Rock Harbor Series - 03 - Into the Deep

by Colleen Coble

  “I don’t feel the same sense of urgency. Your father will be fine, I believe this. But Samson is calling to my heart. I feel you must find him tomorrow. I know it’s likely emotion filling me with panic, but I cannot help this fear that wells in my heart.”

  “Davy’s birthday is tomorrow.”

  “I know. But the party is in the morning. Then you must find Samson.”

  27

  Brightly colored streamers waved in the breeze from trees and the porch posts. Today her son turned five years old. It was a miracle he was even alive, and the whole town wanted to celebrate this day with her. What had begun to be a quiet celebration had quickly turned into something of a festival. Molly from the Suomi Café had brought her famous cinnamon rolls, Steve Asters was hanging a piñata filled with goodies for the children, and Naomi’s mom, Martha, had been cooking all week and had brought in all kinds of goodies. The tables out back were groaning under the weight of all the food their friends and neighbors had brought in.

  Mason had assured Bree he had every resource under his power out looking for her father and there was nothing she could do, but after Anu’s sense of urgency, she felt especially eager to get out and look for Samson. He could find her father.

  Samson was conspicuous in his absence. There was a forced gaiety to the laughter, and Bree realized she was straining her ears to hear her dog’s bark. She saw Davy’s long face and knew he felt the loss. They both wanted their dog. She told herself she wouldn’t think of it for a few hours. Just for the party, she’d throw herself into forgetting. Davy deserved a fun day today.

  Bree stood by the food table and made sure everything was going smoothly. She caught snippets of conversation around her: Steve Asters was flirting with Cassie, Molly was telling Karen Siller about a new recipe she’d tried, Eino Kantola regaled Anu with a too-much-information description of her bunions. Everything seemed so normal. But Samson’s absence left a huge hole in her heart.

  Kade put his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. “You’re putting a good face on it, but I can see it’s a struggle. I’ve been praying for you today.”

  Bree rested her cheek against his chest. “What would I do without you?”

  “You never have to find out.”

  He kissed her, a lingering touch that bolstered her courage. “I forgot the cookies. I’d better go get them.”

  “Did they escape a fiery death this time?”

  She punched him in the stomach, and he grunted, then grinned to show her he was teasing. “I’ll have you know these cookies are perfect. Lightly browned, exact ingredients. They will melt in your mouth.”

  “I don’t doubt it a bit,” he said solemnly.

  “You’ll see, oh ye of little faith.” She was quite proud of the way the cookies had turned out. After all this time of trying to be a better cook, she was finally getting the hang of it.

  Inside the house, she heard voices in the living room. She went down the hall and peeked in. Hilary and Lauri were talking. “Hey, you two,” Bree said.

  Hilary’s eyes were bright. “Bree, did you realize Lauri’s coloring is almost exactly like mine?”

  Bree looked at the two of them sitting next to each other and nodded. “I hadn’t considered it before, but you’re right.”

  “I’m not making any promises yet, but I’m willing to talk about it,” Hilary said. “We’d have to work out all the details.”

  “And Hilary has even invited me to live with her and Mason if we decide to go ahead with this,” Lauri said.

  “Would you want to do that?”

  Lauri shrugged. “Kade might decide to sell his cabin and move here when you guys get married. I wouldn’t want to be in the way.”

  Bree’s face flamed with heat. She was engaged to be married. It still felt unreal. “You know you’d be welcome no matter where we are. You’re part of our family.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to be a fifth wheel. We’ll see.” Lauri turned back to talk more with Hilary.

  They barely noticed Bree tiptoe out as they resumed their conversation. Bree went to the kitchen and grabbed the Tupperware container of cookies. She put it on the food table outside, and Cassie motioned for her to join the group of researchers under the giant oak tree. Bree smiled and held up one finger as she checked first to make sure Davy was having a good time. He was playing horseshoes with Kade and some of the other children. His long face had brightened a bit.

  Bree waved at Kade—Davy was too intent to notice—then went to join Cassie and her friends.

