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on ruling my own little corner of it. I trip on the edge of my robe in my haste to leave the room, stumble and catch myself before actually falling. Then again, maybe not.
    I’ll be lucky not to make an ass out of myself these next few hours.
     

Chapter Six
    I close the office door behind me to join Rafe’s warm laughter in the kitchen. He’s finished prepping all the vegetables for his meal and looks ready to start cooking. The need to do something, anything, pushes at me so strongly, I rush to our closet to dress. Sturdy, ugly clothes are the kind you need when you go outside here. I grab thick jeans, silk long johns, an undershirt, turtleneck, bulky sweater, and to top off my lovely outfit, a down jacket. Big boots replace the high-heeled pumps, and I’m good to go.
Vampire or not, I need protection when out and about for any notable length of time in the winter here. We can withstand the cold longer than humans, but prolonged exposure with no covering would slow us down and make us more vulnerable to attack, not to mention the effects on my skin are just criminal.
    “Going to go take a look around to see if I can find a trace of the scent Jonathan mentioned.” My voice sounds hollow in my own ears as I march to the backdoor.
    Rafe straightens his stance and looks up from his post at the stove.
    You okay?
    Yeah. Need to burn some of this off. I’ll be right back.
    Grabbing a set of master keys hanging on a nearby hook, I step out into the frozen tundra that freezes the hair in my nostrils. Not a land for the faint of heart, it’s a good thing I don’t need to breathe very often. Blocking out the bite, I take a deep breath in while thanking my lucky stars my clientele doesn’t mind the weather. This extreme cold lowers our core temp a lot, which means we do need to warm back up to room temperature before any hanky panky. It brings the old phrase “cold hands, warm heart” to an entirely new level.
    Walking down the path leading me away from our kitchen, I pass gorgeous fluffy pines, small and large, planted up near the base of the inn and farther out too. Twinkling holiday lights wrap the trees, lending a glow to the illuminated pathway under my boots. A quaint, winter wonderland that’s quite pretty in the ever-present darkness.
    The paved paths here meander throughout the hot tub grotto, lending a private feel to each setting they come to. Pergolas enclose individual tubs with hardy bushes planted up next to them, increasing the feel of solitude. I take a route which brings me close to the foundation of the building and start to examine the snow under the windows. Spying footprints beneath room six, I head over to them. They look much bigger then my own size seven. Could mean a very tall woman or a smallish man.
    I’m annoyed at myself and the feeling’s exacerbated by Jon’s Were blood coursing through me. How in the hell did I not think of the window before? The scent of blood in room six clouded my thoughts, but I had no idea it impaired my thinking so damn much. Jon was right to question me in the kitchen; I’m not at my best tonight. Damned if I’ll admit it to that hunk of fur anytime soon, though.
    The clean smell of the snow, the sharp scent of pine trees and chemical traces of bromine from the four nearby hot tubs greets the frozen-stiff hairs of my nostrils. No lingering hints of an unknown vamp to detect, but I’ve come along hours later and there’s a mild wind to contend with. Let’s face it: I’m no werewolf. What I can do later is check inside the suite near the window. I feel pretty stupid for not thinking of it sooner; live and learn, and try not to be snarky when Jon reams me for it.
    Could a human have committed this crime? Or could the killer be one of the few vampires who can fly? Maybe they climbed up the side of the building? I guess a human could climb up too, but he or she would need some equipment and there’s no evidence of a tool bag dropped to the ground or lots of