by Kathi Daley
After I’d showered, I combed and braided my long hair, pulled a heavy robe over my pj’s, then padded into the living room, where I tossed a log on the fire. Curling up on the sofa, I snuggled with my pack of dogs, watching the flames rise and fall as the wood slowly burned from log to ash.
I thought about calling Jake, but it was two in the morning and I hated to wake him. Besides, he’d just worry about my mental health and might even suspend me from active rescues if he felt I was beginning to slip into the delirium that had become my refuge in those first days after Val’s death. No, it was better, I decided, to power through the night on my own. Things would look better in the daylight, and fortunately in northern Alaska, there was a lot of that at this time of the year.
I thought about having another glass of wine but settled for milk. I searched around for the remote and clicked on the television to provide some company and background noise. The dogs all curled up either on the sofa with me or in front of it. The demons who lived in my dreams couldn’t find me as long as I was awake, so I settled in to wait out the darkness, which was only about a half an hour away.
Chapter 3
Tuesday, June 19
I woke the next morning to abundant sunshine streaming through the large picture window at the front of the cabin. It was early yet, barely six, so I figured I had plenty of time to take the dogs for a long walk before going into town for my shift at the animal shelter. I tried to slip from the sofa, but Honey was sleeping on my legs, Shia was on top of my feet, and Yukon was laying on my right arm. It was a good thing I had an extra-wide sofa, which took up most of the room. I’d chosen this one specifically because I loved to cuddle with my animals on dark, snowy days and wanted to have room for everyone who wanted to join in.
“Hey, guys,” I said as I tried to wiggle free. “It’s time to be up and at ’em.”
Yukon popped up, all wriggling body and wagging tail, while Honey simply yawned and looked at me with one eye open and one still closed. Lucky, who slept in a dog bed next to the sofa, thumped his tail once, then went back to sleep. I looked around the room for Denali, but he was nowhere in sight. He’d seemed skittish after our adventure the previous day, and even more skittish since my meltdown last night. Poor guy. It must be hard to be tasked with trying to protect a crazy woman.
Once I was finally able to untangle myself from my canine bedfellows, I slipped a heavy sweatshirt over my head and headed into the kitchen. I started the coffeemaker, then went to the back of the house, where I found Denali looking intently out the window. “What are you looking at?”
He turned and greeted me with a wagging tail but cautious eyes. I scratched my hands through his hair before going back into the kitchen to pour my first cup of coffee of the day. By the time I’d finished my second, my lazy dogs were up, so I dressed in warm clothes against the morning chill and started out into the lush spring morning. Yukon and Shia took the lead, as they usually did, Juno and Kodi fell into the middle, and Lucky and Honey stayed glued to my side. What was unusual today was that Denali, who normally liked to be the leader of the pack, hung back with Lucky, Honey, and me. My first thought was that he was still spooked by my nightmare. My second, and probably the more accurate of the two, was that he sensed something none of the other dogs were able to. If I had to guess, the something he sensed was something I’d just as soon not share my little corner of paradise with.
After all seven dogs seemed to have met their exercise needs, we headed back to the cabin. It took me an hour every morning to feed everyone and make sure they were set for the day, but most times, the time spent with my menagerie was the best hour of my day. There were people who thought I was some sort of a hero for saving the animals I had, but truth be told, the animals had saved me. Without them to love and focus my energy on, I’d most likely have gone plumb crazy years ago.
The animals seen to, I showered and dressed for the day. While it was cool this morning, the afternoon temps were predicted to be quite mild, so I decided to go with layers I could peel off as the day wore on. After a perfunctory search of my kitchen cabinets, which hadn’t magically been filled by the grocery fairy while I slumbered, I grabbed a sleeve of crackers, then set out for my trip into town. By the time I arrived at the shelter it was after nine. I took a minute to admire the work the volunteers had been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time, then went to the room in the back we were currently using as an office. “What do we have here?” I asked Serena Walters, one of our regulars,
“Oh good, you’re here. I was just about to call you. Some guy who was passing through dropped off this baby moose. He’s really cute, but he doesn’t look good. I have no idea what to do with him.”
I knelt and looked at the tiny thing that couldn’t be more than a few days old. “He’s so small. He must have been a twin.” Calves were usually around thirty pounds at birth, but twins tended to be half as large.
“The guy said he was driving along the highway and pulled over to take a call. He got out of his car and heard a wailing that sounded like a puppy, or maybe a baby, coming from a drainage ditch and went to investigate. He saw this little one lying there. He looked around, but the mother was nowhere in sight. It appears the baby may have broken his leg.” Serena looked up at me with a slight expression of panic. “I know you’ve talked about expanding to include wild animal rescue, but there’s no way we’re ready for it now.”
“Yeah, there’s no way we can take care of a newborn with the staff we have. Especially a newborn with an injury. I’ll take him to Kelly and see what she suggests. If need be, I have an extra stall in my barn. I think Homer would enjoy a roommate, at least temporarily.”
