by Kathi Daley
Making a connection to a person in need of rescue is far from an exact science. Sometimes their image comes through clearly, while at others, it doesn’t come through at all. I knew not to force it. I simply let the images that presented themselves caress my mind. I could hear Yukon panting next to me and Wyatt moving around, but I forced my mind to be still and settle down. I pulled up an image of rosy cheeks, faded blue eyes, white hair, a lopsided smile, and a mind filled with the possibility of magic.
“I might have something,” I said after a minute of intense concentration. “Although to be honest, the vision is vague. I can’t make out any details.”
“What are you picking up?” Jake asked through the radio.
“I sense hay. Maybe a barn?”
“I suppose Mr. Clauston might have sought out shelter in a barn,” Jake said. “With all the fresh snow, he couldn’t have gotten too far from the inn, though, and I can’t think of any barns in the immediate area.”
“Yeah.” I frowned. “The image of the barn doesn’t really fit.” I took a deep breath and tried to focus deeper. I could sense Yukon was becoming restless at the delay. I was sure Jake, Sitka, and Landon were restless waiting for me to do my thing as well, and that just made me tense and less able to focus.
I thought back to the interview we’d had with Noel Snow when we’d responded to the call. Houston had taken over from Jake, asking the questions one would ask with any missing persons case. Why had the family been visiting Rescue? How long had the man been missing? What might he have been wearing or taken with him? And how might he have left the area? Houston wondered whether Nick Clauston had access to a vehicle or if it was more likely he had set off on foot. When his daughter said he hadn’t had access to a vehicle, Houston asked if he might have hitchhiked. She didn’t think he would have, and there was very little traffic on the road where the inn was located, so it was most likely he’d remained within walking distance of the inn. The poor woman had been so upset. I wanted to find her father, but other than the faint sense of him being associated with hay, I had nothing.
I was about to give up when a flash of an elderly man with a white beard that reached the middle of his chest brushed across my mind. “I think I have him,” I whispered. “I’m still picking up on the barn, but the image is stronger now. There’s something else.” I focused in. “A sleigh.”
“Where?” Jake asked.
I bit my lip. “I’m not sure.”
I released the button on the radio and let my hand and body relax. The image I’d captured felt just out of my reach. The vision was more of a flash of insight. I didn’t sense the man was frightened or in any immediate danger. In fact, I was pretty sure he was having a jolly good time.
“We did see those sleigh tracks a ways back,” Wyatt reminded me after a few minutes.
I opened my eyes. “You’re right.” I pressed the button on the radio again. “Harmony to Jake.”
“Go for Jake.”
“Wyatt and I are going to backtrack. We saw sleigh tracks a ways back. We didn’t think much about them because Mr. Clauston’s daughter didn’t mention a sleigh, but I think we should follow them to see where they lead.”
“Send me your coordinates and we’ll join you.”
Wyatt sent Jake the coordinates and we headed back the way we’d come. Once we arrived at the place where we remembered seeing the tracks, I paused to give Yukon the old man’s scent. I took the shirt his daughter had provided from the plastic bag I carried it in and prayed he would pick up the trail again. “This is Nick Clauston,” I said to Yukon. “Find Nick.”
Yukon sniffed the shirt, then began to sniff the air. At first, he didn’t seem to have found the scent, but after a few minutes, he headed out.
“How do you think sleigh tracks might fit into his disappearance?” Wyatt asked as we trudged through the deep snow, following Yukon.
“I don’t know. Maybe someone found him. Someone in a sleigh. Maybe he couldn’t remember where he was supposed to be, so the person in the sleigh took him back to their barn.”
Wyatt looked doubtful. “If you found a man wandering around in the snow dressed in a Santa suit who couldn’t remember where he was supposed to be, wouldn’t you call the police?”
I let out a breath. “Yeah, I guess I would. I have no idea how the sleigh or barn fit. That’s just what came to me when I focused on Mr. Clauston.”
