Desperate Measures

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Good idea,” Lisa said. “I’m so tired I could sleep for a week.”

  “Me too,” Megan echoed.

  “I’ll see you folks later,” Jim said. “Think I’ll try to catch a few winks myself.”

  Jim tossed Jennie an odd look before heading off to the house. Did he know about the connection between her and Scott? It was like he knew something she didn’t. Or maybe he was just checking her out.

  She was still mulling over the conversation when she stepped out of the shower. As much as she wanted to reserve judgment and give Scott the benefit of the doubt, she found herself growing more and more suspicious and angry. Scott had said he didn’t think he knew Aleshia. But what if he did? What if he’d worked with her before? Or worse, what if he still was?

  Had Scott lied to her about no longer being involved with ARM? If Aleshia knew Scott, had she talked him into coming to Oregon so she could plot revenge against her parents?

  Knowing she’d never be able to sleep, Jennie dressed in a clean pair of Levi’s, a t-shirt, and a baggy blue sweater instead of her pajamas. While she dressed, another part of her conversation with Jim drifted back. According to Jim, Aleshia had told him about Scott’s involvement with ARM. The question now burning in Jennie’s mind was when and why had Jim talked to Aleshia?

  After towel drying her hair and fixing it into one long braid, Jennie followed the scent of sizzling bacon downstairs and into the kitchen.

  “You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Mary turned pieces of bacon over in the pan and covered it with a lid. “Want some orange juice, coffee, tea?”

  “Juice sounds good but I can get it.” Opening the fridge, she pulled out a pitcher of juice and poured some into the glass Mary handed her. “I’m too worried about Scott to sleep.” Jennie snagged a barstool with her foot and sat down.

  “Hmm. I guess I’d be concerned too.”

  “Mary, how well do you know Jim Owens?”

  “Very well. He grew up around here. Been working on fur farms since he was a kid. His parents used to own a ranch about ten miles from here. They retired, sold the place, and moved to Florida. Jim had to move out. He was working for the Sutherlands until Aleshia joined ARM. When Bob kicked Aleshia out, he fired Jim.”

  “Why would he fire him—was Jim part of the organization too?”

  “Oh no. Jim completely disagrees with their tactics, but Aleshia and Jim are engaged to be married. Bob feels like both of them have betrayed him. He wanted Jim to break off the engagement with Aleshia. When he refused, Bob told him to leave.”

  “Sounds complicated. How did he end up working for you?”

  “He came over right after he was fired. We needed the help.” She shrugged. “We’ve known him for years.”

  “Doesn’t it seem strange that he’d stay engaged to someone who thinks so differently?”

  “Not really. You’ve heard the saying ‘Opposites attract,’ haven’t you?”

  “Yeah—my mom and dad are pretty different.” Jennie rolled her eyes thinking about them.

  “Well, Aleshia and Jim may be opposite, but they love each other. They are willing to accept each other’s differences—I think that’s an admirable trait in both of them.”

  Mary set the bacon on paper towels and began cracking eggs into a bowl. “Would you like an omelet?”

  “Sure.”

  “Cheese, mushrooms, onions, tomato, peppers okay?”

  “All except the peppers, thanks,” Jennie answered.

  The crunch of gravel drew Jennie’s attention outside. “Mr. Bergstrom is home.” She held back the urge to run outside and tackle him with questions.

  “Tom!” Mary rushed into the entry to greet him. “What’s going on? Did you find Scott?”

  “Yeah.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe it. Looks like Scott conned us good. He didn’t bother to tell us he’d been a member of ARM up until a month ago. He also has an arrest record in Florida for charges of eco-terrorism.” Tom came into the kitchen and dropped his jacket over the back of a chair. “Did you know about that, Jennie?”

  “I …I knew he’d been arrested before, but—”

  “Save it. I wish he had come clean with me. And you, Jennie. I’m disappointed you didn’t say anything.”

