Past Lies

by Bobby Hutchinson

  Ivy would blame Frances for the marriage ending. She wouldn’t understand why Frances had to leave, any more than Tom did.

  She’d already lost a son. Jacob had died twenty-five years ago this month, on a rainy, cold Tuesday night. But the dimpled little boy was as fresh in her mind as ever. The pain of his loss had dulled with time, but it was still there. Was the price of freedom, of leaving Tom, to be the loss of her daughter as well?

  “Ms. Pierce?”

  Frances jumped. Sally was standing beside her.

  “Sorry, I was daydreaming.”

  “Ms. Pierce, that man over there…” Sally tipped her head and rolled her eyes toward a balding man wearing a Western-style shirt, sitting alone at a nearby table. When Frances looked over, he smiled, gave a little bow and a wave.

  “…He says he’s buying your lunch, Ms. Pierce. I told him you were married, but he’s real determined. Said you were the prettiest thing he’s seen since he came up here.” She bent over and hissed, “He’s had a snootful, you want me to get Mike?”

  “No need, I’m going now. Ivy left that.” Frances pointed over at the money, more than adequate for their bill and a generous tip. She gathered up her coat and bag and got to her feet, conscious that the man was watching her every move. “Thanks, Sally. See you again soon.”

  Attracting men wasn’t unusual. Ordinarily, Frances would walk away, careful not to look at the man, hideously self-conscious.

  Today, however, some impulse made her stop at his table. Flustered now, he shoved his chair back and started to get to his feet. Frances said in a pleasant tone, “Please don’t get up. I just wanted you to know that my husband is large, insanely jealous and violent. You really don’t want to make him angry, do you?”

  She walked out, aware that his bloodshot eyes weren’t the only ones following her progress. She was trembling by the time she climbed in her SUV. She closed the door and rested her head on the steering wheel, and then she started to giggle.

  She’d been afraid of going to New York, living on her own. She’d relied on Tom for so many years, she had no confidence in her ability to fend for herself. She knew the way she looked attracted unwanted attention. How would she deal with that?

  Now she knew exactly how. She’d remembered some of her New York chutzpah, and she was going to do just fine. She’d made the right decision after all. She found her sunglasses and started the engine.

  THROUGH WATER-STAINED glasses, Alex Ladrovik watched the green wake foam past the bow of the small aluminum boat, anxiously wondering if he’d made a huge mistake. He’d agreed on the spur of the moment to go to some remote fishing lodge to build two cabins before finding out the place was only accessible by floatplane or by boat. He’d had to entrust his beloved Jeep to a questionable parking garage in Valdez, and he was having second thoughts about the whole undertaking.

  The boat ride was a rough one, waves slapping against the hull, salt spray half blinding him, but he was fine in boats, even those loaded to the gunwales like this one. It was only airplanes he had a phobia about.

  “Raven Lodge is just around that next bend,” Oliver Brady called out. The young fishing guide had met Alex on the dock promptly at noon, just as Theo Galloway had promised. They’d loaded Alex’s gear, stacking it on top of lumber, cases of canned goods and boxes of fresh produce. They’d been chugging through the waves for a good half hour. It was a relief to know they would soon reach their destination.

  Almost there, Anne Marie. Not that I have the vaguest idea where there is. Alex touched the breast pocket of his waterproof jacket, checking to make sure his daughter’s photo was dry and tucked well down. He’d fallen into the habit of talking to her picture, which he’d clipped to the visor of the Jeep two weeks ago when he left San Diego.

  The trip north had been long, and commenting out loud to Annie about the landscape and the day’s events made it somehow less lonely. If it also made him a total whack job, well, there was no one to judge him except himself.

  “There’s the lodge,” Oliver yelled as the boat rounded the point.

  Alex caught his breath at the spectacular view, and he whistled long and low. “Now that’s impressive.” He squinted through salt-spattered lenses, and then took his glasses off and wiped them on a bandana he kept in his pocket for exactly that purpose. He shoved them back on his nose and sat forward, studying the place where he’d be spending the next few weeks.

