by Amber Boffin
“I’ve checked. They haven’t seen them. But they won’t get far. I’ve put an alert on them. I think their buddies are hiding them very close by. Are you all right? I’ve never seen you like that, you seem in pain.”
Adam had to accept that he had better get checked before anything else. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a woman’s head pop out of one of the tents. “Have you come to any new insights regarding Ben Fearon’s girlfriend?” Adam asked.
“I want to question her again. I think she misled us and has been on the loggers’ side all along.”
“Is that her?” Adam asked, inclining his head in the tent direction.
“Yes, it is…” Raj seemed to hesitate.
“Go after her then. I’ll get myself checked by my personal doc.” He smiled at the thought of Brigit. It was the first time he had looked forward to being examined.
*
Maggie had returned home and was eagerly awaiting news from Adam. She loaded her pictures onto her computer and tried to understand what she was looking at. Her scientific background took the upper hand when she began looking into the latest tree forensics and ways to trace illegal wood. The only way the logging company could be found guilty of cutting this forest would be if they had been caught in the act or if there was a way to prove they had.
There had to be a test using DNA, as with humans, or the identification of a chemical signature that matched the trees and the cut wood. Each tree might have a different chemical mix, depending on where it grew. She was happy to read that the science of tree forensics had progressed. Scientists were still in the process of building a reference library of tree specimens. Although it lacked in number of trees, the different techniques had been used successfully to corner culprits.
Ben Fearon had given a talk on the traceability of wood only a few weeks ago. Maggie played his video again, certain she recognized someone in the audience. She paused it. The image was a little blurred, but the figure in the third row looked exactly like James, the logger she had met at the trapper’s cabin. A logger would want to understand traceability of trees, if they were worried about it and prove that all their logged trees were as specified, logged within the regulations.
Beans had been snoring steadily on her lap and was brutally woken by Maggie’s sudden shift of her chair backward. “Sorry, old girl.” Maggie held the little dog’s head in her hands, stroking her between the eyes with her thumbs. “I nearly forgot to bring the button to the police station.”
Still no news from Adam, and he wasn’t answering his phone.
Maggie tucked the bag with the button into her pocket, and just in case, packed a few of her homemade muffins for Sergeant Humphries. She was out of her clove, cinnamon, and ginger muffins, so she hoped he would like her tomato and cheese ones, a new recipe. Sergeant Humphries’s mood always improved with a little treat, to the point that he might answer her questions.
She raced to the police station eager to find out if she had, by luck, prevented Ted’s murder.
Chapter Twenty
Adam lay on his bed, spread-eagle. He had managed a shower and taken one of Maggie’s pies out of the freezer. She had stocked it with an assortment of cakes and pies when she took care of his llamas and chickens while he was away on a training. It had taken a number of days before he spotted what she had done and could thank her. This was the last one, and he wondered how he could ask for another supply.
He smiled as he thought of Maggie’s delighted face when she saw Bella for the first time. He had been worried that Bella would be aggressive toward her and had been prepared to defend Maggie if needed. From Bella’s look and body language, it was a hit the first time they set eyes on each other. Maggie was the first person to show real interest in his passion for wolves. She was so eager to learn.
Perhaps she could be the poster woman to champion their protection. She would look far more convincing than me. The Algonquin wolves need her help. She has energy, can take great photos of them… His pain had decreased the more his mind was absorbed in ways to preserve the wolf packs.
He vaguely heard keys and a door being shut downstairs. He felt glued to the bed, unable to peel his body off it to see what it was—whoever it was could help themselves as far as he was concerned. He wasn’t going to budge. A voice reached his ears.
“Baby, are you here? I saw your car.”
It was Brigit. He would have to tell her to stop calling him that; he didn’t mind many names but didn’t see himself as a baby. He was too lazy to respond. She would find him sooner or later. The staircase squeaked at the third and fourth steps. He had not fixed them, thinking it was a good way to know if an intruder was ascending.
