Fire and Ice

by Susan Page Davis

  “That’s Rachel!” Darby grabbed Robyn’s hand and laughed.

  “See her red hood? It’s Rachel for sure. Billy Olan’s wearing dark green.”

  They watched in silence as the two teams skimmed over the lake. Billy’s fourteen dogs gained slowly on Rachel. As his leaders came up to her sled and veered out around her team, Rachel bent low. The watchers faintly heard her call to her dogs. They put on a new burst of speed and maintained their lead all the way across the ice, though not increasing it.

  When they reached the near side of the lake, Rachel’s team bounded up the bank and out of sight into a stand of trees on the shore. Billy’s team ran after her.

  “Let’s go back,” Aven said. “We don’t want to miss it when they cross the finish line.”

  They squeezed into the truck. Robyn took the radio and called her mother as they barreled down the hill to the paved road and back to the race’s finish area.

  Mom and Grandpa were just coming from the headquarters building, and Robyn ran over to update them. “Mom, I think Rachel might win it. She was barely ahead of Billy when they crossed the lake. I’m so excited for her!”

  “I’ll be disappointed if she loses now,” Darby said.

  Grandpa looked eagerly toward the finish line. “No matter where she places, she’s run a good race.”

  “Yes. I’m thinking she and Billy might both break the race record.” Robyn chuckled in delight. “I hope that guy from the Frontiersman is still here.”

  “He’s inside eating doughnuts,” Mom said.

  “Yes, I let him interview me about the history of the race.” Grandpa nodded and leaned on his daughter-in-law’s shoulder. “Come on, Cheryl, I need to get back to my chair and sit down.”

  The crowd stood three-deep along the lane roped off to form the finish. Grandpa sat to one side just over the line, with the rest of the Holland family close by. The throng roared and cheered as the teams came in, but the dogs trotted on until they crossed the line and the mushers called, “Whoa.” Caddie and the news photographer snapped away with their cameras.

  Rachel Fisher brought her team in just seconds before Billy Olan’s. Rachel set her snow hook and fell into her excited husband’s arms.

  Aven used the portable speaker to draw the people’s attention and handed the microphone to Robyn.

  She waited for the crowd to quiet. “The winner of this year’s Fire & Ice 100 is Rachel Fisher of Wasilla.”

  Cheers erupted once more.

  “Her leaders are Canby and Soot. Her trophy will be awarded tonight at the banquet. And in second place, we have Billy Olan of Talkeetna. His lead dogs are Buster and …” Robyn checked her clipboard. “And Sitka.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a police car enter the parking area.

  thirteen

  Robyn couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit annoyed as her anxiety level climbed. They didn’t need police officers making the people nervous. Probably they were just checking to make sure everything stayed orderly with a crowd this size.

  The trooper got out of his vehicle and sauntered toward them.

  Robyn thrust the microphone into her brother’s hands. “Take over. That’s Trooper Glade, the officer who investigated the dog theft.”

  She walked quickly toward Glade, thankful to hear Aven launch into an update on the other contestants: “We’ve just received word by radio that a third team is within a mile of the finish.”

  The crowd’s attention was diverted in the opposite direction from Robyn and the trooper as they strained to spot the next team.

  “Hello.” She held out her hand and Glade shook it. “Is there any news for us?”

  Her mother joined them and greeted Glade.

  “I do have a bit of information that should interest you. I’m sure you remember the man who bought some dogs from you the day of the theft.”

  “Philip Sterns,” Robyn said, nodding.

  “Yes,” the trooper said.

  “He’s here.”

  Glade’s eyes widened. “Here, as in right here this minute?”

  Her mother turned and scanned the spectators. “He’s been here all day, hobnobbing with the racing folk. I last saw him over on the right side of the finish line.”

  “Do you know what his vehicle looks like?” Glade asked.

  Mom shook her head.

  “Probably a rental again,” Robyn said. “I didn’t notice it when he arrived.”

  “Are you sure he’s still here?”

  “Ninety-nine percent. I saw him about three minutes ago.”

