“And with the possibility of a power outage, add candles to your list.” Cliff immediately thought of Parker and all the oil lamps he had. “On second thought, Justine, see if you can find any oil lamps and fuel too.”
“Mary, it’s Cliff.”
“And how is my favorite gentleman caller?” she teased him. He could hear the smile in her voice.
“A bit concerned at the moment, dear,” he said honestly. “The National Weather Service has issued a severe winter storm warning for all of Michigan effective tomorrow afternoon, for over a foot of snow. I’d feel much better if you joined me here for the duration.”
“Do you really think it’s going to be that bad?”
“I hope not, but there’s no sense in taking a chance. I’ve already sent Justine and Sam out for extra supplies that should get us through the storm.” He hesitated. “Can I come over in the morning and pick you up, or would you prefer to drive over here?”
“You’re sweet to be so concerned, Cliff. I’ll drive over in the morning,” Mary answered.
Cliff hung up the phone, glad that was another worry off his mind. Next, he needed to reach Parker. After several rings, Parker’s automated voicemail picked up.
“Parker, this is Cliff. I know you don’t have a radio or TV, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of the storm that is moving into the area tomorrow. It could get really bad. I’ve reloaded your debit card so you can buy extra food supplies. Call me when you can.”
Chapter Fifteen
“You want to go shopping tomorrow?” David suggested, during their late-morning pancakes. Neither of them slept well with lightning flashes ripping the night sky open, followed by cracks of thunder rattling even the well-built cabins.
“I can’t. I’m having the new refrigerator delivered in the morning. Besides, the auto glass place will be out early afternoon,” Parker said. “You know, with a bigger freezer we can expand on what we store.”
“I think I’ve created a monster!” David said in jest. “You’re right though. Adding fresh meat or fish to your diet in the middle of winter will be a welcomed changed.”
The new refrigerator and stove arrived early and both were installed by noon.
“That was quick,” Parker commented. The two-man crew had both appliances installed in less than an hour.
“With all the plumbing here and done, it’s easy,” the tech said. “And I know it was done right; I did it myself about nine years ago.”
“Well, that’s convenient,” Parker said, smiling.
“Mr. Smith was a really nice guy, and I was sorry to hear of his passing. I know he spent as much time here as he could, usually in the fall and early summer; he loved this place. Can I ask you a question, Mr. Adams? Are you planning on staying the winter? I ask because of wanting bigger and better appliances.”
“Yes, I’m staying. Why?”
“Can I offer a suggestion then?”
“Sure …” Parker replied instantly. So far, anyone he’d met that offered some advice was spot-on, and it had helped him a great deal to learn what he needed to.
“Get a bigger fuel tank,” the tech, Hal, said. “These remote places are usually serviced by only one or two guys, like me. I see on the schedule you also asked for a refill and a keep-fill. Mr. Smith would refill in the fall, by November first to last hunting season, then again in the spring after melt-down once we could get in; that’s all he needed since he stayed in town once it started to snow heavy. If you’re staying the winter, that won’t be enough, and once it really starts snowing, I won’t be able to get a fuel truck back here for a keep-fill and you will run out. You have only a two-hundred-gallon pig and those old units used close to a hundred fifty gallons every six weeks when in constant use. Granted, these babies,” he tapped the door of the new tan-colored refrigerator, “are a lot more efficient, and you can always freeze blocks of ice during the winter to use it as a cooler, but … winters can get very long here and you really don’t want to run dry.”
“What would you suggest?”
“I’d go for a thousand gallon tank. It’s going to cost more initially to fill it, but you will save money in the long run. The delivery fee for coming out this far, is the same whether I bring you a hundred gallons or eight hundred. With a big tank, I’ll be out twice a year, with the smaller one, it will be every month. Think about it.”
“No thinking necessary, Hal. Can you order me a bigger tank and bring it with the next fill?”
“Actually, I can do that later today since I’m scheduled to do your fill. I’ll have a second truck follow me to switch the tanks.”
The old refrigerator unit was carted away by the delivery van and the single-burner hot plate was set on a shelf in the barn.
“I think you made a really good choice, Parker. This refrigerator is double the size of the old one and triple the freezer space,” David said. “And this new stove is great. You are going to love having the extra burners in the summer for heating water.”
“That’s what I was thinking. Constantly moving pots around was annoying.” Parker thought for a moment. “I know it feels like I’m running into town a lot; however, I have a feeling that when the snow really starts in earnest, I won’t be going at all. Besides, I want to do something positive to take my mind off of this vandalism. As soon as these guys finish replacing the windshield, you want to do another run with me?” he asked, watching how efficiently the glass was being installed.
“Actually, I’d like to. I have a couple of phone calls I need to make anyway.” Guilt flitted across his young face and was gone just as quickly. “And, hey, I noticed you picked up cat food. That’s really nice of you to keep some here for Pythagoras.” The guilt once again gnawed at him.
