Chapter 3
Adrian was out of the chair before the echoes of the scream had faded from the crisp air. The sound seemed to have originated from the lake. "Benjy! Oh God!" Sharona followed closely behind Adrian as they ran to the lake. Benjy appeared before them, hair dripping with lake water. "Mom, I heard a scream, what happened!" Sharona leaned down and ran her hands over his hair. "That's what we're trying to find out honey." Adrian only paused a moment to ascertain that Benjy was fine, then continued on to where the small group of campers were gathering. As he eased up to the group, a few people broke away from the crowd with hands over their faces. Those that remained looked pale and sick.
"Dear God!"
"You know who it is?"
"…..ever saw such a thing….."
"…..horrible….."
Adrian pushed around two wobbly campers and looked down. Floating at the edge of the water was the mangled remains of what used to be a human.
After taking their statements, the officer started back to his car, stuffing his pen in his pocket as he walked. Adrian jogged up next to him. "Officer….."
"Dodge. And you are?"
"Adrian Monk." Officer Dodge didn't offer his hand, Adrian was grateful. "Well, what can I do for you Mr. Monk?" By this time they had reached the patrol car. Dodge leaned against the door while he spoke. Adrian clasped his hands. "I was wondering, do, do you know what might have killed that man?" Dodge removed his sunglasses. "How do you know that was a man?" Adrian shrugged. "The ring on his left hand was the design made for male hands, and there was a tattoo on his shoulder that said "Antonia"." Dodge smiled. "Very astute, you sound like a detective." Monk looked down for a moment. "I was a detective…." Dodge shot him a look. "Long story, look, I was wondering, could you tell what happened to that man, what killed him?" Dodge sighed, replacing his sunglasses. "Could have been a lot of things; propeller from a boat, fall off a cliff…. but if you ask me, I'd say the most likely scenario was a bear attack." Adrian's complexion paled. "A bear? There're bears here?" The officer opened his car door. "Look, Monk? I wouldn't be too concerned. Just don't leave and food items or garbage out where a bear could smell em'. They have a really good sense of smell." Adrian crossed his arms while the officer closed his door. "Thanks, you've been a great help."
Sharona didn't say anything as she rapidly packed up their things. "Aren't you even interested in how he died?" Sharona glared at her boss. "All I'm interested in is how quickly we can get out of here." Adrian ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Sharona, you said yourself, there aren't any bears for six hundred miles, so how did he get mauled?" She threw her hands in the air. "I don't know, maybe a family moved here from Yellowstone! All I know, is I don't wanna be next on the menu!" Turning her back, she resumed packing. Frustrated, Adrian walked from the tent. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Spinning on his heel, he returned inside. "What if it wasn't a wild bear?"
Josh Erickson crossed his arms and stared back at the people before him. "You're joking right?" Officer Dodge shook his head. "No joke Josh. And I'm inclined to listen to these folks. Now, do you let us see the bear, or do I call animal control myself?" Josh hitched up his jeans. "Fine, fine. But this ain't free. I want compensation for my time." Dodge lowered his glasses. "The only compensation you get is not being hauled to jail for obstruction."
Outside, the sky had turned overcast. Adrian, Dodge, and Josh approached the cage while Sharona hung back. After securing the bear, Josh stepped away to allow Dodge and Adrian to make a visual inspection. He sauntered back to stand next to Sharona. "Quite the vacation spot huh?" Sharona swiveled her eyes at him, then looked back to the activity near the cage. "I mean, first the car accident, then this bear attack." Sharona looked at him again. "What car accident?" Josh smiled. "You hadn't heard? Wow. Well this guy came flying through here bout two weeks ago in this black sedan. He took a corner too fast down by the lake, and in he went. Sank it, right to the bottom. Never found his body. Cops pulled the car out, but didn't find anything inside other than a soggy pack of cigarettes and a pair of sunglasses." Sharona rubbed her arms. "Look, this is fascinating, but it looks like they need my help." Walking away quickly, she joined Adrian by the bear cage. "So?" Dodge shook his head. "It's not the culprit. This bear is about a hundred years old, and is missing all but one tooth. It couldn't kill a hummingbird much less a human." Adrian shook his head. "Something's not right." Sharona sighed. "Listen, Adrian, I know you hate to leave a mystery behind. But this isn't our business. Besides, there isn't a mystery, the guy was probably killed by a boat propeller like Officer Dodge suggested earlier." Dodge crossed his arms. "We really won't know either way until the coroner has a chance to examine the body. Until then, every thing we might suspect is just a guess."
