The Case of the Unfettered Utonagan Read online

  “You want to get in?” I said. “You must be freezing.”

  “No, I’m fine,” he said. “But I will take one of those sandwiches.”

  I handed him one, and he took a big bite. Then he pointed off into the distance.

  “That’s the spot where you just came from. It’s one hell of a snowbank.”

  “It certainly is,” I said, following his eyes. “Somebody has been using the road all winter.”

  “That’s my guess,” he said, taking another bite and giving Chef Claire a thumbs up. “The road bends to the right. As soon as I finish my sandwich, I’ll lead the way.”

  “Take your time,” I said.

  “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen,” he said, then laughed and took another big bite. “Who the heck would choose to spend the winter out here?”

  “Given how remote it is, I imagine it’s somebody who doesn’t want anybody to know they’re here.”

  “Yeah. Or somebody who’s a hermit,” Rooster said, glancing around the immediate area. “Well, what do you know?”

  “What is it?”

  “Dog tracks,” Rooster said, pointing.

  Chapter 6

  I followed the snowmobile at a safe distance, glancing around my surroundings as we headed deeper into the forest. The road was covered with fresh snow but hardpacked underneath. As such, the four-wheel drive SUV didn’t have any problems navigating the small, one-lane road. The dog tracks were easy to follow as we continued our journey.

  “It’s amazing,” Chef Claire said, glancing out through the windows. “It’s like a postcard.”

  “If we see Santa and his elves, I’m gonna freak out,” Josie said, shaking her head. “I know we live in a rural area, but this is nuts. It’s like civilization skipped this place.”

  “If you were setting up a hunting reserve, I imagine privacy is pretty high on the list,” Chef Claire said.

  “I used to drive the back roads all the time after I got my license,” I said. “I can’t believe I missed this one.”

  “You were probably more focused on who was in the car with you,” my mother said. “That would have been Billy, right?”

  “No, I’d broken up with him by that point,” I said, glancing over at her. “I was dating Jeff the first year I had my license. Geez, there’s a blast from the past. I wonder whatever happened to him.”

  “You little heartbreaker,” Josie said with a laugh.

  “No, it was nothing like that,” I said, glancing at her through the rear-view mirror. “We decided we were better off as friends.”

  “How did you figure that out?” my mother said.

  “The hard way.”

  I slowed down when I saw Rooster pull off to the side of the narrow road and come to a stop. I put the SUV in park, and we all climbed out. I immediately spotted a large stone structure about a hundred yards in front of us.

  “Cabot Lodge, I presume?” I said.

  “That would be my guess,” Rooster said. “It looks like it’s in pretty good shape.”

  “Those granite walls aren’t going anywhere,” I said.

  “New roof,” my mother said, pointing at what was obviously a recent upgrade.

  “Okay,” I said. “Color me intrigued.” I glanced around at them. “Should we walk in or drive?”

  “Really?” Josie said, climbing into the backseat.

  We all followed suit, and I made the short drive. I parked next to Rooster’s snowmobile. I got out and studied the outside of the structure.

  “No smoke coming from the chimney,” I said. “Is it possible the place has a power supply?”

  “Sure,” Rooster said. “It would have been expensive to put in when they built the place, but it wouldn’t have been a problem.”

  “I don’t hear a generator,” I said. Then I shrugged. “Let’s go check it out. Lead the way, Rooster.”

  My mother and Josie each grabbed one of my arms and led me up the front steps onto a large porch. Various pieces of outdoor furniture were scattered around covered with tarps which were covered with snow.

  “It’s nice,” I said, taking another look around.

  “Peaceful,” Chef Claire said.

  “So was the Cabin in the Woods,” Josie said. “This place gives me the creeps.”

  “You’re such a baby,” I said, gently punching her on the shoulder. “Is the front door locked?”

  “It is not,” my mother said, slowly opening the door and peering inside.

  We all entered and stood in the foyer taking the place in. Stone and wood dominated and the living room had a vaulted ceiling. The place had a distinct musty smell, but I couldn’t miss the faint trace of smoke. A large fireplace had a covering of ashes, and a stack of firewood sat nearby. I flipped a light switch, and we were immediately bathed in light.

  “You want to take the tour or should we split up?” I said, glancing around.

  “I’ll check out the upstairs,” Rooster said, pointing at a large wooden staircase. “You guys take a look around down here.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Chef Claire said.

  We watched them head upstairs then walked across the enormous living room. A large country kitchen appeared. I opened the fridge and found it fully stocked. A second fridge was filled with various plastic bags of raw meat.

  “That’s a lot of meat,” my mother said. “Maybe he’s planning a party.”

  “Or he’s feeding a lot of dogs,” I said, closing the door.

  “Or wolves,” Josie said.

  Rooster and Chef Claire came down the staircase and entered the kitchen.

  “Looks like seven bedrooms,” Rooster said. “But only one of them is being used at the moment.”

  “The place is incredible,” Chef Claire said. “A bit rundown, but very livable.”

  “Let’s check out the backyard,” I said, heading down a hallway.

