On Ice (Contemporary Romantic Thriller)

by J. D. Faver

  ~*~

  Brett filleted the fish and cooked them in an iron skillet on the propane stove. The morning’s activities had been a strain on everyone’s emotions.

  Rene’s mind whirled as she set out Mrs. Jolly’s potato salad and sandwiches. She relished the comfort of Brett’s arms wrapped around her. He was spontaneous and real, acting out of concern.

  She found it difficult to hold her emotions in check. Memories of Mark slammed her back down to earth. In spite of this, she smiled as she went about her tasks, feeling almost buoyant. Why did Brett have this effect on her?

  “What’s in here?” She held up a stainless steel container with a lid.

  “Those are my special baked beans,” Brett said. “I’ll heat them up.”

  “You made them?”

  “There are a few things I can cook. I’m not totally helpless.”

  “I never for one instant thought you were,” she said, as their eyes locked for a moment. Rene looked away first but couldn’t help smiling again.

  When they returned to the cabin that evening, Brett carried a sleeping Sara in his arms. Seth was worn out, but still elated over his catch.

  “This was the best day of my whole life,” he said.

  Brett put Sara gently on the sofa then turned to Seth. “It was a pretty good day for me, too.” He glanced at Rene over Seth’s head.

  She met his gaze and felt a flush creeping over her.

  “Let’s plan on having a lot more great days, okay?” Brett held out his hand and Seth gave a small leap to slap it soundly.

  “Okay.” Seth barely got the word out before a huge yawn split open his face.

  “Time for a quick shower, Seth. I’ll start your water.” Rene turned on the taps and inhaled the warm steam that formed. Why couldn’t life be this simple?

  While Seth splashed happily in the shower, Rene and Brett were alone together for the first time since their encounter in his office. She struggled to find something to say.

  “We had a great time.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Thanks for everything.”

  “I enjoyed it.”

  When he leaned forward to kiss her, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. What started as a tentative kiss, deepened as his arms came around her and he lifted her off her feet. Rene felt her senses swirling dizzily as her passions swept away all thoughts of right and wrong. When he set her back on her feet, she shook her head to clear the lingering effects of the kiss.

  “Wow!” she said.

  “Me, too.” He kissed her again lightly and left her grinning after him.

  ~*~

  After church the next day, Rene and the children enjoyed Mrs. Pindar’s cookies and juice. Nadine and Sam hailed her from across the room.

  “Your gun came in,” Sam said. “Come after lunch and pick it up.”

  “It’s so light,” Nadine said. “I can’t believe it shoots real bullets.”

  “You’re going to teach me to fire it, aren’t you?”

  “Sure. We can go out in the back. There’s nobody around for miles. We have some targets set up for practice.”

  “I’m excited and scared at the same time.” She felt a shiver creep down her spine. “I guess I’ll get used to it.”

  “You’ll probably never need to fire it, but it’s good to be prepared.” Nadine said.

  When Rene and her children arrived at the hotel, Mayor Wolfe and his son were just pulling up. They ate lunch at the same table, joined by Nadine and her family. Conversation among the adults came to an abrupt halt when a loud argument broke out between Seth and Nadine’s son Max.

  “That’s such a big fib!” Max yelled. “You made it up!”

  “Did not!” Seth yelled hotly.

  “What’s going on?” Sam Burke’s deep voice intervened.

  “He said his mother almost got eaten by a bear yesterday.” Max’s red hair was the same deep color as his face.

  “She did!” Seth insisted.

  All eyes turned to Rene. “I’m sure she was considering me for an entrée, but the fish looked better.” She shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear calm.

  “What?” Nadine raised her fiery brows.

  “Sara and I were out walking and we happened upon a mother bear and her cubs. We stared at each other and she went back to her cubs.”

  “You stared at each other?” Nadine and Mayor Wolfe exchanged glances.

  “Yes,” Rene said. “Actually, I was silently begging her not to eat us. I knew she was just trying to protect her babies and I was protecting mine.”

  “You looked into her soul.” Mayor Wolfe said solemnly.

  “Yes!” Rene said. “That’s exactly how I felt!”

  “Not bad for a cheechako,” the Mayor said.

