by Amber Boffin
Adam rushed into his house, slipped on a clean T-shirt, and ran out, his llamas poking at him for some hay. His soft side took hold of him, so he ran back to the barn with the two llamas in tow, picked two carrots from the treat box, and piled a generous portion of hay in front of the barn. The llamas, having smelled the carrots, stood lined up a metre away from him, their big ears pointing toward him and nostrils flickering.
Adam had been training them using a horse-whispering technique, which seemed to bear fruit as they kneeled down in unison with one click of his fingers. He handed each one their treat and then jumped into his car, brushing the straw off his T-shirt.
Barrie Brown’s garage with its blue façade was nestled between an old movie theatre that was barely able to sustain itself were it not for the little army of volunteers keeping it running, and a popular ice cream parlour that stood out from the other buildings with its pink ice-cream-scoop roof sitting on a cookie cone wall. Its prime gossip location ensured that Adam would get the latest village news simply by visiting his friend for a little chat between oil changes.
On his way, he stopped at his favourite hangout at the end of Foxton’s main street overlooking Perch Lake, Heidi’s Horizon Cafe, to pick up Barrie’s special coffee, knowing his visit might take a little longer than usual.
Adam always looked forward to viewing the weekly art exhibit Heidi housed in her cafe. It was usually based around a theme; this time it was all about maple syrup and sugar maples, and any art form that related to it could be on display and sold. Heidi had encouraged Adam to pursue his chainsaw sculpture interest and promised to have a theme around it when he was ready to show his work. After a brief chat with Heidi about the exhibit, he walked out onto the main street toward Barrie’s garage.
The garage was packed with shelves and metal storage chests, and yet it seemed that all the tools were sitting on the tables around. It amazed Adam how Barrie could find his bolts and nuts in such chaos and yet managed to repair engines in a wink of an eye.
Barrie had grown up in Foxton and taken over his father’s garage when he was only twenty. Now in his thirties, he worked alone. Occasionally he would have an apprentice but complained that they were always hanging around Danillies ice cream parlour speaking to the girls and were never there when he needed them. This time he was alone. As soon as Adam entered, Barrie slid out from under a car as if the coffee aroma pulled him out.
“G’day mate!” exclaimed Barrie.
Adam was used to Barrie’s attempts at imitating his accent and choice of words and often tried to improve his pronunciation.
“Nearly there, just the ‘a’ sound needs improving.” Adam laughed.
“Crikey. That’s grand. I can do with a coffee and a break. This freaking car is giving me a headache; with all the new electronics fitted in you can’t just repair the machine. I can’t figure out what’s wrong with it.”
“Can’t help, I’m afraid. I heard you’ve been working on a police accident case, the Wigmott skidoo, is that right?” Before Barrie could answer, Adam added, “Here, thought you might like one of Heidi’s pretzels fresh from the oven. Herapfelstrudelwasn’t ready yet.”
Picking up the warm pretzel with his hands still full of grease, Barrie replied, “Thanks, yum! Yep, I’ve been in there all morning and still need a few more hours.” He pointed to a back room with a large sign on it: Private do not enter.
“All morning, still not done? Not enough electronics in it?” asked Adam, knowing full well if he teased him a little, Barrie would be too happy to chat away about cars or anything with an engine.
“Well, it’s a brand-new skidoo. The engine wasn’t tampered with as far as I could see, a ski missing and a few scratches, but I saw something weird with the brake cable. I showed it to Humphries this morning, but he said the cut in it was due to the accident, and the cable could’ve been torn by a branch.”
Adam’s curiosity was piqued. He followed Barrie, who waved a hand to show him along.
“Come and have a look. I disagree with the sergeant, I think the cable was cut deliberately. I’d like your view on it. The steel core of the cable has a straight cut like you’d get with a cable cutter, while the plastic cover is partly torn but also partly cut.” Barrie opened the door and entered a second garage open to the back of the building.
