Town in a Wild Moose Chase

Half-hidden behind a tree, Judicious watched her approach with a tense expression on his face. He usually displayed a somber demeanor, though at times his mood lightened, especially on sunny afternoons in the summer. But today he looked all business. His mouth was a tight line, and his eyes were shadowed, with glints of reflected light peeking out.

He was dressed in a black woolen peacoat, long gray scarf, and a black-billed cap with earmuffs, pulled all the way down to his dark eyebrows, so it hid his unruly mop of black hair. As she drew near and came to a stop close by, he glanced warily about, as if he were about to come under attack, his bright blue eyes flicking from side to side before alighting on her again. “There’re a lot of people out today,” he said, settling deeper into his winter coat. “Colder weather’s coming in.”

“So I’ve heard. I haven’t seen you around much lately, Judicious. Has everything been going okay?”

“There’s a lot been going on,” he said, “so I thought you should know.”

“What?” Candy felt her sense of dread returning. “Does it have anything to do with Solomon?”

“Maybe. That’s the thing—I don’t know for sure. It’s just a feeling I have.”

Candy shivered. It always meant trouble when Judicious had a feeling. As a young man he had taken a mystical journey to Tibet, where he’d spent the better part of two decades sitting on a mountaintop, exploring the mysteries of the universe. Now he was back in Cape Willington, where he lived by himself in a small log cabin on a forested patch of land at the edge of town.

Several of her previous encounters with Judicious had come at opportune times, when she’d been deep in the middle of mysteries. His sudden appearance here, now, out in public, seemingly with a message for her, made her feel even more strongly that something was up. “Have you heard from Solomon? Is he okay?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

“Do you know where he is?”

Judicious looked back over his shoulder, to the west. “He’s somewhere in the woods.”

“Yes, but where?”

He pondered the question, his eyes distant, watching. “I don’t know for sure. I have a feeling he’ll contact you when he’s ready.”

Conversations with Judicious were always a little odd, but for the most part she’d become used to them. Still, she wished he were a little less cryptic and a little more forthcoming. “Judicious, is there anything specific you can tell me about Solomon? Is he injured? Is there something I can tell the police to help them find him?”

Judicious was silent for a long time as he watched the activities in the park. He seemed fascinated by everything around them. “The police won’t find Solomon unless he wants them to,” he said finally. “Right now, it seems he doesn’t want to be found. And that’s a significant point, isn’t it?”

Candy felt another chill go through her as she focused her gaze on him. “What are you saying?”

Judicious answered her question with a question. “Why does Solomon feel the need to hide?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

A trace of a smile crossed Judicious’s face. “Think about it. Why did he come running out of your woods?”

She saw what Judicious was getting at. The obvious answer quickly came to her. “Because he was afraid of something.”

“Yes, but what?”

“The body,” she said at once. But she sensed there was something more. Solomon had acted scared, as if something had spooked him. But what could it have been? What had happened in those woods?

Candy lowered her voice as she leaned a little closer to Judicious. “What do you think is going on?”

He shook his head. “As I said, I don’t know for sure. But I have a feeling the answers are all around us. You just have to find them. You’re a detective, Candy. You’ve proved that before. You’ll know where to look, if you think about it.” He pointed with his head over his shoulder, in the direction of Blueberry Acres.

Candy knew exactly what he meant. “The woods.”

His gaze shifted to her briefly, then back toward the crowd surrounding the ice sculptures. “There’s something else you should know. It’s not just me. The sisters feel the same way. They’ll tell you all about it. Listen carefully when you talk to them.”

“The sisters? Talk to who?” She felt her frustration rising. “Judicious, isn’t there anything else you can tell me? Something that would help me figure out what’s happening?”

At that, he gave her a melancholy smile. “I can’t walk the path for you. You have to discover the answers for yourself. But you’ll be fine. Trust your instincts. Yours are very strong, if you haven’t noticed.”

He did something with his left eye that might have been a wink; it went by so fast Candy couldn’t be certain. She heard a shout behind her and turned back toward the crowd. The workers were gathered around one of the ice mountains—the one that would soon become a dragon—and were cheering about something. After watching them for a few moments, she realized what was happening. They’d put the last block into place. The forklifts were powering down. A mini celebration swept through the crowd.

Wanda Boyle was at the center of the scene, snapping photos with a small digital camera, like a seasoned pro.

She’s right where I should be, Candy thought as a strange feeling swept through her. She realized that Wanda was moving in on her territory, and that her place in town was in danger of being usurped.

She knew she should probably be upset about that, but instead she just shook her head and sighed. You have to give the woman some credit, Candy thought with grudging admiration.

“I’ve got to get back over there,” she said as she turned back toward Justice. But he was gone—as she should have expected.

She scanned the park and thought she saw his black peacoat disappearing between the trees. A moment later any remaining sign of him was blocked by a group of oncoming tourists excited about the events going on in the park.

Judicious had said his piece and made an inconspicuous exit—again.

And once again, he’d left her with more questions than answers. She put her hands on her hips and let out a breath. “Okay, so… can anybody tell me what that was all about?” she said to no one in particular.

Strangely enough, she received a reply. “Talking to yourself again?”

Candy twisted around. Maggie had come up behind her.

“Oh, hi, Mags. No, not really. There was someone here a few moments ago—though not right then, when I said that last sentence. I suppose I was alone then, wasn’t I? So yes, the answer to your question is yes, I was talking to myself. But not the whole time.” She paused and made a face. “I don’t suppose that makes any sense, does it?”

Maggie tilted her head. “You know, strangely enough, in a Candy Holliday sort of way, it does. If you were anyone else, I’d recommend a really good psychiatrist. I’d even call and make an appointment for you. But given what’s happened around here the past few years, I’ve learned to avoid snap judgments. So I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Candy drew her head back. “Wow, good answer. But I’m not sure if I should be impressed or depressed.” In a lowered voice, she added, “Do I really sound that crazy?”

Maggie laughed. “Maybe just a little, but around here I don’t think anyone will notice. So what’s up?”

Candy shook her head. “You know, I’m not really sure. But it looks like we’ve got another mystery on our hands. And that’s what’s got me worried.”

Maggie gave her a sympathetic smile and pointed with her eyes to the inn off to their right. “How about a glass of wine, and we can talk it over?”

Candy clapped a hand on her friend’s shoulder and looked around for Ben. “You’ve been reading my mind.”

Eight