describing what actions he had taken. He even climbed down the rocks to show how he had managed to pull the body of Harvard Meadowcroft up onto the shore.
Finally, after more than eight hours of work with a break for lunch courtesy of Allison, the crew were ready to pack up and head back to the mainland. “This should make a good half-hour documentary,” the producer said, shaking hands with both Toby and Allison. “Much of what we recorded will not be used of course. That will be up to the editor back at the station. Thank you both very much for your cooperation.”
The on-air personality said a perfunctory good-bye as he climbed aboard the helicopter. One of the camera operators commented, “I hope you have that Zodiac ready in case this thing crashes,” as he got on board. Toby just laughed.
As the helicopter disappeared to the westward, Toby turned to Allison and remarked, “Well, that was an experience I wouldn’t want to repeat every day.”
“Sure gives you an idea of what people are really like. Remind me not to watch that particular station when Jonathan is on the air—except to see what they do with this program, if anything. S’pose they’ll have the courtesy to let us know when it’s on?”
*
Christmas for the French’s on Rocky Island had always been a quiet affair with just the two of them and this year was no different. They put up an artificial tree a couple of days before Christmas, decorated in the traditional way with twinkling lights and shiny ornaments. Each managed to surprise the other with gifts; this year Allison had set aside time when she had been on the mainland for her father’s funeral to shop in person for a beautiful new warm parka for her husband. He gave her a silver monogrammed comb and brush set as well as a small kitchen radio that was also a stereo CD and tape player. Both were surprised and pleased with their gifts.
They had a traditional Christmas dinner timed around Toby’s lighthouse duties. Allison had made sure that the small turkey and trimmings had come on the December helicopter flight and had been kept in the kitchen freezer until the 25th. In the evening, they watched TV, and discovered that the Rocky Island documentary would be shown the next afternoon at three o’clock, not exactly prime time, but that really didn’t bother them. Allison made sure that her mother knew about the time when she called so that she could wish her a Merry Christmas. Toby did the same for his father. Both parents had had gifts sent out to the island and Toby and Allison remembered to thank them. Allison’s mother was quite teary but Allison wasn’t quite sure how much was genuine and how much put on for the occasion.
The Rocky Island program was pretty much what they expected. The parts not shown were mostly from the sheds and outbuildings and Allison was amused at how much from the interior of the home was also cut. She was pleased that the shots of her paintings had been left intact. All in all, they were satisfied and decided that maybe they had actually enjoyed the experience.
*
As he walked along the shore one morning in early January, Toby was suddenly struck by an idea that had not occurred to him before. He wondered why, because the thought seemed so evident to him, once he actually put it together. He also wondered whether the police had considered it. When he returned to the house he called Corporal Brock to talk to him about it.
“Happy New Year, Mr. French. Don’t tell me you’ve found something new?”
“Just a new idea. Did you know that on the day The Smitty II was hit by some other ship, there was only one vessel reported in the area, a tramp freighter that reported her position as fifty miles east of Rocky Island at two o’clock in the afternoon?”
“If I did, I don’t remember thinking much about it. Why? There wouldn’t be a local fishing boat out that far with that storm brewing.”
“Exactly. I wonder whether anything showed up on the
Finally, after more than eight hours of work with a break for lunch courtesy of Allison, the crew were ready to pack up and head back to the mainland. “This should make a good half-hour documentary,” the producer said, shaking hands with both Toby and Allison. “Much of what we recorded will not be used of course. That will be up to the editor back at the station. Thank you both very much for your cooperation.”
The on-air personality said a perfunctory good-bye as he climbed aboard the helicopter. One of the camera operators commented, “I hope you have that Zodiac ready in case this thing crashes,” as he got on board. Toby just laughed.
As the helicopter disappeared to the westward, Toby turned to Allison and remarked, “Well, that was an experience I wouldn’t want to repeat every day.”
“Sure gives you an idea of what people are really like. Remind me not to watch that particular station when Jonathan is on the air—except to see what they do with this program, if anything. S’pose they’ll have the courtesy to let us know when it’s on?”
*
Christmas for the French’s on Rocky Island had always been a quiet affair with just the two of them and this year was no different. They put up an artificial tree a couple of days before Christmas, decorated in the traditional way with twinkling lights and shiny ornaments. Each managed to surprise the other with gifts; this year Allison had set aside time when she had been on the mainland for her father’s funeral to shop in person for a beautiful new warm parka for her husband. He gave her a silver monogrammed comb and brush set as well as a small kitchen radio that was also a stereo CD and tape player. Both were surprised and pleased with their gifts.
They had a traditional Christmas dinner timed around Toby’s lighthouse duties. Allison had made sure that the small turkey and trimmings had come on the December helicopter flight and had been kept in the kitchen freezer until the 25th. In the evening, they watched TV, and discovered that the Rocky Island documentary would be shown the next afternoon at three o’clock, not exactly prime time, but that really didn’t bother them. Allison made sure that her mother knew about the time when she called so that she could wish her a Merry Christmas. Toby did the same for his father. Both parents had had gifts sent out to the island and Toby and Allison remembered to thank them. Allison’s mother was quite teary but Allison wasn’t quite sure how much was genuine and how much put on for the occasion.
The Rocky Island program was pretty much what they expected. The parts not shown were mostly from the sheds and outbuildings and Allison was amused at how much from the interior of the home was also cut. She was pleased that the shots of her paintings had been left intact. All in all, they were satisfied and decided that maybe they had actually enjoyed the experience.
*
As he walked along the shore one morning in early January, Toby was suddenly struck by an idea that had not occurred to him before. He wondered why, because the thought seemed so evident to him, once he actually put it together. He also wondered whether the police had considered it. When he returned to the house he called Corporal Brock to talk to him about it.
“Happy New Year, Mr. French. Don’t tell me you’ve found something new?”
“Just a new idea. Did you know that on the day The Smitty II was hit by some other ship, there was only one vessel reported in the area, a tramp freighter that reported her position as fifty miles east of Rocky Island at two o’clock in the afternoon?”
“If I did, I don’t remember thinking much about it. Why? There wouldn’t be a local fishing boat out that far with that storm brewing.”
“Exactly. I wonder whether anything showed up on the
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