In the middle stood the red skidoo, stripped open as if on an operating table with a large lamp shining above it. Sipping his coffee, Barrie pointed to the left handle with a black cable hanging down from it. Adam took a closer look and noticed a thin cut diagonally through the plastic cover and some fraying where it had been torn.
Barrie held up the cable under the light. “My guess is that the steel core was deliberately cut, while the plastic sheath kept it from breaking loose, and that part only ripped during the accident after the brakes failed…”
“Gee, you’re right. This means that it was tampered with. And you tell me that the idiot sergeant thinks it was a branch!”
Barrie laughed. “He even mentioned a beaver. Can you imagine a beaver cut this so neatly like that? I think he wants it to be an accident, less paperwork, if you ask me!”
“I imagine you’ll write this in the report, and he’ll have to escalate it. Do you think this could have caused the accident?” asked Adam.
Barrie took a sip of coffee. “You know like I do that you don’t often use your brakes on a snowmobile, and if you do, it means that you had to react very fast. Peter was a very good rider. He could’ve been trying to avoid an animal on the road.”
Adam’s mind was racing along. “Still, why would someone tamper with the brakes and hope that he’d hit an animal? The chance of that happening is still low. Wasn’t his sled in tiptop shape for the race on Sunday that was only a few days before the Christmas party?”
“It was. I even checked it for him at his place. I’ll leave the detective work to the sergeant. And you should too. I can only say what happened to the vehicle. He missed the animal, no hairs there, and no blood, not even a dent aside from what the ice did to the seat and the ski, and a few scratches.”
Adam walked around looking at the damage and scratches. Barrie rubbed his hands on his towel, having finished the coffee, and said, “I better get busy, his brother wants it repaired. Not sure I’ll be able to do so, the engine is dead because it stayed too long in the water. Can you imagine a new engine? A fortune, better buy a new sled, I said.”
“I bet you Fred is superstitious, and he thinks riding this sled will make him win like his brother.”
“Maybe. I tried telling him that it would bring bad luck. Look what happened to his brother!” Barrie changed topic unexpectedly, surprising Adam with his loud voice, “Hey…you asked me the other day if I knew of anyone who caught a turkey. Well, last night I heard Alfred’s boys boasting they bagged two. Didn’t they lose their hunting license because they trespassed on Peter’s land? Didn’t you catch them?”
“A bit of a murky story. I didn’t catch them. Peter requested I take their hunting license away without any evidence of them having killed an animal on his land. I’m sure they tried, but you know they really need the meat for winter, so I gave them a fine this time. They’re only kids and you know what it’s like, just testing our limits… And Peter, well, he agreed to this but blew the story up, and you know how gossip goes…before you know it, it was a murder…”
Adam put his hands in front of his mouth, realizing that this time it might be true and thought about Alfred’s two sons. Yes, they could be poachers, but why would they want to kill Peter or hurt him? Two teenagers thinking it a practical joke to cut a brake cable: that seemed unlikely…although they were notorious for not thinking of the consequences of their acts.
Adam walked out of the back garage with Barrie and thanked him for the news on the turkeys. Perhaps it could be the lead for his poachers, in which case he would have to visit the boys’ home tomorrow and speak to them again. It had become a yearly routine visit, and this time woul
d be no exception.
As Adam drove out of Foxton, his faithful Land Cruiser J40 seemed to be on autopilot as it went straight toward Otter Lake along Lake View Road. Without knowing why, he had ended up just in front of Maggie’s home. He was still of two minds about Maggie. He had a good feeling about her and yet the dead body lay heavy in his mind. Adam was thinking of turning around when Maggie popped her fluffy head out of the door decorated with a hand-carved wooden sign,Home Sweet Home.
Chapter Ten
Maggie shivered under Adam’s dark look and deep furrows. Eager to befriend him and ignore her fear, she welcomed him as if he were an old friend. She put her hand under his arm, leading him into the house through the living room, with its inviting red couches adorned with mismatched cushions, through a narrow corridor decorated with happy family photographs: Maggie waterskiing as a child on the lake, a picture of a group of kids around a bonfire roasting marshmallows, her father waving from his little plane on the lake.
