Danish and deceit, p.1
Danish and Deceit, page 1
Danish and Deceit
Snow Falls Alaska Cozy
Book 12
Wendy Meadows
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Also by Wendy Meadows
About Wendy Meadows
Copyright © 2026 by Wendy Meadows
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Chapter One
Oh the weather outside is frightful...so don't come out into the snow. The snowman is in the snow. Hiding. Waiting. Watching.
Bethany Lights put down a worn book she'd checked out from the Snow Falls Library. The old western had a touch of romance woven through it—meant to distract her from the weight of the day. But a cold wind rattled against the cabin windows, carrying the promise of early snow, and kept pulling her attention back to the lonely view beyond the glass. Will Sarah call?
What I do know is that the snowman is outside. The nightmare Sarah and I have been waiting for has finally arrived. But am I fully awake this time or still dreaming? Will I follow the same script again?
Bethany reached for a brown coffee cup sitting on the coffee table, its warmth a small comfort in her hands. Julie was in London with Amanda, handling legal matters Julie had kept quiet about—matters Bethany wished she'd known sooner, especially now that the apartments had surfaced. No wonder Julie's son had been circling lately. Amanda would make sure Julie came through it all right. Bethany was simply grateful they were both safely away.
She stood and walked to the stone fireplace, where a fire burned without bringing any warmth. Bethany pulled the thick brown sweater tighter around herself. The cabin was as warm as she could make it, and still the cold seeped in. If only Sarah would call. I need to know what's happening. I need to know if Pete is going to be okay. Steven is with Pete, but Pete is in bad shape.
There was nothing to do but wait. She took a sip of coffee, the taste grounding her. Her uncle had finally left Snow Falls for Utah—a relief for everyone, if she was honest. She loved him, but he'd worn her down. And now her mother wanted to visit for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was only a few weeks away. I can't let her come here. Not now. Maybe not ever.
The brown telephone on the side table came to life. Bethany startled, nearly dropped her cup, and hurried to answer it. "Hello? Sarah?"
"Cell phone service is down," Sarah Spencer's voice was tight and upset. "Internet's gone too. We still have landlines—for now. I'm not sure how long that will last."
"I checked my cell earlier," Bethany said quickly. "How is Pete?"
Sarah was at the Snow Falls Police Station—the place everyone in town just called the Station. "Conrad and the kids are in Vermont," she said. "They're safe. They couldn't get back here even if they tried."
"The Back Alley Killer has a son, Bethany." Sarah's voice carried a weight Bethany had never heard before. "We didn't know. Pete didn't know. No one did. That man is in Alaska now. He left a body with my name on it at a hotel in Anchorage. The authorities have locked everything down. The state police have shut all the roads leading in and out of Snow Falls. I've been ordered to secure the town."
"And that's what the killer wants," Bethany said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes," Sarah said miserably. "That's exactly what he wants."
Bethany closed her eyes. An image surfaced—a hideous snowman, grinning in the winter dark. This time I'm going to win. The weather outside is frightening...so be very, very scared. "How is Pete?"
"Alive. Barely." Sarah's voice cracked slightly. "Pete was shot three times in the back. The killer left a photograph of my face at the scene with 'Let It Snow' written below it." A shaky breath. "Steven said Dr. Mills thinks Pete has a good chance if he stays strong. Pete is a fighter."
"Sarah—"
"I told Steven to stay with Pete. I ordered him to." Sarah's voice hardened. "Steven gave me his word, and I heard the truth in it. He won't leave."
"Steven won't leave Pete," Bethany confirmed.
"Not on his life." Sarah paused. "Bethany, it's just you and me. Andrew is on vacation, and I'm the acting Chief. Most of the officers are bedridden with the virus going around. Henry, Andy, everyone. Andy's wife had to take him to the hospital because his fever spiked dangerously high. I have no backup."
"Sarah, I need to come down to the station—"
"No." Sarah's tone was final. "It's too dangerous to leave your cabin. The killer is probably already in Snow Falls."
"You found out about the body last night. The sun's setting now. It's possible." Bethany rubbed her temples. "I'm worried he might not be alone, Sarah."
"He's alone," Sarah assured her. "The Back Alley Killer always worked solo."
"But his son?"
Sarah went quiet for a moment. "It's possible they worked together. But it's been years since we stopped the father. A lot of time for the son to grow. To practice." Bethany heard the chill in Sarah's voice. "Pete started investigating murders targeting the homeless in Los Angeles. A woman whose father had been killed hired him. Her father was a homeless man she'd finally tracked down—but too late."
"That's when Pete found the pattern," Bethany said.
"A homeless person murdered every two weeks up and down the California coast. No one was connecting it. Most people don't care enough to look." Sarah's frustration was clear. "But Pete did. Pete found a pattern. And that pattern led to the killer's son."