  “A what?” Rene frowned as she tried to mouth the word.

  “Cheechako,” Nadine said. “It’s what you would call a greenhorn. A cheechako is someone trying to survive their first year in Alaska.”

  “I’d say you’re doing pretty well, so far.” Mayor Wolfe nodded his head sagely.

  “I think you’ve found your spirit animal,” Nadine said.

  “Really?” Rene said. “A bear?”

  “It must be,” Nadine said. “She wouldn’t have let you look into her soul otherwise.”

  “You have a brave heart, Cheechako,” Mayor Wolfe said. “Most people would have run. The bear would have chased them.” You were courageous in facing the bear and asking her to spare you and your cubs. Believe me when I say you have a brave heart.”

  “I hope so,” Rene said. “I’ll need it.”

  “And I caught a fish, too.” Seth said.

  “I picked flowers,” Sara said, “but I dropped them when I saw the bear.” Sara’s face clouded momentarily, and then cleared. “Brett cooked Seth’s fish and we all ate it.”

  The other adults at the table turned their attention to Rene, who blushed furiously.

  “You’ve been holding out on me,” Nadine said, with a grin.

  “He wanted to teach Seth to fish,” she said. She had hoped to avoid mentioning Brett’s part in their adventure. She tried to meet Nadine’s cat-and-mouse smirk.

  “It looks like love is in the air, all right.” Nadine directed their attention to Dr. Lorelei King sitting at a small table with Dr. Chad Belker, their heads close together.

  “That’s good,” Sam said. “She’s a pretty lady. She and Dr. Chad have a lot in common.”

  “Like what?” Nadine challenged. “She’s a people doctor. He’s an animal doc.”

  “They do the same thing,” Sam insisted. “It’s just that his patients have more legs.”

  Rene was thankful for this petty bickering to take the spotlight off her uncertain relationship with Brett.

  After the meal, Mayor Wolfe took Seth and Sara to see his collection of animal carvings. His son, Parker, was more talkative and cheerful than usual. He proudly described how his father made miniature carvings of animals and engraved small scenes on jade, soapstone and ivory. Rene was to pick the children up after her target practice at the Burke’s.

  As Rene was leaving the hotel, she noticed some attractive pieces of pottery in a display case. Angel Culver passed by, a pair of kitchen shears in her hand. “How much is this lovely bowl?” Rene asked. “I’ve never seen glaze like that.”

  “They are pretty, aren’t they?” Angel opened the case and turned the bowl over to display the price sticker.

  “That’s quite reasonable,” Rene said. “I’ll take it.” She wrote a check and handed it to Angel.

  “I’ll wrap it for you,” Angel said. “I sell a lot of Ben’s pottery here. The Westfall’s sell it, too.”

  “Ben’s pottery? You mean, Ben Franklin?” Rene’s voice revealed her surprise.

  “He’s quite talented, don’t you think?” Angel handed Rene her package.

  “Yes, but I thought he worked with wood and repaired things?”

  “He has a small studio behind
your cabin,” Angel said. “Haven’t you seen him working there?”

  “No, never,” Rene insisted.

  “Maybe he works when you’re at school. Why don’t you ask him?”

  “I intend to.”

  “Do you want to see my garden?” Angel offered.

  “Garden? I didn’t see a garden,” Rene said.

  “It’s on the roof.” Angel pointed with her scissors. “I’m going up to snip herbs for tonight’s meal.”

  Rene followed Angel up two flights of stairs and out through a door opening onto a sunny roof garden. Flowering trees bloomed in large tubs. A gazebo erected in the middle of the roof, overlooked a play area complete with swings and a playhouse. A greenhouse dominated one corner.

  “This is beautiful!” Rene clasped her hands and turned around twice. “Your daughters must think this is fairyland.”

  “I never thought of it that way before. I suppose you’re right.” Angel smiled a wistful, little-girl smile, admiring her garden along with Rene. “Would you like some herbs to take with you?”

  “I’d love some.” Rene followed Angel into the greenhouse. The glass sparkled in the sunlight. A jungle of plants and trees grew inside. “Does it stay warm in the winter?”

