“They’re sneaky,” Amelia said. “You saw just what she thought she was going to grab, and she was testing your resolve.”
“Yeah, I sure did. They had to kill a bear a while back that bit a woman in the ankle and pulled her from her tent into the woods. She was screaming, and her boyfriend was yelling and hollering, trying to scare the bear off. Once they’ve begun to attack humans—”
“They don’t stop.”
After he and Amelia ate and she’d fed Winston, they washed up and finished packing their camping gear. Once they were done, they both looked at their shelter. Without the tarp to make it home, it seemed part of the wilderness again.
“I’m going to miss it,” she admitted.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t we make a date to return here when we can?”
She smiled up at him. “It’s a deal. We’ll come when there’s no chance of a storm.”
“I liked hearing the rain pouring all around us while we kept warm and dry in our little shelter.”
“Yeah, it was like an off-and-on waterfall. The thunder and lightning I could do without.”
Amelia put on Winston’s preserver, and then they each put on their own.
Once they finally managed to get Winston into the canoe, Gavin and Amelia climbed in and headed out. It would take them about six hours of paddling to reach their destination, but they were going to enjoy it while they could. The sun was shining, a smattering of clouds floating across the sky. The day was beginning to heat up, a light breeze barely rippling the water as they dipped the paddles into it.
They first headed for the location in the lake where they’d seen what they thought was the raft. If it had been the raft, it was gone now. They looked for any sign of the plane or anything that might have floated out of it, but they found nothing. Near one of the islands, moose were standing in the water observing them. Amelia and Gavin continued to scan the lake and islands, looking for any sign of humans. They didn’t see smoke from campfires or anyone paddling on the water.
A hawk flew overhead, and a flock of geese landed on a sandbar.
It was a pretty day, the sun rising higher in the sky, and if Gavin had just been canoeing with a pretty Arctic wolf, he would have thoroughly enjoyed the day. If it wasn’t for the business with the plane.
They heard a seaplane’s engine before they were even two hours out from their alcove shelter, and they stopped paddling and looked up to see if they could spy the craft. When they finally did, Amelia began waving her arms, trying to signal to them. The seaplane continued to the dock. If anyone on the plane had seen them, they probably assumed she was just waving hello. Gavin and Amelia still had another four hours to paddle before they reached the location.
“Your plane, or the competition’s?” Gavin asked.
“The competition’s,” Amelia said, sounding disgruntled. “If we still had the flare gun, we could have shot the flares with it.”
Gavin smiled at her. “Signaled to them.”
She snorted. “I’m afraid we’ll never make it in time before they drop their passengers and their gear off and leave again.”
“Right, but maybe we can reach some of the canoeists before they paddle away and see if any of them have a sat phone. Then we can call your dad, and I can get ahold of my partners and let them know what’s happened.”
“Will they join you here?”
“They’re all working on cases right now. This wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. I just need to update them on what’s going on.”
“But now you’ve picked up another case. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, and they’ll involve law enforcement officials if it looks like it was sabotage. We’ll need more than just aviation accident investigators looking into this though. It can take several months to a year or more to learn the truth. We need to know if Heaton was responsible. And if so, whether he acted alone or was paid to do it.”
“He’s a wolf. He can’t go to prison.” That was something Gavin and his partners hadn’t had to deal with much—rogue wolves and what to do with them. They’d had trouble with werewolf hunters when they’d been first turned, and that was a whole other story.
“I agree. Which is why we need you to help look into the matter.”
The seaplane took off and Amelia tried to signal again, but either they didn’t notice or just figured she was waving at them. “Damn it.” She began paddling again.
“What’s going to happen to Winston?” Gavin couldn’t help but feel concerned about the pup.
“He doesn’t have a home now.” Amelia sounded choked up about it.
“I’ll take him.”
She turned around, her eyes filled with tears.
