by Amber Boffin
“My parents always had dogs, and I loved them to bits, but when I moved to London I thought it was simply not a place for a dog. Why don’t you have one?”
“Llamas are more than enough!”
“I always wanted a parrot. I imagined it would sit on my shoulder, and I’d take it everywhere I’d go. But now I feel the real place for a parrot is in the wild, free.” Maggie sighed. “Although it is the perfect setting for a dog, actually two dogs to keep each other company. But no. No pets for me. I like to see animals in the wild. They come as they please and don’t depend on me to survive.”
“They’re more fun than hassle, I find. I’ve had both pet animals and rescue animals.”
“I want to travel, and you can’t do that with a dog.”
“I can always keep it for you.”
Maggie wondered why Adam was telling her all this. Did he have a dog he wanted her to adopt? If so she would resist at all cost. She had promised herself not to be too soft. “I can also look after your animals while you’re away.”
“Here we are then,” said Adam pulling up in front of the police station.
As they approached the main entrance, the sergeant stepped out with Tina Partridge. It was too late to turn back now that they were virtually in front of the door. Maggie would not be able to explain to Adam why she would rather go to the police station once Tina had left. Adam might understand the argument that Tina could be prone to gossip, being a journalist, but that wasn’t enough, and she certainly didn’t have the time to share with him her difficult history with Tina. She had insisted on speaking with the sergeant, and she had to do it, with or without Tina present.
Sergeant Humphries seemed a little surprised to see the pair, looking at Maggie then at Adam in turn. Likewise, Tina looked at Maggie then at Adam, and Maggie could see in her eyes that she was trying to figure out if they were together.
Adam whispered in Maggie’s ear, “The muffins worked.”
Maggie chuckled as she approached the police officer. “Hello, Sergeant Humphries. Hi, Tina, surprised to see you here.”
“So am I. Have you come to give evidence? I understand that the body was found in your pond,” replied Tina in a dry tone.
“Well, yes, no.”
Maggie bit her lips for having responded in earnest at first because of the sergeant’s presence. She thought it would give Tina just what she was looking for to spread gossip, just like she used to, always reinterpreting anything Maggie told her to the worst possible understanding. Maggie quickly added, “I’m here to speak with the sergeant, in private. Sergeant Humphries, may we go in the station?”
Maggie squeezed between Tina and the police officer to reach the door and enter. She turned around, holding the door, and noticing Adam’s perplexed look, she knew she would have to explain it to him. Her behaviour must look suspicious to him, or at a minimum strange.
Tina left abruptly. “I’m covering this story, so I’ll be kept informed by the sergeant anyway. And I’ll be doing my enquiries… Have a good day. Sergeant, call me when you want me to publish the story as we agreed.”
“Sure, yes. Eh…it’s just an accident anyway, the file is about to be closed.”
The sergeant entered the police station, followed by Adam, the glass door closing behind them. “Now Maggie, what on earth have you dug up or imagined this time?”
Maggie glanced around to see if there would be anyone else who could hear what she was about to say, and satisfied that they were alone, she said, “There’s new evidence, scratches on the snowmobile that can only be caused by another vehicle, not an animal. I’ve got a picture of it.”
“A picture? Who told you to take pictures?” asked the sergeant angrily.
Adam came to Maggie’s rescue. “I was there, and she had her camera. It was before we found the body, so it was just of the snowmobile, nothing wrong with that.”
“Ah, okay. But scratches, he was racing with it, so it could have happened then,” replied the sergeant.
“No, Barrie had checked it after the race, no scratches, and the brake cable—” Before Adam could carry on, the sergeant, whose face had turned red, interrupted him.
“Not you too. It was an accident. If not…I’ve got to call the chief, and you know he doesn’t like being disturbed for nothing. Come with me!”
All of a sudden, Sergeant Humphries pirouetted on his feet and propelled himself back through the swinging doors, out of the public space into the staff quarters, waving at them to follow. He bellowed at Constable Gupta, who was standing by the coffee machine out of sight but in hearing distance of the group. His mouth wide open as if he were caught in the act of doing mischief, Raj looked toward the trio with wide, round eyes.
