Frosted (5 page)

Chapter Four

Scarlet glided off the chairlift and
swished
to a stop beside Adam. She was freezing her ass off, but the view was spectacular. Adam hadn’t even had to twist her arm to get her to take one last run with him before the lifts closed.

“Where’s Trina?” she asked, zipping up her jacket.

“She went ahead.” Adam peered at her over the tops of his Ray Bans. “You okay?”

“Sure, why?”

“You look cold.”

“I’m fine.”

“Here, take my scarf,” he said, unwinding the charcoal gray scarf from around his neck.

“Really, I’m fine.”

He leaned over and draped the scarf around her neck, where it felt deliciously warm and soft. It had to be cashmere.

Adam smiled down at her. “Looks good on you. Really brings out your eyes.”

“My eyes are green.”

“Exactly. Gray accentuates green, makes them look so much richer.”

She didn’t know what to say. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “You can have it back at the bottom.”

“Keep it.”

“No way, Adam—”

But he was already taking off down the hill. He headed straight for a jump and Scarlet watched in awe as he executed a helicopter and nailed the landing.

She started down the hill, trying not to get too distracted by Adam as she navigated the moguls. He really
was
attractive. He was tall and muscular and a natural athlete. He could be charming, too, and Scarlet could see why Krista had fallen for him at the tender age of twenty-one.

She could also see why Krista had dumped him. The man was a shameless flirt, and by the time Scarlet reached the bottom of the hill, he was already cozied up to a pretty young ski bunny who was happily sharing a cup of cocoa with him.

“Oh, hey, Scarlet.” He waved her over with a smile. “Trina got the car already.”

Scarlet took off her skis and tromped over to the valet stand as Adam said goodbye to his new friend. Trina sat in the passenger seat, looking impatient while the attendants secured their skis to the top of the SUV.

Scarlet slid into the back as Adam handed the valet a twenty and got behind the wheel.

“What a rush,” he said, pulling into traffic. “That powder was killer.”

Scarlet took out her phone to check for any messages from Krista, but nothing had come in.

“Scarlet?”

She glanced up at Adam. “What’s that?”

“I said did you see that bowl off to the side earlier? Maybe we’ll hit that tomorrow.”

“I’m game.”

She tucked her phone away and watched Trina’s reaction. As expected, she was sulking, which just confirmed what Scarlet had thought from the start—she had a thing for Adam. She wasn’t sure whether he knew it or not, but she’d find out. Maybe Krista would know.

They picked up the narrow road leading back to the lodge, and Scarlet noticed a black Escalade in the side mirror. Adam veered right at the fork in the road. The SUV followed.

“Your friend with the cocoa,” Scarlet said. “She staying at Gold Rush?”

“Who?” Adam caught her eye in the rearview mirror.

“The woman you were talking to.”

Trina’s shoulders tensed, but Adam seemed oblivious.

“Nah, she’s staying in town. Alpine Villas. She and her friends might meet up with us tomorrow.”

Scarlet kept her eye on the side mirror as Adam approached a juncture. He hung a right. A minute later, the Escalade followed.

“What’s wrong?” Adam glanced at Scarlet in the rearview.

“Nothing.”

“Really? You look upset. What is it?”

“You’ve had a tail since we left the village.”

“Seriously?”

Trina turned in her seat and stared. “Where?”

“Black Cadillac Escalade.”

“Maybe they’re with the wedding party,” Adam said.

“Maybe.”

But Scarlet didn’t believe that. She had that feeling in her gut. There was something about the way the vehicle moved, as though the driver wanted to stay close but not too close. Scarlet shifted in her seat so she could look from the corner of her eye. The top of the windshield was tinted, so it wasn’t possible to see anyone’s faces and they were too far away to read a license plate.

“What do you want me to do?” Adam asked.

“Nothing for now.”

They drove along in tense silence, and Scarlet skimmed her gaze over the snow-covered fir trees. The sun was getting low, making everything gray and shadowy.

“See that road up ahead? Hang a left,” Scarlet said.

Adam hung a left.

The Escalade followed.

“There’s a private drive just before the curve. Turn in there,” Scarlet told him.

Adam slowed and turned into the driveway. The Escalade sped past. Scarlet tried to make out the passengers inside, but the windows were too dark.

“We good?” Adam asked.

“Looks like.”

He reversed onto the road and retraced his route back to the highway.

“Uh-oh,” Trina said.

Scarlet checked the mirror. “Shit, again?”

“What do I do?” Adam asked. He wasn’t really in a panic, he sounded too excited to be afraid. “Should I try to outrun him?”

“Absolutely not,” Scarlet said. “There’s probably black ice all through here.”

“He’s still following.” Adam hit the gas.

“He?”

“Isn’t it a man driving?”

“I can’t tell. Can you?”

They approached a curve.

“Careful,” Scarlet warned.

“Don’t worry. I’ve done some stunt driving.”

“Slow
down
, Adam,” she said, but it was too late. They skidded into the turn and the back of the car fish-tailed.

“
Adam!
” Trina screamed.

Scarlet’s stomach dropped. They glided into a spin and she glanced out the window to see a tree trunk flying at her. She tried to lurch away, but her seatbelt kept her in place as they crashed into a tree with a deafening crunch of metal.

“Holy
shit!
” Adam yelped.

Scarlet blinked down at her feet, breathing hard. Everything was darker now. The entire left side of the SUV was up against a snowbank. Scarlet reached around the side airbag that had deployed and tried her door. Stuck.