  “Tom, you’re not being fair. Jennie had no way of knowing what was going on.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, but convincing Bob of that will be another matter. He’s sure Scott headed the raid and believes Jennie is somehow involved because she knows him.” Tom washed his hands in the sink.

  “Do you know where Scott is now?” Jennie asked. “Yeah. In jail.”

  “Are you sure Scott did it?” Her legs turned spongy. She collapsed in a chair at the table.

  “He claims not. I’d like to believe him, but look at his record. What else are we supposed to think?” Tom dried his hands on. a towel hooked to the refrigerator door, poured a cup of coffee, and sank heavily into the chair opposite Jennie.

  “Where did you find him?”

  “About a mile east of the freeway.”

  Jennie groaned. “So he was running away?”

  “Sure looked that way to us. He claimed he was heading into Salem to meet a friend.”

  “Did he say who?”

  “Nope. He wouldn’t tell us where he was going or who he planned to talk to.”

  “I’m really sorry, Mr. Bergstrom. I wish I’d said something.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, sweetie.” Mary slid an omelet onto a plate, added a couple pieces of bacon and toast, then set it down in front of Jennie. “You had no way of knowing.”

  Jennie stared at her food, not certain she could stomach any of it. What she found even harder to stomach was Scott’s betrayal. If that’s what it was. “That’s not quite true. I had a bad feeling something like this would happen. I trusted Scott.” She sighed. “He told me he’d quit ARM because a friend of his was killed during one of their raids.”

  “Really?” Tom leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I’d like to hear more about that.”

  Jennie relayed the story Scott had told her about the arson fire at the Florida lab. “Scott said he didn’t have anything to do with it and I believe him. He’s not malicious.”

  “Tell me how you happened to hook up with him.”

  Jennie picked at the omelet and told him about Florida and Scott’s efforts to keep dolphins from being exploited. As she replayed his story, she found herself taking his side again. “I talked to him during the rescue operation over at the Sutherlands. He seemed really angry about the release. Said whoever did it was hurting more animals than they were helping.”

  Tom leaned back as Mary brought his omelet. “Thanks, hon.” Picking up his fork, he waved it at Jennie. “He’s right about that. So what’s your take on all of this, Jennie? Do you think he was in on the release?”

  Jennie closed her eyes and visualized Scott’s sincere green gaze. She remembered how much he loved the dolphins and how shaken he’d been when one of them died. “All I know is that he really cares about animals and the environment. He got fired from a harbor cruise job because he got into an argument with a tourist who helped himself to some live coral.” Jennie hoped she wasn’t saying too much but felt honor bound to defend him.

  “If he was innocent, why did he run?”

  “I don’t know—maybe he was scared. He knew you’d find out about his arrest record. He probably figured he didn’t have a chance.”

  “Running just makes him look guilty.” Tom shoveled in a few bites of omelet.

  Jennie couldn’t argue with that. She concentrated on getting the food on her plate to her mouth. What had started out as a fun­ filled weekend with friends was fast becoming another complicated mystery. Not something she was a stranger to. Jennie had helped solve a number of criminal investigations over the
summer. Now she found herself plunked down in the middle of another.

  Mary settled into a chair. “When is Scott’s arraignment?”

  “Tess figured it would be this morning. Thought I’d go in. If you really believe in this guy, Jennie, maybe I should talk to him again.” Tom sipped at his coffee. “Would you like to come along?”

  “Yes.” Feeling more hopeful, Jennie finished her breakfast.

  She was pretty good at picking up on whether or not someone was lying to her. She hadn’t gotten that feeling at all with Scott when they’d been together the evening before. But maybe she was just trying to convince herself that a friend wouldn’t lie to her.

