Page 1 of Refuge for Ailsa

CHAPTER1

It couldn’t have been a morebeautiful day. The only thing that marred it was the holiday. It never failed that some idiot did something stupid and got arrested, or hurt, or led them on a crazy chase, or some other equally idiotic thing. From where he was, he could see ChesterWafford, the other officer assigned to his region, across the bay. Tavish squinted, then picked up his binoculars. Yeah, his fellow conservation officer was chatting up a couple of twenty-somethings in bikinis on a runabout. Leave it to Chester to find girls?girls way too young for him.

He glided toward a fishing boat and held up his badge. As soon as he got near enough, he called out, “Conservation Officer TavishStewart, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Could I see your fishing licenses, please?” One of the men turned, and Tavish smiled. “Well, shit. I didn’t realize that was you.”

“Yeah, it’s me,” JamieClark answered with a grin.

“Catching much today?”

Jamie shook his head. “Nah. Basically just feeding the fish. Too damn many people out on the water. It’s the only thing I hate about the Fourth of July.”

“I hear ya there.”

“Oh, and this is my brother-in-law, DaleMorrison. Dale, this is TavishStewart. Show him your license, please.”

“Nice to meet you, officer,” Dale said as he handed the small piece of cardstock to Tavish.

“And you as well. Don’t let this one here corrupt you. Whatever he tells you, do the opposite. It’s the only way you’ll catch more than a cold today,” Tavish said with a laugh.

“I hear ya. He fought me, but he finally won?no beer on the boat,” Dale said with a frown.

“No beer on the boat,” Jamie echoed decisively.

“No beer on the boat,” Tavish confirmed with a nod, then chuckled. “Maybe youshouldlisten to him. He’s not as dense as I thought.”

“Wow. Thanks. I’ll remember that when I’m voting for conservation officer of the year,” Jamie said, wrinkling his brow downward.

“Conservation officer of the year? There’s an award for conservation officer of the year? I’ve been doing this for eleven years and nobody told me. Huh. Wonder who’s been getting those awards?”

Jamie laughed loudly. “Probably RobinPeppers! She fills out her uniform better than you do!”

“Uhh, I can’t say anything. Not a word. That would be unprofessional. Although I’m pretty sure you’re right. About the award, that is.” Tavish winked and Dale laughed. “Y’all be careful. There are a lot of idiots out here today.”

“There are always a lot of idiots out here, asking us for our license, wanting to look in our creels… Oh. I should shut up now.” Jamie was grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah. You got the jokes, huh? I’m-a go out there and tell Bobby the Bass to stay away from your hook. Your mojo is garbage. See ya, Jamie, and nice meeting you, Dale.”

“Yeah, you too.” As Tavish steered his little jon boat away from the bass boat, Dale yelled, “Is it okay if I throw him in the water?”

Tavish threw him a backhanded wave. “I saw nothing. I heard nothing. And by the time he floats to the surface, I will have forgotten this conversation!” Jamie really laughed at that.

He was headed toward the eastern bank and closer to Chester. There were two or three houseboats over there, all tied together just a few yards from the bank, and he was pretty sure there was plenty of alcohol over there. They were getting loud, and a couple of people were jumping off the boats and into the water, then paddling around and laughing.Must be nice to treat a holiday like a holiday, Tavish thought as he passed the entrance to the marina at MyrtleBay on HerringtonLake. He’d almost cleared the opening in the breakwater when he heard someone scream. “Help! Somebody help! I think she’s dead!”

Tavish powered the little boat into a tight circle and barreled through the gap in the jetty. There were upwards of fifteen boats in the water between the jetty and the marina, and they were all scattered out everywhere?except for four that were in tight with each other. It took him a split second to understand that those boats were where the screams were coming from, and all the other vessels around there were headed toward them.

“Conservation Officer TavishStewart, KDFWR. What’s going on?” he asked as he glided up to the little knot of boats, his badge held aloft so they could see.

“She’s dead!” a woman screamed hysterically.

“I’m pretty sure she is!” a man on another boat yelled. As Tavish got closer, he could see what they were yelling about.

Part of a woman’s torso protruded from under the pontoon boat’s starboard sponson, just her head and an arm, but she was facedown and wasn’t moving. Eddies of blood swirled around her body. There was no doubt in Tavish’s mind that she was already dead. Before he even spoke, he whipped out his phone and started taking photos. If she really was deceased, they’d need those to see what was going on at the scene. He did another one in a panoramic shot so the other boats in the vicinity were shown in their proximity. “Has anyone touched anything?” he yelled to everyone.

“No! We left it alone. And you need to arrest him!” a middle-aged woman shrieked and pointed to the pontoon boat.

Sitting behind the wheel was a man of maybe early fifties, and he was as calm as a cucumber. What the hell had happened? Tavish hit his mic button. “Central dispatch, this is KDFWR unit five thirty-one. Repeat, KDFWR unit five thirty-one. I need US Coast Guard, emergency medical, and law enforcement responses to the marina at HerringtonLake’s MyrtleBay in Boyle County. Repeat, I need USCG, emergency medical, and law enforcement responses to the marina at HerringtonLake’s MyrtleBay in BoyleCounty. Victim in the water and boat operator still on deck. Any law enforcement in the vicinity, please advise. Over.”

He didn’t even get a chance to move. “KDFWR unit five thirty-one, this is BoyleCounty Sheriff’s Department unit one twenty-six. ETA of approximately two minutes. Over.”

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