Alaska Adventure (14 page)

“I didn’t know formal attire was required for today,” Trip commented.

“Maybe you’re content to dress like somebody who was raised by wolves,” Mariah shot back. “But some of us like to feel human every once in a while.”

“At least she’s here,” Russ said pointedly. “Now we can get started.”

“Who’s going with whom?” asked Laurel.

Russ shrugged. “I’ll take Mariah.”

Trip leaned over, a smirk on his face. “Better you than me, pal.”

“Cassie?” said Laurel. “Want to share a canoe?”

Cassie shrugged. With an air of complete indifference, she said, “Fine.”

“I guess that makes me the odd one out,” said Trip.

“You mean you’re just figuring that out
now?”
Mariah commented dryly.

Once the three canoes had left the shore and were drifting purposefully across the glassy surface of the water, Mariah asked, “So what are we doing today?”

“I thought Dr. Wells’s briefing last night made that pretty clear,” replied Russ.

“I was too tired to listen. Something about animals, wasn’t it?”

Russ shook his head slowly, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “We’ve got to check the live traps and the fish traps from yesterday. And we’ve really got to work on identifying the species of birds living around Wolf Lake.”

“I get it. That explains why you’re lugging that big telescope out into the wilds. And here I thought you were just getting nearsighted in your old age.”

“It’s called a spotting scope, and it’s the best thing for observing bird behavior. As soon as I find a good place to set it up—” Russ suddenly stopped. “Hey, look at that red-throated grebe!”

“Fascinating,” Marian muttered. “Just fascinating.”

After that, she had little to say. A few hours later, as the group paddled into one of the deeper parts of the lake to collect aquatic insects with long-handled dip nets, Laurel realized she’d barely said a word all morning. In fact, Mariah rarely interacted with the others— not only today, but every day. Yet instead of resenting her, Laurel actually found herself feeling sorry for Mariah. In a strange way, Mariah reminded her of Jim Whitehorse. Both of them lived in a kind of isolation— quite different in most ways, to be sure, but not completely without similarity. She wondered why Mariah was so difficult to get along with ... and why she was so difficult to get to know.

After a while, her mind wandered away from the other girl’s odd behavior back to the beauty of the lake. Just like all the other times she’d been out on the lake, it was hard not to become completely absorbed by it. She let all other concerns drift out of her head as she allowed herself to be hypnotized by the rich colors, the sweet air, and the musical sounds that completely surrounded her. As far as she was concerned, she’d be happy to stay out here on the lake forever. It was so peaceful, so idyllic…

“My bracelet!” Mariah suddenly cried, her voice shrill.

Startled, Laurel glanced over in her direction. She saw the stricken look on Marian’s face.

“It’s gone! My bracelet’s gone! It must have fallen into the lake!”

“Lesson number two hundred seventy-three,” Trip muttered. “Never wear jewelry from Tiffany’s, Cartier, or other exclusive, overpriced Beverly Hills boutiques while paddling a canoe—”

“You don’t understand. That’s not just any bracelet. It was—I have to get it back.”

Russ was about to voice his protest when Mariah suddenly jumped to her feet, leaning over the side of their canoe and peering into the water below.

“Look out!” he yelped.

It was too late. The canoe tipped over, sliding effortlessly over the smooth surface of the lake and turning over one hundred eighty degrees. Russ and Mariah were thrown into the lake, along with the nets, the day’s provisions, the logbook, the telescope, and all the other gear that had been stashed inside for the day’s research trip.

Mariah sat in the lake, water up to her chin, the tops of her knees barely breaking the surface of the lake. The expression on her face was one of total astonishment.

“The equipment!” Laurel exclaimed, horrified.

“And
our lunch,” muttered Cassie.

“Good going, Mariah,” Trip said under his breath.

Russ was the angriest of all. He’d fallen into the lake right along with Mariah. Standing knee-deep in water, he gasped, “Of all the thoughtless things you’ve ever done—”

“It’s not here!” Mariah gasped. “I still don’t see my bracelet!”

Trip shook his head. “Boy, are you hopeless.”

