Kerfuffle at the Border - a short story
Kerfuffle at the Border
By Seren Star Goode
Chapter 1
The sun was setting at the end of a long day of driving. Amanda clenched her hands on the steering wheel as another Border Patrol officer joined the group, laughing at her van. It was her first time leaving the United States, and she had expected the Canadian border crossing from Washington State to be the same as going through a toll booth. But for some reason, traffic was backed up for miles.
A big guard approached the van, and Amanda rolled down the window to greet him.
“What brings you to Canada, eh?” The man studied their faces.
Ben leaned forward in the passenger seat and answered. “I’m speaking at a medical examiner’s conference in Vancouver next week. We thought we would do a few days camping first.”
They had driven sixteen hours straight from Monterey to save every minute of their vacation for exploring the gourmet glamping resort Ben had booked them into. Even sharing the driving, Amanda was exhausted, and her back ached.
“Passports?” The guard’s eyes roamed, studying the decals on the van.
Amanda handed over their documents. The man flicked on a flashlight to study them.
“Married?”
“No!” Amanda’s cheeks were reddening as she glanced at her companion. It was an understandable assumption. They were going on vacation together. But the ink was barely dry on her divorce papers, and Ben had only been widowed a year.
“Just friends.” Ben gave a nervous laugh as he smoothed a hand over his buttoned collar.
“Your vehicle is…interesting.” The officer raised a brow.
“I’m a dog groomer.” Amanda knew the Pink Pup drew attention. You rarely saw a huge pink dog driving down the road.
“You plan on working in Canada?” The officer scanned the interior of the cab.
“I’m volunteering at an animal rescue pet fair while Ben is at his conference.” Amanda’s hands were clammy, but she kept them on the wheel.
“Mind if we come in and look around?” The guards edged closer to the vehicle.
Amanda’s stomach flipped, even though she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Meet me at the back door, and I’ll unlock it.” Amanda smoothed back her curly red hair, tucking it behind her ears as she stood and squeezed through the door that led from the cab to the grooming area in the back of the van.
She did a quick scan as she unlocked the side door. Everything was locked in its proper place, except— Amanda froze when she saw the fuzzy gray tail sticking out under the cupboard door.
Grok, had followed her around like a guardian since she arrived in Monterrey, and he had saved her life more than once. However, she was trying to take a break from murder and mayhem, and that cat was a troublemaker.
“Your tail,” Amanda hissed out in warning.
The appendage disappeared into the cabinet.
Ever since the psychic amnesiac cat had realized she could understand him, he hadn’t stopped talking to her. Another reason she was relieved he hadn’t wanted to come along on this trip. She wondered what had made him change his mind.
The van door slid open. “Were you talking to someone?” The large guard shouldered his way into the vehicle.
Could you bring a cat into Canada? Sweat popped out on Amanda’s forehead. “No. Just making sure nothing fell out while driving.”
The officer thoroughly inspected the vehicle, looking under every cushion and in every storage box. He opened the door to the large cabinet.
There was no cat.
Amanda sagged with relief and asked, “What are you looking for?”
The guard ignored her until he had completed his inspection. Then he studied Amanda. The urge to scratch, twitch, and confess everything she had done wrong in her life, from abandoning her twin sister to ignoring a philandering ex, was overwhelming. But she resisted.
The officer didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. He stepped out of the van as he responded, “A thief stole a priceless diamond necklace down in Friday Harbor. We got word he was headed this way.”
Another guard passed him, giving the all-clear for the outside. As the second guard sped past, he called back, “Someone went to Timmies! They got Timbits in the snack room.”
The big officer perked up and double-tapped the van’s door. “You’re free to go.”
Amanda stumbled back through the passageway to the front cab.
Ben had moved to the driver’s seat. He was almost the same height as her 5’9”, making switching back and forth between seats easy on their long journey. “Any problems?”
“Just drive, please.” A few minutes down the road, Amanda opened the door to the back. “You can come out.”
Ben gave a startled shout, the van swerving briefly as the giant Maine Coon cat strutted in.
Chapter 2
Grok was a cat, albeit an unusual one. And he never admitted he was wrong. At least, he didn’t think he had. His life before a year ago, when Amanda’s sister had found him wandering in the forest, was a blur, and any attempt to remember it caused him to black out. That Amanda could also understand him when he spoke was natural, since her sister could as well. That no one else on Earth could was a surprise.
