Snowmen are Murder - Part #1

Cozy Mystery

New Year, new mystery, and I hope you enjoy this one about a fitness trainer who travels to unique locations for work and consistently stumbles across a dead body. Fit Girls: Snowmen are Murder by Ann Audree is the 5th book in the series, and I’m releasing it on Substack first!

Check out the whole cozy mystery series on Amazon. They are fun, fast short reads. Each book stands alone and can be read in any order, although starting from Book #1, Fit Girls: Exercise is Murder, is pretty easy. The Kindle version is always 99 cents on Amazon. All the books are in the Kindle format, but the first two are also in Large Print paperback. I write these mysteries under my pen name, Ann Audree. You can read about the series ON MY WEBSITE.

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And now let’s jump right into the thick of it… in Fit Girls: Snowmen are Murder - Part #1…

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“I hate snow!”

Ellie Cruz muttered at the white stuff, pausing the two-person trek through a winter wonderland. She dared to peek over her shoulder at her best friend, Paisley Summerhill, who answered with a silent shrug.

Paisley’s grey eyes, however, begged for her friend’s self-control. They were traversing an exposed path, having come out of dense pine and fir trees into a wide, swooping ski path. It cut across an Italian mountainside that frigid weather had marred with an icy lip of snow. It hung dangerously over the mountain’s edge. A loud shout could send it over the brink—and down on their heads—or so they’d been warned. 

Trying to calm her emotions, Ellie came up short. She felt like she’d let down a long line of strong women—including her Spanish ancestry and her friend Paisley. But had they faced adversity in freezing temperatures? she wondered. The weather shook all the conviction Ellie could muster. She scrunched her nose at the perfect winter scene, regretting the location.

Coming up next to Ellie, Paisley got close enough to whisper, “What did snow ever do to you?” Her teasing tone held a bit of worry, even though she appeared calm in a sporty ski outfit. The tight leggings hugged her lean body, while the puffy jacket offered warmth and style. However, it only protected her from the chilly weather. “Trust me, the snow is more afraid of us.” 

Ellie shot a withering look at her best friend, jade eyes rich with a warning. “You may be older by ten-ish years, and I’m still a college girl, but that’s just silly. Especially since we coulda gone home for the holidays; instead, we’re gonna be dead!”

Paisley shivered despite her ensemble. She snatched at the long braid she’d woven into her platinum hair, giving it a tug. The action was unconscious, more of a nervous tic. It usually soothed her. As the calmest one of the duo, she had to keep it together… but her heart rate picked up.  “I’ve got a plan.”

“Really?” Not that Ellie didn’t admire her friend’s clever mind, but things looked pretty bleak. “When will you listen to me and do the logical thing? You always run right toward the most dangerous solution!” 

Despite Ellie’s reproof, she kept her voice low, not wanting to spark an avalanche with a sharp word.

“I’d do anything to protect you!” Paisley said, believing that good intentions don’t always lead to good times.

Their trip to Italy had started out fun, but it quickly turned into something else. How could they guess that a job at a ski resort like The Fiocco Di Neve, which means The Snowflake in Italian, held so much danger?

The exclusive retreat was known to attract the rich and famous. It occupied a spot in the Northern Italian Alps, close enough for a day trip to the famous Dolomites or several quaint villages that offered gastronomic restaurants. The highly rated establishment was so popular that guests needed to book two years in advance. Even A-Listers, who could afford the price tag, needed help getting a room, but not Paisley and Ellie. 

The girls were enjoying the whole place for free. In fact, they were being paid—both of them for the first time—to run a series of skiing fitness clinics. Word had gotten out about their teamwork, which offered fitness that appealed to all ages. When the job offer arrived, the girls happily changed their plans to go home for the holidays and put a stamp in their passports instead.

“We’ll be home by New Year’s Eve,” Paisley had reasoned, “and New Year’s is more fun in Las Vegas, anyway.” Not that they were into the Vegas party scene, but the fireworks were impressive. Plus, she had one additional reason for delaying the trip home. 

Paisley had left home on shaky terms—practically running away after her almost wedding—with very little explanation to her family. She’d left a lot of people with a lot of questions. Facing the music could wait, she’d decided, and the girls had agreed to take the job in the Northern Italian Alps. No brainer! At least, they’d thought so just a few days ago.

Things had changed.

“We just have to get to the ski patrol lodge,” Paisley whispered, “without starting an avalanche.” She peeked up at the dangerous, icy ledge. 

“No one’s gonna be there,” Ellie whispered back.

Paisley nodded in agreement. “But their hut might have a way for us to call for help.”

They both knew that help might not be able to reach them any time soon due to the weather, but knowing someone was coming… well, that could be enough to see them through a very human kind of storm.

Two days ago, intense weather had hit the area. It blocked the winding roads, cutting off their exclusive resort from the village below. The staff that usually managed the mountain—including two private ski runs, a chair lift, and avalanche control—had received crossed signals and been sent to town after the owner died. The death had summoned a police inspector and three officers, who were also trapped at the resort with the guests and only two hotel employees. Crews were working on the road, but another system threatened to dump even more snow.

“It’s a risk,” Paisley said, enjoying being outside and how the snow crunched under her snow shoes. “If we don’t do something, the storm might seal our fate.”

Ellie held up her hand, spotting the Ski Patrol hut. Its slanted roof blended in with a snow drift, but the door with its red cross stood out against all the white.

“There it is,” she pointed. “Oh, no…” her voice trailed off in horror.

Paisley blinked, unsure if the cold was affecting her vision, but it wasn’t. Waiting in front of the Ski Patrol hut—a snowman. The little fellow only stood 4 feet tall, with curves in all the right places, rock eyes, and a broken stick forming a lopsided grin. He’d been assembled in front of the Ski Patrol’s door as if guarding it.

“Another snowman,” Ellie mumbled. Her voice cracked, dread seeping into every cell of her body. “Up here? How did he get up here?”

Knowing there was only one answer, Paisley shook her head. She didn’t want to say it, but they’d been outmaneuvered. She glanced backward, wondering if they’d been followed or if their adversary was waiting ahead. The stillness of the air, chilling to the bone, offered no clue.

“This can’t be good,” Ellie sighed.

As if in answer, a loud boom sounded over their heads. Ellie and Paisley immediately looked up. A hawk flew away, spooked. The treetops trembled, and an ominous vibration echoed through the valley.

“That was man-made,” Paisley said, reaching out a hand to her friend. “We’re in trouble.”

A second sound—an aching bass that rumbled into a heart-wrenching crack—shook the air. This one came purely from nature. It was also the girls’ last warning as a portion of the icy ridge broke away.

“Run!” Paisley screamed.

The snow under their boots suddenly felt like quicksand. They struggled through the winter landscape, making an agonizingly slow dash back toward the tree line. The sound, though, could not be escaped. 

Ten yards from the tree line… the avalanche filled their ears with a thunderous crashing of snow and rocks. 

Six yards from the tree line… the sound grew louder and louder, churning up the terrain, as the avalanche tore through everything in its path.

Two yards from the tree line… the cloud of snow blasted around Paisley and Ellie, sweeping them off their feet and closing in like a blanket of deadly white. 

Ellie was right, Paisley thought, we should have gone home for the holidays.

Hope you enjoyed the first installment of Fit Girls: Snowmen are Murder! Subscribe to be alerted when the next installment is released—next Wednesday!