Mariah attempted to stand, her eyes still fixed on the bottom of the lake. But as she struggled to find firm footing, she let out a whoop and slid right back into the water. She plunged down even harder this time, her head slipping beneath the surface of the water. When she finally managed to pull herself up, she was coughing and spitting out take water. Her wet hair hung over her head like a shiny black veil.

“Somebody—get—me—out—of—here!” she sputtered.

Russ stuck out his hand. “Just promise me one thing, Mariah,” he said from between clenched teeth. “From now on, whenever we go out on the lake—”

The shriek Mariah suddenly let out kept him from finishing.

“Get them off! Get them
off!”

It took only a split second for Laurel and the others to understand what had happened. Marian’s slender arm, once sporting a stylish gold bracelet, was now covered with black squiggles.

“Leeches!” Cassie cried, her eyes wide.

“Oh, Mariah.” Laurel was transfixed by the repulsive sight.

Trip was less sympathetic. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. A few leeches never hurt anybody.”

“Get them off me!” Mariah’s voice was shrill with panic. Her face had crumpled into a look of total despair.

Russ grabbed her arm and began methodically picking off the slimy black shapes. Laurel couldn’t tell whether the scowl on his face was due to his disgust over having to deal with the bloodsucking worms ... or Mariah’s hysteria.

“Look!” Mariah suddenly exclaimed. “I’m bleeding!”

“That’s what happens when you pull off a leech,” Russ explained calmly. “It leaves behind a calling card.”

He had almost finished when Marian cried, “I just thought of something. More of those ... those horrible
things
could be attaching themselves to my legs as we’re standing here in this horrible lake! Let’s get out of here now!”

Russ glanced around. They were fairly far from shore. But the small island they’d explored days before was only a hundred yards away. “That island’s our best bet.”

“Help me onto it—
please!”

“Why don’t you climb into our canoe?” Laurel offered.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Cassie insisted. “The last thing I want is for her to topple ours, too. Thanks, but an armful of leeches is not my idea of a good time.”

Marian was sobbing as she crawled onto the rocky shore on her hands and knees. When she was finally on firm footing, she sank to the ground. Anxiously she examined her legs. When she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she buried her face in her hands.

“That was horrible!” she sobbed. “And my bracelet’s lost forever!”

“Losing our lunch was horrible,” Trip muttered. “Dr. Wells wants us out on the lake until eight or nine tonight. By that time, we’ll all have starved to death.”

“We don’t have to starve.” Cassie had been silent for some time, and the sound of her voice was a surprise.

“All our food fell into the lake,” Russ reminded her.

“I brought along some of my own.” She unzipped her backpack and began rummaging through it. Her cheeks were pink as she held out her stash of candy bars, cookies, and chips. “It’s not much ... but it’s better than nothing.”

“All right!” Trip had already pounced upon a bag of chips. “Cassie, I love you!”

Her cheeks grew even redder. “Anybody else want something?” She gestured toward the pile of snacks.

“I’ll take this for later.” Laurel helped herself to a candy bar. “Thanks, Cassie. You really saved the day.”

“Great,” said Marian, “Here we are trapped on Gilligan’s Island, and all we’ve got to eat is junk food. Chocolate, potato chips. ... Do you have any idea how many grams of fat are in those?”

“Gee, Cassie,” Trip said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “the next time Mariah throws all our food into the lake, make sure you pack a well-balanced meal. Salad, tofu, a few bean sprouts—”

“I’ll scout around the island,” Russ offered. “Maybe I can find some wild berries.”

“Make sure they’re organically grown!” Trip called after him.

As Russ wandered into the wooded area further inland, Trip turned to the girls. “Look, we’ve still got a long day ahead of us. As soon as Russ gets back, we should get back into the canoes and head further out on the lake.”

“Who put you in charge?” Mariah challenged.

“Mariah,” Laurel said evenly, “we’ve got a job to do. Just because you’re a little wet—”

“I wonder how you’d feel if you’d just fallen into a lake and gotten covered with leeches!”

“Laurel’s too smart to stand up in a canoe,” countered Trip.

“Maybe you should take one of the canoes and head back to the cabin, Mariah,” Cassie suggested. “I’m sure the rest of us could manage—”

“Trip! Laurel!” From inside the wooded area came the sound of Russ’s voice. And it was filled with alarm.

When he emerged from the woods, the expression on his face matched his tone.

