Bodies Out Back Read online

  “Cameron!” His face lit up with a big smile. He hugged her tightly.

  “Come talk to me. Join us,” she urged him as she tugged on his hand. “I haven’t seen you in three years. What have you been up to?”

  He looked around furtively. “I’m headed to Canada.” He made it sound like it was a secret. He waved away the bartender who had come up to serve him. He followed her back to the table.

  She introduced him to her friends.

  “Why are you going to Canada? Vacation?” she asked naively.

  “You’re going to Canada, man?” Jessie lit up at the announcement. “Right on!”

  “Keep your voice down,” Bill said softly. “I’m AWOL.”

  It suddenly dawned on her. Bill had spoken about going into the army when they were dating; not that she was the cause of such a decision: it had been his plan for a long time.

  “But you enlisted, didn’t you?” she asked, not quite knowing how to look at this. She knew he wasn’t worried about the draft.

  Bill nodded. “But I can’t take this. They were going to send me to Vietnam. That place is a disaster area. I’m a disaster. I need to get out of here. Look at my hands!” His hands trembled. Gone was the cocky young kid who’d played volleyball and tennis with her; the guy who would call at ten o’clock at night to take her out for steamed clams at a local late-night café. She could see part of that long-lost boy still lurking in his eyes, but a lot of the fire was gone.

  “Have you eaten today?” Cam asked, knowing that there must be something she should be doing or saying but not knowing what it was.

  Bill shook his head. “I have enough money to take the bus to Burlington, Vermont. I’m gonna have to thumb from there.”

  “Oh, no, man. Let me buy you something to eat. I hate what the government’s doing to you guys.” Jessie got up and walked to the bar to place a food order.

  “I’m glad I ran into you,” Cam said. “Is there something I can do to help? Do you need to borrow money?”

  Bill shook his head, dolefully. “I won’t borrow money because I can never repay it,” he said. “I can’t ever let anyone know where I am. The MPs would be on my tail in minutes. I’d be in prison for years and years. I probably shouldn’t have come in here.”

  “It was meant for you to come in here. You had to run into me.” Suddenly, Cam knew that that was the truth. “How much money do you have?” she asked, knowing she was going to get more involved.

  “I’ve got enough to get there and some until I can find a job,” he answered. “But not much.”

  Something in the back of her mind told Cam she was going to make a big decision tonight.

  They talked for several minutes, reliving old memories until Bill’s eyes started to get watery.

  “There is something you could do,” Bill said, almost apologetically. “Would you call my mother and tell her you heard from me and that I’m okay? Please? I’m afraid to call because if they have the phones tapped, they could find out where I am.”

  Suddenly Cam knew what she had to do.

  “I’ll do better than that,” she told him with conviction. “You’ll come home with me tonight and you’ll get a shower and a good night’s sleep. In the morning, I’ll call your mother for you. I won’t say you’re with me, only that I’ve heard from you. Then I’ll drive you to Canada.”

  Bill stared at her, trying to decide if she was serious.

  “Cameron! Are you out of your mind?” her friend Janis said softly, her teeth clenched, her eyes wide. “How far away is Canada? You’ll miss all your classes!”

  Cam looked at her. Here was the woman who, about an hour before, had told her she studied too much.

  Shaking her head, Cam said, “It’s only seven or eight hours to Burlington, and a bit farther to St. Albans or the border. I can be back home by Monday night. I’ll only miss two classes.” Cam turned to Bill. “It’s the least I can do for an old friend.”

  “You’d do that for me?” Bill was aghast.

  “Yes, I’d do that for you,” she assured him. “I’m not fond of this military action either.”

  “I thought you were planning to work for the government.” Janis interrupted. “Am I missing something?”

  “No,” Cam told her. “Politics and government are two different things. I don’t have to like wars that politics got us into. But you can fight politics. You can’t fight government.”

