by Brooke Moss
“You’re right.” I took one of the cups and we went outside to relax with Jake. But in the back of my mind, I kept wondering if it was too good to be true.
***
Friday morning, we headed to the beach early. We had anticipated a larger crowd, with many of the weekend people arriving before dinner. After some sun, we splashed in the lake. The water was already getting busy and it wasn’t even noon. There was plenty of noise to distract us. Speedboats cruised parallel to the shore. Sailboats headed out of the marina. Surfers using kites were zooming about, turning tricks with the waves and wind. There was a buzzing noise that would rise and fade, but I didn’t give it much thought.
We sprawled on our backs. Even through the towel, I felt the warmth of the sand. Linda was talking about the book she’d been reading when she started laughing.
“I think we have a secret admirer.”
I looked around the beach but didn’t see anyone paying attention to us. Linda brushed her fingers across my forearm and pointed directly above. About thirty feet overhead was a drone. Four little propellers spun about, holding it steady. There was a camera attached to the undercarriage. Linda pressed her lips together and blew a kiss. The little craft shifted, then moved along the beach.
“An electronic peeping Tom. I wonder how long that’s been following us.”
A little jolt of electricity went through me. “What the hell.”
She propped up on an elbow and looked at me. “It’s probably just some kid screwing around. You weren’t flashing your boobs at him were you?”
“I don’t care. When did you notice it?”
“Jamie, they’ve been around all week. That was the closest one’s been. But they fly all over the place. I’ve seen them in town, at the marina, and even at the concert the other night. What’s the big deal?”
I pointed at the drone. “Can we follow it? I really want to talk to the guy behind the controls.”
“The peeping Tom thing was a joke.”
I already moved down the sand. She scrambled off the towels and fell into step beside me. “Jamie, you do realize chasing the drone won’t necessarily lead us to its owner.”
Linda made sense, but I was reluctant to listen. I watched as the machine went another few yards down the shore and circled back toward us. It hovered, still about thirty feet above the ground. I extended both arms and waved it toward me with my hands. It moved closer.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve got an idea.” Dropping to the sand, I began smoothing it out. “Help me.”
Linda shrugged. Then she knelt beside me and mimicked my efforts. When there was a large square I used my forefinger and wrote a message in foot high letters. The drone was lower now. I got to my feet and pulled Linda up beside me. We watched the craft shift, moving closer. It was less than twenty feet now. It circled the area. The camera was right above us. Then it dropped down a few feet and went back up. Twice. I waved and it took off. Linda stared as I wiped out the message with my feet.
“Did you just make a date with a drone?”
“Yep. Now move your cute little ass. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”
“Jamie, this guy could be four feet tall and six hundred pounds. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking this gives us a lead. And that ice cream on a hot summer day sounds good.”
Captain Nemo’s restaurant was right on Phoenix Street by the entrance to the marina. It’s a small diner, with burgers and fries and a large variety of ice cream. Neither one of us were big on ice cream, but it was the first spot that came to mind.
We were in front of the store, sitting on a bench. It was packed inside. There was no guarantee the drone operator would show up. But if there was a chance we could get answers to some questions, I was willing to wait. Linda people watched, mumbling a commentary, starting with a hefty old guy wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.
“Not this one, he looks incapable of operating anything beyond a bottle opener.”
“Be nice,” I whispered.
“You dragged me away from the beach. I don’t have to be nice.”
“He’s not the type to play with a drone.”
“They have a type?”
I shrugged. “Just a guess. I’m thinking nerdy guys, more interested in computers and science than anything else. Except maybe looking at girls. Not talking to them or touching them, just looking at them.”
“You’re terrible.”
That earned her another shrug. We watched people parade by. There were a lot of families on the sidewalks, along with plenty of couples of all ages. Whoever was behind the controls knew what we looked like. Linda started to fidget. This wasn’t exactly a stakeout. But my curiosity wouldn’t leave it alone. I’d wait another ten minutes before giving up.
That’s when two teenage kids arrived. They were young, thirteen or fourteen years old. Gangly, with arms and legs that seemed to go on forever. Both were in shorts and tank tops. The strawberry-blonde wore a ponytail. The brunette had on a worn Tigers baseball cap. And they were girls.
Linda looked them over and faced me. “You were saying?”
“Shut up.” I stuck out a hand. “I’m Jamie. This is Linda. We just want to talk to you about the drone.”
“Morgan,” said the strawberry-blonde as she shook my hand. “This is Kelly. We were just experimenting with it. My dad would kill me if he found out we’ve been using it.”
“We’re not going to tell anybody. I just want to know how it works.”
Linda picked up on the anxiety. Teaching in high school helped her recognize and deal with teenage angst. “Kelly and I will get in line for the ice cream. That will give you two time to talk about …drones.”
Once they moved away, Morgan settled onto the bench. She explained her father and older brother liked to fly it along the beach. They would practice maneuvers, get video of the various boats and people and even some great sunsets. The camera could be linked to a cell phone or a computer, which made it easy to watch from a distance. She and Kelly were best friends. They were in the local STEM program. As such, they were curious about technology. Morgan admitted that while her dad and brother liked to ‘mess around’ with the drone, she and Kelly were better at operating it. They were only supposed to use it with a parent’s supervision.
