lake. He wanted it for a trophy.”
Henry’s back stiffened. Ann could feel the change in his mood; see it, even from where she sat.
Justin’s fingers stopped moving along a ledge of white bone.
Henry turned and looked at her. “Has a missing person’s report been filed?”
“No. Not that I know of. Not yet.” She recounted everything Willie Sander had told her.
“Hmm.” Henry had risen to a standing position as she talked, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Maybe I had better do some sleuthing myself. I don’t like the sound of it.” Always the Chief Park Ranger.
Justin had been observing and listening to them, silently. An uneasiness in his stance. His eyes were on the bones in the earth wall and she didn’t need to guess what he was thinking. Perhaps the creature in the lake got him.
“You know,” the scientist said, “maybe there is something in the lake. Why not now? The caldera below us is realigning, heaving, shoving up things that haven’t seen the light of day for eons. Could be it’s uncovered something…alive?” He let out a low whistle.
Henry exchanged a look with him that spoke more than words. “Justin, I’m leaving now. Got something I have to do. See you later for supper?”
Justin nodded. “Sure thing.” He waved, as she and Henry, hand in hand, headed towards the jeep parked at the bottom of the trail.
“Did you invite him to supper?” She asked once they were out of earshot.
Henry seemed preoccupied. “Oh,” he replied after a few seconds, “I didn’t think you’d mind. Since you’re the one who’s playing matchmaker and I figured Laura might show up again. Besides he’s a nice young man. I like him. We have a lot in common.
“What are we having for supper?”
“Meatloaf. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Buttered corn. Chocolate pudding with Cool Whip for dessert.” Ann knew better than to ask him outright what was really on his mind. He’d tell her when he was ready.
“Sounds great.”
“Glad you approve.”
He squeezed her hand as they walked toward the jeep.
***
Henry stopped at the ranger station after he’d dropped Ann off at the cabin. George Redcrow was on duty so he took him along with him. They searched the lake in one of the park’s boats. Eventually they found the wreckage of the Seabird strewn along the more isolated eastern shore of Wizard’s Island like beached trash.
No sign of Sam Cutler.
Henry hauled in pieces of the destroyed boat bobbing around on the water and stuffed them into clear bags with George’s help. Evidence.
“What happened to Sam Cutler and his boat?” George mumbled at one point, a haunted glint in his eyes as he handled a splinter of boat wood, turning it around in his hands in the receding sunlight. “It was a big boat. What could have done this to it?” A breeze skimmed the water and his hair ruffled around his ranger’s hat. The gray of his uniform appeared black in the dimming light.
“I don’t know, George.”
“An explosion?”
Henry’s eyes raked the shifting waters around their boat. He remembered the mauled animals George had been finding near the lake. “I don’t think so. The boat’s been thoroughly smashed by something very powerful, by the looks of it.”
“What could do that?”
“I don’t know.” Henry stared out over the water. “No sense in dragging for the body. The lake’s too deep. If it hasn’t floated to the surface, I have a feeling we won’t find it.”
“But,” George supplied, “we can assume that Sam Cutler’s probably dead?”
“Most likely.”
Both men fell quiet for a moment. The water lapped against their boat’s hull.
“We’d better get back to shore, George, and start filling out the report, or we’ll be all night. I’m officially opening up an investigation into what might have happened to Sam Cutler and his boat.”
“You going to call in the local police for help?” George questioned. He often needled Henry about having been a big city cop.
Henry’s back stiffened. Ann could feel the change in his mood; see it, even from where she sat.
Justin’s fingers stopped moving along a ledge of white bone.
Henry turned and looked at her. “Has a missing person’s report been filed?”
“No. Not that I know of. Not yet.” She recounted everything Willie Sander had told her.
“Hmm.” Henry had risen to a standing position as she talked, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Maybe I had better do some sleuthing myself. I don’t like the sound of it.” Always the Chief Park Ranger.
Justin had been observing and listening to them, silently. An uneasiness in his stance. His eyes were on the bones in the earth wall and she didn’t need to guess what he was thinking. Perhaps the creature in the lake got him.
“You know,” the scientist said, “maybe there is something in the lake. Why not now? The caldera below us is realigning, heaving, shoving up things that haven’t seen the light of day for eons. Could be it’s uncovered something…alive?” He let out a low whistle.
Henry exchanged a look with him that spoke more than words. “Justin, I’m leaving now. Got something I have to do. See you later for supper?”
Justin nodded. “Sure thing.” He waved, as she and Henry, hand in hand, headed towards the jeep parked at the bottom of the trail.
“Did you invite him to supper?” She asked once they were out of earshot.
Henry seemed preoccupied. “Oh,” he replied after a few seconds, “I didn’t think you’d mind. Since you’re the one who’s playing matchmaker and I figured Laura might show up again. Besides he’s a nice young man. I like him. We have a lot in common.
“What are we having for supper?”
“Meatloaf. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Buttered corn. Chocolate pudding with Cool Whip for dessert.” Ann knew better than to ask him outright what was really on his mind. He’d tell her when he was ready.
“Sounds great.”
“Glad you approve.”
He squeezed her hand as they walked toward the jeep.
***
Henry stopped at the ranger station after he’d dropped Ann off at the cabin. George Redcrow was on duty so he took him along with him. They searched the lake in one of the park’s boats. Eventually they found the wreckage of the Seabird strewn along the more isolated eastern shore of Wizard’s Island like beached trash.
No sign of Sam Cutler.
Henry hauled in pieces of the destroyed boat bobbing around on the water and stuffed them into clear bags with George’s help. Evidence.
“What happened to Sam Cutler and his boat?” George mumbled at one point, a haunted glint in his eyes as he handled a splinter of boat wood, turning it around in his hands in the receding sunlight. “It was a big boat. What could have done this to it?” A breeze skimmed the water and his hair ruffled around his ranger’s hat. The gray of his uniform appeared black in the dimming light.
“I don’t know, George.”
“An explosion?”
Henry’s eyes raked the shifting waters around their boat. He remembered the mauled animals George had been finding near the lake. “I don’t think so. The boat’s been thoroughly smashed by something very powerful, by the looks of it.”
“What could do that?”
“I don’t know.” Henry stared out over the water. “No sense in dragging for the body. The lake’s too deep. If it hasn’t floated to the surface, I have a feeling we won’t find it.”
“But,” George supplied, “we can assume that Sam Cutler’s probably dead?”
“Most likely.”
Both men fell quiet for a moment. The water lapped against their boat’s hull.
“We’d better get back to shore, George, and start filling out the report, or we’ll be all night. I’m officially opening up an investigation into what might have happened to Sam Cutler and his boat.”
“You going to call in the local police for help?” George questioned. He often needled Henry about having been a big city cop.
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