Polar Storm

by Deborah D. Moore

  “And why is it you didn’t tell the sheriff this when he asked if Chad had been here?” Marcus questioned.

  “I was concerned no one would believe me. And I sure didn’t want to go to jail for an accidental shooting,” Parker answered.

  “As I see it, there isn’t a problem. There is no body; therefore, there is no crime that can be proven. I’m glad you came to me with this, Parker. It shows to me how much you’ve matured and are willing to take responsibility for your actions. In this case, I think it’s safe to say that this Chad character most likely did get up and leave on his own; there is nothing for you to feel guilty about. That being said, I don’t think you should discuss this with anyone else unless I’m with you. That goes for you too, David. To ease your minds even further, I think we three should go talk with the sheriff.”

  

  “And why you didn’t tell me this before?” Sheriff Callahan asked, staring at Parker and frowning.

  “I hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss the situation with my attorney, sir. As soon as we did, he advised that we immediately come to see you and set the record straight,” Parker said.

  “I’m glad you did. And this also clears up the suspicious and untimely death of Johnny Smith. Our family can have a bit more closure now.” Tom Callahan looked from the top edge of his reading glasses at the three men seated in front of his desk. “I will say that I agree with Mr. Myhrum’s assessment. Chad McPhee likely staggered off during the night. There was no crime on your part, Parker; even the discharge of your weapon wasn’t your fault, and you had no obligation to care for a man who threatened and accosted you.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff.” Marcus was the first to stand and offered his hand to the lawman.

  

  “I’m going to drive Marcus back to the airport; do you want to come with us?” Parker asked.

  “No, I think I’ll finish opening the house, clean up some, maybe take Thag home,” David sputtered.

  “What’s the matter, David?”

  “Your wealth has me stunned and overwhelmed,” David replied.

  “Ha! You can imagine how I feel about it. Honestly, I didn’t have a clue Cliff was so rich.”

  “And Parker, I think that was a good thing to do, telling Marcus about Chad. I feel as if a huge weight is off my chest.”

  “Yeah, I was thinking about that all night. It not only was good, but it was the right thing to do.”

  “Do you really think Chad got up and wandered off?” David asked.

  “Honestly? No, but I don’t know, I really don’t. I’d rather think he did walk off than think I killed him and the wolves ate him, ya know?” Parker shuddered.

  “Yeah, I do understand that.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Jenna leaned toward the open door of the hovering helicopter, her harness holding her snug. She pointed and the pilot nodded. She had found the cabin where they had left Mariah’s body.

  She rattled off some coordinates into her mike to the crew on the ground, and then readied her belay line for decent.

  After landing, Jenna released the carabiner and waved the chopper off. She stood maybe a hundred yards from the small shack, waiting for the others to arrive and mentally prepared herself for what she might find.

  The door to the abandoned hunting shack slowly opened, and Jenna backed up a step.

  “Jenna?” a small voice called out.

  “Oh, my god, Mindy?” Jenna took off running toward the girl.

  

  “I couldn’t leave her here alone, Jenna, please forgive me,” Mindy said after letting Jenna into the shack.

  “You did what you felt you had to do. Mindy, where is Mariah?” Jenna asked gently.

  “She started to … smell, and I couldn’t deal with that,” Mindy said matter-of-factly. “The snow was so deep there wasn’t much choice, so I tied the tents around her tightly and hung her up in a tree so nothing could get to her and she would stay—cold. And I kept her sleeping bag so I could stay warm.”

  They were sitting in the small cabin where Mindy had lived alone for almost five months. Jenna looked around at all the rabbit pelts: some covered the single window for insulation, others padded the narrow cot; a deer hide stretched out on the floor

  “I see you kept yourself well fed.” Jenna hugged the girl again.

  “I didn’t starve.” She sighed. The girl was still gaunt and withdrawn; a total protein diet could lead to body systems starvation.

  “You made a spear from your knife I see. That was quite clever,” Jenna was uncertain how to talk to Mindy. She had been alone for a long time and her mental state was still questionable.

  “Well, you know you left Ma … Mariah’s backpack behind with all of her supplies,” Mindy said, stumbling on her friend’s name. “She not only had two knives and a shit-load of paracord, there was also the scout handbook. That taught me a lot. I read it every night from the battery lantern in her pack.”

  “Once the snow melted, why didn’t you try walking out?” Jenna asked.

  “I was going to. I really was. I just never got around to it.” Mindy couldn’t look at Jenna.

  Jenna knew she needed to change the subject. Those questions and more could come later. “What are those?” she asked, pointing to two strange squares, woven with branches and rabbit pelts, hanging on the wall.

  “My snowshoes; the snow got so deep I couldn’t move to hunt. They look dumb, but they worked.”

  “Those and you are amazing. Are you ready to go home?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I don’t think my aunt missed me much though. What I’d really like is a pizza and a long hot bath, not necessarily in that order.” She smiled for the first time.

  “I think protocol is to check you into the hospital so they can make sure you’re okay. I’m reasonably certain they will let you have a shower, and I will personally bring you a pizza! Then we can discuss finding you another place to live. You’re eighteen now; you have a choice.”

