\u201cI<\/span>\u2019m glad you could make it, it\u2019s going to be a great weekend,\u201d Jim said, swinging his tan Toyota down the service road leading out to Highway 11, some hundred miles north of Toronto.<\/p>\n

It was Friday afternoon, the Friday before Labor Day, and Jim had picked Dave up at his split-level house on the banks of the river that stretched between two lakes to drive him up to the lodge for the weekend.<\/p>\n

Dave Bryden first met Jim Stanton as his insurance agent before they became friends.\u00a0 They became good friends before Dave started sleeping with Jim\u2019s wife.\u00a0 Dave still thought of Jim as a good friend.<\/p>\n

Dave\u2019s liaison with Ellen wasn\u2019t something that happened suddenly; he had known Ellen for five years before he slept with her.\u00a0 It simply happened one night about a year ago,\u00a0 and since then, continued whenever the opportunity presented itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to believe the summer\u2019s almost over,\u201d Dave said, running his hand through his dark, closely trimmed beard.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re in the homestretch now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave had first made love to Ellen during the homestretch, the span of time between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.\u00a0 Jim had stayed up to run the lodge, which was filled at that time of year with clusters of fishermen from Pittsburgh and Cleveland, while Ellen returned home to teach her fifth graders at the regional school.\u00a0 She and Dave made love two nights a week, and then Ellen spent the weekends up at the lodge with Jim.<\/p>\n

The insurance business was going well, and that, coupled with an inheritance after his father\u2019s death, enabled Jim to buy the summer resort three years ago from a local family who had owned it for three generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to make it a real family place,\u201d Jim had said to Dave when he first purchased the lodge.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what happened.\u00a0 Dave had to give Jim credit.\u00a0 During the first two years, Jim not only won over the traditional guests, but he also attracted new families by offering special deals and discount rates for children.\u00a0 By the beginning of the third summer, the lodge was fully booked for every week by early May.<\/p>\n

-2-<\/p>\n

Jim turned off the highway at the exit marked Swallow Lake, swinging around to the gravel road leading toward the lodge.\u00a0 He took the curve by the beaver dam a bit too fast and the car began skidding.\u00a0 Dave instinctively reached for the door handle, gripping it tight, while Jim regained control of the car and straightened it out.<\/p>\n

He laughed and accelerated again, roaring down the gravel road, stirring up dust and pebbles behind, before finally slowing down as he approached the sign for Swallow Lake\u00a0 Lodge.<\/p>\n

Ellen was behind the front desk when Jim and Dave walked into the main building after Dave had placed his bags in the studio apartment which was converted out of a loft in the barn located across from the back door of the lodge\u2019s kitchen.<\/p>\n

Ellen was busy, booking in new arrivals, and she seemed harried, though she was trying her best to smile and act cordial.\u00a0 She was a slender blond, her hair short, in her late thirties, with long, attractive legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook who\u2019s here, honey,\u201d Jim greeted her, slapping Dave good-naturedly on the back.<\/p>\n

Ellen glanced up, then efficiently typed in the name of an arriving couple from Rochester on the word processor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a great team,\u201d Jim laughed.\u00a0 \u201cI handle the public relations and Ellen is all business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone has to do it,\u201d Ellen snapped.<\/p>\n

Then, turning to the Rochester couple, she smiled and said, \u201cYou\u2019re in Bungalow Seven, Driftwood, one of the boys will show you where.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes caught Dave\u2019s, a quick sparkle as she explained the activities available at the lodge to the couple, who were elderly and looked like they needed rest more than anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get a drink,\u201d Jim said.\u00a0 \u201cI think Ellen has the situation well under control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave smiled at Ellen, who returned his smile with a slight one of her own, her lower lip trembling, and then he followed Jim out through the porch and down the front steps of the lodge overlooking the lake.<\/p>\n

