Snow: White, Beautiful and Deadly + Aftermath

9:00 P.M

David headed downstairs. Mario was sitting upon the chair he was sitting on the night before; he was fast asleep and snoring loudly. David hoped that this noise did not distract his thoughts.

Billy was soon at the bottom of the stairs, he tiptoed down so not to make a sound, he hid in the shadows so that nobody noticed him. He was looking out for anyone suspicious, watching David's back.

Laksmi was also curious and snuck into the room under David's watchful eye so to not spook him. None of them wanted to wake the slumbering Mario. David was not sure if Mario had any connections to the killer or to the now sealed room, so he remained cautious around him.

The ski poles were still where they left them. Only Milo's body had been moved and not any of the items that were with it. The ski poles and the skis he used lay atop the carpet.

David picked up the ski pole that was a bit out of sorts, it had not been touched, so the killer must not have noticed that the victim had done something to the pole. David gently pulled the handle off, but the pop sound still echoed through the room. Fortunately, Mario did not awaken.

As David had predicted, there was a piece of paper hidden in the ski pole, it was a note written by the victim.

I like the mountains, but the snow, it is white, beautiful, and deadly.

David rose his eyebrow.

"What is it, David?" Billy asked.

David moved the toothpick in his mouth about. "I am not sure. But Milo was fearful that the killer would have noticed the ski pole being out of sorts. If they found this note before us, they would not be sure of what to do with it. It is a cryptic message."

"They could have destroyed it if they feared it would reveal them."

David shook his head. "I do not think so. This message does not point to anyone. The killer would have guessed that he was just rambling because his victim knew there was no escape from his fate."

"That's possible, or it could be that the message was meant for an investigator to read and discern the true meaning behind this message."

"But what could the message mean?" David crinkled his face in intense thought.

"I think he might of being referring to a book."

"A book?"

"You still don't read?"

"I've been busy with my duties, and Argentina is so scorching that it is hard to read."

Eugene nodded in understanding. "I see, well I remember reading a mystery novel where a body is found in a mansion in Canada, everyone thinks the butler committed the crime until the butler is murdered as well. The book was called 'Snow: White, Beautiful and Deadly.' The victim had a copy of the tome and hid it somewhere I believe."

Laksmi gasped.

"Laksmi, is something the matter? Is Mario awakening from his slumber?" David stated.

"No, I just noticed the books on the right side of the fireplace." Laksmi stated.

"The ones written in Nepali?" Billy added. Billy looked at them. "My goodness. One of the books is the wrong way around."

"Upside down?" David asked.

"No, look." Eugene announced.

David put the note in his pocket and looked at the bookshelf to the right of the fireplace. One of the books had been placed in the shelf back to front. David opened the glass door and removed it. "Snow: White, Beautiful and Deadly, by Xavier Fruléan." David stated.

"That's not one of the books we procured for our English-speaking patrons." Laksmi announced. "I may not understand English writing, but I know all the characters of the English alphabet and I remember all the letters on the books that we have in the bookshelf on the left side of the fireplace."

David nodded. "I see. So, this was his copy?"

Billy nodded. "Must have been."

"Looks like he bookmarked a page." David announced. He opened the book.

"I swear this place has secrets." Hugo announced.

"Really now?" Arthur stated.

"This morning, I thought I felt a breeze from the painting in my room, I looked, but nothing. I must be going crazy if I am starting to believe that there are things hidden behind paintings."

David stopped reading. This part of the conversation between Hugo and Arthur was highlighted and only this part. David closed the book and started heading upstairs quietly. He did not wish to disturb anyone for fear that the killer would awake. Laksmi and Billy followed close behind.

David entered the victim's room, the body was still on the bed, where they left him. David looked at the painting on the wall and checked behind it. There was yet another note with the victim's handwriting.

5:00 A.M, A/C

"Looks like he was meeting with someone." David stated.

"With an air conditioner?" Billy replied.

"I do not think so. He was not completely certain whether he would be meeting A or C."

