When Nature Calls

by Harper Crowley

  George guffaws. “Ain’t that the truth.”

  “Listen,” Sheriff Sinclair says. “You kids go back to your hotel room, pack up your shit, and get out of town. You’re wasting our time at best, and at worst, you could get lost and waste taxpayers’ valuable money to find you. We don’t need the hassle you people are bringing to our town. Get out, and for God’s sake, don’t post any of this shit online, okay? We don’t need the negative advertising. Our town’s been through enough already.”

  Too late, I think, but I don’t tell him that. As he and his faithful deputy disappear into the trees, Jess jerks her head toward me. Still feeling pissed off, I glare at her. “What is it?”

  “I found something,” she murmurs, pointing at some trees.

  My breath seizes in my throat. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “Because the stupid sheriff was being an asshole, and his deputy isn’t much better. He was talking about how sick the sheriff was of us getting involved and how it’s not that hard for people to get lost out there, if I knew what he meant.”

  Great, another implied threat. I shake it off because they’re gone and follow my sister into the trees. There, about five feet from the ground, strapped to one of the bigger trees with full view of the clearing and the brush with the trash pile, is a trail camera, its little red light blinking happily away.

  “It’s recording us,” Russ says, his voice flat.

  Now I can’t help the fear that slithers down my spine. “So that’s how they knew we were here and knew to move the body. But there’s no reception, so how could they have seen it?”

  “I don’t know,” Russ says. “Maybe it operates on different wavelengths or they have a hidden hot spot.”

  “Maybe.” But then I give voice to the worry threatening to take hold of my mind. “Either way, they must have been close enough to move the body and get away before we returned.”

  “Which means they were watching us the entire time,” Jess says, glancing around the clearing. In the distance, a faint trail of smoke drifts up over the trees. There must be a house out here somewhere. I wonder if they know anything about what’s going on. Or if they’re responsible. I shake the thought before it can take root.

  I examine the boxy trail camera. It’s camouflaged, which is probably why we missed it the first time, but there’s something scratched into the casing on the bottom. Using my phone’s flashlight, I illuminate a weird symbol that looks like two bars, kind of like fence posts, with a link in the middle and one on the top of the left bar. Weird.

  “What do you think that stands for?” Jess asks after I relay the information.

  “No idea.” I study the cryptogram. It’s got to be a symbol for something, maybe a ranch thing like they use in the West for branding cattle. I snap a quick picture to show Ceri later. There’s no way I’m going to make the same mistake again and not gather photographic evidence. With our luck, the trail camera will have disappeared too by the next time we come out here.

  At my feet, Bear growls. A long, drawn-out howl echoes through the trees, different than any other animal noise I’ve ever heard before.

  “What was that?” Russ spins around, panning the trees with his camera while George claps his hands, a wide grin spreading across his face.

  “I think we should probably get out of here, guys,” I say, feeling as if a million alien eyes are watching our every move.

  “Are you sure?” George asks. “That was the Bigfoot. I told you they’re out here.”

  Part of me wants to take George up on his offer, but I can’t shake the image of the skull out of my head, and the knowledge that there was someone else out here, someone who was watching us and was close enough to come and take the skull after we’d left to call the police. Someone who could still be out there, right now.

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” At Russ’s crestfallen expression, I shake my head. “It’s too risky. If Bigfoot is out here tonight,” and I’m still not convinced that wasn’t some other creature, “it’ll still be out here tomorrow. Sorry guys, but I think it’s time to head back in. We’ve still got a lot of stuff to do tonight when we get back.”

  Chapter 23

  I yawn, staring at the computer screen over Russ’s shoulder for so long it starts to blur, the lines of text doubling on the screen. The list of user names stretches before him, and his mouse arrow hovers over one: CeriD.

  “Are you sure you want me to do it?” he asks.

  I hesitate and glance at Jess, who snores softly on one of the twin-sized beds, her hair fanning out around her head. Bear’s curled up in the crook of her legs, his nose twitching and legs jerking occasionally as he chases an imaginary rabbit.