  “It’s insulated and heated in the cold weather. We send herbs to a great many restaurants. Heating it is a business expense.” She began to snip rosemary and handed sprigs to Rene. “You can use it fresh or hang it upside down to dry. How about some basil?”

  While Angel snipped, handing small sprigs to Rene, she kept up a nonstop narrative about the many uses for the various herbs.

  “I really appreciate this,” Rene said. “I’m sure it will help the meals I’ve--” Her voice trailed off. “What’s that?” She pointed to a lush growth of plants.

  “Pot,” Angel said, in a matter-of-fact voice. “You know. . . marijuana. Want some?”

  “N-no. No thank you.” Rene stared at the plants. She bit her lip, feeling as though the police might swoop down on them at any moment. “Is it legal here?”

  “Not exactly,” Angel giggled. “It was until a few years ago, but not now. I don’t think anyone really cares. Tink and I aren’t exactly dangerous characters, you know?”

  “No, I suppose not,” Rene agreed doubtfully.

  Rene carried her precious pottery and aromatic herbs down to the truck. She reflected on the things she had learned. Angel and Tink had a garden on their roof and sold herbs and pot as a sideline. Dr. Lorelei and Dr. Chad were keeping company. Mayor Wolfe carved soapstone and ivory animals. Ben Franklin made beautiful pottery in a studio right behind her cabin. She shook her head in amazement and took a deep breath. The day wasn’t even over yet.

  ~*~

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “I took a statement from the doorman at the Desmond’s condo.” Detective Ambrose flipped the pages of his small notepad until he came to the right entry. “He said Mr. Desmond and his family have been traveling abroad all summer. They left months ago and he hasn’t heard from them since.” Closing the pad, he turned his unreadable gaze on Maddy.

  “That’s not true,” Maddy insisted. “My sister ran away from him in early May. She took the kids and left him.” She felt her cheeks flush with anger.

  “Why would she do that, Ma’am?” he said in a flat voice.

  “Because he beats her! He’s horribly abusive! He’s a maniac!” Maddy’s voice rose. She glowered at the heavyset man who didn’t believe her. He wore the same wrinkled suit he had worn previously.

  “Why do you think the doorman would lie about Mr. Desmond’s whereabouts?”

  “Because,” Maddy said, “Mark is paying him. Rene, she’s my sister, she said Mark paid the doorman to watch her and report any visitors. He didn’t even want me to visit her.”

  “How long has there been bad blood between you and your brother-in-law?”

  “Bad blood?” Maddy considered. “It started when I discovered he abused my sister. I told him if I saw bruises on her again, I would go to the police. That’s when he forbade her to see me.”

  “You haven’t seen your sister since then?”

  “Of course I have! We met in different places, the grocery store or the hairdresser. I never went back to her condominium.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “I saw her about a week before she left. We had a plan, you see, for her escape. I haven’t seen her since she left.” Maddy’s lower lip trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. She took a deep breath, refusing to allow them to spill over.

  “So,” the detective said, “this is the way it went down--You say your brother-in-law is abusive. You find out and threaten him. He forbids you two to get together, but you sneak around and plot your sister’s escape. She’s been missing since May and now Mr. Desmond is missing too. Is this your story?”

  “No! Yes, but you make it sound like he’s the victim. Rene was the victim. She was just too frightened to turn him in. He threatened to kill her if she left him.” This detective was being deliberately obtuse. She shouldn’t have let him in without Ted being here.

  “Mrs. Sanders, the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Desmond are highly suspicious. I’ll have to ask you not to leave town.” He looked down at her with his hooded flat eyes.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Just that we may have further questions for you.”

  The meaning of his words settled heavily on Maddy as she closed and locked the door behind the infuriating man.

  ~*~

  “That’s it?” Rene stared at the small gun in Sam’s hand. “It looks like a toy.”

  “Let me assure you,” Sam said, “It’s real.”

  “You can blow a great big hole in a great big bad man with this,” Nadine said.

  Rene tentatively reached for it.

  “Take it like you’re going to shake hands.” He slapped the butt of the gun into her palm. “Don’t be afraid of it.”

  “It’s so light!”

