by Val Tobin
door. Rachel recognised him, even though he had his back to her. Mr. Fergus’s voice carried out to them.
“I don’t care what you want. Go search for those goddamned chickens. Check the fences for holes. I’ll be home soon.”
Rachel turned her head away when Mr. Fergus glanced in her direction. She hurried ahead of Jeff, taking the steps to the store two at a time, and reached for the door. Two boys exiting the store walked past her while she held the door propped open for them. She didn’t know them, which meant they were from one of the rental cottages.
The smell of dust and motor oil assaulted Rachel’s nose when they entered the store, and she almost sneezed. Dan, the marina’s owner, stood behind the checkout counter across from the door. In front of the register, a skinny, bald man, probably another cottage renter, paid for weekend supplies.
Dan’s wheezy voice drifted across the store to them. “Yup. Got the floating docks in early this year. Looks as though there won’t be more frost.”
The cottager picked up his purchases and thanked Dan. The man turned and faced Rachel and Jeff, who stood gawking at their surroundings. Rachel moved aside out of the man’s way. She skirted a stack of shopping baskets and pulled her brother along by the hand.
Enza, Dan’s wife, reached into the ice cream freezer next to the checkout counter and scooped strawberry ice cream into a cup for a girl Rachel’s age. Another stranger. The rental units must be full this weekend. Enza handed the girl the cup, and the glimpse of the large, pink mound gave Rachel a sudden craving for ice cream.
The sight of racks filled with candy, cookies, chips, and other snacks made her stomach growl, and she salivated. Shelves along the back wall displayed the videos. Options were limited, but she figured they’d be able to find something acceptable.
Jeff riffled through the movies in the Family section. Since he gravitated to live-action movies, Rachel didn’t mind letting him choose, as long as the selection wasn’t too juvenile.
By the time Jeff selected a movie, Mom had entered the store, sans Spike, who was no doubt tied up outside the door. Groceries filled the small basket hooked over Mom’s arm. No snacks in the basket.
Rachel eyed the ice cream freezer. “Come on, Jeff. Let’s ask if we can have ice cream.” Rachel kept her voice low and discreet.
Jeff spun away from the DVD display and ran towards his mother. “Mom, can we get ice cream?” His shout caught everyone’s attention. A woman leafing through a magazine looked up and smiled.
Rachel had figured out long ago the advantage of having the baby ask for stuff. When Mom gave a little sigh and then acquiesced, Rachel grinned and headed over to the ice cream freezer. Jeff selected a Moose Tracks ice cream on a cone. Rachel stepped behind him and peered into the freezer to consider her options.
“Hi, Heidi,” Enza said, “I guess you heard what happened to little Kelly?”
“Yes,” Mom replied. “I hope they find her soon—at least before it gets dark.”
“I saw them this morning. Kelly seemed excited to be getting to the cottage. It’s so sad.”
“The police officer outside questioned me. I let him know our cottage is right next to theirs and that I’d keep a lookout for her.”
“Did you know the Morrison’s dog, Kazoo, disappeared?”
“No.” Mom’s tone was worried. “Since when?”
“Since yesterday. I guess he must have snapped his leash and run off into the forest. The Morrisons had tied him up in the yard. They’ve done it many times. When they checked on him, they found the lead broken and the dog missing.”
“Maybe an animal got him? Kazoo is a small dog.”
“Kazoo would’ve barked, made noise. The Morrisons said they didn’t hear a thing. But the lead looked chewed. They’re hoping Kazoo wanted to explore and gnawed himself free.” Enza sounded dubious, and she frowned.
“You think there’s a connection between Kelly and the dog’s disappearance?”
Enza shook her head. “I think it’s weird it happened so close together. I’ve also noticed fewer wild animals around.”
“What does that mean?”
“It doesn’t have to mean anything. All the folks crowding their space might have sent them into hiding. But Dan and I have run this marina for twenty years and I’ve always seen animals, no matter how many people come traipsing to the woods. The raccoons and other critters like having people around. City folks feed them. Lately, I’ve seen little animal activity. Just saying.”
Rachel thought about how they hadn’t seen any animals on the cottage road.
Enza handed Jeff his cone and turned to Rachel. “What would you like, sweetie?”
“Peanut butter and chocolate on a waffle cone, please.”
Enza snatched a waffle cone, paper wrapped around the bottom, from a stack. She dipped the silver scoop into a bucket of water, and ploughed into the ice cream tub. A large ball of the frozen treat formed, and she pressed it onto the waffle cone.
