Otto sighed and removed his glasses to wipe the lenses with his jacket. The expression on his face turned so grim that Gabriel was certain he was in for even more bad news. “Would that they could, Mr. Ross. Would that they could. Unfortunately, a news bulletin just announced that a terrible avalanche has struck in the next village due to an approaching snowstorm. Many services have been knocked down as a result.”
“There’s a blizzard coming?” Gabriel asked.
Otto nodded. “Yes. That is why the cell phone service and internet are already down.”
“So we have no way of contacting the outside world?” Gabriel demanded.
“We still have the landline, but most services in the area will be closed during the storm anyway,” Otto responded. “That means nobody is coming for poor Heidi anytime soon.”
Gabriel’s eyebrows went up. “You mean we’re stuck here?”
“That is correct. Nobody can come to the castle and, more importantly, nobody can leave.”
Jane stared into the orange flames, trying to force the awful images from her mind. She could hardly believe what had happened. None of it seemed real. A maid had suffered a horrible, untimely death. Already she was going numb from shock and felt as if she was disappearing. Having an out of body experience where she was observing it all from afar.
The others were filing into the great hall, so she turned away from the fireplace.
Gabriel approached her, his stride purposeful and sure. Even now he exuded confidence. She didn’t know how that was possible. Not that it mattered. Against her better judgment, she ached for him to comfort her again. Place those large, strong hands on her and banished the worst of her fear. What she’d give for him to touch her again.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I can’t put it into words.” She shifted her gaze to the grief-stricken servants. Agnes and another servant she didn’t recognize sat down beside each other near the fire. “But whatever I’m feeling pales in comparison to what they’re going through. I only met Heidi once. They knew her.”
“It’s tough for them,” he said with a nod. “Especially since their former employer recently passed away, too. They have all this uncertainty to deal with in waiting to find out who their next employer will be.”
“Gosh, I hadn’t even thought of that. This is all so tragic.” She sighed heavily. “Has anyone been able to reach the police?”
“No. Cell phone service is out and so is the internet.” He leaned closer, the heat of his body rivaling the flames in the fireplace. As he edged nearer she caught the faintest scent of pine and leather. From the elegant way he commanded himself to the very scent of him, it was as if Gabriel belonged here. Was made to be in a place this regal and imposing. “That’s what I came in here to talk to you about. There’s a snowstorm headed our way and there’s no way for the police to get here.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“We’ve got no choice but to sit tight,” he told her.
Otto Kramer, the husky solicitor she recognized from photos, held up his hands. “Friends, we have a long night ahead of us. A storm is coming, and the police will not be able to reach us for some time.”
“How long will we have to wait?” an older mustached man Jane hadn’t seen before asked. Unlike most of the others, he didn’t speak with a German accent. Instead he sounded like an upper class Brit, with his clipped tones and plummy accent.
“Typically after large storms such as this, authorities clear through the snow between three and seven days,” the solicitor responded.
“Seven days? You mean we might be holed up in here for up to a week?” the mustached man demanded. “That’s bloody medieval, man. Bloody medieval.”
“To be fair, we are in a medieval castle,” Jane couldn’t help but point out.
The mustached man looked at her, squinted for a moment, and then laughed loudly. The screeching sound in the hall would have been unnerving in the best of times. But with a body in the next room, the laughter was downright maniacal. Still grinning, the mustached man walked up to her with an outstretched hand. “Timothy O’Brien at your service. You must be the famous Jane Westen. Very droll little joke there. Wonderful to meet you, cousin.”
Jane blinked in surprise. “What? Cousin? Are you Gabriel’s client?”
Timothy laughed and took her hand to shake it vigorously. “Certainly not. We’re only cousins by marriage. I was married to Friedrich von Westen’s sister when she was alive, may she rest in peace.”
“Oh. Uh…it’s great to meet you,” Jane said.
“We’re still cousins if you think about it. Not to mention if you or Gabriel’s client met with a sticky end, I’d legally have a chance at the castle,” Timothy said, releasing her hand with a laugh and a wink. “Anyway Otto, old chap, if we’re going to be here, what the devil are we to do with the girl’s body? We can’t just leave her lying about,” he said, and made a sign of the cross. “Rest her soul.”
The solicitor frowned. “I’m not quite sure what we’re supposed to do if emergency services are delayed.”
“We will have to put her out, Herr Kramer,” the manservant piped up from his place in the shadows.
“Put her out, old man?” Timothy asked. “What on earth does that mean?”
“Well we cannot leave her about, as you say,” the manservant said. “Our only alternative then is to place her somewhere. We have no refrigerated storage for a…person. However, the snow seems cold enough to store her.”
“Are you suggesting we dump Heidi outside in the snow?” Otto demanded gruffly. “That is unthinkable. We cannot shut her out there in the cold all alone.”
The manservant steepled his bony hands beneath his chin. “Herr Kramer, she is dead. She will feel nothing. No ill effects. Better to preserve the body in the cold snow