"A pattern that got him shot," Bethany said quietly.
"Yes." Sarah's voice sank. "But I think the killer let Pete find him, Bethany. I think he wanted to be found."
"Because he was ready. He'd honed his skills. He was coming for his final target," Bethany whispered.
"Yes."
The single word landed like a stone. Sarah was scared—truly scared. Sarah wasn't the type to let fear control her, but this was different. Sarah had family to protect now. If Sarah fell, the killer would go after them. Sarah knew that. What can I do? Bethany asked.
"Nothing," Sarah said.
"No. There has to be something." Bethany's voice steadied with certainty. "We both know I was brought to Snow Falls for a reason. All those murders, all those traps the snowman put me through—I was being trained, Sarah. For this. For one final killer. I can't sit here."
"Bethany—"
"I'm coming down to the station." Bethany locked eyes on the front door. "You can argue with me later. I'm on my way."
Sarah wanted to insist, but the resolve in Bethany's voice cut off any objection. "I can't guarantee your safety—"
"I know." Bethany was already moving. "I'm on my way." She hung up.
Bethany checked the gun secured to her right ankle, then verified the second pistol hidden under her sweater at her belt. She grabbed her green winter coat and white purse, then stepped out into the wind. The air held an edge that made her breath catch. Before her, the land was bare and brown—no snow yet, most trees stripped of leaves, the sky low and gray. The air felt heavy with waiting. I'm out here, Bethany. Waiting for the first snow. When it falls, I'm coming for you. For Sarah. It's Sarah I want, but you got in the way. When the snow falls.
Bethany scanned her SUV on the dirt driveway to the left of the porch. The tires looked sound. No sign of tampering. She whispered a quiet resolve—she would make it through this—then dashed across the cold porch and climbed into the driver's seat. A powerful gust nearly knocked her sideways, but she pushed forward. "Time to move."
A figure watched Bethany drive away from the cabin. "The games are just beginning."
Bethany heard nothing over the engine. The roads were clear, so she drove fast toward Snow Falls. No traffic moved on the roads—Snow Falls was a small Alaskan town with only a few traffic lights that spent most of their time blinking yellow. The emptiness felt unnatural. Usually she passed at least a couple of trucks heading into town or toward O'Malley's Department Store. "It's good no one is out. There's a killer in Snow Falls."
When she reached Main Street, she pulled hard on the brakes and slid to a stop in front of the wooden police station wedged between two brick buildings. The fron t door burst open immediately. Sarah rushed out in a tough brown leather jacket that signaled she was ready for a fight—no longer dressed like a mother, but like a detective who knew the weight of murder.
"See anyone?" Sarah asked as Bethany climbed out.
"Not a soul." Bethany scanned the street. At the far end of Main Street stood her coffee shop, the one she'd taken over from Sarah. "He's here, Sarah. I can feel it. The snowman is in the air."
"I know." Sarah looked around at the closed storefronts—the shuttered diner, the locked doors. "The town is locked down. The state police are controlling the roads. I haven't seen a patrol car in town and I don't expect to. They're doing what they've been ordered to do. That's why the cell service is down. We're isolated, Bethany. No way in or out except on foot, and even that would be risky."
"At least we're together," Bethany said.
"At least we are." Sarah grabbed Bethany's hand and pulled her toward the station door. "Let's get inside where it's safe. We're sitting ducks out here."
Bethany locked her SUV and followed Sarah into the station, trying not to think of it as a tomb.
Chapter Two
Both women carried a bone-deep fear as they moved through the station—fear of an unknown killer prowling Snow Falls, fear of isolation that pressed in from all sides. The state had ordered a lockdown. No help was coming. Bethany and Sarah were alone.
"What now?" Bethany asked as Sarah closed and locked the sturdy office door.
"We wait," Sarah answered. "Running isn't an option. If I run, the killer finds me again." Sarah peered through the heavy wooden blind covering the window, then moved to Conrad's desk. "The killer will come to us. I was hoping you'd have stayed at your cabin."
"I couldn't." Bethany studied the office with careful eyes. The single door and window were the only ways in or out. The wood-beamed ceiling was solid. The killer would need more than determination to breach this room. "We're safe here for now, Sarah. But when night comes—who knows?"
"We'll know if the generators fail," Sarah replied, her gaze sweeping the familiar office. "The state won't cut the power. But the killer might. Or maybe the killer prefers to stay invisible."
"Then why leave a body with your name on it in Anchorage?" Bethany asked.
"To create panic," Sarah said. She walked behind Conrad's desk and sat down. "The murders I've dealt with since coming to Snow Falls have always brought negative attention to the state. No one in a position of authority wants to deal with that—not now, not with everything going on. So they ordered the lockdown and looked the other way."
