An Iron Fist, Two Harbors

by Dennis Herschbach

  “Come on,” Jack urged. “Let’s get fishing. I’m already one behind, and if I’m going to win the contest, I want to get around the point.” He gestured toward a rocky peninsula that jutted out into the lake.

  Dunnigan Lake was filled with bass, and the boys hooked one nearly every cast. Finally, Ben suggested that they pull up onto a large flat rock near shore and eat lunch.

  Jack pretended to count on his fingers and toes. “Let’s see, I think that makes nineteen fish for me. No, I take it back. It’s twenty-one. How about you, Steve?”

  “You know how many I caught. But mine were bigger than yours.” He laughed, and Deidre enjoyed hearing the banter between her boys, knowing their teasing was a healthy sign.

  The day was perfect. After lunch they laid on their backs on the rock and watched the fluffs of clouds drift across the sky. After a little more fishing, they headed for the landing. Each boy had caught thirty-nine fish. None of them were keepers, but it didn’t matter. Ben made them put their rods away, figuring a tie was a good way to end the contest.

  No one mentioned work, the approach of the school year, or Maren. It was the best day any of them had had the whole summer. Deidre figured they’d be home for a late dinner, and what they would eat consumed her thoughts.

  *****

  EVERYONE WAS IN GREAT spirits as they turned into their drive. The twins helped Ben untie the canoe and carry some of the gear to their storage shed. Deidre could hear them bantering, the boys still giving their dad a hard time for making them stop fishing before the tie had been broken. She heard him laugh for the first time in weeks, almost three months, actually, and it felt good. The day had been as close to normal as possible.

  Deidre hummed a senseless tune to herself while she scrounged in the refrigerator for leftovers. By the time her family tromped into the kitchen, she had the table loaded with food: leftover roast beef from a couple of days ago, half a sandwich brought back from the restaurant the night before, lunchmeat, bread, cheese, veggies still in their tray, and an assortment of other edibles. Too, there was a half of a cherry pie that was only three or four days old. They dove into the food as if it was a gourmet feast.

  She was cleaning up the dirty dishes and Ben was shooing Steve and Jack to bed when she remembered she hadn’t checked her cell phone when she returned home. She had intentionally left it behind when they went fishing so their time wouldn’t be disturbed by calls. Ben had done the same. She powered it up and a message immediately flashed on the screen, alerting her to the fact that she had a voice message. She activated the phone’s speaker setting, and instantly felt a spasm run through her body.

  “Deidre, this is Jeff. Call me as soon as you can. We need to talk.”

  Deidre couldn’t push the speed dial on her call list fast enough, and with shaking hands she held the phone to her ear while it rang. Jeff picked up on the third ring.

  “Deidre,” Jeff exclaimed. He had seen her name come up on his caller ID. “Is Ben there with you?”

  From the tone of Jeff ’s voice Deidre knew something serious was coming next, and her heart began to hammer in her chest. “Yes, he is. Well, he’s upstairs with the boys right now.”

  “I’ve news that you’ll want to hear. I know it’s late, but can I come out right now and talk to both of you? You might even want to include Megan and Dave in the conversation, if they are available.”

  “Can you share what it is now, or do you want to wait until we’re together? I don’t think Dave or Megan can make it. They live in Duluth, you know. By all means come right out. Is there anything you want?” Deidre paused, and then exclaimed, “Oh, God. I’m just babbling.” She sat down at the kitchen table. “We’ll be ready when you get here.”

  She rushed to the foot of the stairs and hollered to Ben. “You better get down here right away. Jeff called and said he’s heading out to see us.” She gasped for a breath. “He said he has important news.”

  Deidre tried to breathe deeply and calm herself but it didn’t work. She put the rest of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and threw out the leftovers that had outlasted their time. By then Ben was next to her side, and he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Did he say what news he has?”

  Deidre shook her head and wiped a developing tear from her eye. “No, he just said it was important. You better get the boys down. Remember, we promised them they’d be included in everything that we found out about Maren.”

