by K C Gillis
MacGregor’s embarrassment evaporated. “Sorry, but that’s highly confidential. I signed an agreement to keep my mouth shut about what we do. I can’t tell you more than I already said.”
“Don’t go acting like some hotshot. Remember, I’m supposed to keep an eye out to protect whatever the hell it is you guys do up here. And you know who I’m doing that for.”
“Yeah, I get it. But you don’t have to worry about what happens here. Your job is to make sure that ‘whatever the hell’ we’re doing goes unnoticed.”
“I know my damn job. Just keep your shit on this site. I don’t want to see it in the lake or anywhere else.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about from me.”
“I better not.”
6
Activity at the bar was picking up as boaters transitioned from the water to land. Jordan had about an hour to kill before Derek would be available, so she strolled around the marina grounds.
The scale of the docks was hard to ignore, and Jordan found herself drawn to the hundreds of boats. Copper Lake may have been a small town, but one couldn’t tell from the size of the marina. Jordan counted ten main docks, each one floating and connected to a large section of dock that ran for hundreds of feet. The docks had boat slips on each side and were of similar length. Jordan counted twenty slips on one side of a dock. This meant the marina had about four hundred slips available. It looked like a giant floating parking lot with boats arranged in orderly, discrete spaces.
Jordan walked past the end of the docks. She could see that the shore curved to her right, generally toward Copper Lake Road. She wondered what was out of sight. Jordan walked around the curve and saw the marina boat launch, a large, paved slope that ran into the lake. It had more than enough space to park two boat trailers side by side.
Looking over and beyond the boat ramp, Jordan could see another large lot and a building that looked like a warehouse. It must have been reachable from the parking lot. The lot was clearly for boats, as there were at least a couple dozen parked there and covered in shrink-wrap.
The warehouse-looking building was likely used for storing boats. Jordan figured that inside storage was more expensive than the outdoor shrink-wrapped option. Jordan didn’t know what it cost to rent a slip or to store a boat for the winter, but these two revenue streams had to be large, especially considering the size of the marina and its facilities.
In the distance, well beyond the boat warehouse, were trees. They extended as far as Jordan could see. In fact, apart from a few homes close to the marina, most of the land within Jordan’s view was treed. That included some of the shore that Jordan could see, implying that the land was largely unoccupied. She wondered who owned the land and why it wasn’t more developed. It certainly enhanced the tranquility of the area not having it crammed with roads and houses. But it should have been prime real estate.
Jordan found her way to a bench facing the docks and the lakes. It was almost five p.m., so she expected to talk to Derek soon. A few minutes after she sat down, she saw a boat heading into the first slip on a dock just to her left. The boat was a beautiful deep blue with red accents. It had a wake tower, a hardtop sunshade, and all the attachments for water sports one would expect, including speakers attached to the wake tower. As the boat turned sideways, positioning to pull into the slip, Jordan noticed that the make of the boat was Cobalt. The model, R7, was printed in big letters on the boat’s stern. The engine sounded like one from a sports car.
The driver glided the boat in expertly and turned off the engine. Two teenagers who worked for the marina came down to tie off the boat. As the driver came up the ramp from the dock, Jordan saw that he had on a marina golf shirt like the one the gatekeeper wore, but in a different color. Jordan wondered if this might be Derek. She stood up, loosely facing the direction he was coming from. He noticed Jordan, flashed a smile, and came over.
“You must be Jordan,” he said.
“That’s right. And you must be Derek. How did you know it was me?”
“Technology,” he said, still smiling. “Kasey texted me that you were here and that you were hanging out by the docks. When I saw you stand up, I figured it was you. Plus, I’ve never seen you before, so that tipped me off.”
“Smart. I know you just got off work, but I was hoping you could tell me about what you found and what happened?”
“I’ll do better than that. I can take you to where I found them.”
“That’s definitely better. When do you want to go?”
“How about in five minutes? Just let me hit the restroom.”
The Cobalt R7 flew across the lake, easily cutting through the water and air. The amount of boat traffic on the lake was light, and the water was relatively calm, amplifying the sense of speed. According to Derek, the boat had a 450-horsepower engine and could easily do fifty miles per hour. The ride was remarkably smooth, the boat seeming to skim across the lake’s surface, easily powering through the wake of other boats.
Jordan hadn’t been on a speedboat since she was a kid, when her family had rented one while on a vacation. Her memory of the event was vague, but she remembered sitting in the boat’s bow with her brother and sister while her dad drove. The pleasant childhood memory only made her current family situation seem even worse. A father she almost completely ignored and a brother she had little connection with. Fortunately, she and her sister were still close. She put the memory aside. Worrying about family issues would just cloud her thinking.
Jordan stood close to Derek so she could talk to him over the noise of the engine and the air whipping by.
“Are we close to where you found the dead fish?”
“Not quite. The location is about three miles from the marina, near the north end of the lake.”
Jordan watched as Derek eased the throttle back, dropping the rpm from over five thousand to about twenty-seven hundred, producing a speed more comfortable for talking.
