The Grudge Read Online Free Page A

unconscious.”
    “Maybe. At this point I’d say the evidence is pretty inconclusive. Maybe we should ask around at the bar tomorrow, see if anyone remembers anything,” Mac suggested. “Do we have a name or any other personal information about the victim?”
    “Not that I know of. I’ll ask around,” Andi volunteered. “I could check with registration; they should have basic check-in data. Maybe we could meet up in the morning. The coffee shop has excellent pancakes. Say around nine?”
    “Sounds good,” Trevor answered for the group. “How about we give you a ride home?”
    “That would be awesome. It’s not far; just up the road, actually. I usually walk pretty much everywhere I go, but with the storm, I’m not all that anxious to make the trek.”
    Devon dropped Andi off at her house and headed back through town. All of the buildings were constructed of real wooden logs and each had a coil of smoke spiraling out of chimneys constructed from various shades of river rock. The town had been decorated for the holiday with white lights, evergreen boughs, and large red bows.
    The giant Christmas tree that stood in the center of the town square swayed to and fro as many of the colored lights, red and green balls, and decorated pine cones blew across the snow-covered roadway. Snow was piled high against a huge stone and the wood sign that announced you were entering Grizzly Mountain Resort.
    “I bet the town was a Christmas fairy land before the storm hit,” Alyson commented. “Based on the decorations that are scattered all over the ground, it looks like they went all out.”
    “Yeah, it was really pretty.” Devon squeezed Alyson’s hand between them. “I’m sorry you missed it.”
    “Is the resort open year-round? Andi mentioned that entire families live here.”
    “Yeah. In the winter there’s skiing, both downhill and cross-country, ice-skating, snowmobile rides, snowshoeing, and other snow sports. In the summer they have hiking, fishing, rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, and other warm-weather sports. There’s even a golf course buried underneath the nordic ski track.”
    “I bet it would be beautiful in the summer,” Alyson imagined.
    “Right now I’d be happy to get a peek at the winter landscape. With this storm I’ve barely been able to see a few feet in front of me,” Mac complained from her second-row seat.
    “Don’t worry. I’m sure it will clear up in a day or two.” Eli put his arm around her and pulled her close. “In the meantime I can think of a few other things we can do to stay occupied.”
    “Oh, yeah? Like what?”
    Eli whispered in her ear and Mac giggled.
    “Hey, you guys, knock it off,” Trevor complained. “No talk of smoochies unless Andi or some other equally hot chick is around for me.”
    “Who said we were talking about smoochies?” Mac defended herself. “For your information we were talking about playing board games.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    “We’re here.” Devon pulled up in front of a two-story house, constructed with the familiar log and rock exteriors of the rest of the buildings on the resort. The roofline was strung with white lights and there was a large Christmas tree showing through the picture windows that lined the front of the house.
    Huge drifts of snow had piled up in front of the structure and the walkway was almost completely concealed beneath the blowing snow.
    “Watch your step walking into the house. I shoveled the walkway earlier, but you’d never know that now. It’s bound to be slippery,” Devon warned. “Mac and Alyson can share a room.” Devon grabbed Alyson’s bags and walked ahead of the rest of them through the large entry and up the stairs. “Trevor can share with Eli and I’ll bunk in with my dad. Each room has two double beds and its own bath.”
    “Wow, this place is gorgeous.” Mac looked around at the cathedral ceilings, rustic furniture, and warm evergreen color scheme as she followed Eli, who was