Echoes of the Past

by Susanne Matthews

  Getting in a canoe was the last thing Tony wanted to do, and judging by the look on Jackson’s face, it wouldn’t be the boy’s place of choice either.

  “That may not tell us where the lab is.” Jackson began to take his samples. “We can assume they won’t want to carry that poison very far though.”

  “All we have to do is find its likely location. The authorities can take it from there. I’m not getting anyone else injured or killed.” Tony sincerely hoped he could include himself in that statement.

  * * * *

  Michelle looked at her watch. It was almost ten. Ron should be here soon. The police and the paramedics had collected the body. She’d insisted they take it to the hospital in Belleville. Since she was with the Provincial Coroner’s Office, and an accident like this one would have to be investigated anyway, no one had argued with her. It was as if everyone, including the police and paramedics were in shock. Nothing ever happened on their little island, but suddenly they had three unexplained deaths on their hands, and all in the same place. Coincidence? Coincidence my ass!

  She finished photographing the scene. No matter how she looked at it, it was hard to imagine a man like Isaac not doing anything to try and break his fall. From what she could see, it looked as if he’d been gassing the mower. How the hell did a man do that standing up? Because of what she knew, it was far more likely someone had snuck up on him, picked up the rock, struck him with it, and then placed it back on the ground. She’d sent the rock to the hospital with the body, and hoped it would get there intact. At the moment, she didn’t have much faith in the locals.

  She hadn’t noticed anyone else around when Chad had been there to pick up the car and canoe, but they’d been down by the lake for a while, and then she’d been in her cottage half-an-hour. Plenty of time for someone to sneak up on the unsuspecting old man.

  Michelle walked back to her cottage, removed the moccasins, and put on her running shoes. She set the moccasins near the heater to dry. She hoped the wet grass hadn’t ruined them.

  It was critical no one suspect she thought Isaac’s death anything but an accident. She hoped Tony had a good alibi. His note had said he and Jackson had gone for samples, and she prayed he’d have independent corroboration of that. After what he’d told her last night, he could easily be a prime suspect. Finding that missing wine bottle could be the key. She needed to look for a sand-coated wine bottle in the inn’s recycling. She’d also look for signs of trauma on Aaron’s head. Being knocked out and tossed into the water could account for the lack of memory just as easily as being drugged could. The evidence, not her emotions, was the key factor here.

  She went into the bathroom, touched up her hair and face and went out into the main room to wait for Ron. She didn’t wait long. She opened the door, a warm smile on her face. Ron was as handsome and appealing as he’d been yesterday, and her libido responded to his presence.

  “Good morning.” Ron smiled and held out a couple of bottles of spring water. He eyed her appreciatively. “Nice outfit. I’d have brought coffee or juice, but I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer. I thought we’d start with the waterfront trail in Bloomfield. We’ll do some road running along the Loyalist Parkway. It has wide shoulders, so we’ll be safe enough. There are some excellent views. It’s moderately hilly, but should be great for our first time out. We can run toward the Sandbank Provincial Park and do some sand running if you’re up to the challenge.”

  “Sounds great. I usually do ten miles, so whatever comes close to that will be fine.”

  “Okay. Are you ready?”

  “Yes. Just let me check the thermostats, and I’m good to go.”

  Michelle entered the bedroom and moved over to the bed. She took the two USB drives out of her pocket and slipped them between the mattress and the box spring on the bed, making sure it was as close to the center of the bed as possible. She straightened the sheets and blankets. She couldn’t explain the need for the unusual furtive behavior, but the urge to do it was powerful. She left her room after grabbing an extra sweater, went into the bathroom, flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and went back into the living area. Ron was standing beside her computer.

  Does he look guilty? I’m being paranoid. Enough of this. I’m going to enjoy my run and my lunch date. There isn’t anything I can do about Isaac until I have a look at the body.

  Ron pointed to the sweater. “It isn’t that cold out.”

  He walked back to the door, opened it, and Michelle followed him out. She locked the door and zipped the key into her jacket pocket.

  “I know, it’s for after. Sometimes, when I’m all sweaty, I get chilled.”

  “Well, I don’t think that’s likely. It’s a beautiful day for a run. Have you been up long?”

  “Yes, I got up around seven and had a look at the crime scene.”

  “Did you find anything interesting?”

  “No, the scene’s been compromised. Too many people milling around. The canoe was damaged, probably hit a rock or something when the current carried it to shore. I had it and Aaron’s car taken to the crime lab.”

  She noted the way his head jerked up, and his eyes narrowed briefly at her words, but he said nothing, so she continued.

  “Oh. There was some excitement though. The handyman, Isaac Newcomb, slipped and cracked his head on a rock. The poor man hit so hard, he was killed. I had the body taken to the hospital in Belleville. Since all accidents have to be investigated, I might as well do it while I wait for the results on my autopsies.”

  Ron shook his head. “Believe it or not, this is usually a quiet place. I’m sorry to hear about the old man. Well, hopefully all that won’t keep you too busy. I’d love to get to know you better.”

  “I’d like that, but my main purpose here is finding the cause of death for those two kids. I’m sure we’ll have lots of opportunities to run together again.”