“Hey, Amelia, it’s all right. It’s doable. Faith is home with the kids mostly, and Owen’s mate is a writer and home alone working on her books. If I take him in, I’m sure they’ll watch him while I’m gone on assignments like this one.”
She smiled through her tears.
Not that he’d planned it that way, but Gavin believed if he’d wanted to make some headway with the she-wolf, he’d done the right thing by her. He really couldn’t imagine Winston not having a big yard to run in, or kids to play with, or a pack to call his own. He would be much loved. He was a good dog, and he deserved a good family. “Faith and Cameron’s kids will love him to pieces. My yard’s not fenced, but we live on a lake and all the woods around us are ours. He can go on long walks with us, either when we’re wolves or as humans. I’ll have to train him to walk with me and not run off.”
“If I wasn’t afraid I’d tip over the canoe, I’d give you a big hug and kiss.”
Gavin smiled. “Keep that thought, and when we reach the dock, I’ll be ready for it.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I really mean it. I’ve been trying to think of some way I could keep him. I just don’t have a big enough place.”
“We’ll give him the home he deserves.”
“Thank you.”
* * *
They were paddling as fast as they could, hoping to catch up to the canoeists who would be left off at the dock. Amelia and Gavin were still so far out that they couldn’t see them or the dock. Amelia knew the canoeists would be on their way, and there was no telling where they’d be by the time she and Gavin got closer. The paddlers could be long gone. She still couldn’t believe he’d offered to take Winston, and she thought the world of him for it. Winston would too.
She kept telling herself another seaplane could be along any time. Even her brother’s or father’s, if they had a change of schedule. As they drew closer to the dock three and a half hours later, they saw the specks of color off in the distance—an orange and a yellow canoe—too far for them to holler out to. Too far for the paddlers to see Amelia and Gavin, even if they were looking this way.
With a heavy heart, and feeling discouraged when they finally reached the dock, Amelia knew she was going to be sore the next day, with as much paddling as they’d done. Now she worried she might not be going anywhere. That they might end up having to set up camp right here and stay for as long as it took for someone to come along.
She and Gavin helped Winston out of the canoe, and then she said, “Listen, you have a job to do. Go do it. Surely someone will come along and—”
“It’s true I don’t like to miss doing a job when I’ve signed up for it. But right now, getting you home safely is my priority. I wouldn’t leave you out here by yourself—”
“With Winston…”
“With Winston, even if I left most of my gear so you could be comfortable in case a seaplane shows up.”
Then she thought she saw something in the distance. A red canoe?
Gavin turned to see what she was watching. He pulled out his binoculars to get a look. “A canoe with a man and a woman. It appears they’re head
ed this way. They should get here in another hour, hour and a half, maybe.”
“It’s too late in the day for anyone to come pick them up. They must be setting up camp here, and someone will fly them out in the morning.”
“That would be good.” Gavin handed her the binoculars. “Recognize anyone?”
“They’re too far away. Both have billed caps and are wearing sunglasses.” She shook her head. “I can’t tell. Should we set up camp or leave in case they’re trouble?”
“We stay. We’ll set up camp, but I want you and Winston out of firing range, just in case. It looks like just a couple.”
After they set up camp, Gavin cooked the rest of the stew for dinner, and Amelia fed Winston.
They kept an eye on the approaching canoe. “Anyone you know?” he asked again as the canoe drew closer.
“Oh,” she said. “They’re two of the people who were with that CEO, the ones doing the team-building trip.”
“What?” Gavin took the binoculars from her and looked out at the lake. “Why would they be returning this soon? And only two of them?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they have a sat phone. Since they weren’t scheduled to return for nine days, we wouldn’t be picking them up until then. They must have run into trouble.”
“Okay, so at least they’re probably not a problem,” Gavin said.
They waved at the couple as they neared the dock. “Which ones are they?” Gavin asked Amelia.
“The female executive, Nina, and one of the other male executives, Theodore.”
