by Michael Cole
The unexpected stress of the day was adding up, worsening the pain in his leg. As he drove, he kept one hand on the steering wheel, and another on his thigh. He found himself starting to pine for the Meperidine, despite the dreaded side effects. With one hand on the steering wheel, he grabbed the radio speaker.
“Unit 1 to Dispatch.”
“This is Dispatch. Go ahead, Chief.”
“Prepare for a TX,” he said. He put the speaker down and dug out his phone, quickly dialing the number. Dispatch answered after one ring. “Hey, it’s Sydney. Do me a favor and start calling around to see if anyone wants to pick up a shift on midnights.”
“Will do, Chief. How many officers?”
“As many as possible. I’ll be in soon to prepare a bulletin. We’re closing Ridgeway Lake.”
CHAPTER
17
Tim Marlow stayed on the boat console, keeping his coffee mug steady as Officer Larabee stood on starboard deck, arguing with the vacationer in the rowboat. The boats flashing red and blue lights irritated his drowsy eyes, which wanted to clamp shut for sleep. Tim quickly regretted picking up the call for midnight shift, and he still had his regular day shift to go. With it only being 1:13 in the morning, he had a long ways to go.
“I’m sorry, sir, but nobody can be on the lake right now,” Larabee said. It was the third time in a row he informed the angry vacationer of this. For Larabee, who was already irritated at being mandated to work overtime, his patience was wearing thin.
“This is bullshit!” the angler roared. “I spent over a grand for this trip, and I’m only here for four nights!”
“I apologize again, but this is an order straight from the chief; the lake has to be vacated,” Larabee explained. “I promise we’ll have the situation under control very soon, and you’ll be able to come back out shortly.” The fisherman cursed under his breath as he reeled in his line. He threw a few items into his tackle box and pulled up his anchor.
“Get that damn spotlight out of my face,” he sneered as he started his motor. Larabee nudged the light to face away from him. The propeller blades swirled, pushing the small boat away.
“Thank you for your cooperation,” Larabee said.
“Fuck yourself!” he heard the fisherman call out.
“Yeah, yeah,” Larabee muttered, watching the boat speed from view. The propellers kicked up water as it went, as if the motor itself was angry too. Larabee sat in a seat on the deck, while Marlow accelerated the boat at a slow speed to continue patrolling. They had been wrangling tourists out of the water all evening and night so far. A few were understanding and reasonable, but many others did not take the news so well, much like the vacationer they just dealt with. The worst was right after Sydney gave his instruction, when several evening fishers had rented boats from the Lodge. Since then, they had been on patrol, keeping watch for any violators.
Marlow listened to the long eerie wailing call of a nearby common loon. It ended with a soft sound of splashing water, indicating that the bird had taken a dive. He looked back at his co-worker, who continued sulking while grabbing his coffee cup. Larabee took a sip, then quickly spat it out. “Bleh! Damn!”
“What’s wrong?” Marlow asked.
“Damn bug got in my coffee,” Larabee grumbled. He dumped it out over the side of the boat. He repeatedly glanced at his watch, impatient to go home. “Dude, I can’t believe this shit, man. Twice in a row now. My wife is working tonight too. I had to call our babysitter to make sure she could stay late.”
“Did it work out?” Marlow asked.
“Yeah, this time,” Larabee said. “This is freaking ridiculous. We have this huge lake, and the chief wants nobody on it? For what? Does he think there’s a shark in here or something? Dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun,” he mimicked the famous Jaws theme.
“Yeah, but don’t you think it’s weird?” Marlow said. “I mean, we’ve had three unexplained incidents in the water now. I think the chief is just covering his bases.”
“I think the chief misses being a hotshot for the state,” Larabee said. He saw the disapproval in Marlow’s face. “What? You don’t think so? Oh right, aren’t you two buddies, or something?”
