Justice Overdue: A Private Investigator Mystery Series (13 page)

He returned to the camp with a large bass, gathered some wood, and started a fire. He cleaned the fish, wrapped it in tinfoil along with an onion and some lemon juice, and buried it in the hot embers of the now dying fire. He shoved a couple of foil-wrapped potatoes in beside the fish.

Matty poked his head from the tent, glanced around the site, and ducked back in. Jake heard him waking Kyle, and in a few moments, both boys came from the tent, rubbing their eyes and yawning.

“Fish for breakfast,” Jake said.

“Again?”

They talked about the previous day’s events as they ate their meal. As they finished, the sound of a vehicle caught Jake’s attention. He set his plate on a stump beside him and stood as a white 4x4 pickup came closer, bumping over the trail. In a moment, it pulled up and stopped. An emblem on the side of the vehicle said, “Conservation Officer”.

The officer stepped from the pickup and approached them. “Morning, folks. Just wanted to stop by and see how yer keepin’.”

Jake glanced at the gold badge pinned to the game warden’s loose-fitting tan shirt. His matching pants sagged down to his rugged boots, a belt-full of equipment at his waist. A gun hung on his right hip, secured in place by a leather holster.

“Good morning, Officer,” Jake said. “Am I glad to see you.”

The officer raised his brows and looked over his Ray-Ban sunglasses. “That’s not something I usually hear.”

Matty and Kyle came over and gazed up at the officer. Matty tucked his hands in his pockets, his head twisting back and forth as the two men talked. Kyle seemed more intent on the officer’s equipment, staring at the gun at his waist.

Jake motioned toward the RAV4. “I’m having a bit of trouble. The drive belt snapped on my vehicle and I can’t go anywhere. I would appreciate a lift into town.”

The officer stared at the SUV and looked thoughtful a moment, and then turned back to Jake. “I can send a truck in here to tow you, if that’s what you want.”

“I can fix it myself as long as I can get to an auto shop and get a replacement belt.”

“Sure. Won’t be a problem. We’ll get you fixed up and outta here afore the day’s out.” The officer paused. “I have a few stops to make out here. A few places to check out, you know how it is. But I’ll stop by later and give you a lift.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Jake said.

“You ever use that gun?” Kyle asked, still in awe.

The officer looked down. “Not often, son. Mostly just to shoot a rabbit caught in a trap or some other animal needs help in his dying misery.”

“You ever shoot anybody?”

The officer laughed loud and long, his laugh a deep guttural sound, ending in a chuckle. Then his voice turned serious as he looked at Kyle and said, “Can’t say that I have. Can’t say that I ever want to.”

Matty and Kyle seemed to lose interest after that and wandered away.

“How long you folks staying?” the officer asked Jake.

“We had plans to go home tomorrow.” Jake glanced at the SUV. “I hope we make it in time.”

“Oh, you will.” The officer glanced over at Matty and Kyle, sitting by the fire. “Gotta get those little guys home safe.”

Jake examined the badge again. No name tag. “Are you Andy Fletcher?” he asked.

“One and the same. Just call me Andy.”

“Nice to meet you, Andy. I’m Jake.” He offered his hand. “We met your nephew in town yesterday. He said you might come around.”

Andy shook Jake’s hand. “How is my nephew?”

“He didn’t complain. He told us he wants to be a game warden like you some day.”

Andy laughed. “That’ll be awhile.” He turned more serious. “You been doing any fishin’?”

“A bit,” Jake said. “Just enough for breakfast.”

The officer pursed his lips and nodded slowly. “While I’m here I guess I should check your fishin’ license. Just something I’m required to do, you understand.”

Jake removed his wallet, flipped it open, and removed his fishing license. Andy squinted at it briefly and nodded. “Good enough. Just make sure you stay within the limit, no problem.”

“I intend to.”

Andy narrowed his eyes. “You got any firearms?”

Jake shook his head. “Nope.”

“You been doing hunting of any kind?”

“Just fishing.”

“Ok, sounds good. What about alcohol? Any alcohol?”

Jake answered, “No,” and thought about mentioning the group of teenagers, then decided not to be a busybody.

