Free Always Ready by Susan Page Davis Page B

doubted he could sleep now. He still wanted to see Caddie if at all possible. Maybe they could explore Fort Abercrombie together. But should he reopen the subject of her father? His chest ached as he sat staring at the phone.
    This was a matter for serious prayer.
    ❧
    Caddie adjusted the focus on her camera and held her breath. She never would have dared get so close to bears in the wild on her own. But Aven had known where to find them and had driven close enough for her to get some great shots with her telephoto lens.
    A mother brown bear scooped fish from the stream below them and tossed them to her cub on the bank, not seeming to notice the humans watching her. The youngster batted at the twitching fish. When the mother had supplied enough to satisfy her, the huge animals began to feed, ignoring the distant audience.
    The stream gushed down a steep, green hillside toward the bay below. Caddie had never been to this part of Kodiak Island before. They had driven through rugged mountains but were only fifteen miles from the base. They’d passed Lake Buskin and navigated forest-covered slopes to come out on the northeast end of the island. The brilliant colors of spruce trees, grass, sky, and water thrilled her. In the distance, she glimpsed Whale Island and mountains all around the bay.
    Aven had brought binoculars and continually swept the vista before them while Caddie concentrated on the bears. She’d be glad when the nuisance cast came off her arm. Two more days, maybe. Monday couldn’t come soon enough for her. But she wouldn’t let that affect her outing today. Even with the unwieldy plaster accessory, she was able to handle the camera and zoom in on the bears. Mira and Jordan would love them. After the animals enjoyed their feast, they lumbered into the brush.
    She sighed and turned back toward the pickup. “What are you looking for?” she asked Aven.
    He lowered his binoculars. “Remember the man I told you about—Spruce Waller?”
    “The one who hit you.”
    Aven winced.
    “Sorry.” Caddie put her camera carefully into its case. “What about him?”
    “That’s Anton Larsen Bay down there. We’re not far from his place.”
    “Here? There’s no town.”
    “No, there’s not.” Aven swept the air with his arm, indicating the hillsides and the inlet below. “There are some cabins. You can’t see most of them from up here. But I thought I might be able to spot a boat in the harbor.”
    “And?”
    “Nothing.”
    No, not nothing. He had hoped to find evidence relating to the cases his ship’s crew had recently worked on. She went to stand beside him. “Can you drive all the way down to the shore on this side?”
    “I think so.”
    They stood in silence for a long time. Caddie knew the meager roads on the island led to only a few of the nearest villages. Those farther away—like Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, and Akhiok—could only be reached by boat or by air.
    “You brought me here in hopes of seeing Spruce Waller, didn’t you?” she asked softly.
    He cocked his head to one side. “Okay, I admit I went by his apartment in Kodiak. He wasn’t around. I figured he might be out here.”
    “Or off on his brother’s boat,” Caddie hazarded.
    “Well. . .the state police tried to contact his brother, but he wasn’t home and his wife said she hadn’t seen him in three days. Not that I believe that, but he could be over here with Spruce, lying low until the cops ease up on him.”
    “You hope you can link Spruce to the smuggling his brother is involved in, don’t you?”
    Aven shrugged. “So far, that’s just a rumor. But I have to admit, that might ease the pain of seeing our ship get staved up.”
    “And getting jumped by half a dozen fishermen?”
    He bit his bottom lip. After a long moment of silence, he turned toward her. “I guess I should have told you what was on my mind before I drove out here.”
    “I don’t mind being here. In fact, I’d love it if we could find the guy who owns