“You’re not getting very far.”
“What do you need, Nat?” Joel asked, clearly not trying to keep the impatience from his voice.
“The ladies are asking about facilities.”
“Oh.”
“Do they still work?”
“Let’s find out,” Cassie said, and Joel led the way.
Ten minutes and thankfully a surprisingly working restroom later, he and Cassie moved into the kitchen to continue their search.
“How about I take the cupboards working this way...” He pointed right. “And you take the drawers working left.”
“On it.” Cassie nodded.
“Candles,” he said, not long into his search.
“Matches,” she said, tossing the small matchboxes on the countertop right below the knife block. Five silver handles glinted in the light of Joel’s propped-up flashlight.
“Huh.”
“What?”
“One knife missing.” She shrugged.
He stepped to her side and observed, “Who knows how long ago that went missing.”
“True.” She tried to force a chuckle, but it wouldn’t come. Heath’s slasher flick comments were getting to her. But her stalker wasnothere. Unless he was part of the group on the copters, there was no way for him to be out here. And he couldn’t be one of their group. A chill washed over her. Could he?
Ten
“NEXT UP...”Joel said, handing Cassie the flashlight she’d left on the counter.
“Thanks.” She tucked a random slip of hair beneath her flower-patterned stocking cap.
He smiled. He’d always loved that cap. The way it framed her sweet face and the jade lit her green eyes.
“Joel? You still with me?”
“Yep.” He coughed. “Let’s go this way.” He stepped to a narrow corner crook at the rear of the kitchen she’d never have seen if he hadn’t taken her there.
A faded door with whitewashed planks and an arched top stood at the end of the alcove nook.
Joel opened the door. It creaked long and low, pricking the nerves along her spine.
“Yikes!”
“I know.” He hitched his belt. “Always makes that awful sound. First time I heard it as a kid, I figured it was haunted—mostly because of Jayce’s campfire stories. I bolted out of here so fast I ran smack into Mr. Stan.”
“I imagine that didn’t go over well.”
“Stan was great. Still is. Brought me back down here and showedme all the cool stuff he keeps in the cubbies.” He pulled his stocking cap off and raked a hand through his mussed hair before sliding the blue cap back on. “Never scared me again.”
That must be nice.
“Now,” he said, taking the first rickety step and holding out his hand. “If I were Heath, I’d be making a crack about who wants to go down the creepy steps into the dark cellar of the abandoned lodge first.”
