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“Poor Meg,” Brian said huskily, squeezing Nicola more tightly against him.
Alice pulled a crumpled tissue from her coat pocket and dabbed at her red-rimmed eyes. “After everything she went through…”
She didn’t finish the sentence. Sandrine patted her shoulder. “It’s very sad. This is a terrible day for us all, not just Meg.”
“I know this is hard,” Josie said. “I’m devastated as well, but right now, the best thing we can do for Meg is get her back to camp.”
She handed her phone to Sandrine, instructing her to try to reach emergency services. Then she led Taryn, Brian, and Alice back to Meg’s body. Nicola stayed with Sandrine, arms crossed over her chest, wiping tears from her pale face.
“Who has the sheet?” Josie asked as the four of them surrounded Meg’s body. She took up position at Meg’s head.
“Holy shit.” Brian stood next to Meg’s left hip. “She is really dead. Like, dead dead.”
From Meg’s right side, Taryn handed Josie a white sheet. “I’m sorry, Josie. I don’t think I can do this.”
Brian tore his eyes from the body to look at Taryn. “Are you kidding? She’s not going to bite you.”
Taryn stared back down at Meg, lower lip trembling again. She adjusted the scarf around her neck, tugging at it as if it was too tight.
Alice, closest to Meg’s feet, glared at Brian. “Her husband died in front of her, remember?” She turned to Taryn. “It’s okay, Taryn. Go back to the trail. See if Nicola or Sandrine will help us. We need four people.”
Mumbling another apology, Taryn stomped back toward the trail, lifting her knees high to maneuver through the thickening snow.
Josie snapped the sheet open and laid it out beside Meg. “Alice,” she said. “You get her feet.”
Brian watched, seemingly fascinated, while they quickly and efficiently moved Meg’s stiffened body onto the sheet. Josie winced as some of the snow covering her torso shifted. There was nothing to be done about it. Alice was right. They could not leave her. A moment later, Nicola appeared, eyebrows disappearing under the brim of her knit hat as she craned to get a look at Meg.
“Oh wow,” she breathed. “That’s creepy as hell.”
FOURTEEN
By the time they reached the shed beside the big red rage-room building, Josie was soaked through with sweat, in spite of the freezing temperatures and heavy snow. Her arms felt weak and rubbery as they laid Meg down on the floor inside. Sandrine had gone ahead with Taryn to make sure they could get the doors open and clear an area for Meg. In the center of the small building was a riding mower. Neither Sandrine nor Taryn could get it started so it stayed where it was while they cleared out a space next to it. Just outside the shed, Taryn and Sandrine had piled a weed whacker, a toolbox, two small gas cans, a bottle of motor oil, two shovels, and a log-splitter.
Once they got Meg settled onto the concrete slab, Josie took off her hat and gloves and swiped a hand through her hair. It was wet with perspiration. She fought the urge to take off her winter coat. Her goal was to get everyone out of the shed and away from the body as soon as possible. Brian and Nicola shuffled back to the door. They, too, pulled off their hats. Alice’s short dark hair was wet and plastered flat against her skull. She stood nearest to Josie, her back to the riding mower, and stared down at Meg.
Now that the initial shock of Meg’s death had worn off, Nicola watched them with naked curiosity. “So, what?” she said. “We just leave her in here? Why here?”
“Do you want to help carry her up the hill to her cabin?” Alice asked pointedly.
Nicola didn’t answer. Josie was happy to let her think that the real reason they had brought Meg’s body to the shed was because it was closest to where she’d been found. In reality, since Meg’s cabin was the last place she’d been seen, Josie wanted to treat it as a crime scene. Bringing Meg’s body back there would only taint it. With everything but the riding mower removed from the shed, there was no reason for anyone to return to it. Later, she’d have to find a way to seal off both the shed and Meg’s cabin, or at least lock them up.
Brian used his hat to wipe the sweat from his flushed face. “Won’t she smell?”
Before Josie could answer, Sandrine pushed her way between the two of them and shooed them away from the door. “Go,” she said. “I want everyone at the main house immediately. We need to regroup and talk about what’s happened here.”
Before he disappeared, Brian said, “We need to figure out how to get the hell out of here.”
Sandrine shook her head but stood in the doorway for several moments. Turning back to Josie and Alice, she said, “They’re gone. What do you need?”
Josie looked around. There was only one entrance, and no windows, which was good. “We need to seal this building off somehow so that no one can enter it. It’s best if no one disturbs the body. I’d also like to seal off Meg’s cabin, if possible. I’ll have to get some photos of it first, but then it’s best if no one goes inside.”
Alice said, “You didn’t find her key with her?”
“No,” said Josie. She hoped Alice wouldn’t press the issue and ask about whether or not Josie had searched Meg’s pockets. She hadn’t because that would mean further disturbing any evidence that might be on Meg’s body or at the scene of her death, but that was not a conversation she wanted to have right now.
Sandrine put her hands on her hips. “I’ll go to the main house. I know there are keys to lock up this building. I don’t know where Meg’s cabin key is but I’ll see if there’s an extra one.”
“Thanks,” Josie said. “Alice and I will wait here for you.”