  6

  When he’d finished his breakfast, Tom announced he was going down to help Jim feed and water the mink. Jennie donned boots and a jacket and went along. They started at the far end of the barns and worked forward. While Jim washed out the drink containers and refilled them, Jennie and Tom drove separate mini tractors down the aisles of each barn, placing a dollop of food on each pen. The mink pressed their noses to the one-inch wire mesh, curious about Jennie and eagerly awaiting their meal. Their fur, a deep gray with a lavender tint, was thick and rich and would make beautiful coats. The Bergstroms raised blue iris mink, and each pelt would bring about fifty dollars. Mary had a jacket made out of blue iris fur. Jennie had seen it the last time she’d visited and at Mary’s insistence had tried it on. She had never worn anything so luxurious.

  Now as she moved from cage to cage, Jennie wondered if she’d ever be able to wear a mink coat. She wondered how God would feel about these animals being used to make outerwear. Then she wondered if maybe God had created them for this purpose. And mink oil was just about the best product available for keeping leather soft, pliable, and water resistant. She used it all the time on her leather hiking boots.

  “I’m going up to the house to shower, Jennie,” Tom announced before taking his tractor into the shop. “Go ahead and finish your row and put the equipment away. Jim can give you a hand if you need it. We’ll leave in about thirty minutes.”

  When Tom turned to talk to Jim, Jennie continued down the row. Over the noise she heard Tom say something to Jim about putting down a hundred pelts that day. Their voices faded, and Jennie was thankful she didn’t have to listen. One hundred of the mink she’d helped to feed would die today.

  “That would be the hardest thing about farming,” she mumbled to a sleek mink that eyed her as she passed by. Seeing the animals you’ve raised, whether they were cattle, chicken, pigs, or mink, taken to slaughter.

  When she finished her row, Jennie drove the tractor into the shed and parked it in a section where several other vehicles and pieces of equipment were stored.

  “Hey,” Jim said as he followed her inside, “thanks for all the help. With Chambers taking off like he did, we’re shorthanded. Don’t suppose you want to stick around and help me skin mink?”

  Jennie grimaced. “No, thanks.”

  “Bothers you, huh? Bothers Aleshia, too. I think that’s the main reason she hates this business.”

  “I guess I’m not cut out for this kind of work.”

  “It’s no different than skinning a rabbit,” Owens went on. “And the animal doesn’t feel anything. We put them to sleep first.”

  “I wouldn’t want to skin a rabbit either.” Jennie walked with Jim into the main part of the shed. “I heard you and Aleshia are engaged.”

  “Yep. We’re getting married in June.”

  Jennie glanced at her watch. She still had twenty minutes before she and Tom would leave for town. “Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”

  “Not at all. We can talk while I work.” They walked back into a cubicle containing a cart stacked with small wire cages. Against the wall stood a rectangular wooden box that looked like a large coffin on stilts. The cone-shaped metal sheet coming out of it was about a foot wide at the top. Next to the box, mounted to the wall, was a tall blue cylinder that had gauges on top, like the kind hospitals used for oxygen.

  Jim attached the hose from the box to the tank. “It’s carbon monoxide,” he answered the question before Jennie could ask it.

  “Carbon monoxide, but that’s … deadly.”

  “Exactly.” His smile faded. “Oh. take it Tom never showed you our little gas chamber.”

  “Um, no, he didn’t.”

  “We place the mink inside, then fill the box with carbon monoxide gas. Only takes about thirty seconds or so. It’s painless and quick. They don’t suffer.”

  “Um—I think I’d better go.” Jennie had heard far more than she wanted. Her stomach rolled and pitched, almost causing her to lose her breakfast all over the shop floor.

  “Thought you wanted to ask me some questions,” Jim called after her.

  “I’ll catch you later when you’re not so busy.” Jennie managed to get outside and haul in several deep breaths. Her stomach quieted down, deciding to keep its contents intact.

  Though she didn’t have time for another shower, Jennie washed up and changed clothes for her trip into town. She smelled like mink and felt anything but elegant.

  Megan and Lisa were still asleep at nine-thirty when Tom announced he was ready to go.

