Fatal Descent

by Beth Groundwater

  Then things really heated up.

  _____

  An hour later, snuggled next to Rob, Mandy felt as sated and content as a fat cat who had lapped up a dish of heavy cream. But her bladder wasn’t content. It urgently needed to be emptied. She sighed and sat up.

  “Problem?” Rob murmured, almost asleep.

  “Gotta wee. I’ll be back soon.” She dug some sweats and a fleece jacket out of her dry bag, pulled them on, then scooted to the end of the tent. She unzipped the flap and stepped into her cold, wet river sandals that she had ditched outside earlier.

  “Ugh.”

  The storm front had moved east, leaving just a few wispy cloud tails behind, so there was enough moonlight and starlight to dimly light Mandy’s path. She made her way to a stand of willows past Paul’s tent. His sonorous snores were indeed loud and irregular, punctuated by sighs and grunts. There was a good reason for him to sleep alone.

  While picking her way back to her tent, Mandy had an idea. She still had Betsy’s guidebook, because she had kept it to show Rob the differences in grizzly and black bear prints and claw marks. She wanted to compare the marks on Alex’s body with those in the book. Now, when no one else was around, seemed like a good time. She returned to their tent, quietly dug out the book and her headlamp, slipped them into her coat pocket, then walked toward the water. As she approached Rob’s oar raft, she heard the sound of quiet weeping.

  But it wasn’t one of Alex’s family members. The weeper was Elsa Norton.

  She was kneeling in the raft with her hand on the body bag. She looked at Mandy and hastily tried to dry her tears.

  “Sorry to intrude,” Mandy said softly, then realized Elsa was probably wondering why she was there. “I just wanted to check that the bag’s secure. You mind?”

  “No, it’s okay.”

  Mandy climbed into the raft. She gave a little tug on each of the lines tied to the body bag and scanned the knots. “Everything looks fine.”

  “You don’t sound surprised to see me here.” Elsa peered at her. “Why’s that?”

  Mandy sat on the inflated tube next to Elsa and debated what to say. The woman was still waiting for an explanation. Mandy chose the truth.

  “Last night at Little Bridge, I went to check on Alex after everyone was settled.”

  Elsa drew in a sharp intake of breath.

  Mandy nodded. “I saw you two together.” She hastened to add, “As soon as I realized what I was seeing, I left. Sorry.”

  Elsa ran her hand over the body bag in a gentle caress. “Despite the difference in our ages, I loved him. Still do. He had such a zest for life, such an inquiring mind, such potential. And now it’s gone. Snuffed out way too early. I just can’t believe it!” A thin wail escaped her lips and her shoulders shook with sobs again.

  Mandy did the only thing she knew to do. She rubbed Elsa’s shoulders as the woman silently wept. This behavior was totally at odds with the cold-hearted comments Elsa had made earlier that day. Maybe then she had been trying to mask her true feelings.

  Before Mandy could ask Elsa about her comments, a branch cracked in camp. A quiet voice called out, “Mom?”

  “Shit,” Elsa whispered, sitting up straight. “That’s Tina. I thought she was sound asleep when I snuck out.”

  She sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “What do I tell her?”

  With a shrug, Mandy said, “I don’t know.”

  Tina approached the raft. “Mom? Mandy? What are you two doing out here?”

  Mandy looked at Elsa and started to rise. “I should leave.”

  Elsa shook her head. “I’d rather you stayed. Please.”

  Mandy hesitated, then resumed her seat and moved over to leave room next to Elsa for Tina to sit. “Join us,” she said to Tina.

  Tina climbed on the raft.

  As she neared, Mandy could see that her expression showed deep puzzlement and concern. Wait until she hears what her mother has to say.

  “I’m, um, mourning Alex,” Elsa began haltingly.

  Tina glanced at the body bag and gave a little shudder. “Was he one of your students?”

  “Yes, and more.”

  “A teaching assistant?”

  “More than that.” Elsa gritted her teeth and plunged in. “Alex and I were lovers.”

  Tina reared back like she had been slapped. “What? You and a student? No!”