He always jumped those steps; whether climbing the stairs or going down them, he took three at a time. Brigit always made a point of walking up each and every step, having warned him his approach was dangerous. She had seen a number of casualties and didn’t want him to be one of them. It didn’t stop him from keeping his habit.
“I know you’re here. I can smell the shower soap… I’ll join you in a minute,” chirped Brigit.
He liked her positivity, always seeing solutions instead of problems. He heard the shower run, and a few moments later Brigit appeared wrapped in a towel, her long hair flowing over her shoulders. She dropped the towel. “Adam, what happened to you? Why didn’t you warn me?”
Adam looked down at the right side of his chest, which was covered in shades of blue and brown. He closed his eyes at the feeling of her cool fingers on the bruises. “That’s nice.”
“Let me examine you. How did you get this? Did a tree fall on you?”
“No. A fight.”
“What? Wait here, I’ll get my bag.”
He was not planning on going anywhere. This was exactly what he was hoping for, tender loving care. Brigit was back, and to his disappointment, she had slipped on one of his T-shirts and his boxer shorts. She opened her medical case and pulled out her stethoscope. After a thorough examination, she concluded he had one or two broken ribs and he would need an X-ray or CT scan to confirm. The best treatment was avoiding strenuous activity and simply letting them heal by themselves.
Brigit zipped her medical bag closed after listening to his ordeal. “I hadn’t realized how dangerous your job could be. Promise me to be careful.”
She ran her fingers through his long hair. Her expression suddenly changed from a caring, soft look into a disappointed pout, her bottom lip pushed up over the top one.
“I’ll get over it quickly. You know me, I heal fast. In a few days I’ll be running around like before.”
“I don’t think so, and that’s what bothers me. We won’t win at the Highland Games.”
He knew she liked teasing him, and it sounded like one of her jokes, but something rang a bell. He had seen the words “Highland Games” recently. “What are you talking about?”
“You know, the Foxton Highland Games you often talked to me about.”
“Oh, those. They stopped doing them a decade ago. But, mind you, there’s still a dozen Scottish descendants in Foxton, enough to play their bagpipes for the Christmas parade, but too old to—”
“You’re wrong. Ms. Stilton, your mayor, has arranged for them to happen again. I can’t believe you didn’t see the posters in Foxton.”
“I don’t really like those gatherings…can be entertaining, though.” He laughed.
“Well, it’s a real pity, because I had enrolled us in the partners’ carrying race contest. We would’ve won, but now with your ribs, it isn’t a good idea.”
Adam pictured himself running with Brigit upside down on his back. This wasn’t a game that used to be played. It used to be all about draft horses pulling heavy weights, lumberjacks cutting logs at speed or throwing them. He smiled and pinched her biceps affectionately. “You said partners… You can carry me. You’re so strong.”
Brigit shook her head.
“I believe in equality too.”
“Yes
, I thought of it, as a matter of fact. But it isn’t a good idea. If we fall, you might damage more ribs, and we don’t want that, do we?” She gently touched his bruises. “No participation for you, and I’m your doctor vetoing it.”
He had found it amusing to watch others participate in the games. He recalled the strong lumberjacks hand-saw cutting huge trunks in minutes. He wondered if they would be able to do the same nowadays. He certainly couldn’t compete with those men. He was glad once again to be on the spectators’ side.
The bed squeaked under her weight as she sat. “You really need a new bed. How old is this thing?” Brigit stood up and lifted the mattress. “Springs, and broken ones, no wonder.”
She let the mattress drop with a thud, vibrating his body along with it. She curled up next to him. He snuggled up to her. She was irresistible. “Ow, I can’t turn on that side.”
Brigit sprang back out of bed. “Just lie on your back for now. I’ll get some ice; it will help the pain.”
He propped himself on his elbows. With her wristwatch at his eye level, he only now realized the time. “Weren’t you supposed to finish earlier?”
