Chapter Forty-Four Maya

Chapter Forty-Four

Maya

February 2012, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

I didn’t expect we’d be driving through a snowstorm. My stomach turned, a combination of car sickness and unease at how far away we were from anything recognizable.

We’d left late that morning for Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, and had been in the car for over seven hours. Kai had insisted on driving and had her headphones on while Cecily flipped through a magazine in the passenger seat. The rattling of the car every time we went over potholes was unnerving. I glanced over at Daisy, who was passed out against the window, and wished I could shake the feeling of anxiety and get some rest myself.

We were heading to the annual Greystone Society ski trip, where Professor DuPont wined and dined alumni who’d given generous donations to the Legacy Foundation. Throughout the year, alumni could reserve their stay at the Society’s cabins and receive VIP perks at the resort. According to Daisy, the properties were all together worth nearly a hundred million dollars.

As I peered over the edge now, my heart lurched. Below us was a valley of snow-covered pines and sweeping mountains in the distance. The car shook as our tires slipped and skidded around a tight turn in the road. Gripping the leather seat, I tried to focus on not throwing up, pushing away the darker thought—that one false move could send us over the edge.

“Can somebody look at the map?” Kai asked when we’d reached a fork in the road. The navigation on our phones stopped working hours ago, but luckily we were prepared.

I grabbed the MapQuest pages we’d printed with the highlighted route and looked up at the road sign. “I think it’s a right here.”

The road took us deeper into the wilderness, the snow piling higher outside the windows, other dwellings becoming sparse and soon disappearing altogether. Panic rose in my chest: we were so isolated up here, miles away from the safety of the city—no grocery stores, cellphone reception, or hospitals.

At the end of the road, we pulled up to a large cabin surrounded by trees on all sides.

“We’re here,” Kai said.

—

The cabin smelled of cedar wreaths and luxury candles, which were lit on every surface. Though it was the smallest of the cabins the Society owned, it was still large enough to be its own ski lodge.

I was hauling my heavy duffel bag up the front steps and past a basket of snowshoes and ski poles when something compelled me to glance up. A chandelier made of polished antlers fit for a Viking’s home swayed precariously overhead. It made me uncomfortable to stand under it. If that thing fell on someone, there was no chance they’d survive.

Moving into the living room, I stopped to marvel at the giant taxidermy moose head adorning the wall, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a white forest, and stood there, hypnotized by the falling snow.

“Welcome, dear.” The familiar voice made me jump. I spun around to find Marta standing behind me, holding a stack of folded towels.

“Oh, Marta. Jesus, you scared me,” I said, clutching a hand to my chest. “What are you doing here?”

She was looking at me with that same cold stare. “I often work here when there are guests. Mr. DuPont likes everything to be perfect.”

The mention of his name made my heart race, the blood rush to my head. What were we doing here? Was this really a good idea?

After Marta left, I hauled my bag after Cecily and Daisy, who were down the hall.

“I have the main suite,” Kai called out. “Cecily is taking the one next to me and you and Daisy can share the third bedroom with the twin beds.”

After Daisy and I settled in, I moved to the window and pulled aside the curtains. The sky had faded to black and the forest looked ominous. As I peered into the darkness, I had the unnerving feeling of being watched. Yellow eyes blinked from behind the trees and disappeared moments later.

“Daisy,” I said quietly, “look.”

“What?” She squinted out the window.

“There’s something out there,” I said, pointing.

“It’s probably a deer.”

The blustery snow outside reminded me of how deep we were in the wilderness. A constant sheet of white. There must have been all kinds of animals out there.

Out in the living room, Kai had lit a fire in the fireplace and opened a bottle of red wine. Cecily poured us a glass.

I took a long sip, inhaling its rich, intoxicating scent. “How did you convince Professor DuPont to invite us? And Lila, for that matter?”

“It was easy,” Cecily said. “Lila agreed to the settlement and said this week would be the perfect way to put it all behind them, that she wants to rejoin the club now that she’s received restitution for what she’s been through.”

Kai pointed to a bouquet of flowers on the mantel. “Like it?”

I followed her gaze to the flowers but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. It was an expensive-looking white, pink, and green bouquet. “It’s nice.”

With a grin, Kai stood and made her way to the flowers. She pushed them aside to reveal a small video camera she had hidden behind them.

My eyes went wide. “Wow, that’s good. You really can’t see it.”

“Isn’t it?” Daisy said, giddy with excitement.

Cecily looked at her phone. “Theodore says everyone else should be arriving tomorrow night.” She and Theodore had recently started dating. She insisted it was casual, but anyone who saw them together knew that wasn’t true.

“Hopefully the weather cooperates,” Kai said. “Lila’s coming tomorrow too. She can sleep in one of the upstairs rooms, Theodore will be in Cecily’s room, and whoever is left can have a blow-up mattress on the floor.”

“Who else did Professor DuPont invite?” I asked.

“A few Greystone alumni who are involved with the Legacy Foundation, the usual high-net-worth friends he likes to have around,” Cecily said. “But they’re all staying at the cabins on the resort side. This is the only one over here.” She turned to me. “You ready?”

I inhaled a deep breath and tried to relax. We’re going to get him on camera. Send him to prison for good.