Gavin and Amelia both went to the dock to help them, Winston tagging along to greet them. “You’re one of the pilots with the same company that flew us here,” Nina Cavendish said.
“Yeah, Amelia White. This is my friend Gavin Summerfield,” Amelia said. “And Theodore…”
“Canton,” Theodore offered.
Gavin shook Theodore’s hand.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a sat phone we could borrow, would you?” Amelia asked.
“No. Our CEO has one,” Theodore said. “Nina has food poisoning. Lee called for a pickup, and I volunteered to bring Nina here to fly out. Once she’s picked up, I’m returning to our campsite.”
“You can find your way back okay?” Gavin asked.
“Sure. I got here fine. And this is a test. We come here for team playing and to show our fortitude. Every time we go on these trips, I take on a new challenge. Makes me feel more alive.”
He should have been with them when they crashed. “Who’s coming to pick you up?” Amelia asked Nina.
“Not sure who. The woman we talked to said she’d send one of you. But you’re here,” Theodore said.
“Uh, yeah. So it won’t be me.” Amelia didn’t want to tell them her father’s plane had been sabotaged and had sunk in the lake. She was afraid they would be scared to fly back with her father or brother if they thought the other planes had been tampered with too.
“Excuse me,” Nina said and hurried off to the woods.
Theodore started unloading the canoe, and they helped him. “I’m glad to see you here. I’ve tried to keep her hydrated, but we’ve had a real time of it getting here,” Theodore said.
“I’m sure she appreciates you for bringing her,” Gavin said.
“She’s been embarrassed, but we’ve all been there. So you’re not flying, I take it? Just here paddling like the rest of us?”
“Yeah,” Amelia said.
“How’s everyone else feeling at camp? Are they all right?” Gavin asked.
“Yeah. Nina just ate something that disagreed with her. No one else felt sick.”
“That’s good. Have you had any trouble with bears?” Amelia asked.
“No. You?”
“A mother and three cubs. We were on the island over there.” Gavin pointed in the direction, then asked, “Do you want some of our stew?”
“Sure, I’d love it. I’m not sure that Nina can eat anything.”
“How’s your team-building going?” Gavin asked. “Amelia told me you were with a company group.”
“Well, it’s been a little shaky, to say the least. Between the storms and staying in our tents, and now with Nina getting sick just when the weather is clearing. We’ll sure miss her.”
Nina screamed.
Gavin had his gun out in a flash. “Stay here! Keep Winston here.”
“He’s got a gun,” Theodore said, his eyes rounded.
Gavin hoped Amelia didn’t tell the executive he was a PI. He raced into the woods, and not too far from the camp, he saw Nina running for him. “A wolf,” she said, breathless, terrified, her skin even paler, and she was trembling.
“All right. Head back to the camp. I’ll look for him. They normally won’t hurt people.” The wolf might be just a regular, old wolf. But what if it was the pilot Amelia’s father had fired? Gavin needed to shift to be able to track him. Making sure Nina couldn’t see him any longer, he quickly stripped off his clothes and shifted. Then he headed in the direction he thought the wolf had run after he found some gray fur caught on a branch. He kept looking for more signs of fur.
When he tried to find the wolf’s scent to track him down, Gavin realized the wolf had left none.
* * *
Amelia was never gladder than when Gavin returned to camp. “Nina said she saw a gray wolf.”
“Yeah, I chased after him. He was harmless. You know, like wolves are. Bears, moose, that can be another story.”
“Oh sure, they won’t attack people. Not normally.” But Amelia saw the look Gavin gave her, and she worried that Heaton was the wolf.
“Do you think you can eat some beef stew?” Gavin asked Nina.
Nina shook her head. “Thanks, no.”
“I’ve got some medicine that should help.” Gavin sorted through one of his bags and brought out a package of pills. “Take one of these, and that should stop it.”
“Thanks so much,” Nina said. “Lee thought she had some in her first aid kit, but she didn’t.” Nina took the medicine and washed it down with water.
