A Game of Greed and Deception: A Mystery Drama

ONE

The back and forth snake-like
winding of the narrow road up the
Colorado
mountainside almost lulled Stephen into a trance as he drove. He kept the
windshield wipers and defroster on high as cold wind gusts swirled with fluffy
snowflakes against the glass. It was a lovely drive, he thought, seeing the
surrounding pine trees with a sprinkle of snow on their tops. His beautiful
young wife, Tammy, sat in back keeping company with his wide-eyed 10-year-old
daughter. Maria had never seen but a trace of snow before in her entire life
and kept her face pressed to the window as the snow covering became more dense
with the increase in elevation.

Stephen
kept his hands on the wheel and eyes focused straight ahead. “Honey, did you
check the weather forecast for the weekend? The roads are tricky enough already
and it looks like a pretty big storm is heading this way. Make sure that Maria
is buckled up back there.”

Tammy
placed her hand gently on his shoulder. “Ya baby, of course I did, and we’re
gonna get a real snowfall this weekend. But what else would you expect for a
mid-January trip to
Fraser
,
Colorado
? It’s one of
the coldest places in the nation! That’s what makes this weekend both romantic
and exciting.”

Stephen
glanced into the rear view mirror. “I can only handle a certain level of
excitement. But why Fraser, of all places? We could’ve been soaking in the
thermal pool at Glenwood Springs, letting their top-notch staff pamper us, or
even stayed at some luxury ski resort.”

Tammy
chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Skiing – you? It might take us all morning to
get you comfortably into the lift chair.”

“So
sassy and such a biting wit. I was more thinking of Maria, but I guess it might
be too dangerous…”

“It
wouldn’t be too dangerous, dad!” Maria interrupted her father, leaning forward
in the backseat, trying to catch Stephen’s eye in the rear view mirror. “I’ve
already been in gymnastics for four years and did my first wilderness campout
with Girl Scouts.”

Tammy
waved her finger at Maria. “You can’t just go skiing for the first time without
proper lessons from a qualified instructor. Neither one of you needs to break a
leg on our anniversary celebration weekend. We’ll still have a fun weekend,
guys, don’t worry.”

Maria
crossed her arms and went back to observing the snow covered landscape outside.

Stephen
looked into the rear view mirror again. “But we’re not even staying that close
to the town center. You know that money is no object and we’re heading into the
middle of nowhere.”

Tammy
smiled at him and nodded emphatically. “That’s exactly why I chose this place.
The location is secluded and mysterious. Don’t you want to be part of nature
and American folklore for a few days? We’re staying at an old hunting cabin
built in the 1800’s. They only rent it to very special clients. And don’t
worry, honey, they’ve done fixed it all up and it should be real fancy inside.”
Tammy had been planning this family trip with Stephen for months, and was
really adamant about it being in the
Colorado
mountains.

“But
you didn’t even let me see the brochures and you know that I’m not a big fan of
surprises. I would prefer to have us being pampered rather than fending for
ourselves out in the wilderness.”

Tammy
chuckled. “We’re not out in the wilderness, honey. The best way to relax is to
be surrounded by nature. Have you ever observed wildlife in their natural
habitat before? It’s very calming. And it’s a also natural remedy for my
depression and headache spells, which you know have a terrible effect on me and
bring back awful memories.”

Stephen
smiled, hiding his ambivalence. “Whatever makes you happy, dear. It’s our one
year anniversary and I’m just happy that we’re all together.”

***

Stephen
met Tammy Caldwell while on a 2-week vacation in
Palm Springs
. From
Wilmington
,
North
Carolina
and just 22 years old, she was
staying there on holiday at a hotel with her parents. When Stephen caught a
glimpse of her sitting a few seats down from him at the Brazilian Bistro bar,
he was immediately struck by her stunning face and glamorous attire. Then he heard
her speak with a delicate Southern accent that would melt the hardest heart.

Stephen
took a big gulp of his whiskey on the rocks, and threw some more looks her way.
Her legs were long and slim, supporting a more voluptuous figure with full
breasts and broad shoulders. Then she smiled. Perfect teeth glimmered
pearly-white framed by full pink lips. The bartender politely told the young
woman that a gentleman would like to replace her top-shelf Martini. Tammy
glanced over at Stephen, and then whispered softly to the bartender. To
Stephen’s shock, she graciously accepted his offer. A return glance and a smile
later, and Stephen and Tammy were engrossed in conversation.

She
was very outgoing and very inquisitive. She asked him briefly about his holiday
in
Palm Springs
,
but was more curious about his career and background. He briefly touched on his
work history and told her about the number of new businesses needing venture
capital that he had funded at their inception. Tammy seemed to be impressed and
listened eagerly. Then she told him about her desire to move away from her
family and start a new life of her own. She was working for a small travel
agency in her home town, a job she had gotten right out of high school. She
could not afford to attend a University and said that anyway the demands of a
college curriculum really weren’t for her. She had only been to a big city once
when she visited
Atlanta
,
and was tired of the limitations of small town life. Stephen got an immediate
sense that Tammy was caring and nurturing and could possibly be a great mother
to now nine-year-old Maria.

Tammy
was definitely a charmer, holding Stephen’s hand gently as they spoke, and
telling him how much she adored a mature gentleman. After a couple more drinks,
they were holding hands, laughing, and kissing. Then they went back to Stephen’s
five-star hotel room where they shared an incredible night of romance and raw passion,
a combination of senses that he would not have believed possible. Stephen was
convinced that Tammy had totally seduced him, and felt really good about that.