Wyatt and I continued to trudge along. It was difficult to walk with so many drifts, so we leaned forward and looked at the ground directly in front of us as we made our way. Eventually I heard Wyatt say, “Yukon is alerting.” He walked forward a bit more. “It looks like he found the tracks we saw earlier.”
I radioed Jake that we were back to the point we were looking for, and he radioed for us to wait. He and Landon were only a minute or two away from us. I used the wait time to catch my breath. Walking the rough terrain in snowshoes large enough to provide traction in deep snow wasn’t an easy task.
Once the other team caught up with us, we slowly made our way forward, trying our best to follow tracks that disappeared into drifts only to reappear again on the other side.
At one point, Wyatt stopped and knelt down for a closer look. We were somewhat protected from the wind here, so the drifts weren’t as deep. “There are hoofprints in the snow as well as sleigh tracks, but there aren’t any horse prints.”
I walked over to where he was standing. It did look like a sleigh pulled by an animal had been through here. “Caribou,” I said after studying the two distinct toes.
Wyatt chuckled. “So, you’re saying a man dressed in a Santa suit was picked up in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.”
I smiled in return. “That’s what the evidence suggests.” The dogs seemed to have picked up a scent and gone on ahead. Eventually, they stopped walking and looked around. I paused to study the tracks left in the snow. “A sleigh pulled by caribou definitely traveled through here. It seems the sleigh tracks end at the edge of the forest.”
“Maybe Santa’s magic reindeer took flight once they came to the edge of the meadow,” Wyatt teased.
My lips curled into a half smile. “Again, that would seem to be what the evidence suggests.”
“I’m sure if we try hard enough, we can come up with an explanation based in reality,” Landon countered.
“Perhaps.” I took several steps into the woods at the edge of the clearing. I paused, listened, and looked around. I had the distinct feeling we were being watched, but I didn’t see or hear anything.
“Do you sense something?” Jake asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I feel something, but I’m not sure it’s him. I think maybe…” I was cut off by the sound of Jake’s phone.
Jake lifted a finger to quiet me so he could answer. “Jake here.” Jake raised a brow. “Really? Well, thanks for letting us know.” Jake hung up and turned toward us. “It seems Nick is back at the inn.”
I narrowed my gaze. “How did he get there?”
“No one’s sure. Houston went outside to get something from his squad car and found Nick sitting on the porch swing near the front door. When he asked him where he’d been and how he’d gotten back to the inn, Mr. Clauston told Houston he woke up during the night and saw lights in the sky. He went outside to take a look and got lost. He was just starting to get worried when Santa appeared in a sleigh pulled by two reindeer. He offered to give him a ride home, but when he couldn’t remember where home was, Santa took him to his reindeer barn. He gave him a cup of cocoa and a warm blanket and talked to him a bit. Eventually, Mr. Clauston remembered the inn, and Santa brought him back and dropped him off.”
“Hot damn,” Wyatt said. “I knew Santa was involved in this.”
“There’s no such thing as Santa,” Landon argued.
“I think it’s likely the man was hallucinating,” Jake said.
“I might agree if not for the sleigh tracks and the reindeer hooves,” I countered. “Maybe Wyatt’s right. May
be Mr. Clauston really was rescued by Santa.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “This is northern Alaska. A lot of people have sleighs, and a fair number have domesticated caribou. I’m sure what he saw were the northern lights and the Santa who picked him up was a Good Samaritan out for a sleigh ride.”
“Who, other than Santa of course, goes for a sleigh ride in the middle of the night?” I queried.
“Yeah, who?” Wyatt laughed.
Jake started walking back the way we’d come. I didn’t actually believe Mr. Clauston had been saved by Santa, but it was fun messing with Jake and Landon, who were so steadfast in their disbelief. I didn’t know who had saved him; I was just glad he was okay.
