Beastly Winter — Chapter 9

The leaden sky was a coffin trapping Will under a lid of gloom. As if all body fluids had descended, he experienced a strength-sapping heaviness Fatigue settled over him like the snowflakes on his shoulders as he walked out of the trees to his vehicle. The flakes melted as he started his car, pushed the heater control to high.

Will called in, then stopped at the Catlin house. Again she stood in the doorway as he looked up. When he removed the clear plastic bag from his coat pocket, she came to the edge of the steps. Confirmation came as a solitary teardrop.

The spitting snow stopped again when he pulled into the motel parking lot. A short man taking quick steps hurried from the office. Heavy muffler around his neck, the man fought to fasten the top button of his flapping coat.

The storm front was establishing control of the area.

Will waited beside his car. Charles Humphrey, manager more than five years, began talking as soon as he could be heard.

“Sheriff Harris, I don’t know what happened. Mr. Struthers didn’t come out all day yesterday, but he paid through today so I wasn’t worried he’d skipped out or anything. I called to tell him there’s complimentary breakfast in the lobby. Continental. Only he never answered. I let it ring awhile ’cause he could be in the shower or something, so I decided…