The Case of the Unfettered Utonagan Page 3

  “Who was he?” I said.

  “No idea,” Rooster said. “If I remember the stories, the owner was a bit of an eccentric. Almost a hermit.”

  “Wasn’t there some sort of accident?” my mother said. “One of the hunters shot somebody or something like that.”

  “I don’t remember,” Rooster said. “I was just a kid back then.”

  “And I wasn’t?” my mother said in mock indignation.

  Rooster laughed and patted my mother’s hand.

  “Sorry. You weren’t even born yet.”

  “Well played,” my mother said, then tossed back the rest of her wine.

  “Smooth,” I said, laughing. “What happened to the place after the guy shut it down?”

  “I have no idea,” Rooster said. “It just sort of came and went. The business didn’t last long.”

  “Could you find it?” I said.

  “Here we go,” Josie said, shaking her head.

  “Shut it.”

  “I’m sure we could,” Rooster said. “All we’d need would be an old map of the area that included the access roads from back then. I imagine they’ve all been reclaimed by Mother Nature by this point.”

  “But it’s reasonably close to Sebastian Pines?” I said.

  “Yeah, I think it is,” Rooster said. “It’s certainly close enough for the dog to make her way over there from the lodge.”

  “That settles it then,” I said, grabbing my fork.

  “Settles what, darling?”

  “What I’m going to be doing tomorrow while I wait for the rest of you to find the dog.”

  Chapter 4

  I pulled off the two-lane highway onto a snow-packed access road on the edge of Sebastian Pines. I continued for about a hundred yards then came to a stop and put the SUV in park. But I left the engine running and turned the heater down.

  “Your cross-country adventure awaits,” I said, climbing out of the car.

  “I can’t wait,” Josie said as she got out. “Tell me again why we can’t use a snowmobile?”

  “Because you’ll freak the dog out,” I said.

  “Rooster’s going to be on a snowmobile,” Josie said, protesting.

  “Only to scout things out,” I said, draping an arm over my mother’s shoulder as she leaned in close for warmth. I spotted Rooster’s truck making its way toward us, and he came to a stop right behind my SUV and got out. “I thought I lost you.”

  “Not a chance,” he said, pulling a jacket on and zipping it up.

  “Look at you,” I said. “You’re actually appropriately dressed for the weather.”

  “Well, since I’m spending the day with you, I thought I better be prepared for the worst,” he said, pulling a woolen toque over his head and ears.

  “Funny. You need any help getting your snowmobile off the trailer?”

  “Not from you,” he said. “Chef Claire, you mind giving me a hand?”

  “You got it.”

  I watched them expertly maneuver the snowmobile onto the thick snow. Josie removed both pairs of skis from the roof rack and stuck them upright in the snow.

  “Okay, how do you want to do this?” Rooster said, staring out at the snow-covered field surrounded on three sides by enormous pine trees.

  “Did you bring the walkie-talkies?” I said. “The cell signal might be a bit spotty out here.”

  “I did,” Rooster said, rummaging through a duffel bag and handing one to Josie and another to my mother. “I already set them to the same frequency. All you need to do is turn them on.”

  “I feel like I’m in a cop show,” Chef Claire said.

  “A cop show set in the Arctic Circle,” Josie said, bouncing up and down on her toes. “Okay, let’s get this circus on the road.”

  “Good idea,” I said, grinning. “Then I’m going to get back in the car and have some hot chocolate. But don’t worry, you’ll warm up as soon as you start trekking toward the pines.”

  “Enjoy it while you can,” Josie said, giving me the evil eye. “You won’t be pregnant forever.”

  “I assume those are your tracks from yesterday,” Rooster said, nodding at two sets of ski tracks and a pair of footprints and four smaller tracks next to them.

  “They are,” Chef Claire said. “We had to walk back after we found the dog.”

  “What did you use for a leash?”

  “A strap from my skis and our belts buckled together,” Josie said.

  “Well done, Ms. MacGyver,” I said.

  “I’m really not in the mood, Suzy,” Josie said. “And to think I could be in Grand Cayman sipping an umbrella drink.”

  “Where’s the fun in that? Okay, Rooster. What do you think?”

  “Well, since the assumption is the dog is going to head back to where you found her, I think Josie and Chef Claire should follow their tracks from yesterday. I’ll work the outside edges of the pines and see if I can spot her with the binoculars. If I do, I’ll get on the radio. We’ll come up with a plan from there.”

  “Okay, let’s do this,” Josie said, kneeling down to slip her skis on.

  “What are you guys going to be doing?” Rooster said.

  “I thought we’d follow this access road as far as it goes and see where it leads,” I said, glancing at my mother. “You got the map, right?”

  “I do,” she said.

  “I’m not sure how we’re going to find another access road in two feet of snow, but maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay being out here?” Rooster said.

  “We’ll be fine, Rooster,” my mother said.

  “Absolutely,” I said. “We’ve got a full tank of gas, four-wheel drive, and enough food for a week.”

  “Not to mention you’re one radio call away,” my mother said. “Okay, I’m officially cold. Let’s go, darling.” She waved to the others. “Have fun out there.”