“Gupta, no time for coffee breaks! Where is the garage report on the skidoo? I want it on my desk now! And get visitor badges for them.”
The constable put his Canadian flag mug down, coffee spilling out of it on impact, raced to his desk and nervously shuffled his papers. Sergeant Humphries peered over Maggie’s blown-up picture of the scratch in the skidoo’s body. He leaned back into his chair, pushing the photo as far away as possible from him, as if he hoped it would disappear from the case. With a deep sigh, he opened the report the constable had handed him, his eyes running down the page until he found the picture of the brakes.
He rubbed his chin, scratched his head, and grumbled, “I’ll look into it, but stay out of the case now. It’s police domain.”
Sensing the sergeant was on edge, Maggie rose to her feet and politely said, “I was only trying to help, and you said I should come to you if I had any other information.”
“Yes, yes…”
Tentatively, Maggie asked, “As you can imagine I’m concerned and would like to know what happened. It was on my land, you see. I might come across other clues… May I still come to you with what I find?”
Sergeant Humphries looked up at her. She smiled at him, trying her best to look innocent. He softened.
“Yes, since you would otherwise be withholding information from a murder investigation!”
Maggie glanced at Adam when the sergeant used the word “murder,” confirming their suspicion. Her heart was racing. She would definitely have to keep away from Tina before she spread any rumours, and make sure Adam was convinced she was innocent.
“Murder? That is serious…” said Maggie.
“Yes, well, we’ll have to see though. It must still be an accident somehow,” grunted the sergeant.
Adam walked toward the door. “We’ll leave you to it, Sergeant, a difficult case, and I’ll look after Maggie. Don’t worry, she won’t bother you anymore.” Adam slightly pushed Maggie in the back in a protective way as they moved out of the sergeant’s office.
Maggie didn’t wish to linger talking about the murder case for fear of raising suspicions, unless Adam brought it up. It had been a very long time since she had tasted her favourite maple syrup ice cream. It wasn’t yet a warm day for an ice cream, but Danillies was already open for the season, and the sun was shining enough for the locals to queue up in front of its little counter open to the street.
Seeing Tina in front of Danillies, Maggie stopped in front of a garage. “This must be Barrie’s place, if it’s still the same garage. I might ask him to service my car. I’ve got to get it checked, as it’s been sitting for a long time.”
“He always looks after my cars. He’s really good with any engine, even planes, believe it or not. Mmm, strange, his door’s closed. We might bump into him if he’s gone to the Horizon Cafe for a coffee break.”
Maggie glanced sideways toward Danillies and was relieved to see Tina wobble away in the opposite direction. Her desire to taste again her favourite maple syrup ice cream would be fulfilled.
“Did you see anything?” asked Adam, looking in the same direction.
“No, no, thought I recognized someone, but I was mistaken.” Maggie made her way to Danillies, Adam at her side. “Planes, you say, that’s interesting
. I’ve inherited my father’s plane. I’m not sure what to do with it yet, but maybe he could take a look at it and tell me what he thinks of it.”
“I’m sure he’d love that. I’ll ask him, and you just need to pop by one of these days. You normally can find him inside the garage or standing in the door frame keeping an eye on what’s happening around.” Maggie and Adam walked along the main street of Foxton, appropriately named The Street, tucking into their ice cream while admiring the colourful flower baskets dangling from the lampposts. Stopping in front of a knitting shop window, The Jolly Jumpers, Adam suddenly said, “Do you think the sergeant picked up that I mentioned Barrie told me about the brake?”
“He isn’t the most perceptive person around,” replied Maggie as she licked a drop of ice cream before it fell onto her blouse.
“That info wasn’t official, and I just wanted to say I’d seen the brake cable without mentioning Barrie. I really don’t want him to get into trouble because of me. Already you giving all this information to the sergeant was nearly too much for him.”
“But, I had to…and I really want to know what happened.”
“I understand. By the way, do you have a bit of time now?”
“Yes…why?”
