“Wait!” my mom hollered. She picked up the bat and charged after him. “Don’t go out there without this!”
And she thought I was being paranoid?
I followed them both downstairs and watched as he switched on the outdoor lights and threw open the front door.
“Be careful!” I hollered, staying back. There was no way I was going out into that unknown darkness, harmless bird or not.
My mom hesitantly followed Nathan outside while I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to remain calm under the circumstances.
This is crazy, I thought, when they closed the door behind them. I wondered if it really was some kind of large bird checking both of us out. Maybe an owl or eagle?
But with red eyes?
Owls were nocturnal so I imagined it was possible, although, I was a city girl and didn’t know the first thing about birds, other than they pooped, a lot, whenever they felt like it.
I chewed on my lower lip and stared towards the dark windows, suddenly wondering if someone or something was watching me from the other side.
Oh, my God… close the blinds, idiot!
I leaped towards the windows, moving the wooden blinds over the four large plated windows as quickly as possible. Once they were all covered, I took a step back and began breathing again.
While I waited for my mom and brother to return, I couldn’t help it, I began to pace as the anxiety quickly built up again. I was definitely wigging out just like she’d said. I started imaging things like Sasquatches and aliens, freaking myself out until I felt like I was almost to the point of hyperventilating.
Jesus, Nikki, chill the hell out.
Frustrated, I went back over to the sofa and sat down, tapping my foot nervously. Seconds later, my brother stormed through the front door, followed by my mom, whose face was as pale as the moon. He picked up the phone and started dialing.
My stomach tightened when I noticed the strange look on Nathan’s face. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Nathan raised his hand to silence me and then began speaking, his voice strangled. “Hello? Yes, I’d like to report a dead body.”
Chapter Three
Three hours later, the dead body, which they’d found near the dock, was examined, bagged, and finally taken away.
“Well,” said Sheriff Caleb Smith, who was standing on the porch. “It looks like it’s the teenage girl who’s been missing for a few weeks, Tina Johnson.”
“What happened to her?” I asked, staring at him. He was taller than I’d thought, standing well over six-foot, had dark hair that hung just below his collar, and an almost perfectly chiseled face, except for his nose, which was a little large. I had to admit, though, for a guy in his thirties, he was handsome.
My mother, who was staring up at him as if he was Superman, cleared her throat. “Before you answer that, would you like to come in and have a cup of coffee, Sheriff?”
He grinned widely and stepped inside. “Thanks; don’t worry about the coffee, though. I really need to be leaving soon.”
“So, was she murdered?” asked Nathan, still freaked out about finding her bloated body sticking out of the water. He’d described it so many times to me that I could see the image in my head, as if I’d actually been there.
The sheriff shook his head. “I don’t think so. She had a history of drinking and left a party pretty intoxicated at the time she went missing. She may have simply fallen into the water and drowned. There will be an autopsy, however, so we’ll know more later.”
Nathan, who watched a lot of C.S.I. shows on television, crossed his arms over his chest. “So, there were no witnesses? Nobody at the party actually saw her leave?”
The sheriff put his hand on the wall and leaned against it. “No. That particular party got a little out of hand and we ended up arresting a few minors for intoxication that night. It was an ugly mess.”
“Goodness,” said mom. “What a horrible thing for her parents. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for them.”
He nodded, looking very somber. “Just like us, they’ve been frantically searching for her all over this town and the next ones over. Well,” he sighed, “at least they have some closure now.”
“How tragic; I can’t possibly imagine how I’d cope in their situation,” she said.
He nodded. “I agree.”
“Sherriff, are you sure you wouldn’t like a cup of coffee? It’ll just take a minute to brew.”
“No, Anne, but thanks again for the offer.” He straightened up and patted his pockets, as if searching for his keys. “I’d better get going; my daughter’s expecting me home soon.”
“You have children?” she asked.
He smiled proudly. “A daughter, Celeste. She just graduated.”
“Oh, you’re a single parent?” she asked, smiling as if she’d just won big on a lottery scratch-off.
Ugh, could she look any more thrilled?
He nodded. “Yes, been single for quite a few years now, in fact.”
“Being a single parent is difficult with normal hours,” she replied quickly. “I could only imagine what you’re going through, with such crazy ones.”
“It’s not too bad. It’s just Celeste, and she’s… fairly manageable. You… you have twins. That must be quite a handful.”
“Not really. They’re pretty good kids.”
He smiled. “Good, then they won’t have to see much of me.”
Mom burst out laughing as if he’d said the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
“Oh, hell, I’m just kidding. Most of the other kids around here are pretty well-behaved, as well.”
“Good, then I can relax when these two start meeting other kids in town and go out at night.”
He tilted his head and leaned forward. “I wouldn’t go that far. They are still teenagers”.
“So very true,” she sighed. “Well, thanks for making it out here so quickly. We were all pretty shaken up.”
His lips thinned. “I’m sure. What a horrible experience for your first night in Shore Lake, too. I’m sorry you had to go through this.”
“So are we,” she said, frowning. “It was certainly an eventful evening. Crazy, huh?”