  Elsa told her how she and Alex had met when he enrolled in one of her classes, how they had clicked over common interests. Then they started getting together for long talks that led to more. Mandy just sat and listened and observed mother and daughter. Elsa seemed to gain courage from her presence, courage to confront her daughter’s obvious disapproval.

  The woman’s grief over Alex’s death seemed genuine, since she had been crying alone, without observers, when Mandy discovered her. So, Elsa wasn’t trying to hide a murderous deed with false mourning. But could she have killed her lover in a jealous rage or while under the influence of some other strong emotion and now be regretting it?

  Or was Tina the one who was being disingenuous? Had she really found out about her mother’s affair before the trip and wanted to get rid of her father’s rival?

  As if to confirm Mandy’s assessment of how she felt about her mother and father’s split, Tina said to Elsa, “But I was hoping you and Dad would get back together. That you would realize how stupid this whole divorce is. That’s why I organized this trip. So you could see how much you still have in common with Dad, not some hot young guy who was probably just screwing you to get a good grade!”

  “Don’t speak ill of the dead,” Elsa hissed. “Alex did no such thing. He was a brilliant young man who was going to become a great geologist.”

  “Does Dad know about this?”

  “I doubt it,” Elsa said. “And frankly I don’t care if he does. We’re leading separate lives now, Tina. I’m sure he knows I haven’t been celibate since we separated.”

  “Well, I care if he knows, and I can’t believe he doesn’t care,” Tina rose, her face flushing. “I’m going to tell him about you screwing a student. He’s got to know that it’s because Alex seduced you that you haven’t been interested in him lately. Not because you don’t love him.” She started climbing out of the raft.

  “But I don’t love your father. Not anymore.”

  “You’re just saying that. Look at you. Just look …” Sputtering, Tina gestured at her mother’s hand, still lying on Alex’s body bag. “You’re still in shock. Once you get over that babe magnet, you’ll see that Dad’s the one you really love.” She stomped off toward her father’s tent.

  Sadly, Elsa shook her head. “You see how unreasonable she is? Neither Paul nor I can get through to her that our marriage is over. It can’t be resurrected. It’s as dead as Alex is.” She bit her lip.

  “Maybe she just loves you both so much that she can’t bear to see you apart,” Mandy offered.

  “What can I do?”

  Mandy felt awkward giving advice to a woman with many more years of life experience than her, but somehow the wise words came. “I think all you can do is keep on loving her, even though you can’t give her what she wants.”

  She wondered what Paul would do when his daughter woke him to give him the news. Or would his ex-wife’s affair with Alex be news to him? Maybe he already knew about it and felt the same way Tina did about his failed marriage—that it could still be saved. Mandy stared at the black body bag floating in the water that was Alex’s temporary tomb.

  Maybe Paul Norton had eliminated his competition.

  nine

  Identifying and overcoming natural fear is one

  of the pleasing struggles intrinsic to climbing.

  —alex lowe

  When Mandy woke the next morning, fuzzy-brained and fuzzy-mouthed, Rob wasn’t in the tent. She r
ealized when he called “Coffee!” from outside that his first call was what had woken her. She quickly dressed and exited the tent. The storm had completely blown through, and the sky was clear blue again. The air still held a damp chill, though, because the sun hadn’t breached the east canyon rim yet and the camp lay in shadow. Sunlight bathed the upper half of the western rim, making it gleam like polished bronze.

  Cool was busy putting out bananas, syrup, utensils, mugs, and plates. Kendra stirred a huge bowl of pancake batter while Gonzo fried rows of sausage and bacon on the griddle. The meaty aroma made Mandy’s mouth water.

  She gratefully accepted a mug of coffee from Kendra, then walked over to Rob, who had the radio partially dismantled on the table in front of him. “Why didn’t you wake me? I feel guilty that I didn’t help with breakfast.”

  “You looked bushed,” he said, “and I know you were up for a while last night.” He lifted a questioning brow at her.

  The clients were crawling out of their tents and lining up for coffee, so Mandy said, “I’ll tell you about it later.” She faced the rest of the crew. “Thanks for letting me sleep. I’ll wash the dishes.”