Dinner was in less than an hour and guests, married couples with children trailing behind in dripping swim trunks, were coming up from the beach and marching across the freshly cut grass between the lodge and the lake..<\/p>\n

Jim stretched, his green and gold jersey rising above his belly, as the late afternoon sun illuminated the front of the lodge.<\/p>\n

They were sitting on the deck spread out before Jim\u2019s cabin, a cabin he had built the year before for Ellen and their three children; two boys and a girl —\u00a0 the girl, Cindy, the oldest at fifteen.<\/p>\n

Dave relaxed with his second bottle of Molson.\u00a0 Ellen was still up at the lodge, maybe taking in last minute guests, or possibly supervising the kitchen staff in preparation for dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a surprise!\u201d a husky voice with a French accent called out.\u00a0 \u201cGood to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave looked up to see Chef Bob coming across the grass toward the cabin, a dirty white apron covering the front of his blue jeans and his white cap standing on top of his curly brown head.<\/p>\n

He stood up to greet Bob, the chef inherited from the previous owners of the lodge, one of the few relics remaining since Jim had taken over.<\/p>\n

Chef Bob, a broad shouldered man with short legs, bounded up the steps and vigorously shook hands with Dave.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know you were coming,\u201d he said, lighting a cigarette and waiting to see if Jim would offer him a beer, which wasn\u2019t forthcoming.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow was your year?\u201d Dave asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe usual,\u201d Bob said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m up here till Thanksgiving and then it\u2019s back down to Florida and another winter of clown school.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pulled three bottles of beer out of the cooler by Dave\u2019s feet, juggling them in the air, catching one and releasing it as the next one fell<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always more to learn and it keeps me occupied,\u201d Chef Bob said, the three bottles still revolving in front of his face.\u00a0 He then caught them one by one, placing two back in the cooler and snapping the cap off the third with a can opener that he deftly pulled out of the back pocket of his jeans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen do you officially become a clown and not just a student?\u201d Dave asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a clown.\u201d\u00a0 Chef Bob raised his beer.<\/p>\n

Ellen was coming toward them from the main building as the whistle sounded announcing that it was time for dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess I should get back,\u201d Bob said, hastily draining the remainder of his beer.<\/p>\n

He started down the steps, passing Ellen, who curtly acknowledged the\u00a0chef as she continued past him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think you should be up at the lodge?\u201d she said to Jim.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the biggest weekend of the summer.\u00a0 I think the guests would like to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim finished his beer.\u00a0 \u201cWe were just coming, dear.\u201d\u00a0 Then he excused himself, saying he needed to hit the john before dinner.<\/p>\n

Ellen stood above Dave, who was still sitting in a lawn chair.\u00a0 She crossed her arms, then glanced over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very awkward,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI wish I had some warning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was spur of the moment,\u201d Dave said.\u00a0 \u201cJim called and invited me and I just took it for granted you knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you didn\u2019t expect anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave\u2019s hand tightened around the arm of the chair.\u00a0 He forced a laugh.\u00a0 \u201cWhy have expectations when you\u2019re spending the weekend with friends?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising from his chair, Dave\u2019s hand brushed lightly against Ellen\u2019s leg as Jim came out of the cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to meet the multitude,\u201d Jim laughed, cutting in between Dave and Ellen, placing<\/p>\n

an arm around each of them.<\/p>\n

The three of them walked toward the lodge, with Jim still in the middle, carrying on about what a great weekend it was going to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to show you the new boat,\u201d he said to Dave.\u00a0 \u201cJust got it in the water last weekend and it\u2019s a beauty.\u00a0 Got a 75 horsepower Johnson and does it ever fly.\u201d<\/p>\n

After dinner, families lounged around the main building or went back to their cabins to play cards or simply rest up before the variety show that night.\u00a0 Others played shuffleboard and there was a volleyball game taking place in the sand pit off to the side of the baseball field stretching out before the point where they emptied into the river.<\/p>\n