"So that is what A/C means. But who is A and who is C?"

"Arbane and Cathair perhaps."

"Well, we already suspected Arbane and Siva, but Cathair?"

"Cathair must have been the one to get Siva on board with whatever scheme that he and Arbane were running. He demonstrated that he could speak Nepali without the assistance of an Auditorium crystal."

"Here I thought the Irish were trustworthy."

"David, would you hold that piece of paper so we can all see it?" Laksmi added.

David followed her instructions and both Laksmi and Billy gasped simultaneously.

"David, our victim left a message on the back of the paper." Billy announced.

David turned the piece of paper around. It was a page number.

"Billy, did you get the book?" David stated.

"Right here. I had a feeling there may have been more secrets in it, so I brought it with me." Eugene handed David the book.

David opened the book and read the highlighted words.

Hugo held a candle to the mirror in the bathroom of the room that the owners of the mansion had allowed him to stay in, the candles flame flickered, a breeze was coming from behind. He opened the mirror and saw that there was a passage behind it. Even when you are reflecting you must be aware that secrets could lay in front of your nose.

David closed the book and entered the bathroom attached to this guest room and looked behind the mirror. He thought he saw something.

"Laksmi!" David stated.

"Yes?" Laksmi responded.

"Do you know what tweezers are."

"Yes."

"Do you have any?"

"In the first aid kit, this lodge may appear sturdy, but people still manage to get splinters."

"Would you mind getting them?"

"But of course. I will return shortly." Laksmi dashed off as quietly as she could. She returned three minutes later with tweezers in tow. She passed them to David.

David used the tweezers to grab the note stashed behind the mirror and opened the folded piece of paper. The notes letters were written in reverse. So, David showed the note to the mirror.

Drugs

"Drugs?" Billy asked.

"Drugs." David stated with a smile.

"Drugs?" Laksmi inquired.

"Yes, drugs." David reiterated.

"Why did he write 'drugs?'" Laksmi asked.

"Because that is the secret behind the door that is now nailed shut."

Billy shook David's hand. "But of course! Milo must have discovered either a drug storage room or a drug lab. He must have been confronted by Cathair and Arbane and he met one of them. They killed him because he knew."

David forced Billy's hand away and shook his head. "But then why not kill him in the room in question, no, they were going to cut him in on the deal. Which means that Arbane might not be the only one with an ability. Billy wakes up Gerald and Yvette. Now I know all the people who were involved in this little drug business."

#

10:30 P.M

David had returned the axe to the storage room and gathered a crowbar. He went to the sealed room and started prying at it.

Arbane opened exited through the kitchen door and approached David. "Are you putting your nose where it doesn't belong?" Arbane's deep and mysterious voice announced.

"What's behind this door Arbane?" David asked.

"That is none of your concern. It is nailed shut." Arbane announced.

"Is there a drug lab in there or perhaps you use that room to smuggle drugs."

"I suppose you'll never know."

"What are you going to do to stop me? Charge me with breaking and entering? I am not a police officer so you cannot stop me because I do not need a warrant to peek into this room, besides if anyone could stop me it would be Matilda, the owner of this Lodge. So, I am going to find out what is behind this door one way or the other."

Arbane sighed. "I suppose I should tell you everything. I suspect that there is no doubt that you have figured it out already.

#

December 23rd, 11:00 P.M

Milo Vandol was restless. He went downstairs to get some hot chocolate.

Milo noticed Mario acting weird, so he slowly followed him without being noticed.

Mario entered the first door on the left side of the hallway and Milo followed behind him without being noticed.

The room was indeed a drug lab and Milo hid in a dark corner to observe what was happening.

"Mario, you're a little late." Cathair announced.

"Sorry. Do you get some new stuff." Mario stated.

"We certainly do." Cathair stated and pushed some drugs over to the right side of the table where they were standing.

Mario noticed Milo in the corner. "Wow, this stuff must be potent, I haven't even tried it and I'm already seeing things."

Cathair and Arbane were both surprised when they saw Milo trying to hide the best he could.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Cathair stated.