  “We kinda expected you would,” Cool replied with a smirk.

  The comment irked Mandy, but when she saw Gonzo and Kendra nodding along with Cool, she kept her mouth shut. Instead she focused on the radio. “Think you can get it to work?” she asked Rob.

  “Don’t know yet,” he said. “The parts are all dried out now. I’ll try it after I get it put back together.”

  During breakfast, Mandy noticed that Tina Norton pointedly sat

  with her father, not her mother. Both stole disapproving glances at Elsa. When the sun breached the canyon rim and bathed the campsite with bright rays, Betsy, Viv, and Mo winced and passed an aspirin bottle among themselves, probably battling hangover headaches. Mandy glanced at Kendra, but she looked like her normal, serene self. That gal sure could hold her liquor. After all of the nights the two of them had spent at the Victoria Tavern in Salida, drinking beer and playing pool with other river guides and rangers, Mandy had never seen Kendra looking hungover the next morning.

  As soon as she finished eating, Mandy dumped her plate in the dishwater and went to work washing the dishes that were already there. When Diana arrived with Hal’s and her dishes, she leaned over to Mandy and said, “I apologize for last night.”

  Surprised, Mandy took the dishes and asked, “Last night? Why?”

  “For making you wait on us—in the rain. Hal and I felt guilty about it, but Alice said that’s what we paid for, to have you guides do whatever we need.”

  “Alice was right,” Mandy said. Technically, at least. She dunked a dish in the bleach water and slid it into the dishnet.

  “And you’re dealing with a huge loss under awful circumstances,” she added. “I’m glad to give you what little comfort I can. I just wish I could do more.” She wiped her hands on a towel and reached over to squeeze Diana’s hand. “So, no need at all to feel guilty.”

  “Still, it was too much to ask.” Diana pursed her lips. “Sometimes I wish we’d deprived our kids just a little more. We should have made them work harder, do more chores, even though we could afford to hire a housekeeper and gardener. Unfortunately, I think they grew up with a sense of entitlement, like hard work is beneath them. Alex was the exception.” She sniffed and dabbed at her weepy eyes with a balled-up tissue.

  Mandy just nodded. Yep, she agreed that the whole Anderson family seemed to feel entitled, but she wasn’t going to say so. Especially after the terrible tragedy they had experienced.

  Diana looked at Alice, chatting animatedly with Les, while Amy just listened and picked at her food. “Alice especially. Being the firstborn, I’m afraid we spoiled her.” She seemed to realize that she was sharing too much and stood straighter. “Well, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you running back and forth to our tent in the rain last night.”

  Mandy smiled. “Thanks. Again, I was glad to do it, but I appreciate you telling me.”

  Rob came up to them, hefting the reassembled radio. “No dice,” he said to Mandy. “This might as well be a brick. It’s completely dead.” Then he turned to Diana. “Did you and Hal decide if you want to do the hike this morning?”

  Given Hal’s difficulties hiking to the Lathrop ruins, Mandy didn’t think he should attempt the hike over the Loop saddle. “It’s very steep and rocky,” she said to Diana. “While the hike’s not that long, it can be pretty difficult, especially for folks who aren’t used to hiking—or to our altitude.”

  “Maybe Hal and I should ride in the rafts, then,” Diana said doubtfully, “though if the girls are going, he might want to go with them.”

  “I think you’ll both prefer the raft ride,” Mandy said. “You won’t get all hot and sweaty and run the risk of falling. And, Cool said that the guides often spot bighorn sheep on the canyon walls while they’re taking the rafts around the Loop.”

  “I’d like to see some bighorn sheep,” Diana said. “I remember Alex telling us how majestic the males look with their heavy round horns.” She blinked back tears. “I’ll tell Hal I want us to go with the rafts.”

  After she left, Rob asked, “Why’d you work so hard to convince her to go on the rafts?”

  “I’m concerned about Hal’s health.” Mandy filled him in on what she had seen at the ruins.