“I want to show you something. It’s not far from here, and I think you’d like it.” Adam smiled broadly at Maggie with a wink of his right eye.
Maggie loved surprises and was curious to see what he thought she liked. She tried asking him where they were going, but he refused to give her any clue. She sat in his car in silence, trying to guess. Failing to come up with the answer, she looked out the window.
Seeing a deer pop out from the bank of the road, she shouted, “Watch out! The deer! Phew, you saw it.”
“Not as dangerous as a moose, though!”
“I’d love to photograph one up close. I was thinking of driving to Algonquin Park one of these days. I’ve heard that along the road that crosses the park you can see moose in spring in search of salt on the road. They’re such strange-looking animals; they seem dressed in rags and tags, with their drooping skins around the chin. Is it true then? Have you seen them there?”
Adam nodded. “You still have to be lucky, but yes, it’s possible, and most of the time it’s best to be there early morning or before nightfall. I’ve seen many up there. I could take you on a canoe trip in autumn up at one of the distant lakes. I know a really good place to see them if you like, better than the road.”
Maggie squealed with joy. “I’d love that.” Unfamiliar with this route, she said, “I don’t know this road. Are we really going somewhere or into the bush?”
Adam coolly replied, “Yes, don’t worry, I’m not heading to a hut in the middle of nowhere yet…”
Maggie peered suspiciously out the window, seeing a sign forAnimal Shelter. They turned onto a narrow path snaking along a lake and sharply up hill into the woods. She heard the bark of a dog and a strange grunting sound. They stopped not far from an enclosure. She took a step back, startled by the black bear sniffing the air, its black and beige snout pointed toward them.
Adam responded to her fear with a calm hand on her shoulder. “This is Linda. She was rescued as a cub and couldn’t be released back into the wild because she’s habituated to humans. She’s only looking for food. She’s friendly.”
An Irish setter leapt toward Maggie’s feet, braking on all fours, wagging its tail furiously. Maggie smiled down at the dog, patting it on the head. It quickly sat down on her foot, its head leaning against her leg, giving her a sweet, irresistible look. Then out came a small ball of energy, the origin of all the loud barking, on its way to Maggie as if it were jet-propelled, and squeezed itself between the pair. Maggie let out a cry of laughter as the two dogs swirled full speed around her, whipping up dust in closer and closer circles.
Adam looked on with a large grin. Maggie wondered if he had planned this. She would have to resist if the plan was an adoption. She had no intention of getting a pet now, let alone two.
A woman dressed in overalls came out of the house. “What’s all this commotion?” Seeing Adam, she said, “Adam, it had to be you, but what’s happening to the dogs? I’ve never seen them like that. I can’t believe it. They were lethargic since you brought them to me, and now look at them!” She clapped her hands and came up to Maggie. “I’ve got to give you a big hug! You’ve made my day. It’s you, I’m sure of it. They like you.”
Maggie was slightly taken aback by her hug but was too overwhelmed by the little white bundle peering up at her with loving eyes, oddly highlighted by a brown patch around one eye and a black patch around the other, while the large red one was busy licking her hand, to react.
The woman added, “I think they’ve found their new owner, don’t you, Adam?”
“You’re right, Barbara…” replied Adam.
Maggie looked at them, feeling angry and betrayed, and yet she couldn’t help wanting to touch the dogs.
“They simply have chosen you. I’m thrilled to see they can still be happy. Do you know these dogs?”
Maggie looked at Barbara. “No, they’re certainly very nice. I’m not looking to adopt any pet, as I told Adam earlier…” Maggie gave him a black look and said, emphasizing his name between her clenched teeth. “So,Adam, you brought them here, I understand. Were they lost? If so, we should be able to track down their owners. I’m happy to help you find them.”
Barbara came quickly to Adam’s rescue. “Adam found them up at the trapper’s hut. They’ve been abandoned, I’m sure of it. No collar. They were in real bad shape. You can still see they’re skinny, but at least they’re clean and no more fleas.”
Both dogs were now sitting at Maggie’s feet as she stroked their respective heads. She could feel her heart melting as she looked for ways to get out of this.
