The Case of the Unfettered Utonagan

by B R Snow

  “Probably looking for Suka,” Lacey said, then caught the looks we were giving her. “Suka is her mate. Or at least that was Jeremy’s plan at the time when Akna was a pup.”

  “Is this Suka a wolf?” I said.

  “He’s not a purebred, but he’s close,” Lacey said.

  Sammy returned with the food and water and set both bowls down in front of the dog. Akna sniffed the food then devoured it. When she finished, she turned her attention to the water and drank for a long time.

  “So, what exactly is this Dr. Peters up to?” Josie said.

  “He wants to reintroduce the grey wolf to the native environment. They’re pretty much extinct around here, but his goal is to come up with a protected hybrid breed that can survive on its own, but not be a threat to people.”

  “Geez,” Josie said, shaking her head. “Why can’t people just leave the natural order alone?”

  “Jeremy believes wolves are an integral component of the ecosystem,” Lacey said.

  “But if he’s successful, he wouldn’t be reintroducing the wolf,” Josie said.

  “No, he wouldn’t,” Lacey said. “And he and I had many conversations about that very subject. But Jeremy is determined to do something about the situation. And very devoted to his research. Not to mention quite eccentric.”

  “He sounds like a nutjob,” Josie said.

  “You’re not the first person to call him that,” Lacey said.

  “Why does his name sound familiar?” I said. “It’s driving me crazy.”

  “Just let it marinate,” Josie said. “So, what do we do with her?”

  “Well, I’d rather not have to talk to him,” Lacey said as she reached for her phone. “But let me give him a call.” She scrolled through her contacts then made the call. She caught the look I was giving her and shrugged. “I haven’t gotten around to deleting his number.” She continued to hold the phone to her ear then put it away. “It just kept ringing. And he refuses to set up his voice mail. Says if people really want to speak with him, they’ll keep trying. I’ll call him again in a bit.”

  “We’ll just keep her here for the night,” I said. “Do you know how she is around other dogs?”

  “I think you need to be careful,” Lacey said. “She seems to be okay with people, but I think she might have enough preying instincts to be dangerous around your dogs. Especially the smaller breeds.”

  “Okay,” I said with a shrug. “We’ll use our isolation strategy.”

  “Yeah, definitely,” Josie said. “She probably needs to take care of business before we put her in her condo. Are all the dogs inside?”

  “Yeah,” Sammy said. “I got them in early because of the cold.”

  “Let’s do this,” Josie said, getting to her feet. “Okay, Akna, you ready to go out?”

  We all followed Josie as she led the Utonagan to the condo area. The dog stopped in her tracks when she noticed the other dogs and hunched down as she looked up and down the rows of condos. A soft, low guttural growl emerged from somewhere deep inside.

  “Good call on the isolation,” Josie said, gently pulling the lead toward the door.

  “Yeah,” I said, nodding. “She’s gonna be a handful.”

  “Hopefully, it’s just for one night,” Josie said. “Chef Claire, can you get the door?”

  She pulled the door open and stepped back to give Josie and the dog room. We all stepped outside into the cold and watched as Josie removed the lead. The dog took a few tentative steps out onto the two-acre play area then got more comfortable. Akna stalked the perimeter of the seven-foot fence surrounding the area, apparently searching for an escape route.

  “That tree stump is so ugly,” Josie said, staring at the snow-covered object at the far end of the play area.

  “Yes, it certainly is,” I said.

  The stump in question was all that was left of a large tree we’d had to remove in the fall. The root system had begun to work its way under the fence, and a local arborist had recommended its removal before it did any real damage. But we’d been hit with an early winter, and the ground had frozen before the arborist had time to remove the stump and roots. As such, we were now waiting impatiently for spring to arrive so we could remove the eyesore.

  “Does your boyfriend realize what he’s done?” Josie said to Lacey.

  “Ex-boyfriend. What do you mean?”

  “His goal was to create the best of both worlds,” Josie said. “But it appears he might have come up with the worst of both.”