Maggie entered a smaller room at the end of the corridor. “I’m glad you dropped by.” Believing she had better be upfront about the accident instead of avoiding it, which could otherwise appear suspicious, she said, “It’s as if you knew I wanted to speak with you, about the accident…as you offered?”
“Sure.”
“It’s been bothering me. I found something I’d like you to see on the pictures of the snowmobile.”
Adam looked down at her from the doorway. “Funny you say that. I’m just back from Barrie’s, and I saw the brakes had been cut! This means that you were right.”
“About what?” asked Maggie innocently, not wanting to use the word “murder” again.
“It could’ve been a murder.”
Maggie looked up to his piercing eyes, forcing her to tilt her head back to see at six foot five their spark framed by deep wrinkles. For a split second she wondered if he was testing her, to see if she was involved in anyway. After a closer look at him, not having discerned any hostility, she brushed aside her fear, opting to be completely open with him instead.
“It seems we’re getting clues that tie together, the cable, but also possible motives since a number of people have voiced their strong dislike of him, perhaps to the point of wanting him dead.”
Planted in front of the patchwork of photos hanging from floor to ceiling, he said, “Fun pictures, is this your father in the yellow plane?”
“Yes, he was a good pilot, and that’s his plane.” Maggie, seeing Adam had taken a few steps back into the corridor, looking at other pictures, waved for him to join her in her study.
Adam walked in and said, “I like your log home. I’ve always wanted to build one myself, maybe one day.”
“But your home is very cute. A cottage has its charm too.”
“Yes, for a little old lady maybe. The ceilings are so low, and I bump my head all the time, whereas here there’s space.”
“Perhaps we could swap?” Seeing Adam look around, taking in the place as if he were the owner, she quickly added, “Just kidding. Size-wise it might make sense, but I really like my parents’ home. Still lots to do to make it my own, though.”
“I already like it the way it is. And what on earth do we have here?” Adam made a swiping movement toward the camera lenses neatly lined up on the shelves, a microscope next to a large screen computer. “Is this your lab then? Can’t see your white coat and safety glasses.”
“No, not really. My photo lab now. I’ve told you I hung up my white lab coat when I sold my share of the company. I want a new deal, and this is it.” Maggie pointed to her camera lenses, then reached for her desktop and brought up a blown-up image of the body of the snowmobile. “Speaking of which, take a look at this.”
Adam was looking down the microscope, fiddling with its knobs, trying to peer through the lens at an image of unidentified clusters that beamed back at him. She continued, “I use it for photography now. It’s nothing, just a bit of pepper, was testing if I could make an abstract picture. Look there.” Maggie poked at the computer screen. “Do you see it?”
Adam uncurled his back, folding his legs down like an accordion to look at the image.
“See, when I zoom in, I can see the paint’s been damaged, and there, see the scratches. Maybe from a collision with another vehicle. Can’t be a tree or animal, none of them would have left such marks.”
“Yes, I see what you mean. Strange…it certainly didn’t have a scratch before that evening.”
As Adam bent over her shoulder, she felt a little tickle on her cheek; thinking it was her hair, she brushed the area with her hand and caught his necklace.
“Oh sorry!” Looking at it closely she said, “The feather’s pretty…does it have a special meaning?”
“I just liked the looks of it.”
Maggie was a little surprised that he would choose to wear a necklace only for its decorative purpose, but then why was she judgmental? She wore necklaces when she liked them.
Adam laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended by your question. Actually, it does have a special meaning. A chief from up north gave it to me after I split up with my wife and spent some time in their community. It represents life. This is a turkey feather with a bear’s tooth, and I just feel it’s a lucky charm.”
“I like it.”
He stood back a little, his eyes staring into the void as if he were in another world, perhaps his time in the indigenous community or with his ex-wife.