  Chapter

  Thirty-Nine

  BEN WONDERED WHAT COULD be so important that Jeff would come to see them at nine thirty at night, but he went upstairs to rouse the boys. They were nearly asleep when he entered their room, but when he told them Jeff was coming out and they might want to hear what he had to say, both hurriedly got dressed and came downstairs. From an upstairs window, Ben saw a pair of headlights sweep across their yard as Jeff pulled up next to the deck. By the time Ben reached the bottom of the stairs, Deidre had let Jeff in and was attempting to make small talk.

  “Jeff, it’s so good to see you. Whatever news you have, it must be important.”

  From the other room, Ben heard Jeff ’s reply. “It is. I didn’t want to break this news to you over the phone, because it’s exciting and scary at the same time. Let’s go into your living room where we can be more comfortable.”

  Ben sat down in an overstuffed chair before Deidre and Jeff entered the room. His legs suddenly lost their ability to support him, and his heart pounded against his ribs. Steve and Jeff sat side by side on the sofa, while Deidre eased herself into a rocking chair. She began to move back and forth mechanically while Jeff perched on the edge of a straight-backed chair he pulled in from the corner of the living room.

  “This has been a long ride for all of you, I know. Frankly, I’ve been distraught over how little my department has been able to do in solving Maren’s disappearance.”

  Deidre was fidgety, and thought, Come on, Jeff, tell us what you’ve found, but she kept her mouth shut. Her rocking lessened and she wondered if Jeff noticed. She tried to calm herself.

  “I don’t know if I told you, but right after we lost touch with Maren, I contacted the bank that carried her credit and debit cards,” Jeff began. “I asked that they not put a hold on the cards, but that they flag any time one of the cards was used. This morning they called.”

  Deidre sat bolt upright, and from across the room, she saw Ben move to the edge of his seat.

  “Someone’s using Maren’s card? Who is it?” Deidre blurted out.

  “At the time, we had no idea. Her charge card was presented in a convenience store in St. Paul. It’s not uncommon for a stolen card to pop up at one of those places.”

  Before Jeff could continue, Ben spoke up. “Don’t they check IDs in those places? How could someone using Maren’s card simply sign her name?”

  Jeff sort of smiled. “They don’t check often, especially if it’s for a small amount. This was for cigarettes, a liter of Diet Coke, and a bag of chips.”

  “Well, we know it wasn’t Maren,” Deidre volunteered. “She never smoked, and she was always careful about what she ate.”

  The twins sat silently throughout the entire conversation, their eyes wide with questions they were too timid to ask.

  Jeff nodded, then continued. “A few hours later, someone used her debit card to withdraw money from Maren’s checking account at an ATM. Like with the cards, we had purposely not closed her account at the bank, and you had never asked about it. I didn’t want to say anything until you questioned her accounts. Maren had two hundred dollars in checking, and the person who withdrew from the account took out eighty.”

  Suddenly the thought occurred to Deidre that ATMs, especially in banks, are usually guarded by security cameras. “Was a video taken when the ATM was used?” she asked, anticipation in her voice.

  Jeff looked at the floor, then up at Ben and Deidre. “Yes, and I was sent isolated pictures of the individual who was using Maren’s card. I’d like all of
you to take a close look at them in good light. There are five separate frames showing the person at different angles. They’re black and white and pretty grainy, but I think you’ll be able to make out the person’s features.”

  The group moved to the kitchen, where they could spread the photos out on the table, and Deidre removed the centerpiece so its surface was clear. She turned on the light above the table, and set it as bright as it would go. Jeff placed the first photo on the table and everyone peered at it intently. The angle was from behind and showed a woman who appeared to be about Maren’s height at the machine. Her hair was tied up in a loose mass. Several stray locks escaped the clasp holding it, giving the person a disheveled appearance. She wore a loose shirt that hung out of her jeans.

  Jeff said, “The next image is not the best quality, but perhaps it will ring a bell.” He placed the next picture beside the first, and again everyone looked at it intently.