When Amanda asked if he wanted to come with them and sleep outside on the cold, damp ground and wake up at dawn—maybe she hadn’t said it exactly like that—he had emphatically declined the offer. She had reminded him that cats were crepuscular, most active at dusk and dawn, which he hadn’t known. But that hadn’t changed his mind. What had him rethinking his rejection of the Quixotic camping venture was the feeling of dread that washed over him whenever they talked about their plans or packed for the trip.
He wasn’t worried about getting fed. He had adequately trained the neighbors to provide for him when Amanda was gone—primarily by being so annoying they would do anything to make him happy.
No, he was worried she wouldn’t come back. He wasn’t sure if a sense of foreboding or a panic attack caused him to sneak on board and hide in the van while they were loading up. But he couldn’t shake the fear that he would lose her, as he had lost her sister.
He didn’t have a plan. He expected to be able to reveal himself when they took a break and had gotten too far from home to turn back. But he must have fallen asleep and missed when they stopped for fuel. How was he to know they were lunatics who would drive almost nonstop to the international border?
Which reminded him—he swiped a paw at the driver and let out a loud meow. The van swerved as both the humans screamed. Payback was so sweet.
Grok turned to Amanda, “I need to pee again, and you’ll probably have to replace your coat.”
“You have to pee? Wait, what happened to my coat?” Amanda glanced self-consciously at Ben as she said it. Grok was reminded that she hadn’t told the male human, who was struggling to control the vehicle, that she could converse with a cat. That was probably smart of her.
“You should have stopped sooner.” Grok gave a satisfied purr of approval as Ben edged the van to the side of the road.
Chapter 3
Amanda woke to the sounds of a child shrieking.
After a moment of disorientation, she remembered that two hours past the border, they had pulled into the resort in almost total darkness. They had quickly set up their tents and sleeping bags, and she had collapsed into one and immediately fallen asleep.
Outside, voices were talking everywhere. Doors slammed; engines revved. It was like trying to sleep inside a road rally.
What was going on out there?
Something moved beside her, and she looked down. “Well, hello there.”
Grok was by the open tent door on the fleece bed Amanda had put down for him last night. He glared at the intruder.
Curled up on the air mattress next to Amanda was a long-haired black and gold Yorkshire Terrier with a pink bow on its head.
Amanda leaned down to look at the tiny sleeping dog, who sensed movement and opened her eyes. Startled, the little dog barked in Amanda’s face and raced to Grok for protection.
Grok scrambled to his feet, backing away from the terrier trying to crawl between his legs.
“What is it? Make it go away!” Grok demanded, his sleepy voice panicking as he tried to escape the little dog.
Amanda couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the cat, who had been suffering from nightmares lately.
Shrieks turned to laughter outside the tent.
Amanda decided the dog could wait until she had ensured there wasn’t a disaster brewing outside. Pulling on clothes, she emerged from the tent, putting her hand on the pink van next to her for balance as she blinked in the bright light.
The short shrubs that lined the road last night turned out to be all that separated them from the other campsites. It looked more like a parking lot at the beach than a campground.
“What the…” Amanda’s attempt to assess the situation was interrupted.
“Morning!” called a cheery voice.
She spun around to see Ben holding two paper cups. She took the one he held out. “I thought this was a gourmet glamping resort?”
Ben blushed. “I might have misread the website. The Baker Resort and Spa turns out to have a view of Baker Mountain.” He waved the direction away from the water to a snowy peak way off in the distance. “And there is an old spa-style sauna, but I don’t recommend using it, or I may have to call upon some of my medical training. I’m really sorry.”
Amanda was disappointed. But the look on Ben’s face told her he felt so much worse.
“It’s no problem. I’m sure there’s something here we can do for fun. Maybe canoeing?” Amanda sipped her coffee and observed the relief that crossed the man’s face.
Ben perked up. “I’ve never been.”
As they quickly assembled something for breakfast, Amanda introduced Ben to the dog. The little terrier wouldn’t allow either of them to touch her and stayed glued to the grumpy cat’s side.
“When I was getting coffee at the office, I overheard they had a break-in last night.” Ben screwed up his face, his black-framed glasses wiggling on his nose.
Amanda scanned the campground, which had increased in volume as more people woke up.
The campground ran parallel to a rocky beach. And their site was in the middle of…everything.
A massive motorhome with slide-outs was on their left. A thirty-something man was rolling up his very long sleeves as he tried to get the RV’s generator working. He didn’t look like he knew what he was doing, which was a surprise for someone operating a vehicle that large. On the other side of their camp, another man was pulling fishing gear out of a utility trailer. His campsite was set up with military precision. Behind them, on the water side, was a small tent that kids emerged from like it was a clown car. And next to that, two sites had merged into one camp and were ringed by big motorbikes with mini trailers.
