Winter Festival Murder Read online

  A bit of panic started to set in, but thankfully a building started to materialize through the blowing snow just a few yards in front of me. I had done it; I had made it back to the building. I couldn't remember where the doors were, but as I came up to the windows, I could see the rest of the snowshoeing hike had come back to warm up inside.

  I started to pound on the window as I heard another faint pop behind me. I looked, but I couldn't tell if Lennie was getting closer or if he was still back in the avenue of trees, shooting aimlessly towards where he thought I might be.

  Turning back to the window, most of the hikers were focused on their hot chocolate and cookies, oblivious to my knocking. I pounded as hard as I could, hoping I could get someone's attention.

  "Tessa!"

  Max's voice was coming from somewhere to my right. I started to scramble that way until I could see his head popping out of a door.

  "Tessa, what in the world is going on?" he said. "Come in before you freeze!"

  He pulled me in the door where a small group of concerned townspeople had congregated. Donna was holding a tray of cookies which Ronald was happily helping himself to. Max looked down and noticed my stocking feet.

  "What happened to your boots?" Max said. "Are you crazy going out without something on your feet? Sit down, we need to warm you up right now. Donna, get something with warm water for her feet. If we don't warm them up soon, she is going to have frostbite."

  Donna scurried off to the kitchenette while Max took me by the arms and pushed me down into a chair. He started to peel the socks off of my feet so that he could inspect my toes and see if they were too far gone.

  "I don't care about my feet right now," I said. "Lennie is trying to kill me."

  Max looked up at me from where he was kneeling on the floor. I realized that he probably thought I had some sort of medical condition. I stumbled in out of a blizzard with no boots or hat and now I was claiming that a killer was after me. I needed to make him understand otherwise we would all be in danger.

  "I don't have time to tell you the full story right now," I said. "But Lennie is out there. He killed Gerald and when he thought I figured him out, he lured me out there to kill him. I managed to run away, but he has a gun and he will be heading here any minute."

  CLANG

  The large metal bowl filled with warm water that Donna had been carrying over for me to put my feet in crashed to the floor. Donna's eyes were wide and wild and she started to frantically look around the room.

  "What do you mean he's heading here?" she yelled. "Bobby! Bobby, where are you."

  As Donna ran around the room, a quiet murmur spread from one side of the room to the other. Everyone was passing on what they had just heard me say. Soon enough, it had reached the other end of the large gathering space and almost as if it had been timed, everyone frantically started to grab their jackets and tumble out into the parking lot and the whipping wind.

  "Here's what we are going to do," Max said as everyone else abandoned their snacks. "I'm going to get you some warm water for your feet. You are going to hide yourself over behind the counter of the kitchenette while I call for an ambulance and some backup."

  I nodded. I hoped both of those would come soon because I had already escaped a killer once today and I wasn't sure I could do it again.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Max picked me up and carried me over to the kitchenette area. He helped me take off my jacket and then he spread it on the ground. I scooted myself onto it so that I had at least a little bit of a cushion beneath me. He quickly filled the metal bowl with warm water again and helped me set my feet in it. It hurt and felt good at the same time and it reminded me why we always dress warm in the winter, even if we are tough Minnesotans.

  "Okay, I put in a quick call for help while I was filling up the bowl," Max said. "They said they would send everyone out as soon as they could. I just wish we could see where Lennie was. It makes me nervous not knowing."

  I nodded as I tried not to grimace about the pain in my feet. I noticed that Max had drawn his gun, just in case we were taken by surprise. I had a feeling we wouldn't be. I hadn't even been able to find the door and I assumed Lennie wouldn't be able to find it either. But I had also assumed he wasn't the killer and look where that got us.

  "Max, I'm sorry that I used you to get more information," I said. I put my hand on his knee. "Sometimes I get so excited about solving these puzzles that I forget how it may feel for you."

  "It's alright, Tessa," Max said. He glanced at me quickly, but went right back to scouting the area. The brief look I did get made me feel a little better.

  "Besides, apparently you were right," Max said. "We had the wrong guy in custody and you knew it."

  "We can call it even," I said. "Because even though I knew Charlie didn't do it, I hadn't really figured out it was Lennie until he practically told me."

  Max chuckled and I couldn't help laughing along with him. What a ridiculous situation we were in, but I was glad I was in it with Max. There was no one else I'd rather hide from a killer in a blizzard from than him.

  Suddenly, Max's phone buzzed. He picked it up and answered.

  "Go," he said, listening to whoever was on the other end. "I'll let you in, hold on."

  Max glanced at me and I nodded. He darted out from behind the counter and rushed towards the front door. When he got back, another young officer named Philip was following him. Philip was a few years younger than Max and I, with red hair that was gelled back out of his eyes. His blue eyes were big with worry and I wondered how much help he would actually be.

  "So, there's a killer out there, huh?" Philip said. He was trying hard to be casual, but his voice shook. If I hadn't been stuck soaking my feet, I would have tried to comfort him myself.

  "Listen to me, Philip," Max said. "I need you to sit here and make sure Tessa is safe. Do not leave her side, not even when the ambulance gets here. You will go with her in the ambulance and only when she is safely at the hospital will you leave her side."

