“Did Mira mention anything else?”Joe asked as he turned off the main highway and headed toward the inn.
“Just the broken window and some blood. Nothing else.”
Joe passed the inn and turned right, slowing his speed to five miles an hour as the road narrowed and became uneven. There were never enough funds to fill the thousands of potholes and torn pavement across the park. He stopped the truck by the first cabin, waving to Mira as she waddled toward them.
“Which one did you call about?” Joe asked as he stepped out of the truck.
Mira hurried over, her chest and stomach bouncing from the effort. She stood for a moment, winded and wheezing. Without a word, she pointed down the road toward the last set of cabins.
“What exactly happened?” Andy asked.
“Not sure.” Mira sucked in a deep breath, her wheezing beginning to ease up. “I did my rounds this morning and saw the broken window.”
“Was there anything damaged inside?” Joe didn’t bother taking any notes or starting a report. This type of call never got solved or had any leads; just a sad part of life. Stick too many young people from all around the country in a small space, add a dash of booze and pot, and you’re bound to get a little destruction.
“I didn’t dare touch the door.” Mira shook her head, her flesh going pale. “No way did I want to look inside.”
Joe nodded, not really sure why some blood was such a big deal. Bloody animal carcasses were a daily occurrence around the park.
“We’ll have a look.” Andy gave her shoulder a good squeeze, telling her not to worry.
They turned from the woman and walked toward the cabin, seeing the glass scattered on the ground, just as she’d said. Joe saw the entire window had been smashed to hell, not the work of a single pebble or a misguided bird. Joe went to grab the knob, but paused, his hand hovering just above the faded brass. He looked at Andy and then back down to the door. The knob was coated in dried blood, so was the door and the mat on the top of the small porch. The door was ajar. Joe pressed on the top corner of the door and let the hinges take over. His mouth dropped as it swung inward.
“What is it?” Andy leaned from side to side to get a look around Joe’s frame.
“What the hell did this?” Joe was startled, a feeling he hadn’t had in quite a long time. He was pretty sure he had moved well beyond the point of surprise, that he’d seen all the mayhem this park could dish out, but the scene before him made him feel like a rookie.
Andy stepped onto the two-step porch and lifted up on his tiptoes, getting his first look at the scene. The entire floor of the cabin looked as if it had been mopped in blood. Chunks of fur, flesh, and even some feathers were scattered about. The walls were splattered almost as high up as the ceiling.
“What kind of animal could have done all this?” Andy shook his head, unable to piece it together. “Why drag its prey inside the cabin?”
“Maybe something was chasing the bird.” Joe pointed at some feathers that were stuck to the wall. “It wasn’t looking where it was going or perhaps was already wounded. Flew right through the window here, then it got devoured.” Joe puzzled over his own line of thought and shook his head. It didn’t work. He knelt down on the porch, careful not to put his knee in the blood, and eyed the front of the door. “This doesn’t add up.”
“None of it does.” Andy put a hand to his mouth.
“No, I mean the attack isn’t possible. Look.” Joe ran his hand over the front of the door. “For my story to work, the animal would have had to scratch at the knob until it finally turned. But there isn’t a single mark. Furthermore, where are the footprints? All this blood and not a single track.” Joe shook his head, perplexed by so many questions, wondering back to the amount of glass found on the porch and the blood within the cabin. First thoughts had been that someone had smashed it from the outside, but maybe something had been trying to escape, and from what?
Andy and Joe both knelt down low, eyeing the porch and the ground for a single bloody paw print, but there were none. Not even within the cabin.
“Maybe it was a large bird of prey and it flew out the window.” Andy shrugged. Nothing else seemed possible.
“I’ve never heard of something like this. Not even close. Not without some kind of evidence being left behind. No paw prints, scat, scratches or marks of any kind. And that other carcass is too small to be a deer or a coyote. Maybe a small dog or a fox?”
The clumps of fur were matted with blood and scattered about without an indication of species or breed. There were no bones; nothing but the blood. Joe shook his head and turned from the porch, removing his hat to let the morning sun rub an answer into his scalp.
“What should we do?”
“What can we do? Issue an arrest warrant for some animal we can’t identify?” Joe laughed and headed back to the truck.