  “Looks like it’s going to be another nice day,” Tom said as they stepped onto the porch. Jennie agreed. The sky was a brilliant blue with smatterings of puffy white clouds. The only dark clouds were those hanging in her heart over Scott’s possible guilt. Jennie climbed into Tom’s truck, a white Ford Ranger, and snapped the seat belt in place. Glancing through the rear window, into the back of the pickup bed, she noticed a couple of nets and some small cages. “What are those for?”

  “Thought I’d better take them along in case we see any stray mink along the way. You can help me keep a lookout. Don’t want to hit any. Last release, about thirty-five that we know of ended up as road kill.”

  “How awful.”

  He shrugged. “The activists don’t consider that when they release the mink. They don’t consider a lot of things.”

  “Will the ones that are loose survive? I mean, What will they do for food?”

  “They’ll be able to maintain for a short time scavenging on dog or cat food that people leave out, but it isn’t what they need. Mink are carnivorous, and most of them will just end up dying.” Jennie thought about the gas chamber but didn’t say anything.

  Ending up as fur in a garment had to be better than the kind of life or death release would bring.

  “Hang on, Jen.” Tom slammed on the brakes. Jennie would have pitched through the windshield had she not been wearing her seat belt. “Grab a net. There are a couple of critters in the ditch.” They picked up four altogether, then piled into the truck again. For three mink lying alongside the road it was too late. Tom picked them up anyway, saying they needed to keep track of as many as possible. They were soon back on the road and headed into town. Jennie’s thoughts drifted back to Scott. Apparently Tom’s had too.

  “If your friend did play a part in the release,” Tom said, “he wasn’t acting alone. This was a well-executed terrorist act. The sheriff figures there must have been over a dozen people at the very least. Bob’s right. They probably had someone scope it out ahead of time.”

  “And they all got away. It seems like if Scott was one of them he’d have gone with them instead of sticking around to help capture the mink.” Of course, he could have helped in order to avoid suspicion, but she didn’t mention that.

  “I know he’s a friend, Jennie, but you must admit it seems pretty strange having him show up here right out of the blue only days before the release.”

  “Not really. Scott wants to be a marine biologist. He plans to study at OSU. He told me last spring he’d be coming out here.” Jennie frowned remembering the woman from Scott’s activist group, the Dolphin Protection Agency, in Florida. Melissa had seemed
nice enough, but Jennie later learned that she’d asked Scott to infiltrate the Dolphin Research Center and bring back evidence of animal abuse .so they could close them down. Jennie felt the organization had been using him to further their program. Could the same thing be happening now?

  “I just had a thought.” Jennie turned down the visor to block out the morning sun and told him briefly about the incident in Florida. “It’s possible he came to gather information like he said. Maybe that animal ethics group Scott is with didn’t tell him what they were planning. He could have been duped into supplying information to the PPA, not knowing they would use it to conduct a release.”

  “If he really is with them, your scenario won’t work. They don’t operate that way at all. They advocate humane care of animals, and they aren’t out to abolish the fur trade like ARM is.”

  “Well, there must be some explanation.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. Maybe Tess has been able to find out what it is.”

  The sheriff’s office in Thompson, Oregon, population thirteen hundred, was nearly as small as the town itself. The office held a scarred wooden desk, two beige four-drawer filing cabinets, a computer work station, and two chairs. Behind the desk was a metal door with a sign that read, Jail. Authorized Personnel Only. Tess glanced up when they walked in and set aside a folder she’d been looking through. “Jennie. I’m glad you came. Saves me making a phone call.”

  “Is anything wrong?”

  “I have a few questions for you.” Looking up at Tom, she asked, “What can I do for you this morning?”

  “Just came in to see if you’ve come to any conclusions about my hired hand.”

  “No conclusions. I was hoping Jennie might be able to help me out. I keep thinking about the person Jennie saw last night. Any ideas yet on who it was?”

  Jennie pinched her lips together. She’d been thinking about the person as well. The height and shape was right for Scott, but she couldn’t bring herself to make a positive identification. At least not until she’d talked to him. She shook her head. “I can’t say for sure.”