  “All right,” Glade said. “Hold on a sec. I’m going to call this in. If you see him moving toward the parking area, please alert me immediately.”

  He walked toward his car, and Mom said, “What do you suppose this is about?”

  “No clue.” Robyn chewed her lower lip.

  Behind them, the crowd began to clap and shout as another dog team sped toward the finish.

  A few minutes later, the people hushed again and Aven announced the third-place finisher.

  Glade again got out of his car and came toward them. “Sorry to leave you ladies in the dark, but I wanted to be sure my backup is nearly here. I expect another officer in about ten minutes.” He looked at Robyn. “You met my backup at the kennel the day we recovered the other dogs—Trooper Straski.”

  Robyn pounced on the one word that gave her hope. “Other dogs?”

  Glade grinned. “We found the last one.”

  “You—” Robyn seized her mother’s wrist and looked over her shoulder. “This has something to do with Sterns?”

  “It has a lot to do with Sterns. We figured your lead dog had been passed to a fighting promoter or sold out of state already, but we decided to check a few more kennels, just in case. But nothing turned up. Until today, that is.”

  “What happened?” Robyn asked.

  “Remember the kennel where Sterns parked the other dogs he’d bought from you?”

  “Yes. Rick and I talked to the owner the day after the theft.”

  “She called our switchboard yesterday and asked for an officer to come around.”

  “Tumble was there?” Robyn stared open-mouthed at her mother and shook her head. “He certainly wasn’t there the day we went in.”

  “That’s right. I believe the kennel owner was totally innocent. She said Sterns came back for his three dogs a few days ago and asked if she could take them again this weekend while he drove up here for the race. And he said he’d added a fourth dog and would leave all of them, if she had room.”

  “I left her my card and asked her to call me if she heard anything about Tumble or stolen sled dogs,” Robyn said.

  Glade smiled in sympathy. “We’d also told her to call us if anything suspicious happened. Maybe she knew you’d be busy with the race today.”

  “You mean she just accepted his word and let him leave the dog without any questions?” Robyn asked.

  “She said she recognized Tumble immediately because she’d looked at his pictures so many times over the past two weeks. Sterns showed her a veterinarian’s certificate, saying the dog was up-to-date on his shots, but it had a different dog’s name and registration number, though the general description was close enough to get by. She didn’t let him know she suspected it was Tumble.”

  “Good for her,” Mom said.

  Glade nodded. “After he left, she got on your Web site and compared the pictures of Tumble to the new dog he’d brought her. The resemblance was enough to make her call us.”

  “You’re certain it’s Tumble?” Robyn asked.

  “Absolutely. When Straski compared the pictures of your missing lead dog with the real thing, he could see it was either Tumble or a ringer. Since you’d told us the day he was stolen that your dogs all had microchip implants for identification, our next step was to get someone to read the microchip. The Humane Society was able to help us, and we verified that it really is your dog.” Glade stiffened, focusing on something behind
them. “Heads up. I think I see Sterns moving this way.”

  Mom’s eyes widened. “What do we do?”

  “Nothing. Just stay calm, and don’t turn around unless he comes over here and speaks to one of us.” Glade glanced over their heads. “He sees me.”

  “Well, those hats aren’t exactly camouflage,” Robyn muttered.

  Glade cracked a smile. “Oops. He’s changed course and is heading for the parking lot. Excuse me, ladies.” He jogged away from them, and Robyn turned to watch. Sure enough, Philip Sterns was walking swiftly past a row of parked vehicles.

  “Go get Aven,” she said to her mother. She followed Glade slowly, watching as the trooper angled to intercept Sterns.

  A familiar pickup entered the parking lot just then, and Robyn caught her breath. Rick was returning from the halfway checkpoint, which meant all the mushers had left there. He pulled in slowly and scanned the rows of cars.

  Sterns reached a dark green SUV and opened the driver’s door. Glade hurried across the lot, but Sterns already had the vehicle in motion and backed out of his parking space.

  Robyn watched helplessly from her vantage point forty yards away. If only Rick knew what Glade had just told her.