  Rob pursed his lips and nodded. “We should try to talk him out of the Doll House hike tomorrow, then, too, though that’s going to be harder to do. The scenery up there is spectacular. Speaking of that, Kendra, Gonzo, and I all hiked the Loop trail during our scouting trip. You should go with the group. There’s a great view of the river on both sides from the top. Kendra and I can handle the rafts.”

  “All right, if it’s okay with Kendra.”

  “I already checked.” Rob grinned. “We’ve been plotting behind your back.”

  Mandy splashed him with dishwater.

  The next hour was spent cleaning and packing up. As always, the chemical toilet was last. Mandy hollered to the group, “Last call for the toilet!”

  There were no takers, and the key, the roll of toilet paper in a plastic bag, still sat on the ground. Mandy snatched it up to use herself and walked along the beach to the alcove where the toilet was hidden.

  She was surprised to see Amy there, sitting with her pants pulled down to her knees. In that brief moment, Mandy noticed green and yellow bruises all over the tops of Amy’s thighs—too old for Amy to have gotten them on the trip.

  Amy saw her and gasped. “Oh!”

  Mandy shielded her eyes. “Sorry, but you left the key on the beach. I thought no one was here.” She held out the roll to Amy. “I’m sure you’re going to need this.”

  Amy tried to cover herself when Mandy approached, but the old bruises showed through her fingers splayed across the tops of her thighs. Mandy averted her eyes, but Amy had seen where her gaze had been and looked stricken. She didn’t say anything other than “Thanks,” though, and snatched the roll from Mandy.

  Mandy turned and walked away, out of sight of the alcove. While waiting, she wondered what had caused Amy’s bruises. Was Les hitting his wife? Her gut started a slow burn, but then she checked herself. There could be other causes for those bruises. She knew from her first-aid training that some possibilities included hemophilia, autoimmune disorders, and leukemia. Any of those they should know about.

  Clothes back in place, Amy came skittering out.

  Mandy stopped her before she could head back to camp. “Sorry, Amy, but I have to ask you this. I saw your bruises, and I need to know if you have some kind of medical condition that would cause them. It could affect how we treat you if you get hurt. Of course, I’ll keep it totally confidential.”

  Amy’s cheeks pinked. “Oh, no, no. I don’t have any special medical condition.”

  Mandy
waited for an explanation, but Amy clammed up, her gaze darting around and not meeting Mandy’s, until finally she said, “Darn, I left the TP!”

  She turned to go back, but Mandy said, “That’s okay. I’ll need it next,” and smiled, trying to put Amy at ease.

  “Ah, all right then. Well, I’ll go back to camp,” Amy stammered, then rushed off.

  Amy’s reaction made Mandy sure that Les was the one responsible for her bruises. She clenched her fists. The scumbag! Still fuming, Mandy used the toilet then took the seat off and screwed on the cap.

  “You decent?” Rob yelled from up the beach. “I came to help you carry the box.”

  “Great! Yeah, you can come.”

  While they lugged the box back to camp, Mandy told Rob what she had seen. “If Amy got those bruises from something other than Les hitting her, I think she would have told me.”

  Rob nodded. “Probably. Man, that guy is scummier than a snail’s slime trail. Maybe at least we can keep him from whacking his wife on this trip. Though I’d love to catch him at it and whack him right back.”

  And Mandy knew her protective macho-man would do just that. She grinned at him.

  He drew back. “What? What are you smiling at?”

  “You. I’m happy I have you and not someone like Les. You know I love you, don’t you?”

  Rob smiled back. “Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say it.”

  _____

  After a short float down the milk chocolate–colored waters of the Colorado River, the group arrived at the trail head for the hike over the saddle of The Loop. The wide notch in the steep canyon wall looming over them cut out almost half of the approximately 800-foot height. At the top, it gave hikers a view of the river flowing north-to-south on one side of the narrow pink sandstone ridge and flowing south-to-north on the other side, after making a four-mile loop.

  Mandy was disappointed to see no signs of activity on the trail or at the sandy ledge where Gonzo had nudged his raft to disgorge his passengers. She knew the hike was a popular stop on summer rafting trips. She had hoped to find someone there who could get word out about Alex. But, as had been the case since they got on the river, they were alone and isolated in the canyon.