  “A dog that can’t survive in the wild, but can’t be trusted being around people?” I said.

  “You got it,” Josie said. “The poor animal. She might end up in limbo.”

  “Sadly, Jeremy is only focused on the end result,” Lacey said. “And if it takes him several generations to get there, it’s just one of the byproducts of scientific experiment.”

  “And if he ruins dozens of dogs’ lives in the process, so be it?” Josie said, shaking her head in disgust.

  “That’s Jeremy,” Lacey said. “Higher purpose and all that.”

  “I’d so love to have a little chat with this guy,” Josie said.

  “Me too,” I said, studying the dog that had worked her way to the far end of the play area.

  The dog came to a stop directly in front of the tree stump and squatted in the snow. She finished taking care of business then began slowly walking back toward us.

  “At least she’s smart enough to come in out of the cold,” Josie said, watching the dog’s approach.

  Then the dog stopped and turned around. The Utonagan began sprinting through the snow, then jumped up on the tree stump and launched herself through the air. Her front legs reached the top of the fence, and the dog pulled herself up. She paused on top, glanced back at us then disappeared from sight.

  “Holy crap,” I whispered, stunned by what I’d just witnessed.

  “Wow,” Josie said. “How the heck did she do that?”

  “Smart dog,” Lacey said. “And strong. Jeremy always said one of his goals was to produce unfettered hybrids.”

  “Mission accomplished,” Josie said.

  “What do we do now?” Chef Claire said.

  “We have to go find her,” I said with a shrug.

  “Tonight? In the dark?” Josie said.

  “No, we’ll have to wait until morning,” I said. “What are the chances she’ll go back to where they found her today?”

  “I imagine they’re pretty good,” Lacey said. “Especially if she’s looking for Suka.”

  “Have you met the male?” Josie said.

  “Only from a distance. He was still a pup when I left and very skittish. It was clear from the start he didn’t like people.”

  “Well, at least we’ll get another day of cross-country in,” Chef Claire said, smiling at Josie.

  “You are so weird,” Josie said, heading back inside.

  Chapter 3

  I removed my coat and handed it to the hostess then waited for Josie to do the same. We walked to the lounge entrance and looked around the half-filled room. My mother hopped off her stool and beamed at me as she made the short walk. She gave Josie a quick hug and kiss then pulled me in close for an extended embrace.

  “My arms aren’t long enough,” she said, patting my enormous belly.

  “Funny, Mom. How are you doing?”

  “Wonderful, darling.” She looked at Josie who was grimacing and massaging her back. “What’s the matter, dear?”

  “I went cross-country skiing with Chef Claire.”

  “Brutal,” she said, laughing. “But like I always say, nothing improves a cold winter day like a ten-mile trek through snowy woods. Did you close your deal with the new vet?”

  “We did,” I said. “She signed the contract this afternoon. She’ll be joining us for dinner.”

  The front door opened and Rooster and Chief Abrams entered. They stomped the snow off their boots as they removed their coats.

  “Evening, ladie
s,” Rooster said.

  “Hey, Rooster. Chief,” I said. “Did you guys go ice fishing today?”

  “We did. I’m still thawing out. Where’s Paulie? I need to have a word with him.”

  “He went to Montreal with a couple of his buddies,” my mother said.

  “Business trip?” Rooster said as he gave Josie a hug.

  “Hockey game,” my mother said, then waved to the hostess. “I think we’re ready, Julie. We’re still waiting for three more, but we’ll sit down while we wait.”

  “You got it, Mrs. C,” she said, grabbing a stack of menus.

  We followed her into the dining room and sat down near the fire. Moments later, Freddie, our local medical examiner, and Jackson, our former chief of police, approached and took their seats.

  “Good evening, folks,” Freddie said, spreading his napkin across his lap.

  “Hey, Freddie,” I said. “Did you catch anything today?”

  “No,” he snapped.

  The other men laughed and grinned at each other.