  “I don’t want to, but her dad doesn’t want us to post anything. He doesn’t get it though. We have to post what happened, or we’ll lose subscribers, and we can’t afford to do that.”

  Russ sighs and clicks on Ceri’s name. He hovers over the block button before finally selecting it. It’s not like we haven’t blocked people before, we have, but those were trolls and online stalkers. None of them have been clients like Ceri, or nice people who haven’t done anything to deserve being blocked. Her dad probably has access to her computer and accounts, so he’d theoretically be able to log in and see what we’ve posted. We can’t let that happen.

  “You’re right, it just sucks.” He stifles a yawn. After exiting out of that screen, Russ returns to the folder with all of our investigation videos and recordings. A parade of subfolders appears before him, all labeled with the dates, times, and what kind of material they contain.

  “I know. We’ll unblock her as soon as possible, but for now, we have to keep going.”

  He clicks on the button to post the new evidence and quickly types out an update on the thread to notify our subscribers. I log into the app we use to send mass text messages and block Ceri’s number there, too, before sending out a text to notify our subscribers of the new content.

  Right before I go to sleep early myself, my phone rings. Lovely. I wonder what else can go wrong. I glance at the screen, and my stomach sinks. Aunt Mary. Yup. This sounds about right.

  “Hello?” I stand up and pace the room, my earlier weariness being quickly replaced with irritation.

  “Is Jess there?” Her thin, reedy voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard, and I cringe.

  “She’s sleeping.”

  “I tried calling her, and she didn’t answer.”

  “That’s because she’s asleep.” Didn’t I just say that? “What’s wrong?”

  She pauses, and I imagine her searching for a reason for the call. If she actually watched our broadcasts very often, she’d have more than enough reason. “Nothing. I just wanted to see how she’s doing. I just got her most recent report card, and it’s not as good as the last one.”

  “Yeah, so?” I tighten my grip on the phone unconsciously, before loosening it. “B’s aren’t failing. She’s taking advanced classes this year so she can graduate early, that’s all.” Jess rolls over and Bear jumps to the ground and stretches. I grab his leash and clip it to his collar. If I take him outside, at least I won’t wake Jess up. Then she’ll ask why I’m talking to our aunt, and I really don’t want to explain everything right now.

  “I think she should come home,” Mary says. It’s the same tone of voice she used when she picked up my sister from Portland and told me she didn’t have room for me—I would have to stay and figure how to go to school and live and exist and graduate when my whole family had been ripped away from me. Good times. But hey, at least she gets a stipend from my parents’ trust for taking care of my sister.

  “Her home is with me.” I barely resist the urge to chuck the phone at the wall. Yeah, it would feel oh-so-gratifying, but I can’t afford a new phone right now.

  “In some run-down motel? Don’t be ridiculous.”

  I bite back all of the hateful words I really want to say as an elderly couple passes me on the sidewalk. Bear ignores them, thank G
od, more interested in sniffing a sunburnt bush than barking. “She was miserable with you, and you know it.”

  My aunt sniffles, as if crying. I stare at the phone, and even though I know I should feel sorry for her, I can’t. Yes, she lost her sister, but I lost my parents, and Jess. She left me alone in Portland at the worst time in my life. I’ll never forgive her for that.

  My aunt coughs, and then delicately clears her throat. Here she goes, changing the subject. “It sounds like your TV show is doing good. I haven’t been able to watch it since I’ve been working doubles, but I heard a lot of people like it.”

  I sigh and lean against the brick façade of the hotel. I’ve given up correcting her on what we do. She’ll never truly understand that there’s a difference between an online show like ours, and a normal TV show, but at least now I know where this conversation is going. It’s the same place it always goes, eventually.

  “Yeah, it’s great. We’re working a case right now in Oklahoma. It’s been a lot of fun. I make sure Jess keeps up with her homework, though. She’s good about that.” I don’t want to give my aunt any reason to try and take Jess away from me.

