Page 51 of The Ice Sisters

SIXTY

EMERALD FALLS

Mazie clenched the extra taco in one hand and wove through the crowd to find her mother. It was growing dark now, the sliver of sun that had sliced through the clouds fading behind the stage where the carolers were finishing.

Some families had left and a few of the vendors had closed up for the night.

As she passed the snow cone truck, her cheeks stung as she realized the man running it was watching her. His eyes zeroed in on her clothes with disapproval, giving her goosebumps, so she rushed past him.

Santa’s shop was closed for the day, but families were lining up for carriage rides through town.

Mazie would love to take a ride, but that cost money she didn’t have.

Tugging her threadbare jacket tighter around her, she ducked into the alley behind the Italian restaurant her mother had pointed out earlier. The stench of garbage overpowered the aroma of pizza and spaghetti wafting from the place. She pulled her jacket over her nose and glanced up and down the narrow space to see if anyone could see her.

Tears blurred her eyes as she spotted her mother still hunched below the blanket. She hurried to her, then caught a shadow of a figure at the end of the alley. Hoping the man didn’t see her, she stooped down, tucked the taco inside her pocket for later, crawled under the blanket and tugged it over her head then curled up next to her mama to hide.

SIXTY-ONE

COAL MOUNTAIN MOTEL

Barbara tugged her ball cap low to camouflage her face, lowered her head and checked around her as she darted to the motel room she’d rented. The cheap neon sign flashed orange against the darkness, swinging back and forth in the wind as if it might fly off any second.

Set off the highway and nestled in the woods, the motel was not visible from the road which was the reason she’d chosen it.

She couldn’t go home. Not under the circumstances.

But she hated skulking around like a common criminal.

She fished out the key and let herself into the dingy room, checking all around her. Today in town she thought she might have been spotted, but she’d quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Dust motes floated in the air as she closed the door, the smell of musty carpet swirling around her.

She touched the heart shaped pendant dangling between her breasts, sorrow choking her as she thought of Taylor and Heidi lying dead at the bottom of the falls.

The day they’d been born was one of the happiest days of her life. She’d finally held a sweet precious wiggling little newborn in her arms. The deal she’d made had taunted her, and she’d wanted desperately to take one of the twins home with her.

But they were Claire’s and she loved Claire and at least Barb had a family with them.

She’d do anything to protect them. Yet they were dead.

Why?

She flung her hat and bag on the scarred wooden desk and sank onto the bed, wincing as the coiled springs of the mattress jabbed her legs. Lying back, she stared at the dingy ceiling. A tiny bug crawled along the wall.

For some reason that bug reminded her of her ex.

Thomas had fooled her at first with his big talk about their future and family, maybe because she’d been desperate to have a child.

After they’d lost the baby though, their relationship had disintegrated quickly. He’d wanted out. He’d been in serious debt. And trouble.

She hadn’t wanted any part of the mess he was involved in.

He was the only one who knew what she’d done.

And he’d hated her for it.

He also knew exactly how to hurt her.

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