“What are you thinking?”
“It’s dark thoughts, I know,” she said. “Cecil played me and Dana. He had all of us running around looking for his sister. No one we contacted ever remembered seeing Christine at the school that night.”
“What about her parents?”
“Earl, the mom’s boyfriend, thought she went to the dance, or was gone all day. Joane wasn’t much good either. I remember seeing kids earlier in the day ice panning.”
“What’s that?”
“Kids like jumping on the flowing sheets of ice as they speed along the shoreline.”
“We get kids joyriding. You get kids thinking they’re immortal and waterproof.”
“We get joy riders too,” she said. “This whole thing got me thinking.”
“Is that why we’re out here in the valley?”
“The address on the package Cecil sent today. It’s in Wasilla.”
“It’s right up here according to the Google maps.” Anderson flipped the blinker, taking the exit for Trunk Road. The Mat-Su Regional Hospital sat to Meghan’s right, and the exit ramp roped around it. “It’s to the left here.”
Meghan sat up and rubbed her eyes. Anderson turned left down a frontage road. Blue Lupine snaked around away from the hospital and traced along the main highway. She saw the digital map on Anderson’s smartphone put the fourplex townhouses to the right, and Anderson pulled into the gravel drive full of cars and potholes.
He turned the spotlight on the second door from the right.
“Want me to go with you?” he asked.
“You can, if you want.” Meghan released the seatbelt and got out of the car.
It was a little after eleven and the living room light glowed through the drawn curtains. Meghan heard the dog barking inside the townhouse. When she climbed the wooden stairs, the porch light snapped on. Anderson stood behind her in the lawn, waiting.
A woman came to the door. She looked Native Alaskan and terrified. Her round face paled when she realized the police showed up at her door.
“Hi, my name’s Meghan Sheppard. I was the Police Chief in Kinguyakkii.” She waited a moment. The woman in her forties drew up her thin blue robe around her neck. “I think you know why we’re here.”
“Yes, I know.” She nodded. “I told him it wouldn’t work. I knew it wouldn’t work.”
“Well, what if I told you, it did work?” she said. “Can we come in?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind dogs. She sounds mean, but she’s a pussycat.”
“I love dogs,” Anderson said.
It was a tight fit. Meghan and Anderson didn’t move too far into the apartment. The tiny living room had a doorway that led into the kitchen. The thin stairwell went up the right side of the room.
“Want me to get her? She’s asleep upstairs.”
“What’s your name?” Meghan asked.
“I’m Nicole Whitley. I’m Cecil and Christine’s auntie. We’re not related, but they grew up with me until I left Kinguyakkii two years ago. I remember you,” she said. “You’ve done good things for that town.”
“Does she know what’s going on?”
Nicole shook her head. I came to town on Friday and picked her up. Cecil, he’s a bright boy. It’s hard to say no to him.”
Meghan nodded. “I understand.”
Nicole climbed the stairwell as the steps groaned under her weight. Meghan squatted to play with the dog that continued to nuzzle her crotch like it was normal behavior for a dog.
Anderson cleared his throat. Meghan looked at him.
“You got to be kidding me,” he said.
Meghan shook her head.
The light in the hallway at the top of the stairs turned on. Meghan saw little feet in pajama pants and a matching top. She saw the dimpled face as the girl yawned and rubbed her eyes.
“Do you know who I am?” Meghan asked.
“Yes, you’re the police chief.”
“Think you can come home, Christine? Your mom’s worried about you.”
“Okay,” she said. It was as if sleeping in a friend’s bed five hundred miles from Kinguyakkii was a normal thing.
“Am I in trouble?” Nicole asked.
Anderson laughed. “You’re not in trouble,” he said. He reached into his coat pocket for the smartphone.
Chapter Twenty-Three
They had to wait until morning to leave. Meghan got a room at a motel in Wasilla while Anderson drove back to Anchorage. Nicole picked up Meghan before the morning light. She had to stay behind while Meghan and Christine Tuktu got shuttle service from a valley Alaska State Trooper to the airport.
