It was three days after the break-in on the Museum of Misplaced Creatures when Carys received a name from a Sergeant Norris of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
“I heard you had some odd vintage stuff stolen in your patch,” he stated. “We had a really comparable theft just a few weeks again at a small vintage retailer close to Witless Bay, referred to as ‘What the Tide Introduced In.’”
“Oh? What was taken?”
“Solely two issues. The preserved pelt of a sea mink —”
“A sea mink?”
“Yeah. Like a sea otter, however extinct. The thieves additionally took a hundred-year-old ladies’s gown hat, very fancy. A lot of doodads on the brim — flowers and angels and whatnot.”
“Why would anyone wish to steal an previous hat?”
“Properly… that sort of hat is extinct, too.” He chuckled.
“Thanks, Sergeant. Are you able to ship me some photographs of the stolen gadgets?”
“Sending proper now. Suppose these two thefts are linked?”
“That’s my feeling. Let’s preserve one another posted.”
Carys rang off, puzzled. She may perceive why anyone would wish to steal the relics of extinct animals — museums and personal collectors would possibly pay nicely for them. However why steal an previous hat and a feather duster?
She was wanting over the photographs despatched by Sergeant Norris when her cellular phone buzzed.
“My egg is protected!” Kenny Swale introduced.
“What?”
“My nice auk egg. The thief despatched it again by Canada Submit!”
When Carys arrived on the museum an hour later, Kenny was in the midst of getting ready for his anniversary celebration the following day. He ushered Carys inside and produced a cardboard delivery carton. Inside, nestled in bubble wrap, was the egg— creamy white and adorned with darkish squiggles like bits of static electrical energy.
“Um… there was a word together with it,” stated Kenny, wanting uncomfortable
He handed Carys a bit of paper that bore a single hand-written sentence: “This egg is pretend!” The final phrase was underlined twice in crimson pen.
“Faux?” she stated, wanting up.
Kenny colored. “Truthfully, Carys, I didn’t know that. I purchased it from a man I belief like my very own brother.”
“Who?”
“Our mayor, Mac Jensen. I imply, previous Mac wouldn’t attempt to cheat me.”
Carys most popular to maintain an open thoughts on that time. Hearsay had it that Mac the Untamed had been concerned in shady actual property schemes for years, although nothing had ever been confirmed.
“Okay,” she stated, “no less than we’ve realized that the thief is knowledgeable sufficient to inform the actual factor from an excellent pretend. And that jogs my memory — did you discover a photograph of your stuffed nice auk?”
“Proper right here,” he stated, laying out a number of photographs on the desk.
Carys studied them intently. One was of the auk itself inside a glass case; the opposite was a shot of the picket pedestal on which the auk stood. She may see a plate on the pedestal however couldn’t learn the writing on it.
“What does this say?” she requested..
Kenny seemed over her shoulder. “That’s the identify of the taxidermist, William Lamb. He was fairly well-known within the 1850s and 60s.”
That identify chimed in Cary’s thoughts, and brushing open her telephone, she discovered the photograph of the stolen sea mink pelt. It bore a label on the within; and zooming in, she learn, “William Lamb.”
“That is attention-grabbing,” she stated.
“What?”
“There was a sea mink pelt stolen in Witless Bay not too long ago. It was additionally preserved by this William Lamb.”
“A sea mink pelt? Wow, I’d like to have a type of.”
“What are you aware about William Lamb, Kenny?”
Kenny shrugged. “A Nineteenth-century taxidermist who lived on this space. However you understand who you need to speak to? Mayor Mac Jensen. You recognize he wrote a ebook on Fundy historical past — or no less than, employed somebody to jot down it. He’ll be there on the anniversary celebration tomorrow. You’re coming, proper?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” stated Carys.
*****
On the anniversary celebration for the museum, folks chatted and performed seashore volleyball and ate hotdogs and requested Carys if she’d nabbed any felony masterminds these days. She loved it totally. She particularly favored taking part in “Garden Dolphins,” a recreation for teenagers organized by a younger girl named Ysabeau, a PhD scholar in marine biology. Ysabeau (the children referred to as her “Bo”) had scattered a bunch of things on the museum garden — paperbacks, tennis balls, bubble gum, power bars — after which the contributors needed to gather as many issues as they may whereas holding their breath. As she defined to Carys, the children needed to be environment friendly with their saved breath, similar to dolphins of their seek for meals.
It was late within the afternoon, as festivities have been drawing to an in depth, when Carys noticed the mayor, Mac the Untamed, serving to himself to one of many final hotdogs. She figured she ought to seize him now whereas he wasn’t schmoozing.
