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definitely was Derek," Brett said, his voice quavering as he stared at the fire, flames rising from logs cut from managed woodlots on lodge property. He didn't seem to notice the heat. His light brown hair curled below the line of his jaw, and he wore a heavy wool sweater and wind pants that were baggy on his lanky frame. "The police found me at Harper Four Corners and told me. I was taking pictures for a photography project I'm working on...." He trailed off, his anguish obvious.
    "I'm sorry, Brett," Rose said, suppressing her own emotions. "I know Derek was a friend."
    Ranger placed his head on Brett's boot. Brett smiled, as if forcing himself to focus. "I guess I'm still in shock. I've only been back in Black Falls a few weeks. I'm house-sitting up the road for one of my ski students. It's perfect, or so I thought."
    "Have you seen much of Derek since you've been back?"
    "No, not really. I haven't had much to do with him since last winter. I thought he was going to stay in Colorado, but he had established contacts in Vermont. I ran into him at Okemo last week. He seemed good." Brett faltered, glancing back at the fire. "I know we weren't favorites around here."
    Rose placed a hand on the back of one the comfortable, overstuffed chairs arranged in front of the fire. "People know you weren't a big part of the fight last year. You didn't harass Hannah."
    "I didn't stop Derek."
    "When you saw him, did he mention he wanted to talk to me or that he planned to go out to the Whittaker place?"
    "No, nothing like that. We just talked about skiing. Damn. This is awful." Brett eased his foot out from under Ranger's head. "Just what you all need."
    "Never mind us. We'll get through it."
    "Finding him this morning must have been hard on you."
    "It was," she said softly.
    Brett didn't speak for a moment. The fire crackled, glowing chunks of a log shifting as it burned. "Derek liked you, Rose. He never got into whatever went on between you two last winter, but I know he felt bad about it."
    Suddenly feeling warm, she unzipped her jacket. "None of that matters now."
    "I guess it doesn't. It's hard to believe he's dead." Brett pointed to the lobby door. "I should go."
    "I can run you up the road if you'd like."
    He gave a faint smile. "The exercise will do me good." He lifted a down vest off the back of a chair and shrugged it on, then snapped it up, his hands steady but his movements slow, as if every snap were a struggle. When he finished, he looked at Rose, tears shining in his pale gray eyes. "I know that fight at O'Rourke's last year wasn't Derek's first or his last. He could be a real bastard. What if someone had it in for him?"
    "Who would?" Rose asked. "Just because some people didn't like him doesn't mean anyone wanted him dead."
    Brett pulled a knitted hat from his vest pocket but didn't put it on, just held it bunched up in one hand. "Rose...do you think there's any chance Derek killed himself? I don't mean to be so blunt, but if his death wasn't an accident, then maybe it was suicide and not murder."
    "I don't know what happened to Derek."
    "Of course you don't. Sorry. Damn, this isn't what I expected when I got up this morning. I'll be around. Let me know if there's anything I can do." His cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "As if there would be. You Camerons can take care of yourselves, that's for sure. I'll see you later."
    He left quickly, mumbling hello as he passed A.J. coming in.
    Rose watched her older brother walk stiffly to the stone fireplace. He patted Ranger, then grabbed a log from a copper box, pulled back the screen in front of the fire and set the log on the red-hot coals. "It's quiet around here," he said, replacing the screen. "Midweek, not that many guests. Most everyone's out enjoying the good weather."
    "A.J.--"
    He held up a hand and turned to her, his back to the fire. "I should have stopped you from going out to the Whittaker place from the beginning. I didn't understand why you wanted to, but I wasn't