Read Online Avalanche (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 3) by Kristina Stanley - Free Book Online Page A

harder and took a seat in front of her desk. Her legs bounced, and she put her hands on her knees to stop the tremors. The motion made her appear nervous, but she couldn’t seem to keep her legs still lately. Chica lumbered off the floor and placed her jowls on Kalin’s lap. Kalin caressed her head in a silent thank you for the support.
    “The timing of the theft and Roy’s disappearance is a big coincidence,” Miller said.
    “And I know, you don’t like coincidences.”
    “Don’t joke. I’m serious.”
    Heat rose in Kalin’s face as her anger arrived. “You think Roy took the money?”
    “You have to admit, it looks suspicious. He hasn’t been found. He could have triggered the avalanche to make us think he died.”
    Kalin closed her eyes and rubbed her palm on her forehead. “You can’t be serious. He wouldn’t do that to me or my mom.”
    “I am serious. We need to talk about the possibility.”
    “This is bull. Search and rescue are still looking for him. I have to believe he’ll be found alive.” But after Miller sowed the seed of doubt, the idea blossomed into a possibility. Would one hundred thousand be enough to tempt Roy to disappear?
    “Is there anything you can think of that might be important?”
    “As in, did Roy do or say anything to indicate he was going to steal from the resort? I can’t talk about this.” Kalin stood.
    “I know this is hard, but I have to do my job.”
    Kalin knew Miller well. He looked at all possible suspects before narrowing the list. He couldn’t ignore Roy to avoid hurting her feelings, so she settled back in her seat. Besides, Constable Wagner blocked the exit with her bulky frame.
    If her choices were to believe Roy stole the money and took off, Roy stole the money and died trying to escape, or Roy was caught in an avalanche by accident, she’d choose the option of innocence. “Roy didn’t take the money. I’ll prove it to you.”
    Miller groaned. “Not again. You have to stay out of our investigations. Especially this one. You’re too close.”
    “I’m also the director of security, and I’m not going to let my brother be blamed for something he didn’t do.”
    “Where were you on the morning of the theft?”
    “I was at home with Ben.”
    “Roy is living with you? Is that correct?”
    At least Miller used the present tense. She wasn’t ready to talk about Roy in the past tense. “He is.”
    Kalin’s thoughts drifted to the day Roy moved in.
     
    * * *
     
    Twelve days before Roy disappeared, Kalin opened the front door of her new home and found him standing on her porch with a please-don’t-be-mad-at-me grin. His backpack, a suitcase and a duffle bag rested on top of the snowbank beside the walkway.
    “Hey.”
    “Hey.” Kalin returned his grin with her I-know-you-want-something smile. They’d played the smile game since they were children. Without speaking, the shape of the lips told the other what was going on in the mind.
    Roy tilted his head down and lifted his eyes. His one brown eye, one green eye mirrored Kalin’s. “Can I come in?”
    He really did want something if he was flashing his eyes at her.
    “Sure.” Kalin opened the door wider, and her brother stepped into the foyer. The heating underneath the slate tiles kept her sock-covered feet warm, and she was glad they’d spent the extra money on the upgrade. She didn’t miss his one-dimple smile, the one he used when he wanted to manipulate her, the one that matched hers. People often asked if they were twins, but Roy was her baby brother by two years. Sometimes she had a hard time thinking of him as a six-foot tall, independent man.
    Roy plunked his suitcase, duffle bag and backpack on the floor, and snow melted into puddles. Kalin fought her desire to get a mop. The water wouldn’t stain the new tiles.
    She heard the thump of Chica jumping off the king bed in the loft two stories up and her paws plodding down the stairs. The yellow Labrador liked her sleep, but as soon