More shrieks of laughter.
Amanda turned away from the water towards the sound. The row of campsites facing the swimming pool was full of families, floaties, and laundry lines of beach towels and inside-out swimsuits. But the noise was coming from the pool, where a group of kids pelted each other with foam noodles.
Ben smiled weakly. He put his cup on their picnic table. “Let’s go find the canoe rentals.”
They were on the peninsula’s eastern side, and the sun glistened on the water as it lapped at the shore. Amanda drew in the fresh sea air as they walked to the boathouse. It smelled slightly cleaner and brinier than the ocean in Monterey Bay. She pulled her curly red hair up and secured it into a messy knot. Then looked around to check if the animals had followed. Grok was pretending to ignore the terrier trotting alongside them but deliberately walked around the larger stones that would be hard for the little dog to navigate.
When they arrived at the large, weathered boathouse, it was open, but no one was around.
“Maybe we have to tell them at the office that we want to rent a boat. I’ll check. You have all the experience. Why don’t you pick one?” Ben headed back down the pebbled beach.
Amanda stepped into the shed and walked the aisles, inspecting row after row of vertically stacked kayaks. Finally, in the back, she found one faded canoe on a top shelf. It was still tied to the hoist system.
Looking around, she grabbed the hoist rope and braced as she hit the manual release. She grunted at the weight of the boat.
“Something’s wrong,” Grok warned, wrapping around her legs, the long fringe on his tail feathering against her jeans as he tripped her.
“Grok, back up. I’m trying to get this down.”
Grok didn’t like to be ignored. He reached up a paw and sank a claw into the meat of her thigh.
Amanda shrieked and let go of the rope.
The canoe came crashing down, barely missing them.
Amanda put a hand on her thigh and examined the wound. Little droplets of blood were leaking through the jeans. “That hurt!”
Grok hissed.
The terrier barked.
Amanda looked up.
Inside the boat was the body of a man.
Chapter 4
The first to arrive was a teenage girl wearing a camp t-shirt. She led a police officer to where they were waiting outside the boathouse. The officer introduced herself.
“I’m Samantha George of the TFNST DPD.” At their confused looks, the officer added, “Tsawwassen First Nation Service Team liaison for the Delta Police Department. The Tsawwassen District Office is nearby, so we’re usually the first on the scene in this area. Can you tell me what happened?”
Amanda told the officer what she had found.
When Ben leaned over the body, the officer stopped him with a warning. “Sir, please don’t touch anything.”
“I’m a medical examiner in Monterey County, California. Do you see here?” Without touching, Ben pointed to the odd angle of the man’s head. “That kind of break usually isn’t accidental.”
Officer George’s eyes widened. “You mean he was murdered?”
Ben nodded.
“Do you think the same person put the canoe up there?” Amanda pointed to the top rack.
Ben looked up. “Anyone could have done that with the hoist. But the person who broke his neck was probably pretty strong.”
Amanda shivered.
Additional officers arrived and moved everyone out of the boat room.
Waiting to make statements, Amanda and Ben sat on a log off to the side as the Delta Police Department in blue uniforms secured the scene.
The teenager settled into the sand next to them, and Ben introduced them. “Amanda, this is Jenny, the manager.”
The girl barely looked old enough for high school.
Jenny saw Amanda’s look. “I’m eighteen.” She volunteered, then shrugged and added, “My folks own the camp. My baby brother had to have surgery in Vancouver, and Mum and Dad left me in charge.”
“Is your brother okay?” Amanda asked.
“Yeah, he’s doing better than me today.” Accompanying her deadpan response, Jenny waved her arms around. “Who would do something like this?”
Ben lifted his chin toward the new group of officers arriving in brown uniforms. “Who are they?”
“Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. But I don’t know what they are doing here. They don’t have jurisdiction.” Jenny glared as a young officer waved and gave her a big smile.
“Friend?” Amanda asked.
“He’d like that.”
“Well, if you want to know what’s going on—” Amanda nudged the girl’s arm.
Jenny thought about it then waved at the young man.
The eager officer stumbled in his haste to get across the beach to them. “Hi, Jenny!”
“Todd. What are you doing here?” Jenny’s voice was monotone.
“Oh, I can’t tell you that.”
“Come on. I’m in charge until Mum and Dad get back. I need to know what is happening. Who was the dead guy?”
The officer twitched and, instead of answering, asked, “How is Nick doing?”
Jenny shrugged. “Fine. It was just his tonsils. Was the dead guy American? Is that why you guys are here?”
Todd emphatically shook his head.
