"Wave from a passing boat?"
"There hasn't been a boat past here in hours."
"Sometimes these long narrow lakes build up a standing wave. It's called a seiche."
"A seiche?" When he nodded, she rolled her eyes. "I've got to start watching more PBS. In the meantime"
The sound of an approaching car drew their attention up to the lodge in time to see Stuart slowly and carefully pull into the parking lot, barely disturbing the gravel.
"Are you going to tell him who vandalized his car?" Celluci asked as they started up the hill.
"Who? Probably not. I can't prove it after all, but I will tell him it wasn't some vengeful spirit and it definitely won't happen again." At least not if Pete Wegler had anything to say about it. The spirit of the lake might be hypothetical but she wasn't.
"A group of villagers, Vicki? You're sure?"
"Positive."
"They actually thought I'd believe it was an angry spirit manifesting all over the side of my vehicle?"
"Apparently." Actually, they hadn't cared if he believed it or not. They were all just so angry they needed to do something and since the spirit was handy She offered none of that to call-me-Stuart.
"I want their names, Vicki." His tone made it an ultimatum.
Vicki had never responded well to ultimatums. Celluci watched her masks begin to fall and wondered just how far his dislike of the developer would let her go. He could stop her with a word, he just wondered if he'd say it. Or when.
To his surprise, she regained control. "Check the census lists then. You haven't exactly endeared yourself to your neighbours."
For a moment, it seemed that Stuart realized how close he'd just come to seeing the definition of his own mortality but then he smiled and said, "You're right, Vicki, I haven't endeared myself to my neighbours. And do you know what: I'm going to do something about that. Tomorrow's Victoria Day. I'll invite them all to a big picnic supper with great food and fireworks out over the lake. We'll kiss and make up."
"It's Sunday evening and tomorrow's a holiday. Where are you going to find food and fireworks?"
"Not a problem, Mike. I'll e-mail my caterers in Toronto. I'm sure they can be here by tomorrow afternoon. I'll pay through the nose but, hey, developing a good relationship with the locals is worth it. You two will stay, of course."
Vicki's lips drew back off her teeth but Celluci answered for them both. "Of course."
"He's up to something," he explained later, "and I want to know what that is."
"He's going to confront the villagers with what he knows, see who reacts and make their lives a living hell. He'll find a way to make them the first part of his expansion."
"You're probably right."
"I'm always right." Head pillowed on his shoulder, she stirred his chest hair with one finger. "He's an unethical, immoral, unscrupulous little asshole."
"You missed annoying, irritating, and just generally unlikable."
"I could convince him he was a combination of Mother Theresa and Lady Di. I could rip his mind out, use it for unnatural purposes, and stuff it back into his skull in any shape I damn well chose but I can't."
Once you start down the dark side, for ever will it dominate your destiny ? But he didn't say it aloud because he didn't want to know how far down the dark side she'd been. He was grateful that she'd drawn any personal boundaries at all, that she'd chosen to remain someone who couldn't use terror for the sake of terror. "So what are we going to do about him?"
"I can't think of a damned thing. You?"
Suddenly he smiled. "Could you convince him that you were the spirit of the lake and that he'd better haul his ass back to Toronto unless he wants it dissolved off?"
She was off the bed in one fluid movement. "I knew there was a reason I dragged you out here this weekend." She turned on one bare heel then turned again and was suddenly back in the bed. "But I think I'll wait until tomorrow night. He hasn't paid me yet."
"Morning, Mike. Where's Vicki?"
"Sleeping."
"Well, since you're up, why don't you help out by carrying the barbecue down to the beach. I may be willing to make amends but I'm not sure they are and since they've already damaged my car, I'd just as soon keep them away from anything valuable. Particularly when in combination with propane and open flames."
"Isn't Vicki joining us for lunch, Mike?"
"She says she isn't hungry. She went for a walk in the woods."
"Must be how she keeps her girlish figure. I've got to hand it to you, Mike, there aren't many men your age who could hold on to such a woman. I mean, she's really got that independent thing going, doesn't she?" He accepted a tuna sandwich with effusive thanks, took a bite and winced. "Not light mayo?"
"No."
"Never mind, Mike. I'm sure you meant well. Now, then, as it's just the two of us, have you ever considered investing in a time-share"
Mike Celluci had never been so glad to see anyone as he was to see a van full of bleary-eyed and stiff caterers arrive at four that afternoon. As Vicki had discovered during that initial phone call, Stuart Gordon was not a man who took no for an answer. He might have accepted "Fuck off and die!" followed by a fast exit but since Vicki expected to wake up on the shores of Lake Nepeakea, Celluci held his tongue. Besides, it would be a little difficult for her to chase the developer away if they were halfway back to Toronto.
Sunset.
Vicki could feel maybe two dozen lives around her when she woke and she lay there for a moment revelling in them. The last two evenings she'd had to fight the urge to climb into the driver's seat and speed towards civilization.
"Fast food."
She snickered, dressed, and stepped out into the parking lot.
Celluci was down on the beach talking to Frank Patton. She made her way over to them, the crowd opening to let her pass without really being aware she was there at all. Both men nodded as she approached and Patton gestured towards the barbecue.
"Burger?"
"No thanks, I'm not hungry." She glanced around. "No one seems to have brought their kids."
"No one wants to expose their kids to Stuart Gordon."
"Afraid they'll catch something," Celluci added.
"Mike here says you've solved your case and you're just waiting for Mr Congeniality over there to pay you."
Wondering what Mike had been up to, Vicki nodded.
"He also says you didn't mention any names. Thank you." He sighed. "We didn't really expect the spirit of the lake thing to work but"
Vicki raised both hands. "Hey, you never know. He could be suppressing."
"Yeah, right. The only thing that clown suppresses is everyone around him. If you'll excuse me, I'd better go rescue Anne before she rips out his tongue and strangles him with it."
"I'm surprised she came," Vicki admitted.
"She thinks he's up to something and she wants to know what it is."
"Don't we all," Celluci murmured as he walked away.
The combined smell of cooked meat and fresh blood making her a little light-headed, Vicki started Mike moving towards the floating dock. "Have I missed anything?"
"No, I think you're just in time."
As Frank Patton approached, Stuart broke off the conversation he'd been having with Anne Kellough — or more precisely, Vicki amended, at Anne Kellough — and walked out to the end of the dock where a number of large rockets had been set up.
"He's got a permit for the damned things," Celluci muttered. "The son of a bitch knows how to cover his ass."
"But not his id." Vicki's fingers curved cool around Mike's forearm. "He'll get his, don't worry."
The first rocket went up, exploding red over the lake, the colours muted against the evening grey of sky and water. The developer turned towards the shore and raised both hands above his head. "Now that I've got your attention, there's a few things I'd like to share with you all before the festivities continue. First of all, I've decided not to press charges concerning the damage to my vehicle although I'm aware that"