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Rufus woke with a start and ran to the end of the dock barking and growling, suddenly realizing that his cub was out in the deep water. "Hi Rufus!" came a cheery voice from out in the lake. Rufus howled in frustration, took a few steps back and then with a short run launched his big hairy body out into the water. The splash was like a small tidal wave. With huge orange paws, the fretting Rufus covered the distance between the dock and Reb.

"Easy, Rufus! You're scratching me!" laughed Ryan, trying to push the big, worried dog away while keeping Reb above water. Suddenly, Robbie and Janet were on either side of their daughters and acted as side guards against the upset Rufus as they were all herded towards the shore by the annoyed dog.

Once on shore, Ryan looked down at the soggy mound of orange fur. "I bet you are pleased with yourself, you stupid dog. You almost drowned us!"

"No Ryan!" protested Reb, coming to her canine friend's defense. "Reb can swim now"

Janet shook her head. Olives. She had a family of olives. "Reb, you are doing very well but you can't swim by yourself yet. You are not to go near the water unless one of us is with you. Promise."

Reb looked rebellious. Robbie tapped her little daughter on the shoulder and when Reb looked way up, Oby raised an eyebrow significantly. Big eyes got wider. Reb looked over to her Mother. "Okay, Mommy, Reb no go near the water," she promised. Janet looked with relief at Robbie and then with annoyance at Rufus. "It is going to take a week to dry this monster out and the whole house is going to smell like wet dog!

"Rufus can dog paddle too," Reb pointed out proudly, reaching up to scratch the massive dog's ear. Rufus turned and started to lick Reb dry. The little girl giggled.

"No, Rufus!" Janet said and Robbie picked the small child up and put her on her shoulders.

"Time for burgers on the barbeque. Let's head up to the lodge," stated the director, and the family happily gathered up their stuff and took the trail through the trees back up to their new home.

***

The woman looked around the one room cabin that she had rented with contempt. It was like living like a savage. Why would people think coming here was a holiday? Still, the cabins were close to the lake where the Bartlett Regatta would take place. That was important. It was just a matter of waiting now for the right moment. Robbie Williams had betrayed her and for that she was going to die.

The woman smiled. She realized now that she should have killed Robbie long ago. She had been far too patient. But now that her mind was made up, she could see that it was the right course of action and had been for some time. It was foolish of her to have hired Pennon. She had wasted money that she could have used far better. Still, it was only a minor set back. The stupid fool had been killed in the fire and so had not been able to betray her to the police. The police must not know she was here. That was very important.

She laughed softly as she sorted through her bag to find her swimsuit. It wouldn't hurt to get a better tan. That way she would not stand out as much among the summer people at the regatta. She knew boats. She had spent every summer by the lake. Boating accidents happen. Tourists can be so careless especially if they have been drinking.

She slipped her sunglasses on as she left the cabin and turned to carefully lock the door. Then, placing a straw hat low over her face, she sauntered down to the small beach that was part of the Pioneer Cabins property. This late in the season, the beach was deserted. The vast blue waters of Lake Superior spread out in front of her, sparkling in the late summer sun. Life was good, she thought, as she arranged herself on the chaise lounge and took out a book to read. Life was very good.

***

Robbie was feeling happy and mellow. She flipped a hamburger onto a bun and then walked over to join the rest of her family at the picnic table. Janet watched with amusement as Robbie piled on the hot peppers, lettuce, pickles, mayonnaise...

"Don't even think about going for those onions," Janet whispered into Robbie's ear. Blue eyes slowly came around to look down into green. An eyebrow arched in challenge. A warm hand squeezed Robbie's thigh in reply. Robbie took a big bit of her burger and chewed slowly. Life was sooo good!

Ryan looked up from wiping ketchup off Reb's nose. Her Mom was eating her burger with a happy grin pasted on her face. This looked like a good time to broach the subject. "Ahhh, there is going to be a dance at the Lion's Hall on the Friday night before the regatta next Saturday," Ryan said. "John asked if I'd go with him.".