“But we’re bored. There are a bunch of drones flying around anyway. Nobody is going to tell ours apart from the others. We just wanted to fly it out this morning. We didn’t mean to bother you.”
An obvious question jumped to mind. “Do you fly it just along the beach?”
“Mostly. We take off from my backyard. It’s a couple of blocks up from the lake. So we get high enough to avoid the power lines and trees, then it’s a clear shot to the water. We use my laptop, since the screen is bigger.” Morgan became more animated, describing the technology and her abilities at the controls.
I learned more in the fifteen minutes from Morgan than I ever thought I’d learn about drones. She taught me about how the drone operated, how far it could fly and obstacles they had to be aware of before Linda and Kelly returned. Each carried a waffle cone packed with ice cream. Linda handed over the Mackinac Island fudge to Morgan.
“You didn’t bring me one?” I asked with a sly smile.
“You’re welcome to go stand in line. But ice cream is no substitute for lunch. And it’s your turn to buy. Did you get what you needed?”
“Almost.” I turned to Morgan. “Can we get a quick demonstration?”
She and Kelly exchanged a glance. Kelly was working her way through a scoop of moose tracks. “Sure. We can show you the beach and the shoreline.”
“That’s good, but I have something else in mind.”
Linda wasn’t quite ready to move on. “When you were flying over the beach this morning, why did you hover above us?”
Kelly glanced down. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I was teasing her.”
“About what? Us?”
“No, it was more about us.”
My confusion was evident. “What do you mean?”
Kelly wiggled a couple of fingers at Linda and I, then swung her hand around and pointed and herself and Morgan. “I told her if we were lucky, we’d end up looking like you two. You know, one redhead, one brunette. Rocking the bikinis and owning the beach.”
Linda released a bawdy laugh. “That is the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Have you two been friends long?”
“Practically all our lives. Since second grade.”
She slipped an arm over Kelly’s shoulders. “First grade for us. I’ll bet Morgan is the troublemaker. Very inquisitive. Always wants to push it, right up to the edge of when you might get caught.”
“How did you know?”
Linda winked. “Redheads. C’mon, let’s go see this drone. Then Jamie’s buying lunch for you guys, too.”
“All right!”
***
After the demonstration and lunch, we headed back to the beach. Our favorite spot was no longer available, so we moved away from the growing crowd. Linda sprawled face down and I covered her bronzed skin with the sunscreen. I sat cross-legged. From my bag I dug out a small notebook and a pencil.
“Seriously?” she mumbled.
“Just a couple of things to plot out. It’s coming together now.”
“Or unraveling. Don’t you need your rest before your big date tonight?”
Randy. This morning’s discovery had pushed him out of my mind temporarily. But I was close to putting all the pieces together. I could hand it over to Jared and let him wrap it up. If he believed me. I didn’t know who, but mostly knew how. That was the foundation for any good story. From there, it was a matter of filling in the gaps. Frustrated, I tossed the book aside and stretched out beside her.
“Morgan and Kelly were kind of cute,” I said.
“Like looking in a mirror fifteen years ago.”
“Please. You were never gangly. You had those curves when you were ten years old.”
She gave me a warm smile. “I was eleven. And you’ve probably had that inquisitive nature and stubborn streak since the day you were born.”
“You’ll have to ask Vera for confirmation on that.”
“So where is your globetrotting mother this week?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. It was either the Hamptons, Montreal or Boston. She had several offers from friends to visit their rustic summer homes.”
“She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”
My mother traveled through high society like a butterfly on a summer’s breeze. We connect with occasional phone calls and emails. It’s not the typical relationship, but we’re accustomed to it. The last time I saw her was on Labor Day.
Linda and I relaxed in the sun. If this wasn’t paradise, it was pretty damn close. Best friends sharing a vacation, with warm sand, gentle breezes, ample sunshine and great food. Mix in some friendly people. Add a little romance. Damn near perfect. Conversation faded. We dozed. There were times when it seemed Linda and I could communicate without words through a comfortable silence. At length, we walked down for a quick swim.
“So are you going to share your theory with Jared?” Linda’s curls were dotted with water. The sunlight made them sparkle.
“Yeah, but he may not want to hear it.”
Playfully she smacked my shoulder. “He’s not a caveman. The guy has been receptive to your meddling so far.”
“Sure. I’ll give him a call.”
Back on the towels, she pulled her phone from the bag. Before I could change my mind, Linda handed it over. Jared was on the other end. He listened without interruption as I laid it out. When I was done, he gave me specific instructions and disconnected. Linda watched me closely.
“He wants to meet us. Fifteen minutes at the park where the concert was.”
She smiled sweetly. “Is he bringing lover-boy with him?”
“Shut up.”
Laughing, we packed up our gear and left the beach.
***
Randy was with him. He started to reach for me but a look from Jared stopped him. Sheepishly, he shrugged.