After
being married for just a year to this Southern beauty with model-looks and a
special kind of savvy, Stephen felt both fulfilled and excited about their
relationship. After all, he was twice her age, and had never been too great
with women. Tammy had told Stephen about some troubles that she had faced since
she was little and how unfair life had been to her. He believed that Tammy had
not grown up in the healthiest home environment, and wanted to bring stability
and balance to her life. She also told him about the terrible, paralyzing
headaches that she got when under a great deal of stress. Stephen was high
strung but always tried to be calmer around Tammy and wanted to make her as
happy as he could and fulfill her every desire.

***

Maria poked her freckled,
fair-skinned face in between the two front seats to attract her father’s
attention. “Dad, are we almost there yet? I’m getting hungry.”

Stephen
drove along slowly as the car approached some sharp turns in the winding road.
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s just a few more miles up the road. There’s the sign for
the local hotel and restaurant coming up. That’s where we’re eating dinner.
It’s supposed to be a really elegant place with the best food around. What time
is our reservation, Tammy? Do we have some time to unwind before dinner?”

“It’s
at 8 pm. Ya, of course, it’s just past 7 now – we’ve got plenty of time.”

“Ok,
great. Where do I go from here?”

Tammy
pointed to the right. “Just after the hotel there’s a smaller gravel road on
the right. Turn there and follow it for a mile and a half into the forest and
up near the top of the cliff.”

Stephen
turned onto the gravel road which was quickly covering over with snow and put
the car in second gear as the slope became quite steep. The surrounding canopy
of pine trees got denser as the road wound right through the forest. It
reminded him of his determination in his own life to charge ahead, moving past
challenges and struggles, and never looking back with regret. “This is sure
away from any form of civilization. I hope the heat is working well in that
cabin and the fridge is fully stocked.”

“Oh,
I’m sure it is.” Several minutes later, Tammy tapped Stephen on the shoulder,
and pointed her finger out the side window again. “Stop, there it is! Turn
there.”

They
approached the cabin on the right from the winding gravel road. It was made
from Western White Pine logs, with a front porch sitting atop a stone
foundation. On the porch was an antique rocking chair and a pile of logs. The
surrounding area was the dense pine tree forest.

Stephen
parked the car, stretched his neck forward, and looked out the front window.
“Well, at least it looks quite cozy, doesn’t it? And I see that they must’ve
put on a new roof and made those steps to the porch handicapped accessible. Oh
and look, on the right side of the cabin, further back – that’s where they
added on a room when they remodeled it. Right, honey?”

Tammy
put her arm around Maria and looked excitedly towards Stephen. “That’s right,
baby, the brochure that I read online said that they added on a den and extra
half bathroom after remodeling the rest of the cabin. And just wait until we
see the inside, it’s gonna look fantastic.” She paused for a moment and saw a
manila envelope on the rocking chair. “Now listen, guys, here’s what we’re
gonna do. They done left the key in an envelope on the porch. I’ll get that and
then we can grab our bags and take a little peek inside. Let’s just leave the
car here and walk back down to the restaurant. A brisk walk in the cold
Colorado
mountain air
will allow us all to wake up and stretch our legs. And it’s also a great way to
take in the scenery. We can drop our bags off and get unpacked after dinner.”

“Walk
all the way back down to the restaurant?” Stephen turned around to face her
with a doubtful look on his face. “It’s cold out and snow is falling. I really
don’t think that…”

“Listen
dear,” Tammy interrupted, “we’re not gonna go anywhere in the car this weekend.
We’re here to live out in the woods just like the hunters did. My mother always
said that being one with nature was cleansing to the soul.”

Stephen
smirked.
 
“I remember – it was your
father that was cruel and heartless. Are you sure that you’re even cut out for
that kind of exercise, honey? I never knew that pretty girls could…”

Tammy
reached over and patted her husband on the belly. “Very funny. You need the
exercise as much as I do. Now c’mon you two, let’s get out and stretch our
legs.”

Stephen
turned his head and glanced towards Maria. “Whatever your stepmother says, huh
princess?”

They
got out of the car, Tammy took the key from inside the envelope, and opened the
front door to the cabin. Once inside, Stephen’s eyes opened wide at the sight
of an elegant sofa and loveseat, wood burning fireplace, and lavish antique
furnishings. “Wow! It’s even more elegant than I’d imagined. I was afraid that
it would be too rustic, but it’s so cozy and comfortable inside. And the
ceiling is so high. We’re going to sip some dry sherry while listening to the
cracking sound of burning firewood. And I can’t wait to find that Jacuzzi.”

Tammy
gestured vaguely towards Stephen “After dinner, baby. Let’s just leave our bags
right here to keep them nice and warm and leave for dinner.”

“Should
I get my handgun from the car and keep it somewhere inside the cabin?”

Tammy
waved her finger. “We’re on a vacation. The last thing we need is that damn gun
inside, anywhere near Maria. This cabin is safer than any five-star hotel you
could have chosen.”

Stephen
nodded. All bundled up in thick winter clothing, the three of them started the
walk back down the mountain road, which was quickly becoming covered with snow.
Stephen wanted to hold his wife’s hand but instead kept his hands warm inside
his coat pockets. He walked carefully knowing that he had yet not unpacked his
snow boots. Maria looked all around her out of curiosity as she walked. About
thirty minutes later they arrived in time for their 8 pm reservation at the
four-star restaurant.