The sky was turning dark, dusk hanging over the lake as if a curtain was slowly slipping down to cover the faded blue backdrop rising from the water.<\/p>\n

Dave followed Jim down to the dock, as the guest team declared victory over the staff in the final volleyball game.\u00a0 Flinging the rope across the front seat, Jim hopped into the boat and motioned for Dave to untie the stern.<\/p>\n

The sputtering of the engine, as Jim started the boat and guided it smoothly away from the dock, cut through the silence surrounding the lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on to your seat,\u201d Jim laughed.\u00a0 He jammed the throttle forward, the boat moving out at half speed, the wind rushing through Dave\u2019s hair, forcing him to drop further down in his seat.<\/p>\n

The spray of the water was whipping across Jim\u2019s face, but he was oblivious, his hair wet and wild, as he zigzagged across the open stretch of lake leading to the channel.<\/p>\n

Jim was talking, his face animated, but Dave couldn\u2019t hear, the motor was deafening.<\/p>\n

The boat did ride smooth, though, taking the waves in style, not choppy but almost gliding from the peak of one right to the crest of the next, landing level as it continued unimpeded on its course.<\/p>\n

Out by the channel, Jim eased back on the throttle, bringing the boat almost to a stop as a cabin cruiser passed in front.\u00a0 The boat rocked gently on the large waves left behind in the wake of the larger craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Jim asked.\u00a0 He was perched on the back of the front seat, one hand gripping the wheel.<\/p>\n

Dave looked up. \u00a0His shirt was drenched and he wished he\u2019d brought a jacket.\u00a0 He reached for a towel underneath the bow.<\/p>\n

Jim placed the boat in neutral and asked Dave if he wanted a beer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI keep a cooler in the back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The two men sat up front, beers in hand, as the last light of day disappeared over the horizon.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you ever think of getting married again?\u201d Jim asked.<\/p>\n

Dave took a long swallow of beer.\u00a0 \u201cIf the right woman came along, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim finished his beer and slipped off the seat to get another one from the cooler by the white encased Johnson mounted on the back of the boat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sometimes think about getting married again,\u201d Jim said.\u00a0 He handed a beer to Dave, and then drank from his bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are married.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean if I wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Jim said.\u00a0 \u201cI just feel like I\u2019m in a rut.\u201d |<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you be in a rut?\u201d Dave said.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a new boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim laughed, raising his bottle and clinking it with Dave\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cRight you are, buddy boy,<\/p>\n

I have a new fucking boat.\u00a0 Time to show you how it goes when I really open her up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave dropped down on the seat below the windshield.\u00a0 Jim let out a war cry and pushed the throttle forward, full speed ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch how she handles turns,\u201d Jim cried, spinning the wheel so the boat swerved sharply to the left, sending Dave sprawling down against the side, his head almost in the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it easy,\u201d Dave shouted, but Jim was already cutting the boat back to the right, and Dave bounced across the seat bumping up against Jim\u2019s leg.\u00a0 Jim looked down and laughed.<\/p>\n

Dave\u2019s shoulder was next to Jim\u2019s knee, and then the boat was spinning back in the other direction, and Dave was sliding back toward the pass<\/p>\n

He was on his back, his head banging against the side of the boat as he caught a last glimpse of Jim flying out the other side.\u00a0 Jim was there one minute and the next, his body skipped twice across the surface of the lake like a pebble before disappearing into the darkness.<\/p>\n

Lunging across the seat, Dave reached frantically for the steering wheel as the boat continued forward, full speed.\u00a0 He yanked the throttle back to neutral and the boat suddenly stopped, water pouring over the back by the engine.<\/p>\n

He stood up, his legs wobbly, and scanned the lake for a sign of Jim.\u00a0 He called Jim\u2019s name, in disbelief, cursing his friend for prolonging what had to be a stupid joke, a joke that wasn\u2019t funny.\u00a0 Where was the flashlight?\u00a0 He needed a God damn flashlight.<\/p>\n