  “As decreed by Ambassador Cameron Andrews. You heard it here first, folks!” Jessie announced as he set a plate on the table in front of Bill. Bill looked down at a large cheeseburger beside a nest of French fries. Jessie placed a large cola beside it.

  “I really thank you for this, man,” he said as he started to shovel it into his mouth. It looked like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

  Janis gave Jessie a proud, playful shove.

  “Do you want company on this picnic?” Janis asked her. Cam could see in her eyes that she really didn’t want to go.

  “Nah,” Cam lied. She wasn’t sure what would happen, but she didn’t want to get anyone else involved. “We can’t all of us miss classes. Then someone would really get suspicious.”

  “You’re a good woman, Cameron Andrews,” Jessie said as he slapped her on the shoulder.

  “Don’t tell the whole world.” She wasn’t sure how she’d explain this. This was so unlike her. She wasn’t sure why she was doing this, except this was Bill. He’d always been a good friend. Now it was her turn to return the favor.

  * * * *

  Thirty-two hours later, they stood in the parking lot of the little motel north of Swanton, Vermont. The sun had been up about a half hour and the shadows were receding. It would be a sunny day.

  “Well, I guess this is it,” Bill said as he hoisted his sack over one shoulder.

  “And you’re sure this is what you want to do,” Cam stated just to have him confirm it. How many times had she asked that on this trip?

  Bill nodded. “It’s what I have to do,” he admitted. Then he reached out and kissed her. “Thank you, Cam. If you ever get to Canada, you’ll have to look me up.” He smiled with bravado. Then, he reached out and caressed her face. “Too bad we didn’t do this three years ago.”

  Cam looked at him with a wry smile. They’d made love last night in this little motel. Neither of them had gotten the sleep they’d need for their upcoming journeys.

  “We never would have made it. We’d still be where we are now. At least we can appreciate the irony of it.”

  Bill nodded thoughtfully. Then he leaned forward and kissed her very sweetly.

  “Take care of yourself, Cam.”

  “You, too. Be well, and good luck.”

  And then he turned and walked north. Cam watched him trudge away, hoping he wouldn’t be angry when he found the three hundred dollars she’d hidden in his sack. She wished it could have been more, but that was all she had.

  * * * *

  Vermont, in the present

  “Did you ever see him again?” Michael asked.

  Cam shook her head. “No, but I heard he did go back home when the amnesty was granted. Lori said he stopped by once to say hello, but I wasn’t around at the time. Our paths never crossed again. I still think of him occasionally.”

  “I imagine you’re both quite different now,” Michael whispered.

  “Well, I know I am…and now I’m a home owner…in Vermont!”

  “Then how should we celebrate?”

  “I can think of a lot of ways.” Cam smirked.

  “Ah!” Michael responded, the smile on her face, big and bright. “Where?”

  “Anywhere you want.” Cam turned to her and smiled.

  “Let’s try here.” She took Cam’s hand and pulled her down onto the long sofa in front of the fireplace.

  Chapter 3

  Vermont, a month later

  Cameron hefted the axe over her shoulder as she and Michael crossed the street behind her house. Michael carried a hefty saw. They had decided t
o explore the land back there. Spring had progressed and it hadn’t rained for a couple days and it was finally possible to walk through the bushes and undergrowth without getting completely drenched and muddy. Although it had been over a month since Cam had bought the property, the winter thaw and early spring rains had prevented them from exploring this part of it. All she’d seen were aerial photos and a topographical map.

  They started out early. The heavily wooded area hadn’t been thoroughly surveyed or explored recently. It was twelve acres with both pine and other deciduous trees. The underbrush was heavy. Cam was anxious to know what exactly was back there.

  They walked about a quarter mile, cutting bushes and fallen branches to make a walkway, and piling pieces of branches and logs into a space to be brought back to the house to be cut and stacked for the fireplace.

  “I wonder how much wildlife is here,” Cam said aloud as she hacked away with the axe she’d found in the garden shed.

