Thanks for your continued support! Here's chapter 4
Mike Stone waited until his daughter was in the kitchen before he frantically started dialling Steve's number at the ski resort. No answer… Mike put down the receiver and tried again, but the phone was still ringing out. He decided to try the hotel switchboard instead and ask for an urgent message to be delivered to Steve to ring him back immediately. But again, no luck, the hotel switchboard was engaged. Mike cursed under his breath. Reporters, I bet! They do nothing but clog up the phone lines!
He did his best to suppress his mounting panic for Jeannie's sake. He knew well that he was in for a grilling and had only been saved by the bell of the kitchen timer. But what could he tell her, not having any information himself? He tried the hotel switchboard again and this time got an answer.
"Mount Sumner Hotel, how can I help you?" The voice of the woman answering sounded tired and harassed. Mike identified himself and told her he was looking for one of their guest, a Steven Keller. The receptionist let out an unprofessional snort.
"You and the whole police force here! He seems to have vanished into thin air! Maybe you should speak to Detective Daniels, he might be able to give you some information. I'm sorry, but we are rather busy here…"
Damn her, how could she just put down the phone on him! Mike looked at the offending object in his hand with disgust. But the moment he put down the receiver, the phone started ringing again. The detective snatched it in record time and barked "Stone!"
"Mike, its Norm. Look, I got hold of the lead investigator. The stiff is a guy called Midlem and Steve was among the first on the scene. But now, Mike, there seems to be a complication…"
Mike interrupted him "Steve has disappeared!" His voice betrayed his deep concern.
The Armenian detective was taken aback. "How did you know, Mike?"
"I couldn't get Steve in his room so I tried reception and the girl at the switchboard let it slip."
Hasseejian was furious that Mike had to learn about Steve's disappearance in such a way. He knew how the older detective felt about his protégé and could barely imagine the torment that Mike must be going through now. "Mike, why don't you ring Daniels yourself and he will fill you in first hand. I'll go back to the Bureau and try and get something on Midlem. Don't ask me why, but I do have a faint recollection of something fishy in connection with the name… And don't worry, Mike, our boy can look after himself. I'm sure he'll turn up safe and sound…"
Mike certainly appreciated Norm's effort at putting his mind at ease, but he knew that something was wrong, deeply wrong! He looked up, straight into the crystal blue eyes of his daughter Jeannie who had sneaked back out from the kitchen and stood right in front of him. God knows how much she has heard of his phone conversation!
"What did the receptionist let slip?" she challenged and Mike knew from experience that a' Later, sweetheart!' wouldn't suffice for now.
"Listen, Jeannie, there is some trouble at the hotel Steve is staying at. Some guy was killed and Steve got involved with the investigation." He stopped to scrutinise his daughter's face. She looked disappointed, but there was still some hint of suspicion there.
"Are you trying to tell me he won't be coming home for Christmas?"
"I don't know, Jeannie, I haven't spoken to him or to the lead detective yet." He exhaled a breath. This went really well. She thinks it's just about being late home for Christmas! Mike almost congratulated himself.
"Okay, Mike. I get this. But what did the receptionist let slip and why are you so upset?" The normally warm blue eyes had turned into two orbs of ice that seemed to bore into him like… Just like Helen's! In spite of his inner turmoil Mike smiled.
"Sweetheart, we can't get hold of him at the moment, it seems…" It was no lie, but not exactly the whole truth either.
"And why would that be, father dear?" Jeannie asked in a deceptively sweet voice.
Mike sighed. "He has disappeared, I guess."
"Disappeared? And what are you doing here, chewing the fat? Get on the phone pronto and talk to that lead detective!"
Exactly what I wanted to do for ages had I not been given the third degree by my daughter… Mike never dared to say this out loud. While he dialled another thought went through his head. And God help Buddy boy if he has just shacked up with a lady for the night. Jeannie will
Around the same time the Impala had reached the Lincoln Highway. The light flurry of snow had morphed into a steady fall, sticking to the windscreen in spite of the wiper going at full speed. Steve felt the cold and held his stiff hands closer to the tepid blast of the heater. He was painfully aware that he wasn't wearing the proper clothes for the weather. Note to self - make sure to wear a warm jacket when being abducted… He tried hard to overcome a deep feeling of unease that had gripped him.