“Oh, shit.
Trina?
” Adam reached across the front seat, and Trina shook him off.

“I’m fine!
God,
Adam! What the hell were you thinking taking that turn so fast?” Trina pushed open her door.

Scarlet unbuckled her seatbelt and squirmed to the other side. She glanced out the back window to see the Escalade pulling over on the shoulder behind them.

“Everyone stay here.” Scarlet reached for the gun tucked under her jacket.

But Trina was already out, and Adam was sliding over the console to follow her.

“Adam,
wait!
” She was going to kill him if he didn’t get himself killed first.

Scarlet scrambled out just as the Escalade’s doors popped open. A woman in a hot pink ski suit launched herself at Adam.

“Adam? Are you
okay?
” She threw her arms around him, then quickly stepped back. “Oh my
God,
I thought you were
dead!
Is everyone all right?”

More women emerged from the Escalade. It was like a clown car for ski bunnies. Soon Adam was surrounded by no fewer than five fawning women. He seemed to know at least one of them, and Scarlet tucked her gun away—but kept her hand on her hip, the grip of her .45 within easy reach.

“I knew it was you when I saw you on the slopes, Adam! I can’t believe you remember me.” The woman in pink beamed at her girlfriends. “We took this improv class together, like, three
years
ago. Before Adam’s first film.”

Trina stood off to the side with her phone out, looking pissed. “I’m calling the lodge,” she announced. “They can send someone to get us.”

Scarlet stepped away from the crowd and watched as Adam chatted with his admirers, seemingly unfazed by his wrecked vehicle. Trina finished her call and then trudged through the snow to Scarlet.

“They’re sending someone,” she said. “We’re only about a mile away.” She looked over at the Escalade, where Adam’s aspiring actress friend was posing for a selfie with him. All her friends had their phones out now, eagerly awaiting their turns.

“How long?” Scarlet asked.

“He said ten minutes.” Trina sighed. “Just enough time for a photo op.”

#

Scarlet was surprised to see Krista in the living room typing on her small laptop. She immediately closed it and jumped to her feet.

Scarlet eyed her partner and knew something was up.

“Adam, do you know where your room card keys are?” Krista demanded.

He stared at her. “Sure.”

“All eight of them?”

“Eight?”

“It’s a simple question.”

Scarlet said, “I have one. Krista has one. You have
six?”

“I—I guess so.” His brows creased. “Dave and Trina and I each got two when we checked in. I gave one of mine to Tiffany so she could use the hot tub. Oh, and I forgot my key last night, so I got another one.”

“That’s seven.” Nine including her and Krista. “Nine—” She glanced at Krista.

“The jackass at the desk lied to me,” Krista mumbled. “Or he just made up a number.”

“It must be in my room or something,” Adam continued, oblivious to the brief exchange between her and Krista.

“Someone came in while I was here,” Krista said. “They ran out before I could see who it was.”

“Tiffany.”

“No, she was getting a manicure. And it wasn’t Dave—I tracked him down in the business center. Trina was with you. Did you give a key to anyone else?”

“No,” Adam said.

“Trina?” Krista looked at her.

“Of course not!”

Scarlet’s instincts twitched. Her tone was off.

“Where are your keys?” she asked Trina.

“What?”

“Simple question,” Scarlet said. “Where are your card keys? You were issued two.”

“I—why?”

“Because someone came in who had a key,” Krista snapped. “And they were looking for something.”

“It wasn’t me.”

“Don’t be dense,” Scarlet said. “You were with me. But where are your keys? We used mine to get into the elevator.”

“Probably in my room,” she said.

“Find them. Now,” Scarlet said.

Trina’s eyes widened and she looked at Adam. “Adam! What’s going on? This is ridiculous.”

“Krista, is it really necessary to be mean to Trina? She didn’t do anything.” He was whining. The guy just did not like confrontation.

Krista pointed to Trina’s room. She left in a huff.

Adam bit his lip. “Krista, maybe I was wrong—”

“No, you were right. Someone came in here. It wasn’t hotel staff. I met the head housekeeper personally after I caught someone running through the place. Whoever came in didn’t use the elevator, and they need a key to get into the third floor. The front desk issued eight keys—though you just said you got an extra, which makes nine. The manager won’t let me cancel them, so you’re going to go down to the lobby with me right now and ask him to cancel all keys and re-issue only five—and you’re not going to give them to anyone. You’re not going to lose them. You’re not going to leave anyone in the suite alone who isn’t sleeping here. Understand?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts.” Krista glanced at Scarlet. “How was the skiing?”

“Just peachy. Right up until Adam’s paparazzi ran us off the road.”

“
What?
”

“It was nothing,” Adam said. “Someone recognized me as we were leaving the slopes and wanted a picture.”

“It wasn’t
nothing
.” Scarlet looked at Krista. “His car had to be towed to a place in town.”

Adam waved her off. “It’s just a dent. Anyway, insurance will cover it.”

Krista looked at Scarlet. “You think this had anything to do with everything else?”

“Doubtful. The wreck was Adam’s fault. But I’m going to run everyone’s names by Mac, see if anything funny pops up.”

Krista turned to Adam. “Until we know exactly what’s going on, you need to stop arguing with me and start taking this seriously.”

Trina came out of her room. “Here,” she said and threw her keys at Krista. They fell at her feet. Krista didn’t pick them up.

“We’re issuing new cards, so those won’t work anymore.”

“Then why did you make me find them?” Trina said.