This couldn\u2019t be happening, but it was, he was sitting in the boat, behind the wheel, in<\/p>\n

place of Jim, who moments before was laughing and having the time of his life showing off his new toy.<\/p>\n

Leaning forward against the dashboard, Dave stared out at the blackness.\u00a0 His stomach was loose, squeamish.\u00a0 Why wasn\u2019t Jim wearing a God damn life jacket?\u00a0 And then he realized that he wasn\u2019t wearing one either.<\/p>\n

He called out again.\u00a0 And again, and again.\u00a0 There was no answer, only the echo of his voice resounding over the empty lake.\u00a0 Dave circled around in the boat, first making a big loop, then drawing the circle in smaller and smaller.<\/p>\n

He continued aimlessly circling in the dark, calling out Jim\u2019s name.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure how much longer the gas would last.\u00a0 He was afraid that if he didn\u2019t\u00a0start back he would be stranded, with a friend still missing and no fuel to return to shore.<\/p>\n

As he pulled into the dock, the bow bumped head on against it, the boat bouncing off, the stern swinging back around and tapping the dock.\u00a0 Dave hurdled the seat into the back and grabbed one of the metal rings on the dock, slowly pulling the boat so it was alongside it.<\/p>\n

He tied up the bow and stern and looked up at the lodge.\u00a0 The lights in the rec hall were out, the variety show long over.\u00a0 He trudged up toward the main building, too exhausted to run, to find Ellen, to find someone.<\/p>\n

When he entered the main building he heard Ellen\u2019s voice coming from the lounge.\u00a0 He turned the corner and she was sitting at the far end of the couch in front of a large television set which was tuned into CBC nightly news.<\/p>\n

Chef Bob, still in clown makeup, a red bulb of a nose and a pink and black polka dot outfit, sat up straight in his chair instantly aware that something was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know where Jim is,\u201d Dave said, his voice cracking.<\/p>\n

Chef Bob and Ellen were both on their feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was driving too fast and he flew out!\u201d Dave said.\u00a0 \u201cHe just flew out.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know where he is!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you last see him?\u201d Chef Bob asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut by the channel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you came in without him?\u201d Ellen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t find him.\u00a0 It was dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chef Bob placed his hand on Dave\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWe should call the OPP,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell can the Provincial Police do?\u201d Ellen demanded.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get a boat, let\u2019s go out and look for him.\u00a0 We\u2019re wasting time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave pulled away from Bob.\u00a0 He realized that Jim was probably dead.\u00a0 Whether he downed or was killed by the impact when he hit the water, Dave knew that Jim must be dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll call the OPP,\u201d Chef Bob said solemnly.<\/p>\n

Dave understood that this was now about finding a body, it was no longer about saving a life.\u00a0 He reached for Ellen but she stepped away.<\/p>\n

It was over an hour before the first OPP boat arrived.\u00a0 Swinging out by the channel, one officer manning a large spotlight illuminating the surface of the lake, the boat circled about.<\/p>\n

Within two hours, the lake was filled with boats, all trolling along, searching, scanning, trying to locate the body.\u00a0 Dave stood on the dock, smoking a cigarette.<\/p>\n

He was tired.\u00a0 The police had questioned him endlessly, or so it seemed.\u00a0 At first, he had been defensive, feeling as if he was being interrogated as a prime suspect, almost as if the OPP Sergeant was hoping to catch him in a lie and pin Jim\u2019s death on him.\u00a0 But there was no lie, it had been an accident.<\/p>\n

Still, while Dave was sitting in the main office of the lodge, the burly OPP Sergeant, his blue uniform fresh and unruffled, standing over him, he felt guilty.\u00a0 He wondered if he had done enough.\u00a0 He had been the last one to see Jim alive and all he could say was that Jim was there one moment and then he was gone.<\/p>\n

