Chapter Five

We sat around the table, picking at lukewarm leftovers from lunch. I reviewed what I remembered about the comings and goings of the others in an effort to narrow down the pool of suspects, but came up emptyhanded. I didn't even know what Ruth had been poisoned with, or how long the toxins took to have an effect, or any other useful information. Trina would be disappointed to hear how inefficient I was at finding clues and solving the mystery.

If I got the chance to tell her.

Paul dropped his fork on his plate with a clang. "So, we're going to sit here in silence all night?"

Laura tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "What else is there to say?"

"Anything." He started tapping the fork on the edge of the plate, and then switched to spinning the stem of his water glass when Isabel shot him a dirty look. "We can talk about the shitty weather, rehash how we got here, debate social issues…all of those sound better than watching the clock, waiting for the next calamity."

"Some of us don't mind a little quiet," Isabel said.

Laura pursed her lips. "And it's hard to concentrate on something other than the latest victim you just took to her room."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Engaging in conversation, however banal, isn't going to make her any deader."

Her glare threatened to bore a hole through him. "Do you have any respect for anyone besides yourself?"

"Right now? Not really."

"Charming." She flicked her crimson hair back over her shoulder and took a sip of water. "Too bad you're not a tea drinker," she muttered.

His lip curled up in a smug half-smile. "Was that an admission of guilt I heard?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Next to me, Adam rubbed his forehead. "So much for attempts at conversation."

We decided to retire early for the second night in a row. "Let's plan to meet at the stairs at eight o'clock tomorrow morning," Victor said before we left the dining room. "Under no circumstances should you open your door to anyone before then."

He doesn't have to tell me twice. Once inside my room, I wedged a chair underneath the doorknob and gave it a good shake to test its stability. Looking back over my shoulder, I remembered the second door to the balcony. Constructed mostly of glass, it wouldn't keep out a determined intruder. I slid one of the heavy wooden dressers in front of it, hoping it would provide a deterrent to anyone trying to kill me, or at least produce enough noise to wake me up in such an event.

I changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth in the bathroom. Sitting on the closed toilet, I propped my elbows on my knees and buried my head in my hands. Last night, I'd been excited about the burgeoning mystery at the lodge. Now, I worried I might be the next victim in this real-life story of danger and death.

Exhaling, I stood and exited to the bedroom. I repeated my prior routine of turning off the lamp and yanking the covers up to my chin. Before I settled against the pillows, movement outside the window caught my eye.

A high-pitched gasp squeaked past my lips and I froze. Squinting into the darkness, I wondered if fear had caused me to imagine things. A minute passed, and the shadows shifted again. Someone lurked on the balcony.

I debated the best course of action. Part of me wanted to hide under the quilt and act like I hadn't seen anything—or pretend this entire trip was nothing more than a bad dream—but I knew I'd never fall asleep if I didn't investigate. Keeping the light off, I hunched over and crept toward the window.

The rain had stopped, leaving moonlit puddles across the balcony's polished surface. A tall figure leaned against the railing, staring out into the forest. Even with his back to me and the dim lighting, there was no mistaking the man's identity. Adam .

I watched him, but other than the natural rise and fall of his shoulders, he didn't move. Again, I struggled with what to do. Part of me knew I should ignore him and go back to bed, that I shouldn't trust anyone. But, on the other hand, he didn't appear to be plotting anything nefarious at the moment. And it wasn't like I'd get much sleep, anyway.

Flicking open the latches, I raised the window. "Adam?" I whispered through the screen. "What are you doing?"

He stiffened when I called his name, then relaxed. "Hey there." He turned around and smiled. "I came out to get some fresh air. Being cooped up inside for so long doesn't help anything."

"I understand."

Extending one hand, he took a few steps toward my room. "Care to join me?"

His enticing grin was difficult to resist. The way the silvery light illuminated how his snug white undershirt clung to his lean frame added to the temptation. I glanced at the pile of furniture I'd used to barricade the door and shook my head. "I'd like to…but I can't yet. I mean, I'm sure you wouldn't fling me off the balcony or anything, but I don't want to take any chances." I bit my lower lip. "I'm sorry."

"No worries." His expression remained pleasant. "Sorry if I disturbed you. I'll go back inside soon."

Despite not feeling fully comfortable around him, I didn't want him to leave. "You're not bothering me, and I don't mean to kick you out of a shared space. In fact…" My pulse raced, and I took a deep breath. "If you want to stay out there and talk for a little while, I wouldn't mind."

Adam chuckled and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

I let out a long groan. "Anything outside of this horrible place."

"Well, with you here, it's not so bad." His eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "But I know what you mean. I need the diversion, too."

"Yes, a diversion. Exactly."

"If it's all right with you, I'd rather not discuss the weather, either." He tapped the edge of one puddle with the toe of his shoe, causing it to splatter. "You know, it occurred to me earlier when we were all going around the table telling our stories, you didn't say much about yourself. You talked about your sister instead."

"Trina's more exciting than I am." I rolled my eyes. "And she'd be the first one to tell you."

"I find that hard to believe. Besides, she's not here right now." Adam inched closer to the window. "We'll start off with the boring stuff. What do you do when you're not stuck in a lavish, yet deadly, mountaintop lodge?"

I hooked my foot around one of the chairs by the door and dragged it closer to kneel on it. "I'm a graphic designer, freelance. So I mostly sit in front of a computer all day."