  “If you want wildlife, we can always make our own,” Michael said, coming up behind her to take the limb that had fallen into the path. She stepped on a spot about a third of the way along it and pulled it up until it broke in two. She then threw both pieces beside the trail they were making.

  “Is that all you ever think of?”

  “Oui,” Michael replied. A simple yes. No explanation, no apology. Michael had a silly grin on her face.

  “How do you get any work done?” Cam teased.

  “It is difficult,” Michael explained. “Especially when I know who’s waiting for me.” A raised eyebrow punctuated her words. Cam rolled her eyes skyward. She turned around to survey their progress.

  “If we cut the broken branches and a few trees, I won’t have to buy firewood for a while.” Cam looked around to see if there were any dead trees that could be cut right away. There were several and clearing them would make a nice picnic or lounging area. “Did you notice if there was a chainsaw in the tool shed?”

  “I didn’t notice one, but they’re not that expensive to buy.”

  They came to a small creek that ran swiftly through the trees.

  “This is wonderful!” Cam exclaimed. “I knew this was here, but it looks a lot nicer than on that topographical map. I wonder where it goes.”

  Michael looked around. “This must be the one that comes through north of the next property. You remember that brook that empties into the lake over that sweet pile of rocks?” Michael said thoughtfully. “The land seems to be right for it.”

  “I wonder if there are water rights,” Cam said, her mind working. “This would be a wonderful place for a little picnic area. It’s away from everything and very secluded.”

  “No one could see me making love to you.”

  Cam turned and stared at her.

  “What?” Michael asked, trying to look innocent.

  “Nothing!” Cam shook her head. Michael had a one-track mind. Everything had a sexual reference or innuendo.

  “Cherie…” Michael said, reaching out for her, “We’re got to get you past that prudish New England heritage of yours.”

  “Prudish?” Cam cried out. “Because I think about something besides sex?”

  “Oui!” Michael laughed as she drew Cam into her arms. “There is nothing besides sex.”

  “Nothing? Then what did you do before you met me?”

  “I masturbated, and I had sex, kinky sex. I fucked, sucked, fisted…” Michael went on to name every form of sexual interaction she could think of. By the time she was finished, Cam was wrapped tightly in her arms.

  “You’ll have to show me a lot more of those.” Cam loved flirting with Michael. The end result was always worth it.

  “Oui. Ici?”

  “No, not here. It’s too wet here. We’ll have to get this exploration done, and then we can go back into the house.”

  In response, Michael pulled her even closer and kissed her long and hard. By the time she was finished, they were both out of breath.

  Cam laughed as she picked up the axe and forged ahead through the brush. “We should have brought a chaperone. It seems that’s the only way we ever get things done.”

  A little while later, they finally came to a fast-moving stream. It was about two or three feet wide and looked deep in places.

  “I bet that last stream runs into this at some point,” Michael speculated.

  “You’re probably right,” Cam agreed.

  “I will go upstream a ways to see how it flows. It could get really filled when the snow melts in the mountains.” Michael made her way up the creek.

  “There’s what looks like a logging road through here, too,” Cam called out to Michael’s disappearing back. Cam wondered why it didn’t show up on the maps. It looked like it would have been wide enough for one small car. She poked around through the grasses and new shrubs. Obviously, it hadn’t been used in a while and was being overtaken by new shrubs, grasses, and fallen branches. They’d have to see where it ended.

  Suddenly, Michael was back beside her, slightly out of breath and white as a ghost.

  “Cameron, we need to call your police,” she said urgently. “There are two bodies in the bushes up the stream.”

  “Where?”

  Michael pointed to some bushes about seventy-five yards from where they stood. Then she turned and lost her breakfast into the stream. Cam bent down to hold her shoulders and head in concern. “Are you all right?” she asked. She’d never seen Michael like this. Michael was usually so staid, steady, ready for anything.

  “They have been there a while,” Michael responded when she could catch her breath. “They’re really decayed, and it looks like bugs got to them,” Michael finally managed to explain. “Maybe even some vermin.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

  “Two people?”