“Cool. I can enjoy the ride.”
“That’s what I’d recommend. By the way, thanks for coming up here. I really didn’t think you would.”
“I didn’t have much else to work on. And spending a couple of days at a lake didn’t seem so bad.”
“You know, I read all about that GenPhage stuff. That was one hell of a story.”
Jordan had lots of practice brushing off her apparent journalistic greatness. “There was a lot of luck involved. That story was nothing like what I usually work on.”
“I bet looking into dead fish isn’t so exciting. What made you come?”
“It was the pictures of the fish. Looking at them, I couldn’t help but think they were sick. A few sick fish is probably nothing. But a few hundred, at the same time, that felt unnatural. And if it’s unnatural, then someone probably did something wrong.”
“You’re so right about the fish. Something was off. I grew up on this lake and have been driving a boat on it since I was twelve. I know every inch of shoreline and have never seen anything like it. Come to think of it, I’ve only ever seen a few dead fish over the years. So, yeah, this was absolutely unnatural.”
“Before getting into what you did after you saw the dead fish, what do you think killed the fish?”
Derek’s face darkened for just a moment, maybe out of concern for the lake. “I have no idea. My first thought was that there must have been some kind of poison in the lake. At least in that area of the lake. But I’ve gone out there a few times a day since it happened and didn’t see any more fish.”
“What about other parts of the lake?”
“Nothing that looks unusual.”
“OK, so it’s localized. Do you think a gas spill could have killed the fish?”
“It would have to have been one hell of a spill. There’s always a bit of gas getting into the lake, not to mention engine exhaust. But there’s no boat on the lake big enough to carry the amount of fuel it would take to kill that many fish. Think about how fast the gas dissipates. Plus, fish aren’t a
s dumb as we think. They’ll get away from something toxic if they can. I don’t think it was a spill. Not unless someone ran a gasoline line into the lake.”
Jordan thought about what Derek said. It made sense. Those hundreds of fish that died would have been occupying a large volume of water. It would take a hell of a lot of gas to make that much water toxic.
“So that seems to rule out simple explanations. If we can eliminate the obvious, then it becomes more likely there’s something wrong. I assume it was just accidental that you found the fish?”
“Pretty much. I often head out in the evening when the traffic quiets down and the lake becomes calm. Kind of like it is now. But closer to sunset, it gets even quieter. Anyway, I went out to the north end of the lake and was starting to turn, following the shore, when I noticed some objects near the shore. I slowed and circled back. Once I got to within fifty feet or so, I saw what had to be a couple hundred dead fish, most of them on the shore. I took some pictures that eventually made their way to you.”
“And then what?”
“I hustled back to the marina and called my dad. I told him I’d found a lot of dead fish, but he didn’t believe me right away.”
“Did he think you were exaggerating?”
“Nah. I figured he was just too lazy to take a look. But when I told him there were hundreds, he took me seriously.”
“So he agreed to take a look?”
“Yep. But he did more than take a look.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I told him what I saw and where to go. The next day, the fish were gone. Every single one of them.”
“Are you sure he got rid of them? No one else knew? Maybe some animals ate the fish?”
Derek snickered. “Do you know how many animals it would take to eat all those fish in a day? And to leave no trace? I don’t think so. Besides, sometime during that night, my dad went out. I didn’t think much of it, but that must have been when he did it.”
“That sounds possible. You’re sure no one else could have removed the fish?”
“No way. But my dad must have had help. There were a lot of fish, and my dad isn’t the kind of guy who loves manual labor.”
“It’s true he’s also the police chief?”
Derek sighed. “Yeah, he’s the chief. But that’s only because no one else wants to challenge him. I don’t think he enjoys the job anymore.”
“Why would he remove the fish like that?”
Derek shook his head. “I have no damn idea. Maybe he just didn’t want it to get out. It might look bad for the town.”
“It would be good to know why he did it, assuming it was him. Did he also tell you not to tell anyone?”
“Yeah. Makes me think he really wants to keep this quiet. I don’t get it.”
“For now, I also think we should keep this quiet. Since just you and Kasey know, let’s keep it that way. It will make it easier to figure out what’s going on if we don’t create some sort of circus.”
“Makes sense.”
Jordan hadn’t been paying attention to the drive, but the slowing of the boat signaled they must be getting close. Derek eased the throttle back to neutral, letting the boat glide in slowly, softly touching the rocks on the shoreline. Derek grabbed a rope and tied it to a cleat on the bow. He hopped off the bow and pulled the boat to shore, tying it off on a tree.
Jordan hopped out as well, mindful of the slippery rocks she needed to step on. “This is the place?”
“Sure is. As you can see, there’s no trace of any dead fish.”
“You’re right. But maybe your dad thought he was just doing his job, cleaning up the fish before they started to decay.”
Derek scoffed at that. “You don’t know my dad. He wouldn’t give a shit if some dead fish were stinking up the lake. He sure as hell wouldn’t think it was his job to clean them up.”
“OK, then. Why would he clean them up?”