  “It’s not loaded. When I put the bullets in the clip, it will be heavier, but it’s still a light weapon.”

  Rene tried to feel comfortable with the plastic gun in her hand. She imagined Mark laughing and tightened her grip.

  “Atta girl!” Nadine said. “Let’s go out and fire off a few rounds.”

  “N-now? You mean right now?”

  “It’s as good a time as any.” Nadine cocked her head. “You can’t be afraid of it. If you ever were in actual danger and pulled a gun on someone, you have to be confident enough to fire it. Otherwise, they’ll take it away and use it on you.”

  Rene shivered. An image of Mark’s angry face sprang to mind. “Let’s go,” she said.

  Sam showed her how to load the clip and insert it into the weapon’s handle. It had a little more heft now, but was still comfortable in her hand.

  Then, Sam set up the targets and went inside.

  “Here, hold it like this.” Nadine stood with feet planted a couple of feet apart and held the gun with both hands. “This is easy and it’s pretty steady. You try it.” She handed the gun back to Rene.

  “Like this?” Rene assumed a position similar to Nadine’s.

  “Plant your feet. Bend your knees a little, like you’re riding a horse.” She raised Rene’s hands to shoulder height.

  “I feel silly,” Rene said.

  “You don’t look silly.” Nadine put her hands on her hips. “You look like a woman to be reckoned with.”

  “I don’t know,” Rene shrugged. “I guess it’s because I’ve never been very brave. I’m always such a big chicken. I can see my sister Maddy loving this, but not me.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Nadine raised one red eyebrow in silent interrogation.

  “I--I need to be prepared for--anything. This is the trigger?” She hoped Nadine didn’t notice her nervousness or how quickly she changed the subject.

  “Look down the top of the barrel. That’s the sight.” She p
ointed to a tiny notch along the top of the gun. “Close one eye and look at the target.”

  “Now what?”

  “Line up the target at the end of the barrel, in the sight. Hold it steady.”

  Rene’s hands wavered. She couldn’t seem to keep the gun from wobbling. “I can’t.”

  “It’s okay,” Nadine said. “Drop it down to your side. Let your arms rest and take a few deep breaths. That’s it.” Nadine smiled as Rene began to relax. “Whenever you’re ready, get back into the proper stance and raise the gun, look down the sight and gently squeeze the trigger.”

  Rene drew a deep breath and blew it out, then another. She raised the gun and squeezed the trigger. A loud report numbed her ear drums, filling them with a hollow ringing sound. The barrel of the gun bounced up in the air as if she had fired while jumping on a trampoline.

  “Oh!” She heard her own voice as if from far away.

  “You hit it!” Nadine shrieked. “I can’t believe it!”

  “I hit the target?” Rene squinted at the red plastic disc that Sam had nailed to the trunk of a tree.

  “No, but you hit the tree.”

  “That’s good?” Rene let the gun fall to her side.

  “That’s good, but that’s not.” Nadine pointed to the dangling gun in Rene’s hand.

  “Why and why not?” Rene challenged.

  “It’s good that you got that close to the target on your first try,” Nadine grinned broadly. “But it’s not good to be so careless with a loaded weapon. That’s exactly how so many people shoot themselves in the foot.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize--” She held the gun out stiffly in front of her.

  “Don’t point it at yourself or anybody else you don’t want to shoot.” Nadine made a face. “If that tree was a man, you wouldn’t have hit him in the heart but you were still in the chest area. Your attacker would be out of commission.”

  “I didn’t know it would be so loud.” Rene tried to clear her ears.”

  “I have some ear plugs. I thought you should hear the sound of your gun being fired at least once. Maybe you won’t be afraid of it. Hit the target this time.”

  Later, as Rene bounced along the road, she grinned to herself. Nadine was an excellent marksman! She had instructed Rene patiently and some of Rene’s shots had hit the target. Sam sold her a trigger lock for the gun as a safety measure and showed her how to remove the clip filled with bullets. Rene didn’t know if she could actually point the gun and fire at a person. . .at Mark, but she was closer to being able to protect herself and her children. She pulled into Mayor Wolfe’s driveway, pausing to admire the brilliant skies before knocking on the door.