“I’d say.” He put his hat on. “I’d better get going. I hope the next time we meet it’s under much better circumstances.”
My mom followed him to the door. “Me, too. Goodnight, Sheriff.”
“Caleb,” he said softly, looking down at her.
Her cheeks turned pink. “Goodnight, Caleb.”
It was actually early morning but mom and Caleb didn’t seem to notice. They were too busy staring at each other with their lonely middle-aged hormones.
“Goodbye, Sheriff,” called Nathan from the couch with a shit-eating grin. Like me, he’d been studying them quietly, and from the look on his face, he also knew they were into each other.
“Yeah, see you,” I added with a wave, hoping he’d just leave, already.
Caleb smiled once more with his gleaming white teeth and then finally walked out the front door.
“He’s such a nice man,” said mom, looking into space with a stupid grin. “It’s so refreshing to know this town has a great guy like him patrolling the streets.”
“Oh, you hardly know him,” I snapped, getting off of the sofa. “He might not really be that nice. It could be an act.”
Both my mom and brother stared at me in surprise.
I raised my chin. “Sorry, but it’s true.”
She shook her head. “Oh for Heaven’s sake, Nikki, don’t be so quick to judge other people.”
I started walking up the steps to my bedroom, ready to fall into that soft pillow-top. “Whatever, I’m going to bed.”
“She’s just being a crab-ass,” said Nathan.
“I heard that!” I hollered.
I knew it was true, though. It had been a long day and I was ready to sleep for the next two.
Chapter Four
I slept until almost eleven the next
morning. Mom was already up, drinking coffee and working on her computer, when I padded downstairs in my bare feet.
“Morning,” I said, pouring some coffee for myself. Normally, I wasn’t a coffee drinker, but I really needed something stronger than orange juice to perk me up. Especially after the last few hours.
“Good morning,” beamed my mother, who was always a morning person no matter how late she stayed up.
“Where’s Nathan?”
“He’s outside by the boat. We were thinking about taking it out on the lake within the hour.”
I yawned. “I’ll eat something and get ready.”
“Good.”
I took a drink of coffee and walked over to a large window facing the lake. The skies were blue and it looked like a beautiful day. Then I thought about the dead girl from last night.
“Um, did you really actually find her in the lake?” I asked. The idea of swimming in the lake when there’d been a floating body in it the night before was harrowing. I seriously doubted that I could even put my foot in the water.
“Why?”
I could tell from her expression that she knew where this was going.
I shrugged. “It’s just kind of gross to think about swimming in it.”
My brother entered the kitchen. “Don’t worry, Nikki, that lake is so freaken big, I’m sure there are plenty of other bodies lost somewhere beneath the surface. People still swim in it all the time.”
I shot him a dirty look. “That’s gross.”
Mom groaned. “Thanks, Nathan. Listen, people drown and it’s just a fact of life. I’m sure every lake has stories of people disappearing in it, including the ones you’ve swam in the past.”
I walked towards the doorway with my coffee. “That doesn’t make it sound any more enticing. I think I’ll just enjoy the view on the lake and try not to think about what’s under it.”
“Just make sure you’re ready to go in an hour!” hollered Nathan as I stepped out of the kitchen. “Or we’re leaving you behind.”
~~~
An hour-and-a-half later, I’d changed into my new orange and pink bikini, and we were racing across the lake in a twenty-five-foot Stingray. Nathan was grinning from ear to ear, my mom was also smiling and desperately trying to hold her straw sunhat onto her head, but I was still thinking about the girl in the lake. I just couldn’t shake the horror of knowing there’d been a body near the cabin we were now staying. I had to admit, the fact that my mother and brother were able to push it aside was a little disconcerting, too. It was almost like they’d forgotten all about it.
“This is great!” yelled Nathan over the motor as his light brown hair whipped in the wind. “There’s hardly anyone out here and we have the entire lake to ourselves!”
It was true, but it was also early in the week. From the look of all the boats docked near the shoreline, this place was pretty busy on the weekends.
Nathan slowed down after crossing the entire lake and set the anchor. “Okay, I’m going for a swim,” he said, smiling eagerly.
“Sounds good,” said mom as she pulled out a book from her tote. “You know what I’m going to do – read and work on my tan.”
I handed her some sunscreen. “Not without this. You’ll be a lobster tonight as it is.”
She smiled and began rubbing some of the coconut scented lotion into her skin.
“Coming in, twerp?” asked Nathan, removing his bright red T-shirt.
“Quit calling me that,” I snarled. “Maybe later I’ll come in and drown you.”
He dove into the dark water. When he surfaced, he yelled, “Wow, it’s really nice! Come on out, Nikki. Don’t be such a wimp!”
The sun was shining, it was already eighty degrees and as I stared at him in the water, I had to admit, it did look very enticing.
I let out a long sigh and stood up. I lifted the white beach dress over my head and dove into the cool water.
“See,” said Nathan when I popped my head back out. “It’s not so bad.”
I wiped some water away from my eyes and smiled. “Yeah, I guess not.” It also didn’t hurt that we were on the other side of the lake from where the girl had been found. For some reason, that comforted me quite a bit.
