Murder at Eagle Summit

Virginia Smith

A romantic ski resort seems the perfect place for a wedding. Until a murder on the slopes turns everyone on Eagle Summit into suspects. Liz Carmichael, the bride's cousin, saw a shadowy figure on a chair lift in the middle of the night. But was it the victim or the killer?Liz goes to the police–and finds herself giving the report to her ex-fiancе, Deputy Tim Richards. After a three-year estrangement, she could finally make things right–unless the killer finds her first….

A scream pierced the mountain air.

Liz!

Heart pounding, Tim crouched on his snowboard, picking up speed. His gaze searched the downhill path. There! Liz, unmistakable in her pink ski jacket, lay facedown. A man loomed over her.

Tim let out a howl of rage. He didn’t have time to think about words, just bellowed like a bear. An angry bear. If that man harmed one hair on Liz’s head…

The guy let go. With lightning speed, he darted away. Tim shot across the snow in a direct path to his ex-fiancеe. He threw himself to his knees on the snow beside her and gathered her up in his arms.

“There, baby. It’s okay now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She threw her arms around his neck, her sobs loud in his ear.

In that instant, Tim knew. In fact, he’d always known.

He was still in love with her.

VIRGINIA SMITH

A lifelong lover of books, Virginia Smith has always enjoyed immersing herself in fiction. In her mid-twenties she wrote her first story and discovered that writing well is harder than it looks; it took many years to produce a book worthy of publication. During the daylight hours she steadily climbed the corporate ladder and stole time late at night after the kids were in bed to write. With the publication of her first novel, she left her twenty-year corporate profession to devote her energy to her passion—writing stories that honor God and bring a smile to the faces of her readers. When she isn’t writing, Ginny and her husband, Ted, enjoy exploring the extremes of nature—snow skiing in the mountains of Utah, motorcycle riding on the curvy roads of central Kentucky, and scuba diving in the warm waters of the Caribbean. Visit her online at www.VirginiaSmith.org.

Virginia Smith

Murder at Eagle Summit

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean: wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

—Psalms 51:7

For my husband, Ted.

Thank you for introducing me to Utah skiing.

Acknowledgments

This story would not have come about if not for the assistance of many people. Thanks to:

Susan Ashley, who gave me the idea of setting a story in Park City, and for invaluable insights about the day-to-day operation of ski resorts. And for so many terrific ideas, like finding a frozen body on a chair lift.

Zach and Heidi Nakaishi, for patiently answering my questions and for educating me about police procedures in Utah’s Summit County. If I goofed it’s not their fault.

Tracy Ruckman and Amy Barkman, for excellent feedback.

The CWFI Critique Group for working so hard on the first few chapters, the summary, and title brainstorming: Amy S., Amy B., Vicki T., Sherry K., Richard L., Ann K. and Tracy R.

My agent, Wendy Lawton, for believing in me and telling me so.

Editor extraordinaire Krista Stroever, whose insights make me a better writer and whose encouragement makes me a grateful one.

And finally, thanks to my Lord Jesus, for more things than I could possibly list here. But He knows.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

“Have you ever seen an uglier dress in your life?”

Liz Carmichael pitched her voice to be