  Michelle settled back to enjoy the ride to the running area and hoped he wouldn’t ask any more questions. She didn’t want to slip and let him know she’d been to see the bodies.

  “I understand you went to the hospital morgue yesterday. Did you learn anything useful?”

  There was something in his voice warning her this wasn’t an idle question, and it set her teeth on edge. What was going on here? Had he had her followed? Why?

  “Yes, I went to the morgue. I’m supposed to be working here, remember? That long leisurely lunch we took made me feel guilty. I did a cursory examination, ordered some lab tests, and separated the bodies. Nothing too serious, really. How did you know?”

  “Like I said, news travels fast. I suppose it would be out of line to ask you to keep me in the loop on what you find? I know those deaths were accidents, but the press is always lying in wait to hijack me. I like to stay on top of things. How soon before you can release the bodies?”

  Michelle frowned. The self-assuredness he’d shown yesterday was back, and it bothered her. How could he be so sure it was an accident when she was convinced it was exactly the opposite?

  “That’ll depend on my findings. Until the inquest, I’m afraid all my discoveries are confidential.”

  She saw anger flash across his face, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. The only sign of his annoyance was the tense muscle in his jaw. Stevens’ words came back to her. He didn’t trust Ron. Her senses attracted her to Ron and Tony, and she wasn’t supposed to trust her senses. Doubt and confusion ate at her.

  The truck pulled into a parking lot.

  “Here we are. Stretch first, and then you follow me. If I follow you, I’m libel to trip on something watching that sweet body of yours. Yell if you need a rest.”

  It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it. His comment left a sour taste in her mouth, reminding her of the lies he’d told yesterday. Ron didn’t seem quite so attractive now.

  * * * *

  Tony leaned against the oak bar, his beer untouched on the counter beside him. News of the latest death seemed to be
the only topic of discussion. People stood shoulder to shoulder in the crowded room. Many of the locals had dropped by, and this had the makings of an Irish wake, sans corpse. Steve walked back down to the end of the bar and picked up what he’d been saying as if they’d never been interrupted.

  “Kara’s a basket case. Seeing her uncle lying there must have been brutal and only a day after the others. Maybe the Mohawks are right. Maybe this damn lake is haunted, and their spirits aren’t happy about something—maybe they don’t like you poking around in the water. Thursday’s Halloween. Witching time, right? I’d be careful if I were you. If you keep seeing the ghost, she must want something.” He shook his head and moved down the bar to serve Aaron’s father.

  Tony stared into his mug of draft. He thought of the lake the night of the storm, the night Aaron and Lindsay had died. It had looked angry and vengeful; certainly, it had looked alive. Something was wrong. He’d gotten to know Isaac and the man was as sure footed as a mountain goat. How did a man like that fall and split his head open on a rock—the same rock he’s used to prop those doors open for years?

  Tony picked up his mug and took a drink. He knew the reason for his disquiet had nothing to do with Isaac’s unfortunate accident. He looked around the restaurant, but she wasn’t here. Her car was in the parking lot. He’d knocked on her cottage door, but she hadn’t answered. He hoped she wasn’t still angry with him, but how could he blame her if she was? Steve came back up to talk to him again.

  “Have you seen the new guest yet?” Tony tried to inject a bit of nonchalance in his tone.

  “You mean the coroner from Toronto? She and Kara found the body.” He chuckled. “She looks a lot like your mystery woman, doesn’t she? Charlie at the Explorer told me about your little run-in yesterday.”

  Tony shook his head. The grapevine around here was alive in more ways than one. “Yeah. I made a pretty big fool of myself.”

  Steve nodded, but instead of the sarcastic comment Tony had come to expect from the man, his face grew serious.

  “Don’t sweat it. Charlie said she looked so much like the maiden he did a double take himself. I know I’ve teased you about her, but lots of people on the island believe they’ve seen her—not just tourists. I’m not a believer in all that, but if I were, I’d believe you’ve seen her too. What did you ask me? Oh yeah, whether or not I saw her—not up close. But she and the mayor left here around a quarter after ten. I drove Kara to the ferry where her folks were picking her up on the other side.”

  Tony looked down at his watch. It was almost twelve. Jealousy and anger bloomed in his stomach. She’d gone off with him and hadn’t even had the decency to leave him a note or thank him for the food. So much for his apology. Women were all the same. Always attracted to the guy with the most power and prestige.

  Tony stared at himself in the mirror behind the bottles of liquor. Why was he on edge like this? Why did he feel as if he were coming unglued? The laughter in the room didn’t suit his mood, so he paid Steve, left the inn, and walked back to his house. The day was cool, but without wind, the sun warmed the area in front of his cottage nicely. He sat in one of the Adirondack chairs and closed his eyes, letting the sun’s heat soothe his jumbled mind. He must have dozed. The sound of voices roused him from his stupor. He opened his eyes and looked around to see what had awakened him.

  Down on the beach, two teenaged boys were clearing things away. They’d taken down the yellow police tape, the canoe was gone, and they’d almost finished gathering the sticks and other garbage. Tony stood up, stretched, and wondered who’d authorized the cleanup. He turned in the direction of the toolshed and saw the crime tape had been taken down too.