Robbie swallowed a mouthful of burger without chewing and nearly choked. Janet patted her on the back and passed her a glass of iced tea. Robbie took a long drink, put down the glass, and looked at her daughter. "No. You are only fifteen. Who is this guy anyway?" she grumbled.

"He's Paul and Mary Digby's son. You know them, Mom, they run the art and framing shop in town. It's not really a date, Mom. He's just picking me up and we are meeting the rest of the gang there."

"He drives! How old is this guy?!" squealed Robbie, through a throat tightening with stress. She rubbed the moisture off her palms on her shorts and started when Janet's hand wrapped around one of her own and held on tight.

"Almost seventeen," responded Ryan moodily. Her Mom was going to be a real jerk about this she could tell. She was going to be getting her old age pension before her Mom was going to let her date!

"Hmmm, attracted to older men, huh?" joked Janet, holding on to Robbie's hand even tighter. "Well, if it is all the gang meeting together and if I'm allowed to come and pick you up, I think your Mother and I would feel it was okay for Paul to take you to the dance. Right, Robbie?" she asked, nudging her lover firmly in the ribs.

Robbie took her free hand and wiped the sweat from her lip. Shit this was awful! What if the guy made a pass for Ryan. She felt sick. She opened her mouth; nothing came out. She tried again, "We'll pick you up at eleven. You'll phone us when you get there and you are not to leave the building. Sullivan will be there of course." Suddenly, having to have a bodyguard for her daughter seemed like a really positive thing.

"Sullivan! Ahhh, Mom!" protested Ryan.

"Ryan," interjected Janet calmly. "This is really hard for your Mom. You know that. She has said you can go. Let's just take this dating thing one little step at a time, okay?"

Ryan's eyes flashed with anger but she nodded. Aunt Janet was right. Her Mom had agreed to let her go and if she pushed it she knew that her Mom's legendary temper was likely to erupt and then she'd never get a chance to date! "Okay," she agreed picking up her burger again.

Robbie looked down at hers with disgust. If I eat that, I'll throw up, she thought. Janet nudged her and looked at the burger significantly. Robbie smiled weakly, picked up the burger and some how managed to get it down.

***

"She's only fifteen," came a voice out of the darkness of the room.

"And it's only a town dance not a real date," responded a voice with a yawn.

"Everything is unraveling!" the first voice complained. "My sister is sleeping around, my daughter is meeting strangers at dances...how can I protect my family if..."

The light switched on and Robbie blinked like an owl into the face of her annoyed lover. "Hold it right there, Williams! (A) your sister is NOT sleeping around! She is very much in love with a very sweet man who adores her. (B) your daughter is NOT meeting strangers; we know the family and I know John. He is a very nice boy and..."

"That's what you said about David and now he's sleeping with my sister!" grumbled Robbie. "What the hell is going on with my family?!"

Janet rolled her eyes and prayed for patience. For a creative genius, Robbie could be as dense as a hardwood plank at times. "I'll tell you what is going on, Robbie. Your family is healing. Elizabeth doesn't have to hide in fear anymore and Ryan doesn't have to wear a chip on her shoulder because she doesn't have a mother. They are reaching out in a very normal way for human companionship. Let them, Robbie. You're healing too, my love. You don't have to keep looking over your shoulder. You can plan for a future and not have to keep people at bay with your temper and sharp wit. You can be loving and caring and part of this family and community.

Robbie, you've got to let go of all the old baggage," Janet pleaded.

Robbie sat silently, her back against the headboard. Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm afraid," she finally admitted.

Janet pulled her lover down so that Robbie's head rested in her lap. She gently rubbed her lover's temple with the tips of her fingers. "I know. It's not easy letting go. But Elizabeth and Ryan and some day our Reb need to make their own way in life. We'll offer all the support, advice and love we can but in the end we have to let them decide. No one makes good decisions all the time. Our family will get a few scars along the way, Robbie. Just like we did. Are you happy, Robbie?"

"I am now, with you and the girls," Robbie answered honestly.

