Midnight Sun (31 page)

Chapter
6

Hood
Lake
Float
Plane
Port

Anchorage

Monday
June
20th

3
p.m.

After
three
days
surrounded
by
the
most
stunning
natural
beauty
she
had
ever
seen,
breathing
air
cleaner
than
she
had
ever
imagined
possible,
Hildegard
Farris
’
s
face
glowed.
She
had
never
believed
scenery
like
that
was
real.
She'd
always
assumed
that
what
she'd
seen
in
paintings
was
from
the
artist
’
s
imagination
or
that
online
pictures
had
been
P
hoto-Shopped.
Living
her
entire
life
east
of
the
Mississippi
River
and
never
farther
north
than
Cleveland, she
had
only
known
hazy,
humid
summers
and
cold,
wet
winters.

The
sapphire
blue
of
the
skies
and
the
crystalline
waters
of
the
lakes
and
rivers
had
stunned
her.
Photographing
wild
bears,
wolves,
sheep,
coyotes,
lynx,
and
moose
took
her
to
a
whole
new
level.
Hilde
felt
as
though
she
had
been
on
another
planet.
As
the
plane
touched
down
on
Lake
Hood,
she
was
excited
to
see
Lonnie
again
and
brimmed over with a desire to
share
the
wonders
she
had
seen.

Lonnie
waited
for
them
in
Marcus's
truck
next
to
the
dock.
As
the
plane
pulled
in,
she
climbed
out
and
walked
across
the
wood
planks
to
where
the
plane
would
be
moored.
Marcus
stepped
out
onto
the
pontoon
while
it
coasted
into
the
slip.
He
tossed
the
line
to
his
pregnant
wife
and
she
squatted
to
secure
it,
her
round
belly
forcing
her
legs
apart
as
she
reached
for
the
tie
down.
As
they
got
off
the
plane,
Hilde
and
Mike
were
all
smiles.
The
mood
fizzled
when
they
saw
Lonnie's
expression.

“
Hey,
baby,
”
Marcus
said,
“
you
okay?
”

“
Harold
and
Maureen
are
dead.
”

“
Huh?
”
Marcus's
mouth
hung
open
in
shock.
He
stammered,
“
What
are
you
talking
about?
”

“
Accident
Saturday
night
as
they
were
leaving
the
wedding
for
their
honeymoon.
Some
idiot
T
-boned
their
car
and
ruined
their
happily
ever
after.
”

“
Dear
Jesus,
”
Marcus
said.

“
That's
horrible,
”
Hilde said.

“
Are
you
all right?
”
Mike asked.

“
Yeah.
It
’
s
just...
” S
he
trailed
off.

“
Let's
get
unloaded
and
back
to
the
hotel,
”
Marcus said.
“
We
can
talk
about
it
there
after
everyone
gets
cleaned
up.
”

The
trio
was
covered
in
three
days’
of
camp
grime.
Their
excitement
doused,
they
suddenly
felt
exhausted.
They
unloaded
the
plane
and
packed
the
bags
into
the
truck.
Lonnie
drove
back
to
the
Captain
Cook,
where
a
bellman
helped
take
the
bags
up.
Inside
their
room,
Lonnie
lay
on
the
bed
while
Marcus
showered.
When
he
came
out,
she
stared
at
him
from
the
bed
where
she
lay
on
her
side.
Wearing
nothing
but
a
thick
white
terry
cloth
towel
around
his
waist,
he
crossed
the
room,
slid
onto
the
bed,
and
lay
next
to
her.