  I led the way down a long hallway adorned with faded, framed photos from a time long gone. The door that opened onto the back porch was unlocked, and I stepped outside, totally unprepared for what I saw. Off to our left was a row of wire cages. I studied the occupants then looked at Josie who was shaking her head.

  “I think we got here just in time,” she said, exhaling loudly.

  I nodded my agreement then spotted something at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Geez,” I whispered. “Rooster, would you mind checking that out?”

  “Yeah, I got it,” he said, slowly making his way down the steps.

  “Is that who I think it is?” my mother called out to Rooster.

  He was kneeling over the body and taking a close look without touching it. He stood and nodded as he looked up at us.

  “Yeah, it’s Peters,” Rooster said. “It looks like he’s been here a couple of days at least.”

  “What do you see?” I said.

  “It’s a bit hard to tell with all the snow. But he’s got a pretty big wound to the back of his head.”

  “Shot?” I said.

  “No, I don’t think so. It looks like he was hit with something,” Rooster said. “Or he fell down the stairs and managed to do it to himself.”

  “How likely is that?” I said, studying the long flight of stairs.

  “On a scale between one and ten, probably less than zero.”

  “We need to get hold of the Chief,” I said, then checked my phone. “I can’t get a signal.”

  “Me either,” Josie said.

  “Mom, Josie and I need to check out those cages. Could you go inside and see if Peters had a computer?”

  “You want me to email the Chief?” she said.

  “Yeah, tell him what we found and have him bring Detective Williams from the state police with him. The Chief won’t have any jurisdiction out here.”

  “I can do that,” my mother said, heading for the back door.

  “Oh, Mom. Ask them to swing by the Inn and bring Lacey with them. She might have some sort of idea about what we’re dealing with.”

 
“Okay,” she said, glancing down at the row of cages. “You think they’re wolves?”

  “My guess is they have some percentage of wolf in them,” I said.

  “Except for those two,” Josie said, pointing. “I’m betting those guys are one hundred percent wolf.”

  “Just keep your distance,” my mother said as she headed inside the lodge.

  I grabbed the railing and slowly worked my way down the stairs. Rooster met me halfway and held my other arm until I reached the bottom step. Josie and Chef Claire followed me, and we approached the cages. There were a dozen, all identical. Each of the chain-link cages contained a wooden structure with an opening.

  “At least they have a place to get out of the cold,” Josie said, surveying the scene.

  “We need to feed them,” I said. “It’s probably been a day or two since they’ve eaten.”

  “I’ll go grab some of the bags of meat we saw in the fridge,” Josie said.

  “No, I’ll get it,” Chef Claire said. “You guys stay here and see what you can figure out.”

  She headed up the stairs as Josie and I began a slow stroll toward the row of cages. Half of them were occupied by a single animal. The others had two or more, except for the last cage that appeared empty. Most of the occupants hung back as if not knowing what to expect from their uninvited guests. The animal in the first cage bared its teeth and maintained a low, steady growl as we approached.

  “Easy, big guy,” Josie said softly as she came to a stop outside the cage. “That is a wolf. Probably the alpha.”

  “Well, he’s certainly not a lap dog,” I said, keeping a close eye on him. “They all seem to be different ages.”

  “Yeah, I noticed,” she said, moving down a cage where three animals were warily staring back. “How many generations do you think we’re looking at?”

  “It has to be at least three.”

  “Sounds about right,” Josie said, then shook her head and pointed. “No, make that four.”

  We stared into the last cage. Inside the wooden structure was an adult who was hunkered down and obviously protecting a litter of pups.

  “Wolf puppies are born deaf and blind, right?”

  “They are,” Josie said, craning her neck to get a better look inside the doghouse. “They open their eyes after a couple of weeks. After three to four weeks, they take their first walk out of the den.”

  “You got any idea how old they are?” I said.

  “No, I can’t get a good look. But they’re definitely young.”

  “Isn’t it a bit early in the year for her to be having pups?”

  “A little,” Josie said. “They usually give birth in the spring. But since this isn’t a natural environment for them, it’s not that unusual. Especially if this guy Peters was orchestrating things.”

  “The poor animals,” I said, then stared off into the distance.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I’m just wondering what percentage of wolf they are,” I said.

  “You mean, has Peters been trying to increase or decrease the amount of wolf in each generation?”

  “Yeah, that would be good to know before we start interacting with them.”

  “You, my friend, won’t be interacting with any of them,” Josie said. “At least until we’re positive we know what they are.”

  “We could have some genetic testing done on them,” I said.

  “My guess is that Peters has already done that. He’s probably got it all written down somewhere.”

  “That makes sense,” I said, nodding as I spotted my mother and Chef Claire heading down the stairs.

  Rooster joined them as they made the short walk to the cages.

  “The good news is that he had a computer,” my mother said. “Bad news is it’s password protected.”

  “I’ll head out until I get coverage,” Rooster said, zipping his coat up. “Then I’ll wait for them by the access road.”

  “You sure?” I said. “It’s cold and you’ll be waiting for quite a while.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Rooster said. “But I will take one of those sandwiches with me.”