Rachel loved getting ice cream from Enza, who always gave huge scoops, even to kids.
“What does Dan think?” Mom said.
“Dan thinks something’s wrong,” Enza replied. “Keep an eye on those kids. I don’t know what’s happening. But I’ll tell you this: we don’t go out at night anymore if we don’t have to, and if we do, we carry a shotgun.”
Enza handed Rachel her cone, and Rachel muttered her thanks.
“Did Dan tell this to the police?”
“Yes ma’am, he did. The police didn’t think it remarkable. But you listen: something’s not right.”
“Excuse me, please,” Rachel said. “Mom, may we wait on the porch?”
She’d heard enough. Jeff stared wide-eyed again, his neglected cone dripping melting ice cream down his wrist. Enza would creep Mom out even more. Rachel lost all hope of going canoeing alone with Wendy.
“Yes,” Mom said. “I’ll be right out as soon as I pay for everything.”
“Be careful, kids,” Enza said.
“Okay,” Rachel replied. “See you on the weekend.”
“Sure, sweetie. Come and visit. I’m getting those cupcakes you kids are so crazy about delivered tomorrow morning. Drop by in the afternoon, and they’ll be here.”
“Sure thing.”
Rachel led Jeff to the door. At least they could look forward to cupcakes. Mom let them buy one every time they were in stock. Last year, Enza had ordered a kind Rachel had never tasted. When she’d tried the new red velvet cupcake, it had become her favourite flavour.
Jeff went outside, lapping at his ice cream again. He’d licked all the drips off his hand and now cleaned the cone’s ridge using the tip of his tongue.
Rachel turned towards the lake, where two kids ran down to the dock and jumped into a boat, and then glanced back at her brother. He held out his hand, offering Spike a lick of his ice cream.
“Jeff, stop it.”
The hand tugged away as Spike leaned out to sniff the cone. The dog gave a disappointed bark and wagged his tail. Jeff furrowed his brow and shrugged. Ice cream dribbled a trail down his T-shirt and shorts, and ended in creamy splats on the ground and his bare feet.
Rachel shook her head. The kid never seemed to mind getting dirty.
She stepped back when the door to the store opened, and Mom emerged, carrying three grocery bags. Rachel finished the last bite of her cone and tossed the paper wrapper into a nearby garbage can.
Fewer people lingered outside now. One police car still sat in the lot, but the officers weren’t in sight. The phone booth stood empty; Mr. Fergus had probably gone home to find his chickens.
Enza’s voice echoed in Rachel’s head. I’ve also noticed fewer wild animals around.
“Okay, guys, let’s go,” Mom said.
Rachel leaned over, unhooked Spike’s leash from the railing, and led the dog down the steps. Jeff trudged after them, nibbling on the end of his cone. Jeff was the slowest ice cream eater in the world. Rachel frowned at the thought of him dripping ice cream in
the car.
Mom must’ve had the same thought, because she stopped and scrutinised Jeff. “Jeff, you’re a mess,” she said. “I’ll scrub you down when we get to the cottage. No bath tonight, though. I won’t be able to set up the pump without Dad’s help.” Mom stared at Jeff’s feet. “Why are you in bare feet?”
“Dunno.” Jeff shrugged.
“Okay. Get in the car.”
When they settled in their seats, Mom drove the car back onto the main dirt road that led to their cottage. Rachel peered out the window into the forest, hoping to glimpse animals, the lost dog, or Kelly. She imagined herself finding Kelly wandering around in the forest, trying to get home, but unsure which way to go. Rachel looked over at Jeff. His face pressed against his window too.
Five minutes later, they reached the top of their driveway, and Rachel, as always, marvelled at the view of the lake. Birch trees, maples, cedars, and pine trees interrupted her line of sight. The hill sloped down to a rocky end at the shoreline. A platform with a railing jutted out from the rocks above the water like the prow of a ship. Rachel spotted their dock, in its winter home, beached and tied to two trees to keep it safe from ice damage.
The moment Mom turned off the engine, Jeff flung open his door and jumped out, Spike following.
“Can we head to the lake?” Jeff danced while he said this.
“Let me clean the outhouse, and you can use it. When we’re settled, I’ll take you to the lake,” said Mom.
“Aw, Mom.”
Mom held up her hand. “The longer you stand here complaining, the longer it’ll take to get to the lake. If you