  Bear pulls on the leash and I let him lead me toward a grassy area at the end of the parking lot. I pull my phone away long enough to glance at the date on the screen. It’s still early in the month, so that’s why her phone call caught me off guard. Usually, my aunt only calls near the end of the month when bills are due.

  “Do you need some help?” God, I hate her. I hate having to give her money, but if it keeps her out of our business then it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

  “I’m fine,” she says. “We’ll be okay.” But there’s an underlying current of need in her voice that tells me I’m on the right track. My aunt might get money from our parents’ trust for taking care of Jess, but she always seems to want more.

  I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a stress headache start to pound behind my temples. “How much do you need?” I hate to give up the money—we don’t have a lot after expenses and paying Russ and insurance and socking as much away as I can in Jess’s college fund—but there’s a little to spare. A little that could have bought better equipment or maybe even gone toward a new van. Bitterness wells up inside me.

  “You don’t have to...” she trails off.

  I grit my teeth, barely suppressed anger rising to the surface. “How much do you need?” She wants me to beg her to take the money, beg her to let me send our hard-earned cash to her, under the guise of helping out family. Yeah. Family. Funny how important family was after my parents died and I didn’t have anywhere to stay.

  “Just a little, if you have enough for yourselves, of course. Anything would help.”

  But if it’s not enough, she’ll be calling back in a couple of weeks. I know the pattern. “I’ll send you what I can as soon as we get off the phone.” In my head, I mentally calculate how much we have in savings versus how much I can give her without us going hungry or running out of gas. It’s a good thing I take care of the bills. If Jess knew about this, she’d be livid.

  “Thank you. You know money’s been tight lately. I really appreciate it.”

  “Yup. You got it.” I hang up the phone before she can say anything else. I don’t want to hear it, and I don’t want to hear from her ever again. We only have less than a year until Jess turns eighteen and I can cut my aunt out of my life permanently.

  I walk Bear around the parking lot twice before I’ve calmed down enough to go back to the hotel room. By then, Jess is up, and she and Russ are sitting on the bed, talking. Their conversation dies as soon as I shut the door behind me and Jess jumps to her feet, a guilty look on her face. A camera perches on a tripod in the corner facing them, its red light blinking. Huh, they didn’t tell me they were going to record tonight. I’m not sure whether to be amused or annoyed.

  “What’s going on?” I study Jess, because she’s always had a hard time hiding her emotions. Yup, she’s feeling guilty about something.

  “I think we should head back out there,” Russ says, drawing my attention away from Jess. “We know there was a body out there. Whoever took it can’t have moved it too far, not without using the same trail we used. I bet if we go back out there, we’ll find something.”

  “Actually, that sounds like a great idea.” I gesture out the window. “Except for one thing: it’s dark, and there may or may not be an actual Bigfoot out there.” Not to mention the possibility of a very real human threat.

  “Um, newsflash, Mer,” Jess says, one eyebrow arching high over the other. “Isn’t that the whole reason we came?” She must be talking about the Bigfoot.

  “Yeah, but I never thought we’d actually find something,” I say.

  She snickers. “That’s kind of our job.”

  I plop down on the bed across from Russ. “Oh come on. I bet you thought it was as much of a joke as I did.”

  Russ holds his hands up in surrender. “Don’t look at me. I have an open mind.”

  I roll my eyes. “Sure. Whatever. Can it at least wait until morning?”

  Jess bites her lip. This. This is the part I’m not going to like, I just know it, and after my phone call with our aunt, I’m not sure how much more I can take. “I don’t think so. I mean, think about it, whoever moved the skull had to do so in a hurry, so they couldn’t have gone far. If they imitated the Bigfoot call, it could have been to drive us away. They’ll never, not in a million years, think we’ll come back tonight, so they won’t worry about moving the body right now. They probably believe they ran us off. I think this is the best chance we have to search.”