“Hey, come on, man,” Marlow said. “First of all, no. I never met him until I interviewed for this job. Second of all, I don’t complain when I’m told to do something. We’re lucky to be in a police department where staffing normally isn’t an issue…and you’re complaining about being frozen four hours over.” Larabee waved him off, then took off his hat to swat off some insects buzzing around. After driving them off, he looked at his empty mug.
“Any more in that thermos?” Marlow checked it.
“Enough for about one more,” he said. “You can have it.”
“Thanks,” Larabee said. He stood up and poured the remaining coffee into his mug, filling it just under the rim. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a dick.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Marlow said. Larabee set the thermos down.
“You know, you’re alright, kid. And I’ve got nothing personal against the chief. But I don’t know if he’s handling this the right way, especially with butting heads with the sheriff. Don’t be shocked if we hear something from the mayor about closing this lake,” he said. He lifted his coffee cup to his mouth to take a drink.
In the blink of an eye, water splashed up on the portside, joined with the sound of flapping wings. A black loon slammed into the fiberglass side of the boat, flapping its wings in a panic. It corrected itself and flew upward hastily, passing just inches over the officers as it elevated above the boat. Larabee and Marlow both jumped back, alarmed.
“JESUS!” Larabee yelled out. Hot coffee splashed out of the mug, splattering all over his uniform. The bird disappeared into the darkness of the night sky. Leaning back against the starboard railing, Marlow caught his breath.
“Well, that woke me up,” he said.
“No shit!” Larabee exclaimed.
“I wonder what the hell pissed him off,” Marlow said. “I’ve never seen a loon act so crazy.” Larabee nodded in agreement. His brain registered the sensation of hot coffee on his shirt.
“Son of a bitch,” he said, looking down at his stained uniform. “This…this is just lovely. This is the icing on the cake.” He noticed Marlow covering his mouth with his hand, concealing a chuckle. “I hear that, you little dipshit,” he said with a grin. It escalated into a full laugh. “Just take me back to the dock. I got a spare shirt in my car.”
“Aye-aye,” Marlow said. He returned to the console and started turning the patrol vessel around. “On the bright side, we can get some fresh coffee when we head in.”
“And a travel mug with a lid,” Larabee said.
********
The angry vacationer cursed and complained to himself as he sped his boat toward the Lodge. The sound of his voice was lost in the drone of the motor, which he had blasting unnecessarily at full speed. Keeping his eyes toward the dock lights, he took no notice of the mass that trailed about thirty feet behind, steadily closing in.
The beast had watched below, drawn by the vibrations from the two vessels above and the prey that they carried. Concealed by darkness, the creature was now hunting in conditions which better suited its senses. It had been stalking the smaller boat, but delayed its attack when the larger vessel moved in, sporting flashing red lights. It hesitated to strike, uncertain if the lights were indicative of a threat, as rival creatures in its previous world would sport lights either to attract prey, or to present a challenge to enemies. Before it could move in, the smaller target moved away. The enormous fish hesitated, undecided on whether to pursue the smaller target moving away or the larger one that remained. Instinct dictated that the smaller object contained easier prey, and the Carnobass began pursuit. It passed beneath a diving loon, which fled toward the surface.
The enormous fish stayed about twenty feet under as it closed the distance. However, its hesitation proved to be its misfortune as its targe
t went into shallow waters. It moved upward toward the surface to continue its chase. With a flutter of its tail, it shot toward the small boat like a rocket.
It opened its jaws to enclose onto the metal stern. Sensory nerves unexpectedly fired through its body as propeller blades scraped against the inside of its jaw. As a reflex, the huge fish hooked around and dove, brushing against the lake bottom. It opened and shut its mouth, as if testing its jaw. No damage had been done aside from minor scraping and the loss of a few tiny teeth, all of which would grow back.
The brief grinding sound of the motor and the huge splash behind him caused the vacationer to look back.