First of all, he didn't like the deteriorating road conditions and the balding tyres of the old car he couldn't have failed to notice before he got in. Sure, Marty, who was at the wheel, was a good and experienced driver, but was the car really up to it?
Then another niggling doubt had come to his mind. Wasn't Mike always at him for being too trusting, too careless? He remembered the times when he was at the receiving end of Mike's tongue lashing for being taken in by the harmless appearance of a person and falling for the sob story. No, impossible! Agnes was genuine, she had to be genuine! He craned his neck to get a view in the rear mirror and saw Agnes smiling at him. He also saw Ryan and his father exchanging furtive glances.
You are getting paranoid now, Steve! He said to himself. I am their only chance to get out of this!
The freezing cold young man looked out of the window; the snow was falling heavily now and the wind had picked up too, driving the snow against the windscreen at high speed. The icy wind came through the brittle rubber seals around the windows. Steve shivered involuntarily.
"You must be cold, you poor thing. We have a blanket in the boot of the car. Maybe we should get it?" Agnes had noticed the discomfort of their passenger.
Marty concentrated on the road ahead of him and replied. "I don't really want to stop right here, a few miles further up, when we are done climbing I'll pull in and we'll get the blanket. I know the heater doesn't stand a chance against the wind blowing in." His voice sounded strained. Steve was getting even more concerned. The man who had sounded so confident about the weather conditions was obviously getting worried, too.
Silence reigned in the car again. On the backseat, Agnes was leaning against her son. Steve couldn't really figure out who was comforting who, but he found the scene oddly soothing himself. The only sound he heard was the struggling engine and the swishing of the wiper blades against the accumulating snow. Had he not been chilled to the bones he would have nodded off…
"There's a good spot for me to pull in" Marty's voice cut through Steve's reverie. "I know you must be freezing, but the door on Ryan's side jams with the cold and I have to keep revving the engine or she might cut out."
Steve would never allow a lady to face a snow storm, no matter how cold he was and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him shut to conserve what little heat there was in the car. His stiff fingers fumbled a little with the lid of the boot, but soon enough he got hold of a grey woollen blanket that he draped gratefully around his shoulders. Probably the same blanket they had draped over me for the journey out! Steve thought. He quickly closed the lid and rushed around the car towards the passenger's door, when the engine revved under extreme strain and the Impala took off, showering the perplexed young man with wet snow.
Steve stood like paralysed as he watched the rear lights of the car disappear in the driving snow.
After a moment he began walking, wrapping the blanket tighter around him and wondering which direction was closest to a safe haven. He continued to berate himself for being too trusting, thinking if Mike was here he would scold him. He realized Mike's lecture would be the lesser of two evils; knowing that the wrath of Jeannie for his naiveté would be far worse.
Why did I bother to try to help them? Why did I trust them? I wish I had just stayed in San Francisco. At least Mike and Jeannie would know where I was. They'd realize I didn't just flake out on them and not show up like I promised.
He continued to walk for a mile wishing someone would come along and give him a ride. He knew the chance was slim since the weather was too bad for almost anyone to be out driving.
Mike hung up the phone after speaking Detective Daniels and told Jeannie what he knew. Mike saw the worry in her face, thinking that it was very well more than he was showing. Both Mike and Jeannie knew the weather was severe where Steve was but Mike decided travel to Tahoe despite the risk. Mike found chains in his garage to put on the car when he got close to the mountains. He hoped that he would arrive there only to find Steve at the resort about to leave for home.
While in his garage, Detective Hasseejian called and spoke with Jeannie. He told her to relay to Mike that Midlem had a file from just a short time in California filled with bunko arrests. Norm said that he was still digging and was sure there was more outside of the state. Jeannie left the message by the phone and then headed upstairs to pack a suitcase making sure she had plenty of warm clothes including her good ski jacket she had purchased a year earlier. She remembered Steve helping her buy the jacket since he had expertise in that area.
She walked down the steps and placed her bag by the door. Next she went to her father's room and packed Mike a bag, making sure she packed Mike the warmest things as well. She was about to close the suitcase when she remembered a photo of Steve. In case she and Mike needed to make missing person fliers, she grabbed a framed picture off the mantel of the three of them together. She placed the photo in Mike's bag, closed it and set it with hers, just as Mike returned.
"Got my stuff ready to go, I see. Thank you, Sweetheart."