  Rooster held my arm as I slowly made my way back into the driver seat and gently closed the door behind me. I turned the heat up then glanced over at my mother who was already studying the map.

  “It looks like you’re really into this adventure, Mom.”

  “Actually, I am,” she said. “And if we do happen to run into Peters, I’d hate to miss it.”

  “Fifty grand. It’s still bugging you, huh?”

  “It’s not the money, darling. It’s the idea I let myself get conned by that sleazeball that bugs me.”

  “I can see that. Are you ready?”

  “Hang on a sec,” she said, pouring hot chocolate into two travel mugs. She handed me one then took a sip of hers. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  I put the SUV in gear, and we slowly made our way across the snowy field. I looked out the window and spotted Josie and Chef Claire working their way toward the pines. Rooster’s snowmobile was already a distant speck.

  “You think we’re still actually on the access road?” I said.

  “Hard to tell,” my mother said. “Just take your time in case we aren’t.”

  “I feel bad about leaving Lacey alone at the Inn on her first day.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine, darling. And Sammy and Jill are there to handle any questions she might have.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I like her.”

  “Me too,” my mother said, then grabbed her travel mug with both hands when the SUV bounced over the uneven terrain. “Easy, Leadfoot.”

  “Sorry. It sounds like her relationship with Peters ended badly.”

  “How could it not? The man is despicable.”

  “Then how could she have gotten involved with him in the first place?”

  “Like I said last night, he’s very convincing.”

  “Got it.”

  Our walkie-talkie squawked then we heard Rooster’s voice.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Nothing yet,” I said.

  “We’re almost to the pines,” Chef Claire said. “It’s so beautiful out here. And what a great workout.”

 
I could hear the sound of her skis cutting through the snow.

  “Isn’t it, Josie?” Chef Claire said.

  I heard Josie’s muffled response through the radio.

  “What did she say?”

  “Oh, I’m not comfortable using that sort of language,” Chef Claire said, laughing.

  “I’m at the far edge of the pines and about to start working my way into the trees,” Rooster said.

  “We’re still following the access road. At least, I think we are,” I said.

  “Okay. I’ll check in again soon,” Rooster said.

  My mother picked up a pair of binoculars then glanced over.

  “Let’s stop for a sec while I take a look.”

  “I think I’ll join you,” I said, coming to a stop and putting the SUV in park. I rummaged through the duffel bag until I found another pair of binoculars. I scanned the horizon through the windshield but came up empty. “Well, if there’s another access road around here, I sure don’t see it.”

  “Let’s take a look at the map,” she said, spreading it across her lap. “We must be around here, right?”

  “I think so,” I said, leaning over to take a closer look. Then I pointed at a spot on the map. “Right there.”

  “I’m not following,” she said, frowning.

  “Do you see where the pines on the map form a little curlicue on the right edge of the forest?”

  “I do,” she said, staring down at the map.

  “Now, look at those trees about a hundred yards up on our right,” I said, reaching for my binoculars.

  “Good eye, darling,” she said, staring through the binoculars. “I think you’re right. It’s the section of pines where those snowdrifts have accumulated.”

  “Yeah,” I said, sweeping the binoculars back and forth.

  “Those are some big drifts,” she said. “Which makes sense given all the snow we’ve had this winter.”

  “Take a closer look, Mom.”

  “What?”

  “What’s odd about those drifts?”

  My mother continued to stare through the binoculars then lowered them and looked over at me.

  “The crests of the drifts are going in the wrong direction.”

  “Exactly. With the prevailing winds out here, the drifts should be curved the other way,” I said, my neurons surging. “Those aren’t natural.”

  “They were made by a snowplow on the other side of the trees. How did you do that?”

  “Lucky guess,” I said, shrugging. “There’s just one problem.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How the heck do we get to the other side?”

  Chapter 5

  I grabbed the walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button.

  “Hello? Anybody there?”

  “Winter Wonderland Pizza. Will this be for pick-up or delivery?” Josie said.

  “Funny,” I said, accepting the sandwich my mother was holding out. “Where are you guys?”

  “Well, I can’t speak for Chef Claire, but I’m on the border of a meltdown.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “I’m standing in the middle of a forest in February freezing my butt off. What the hell do you think the problem is?”

  “A little snarky today, huh?” I said, grinning at my mother.

  “What’s going on?” Josie said.

  “Actually, I was calling Rooster.”

  “Hey,” Rooster said above the noise of the idling snowmobile. “How’s it going?”

  “I think we might have found another access road,” I said, then took a big bite of my sandwich. “But we can’t get at it.”

  “Hang on,” Rooster said. “You’re breaking up.”

  “Sorry,” I said, swallowing. “It looks like there’s a road on the other side of us that’s been plowed.”

  “Where are you?”

  “We’re at the end of the tree line right where it starts to curve back toward the highway,” I said.

  “Okay,” Rooster said. “I’ll be there in five. Josie, have you guys seen anything yet?”

  “Just a bunch of animal tracks,” Josie said.

  “What kind?” Rooster said.