Jenny narrowed her eyes then heaved a sigh. “I’ll go out with you next Saturday.”
The young man’s eyes widened. He swiped off his hat and leaned forward, spilling the story in a loud whisper. “You know that fellow that stole the necklace down in Friday Harbor? We found his boat abandoned in Point Roberts Marina. Then we got this call from Delta that a fellow looking an awful lot like him turned up dead here.” The young officer gave them a meaningful look as he straightened and hitched up his heavy belt.
An older Whatcom County Sheriff’s officer came out of the shed and looked around. When he spotted Todd, his lips tightened, and he yanked a thumb in the direction of the boathouse and called out to him, “Get over here.”
The young man rolled his eyes at Jenny then gave her a wink as he put his hat back on. “I’ll call you about Saturday,” he said before trotting back to the crime scene.
Amanda thought about what Todd had revealed. She tried to get more comfortable on the log and finally slid down to the sand and leaned back against it to watch the forensic team. It looked smaller than the one Ben worked on in Monterey. They really should ask him for help.
When she voiced her concerns, Ben replied, “They did ask me, and I told them I was on vacation.”
Amanda liked that answer. She was silent for a minute. Then, she couldn’t resist theorizing. “If the thief left the boat at the marina in the US, why did he stop at the Baker Resort, just a couple of miles over the border?”
Ben looked thoughtful.
Jenny shrugged.
“He must have been meeting someone,” Amanda concluded.
“That makes sense.” Ben added to her theory, “Maybe a partner or a fence he was handing off the necklace to. They took it and killed him, hiding his body in the canoe so they had time to get away.”
“Well, if it weren’t for you, they would have bought a lot of time. No one takes a canoe out on this water. You want a kayak in the bay. If you still want to go out, I’ve got one up at the office,” Jenny offered.
Amanda shivered. “Could we do it tomorrow? I’m not sure I want to get in a boat right now.”
Jenny laughed and agreed.
Finally, the officers took their statements and cleared them to go.
Ben and Amanda headed up the beach for a walk. When they stopped by their campsite to pick up binoculars and jackets, Amanda had a hushed discussion with Grok. “Don’t you want to stay here and nap or something?”
Grok scoffed and waved a paw in the air. “It’s like the inside of a combat operation. I’m not staying here alone.”
“You could stay with the little dog whose name we don’t know.” Amanda pointed to the terrier whose golden head popped out between Grok’s legs.
“Pass.” Grok glowered up at her as he tried to sidestep his shadow.
“You ready?” Ben asked as he pulled on a sweatshirt. “Wait, are you coming too, big guy?” Ben asked Grok. He reached out a tentative hand to give the cat a scratch.
Grok glared at the hand but leaned into the touch.
“Guess we’ll take them both. Maybe we can figure out where the Yorkie lives.” Amanda climbed into the van and hunted through the cupboards until she found a pet backpack a client had left behind.
“Good idea.” Ben unzipped the bag’s storage area and put in the binoculars and several bottles of water before pulling on the pack.
Chapter 5
Tsawwassen Beach had coarse sand and round rocks perfect for skipping across the water. Ben and Amanda had a contest of who could get more skips while the animals sniffed along the shore. Rustic buildings with weather-roughened exteriors and expensive homes with wide porches lined the shore. Logs were strewn across the sand like matchsticks.
“Have you ever been to Canada before?” Amanda asked Ben as they watched a pod of killer whales through the binoculars.
Ben shook his head. “We wanted to travel, but after my wife got sick, we were afraid to go anywhere. She would be glad I’m finally doing this. And I’m glad I’m here with you.”
Amanda returned his smile.
“Hey, there’s a ferry. Must be going to Victoria.” Amanda paused to think. “Do you suppose the break-ins at the campsite had anything to do with the jewelry theft?”
“Must be a coincidence. A killer wouldn’t stick around when there are so many ways to disappear.” Ben nodded to the departing ferry.
They walked a little longer on the beach and then took a break for lunch in town. As they ate burgers and poutine, Amanda kept an eye on the Yorkie. “She doesn’t seem to recognize anyone or anything. She only has eyes for Grok.”
“She didn’t recognize anyone at the campsite either,” Ben said to Amanda then turned to the dog. “Where did you come from, girl?”
Grok looked up from his bowl of poutine, his long tongue cleaning his nose. “She will tell us when she is ready. This meal is delicious. You must learn to make it. I will require it weekly from now on.”
Amanda stuck her fork in her bowl for another bite. “It’s French fries, beef gravy, and cheese curds. Of course, it’s delicious.” Under her breath, she muttered to Grok, “Fat chance. You learn to cook it yourself.”