Returning to Kinguyakkii, Meghan wasn’t interested in the spotlight. She managed to sleep on the plane despite her aviophobia. Sometimes the fear of flying had to take a break when she didn’t get enough sleep. Before Meghan fell asleep, she had a brief conversation with Christine about what happened between her and her uncle. Meghan wasn’t an expert with child sex crimes, but she knew enough to understand when the girl buttoned up when it got uncomfortable. They spent more time talking about Christine’s detailed drawing style. Christine opened up more about her love of animals and the use of a pencil. Meghan felt confident that whatever damage Eugene did to Christine, it wasn’t permanent.
Anderson went through all the necessary channels for Meghan’s return trip. Trooper Chandler flew the lost little girl and the stubborn former police chief without much conversation or intervention between them. She sat beside Christine as the girl stared out the window of the Piper Super Cub looking down at the swirling colors and dancing mountains. Christine didn’t have a fear of flying. Meghan put on a brave face for the girl.
Meghan glanced out the window to the dirt and gravel roads, the shanty houses, the piles of broken machines around the clusters of civilization. Meghan saw the patch of melted earth of the cemetery where the layers or artificial flowers looked like spring blossoms on the tundra.
The trooper pilot landed in the familiar setting of Kinguyakkii. She saw Joane, Earl, and most importantly, Cecil waiting near the secured state hanger. Lester and Oliver stood beside them. Meghan saw Duane, and Ulva waited in his pick-up truck outside the gate. There wasn’t a homecoming fanfare. Only a few people knew of Christine’s return.
Meghan and Chandler waited by the plane while Christine ran to meet her mother, gathered up by Earl, who cared for the girl as best he could, never concerned she wasn’t his blood. Family wasn’t about shared genes, only bonded feelings.
“You did good,” Chandler said.
Meghan saw the smile on the man’s face. He wore the trooper hat and snapped a picture on his smartphone of the reunion.
“I did what anyone would do.”
“No, Meghan.” He looked at her. “You did it because it’s who you are. You see things the rest of us miss.”
“Well, maybe I can get you to write me a letter of recommendation for my next job.”
“Oh? Are you leaving?”
Meghan walked away, waving to Chandler without turning around. “See you around, Trooper. Stay safe.”
She stepped lightly toward the family. Meghan had to know one thing that bothered her.
“Thank you so much for what you did,” Joane said. She fell into Meghan’s arms. The woman trembled as she squeezed Meghan.
“I’d like to talk to Cecil a minute, if it’s okay with you and him, of course.”
“Yes, sure,” Joane said.
His mother looked at Cecil. He gave a mild nod with a look of worry, squeezing his cheeks around his eyes. The jacket on his shoulders fit so tight the boy couldn’t zip it closed. He compensated with more layers, a shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt under the coat.
Meghan walked a little way from the family. Cecil caught up to her. They walked in step a few meters from the rest of the people near the private airport hangers for small planes.
“So, you know you’re not in trouble, right?” she asked.
Cecil nodded. He stared at his boo
ts. Meghan wondered if his boots were too tight on his feet.
“I need to know if you put your sister’s coat on the ice.”
Cecil waited. He kicked at loose pebbles on the tarmac. Meghan saw him nod again.
“Christine didn’t go to the Memorial Day dance, did she?”
This time Cecil shook his head.
“You made sure to make everyone think she went to the dance. You wanted us to believe she absconded from the dance. Do you know what that means?”
Cecil brightened as he looked directly at Meghan. “It means to leave secretly,” he said.
Meghan nodded. Cecil was almost as tall as her. At thirteen, he was wiry, too thin.
“You know, sometimes I feel like I’m the smartest person in the room,” she said. “It’s arrogant. I know that, but when you’re dealing with criminals, you have to outsmart a lot of them. I feel standing beside you; you’re the smartest person in the whole town.”