I called Kelly to give her a heads-up about what I was bringing in. She assured me that she’d instruct her receptionist to get me into a room as soon as I arrived. I wrapped the baby in a blanket and picked him up, estimating, as I’d thought, that he weighed around fifteen pounds. The fact that he wasn’t at all active concerned me more than just a little bit. I wondered how long he’d been abandoned. Not long, I assumed. Baby moose were completely helpless. If he’d been on his own long, he’d most likely have succumbed to a predator with a few hours.
When we arrived at the veterinary hospital, I was shown directly into an exam room. I set the moose, still wrapped in the blanket, on the exam table, speaking to him softly while we waited for Kelly. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long.
“Poor little guy,” Kelly said as she ran her hands over the mostly limp body, taking care with the injured leg.
“Is it broken?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s broken,” Kelly said. “I’ll need to set it and then try to get some nourishment into him. I have a milk supplement that should work okay.” She frowned as she ran her hands over the baby’s abdomen. “He’s in pretty bad shape. I’m not holding out a lot of hope, but I’m willing to do what I can. If he makes it through the next twenty-four hours, he might have a shot.”
“What can I do?” I asked, my throat clogged with emotion. Those of us who made our homes in Alaska understood the harsh environment we had to deal with. Every year the area’s wildlife gave birth, and every year a good percentage of that newborn wildlife died. It was the circle of life, which dictated that sick or injured newborns became food for the carnivores who depended on fresh meat to feed their own young. The fact that life was so fragile wasn’t something I liked to think about, but I accepted it as true. But fate had delivered this calf into my arms, and if it was in my power, I’d help him to be one of the survivors who made it into adulthood.
“If I can get him stabilized, do you have somewhere he can bunk until the leg heals?” Kelly asked as she started an IV.
“There’s an extra stall in my barn. And I have a space heater, so it’s warm. He can stay there as long as he needs. If the leg heals and he survives his rough start in the world, maybe we can set him free in the fall. Or if that’s too soon, maybe next spring.”
I couldn’t hel
p but notice the look of doubt that crept into Kelly’s eyes. “Maybe. The leg may be problematic; it’s too soon to know for sure. If releasing him into the wild isn’t an option, I know a refuge that might take him. For now, let’s focus on getting him stabilized. I’d like to keep him here for a few days. If he makes it through then, we’ll talk about a long-term plan.”
Kelly and I spoke for a while longer, then I left to go back to the shelter. I was glad she’d agreed to do what she could, but the truth of the matter was, if the baby moose was going to be in the hospital for several days I was going to need to sell my cabin to pay the veterinary bill. Of course, Kelly had always given me a huge discount and allowed me to make payments when it came to treatments for the strays I collected on a regular basis, so I hoped she’d work something out with me this time too.
“How is he?” Serena asked the moment I walked through the front door of the shelter.
“I’m not sure yet. He’s in bad shape, but Kelly’s going to do what she can. If she can get him stabilized, I guess he’ll come stay in my barn for the short term. After that, we’ll have to see.”
“Poor little guy.” Serena had a look of sympathy on her face. “The gang and I are pulling for him. Just let us know if there’s anything we can do.”
I smiled. “I will.” The volunteers who donated a good portion of their free time to staff the shelter were some of the best people you were likely to find anywhere. I considered myself very fortunate to have them as friends.
“Did Kelly say how the husky Justine picked up for surgery was doing?” Serena asked as I hung up my jacket.
“I didn’t think to ask, but I’m sure the surgery went well or she would have said something. I’ll call over later to check on them.”
Serena handed me a cup of coffee. “Seems like things are getting busy for us even though we’re just getting started.”
“Yes,” I agreed as I took a sip, then set the mug on the desk. “Yes, they are.” I picked up a stack of mail and thumbed through it. “By the way, whatever happened with the Lab that was brought in a few days ago?”
“We tracked down his owner. Apparently, he was left out in the yard during that last big storm. The owner had no idea part of his fence had blown down and the dog got out. The guy said he’d been looking for him for days. He seemed really glad to have him back.”
I frowned. “I wonder why he didn’t check with us right away when he realized his dog was missing.”
“He said he didn’t even know we were open. I guess we haven’t done enough to announce ourselves, given the fact that Rescue has never had a shelter before. Folks aren’t used to checking in with us.”
Serena had a point. We’d wanted to have a soft opening, accepting only a few animals until we were able to sign up enough volunteers to take care of the place seven days a week. We still hoped to be able to hire staff at some point, and the outdoor runs were far from completed, but we ought to be open enough to let the town know we were ready to house the strays that roamed the streets of Rescue every summer.
“We should have a grand opening,” I said as I set down the stack of envelopes. “Let folks know we’re open for business.”
“Maybe we can make it a fund-raiser. The vet bills are piling up fast, even with the huge discount Kelly gives us.”
“That’s a good idea,” I answered. “The only way this place is going to make it in the long run is if we can rally the community around it. We may as well get started on building that allegiance.”
“When should we do it?” Serena asked.
