by K C Gillis
Derek got to the marina in less than ten minutes. All the attention was down at the docks. It was strange to see a portion of dock floating twenty-five feet past the end of the other docks. Like its own little island, with about forty boats attached. Mike was there, as were a few of the staff. There was also a group of people talking about the separated dock, with lots of pointing and guessing of the cause.
“Hey, Mike,” Derek said as he came up to the group of marina staff. “When did this happen?”
“Derek, thanks for coming in early. I got a call around seven thirty a.m. from a member who said some of our dock was floating away. He didn’t say much else other than that we should get someone down here to make sure it didn’t drift away completely. I got here within fifteen minutes, saw what happened, and then called in the crew.”
Mike and Derek walked out onto the dock, closest to the section that had become detached. “Any idea how this happened?” Derek said.
Mike looked around and spoke softly. “I think this was deliberate. There are so many attachments, I don’t see how this section accidentally got away. We’ve had the same dock configuration for years.”
“You really think someone did this on purpose? Why?”
“I can’t say for sure. But docks don’t just float away. I need to report it. Do you know where your dad is?”
“He’s supposed to head out on the lake. Looking for whoever drove that black boat from last night.”
“Really? I haven’t seen any police or lake patrol boats this morning. If they’re looking for whoever drove that black boat, they should look in the bay here. Can you call him? Tell him what happened and ask him to come take a look and write it up?”
“Sure, Mike. You know, you can call him yourself. You’re a citizen reporting something suspicious. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Easier said than done. You know he hates me. Better he deals with his son.”
“Like that’s much better.” Derek stepped away and called his dad. No answer. He tried twice more and then left a message for his dad to come to the marina as soon as he could.
12
Jordan easily found the UPS Store and parked her car. She had time before it opened, so she walked across the street to the Dunkin’ Donuts, needing another round of coffee.
The fish kill story now hinged on being able to get the fish tested. That would confirm what had killed them, and it would either be a story or it wouldn’t. Period. But with the latest news from the marina, Jordan felt like there was something more to investigate than the reason she’d come to Copper Lake in the first place. For the marina to have two strange accidents within twelve hours didn’t feel like bad luck. It felt intentional.
The first one could have been an accident. A very unlikely one, but it was possible some guy fell out of the black boat and it crashed, unmanned, into the dock. Maybe the driver was drunk or had a heart attack. It seemed like a long shot, but stranger things had happened. To have a section of dock just float away, not even twelve hours after the boat crash, seemed unbelievable. If these so-called accidents were actually done on purpose, there was probably a newsworthy reason why. She might have to consider devoting a bit of time to these events once she sorted out the fish testing.
Jordan crossed back to her car as her phone rang. It was Charlie.
“Charlie, thanks for calling me back so fast. I guess you had time to look at the pictures?”
“Oh yeah. You think I’d know better by now, but you were right. I’ll examine the fish.”
Jordan pounded her fist on the hood of her car in excitement. “Really? What changed your mind?”
“Those fish were sick. And I don’t think from a virus or bacteria. They looked like they had been exposed to something they hadn’t encountered before. Maybe not toxic in the sense of a poisonous chemical, but something their bodies couldn’t handle.”
“Any idea what?”
“Not really. But they looked somehow misshapen. I don’t know exactly, but it’s strange. Strange enough that I’ll get some tests done.”
“Quietly?”
“Sure. I can manage this discreetly. I have a classification I can authorize for the testing that’s not specific. But if the cause of death is something dangerous and is still a risk, then we won’t be able to keep it quiet.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s when I’ll do my reporter thing and expose whatever’s killing them.”
“So when can you send me the fish?”
Jordan smiled. “I’m at the UPS Store right now, waiting for it to open. You should get it tomorrow morning.”
“You’re something else. Were you just going to wait there until I called, hoping I’d say yes? Or were you just going to send it to me anyway?”
“The second one.”
“I should have known better. Well, make sure you send it to me at work. I don’t want that around my place.”
“I figured that.” Jordan saw activity inside. “Hey, Charlie, they’re opening the store. I want to get this on its way. Thanks again.”
“You know I like to help. I’ll call you once I know something.”
It took fifteen minutes for Jordan to deal with the package. The girl working asked to see inside the box to confirm there was a sufficient amount of ice. The package was as expensive as hell to send with the fastest service available. Jordan kept the receipt, hoping a story would be the end result so she could expense it. She’d probably expense it anyway, but it would be easier for her editor to take if it at least contributed to a revenue-generating story.
Jordan exited the UPS Store and stopped dead in her tracks. Beside her car was a Copper Lake police vehicle. The chief’s Explorer. Leaning against the closed driver’s side door was Chief Foster. Looking right at Jordan.
“So, Ms. Reed,” he said. “Care to tell me what you’re really doing in Copper Lake?”
Jordan slowly started to move forward, switching her backpack from her left side to her right, trying to delay answering. She had to stick to her story as closely as she could. If it started to unravel, she’d have to tell the truth. “I thought I told you yesterday. I’m waiting for some friends and family to join me for a few days at the lake. Maybe it wasn’t you I told. Sorry.”
