Nikko’s flight touched down at a little after three, and he was in his rental car soon afterwards. His instincts told him he needed his brother’s resources in this neck of the woods, and he would call them tonight as they expected him at work in the morning. But if he couldn’t find her by midnight, he might very well need them. He didn’t think she would venture out in the day time. She had a motorbike for transportation, so she’d have to circumvent towns and foot it. His nice black sleek charger would eat up the miles and help him eliminate a few of the possible locations before night fall.
He would check her grandfather’s camp in Presque Isle, the camp Gary’s father owned on Lake Echo in Spragueville, and rule them out first. As both he and Lou discussed, she probably wouldn’t go to those as the authorities would assume that was the first place she would go. The other three places on the list were much more likely locations, and he would check those closer to sundown—the bar her friends often hung out in, Gary’s friend, Tom, had a cabin in the same vicinity as his parent’s camp, or the small servants quarters on Gary’s family’s camp which was vacant unless the family was in residence. He had circled that one. It was a hunch. It just seemed like the place a weasel like Gary would hide, close to the money, and hiding in plain sight. He hoped his hunch paid off. He could check out the hotels too, but he didn’t know what name she would use. He also didn’t want to alert the authorities to the possibility she was missing.
As he suspected there were no signs of Ronnie or Gary being at the first two locations. His parent’s camp was more like a chalet in the woods. The people were obviously loaded with a spread like that. The servants quarters were a half mile away, and he checked there as well since he was nearby. It looked to be a two bedroom cabin. Everything was locked up tight as a drum. But, that didn’t mean Gary wasn’t there. Tire tracks along the dirt road indicated someone had been their recently. Rain, and he had checked, would have washed the tracks away. It rained two days ago. Those tracks were fresh. The tire tracks were from a four wheeler, so it could just be a ranger or neighbor checking on the place. But it was definitely worth checking out again.
Nikko had gone in on foot, parking a quarter mile away on a side road. It was nearing seven, so he figured he should hunt down the bar, and wait outside for a few hours, then go check the apartment of Gary’s friend and then come back here. His hunch was that Gary was here, and he suspected Ronnie would probably make a move tonight. He wanted to be nearby if she did.
He drove the thirty minutes back into the nearest town, and the local bar that catered to the residents and the seasonal renters, and those who had cabins in this part. He got some take out from a Chinese restaurant and ate it in the car while he watched the people coming and going. There was no sign of either one of them. He decided to go in and have a drink, maybe strike up a conversation with the barkeeper, and see what was going down in town that was newsworthy. He might drop Gary’s name and see what the barkeep had to say. He’d be quick though. He wanted to be near the servant’s cabin by nine thirty, ten at the latest.
Getting out of his rented Charger, he still wore the jeans he travelled in, and the t-shirt he bought at the airport. He picked up a UMaine sweatshirt at the one of the shops wanting to blend in. It would also be his ruse to get the barkeep to start talking.
The place was definitely a typical one-horse town bar. It had a couple of pool tables, some dartboards with games in progress, wooden tables and barrel chairs scattered about, and a long bar with plenty of stools. Only a few single men sat alone drinking at the bar. None of them were Gary, and none of the females were Ronnie. He’d recognize her anywhere.
Grabbing a seat at the end of the bar away from the other solitary drinkers, Nikko nodded at the old man who was filling a mug for someone else. When he dropped off the brew, the barkeep immediately approached him. “What’ll it be?” he asked smiling and wiping the counter with his bar towel.
“A draft, Miller’s if you’ve got it,” Nikko nodded in the direction of the taps behind the bar.
“Sure do,” the older man replied reaching for a mug, turning and filling his glass to the brim. When he set the mug before him, some of the foam on top spilled over and bartender who was on older gentlemen, was quick with the bar towel once more and began to clean up the mess.
Not wanting to lose him, Nikko plunged on with the story he planned to use to start up a conversation.
“Hey, I am supposed to meet some friends in town tomorrow. We rented a place, but I came up early to stock up. I just got here. We plan on doing some fishing while we are here. Can you recommend some great spots?”