  Raven Lodge was on a spit of land that extended out into a narrow bay. The majestic, snow-covered Chugach Mountains rising from Prince William Sound formed a dramatic and formidable backdrop for the rustic two-story, rambling log structure and its impressive assortment of outbuildings. The whole place looked tidy and well cared for.

  A long dock extended into the water, and several large boathouses undoubtedly sheltered numerous fishing boats, like the one they were riding in, which were needed to carry guests out into the Sound to catch the fabled king salmon, halibut and Chinook native to these waters.

  Some distance from the buildings was a large cement pad.

  “That’s where the copter lands,” Oliver explained. “Lots of skiers staying at the lodge, they get shuttled up the mountain in the morning and brought back at night.”

  Cabins were scattered among thick stands of Sitka spruce and western hemlock, and Alex caught sight of another, smaller log house, also two stories, some distance from the main building.

  “That’s where Ben Galloway and his wife live. Ben’s one of Theo’s boys,” Oliver explained as they drew closer to the dock. “He’s got a twin brother in Seattle, a lawyer. They’re both nice guys.”

  Alex appreciated the input. “That’s where Grace and I stay.” Oliver pointed out two long, white clapboard bunkhouses nestled in a grove of pine trees. “You can bunk in with us or use one of the small cabins. Most of the guests stay right in the lodge this early in the season.”

  Oliver had told Alex how he and his longtime girlfriend had come north hoping to homestead. “We need a grubstake, so we’re both working as fishing guides for the summer. Grace is a real smart woman. Can turn her hand to almost anything. I’m real lucky, finding her,” he’d boasted with a grin that made Alex lonely for an instant.

  “So, Alex, you think maybe you’ll stick around?”

  “I think I lucked out,” Alex said. “Looks like a great place to work for a couple weeks.”

  “It is. And you couldn’t have a better boss than Theo,” Oliver declared. “Fair as they come. His wife Caitlin is a fantastic cook. Best grub I’ve ever had at a fishing camp. And they pay well and on time. A lot of places up here only offer minimum wage. The Galloways are good to work for.”

  Alex was relieved to hear it, although his reasons for taking the job hadn’t been financial. Money was the least of his concerns. Idleness was his worst nightmare. He needed something to do, something physically exhausting and challenging enough to dull the sense of failure and loss that plagued him when he tried to sleep. Hard work was the only cure he’d found for insomnia.

  Oliver pulled smoothly up to the dock and tossed a rope to Theo, who’d come hurrying down the walkway. Theo was a stocky, middle-aged man. Clean-shaven and ruddy-faced, he had a shock of snowy hair. The pipe stuck in the corner of his mouth looked as if it grew there.

  He secured the rope and called out, “Welcome to Raven Lodge, Alex.”

  Alex clambered up to the dock and shook Theo’s work-hardened hand. “It’s a pleasure to be here, sir.”

  The other man laughed. “Theo is fine. We don’t stand much on ceremony in these parts.”

  Alex helped the two unload the boat, and when all the supplies were stacked on the dock, Theo said, “Come on up to the lodge and meet Caity, then later we’ll bring your gear up and get you settled.”

  Alex walked beside the older man, breathing in the sharp odor of salt water mingled with the smell of pine tree resin and wood smoke. Halfway up the long flight of stairs he tapped his breast pocket.

  We’
re a long way from San Diego, Annie. He looked past the buildings at the dark, thick forest that surrounded this small patch of civilization. That’s where he’d be heading soon. Into the wilderness. He shivered with a sense of foreboding.

  So this is where it begins, where I find out once and for all what I’m really made of. He followed Theo up the wide wooden steps, noting with a carpenter’s eye that they were each hewn out of one huge log.

  Or maybe this is where it ends. Had he come up here to die? The thought wasn’t frightening. Rather, it held the promise of peace.

  Whichever it was, Alex knew that his life was once again abruptly changing direction.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It’s never bothered me much, not having family I could count on. You and I have that in common, eh, Linda?

  From letters written by Roy Nolan,

  April, 1972

  “ALEX LADROVIK, meet my brother-in-law, Tom Pierce. Tom is Caity’s older brother.”

  Tom had just arrived at the dock, and the men were standing beside a long wooden boat loaded with building supplies neatly covered by a blue tarp.