Janet smiled and bent to kiss Robbie's temple. She could feel her lover starting to relax. "See, even with the scars you acquired in life, you are still happy. So will Elizabeth and our girls be."

"How do you know? There are a lot of really unhappy people out there!" challenged Robbie.

Janet laughed. "Because we taught them that happiness is not given to you. It's made inside. We taught them to stand on their own two feet and live life for all it is worth and we taught them never to dwell on the scars you get along the way."

"Did we?" Robbie asked, looking up at Janet with those big blue eyes that were so much like Reb's.

"Well, we'll have made a good start if we leave Elizabeth and David alone and let Ryan go to the dance," smiled Janet, playfully wigging Robbie's nose.

Robbie caught Janet's hand and kissed it before it could escape. "I'll try," she sighed.

"That's my Olive Oil," smiled Janet. "I have an idea, seeing you can't sleep."

"What?"

"I'll get the rest of the chocolate icing out of the fridge, you put on some soft music and I'll show you just how kinky our sex life can be."

Robbie smiled; this sounded like a prefect scenario for a creative genius!

***

Alberta went through her routine with total focus, reaching deep for the controlled strength and balance of mind and soul that was necessary to reach a height of perfection in a martial art. Her Sai blades whistled through the graceful flowing movements, not reaching for an imaginary opponent but through one. She made it look effortless. A deadly dance on the brink of violence, beautiful, entrancing and powerful. Alberta had never lost a tournament.

When she was finished she smiled. The missing piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place. Alberta knew who was after Robbie Williams. She looked out the window and watched as the setting sun kissed the twisted boughs of her Japanese Maple. She'd shower and change first. It was Friday night and no doubt the Williams family was unwinding after a busy week. Robbie had hired a bodyguard, she knew, so there was no immediate danger.

The feeling of contentment and peace that she always enjoyed after a serious workout, however, did not last long. An uneasiness that she had come to recognize as a warning to her conscious mind kept growing within her. She cut her shower short and dressed quickly in faded blue jeans and a white T-shirt, then she bounded down the stairs to look up Robbie and Janet's cabin number in her phone index. She paced the room impatiently as the phone rang and the answering service came on. The tone indicated she should speak. "It's Alberta Pateas. Be careful. I've got a bad feeling. Call me on my cell phone. I need to talk to you," the doctor stated calmly.

She hung up. Alberta was feeling anything but calm. That niggle inside was working its way into a full blown alert. Alberta loped upstairs, threw a few things in a bag and headed out. She should be able to get to Bartlett by two in the morning if the weather was good.

***

Robbie paced back and forth while Janet did her best to ignore her. To be fair, Robbie had been wonderful. She had been polite and relaxed with John Digby when he had come to pick Ryan up and except for telling him three times that Ryan was not to leave the hall until she was picked up at eleven, she had been a role model for understanding parenthood. Once the car had disappeared down the driveway, however, Robbie had let the monsters inside out.

Other than a few grunts, the only two words Robbie had uttered in the last four hours would not have been found in the Oxford dictionary. As Janet worked at her lap top on organizing course requirements, she watched Robbie pace past her desk yet again. The teacher wondered whether the Courts would be lenient if she got her squirrel gun and shot the legs out from under her lover.

The pacing stopped in front of her desk. "It's ten o'clock. You should be going now," Robbie told her.

"It's a fifteen minute trip," Janet pointed out.

"So, you could be a little early!" grumbled Robbie, looking about ready to burst.

"No!" Janet said emphatically, "and don't ask again!" Robbie looked like she was going to argue but stopped herself when she saw the look Janet gave her. Instead, she went over and looked out the window into the night, swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet. Janet considered dropping something to see if Robbie would jump out of her skin then decided against it. In the mood her lover was in, she was liable to go through the roof and turn around twice before she hit the ground, and when she did she would not be in a good humour!

At ten thirty, Janet took mercy on her partner. "Okay," she said, snapping her lap top closed, " I'm going. You are to stay here. Your job is to babysit Reb. I will phone you if there is any problem. Robbie, do try to relax and remember what I said, no third degree. A girl has a right to her privacy. She will tell you what she wants to tell you."