******
After we returned to the inn, Jake spoke to Nick’s daughter, while Wyatt, Landon and I, gathered our stuff and began loading the trucks. I had to admit that Marty and Mary Miller, the owners of the inn, had done a wonderful job decorating. Not only was the outside of the building decked out in lights, but the interior of the cozy lodging had been strung with lights and garland as well. I could see why the place was so popular with the holiday crowd. Staying at the Inn must be a bit like spending the holiday at Santa’s magical workshop.
“The place looks nice,” Landon said, as he passed the spot where I’d paused to admire the fifteen foot tree.
“It’s really beautiful,” I answered and I stuffed down a longing in my heart. “Before she died, my mom used to decorate a tree much like this one. I can still remember the colorful lights and the whisper of Christmas as I curled up on the floor looking up through the branches.”
“It sounds nice,” Landon replied, as I continued to gaze upon the tree.
I sighed as the memories came flooding forth. “It was magical. My mom really understood the importance of the season and she worked hard to make everything perfect. At times, when I allow my mind to drift into the past, I can almost hear the carols on the stereo; smell the pinesap from the tree; and see the shiny red bulbs reflecting my image, as I waited for Santa.”
Landon took a step closer and put his arm around my shoulder. He gave my arm a squeeze as we stood in silence and continued to view the tree. White lights twinkled and danced like stars on a clear winter night. I let out a soft breath as I rested my head his shoulder. “I love the pinecones that have been strategically placed around the bright red bulbs and white lights to give the tree an outdoorsy feel.”
“Have you put up a tree yet this year?” Landon asked.
I took a slight step away and shook my head. It really wasn’t like me to be quite so sappy. Practical, I reminded myself, was more my style. “I thought about it but I really don’t have extra cash to buy decorations and a tree without decorations will really be nothing more than an invitation for the dogs to pee on it and the cats to climb it.”
Landon’s eyes grew large as if a lightbulb suddenly went on. “Your decorations were stored in the barn.”
I nodded. “I didn’t have a lot to begin with but the decorations I did have were in the barn when it burned. It’s fine though. Jake went crazy decorating the bar this year so I figure I can get my Christmas jollies while I am at work.”
I turned back toward the front door. “I’ll grab Yukon. Jake looks like he is almost done talking to Marty and Mary and I’m sure he’ll want to get on with our own debriefing.”
Landon nodded, and picking up the backpack with the supplies we’d brought with us, he headed out to Jake’s truck. I had picked up my own Jeep when I’d gone home to get Yukon so I decided to drop Yukon back at home before meeting Jake and the others at Neverland. Once I’d dropped him off, I headed to the bar to meet the others.
“Other than the Santa factor, does anyone have anything to add that may prove to be unique to this case? Anything we might want to keep in mind for future rescues?” Jake asked the standard question he asked during every debriefing even though this rescue had turned out to be pretty tame.
Everyone agreed that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred and we all conveyed the fact that we were just happy that Nick had been returned to the inn in one piece however it was that he managed to get there.
Once Jake had asked all the questions needed for the report, I headed over to the Rescue Alaska Animal Shelter. The gang planned to decorate that day and I didn’t want to miss the party. By the time I arrived, Harley Medford, founder and benefactor for the shelter, had already hung the lights along the roofline. The red and white lights against the white snow and dark gray sky gave the place a festive feel which did a lot to chase away the ho-hums that I’d been experiencing as of late.
“It looks great.” I walked over and stood next to Serena Walters, shelter volunteer, who was holding the ladder and handing Harley, who was wearing a fuzzy Santa hat, C9 replacement bulbs.
“When Harley Medford does Christmas, Christmas knows it has been done,” Harley chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. “For someone who makes a living delivering the perfect line at the perfect time that was really corny.”
Harley laughed as he screwed the white light into the empty socket next to the red bulb. “Maybe, but you have to admit the place is looking pretty festive.” Harley climbed down the ladder then stood back to admire his work.