A small fishing boat was trolling towards us and I strained to see who was driving it, half expecting the sheriff who’d been making eyes at my mom earlier. Even today in her bikini, she’d caught the attention of a couple fishermen we’d passed by on the lake. Heck, I couldn’t deny the fact that she looked pretty fit for someone reaching forty.
“Hey,” shouted Nathan at the young man who stopped his boat next to ours. “How’s it going?”
The dark-haired guy looked about our age, maybe a little older. He was wearing black sunglasses and blue-and-white striped swim trunks. “Pretty good. Nice boat!” he hollered back.
Nathan smiled. “It’s not ours, but thanks.”
The stranger removed his sunglasses and returned the smile. “I’m Duncan. You guys vacationing out here?”
“No,” answered mom. “We’re renting a cabin on the other side of the lake.”
He nodded. “There are more than enough cabins available on this lake, that’s for sure.”
“Really? Why is that?” I asked.
He stared at me for a minute and then said, “I just meant that some of these cabins are only seasonal homes, so many of the owners rent them out during the year when they’re not in use.”
“Oh,” I replied.
“I’m Anne, but the way,” said mom. “And those two in the water are Nikki and Nathan.”
“Nice meeting you all.”
“You too,” replied Nathan.
“Do you live on the lake then, Duncan?” she asked.
He nodded. “I live with my dad on the north side of the lake. He owns the boat repair shop over there, and our place is right next to it.”
“Cool,” said Nathan. “I suppose you get to see a lot of nice boats coming through there.”
“Definitely, my dad’s is the only repair shop nearby, so he’s pretty busy, even with my help. Because the lake is so big and there’s money on it, we definitely get some nice little yachts coming in for repairs.”
I swam back over to our boat and climbed up the steps while Nathan and Duncan continued talking boats. As mom handed me a towel, I noticed Duncan stealing glances my way. When our eyes suddenly met, he quickly looked away.
“So, what do you guys do for fun here, other than fishing?” asked Nathan.
Duncan cleared his throat. “Actually, the town is having their annual end of summer barbeque this weekend at Turtle Beach. It’s on the northern side of the lake, too. I’m sure they’ll have tons of food and games. Then, at night they’ll launch the fireworks. They do it every year.”
“We’d better not miss that shindig,” smiled my mom.
He nodded. “It’s a pretty big deal. Almost everyone in town will be there.”
“Will you be there?” I blurted out unexpectedly. I surprised everyone, even myself.
Duncan stared at me for a moment and smiled. “I wasn’t planning on it, but it’s starting to sound more interesting.”
I could feel my face burning and it wasn’t from the sun. “I, um... I just think it would be nice for Nathan to have someone to hang out with. He gets so bored, sometimes… ”
“She’s right,” replied Nathan, grinning widely at me, as if he knew I was back-peddling. “I need a friend. I’m just so bored out of my mind now that we’re in a new town and I have no friends to raise hell with.”
He laughed. “I don’t know much about raising hell, but if you’re bored, you should stop by the shop later today. We just took in this mint Bluewater yacht that is incredible. I might even know someone with the keys who could give you a private tour.”
“Sweet! I might have to take you up on that,” said Nathan, his face brightening.
Just then, a couple flew by us on a pair of jet-skis and Duncan turned to watch them, giving me a
nother opportunity to check him out. I had to admit that he was not only cute, but had nicely-sculpted pecs and arms. It was obvious that he worked his muscles when he wasn’t working on boats. Before I had a chance to look away he turned back around and caught me staring. I immediately looked away, hoping my face wasn’t as red as Nathan’s trunks.
“What’s wrong, Nikki?” asked mom, an amused expression on her face. “You feeling a little flushed?”
“No,” I answered, a little too sharply.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Your face is a little red,” said Nathan, pointing to his cheek. He grinned. “Better use some sunscreen.”
I shot him an angry look and he turned away, chuckling.
“I suppose I should get back to the marina. By the way, you ladies are invited, too, of course,” said Duncan.
I looked up. “Okay.”
“Thanks,” said mom, “but maybe another time. I have too much to do this afternoon.”
“No problem. I’ll be around the shop all evening. Hope to see you there,” said Duncan, his eyes drifting back to me again. Then he started the engine and was gone.
“That’s cool,” said Nathan as he got back on the boat after Duncan left. “Now I can check out some nice boats while Nikki checks out Duncan.”
“Very funny.”
He smiled. “Come on, I saw the way you were drooling over him!”
“I was not!” I retorted, scowling at him. “I was just checking his boat out.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Right! Since when do you have an interest in boats?”
“I always have.”
My mom smiled and added her two cents. “Actually, I also noticed that you were checking out more than the boat.”
“Whatever. You guys are seeing things. Anyway, you both should talk, what, about that redhead in the parking lot yesterday, and… Sheriff White Strips?”
My mom looked confused. “Sheriff White Strips?”
Nathan nodded. “Yeah, Caleb. His teeth were whiter than your pasty skin, mom. Bleached white.”
She snorted. “You’re funny.”
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