Black Tide Rising
Page 23
“Huh. Well, sounds like he was looking for something. Or maybe he just wanted to check you out. Let you know you did a good job getting the stuff back.”
“Yeah, well, whatever it was, it was kind of cool,” Dan said. “Never seen a raven close up before.” He looked at Walker. “Hey, is that one of my snack bars you’re eating?”
“Wondered when you’d notice,” Walker said as he pulled the wrapper off. “Not bad for fake food. I took it from your boat a couple of nights ago. Pretty good couch to sleep on too.” Walker reached into his pocket. “Here’s your key back.”
“Gee, thanks. Anything else I should know about?”
“Nope. You might be short a few more bars, but I left the radio on the table.”
Both men turned as the sound of a boat engine came from behind the point.
“Sounds like your ride’s here,” Walker said. “Stay safe, white man.”
“You too, Walker. You heading back home?”
“Yeah. Might see you up there again sometime.”
Dan watched as Walker grasped the top of a ladder that led down to the beach and used it like a pommel horse to swing his legs around. His body slowly disappeared, swinging from side to side, until only his head was left, and then he stopped and started up again.
“Forgotten something?” Dan asked as he watched and marveled at the strength Walker’s movement required.
“Nope. But I think you did.” Walker nodded at something out beyond the wharf, and Dan turned to see a big Boston Whaler drifting up alongside. As he walked toward it, the door to the wheelhouse opened, and Claire stepped out. She jumped down, tied up the lines, waved to Walker, and then turned toward Dan, her eyes taking in his bandaged arm.
“I guess this is what comes with being involved with a cop,” she said. “Gonna take some getting used to.” She smiled as she lifted her face up to his.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to gratefully acknowledge the help of several people during the writing of this book. They include Jim Tipton, Victoria Schmidt, Antonio Rambles, Bob Drynan, Margie Keane, Mel Goldberg, Janice Kimball, David Bryen, Carol Bowman, Pam Harting, and Lynne Stonier-Newman, all of whom helped guide and shape the final copy.
Thanks are also due to my editor, Linda Richards, and to Taryn Boyd and the entire team at Touchwood Editions, without whose skilled and careful attention this book would not exist.
For information on ocean current drift rates, the Canadian Coastguard provided invaluable assistance, and I am indebted to J. (Jason) Fidder, Sergeant, of Nootka Sound Detachment, for his input on RCMP structure and operational procedures in the area of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and to Ward Clapham and Chris Stewart, both retired RCMP officers, whose vast knowledge of that policing force has helped flesh out not only this story but also Dan Connor and his background. Barb McLintock, of the BC Coroner’s Service, is owed thanks for her advice on the possible effects of immersion on a body, and Ed and Pat Kidder, former lightkeepers at the Nootka lighthouse, provided invaluable background on both life at a remote light station and the reality of living on Nootka Island (as well as great stories and cold beer).
Ray and Terry Williams, Cecilia James, Rose Jack, Michael Jacobson-Weston, and many others in many Native communities have done their best to educate me in the rich and complex traditions of their culture, and any errors or misrepresentations that appear here are entirely attributable to me. Thank you to each of you for your efforts and your generosity. Gilakas'la.
I was also assisted by the many stories and photographs provided by my mother- and father-in-law who spent their early years at the Nootka cannery and lived there from 1928 to 1937.
Lastly, Sanford Williams, a brilliant master carver whose work can be found not only in his studio in Yuquot but galleries and private collections around the world, generously allowed me to use his name, for which I am most grateful. Some of his work can be seen on his website: www.sanfordwilliams.com.
R.J. MCMILLEN was born in England, raised in Australia, and now lives in Canada. Her passion for sailing has resulted in more than thirty years of exploring the Pacific Northwest, visiting the remote coastal communities that provide the background for the Dan Connor mystery series.
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Copyright © 2015 R.J. McMillen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (ACCESS Copyright). For a copyright licence, visit accesscopyright.ca.
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LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
McMillen, R.J., 1945–, author
Black tide rising / R.J. McMillen.
(A Dan Connor mystery ; 2)
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-77151-124-7 (html).--ISBN 978-1-77151-125-4 (pdf)
I. Title. II. Series: McMillen, R.J., 1945– Dan Connor mystery ; 2.
PS8625.M56B53 2015 C813'.6 C2014-908214-2
Editor: Linda L. Richards
Proofreader: Vivian Sinclair
Design: Pete Kohut
&n
bsp; Cover images: Spooky forest, Pr3t3nd3r, istockphoto.com
Jogging-away silhouette, Illustrious, istockphoto.com
Native American eagle (detail), LeshaBu, istockphoto.com
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for our publishing activities from the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and from the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.