Robbie sunk into a chair, weak with emotional exhaustion. It had been a hell of an evening. Janet came over and kissed her tenderly. "You've done wonderful, Obby. Not long now, okay?"

Robbie nodded dumbly, feeling anything but okay.

***

Ryan waved goodbye to several teens at the doorway of the legion and slid into Janet's new truck, a gift from Robbie. Janet had stopped for gas in order to arrive at the appointed time but she was pleased to see Ryan waiting for her. "How's Mom," the teen asked as she did up her safety belt.

"A wreck," answered Janet honestly. "How was the dance?"

"It was great! John's nice but he can't dance worth a damn. I think Sullivan is putting the moves on Stacy Barlow. She brought a bag of day olds from the donut shop and he got to choose first. Debbie's got the hots for Larry Butler. Can you imagine! The guy's a dork! Angela danced with Ted Peel junior. I think they make a nice couple. Both their Dads own car dealerships so they bonded. But if they married Angela's sister-in-law would be Stacy Nona. I think she'd rather live in sin!" babbled Ryan happily.

Janet laughed as she rooted in her purse for her phone. Winking at Ryan, she punched in the lodge number, Robbie answered it on the first ring. "Hi love! I've got Ryan beside me and she seems to have had a good time. We are on our way home now. Put the kettle on, okay?"

"Was she really that upset?" Ryan asked.

"I could have wiped her off the floor with a mop. This evening was really hard on her, Ryan. Be gentle and for God's Sakes don't tease her! It will be easier after this, I'm sure. Ryan, your Mom, well, she has a lot of emotional issues still to deal with from her youth. Sometimes you'll just have to be a little patient with her."

"Yeah, I know," Ryan said. "She's a great Mom, you know, but I'm glad I have you too. You sort of balance each other."

Janet smiled. "We were meant to be together. You'll find your special person someday, Ryan."

"Hope so," Ryan mused, as they turned down the lane towards home.

***

Alberta tried the cabin number and Robbie's business number every time she stopped but no one was answering. Construction had really slowed her down and she realized that she was going to have to stop for a few hours sleep before she fell asleep at the wheel. Reluctantly, she pulled into a small Motel a few hundred kilometers south of Bartlett at one in the morning.

She booked in and accepted her sparse, cold room grimly. Setting her alarm for six, she crawled into a saggy bed between sheets that were stiff with starch and damp with lack of good air circulation. She forced herself to relax. She would be in Bartlett by eight in the morning and then she should be able to find out what was going on.

***

Robbie toweled down from her shower and then slipped into worn blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Her hair had now grown back enough that she had been able to have it styled into a cut that looked almost decent. Another six months or so and it would be back to a good length. Janet liked her hair long.

She followed the smell of home-made french toast to the kitchen. Reb saw her coming and ran over for a hug. "Hey, about time you woke up!" called Ryan, as she set up the table. "I wanted to sic Reb on you but Aunt Janet wouldn't let me!"

"I need all the beauty sleep I can get at my age," mumbled Robbie with a yawn. Janet winked at Ryan and Ryan laughed. By the time they had shared a pot of tea last night and chatted about everything that had happened at the dance, Robbie had been near dropping with exhaustion. Her daughter's first date had taken a real toll on the director.

Robbie grabbed her teen daughter from behind and tickled her ribs. "Laugh it up, kid. Wait until it's your daughter, then I'll get the last laugh!

"Hey, you two! No rough housing in my kitchen! Sit down and be good before the food gets cold," ordered Janet.

"I got a date like Ryan!" announced Reb, who felt a need to be just like her big sister.

"Please tell me it is with Ableton's son," smiled Robbie evilly, looking across the table at Janet.

"I got a date with Rufus!" Reb revealed proudly. "Mommy said I could walk Rufus tonight!"

"Rufus, huh?" mussed Robbie. "I hear he's a better dancer than John!" she teased.

Reb nodded. "He is," she agreed loyally and everyone laughed. The family cleaned up quickly and then headed out to where the Bartlett Regatta would take place this year, at a beach back near Harriston. The regular location at the Bartlett School beach was not being used to allow the fire scorched vegetation time to recover.

