The Pacific Giants (12 page)

She could see the roof of the cottage in the distance and was aware of another house to the left, just before it. It must be Tom Tankard's house, Vanessa guessed. Lettie had said he'd gone a bit strange after his brother's accident. Vanessa wondered fleetingly what type of accident it had been, and as she walked past the front entrance she slowed out of curiosity. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the sight of a man in a yellow raincoat walking down the drive stopped her in her tracks. Why was Tom Tankard wearing a coat today? It wasn't a stone-splitter of a day, but it didn't look like rain either.

Without thinking about it, Vanessa pushed open the gate and followed him. There was a curve in
the drive, and when she came around the bend she stopped. There was no sign of Tom Tankard anywhere. Had he gone inside?

Too late to turn back now
, Toddy whispered from the security of her backpack.

“True,” Vanessa said thoughtfully, looking up at the windows in the house and wondering if Tom was watching her.

She walked purposefully up to the front door and knocked. As she waited, she spotted an old-fashioned ship's bell. Maybe she should try that instead. She pulled it gently, and it responded with a loud, unpleasant clanking. Vanessa grabbed the bell to stop the noise.

The door swung open and Tom Tankard stared at her in astonishment. His eyes were clear, and he looked much healthier than he had that day on the boat.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Vanessa said quickly. “I'm looking for Professor Jack Noire's house. They told me in the village that he lived somewhere on Salem's Lane.”

Vanessa hoped she didn't sound as nervous as she felt. The man nodded to the right. Still he said nothing.

“Oh, the house next door? Thanks.”

Vanessa paused. She'd give it a go, she thought. She'd try to draw him out.

“I'm sorry I came to the door. I've met you before, actually—on the ferry last Saturday, wasn't it?”

The man stared at her, his eyes narrowed.

Vanessa was beginning to feel increasingly uncomfortable. She should just mind her own business in the future. And she would have to talk to Toddy later about his misleading and unhelpful comments.

Vanessa began to back away, apologizing for the intrusion. Unpredictable, Lettie had said. He had threatened the mayor with a shotgun, she'd said. Maybe he had it loaded in the hallway right now.

“Sorry I bothered you. Really, I am. And I'm really sorry about almost knocking you overboard too. I should have spotted you in that bright yellow raincoat, but I didn't.”

Just stop talking and go
, she scolded herself.

It was as if the man, wound like a spring, was suddenly released. He lunged at her and grabbed her hands. Vanessa screamed and tried to pull away. When she bent down to bite his hands, he suddenly let them go.

“Sorry, sorry,” he panted, his eyes wide, his jaw chewing furiously as if he was trying to make the words come. “I'm sorry.” He looked about wildly.

Vanessa drew back out of his reach but stood her ground. Although her heart was hammering, she found she wasn't afraid. She had never seen a man look so sad and pathetic.

“What do you mean a yellow raincoat?” he said in a hoarse whisper. “Did you think it was me wearing it?”

“Yes. Wasn't it you? You were on the deck of the ferry. I thought you were seasick.”

“Dear God,” Tom murmured, leaning against the doorway for support. He looked like a rag doll with its stuffing knocked out.

What on earth was she to do now? Vanessa wondered. Help him to a chair? But she didn't want to go inside.

“Why you?” Tom demanded in a strangled whimper. “Why not me?”

And then to her astonishment he began to sob quietly. Vanessa shifted on her feet. Part of her wanted to run, but the other part wanted to know what he meant.

“Come in,” he said through his tears. “We have to talk.”

“No,” she said suddenly, “I have to go. Lee is expecting me.”

She hoped her voice didn't sound as panicky as she felt. Never mind about going into the professor's house—she was certainly not going into Tom Tankard's.

The International Society of Cryptozoology was founded in 1982. Dr. Paul LeBlond, author of
Cadborosaurus: Survivor from the Deep
, is a former director.

Vanessa could feel Tom Tankard's eyes boring into her back as she walked purposefully down the drive and out of the gate. She'd given up on the idea of visiting the professor today. That could wait.

As soon as she was out of sight, she started to run, her heart thumping, her backpack bouncing
awkwardly on her back. What had all that been about?