  Philip nodded. He kept one hand on the gun that was strapped to his side and I was glad he wasn't taking it out of the holster because I had a feeling he would not be a very straight shot right now. Max looked at his phone where I could see there was an incoming message.

  "I'm going to let a few more officers in," Max said. He slid out from behind the counter and I was left with Philip.

  "It's going to be okay," I told him. He looked at me, his eyes still wide with shock. I'm sure being a Shady Lake police officer means he doesn't chase killers or really any kind of criminals that often. In fact, I would put money on the fact that this was probably the first time for him.

  Max returned with three more officers. I wasn't sure how many more officers were going to come, but I kind of hoped the ambulance wouldn't show up until after they found Lennie. I'd been through so much that I deserved to be able to see the resolution to all of this.

  "Tessa, tell us a quick version of what happened please," Max said. He had his police officer voice on now and my loving Max had transitioned to being all business right now.

  I relayed the story of Lennie and I on the snowshoe hike. I told them how I had seen the medallion and how he made me go on the hike out to the rows of trees. I told them about Lennie's story and how he had killed Gerald in self-defense. Then, I told them about how I had escaped him and found my way here.

  By the end of my story, the expressions on the faces of the officers had all caved in from serious police officer to wide-eyed audience member. While I enjoyed having a captive audience, I also really wanted them to catch Lennie.

  I leaned over far enough so that I could see the wall of windows. It was still white with blowing snow outside, making it difficult to see if Lennie was close or even anywhere in sight, although the wind had died down a little bit.

  "What are you guys going to do?" I asked. I didn't like feeling like a sitting duck.

  Max took a deep breath and the other officers looke
d to him for a decision. After a moment, he came up with a plan.

  "I think the three of you will come with me," Max said. "We are going to walk a line towards the trees and see if we can find Lennie out there. We will walk slow, guns ready and if we see Lennie, we will try to take him unharmed. Philip will stay here with Tessa until the ambulance arrives."

  "What if you don't find Lennie?" I asked.

  "Let's just hope that we do," Max said. His calm, steady voice helped soothe me a little. He seemed so in control and sure of what he was doing. "Men, let's go."

  The other three officers stood up and moved towards the back door. Max slid closer to me and took my hands in his. He looked me straight in the eye.

  "Tessa, I will find him and I will catch him," Max said. "I won't let him hurt you."

  He leaned down and gave me a long kiss that I wish could have lasted even longer. But for someone who hated to show public affection, it was long enough.

  "Philip, you didn't see anything," Max said. Philip nodded, his eyes still wide as Max stood up to walk to the back door.

  Once Max joined the other officers, they all put their heads together and seemed to be formulating a plan together. They each drew their weapon and after a moment, they threw the back door open and disappeared into the blowing snow.

  Max was the last one out and before he disappeared, he turned and gave me a quick wink and a smile. While I might be feeling nervous, Max was in his element. I suddenly felt much safer, which was saying a lot considering the Nervous Nellie I was being left with.

  I turned and looked at Philip, who seemed so nervous he might have been vibrating. Now all we could do was sit and wait.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  As we waited, I wondered if I should try to strike up a conversation but distracting Philip seemed like a bad idea. If Lennie came in, I wanted Philip to be somewhat ready to help.

  Instead we sat in silence, both peeking around the edge of the kitchenette's island to try and spot anything we could outside, but all we could see was blowing snow. Philip and I seemed to sit there for ages and I wished I had glanced at a clock or something to know how long we had been like that. It could have been five minutes or five hours; I really had no sense of time.

  "Have you heard anything from them Philip?" I asked. I knew he hadn't, but I just needed to break the silence.

  "Not yet, ma'am," he said, making me feel ancient. But asking him must have helped because suddenly he seemed ever so slightly more competent.

  I nodded, not sure what to do next. The water in the bowl for my feet was getting colder and I knew that if the ambulance didn't come soon we would have to change it to warmer water again. I would give it a few more minutes before I asked Philip for help because if he was helping me get water, he wasn't helping me look out for Lennie. I hoped I wouldn't have to choose between my frostbitten feet and my life.

  "Did you hear that?" Philip said.

  I scrunched my face up and listened hard, but the only thing I heard was the wind howling outside.

  "No, I don't hear anything," I said.

  "There it is again," Philip cried. "It's like a banging. Do you think it is Lennie?"

  I still couldn't hear anything. I was starting to think that Philip's nerves were making him hear things when suddenly, I heard it too. My eyes grew wide as I realized there was a banging on the back door.

  "What should we do?" Philip asked. If I hadn't been so nervous, I would have laughed at how ridiculous this was. The police officer assigned to protect me was asking me for advice. I supposed I should tell him what I thought.

  "Well, it could be Lennie or it could be Max," I said. "So I'm not sure what we should do. You are the officer here. It is up to you if you think you should go check the door or not."

  Philip nodded as he mulled it over. I could see him weighing it back and forth in his mind. If he opened it and it was Lennie, he would have to face down a killer by himself. If it was Max, he would have backup. If he didn't open it and it was Lennie, Lennie might escape or run somewhere else to cause more trouble. If he didn't open it and it was Max, he could get in trouble. It really was a situation where he probably wouldn't win, no matter what he opted to do.