With that in mind Maggie brought him back to reality. “What do you think?”
“You might be right. It looks like a scratch from a vehicle; it took off the red paint but didn’t leave any other colour on it. Strange that Barrie mentioned scratches but thought nothing of them. He did say there was no evidence of a collision with an animal. On which side of the sled are they?”
“Right, I think.”
As Maggie zoomed out of the picture, Adam mimicked what looked like driving the skidoo into a curve. Dropping his hands to his side, he said, “That adds to the puzzle. So he was driving into the curve toward the left and got hit on the right. The car or whatever it was must’ve been in the middle of the road or driving on the left side, and we’re not in Australia!”
“Maybe he was driving in the middle.”
“Why is there only a little scratch? Unless he managed to avoid it, and if that’s the case then…” Adam fiddled with his necklace, then added, “We might be able to find the culprit, that is if we can spot a snowmobile or car with some red paint on it. But I don’t think it’s very likely, not much information to go by.”
Maggie spun around on her chair. “But still, this together with the cut brake cable means it was murder, and we have to let the police know before they close the case.” She stood up as if propelled by a spring and checked her phone for the time. “Shall we go to the police station? They should be on duty now.”
“Not sure Humphries’ll like this, and good luck convincing him to look into it.”
“He has to know, it’s his job!”
“He’ll get Barrie’s report, so no need for us, really. I thought of inviting you for an ice cream at Danillies. I know it’s not summer yet, but they’ve just opened and you’ve got to taste the maple syrup one if you’ve not done so yet. Going to the police station isn’t really my idea of fun, if you know what I mean.”
“Just in case he doesn’t get it, I mean considering that it could’ve been a murder, I feel it’s my duty to tell him what I found out.”
With a sigh, Adam replied, “Okay, so what about we first go to the station and then go for an ice cream?”
“How can I refuse?” Maggie smiled as she grabbed her bag and car keys.
“No, no, I’ll drive, you can tell me all about your theories of what happened without the risk of causing an accident after your stay in England driving on the wrong side!” Adam laughed.
Maggie grinned. “Interesting comment coming from an Aussie. By the way, this Barrie, is he by any chance Barrie Bro
wn?”
“Yes, why?”
“It’s funny, I remember him as a little boy. A friend of mine used to babysit him. Strange to think of him as a grown man, although I’m not surprised he took over his dad’s garage. He always loved cars, driving my friend mad making all those car engine sounds.”
Adam smiled, shaking his head as they climbed into his car. She had never driven in a Land Cruiser and had always liked the looks of it. It made her think of adventure.
“Is this the same car that’s used for safaris in Africa?” Rubbing her hands on the seat cover, she added, “The canvas covers look like the ones I’ve seen in a safari magazine.”
“Those are from Australia, but you’re right about the Toyota Land Cruisers. They’re reliable all-wheel cars and easy to repair, so they’ve been used in the bush a lot in Africa.”
“I’d love to go there and see a herd of elephants,” said Maggie, settling in her seat.This is a start, I’m in the car, next I’ll go there with the little plane, oh that’d be so nice…
Adam interrupted her reverie. “You’re dreaming about elephants then? I’ve been to Botswana to work on a rehabilitation project. I loved it. You really should go.”
A large metal cage, large enough for a bear filled the back of car. Maggie tugged at the contraption to test its solidity. A rattling sound filled the vehicle. “Is the cage for moving animals around?”
“No, for the poachers.”
Adam waited for a moment, looking at Maggie. She looked at him in disbelief then burst out laughing.
“Stop pulling my leg! So it is for wild animal release then.”
“It’s not as exciting as that. It’s mainly to transport lost dogs and cats. I’ve only used this for a raccoon and porcupine, once for a fox, but normally I’ve got a company truck for that type of job with the proper cages for it. Do you like dogs?”
“My parents always had dogs, and I loved them to bits, but when I moved to London I thought it was simply not a place for a dog. Why don’t you have one?”