the Snowman,” Duke knew the chances were slim to none.