The morning was spent by the Williams in preparing "Tubby", their sailboat, for the races in the afternoon and in exploring the various booths at the fall fair. At noon, they sat under the boughs of an old maple and ate corn on the cob freshly cooked by the Lion's Club and dipped in butter. Then, for the first time that day, they separated, Robbie and Ryan going to do some practice laps before the big race and Janet and Reb reporting to the starters' launch to act as judges.

***

Alberta looked at her watch; it was almost noon. She had wasted a good deal of time driving out to the cabin to find it empty, then going on to the lodge to find that the Williams family was not there. A quick enquiry at the gas station resulted in the frustrating discovery that she must have driven right past the Williams, who would be at the Bartlett Regatta back near Harriston.

Alberta now pushed through the crowds along the water front looking for any signs of the Williams family. The gut feeling was growing; it was a perfect place to seek revenge.

"Alberta! Alberta!" called a voice. The scientist looked up to see Ryan standing by a boat ramp waving her arms over her head. The tall woman smiled and headed over to the young teen.

"Hi, kid. Where is the rest of the clan?" asked Alberta, trying to sound casual.

"Aunt Janet and Reb are out in that boat over there," pointed Ryan. "Mom went to get the entry form for the race and told me to wait here. But I gotta get the boat in the water. Others are waiting to use the ramp. Can you help me, Alberta?"

Alberta could see that Ryan was feeling stressed. Several boaters were waiting with their boat trailers ready to back down the ramp as soon as the Williams' outfit moved out. "Okay," Alberta said. Ryan took the lines, while Alberta got in the cab and backed the boat trailer out into the water. She then hopped out and walked back to release the cable so that the boat could slide into the lake.

For a small boat, it sure is sitting low in the stern, Alberta remembered thinking, as she released the lock and the handle of the winch spun wildly. Instead of the boat sliding easily into the water, the stern dropped and the bow snapped up and caught Alberta firmly under the jaw. Alberta let her body relax and went with the blow. Even so, the impact sent her flying back into the water and knocked her senseless.

From a cluster of trees, some distance off, a tall woman smiled cruelly as she looked through a set of binoculars while people ran to fish the body out of the water. This time Isabelle had done her job right! Then the smile turned to a scowl and the binoculars lifted again to focus on a figure madly trying to get through the crowds to where the accident had taken place.

"Ryan! Ryan! Excuse me, sorry! Ryan! Are you all right?!" yelled Robbie, as she pushed through the crowd to see Ryan kneeling beside a body that looked remarkably like hers.

"Mom, it's Alberta! She's really hurt!" called Ryan in distress.

Robbie splashed into the water and knelt beside Alberta. "Don't move," she said. "Someone find the Ambulance service. We need a neck brace here!" she ordered. Alberta lay still, letting the far away sounds pass over her until her scrambled mind could start to make sense of what was going on around her.

"No, I'm okay," she mumbled, through a jaw she thought might be broken. Damn! "Robbie?" She felt more than saw the figure beside her lean forward so she could hear what Alberta wanted to say. "That was meant for you. Pennon is Selo's cousin. You remember Isabella Selo? She's the disenchanted fan who ratted on you to the police. You be careful!"

"Shit," Robbie growled. "I've had it with all this crap. Hang on, Alberta, we'll get you to the hospital." Alberta, now feeling more alert, shook her head weakly. She moved her jaw cautiously, and was relieved to realize that all the bones and muscles were still in place if severely bruised from the impact. Next, she moved her arms and legs and lastly her neck. "No, I'm okay. Just got my bell rung. Help me up, Robbie."

"You sure?" Robbie asked anxiously.

"Yeah, bones I know," Alberta managed to get out though a badly swollen and bruised face. Carefully, Robbie and Ryan helped steady Alberta as she got to her feet. The crowd clapped and Alberta flushed with embarrassment.

She looked at the boat. The stern was submerged in a few feet of water and the bow was sticking in the air. "Go check that boat," she said into Robbie's ear.