“What is it?” demanded Trip.

Russ took a moment to catch his breath. “I think I’ve just found another casualty.”

“What are you talking about?” Mariah asked crossly. And then she froze. “Not another bear.”

“I’m afraid so.” Trip’s face was drawn into an earnest expression. “Anybody care to take a look?”

“I will,” Laurel said bravely.

“Me, too,” said Trip. He’d already headed toward the woods.

Following the two boys, Laurel braced herself for what she knew she was about to see. Sure enough, on the other side of a dense growth of bushes lay a large dark mass. This carcass was in the same shape as the other one. Someone had shot a bear, cut off parts of it, and left it to rot after covering it with willow branches. The smell was also the same. Even though she’d known what to expect, she grabbed hold of a tree branch to keep herself from getting dizzy.

Trip stood over the dead animal, shaking his head in disgust. “Just like the other one.”

“Let’s be careful not to touch anything,” said Laurel. “We’ve got to tell Dr. Wells.”

“And we’ve got to tell Fish and Game,” Russ insisted.

“Hey, look over here!” All of a sudden, from somewhere behind them, Cassie’s excited voice cut through the woods.

“What now?” Trip muttered.

“Come see what I found!” Cassie called once again.

Laurel went first, with the boys close behind.  She found Cassie a few yards away.

“What is it?” asked Russ.

“Look at this.” Cassie was pointing to something bright red, hanging from a tree.

At first Laurel thought it was a flower. But as she looked more closely, she saw it was a scrap of fabric. Her heart began to pound.

“Maybe this tore off the poacher’s clothes!” said Cassie.

Mariah, who was standing closest to the tree, reached up as if she were going to take it down.

“Don’t touch it!” Russ warned. “Cassie’s right. This could be an important clue.”

“Let me see that.” Laurel leaned forward to study the scrap more closely. It was a piece of coarse wool, red fabric edged with black. ‘This looks like it’s from one of those hunters’ jackets. You know the type: red-plaid wool, with black lines that form a checkered design.”

“I know exactly the kind you’re talking about,” Trip agreed. He paused, a meaningful look on his face as he glanced around at the other members of the group. “And isn’t it a coincidence that somebody who lives around here happens to own one.”

Chapter Thirteen

The group was silent for a long time.

When Cassie finally spoke, her voice was thin and uncertain. “We can’t be positive this piece of fabric is from Jim Whitehorse’s jacket. Laurel said it herself. A lot of hunters wear that type. Campers, too, and fishermen and hikers.... There must be thousands of people in the state of Alaska who own jackets like that.”

“Yes, but only one of them lives around here,” Trip insisted. “If you ask me, it doesn’t take much to put two and two together.”

“Careful, Trip,” Russ warned. “Cassie’s right. Let’s not start jumping to conclusions. We’ll tell Dr. Wells about what we found, and he’ll report it to Ben Seeger. Aside from that,” he added, shrugging his shoulders, “there’s nothing more we can do.”

Later that evening, the five of them were quiet as they sat in the living room. The somber air hovering over them was made even more oppressive by the heavy rain that had begun to fall. It hammered at the roof relentlessly, bringing with it dark, forbidding skies.

“Who wants to deal?” Cassie asked, the cheerfulness in her voice strangely out of place in this atmosphere. She sat at the table, shuffling a deck of cards.

“Not cards,” Marian groaned.

“Do you have a better idea?” Russ glanced up from the table, where he was sitting opposite Cassie, leafing through Peterson’s field guide to the birds of North America.

Trip, standing in front of the open refrigerator, called over his shoulder, “How about the Truth game?”

Before Mariah had a chance to react, Laurel broke in. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t concentrate on anything until I find out what Ben Seeger has to say.”

“Dr. Wells should be back any minute,” Russ pointed out.

Laurel glanced at her watch impatiently. “He’s been at the Torvolds’ forever. How long does it take to telephone Anchorage?”

As if on cue, just then Dr. Wells strode into the cabin. The expression on his face told them instantly he didn’t have anything encouraging to report.

“I reached Ben at home,” he told them. “And he was pretty upset. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very reassuring. He said the same thing as last time, that the Department of Fish and Game simply doesn’t have the resources to investigate every incident of bear poaching as fully as it might.”