Jeannie replied with no trepidation, "And my stuff, too. I'm going with you. Do you have the chains?"
Mike knew he had to be firm. "No, young lady, you are not going. It might be too dangerous. I will call as soon as I can get there and let you know what is what."
"I am going!" Jeannie quickly countered. "You just don't understand what Steve means to me…" she began as Mike gave her a surprised look. Jeannie held her tongue, but thought to herself. And what I think I might mean to him.
Mike tried to calm her down, but knew he would not win the battle. "Okay, you can come. Between you and Steve, I am going to go completely grey." As he picked up the luggage, Jeannie heard him mumble, "And this time around, I am going to wring his neck for the scare he has given us."
Jeannie replied defensively, "Only if it is his doing. And I know you, Mike Stone; you feel something is terribly wrong with him just as much as I do. You know good and well this was not his doing. Steve has never broken a promise to us. Oh, before I forget, there is a message for you from Norm about someone named Midlem." Jeannie pointed over to the phone.
Mike saw the message, placed the bag back on the floor and called Norm. Norm wasn't surprised to learn that Mike and Jeannie were headed to Tahoe to find what has happened to Steve. Mike thanked Norm for the information on Midlem and both men vowed to keep in touch.
Shivering and miserable, Steve heard something that sounded like an engine. It was hard to tell with the snow swirling around, but then he saw the headlights as the vehicle got closer. He tried flagging the driver down hoping against hope it was not his former captors. The vehicle slowed and then stopped beside him.
The sedan was unmarked but the passenger wasn't; he was wearing a sheriff's uniform. Judging from the age, around Steve's, the detective thought he could be a deputy. He wondered why the dark-haired man was on the road in this bad weather.
All that mattered to him at the moment though was that this person was his ticket out of the cold.
Steve slowly approached it. While he was drawn to the warmth he knew was inside the vehicle, he also was aware of his situation. To the other man he was just a stranger clad in blue jeans, a black turtleneck and boots and wrapped in a blanket, wandering around in the heavily falling snow.
Just like he had expected the uniformed person opened the door of the car and carefully got out, his eyes never leaving Steve's upper torso, clearly looking for any signs of danger. And Keller couldn't blame him; he'd done the exact same thing.
"Sir, what are you doing out here?" the man asked, his right hand slowly going to the holster on his hip and opening the latch holding his gun in place.
Even though he was freezing pretty bad and really dreaded to lose what little warmth he had left, Steve slowly and as unthreatening as possible opened the blanket to show that he was unarmed before the other man even asked him to. "My name is Inspector Keller, I'm with the San Francisco Police Department," he began, not knowing how to continue. Somehow he had a feeling that no one would believe his story.
"Deputy Weston," the man introduced himself, his hand coming to rest at his side now. "Did your car break down?" he inquired.
"Believe it or not, deputy, I got left out here," Keller answered, hoping it would be enough of an explanation. The slight annoyance in his voice wasn't an act at all.
"Prank gone wrong?" Weston asked with raised eyebrows.
Steve knew how embarrassing that sounded but it was not as humiliating as the truth. "Something like that, yeah."
The deputy seemed to debate what to do but seeing the other man shiver violently seemed to convince him that any questions he'd have could wait until later. Taking a step toward the inspector as an inviting gesture, Weston said with nod to the white vehicle," Come on, let's get you warmed up."
Relieved Keller crossed the road and walked around the front of the car while the deputy retrieved a snow jacket from the backseat. "Here, that has to do for now." He handed it over and Steve, nodding his thanks, gratefully slipped in it before freeing his clothes from the snow as best as he could. He got into the passenger side of the car and let the sodden blanket fall into a heap next to his feet.
Back behind the wheel now, Weston was holding out a blanket to the shivering inspector before he turned up the heater even more. "I better take you back to the station," the deputy stated.
Despite the warmth, or maybe just because of it, Steve's teeth started to rattle with every shiver of his body. But he managed a "Thank you".
Weston nodded in reply, and Steve sank deeper into the warm and comfortable seat. Remembering Mike's taunting words from hours ago he wished his friend had been right. He'd rather be with a beautiful girl right now then wet and freezing out here, wherever here was.
But it finally looked up for him again. Maybe he could just make it back home in time for Christmas after all.
Neither of them noticed as a familiar car emerged from the curtain of snow behind them.