Beyond a Doubt

by Colleen Coble

  Around the bend and nearer the falls, he came upon a pile of rags. On closer inspection, he realized it was a man’s shirt and pants. Black-and-red-checkered flannel and heavy duck trousers. He frowned and touched the pile. Dry and fresh, not left over from last autumn’s hunting season. Odd.

  He lifted the clothing and inspected it, but there was no name on either tag and nothing under the clothes except more mud. The shirt and trousers didn’t even have dew on them. Frowning, he dropped the clothes and continued toward the falls. Kade pushed through the tangle of blackberry shrubs and stood at the crest, where the water plunged into Lake Superior nearly two hundred feet below. The lake was more water than ice now.

  The roar of the falls overwhelmed all thought and sensation. He stared into the whirlpool at the bottom of the falls, then lifted his eyes. Out in Lake Superior he could see an ore freighter plying the shipping lanes on its way to Sault Ste. Marie.

  The scene was picture-perfect until Kade’s gaze settled on something caught in the rocks at the top of the falls. He peered closer then gasped. Clothed only in underwear, a body had been snagged by a low-hanging tree branch. Even now the rushing water tugged at it, attempting to nudge it over the cliff and into the waiting lake below.

  Kade wasn’t sure if he could reach the body without tumbling over the falls himself, but he had to try, though even from here he could tell the man had to be dead. He quickly pulled a rope from his backpack and lashed it to a tree. Tying it around his waist, he secured his footing and began to inch his way along the slippery rocks toward the man.

  He gasped at the cold clutch of the water, and his ankles and feet quickly grew numb. The rushing water made for slow going, and several times Kade teetered and nearly fell into the raging river, a fatal error if it happened. If he didn’t drown, hypothermia would kill him in minutes. The water swirling around his ankles nearly toppled him again, and he knew it was no use to try to wade farther out. He needed to call in help.

  Backing out of the water the way he’d come, he soon gained the safety of the shoreline. He radioed headquarters, and the ranger who responded promised to send backup and call Sheriff Kaleva. Kade went back to the edge of the river and eyed the body again. He needed to do something to keep it from going over the falls.

  Untying the other end of his rope from the tree, he made a loop. He began to twirl the rope above his head. It had been years since he played cowboys and Indians. The last time, his father took his rope away from him and lashed Kade with it until welts formed on his legs, all the while screaming that life wasn’t about play.

  Trying to remember the feel of the rope twirling in his hand when he could rope any tree stump in his yard, he closed his eyes and prayed for God to help him. He opened his eyes and concentrated. He let the loop go and nearly let out a whoop of exultation when it settled over the man’s arm.

  He tightened the rope in tiny increments to make sure it didn’t slide off, then secured it to a tree until help arrived. Once it was secure, he decided to see if he could find any clues as to who the man was and what he’d been doing in the river half-naked.

  It was likely a suicide. Why people wanted to kill themselves by going over the falls was a mystery to him, but every year there was at least one numskull who decided to get his name in the paper that way. Kade had too much fight in him to understand how someone could just give up like that. His own life hadn’t been easy, but whose was? The thought of tossing God’s gift of life back in his face that way made him shudder. He wouldn’t want to stand before God and whine about how hard it had been to simply put one foot in front of the other.

  The glimmer from something shiny caught his eye, and he stooped to inspect the ground. A silver money clip lay among the quartz and tumbled rocks. It was empty. The sun had heated the metal, and it felt warm in his hand. He turned it over and saw the initials BLM. He tried to think who it could be, though from here the man didn’t look familiar. And there was no guarantee it hadn’t been lost last summer by a hiker.

  The roar of an ATV, muffled by the sound of the falls, came from behind him. He turned around and squinted. Mason surely wouldn’t be here already. Two ATVs raced toward him. Kade’s eyes widened when he saw the guns in their hands. From here he could see the man’s shock when he saw Kade staring at him. The man on the right shouted something at the man next to him. The machines slowed, then the big man on the right raised his gun and fired. A shot came zinging past Kade’s ear.

