taking a cautious sip of his hot tea. “Tell me more about last night.”
Meredith sat on the bed in her room, watching the TV news. She’d been back in the lobby of the Coast Peaks Hotel with a magazine in her hands, watching people come and go, when two men arrived and approached the front desk. They spoke in low voices and held up badges for the desk clerk, so she took them for plain clothes police. The desk clerk called the manager, a slightly overweight dark-haired man in a navy pinstriped suit, who led them over to the concierge desk. The concierge pointed them toward the restaurant.
A short time later, Mike Irwin’s family emerged from the restaurant. The father had his arm around the mother, who had covered her mouth with a tissue and appeared to be crying. They walked a few steps, then stopped as he embraced her, his hand rubbing her back. Behind them was Irwin’s wife. She held the boy by the hand, and carried the little girl. The woman’s face was expressionless, and the little girl was sucking her thumb. The little boy was looking up at her, and Meredith heard him ask, “What happened, Mommy? Why is Grandma crying?”
The manager ushered the adults into the hallway leading to the hotel’s administration office, while a female desk clerk took the children by the hand and led them to a couch in the lobby. Meredith heard her say, “Mommy is going to be busy for a few minutes. Let’s sit down here and we’ll find you something to play with. Do you like to color?” The little girl nodded, her face serious.
“Why do those men want to talk to Mommy?” asked the boy.
“Just some business,” said the clerk. “Mommy will tell you about it later.”
A short time later, the two women returned to the lobby, then headed to the elevators with the children, while Mike Irwin’s father left with the police. At that point, Meredith rose and walked quickly toward the elevators to stand behind the little family.
The older woman was saying, “… best for the children, don’t you think?”
Irwin’s wife nodded, then bent down to the kids. “We’ll go play in our room with Grandma until Grand-da gets back. Won’t that be fun?”
Meredith got into the elevator with them. The older woman closed her eyes and took deep breaths, while Irwin’s wife muttered, “It so hard to believe,” and sighed, shaking her head. Neither woman even looked in Meredith’s direction.
Meredith cleared her throat. “I couldn’t help noticing,” she began, and smiled sympathetically at Irwin’s wife. “Bad news?”
Irwin’s wife compressed her lips, closed her eyes and nodded.
“I’m so sorry,” said Meredith, as the elevator door opened and the sad little troupe stepped outside.
Once in her room, Meredith turned on the television and searched for local news. A red banner with white lettering appeared above the news anchor’s head. BREAKING NEWS it read, and at the side of the screen appeared a photograph of a chairlift as the news anchor began speaking.
In Whistler today, chairlift attendants were shocked to discover that one of the passengers riding on the Harmony Express chairlift was dead. Our Whistler correspondent, Yoshika Sullivan, is live on the scene.
An attractive Asian woman in a white jacket with a fur lined hood spoke into the black ball of a microphone.
We’re live at the base of the Harmony Express chairlift on Whistler Mountain. Behind me is where the body of a man was removed from one of the quad chairs earlier today. Police are not releasing the details, nor the name of the dead man, but homicide detectives have been called in so it is believed that foul play is suspected. The chairlift was shut down after all other passengers on the lift had been able to disembark. At present there is no estimate on when the lift will re-open.
Meredith switched off the TV and stood at the window, watching the snow. She knew that the dead man they referred to was Mike Irwin. She would
Meredith sat on the bed in her room, watching the TV news. She’d been back in the lobby of the Coast Peaks Hotel with a magazine in her hands, watching people come and go, when two men arrived and approached the front desk. They spoke in low voices and held up badges for the desk clerk, so she took them for plain clothes police. The desk clerk called the manager, a slightly overweight dark-haired man in a navy pinstriped suit, who led them over to the concierge desk. The concierge pointed them toward the restaurant.
A short time later, Mike Irwin’s family emerged from the restaurant. The father had his arm around the mother, who had covered her mouth with a tissue and appeared to be crying. They walked a few steps, then stopped as he embraced her, his hand rubbing her back. Behind them was Irwin’s wife. She held the boy by the hand, and carried the little girl. The woman’s face was expressionless, and the little girl was sucking her thumb. The little boy was looking up at her, and Meredith heard him ask, “What happened, Mommy? Why is Grandma crying?”
The manager ushered the adults into the hallway leading to the hotel’s administration office, while a female desk clerk took the children by the hand and led them to a couch in the lobby. Meredith heard her say, “Mommy is going to be busy for a few minutes. Let’s sit down here and we’ll find you something to play with. Do you like to color?” The little girl nodded, her face serious.
“Why do those men want to talk to Mommy?” asked the boy.
“Just some business,” said the clerk. “Mommy will tell you about it later.”
A short time later, the two women returned to the lobby, then headed to the elevators with the children, while Mike Irwin’s father left with the police. At that point, Meredith rose and walked quickly toward the elevators to stand behind the little family.
The older woman was saying, “… best for the children, don’t you think?”
Irwin’s wife nodded, then bent down to the kids. “We’ll go play in our room with Grandma until Grand-da gets back. Won’t that be fun?”
Meredith got into the elevator with them. The older woman closed her eyes and took deep breaths, while Irwin’s wife muttered, “It so hard to believe,” and sighed, shaking her head. Neither woman even looked in Meredith’s direction.
Meredith cleared her throat. “I couldn’t help noticing,” she began, and smiled sympathetically at Irwin’s wife. “Bad news?”
Irwin’s wife compressed her lips, closed her eyes and nodded.
“I’m so sorry,” said Meredith, as the elevator door opened and the sad little troupe stepped outside.
Once in her room, Meredith turned on the television and searched for local news. A red banner with white lettering appeared above the news anchor’s head. BREAKING NEWS it read, and at the side of the screen appeared a photograph of a chairlift as the news anchor began speaking.
In Whistler today, chairlift attendants were shocked to discover that one of the passengers riding on the Harmony Express chairlift was dead. Our Whistler correspondent, Yoshika Sullivan, is live on the scene.
An attractive Asian woman in a white jacket with a fur lined hood spoke into the black ball of a microphone.
We’re live at the base of the Harmony Express chairlift on Whistler Mountain. Behind me is where the body of a man was removed from one of the quad chairs earlier today. Police are not releasing the details, nor the name of the dead man, but homicide detectives have been called in so it is believed that foul play is suspected. The chairlift was shut down after all other passengers on the lift had been able to disembark. At present there is no estimate on when the lift will re-open.
Meredith switched off the TV and stood at the window, watching the snow. She knew that the dead man they referred to was Mike Irwin. She would
Similar Books