The police and the rescue crews kept up the search for over five hours, then decided to break until morning.\u00a0 One boat remained, cruising about the lake, but more as a symbol than out of any real hope of discovering Jim\u2019s body.<\/p>\n

Ellen was standing on the porch, wearing a t<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should get some sleep,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow the fuck am I supposed to sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing we can do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed.\u00a0 Her eyes were red and puffy.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just that I thought this kind of thing only happened to other people.\u00a0 I never thought it could happen to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took Ellen by the hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll walk you back to your cabin.\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t resist and they left the porch by the side door.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did he seem?\u201d Ellen asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were the last to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget it,\u201d Ellen said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll see you in the morning.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m supposed to say or how I\u2019m supposed to act.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave trudged off toward the loft above the barn.\u00a0 He desperately wanted to be with Ellen, lying next to her, his arms around her, but now because of something beyond his control, he suspected he never would again.<\/p>\n

He finally slept, waking up after three hours.\u00a0 He quickly dressed and stopped by the kitchen where Chef Bob was overseeing the preparation of breakfast.<\/p>\n

Chef Bob poured Dave a cup of coffee.\u00a0 His white apron was stained and his eyes were strained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s Ellen?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess she\u2019s holding up,\u201d Dave replied.<\/p>\n

Chef Bob shrugged, pouring himself a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

Dave looked at Bob, suddenly wondering if the chef knew about him and Ellen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be real until they find the body,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 Chef Bob paused. \u00a0\u201cJim\u2019s gone but it still seems like he\u2019s somewhere else.\u00a0 And as long as he\u2019s somewhere else, he can come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we know he won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chef Bob nodded grimly, then ordered one of the kitchen boys to get another carton of eggs.\u00a0 Breakfast was still expected by the guests.<\/p>\n

The OPP boats searched the lake all day, and one remained and continued to search through the next day.\u00a0 Finally, the police called off the search and officially listed Jim as missing, presumably a drowning victim.<\/p>\n

Activities resumed as scheduled at the lodge over the remainder of the weekend.\u00a0 Everyone knew about the accident, but it was vacation, Labor Day weekend, and what could be done?\u00a0 There were still three meals a day to be served at the lodge, bingo at night, water skiing during the afternoon, and families swimming together at the beach.<\/p>\n

Ellen kept to her cabin, relegating the office work to others.\u00a0 She told Dave she didn\u2019t<\/p>\n

want to face people, didn\u2019t want to hear the unspoken words as guests went through the formality of settling up their bills.<\/p>\n

Every time Dave looked out at the lake, he couldn\u2019t shake off the unsettling realization that Jim was out there somewhere.\u00a0 He walked down to the point, the link between the lake and the river, and spotted Cindy, Jim\u2019s daughter, sitting on the end of a dock wearing a pair of cutoffs, her legs dangling in the water.<\/p>\n

He stared at Cindy, so young, so much life ahead.\u00a0 He was envious.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know how young she truly was.<\/p>\n

Cindy turned her head and looked up as she heard Dave approaching.\u00a0 Her blue eyes were glazed.\u00a0 Swinging her legs around and up out of the water, she sat Indian-style facing Dave, who stepped onto the dock.<\/p>\n

He came forward and stood before the girl.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Flinging her hair back over her shoulder, Cindy lowered her head, then looked back up defiantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should you be?\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cMy mother got what she wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl\u2019s venomous accusation caught Dave off guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t act so surprised,\u201d Cindy said.\u00a0 \u201cShe didn\u2019t want to be with my father, and now she\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave crouched down in front of her.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t mean what you\u2019re saying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow would you know?\u201d Cindy challenged.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was my friend,\u201d Dave said awkwardly.<\/p>\n

Cindy raised herself up, all the while looking directly at Dave.\u00a0 \u201cMy father\u2019s dead, isn\u2019t he?\u201d she sobbed, falling forward.<\/p>\n

