A search party set out around the house. Ian, Ruby and Pixley arranged it. Fina blinked her eyes and stayed huddled on the sofa. Occasional whoops and hollers floated in from the hallway.
After staring at the floodlight on the falling snow outside for at least thirty minutes, Fina tilted her head back into the cushions. Little snowflake dots appeared in her vision when she closed her eyes. She began to drift. The fire was warm, and her consumption of brandy helped her to fall asleep.
Something slithered. In her dreamlike state, she imagined it was Noodle’s snake.
Jerking her head upward, she tried to open her eyes, but they fell closed again straight away.
A gloved hand wrapped around her throat. Another slid across her mouth.
“If you do anything, I’ll break your neck, you understand?