“What was it?” Mira asked from her rocking chair on the porch.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know. Possibly a rogue bear attack. Go ahead and have it cleaned as best you can and we’ll issue an alert for the area.” Joe knew damn well it wasn’t a bear, but better to tell her something than to leave her frightened. “Just don’t let it sit that way for too long.”
Andy gave Mira a wave and joined Joe in the truck. A moment later they were back on their way to the station, both of them lost in thought.
“Poor Mira, having to scrub that place clean as awful as it was. Probably going to kill her back.” Andy shook his head.
“Any news on those missing hikers?” Joe changed the subject, moving in a direction they were both familiar with.
“No, nothing yet.” Andy frowned. Joe knew his fellow ranger didn’t want to think the worst. After all he had issued them their backcountry pass. She was very fit, mid-thirties. He was a little out of shape but looked like he could handle himself. Andy had told Joe they’d taken the required class and passed the joke of a test they offered. But since they’d signed in at the trailhead two days ago, they hadn’t been seen.
“Check the sign-in at the trailheads and send a wire to the other stations. Let’s have a little bit of good news this morning.”
5
“T
his is so messed up.” Sonia Valentine sat in the ice cream parlor, looking out the window at the black smoke. She had all but forgotten about the chocolate fudge sundae she’d made herself, which was now melting in front of her on the table. A small dab of chocolate sauce had stained her red apron. “Just think of all those poor animals.”
“I can smell them now.” Stewart Olive stuck his nose into the air and sniffed, closing his eyes to savor the false aroma. “I believe it’s ribs and bacon, maybe some chicken too.” He smiled and elbowed Marco Wheeler.
“You’re such a jackass, Stew.” Marco felt bad for the animals, but what could they do? Not like any of them had started the blaze.
“What a sweet scene.” Stew aimed his camera out the window at the smoke, snapping picture after picture. “Maybe I could sell these to, like, National Geographic or something.”
“Who wants some pictures of black smoke?” Marco asked, laughing over a spoonful of ice cream.
“You two know nothing of fine art.” Stewart zoomed in on the distant trees, hoping to catch the flicker of red flames.
“Whatever, Picasso.” Marco wiped his mouth, looking up from his bowl to Sonia’s impressive cleavage. He turned away and pretended to be looking up at the menu, but when she looked back out the window he went right back to her generous display.
“Picasso was a painter, dumbass. I’m a photographer.” Stewart turned from the window and aimed his camera at Sonia’s chest. “Right now I’m going to take a picture of the best two scoops I’ve ever seen in an ice cream shop.”
“You are such a dick!” Sonia reached across the table and slapped his arm.
“At least I’m not a slob.” He gave her a wink, pointing to the glob of chocolate sauce just below her left breast. “I can lick that off if you wish.”
“Oh damn it.” Sonia stood from the table and rushed behind the counter, grabbing a damp rag to dab her uniform. “You’re just lucky I like you,” Sonia threatened with a smile, wishing he could come over and lick it off. She’d become quite attached to Stew. Few people in the park had a set of abs like he did. Her mother would have killed her if she saw her with a black man, but he had the most beautiful skin. She shook her head and got back to cleaning.
Working in the ice cream parlor had been a great choice. The base rate of pay sucked, but the tips were pretty decent, if and when they ever had customers. Lately it was only employees coming in for a cone, and they all got discounts. Worse than that was being alone all the time with so much ice cream. Sonia looked down at all the flavors, so many of them competing to be her favorite. But at least she had a little self-control—not a whole lot, but enough to limit herself to one cone a day, maybe a sundae or two. She was far too proud of her voluptuous figure to let it turn south. A big-breasted girl has to be careful. It’s too easy to cross over from short and busty to the round fat chick.
“Hey, y’all.” Kelly gave a cheerful wave as she entered the shop, tying her red apron behind her.
“Thanks once again for waking me up at the butt crack of dawn.” Sonia tossed the rag into the sink behind her. “Every morning you wake me up.”
“Maybe I just figure you don’t need any beauty sleep.” Kelly smiled, turning on her Southern charm.
“Very sweet, but not quite.”