"And the outside world won't lift a hand," Bethany said, folding her arms. "No one in the lower states even knows Snow Falls exists."
"Anchorage, Fairbanks—those places register. Snow Falls doesn't." Sarah pressed her lips together. "The state police do what they're told. The officers on the ground won't risk their jobs over a town this small."
"Which means we're on our own."
"Exactly." Sarah straightened in the chair. "The official story is that Louis Montone's death is still under investigation. An autopsy is pending. But the truth is it'll stay buried as long as it's convenient for the people in charge."
Bethany looked toward the window. "Louis Montone was an important banker in Anchorage. That should have counted for something."
"I checked before the internet went down," Sarah said, her voice thoughtful. "Louis Montone was preparing to divorce his wife and marry Fran Halcombs. Fran is the campaign manager for Edward Tullins, who's running as an Independent—and who also happens to be Louis Montone's cousin. Louis had made very public, very sour remarks about Edward. He was a well-known supporter of the current administration."
"Which means he gave them money," Bethany said.
Sarah nodded. "So you see why the authorities are panicking. If the truth about Louis Montone's murder came out, it would create a scandal no one could control."
"And the killer might have known exactly how to use that," Bethany said.
"Not a stretch at all." Sarah's cop instincts sharpened her voice. She loved Bethany as a sister and respected the woman's mind. "You're tracking this correctly. The killer knew that killing Louis Montone would put the authorities in an impossible position."
"Which locks Snow Falls down tight."
"Exactly." Sarah glanced toward the office door. The silver knob remained silent—for now. But when darkness came, she feared something would turn that knob. "What I keep trying to work out is who could draw Louis Montone to a hotel room. Not a stranger."
"Someone familiar," Bethany said.
"That's what I think." Sarah leaned forward. "The killer's been making trips to Anchorage and back. Probably scouting Snow Falls too—watching me, planning carefully."
Bethany's heart sank. "If Pete hadn't found the pattern, we'd still be in the dark."
"My gut tells me the killer let Pete find it," Sarah said. "I think the woman who hired Pete was paid to do it. Pete was set up. I didn't want to tell you over the phone, but you should know what I'm thinking."
"I suspected as much." Bethany sat in the brown chair facing the desk. "This killer isn't careless."
"No."
"Someone who's been planning this for a very long time," Bethany continued.
"Yes."
"And the endgame is now." Bethany looked at the door. "Could the killer have leverage on the authorities? Something from Louis Montone—enough to force a lockdown?"
"I considered that too," Sarah nodded. "If the killer has something damaging, that would explain everything."
"Which puts us right back to being trapped in our own town."
Bethany opened the top drawer of Conrad's desk. A loaded gun rested inside—Conrad's habit. She checked it just to have something to do with her hands, then closed the drawer. "The state patrol won't enter Snow Falls. They're staying exactly where they've been ordered to stay."
We're trapped unless we leave on foot. Sarah won't run—she has her family to think about. If she runs, the killer will track her down eventually. Anyone can be found with a few keystrokes. No. Snow Falls is the final stage. The question is what the killer has planned. Someone this methodical, this patient—he's not walking blindly.
"I see you brought supplies," Bethany said, noticing the food and water stacked in the far corner.
"I'm not leaving this office unless I have to." Sarah's voice carried a note of relief now that Bethany was here. As much as she'd wanted her friend safe at home, having her close was a comfort she desperately needed. "We can work in buddy teams. Bethany, you risked your life coming here. I'm grateful. I love you. If anything happens to me—please know that."
"I love you too, Sarah. You're my family." Bethany managed a small smile. "I'm scared. I've been scared since Pete was shot. But I swear, I'm not leaving your side again. I should have come straight here."
"You were doing what I asked—"
"From now on, I'm your shadow," Bethany said, her voice steady. "The snowman is outside, Sarah. Waiting. This is the final act. Somehow the killer cleared the board except for us. It's you and me now."
"I knew it would be." Sarah's eyes drifted to the door. "I spent so many nights at O'Malley's, behind a closed door, wondering when this moment would come. But Bethany, this is my fight. The snowman is after me. I never wanted to drag you into it."
"Too late." Bethany reached across the desk and squeezed Sarah's arm. "I came to Snow Falls broken. Now I'm ready."
"I can see that." Sarah stood, moving closer. "You were devastated when you arrived, but I've watched you become a fighter. Bethany, I told you once that you have a dangerous mind. I meant it then, and I mean it now. It's time to let that mind work the way it needs to."
"What do you mean?"
"Every murder case you were involved with, I investigated thoroughly—searching for connections. I never told you." Sarah took Bethany's hand and led her to the window. "When I realized you were brought to Snow Falls to face this, I had to understand why."