He scowled at her.
Ben, unaware of the side conversation, agreed with Amanda, “So good. Now we just need to find butter tarts and Nanaimo bars.”
After lunch, they coaxed the little dog into the harness, and Ben carried her as they crossed the peninsula to Boundary Bay Park and wandered the dyke trail. Pulling out the binoculars, Ben became animated and pointed up. “Look!”
They all stared as a bald eagle flew low over their heads, hunting prey. Ben whispered, “Wow! I’ve never been that close before. This area is an important stop of the Pacific Flyway.”
“The what?”
“It’s one of four major migratory routes in North America.” Ben turned as he followed another bird with the binoculars.
“I never knew you were such an avid ornithologist.” Amanda said.
“I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed bird watching. I haven’t had the time since I moved to Monterey. But now I get to add Great Blue Herons and a Curlew Sandpiper to my birding life list.” Ben gave a satisfied smile as they continued walking.
Chapter 6
“Get up.” Grok swatted a paw at the humans. “It’s time for dinner.”
There was one thing that Grok took very seriously, and that was food. His tail twitched a warning. He watched the pair of humans lie on opposite benches of the table at their campsite, where they had collapsed upon returning to camp.
Amanda moved the arm flung over her face. “We don’t have any food, Grok.”
“I’ll go to the camp store and get something,” Ben offered without moving.
Ben would probably return with one of those disgusting noodle bowls that Amanda loved. Grok gave a full-body shiver at the thought. These two would starve if Grok didn’t keep them in line.
“Hiya, neighbor,” a voice called out.
Grok’s furry ears perked up in interest. It was the fisherman from next door.
“You eat?” The man was leaning over the waist-high hedge, hands on his hips as he studied the supine humans.
“No, we haven’t,” Grok answered.
Of course, the fisherman didn’t understand him, and Grok’s tail swished in annoyance.
“No, we haven’t,” Ben unintentionally echoed as he sprang up and straightened his glasses.
“Well, come on over. I caught my bag limit fishing the marina today. I have spare.”
Grok beat Ben to the hedge, leaping over. Ben trailed behind with the small dog in his arms.
Grok had scented the cooking fish from their own campsite, but now, here, he had to resist the urge to roll on his back in ecstasy over the savory aroma in the air. He settled close to the table where the fish was coming off the grill.
By the time Amanda arrived, Ben was sprawled in a camp chair and waving his arms about as he discussed the birds they had seen that day. The fisherman stood at an outdoor kitchen, stirring and flipping the various dishes on the stove.
“Name’s Bruce. Quite a ruckus today, eh? What happened this morning?”
Suddenly, Grok understood the fisherman’s motivation. They were the evening’s entertainment.
“I’m Amanda. This is Ben. Grok is our cat, and we don’t know the Yorkie’s name. She just found us this morning.”
While Amanda sat on one of the benches, Grok tried to decide how he felt about being claimed as their cat. He decided to let it go this time so he could focus on the fish.
Ben droned on and on to Bruce about the day’s events. “It’s nice not to be involved in the investigation for once, so I’m free to say whatever I want.”
“But excitement and inability to keep a secret is one of your most endearing qualities.” Amanda gave Ben a mischievous grin.
“So, you found the body? Was it the thief?” Bruce asked as he took one fish from the pan and set it on a paper plate on the side table.
At Amanda’s nod, Bruce added, “Did he have the necklace on him?”
“Don’t know. I assume he did.” Ben sniffed the air and moved to the picnic table.
“Wasn’t there a break-in at the camp last night?” Amanda scooted over to make room for Ben on the bench.
Grok moved closer to the side table until his nose was level with the paper plate.
“Yep. A family in the campsite on the other side of Will and Pat’s RV went out for breakfast. When they came back, their trailer was ransacked.” Bruce pointed over to the monster-sized RV next to the Pink Pup. As they were looking, a man left the large motorhome. He tripped over a pant leg and unhooked a line. Swearing, he struggled to reattach it to the RV.
“That Will?” Ben asked.
Bruce nodded. Then he went back to his story. “The thieves were probably teenagers. They need to get them in the CAF. A stint in the military would shape ’em up proper.”
While the humans were distracted watching the man in the next camp, Grok reached up a quick paw and hooked the fish on his claws. He pulled his trophy down and sank back into the dark shadows of the edge to enjoy his prize.
Fat dribbled down his chin as he nibbled his way through the flaky texture, keeping one ear on the conversation around him.
“We better double-check the locks on the Pink Pup before bed tonight.” That was Ben’s voice.