The director nodded. "Ryan, don't let go of her," Robbie ordered, and waded farther out to look under the canvas covering of the small sail boat. The stern was stacked with bricks. Her eyes looked up to meet Alberta's. "Bricks. The stern is filled with them."

"That's a pretty lousy practical joke!" someone snorted in disgust.

"Coulda killed someone," stated another.

"Come on, let's give the ladies a hand," offered a third, and people pitched in unloading the wet bricks to the dock and bailing the small craft so that it floated properly.

Robbie, Ryan and Alberta stood by and watched. The Ambulance driver wanted Alberta to go to the hospital but she chose instead to sign the waiver of responsibility and stay. Robbie offered to take her to the hospital but Alberta insisted she was fine.

When the boat was tied along side the dock safely and the mast had been stepped and the sail attached, the three walked over to where they had parked the boat trailer. Robbie squatted down and examined the winch. "It's been tampered with. The teeth have been filed so that they wouldn't catch."

"Where the hell is your bodyguard?" growled Alberta, who was fighting a blazing headache that had started in her right temple.

"He doesn't work weekends," sighed Robbie. "Besides, his job is to protect the girls."

"Great," muttered Alberta, rolling her eyes.

Robbie frowned. "I need to contact Janet and let her know what is going on. She has the cell phone. We'll need to find a pubic phone."

Alberta nodded, seeing the logic in this. "Okay, you first, Robbie, then Ryan, I'll bring up the rear. We are heading up to my van by the school over there."

"Why?" asked Robbie, hands on her hips and looking rebellious, as the crowds flowed past them.

"To get my cell phone so you can contact, Janet. You just got put under police protection," Alberta stated.

"You're a cop!?" Ryan asked, in surprise.

"A Mounty, actually, come on," she said, nudging Ryan on, knowing Robbie would fall in immediately.

Sure enough, Robbie was right at her side. "You don't have an ounce of authority, do you?"

"No. But I'm all you got," Alberta pointed out.

"So what are you? My big sister?" Robbie asked sarcastically, but she did stay at Alberta's side as they hurried along.

Alberta stopped and looked at Robbie in surprise. Then she seemed to shake herself out of her thoughts. "Come on, let's go. We need to warn Janet to be careful, although I suspect you are the principle target now."

***

Isabella Selo waited, as she had been told, by the beverage tent. Everything would go well this time, she knew it. Her part had already been done. It had proven to be much more simple than she would have thought. Now all she had to do was wait for her "friend" to tell her when to act. She looked around once more. Still no sight of the person she was waiting for. She shifted from one foot to the other. Her heeled sandals were not a good choice for a northern Canadian town. Isabella loved the city. She couldn't see why anyone would want to live surrounded by woods and wild animals. Then she saw her friend and hurried over.

"I did well, no?" she asked, with pride.

There was a moment's hesitation, then her friend said. "Yes, very. Robbie will be looking over her shoulder now. We will play with her like a cat with a mouse! Now, I owe you a lovely meal and a few cold drinks while we make our final plans. Come!" Isabella smiled and followed obediently behind. She was not a smart woman. Had she been, she might have lived.

***

"Janet?" asked Robbie as she sat in Alberta's van, playing nervously with a small dried bone that had been sitting on the table between the two front seats.

"Robbie! I'm so glad you called! Something happened and..."

Robbie sat up straight. "Are you and Rebecca okay?"

"Yes, but I'm sure I was deliberately pushed from behind. I almost fell between the dock and the boat but a tourist grabbed me. Fortunately, I'd already lifted Reb up onto the launch or she could have easily fallen in! Robbie, I think we have a problem."

"I know we do," Robbie stated, and went on to tell her about the bricks in the sailboat and the doctored winch.

"What are we going to do?" Janet asked, feeling frustrated at being out of reach of her lover and other daughter.

"Nothing at this time. We'll just have to be really careful. You and Reb are probably safe out there but still, be on your guard. Alberta is here. Did she ever mention to you that she's a cop?"

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16