  Kade dived for cover behind a massive rock. He was a sitting duck if they surrounded him. Though he was armed, he’d never had occasion to even take his gun out. There was no time like the present though. He unsnapped his holster and pulled out his weapon. Though he often practiced, it felt heavy in his hand knowing he might have to use it to defend himself.

  He peered around the rock, then ducked back as more shots came whizzing his way. This was awkward. It was impossible to shoot without being able to see what he was aiming at. Slithering on his belly, he scooted through the melting snow and mud to a group of three rocks about ten feet away. Bullets slammed into the snow bank by his head, but he gained the shelter of the outcropping.

  The rocks angled around him in a fence of protection. The ATVs sat abandoned by a cluster of trees. The men must have gone into the trees for cover, or maybe they were even now creeping toward him, circling around from the other side. He turned. Nothing. Then another shot zipped by his shoulder, nearly creasing the fabric of his jacket. This time Kade saw the flare from the end of the rifle. He took aim and managed to get off a shot that ricocheted off a tree.

  The shooter ducked away. Kade smiled grimly. The man probably hadn’t realized Kade was armed. Moments later the engines roared to life, and the men raced away. Kade hadn’t been aware he was holding his breath until he realized his chest hurt. He exhaled and stood. What was that all about? Had the men been coming to retrieve the body from the river? If so, then it surely wasn’t suicide. He watched the distant machines until they faded from view and only the sound of their racing engines still echoed. Then that too was gone.

  This made no sense. He went back to the river’s edge. The man’s body was still trapped by the tree limb and anchored by the rope. With new resolve, Kade studied the ground and the surrounding area. In a brush pile twenty feet into the forest he found a backpack partially hidden under a bramble patch. He started to grab it, then realized he shouldn’t touch it. Mason would want to check it for clues.

  Kade heard the rumble of an ATV approaching. Maybe that was his backup now. He noted the location of the backpack and went to meet them. Mason and one of his deputies rode two ATVs. Kade waved to them and went to stand near the river.

  Deputy Doug Montgomery swung his bulk off the machine and followed Mason to the river’s edge.

  “What we got here?” Mason asked.

  “More than meets the eye,” Kade said. “Two guys on ATVs took some shots at me, then left when I returned fire. I had assumed it was a suicide, but I’d say something happened here the men didn’t want to get out.”

  Mason’s eyebrows arched, and he straightened. “They shot at you? You get any bullet fragments?”

  Kade hadn’t even thought of that. He’d just been looking for other evidence. “Check by the boulders.” He gestured to the trees. “There’s a backpack over there.”

  Mason followed him to the backpack and pulled on gloves before he knelt to examine the contents. Unzipping it, he riffled through the contents: clothing, a small radio, packages of dehydrated food, gum, and at the very bottom, a wallet. “Maybe this will at least tell us who he is.” He flipped open the wallet, and Kade peered over his shoulder. A driver’s license showed a young man with a wide smile and red hair. Benjamin Lee Mallory. The same initials as the money clip. The wallet held no money either, which was strange. Robbery didn’t seem to be a motive for the men on the ATVs, but then they might have been the clean-up crew.

  Mason stuffed everything back in the backpack, then put it in a plastic
bag he pulled from his pocket. He instructed Deputy Montgomery to search for bullets while he followed Kade to where the rope tethered the body.

  “Good roping,” Mason noted. “Let’s see if we can get him to shore. I brought a body hook.” He turned. “Hey, Montgomery, get the hook off my machine.”

  The deputy nodded and went to the four-wheeler. The hook looked small in his meaty hands. Mason took it and unwound the wire then handed the end to his deputy.

  “Fasten that to the undercarriage of my ATV.”

  After nearly half an hour of exertion and failed attempts, they succeeded in hauling the body to shore. The man lay stretched on the rocks faceup. He looked barely old enough to shave, though his driver’s license said he was born in 1976, making him almost thirty. Kade wished he was anywhere but here.

