Chapter 7

They unlocked the front door and looked directly into a large stone fireplace that dominated a living room filled with plush, expensive leather furniture. One the other side of the living room was a dining room, and the fireplace was the centerpiece for both large rooms. On one side of the house was a large, open kitchen, and the other end they discovered a large bedroom with a king sized bed. The master bath featured a large shower and jacuzzi. The house was very cold, so Tim looked around until he found a large space heater, which he immediately fired up.

“Apparently Uncle Wallace did not have a lot of guests here.”

“Why do you think that sweetheart?”

“Well mom, there is no guest bedroom, for one thing. I don’t think there is a central heating unit either; at least unless the thermostat is hiding somewhere.”

“Ahhhh. Right you are...”

Anticipating her concern, he quickly said that he could sleep on the couch.

She seemed preoccupied and didn’t answer. Instead, she said they should go outside to get the groceries and their bags. Marie elected to unpack the bags while Tim put up the groceries. He finished and walked to the bedroom to help his mother.

“There is food everywhere”, he said. “There are steaks in the freezer and tons of boxed and canned goods in the cabinets. There is also a large wine rack full of imported wines. I sure don’t think Uncle Wallace was expecting to die based upon the amount of food he had stored.”

“Terrific!” “If we get snowbound, at least we won’t starve to death”, she joked. “It is still really chilly in here. Why don’t you gather some wood and start a fire?”

Tim went out the back and found an outbuilding that was packed with various hardwoods. He gathered several pieces and started the fire. In no time, the room began to warm. The fireplace was equipped with fans that were quietly effective.

Marie busied herself with dinner. She had already opened a bottle of wine and was on her second glass. Tim chided her about starting the party without him, but she just smiled and said something along the lines of “If you cruise, you lose”.

“Well, I have some good news and some bad news”, Tim said. “The good news is that Uncle Wallace had a large DVD collection. The bad news is that the TV only picks up a few stations.”

“That’s really not bad news, sweetheart. You watch far too much television. This will give us a chance to talk.”

They enjoyed a dinner of salad, rotini, and mild Italian sausage in a red sauce. After dinner they settled on the couch with an enormous Afghan, selected a DiCaprio movie, and finished off a second bottle of wine. Both of them were a little tipsy by the end of the movie and were a little jet lagged still, so they decided to turn in early. Tim finished off the wine and banked the fire, hoping it would lend enough heat to the cabin to last until the morning.

He went to the bedroom to look for a blanket and extra pillow for the couch. He was struck by the chill in the room. Marie had already taken a shower and was under a thick down comforter.