  “Have a seat.” Yancy stood and pushed the yard chair toward her.

  “Thanks.” Bree settled into it, glad to rest her aching feet. She’d been running around all morning.

  “Any news about the murder?” Nora asked. Her no-nonsense voice was more intense than usual.

  “Nothing that I’ve heard. I did talk to Denise about two weeks ago. Did you know Jackson Pharmaceuticals offered Phil half a million dollars to join them and bring the new drug protocol to them?”

  “Half a million!” Yancy burst out. “They’d never—” he broke off.

  “You think that’s too much? The process is worth billions,” Chito said.

  “They must have been desperate for that formula.”

  “Enough to murder for it?” Salome asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t tell you just why, but I think they didn’t have anything to do with Phil’s murder.” Bree watched Yancy excuse himself and jog to a little girl.

  “You’re still thinking it’s NAWG?” Nora suggested.

  “Maybe.” Bree was suddenly tired of it all. It was a gnarled mass of thread she couldn’t seem to untangle. She nodded toward the children. “Who’s the little girl? I’ve never seen her before.”

  “Yancy’s daughter,” Cassie said. “He doesn’t get to see her much. Her mom married our boss now, Marcus Simik, and Yancy has to toe the line pretty tightly to get to see her. He’s been pretty bitter about it all.”

  “His wife had an affair with your boss?”

  Cassie nodded. “It caused a huge ruckus in the company. For a while I thought Yancy was going to kill them both. But he’s settled down now and has accepted the situation. He didn’t have any choice.”

  “Probably not.” Bree’s thoughts began to race, and she felt the blood drain from her face.

  “You look funny, Bree. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Bree left the group and went to find Mason.

  “I need to talk to you,” she whispered.

  He put his punch down. “What’s wrong?”

  “In private.” Her heart hammered as she led the way inside. Hilary and Lauri were outside now. They wouldn’t be overheard. She was right, she knew it. But how could she prove it?

  She leaned against the kitchen counter. “I think I know who the murderer is.”

  “Who? Marika?”

  She shook her head. “Yancy Coppler.”

  Mason grinned. “Our resident Santa Claus? Is this a joke?”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?” Her thoughts racing, Bree flexed her jaw.

  He stared at her. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “He has a personal grudge against the company. You remember you said you checked out all the researchers’ criminal records and all you found was one charge against Yancy for breaking a restraining order and threatening his wife and her boyfriend with a gun. The charges were dropped.”

  “So? That’s a far cry from murdering Phil Taylor.”

  “What if that boyfriend owned the company he’s working for now? And what if he now is married to Yancy’s ex-wife and makes it hard for him to see his daughter?”

  Mason scratched his chin. “Okay, I see the picture developing. But you have no proof.”

  “Not yet. But it’s him, Mason, I know it. Phil was offered half a million. Yancy started to say something. He said, ‘They’d never.’ What if he was going to say they’d never offer that much? And the reason he knew what
they’d pay is because he had taken the offer.”

  “Maybe.” Mason still sounded unconvinced.

  “Cassie said she had to make good on this drug; otherwise they’d all be out of a job because the company was on shaky financial ground. Maybe Yancy saw sabotage as a way to get back at his wife and her new husband.”

  “Seems pretty extreme.”

  “He is a scuba trainer. He could have trapped Cassie in the ship and retrieved the file.”

  “There are plenty more who know scuba in this town. What other motive could Yancy have to kill? Jealousy doesn’t sound like enough.”

  “The money itself? Money can be a powerful motivator. Maybe he’s in financial trouble.”

  “He makes good money as a researcher.”

  “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t spend everything he makes.”

  “I can check that out,” Mason said.

  “I want to follow him tonight,” Bree said.

  Mason looked distressed. “I can’t come with you, Bree. Hilary is having a dinner party. Wait until tomorrow.”

  “How about if I take Kade with me?”

  “I’d rather go.”

  Bree leaned forward. “I know this is it, Mason. And what if it’s tied in with Samson’s disappearance somehow?”

