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“Nice terminal,” Lucien pointed out as he grabbed their bags from the overhead compartment. “We go through baggage claim to get to the rental car.”
“According to the map, we’re still thirty minutes from Coyote Wells and another twenty minutes to Spirit Lake.”
“That’s less than an hour to reach the cabin Birk rented. Remember, don’t expect too much. He mentioned in his email that it was very rustic.”
“Rustic is a code word for primitive, meaning it has a portable toilet,” Brogan decided. “Wanna take bets on that?”
He chuckled. “No. I’m sorry the B&Bs were all booked.”
“That’s okay as long as no one expects me to be a roughing-it kind of camper. You know that. Not since my Pine Knot fiasco at Big Bear Lake do I consider myself camping material.”
“Those girls should’ve been punished for what they did to you.”
“Tying me to a tree out in the middle of nowhere was bad enough but pouring maple syrup all over my hair and taking my shoes was a bit much, even for an initiation that never happened. Girls are so mean. Fact.”
“Good thing it was July and not December. You could’ve been frozen like a popsicle.”
“I could’ve been out there still if Maeve hadn’t been staying at the Fireside Lodge nearby and heard me screaming. She’s the one who untied me and marched me off to a nice hot bath at the lodge—win for me in the end.”
“Technically, Maeve was sitting in her car in the parking lot at the campground. Over-protective is what Rory called it.”
“That’s because she didn’t want me to go in the first place. Maeve told Rory it was a bad idea. But he wouldn’t listen. I’m just bringing it up because I don’t like camping all that much. It’s a shame we couldn’t have stayed at a nice hotel.”
“Next time,” Lucien muttered as he shook hands with Ewan. “Nice ride, Mr. Campbell. We’ll see you back here Thursday afternoon.”
“You got it. Try to stay out of trouble until then,” Ewan added as a ground crew member opened the outside door so they could exit.
“We’ll try,” Brogan said cheerily. “Where are you staying until then?”
“My cousin lives in Klamath. He’s picking Blake and me up and taking us to a lovely Holiday Inn Express with a beautiful view of the redwoods.”
“Lucky you. We’re roughing it in a one-room rustic shack a couple of yards from Spirit Lake with what we’re hoping has a roof that doesn’t leak and a heater that doesn’t exude carbon monoxide.”
“Brogan, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Lucien chided. “It’s the best option if we want to watch the recovery from start to finish.”
“That lake’s rumored to be haunted,” Blake said with a grin, hefting his flight bag to his shoulder. “So if you go, expect the unexpected.”
“I don’t do well with the unexpected,” Brogan muttered.
“We made this trip because our friends are attempting to retrieve a car that’s been in the water for ten years,” Lucien reminded Blake. “With remains inside that car. Two sets of remains. We’re hoping to help solve a ten-year-old mystery.”
“The Dodge Charger, right? Wonder how it happened? I don’t think I could stand watching that play out,” Blake reiterated. “You guys are tougher than you look.”
“Thanks,” Brogan said as she turned to descend the metal stairs to the pavement.
“No dogs this time?” Blake asked, following her down the stairway.
“Nope. We left them with a friend who needed to stick close to home and get her podcast ready to upload on time.”
Blake lifted a brow. “One of those murder podcasts?”
“Uh-huh.” Brogan gazed back at the jumbo jet. “Mind if I ask what happens to the plane while we’re not around?”
“Ewan will lock it, and the ground crew will tow it into the hangar. Why?”
“Just wondering. Have you ever had anyone damage a plane stored for two days, sabotage the engine, or fiddle with the electrical system?”
Blake took the question seriously, knowing how uneasy she was about flying. “Never. And we’ve parked this rig at some out-of-the-way places smaller than this. Besides, when we get back here on Thursday, the first thing Ewan and I will do is check everything out and make sure everything works. If anything seems off, we’ll either get it fixed or cancel the flight.”