Barbara raised her hands in the air. “I’ve already got four dogs of my own, without counting the raccoon, skunk, and bear I’m taking care of. You see this is an animal shelter, but I finance it out of my own pocket, and I can’t take on more dogs now, so I need to find them a home.”
“They’re cute for sure, but I really don’t want to adopt them. I know it sounds hard. What about you, Adam? You already have two llamas?”
Maggie caught sight of Adam’s index finger flicking from side to side in negation. Barbara once again took Adam’s defence.
“Since they like you so much, why not have them over as boarders, and if we do find anything about their previous owners, or if anyone else steps forward, then you can hand them over and it’d be a real help for me. Besides, Adam is often away, and initially they’ll need a lot of care and love.”
Adam added, “I’ve already got them checked out by Matt the vet, so they’re ready to go. And it’s ideal for you, they can follow you when you take wildlife pictures. You’ve got enough space for them. Just try it a bit, look at them!”
Maggie bent down to what looked like a terrier, perhaps a Jack Russell or a mix thereof, now sitting with a paw on her thigh, imitated by the Irish Setter. She sighed. “I can take care of them temporarily until we find the right home for them. Adam, I’m counting on you to help me find either their owners or adoptive parents, as it won’t be me.”
Adam grinned at her, rubbing his hands together. “Sure. It will only be for a while. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them and maybe you’ll change your mind…”
“Adam! Don’t go there!” Maggie feigned anger although she could already feel an attachment to them. After all, they had chosen her. It was very special, and how could she refuse such a friendship?
*
Back home, Maggie had now to deal with two hungry mouths to feed. She opened all her cupboards looking for something to give them. She had the muffins she had forgotten to offer Adam when he visited her. Although it wasn’t the diet she wanted them to have, it might calm them a little till she got the right food. At the sound of a plate breaking she turned toward the table where she had left them. There on the floor the
muffins, were lying among the broken china with the Irish Setter standing next to it, wagging its tail, looking at the muffins then at her with expectation, while the terrier had run behind her legs, attempting to look innocent while drooling, a crumb on top of its nose.
“Come on, you two, this is not going to work if you behave like this!”
Both dogs, their tails between their legs and heads down, ears back, went to the corner of the room as if they were expecting a beating. Maggie couldn’t bear to see them in such a state and called them back to hand them each a piece of muffin.
“I really don’t know how this is going to work out… I’ve got to find another solution. What have I got myself into? Maggie, oh Maggie! Maybe Amy? I’ll ask, but in the city, no…”
Finally, at the end of the day, the dogs were too tired to be excited. With a full belly Maggie watched them snuggle up to each other on one of the blankets she had laid out for them. She smiled briefly as she closed her bedroom door, leaving it ajar in case they needed her. Her own exhaustion took hold of her. Her whole body ached as if she had run a marathon. She had to find out what had happened to the dogs, to the body… confused, she crept into her bed.
Chapter Eleven
An engulfing cold draft woke Maggie as the little terrier tugged at her red and blue quilt, while the setter’s red head appeared next to her pillow, flat on the mattress, looking at her with soft golden eyes.
She chuckled at the sight. “You’ll have to become better behaved. This isn’t how I want to wake up every day…but you’re both so funny!”
As she jumped out of bed, the two dogs barked with joy and accompanied her to the kitchen. Maggie was wondering what she would name them if she needed to call them. She couldn’t just call them both “doggy.” She turned around, alerted by a scraping sound on the floor, followed by a white ball darting past her.
“You really have lots energy for an undernourished animal! What will it be once you’re well-fed, scary… You’re full of beans!” She reached down to pat the little head. “Beans, that suits you, short enough to call out the name fast… And you over there! No! You’re not allowed on the table…” As she spoke, Maggie rushed to push the large dog back from the table. Instead of looking scolded, it put its head down, lifting its behind with the tail fanning away, ready to play. She looked down at it, trying to hold back a laugh, then mustered her deepest voice, her finger raised toward the dog in warning.