“Yes, but I had to deal with something important. Something I need to discuss with you. I’ll tell you once I get the ice.”
In the mirror, Adam saw two glasses and a bottle that Brigit held with one hand, in the other a cold pack. Adam slid up against his pillows in anticipation. She had always been very assertive and had voiced her view that women were equal to men, not that Adam thought differently. She had accosted him first and was very explicit with her advances, which suited him fine. He liked her for it. They could be direct with each other.
They had only been seeing each other for a month, but it seemed to make sense for her to move in with him. He had the largest home of the two. Why wait? After his divorce, he had thought he would simply always keep separate homes with whomever he met, spending time in each other’s places. It would make life simple if they ended up not getting along.
Now, two years since his divorced, he was willing to have her move in, if that was what she wanted. He wouldn’t want to pressure her. This had to be what the celebration was about. She was glowing with happiness. “I’ve got big news. I know it might not be the best moment, with you in this state—”
“This is the perfect state. Crikey, I like good news, and I was going to ask you the same…”
She put a finger on his lips. “Let me go first.” She poured two glasses of Prosecco and handed one to him. “I got it!” She tapped danced on the spot. “Aren’t you happy for me?”
It dawned on him. He wasn’t happy at all. “You’re going to Antarctica.”
“Yesssss! I haven’t accepted yet. I wanted you to know first. I want to be sure you are okay with it.”
He wasn’t okay with it, but he would never prevent her from following a dream if it was so dear to her, which he knew it was. It was as if she were already kilometers away from him, standing a few feet from his bed. His desire to live with her had disappeared down the abyss of distance—his way to avoid being hurt too much by it. He smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you.”
She kissed him. “I knew it, you are so sweet. It will be for a year. It’s not that long. You’ll see. I’m good at long-distance relationships. Especially now with all the virtual connections we can have.”
Adam hated long-distance relationships. He liked seeing his friends in the flesh, even more so his girlfriend. He could tell she meant it; she wanted to keep their relationship going. He wasn’t sure he could. But he knew it was possible if both sides wanted it.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I see it, you don’t want me to go.”
“No, no. I do. You have to follow your dreams. I was only thinking that it will lead to exciting work opportunities for you.”
“Yes, isn’t that nice?”
“Not that there’re many out here in Foxton that could rival those…”
“What about our project, the wolf and bear safaris? Come on. Besides, there are other places in need of good game wardens…”
Touché. She was right, it hadn’t even crossed his mind to move out of Foxton. For the moment, he didn’t want to think about it. It seemed so far away, over a year from now, and he had only been with her for such a short time. What was he worrying about?
He should follow Barrie’s advice in those matters. “Just enjoy it, mate, and see what happens. Only time will tell if she’s a keeper or not. And then you can make it happen. In the meantime, it’s all about discovery.” Not that Barrie had met his “keeper” yet…
“Yes, you’re right.” Adam dug into the back of his left shoulder with his fingers. “My shoulder feels stiff. Maybe a massage will loosen it up.”
Brigit smiled. “Sure. What was your news?”
“Nothing that can’t wait.”
His phone vibrated on the chair he used as bed stand.
“Shouldn’t you check?” asked Brigit, reaching for the phone.
Adam shook his head. “That’s nice, a bit more to the left.”
*
Maggie entered Foxton through The Road, the main street. She had to park in front of Barrie’s garage since the parking lot of the police station was unusually busy. Aside from the police vehicles, a number of pickups covered in dirt were lined up. As she approached the entrance, she could hear loud voices. It sounded like a fight was taking place.
She hesitated before pushing the door open. Looking through the glass, she could see a group of men gesticulating. Maggie held the door open, enough to get a feel for what was happening and whether she should come back later.