“What do you think started the fires?” Marco asked Kelly, leaning back to let his ice cream settle. He was probably the only person in the park at the young age of twenty-one to be balding, but he shaved his head every morning to keep the ladies under the impression that this was his choice.
“Not really sure. Maybe God threw a match from his clouds.” Kelly smiled, unable to keep herself from laughing at the imagery. “Probably just some stupid smoker.”
“I heard one of the firemen earlier saying it might be lightning,” Stew added, setting his camera gently on the table.
“Such a shame,” Kelly said sadly, looking out the window. She hoped the fire wouldn’t end their employment before their contract was up. With a heavy sigh, she stepped behind the counter and shook her head at the condition of Sonia’s apron. “Not again.”
“Look, it’s not always easy having mammoth boobs, okay!”
“But it sure is nice.” Stew gave a wide grin as he ran from the table and stepped up to the counter, leaning forward for a long kiss. “Now that tastes better than any flavor on the menu.”
“Maybe you’ve been looking at the wrong menu.” Sonia smiled, enjoying the banter.
“Okay, you two horn dogs are lucky there are no customers.” Kelly motioned to the empty tables, sad to see yet another long and boring day in the making.
“Are you coming with us tonight?” Stew asked, taking a seat at the table.
“Where?”
“Up to the hotpots.” Marco eyed Kelly’s figure and wished she’d go. “Nothing like relaxing in the warm water under the moonlight.”
“Can’t go.” Kelly shook her head.
“Oh come on girl, don’t be a downer.”
“Someone has to close up, Sonia.”
Sonia smiled, realizing it was either Kelly or her.
“Well that sucks.” Stew hopped up from the table and grabbed his camera. He gave Sonia a goodbye smack on the ass and left the room. “See you later.” He gave a single wave and was gone, closely followed by Marco.
“What exactly do you see in that fool?” Kelly asked as she stepped behind the counter, crossing her arms like a motherly figure.
“He has a sweet side to him. Plus he’s very artistic.” Sonia smiled, leaning away from Kelly as if shy. “And he’s amazing in bed.”
“You’re such a ho.”
“Oh, like Richard isn’t? Remember, Richard is a long version of dick.” Sonia laughed, unable to help it.
Kelly wasn’t going to lie about it; Richard was incredibly gifted in the sack. One of the numerous things she really liked about him, but not one of the highest on her list. She smiled at the last thing he’d told her after their walk, right after a very long and passionate goodbye kiss. He told her he’d be counting the hours until he could see her tonight. It made her feel good to know someone cared about her so much. Her last boyfriend had been such an ass, only interested in sex and drugs. She was tired of that scene, and luckily Richard was only a social pot smoker. She too enjoyed the occasional toke, just chilling with friends while passing some herb.
“He’s hot.”
Kelly broke free from her daze and followed Sonia’s stare out the shop and down the hall toward the Inn’s lobby. A fireman was talking with Gretchen, the hotel’s manager. He was wearing a filthy white T-shirt and bright yellow pants, held up by thick black straps over his shoulders.
“Kind of strange they’re letting some of them stay here.”
“Aren’t you a peach, Sonia? They are fighting hard to save this Inn from the fire; least they could do is offer them a place to rest.”
“They could always stay in my bed.” Sonia smiled, biting her bottom lip with a deviant laugh.
“Damn girl, you are a slut.” Kelly poked Sonia in the boob and they both shared a laugh.
6
M
arco and Stew came out of the gift shop with a bag full of condoms, chocolate bars, and Pez. Stew opened the first Pez dispenser and went to town, one rectangular candy piece after the other, flipping them into his mouth like a pro. He and Marco walked over to the grand fireplace dead center in the lobby and took a seat, waiting impatiently for Gretchen, the bitchiest manager in the park, to finish up with the fireman. Stew hated women like Gretchen. The kind that dress up nice, stand straight, follow the rules because it’s their job. But he could see the person behind those eyes, the woman she wanted to be, but wouldn’t unleash. Gretchen was only twenty-five, three years older than he was. But until she learned how to kick back and let loose, she’d remain a bitch in his eyes.
“What’s the deal with Kelly?” Marco asked, thinking back to how nice she looked in her uniform and how much nicer she’d look skinny-dipping in the hot-pots. “Wish she’d come with, man.”