Chapter 22: Reality Raises It's Ugly Head

The next couple of months at the camp flew by. The cabins received their annual cleaning and repainting to appeal to the summer crowd. The menus were revised and all the bedding and linens were cleaned in anticipation of the summer rush.

And it was a rush! The guests arrived and were planning on having a great vacation. Percy, his family, and employees broke their butts to make sure all the guests' wishes were fulfilled.

One day a woman came screaming into the camp, "My husband's been shot."

Percy was in his police chief's uniform when she barged in. He grabbed her, his radio and Dean who was off duty and started running where she indicated. She took them to the lake shore and pointed to an empty Ski-Doo. "He was on that one when the shot rang out. I saw him hit and fall in the water. He never surfaced." She broke down at that point and collapsed to the ground.

Percy started talking on the radio while Dean took off on another water craft, searching for any sign of the husband. As Percy watched, Dean slowed and starred into the clear water. Dean looked up and caught Percy's eye, his head shook "no". The poor woman also looked up and caught Dean's signal. When she realized what Dean meant she started screaming, "No" hysterically.

She realized she was a widow.

Soon the area was overrun with police, reporters, and medical personnel. The circus had begun.

Dr Jim arrived in one of the ambulances. He saw the condition of the wife and gave her a shot to calm her down. The ambulance crew put her in one of the vehicles and started her to the hospital.

It would be days before the police could get her story.

Percy spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening directing the actions at the lake. When he finally returned to the cabin and his bed, he was bone tired and dropped off to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

That night the dreams were back only this time Judith was not there to hold him and share the pain. He was alone. His last thought before dropping off to sleep was of Angela. As much as he wanted her, he knew that she would never share his pain.

The next couple of weeks were hell. The reporters were after him every chance they got for a statement. The State Police more or less took over the investigation. It was felt that us "locals" weren't sophisticated enough to conduct this high profile murder investigation. So they took over.

It took about two weeks before they marked the case with the phrase, "Murder committed by person or persons unknown." Case closed. It became a cold case.

Percy was pissed. The State boys really didn't put any effort in solving the case. They said the bullet was fired by a hunter on shore in error. Percy felt the bullet if fired from a pistol and could not have produced the damage the coroner discovered. The distance from the shore to the water craft was just too great...

But he was a "local" and the State Police ignored him.

He kept all the forensic, police and coroners' reports for bedtime reading. He felt there was something wrong and he would figure it out.