“And when is this ‘family’ coming up?” The word “family” dripped from the chief’s mouth, heavy with sarcasm.
“No later than tomorrow. Maybe even today. Why do you ask? Do I need to register them with the local police?”
“Don’t get smart with me. It’s my job to keep the town safe. Part of how I do that is to make sure I identify threats before they become a problem.”
“Well, Chief Foster, I can guarantee that my friends and family won’t commit any crimes. You can rest easy.” Jordan walked past the Explorer to get to her car. “Besides, I think your ‘protecting the town’ responsibility is for Copper Lake. We’re not in Copper Lake at the moment.”
“That’s quite the comeback you have there, Ms. Reed. Did you learn that in journalism school?”
For the second time, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Fuck. He’s been looking into me.
Jordan needed a moment to formulate a reply. “It looks like you’ve been busy, Chief. But I don’t see what difference my occupation makes.”
“It makes all the difference if you’re here to stir up some unwanted shit. I read about what you did in Boston, destroying that company the way you did. I won’t let anything like that happen here.”
“Is there a company like that here I should destroy? Care to comment on the record?”
“Don’t be so fucking smart. For the record, I don’t think you’re here to enjoy the lake. I think you’re here to try to dig up something. What that is, I don’t know yet. But I won’t let you damage the town.”
“I’m here to enjoy the lake. Period. Now, if I see something really newsworthy, I suppose I might take a peek under the hood. But I’m sure Copper Lake is a nice, safe, and quiet town.”
“As lon
g as you keep your nose clean, we won’t have a problem. And I’ll know if you don’t.”
“That sounds kind of threatening.”
“Get used to it. I’m not very subtle.” He turned around and opened his door. “Have a nice day. And be safe on the lake. We don’t need any more accidents.” He got into his vehicle and drove away.
Jordan also got into her car but didn’t leave right away. She gripped her steering wheel hard with both hands, extending her arms and pressing herself back into the driver’s seat. She wasn’t bothered by the fact the chief knew she was a reporter. There were undoubtedly reporters here all the time. What bothered her was the fact that he’d taken the effort to figure out that she was a reporter. And that he’d done so since late last night.
Jordan knew a lot of cops, and they all were pretty protective of their towns. But they wouldn’t rush to immediately investigate a visitor to town unless something worried them. Unless they had something to hide. And if there was one thing Jordan hated, it was a cover-up.
The chief may have thought he was taking charge by being a bully and threatening Jordan. What it really did was tip his hand that he was hiding something, either for himself or for someone else. Now more than ever, Jordan knew she needed to stay and find out what was rotten in Copper Lake.
Chief Brian Foster had no intention of going straight back to Copper Lake. He had watched Jordan Reed carry a large package into the UPS Store. He needed to know what was in it. After giving her enough time to leave, he circled his Explorer back to the UPS Store.
13
Jordan drove toward Copper Lake at no more than the speed limit. The chief had obviously followed her to the UPS Store and may follow her back. No need to give him an excuse to pull her over. She should have been more rattled by the chief following and cornering her like he did. But this wasn’t the first time she had been followed in her life. She’s had people follow her who were definitely on the wrong side of the law. People who were killers. Being followed and harassed by the chief was annoying and frustrating, but he was still a cop. He certainly wouldn’t hurt her.
Jordan had planned to head back to the marina. She could update Derek that the fish was on its way for testing. That would be good news. But her brief and confrontational discussion with the chief had altered her priorities.
He was now expecting to see some of her friends and family arrive. Soon. Since that was a complete fabrication, her lie would be discovered unless she found a solution. And by solution, she meant finding some friends and family who would come and visit her.
On the family front, she had two family members within two hundred miles. Not being on general speaking terms with her father ruled out inviting him to visit. But her sister, Rachel, was a possibility. She was married but had no kids, so she had a high degree of freedom. Plus, Rachel was the only family member with whom she had a decent relationship. Since the fallout from her mother’s death, it was only Rachel who really called her anymore. Rachel understood why Jordan blamed their father, at least in part, for their mother’s death, even though she was content to forgive or overlook their father’s role. Jordan wasn’t so forgiving.
She expected no trouble on the friend side. She had practically told Travis he’d have to come and help her, so asking wouldn’t be a surprise.
If Jordan could get Travis and Rachel to join her, she’d have a believable alibi for the chief. None of them could drive a boat, so she would say that her brother was supposed to come but had to bail out at the last minute. That would account for them not going boating.
I’ll try the long shot first.
Jordan dialed Rachel from her favorites. She picked up after two rings. “Hey, sis. I was actually just thinking about you. Go figure.”
“Hi, Rachel. I hope I’m not intruding on your day.”
“Not at all. I’m glad you called. I’ve got some news.”
“Really? What is it?”
“I’m pregnant. About ten weeks.”
Jordan was so surprised, she actually stopped pressing on the gas pedal. After a moment, she remembered she had to keep driving or pull over. “No shit? That’s great. When did you find out?”
