Snow Place to Die

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table, “I don’t usually get calls this early unless they’re reservations from the East Coast.”

The bed and breakfast guests made various incomprehensible sounds, then began dishing up pancakes. Judith returned

to the kitchen just as the phone trunked over to the answering

machine. After delivering bacon, eggs, and extra butter, she

checked the message.

“I know you’re there, you twit!” Cousin Renie’s voice had

an early-morning croak. “Call me! Quick!”

It was 7:36. Judith’s cousin never, ever got out of bed before nine and almost never achieved full consciousness until

ten. Apprehensively, Judith dialed Renie’s number.

“Are you okay?” Judith asked in a breathless voice.

“I’m terrible,” Renie replied crossly. “I’m up the creek, in

the soup, down the toilet.”

2 / Mary Daheim

The exaggerated response relieved Judith’s mind. If Renie

had been held hostage or was lying at the bottom of her

basement stairs, she wouldn’t describe her plight so vividly.