Visions of Death

by B. T. Lord

  Hatara Wilderness Lodge

  Denali National Park, Alaska

  May 6th

  “I hate you right now.”

  “You do not.”

  “Actually I do.”

  It was early in the morning and Sheriff Cammie Farnsworth stood at the large picture window at the Hatara Wilderness Lodge overlooking the Alaska Range. Or at least what would be the Alaska Range if the high winds and snows weren’t concealing the view.

  She and her companion, Dr. Samuel Westerfield, had just finished a four-day police procedural conference at the lodge. While Doc boned up on the latest in forensic and autopsy practices, Cammie had learned the refined techniques of tracking, and crime scene investigation. Both were enthralled by the class on interpreting blood splatter evidence and a host of other workshops that they hoped would hone their skills.

  They had been scheduled to leave yesterday with the rest of the police officers, instructors and technicians until, against her better judgment, she allowed Doc to talk her into staying two extra days.

  “How often are we going to get out here to Alaska?” he’d asked. “Let’s spend two days exploring the area. We can get in some dog mushing, hiking in the park, taking in these views and enjoying the crisp, clean air.”

  “You hate dogs as much as you hate hiking,” she retorted.

  “I’ll overlook my distaste if only to say I did both in Alaska.” His owlish green eyes fairly popped with excitement as he pointed out the window towards the mountain range. “This has been on my bucket list ever since I was a kid. Did you know my father was a good friend of Bradford Washburn? He used to come to dinner and regale us with stories of his Alaskan adventures.”

  “And who is Bradford Washburn?”

  Ordinarily Doc would have been aghast at her ignorance and wouldn’t have hesitated to let her know. But trying to convince her to stay while insulting her IQ wasn’t a winning proposition. “He was one of America’s leading mountaineers in the 1920s through the 1950s. He was the first to ascend many of Alaska’s peaks. Why, his wife Barbara was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Denali.”

  “Okay, that’s impressive.”

  “How will you feel if I dropped dead tomorrow and you denied me the chance to explore Denali?”

  Now, a day later, her opinion had changed over Doc’s possible death.

  Instead of communing with the unspoiled wilderness or enjoying a dog sled ride, she’d been awakened in the pre-dawn hours by a howling and rattling of her room window. When she looked outside, she was shocked to see a blizzard ravaging the lodge.

  When booking their trip, they’d been warned that Alaska weather was unpredictable. It could be warm one day and below freezing the next. It was especially changeable in Denali National Park, thanks to the unique weather systems generated by North America’s highest mountain.

  However, she hadn’t considered the changeable weather including a full-blown blizzard.

  She immediately awakened Doc and they now stood in the lobby of the hotel, her temper mounting with each gust of wind and snow that flew by the window.

  She was angry she’d allowed Doc to talk her into staying. As much as she’d enjoyed the classes and the natural beauty, by the end of the four days, she was ready to head home. She missed her boyfriend Jace Northcott, her deputy Rick Belleveau and her receptionist Emmy Madachuck. She even missed Emmy’s little dog Augie, a tiny mutt of indistinguishable parentage that she was forever almost stepping on.

  Now the homecoming was going to have to wait until the storm blew itself out. Which by all accounts, could take days.

  Doc, who was seated on one of the couches positioned to take advantage of the views, held up the brochure he was reading.

  “Did you know that Hatara is the Athabascan word for ‘snow’? Perfect name, don’t you think?” He caught her glare. “What’s the big rush to get home anyway? I’m sure Rick and Emmy can hold down the fort. Or are you missing your stack of bride magazines?”

  His remark was meant as a dig. Despite her obvious ire, the man just couldn’t help playing with fire. Wondering if she could get away with straggling him where he sat, she instead chose the safer option. She flipped him the bird before turning back towards the complete whiteness outside the window. At the same time, she unconsciously twirled the engagement ring on her finger that, at his comment, suddenly felt inordinately heavy.

  When am I going to get used to wearing this thing?

  On Christmas Day, Jace had unexpectedly proposed to her. She’d reluctantly accepted and been filled with guilt ever since for being so reluctant about accepting. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Jace. She adored him and couldn’t imagine her life without him. He was everything she’d ever hoped to find in a companion. But as her dad used to say, ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ And that was the crux of her dilemma.

  They had a wonderful life living together in her late father’s cabin on Mkazawi Pond, one of the two ponds their town took its name from. Communication was great, sex was great, everything was great.