  “All creatures great and small,” she said. “There’s some sort of underground spring near here. I imagine all the critters are drinking from it.”

  “Any sign of the dog?” I said.

  “No. Just some tracks that look like they could be hers,” Josie said. “I think it’s a dead end.”

  “How about I pick you guys up on the way?” Rooster said.

  “Oh, not the briar patch.”

  “Just stay put,” he said. “I’ll follow your tracks.”

  “You can’t miss us,” Josie said.

  “Okay,” Rooster said. “Suzy, we’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

  “Not a problem,” I said, then set the walkie-talkie down and attacked my sandwich.

  “This is delicious,” my mother said. “The mayo has dill and mint, right?”

  “Yeah. And I think she added a pinch of saffron,” I said. “Odd combination, but it works.”

  “It always does.”

  We chatted while we finished our sandwiches. A few minutes later, I flinched.

  “What’s the matter, darling?”

  “The baby’s kicking.”

  “Let me feel,” she said, gently placing a hand on my stomach. “Wow. She’s really going at it.”

  “I think she liked the sandwich,” I said, then laughed.

  The purr of a snowmobile engine caught our attention, and we watched Rooster slowly make his way down the edge of the tree line. Chef Claire was sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist. Josie sat behind her holding both pairs of skis.

  “He’s an amazing man,” I said, watching how carefully he was driving the large machine.

  “He certainly is.”

  “How come the two of you never hooked up, Mom?”

  “And ruin a beautiful friendship?”

  I laughed and patted her knee.

  “How long did it take you guys to figure out you were better off as friends?”

  “Not long,” she said with a shrug. “It was an easy decision for both of us.”

  “How long have you two known each other?”

  “Geez, since we were kids. It must be coming up on fifty years.”

  “Are you ever going to tell me the story about how the two of you made some of your money?”

  “There’s really not a lot to tell, darling,” she said, deflecting my question.

  “Okay, whatever you say, Mom,” I said, opening the door when the snowmobile came to a stop next to the SUV. I climbed out and zipped my coat up. “Welcome back.”

  “It was great,” Chef Claire said, her face flushed bright pink from the cold and wind.

  “Truly magical,” Josie said with a shake of her head as she climbed into the SUV.

  “So, what did you find?” Rooster said, turning the snowmobile off and getting to his feet.

  “It’s right over there,” I said, pointing. “That looks like something a snowplow would leave behind, doesn’t it?”

  “It certainly does,” he said, glancing around. “But I don’t see a road. Maybe we’re looking at a spot where the road bends.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” I said. “But where the heck does the access road start? It must connect to the highway at some point.”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Rooster said, walking back to the snowmobile.

  “You’re going up and over the snowbank?”

  “That’s the plan,” he said, starting the engine. “Why don’t you get back in the car and stay warm? I’ll be back soon.”

  I watched as he slowly headed for the large bank of snow, worked the machine up the side, then disappeared from sight. I listened to the sound of the engine that was barely above an idle for several seconds then came to life with a throaty roar. Assuming he’d found something worth exploring on the other
side, I worked my way into the driver seat. Josie and Chef Claire were sitting in the back eating.

  “Amazing sandwich, Chef Claire,” I said.

  “Thanks,” she said through a mouthful. “It’s so beautiful out here.”

  Josie glanced over at her but said nothing. She polished off her sandwich. “What’s for dessert?”

  “Brownies,” Chef Claire said.

  “Maybe there is a chance to save the day,” Josie said, groaning as she reached for the backpack. “My legs are on fire.”

  “It’s good for you,” Chef Claire said. “It builds character.”

  “You’re so weird,” Josie said, offering brownies to everyone.

  We sat quietly as we ate. A few minutes later, Rooster’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.

  “I found it,” he said.

  “The entrance to another access road?” I said.

  “Yeah,” Rooster said. “It’s pretty well hidden.”

  “Is it off Johnson Springs road?”

  “No, it’s actually off Billingsley.”

  “I’m not familiar with it,” I said, frowning and glancing over at my mother.

  “I don’t see any road signs,” she said, studying the map.

  “All you need to do is turn around and get back to the road we came in on,” Rooster said. “Make a left, and you’ll run into Johnson Springs.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” I said.

  “Then you’re going to see a one-lane road about a mile up. That’s Billingsley. Make a left. About a half-mile up, you’re going to start seeing a fence line. Turn into the first gap in the fence you see. I’ll be waiting there.”

  “That’s three lefts in a row,” I said. “So, I’ll be driving in a circle?”

  “Pretty much,” Rooster said.

  “Has the road been plowed?”

  “It’s definitely been plowed most of the winter,” he said. “But the last snowfall wasn’t cleared.”

  “When was that?” I said. “A couple of days ago?”

  “Yeah, we got four inches the other night,” Rooster said. “I’ll see you when you get here. Save me a sandwich.”

  I carefully turned the SUV around and followed Rooster’s directions. About fifteen minutes later, I finally located the entrance and inched the vehicle through a small opening. A hundred feet away, I spotted Rooster stretched out on the seat of the snow machine. He got to his feet when he spotted us. I lowered my window.