“Unfortunately, as I said, Brady must have got turned around, and we found him off the side of the overhang.”
“Oh no!” Amy sucked in air.
“How’d...?” Mia began, the words getting stuck in her throat.
“Like I said, he must have gotten turned around in the blizzard.”
“And took one wrong step,” Heath said. “Man, that sucks.”
“Where is he now?” Mia cried. “I mean, did you just leave him there?”
“No, of course not,” Joel said.
“Then where?” Kendra asked.
“We have him in the last room down the hall.”
“Ewwww,” Savannah said.
“Savannah,” Izzy chided. “The poor guy is dead.”
“Exactly,” the teen insisted, “a dead body is down the hall from me. I restate my reaction: Ewwww.”
“You’re gonna have to get past that,” Devon said from behind Cass, making her jump.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Her heart racing, she managed a smile. “It’s okay. You just startled me. That’s all. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I didn’t want to interrupt Joel.” He moved past her and took a seat next to Mia, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “We need to keep Brady’s body until we’re rescued, and the Silver Pine medics can handle it ... him ... you know what I mean. Right, Joel?”
“Right.”
“It’s ridiculous to have a dead body in the house,” Savannah said.
“He’s a cop.” Amy pointed at Joel. “And he’s a CSI.” She pointed to Devon. “I think they’d know best.”
“Maybe, though I’m with Savannah,” Heath chimed in on the body placement. “But I get it. This life’s fickle. One wrong move and...” He dipped his finger down with a completely insensitive whistle.
“Heath!” Iz said. “Our friend is dead.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Have a little compassion.”
Heath strode to the leather chair by the hearth and plunked himself in it.
“Life may be fickle,” Amy said, her cheeks streaked with tears. “But God’s not. Brady was a Christian, so he’s with the Lord now.”
“Amen,” Mia said, sniffing on a sob.
“Whatever,” Heath scoffed and stood.
“Where are you going?” Devon asked.
“Back to my room.”
Joel shifted. “If we could all just—”
“AAAAHHH!” echoed down the hall.
Eighteen