  “We went in circles over this last night, Bree. What possible connection could Yancy have with your dog?”

  “I don’t know. But I have to find out. I’m going crazy just searching the woods and getting nowhere. At least I’ll feel I’m doing something!”

  “All right. But take your cell phone and call me if there’s the least hint of anything going down. I think you’re wasting your time though.”

  “I know I’m right,” Bree said. “And I’m going to prove it tonight.” And she prayed that proof led to her dog.

  Jonelle watched the darkening sky and chewed on her lip. She hated to see nightfall come. She knew what this night meant for that dog out there in the pen. All day long she’d tried to screw up her courage enough to let him go but couldn’t do it. Zane said their future was riding on this night. She couldn’t wreck it for him, much as she liked the dog.

  Trucks began to pull into the yard around six. They came from as far away as New York and Maine. Big dualies trundled in, their massive tires sinking into the mud. Some bore deer antlers on their grills and carried high-powered rifles in a rack behind the seat. Some cars were sleek and shiny testimonies to their owners’ wealth. Many unloaded cages of snarling, barking dogs.

  The stench and noise made Jonelle nauseated.

  Zane’s face was exultant as he watched them come. “I told you this would be big,” he hissed to Jonelle. “We got plenty of food?”

  “I think so.”

  “Don’t just think so; make sure. If you need to make a run to town, do it now.” He jogged off to greet the visitors.

  Jonelle turned and went into the kitchen, letting the back door slam for emphasis. A slave, that’s what she was. Just a slave. Do this, Jonelle, do that, Jonelle. When did she get to do the things she wanted to do? She was sick and tired of living this way. All she did was clean and cook. What kind of life was that?

  She glanced around at the laden table. Ham sandwiches, mounds of potato salad, cookies galore. If this didn’t suit them, they could go to town. She wasn’t going to put herself out any more. She was done.

  Stepping to the back porch again, she watched the people begin to file into the barn. Maybe Zane should have built a pen outside for this. She wasn’t sure the barn would hold everyone.

  Her gaze was caught by a stern-faced man with two boys in tow. It never ceased to appall her that men brought their kids to watch this gruesome ordeal. Didn’t they care they were scaring their children, desensitizing them to cruelty? She wouldn’t let her child grow up like this. If Zane didn’t give it up after tonight, she would leave him.

  Her heart constricted at the thought. Whatever Zane was, she loved him. Leaving him would be like cutting out part of her heart, but she’d do it if she had to. He wouldn’t let her go though. She was sure he would see the reason in it. He might be gruff, but he loved her.

  The crowd’s excitement was palpable. Eyes glittered with avarice and bloodlust. She shuddered and tried not to touch anyone as she found her way to the pen. Bruck was already pacing the enclosure. He could smell the other dogs, sense the coming battles. His legs stiff, he growled as he pranced.

  Jonelle’s gaze wandered the barn until she found the cage she was looking for. Samson. He raged around the cage, his eyes glazed with drugs. She wondered if he’d even know his owner if the search lady showed up. Zane had gone too far with the cocaine and steroids this time. She swallowed hard. If only she’d done something sooner. She could do nothing for him now. Nothing. He blurred in her vision as tears stung her eyes.

  He and Bruck wouldn’t be the first dogs to fight. The lesser dogs would fight first until the crowd was howling for the highlight of the evening. And even before Bruck got to Samson, Zane intended some sport with the two smaller dogs he’d taken first. He’d want Bruck at a fever pitch before he turned him on Samson. Her hands shook as she grabbed a bucket and carried it to the cages. The dogs all needed to be well hydrated so they performed their best.

  Bruck and Samson would be saved for the final show in about two or three hours, depending on how long it took to get through the rest of the animals. Most of them looked ready to fight. Their teeth were bared as they paced their cages. Several snapped at her as she slid water dishes in to them.

  Jonelle’s hands already bore the scars of other bites over the years. These dogs weren’t safe. None had touched her heart quite the way Samson did though. Her gaze went to him again. He was still watching her. Even drugged, he drew her. Samson wouldn’t run from a fight. It might be better if he did. He wouldn’t have a chance against Bruck.