"I think he followed Mario in before he locked the door, Cathair." Arbane stated.

"I do not have time to do with this now. Listen, Mr, either Arbane or I will meet you at 5:00 A.M and we can discuss what you saw here. For now, I am going to have to use my ability on you so you cannot say a word about this to anyone." Cathair announced, holding Milo by the shoulders.

Milo nodded his head.

"Good." Cathair stated. "Now out the secret side door and get into your room fast. Mario said that two other guests will be arriving very soon, we cannot let them see you, because who would be out at this time of night."

Cathair led him through an inward opening panel in the side of the lodge at the end of the room and pushed him out.

#

December 24th, 10:42 P.M

"That's how it all went down." Arbane stated and gave himself a moment to breathe.

"So, the discussion you had with Milo?" David inquired.

"A deal, if he said yes, Cathair would make sure that he could not speak or write of the matter, and if he said no, I would kill him. Since he is dead, you can tell what he said." Arbane retorted.

"Yes. So, you admit that you killed him."

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Not yet."

"You are a smart fellow, so now, I must ask you a question."

"What is the question?"

"Will you join Cathair and I and distribute drugs all across Nepal or will you decline, and I will kill you?"

"How about option C?"

"Option C?"

"Billy knocks you out before you can react."

"What?"

Billy snuck up behind Arbane and hit him on that shiny head of his. Arbane fell in the fetal position and held his head in pain. Gerald also came in from the same room which Billy was hiding in and tied Arbane up.

"Cathair! Help!" Arbane shouted.

"That will be no use." Gerald announced. "Billy here is a chemist and already made your friend Mario and your co-conspirator Cathair fall asleep. Yvette and I have tied them up. They will not be escaping any time soon."

"We still haven't found the last member of the drug crew." Billy added.

"Oh no!" David stated. "Arbane stated that the door to the outside in that room opens inward!" David picked up the crowbar and took the door down and headed to the secret door at the end of the drug room. He dug out Siva with haste, but it was already too late. Siva had died from hypothermia.

"Well, looks like the gods punished him before the Nepal justice system could." Billy stated.

December 26th, 10:00 A.M

A helicopter landed upon a makeshift helipad that David and the people who had not been tied up built. Matilda Harmony, the owner of the lodge stepped out and entered the lodge where all her patrons were waiting.

Matilda was wearing dark blue clothes that looked warm, her hair was black and under a bonnet. She wore sunglasses and her lips were as red as a ruby, she had a medium sized tummy and large breasts. She wore a scarf that looked like a fox.

"So," Matilda announced in a loud and clear American accent. "Who was it that sorted this whole mess out."

"I did mam." David announced.

Matilda scooped David off his feet with a great big hug and gave him multiple kisses. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! If it was not for you, then drugs would still be coming from this lodge." She put David down.

"You're welcome. Oh, and sorry about the roof."

Matilda laughed. "Oh, do not worry about it, child. I was going to do some upgrades anyway; you just saved the renovators a little work."

Everyone except for the three men who were still tied tightly in their bounds laughed in a joyous chorus.

Page Break

Aftermath

Everyone got of the mountain unharmed. The Himalayans smoothed out the snow on Hiunchuli and people could ski and snowboard upon it again.

Arbane was sent to Everleason to get charged and the Nepalese found Cathair guilty for producing drugs, dealing drugs, and conspiring to murder. He was sentenced to spend 20 years in a Nepalese prison. Which was harder for him to handle than any other foreigner since he understood what they were all saying behind his back.

Arbane was charged in Everleason with producing drugs, dealing drugs and murder, for which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Mario was only charged with consumption, so his sentence was 5 years and at the end he would owe the Nepalese the equivalent of $50000 USD.

As for David, he thought about Yvette's observations and joined the Yanaught detective school in the beginning of January, he graduated four years later and joined the EPD on March 1st, 2004.

As for Billy? He is still living his life to the fullest and he would not let his father bring him down. Not even Billy's father could control that much free spirit.