Cecil’s face shifted. He fought back the smile that eventually came. Meghan saw neglected dental hygiene in his mouth. None of it was his fault or his mother’s fault. She knew that. Joane and Earl did the best with the little they had to give.
“Do you know how long your uncle—”
“Don’t call him that.” The flaring anger showed where happiest just died on Cecil’s face.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.”
“I think I knew for a while,” Cecil said. “I saw the pictures in one of Chrissy’s drawing books. She had two books. One held the good pictures. The other held the bad ones. I noticed she only drew in the bad one when she spent time with Eugene.”
Meghan understood the separation. Likely, Cecil didn’t want to have a surname linked to the monster.
“You had us running around looking for your sister, and she had already left on the plane Friday. Where did you get the money for the ticket?”
“My mom saves our PFDs for us. She wants a better future for us. She does her best, and I want her to use the money to help Chrissy. She wants to make sure we have something because she never did,” Cecil said.
It was a rare gift with the obvious financial struggles the family had, that Joane put free money into saving accounts for her children. The Alaska Permanent Dividend Fund paid Alaska residents at any age as a kickback for fossil fuel reserves statewide. It was a finite system that still worked for the time. No one knew about the future. Joane wanted more for her children.
“You put Chrissy’s drawing pad in Eugene’s house, didn’t you?” Meghan said. “You put it where you thought someone might find it.”
“I put it where I knew you’d find it.”
“Me? How did you know I’d find it?”
“Because I knew you’d figure out what I did. I wanted Chrissy out of here before you got Eugene.”
Meghan took a deep breath, breathing in the arctic air that she felt invigorated her lungs. It made her feel more energetic. Meghan knew it was psychological, but she was too tired to fight the physiological impact.
“What was in the priority box? More of Chrissy’s clothes?”
Cecil nodded. It made sense. Piecemeal the clothes to her during the time of her mother being distraught, and she’d never notice.
“Did you know Eugene killed your father?”
“I remember when they went out that day. Dad talked to me about him leaving to get construction work in Anchorage. There was a contractor who wanted to hire him. Eugene came back and lived with Dad for a few years. Dad told me not to worry because he wanted Mom and us to move into the house.” Cecil’s face changed when the memory caught up to him. She saw his shoulders sag. When the tears came, they soaked up her shoulder because Meghan wrapped her arms around him and let him cry. She didn’t care who saw her holding the boy, waiting for the sorrow to drain out of him. “I never saw Dad again.”
They talked for a while about how Cecil orchestrated the hoax of his sister’s death. She found out details of Nicole Whitley’s involvement. Their social media connection had a lot to do with her willingness to take Chrissy away from the secret abuse. Eventually, Meghan led Cecil back to his family.
Meghan avoided the family reunion. She weaved around them, using the fence as a guide to get back to the gate. Oliver and Lester veered away from the others. They caught up to Meghan as she moved by the pick-up truck. Duane pulled away from the fence and drove back toward town.
“You want a ride?” Lester asked.
“You still police chief? Or did you quit because you couldn’t deal with the politics?”
Lester gave Meghan a long look. She saw him hold back something negative. “I’ll see you around,” he said finally. Lester got on the four-wheeler and kicked up gravel, pulling away from her and Oliver.
“You want to talk, or do you want me to give you a ride?” Oliver asked.
“I’ll take a ride, thanks.”
As they drove up Third Avenue from the airport, Oliver spoke to Meghan over his shoulder. Meghan held onto the rear rack staring out at the town that grew on her.
“Duane terminated me,” he said. “Think you can write me a letter of recommendation.”
Meghan laughed. “I wanted a letter from Trooper Chandler.”
“Hey, that’s a good idea. You think he’ll write me one too.”
“I hate you lost your job because of me,” Meghan said.
