The Adventure Begins
The sun hid behind clouds that seemed snagged on the trees like cotton, giving the day a light-grey sombre feel. A mist hung close to the ground, and Emma wondered if it would rain. Darkness enveloped her and the dogs with a cool feeling, like entering a fridge. There was no hint that the sun would show. Emma called her German shepherds, King and Flare, and they all headed down the damp trail together, the dogs sniffing for hidden treasures. Maybe a squirrel would jump out, sending the dogs on a fruitless chase. Emma was watchful for animals but not noticing any, she relaxed her guard a little and started enjoying the outing.
When they reached the right spot, they would veer off the trail and hunt for truffles. Emma’s mind drifted, and she relaxed into her walk. The dogs glanced between her and the path as they explored, searching out interesting smells. Emma wondered what she was going to do. She felt like she was caught in those low-hanging misty clouds before the sun came out to show her the way.
Emma Everett, she thought, lost in the clouds. Divorced from her abusive alcoholic ex, she did not have a problem attracting men, but whether it was Emma or them—she could never pinpoint the exact cause—they never worked out or became long-term.
Lucky for Emma, her sister Amanda and Amanda’s husband David took pity on her and invited her to stay at their B&B, the Ottimo Inn, their new adventure. They put her up in one of the rental cottages to stay and work on their website, help in the new restaurant, and decide what she wanted to do next. Emma took them up on the offer. She needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of Vancouver and the constant panhandlers and crimes. Luckily, she hadn’t been the victim of a serious crime, but she never felt safe.
They were getting ready for the grand opening of the Ottimo Inn, and Amanda had sent Emma out with the dogs to scout for some truffles. Amanda had shown her quite a few places in the first few weeks of her arrival. King and Emma were a good working team, and although Flare worked better for Amanda, Emma had taken her anyway.
Emma spotted movement on the trail ahead—a person with an off-leash dog, a yellow Labrador retriever. She called her shepherds closer to her and continued on, hoping they would avoid the other dog. Watchful for tenseness in the dogs first and then in the person, Emma moved to the side of the trail. The person, a male, did not leash his bouncing dog. As he was walking, the dog was staying close, with tentative steps, and when Emma got closer, the man stopped, and she asked him if he wanted her to leash her dogs.
“Doesn’t matter. He is fine,” he said in a not unpleasant voice. He wore a dark-green hoodie, and she could not see his face, but he sounded cheerful enough.
Emma stopped and noted what her dogs were doing; they were sniffing the ground and did not seem too interested, so she passed by him. As she did, she glanced at his dog and noticed his collar. It was the electronic sort that angered and saddened her because it shocked the poor dog if it did anything wrong. She resisted the urge to say anything, as they were out in the forest and alone, and Emma didn’t wish to stir up any trouble.
After Emma and the dogs passed, they continued down the trail. She was still angry about the poor dog’s E-collar as she walked briskly now.
There is nothing I can do, and giving my opinion of him could have made things worse. No use upsetting myself and not enjoying my walk.
Emma checked her smartphone for the time: 2:00 p.m. and continued on, striding toward more cover and darkness off the trail. She found a nice area with a good ground cover of ferns and other plants under some Douglas firs and a mix of other trees.
This looks like a nice spot to go truffle hunting.
After calling King and Flare over, Emma gave them the cue to hunt.
“Find truffles!”
King and Flare ran off into the forest, noses to the ground, going separate ways!
Great! Which one to follow?
She watched them both. King seemed to have stronger body language and appeared to be on it, so Emma called Flare, “Flare, this way!” Off they went, King in the lead up an incline, with Emma trailing behind.
As they neared the top, both dogs stopped, heads up. This was not the usual body language for a truffle find. Strange. Emma looked around for a deer or a bear and saw nothing. Was there a cougar, perhaps? She approached King and Flare, their nostrils moving with whatever they smelled. As she reached for King’s collar, King took off to investigate, and Emma just missed leashing him. She swore and ran after him. If it was a deer, she could lose them! She saw flashes of King, the red-and-black coat stealing through the green and brown of the forest until he stopped at a mound some distance away.
