Read Online At Any Cost by Mandy Baxter - Free Book Online

seems really nice. I guess she hasn’t lived here long?”
    â€œI’m not sure,” Cori said. “She’s worked here longer than I have, though.”
    â€œYou guys probably see a lot of turnaround.” So far, Nick wasn’t having much luck. If he could keep the conversation rolling though, he might glean some small bit of insight into Livy from her coworker.
    â€œOh yeah,” Cori replied. “I think the only person who’s been here longer than Livy is Jane down in customer service. Not a lot of people have what it takes to get through one of our winters.” She laughed. “Are you here on vacation or do you live here?”
    â€œVacation,” Nick said. “My wife stayed in town and I volunteered to drive our daughter up.”
    Cori turned her attention to the mountain as she sipped from her cup and broke off a chunk from her muffin. Nick erred on the side of caution and didn’t push for conversation. After a few more minutes, she dug her phone out of her coat pocket and checked the time. “I have a private lesson in ten minutes so I’d better get going. It was nice talking to you.”
    â€œYou too,” Nick said. “Have a good one.”
    Cori might have been a dead end but she’d given Nick a good lead. He waited until he saw Cori emerge from the lodge. She retrieved a pair of skis from a rack and locked her boots into the bindings and took off toward a small building near the lift. Nick pushed out from the table and headed out of the lodge to the ground floor and the customer service office.
    He took the stairs slowly as he thought of a cover story. Under any other circumstances, he would have simply flashed his badge and gotten right down to business. He couldn’t be so forthright now. He couldn’t let Livy know he was investigating her. If she happened to be tipped off that someone was asking around about her, she could get spooked and run again. If that happened, Nick would be back at square one and no closer to bringing Meecum in.
    The customer service office was tucked away at the back end of the ground floor behind the ticket windows. Nick held open the door before going inside for a trio of kids who examined their shiny new season passes as they exited. A long counter spanned the small office space and a woman with short blond hair and bright blue eyes greeted him with a smile.
    â€œHi! What can I help you with?”
    â€œHi, I was wondering if I could get some information on a youth lesson package. I was told to ask for Jane.”
    â€œI’m Jane,” she said with a wide grin. “What would you like to know?”
    Everything you know about Livy, for starters. “A friend of mine said his daughter took lessons from Livy last year and loved her. Does she still work here?”
    â€œOh sure,” Jane replied. “Livy’s great. The kids really respond to her and she’s super patient.”
    â€œThat’s great,” Nick said. “Is she local?” Jane gave him a strange look and he added, “I heard you guys have a high turnaround and I just want to make sure she’ll still be here at the end of February.”
    â€œLivy’s been here for about four years,” Jane said. “I doubt she’ll be leaving anytime soon.”
    â€œThat’s good to know.” So far, he hadn’t learned anything more than what Cori had told him. Damn it, getting information was so much easier when he showed up with a gun on his hip and his badge on his belt. “Do you mind if I ask what her level of experience is?”
    â€œNot at all.” Apparently Jane regularly dealt with parents concerned for their child’s ski instructor’s credentials. “She’s an expert-level skier. Raced at the junior level, if I remember correctly.”
    Finally, something Nick could use. There was a chance she’d fabricated her ski experience in order to get a job but there