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Part One: Victi
–The book of Job, 4:14
The civilized hu of the uncanny
–Dr Faustus, Thomas Mann
Chapter 1 – The Town Jail
The scream was distant and brief A woman’s scream
Deputy Paul Henderson looked up fro
Motes of dust drifted lazily in a bright shaft of sunlight that pierced one of the mullioned s The thin, red second hand of the wall clock swept soundlessly around the dial
The only noise was the creak of Henderson’s office chair as he shifted his weight in it
Through the large front s, he could see a portion of Snowfield’s main street, Skyline Road, which was perfectly still and peaceful in the golden afternoon sunshine Only the trees moved, leaves aflutter in a soft wind
After listening intently for several seconds, Henderson was not sure he had actually heard anything
I
He almost would have preferred that so the off season, froh Septened to the Snowfield substation, and the duty was dull In the winter, when the toas host to several thousand skiers, there were drunks to be dealt with, fistfights to be broken up, and rooes, and motels where the skiers stayed But now, in early Septee, and two small motels were open, and the natives were quiet, and Henderson-as just twenty-four years old and concluding his first year as a deputy-was bored
He sighed, looked down at the azine that lay on his desk-and heard another scream As before, it was distant and brief, but this time it sounded like a man’s voice It wasn’t merely a shriek of excitement or even a cry of alar, Henderson got up and headed toward the door, adjusting the holstered revolver on his right hip He stepped through the swinging gate in the railing that separated the public area from the bull pen, and he was halfway to the door when he heard movement in the office behind him
That was impossible He had been alone in the office all day, and there hadn’t been any prisoners in the three holding cells since early last week The rear door was locked, and that was the only other way into the jail
When he turned, however, he discovered that he wasn’t alone any more And suddenly he wasn’t the least bit bored
Chapter 2 – Coht hour of that Sunday in early Septereen and blue The forests-pine, fir, spruce-looked as if they had been fashioned from the same felt covered billiard tables Cool, blue shadows lay everywhere, growing larger and deeper and darker by the minute
Behind the wheel of her Pontiac Trans Ae smiled, buoyed by the beauty of theThis here she belonged
She turned the Trans Am off the double-lane state road, onto the county-maintained, two-lane blacktop that twisted and clih the pass to Snowfield
In the passenger seat, her fourteen-year-old sister, Lisa, said, "I love it up here"
"So do I"
"When e get some snow?"
"Another month, maybe sooner"
The trees crowded close to the roadway The Trans Ahs, and Jenny switched on the headlights
"I’ve never seen snow, except in pictures," Lisa said
"By next spring, you’d be sick of it"
"Never Notin snow country, like you"
Jenny glanced at the girl Even for sisters, they looked rereen eyes, the sah cheekbones
"Will you teach me to ski?" Lisa asked
"Well, honey, once the skiers come to town, there’ll be the usual broken bones, sprained ankles, wrenched backs, torn ligaments… I’ll be pretty busy then"
"Oh," Lisa said, unable to conceal her disappointment
"Besides, why learn from me when you can take lessons fro soive you lessons if I ask him"
"Who’s he?"
"He owns Pine Knoll Lodge, and he gives skiing lessons, but only to a handful of favored students"
"Is he your boyfriend?"
Jenny s what it was like to be fourteen years old At that age, irls were obsessively concerned about boys, boys above all else "No, Hank isn’t my boyfriend I’ve known him for two years, ever since I caood friends"
They passed a green sign hite lettering: SNOWFIELD 3 MILES
"I’ll bet there’ll be lots of really neat guystown," Jenny cautioned, "But I suppose you’ll find a couple of guys who’re neat enough"
"Oh, but during the ski season, there’ll be dozens!"
"Whoa, kid! You won’t be dating out-of-towners-at least not for a few years"
"Why won’t I?"
"Because I said so"
"But why not?"
"Before you date a boy, you should knohere he comes from, what he’s like, what his fae of character," Lisa said "My first impressions are completely reliable You don’t have to worry aboutto hook up with an ax murderer or a mad rapist"
"I’ the Trans A to date local boys"
Lisa sighed and shook her head in a theatrical display of frustration "In case you haven’t noticed, Jenny, I passed through puberty while you’ve been gone"
"Oh, that hasn’t escaped my attention"
They rounded the curve Another straightaway lay ahead, and Jenny accelerated again
Lisa said, "I’ve even got boobs now"
"I’ve noticed that, too," Jenny said, refusing to be rattled by the girl’s blunt approach
"I’m not a child anymore"