Avalanche (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 3) by Kristina Stanley Page B

hair. She rolled her chair backward and stood. “I need time. That’s all.”
    “Time for what?”
    “I don’t know. Just time.”
    “That makes no sense.”
    “I know. Roy’s only been gone four days. I have to get my head around losing him so soon after he came back in my life.” Hurt radiated from Ben’s eyes. She’d cut right to his heart, and she knew it. Roy being caught in an avalanche was Roy’s fault, but Ben would forever live with the search and rescue failure.
    Ben stepped backward and leaned against the door. They were at opposite ends of her office, as far apart as they could be and still be in the same room. Chica picked up on the tension and paced between them, wagging her tail.
    “Do you still love me?” he asked.
    “I’m angry. I’m terrified about how Roy died. Don’t make this into something more than it is.”
    “Fine. I’ll give you time.” Ben opened the door and left.
    Kalin’s knees buckled, and she dropped to the carpet. Chica trotted to her and licked her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around Chica’s shoulders, buried her fingers in silky fur and held firm. She stayed there until the shaking stopped.
     
    * * *
     
    On her way to the finance center, Helen smiled at the thought of her two-minute meeting with Turner and Duncan Bosey, the ever-quiet director of finance. Being promoted was beyond her expectations.
    She passed Jessica’s office and cringed. Kalin hovered beside her, supervising her while she cleaned out her office. Jessica had a nasty streak and feeling sorry for her was not easy.
    Although short on time, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enticed her into the staff kitchen. She poured herself a cup with double cream and double sugar. A co-worker had left a box of doughnuts on the counter. She chose one covered with chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, grabbed a napkin, glanced around to see if anyone would notice and piled on a second doughnut. Fully supplied, she rushed to the finance center.
    Constables Miller and Wagner entered behind her and closed the door.
    “Good morning,” Miller said.
    Helen’s stupid cheeks stung with heat, and Miller hadn’t even asked a question yet. Why had two of them come? “I’m supposed to leave the door open. Sometimes employees need change for the registers.”
    “They’ll have to wait. I have a few more questions,” Miller said.
    Helen bit the corner of her lip. She placed her coffee and doughnuts on her desk. If she got this over with, she could stop stressing.
    Miller rolled the spare chair close to Helen. He placed his RCMP cap on her desk and removed a pen and notebook from his breast pocket. His partner stood with her back to the door.
    “I’ve been trying to contact you. Where were you the last couple of days?” Miller asked.
    “I’m not really sure what you want from me. I’ve already told you everything I know,” Helen said.
    “Please answer the question.”
    “I went to Calgary.”
    Miller scribbled in his notebook and turned his ocean-blue eyes back to her. “What for?”
    “To visit my parents.”
    Wagner shifted but held her position at the door. Had something Helen said interested the female officer?
    Miller glanced at Wagner but focused right back on Helen. “Odd time to leave work, right after a theft. Surely you knew I’d want to speak with you again. I told you we needed to get your fingerprints. Is there any reason you’ve avoided having that done?”
    Helen smoothed her dress over her thighs and straightened her belt. “I went to visit my parents. I haven’t seen them since last summer, and with everything going on, I needed them.”
    Miller held his pen ready. “Please give me the names and contact information for both your parents.”
    “If you don’t mind my asking, what for?”
    “I’m wondering why you went to see them when you obviously should be here.”
    “But I already told you why.”
    “So you did.” Miller wrote her parents names and phone numbers as she dictated