Andy, the one with a thick blond mullet, seemed to be pleading with someone, given the grief disfiguring his face. He was reaching out for someone’s hands. She couldn’t see whose, only that the hands were withdrawn violently from his grasp. At least three other men stood in the way of her view, none she knew, but they looked like loggers.
To his left, Stuart was speaking curtly to Raj. “Constable, this is unacceptable. What more proof do you need? Where’s the sergeant?”
“He isn’t available now. Let us do our job. We will take your statement together with everyone else’s here.”
Stuart pointed to his broken nose. “Isn’t this enough for you? I can’t believe it.”
“Calm down. Take a seat. I can’t duplicate myself, and yes, your message is loud and clear.” Raj pointed to the seat next to the entrance, where Maggie was standing.
Maggie reached for the door. “I’ll come back later.”
“No, no, you can stay, if you don’t mind a little wait. We’d like your statement on what you saw this morning. I’ll get a colleague to help, and Sergeant Humphries should be done soon.”
As Raj spoke, he grabbed hold of Andy’s arm and marched him to the extra interrogation rooms at the back of the office. He disappeared before Maggie could ask him if he had heard from Adam. She turned around and was face-to-face with Stuart, who looked at her accusingly. She grinned nervously.
She moved away, hoping to avoid talking to him, and bumped into Kate, whose hands Andy must have been attempting to hold. Kate narrowed her eyes to tiny slits without saying a word. She didn’t need to say anything; Maggie got the gist straight away and walked to the water cooler, the farthest spot that wouldn’t appear awkward.
An electrical storm was building up in the room, and it was impossible to tell where the first spark would come from, let alone who would receive the strike. She calmed herself with the thought that no one would start a fight in a police station…hopefully.
Chapter Twenty-One
Maggie felt for the bag with the button in her pocket. Kate was, unfortunately for her, wearing her turquoise coat. The third button down was still missing. Maggie had no more doubt. It belonged to her coat. If only she could speak with Raj or Sergeant Humphries before Kate did.
A door opened behind the reception counter. A crimson-faced Sergeant Humphries looked out of it, sca
nning the area, looking for someone. Ted’s unmistakable white helmet of hair and bronze forehead appeared behind him. Maggie bent over—it was indeed him. She sighed with relief. He was alive and well. She stepped forward to greet them.
Maggie hadn’t anticipated that the sergeant would walk Ted out of the room to the back of the police station, where the cells were located. Ted winked at someone in the room, and it wasn’t Maggie. She turned around to see if Adam had arrived—he hadn’t.
Ted remained an enigma to her. She was drawn to him, like she was to a kind person. He was charming. That didn’t mean he wasn’t involved with illegal logging or against tourists and activists coming too close to his wild kingdom.
He seemed to know far more than he let on, and she was convinced he wasn’t as innocent as he tried to appear. The image she had captured of him next to the cabin in a ghostly appearance made him a suspect. The police would have seen it when they analyzed her pictures and drawn their own conclusion.
Raj came back with a stern face, alone. Maggie intercepted him as he swung open the doors to the public room. “Hi, Raj, I think you should see a piece of evidence I have before you speak with…” Maggie lowered her voice, “Kate, the woman in the blue coat.”
“I want to deal with him first. I don’t want to keep him waiting.” Raj tended to bob his head when he was uneasy with a topic.
“It won’t take long, I promise. Here.” She put the paper bag into his hand. “You’ll see it matches her coat, and I found it very close to the cabin. She was there, whatever she might have told you.”
Raj peered into the bag then up in Kate’s direction. “I see. Thanks.”
“Oh, and I also took pictures of the illegally logged area this morning, when I called you, but that can wait.”
Sergeant Humphries appeared without Ted. “Constable, haven’t you dealt with everyone yet? I have to do it all myself?”
Humphries paused and put on the worst fake smile Maggie had ever seen, baring his teeth. Maggie felt sandwiched between two male walruses, not a good place to be. She slipped aside to let Stuart shake Sergeant Humphries’s hand vigorously.
