Arrow's Rest by Joel Scott (best books to read all time .TXT) 📗

injuries were out of sight beneath the blanket, which was raised in a tent-like structure over her to avoid contact with her body. Danny had spoken to the doctors, and they were cautiously optimistic about a full recovery. There would be some scars, but no long-term disabilities, they said.

“Any news about Jared?” Erin asked. Nobody had mentioned Joseph yet. It was as if talking about his death would make it real.

“No. Arrow was spotted heading north. Clarke says there was a report of Jared making inquiries about the Blue Harp in Campbell River. They figure he’s gone across into Desolation Sound on the chance that Albright is cruising up there somewhere. Chances are slim that he finds her in that maze.”

Erin said, “And if he does?”

“Good question. Clarke is hoping they can pick him up before that happens. As for the fire investigation, he says it’s unlikely they’ll find out much from what’s left at the site, although they’re not done with it yet. He thinks it will take another week before the different departments finish up.”

“What about before the fire?” Erin asked.

Danny shook his head. “They’ve canvassed the neighbourhood, and no one saw anything suspicious around the time of the fire. Clarke thinks that the arsonists must have come in on foot. They pulled the video from the 7-Eleven down the road and there was only local traffic. They ran all the plates and checked. An old lady three doors down from Annie’s says she heard a dog barking just before the explosion, but she’s not sure where it was coming from. Let’s face it, they don’t have a damn thing.” The three men sat there in silence.

Jaimie, the eldest, finally spoke. “I’ll arrange for contractors to come in and clean up the site as soon as it’s available to us. Scrape it right down to fresh soil and truck everything away for disposal. No need for Annie to confront any of that again. Then we’ll see what she wants to do with the lot. I won’t be surprised if she decides to sell it. She’ll get a good price. It would be tough on her to build new and move back there given everything that’s happened.”

They all nodded in agreement. No one spoke.

The unasked question hung heavy in the air. Erin finally said it. “Do they have a positive ID yet?”

Danny shook his head. “No. They’re not sure how long it will take given the condition of the body. They had to send samples away to an outside lab back east that specializes in burn-victim DNA. It will take awhile.”

“We need the body back. The Elders are getting impatient. They want to put his spirit to rest. His being a Shaman makes it more urgent.”

“I’ll talk to Clarke again,” Danny said. “I doubt it’s his call but maybe he can try and speed the process up.”

They sat in silence, trying not to think about it all. Although they were used to death in their community, and it was often early and tragic, they were having a difficult time accepting Joseph’s passing. He was the rock of the family, somebody who was always there for them and who had always been there for them as long as they could remember, and perhaps the one person among them whose death was least expected. Danny realized that the thought of Joseph dying had never occurred to him even though he was close to a century old. It was not that he thought Joseph would live forever, just that he had never actually considered the possibility of his death. It still wasn’t real to him. He realized he was in denial.

“Well, we’re not going to bury him without Annie being there with us, so it’s academic in any case,” Jaimie said. “She would never forgive us. The Elders will have to bloody well wait, just like the rest of us.”

At the mention of her name, Annie stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she recognized her boys.

“Water,” she whispered. The doctors had said the heat and smoke inhalation had damaged her throat and lungs and she would have difficulty speaking for the first while. The three brothers moved to her bedside, and Erin poured a glass from the pitcher and held it to her lips. She gestured and they cranked the bed up and she tilted her head and drank.

She fell back against the pillows and motioned them closer and the three men bent forward and strained to hear.

“Joseph,” she murmured. “He sent me a message last night. He said he’s not dead.”

“Well, that’s good to know,” Clarke said. “What with his mortal remains lying in the morgue and all, I have to admit I was beginning to get a little worried. I don’t suppose the fucking raven supplied any details?” He picked up his glass of draught from the table and pounded it down. He’d heard enough about goddamned ravens over the years, starting with the five hundred dollars he’d lost to Joseph playing cards when they’d first met. Jaimie had finally taken pity on him and told him that Joseph cheated. “His Clan is Raven, the trickster,” he’d said, as if that somehow made it all right. It still pissed Clarke off every time he thought about it.

“There’s no need to get snarky,” Merlynn said as she took a cautious first sip of the white house wine they served up in the Lamplight. She winced and picked up a glass of beer and chased it. “I’ll be glad when they let us back into the yacht club,” she said.

They were waiting for Jaimie and Erin, who had gone down to the marina to meet the nephews who were bringing their trollers in from the fishing grounds. The plan was for Danny to take one of them up into Desolation Sound to try and find Jared. In the meantime, Erin and Jaimie would maintain a twenty-four-hour watch over Annie in the hospital until the situation resolved itself one way or