  Glade’s shout reached her ears, but Sterns paid no attention to him. He quickly shifted the transmission and plowed forward with his SUV, forcing Glade to leap aside to avoid being struck down.

  Rick’s pickup went into a quick reverse and turn. Robyn’s heart leaped. He must have seen what was happening. As he positioned his truck sideways across the lane between parked vehicles, she sent up a frantic prayer.

  Sterns barreled toward him but hit the brakes at the last possible moment. Instead of slamming into Rick’s pickup, the SUV slowed, skidded on the snowy surface, and gently smacked the pickup’s rear passenger-side fender. Rick’s truck spun a quarter turn in the lane, and both vehicles came to rest.

  Before either man could get out of his truck, Glade reached Sterns’s door. “Get out of the vehicle! Keep your hands high.”

  Another police vehicle came into the lot and stopped just beyond Rick’s truck. Trooper Straski got out and hurried to help Glade.

  Robyn walked over to where Rick was climbing out of his pickup. “What’s going on?” he asked. “I saw that guy almost run Glade down and figured I could block the exit, but I didn’t realize it was Sterns until just now.”

  “They’ve found Tumble. And they’ve got proof that Sterns was involved.”

  Rick’s jaw dropped and he opened his arms.

  She launched herself into his embrace.

  “Thank You, Lord.” Rick hugged her, then stood back and looked toward the side of his truck. “Looks like I’ll need to call my insurance company.”

  “I’m just glad you showed up when you did,” Robyn said, “and that you reacted quickly enough to stop him. If he’d gotten out onto the road, it could have meant a high-speed chase.”

  Rick exhaled heavily. “Yeah. That wouldn’t have been so good.”

  Aven came running from the area near the finish line with Caddie and his mother close behind. “What’s up?” Aven called. “Did the police get him?”

  Robyn looked over to where Glade was putting Sterns in the back of his cruiser. “They sure did.”

  “One of us had better get back to the booth,” Caddie said regretfully. “We left Darby to announce the teams as they come in, and things are happening fast over there.”

  “I’ll go back with you,” Aven said, smiling down at his wife, “but we want all the details later, you hear me?” He fixed Robyn with a phony glare, and she was able to raise a smile.

  “Don’t worry about that. We’ll tell you every little thing tonight.”

  “Grandpa’s probably going nuts,” Mom said, looking anxiously toward where they’d left him.

  “We’ll probably have to tell this story several times.” Robyn grimaced. “You can tell him they’ve found Tumble and caught Sterns and that I’ll give him the blow-by-blow as soon as I can.”

  Aven and Caddie hurried back toward the race area.

  Straski approached Robyn, her mother, and Rick. “Well, folks, this could have ended worse.”

  “Yes,” Mom said. “Thank you so much.”

  Straski spread his hands. “I’m the latecomer.” He nodded at Rick. “I understand you did some fast thinking and driving, Doc. Good job. If you’ll step over here, I’ll take your statement. We’ve called for a tow truck from town to come take Sterns’s vehicle away.” He eyed Rick’s truck. “Yours looks drivable.”

  “Yes, I intend to drive it to a garage for an estimate,” Rick said.

  Robyn and her mother added what little they could to the officers’ reports with their accounts of Sterns’s appearance at the race.

  “Why on earth did he come here today?” Robyn asked.

  Glade shook his head. “You got me. Maybe he wanted to establish himself as a friend of yours—a satisfied customer—so you wouldn’t suspect him anymore.”

  Rick said, “Or maybe he was establishing an alibi for another crime.”

  The officers were silent for a moment then Glade said, “Interesting theory. Maybe we’d better check around and see if any major thefts happened today—especially where sled dogs are concerned.”

  “When will you question him?” Robyn asked.

  “He’s already talking.” Glade looked at his notes. “I told him I’d picked Tumble up at the kennel this morning and that we’ve arrested three people connected to the Barkland place. We’ve got strong evidence they’ve been supplying dogs for fighting. When I told him all that and named the men who actually stole your dogs, he admitted he got Tumble from them.”