Gavin helped Theodore set up their tent, eager to learn what he could about the dynamics between Conrad and the sales associate, since he was getting such a late start investigating. “Amelia was telling me her dad and her brother had taken a couple of groups out there to work on team-building. She said the CEO herself came, and then the rest of you are executives?”
“We have two sales associates with us too. They take the notes and make the coffee.”
“I was really surprised to see Mindy with the group. She used to live near me when I was in Alaska. How long has she worked for the greeting-card company?” Amelia asked.
Gavin worked on building the fire some more, glad Amelia was helping him with his mission.
“Two years. So, you knew her in Alaska?” Theodore finished his stew.
Amelia set her plate down and drank some water. “Yeah. You know how it is with neighbors. You usually don’t know them all that well.”
“I agree. It’s a small world. You must have heard she and her husband got into some trouble,” Theodore said.
“Yep,” Amelia said.
Gavin was surprised Amelia didn’t tell Theodore all she knew about it, maybe not wanting to talk about someone he worked with if he didn’t ask for specifics.
“All I know is based on reading the newspaper accounts,” Theodore said. “Our CEO has a habit of hiring women as sales associates who have been in trouble with the law. Nothing major. She likes to give them a second chance.”
“Running a pet theft ring isn’t a minor offense,” Amelia said, her hackles raised.
The courts might see it as nothing major, but Gavin agreed with Amelia.
“Uh, yeah, I didn’t mean it that way.” Theodore looked at Winston, and Gavin suspected the guy realize
d pet lovers wouldn’t appreciate what Mindy and her husband had done.
Gavin wondered just how much Theodore knew about the situation. The newspaper accounts hadn’t mentioned Gavin, as if the police didn’t want to let on that they hadn’t been doing their jobs. Their hands had been tied. As Joe Civilian, Gavin’s hadn’t been. He was just a concerned pet owner looking for his missing Samoyeds. And the police were grateful to be his backup in case anything got out of hand, which it did.
But Gavin did wonder if everyone in this select group of executives knew about Mindy’s history.
“Are Mindy and her husband still together?” Gavin asked.
Theodore frowned. “She’s divorcing him, says she’s turning over a new leaf, has a good job, and doesn’t want to ruin that. Plus, as far as I can tell, she’s really interested in one of our executives.” Theodore shrugged. “If her husband is still up to no good, I don’t blame her. She didn’t give any particulars, but that’s the impression I have. I’m not sure Orwell is interested in marrying her either. That’s just what it looks like to me from outward appearances. She’s easy, and he’s having fun with it.”
“Is he married?” Amelia asked.
“Separated. Which, once he’s divorced, makes him extremely eligible, though I believe the separation might be due to the affair Mindy and Orwell are having. Are you from Alaska too?” Theodore asked Gavin, changing the subject.
Nina was sipping water quietly, but she suddenly stood up and said, “I’ll be right back.” She hurried off to the woods.
“Will you be all right?” Gavin asked her, worried she might still be scared about the wolf.
“No, I’ll be good. If I scream, feel free to rescue me.”
“Sure thing.” Then Gavin answered Theodore’s question. “No, I’m originally from Seattle.” Gavin wasn’t going to tell him about helping to take Mindy and her husband down.
“That’s where our home office is. See? I told you. It’s a small world. You live somewhere else now?” Theodore asked.
“Close to here in Minnesota. I love the wilderness.”
“Well, I admit I’m more of a five-star hotel guy, but I’ve been getting better at paddling ever since the CEO began taking us on these trips three years ago. The first year, I thought I’d die, every muscle group contorted in pain. She has it right though. At first, I thought she was just bored and wanted some companionship while she worked out. I learned the hard way she’s interested not only in exercising our minds at work, but also in getting us in physical shape. We can work longer hours without feeling the stress because we’re keeping in shape. Believe me, my wife loves that I work for the company. We joined a gym and even work out together now. It’s been a life changer for us.”