Andy shook his head slowly as if considering Jake’s answer. “Ain’t nobody come around bothering you while you’re here I hope. We want our visitors to have a good time.”

“There seemed to be somebody poking around here last night.” Jake scratched his head. “I wasn’t sure though if it was man or beast.”

“Could be a bear,” Andy said, his eyes roving around the site.

“I don’t think so.”

“Maybe just a coon then,” Andy said, and moved over toward the SUV. He looked in the back window, and then circled the vehicle slowly as if examining it thoroughly. He came back and approached Jake.

“Everything all right?” Jake asked curiously.

Andy glanced around thoughtfully. “Yeah, it looks like things are fine here. Except for your vehicle of course.” He paused a moment, then, “Nice to meet you folks.” He turned around, headed to leave, and then stopped. “Afore I go, do you know if there’s anyone else camped in this area?”

Jake hesitated before pointing vaguely to his right. “There are some backpackers camped down at the end of the lake. Four of them. Two boys and two girls.”

The warden pursed his lips. “Guess I should go see how they’re making out afore I go.” He turned and strolled to the pickup. “I’ll be back this afternoon,” he called, and then got in the pickup and backed out.

Jake watched the vehicle until it disappeared from sight over a knoll. The game warden was somewhat of a strange man, a bit like his nephew. It must run in the family.

He looked forward to getting the SUV fixed up so he could enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Chapter 29

Saturday, 10:10 AM

ANNIE FELT RELIEVED when she saw the sign heralding her arrival in the small town of Whaleton. She didn’t have far to go now, just a few miles until she reached the park entrance.

She pulled over in front of a small convenience store and went inside. A young man, stocking shelves near the front of the store, straightened his back and gave her a friendly grin.

“Can I help you?” he asked, his wide grin growing even wider, splitting his youthful face.

She smiled back. “I just want a couple bottles of soda.”

He pointed to the back of the store. “Right back there, in the cooler. Help yerself.”

“Oh, and do you have any ice?”

He waved the other hand and squinted one eye toward the front of the store. “Right there by the door. Lots of ice. A buck a bag.”

Annie went to the back of the store, picked out three large bottles of soda from the wall-to-wall refrigerator, and brought them to the front, placing them on the counter.

The clerk squeezed through a small slit between two showcases and approached the cash register. He sat on a stool, crossed his arms, and relaxed.

“You look like city folk,” he said. “Where you headed?”

Annie laughed. “And what do city folk look like?”

The clerk shrugged. “Well … like you.”

“Yes, I’m city folk,” she said.

“From?”

“Richmond Hill. Not far from Toronto.”

“Nice place … Toronto.”

“I guess so.” Annie snapped open her wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

“You want ice?”

“Oh.” Annie glanced over at the case, stacked high with bags of ice behind a frosted-over glass door. “Two would be fine.”

The clerk slipped off his stool and rang up the purchase. “By the way, my name’s Bob. Bob Fletcher.” He held out a smooth palm.

Annie shook his hand. “I’m Annie.” She paid for the soda and thanked him.

“So where you headed?” Bob asked.

“Wendigo Lake.”

“Been a lot of folks headed there lately.”

“My husband is there,” Annie said, as she tucked a bottle under each arm and struggled to carry the other one.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Bob offered. “You still got ice to get yet.”

Annie relinquished the third bottle to Bob, who came out from behind the counter, grabbed two bags of ice from the freezer, and followed her outside.

He stood watching her as she flipped up the trunk lid, dumped the ice in the empty cooler, and placed the soda on top.

She shut the trunk, stepped back and looked up at Bob, still watching her. He rubbed at the thin array of bristling hairs on his chin and squinted at her.

“Is your husband a big guy? Like tall, and tons of muscles?”

She nodded.

“His name Jake?”

Annie raised a brow. “Yes,” she said. “How do you know that?”

Bob folded his arms and grinned. “Him and them boys was in here yesterday. Said they was campin’ at Wendigo Lake.”

Annie moved to the driver side door of the car, unlocked it and climbed in.

Bob leaned over and looked through the open door. “Tell Jake I said hi.”

