Page 15

Honey.That said it all. Helen could have locked Denny out of the house if she hadn’t been in on this whole arrangement and hadn’t been tied up inside. He would have frozen to death eventually.

When they got close to the door, they pulled Denny onto the snow-covered porch and left him there. Both Andy and Monica went inside with guns drawn.

Helen was sitting on the couch, soaking up the heat of the fire, drinking a glass of red wine, and wearing only a green and plaid blanket. She tossed her long blond hair over her bare shoulder. Her clothes were scattered all over the floor where they’d discarded them during their lovemaking. She looked like a perfectly happy cat curled up in the blanket on the couch.

“Put the glass of wine down—” Monica commanded.

Before she could finish speaking, Helen screamed and dropped her glass of wine on the blue braided rug-covered floor. The red wine soaked into the rug, the glass surviving the fall.

“Ohmigod, we don’t have any money! What…what…where is Denny?” Helen sputtered.

Andy walked carefully over to the couch, realizing it was much easier to walk now that he wasn’t trying to maneuver through heavy snow. He read Helen her Miranda rights, then pulled out handcuffs. “Put your hands above your head. Now.”

“What? Oh.” Helen began to cry. “Denny forced me to go with him. He kidnapped me! I was held here against my will. You can’t arrest me!”

If she didn’t sound like so many others that he had arrested who screamed foul when they were part of the whole rotten criminal venture.

“I heard the whole thing. I saw you making love with him, and you certainly didn't resist; in fact, you took over and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. So save the story for the judge,” Monica said.

Helen’s eyes widened. “You…ohmigod, you’re Pierre’s ex-girlfriend.” She glanced at the front door and frowned. “Where’s Denny?”

As if she finally remembered her lover wasn’t in the cabin.

“On ice.” Literally. Monica glanced at Andy, and he raised his brows.

Yep. Monica had some explaining to do as far as having dated Pierre before. She hoped he wouldn’t be perturbed with her for not telling him about it.

“You killed Denny?” Helen looked stricken. “I don’t have any clothes on. At least let me get dressed.”

“Do it now.” After all Monica and Andy had gone through to get here, she felt highly annoyed to learn Helen was part of the criminal act and not a victim. “Where are his guns?”

“Guns?”

“He struck your current boyfriend, Pierre, in the head with a gun, which could have killed him and knocked him out. So where are the weapons?”

“I don’t know.” Helen hurried to get dressed while Andy waited to put the cuffs on her. He turned to watch the fire, giving her some privacy.

“She’s dressed,” Monica said.

“I don’t have my shoes on yet.”

“You don’t need them.” Monica glanced at the fire.

They did need firewood, but neither Monica nor Andy was in the best shape to lift the wood from the stack buried in snow.

“We need firewood. Helen could get it,” Monica said.

“It’s too cold out,” Helen whined.

Andy waved the cuffs at her. “The agent is right. Put on your boots and parka, and go out to bring in some firewood. We’ll carry your boyfriend inside before he freezes to death out there.”

Then Andy and Monica put their guns away. Helen didn’t have anywhere to run to. She wasn’t armed. She could at least get some wood for the fire.

They pulled Denny into the house and laid him next to the fireplace. Andy searched for a gun on him but didn’t find any. He put handcuffs on Denny because he was the most likely to cause trouble. Once he warmed up, they would secure him better.

However, once Helen returned with the firewood, they would handcuff her, too, so they could get some rest without worrying about them.

Monica returned to the front door and peered out.