  “You should have stayed home and folded paper,” the Chief said.

  “Excuse me?” my mother said, confused by the comment.

  “Freddie’s latest winter self-improvement project,” I said. “Origami.”

  “Really?” my mother said, raising an eyebrow. “Freddie, if you’re looking for something to fold, I have a load of wash that just came out of the dryer.”

  “You’re worse than him, Mrs. C.,” Freddie said, nodding at the Chief.

  Dr. Lacey Adams poked her head into the dining room and glanced around. I caught her eye and waved her over. She smiled at everyone then sat down next to Freddie. I handled introductions then sat back when our server approached and took our drink orders. Freddie, on point after he got his first look at Lacey, sat up straight in his chair.

  “This is a beautiful restaurant,” Lacey said, glancing around.

  “Thanks,” my mother said. “We like it. Congratulations on your new job. We’re delighted to have you.”

  “Thank you,” Lacey said. “If every day is like this afternoon, it’s certainly going to be memorable.”

  My mother frowned then looked at me for clarification. I began recounting the highlights of our encounter with the Utonagan.

  “You found the dog while you were skiing?” my mother said to Josie.

  “We did,” Josie said, heaping a pile of roasted red peppers on top of a piece of bread.

  “The dog was in Sebastian Pines?” Rooster said, surprised. “That’s a long way from anywhere.”

  “That’s what we thought,” Josie said, then took a big bite.

  “I’ve got a question,” Jackson said. “What the heck is a Utonagan?”

  “It’s a breed created to look like a wolf but have the personality of a domesticated dog,” Josie said.

  “I assume you have her at the Inn,” my mother said.

  “We did,” I said, dredging a piece of bread in olive oil. “Until she jumped the fence.”

  “She went over a seven-foot fence?” Rooster said.

  “She did,” Josie said, nodding.

  “I gotta meet this dog,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Well, we’re heading back out tomorrow to see if we can catch her again,” Josie said. “You’re welcome to join us.”

  “This must be a rare breed, right?” Jackson said.

  “Very much so,” Lacey said. “But Jeremy has always loved dealing with rare things.”

  “Jeremy?” my mother said.

  “Dr. Jeremy Peters,” Lacey said. “I used to…work for him.”

  My mother and Rooster stared at each other, dumbfounded.

  “Peters?” Rooster said. “I thought that charlatan packed up and headed west years ago.”

  “Me too,” my mother said, then focused on Lacey.

  The penny dropped.

  “That’s where I’ve heard his name. It was driving me nuts.”

  “How did you get involved with him?” my mother said.

  “Let’s say I believed him when he told me what a rare creature I was and leave it at that,” Lacey said with a shrug.

  “Where is he?” Rooster said.

  “I don’t have a clue,” Lacey said. “I met him when he was an adjunct professor at Copeland College.”

  “How long was he there?” Rooster said.

  “It must have been three or four years.”

  “I don’t believe it,” my mother said.

  “Ooh, I sense a story about to unfold,” Josie said, reaching for her wine glass.

  “Me too,” I said, leaning forward as I focused on my mother. “I remember the name, but you always refused to go into the details.”

  “Peters took your mother and me for a chunk of money,” Rooster said.

  “Really?” I said. “How much?”

  “Fifty bucks,” my mother said after a sip of wine.

  Rooster snorted.

  “I think you dropped a few zeros, Maxine,” Rooster said.

  “Five thousand?” I said.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Fifty?” I said. “Was it that much?”

  “From both of us,” Rooster said.

  “How did he manage that?” Lacey said.

  “With cunning and finesse,” Rooster said, then looked at my mother. “I wonder what the heck he’s up to now?”

  “When we were together, he was trying to reintroduce wolves to the area,” Lacey said. “At least his version of the wolf.”

  Rooster sat back in his chair and stared at my mother.

  “Do you buy that story?” he said.

  “Not a word of it,” my mother said.

  “How did you guys cross paths with him?” I said.