"Ah, an impressive blend of art and technology. See, I knew you were remarkable." He rubbed his chin. "Whenever we get out of here, I should get your contact information. We're always looking for good contractors at my firm."

"I try not to mix business with pleasure." As soon as the words slipped out, I clapped my hand over my mouth. "Oh my god. Will you listen to me? Three people are dead, for all I know you're the one who killed them, and I'm still trying to flirt with you."

He burst out laughing. His genuine delight both helped me to feel better and sent a rush of heat to my cheeks. "Like I haven't been doing the same thing. Though I'm determined to find a way to prove my innocence to you."

"We do need the distraction." I frowned. "And I thought we weren't talking about… that ."

"Right, right. So, back to the more mundane topics." His warm smile continued to put me at ease. "Do I get to ask where you're from? Or is that too personal?"

I shrugged. "It probably doesn't matter much at this point. Right now, I just have a small apartment in Maple Creek, one of the many suburbs outside the city. It took me about three hours to drive up here."

"I might know where that is. I moved to Springvale almost two years ago now." His brow furrowed. "I think it's about thirty miles away or so, but I'm not positive. I'm not familiar with all the ins and outs of the area yet."

"Sounds about right. I have a general idea of where it is, though I've never been there."

"I guess we're just far enough apart that our paths wouldn't have crossed otherwise. Which reminds me…" Staring down, he kicked at the floor of the balcony again. "I was thinking about something else you said earlier."

"Oh?"

"The comment you made about how everyone seems so normal, like you might have met them anywhere else in your life and not thought anything of it." He peered up at me through his dark lashes. "We're being honest with each other, and who knows what tomorrow's going to bring, so I wanted to tell you I wish I could have met you under different circumstances."

I hoped the shadows camouflaged my furious blushing. "I'll admit I was annoyed with Trina for cajoling me into coming here, and I didn't have very high hopes for having fun this weekend. But I did feel more optimistic when I first ran into you out on the landing." When he lifted his head to meet my gaze, I smiled. "And your company has let me calm down a little tonight. Thank you."

Adam waved his hand nonchalantly. "The pleasure is all mine."

Scooting forward in the chair, I rested my arms on the windowsill. "Tell me more about these ‘different circumstances.' You've succeeded in charming me here, but what if we were somewhere else?"

"Let's see." He closed the gap between us and slouched against the wall outside my window. "We'd start off simple, nothing like this place. Do you drink coffee?"

"As if my life depended on it some days." I cringed. "That's probably not very funny right now."

He grinned. "I'd rather be laughing than the alternative."

"Fair enough. Keep going."

"Coffee it is, then. We'd get you away from your computer and meet up at my favorite café on a sunny day. I'm tired of all this rain," he said, tilting his head toward the sky. "I wouldn't order for you because I'm not stupid enough to mess with someone else's coffee, but I would be a gentleman and insist on paying."

"Smart and chivalrous." I propped my chin up on my forearms. "So far, so good."

"After getting our beverages and maybe a snack or two, we'd sit at the table in the corner." He swiveled toward me, leaning on one shoulder. "We'd start talking, just like this, and before we knew it, hours would pass by and it would be dark outside."

"Uh-oh." I raised one eyebrow and pretended to be concerned. "Then what?"

Adam rubbed the back of his head. I'd appreciated the way he looked in his well-fitting suit the previous night, yet I also enjoyed this version of him, with his tousled hair and the thin layer of stubble that had sprouted on his cheeks and chin. Jeans and a T-shirt worked well on him, too. While he contemplated the next part of his story, I tried to remind myself of all the reasons why I shouldn't trust him, regardless of any attraction I felt. This is just for fun. He could be dangerous. Keep your distance. You have to get out of here alive…

"We'd continue our conversation because why should a minor thing like the sunset ruin our good time?" His voice snapped me out of my reverie. "Of course we'd order more coffee and food, so the staff wouldn't get annoyed. But when our next round comes, the server tells us open mic night is starting soon, and the room might get too loud for us."

"Ooh, a plot twist."

He nodded. "We decide to stick around, listen to some of the local talent, and eventually switch over to drinking cappuccino. They serve it with those sticks of colored rock candy to swirl around."

"A nice touch." My eyelids drooped, and I laid my head on one hand. "Are the musicians any good?"

"No, most of them are terrible." I laughed, and he went on. "But when some young kid sings everything he's learned about love over the only four chords he knows how to play, I reach across the table and take your hand. Even if the song sucks, the sentiments behind it are nice, and it'll give us something to talk about on our next date."

I tried to hide my smile behind my arm. "Oh, so there's definitely going to be a second date? Aren't we confident."

"You know what they say—always leave them wanting more. By the time we part ways, you won't be able to resist." Adam pushed away from the wall. "And, on that note, I think I should say goodnight now. You look like you're finally ready to fall asleep, and we need to be alert tomorrow."

A yawn slipped past my lips despite my efforts to hold it back. "You're probably right on all counts." I stood up and moved the chair away. "Thanks again for helping me keep my mind off less pleasant subjects."

"Likewise." He tapped the windowsill and gave me a little wave before stepping back in the direction of his room. "Sleep well, Veronica. I'll see you in the morning."

I closed and locked the window, double checking the latches to ensure they were secure. Before climbing back into bed, I did the same for my makeshift barricades in front of both doors. Wrapping myself in the covers, I reclined against the pillows and tried to think of cozy cups of coffee instead of poisoned teabags.