Mitzi finally broke the silence, her voice pitched too high. “At least we still have our cell phones.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The screen glowed briefly, then dimmed.
Her brow furrowed. “That’s weird. I had a signal earlier.”
Tevin checked his too. “Nothing. Zero bars.”
Mara wrung her hands. “Sometimes the towers around here go out in bad weather. It happens more than you’d think.”
Olive’s gaze drifted toward the black windows, where the snow still whipped in blinding sheets. Her chest tightened.
No power. No signal. A killer inside the inn.
Could things get any worse?
She already knew the answer.
Yes, they most definitely could.
Olive cleared her throat. “I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I’d like to check out the rest of the inn.”
Trick frowned from where he leaned against the stone hearth. “Check it out? What do you mean?”
“I mean that whoever cut that line is probably inside this building.” Her voice was calm but firm. “And if that’s true, I’d like to do a thorough search—every hallway, every room, every storage space.”
Trick straightened, the flicker of his flashlight catching the sharp lines of his face. “I’ll help.”
Olive shook her head. “Respectfully, I’d like Jason and me to do it—alone. I think it’s best if everyone else stays together here in the great room while we search.”
A beat of silence followed.
Then Nova spoke, her voice hesitant. “Wait—you think one ofusmight be responsible? We were all here. Except for?—”
She seemed to catch herself before finishing, but her gaze slid to Mitzi.
Mitzi’s eyes widened, and she lifted her hands. “I stepped outside to make my call, that’s it. But I didn’t cut the generator line, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“No one’s implying anything,” Olive said quickly, though the tension in the room tightened another notch. “But you all staying here while Jason and I search is just smart. If the killer’s inside, we’ll have a better chance of finding signs of them—and making sure the rest of you stay safe.”
“Or the idea is just plain stupid,” Trick muttered. “If there’s a killer inside the inn waiting to strike again, we need to stick together, not split up.”
Rex finally spoke, his voice cutting through the low hum of unease. “Olive’s right.”
All eyes turned toward him.
“She and Jason should search the place. But stay together,” Rex added, his gaze locking on Olive. “No exceptions. The rest of us will remain here until you’re done.”
For a moment, no one argued. Chairs creaked. The fire popped.
Then Tevin exhaled and rubbed his hands together. “If you two aren’t back in twenty minutes, we’re forming a search party.”
“Deal,” Olive said.
As the others settled uneasily near the fire, Olive glanced toward the darkened hallway beyond.
Then she reminded herself that danger wasn’t outside.
It was here. Inside. Hiding.