  “His parents had a summer place up here,” my mother said. “Maybe they still do.”

  “Where?”

  “Over on Wellesley, I think,” Rooster said.

  “We met him at a party,” my mother said. “And he told us he was developing a new technology that would remove dangerous particulates from water systems. He sold us on the idea we could be part of a startup with the potential to revolutionize environmental protection efforts. And make a lot of money in the process.”

  “I take it his project never got off the ground,” I said.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Rooster said. “Since his project turned out to be securing contributions for the Jeremy Peters’ retirement fund.”

  “I can’t believe you two got taken in by a con artist,” I said.

  “He was very convincing,” my mother said.

  “Did you sue him?” Lacey said.

  “We didn’t have any basis for a lawsuit,” Rooster said. “The contract made it clear it was a startup company with all the associated risks. By the time we figured out what was going on, he’d hit the road.” He glanced at Lacey. “He said he was some sort of environmental scientist.”

  “I’m sure he did,” Lacey said with a shrug. “But he got his doctorate in genetics.”

  “And now he’s cross-breeding dogs and wolves?” Josie said.

  “He’s been doing it for a while,” Lacey said.

  “Since we found the Utonagan in the area, is it possible Peters is around somewhere?” I said.

  “I’d be surprised if he weren’t,” Lacey said. “Akna was going to be one of the centerpieces of his wolf research.”

  “Akna?” my mother said.

  “That’s the dog’s name,” Lacey said. “I imagine he’s been breeding her.”

  “But how the heck did the dog end up in Sebastian Pines?” I said. “It’s so remote.”

  “If the dog has enough wolf in her, it makes sense,” Josie said. “Wolves can have territories that cover hundreds of miles.”

  “They do,” Lacey said. “A lot depends on the availability of food.”

  “What’s available around there for them to eat?” my mother said.

  “Deer, primarily,” Rooster said. “But there are lot
s of small animals as well. Rabbits, muskrat, stuff like that.”

  “There’s no way that Utonagan preys on other animals, right?” I said, glancing back and forth at Josie and Lacey.

  “It’s possible,” Lacey said. “She’s pretty domesticated, but you can’t fight genetics. And you saw the way she was looking at some of the smaller dogs at the Inn.”

  “I did,” I said, frowning. “But I still can’t figure out how she ended up in Sebastian Pines. It’s hundreds of acres of nothing but trees and pasture.”

  “That’s not a lot of ground to cover,” Josie said. “If you’re a wolf.”

  “But she’s not a wolf,” I said. “And the dog is obviously used to being fed by people.”

  “Maybe the dog got hungry and needed to take things into her own hands,” Rooster said.

  “Even so, where did she start her trip from?” I said, my neurons firing on all cylinders. “There’s nothing out there.”

  “No, there’s not,” Rooster said, then cocked his head and frowned. “Except for…” He glanced at my mother who also frowned as she processed his comment.

  “Except for what?” I said.

  “Is it possible?” my mother said.

  “It is relatively close,” Rooster said.

  “But it’s been shut down for what, thirty years?” my mother said, swirling the wine in her glass.

  “At least,” Rooster said.

  “I’m gonna need a little more,” I said, growing impatient.

  “Cabot Lodge,” Rooster said.

  “Chocolate jelly beans.”

  “What?” my mother said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought we were playing the game of inserting random words into conversations,” I said. “What the heck is Cabot Lodge?”

  “It’s an old hunting reserve from back in the seventies,” Rooster said.

  “Hunting reserve?” Josie said.

  “Yeah,” Rooster said, nodding. “Some guy created it for people who wanted to hunt in comfort.”

  “They’d bring in wealthy people to hunt during the day then be pampered at night with food and drink,” my mother said. “Wow, talk about a distant memory. I haven’t thought about that place in years.”

  “What happened to it?” I said.

  “I imagine they ran out of rich people who wanted to hunt there,” Rooster said. “It went out of business, and the guy who owned the place disappeared.”