"Come on Adrian, let's go find that cabin you wanted." Dodge lifted his head. "There's a nice cabin rental place about five miles down the road. Lady in charge is named Angie. You mention I sent you and she might discount your stay." Sharona smiled. "Thank you, we'll check it out. Come on Adrian."
"Just give a second, I'll be right there." Sharona rubbed her brow and walked back to the car. Adrian hugged his arms and continued to stare at the bear. Behind him, Josh Erickson cleared his throat. "You folks about done here? I got a business to run, and customers who actually pay to do what ya'll are doing." At Josh's insistence, Adrian and Officer Dodge allowed themselves to be hustled from the lot.
Later that day, while Sharona was driving them to the cabin, Adrian suddenly straightened in his seat. "What, what, Adrian?" He turned to face her, his expression intense. "The bear." She flicked her gaze back and forth from the road to Adrian's face. "What about the bear?"
"It wasn't the same bear."
"What!"
"The bear in the cage wasn't the same bear that we saw the day before. The other bear had a piece missing from its left ear. The bear we saw today did not." Sharona pulled the car over to the side of the road so she could face Adrian fully. "What are you saying, that the bear we saw today is a, what, a backup?" Her face tightened. "So where's the other bear?"
Next part coming soon. Sorry about the length, I promise the next one will be longer.
Adrian was out of the chair before the echoes of the scream had faded from the crisp air. The sound seemed to have originated from the lake. "Benjy! Oh God!" Sharona followed closely behind Adrian as they ran to the lake. Benjy appeared before them, hair dripping with lake water. "Mom, I heard a scream, what happened!" Sharona leaned down and ran her hands over his hair. "That's what we're trying to find out honey." Adrian only paused a moment to ascertain that Benjy was fine, then continued on to where the small group of campers were gathering. As he eased up to the group, a few people broke away from the crowd with hands over their faces. Those that remained looked pale and sick.
"Dear God!"
"You know who it is?"
"…..ever saw such a thing….."
"…..horrible….."
Adrian pushed around two wobbly campers and looked down. Floating at the edge of the water was the mangled remains of what used to be a human.
After taking their statements, the officer started back to his car, stuffing his pen in his pocket as he walked. Adrian jogged up next to him. "Officer….."
"Dodge. And you are?"
"Adrian Monk." Officer Dodge didn't offer his hand, Adrian was grateful. "Well, what can I do for you Mr. Monk?" By this time they had reached the patrol car. Dodge leaned against the door while he spoke. Adrian clasped his hands. "I was wondering, do, do you know what might have killed that man?" Dodge removed his sunglasses. "How do you know that was a man?" Adrian shrugged. "The ring on his left hand was the design made for male hands, and there was a tattoo on his shoulder that said "Antonia"." Dodge smiled. "Very astute, you sound like a detective." Monk looked down for a moment. "I was a detective…." Dodge shot him a look. "Long story, look, I was wondering, could you tell what happened to that man, what killed him?" Dodge sighed, replacing his sunglasses. "Could have been a lot of things; propeller from a boat, fall off a cliff…. but if you ask me, I'd say the most likely scenario was a bear attack." Adrian's complexion paled. "A bear? There're bears here?" The officer opened his car door. "Look, Monk? I wouldn't be too concerned. Just don't leave and food items or garbage out where a bear could smell em'. They have a really good sense of smell." Adrian crossed his arms while the officer closed his door. "Thanks, you've been a great help."