  "I'm going to open the door," he said. He took out his baton and handed it to me. "Just in case anything should happen, I'll give you this to protect yourself."

  I don't think a baton would help much if Lennie came at me with his gun, but I appreciated the gesture. It was better than having nothing.

  Philip drew his gun and took a deep breath. I looked him in the eyes and gave him a solemn nod, which seemed to bolster his confidence. His chest puffed out and he seemed to grow six inches in that moment. He nodded back before he slid out from behind the counter.

  As he slowly walked towards the back door, I slid so that I could just see him and the back door. I wanted to be as hidden as possible, just in case. The bowl of water was now only lukewarm, room temperature. Maybe I should have asked Philip to change it before he left. But I hadn't thought he would be leaving, so now I was stuck with it.

  Another bang came from the back door and I wish the door had some sort of window. Of course in this situation where it would come in so handy, it was simply a solid door. I supposed if there was a window and it was Lennie, it would have only been worse because he could have shot through it.

  Philip had one hand on the door knob and the other holding his gun. I could see his mouth moving and even though I was terrible at reading lips, I could see he was counting. When he got to three, he pulled down the handle and pushed it open just enough that it wasn't latched anymore.

  He kicked the door open into the blowing snow and lunged out, both hands holding his gun. The only thing out there was snow, a lot of blowing snow. It was starting to pick up again and it was getting even harder to see. I hoped that Max and the other officers were safe. I wasn't sure how long they had been gone, but it seemed like quite a while.

  Philip stood in the doorway, his gun pointed out. I could see his entire body heaving with adrenaline and I suddenly realized my heart was almost beating out of my chest.

  "I don't see anything," Philip said finally.

  "I don't either," I confirmed from my place behind the counter. Had we just been hearing things because of our nerves?

  After another moment of standing at attention, staring out into the snow, Philip turned and looked at me. He shrugged and I shrugged back. He had tried and there wasn't much else he could have done.

  Suddenly, an arm appeared from the outside of the door, holding a large, thick stick. I inhaled sharply before I managed to find my voice.

  "Philip, look out!" I screamed.

  Philip whirled around, but before he could do anything, the stick came down hard on his head. Philip crumpled into a pile on the floor, halfway inside the park building and halfway outside in the swirling snow.

  Lennie appeared in the doorway, stepping over Philip's limp boy and I quickly scooted back behind the kitchenette counter. In the brief glance I got of him I didn't see a gun, but I did see the large stick he had used to hit Philip. He knew I was in here because I was sure he had heard me scream for Philip. Even though he may have ditched the gun, he was still much more mobile than I was with my frostbitten feet.

  I took a breath and decided I needed to ditch the water. I grabbed one of the cupboard doors next to me and slowly opened it. It was empty and big enough that I could just barely fit. I needed to hide because sooner or later he would come into the kitchenette. There weren't that many places to hide in the park building.

  As soon as I was in, I shut the cupboard door and tried to quiet my breathing. My heart seemed to be pounding a million beats per minute and felt like it would jump up and out of my throat at any time. My hands were starting to shake from the adrenaline, but thinking of my hands gave me an idea.

  I was still worried about my feet, so I needed to do something to help. I took my big, thick mittens off of my hands and shoved them onto my feet.
They should help keep my feet somewhat warm even if I felt like I had big penguin flippers now.

  "Tessa, I know you're in here somewhere," I heard Lennie call. "There aren't that many hiding places. I'll find you soon enough."

  I focused all of my attention on breathing quietly and steadily while I sat in the dark. Would Max be able to come back and help me in time?

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  I closed my eyes and focused on listening to Lennie's footsteps. He seemed to be on the other side of the room, over by the fireplace. If I was lucky, he would take a long time making his way across the room and by then Max would be back with the other officers.

  But then a horrible thought entered my mind. Maybe Lennie had already attacked Max and the other officers. Maybe the reason I hadn't seen a gun was that he'd used all of his bullets to shoot them, so he abandoned it. Maybe my only hope was me.

  Tears sprung to my eyes as I thought about the police officers out in the snow, needing help. I thought about Philip, unconscious in the doorway. I thought about Max and what I would do if he died. Tears instantly sprung to my eyes, but I pushed them away with my hand. I needed to concentrate. If anyone was hurt out there, I needed to get help to them because I was their only hope now.

  Lennie's footsteps were getting closer. I assumed he was checking under all of the tables and chairs in the room. There were a lot of them, so it was taking him a good amount of time to do it, which meant I could hopefully come up with some sort of plan.

  I tried to think, but nothing was springing to mind. I had used all of my brain power on my last escape plan. The only weapon I had was the baton Philip left with me but seeing as I could hardly stand up, it wouldn't be much use from a kneeling position. The cupboard was empty, so there was nothing else I could use. I wasn't going to give up hope, but I started to think it may be the end of the line for me.

  Suddenly, the cupboard door slammed open and Lennie was standing in front of me, bending down to look inside the cabinet. His eyes were still wild and his teeth were clenched in a maniacal grin.