by Patricia Fry
Suddenly, they heard a loud, dull thump.
Holly leaped up from the sofa and ran toward the middle of the room. “What was that? Sounded like someone threw something at the lodge or dropped a log on the porch.”
“A log or a body,” Savannah said, holding tightly to Lily.
Holly looked at her. “Maybe it was Michael trying to get us in the mood for the ghost stories.” She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “It’s working.”
“Oh, yeah,” Savannah said, relaxing a bit. “I’ll bet it was the guys messing with us.” When she saw the two men walking down the stairs deep in conversation, however, she looked at Holly and said weakly, “I guess it wasn’t them.”
“Unless they dropped something out the window.” Holly pointed. “Hey, what’s your cat doing? He must have heard it too.”
“What’s going on?” Michael asked when he and Keith entered the room and saw the women staring suspiciously toward the front window.
“Oh, we heard something out on the porch,” Savannah explained, “…a thump.”
“Or a thud,” Holly added.
“Definitely a thud,” Gladys agreed.
The two men walked toward the front door. When Keith reached for the doorknob, Michael shouted, “Wait!” But it was too late; Rags had already burst out through the open door.
“Oh, sorry. Man he’s fast,” Keith said. “I had no idea.”
Michael grimaced. “Well, let’s see what we can see.”
“What are they doing?” Holly asked, as she, Savannah, and Cassie watched the men through the window.
“I think they’re chasing Rags,” Cassie said. She giggled. “He isn’t letting them catch him.”
“Who’s that?” Savannah whispered.
“Where?” Holly asked.
“Oh, I don’t see him now. I guess just some old fisherman guy out for a stroll. Oh no, Rags is taking them away from the lodge and into those trees. Darn it!”
“Yeah, it’s dark,” Holly said. “Maybe we should take them a flashlight.” She shook her head and decided, “Oh, they’ll come and get one if they need it.”
The women laughed when they saw Keith run to his Jeep and grab a light from inside.
“Now we can see—sorta,” Holly said. She pointed. “Hey, Rags is taking them up the knoll there.”
Suddenly Savannah’s phone rang. “Hi, Michael,” she answered, flinching a little, for Holly’s and Gladys’s benefit. “Yeah, okay.” She ended the call and explained to the others, “He wants me to bring him some treats.”
Gladys laughed. “Michael’s hungry? Didn’t he get enough for supper?”
“No,” Savannah insisted. “Treats for Rags. …something to lure him with.”
Several minutes later, when the trio returned with Rags, they found Holly, Gladys, and Cassie all waiting to hear what had happened. Lily stood nearby, trying to groom Lexie with her toy hairbrush.
Michael glanced at Rags as Savannah eased him to the floor. He said, “We don’t know what that noise was, but the cat was bent on snooping out there around those cabins. Mr. Brody showed us those that are being rented. Well, Rags led us to one that’s supposed to be vacant, but it appears to be occupied.”
“We have a squatter?” Holly asked.
“Yes.” Savannah said. “And not a very tidy one.”
“You went inside?” Gladys asked.
“She had to,” Keith said.
Holly looked at Savannah, who nodded. “Rags pushed the door open and he wouldn’t come out.”
“Was anyone in there?” Cassie asked.
“No,” Savannah said. “So I ran in real fast to get Rags, scooped him up, and ran out with him.” She made a face. “Unbeknownst to me at the time, the cat had taken something.”
“Oh no—what, Vannie?” Gladys asked.
“Another picture.” She patted her pocket. I’ll take it back tomorrow. Maybe that’s where the first one came from.” When Lily reached for Savannah, she picked up the child and held her close.
“Okay,” Keith said, “bedtime, Cassie.”
“But Dad,” she whined, “Aunt Savannah’s going to tell me a ghost story.”
He looked at Savannah, then Holly, who nodded. “I told her she could hear one of Savannah’s stories.”
Keith let out a sigh. “Okay. Just one. Then off to bed.”