“It really does look fantastic,” I said as we admired the red and white lights. “And the Santa on the roof with the eight dogs pulling the sleigh is adorable. Where did you get them anyway?”
“Special order. I wanted the shelter to really stand out. The lights are great but the sleigh with the dogs gives the place character, as well as identity.”
“Well I for one am impressed. If I had to guess at this point I’d say we have a very good chance at winning the competition the chamber is hosting.”
“That’s the plan.” Harley crossed his arms and gazed at the building. “I still need to put lights around the windows and I don’t want to forget the wreaths I picked up in town.” Harley turned and headed toward his truck. Serena and I tagged along behind. It was less than two weeks until Christmas and the whole town of Rescue had gone just a bit Christmas crazy. It had started when Jake had gone all out decorating Neverland and other businesses around town decided to try to outdo his efforts. The end result was that the first ever Rescue Alaska decorating war had been born. Not to be outdone, the gang at the animal shelter had decided we needed to put up our own decorations. Luckily Harley had announced that he was all in and not only agreed to provide the funds to buy the decorations we’d need but the labor to help put them up as well.
“So how did the rescue go?” Harley asked.
“It went well. It turned out that the man who thought he was Santa was rescued by the man who actually is Santa.”
“The man who actually is Santa?” Serena asked, as Harley began handing her wreathes to carry.
I took a minute and filled Harley and Serena in on the entire story.
“That is kind of fun in a ten days before Christmas sort of way.” Serena’s eyes danced with merriment when she spoke.
“That’s what Wyatt and I thought. Of course Landon and Jake were all practical with the ‘there is no such thing as Santa’ bit.”
“Of course. That isn’t surprising. Landon especially is Mr. Logic,” Serena said.
“As fun as the thought of the real Santa rescuing a lost man dressed as Santa is, I do wonder who actually rescued him,” Harley said. “It seems a little odd that this good samaritan just dropped him off at the inn and didn’t bring him inside.”
I frowned as Harley loaded me up with wreathes as well. “I guess it is a little odd. Nick was obviously confused. It seems that whomever brought him back to the inn would want to make sure he was safe with someone who would look out for him.”
“Unless it really was Santa and he didn’t want to blow his cover,” Serena giggled. “Speaking of Santa did you volunteer at the Christmas Festival as you planned?”
“For a while,” I answered. “I had a four hour shift but was called in on the
rescue after just one hour.”
“How was it?” Serena asked.
“Fun in an overdone sort of way.”
Serena raised a brow. “Overdone?”
“It was just a lot. A lot of people, a lot of decorations, a lot of music, and a lot of food. I think that generally speaking everyone was having fun though. Are you still volunteering tomorrow?”
Serena smiled. “I am. And I’m really looking forward to it.”
“I never did get around to signing up for a volunteer shift,” Harley said. “But I would like to attend. Is it going on all weekend?”
“Until five o’clock tomorrow,” I confirmed.
“I don’t suppose you want to come along and show me around?” Harley asked.
I shrugged. “Sure. I can do that. Just let me know what time you want to go.”
“I’ll text you.”
I set the last load of wreaths on the reception desk and stood back to take it all in. The shelter was going to be more festively decorated than the actual North Pole if Harley had his way about it.
“It looks like the couple who are adopting that malamute we took in last week are here,” Serena said after she set the wreaths in her arms on the counter next to mine. “I’ll go and talk to them. Be sure to save a few of these wreaths for the reception area.”
“We should string lights inside as well,” I added, as Serena walked away.
“There are boxes of lights in the office,” Serena said over her shoulder.
I picked up one of the wreaths and began tying on a red bow from the spool of thick red ribbon Harley had brought. “Maybe we should wrap the front door like a present. It might get ruined if we have a big wind, but the door is protected from all but a direct northerly wind and it would look festive.”
“It seems someone has found the Christmas Spirit,” Harley said. “You didn’t seem all that enthusiastic about decorating when Serena first suggested it last week.”