  He headed off with a wave, and we heard the sound of the snowmobile as he drove off. Chef Claire, holding several bags of meat, glanced up and down the row of cages.

  “How do we do this?” she said, handing a bag to each of us.

  “There’s a slot in each cage,” Josie said. “Just toss a bunch in. They’re obviously starving. But do not, and I can’t stress this enough, put your hands inside.”

  “What on earth was he doing?” my mother said, surveying the row of cages.

  “It looks like he’s been breeding hybrids,” I said, reaching into the bag and removing a large chunk of raw meat. I grinned at Josie. “Now, this is for these guys. Don’t get any ideas.”

  “Funny,” Josie said, pushing a large chunk through one of the openings. “It smells okay.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty fresh,” Chef Claire said.

  We watched the wolf-dogs devour their dinner. Except for the mother of the pups. She stayed inside the doghouse and glanced back and forth between us and the large chunk of meat Josie had thrown in.

  “She’s not going to eat while we’re standing here,” Josie said. “Let’s head inside and give her some privacy.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” my mother said as she headed for the stairs.

  Back inside, Josie and Chef Claire went to work building a fire. I watched from the comfort of a couch as my mom went exploring. A few minutes later, Josie and Chef Claire put the finishing touches on the fire and sat down next to me.

  “Promise me something,” Josie said, patting my belly.

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t go into labor out here.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Chapter 7

  My mother returned about fifteen minutes later shaking her head.

  “The guy has the place stocked to the rafters with provisions,” she said. “There’s enough food here to last a couple of years. If it weren’t for the wolfdogs, I’d swear the guy was one of those survivalists.”

  “What on earth was he doing living way out here?” Chef Claire said.

  “An eccentric nutjob performing science experiments on animals wanting to stay below the radar?” Josie said. “I can make it work.”

  “Yeah,” I said, glancing around the lodge. “Do you think he owned this place?”

  “I have no idea,” my mother said. “I thought it would be in ruins by this point.”

  “Do you think somebody killed him?” Chef Claire said.

  “I don’t think his head got bashed in just from falling down the stairs,” I said.

  “But who’d want to kill him?” Chef Claire said.

  “My money’s on Wolfman,” Josie deadpanned. “Maybe Peters was cutting into his territory.”

  “Really? That’s the best you got?” I said with a grin.

  “I feel like a glass of wine,” Chef Claire said.

  “Great idea,” my mother said. “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  Chef Claire headed to the kitchen and returned with a bottle and three glasses. She handed me a glass of sparkling water then poured the wine. We sat quietly enjoying our drinks and the fire until we heard Rooster’s snowmobile approaching the lodge. It was soon followed by the sound of a vehicle. We heard muffled conversations then the sound of footsteps on the front porch. Chef Claire opened the door and greeted all four.

  “Geez,” Chief Abrams grunted as he headed for the fireplace and looked around. “What a place.”

  “Man, when you said remote hunting lodge, you weren’t kidding,” Freddie said. “I can’t believe you even found it.”

  “Hey, Lacey,” I said. “How did it go today?”

  “It was great,” she said. “I spent the day playing with several dozen dogs. How bad could it be?”

  “Sorry to ruin it,” I said. “Hi, Detective Williams.”

  �
��Hey, Suzy,” he said, nodding and waving to everyone. “Long time, no see.”

  “It’s been a few months,” I said. “How have you been?”

  “Apart from dealing with the winter doldrums, not bad,” Detective Williams said. “Where’s the body?”

  “Back deck. At the bottom of the stairs,” Rooster said, motioning for them to follow him.

  “Is it really Jeremy?” Lacey said.

  “I’m afraid so,” I said.

  She teared up and wiped at her eyes with a sleeve.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” Detective Williams said, following Rooster down the hall.

  I slowly worked myself off the couch onto my feet.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” my mother said.

  “Relax, Mom. I’m just going to listen in,” I said, glancing back over my shoulder.

  “Just promise to behave yourself, darling.” She glanced at Josie and Chef Claire. “Should we tag along or sit here in front of the fire enjoying our wine?”

  “I don’t need to see the body again,” Josie said, frowning at my mother.

  “Yeah, it’s kind of a false choice, Mrs. C.,” Chef Claire said, taking a sip of wine.

  “Silly me,” my mother said, propping her feet up on the footstool directly in front of her.

  I stepped onto the back porch and zipped my coat up. I bounced on my toes and hugged myself for warmth as I watched the two cops and Freddie study the body of Dr. Jeremy Peters at the bottom of the stairs. Lacey remained on the porch with me, the blank look on her face a mixture of confusion and despair.

  “Did you know about this place?”

  “No,” Lacey whispered. “We called it quits before he got bounced out of Copeland. He said he was heading west.”

  “It looks like he changed his mind.”

  “If Jeremy was anything, he was unpredictable,” she said, then finally spotted the cages. “How many are here?”

  “Looks like around twenty,” I said. “Not counting the litter of pups in the last cage.”

  “What a mess,” she said, shaking her head. “How many generations do you think there are?”