  “In the dark. In the middle of a forest we aren’t familiar with. Where there may or may not be a murderer or a Bigfoot or both. Yeah, this sounds like a great idea.”

  Russ snickers. “I wasn’t too fond of it when Jess suggested it, either.”

  “Yet here we are. No. Absolutely not. I’m not getting lost or killed because of some stupid hunch you have. It’s not worth it.” I stare down at my hands as the memories of our Georgia investigation and the terror I felt when Graham’s uncle pulled a gun on us overwhelm me. “Our last case was terrifying. I never want to go through that again. I thought I was going to lose you, and I can’t do that. I just can’t.”

  A steely glint flashes in Jess’s eyes and she squares her shoulders. “You’re not going to lose me, that’s ridiculous. I’m not a little kid anymore. You can’t keep me locked up and safe all the time. I’m going to go on investigations, and some of them are going to be dangerous. It’s the way it is. I love what we do, even though I complain all the time,” she says the last part with a wry smile. “I think this is the best chance we’ve gotten so far to solve this case. The cops aren’t doing anything, and neither is anyone else. Yes, it’s creepy out there, but we can handle it. We’ve gotten through worse, remember?”

  I take a few seconds to mull over her words. She’s right, but she’s still my little sister. I have to try and keep her safe. Russ busies himself with checking the equipment that I’m sure he’s checked dozens of times as the tension in the air thickens. Jess’s unwavering stare pins me to my seat. She’s not going to give up. “What if I say no, we’re not going?”

  She shrugs, attempting to be nonchalant, but I can see the wounded look in her eyes. “Then I’ll go anyway.” She pulls a slim silver key from her pocket. “I’ve got the spare key to the van right here. I’m not sure exactly where to go, so I might just get lost, but I’m not going to sit on my butt and stay here.”

  I point at the camera in the corner. “And this is all filming live because...”

  Russ clears his throat. “That was my idea. I thought it might get our viewers excited.” He grimaces, sheepishly. “We kinda thought you’d be more excited, too, to get out there and investigate.”

  “But we don’t have internet out there. Why get them geared up for a livestream investigation if we can’t give them that?”

  He grins. “Check this out.”
His fingers fly across the keyboard and then he turns it to face me. On the screen is a small black device with what looks like an antenna on one end. “It’s a cell phone signal booster we can connect to our phones. I think if we use that, with a portable battery, we should be able to boost our reception, which should then improve our mobile hot spot capabilities.” His brow furrows in thought. “At least, that’s how it should work in theory. There aren’t really any guides on this stuff.”

  I lean closer and peer at the prices. Holy crap. I don’t have half of a grand to drop on something like this, especially after sending money to my aunt. “That’s kind of expensive, don’t you think?”

  “I know, and I think I found an answer to that, as well.” He closes and opens a web page and then flips the computer toward me again.

  He can’t be serious. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not meeting someone from Craigslist after dark to pick up a cell phone booster. No.”

  “Come on, it’s like half the price of online, and we can get it and go tonight. Larry said he’s got the day off.”

  “Larry, huh? If that isn’t the name of someone who still lives in their parents’ basement while streaming adult videos on an old iMac, then I don’t know what is.”

  Jess snorts. “Larry’s okay. Russ already talked to him on the phone.”

  I groan. They’ve been busy in such a short time. “Or he could be an undercover cop and this phone booster thingy is code for some sort of drug. We’re going to show up, give this Larry the money, and then get busted by a bunch of cops.”

  Russ jumps up and pulls out his phone. “So that’s a yes then? I didn’t hear a no.”

  I glance from him to my sister. The hopeful, excited expressions on their faces make me feel like crap for bursting their bubbles. “I still think this can wait until morning. You know, when it’s daylight and there aren’t as many dangerous animals or disappearing dead bodies.”

  Russ flicks the light off in the motel room and turns the flashlight on his phone on and shines it under his face, giving himself an eerie, Crypt Keeper look. “But where’s the fun in that?”