  

  The retrieval team gently lowered Mariah’s tent-wrapped body from its perch in a nearby tree. After carefully setting her into a body bag, they zipped it closed and set it into the wire basket that would be air-lifted out when the helicopter returned.

  

  “Honey, I’m home!” Jenna said, opening the door to Parker’s cabin. “Gosh, I’ve always wanted to say that!” She laughed, feeling incredible that they had found Mindy alive.

  Parker bolted down the stairs at the sound of her voice. He stopped at the bottom and drank in the sight of her.

  Jenna ran into his open arms and hugged him tight.

  “It’s been two weeks, Jenna, two very long weeks. I’ve missed you so much. Where have you been?” he asked.

  “There were days of debriefing and then the paperwork!” Jenna ran her fingers through Parker’s hair and pulled his face to hers, kissing him long. “And then the search party was put together. Parker … we found her.”

  “Who?”

  “Mindy; we found her alive!” Jenna sobbed. The relief finally caught up to her and the emotional surge overwhelmed her, and she sobbed into Parker’s chest. He held her until she was done, and he sat her in one of the recliners.

  “I’m happy you found her. Jenna,” he hesitated, “I have something to ask you. Now you don’t have to answer right away, you might want to think it over first.” He took her hands in his and knelt in front of her. “You are the most amazing person I have ever met and I love you. Someone once said to not to question if you can live with someone, but whether or not you can live without them. I can’t live without you. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes, Parker, of course I’ll marry you. If you hadn’t asked me, I would have asked you.” She grinned and stood to hug him.

  “Remember you said that.” He looked into her eyes. “My stepfathe
r died two months ago and left everything to me.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Cliff left me a lot of money, Jenna. I’m still trying to process this in my head, okay?”

  “How much is a lot, Parker? You already told me you had a trust fund, and I don’t care about your money,” she said, scowling.

  “That’s good, Jenna, because the family attorney said you’ll need to sign a pre-nuptial agreement.” Parker looked down, embarrassed.

  “A pre … Just how much did your stepfather leave you?”

  “A couple of million,” he answered, couching the truth somewhat.

  “A couple of million … dollars? Wow.” Jenna stepped back.

  “Yeah, wow. I’m blown away by this, honestly, Jenna. I grew up getting whatever I wanted, but I had no clue my family had this kind of money; it never mattered to me. I hope this doesn’t change how you feel about me, about us.” Parker dropped his hands from her shoulders, waiting for her response.

  Finally, she looked up at him and smiled. “Parker Adams, you’re a kind and generous man; a gentle and loving soul. That’s who I fell in love with. All that money isn’t going to change who you are inside.” She laid her hand on his chest. “Has David moved back to his house?”

  “Yes, he has,” Parker answered, grinning.

  

  After dinner, they sat on the porch enjoying the warm spring breeze and a glass of wine.

  “There is something else I need to talk to you about,” Parker said, gazing into the woods.

  “There’s more?” Jenna smiled. She felt there was nothing that could spoil her contentment at the moment.

  Parker continued to stare into the woods as he told her about all the petty harassment, filing the police report, and then about Chad showing up during the storm.

  “I see,” she said quietly. “And Sheriff Callahan agreed with your attorney’s assessment?”

  Parker nodded.

  “Tom Callahan is a hard-nosed cop, one of the best, and if he believes you to be totally innocent, that’s good enough for me, Parker.” She took his hand. “This must have been difficult for you to hold inside all these months.”

  “It has been. Thank you for understanding. There is one more thing,” he said.

  She laughed. “Okay, get it all out at once. What now?”

  “I need to go downstate for a week. I’m CEO of a very large company now and Marcus, my attorney, feels it best if the managers meet me. I want you with me; you need to know what you’re getting into.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “This is yours?” Jenna said, looking around at the plush interior of the private jet Marcus had sent to pick them up.

  “I think it’s the company jet, and since I now own the company, I guess it’s mine, yeah,” Parker replied. “The only time I was on it is when Cliff brought me to Marquette a year ago.”

  “According to these financial records Marcus left behind, the costs of maintaining the jet are one of the last expenses listed, and come out of your net business worth. So yes, the jet is yours, Parker,” David said from the seat behind them. David dropped the wide laptop tray and opened the new, slim briefcase Parker had bought for the trip, wanting to re-read the legal papers before they landed.

  “Say, David, where is Pythagoras?” Jenna asked.

  “He’s staying with Lily and Helen for the week. They were really excited to have him and he actually seemed glad to see them again.”

  “Can I get you anything, Mr. Adams?” the sole flight attendant asked.

  “I’d like a bottle of water, please,” he answered.

  “Yes, sir. Ma’am?”

  “Water sounds good, thank you.”

  “Mr. Worthington?”

  “I’ll take the same, thank you.”

  After returning with three bottles of icy cold spring water, the attendant returned to her seat in the back, inwardly smiling at the politeness of these three young people.