  “Alex’s up from San Diego,” Theo added for Tom’s sake. “He just got to the lodge a couple hours ago, caught a ride with Oliver and the groceries.”

  “How d’ya do.” Tom didn’t offer his hand and Alex decided against holding out his. He was aware that the mustached man was assessing him with cool gray eyes set in a weathered, still handsome face.

  “Guess that’s your green Jeep with the California plates, parked back in town in Olaf’s garage?”

  “She’s mine, all right.” Alex hoped his mud splattered, battered vehicle, would still be there when he went back to claim it. It had performed valiantly, never once breaking down on the long and often isolated journey.

  “California,” Tom said, making it sound like a third world war zone. “So what brings you to Alaska?”

  “Adventure,” Alex replied, giving the same explanation he’d used all along the way. “The job I had in San Diego ended, and I decided it was time to travel. When the weather warms up I want to hike into the bush, live off the land a while. Till then, I need a job.”

  That was true enough, although it didn’t begin to really explain why he was here. Best to keep that to himself for the time being. No point in revealing your underbelly right away, especially since Tom didn’t seem nearly as friendly as his brother-in-law. Maybe it just took him longer to warm up to strangers.

  Tom’s gaze flicked up and down Alex’s long, rangy frame. “The bush, huh? You done much back-country hiking on your own?”

  “Some. Well, truthfully, not much. But I plan to do some extensive research before I head off.”

  “Research, now that’ll impress the grizzlies.” The derogatory snort and look Tom shot his way made Alex doubly glad he’d held back some of his personal info.

  “Going off into the bush on your lonesome is one fine way to end up dead,” Tom said emphatically. “Every year we spend valuable time searching for damn fool adventurers gone missing. More people go missing up here than anywhere else in the U.S. Dumb thing to do, in my opinion. “

  Out of politeness, Alex didn’t mention that he hadn’t asked for Tom’s opinion. The older man was making his hackles rise.

  Theo ignored Tom’s outburst. Instead, he pointed at one of the outbuildings. “Let’s stack the lumber in that shed over there, don’t want it getting wet. If you move the boat down the dock a ways, Tom, we can get it unloaded.”

  Alex noticed that Tom had a pronounced limp, but otherwise his wide body was muscular and fit. He handled the two-by-fours and bags of cement almost as easily as Alex. The injury to his leg sure didn’t slow him down at all.

  Theo, however, was soon red-faced and winded. Without being obvious about it, Alex made sure he shouldered the heaviest of the materials. In a short while, they had the lumber, nails and bags of cement mix stowed inside the shed.

  Theo wiped the sweat from his forehead with the arm of his blue flannel shirt. “I hate to admit it, but I’m out of shape. Way too much sitting around in the wintertime. Come on inside, you two. Caity’s making supper and we deserve a drink.”

  Theo led the way. Inside the wide front doors of the sprawling log building, Alex glanced at the framed photos lining both walls he’d noticed earlier. There were color snapshots of smiling guests holding trophy fish, but there were also older black-and-white shots of men and women wearing clothing from the turn of the century. But he was quickly distracted by the wonderful smells that wafted down the long hallway from the direction of the kitchen, and he sniffed in hungry anticipation.

  “Caity, love, Tom’s here,” Theo bellowed and within moments Caitlin Galloway came hurrying along the long hall to meet them, her handsome face wreathed in smiles. Her white hair piled on top of her head, she wore a white bibbed apron to protect her snug blue jeans.

  She was attractive, not just physically—although she had glowing skin and a figure much younger women might envy—but also because of her warmth and kindness. Now he noticed that she had the same high cheekbones and gray eyes as her brother.

  Earlier, she’d led him to the kitchen where a compact, ageless little woman was busy rolling and then flopping dough into eight pie plates. Her back was to Alex, and at first he saw only thick, inky black hair, braided and rolled into a knot.

  “Mavis Armitage, meet Alex Ladrovik. He’s the one going to build the cabins for Theo,” Caitlin had announced. “We eat breakfast and dinner with the guests, but we usually have lunch here in the kitchen.”