  That was fast. Not wasting any time on this, that’s for sure.

  He walked down to the beach.

  “Afternoon, guys. So, this is no longer a crime scene?”

  One of the boys, no more than sixteen smiled up at him.

  “Never was. The police officer called and told the owners we could clean it up yesterday, but we didn’t feel like working in the rain. Figured no one would notice if we waited until today. We got the call about the toolshed too. Just as well we waited. No sense driving out here twice. Professor, will your students be continuing their research?”

  Tony looked at the boy.

  “Not sure yet, why do you ask?”

  “Just wondered. I’m into science, and I think what you’re trying to prove is cool. I’m Joseph Smoke’s grandson. My grandfather says he knows you. Can we put the rest of the canoes away or will you still need them?”

  “Go ahead and put them away. If we need any more samples, we’ll take them from the shore line. I don’t want any of my people in those boats ever again.”

  The young man nodded.

  “Your grandfather is a nice man. I’ll leave my contact information with him. If you decide to study hydrology someday, give me a call.”

  “Gee, thanks.” The appreciation on the boy’s face made Tony smile.

  He turned and retraced his steps to the tree house. He’d considered getting samples from a canoe, but the forlorn look on Jackson’s face had convinced him it was a bad idea. There had to be someplace on this island where he could get an old-fashioned, flat-bottomed row boat.

  He looked up to see Michelle get out of the mayor’s truck. She spoke to him for a couple of moments, and then Ron drove away. He watched her walking toward her cottage and saw the exact moment when she saw him. She smiled and waved. He forced down his anger and jealousy. She walked over to him.

  “Good morning. Thanks for breakfast. I meant to leave a note, but there was some excitement just before I left to go running. It was inconsiderate of me. I’m sorry. You heard about the handyman?”

  There I go reacting without thinking. It was an oversight. A dead body certainly can account for that.

  Michelle looked better than ever. Her face, devoid of cosmetics, glowed, flushed with runner’s high, the exertion, and the cold. Her clothes, skin-tight bottoms probably made of Thermion, paired with a matching fitted jacket, which she’d unzipped to expose the tight shirt under it, were among the best available, and molded her body as if they’d been sculpted onto it.

  The lady wasn’t a novice. She carried a large purse with a wool sweater hanging out of the top of it. Running in cool weather meant knowing how to dress in layers. She also carried a snug-fitting wool hat and gloves in her other hand. Her shoes, bright red, were a brand he recognized. They might cost a small fortune, but if you took your running seriously, you needed the best footwear you could get. He knew she expected an answer, but she looked so damn hot, he wondered if his ability to speak had deserted him. He was grateful when his brain suddenly seemed to work again.

  “I did. I didn’t know him well, but he didn’t strike me as the clumsy type. You’re welcome for breakfast. It was the least I could do since I seem to be constantly getting off on the wrong foot with you. How was the run?”

  “Not bad. We did some road running as well as cross-country. Do you run? I think I read that in your bio.”

  “I do. Maybe we can run together some morning. I’ve found some good trails through the trees since I’ve been here.”

  A sudden vision of Ron and other men chasing him along those trails stopped him cold. Was that why he disliked Ron? He reminded him of those who’d chased and tortured him in his dreams?

  “Tony? Are you okay? You’ve gotten so pale.”

  Michelle’s question dragged him back.

  “I’m fine.” He hated lying to her, but how could he explain these feelings? “I was wondering about Isaac. Falling doesn’t seem right to me. Maybe the old boy had a heart attack or something?”

  “Or something. I’ve had the body taken to the hospital in Belleville.”

  “Why? Do you think his death is related?”

  There was a wariness in her eyes, and her demeanor changed.

  “No, all accidental deaths have to be signed off by a coroner. Since the local man’s
on holiday, I thought I might as well do it. I have to wait for lab work on Aaron and Lindsay anyway.”

  He nodded, and knew she was lying. Did she think he’d killed Isaac? Why would she think that?

  “Jackson and I just got back from collecting samples,” he looked at his watch, “about an hour ago.” He hadn’t dozed long at all. “Have you had lunch?”

  “Not yet, but I have a lunch date. I’ve got to get ready. Ron will be back at one. He’s taking me for a tour of the winery. In case you hadn’t noticed, I had the canoe and Aaron’s car taken to the crime lab for processing. I’ll let you know what I find.” She’d lowered her voice.

  “The local one?”

  “No. It’s gone to the RCMP facility in Kingston.”

  Tony whistled.

  “Well, they should be able to give you impartial results. I see you released the crime scenes or rather the not a crime scenes.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “That.” He turned and pointed to the lake where the boys were raking the sand and collecting the last of the branches.

  The look on Michelle’s face was priceless, and for the first time in his life, he understood what the term spitting-mad looked like. She dropped what she’d been holding and stomped off toward the beach, her hands fisted at her side, fury emanating from every pore of her body. Tony followed her down and couldn’t help feeling sorry for Joseph’s grandson and his young friend. They were obviously in for it.