Midday Clouds - The Charlie Swan Story

Chapter 29 (New Moon 18)

The next few weeks at work were some of the busiest I've ever seen. As a result of all the missing hikers in Olympic National Park, the state sent over a team of troopers, rangers, and one hot-shot detective from Seattle. They'd been working their way west along the 101 and had finally reached our neck of the woods.

"So, Chief Swan, you're telling me that the recent missing hikers aren't the first instance of people gone missing in your jurisdiction?" The detective, Sgt. Smith, was a no-nonsense man with short blonde hair and a clean-shaven face. He was dressed in what looked to be an expensive suit, and it looked as though he wouldn't have been able to grow a mustache even if he wanted to. I was sitting on the wrong side of the interrogation room desk (which, technically, doubled as our coffee lounge), and I couldn't help but feel the accusatory tone in the man's voice.

"Well, no, it's not. A few people go missing every year around here—or, should I say, in the national park, which is very clearly outside of my jurisdiction—but over the past few months it has definitely increased. It started oh, about six months back. We thought it might have been a particularly vicious bear, but even with the help of the local Indigenous trackers we couldn't find any sign of one. Then it cooled off for a bit, and now, apparently, things are bad again."

"And has anything changed around here in that time?" He asked.

"What do you mean changed? Not much changes around here. It's always raining. It's always windy. There are always a few visitors coming through on some camping trip or another. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Have there been any recent... relocations? Anyone new move into town? Anyone recently move away? These are all just our standard questions."

"Well, now, my daughter moved here at the start of last year, but I can't see how that would have any impa-"

"And has anyone left town, recently?"

"Our doctor, Carlisle Cullen, he took off for some big job in the city and moved his whole family off, but other than that, no. Look, I don't see what any of this would have to do with the missing hikers over the past few weeks—we've also heard reports of huge prints to the north. Whatever this is, I don't think it's human." These damn city cops, always taking their time, asking their 'standard questions.' If you ask me, the best way of finding something out is by going out and finding it.

"We will take all of this into account, Chief Swan. In fact our park rangers are planning on checking out the locations of the reports once we finish conducting our interviews, perhaps you would care to join them?"

"Yeah, I think it's best if I did. I know you fellas are handy in the woods, but I've been here all my life—there's no one who knows these parts like me, well, aside from the Quiluete folk, of course."

"Yes, I've heard they're excellent trackers and have lent a hand for your department in the past. Bring one with you. We'll begin making our forays into the woods beginning next Tuesday."

"Next Tuesday?" I asked, shocked. "That's a week away!"

"We're here to follow due process, Chief Swan. It's how things are handled when there are a lot of pieces in motion."

"Hrrmph," was all I had to say in return. It didn't fly past me that he likely thought I wasn't capable of conducting a large-scale investigation. Sure, I might not have done anything quite like it before, but I'll be damned if I wasn't ready to do what needed to be done to keep the people of my town safe. "Fine. Tuesday morning it is."

"Oh and Charlie?" The detective asked, "be sure not to spread the word that we're here, okay? It might interfere with the investigation if people are on edge."

"Sure, sure. Though dressed like that, I can't promise that the folks of Forks won't be able to figure it out for themselves."

He gave me a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "We'll be in touch," was all he said before abruptly leaving the room, his posse in tow. 

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