Part Five
A Novel with No Title (as yet)
A work in progress
Parts 1–2–3–4–6 are linked below.
Katherine looked down at her luggage and then at the dust rising in the distance. She felt dirty.
Dragging her luggage up the steps into the hotel, she was concerned about the fragile cameras inside and was met by a stocky guy sporting a thick beard and a checkered flannel shirt. He stood behind the desk. Looking at his calloused hands, Katherine surmised that he was not the receptionist.
“Looks like you met Joseph Duncan,” he said.
Katherine dragged her suitcase to the counter. “You know him?” She asked.
“Wish I didn’t, but yes, I know him,” he replied, clicking his teeth. “I guess you got yourself into a bit of trouble,” he said, but phrasing it like a question.
“Yes, my car died. He told me there’s a garage close by, I think that’s it over the road,” she said, bending her back to see out the window, “he said they would tow it back and repair it.”
The guy didn’t look more than five feet seven inches tall and out of place behind a high desk. “Yes, Jimmy, he’ll take care of it. Your friend drove off in a bit of a hurry,” the guy mused.
“Not a friend, a disagreeable sort, actually, but I was glad for his help. I left the key to my room on the desk early this morning,” Katherine said, looking past the guy over his shoulder.
“Yes, you’re in room five. Katherine Robinson, I believe,” he said, turning his back on her.
“Yes. And you are?”
“Brian Berg, I’m the owner. The lady who booked you in last evening is my wife, Jessica,” he said, handing her the key.
Katherine took the key, looked at it, and smiled. “I can’t remember the last time I was given an actual key to a hotel room, thank you. Oh, and can I ask what time the bar opens?”
Brian looked at his watch. It was twenty minutes past noon. “Twenty minutes ago, it’s a full bar and if you’re hungry, Jessica will knock up some lunch.”
“Thanks, I’ll get out of these clothes first, I’m rather a mess.”
“Yep, Joseph can do that to you,” Brian said.
“I meant — oh, it’s fine. Thank you,” Katherine grabbed the suitcase handle and turned toward the elevator to her room on the second floor.
“Oh, Ms. Robinson,” Brian called, “I’m sorry, you had a caller, around ten o’clock this morning. He didn’t leave a name, just a number to reach him.”
Katherine backed up and reached for the note across the reception desk. “Thank you.”
In the elevator, she looked at her cell phone, no signal. In the room, she picked up the phone at the bedside and called reception. Brian picked up.
“What can I do for you, Ms. Robinson?”
“Does the hotel have internet; I need to make this call.”
“I’m afraid not. However, if you dial zero, it will link you to an outside line. I’m afraid long-distance calls are charged to your account.”
“Thank you, no problem,” and she replaced the receiver. After I’ve cleaned up, she uttered to herself.
She laid the paper next to the phone and started stripping away her dusty clothes.
She was down to her underwear when the phone in the room rang. Katherine picked up. “Hello.”
“Ms. Robinson?” The caller asked.
“Yes…”
“Hi, this is Jimmy. Brian called me to tell me your car needed towing in for repair.”
“Oh great. Yes, yes please. It’s a blue Dodge,” she said. There was a pause.
“Blue?” came the response.
“Why does everyone find that funny?” she asked.
Jimmy ignored the question. “Where is it?” He asked.
“Yes, right, well, it’s about half an hour down the coastline, then there’s a lane taking you of the main road, closer to the ocean, it’s down that road,” she said.
“Okay, down a track,” Jimmy paused as if he was writing it down but had his hand over the phone, cracking up. “Okay, I got that. Down a track,” he repeated.
Katherine caught on to something weird. “I think maybe you’re having a little fun with me, am I right?”
“No… no…Ms. Robinson, I have it now, a Dodge, blue, down a track about half an hour down the coastline. Got it. I’ll have it back here in a jiffy.” Jimmy put the phone down.
Brian was bent double laughing. Jimmy was leaning on him with his arms folded on Brian’s back and his head resting on his arms.
“What the hell is wrong with you two,” Jessica asked, carrying a ledger in her right hand.
The two men could hardly stand up straight. Jessica waited a minute or two for the men to regain control. “Whatever it is, it’s bound to be no good. Now move away from the desk and let me get some work done.”
In her room, Katherine sank into a hot tub. She was going to ignore the message on the side of the phone. It was familiar, National Geographic; the extension was Alex’s office.
Alex Fergusson wasn’t about to go home until he’d been in touch with Katherine. The New York Times was reporting on a story about Russia’s renewed interest in the Commander Islands, reporting that several Russian nuclear scientists had visited the islands during the last year. The reporting suggested that something was amiss. The Commander Islands are close to the tip of the Aleutian Islands and remain Russian.
Alex calls Max Brady into the office, the Science Editor. “Did you read this report in the New York Times, Max?”
“Yes, it raises a lot of questions,” Max tells him.
“What questions?” Alex asks, pointing to a chair indicating Max to take it.
Max sat in the chair and crossed one leg over his knee. “Well, the DOE have long been indicating a rise in nuclear contamination rising in the Aleutians. Not so much that they indicate there’s a problem, but enough that we should be keeping an eye on the program. It’s been hushed up, somewhat, with the government not wanting to be found negligent of not carrying out their full responsibility to ensure the area is safe.”
“What the word in the halls of government, surely they must know something about this?”
“Not as we would hear, Alex. You’ll recall a Dr. Oliver Robinson. Always in the headlines. He was the first to suggest that Russia was behind the increase in radiation levels in Alaska. Sadly, he had also posed to the government that it was not a plane that hit the Pentagon, but a missile. He was looked upon as another conspiracy theorist after that. He gave his services to Greenpeace, following his dismissal, but then, in 2008, he disappeared. Never been found.”
Alex moved a little uncomfortably in his oversized leather chair. “Okay, Max, that’s all.”
“Can I ask, Alex, what’s your interest? Didn’t you know Dr. Robinson?”
“Yes, he was a family friend. Tragic what happened.”
“Do you know what happened to his daughter? I think she was studying to become a scientist, not certain,” Max said.
“Lost touch. You know how it is, but look, thanks for coming up.”
“Okay, Alex. If I hear anything more, I’ll let you know. Have a good night.”
Alex looked at his watch. After six p.m., Nothing from Katherine.
Having sat back in his chair, Alex started to think about remembering his friend. What was it, Oliver had told him? He tried to come up with recollecting many conversations he had with Oliver, but time had erased them.
The DOE’s response to the article was to put out a statement in which further necessary steps would be taken to protect human and ecological health. It recommended a more substantial commitment to oversight and review, as well as to future research, for addressing any uncertainties remaining on the island.
Adrienne Beaumont, Brett Jenae Tomlin, The Sturg, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Trisha Faye, Karen Schwartz, Nancy Oglesby, Katie Michaelson, Bernie Pullen, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Amyy, Julia A. Keirns, Pamela Oglesby, Tina, Pat Romito LaPointe, Ruby Noir 😈, Brandon Ellrich, Misty Rae, Karen Hoffman, Deb Palmer, Susie Winfield, Vincent Pisano, Marlene Samuels, Ray Day, Randy Pulley, Michael Rhodes, Lu Skerdoo, Pluto Wolnosci 🟣, Paula Shablo, Bruce Coulter, Ellen Baker, Kelley Murphy, Leigh-Anne Dennison, Jennifer Marla Pike, Carmen Ballesteros, Patricia Timmermans, Keeley Schroder, Jan Sebastian 🖐👩🦰, James Michael Wilkinson, Whye Waite, John Hansen, Trudy Van Buskirk, Robert Bush | Dixie Dodd
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