“I did the home pregnancy test last week and went to my OB Friday morning. She confirmed it. I’m due in January.”
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. Have you told many people yet?” Jordan kind of hoped Rachel hadn’t. It would be a bit hard to take if she only learned by coincidence.
“You’re the first. How about that?”
“Really? I’m honored.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to tell anyone for a while. Jonathan and I want to keep our life controlled as long as we can. Once news gets out, we won’t ever be the same again. But since you called, it made no sense not to tell you. But please don’t tell anyone, especially Mark and Dad. I’m not ready to tell the rest of the family yet.”
“No worries there.”
“So how are you doing? Did you call to catch up or do you need something?”
Jordan was used to her elder siblings always expecting that she needed something. Especially Rachel. She was usually right. “Well, I was wondering if you had any plans for the next couple of days?”
“Actually, I don’t. Jonathan has a new client for work and needs to spend the week with them. He’s going to Switzerland in a few hours. We had planned the week off, so it turns out I’m free. What are you thinking?”
Jordan knew she had to position this carefully so Rachel felt like Jordan wanted some time together while doing some work on a story. “I have this story that requires me to be in Copper Lake for at least the next couple of days. I’m working out of this beautiful marina on the lake and thought it would be fun if you wanted to come hang out for a bit. I have some work to do, but there’s some nice beach, and we could get out on a boat if you wanted. The place is beautiful.”
“You know, that sounds nice. It bummed me out when I learned I’d be alone this week, so a couple of quiet days with my sis at a lake sounds good. When should I come up?”
“As soon as you want. I mean, I’m already here, so whatever works for you.”
“I’ll pack a few things and head up once Jonathan goes to JFK.”
“That’s great. Let me know when you’re on the way. I’ll text you the address of the marina and my hotel. My room has two double beds, so we can share a room.”
“Awesome. See you tonight, sis.”
One down, one to go.
As easy as it was to get Rachel on board, Travis would be even easier. He had no choice.
Travis answered the phone after four rings. “Hey, Jordan. How’s lake country?”
“You know, it’s kind of nice up here. I can’t say I hate it.”
“I knew it. You have to trust me. I wouldn’t send you to some shithole.”
“Sure, whatever. Listen. Remember how I said I might need a bit of help?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I do. And I need the in-person kind.”
“For real? You’re not just messing with me?”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that? I remember you saying you could swing a couple of days if I needed you.”
“No need to condescend. It’s just that I hate driving. Especially more than ten miles. Are you sure I can’t help you from here?”
“I’m sure.” Jordan gave Travis the abridged version of the last twenty-four hours, including the highlights of the marina accidents and the weird interactions with the chief and Punch Malone.
“All right, I’m convinced. I can at least help keep your cover story intact. I’ll get up there in the morning.”
“OK, that’ll be good. Make sure you bring your laptop. There’re a couple of people you can do some research on. There’s something else going on besides the fish kill, so I may as well do some digging while I’m here.”
“I’ll be ready. See you tomorrow.”
14
The rain had stopped completely while Jordan was talking to Rachel an
d Travis. A layer of stratus clouds still covered the sky, but cracks were forming, exposing blue sky above. The weather looked to be pivoting again.
Jordan lucked out in getting Rachel and Travis to both agree to come to Copper Lake. She had thought it would take a lot more time and effort to solve the problem her lie had created. Now she’d be able to tell the chief with a straight face that she’d come to Copper Lake to spend time with friends and family. At least one of each.
As she approached the marina, Jordan changed her plans. There was no rush to update Derek on the fish. Apart from the drop-off at UPS, there was nothing to update. Except the brief encounter with his father. Now that she had the testing of the fish under control, she thought ahead to the next possible obstacle. Finding the source of whatever killed the fish.
Time to do some exploring.
The fish kill had happened at the north end of the lake. From what Jordan and Derek had seen, there was nothing obvious in the water or on the shore that suggested a cause. It was possible—likely, even—that the source of whatever had killed the fish was on land. And if it was on land, it made sense to assume it was close to where the fish were found. At least as a starting point.
Jordan drove past the marina entrance and continued north on Copper Lake Road. She had Google Maps open on her phone, mounted on her car’s dash. It wasn’t the optimal setup to explore an area she had never been to before, but it would do. On the map, she could see that Copper Lake Road generally ran up the east side of the lake, turned to the west after passing the north end of the lake, and then ended at a state road. Not far to the west was a road called Lakeview Road that seemed to parallel the lake on much of its western edge. She may need to explore that side of the lake if she struck out on the east side.
Jordan drove the entirety of Copper Lake Road from the marina to where it ended. Jordan hadn’t paid close attention to the distance she had traveled, but it had to have been at least four miles. There had been several roads that intersected Copper Lake Road, most from the east, but a couple that headed west toward the lake. Jordan reversed course and headed south. Her plan was to drive the roads that went east, away from Copper Lake Road, first. Then she’d hit the roads that went to the west toward the lake.