  “Ever seen him before?” he asked.

  Mason shook his head. “Nope.” He knelt over the body. “Looks like he was shot.” He pointed to a neat hole in the man’s chest.

  “This makes no sense!” Kade burst out. “Did you notice where he was from?”

  Mason shook his head and pulled the wallet out of the bag. “Says Houghton,” he said after perusing it for a minute. “Wonder what he was doing down here? And this is pretty remote. Anything strange going on here lately?”

  Kade started to say no then stopped. “Now that you mention it, we’ve had some break-ins at cabins along Superior just north of here. I thought it was probably just kids trying to find some secluded places to meet.”

  “Mind if I take a look at them?”

  “Nope. As long as I can tag along.”

  “Not a problem. When can we go?”

  “Anytime you say.”

  Mason looked back at the dead man. “Let’s get him to town and see what we can find out about this first.”

  18

  The good smells from the kitchen made Bree’s mouth water. Davy was curled in the crook of her arm reading a new book Anu had brought him. She knew they looked the perfect picture of mother and child, and with Dr. Parker’s criticism still fresh in her mind, she felt almost smug; the good doctor himself sat across from her in the easy chair by the window.

  “Anu is quite a cook,” Dr. Parker remarked. “I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I had a home-cooked meal. I was delighted Anu invited me to stay.”

  “Well, you didn’t have to come by to apologize. It’s only right we feed you for your trouble.”

  “You’re a good mom, and I know I was suggesting otherwise at the office. Sometimes I forget the world isn’t like it used to be anymore.”

  “Did your mother never work?”

  “Actually, yes, she did. When my father came home from World War II, he couldn’t work. When the money ran out, she had to go to work in the copper mine office. She hated it. I hated it. I’m afraid that experience colored my view on women working for all eternity.”

  Bree had always heard the Parker family was filthy rich and practically built the town. This was a new side. She didn’t know what to say.

  Dr. Parker smiled. “I can see you’re shocked. Sometimes we do what we have to do though. My mom did. You do.” His face hardened, but there was sadness in his eyes. “And so do I.”

  Anu called them to dinner, and there was no opportunity to ask what he meant. He seemed to have it all, but who did, really? Bree wondered if he was lonely. He’d made no secret of his admiration for Anu.

  After he left, Bree helped Anu clean the kitchen. “You’ve known Dr. Parker a long time,” she said, putting the milk away.

  “Max has not had the easy life it seems on the surface,” Anu said, nodding. “His father expected much from him. When his father came home crippled with pain, nothing was ever the same at his house again. He often talked of how his mother never had time for him once his father arrived. He was an only child, and her attention had been solely devoted to him until that time. When he talked with Abraham, he often said he intended to make enough money that his wife could stay home and raise their children, even if it meant working two jobs.”

  “They only had Brian though.”

  Anu nodded. “His wife, Becky, never wanted kids at all. She tried to talk Max into giving her an abortion, but he wouldn’t do it. When she drowned, I think it was almost a relief to Max; she treated Brian so badly.”

  “No wonder that kid is so messed up. I hate it that Lauri is mixed up with him. I like Dr. Parker, but his son needs to grow up.”

  “Max has spoiled him,” Anu admitted. “But providing the best of everything for his family is very important to Max. Too important, really. But he’s never understood that.”

  “We never really know what shapes us into the people we become,” Bree said.

  Bree caught her lip between her teeth and glanced down at the recipe book. She’d been sure this would take her mind off Quentin Siller, but it was impossible to focus on cooking when he was out there somewhere.

  “You need some help?” Kade sat on a bar stool at the kitchen counter watching her. Davy was reading his book for the umpteenth time. At the rate he was going, he’d need another copy of The Three Trees for his birthday.