  “From the back she reminds me of Maren,” Steve volunteered. “But I don’t think so. This lady is skinnier and kind of slumped over.”

  “Do you have a picture of her from the front?” Ben inquired.

  “We do. It was taken as she turned from the machine. She was facing directly at the camera. She stopped for a moment to fold the money she had withdrawn and stuff it into her pocket.” Jeff methodically placed the third picture next to the first two and stepped back from the table.

  Deidre gasped, and Ben exclaimed, “My God, it’s Maren!” Before he could say more, one of the boys let out a whoop, “Maren! It is her! Look at her eyes! That’s her!”

  “I thought so, too, when I first looked at the pictures,” Jeff said. “Look again, and try to find reasons why it’s not.”

  After minutes of staring at the photos, Jeff laid out the other two, and no one could do anything but believe it was Maren.

  “I know you desperately want it to be her,” Jeff cautioned, “So look at them as critically as you can. Did Maren have any identifying marks, a mole, a scar, anything that might help us? I know you told us that she didn’t have any tattoos, but were there any other marks that might help us?”

  No one spoke until Deidre answered. “Nothing significant enough to show on a photo. And I don’t see anything on this girl that would make me believe it isn’t Maren.” The others murmured their assent.

  “I just had a thought,” Deidre offered. “If this was a person who had stolen Maren’s ATM card, she wouldn’t have the correct PIN. The person in the picture appears to be punching in the number. Jeff, have you seen the video, too?”

  Jeff nodded. “I have, and it looks like this person steps up to the machine and correctly enters the PIN. In the video, she takes only a second, and a few seconds later she takes the money from the slot. That’s one of the reasons I think this may be Maren.”

  Deidre felt as though her legs were giving out, and she suggested they return to the living room. After they were seated, Jeff continued.

  “There are still too many questions that haven’t been answered. Where has Maren been these past, what is it, three months? And why did she wait so long before she began to use her cards again? There are so many possibilities.”

  Ben agreed. “The pictures show only a small area. Was there any indication in the video that she wasn’t alone? I wonder, was somebody with her, perhaps forcing her to use the ATM?”

  “Or maybe she’s been held by someone and has escaped. She would need money to get home,” Deidre added.

  “But that wouldn’t explain the cigarettes she bought at the convenience store. I’d go with her being held by somebody and forced to cooperate,” Ben postulated.

  “I know what’s happened. I saw it in a movie once,” Jack said excitedly. “I bet she got hit on the head and lost her memory. She can remember some things, like her PIN, but she doesn’t know where she’s at or who she is.” He looked at everyone’s face and then in a subdued tone said, “Well, it could have happened.”

  Deidre took Jack in her arms. “Yes, it could have.” He looked up at her, the look in his eyes pleading his case. “The important thing is that Maren is alive, and we’re going to get her back.”

  Deidre abruptly stood up. “Oh, my gosh, we’ve totally forgotten about Megan and Dave. We’ve got to tell them the news right now. Jeff, can you wait?” He assured them he would. “Why don’t you call Megan, and I’ll call Dave,” she suggested to Ben, and each went into separate rooms to make their calls.

  Deidre’s hands were shaking as she punched the number for Dave’s cell phone into hers. She listened to it ring several times before he picked up.

  “Dave here,” she heard him say.

  “Dave, this is Deidre. Are you sitting down?” She could hear music blaring in the background and thought she heard a woman’s voice ask, “Who is it, Dave?” followed by a muffled rustling sound.

  “Hey, Deidre. How’s it going?” The music was no longer so loud, and Deidre assumed he had moved to a quieter spot. “I’m at a friend’s party, and it’s pretty loud in there. What’s up?”

  “I don’t know where to begin,” Deidre managed to get out. “Sheriff DeAngelo is here. He has pictures taken yesterday of Maren as she was withdrawing money from an ATM.”

  There was a stunned silence on the other end of the call, and Deidre wondered if she had been disconnected. “Dave. Dave, are you there?”