“I don’t care. I trust you. I think it was wrong. They got rid of you because that lady came to town and got into our business. I thought we did alright here.”
“Apparently, it wasn’t good enough for the people who make the decisions.”
The four-wheeler slowed down before Oliver turned down Bison Street. He pulled up in front of Meghan’s house and parked. He sat on the seat, watching Meghan climb the small creaking steps to the front door.
“Do you know what you’re going to do now?” Oliver asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll run for sheriff somewhere in the Midwest. I’d like to stay out of the cities.” She unlocked the door. It was an exercise she had to get used to doing again. “Want to come in for a cup of tea?”
“No, I got to help my auntie pull the boat out and prep it for the coming season.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do now?”
Oliver shrugged. “I’ll find something. Do you know when you’re leaving?”
“No, I contacted the landlord about the house. I submitted the thirty-day notice. He already has someone renting as soon as I leave.”
Oliver nodded.
“I have to take care of my severance package with the city. I suspect the Borough will want to take time to scold me.”
He shrugged. “See you around,” he said.
“Hey, thanks for fighting for me with Duane.”
“I knew he’d fire me. I didn’t care.” Oliver revved the engine and rode off.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Monday, midmorning, brought a stranger to Meghan’s front door. She’d slept late. She had coffee brewing and needed to make another trip to Ammattauq Native Trader Store for a new bundle of boxes since she lost her last batch chasing leads that weren’t her business. Yet, something made it worthwhile. As a pragmatic, Meghan knew Christine’s relocation would not stay secret. She knew the state had ways of handling child endangerment. Cecil used his cunning to make a difference. In her eyes, more people should listen to him instead of seeing a child.
She opened the door to a man she met once in her career and never expected to see again.
“Can I come in?” Sergio Wilcox asked. He wore civilian clothing, the cold weather insulated jacket, cargo pants, and hiking boots. He looked like a rugged outsider in the northern landscape.
“If you don’t mind, I’m wearing my pajamas,” Meghan said. She moved away from the door in the sweatshirt and yoga pants.
The Anchorage field office Special Agent in Charge walked into the house and closed the door. Meghan went into the kitchen and got a second mug for coffee. She leaned again
st the counter when Wilcox followed her, scanning the place for all available exits, and any dangers. It was in the eyes. It was in training. He picked up the ceramic mug and took a sip.
“It’s good,” he said. “Thank you.”
Meghan waited. A man like Wilcox, with an entire state to monitor for the FBI, needed a good reason to fly back to Kinguyakkii.
“I want to issue a formal apology from the FBI.” It came out with a hint of irony. Meghan didn’t read much into Wilcox’s inflection. It was the statement that mattered. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but the interview of Vincent Atkinson continued during your interaction with Cadet Aston Holmes.”
“I didn’t think much about it.”
“Upon reviewing the audio footage, the Bureau felt Mr. Holmes wasn’t the kind of person we wanted representing the United States Government.”
Meghan bit her tongue to stop from saying anything contrary to the oversight.
“He agreed to not press charges for assault after I recommended we’d not pursue sexual assault against him. I think he didn’t want to end up on the sex offender website.”
Meghan sipped at the coffee to keep from saying anything negative about the former cadet.
“What about Vincent? Are you leaving him alone?”
Wilcox nodded. “You know we’re not interested in whatever he does, as long as it doesn’t involve minors. I’d like to have someone talk to him about the choice in what he collects from the laundry.” Wilcox gave Meghan a look that suggested he held back more than he said before starting on a different topic. “Turns out, Kinguyakkii is without law enforcement for the foreseeable future.”
Meghan liked that Wilcox took the time to pronounce the name of the town.
“I’m sure Duane and Reeve will find someone to fit into the office again.”
“Regarding Trooper Sergeant Reeve, he’s taking a posting in Ketchikan. It’s effective immediately. I don’t know if that matters to you.”
“As long as someone’s not cutting heads on my account,” she said.
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