“That what you call your van? Never seen anything like it. Drew the kids like flies all day. Must be a hundred selfies with it online.” The fisherman, Bruce, laughed.
“It’s a promotion for my dog grooming business: Pink Power Wash & Groom.” Amanda’s voice was proud.
“Ah. That one of your clients? What’s she looking for?” Bruce, the fisherman, asked just as the dustmop of a dog found Grok and tried to snuggle into his side.
Grok kicked out a back leg and shoved the terrier away.
“The dog found us this morning and has been following Grok around. Must belong to someone in camp,” Amanda said.
“That’s a strange cat. A Maine Coon?” Bruce asked.
Grok quickly finished the fish and emerged into the light. Usually, he would have bathed himself first, but he could tell his timing was right as Amanda nodded at him.
“Hey, what happened to the fish I put aside for breakfast?” Bruce looked around the flat surfaces of the camp.
Grok tried to look innocent as he licked his muzzle and strutted over to Amanda’s side, the mop dog following.
“Well, there is plenty for dinner. Here you go. Pan-fried salmon with butter, fresh baby green beans, and saffron rice.” Bruce put plates in front of Ben and Amanda. Then he put bowls of deboned fish on the ground for Grok and the dog.
The cat sighed happily and dove in again.
Amanda groaned as she took her first bite.
“How is it so good?” Ben asked, scooping up another forkful.
“Fresh fish. Can’t beat it.” Bruce bent over his plate.
They spent the rest of the evening enjoying conversation with Bruce and watching the stars.
With Amanda’s eyes drooping, she finally had to call it a night.
Ben pulled her off the picnic table and propped her up for the quick hop back to their camp.
Amanda collapsed, exhausted but happy, into her tent.
Chapter 7
The next thing she knew, it was morning, and Ben had stuck his head in, asking if she wanted to take Jenny up on her kayak offer. Amanda agreed and threw on shorts and a sweatshirt.
The office was in an uproar when they arrived.
“What happened?” Amanda asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the community pot.
“Another two break-ins!” Jenny ground her teeth and looked ready to rip out her hair. “Last night, they got the bikers down by the boathouse, who were sleeping off a bender and didn’t hear anyone snooping around their camp. And this morning, they got the military guy’s site while he was shore fishing the high tide.”
“Bruce? We had dinner with him last night. Was his gear stolen?” Amanda stopped while pouring a second cup of coffee for Ben.
“What’s this about a break-in? Do they know who did it?” A blond woman in her fifties who had been sorting through the free granola bars leaned towards them. “Sorry for eavesdropping. My name is Pat.”
“Hi, I’m Amanda. We’re in the camp next to you.” She gave Pat a small wave and turned back to Jenny.
“That’s the thing. Nothing was stolen from any of the sites. Whoever it was ransacked the sites and left.”
“Strange.” Amanda bit her lip. It didn’t sound like teenage hoodlums. It felt like someone was looking for something.
“Hey, did you hear about the break-in?” Ben cut off when he saw their faces. “Sorry, Jenny. I know this is making your job hard.”
“Well, my parents will be back this week, and I can’t wait. Oh geez, and I’ve got a date with Todd this weekend.” Jenny planted her face in her hands.
“Seems like this is a bad time to ask about the kayak.” Ben grimaced.
“You mind coming back this afternoon?” Jenny was pulled away by a panicked woman who had lost her wedding ring in the pool drain.
Amanda waved goodbye to Pat, and she and Ben returned to their camp.
After some advice from a neighbor who had been visiting the area for a while, they got into the Pink Pup and drove up to the town of Ladner, where they rented bikes. They spent the morning exploring the delta trails and returned to the village for a late lunch. It was afternoon by the time they got back to camp.
“Did you still want to try kayaking?” Ben asked. The eager look on his face had Amanda nodding in agreement.
Back in the camp office, Jenny was happy to set them up. “I’m sorry I can’t get away to give you a lesson.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I’ve been canoeing before,” Amanda volunteered.
Jenny’s smile faltered. “You know it’s not the same thing, right?”
“I’m sure we will be fine,” Ben reassured her.
“Just don’t go too far off shore, and wear your life vests. Here’s the key to the shed around the back of the office. Bring it back before you head out.”
Ben and Amanda found everything they needed in the shed, including neoprene gloves, boots, and windproof outer layers. They grabbed an open-top tandem kayak and paddles before locking the door and returning the key.
The boat bumped their legs as they walked to the shore, and Amanda worried if she had oversold her skills. It was true that she could canoe, but it had been years since she had been out, and she suspected the Little Miami River in Ohio would be different from paddling in the water of the Salish Sea.