“Our new constable!” stated Mac expansively, when Carys launched herself. “Welcome, Carys.” He was a big shambling man in a captain’s hat, inexperienced polka-dotted shorts and a T-shirt that bore a quote from Henry David Thoreau: “It’s a fantastic artwork, to saunter.”
“Kenny stated you would possibly be capable to inform me one thing about William Lamb,” stated Carys. “You being an area historian and every thing.”
“After all. Sure, William Lamb, the well-known taxidermist. Why do you wish to find out about him?”
“Properly, I’m investigating some thefts of William Lamb’s work. A sea mink pelt was stolen from Witless Bay, and also you already know concerning the stuffed nice auk that was taken from Kenny’s museum right here.”
“Sure, sure, horrible.” Mac the Untamed was eying the overloaded scorching canine in his hand however avoided taking a chunk. “Properly, William Lamb. He had fairly a life earlier than he settled right down to taxidermy. He spent ten years as a sailor, and there’s an previous story that when he retired from seafaring life, he took together with him a treasure map. However apparently he died earlier than he may pursue the treasure. After all, lots of people have tried to seek out the map, with no success.”
“Fascinating. Have you ever tried, Mr. Jensen?”
He gave a lazy smile. “Oh, I’ve no time for treasure-hunting, Carys. Public service takes up my complete life.”
Carys was tempted to ask if that public service included promoting pretend nice auk eggs, however she simply stated, “I don’t suppose William Lamb has any descendants left within the space?”
“There’s just one descendant I do know of, in St. John — previous Clint Clinton. Good sufficient man, however an actual save-the-whales kind. ”
“Would you might have his contact information?”
“I’ll ahead you his electronic mail.” He turned to look out over the ocean. “The previous Lamb dwelling remains to be standing, by the way in which — barely. You need to check out it. You possibly can stroll to it from right here, straight up the seashore.”
“Perhaps I’ll do this now.” She nonetheless had just a few hours of daylight left. “Thanks, Mr. Jensen.”
“Name me Mac, please. You recognize, I love the heck out of all our first responders. My door is all the time open.”
Now, lastly, he figured he was allowed to deal with his scorching canine.
Carys started strolling the darkened sand on the water’s edge, smelling the ocean air and the kelp. The ocean got here in leisurely, peaceably, strewing its gentle sibilants within the sand. A small shore chook, all gangly yellow legs and beak, skittered forward of her. She considered the goals she’d had over the previous few nights, of a dull, empty sea. They appeared significantly vivid at excessive tide. She remembered studying that individuals in Calgary may get migraine complications due to the chinook, the nice and cozy wind from the mountains; was she too being affected by elemental rhythms, by a stressed sea that would truly contact her sleeping thoughts if it moved excessive sufficient inland?
Simply then, she spied Ysabeau, the younger girl who had organized the “Garden Dolphins” recreation. The latter held a inexperienced rubbish bag and was scouring the seashore for trash left over from the celebration.
Oddly, Carys’s first thought was to inform the girl about her goals and ask her opinion of them; however after a little bit of small speak, she determined simply to ask concerning the sea mink.
“Sure, Neogale macrodon, “ stated Ysabeau. She was a small blonde girl, sunny and gentle of face, however with hardened, competent arms — she clearly favored outside work. “It’s an in depth relative of the American mink, and its pelt was very priceless. It was hunted to extinction by people.”
“Like the good auk.”
Ysabeau nodded and stood looking to sea for a second. “It’s the odd animals that stretch our minds, isn’t it?” she stated. “The good auk, the ocean mink…they have been characters. ”
“Are you learning any characters in your PhD?”
“Sure, humpback and proper whales. Fantastic characters.”
They talked a bit extra, and Carys realized that Ysabeau was doing her PhD at Memorial College in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
“So that you’re not removed from Witless Bay,” stated Carys.
“That’s my web site for learning humpback whales.”
“I ponder… Perhaps you could possibly be my investigator in place.”
“Pardon?”
“Sorry, I used to be simply considering out loud, though…”
After which, as a result of she was beginning to really feel alone on this investigation, Carys defined.
To be continued…
Nature Canada and different environmental teams have recognized Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, as one among 4 precedence marine areas needing safety. Discover out how one can assist shield these and different ocean websites by changing into a Nature Canada Ocean Defender!
Particular because of Ottawa artist Robin Clugston for illustrating this unique Nature Canada eco-mystery.
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