“You mind if we stop at the library for a few minutes? I need to check my email,” Parker said.
“I do too, so we’re good.”
They headed in different directions once inside the massive red brick building.
When he saw Karlie was at the front desk, Parker headed down the nearest aisle and wove his way through the stacks of books, finding a secluded spot, out of sight of the counter and away from her. He checked his voicemail first, and listened to a rather ominous message from Cliff.
“… It could get really bad. I’ve reloaded your debit card so you can buy extra food supplies.” The rest was garbled. Alarmed, Parker pulled up a weather program on his laptop, and stared in disbelief at the seemingly endless system heading their way. Then he logged into his banking program and checked his debit card balance. Seeing how much Cliff had added, Parker knew his conservative stepfather must be very worried. Before looking for David, he tried calling Cliff and instantly got his voicemail.
“Hey, Cliff, I got your message. Thanks for the heads up. I’m in town right now at the library, so I will head over to the store and pick up some extra supplies. And don’t worry about me. I’m pretty well stocked already for the winter. If the snow hits hard, I might not be able to call, so … I’ll talk to you in the spring. Oh, and the next propane bill will be a big one; I ordered a larger fuel tank that will last me the winter.” Parker disconnected the call and wondered why the voicemail kicked in so quickly.
Karlie had seen Parker come into the library with a dark-haired young man she vaguely recognized as a regular customer, noticing them quickly parting. As soon as she was finished with her current customer, she followed him.
“Is everything okay, Parker? You look like you’ve just had some bad news,” Karlie said, putting a possessive hand on his shoulder, gently making small loving circles.
“Oh, hi, no bad news, not really, I just saw the weather forecast. It looks like there is a really big snowstorm heading this way,” he confided with a forced grin, pulling away from her.
“We get them all the time, there’s
nothing to worry about,” she assured him. “You want to stop by later for a drink or … something?” She smiled seductively.
“Ah, thanks, I can’t. I’ll talk to you later.” Parker quickly closed his laptop and left in the direction he’d seen David go. Parker had been to the library a couple of times, and each time Karlie had flirted shamelessly, so he asked her out for coffee. The second date had been to her apartment. As nice as the sex was, Parker immediately regretted hooking up with someone so clingy and possessive, and he managed to avoid her whenever he came in since then.
Finding David on the other side of the big library was easy: it was a weekday and the college and public schools were still in session.
“Hey, David, look at this.” Parker opened his laptop and tapped the mouse pad to wake it up. The screen filled with the radar map of the massive storm front moving in their direction.
“Since the new freezer is virtually empty, you might want to consider a variety of meat that you like,” David suggested. “You know, like chicken and ribs, burger, hotdogs, maybe even some fish sticks, not just steaks and pizza.”
“You’re right. You take a cart and get whatever kind of meats you think we should have. I’m going after other stuff,” Parker said, trying to stay calm, the call from Cliff dragging at the back of his mind. “Oh, and don’t forget more food and litter for Thag!” and he turned his cart in the other direction before David could protest.
After they checked out of Walstroms, they headed back to the bulk food store, where Parker shoved a basket in David’s direction.
“Aren’t you going a bit overboard?” David questioned.
“That book said it’s better to have too much, than too little, and you saw the size of that storm,” Parker replied. “Let’s get some of these number ten cans.” He stooped to get a better look at the variety of soup available. He loved soup, and if came down to it, he could and would eat it three times a day.
“If you say so.” David looked at the super large cans of chicken noodle soup and took two. Parker handed him two more, and put four of the cans of vegetable soup in his own cart, along with cream of mushroom and beef barley. “Parker, what’s going on with you?”
“I will admit I’m shook, maybe even scared. My stepdad is a real smart yet conservative kind of guy, David. When he left me that message about the superstorm headed this way, he then added five grand to my account … to buy food, so we’re buying food,” he explained. “Now go buy!”
Nearly three thousand dollars later, the back of the pickup was full. Then they stopped at a party store and filled the back seat with cases of beer, wine, and liquor.
“Did you get everything done you needed to at the library, David?” Parker asked, maneuvering the big truck close to the house for easier unloading.
“Yeah. Let’s get all this inside, and then have a beer.” David cast his eyes down.
With everything stacked near the shelves for sorting, or in the new refrigerator, Parker pulled out two beers and handed one to David, noticing it had started to snow lightly.
“Okay, so what’s up, David? Something is clearly on your mind.”
David took a long swallow of his brew hoping it would loosen the lump in his throat.
“One of the calls I made today was to have someone come out and winterize my house.” He took a deep breath before going on. “I can’t stay there by myself all winter, Parker, I just can’t, especially not if we get a superstorm this early in the season! So I need to start looking for an apartment that will allow me to keep Thag.”
Parker was stunned. He watched the battle going on in David’s eyes and a great sadness settled in his chest.