Sharona didn't say anything as she rapidly packed up their things. "Aren't you even interested in how he died?" Sharona glared at her boss. "All I'm interested in is how quickly we can get out of here." Adrian ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Sharona, you said yourself, there aren't any bears for six hundred miles, so how did he get mauled?" She threw her hands in the air. "I don't know, maybe a family moved here from Yellowstone! All I know, is I don't wanna be next on the menu!" Turning her back, she resumed packing. Frustrated, Adrian walked from the tent. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Spinning on his heel, he returned inside. "What if it wasn't a wild bear?"
Josh Erickson crossed his arms and stared back at the people before him. "You're joking right?" Officer Dodge shook his head. "No joke Josh. And I'm inclined to listen to these folks. Now, do you let us see the bear, or do I call animal control myself?" Josh hitched up his jeans. "Fine, fine. But this ain't free. I want compensation for my time." Dodge lowered his glasses. "The only compensation you get is not being hauled to jail for obstruction."
Outside, the sky had turned overcast. Adrian, Dodge, and Josh approached the cage while Sharona hung back. After securing the bear, Josh stepped away to allow Dodge and Adrian to make a visual inspection. He sauntered back to stand next to Sharona. "Quite the vacation spot huh?" Sharona swiveled her eyes at him, then looked back to the activity near the cage. "I mean, first the car accident, then this bear attack." Sharona looked at him again. "What car accident?" Josh smiled. "You hadn't heard? Wow. Well this guy came flying through here bout two weeks ago in this black sedan. He took a corner too fast down by the lake, and in he went. Sank it, right to the bottom. Never found his body. Cops pulled the car out, but didn't find anything inside other than a soggy pack of cigarettes and a pair of sunglasses." Sharona rubbed her arms. "Look, this is fascinating, but it looks like they need my help." Walking away quickly, she joined Adrian by the bear cage. "So?" Dodge shook his head. "It's not the culprit. This bear is about a hundred years old, and is missing all but one tooth. It couldn't kill a hummingbird much less a human." Adrian shook his head. "Something's not right." Sharona sighed. "Listen, Adrian, I know you hate to leave a mystery behind. But this isn't our business. Besides, there isn't a mystery, the guy was probably killed by a boat propeller like Officer Dodge suggested earlier." Dodge crossed his arms. "We really won't know either way until the coroner has a chance to examine the body. Until then, every thing we might suspect is just a guess."
"Come on Adrian, let's go find that cabin you wanted." Dodge lifted his head. "There's a nice cabin rental place about five miles down the road. Lady in charge is named Angie. You mention I sent you and she might discount your stay." Sharona smiled. "Thank you, we'll check it out. Come on Adrian."
"Just give a second, I'll be right there." Sharona rubbed her brow and walked back to the car. Adrian hugged his arms and continued to stare at the bear. Behind him, Josh Erickson cleared his throat. "You folks about done here? I got a business to run, and customers who actually pay to do what ya'll are doing." At Josh's insistence, Adrian and Officer Dodge allowed themselves to be hustled from the lot.
Later that day, while Sharona was driving them to the cabin, Adrian suddenly straightened in his seat. "What, what, Adrian?" He turned to face her, his expression intense. "The bear." She flicked her gaze back and forth from the road to Adrian's face. "What about the bear?"
"It wasn't the same bear."
"What!"
"The bear in the cage wasn't the same bear that we saw the day before. The other bear had a piece missing from its left ear. The bear we saw today did not." Sharona pulled the car over to the side of the road so she could face Adrian fully. "What are you saying, that the bear we saw today is a, what, a backup?" Her face tightened. "So where's the other bear?"
Next part coming soon. Sorry about the length, I promise the next one will be longer.