Savannah tapped Lily on the nose. “You, too. One story and off to bed.”
“If she’ll stay awake for a story,” Michael said, reaching for the child.
Savannah kissed Lily on the cheek and released her to Michael. She then invited, “Cassie, come sit by me.” Once everyone was seated, she thought for a moment, then said, “This story is about a ghost cat. Ever hear a story about a ghost cat?”
Cassie shook her head.
“Well, the cat’s name was Florence. She didn’t know she was a ghost—she thought she was just an ordinary white cat. But she was white because she was a ghost. Now, Cassie, not all white cats are ghosts, just those with a very special characteristic. When they meow, the word comes out backwards. Ever try to say meow backwards?”
Cassie frowned and said, “Woem. Woem,” she repeated.
“That doesn’t sound much like cat talk, does it?”
The child wrinkled her nose. “No, it sounds like someone trying to say worm.”
“Exactly,” Savannah said, “which is why the other cats in the neighborhood didn’t want anything to do with Florence. They knew she was different. She looked different and she sounded different, so the other cats didn’t want to play with her. In fact, they called her the worm. And that hurt Florence’s feelings.”
Just then they heard wake-up sounds coming from the portable crib. Savannah made eye contact with Michael. When she noticed that Lily was asleep in his arms, she said, “Want to put her to bed? I’ll change Teddy.” When she returned with the baby, she looked at Cassie, who waited eagerly to hear the rest of the story. “How about this, Cassie, let’s go to your room. I’ll feed Teddy in there and tell you the story.”
When Savannah returned with Teddy, she was smiling. “Cassie fell asleep before the end.”
“Well, I want to hear the rest of the story,” Holly complained.
“Oh, Michael and I have better ghost stories—real ones we’ve encountered over the years. Interested?”
“Absolutely,” Holly said, shivering with anticipation.
Gladys yawned. “Well, I think I’ll go up to bed. Night, all.”
****
The following morning after breakfast the two men were prepared to leave the house when Michael called out, “Hey, where’d these come from?”
“What?” Holly asked from a sofa near the fireplace, where she helped Bethany put on her shoes.
“These pictures,” Michael said, holding them up.
When Keith joined him, he looked at what Michael had in his hands and creased his brow. “Isn’t that…?”
“Yes,” Michael said, “it is. Savannah!” he shouted.
“What?” she asked from right behind him.
He jumped. “I wish you wouldn’t sneak up on me like that.” He held out the photos. “Where’d these come from, hon?”
“Well, those are the pictures Rags found. I’m going to take them back to that cabin he broke into last night. Why?” When neither Keith nor Michael responded, she asked quietly, “What’s wrong, do you know someone in those photos?”
Michael nodded. “Yes. These are pictures of our mother.”
Savannah gasped.
Holly stared at the men, disbelieving. “Are you sure?” She moved closer.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Michael said. He pointed. “That’s our grandfather holding a rabbit and that’s Mom on the horse.” He showed them the second photo. “I think this is Mom’s high school graduation picture.”
“Wait,” Holly said, “isn’t that the picture we saw in that old newspaper when we were in Connecticut? That
’s her engagement portrait. Remember? It accompanied the announcement of her engagement to Scott Hanson.”
Michael looked at Keith. “It appears that the man we’re looking for is right under our noses.”
“Let’s go!” Keith said, quickly leading the way to the front door.
Michael followed.
Chapter 5
It wasn’t long before the men returned, photos in hand. When their wives approached them, eager to hear what had happened, Keith said, “Gone. Whatever you saw in that cabin last night, Savannah, it’s all gone.” He dropped into the nearest chair. “Darn it! He must have been here all this time. We probably actually saw him.” He stood up and faced his brother. “Do you think that old guy we talked to…”
Michael jumped in. “The one looking for the photo? Yeah, that could have been him.” His voice strained, he asked, “Do you think he knows who we are?”