  When Mavis turned, Alex had tried to hide his shock at the sight of her disfigured face. He’d seen burn victims, and he guessed that was likely what had left the puckered scars and discolored flesh that marred one side of her face and extended down her neck.

  “Pleased to meet you, Mavis.” Alex had smiled at the older woman and extended his hand. The defensive expression in her eyes told him she’d noticed his first involuntary reaction.

  “Can’t you see I’m up to my eyeballs in pie dough here?” She turned back to her work without another word. Mavis obviously wasn’t anyone to mess with.

  Those pies were baking now. Alex could smell the cinnamon and apples. His stomach grumbled and his mouth watered.

  Caitlin gave her brother an exuberant hug and kissed his cheek. “Is Ivy going to stay and have supper with us?”

  “Not tonight. She’ll be here in a while delivering your skiers, but she can’t make it for supper,” Tom said. “She has a date.”

  “Oh, too bad for us. That young doctor?”

  Tom nodded.

  “Sage was looking forward to a visit with her,” Caitlin said. “Well, there’s always a next time. Now, if you men want to make yourselves comfortable in the living room, Mavis and I’ll finish up in the kitchen and then I’ll join you for a drink.”

  A few moments later, Alex was admiring the massive tumble rock fireplace that dominated one wall of the large living room. Above it was an oil painting of a handsome couple. Here, too, the clothing indicated that the painting was probably turn-of-the-century.

  “Relatives?” Alex gestured at the painting.

  “My grandmother and grandfather,” Theo said.

  “This whole place is remarkable,” Alex commented, running a hand over a rough-hewn beam. “How long have you lived here, Theo?”

  “All my life. I was born here and so was my father.” Theo indicated the painting with a wave of his hand. “That’s his father, William Galloway. He built the place. Raven’s been in the Galloway family since the turn of the century.”

  Alex was impressed. “How did your ancestors come to settle here?”

  “We’ll have lots of time for that when we’re working on the cabins,” Theo said. “Right now, it’s time for a drink.”

  “Families don’t stay put anymore,” Tom grumbled. “Everybody’s got itchy feet, coming and going all over the place. Don’t know what they’re all looking for that they can’t
find at home.”

  Alex wondered if that was yet another poke in his direction.

  “Not me and Caity,” Theo said. “We never wanted to be anywhere but here. Still don’t.” He opened the door of a tall highboy, revealing a well-equipped bar. “Tom, I know your poison. Alex, how about you? Rye, rum, beer?”

  “A beer would be great,” Alex said, and Theo handed him a bottle and a glass and then poured rye for himself and Tom.

  The older men, glasses in hand, each took one of the deep armchairs that flanked the worn leather sofa. Alex sank into its soft cushions. He poured his beer and took a grateful sip, listening to the easy flow of family conversation.

  “You and Ivy keeping busy, Tom?”

  “Not bad at all. Way better than last year. Seems we’re getting more tourists in April than we’ve had before.”

  Theo nodded. “We’re noticing the same thing. We’re fully booked for April and May, and then right through to September.” Theo turned to Alex. “Tom and his daughter run a flight service in Valdez called Up And Away. Tom has his own floatplane, the Beaver, and Ivy flies a Bell Ranger. We’ve started doing package tours for skiers—they stay here and Tom or Ivy flies them up the slopes. You a skier, Alex?”

  “I’ve never tried, never wanted to. I was never much good at sports.” And the very thought of being ferried up a mountain by helicopter made him queasy. He couldn’t help but wonder what type of woman would choose to be a pilot. He boarded planes only out of dire necessity, getting miserably airsick and hating every moment his feet were off the ground. “Did your daughter learn to fly in the military, Tom?”

  “Nope, I did. Vietnam.” He tapped his right thigh. “Shrapnel left me with a bum leg.” He paused as a loud whirring announced the arrival of a helicopter. “That’ll be Ivy,” he said, and Alex noted the way his voice softened and his weathered, stern features softened.

  A few moments later Caitlin walked in, her arm around a tall young woman’s slender waist.

  “Hey, Ivy honey, good to see you,” Theo said, getting to his feet and embracing her. “How’s my favorite niece?”