I paused to consider her question. “It’d be nice if Harley could be here; none of this would be possible if not for his donation. I think he’s supposed to be back in town within the next few weeks. I missed a call from him last night, but he said he’d try to call me back today. If he does, I’ll try to get his schedule. Then we can take it from there.”
“Maybe we can use some of his movie-star status to get folks from out of town to come. We really should have a reserve to draw from for emergencies, and it would be totally awesome to hire full-time staff to oversee daily operations.”
I nodded as Serena and I went to work cleaning the cages of the handful of dogs we currently housed. “Maybe Harley will have some ideas about soliciting money from large donors and corporate sponsors, which is what we really need to do that. And there are grants out there we can revisit now that we have a facility.”
“I have a cousin who works for the Los Angeles Times. Maybe I can talk to her about doing a human-interest story about our shelter. Normally, it wouldn’t be her thing, but when you consider that Harley Medford is involved, it might just fly.”
“And maybe I’ll set up a website and a Facebook page too. The more presence we have, the more likely we are to come up with the money we need to do everything we want to do.”
Serena and I had just finished with the last cage and were going back to the office when Chloe came charging in. I frowned when I realized she didn’t look happy. “I called and left you a message last night,” she accused me before I could even say hello.
I cringed. “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. I didn’t see the message until late, so I decided to wait until today to return the call, and then I guess I forgot.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t call to tell me about Pastor Brown the minute you knew.” Chloe’s cheeks were red with anger. “I’m your best friend. You should want to tell me everything, and yet I had to find out about the biggest news to hit town in forever from Raelene Cole.”
“What’s wrong with Pastor Brown?” Serena asked.
“He’s dead,” I answered a bit too abruptly. I loved Chloe, but I wasn’t in the mood to handle one of her meltdowns. I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked at Chloe with what I hoped was a sincere expression of apology. “And I’m sorry I didn’t call you. Officer Houston wanted to keep a lid on things until he had the opportunity to poke around a bit and notify the next of kin. Still, I should have told you what was going on.”
“Darn right you should have. You know I can keep a secret.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Enough with the apologies,” Serena said in a tone a bit too loud not to hint at a certain level of hysteria. “Pastor Brown is dead?”
I nodded. Raelene Cole was the biggest gossip in town. If she knew what had happened, it wouldn’t be long before everyone else knew too, so I may as well fill Serena in. “Pastor Brown’s body was found near Glacier Lake yesterday. We found him while we were out looking for a missing child. He’d been murdered.”
“What do you mean, murdered?” Serena asked as her face drained of all color. “Who would murder him?”
I briefly explained what I knew, which wasn’t a lot, but was more than Raelene did, which placated Chloe somewhat but almost sent Serena over the edge.
“Wow,” Serena said as she slid to the floor. “I’m having a hard time dealing with this.”
“Did you know Pastor Brown well?” I asked as I beat myself up for not handling the situation with a bit more sensitivity and decorum.
Serena nodded, then put her head down. “He was my pastor. I’ve been going to his church since I was a child. My family just had him to dinner two weeks ago. Oh God.”
I knelt and placed my hands on Serena’s shoulders. I stood slowly, helping her to her feet, then to a chair. Chloe, who seemed to be over her snit, brought Serena a glass of water.”
“I’m sorry,” I said for the third time as I sat down across from Serena.
“Me too,” Chloe said. “Here I was, carrying on like a raving lunatic about not hearing the news first. I didn’t even stop to think how this would affect the folks who really knew him.”
Serena took a sip of her water. “It’s okay. I know you don’t attend his church. You couldn’t have known.”
“Maybe not, but I should have been a lot more sensitive. Hearing the news from Raelene made me angry, but it also freaked me out. I guess it w
as easier to go with the anger.”
Serena looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. “I just don’t understand any of this. The cold-blooded murder of a sweet man like Pastor Brown is something I’d expect to happen in a big city with lots of crime, not here in Rescue, where most folks don’t even bother to lock their doors.”
“I know.” I agreed. “It was a shock to us all.”
“Are there any leads?” Chloe asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I haven’t spoken to Officer Houston since shortly after the body was found. I’m sure once the police know what’s going on, they’ll issue a statement of some sort to the newspaper.”
Naturally, I was curious about what was going on with the investigation as well, but I doubted Houston would tell me even if I asked. Maybe he’d talk to Jake. He was, after all, the head of the search-and-rescue team, and it seemed Houston would want to maintain a close working relationship him. I had a shift at Neverland later in the day, so maybe I’d ask Jake to nose around a bit while I was there.
“I should call my parents,” Serena said. “They’re going to take it hard. Particularly my mother. I can’t believe the pastor is dead. I just saw him on Sunday and nothing seemed wrong.”
“I don’t suppose you happen to know what he planned to do after Sunday services?” I asked.
“Not specifically. His usual routine is to have lunch with one of the families who attend the church. He’s good about spreading himself around, making sure everyone who wants to have him to their home has the opportunity. Our family has hosted him three times this year, the most recent two weeks ago.”
“And how did he seem when you saw him on Sunday?” I asked.