Difficult Run by John Dibble Page A

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CHAPTER NINE
     
    M .J. ARRIVED AT GREAT FALLS PARK just after sunrise the next morning.   She changed into her running clothes and started down the Old Carriage Road.   She turned onto the Swamp Trail, which required that she slow her pace to avoid the rocks and fallen tree limbs.   When she reached the path to Doc Wonders’ camp, she climbed halfway up and then called out to make sure that he was there.
    “Doc, it’s Detective Powers.   OK if I come up?”
    “Sure is,” he called back.   “You’re just in time for coffee.”
    Lola appeared at the top of the path, wagging all over.   M.J. patted her head and said, “C’mon girl.   I’ve got something for you.”
    Doc was sitting under the tent awning and there were two cups of coffee on the little table.   M.J. reached into her pocket and took out one of the dog treats she had purchased the night before.   “Sit,” she said and Lola obediently sat down, her body wiggling in anticipation.   M.J. gave her the treat and the dog looked up at her expectantly.
    “Do you want another one?” M.J. asked.
    Lola responded with her dog smile and tried to control her excitement.   M.J. gave her a second treat and walked toward the tent with the dog following closely behind her.
    “You’re spoiling her, you know,” Doc said, handing M.J. her cup of coffee.
    “I know,” said M.J., “but I couldn’t come empty-handed.”
    M.J. sat down and took a sip of coffee.   “I was out running and thought I’d stop by,” she said.
    “Glad you did,” Doc said.   “I’ve been thinking about what you asked when you first stopped by—about whether I’d seen anything unusual at night.   Don’t know why I didn’t remember it before, but about a year ago I did see something that seemed pretty odd.”
    “What was that?” M.J. asked.
    “Well, it was early spring.   I know that because the leaves weren’t on the trees yet.   It had been raining hard for a couple of days, lots of thunder and lightning to boot.   Lola and I had just stayed holed up in the tent.   Only went out for necessities.   The storm started to taper off the second night and I came out here under the flap to check things out.   I was looking toward the ridge over there when there was a big flash of lightning.   That’s when I saw a guy moving through the trees on the ridge,” he said. “I remember thinking it was pretty strange for anybody to be out in weather like that.”
    “What did he look like?” M.J. asked.
    “I can’t give you much of a detailed description,” he said.   “I only saw him for an instant when the lightning flashed. Also, he was pretty far away. I’d have to say that he was pretty big, though. He was kind of hunched over, but I’d guess he was around six feet tall.   Pretty hefty in the shoulders, but I couldn’t see much detail.   It looked like he was wearing a jacket or sweatshirt or something like that with a hood pulled up over up his head.   When the lightning flashed again, he was gone.”
    “Could you tell if he was black or white?” M.J. asked.
    “I remember seeing his face sticking out from the hood and it looked white,” Doc replied.
    “Which way was he heading?” M.J. asked.
    Doc pointed to the south.   “That way,” he said, “toward Difficult Run.”
    “Anything else?” she asked.
    “Nope.   But if I remember something, I’ll sure let you know Detective,” he replied.
    “Call me M.J., please,” she said.
    “OK, M.J.,” he said. “By the way, if you want you can take Lola along on your run.   She doesn’t get to run very much.   I mean we go for lots of walks, but with this gimpy leg of mine, running isn’t on the agenda.”
    M.J. looked down at Lola, who was pressed against her leg, and asked, “What do you think, girl? Does that sound like a good idea?”
    The dog jumped up and began barking and turning in circles.
    “You can take that as a ‘yes,’” Doc said, smiling.   “There’s a leash