Keith shook his head. “It’s hard to tell.” He began to pace. “Now what? I mean, we didn’t have any leads before, and now the trail’s probably colder than ever.”
“Not necessarily,” Holly said brightly. When the others looked at her, she explained, “The fact that he has disappeared must mean he’s going into hiding. And, if he’s going into hiding, he’ll need supplies. How about checking with local retailers; see if he’s shopped in their stores lately.”
“And find out if he’s mentioned where he’s going,” Savannah added. “You’re probably not too far behind him. I can’t imagine he left last night. He must have waited until at least daylight or when the stores opened.”
Michael gazed at the two women, saying to Keith, “They’re probably right. Let’s get a move on.” He started to place the photos back on the table, then decided differently. He handed one to Keith and he looked at the other for a moment before slipping it into his pocket.
When Savannah noticed that Michael seemed to be staring at her and Holly, she asked, “What?”
“Well, I was just thinking about something Brandt said when he sent us on this journey.”
“What was that?” Holly asked.
“That we should listen to you women, because you know stuff.”
Keith nodded. “Yeah, he did say that.”
Savannah glanced at Holly. “Then maybe we should go with you today.”
“Oh, hon, we can’t…” Michael started.
“But you said we know stuff. And Mom has offered to watch after the children.”
“Yeah,” Holly said, “we want to go with you. We’re ready, aren’t we, Savannah?”
“Yes.”
Michael nodded. “Okay, then.”
Keith thinned his lips. “I guess we could use some of your women’s intuition.”
Savannah wriggled a bit with excitement, saying, “All right, just let me use the powder room.”
At the same time, Holly headed toward their suite. “I’ll go get my purse.” She stopped. “Oh, I’d better just take my lipstick and cash out and put that stuff in my pockets. And my nail file just in case…”
Savannah called from the top of the stairs, “Be there in a sec, honey. I need to grab a hat and change into my hiking shoes.”
“Oh yes, hiking shoes,” Holly said. “Sandals won’t cut it out there, will they?”
Michael and Keith looked at each other and Michael muttered, “All ready to go, huh?”
“Yeah,” Keith said, easing into a chair, “after a complete wardrobe change and maybe a shower and…”
Michael smiled at Gladys. “So what do you and the kids have planned today?”
“I think we’ll work on a craft. We have pine cones galore and Holly brought some paints and glue.”
“Oh, so you’re going to make a mess, huh?” Keith said, chuckling.
Gladys laughed. “Pretty much.”
“Bye, Mom,” Savannah said when she returned to the main room. She picked up Lily. “Bye, doodlebug. Love you.”
“Where’s Holly?” Keith asked.
“Coming,” she said, entering the room. “Couldn’t find my red baseball cap, so I had to change my shirt. All ready now.”
Keith shook his head, then approached Cassie. “See you later, alligator.”
She hugged him. “After while, crocodile.”
“Bye, Daddy,” Bethany called out as she struggled to dress her toy bear.
“Bye, Beth-Beth,” he said, waving.
Michael lifted Lily into the air and kissed her cheeks. “Have fun, punkin.” He then joined Savannah, who stood smiling down at their six-week-old son.
Once the two couples had stepped out onto the porch, Keith suggested, “Let’s start at Brody’s Café.”
“In case he ordered breakfast to go?” Savannah asked.
“Well, maybe. These little restaurants up here sometimes sell packaged food to hunters and fishermen. This would have been a good place for him to pick up a few things before heading into the wilderness.”
“Hi,” Michael said as they entered the café. “Mark, right?”
The man nodded.
“We’re the ones who took over the lodge this week. Listen, we’re trying to locate someone. We think he crashed in the cabin on the knoll… um… number four, until maybe last night or early this morning.”
The thirty-something man, who had a full head of black hair and a bushy moustache, said, “I doubt it. That cabin hasn’t been rented in a while. Needs repairs that the boss doesn’t want to do.”