  “It looks like it.”

  “Come on. It’ll take time for the police to get here.”

  They hurried back to the house as Cam called the Vermont State Police. Once back inside, Michael washed her face and hands and brushed her teeth. Cam poured her a half glass of whisky and they sat down to wait for the police.

  * * * *

  The state troopers came by boat and car. The first to arrive by boat was the sergeant in charge of the investigation. Not long afterwards, an ambulance accompanied by two patrol cars arrived. Soon, there were police and medical units throughout the woods, searching for any other signs of foul play.

  “How long have you owned this property, Ms. Andrews?” the police detective asked calmly. They had already identified themselves and were doing whatever they could to help with the investigation. He had introduced himself as Sergeant Chuck Carver.

  “Just over a month,” Cam answered. They had returned to Cam’s living room after Michael had shown them where the bodies were.

  “This is the first time you walked back there?” he asked.

  Cam nodded. “The time and the weather haven’t been right to go walking through the woods. I had aerial photos and topographical maps that outlined the land. That’s what I paid for.”

  “This place previously belonged to Mr. and Mrs. George Whitburn,” he said, going through his stack of notes. “Do you happen to know where they are now?”

  “I believe Mrs. Whitburn passed away and Mr. Whitburn moved to South Carolina to be with his son,” Michael answered. “The realtor should know or my brother should have his address. He will be here in a little while.”

  “And your brother is?” he asked.

  “Senior Sergeant Jean-René Gauchet of the Coaticook RCMP Detachment,” she stated.

  The police inspector looked at her, eyes wide.

  “Senior Sergeant Gauchet is your brother? Then, Chief Superintendent Claude Gauchet is…”

  “My father. And Superintendent Guy Gauchet, Division C in Montreal is also my brother,” Michael explained. She held the rank of sergeant in the office of Human Resources: Physical Training. “I also report at Division C headquarters. We’re an RCMP fam
ily.” Michael was responsible for all the martial arts training that the forces received.

  The officer shook his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry to have to ask so many questions, Sergeant. I hope you understand.”

  “I do. I wouldn’t expect any less.” Michael smiled at him. “We’ve always had very good relations with US law agencies.”

  “And you’re the one that actually found the remains,” he said as he checked his notes again.

  “Yes, it was rather gruesome.” She looked at Cam with a nauseous expression.

  Then, another inspector was at the back door. “Chuck, can I see you for a moment?”

  “You can come right in, Inspector,” Cam called through the screen door.

  “It’s all right, John. Both these ladies are law enforcement,” Chuck Carver called out the door.

  The screen door opened as the inspector entered.

  “Inspector John Adams,” Chuck introduced him, “Sergeant Michelle Gauchet of the RCMP and Agent Cameron Andrews of the CIA.”

  John was impressed. He reached out to shake hands.

  “All this on property owned by a CIA agent?” he gasped.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Cam said, shaking her head. “I’ve only owned it a month.” She stopped. “But I’d like you to keep my identity to yourselves, please. I do a lot of undercover work and I’d rather a lot of people didn’t know me. “

  “That’s not a problem at all. I totally understand,” Carver assured her.

  “Thanks. I’d like to keep a low profile here. I’m out of the country so often, I don’t want anyone to suspect.”

  Both Carver and his partner nodded. “No one will hear it from us.”

  “And which of you found the bodies?” Adams asked.

  Michael shook her head. “I did. We were exploring the property to see what was back there.”

  Adams was amazed.

  “She was only given aerial photos and topographical maps,” Carver explained for Cam. “What did you find out there?”

  “The bodies didn’t have any identification. It looked like two males. That’s about all I could tell. They were pretty decomposed. We’re sending everything back to the Newport Medical Examiner’s.” He took a deep breath. “We also found quite a bit of other stuff nestled back in the woods. There was a whole meth lab set up and quite an array of marijuana plants under a plastic tarp.”