Dave opened his arms and the girl landed against his chest, both of them toppling down onto the deck of the dock.\u00a0 He quickly gripped her arms and lifted her up as he scrambled to his feet.\u00a0 She was still in his arms, trembling and crying.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hated him, I know she did,\u201d Cindy whimpered.\u00a0 \u201cI want my Daddy back.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wanted to soothe her but he didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, there, it will be all right,\u201d he said, squeezing Cindy tightly against his chest.<\/p>\n

She remained limp, still crying.\u00a0 \u201cHow?\u00a0 How will it ever be all right again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust remember, your father loved you,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

Cindy suddenly pushed off his chest.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not enough!\u201d she screamed.\u00a0 \u201cWhy couldn\u2019t you save him?\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned and started running down the dock.\u00a0 She leaped out and sliced down through the water in a perfect dive.\u00a0 Dave called after her but she continued swimming in\u00a0a determined crawl stroke, until five hundred or so yards out, she stopped, treading water, her head a small object protruding from the flat surrounding surface.<\/p>\n

Dave slowly walked back to the lodge.\u00a0 He hoped Chef Bob would be up to joining him for a drink; for many drinks, for that matter.<\/p>\n

It was Thursday morning, six days after the accident, and Chef Bob was out in a small seven horsepower boat fishing near the marina by the mouth of the river on the far side of the lake when he hooked something big.\u00a0 He stood up, straining to pull it into the boat, but the line snapped and he fell back over the seat almost cracking his head on the bow.<\/p>\n

Lying on his back, Chef Bob struggled to upright himself and rushed to the back of the boat.\u00a0 He spotted a trace of his line.\u00a0 He reached for it and started pulling the boat<\/p>\n

alongside it.\u00a0 As he approached a pile of rocks off the shore, behind which the fishing line was twisted, he recognized the familiar green and gold jersey.\u00a0 Then he noticed a hand coming out of one of the sleeves, resting, crushed between two rocks.<\/p>\n

His eyes followed the hand and then he saw it, the outline of the back of the head sub- merged in the water just before the shore.<\/p>\n

He remained motionless.\u00a0 Then he slowly stood up and reached for the oars, fitting them into the sockets on the side of the boat.\u00a0 He wearily rowed over toward the marina, to break the news, to announce that Jim Stanton was no longer missing.<\/p>\n

The OPP came to retrieve the body.\u00a0 The autopsy would follow.\u00a0 For now, without much fanfare, the body was wrapped in a black plastic bag and placed in an ambulance which took off witrh no siren and no blaring red light.<\/p>\n

Dave was with Ellen when she looked down at Jim\u2019s face as his body lay on top of the body bag.\u00a0 His face was disfigured and bloated, but aside from a cut across his forehead, his body was relatively unscathed.<\/p>\n

Ellen choked, then tried to speak, but couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 Dave told the OPP officer that it was Jim, and Ellen nodded.\u00a0 The officer then waved to the ambulance attendants, who quickly zipped up the bag, black plastic covering Jim\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Dave took Ellen\u2019s arm and walked her back to his car.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least he was found by someone who knew him,\u201d she said, as she fastened her seat belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it matter who found him?\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

He started the car.<\/p>\n

Ellen placed her hand on his knee.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t get so excited,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, and that\u2019s why I appreciate it all the more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave jammed on the brakes, then eased off to the side of the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the fuck are you talking about?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Ellen pulled out a cigarette.\u00a0 She pushed in the lighter above the ashtray below the dashboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a shame it can never work between us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate what you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 It was an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it anymore.\u201d\u00a0 Ellen waved her cigarette.\u00a0 \u201cCan we just get back to the lodge.\u00a0 Summer\u2019s over and there\u2019s so much to do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“We\u2019re going to make it a real family place…”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1387"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1623,"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions\/1623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ducts.sundresspublications.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}