Frost Bite: Chase Adams Season Two by Patrick Logan

Author:Patrick Logan [Logan, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pathological Ink
Published: 2024-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Chase didn’t need to explain; Tate understood. He’d seen the glove, the puddle on the floor of Cabin 132.

If Suzanne left when she said they did, before the orchestrated avalanche, the water should have dried up by the time they entered the cabin.

Lily had found her way back. By some miracle, lost in the blizzard, the girl had wandered to her cabin.

Only, it had been locked.

Someone had let her in. And then they’d taken her. Maybe there was a struggle, maybe the string from Lily’s gloves had just snagged on something and torn.

Either way, Chase was convinced that this was now an abduction case and not a missing child.

These were usually complicated enough but being cut off from the rest of the world compounded things. And then there were the guests to consider. Most had been corralled in the lobby, but there were probably others still out there. People sleeping, maybe nursing hangovers. Oblivious to what was happening at the chalet.

Right now, only Tate and Chase were aware of this development. And it had to stay that way.

Not only would the crowd turn on each other, perhaps even on the two FBI Agents, but there was also the risk that one of them was behind this.

If they panicked and Lily was still alive—a slim possibility, though increasingly plausible if they considered she hadn’t been trapped in the blizzard—Chase would have to waste precious time breaking up fights instead of searching for the girl.

“What do you want to do?” Tate asked under his breath.

Chase considered their options. They were limited.

She scanned the faces of the guests, of the Silver Peaks’ staff who had gathered. Was the kidnapper among them, hiding in plain sight?

Chase cleared her throat and spoke up.

“Listen up. The best thing we can do for Lily right now is stay calm. We need to stay here, in this lobby. We need everyone to gather here, as well.”

The guests glanced around nervously. Other than the few who had wanted to go out and look for Lily again, they had no intentions of going anywhere.

Chase looked at Meredeth.

“How many guests are currently staying at the hotel?”

The woman shrugged.

“Forty?”

“I need an exact number. I also need to know how many staff members checked-in this morning.”

“Probably another twenty, including kitchen staff and ski patrol.”

“Meredeth, I need an exact number,” Chase said, more sternly this time.

The concierge gave Suzanne’s trembling hand a gentle squeeze before she slid in behind the check-in desk. As the woman accessed her computer, Chase walked over to Georgina.

“I made a mistake before,” the girl said preemptively. “Not everyone is back yet. Gary is still out there.”

Chase scratched the back of her neck. She didn’t want to lose anyone else, but if one person knew the lay of the land well enough not to get lost, it would be the head of the ski rescue team.

“Call him. Ask him to go to each of the cabins. If there is anyone still sleeping, tell him to round them up and bring them back here.

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