“He bumped into me as I was leaving the office. My mistake was telling him who I was meeting.” Jared gave his head a slow shake. “He followed me out to the car, like a puppy chasing after a new toy.”
“That’s sounds like an appropriate analogy,” Linda said.
“I’m a new toy?”
“Hush,” Linda replied, “let’s hear what Jared has in mind.”
For a few weeks now, the police department had been getting complaints of drones flying through different neighborhoods. The patrol units had been alerted, but unless they happened upon someone operating the controls, there wasn’t much they could do. We were standing around a picnic table under the gazebo. Randy drifted over and bumped my hip with his. Maybe he was a puppy.
“Do you know the areas where the drones were spotted?” I asked.
Jared considered it, then pulled out his phone and called the dispatcher. While waiting for the details, he sent Randy back to the car to get the map. He spread it open on the table while Jared finished the conversation.
“You’re on to something again, Jamie. Each of the homes broken into was in an area where we got complaints. A couple claimed a drone came through several times and flew lower around some of the houses. Before we were able to get there, the drone was gone. So this is how they’re doing recon.” Jared took a red pen and circled the different neighborhoods on the map.
Linda leaned over the table. “Are there any complaints outside these areas?”
“Two,” Jared said. He noted those on the map as well. “Opposite ends of the territory.”
“So those are targets,” I said.
“Makes sense. I need to go talk with the residents who called in. See if they can pinpoint which houses the drones were focused on.” Jared tapped his forefinger on the map as he considered something. The rest of us waited. At length, he gave his head a shake and looked away. “I must be out of my mind.”
“Ask us,” Linda said.
“Ask us what?” Randy said.
“Ask us to help,” Linda said. “We’re already neck deep in this. What are you thinking?”
Jared cleared his throat. “We’ve got a small police force and a handful of reserves. Friday nights and weekends during the summer require us to put damn near every able body out on the streets. Keeping the tourists safe is a priority.”
“You’re thinking of a stakeout?” I offered.
“Yeah. Two neighborhoods. We have a general idea what the van looks like. If I can narrow it down, we might get lucky. Catch the van and the thieves in the act.”
“We’re not cops,” Randy said, choosing his words carefully. “We’re not trained for this kind of thing.”
“So you sit in a car and watch. If you see the van, you call me. I’ll scramble the others. We know from the video these guys take their time.”
“And they don’t go in until well after dark,” I pointed out.
Linda and I exchanged a glance. “We’re in.”
“I’m going to check those neighborhoods. We should be in position by 9:30.” Jared folded the map and tucked it in his back pocket. His glanced flicked to Randy. “Are you in or out? I need to know. Right now.”
Jared was an intimidating guy. Randy met his gaze and didn’t waver. “I’m in.”
“Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”
We watched the two guys drive away. Linda gave me a coy smile.
“What?”
“Looks like your pajama party just got cancelled.”
I huffed out a breath in frustration. “Aw, what the hell.”
***
The guys arrived at Jake’s shortly after 9:00. Once the sun was gone, it got chilly off the lake. Both neighborhoods were not far from the water, however I didn’t know what the appropriate fashions were for a stake out. We opted for comfort. Linda and I had change
d into jeans, sneakers and T-shirts. Jake acknowledged the two men with a nod. Jared grinned, then reached down and scrubbed Logan between the ears.
“Ready to roll?” he asked.
“Yes indeed,” Linda said. “What’s your plan?”
His eyes flicked to Jake. “You think those two can be trusted to pay attention?”
“I can’t vouch for Blondie, but Strawberry Shortcake there ain’t gonna be distracted. She’s stubborn. These break-ins are pissing her off. Lousy people stealing haven.”
“Strawberry shortcake?” I asked.
Jake grinned and raised his shoulders to his ears. “First thing that came to mind. You are kinda sweet, too.”
I didn’t know whether to pissed or pleased. The fact that Linda was laughing loudly didn’t help matters any. Jared was beside her, doing his best to hold back a grin. He looked down at the dog for a moment. “How about you and me in my car. Bring the pup. We’ll take the northern site.”
“You’re gonna trust me with Strawberry Shortcake?” Randy asked.
“Something tells me she’ll keep you in line. Keep your phones handy. Let’s roll.”
As we walked to the car, Randy slid an arm around my waist. I glanced at him in the fading light. He was biting his lip, no doubt to hold back a laugh or a comment. Time to nip this in the bud.
“Call me Strawberry Shortcake one more time, and you can forget about sex or ever seeing me naked again.”
His hand dipped down and squeezed my ass. “Yes, ma’am. But you are kinda sweet.”
“Shut up.”
We were quiet on the drive over. My nerves were dancing with anticipation. There was a good chance we might catch the bad guys. He backed into the driveway of a nearby house and killed the lights. We were set far enough back from the road that we were invisible to passing cars. On the back seat was a cooler with some water bottles, cookies and energy bars. We cracked the windows to let some air in.
“Wanna neck?” Randy asked, his right hand slid up my leg.
“Maybe later.”
“We could fool around.” His hand crept higher.