  “What are we going to do when we land? Rent a car?” Jenna asked.

  Parker grinned. “No, there will be a car waiting to pick us up and take us to … my house outside of Detroit. It’s where I grew up. It’s rather big, but I think you’ll like it.”

  “And then what?” she pushed her nervous curiosity.

  “I’m not sure.” Parker momentarily drifted away in thought. “Marcus will likely meet us there if he’s not there already. I think he has our itinerary planned out all the way down to where we have lunch and dinner.” He chuckled and looked at the woman who would be his wife. “Jenna, are you nervous?”

  “Yes, I am. Somewhat. This is a side of society that I’ve never seen much less experienced. Will we be meeting a lot of people?”

  “Oh, yeah. Marcus has undoubtedly already arranged one or two dinner parties to introduce us, likely at the country club, and another for management staff.”

  “Maybe I should get a new dress?” she squeaked out.

  “Absolutely! And I’ll need a new suit or two and a tux,” Parker answered. “And so will you, David,” he said over his shoulder.

  “A tuxedo?”

  “We’ll need one for the wedding anyway.” He smiled warmly at her and took her hand. “We can shop for an engagement ring if you like, and a wedding dress; whatever you want.” He kissed her palm.

  

  The limo that had been waiting for them pulled up under the portico of Parker’s big house. Having not seen it in over a year, it looked huge to him and a bit ostentatious.

  “This is where you grew up?” David looked shocked.

  “Yeah, I didn’t always spend a lot of time here though.” Parker frowned, remembering his previous wild and selfish lifestyle.

  Marcus stepped out the massive front door moments after the limo came to a stop.

  “Did you have a good flight, Parker?” he asked.

  “It was a lot smoother than the last one, thank you,” Parker replied.

  Entering the foyer, Justine rushed up to Parker and gave him a brief hug.

  “Oh, it’s so good to see you, Mr. Parker. Welcome home!” she said, teary-eyed.

  “Justine, this is my fiancée Jenna Jones, and my best friend and personal advisor, David Worthington III,” he quickly made the introductions. “Justine has been with us for nearly twenty years and is like my favorite aunt.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Justine. Parker has talked very fondly of you,” Jenna said, extending her hand.

  Justine looked at the offered hand, shocked. She was unaccustomed to shaking hands with her boss. She took Jenna’s hand with a smile and said, “Ma’am.”

  She then turned to Parker and said, “Your suite is ready, Mr. Parker, and I put Mr. David in the green suite across the hall. If you leave your luggage, I will see to it getting where it should.”

  “Thank you, Justine, but things will be a little different around here. We can take our bags ourselves. Besides, I want to show these two around a bit.” Parker pulled the handle up on his wheeled carryon and headed down the hall, David and Jenna following him.

  Once they were out of earshot, Justine turned to Marcus. “Sir?”

  Marcus grinned. “I have a feeling Parker is going to shake things up a bit. He’s grown up quite a lot in the last year.” He started down the hall after them and stopped and turned back to her. “Lunch in a half hour?”

  Justine nodded and returned to the kitchen.

  

  “These are your rooms, David,” Parker said, opening a door and stepping in.

  “Wow,” David said, following them inside. “Say, Parker, what did you mean by me being your personal advisor?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. We are about to enter the business world, one that has certain protocols and fixed rules. To give you more authority and so others will listen when
you have something to say, you need a position. As my PA, in this case personal advisor, not personal assistant, no one will ever question your presence,” Parker explained. He turned to Jenna. “Anyone that is even remotely rude to you risks being fired on the spot.”

  Marcus listened to this from outside the door and smiled.

  “Ah, there you three are.” He made his presence known. “I can’t help but notice you all have very little luggage. Can I assume you plan on doing some shopping?”

  “You nailed it, Marcus. And the sooner the better,” Parker said.

  “Justine will be serving lunch shortly. I suggest we discuss your schedule and itinerary at that time. I’ll see if she’s ready.”

  “Come on, I’ll show you my … our room.” Parker took Jenna’s hand and led her across the hall.

  “You gave up all this to live in the woods?” Jenna said, looking around at the spacious suite complete with loft and patio doors leading outside to the manicured yard and pool area.

  “And I’m glad I did. I met you.” Parker pulled her into a hug and gently kissed her.

  

  “So the first thing we need to do, Marcus, is shop for more appropriate clothing. I know we will be dealing with a lot of business, and I doubt jeans and T-shirts will be taken seriously,” Parker said, dipping his roast beef sandwich into the au jus.

  “Very astute, Parker, and an excellent idea, we can do that this afternoon. I anticipated the need for shopping, and took the liberty of issuing debit cards for each of you.” He handed out three shiny gold plastic cards emblazoned with the company logo, an intertwined T and I.

  “What do you have planned for us this week?”

  “There will be a meeting of all twenty four of the building managers for them to meet the new boss. It will be held at Cliff’s … your office suite… in the adjoining conference room at The Bell Tower complex. That’s for tomorrow and then tomorrow night, the same managers and their spouses have been invited here for a cocktail party, with your approval of course.”