When Mark turned away and walked toward the pantry, Michael spoke more loudly. “Last night our cat ran into that cabin. We had to go in after him because no one was there.”
“I know no one was there. That cabin’s not rented,” Mark said, returning to the kitchen carrying a large bag and a couple of gallon-size cans. He looked at Michael. “And it’s locked, as far as I know. So how’d you get in?”
“The same way the cat did, through the open door. My wife went inside to get the cat and she saw someone’s things in there.”
“Impossible,” Mark said. “I told you, it’s not rented, and it’s locked.”
“Someone must have a key or they went in through a window,” Keith suggested.
“Nope,” Mark insisted.
Michael glanced at Keith, then said, “Well, tell me this, did anyone come in either late last night or this morning wanting supplies?”
Mark faced him with a confused look on his face. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Now, we’re getting someplace,” Keith said, under his breath. With more enthusiasm, he asked, “Did he tell you where he was going?”
“Well, it was a coupla guys and they’re going fishing down near the big fork. They bought beans and jerky. We sell a lot of jerky. They also took a pan of my biscuits.”
“Anyone else?” Michael asked. “Any individuals?”
“Yeah, a young guy wanting candy bars—some strange brand I don’t carry, and an old guy…”
Michael’s face lit up. “Yeah, what about the old guy? He’s the one we’re interested in.”
“Well, he just arrived from Canada. Plans to go climbing. Says he’s climbed some of the highest mountains that’ll allow ya on their backs and he has a few more on his list he wants to tackle.”
“You say this was an old guy?”
“Well, yeah, about fifty-five, I’d say. But in good shape; I could tell that.”
“That’s all?” Keith asked. “What about…”
“Hey,” Mark spat, “I don’t have time to stand here and answer your questions all day.”
Keith put up his hands and said, “Okay, okay, how about this…” He showed a picture to the man. “Imagine him older, gray, maybe with long hair and a beard. Did he come in recently to buy supplies?”
“Hey, if you’re talking about the hermit—which I imagine you are, because you’re not the first or even the second to inquire about him—no. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him in months, but that don’t mean he hasn’t been her
e—not in the daylight, anyhow.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a thief, that’s what. Steals what’s left out overnight. At first we thought it was animals—we have a sly fox that’s been known to drag a ham hock to his den when we leave food out in the winter months. But when there are no drag marks, we’re pretty sure we’re dealing with a human thief, and the hermit has a reputation for that sort of thing.” Mark looked across the room for a moment as if he were in thought, then said, “But when the hermit strikes, he generally takes a can or two of something and leaves behind a fish.” He grinned at the brothers. “He likes nuts. We order extra packages of peanuts in the shell for him. And he generally pays for those.”
“Who else has been looking for the… um… hermit?” Michael asked.
Mark shook his head. “I don’t know who they are—probably bill collectors or something.” He grinned mischievously. “For all I know, it could be those people from that publishing house—the ones who bring around those giant checks with balloons and all that fanfare.” He looked Michael in the eye. “So if you’re not going to buy something, let me get back to work. I have a business to run here.”
“Okay,” Michael said, sounding somewhat defeated. The two men turned and left with their wives. Once they were out in front of the café, Michael said, “Savannah, let’s take your cat.”
“Really?” she questioned. “Why? Are you cruisin’ for a bruisin’ or something?”
He scrunched up his face. “Huh? No. It’s just that he was in that place among Scott Hanson’s things, and maybe he can pick him out of a crowd or sniff him out of hiding. You know how he does.”
Savannah nodded. “Yeah, I know how he does, only…”
“Only what?” Holly asked.
“Only, as Michael well knows, he certainly doesn’t perform on command or in any way, shape, or form how you might expect him to.”
“Unpredictable, huh?” Keith said, chuckling.
“Over-the-top unpredictable,” Savannah said.
“Just go get him,” Michael persisted. “He’ll be okay.”