“What the hell?” He didn’t see anything besides stirring water behind his boat. Maybe I ran over something that was floating, he thought. He figured it was a rational possibility, as pieces of broken branches sometimes floated in the water after breaking off trees near shore. He slowed the boat down as he approached the beach. After bringing it in and tying it to the dock, he started collecting his items. He decided to look at the motor. He tilted it upwards, lifting the propeller blades out of the water. They were jagged and bent out of place.
“Oh great!” he said. “This’ll probably come out of my wallet. Just what I need.” He got out of the boat and collected his items.
The Carnobass swam back upward, only to find that its prey had already moved out of reach. Hungry and frustrated, the large fish swam back out into the open lake in search of food.
CHAPTER
18
Sydney resisted the urge to hit the snooze on his alarm clock. He had stayed out until after midnight to assist with keeping people off the lake. Speaking with Mr. Tindell, the owner of Birchwood Lodge, was the worst. Mr. Tindell did not take kindly to informing his customers that they couldn’t go fishing or swimming. He came in to the station before going home, and dispatch was overwhelmed with calls regarding the order. People were aware of the police investigations, and a rumor of a possible lake-killer was starting to spread.
Sydney felt like a fragile old man as he got out of bed. As he sat up and stretched, his hip and shoulder simultaneously popped. At this age, his joints did this often, making him sound like a human walnut cracker each morning. To make matters worse, the little sleep he got wasn’t quality sleep. His mind was fixated on the investigations, particularly the death of Amanda Stanton. There were no leads for him to go on, and he knew Sheriff Logan was going to continue hassling him on the situation.
Sydney stood up out of bed. As soon as his left leg felt the pressure of his body weight, the nerves within the muscles lit up like Vegas at night. He clutched his leg and nearly fell back into bed. Sydney squeezed the edge of the mattress, both out of pain and frustration. Each worsened the other.
He finally got up and limped his way over to the kitchen. He downed a protein shake and prepared some coffee. He grabbed the ibuprofen and gulped down a pill. Simply looking at the ibuprofen, knowing it wasn’t going to numb the pain much, added to the stress and frustration. After looking at the clock, Sydney realized he needed to hurry up and get dressed. He knew he was in for a busy day, especially with angry tourists and residents wanting answers about the lake.
After he put on his uniform, he checked his phone. Surprisingly, he didn’t have any messages, indicating that the night must have gone smoothly. He filled his travel mug with coffee and limped out the door, feeling the ache in his stomach from the ibuprofen.
********
As Sydney pulled into the station’s driveway, he quickly saw the silver 2017 Chevy Silverado parked in the front row. He was well aware who it belonged to, and why he was here.
“Oh great,” he said to himself. He knew he’d have to confront Mayor Shawn Greene about the situation, but he didn’t plan on it being the very first thing. At the very least, he hoped to finish his coffee.
He parked his car and walked toward the front door, unable to conceal his painful limp. Mayor Greene was waiting in the lobby. At a towering height of six-foot-three, the skinny blond-haired man of forty leaned against the dispatch desk. He had been watching the hallway, where a couple of the officers had been waiting. His eyes turned toward Sydney as he walked through the entrance. In addition to his white dress shirt, grey slacks, and a blue tie, Greene wore a grimace which presented his irritation.
“Shawn!” Sydney tried to sound surprised. “Good morning. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Well, that makes one of us,” Mayor Greene responded. “You’ve got a helluva lot of explaining to do, Chief.” His voice carried, and Sydney knew he could be heard down the hallway where the officers were certainly listening.
“Well…let’s go to my office,” Sydney said, leading the mayor down the hallway.
“Was it too difficult to contact me?” Greene spoke in a booming voice. He wasn’t bothering to wait until they were in the privacy of the office.
“Well, sir,” Sydney said. “I had to act quickly to ensure—”
“My phone’s been ringing off the hook all night and all morning. My personal phone has been blowing up all night. You closed the entire lake? What the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to kill this town?” They entered the office, and Sydney shut the door behind them. He offered a chair to the mayor, who declined simply by shaking his head. Sydney took a seat behind his desk. Looking up at the scowling mayor was no pleasant sight.