Amanda and Ben managed to get away from the shore with only one snag—Grok insisted on coming along. Once the cat was in the boat, the little terrier refused to be left behind.
The kayak sat lower to the water than Amanda was used to and was a lot wobblier.
“You okay back there?” Ben asked.
“Yes. Trying to get used to the double-bladed paddle,” Amanda squeaked out as a small wave hit the side of the boat and threatened to tip them. “We need to point the nose into the waves.”
At first, they struggled to coordinate the paddling. But Amanda thought they were starting to get the hang of it.
They were about fifty yards off the shore when Grok decided to take the point, pushing up to the bow. With the light wind blowing in the cat’s face, ruffling his neck mane, he looked quite regal—until the small terrier insisted on joining him. There wasn’t enough room.
Amanda felt frozen as she watched it happen.
The long-haired terrier pushed. Grok’s nails scrambled for purchase on the slick plastic, catching on a rope as the cat’s weight fell left. Ben leaned right to compensate, and the terrier slid back into his lap. That tiny bit of extra weight was all it took to dump them.
Chapter 8
When Grok’s head popped out of the water, his first thought was how much he liked to swim. He hadn’t known that about himself. He didn’t know if he had ever been before, but he would definitely do this again. Then, alarm swept through him. Where was the small dog? What if its stubby little legs were too short to dog paddle? What if it had gotten tangled in all that hair?
Grok glanced around and saw Amanda floating in her life vest, holding on to the nose of the boat.
“Where is the dog?” Grok called to Amanda as he spun in a circle.
At that moment, Ben’s head popped up. His glasses were hanging from one ear, and he grabbed at them as he clutched the terrified dog to his chest. They were both coated with mud. Ben flailed around for a minute then abruptly stood. The water was only waist deep.
“Grok, Ben has her,” Amanda called out, but Grok was already headed towards them when he felt an arm sweep him up, dragging him towards the boat. Grok struggled, and Amanda shoved him onto the kayak as she slipped back into the water. Sputtering, she regained her feet and glared at Grok.
Grok hissed at her. She turned her back to him and followed Ben to shore, towing the boat and Grok behind her.
On the rocky beach, Grok immediately leaped off the boat and stalked over to Ben, who was leaning up against a log with the dog in his lap.
After a quick sniff, Grok snatched the dog from Ben’s hands. Some instinct kicked in, and he carried the little dog back to the camp in his mouth.
Chapter 9
“So, kayaking is not like canoeing.” Amanda’s feet squished in her shoes as they sloshed their way back to the office to return the boat.
Ben snorted a laugh.
They picked up instant noodles in the camp office and returned to their site. Amanda shivered. She needed a hot shower and to check on Grok and the Yorkie.
They were clean and had finished their pot noodles before she could finally coax Grok into letting the terrier go. “I promise; I’m just going to check her over.”
The little dog finally trusted Amanda enough to allow petting.
Both animals were dry, but the long-haired terrier’s coat was a mess. Dried mud caked and matted the once long flowing hair.
“You know what, I’m going to see if she’ll let me give her a proper bath.” Amanda tucked a wet strand of her red hair behind her ear.
“Lucky girl.” Ben chucked the little dog under the chin.
Amanda climbed into the grooming van and set the dog in the stainless-steel sink. Running her fingers through the dog’s long coat to get as much mud off as possible, She caught them on a collar wrapped twice around the Yorkie’s neck.
“What is this, girl?” Amanda parted the coat at the dog’s neck. Her fingers fumbled blindly in the hair as they followed the muddy, beaded collar to an unusual latch. Unfastening the lock, she set it off to the side and proceeded to give the terrier the full spa treatment.
Sometime later, clean, silky hair flowed through her fingers. She was wrapping up the blow-dry when Ben popped his head in.
“How much longer do you think you’ll be running the blower? It’s a bit loud, even for this camp.”
Amanda pulled off her ear protection and drew down the terrier’s hoodie. “Finished. Do you want to take her while I clean up?”
Ben happily accepted the dog and settled on the picnic table to finish brushing her.
Amanda quickly cleaned the van. Grabbing the collar and a washcloth, she left the van and settled next to them on the table. It was dark out now and the moon beaming high above them didn’t provide enough light, so she pulled the lamp closer while she rubbed the collar clean of mud and tried to find an owner’s name.
Brilliant white gems sparkled in the light.
“Ben! Look, it’s a necklace!” Amanda flattened the stones out on the table. Ben leaned over and examined what she had found. Amanda counted; fifty-two white diamonds sparkled up at her.