“I don’t have a good explanation. He cares about the town and its livelihood. After all, if the town suffers, he suffers. But that doesn’t seem like enough to get my dad out here in the middle of the night.”
“Fair enough. So we assume your dad dealt with the dead fish. Let’s set aside his motive for now.”
“Motive? You make him sound like a criminal.”
“Sorry. Just a habit. In every story I investigate, people take action. Some are good and some are bad, but there’s a reason for each one. A motive. I didn’t mean to imply your dad is doing something wrong. Just that there had to be a reason he cleaned up the fish.”
“No problem. I just hadn’t thought about it that way.”
“Do you mind if I look around a bit?”
“Go ahead. That’s why we’re here.”
Jordan explored the immediate area as best she could, given the rocky nature of the shore. If there was a sign of what killed those fish, it wasn’t obvious.
From her spot on the shore, Jordan stopped and looked farther out over the lake. The sky was clear, and the shadows cast from the opposite shore on the calm water made for a beautiful view. Jordan expected to see more homes or cottages, but this portion of the lake seemed completely unpopulated.
“Why is it uninhabited up here?” Jordan said. “It seems like great lakefront property.”
“As far as I know, much of the land isn’t available.”
“What does that mean?”
“A lot of the land up around the northern half of the lake is state owned, with some habitat protection in place. Much of the rest is private. It’s designated for either forestry or farming. I guess the owners have little interest in the lake.”
“Too bad for them. So, apart from some forestry and farming, there aren’t many businesses up here?”
“Nothing that would explain what killed the fish.”
“It’s too bad there’s no evidence other than the pictures you took.”
Jordan noticed a broad smile on Derek’s face.
“What’s the smile for?” Jordan said.
“That’s not exactly true.”
“Really? There’s other evidence?”
“You could say that. In my freezer. I’ve got two of the dead fish.”
Jordan’s draw dropped. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me before?”
“I wanted to see if you were really interested in helping. Plus, I didn’t see the right opportunity.”
“Does your dad know?”
“That I kept two fish? No. I almost told him, but his reaction to the whole dead fish thing seemed weird to me. I figured I could tell him the next day, but when I saw that he’d gotten rid of the evidence, I decided to keep quiet.”
“It looks like that was a smart move.”
“I think so too. Should we head back?”
Jordan took a quick look around. “I guess so. There’s nothing else to see here.”
7
As Derek navigated the R7 back to its slip, the view of the marina in the fading evening light captivated Jordan. The main lodge centered the property, its shingled gable perfectly dividing it. Broad windows highlighted the vast interior while overlooking the outdoor dining area and bar. Carefully located lights graced the property, ensuring evening boaters could see well enough to dock their boats and make their way up from the docks. Most of the slips were occupied, and Jordan could see a nice crowd at the bar and on the patio.
Derek aligned the boat with its slip, turned off the motor, and let the boat glide over the last few feet of calm water. He jumped onto the dock to stop the boat and began to tie it off. Jordan watched him tie the first line and then hopped off to help, tying off two of the portside lines before Derek came over to tie off the last two. By the time he’d finished tying the boat off, one of the dock staff had come over to put on the boat cover, allowing Jordan and Derek to leave.
As they walked up to the main lodge, Jordan could see Kasey busy slinging drinks as fast as she could make them. She glanced up and waved as they approached the bar.
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br /> “We’re back,” Derek said to Kasey.
“I see that,” Kasey said, flashing Derek a big smile. The connection between them was obvious. Jordan felt just a bit lonely, knowing she didn’t have the same thing in her own life. Not anymore.
A couple sitting at the bar closed out their tab and left, opening up spots for Jordan and Derek to sit.
“Drinks?” Kasey asked.
“Absolutely,” Jordan said. “I’ll take a gin and tonic.”
“You know you don’t have to ask me that,” Derek said. “I’m off the clock. I’ll have my usual.”
A moment later, Kasey deposited their drinks, and they both took a sip.
“So, what did you think of the lake?” Kasey asked Jordan.
“Beautiful. I hadn’t been out on a lake in years. I forgot how nice it could be.”
“And Derek showed you the spot?” Jordan noticed that Kasey made a point not to mention what they actually went to look at. She was doing her part to keep the dead fish quiet.
“Yep. But as he said, there was nothing left to see.”
Kasey gave Derek a look that told him what she would say next. “And did he tell you what he has? In his freezer?”
“He did. I guess we need to decide what to do about that.”
“I’m no scientist or veterinarian,” Derek said. “But it seems like we ought to get one of the fish tested. See what killed it. But I don’t know how to do that without drawing attention. Especially from my dad. If he found out, I bet he wouldn’t talk to me for months. That might be a nice break, though.”
“Maybe we could send them to someone anonymously?” Kasey said.
“It would be hard to do without someone being able to trace it back to where they came from.” Derek slouched on his barstool, apparently stumped.
Jordan had a solution to the dilemma, if they would agree. “I’m glad you brought it up. I think I can help.”
Derek sat up straight and looked directly at Jordan. “Really? Do you have some kind of reporter connection?”