“Listen, Shawn,” he began. “I’m not sure what’s been going on around here, but I’m under the suspicion that the lake isn’t safe to be on.”
“Based on what?”
“Well, for starters, we’ve had three incidents in the last two days. All of which are still unexplained. We have several people unaccounted for, and at least one person dead.”
“Oh yeah,” Greene said. “About Amanda Stanton, was it correct when I was told you treated her husband Jimmie as a suspect? Are you aware that he’s high up in a company that employs several people in this county?”
And has hosted several fundraisers for you, Sydney resisted saying out loud. He cleared his throat. “You do realize we have evidence that his wife had been fooling around? She was out with someone else, and brought him home. We found the door kicked in, with Jimmie’s shoe print in the middle of it. Because of the conditions, I had to consider the possibility that he came home, found his wife and lover, and possibly murdered them. I checked with his employment and verified his alibi. We have to be thorough.”
“What about this guy she was seeing?” Greene said. “Didn’t you consider maybe he did this?”
“That’d be weird, considering he left his pants and shirt, along with his wallet and ID. Jack Penn. No trace of him so far either. And we have at least two other people reported missing, who were last known to be heading for the lake.” Mayor Greene didn’t seem to be fazed by this information. Rather, he appeared even more irritated.
“So, why close the lake?” he said. “It’s broad daylight. We’ve got people who are here to enjoy the water. This is our prime season. I don’t see why there’s a need for the lake to be closed off.”
“Because I don’t believe it’s safe,” Sydney said firmly. He made a mental note to control his rising voice.
“Based on what?”
“Didn’t I just expl—because we’ve had three incidents on the water; three that we know of.”
“Sheriff Logan informs me that there’s no danger in the lake,” Greene said, crossing his arms again. Sydney glared at him and leaned back in his seat. He cracked a smile, but it wasn’t a blissful one.
“Since when did you two become buddies?” he said. Greene ignored the remark.
“The point is, I already made a statement to the paper before coming here. The lake is open, and it’s going to stay open. This is the lifeblood of this town, and I’m not gonna let you kill it.”
“Oh yes…because that’s totally why I took this job,” Sydney remarked. “See, I was more concerned with someone or something that’s actually killing people. Unlike your new p
al, Logan. Why are you suddenly listening to him? I seem to remember why Rodney founded its own police department—”
“Morgan,” Greene said. Being a formal person, he only used first names when really irritated, “don’t push it. The lake is open. You can have one or two patrols on it, that’s fine. But if you want to keep your job, quit this wild goose chase.”
There was a moment of intense silence, which felt just as heated as their conversation. Sydney brooded in his seat, not pleased to hear his job threatened. Greene didn’t feel there was anything more to say. Sydney stood up and opened the door for him, only as a show for the officers who he knew were listening outside.
“Have a good day, sir,” he said. The mayor didn’t say anything and simply walked to the front entrance to leave. With a frustrated groan, Sydney went into the briefing room, where all of the midnight and day-time staff were waiting. As he walked in, the pain in his leg flared up. He stumbled, barely grabbing the podium before taking a fall. “God damn.” He could hear some muffled chuckling from the back. That, combined with the pain and the frustration from Greene, nearly overloaded his temper. He straightened himself up. “Alright…as I’m aware you all know because you like to eavesdrop, the lake is open again. Apparently, the mayor and the sheriff believe there’s no danger. However, I don’t really care what they think. I want two patrols on the water, and other officers patrolling the shore.” He looked to two of the officers sitting in the back, who he knew had laughed at his stumble. They were both midnight patrollers, who were about to go home. “You two,” he said, pointing at them. They each perked their heads up, and all eyes turned toward them. “Grey and McMillan…congratulations, you’re being frozen over. Eight hours.” Clamors of protest echoed through the room, not just from the two unlucky midnight patrollers, but from several other officers as well.
“What the hell, Chief?!” one of them said.