  Why wreck it?

  The problem was, she wasn’t sure she believed in marriage. Her parents hadn’t exactly set a great example she could follow. Nor was she comfortable with the’ til death do you part’ stuff. In the past whenever anything went south, she packed her bags and got out so fast, she left a breeze in her wake. But the legalities of the union were what spooked her. She didn’t anticipate their relationship changing, but she’d seen friends who’d had great relationships, only to have it change once they tied the knot. In many cases, the change was subtle, but it was there.

  Doc’s obvious dig was aimed at her inability to set a date. When he’d found out about the engagement, he threw himself into planning the wedding, planning her dress, planning everything. But the more she procrastinated in picking a day, the more he realized her reluctance to go through with it. As was his way, he was very blunt in pointing out her stupidity over jeopardizing the only relationship that had ever worked for her and which made her happy.

  When the conference was announced, Doc convinced her to go, not only to partake in the excellent seminars, but to give her some time away from Jace and Twin Ponds.

  “Being on the opposite coast will help you think. I guarantee you’ll miss him so much, you’ll be champing at the bit to set a date.”

  To his mind, the raging blizzard was a blessing. It would give her more time to pine for Jace. And to realize how important it was to commit to him and to their relationship.

  “Standing there staring at the snow isn’t going to make the blizzard blow itself out any sooner,” Doc said. “Let’s go sit by the fire and enjoy the quiet solitude.”

  The huge lobby was filled with comfortable chairs and sofas for the guests to enjoy. In the center stood a large stone fireplace that was kept filled with wood and which threw off, not only heat, but a cozy ambiance to the room. On the walls were paintings and photographs of the pioneering days of Alaska, and of its natural beauty.

  Now that the conference was over, the hotel was a virtual ghost town. There were a few guests taking advantage of the lower pre-season prices, but there were moments, like right now, where Cammie felt they were the only two guests in the entire complex.

  “I feel like I’m staying at the Overlook Motel in the movie The Shining,” Cammie muttered as she and Doc wandered around the deserted lobby.

  “I think we’re fine. I haven’t seen any twin girls roaming the hallways asking me to play with them.”

  “If I find you typing ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ over and over again, I’m getting the hell out of here, blizzard or no blizzard.”

  Doc chuckled. They found a comfortable sofa in front of the roaring fire and were just settling in when one of the younger desk clerks came running over. He looked flustered, though he tried his best to hide it behind a veneer of professional vacuity.

  “I’m so sorry to bother you. Are either of you a doctor by any chance?” he
whispered, though there wasn’t anyone in the room to overhear him.

  “I am,” Doc spoke up.

  “Thank God. We have a very ill guest. The storm has left the roads impassable and she needs your assistance.”

  “Of course. I’ll go get my bag. What room is she in?”

  “404.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Cammie said as she walked alongside Doc towards the elevator banks. “Maybe I can help.”

  After retrieving his medical bag from his third-floor room, the two took the stairs to the fourth floor where they quickly found the room. They knocked, and a few moments later the door was opened by a dark-haired man.

  “Are you the doctor?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Doc answered.

  Both Cammie and Doc entered where they were immediately struck by the acrid smell of vomit and diarrhea. The room was larger than their own accommodations. A king-sized bed overlooked the forest. On it lay a woman. She was dressed in pajamas and she was lying very still under the blankets. Near the window stood another woman who looked very much like the ill patient.

  “I’m Doctor Samuel Westerfield,” Doc said as he turned his attention to the woman in the bed. “And my companion is Sheriff Cammie Farnsworth. What happened here?”

  “I’m Declan Bennett. The woman on the bed is my wife Sharlene. She became ill soon after dinner last night and we retired for the night. I usually run in the mornings but because of the storm, I couldn’t go out, so I instead walked around the hotel. When I returned, I found her like that. I tried to rouse her, but she won’t respond. I think she passed out. That’s when I called the front desk.”

  Doc took out his stethoscope and listened to her chest. He then took her pulse. Removing the stethoscope from his ears, he looked at Declan.

  “I’m sorry to inform you Mr. Bennett that your wife didn’t pass out. She passed away.”

  Declan took a step back in disbelief as the woman by the window stared at Doc. “What are you saying?” she gasped.

  “I’m saying that Mrs. Bennett is dead.”