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“The note mentioned breakfast but nothing about an errand. What could you possibly have needed to do at six in the morning?” my mom asks with an arched eyebrow.
“If you give us a minute to hang up our coats and take off our boots, I promise we’ll tell you. It’s important enough to warrant a family meeting. Is there a full pot of coffee? We might need it.” Carter takes my jacket from me and hangs it in the closet.
“Yeah. But it isn’t nearly as good as a raspberry mocha would have been,” Brody mumbles.
“How serious is this conversation going to be? Is it a ‘chill’ in the living room type of talk, or worthy of a dining room round-table discussion?” Ansel asks. “If we’re voting, I cast my ballot for comfort.”
Carter grabs his bag and pulls out his laptop, opening it up so he can pull up the camera feeds. “It doesn’t matter where we talk, as long as little ears aren’t around to overhear.”
My dad, Nick, suggests that we sit around the table so the children can watch a movie in the living room while we explain this morning’s events. There are a few grumbles, but everyone acquiesces.
Carter doesn’t waste any time getting down to business, telling them about the intrusion this morning while he was out and about setting up the trail cameras. Although the guy wasn’t caught red-handed, at least the act was caught on tape. “The good news is that we now have something we can take to the police. They wouldn’t have cared about anything that had happened back home since it’s across state lines.”
My mom beats me to the question I’m about to ask. “Do you think they would do anything about it? This is a small resort town with the closest city more than an hour away. I can’t imagine they have a large enough police force to worry about a little vandalism.”
Carter shrugs. “Actually, that could work in our favor. There isn’t a lot of crime in this area, and tourism is a big deal. The guests pay top dollar for luxury and expect a certain degree of security for themselves and their expensive cars. If it gets out that vehicles are being coated in paint, they’re going to want to have more patrols in the area. This arm of the resort might be deemed as ‘rustic,’ but it’s still associated with Windam Mountain Ski Lodge and Expo Center and comes at a pretty hefty price tag.”
Sebastian suggests, “Maybe if they know this is a targeted event and not random, they could concentrate the patrols in this part of the resort. We could have them contact Officer Jordan back home and corroborate the information. He was the one who filed the reports when Leanna’s tires were slashed.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Carter pulls up the video feed from this morning and replays it for everyone. Everybody views things through a different lens, so the more people that see it, the more likely a previously overlooked detail might be noticed.
“You said that Mark Jenkins is staying on this property, right?” Marybeth asks.
“Yes, with his son and daughter. Why do you ask?” Carter shares our theory that Mark’s son might be involved and why we think that. He’s still waiting to hear back from Savannah if there is anything in their background checks that might indicate they would be involved—other than the fact they are related to Mark.
Marybeth points to the screen. “You might be on the right path. If you look, you’ll notice there aren’t any tire tracks. There’s at least half an inch of fresh snow from overnight, but all you see are footprints.”
Carter thinks for a moment. “I agree. But it’s possible that the man parked at another location and hiked in and out of this area. Let me call Patrick and get his take on it.”
When Patrick answers the phone, Carter tells him he’s on speaker and that the whole family is here. “When you chased after the man this morning, did you happen to notice the direction his footprints led? We’re trying to determine whether or not the individual in question is staying here at the property or if he parked some distance away and walked in.”
“No. The guy was quick, and I lost him in the woods. The forest canopy was large and dense enough that the snowfall from overnight hadn’t permeated the ground. He could have gone in any direction, and it would have taken me too long to find his trail. He might have circled back and entered a cabin, or he could have had a car parked on the road somewhere. It was too dark to see much of anything anyway.”
“Thanks, Patrick. Has Savannah found out anything about Brayden or Amanda Jenkins?” I ask.
“So far, there’s nothing in their background that sends up any red flags—no arrests, restraining orders, history of violence, or even an unpaid parking ticket. The kids are squeaky clean. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t help their father depending on how he spun his tale,” Patrick states.
We inform Patrick of our decision to go to the police and file a report. Although we don’t ask for his opinion, he gives it, backing up Carter as any good partner should. “I agree. Normally, we don’t like to involve the police in our assignments, but sometimes it’s necessary. If you didn’t have the video footage, it wouldn’t do any good to go to the police since the evidence was washed down the drain. In order for Carter and Leanna to keep a low profile, Savannah will take care of filing the police report and talking with the resort security about their surveillance system.”
“Do you think they will grant her access to review the tapes?” Carter asks.
Patrick lets out a loud guffaw. “Come on, Man! This is Savannah we’re talking about. When has shenotbeen able to get what she wants?” The whole room chuckles at that.
When the discussion finally comes to an end, Brody claps his hands once loudly and then rubs his palms together excitedly. “I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to hit the slopes!” We all agree and scatter to get ready.
The rest of the afternoon is spent riding lifts and experiencing the thrill of racing down the mountain at breakneck speeds, feeling the wind freeze my smile in place. It’s a wonderful, albeit temporary, reprieve from all my troubles, and I feel more alive than I have in weeks.
Dad, Marybeth, and Callie are all playing with the kids and tubing down the bunny slopes while Grandma takes a bunch of pictures and videos. The rest of us are on the lift for one final run before we take a break for cocoa and an afternoon snack. My brothers are on the chairlift in front of us, while Callum and Daphne ride in the one behind.
Carter gives me a quirky smile. “You look like you’re having fun.”
“I am. I’ve been looking forward to this for a year. There’s something peaceful about being up here in the mountains and taking a moment to appreciate God’s handiwork.”
“It is beautiful,” he says, but he’s not looking at the scenery. He’s looking at me. Carter leans over and kisses my lips softly.
“No hanky panky on the lifts! Didn’t you read the rules when you got on!” shouts Daphne from behind me.
“Rules are meant to be broken,” I yell back, giggling.