As Emma approached, he was barking and quivering in excitement and then rushed to dig at it. After catching her breath, she clambered toward him. “King, if that’s something dead,” she yelled, then caught the odour. Yes, whatever it was, it was dead. She held her breath, trying not to smell it. As she grabbed King’s collar, preventing him from rolling in it or snatching some of it, she leashed him and then did the same with Flare. That is when she saw it, poking from the dirt. A hand!
Emma looked again at the disturbed area, which King had uncovered from the forest floor. It smelled like death and decay. She stepped in closer, and taking a fallen branch, she poked at the dirt. Emma tried to calm herself down. If she panicked, the dogs would notice. The earth fell away with ease as if someone or something had covered whatever it was with dirt and twigs. Emma put her hand over her mouth. She felt like she wanted to scream or throw up. She knew she was in shock, afraid to move forward.
It is a person! Or maybe I am imagining it. I should look closer.
She took more steps toward the mound before an overwhelming fear overcame her. “Come on, let’s go!” she said, grabbing the leashes, hoping not to be sick at the sight. She turned and retreated with the dogs.
Some distance away, Emma sat on a nearby log, and the dogs came and sat beside her, pushing their heads under her hands.
“Calm down, already!” Emma said to herself. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the dogs and then decided she would phone Amanda. Emma got the phone out of her jeans pocket. She had service. Weak, but yes, there. Maybe if she moved toward the trail, it would be better. She walked a little farther down the path. Yes, better reception.
The dogs lunged forward. “Wait! Sit!” Emma said, and the dogs sat.
Emma looked around, but she did not see anyone; the forest felt oppressive and scary. Was that a shadow of a man? King and Flare panted, and their eyes darted at their discovered treasure. Emma made sure she had a tight hold on them. They could pull her over if she was not paying attention.
The shadows seemed deeper in the forest and darker. Damn, it looked like rain was on the way for sure.
Emma felt sick, afraid, and shocked. With her hand shaking, she punched the phone icon for Amanda’s number. Her sister would know what to do!
Amanda picked up. “Don’t tell me you found the motherload of truffles!” she said, laughing.
“No, Amanda. I found a body!”
“What! Are you serious? Call the police. Emma, are you ok? Are the dogs okay?”
“Yes, just a little shaken. Can you come?”
“Yes, where are you?” replied Amanda.
“At the trailhead, by the town. I have your SUV. You will see it on the trail you showed me last week.”
Amanda gave Emma the number for the local police and agreed to meet her at the SUV. Emma ended the call. She looked intently at the dogs, gripping King’s coarse mane to gather strength.
Well, here goes!
She dialled the Breezy Bay Police Department.
“Hello, police!” said a male voice at the other end.
“I think I just found a body,” she heard a shaky voice that could not have been her say.
“Can you tell me where?”
“In the forest.”
A pause…
“Does your phone have the location setting on?”
“Yes.”
“Can I get your name?” inquired the voice.
She told the policeman that she was Amanda’s sister, Emma, and had two shepherds with her.
“Emma, they are on their way. Can you get back to your car okay with the dogs? We don’t want them interfering or biting the officers.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Okay, do you have some battery life on your phone?”
“Yes.”
Emma headed down the trail, with the dogs pulling on the leash. Her legs felt like jelly, and it was an effort to get them to move. Finally, she reached Amanda’s SUV and got the dogs in. She jumped in the driver’s side and opened the windows. As she waited, the voice on the end of the phone still asked questions.
“Can you see the cruiser yet?”
Emma, looking up, was about to say no when the cruiser came into view.
The officer got out of the cruiser; he was over six feet tall, athletic, but not overly muscled, and he had a kind face and good looks. Emma found, to her amazement, he was attractive.