  “That can’t be,” Dave stammered. Deidre could hear him breathing heavily. Then he recovered. “I mean, after all this time, I never expected her to show up. My God, she’s alive! Do you know where she’s at? Where was the picture taken? Is she all right? Is she coming home?” Dave’s questions came like staccato notes, one after the other.

  “Whoa, slow down, Dave. We don’t know much yet. The ATM is in the Cities, Minneapolis. I’ve not seen the security video, but Jeff brought us some still pictures of her making a withdrawal. She looked okay, although her clothes were pretty ragged, and she looked awfully thin. We don’t know how to find her, only that she’s alive.”

  Deidre had just gotten the words out of her mouth when she heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice in the background say, “Davy, when are you coming back inside?” Then she heard a sound she assumed was Dave covering the mouthpiece of his phone, but she could still hear his answer.

  “In a minute, honey. This is important.” He came back on the line. “I have to go, Deidre, but be sure to call me if anything comes up. I want to be the first to know.”

  Deidre said goodbye and disconnected. She had an uncomfortable feeling as she returned to the living room, but after thinking for a moment she realized that she would want Dave to continue living. After all, he and Maren hadn’t been married, and he needed someone in his life, she thought.

  Ben was waiting in the living room when Deidre returned. The boys were still sitting on the sofa, eyes filled with hope and confusion. It was as though they weren’t sure how they should be acting.

  “Megan is on her way here,” Ben told the group when Deidre was settled. As he looked at his sons, he detected a glimmer of anticipation in their posture. “She couldn’t believe what I was saying, and she wants to be with us. I told her not to speed, and she promised she wouldn’t. She had some friends over for the evening, but said she’d shoo them out and leave immediately. She should be here in about a half hour. I told her if it’s a minute less than that, I’ll know she drove too fast. Megan was so giddy, I don’t think she heard a word I said.”

  “I talked to Dave, but he’s not going to come until we know more,” Deidre said. “I told him I thought that was wise. Anyway, he was busy, and I didn’t want to interrupt him.” She thought it best not to tell the others what he was busy doing, because she figured they might not be as understanding. “He couldn’t believe what I was saying, either. His first words were, ‘That can’t be possible.’ He was so startled by what I told him that it took several seconds for him to comprehend what I said. I feel sorry for him, because I think he’s trying to move on, and we keep bringin
g up these leads that get his hopes up, only to have them dashed. I don’t blame him for not wanting that cycle to repeat. I promised him we’d call as soon as we know more.”

  Jeff filled them in on what was being done to locate Maren. “The Minneapolis Police Department is circulating the photos I showed you, and by now, all the beat cops are on the lookout for her. Her picture has gone out to all of the TV stations, and will be shown on their morning shows. Each station will also carry a short blurb on their evening news. We’re working on getting an article in each of the daily papers. Honestly, I’m confident we’ll find her in a couple of days.”

  The group waited restlessly for Megan to arrive, each of the family members trying to comprehend that Maren might still be alive. Before too long, there was a knock on the door and Megan burst into the kitchen. She hurried into the living room where everyone was still seated, and nearly jumped into Ben’s arms. “Oh, Dad. Is it true, really true?”

  Ben hugged her while the boys danced around, caught up in the excitement. Deidre experienced the urge to laugh and cry at the same time. In the end, she ended up doing both. After they quieted down, Megan began to ask questions.

  “Does Dave know?”

  Deidre related her earlier conversation with him, leaving out the part that she was sure he was at a party and didn’t want to leave.

  “Are you positive it was her at the ATM?”

  Jeff handed her the photocopies the others had seen. He intently watched Megan’s face as she paged through them, then went back to take another look.

  “I don’t know,” she finally said, her brow furrowed in contemplation. “It sure looks like Maren, but she’s so much thinner than the last time I saw her. And she seems so,” Megan paused as she searched for the correct word, “dirty. I mean, she looks like a street person. Could she go downhill that rapidly?”