“This must be the necklace the thief took.” Amanda studied the stones. “But how did it get on the dog?”
“Maybe he knew he would get caught, and he hid it from his accomplice, who killed him?” Ben fingered the shiny necklace.
Reluctant to take her eyes off the spectacular gems, Amanda glanced quickly at Ben and then back to the necklace. “We need to call the police. Do you have the name of the local representative?”
“No, but Jenny does. Let’s lock the necklace in the van and go up to the office. She can call it in.”
It was while they were calling the police that the Pink Pup was burgled. Grok and the terrier were locked in the front cab when they returned. The lock was destroyed on the side door and the van ransacked.
“They locked us in!” Grok growled as Amanda let him out of the front cab. “We were sleeping, and then the door closed. We could hear them but not see anything.”
Amanda rushed to the drawer where she had put the diamonds. They were gone.
At her shout of dismay, Bruce emerged from his tent in the camp beside them, a tire iron in his hand. “What’s happening?”
“They broke into my van! They took the necklace,” Amanda cried.
In the dark, lights were coming on at sites around the camp. People’s heads were popping out of tents and RVs.
An engine revved next to them.
Amanda realized the giant RV’s slides were all pulled in, and the hook-ups were detached and spread over the ground. The RV reversed quickly, nearly hitting the car in the camp behind it. Then it drove forward and took out half the hedge surrounding the lot.
A claw latched into her leg, and Amanda howled. She looked down.
Grok was extracting his claw as he demanded, “Stop them!”
Amanda thought about the sloppy hook-ups, the clothes too big—and the bad driving. Will and Pat didn’t know anything about RV camping.
“It’s them!” she yelled to Ben as she raced across the camp. She beat the RV to the campground’s exit and closed the big metal gate.
The RV took a corner way too fast. The vehicle drove up on the driftwood logs lining the walking path, headlights strobing the dark as it rocked. The big motorhome approached the office. Seeing the gate closed, the driver took the side road that angled away from the camp.
Beyond the turn, there was the sound of an impact.
Amanda ran after them. Rounding the corner, she paused.
The RV had taken the bend in the road so fast there hadn’t been time to stop and avoid the dump station. They had plowed into the concrete barriers protecting the sanitary dump, beheading the freshwater pump. Water jetted into the night sky.
Running around to the side, Amanda looked in through the driver’s window. Will was inside, shaking his head. He looked dazed.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
The passenger door flew open, and Pat jumped out. She glared at Amanda and took off running for the dark beach. Amanda gave chase.
A kayak and a canoe sat on the shore.
Pat pushed the kayak into the water and jumped inside. Amanda didn’t hesitate; she followed in the canoe.
Out of nowhere, Grok jumped in after her.
Strong, confident strokes had Amanda quickly catching up to the kayak as the other woman struggled with her feathered paddle. Grok leaped from the canoe to the kayak.
The woman screamed and swung her paddle at the cat.
Grok did a fancy move on the bow of the boat. As the kayak tipped, Grok leaped safely back into the canoe.
Splashing in the water, Pat grabbed for the canoe. Amanda backed off and bopped her on the head with the paddle. After an angry curse and some flailing by the other woman, Amanda managed to corral her back toward shore, where two police officers waded out and grabbed Pat.
Ben rushed to her side and helped her drag the boat to shore. “You will never believe what they found in the RV!”
Amanda collapsed on a log, half leaning on Ben. As soon as her pulse had calmed enough, she asked, “What?”
“The real Will and Pat! They had been held hostage in the RV for days. And the necklace! The imposters killed their accomplice, but he had hidden the necklace. The thieves have been impersonating the older couple as they searched for it.”
“And no one noticed?” Amanda asked.
“Seems they arrived at the campgrounds late, as we did, set up camp, and then they were kidnapped. So, no one knew what they looked like.” Ben wrapped an arm around her when she shivered.
“I knew something was wrong.” Amanda looked at Ben. “Are the real Will and Pat, okay?”
“They will be now. Their kidnappers are in custody.” Ben turned to the cat sitting on the log next to them. “And guess what, Grok? The terrier is their dog! They were thrilled to see her. Her name is Coco.”
Amanda smiled.
“Man, that conference will be so boring this week compared to all this excitement.” Ben shook his head. Amanda gave him a mock push, and he fell back off the log into the sand, knocking his black-framed glasses sideways. “I’m kidding!”
“I need a vacation from my vacation before we go back home to Monterey.”
Amanda flopped backward into the sand next to him, and they smiled as they stared up into the starry sky.
THE END