“David, I understand if you really want to move to town, but I have a feeling that isn’t your first choice. Why don’t you and Pythagoras move in here with me? You can have the entire upstairs to yourself for privacy, and Thag can have the run of the house instead of a small apartment.” Parker took another breath and let it out slowly, trying to control his own trembling emotions. “You’ve become such a good friend to me, David, more like a brother, and some of these supplies are meant for you. If you say no, I don’t know how I will make it here by myself.” He sniffled and bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling when he accepted how much he had taken David’s presence for granted. He fought hard to control his emotions, realizing that he really did look at David as the brother he never had, and losing him even for the few months of winter, would be like losing part of his family—again.
David looked up as a tear slipped down his young face. The past year with his father’s failing health he’d been brave and had shouldered a great deal of responsibility, putting up a strong front. It was all crashing down on him as he acknowledged to himself that he was still only seventeen, and still a child in many ways. He nodded silently and went looking for a tissue.
“So when is the house being shut down?” Parker asked after both he and David had each privately controlled themselves.
“In a few days, and I have to be there to let him in and pay him,” David responded, a sadness creeping in again.
“David, I think this is going to be a good thing, really. You don’t want to leave and I still need help. Why are you so sad?”
“I feel like I’m admitting to defeat. I’m a failure,” he replied with another sniffle.
“You haven’t failed at anything! Failure is not accepting the reality of the situation. Failure is not making a prudent decision. Failure would be not doing what is best for you and Pythagoras.” Parker felt he should be shouting, but instead, his voice was calm and convincing. “How can you say you’ve been defeated, David? You’ve made it through some of the worst things you will ever have to face in your life and you’ve come out the other side stronger than you were.”
David looked up at Parker from where he was sitting and smiled. “You’re right.” That evening, David brought his cat over and after letting him out, stored the carrier in a closet.
Chapter Sixteen
Mary showed up at the Tucker house the next day at ten in the morning. There was already several inches of fresh snow on the ground. Cliff took her overnight bag and gave her a quick kiss.
“How were the roads?” he asked.
“Getting bad already and it never ceases to amaze me that people forget how to drive in the snow from one year to the next!” Mary laughed. He led her to his office where the TV was set on the local weather station.
“Make yourself comfortable; I have some work to finish: two of my managers haven’t checked in yet and I haven’t heard back from Parker.”
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll visit with Justine while you work. I don’t want to distract you,” she replied, smiling warmly at him.
Three days later, the snow was still coming down, measuring thirty inches total in the gated suburb where Cliff Tucker lived. The roads were impassable and the plows were ineffective because of all the accidents and abandoned vehicles.
And then the power went out.
Justine set a tureen of soup in the center of the small table in the kitchen. With using the gas stove to cook on, the kitchen was currently the warmest room in the house.
“Sam, is there any wood we can use in the fireplace?” Cliff asked, his thoughts going back to Parker again, and thinking that off-grid cabin might be the best place to be right now.
“Yes, Mr. Tucker. I know how you like a fire in the winter, so I had some delivered several weeks ago and stored it in the empty parking area,” Sam answered.
“Wonderful! Perhaps a nice blazing fire in the front room will keep us warm tonight.”
“If I may make a suggestion,” Sam interjected. “We should use the fireplace in your office, Mr. Tucker. It’s a much smaller room and will retain the heat better.�
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“Excellent idea; in fact, if the power doesn’t come back on by tomorrow, we might have to sleep near the fire,” Cliff replied. “It’s very concerning how cold it is outside for early November.” He turned to Justine. “What does that weather station we installed last year say the outside temp is now?”
“It’s only two degrees.” She frowned at the thought, and then sat at the table and helped herself to some of the hot soup.
Deputies Gabe Smith and Al Aho found their seats on the small commuter jet that made daily runs to Lansing. Along with fourteen other officers from the State Police, Sheriff’s Department and two local law enforcement locations, the thirty passenger jet also seated four graduate students from the nearby university and five couples heading for a connection to Florida.
“Looks like we have a full load,” Gabe said. “It’s good to see so much interest in forensic evidence.”
“Sure, but I think some of the passengers only want a few days away from so much snow,” Al said, chuckling.
“If they don’t like the snow, they’re living in the wrong place,” Gabe replied with a snicker. He buckled his seatbelt and pulled a notebook out of the briefcase at his feet and opened it to the bookmark.
“Whatcha reading?” Al asked.
“It’s my grandfather’s camp journal,” he answered. “I thought it might give me an idea if this vandalism has been going on longer than we thought. So far, it goes from being interesting to being dull reading and nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and everything is secure,” the flight attendant said, walking down the narrow aisle. “We are preparing for departure. Flight 632, leaving Marquette at two o’clock PM and expected to arrive in Lansing at three-thirty; currently, we have clear skies at a chilly 42 degrees, with radar showing clouds moving into the Lansing area.” She sat in the pull-down seat next to the door hatch and fastened her own belt.
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