Realization sunk in. The town accepted a myth as long as the Inn wasn’t involved. Zach was glad to make money without Christopher’s input.
She turned toward Seth. “I guess I’d never heard about a lake monster before.”
“I’ve been on the hunt my whole life with my dad.”
“Why now?” Because her father was gone? How did Christopher feel about the idea? He was probably against it. Should she be in favor then?
“After I lost my dad last year, I was telling Zach that I worried I’d never make progress on finding Soupy. He encouraged me to go public with my hunt so I don’t waste any time,” Seth said. “If everyone knows, we’ll have tons of eyes on the water, looking for the unusual. I want to record every unexplained encounter.”
She pressed her lips together. She understood having deeply personal matters unresolved with a deceased parent. And she was relieved Seth’s search wasn’t to spite her late father or husband. He was honoring his dad.
But she wasn’t sure she agreed with Zach’s encouragement to commercialize the lake monster. Did anyone else have an experience with a figment of Seth’s imagination?I believe in a ghost based on scant evidence. “I’m intrigued. Tell me about Soupy.”
“He’s a mosasaur who spends the bulk of his time in Lake Superior. More room to swim and hunt for fish.”
“Why a mosasaur?” she asked. “Jumping on the dinosaur movie craze?”
“No, I spotted him a long time ago. I didn’t know what he was initially. It took a lot of research to identify him,” Seth said, standing straighter. “Plesiosaur fossils were mostly found in England. Mosasaurs have been discovered in the Badlands, and the theorized ancient sea would have included the Great Lakes.” He lifted his chin, staring down his nose for a half second.
Ashley crossed her arms. While the mosasaur might be more accurate, the creature was also exponentially more terrifying. And seemingly harder not to spot. Loon Lake wasn’t nearly as deep as Lake Superior. If a mosasaur lurked in the water, it could eat most of the fish and swimmers in a few big chomps. “Hmm.”
“What?” Seth asked.
She should leave well enough alone. Christopher always lectured her about the importance of minding her own business. The presence of a mythical sea beast didn’t lessen the impact of her ghost encounter. Perhaps two supernatural experiences strengthened the likelihood of the unknown happening in one town. “Humor me. Legends and myths have to have a shred of believability.”
“Exactly,” Seth said.
“Wouldn’t a mosasaur swim into Loon Lake, eat everything, and then swim out? If it stayed, wouldn’t it have died?” Zach avoided her gaze. If she wanted to poke holes in Seth’s story, she’d be on her own. “Soupy needs a food source.”
Seth stroked his chin. “Good point. Perhaps I should shift focus and resources to studying the mouth of the channel. I do think the timber triangle could hold the key to where he lives and breeds.”
Timber triangle?The phrase sounded foreign to her, but Zach’s non-reaction indicated its place in the local vocabulary. “Part of Nessie’s success might be the long neck and flippers aren’t nearly as frightening as the teeth,” she offered. “The toys are adorable.”
Seth nodded. “I have to be true to the creature. I can play down Soupy’s carnivorous tendencies a little bit. I don’t want anyone to be frightened when he has never approached a human with deadly intent. He is a smaller mosasaur that has adapted to his surroundings. Although to be fair, the first time I saw him, I was terrified.” He chuckled.
“I’d never venture out on the water again, if I had an encounter,” Zach said.
She studied first Seth and then Zach. Their expressions were authentic. They dismissed her paranormal experience but believed an extinct animal lurked nearby.Am I lacking a sense of humor?She missed some component. She’d find the situation easier to process if they were joking.
After so many years of absence, she missed a lot. Her shared history recalled an almost distant past; she’d have to build new connections in the present. Laughing wasn’t in her favor.
“Or her. Soupy could be female.” Ashley smiled. “It was nice to see you. Both of you.”
She exited the ice cream shop before she said anything she couldn’t walk back. With her morning off, she’d wanted to reconnect with her old neighbors and not jeopardize her good standing with anyone. She strode along the boardwalk, slowing in front of each shop to see if she recognized anyone inside the businesses.
Busy with customers, the shops were filled with life and energy. She couldn’t fault Christopher for wanting to keep the area thriving. The Inn and the shops did more than coexist. They elevated each other. Conversely, they had the power to drag each other down. His method wasn’t surprising but did threaten both sides.
She could bridge the gap. But she had to stay, and she wasn’t sure he wanted her to.
* * *
Christopher wasn’t much for pensive silences only broken by heavy sighs. But that had become his norm since his wife’s return. He couldn’t figure out if she wanted to team up, to take over, or to ruin the business. Maybe she was crafting a toxic concoction of all three.
He turned away from the window and strode to his desk. The lawn was torn in a pair of deep slashes, marking the crane’s path around the building to rescue the chair. Now, he’d have to fix the formerly lush lawn with a fortune spent on fresh sod.
He hadn’t really had much option to do anything but solve the problem. He’d closed the beach and called in his groundskeeping team. After a few failed attempts to drag the chair out with chains and a truck, it became clear the situation required a heavy hand and not delicate maneuvering.
So, he’d called for help. As he had watched the work from the lawn, his brow deeply furrowed, he compared the chair with his wife. Ashley shouldn’t be trusted with any equipment for the safety of herself and his sanity. He wanted to best utilize her charm with the guests.She could tellcampfire ghost stories as long as someone else controlled the flames.
