Page 76 of Snowbound Threat

What if it were too late? What if the killer had already found where they were staying? The very thought was terrifying.

“I’ll reach out to our tech person and see if they can find out who is sending the messages but from what I can see, they know how to cover their tracks.”

So, the phone might be a dead end.

Ryan pocketed her phone and rose. “I’ll get our bags and bring them inside. There are two bedrooms. Take whichever one you want.”

He left her alone. Charlie held out her hands and realized they were trembling. In the space of twenty-four hours, it hadbecome painfully clear someone wanted her dead and she had no idea who.

Charlie couldn’t stand sitting still any longer. She walked through the house that included a well-equipped kitchen and dining room. Down the hall there were two bedrooms. The primary suite was larger than the other and had a bathroom included. Between the two bedrooms there was an additional bathroom.

She returned to the living room and looked out at the day quickly fading. Ryan spoke on the phone, probably to the sheriff.

She returned to the fire and warmed her hands while trying to recall any small detail Pete might have mentioned about his investigation. She believed he deliberately chose to shield her from what he’d found out. But why?

He rarely mentioned Silas at all and then only in passing. A remark about Silas clearing the pasture behind the cabin or doing some work on the roof of the barn. Never anything more.

Her thoughts went back to the final call between them. The edge in his voice. She’d known something was wrong but he’d brushed off her concern telling her he’d tell her everything soon enough once he had everything worked out.

He’d talked about his wife’s old quilting chest. Though they’d only been married a short time before she died, Pete kept her things. He’d given Charlie some of her aunt’s jewelry already. During the call, Pete talked about the quilting chest a lot. He told her it contained valuable things that couldn’t be replaced. . .

Ryan came into the room. She spun toward him. “We have to go back to Pete’s cabin.”

Ryan dropped the bags near the door and closed it. “Why?”

“Because I think Pete was trying to tell me something during our last call. Something about my aunt’s quilting chest.”

Ryan came closer. “The one he kept in the bedroom?”

She nodded. “That’s the one.” She told him what Pete said about it. “I think he hid something there.”

Ryan studied her face for the longest time. “I can send Boone or Will over to get it. It’s not safe for you to be out in the open—especially at his place.”

She immediately rejected the idea. “No, Ryan, I can’t trust this to anyone else. I should be the one to find it.”

He stared her down for the longest time before slowly agreeing. “Alright, but I want either Boone or Will to meet us there.”

She gave in. “Okay, fine. We should leave right away. There’s always the chance the person behind this will go back to the house and search it again. If he finds what Pete left behind, we might never find out what happened.”

“Give me a second to call Boone.” Ryan pulled out his phone and called a number. He explained what Charlie remembered. “We’re heading over to Pete’s place now. Can Will meet us there?” Ryan placed the call on speaker.

“Hold up a second. I have news from the medical examiner.”

Charlie clutched her hands together and waited for the awful truth she believed was coming to be confirmed.

“He found traces of potassium chloride in Pete’s system. It causes cardiac arrest by disrupting the heart’s electrical activity and it can mimic a heart attack.” Boone paused briefly.

“The ME said it’s easy to miss unless blood potassium is tested immediately. Levels normalize quickly postmortem. Thankfully, he thought to test for it.”

Charlie’s gaze shot to Ryan. Her uncle was murdered. “How did he get potassium chloride in his system?”

“It can be administered in a drink or by injection. Doc’s checking to see if there’s any needle marks on Pete’s body.”

“If not, then the method of ingestion might still be at the cabin,” Ryan told them.

“It’s possible. I’ll send Doug back over with Will to meet you.” Boone breathed out a breath. “I know this goes without saying but be careful. Someone’s committed at least one murder already—probably two if we believe Abby is dead. He obviously has nothing to lose, and he thinks Charlie’s a threat.”

“Copy that.” Ryan ended the call and glanced out the window. “It’ll be getting dark soon. Less chance of seeing danger when it shows up. Let’s get whatever Pete left and leave before that happens.”