  “Let’s get started,” Zane shouted over the melee. “First up, we have Mickey from New York and Dixie from North Carolina.” The crowd roared with approval. “If you haven’t placed your bets yet, now’s the time. I’ll be at the table if you want to lay some money down. And if you haven’t bet on the big fight yet, let me draw your attention to Samson. You all know Bruck and his reputation. Samson is a new dog, but what a fighter! He’s heavy with muscle and has even defeated one of our North Woods wolves, so you know he’s a lean, mean fighting machine. I might lay some money on him against my dog myself.” His bragging about Samson had brought a murmur of excitement, and dozens of people crowded Samson’s cage to get a better look at Bruck’s challenger.

  Jonelle knew he was gauging Samson wrong. Samson hated Zane, but he wasn’t a killer. Bile choked Jonelle’s throat. She told herself it was the heat and smell, not the thought of what lay ahead for Samson. But she couldn’t quite convince herself.

  28

  Bree glanced at her watch. Eight o’clock. Lauri was with Davy and Timmy, who was spending the night for Davy’s birthday. The boys would be happy and content until she got back. But she had to do this tonight. She had to prove her certainty that Yancy was the guilty party before he harmed anyone else.

  Kade drove his truck. He’d thought it might be less familiar to Yancy than Bree’s Jeep. They were parked in a pull-off down the street from Yancy’s house. The fading afternoon shadows hid them from view. A stiff breeze blew sand across the road.

  “He’s leaving!” Bree leaned forward.

  “I see him.” Kade started the truck. He waited until Yancy’s car turned left at the corner, then pulled out of their hiding place and followed.

  “He’s probably just going to the store,” Bree said. Sure enough, Yancy turned in at the convenience store. He came back out in five minutes with a fistful of lottery tickets in his hand. Lottery tickets. Bree gasped.

  “What?”

  “I just remembered something Naomi told me. The first day she saw Marika, she was buying a bunch of lottery tickets. And Emily mentioned her mother took them to the bingo tables. What if gamblin
g is the connection between Marika and Yancy?”

  “Maybe. It’s worth telling Mason about. He’s probably already run a check on her, but give him a call.” Yancy’s car turned left and Kade followed, driving smoothly, well back from the car in front.

  Bree dialed her cell phone and told Mason her suspicions. He confirmed he’d run a check on her, but only on her criminal record. He promised to have Deputy Montgomery run a check on her financial status.

  Yancy turned left and took Jack Pine Lane out of town. “There’s nothing out here but wilderness and cabins,” Bree said.

  “He has to be coming out here for a reason.”

  “A dogfight?” Bree suggested, her heart surging at the thought of her dog.

  “I hope not.”

  “Me too. But I can’t get rid of this hunch that he’s linked to everything, including Samson’s disappearance.” Her cell phone trilled, and she grabbed it. “Bree Nicholls.”

  It was Mason. “Bree, my deputy called with the report back on Yancy. He’s in hock up to his eyebrows. And get this: He charged twenty thousand dollars on his credit card at Vegas. I’d say he has a gambling problem.”

  “Bingo,” she said softly. “Dogfighting.”

  “Maybe.” He sighed heavily. “I wish I was with you. Call me if you get in trouble. Just don’t presume too much. And just watch. My deputies will come if you see anything.”

  “He’s got my dog, Mason. I know he does. And I’m going to get him back.” She clicked off the phone and told Kade what Mason had said.

  “Sounds like this could be it.”

  “You sound doubtful. I’m sure of it, Kade.” Bree tried to quell her irritation. Why couldn’t everyone see it? It was clear as the sunny sky above Lake Superior.

  “Don’t bite my head off. I’m trying to keep your feet on the ground.”

  “I know exactly where my feet are planted,” she snapped.

  He kept his gaze on the road.

  A long, uncomfortable pause heightened her senses. After several minutes she sighed. “I’m sorry.”