Why did Tom Tankard insist on wearing the silly yellow coat and then get so upset when she mentioned it? Had he been on the boat for some secret reason and was annoyed that she had seen him? It didn't make sense.

Vanessa stumbled slightly as she ran, and pain shot up through her ankle. She collapsed onto a patch of grass at the side of the road, panting heavily. That was all she needed, she thought, massaging her ankle furiously.

Slowly the pain began to ebb away. Her ankle was OK. She'd just have to rest for a bit. Pulling Toddy out of her bag, she cradled the head in her lap and her breathing slowed. She felt calmer. How could his expressionless face manage to look knowing and disdainful at the same time?

“Oh, don't pretend you knew all along that was going to happen,” Vanessa said impatiently. “And if you did, you might have warned me. ‘Turn back,' ‘Use your head' … Anything like that would have been helpful. Instead you say, ‘Too late to turn back!' ”

Toddy remained silent. Only the birds cackled overhead. By the time Vanessa arrived back to the
guesthouse, Lee was coming down the stairs for dinner, so she didn't have time to tell her about the bike. It was, of course, the very first thing that Wayne brought up when they sat at the table. To Vanessa's relief, Lee took it in her stride. No doubt there would be questions later, though.

“That's really unfortunate,” Lee said mildly. “We'll get those tires fixed for you, Wayne, don't you worry,” she said, patting his hand on the table before turning to Mrs. Bouche.

“Frankie, won't you sit down with us? You're always slaving away in that kitchen for us three and never actually eating.”

The chicken casserole that Frankie produced was delicious, and Lee entertained them with stories about killer whales.

“Whaling was a big thing, historically, on this island,” Frankie told them. “Once upon a time there was a whaling station on the west coast, over near Carlingford Point. Nothing there now of course. Not many fishermen left either on these islands.”

“Why, Frankie?” asked Vanessa.

“Not much of a living for an individual with all these commercial boats scooping up thousands of
tons,” Frankie explained.

“Yes. And scooping up the seabed without a thought for all that they are destroying,” Lee added sternly.

“The Tankard brothers were the last real fishermen on Duquette,” Frankie said, shaking her head sadly.

“I spoke to Tom Tankard this afternoon,” Vanessa said, trying to sound casual. “What is his brother called?”

Mrs. Bouche's fork stopped midway to her mouth, and she gawped at Vanessa.

“Dead. The other one's dead,” Wayne said, with great emphasis on the word dead.

Vanessa stared. She had heard about the accident, but she hadn't actually known for sure that he was dead.

“What was his name?” she asked again, although she wasn't sure why.

“His name was Ray,” Frankie replied. “But you say you spoke to Tom this afternoon?”

Frankie's eyebrows shot up into her forehead. It was clear to Vanessa that she didn't believe her.

“His house is up near the professor's and I saw
him in the garden. We had a few words as I passed by,” Vanessa explained, kicking herself for having mentioned his name at all.

“That's extraordinary! Tom hasn't spoken to anyone on the island for nearly a year.” Frankie paused. “Not since his brother drowned.”

All eyes were on Vanessa, who was mortified. They all probably thought she was making the whole thing up now.

“Weird,” Wayne said with a sneer. “I wonder why he suddenly started talking to you, Vanessa, when you were just passing.”

Vanessa's eyes widened. Had he been following her again? Had he seen her call to Tom Tankard's house?

Wayne smiled lazily and she could almost imagine the forked tongue flicking out through his lips. He really was the closest thing to a human snake she had ever come across.

“I think it was especially hard for Tom,” Frankie said with a slow shake of her head, “because Ray was his identical twin. It was like losing part of himself, really. They were inseparable in life and Tom just can't get over his death.”

An identical twin? Vanessa's head began to spin.

“Does Tom ever go on the ferry to the mainland, Frankie?” Vanessa said abruptly, remembering what Lettie had said.

“Dear me, no,” Frankie said with conviction. “Never.” Vanessa felt the prickles on her skin spread like a rash all over her body. She stared at her half-eaten dinner, her appetite gone. Finally she understood Tom's words and why he had been so agitated with her.