Annie forced a lackluster smile. “I will. Nice to meet you,” she said, as she closed the door. She backed out and drove away, amused at Bob’s small town friendliness.

The entry point to the park was five minutes away. She pulled into the lot, went inside the building for a few minutes to refresh herself, paid the fee for a two-day pass, and then proceeded through the North Gate.

The traveling was easy going for several miles but soon turned into a much narrower trail as the rough terrain became almost unmanageable. Her Ford Escort cruised smoothly on the highways, but it wasn’t designed for driving over the rough terrain of some of the deeper trails found throughout Algonquin Provincial Park.

She didn’t remember the track being so littered with potholes and protruding limestone rocks the last time they were up here. Occasionally, she had to slow down to a bare crawl. She would make a point of strongly suggesting Jake find a more accessible spot next time.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the RAV4 finally became visible through the trees. She pulled up between a pair of towering pines, shut off the engine, and peered through the woods to the lake beyond. It was a breathtaking sight, a sight she’d missed. She looked forward to taking a dip in its cool waters before long.

She half-expected the boys to come running when she first pulled up. They didn’t, and she laughed at her expectation. Why would they hang around the camp when they had a whole forest around them, just waiting to be explored?

They were bound to be surprised when they saw her here—and pleased, or at least, Jake would be. She got out of the car, opened the trunk, and carried over the items she’d brought, packing them in the tent.

She went to the fire pit, leaned down, and poked at the coals with the same sturdy branch Jake had used as a makeshift poker. The fire was out but some glowing embers remained at the bottom of the pit. Wherever the guys were, they hadn’t been gone long.

She looked at her watch. It might be awhile before their hunger called them back to camp. Perhaps she would take a quick swim and get back before they return.

She dug her swimsuit from the bag and changed in the tent, and then wrapped a towel around her shoulders and picked her way down the incline to the lake.

The warm sun felt good on her back as she stood and gazed out over the water. The idyllic scene took her breath away. Unruffled by wind or rain, the waters were still and restful.

A small woodland creature, a rabbit, drank at the edge of the lake a hundred feet away. Annie watched it raise its ears, sensing danger, then dash into the forest.

She had missed this place and was glad she had come. Maybe—just maybe—she would forget about asking Jake to find a different spot. This place was heavenly.

She dropped her towel and removed her watch, leaving them in a heap on the beach. She moved closer to the lake, tested the water with a toe, and then waded out fifty feet where it was deep enough to swim. Several minutes later she reluctantly stepped from the water and wrapped the towel over her shoulders. She would have time to come back later, maybe with the boys, but she wanted to get back to camp before the guys arrived.

Chapter 30

Saturday, 11:30 AM

JAKE AND THE BOYS had hiked through the forest much of the morning, exploring the area west of their camp, watching the wildlife at play and at work. The boys grew weary, their steps dragging, and they decided to return and rest up awhile.

Jake stopped, consulted the compass, changed direction slightly, and continued on. The camp was close by and they were exhausted, ready to cool off with a dip in the lake before lunch.

He stopped short and stared as the tail end of a blue car came into view. Someone was parked at their campsite. The boys ran behind as he strode closer. A grin split his face. It was Annie’s car.

“Your mother is here, Matty,” he announced.

“Mom? What’s she doing here?”

“Let’s find out.”

Annie sat under a wide tree near the tent, leaning against the rough bark, reading a paperback.

“Mom,” Matty called, surging ahead.

Annie set the book in her lap and looked up as Matty knelt beside her and hugged her neck. “What’re you doing here?” he asked.

“I missed you guys,” she said. “So here I am.”

Jake stopped and looked down at his wife. “Hi, honey,” was all he said, but his huge grin revealed his pleasure at seeing her. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet.

Matty rolled his eyes at Kyle as Jake gave his wife a prolonged kiss.

“I brought you guys some food,” Annie said.

Matty turned back to face his mother. “Food. I’m about ready for that if you guys are done saying hello.”

Jake chuckled. “We’re done. Let’s eat.”

Annie went to the tent and returned a moment later, lugging a cooler. She popped it open and revealed the meal she’d prepared. Jake liked fish and potatoes, but he was ready for something different.