  “He hired them to steal the Hollands’ dogs?” Rick asked.

  “He hasn’t confessed to that … yet,” Glade said. “He’d like me to believe they contacted him and he saw himself as Tumble’s rescuer.”

  “Oh, right. That’s why he told us he’d found him.” Robyn shook her head in disgust.

  “He will confess,” Straski put in. “I talked to headquarters about fifteen minutes ago. Keeler named him as his client. Seems Sterns hired Keeler and his friends to steal Tumble. He told them they could have any other dogs they nabbed—he only wanted the one breeding male.”

  “Where’s Tumble now?” Rick asked.

  Robyn’s pulse surged. “Yes, is he still in Anchorage?”

  Straski grinned. “Step this way, madam. I have a passenger who’s eager to see you.”

  Robyn grabbed Rick’s arm to compensate for her wobbly knees. “You … have him here? Now?”

  Straski laughed and turned toward his state police truck. He opened the back and rummaged for a moment. He took out a leash, rummaging a bit more as Rick and Robyn approached. When they were only a couple of yards away, he said, “Come on, fella. It’s okay.”

  A whine emerged from the back of the truck.

  “Tumble?” Robyn almost couldn’t believe it was true, but when his furry black-and-white face poked out of the cage and he yipped with joy, she laughed. “Yes! Come on, Tumble.”

  The dog jumped down from the back of the truck and into her arms. She scooched down and hugged him, fluffing his fur. Tears filled her eyes.

  A moment later she felt Rick’s hand on her back. “What do you say I go tell you brother and ask him to make an announcement?” Rick asked.

  “I’d like that.” Robyn stood and held the leash firmly with both hands as Tumble pranced around her. “Ask him to tell everyone that Tumble has come home.”

  After the awards banquet, the school cafeteria where the event was held emptied quickly. Soon the parking lot emptied.

  Rick dived into the cleanup with the other volunteers. He managed to catch Cheryl alone for a moment when she went to fetch her father-in-law’s coat and hat. “I don’t know if Robyn told you, but I’m planning to expand my practice here in Wasilla,” he said.

  “She mentioned it. I think it’s wonderful.” Cheryl smiled. “Ever
yone here will be glad to know you’re in town anytime they need you.”

  “Eventually I want to build a bigger facility and maybe even bring in a partner to work with me, but for now I think full-time hours and possibly adding a receptionist will move me forward.”

  He could tell the exact moment she latched onto his idea. Her eyes lit and she stared at him for a moment before speaking. “A receptionist?”

  “Yes. I wondered if … well, I know you have a job, but I think you’d be an asset to my practice, Cheryl. I need someone to answer the phone, schedule appointments, keep records, and occasionally help me with the animals. Starting the beginning of February.”

  She was still staring at him. “Do you mean it?”

  “Of course.”

  She laughed and hugged him. “Did you know how much I hate my job at the store? Standing up for hours on end?”

  “Well, you could sit at least half the time, I’m sure. And when I build the new animal hospital, you’d be a lot closer to home. I plan to put it next to my house.”

  “Oh, Rick. I think … no, I know I adore you. Thank you so much.”

  Contentment worked its way through him. “I don’t know what they pay you, but I’d try to at least match the hourly rate—”

  “You had me with ‘an asset to my practice.’”

  He laughed. “Great. We’ll talk over the details soon.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  “Mom?” Robyn made her way toward them. “Grandpa wants to know what’s keeping you.”

  Cheryl threw a knowing glance at Rick. “I’m going to let this handsome veterinarian tell you.” She hurried away.

  Robyn watched her. “What’s up? She looks radiant.”

  He chuckled. “Hope you don’t mind. I just offered your mother a job.”

  “A job?”

  “As my receptionist.”

  Robyn stood still for five long seconds. Rick was afraid she was upset, but slowly her lips curved upward. She leaned toward him. “Thank you. That’s the most wonderful thing you could have told me, now that Tumble is found.”

  Rick reached for her hand. He hoped he’d have the courage to tell her a few more things soon. “Come on. Let’s get this job done,” he said.