  They’d been running in different directions all week, and it was good to hang out with Kade, even if it was in the kitchen. She smiled at him and turned back to her recipe book. “No, I can do this.” She put the sauce on to boil and began to stir, as the directions said. “This will be the best fettuccine you’ve ever had.” She hoped. The white sauce sounded tricky. Maybe she should have tried something easier, but she’d wanted to impress Kade.

  “I’m sure it will be. You’re a fine cook.”

  Bree nearly giggled at the bravery in his voice. She raised her wooden spoon and waved it at him. “Don’t ever tell a woman she’s a good cook in that tone of voice.”

  The smile vanished from his face, and he nodded soberly. “Got it. Dare I say I look forward to this with all the anticipation of a man who has to eat his own cooking?”

  “That’s about all it’s going to be. Something you haven’t cooked.” Her giggle escaped, and he grinned with her.

  The sauce began to bubble, and Bree stirred it furiously. Anu would be home from the store soon, and Bree wanted to surprise her with a meal all ready. The salad waited in the refrigerator, and the dessert, a New York–style cheesecake she’d bought, was ready to go. This sauce was the real test.

  It boiled away then began to thicken. Almost instantly it congealed into thick lumps. “Oh no!” she wailed. She grabbed the handle and dragged it from the heat. “What’s happening?”

  Kade leaned over her to take a look. “Uh-oh. What kind of cream did you use?”

  “Whipping cream.” She nodded to the empty carton and continued to stir. She’d followed the directions perfectly. She felt like sitting in the middle of the floor and wailing.

  Kade picked up the carton. “This is the ultrapasteurized kind. It doesn’t always work right.”

  “Now you tell me.” Bree picked up the pan and dumped its contents down the garbage disposal. “Now what do I do?” It was more an exasperated remark than a question. She gave him a winning smile. “You want to run to the grocery for some canned sauce?”

  The corners of his lips lifted. “Sure. Do I need to go right now?”

  She shook her head. “You can wait half an hour or so.” She went to the refrigerator. “Want a Pepsi?”

  “Sounds good.”

  She grabbed two sodas and handed one to him, then plopped onto the stool beside him. So much for her grand scheme. She suddenly realized she was frowning as she stared at her son. The doctor’s words still preyed on her mind.

  Kade popped the top on his soda and took a swig. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”

  “Do you think I’m gone from Davy too much?”

  His eyebrows shot up. “You spend every spare minute with him and take him to work with you. How could you possibly spend more time with him than you already do?”

  “Dr. Parker thinks I’m
not giving him enough time,” she said softly. The doctor’s words had haunted her all week, in spite of his apology.

  “Is he trying to lay a guilt trip on you? Davy is lucky to have you as a mother and lucky you have a job you can share with him. He loves going to the dog-training stuff. What more does the doctor think you should do?”

  “Quit working at my business and let Anu support us. I actually considered it, but this afternoon Anu mentioned how slow business has been and that she’s going to have to cut back on some of her workers’ hours.” Bree bit her lip and leaned forward to take a handful of pistachios. “I couldn’t ask her for help. She’s done so much already. I’m not about to put her in a position to support us.”

  Bree had a big training day coming up in a few weeks that would bring in several thousand dollars. It seemed somehow wrong to be thinking about money when it came to her son’s emotional health though. She had to do what was best for him regardless of money issues. But she had to support him too.

  “We had a scare on Monday too,” she said. “Quentin Siller nearly ran us off the road. I called Mason and he sent a deputy out, but he was long gone, of course.”

  “Did he stop?”

  She shook her head. “He just kept on trucking. I half expected him to come at me with a tire iron.” She shuddered. What would she have done?

  A frown furrowed his forehead. “I don’t like this,” he muttered.

  She was sorry she’d brought it up. “You’ve been quiet too,” she observed.

  “I got a call about possible poaching out near Whetstone Falls. I didn’t find any poachers, but I found a dead man. And some guys on four-wheelers took some shots at me when I did.” He said the words in a matter-of-fact way.

  Bree blinked. “They shot at you?” She sat up straight on the sofa and turned to stare at him. No more, Lord. I can’t take any more.