“Emma?”
Emma felt shabby in an old T-shirt she loved with a German shepherd dog (GSD) on it, faded jeans, and hiking boots that, although not derelict, were well used and dirty.
“I’m Constable Logan Wilson. Aren’t those Amanda’s German shepherds? You have them and her vehicle?” He looked at her with piercing blue eyes, and Emma blushed.
“Yes, to both. She is on the way right now. I phoned her first, but I guess dispatch didn’t tell you? I’m her sister,” Emma said.
“Ahh… that explains the dogs and vehicle. Thought I might have to arrest you for theft there for a minute.” Constable Logan smiled while Emma went white.
“Amanda should be here. She knows the trail well,” Emma told him, her voice shaking.
Just then, David and Amanda pulled up in the Cherokee, parking beside her. When Amanda got out, King and Flare started barking with excitement. Amanda opened the SUV’s door, took the leashes, and led the dogs out and into the back of David’s Cherokee. She told David to take them home, and she would see him later.
David raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, go. You have people to feed!” replied Amanda
“Emma, are you ok? You look pale,” Amanda asked, turning back to the SUV.
“I’m ok, considering the body,” Emma replied.
“This was not the meeting I had planned, but, Emma, this is Constable Logan Wilson.” Amanda introduced them.
“Yes, we’ve met,” Emma said, trying to suppress a smile.
“Let’s go to the site. Please try not to disturb anything when we get closer.”
They travelled in silence, Emma giving Logan sidelong glances, noticing again he was attractive. A man like that must have someone. However, it did not seem appropriate to inquire. They walked the same route for maybe fifteen minutes until they came to where Emma had taken the path off the main trail.
“This is the trail,” Emma announced.
“Emma, come with me. Amanda, keep behind at least a few feet.”
“Please, though, walk in single file,” said Logan
Emma tried to remember the exact route as she walked.
Oh dear, I don’t know… is this the way I came?
Then she saw the mound. “That’s it!” Emma said, pointing a few metres ahead.
Logan walked toward the mound. “Yes, the smell of death is unmistakable.” He bent down, and putting on latex gloves, he touched the hand King had uncovered.
“Did you go close to the body?” Logan asked as he returned to Emma’s side.
“It is human?”
He nodded. “We need to rule out your footprints.”
“Yes, King and Flare found it, and King was digging at it when I came and leashed them after they took off on me,” replied Emma
Logan grimaced and then spoke into his shoulder radio, “Better get a team out here, and some forensics, a coroner, and some investigators. We have a body up here.”
He took out some police tape and marked around the area and the start of the trail. Then Logan took Emma’s arm. “We better head back to the car. I will need to take your shoes and get some information from you.”
“But, who is it?”
Logan just looked at them and said nothing for a minute, tightening his lips. Then he replied, “I don’t know. They are face down. Emma, we need to get you out of here for now. This is a crime scene.” He spoke into his radio again. “I need to get her statement. I will call the coroner.” Logan looked grim.
Amanda put her arm around Emma. “Can we sit down?” she asked Logan. “I think Emma is in shock. Can we give the statement later? She is staying with us.”
“Ok, you can come to the station tomorrow, and we will talk then.”
“Fabulous,” said Amanda, and with her arm still around Emma, the two walked back to the SUV Emma brought. Amanda got in the driver’s side.
Emma looked down the trail as Amanda started the vehicle. She noticed a grey-haired, physically fit woman with a golden retriever stopping to talk to Constable Wilson, who shook his head and gestured to the police tape. She looked concerned and glanced over at Amanda.
“Damn, that’s Mel. She’s a retired ferry worker and now writes an online newspaper for Breezy Bay. I am not talking to her,” said Amanda, and she threw the SUV into reverse and drove off.
Emma saw her say something to the dog, and the golden just looked at her and wagged its tail in response.