It wasn't Tom she had seen on the ferry, but his twin, Ray. And what's more, she had seen him again today in Tom's garden, wearing that yellow coat! Or at least, she had seen his ghost.

Why you? Why not me?
Tom had kept saying.

Yes, why indeed
, Vanessa thought grimly. Why was she the one to see Ray, rather than his grief-stricken brother?

But there was no explanation, Vanessa knew that. It had happened before. She just saw things.

On 21 July 1998 it was reported in the
Victoria Times Colonist
that the Campbell family, who were out in a boat near Senanus Island in order to spread their dead son's ashes, saw a creature that fitted the description of Caddy. “I'm a believer now,” Hugh Campbell claimed afterward.

The next morning, Vanessa woke to a sliver of blue sky and a stream of sunshine through a parting in the curtains, all thoughts of drownings and ghosts dispelled. There was a gentle knock on the door.

“Come in,” Vanessa called out, guessing it was Lee. The door handle rattled, but the door remained shut.

“Sorry,” Vanessa yelled, getting out of bed to open it. “I forgot I locked it last night.” She smiled at Lee. “Don't want Wayne snooping around.”

“Good girl,” Lee said, giving her a peck on the cheek. “Just wondering what you're planning to do. Thought it might be a good idea if you stayed away from him today.”

“I promise you, Lee, I had nothing to do with the bi—” Vanessa began, but Lee cut across her.

“Of course you hadn't, Vanessa,” Lee said indignantly. “I never thought you had. I just think, for your own sanity, you need to keep your distance. We go home in two days anyway, so you won't have to put up with him for too much longer.”

Two days? They were going home in two days! She had to see Caddy again. And what about the whales?

“What about Ziggy and the other whales? Have you caught anyone yet?” said Vanessa.

“Not yet,” Lee admitted glumly. “But all the other tags seem to be moving normally. So maybe
it's stopped. I'll be coming back in a few months' time anyway. It will be an ongoing investigation, I imagine.”

Ongoing without me
, thought Vanessa. It would be so much easier for Lee to be here on her own with no distractions.

“Lucky you,” Vanessa said heavily. “I suppose you'll have Mr. Fox again as your captain when you come back?”

Lee looked slightly taken aback. “Possibly. Why do you ask, Vanessa?”

“Oh, nothing. Just wondered if you use other locals too. I saw Mr. Fox talking to a guy on the beach and wondered if he worked on Brighton Island.”

Vanessa knew that her explanation didn't make much sense. But Lee wasn't really listening and stood up to go.

“So what's the plan?” Lee asked again.

“Think I'll walk into town and get an ice cream at Jo-Jo's,” Vanessa replied. “I can't believe we're going home so soon, Lee.”

Lee grinned and prodded Vanessa with her index finger.

“You like it here? Even with Wayne and the fact
that there's nothing other than curly arbutus trees, sea breezes, and fresh air?”

Vanessa laughed. “You're forgetting about those giants in the sea. They are certainly worth being here for.”

“Yes. The whales are very special,” Lee agreed.

True. But Caddy was even more special, Vanessa mused. If only she could see that giant one more time!

Andy Hillstrand, a fisherman from the TV series
Deadliest Catch
, saw a video taken by Kelly Nash of the elusive Cadborosaurus in Alaska. “Spray came out of its head; it was definitely not a shark. A giant eel may be possible, but eels don't have humps that all move in unison. I've never seen anything like it before,” he said.

Vanessa bought a nut-brittle sundae with chopped nuts and hot chocolate sauce and picked a table in the window of Jo-Jo's. She was disappointed to find that Lettie wasn't there. Instead, she was served by a
sullen-looking girl who prepared her ice cream without saying a word.

“Will Lettie be in later today?” Vanessa asked in a friendly voice as she sat down.

“No,” the girl replied rudely.

So much for the friendly locals
, Vanessa thought. No point in asking her about the Tankard twins either.

Looking out into the harbor, Vanessa could see a large fishing trawler tied up to the pier.

“What type of boat is that?” Vanessa asked. “I haven't seen it here before.”

The girl looked up, an expression of naked boredom on her face.