“North of town,” Sherri replied. “Sheriff Armel said he got calls from people who spotted strangers in the woods that didn’t look like they belonged.” She inclined her head toward where the sheriff sat at a nearby table.
“Yikes.” Justin pondered whether the newcomers might have any connection to the black sedans and the mine’s Mob connection, maybe they weren’t poachers but the ones who killed the other guy. Strangers weren’t necessarily connected to each other, but Justin filed the suspicion away to examine later.
“Also heard that a couple of hikers have gone missing,” Sherri added.
“Around here?” Justin was part of the local emergency phone tree, and it surprised him that he hadn’t heard.
She shook her head. “No. From what I heard, up around Dannemora. Probably folks out of Plattsburgh or thereabouts.”
It didn’t escape Justin that the missing hikers were in the general vicinity of the old mine and ski resort, and he remembered Scott’s theory about the new owners wanting to be left alone.
“How long have they been gone?” Justin asked.
“They missed their check-in yesterday, so it’s not an emergency yet, but it will be if people can’t get in touch with them. Hopefully, it’s just city folks who don’t know to follow the rules. But it’s a worry now that the weather is getting colder.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “And with the monster sightings and poachers…” She shook her head. “People don’t stop to think that going for a hike in these woods isn’t like going to a city park. That there are dangerous creatures that live out there. Or that they can lose cell signal and the weather can change fast. This really is the wilderness.”
Justin had been part of many search-and-rescue efforts over the years as part of the volunteer fire department, looking for missing hikers, boaters, and one or two unlucky parasailers. All the searches he had helped with had ended well, but he had heard plenty of stories from old-timers about people who disappeared and were never found.
“While you put in my order, I’m going to offer to do a flyover to help if the sheriff wants it. Don’t take my coffee!” he teased.
“Your caffeine is safe with me,” Sherri promised.
Justin got up and walked over toward the sheriff. He felt bad about interrupting the man’s breakfast, but he wasn’t sure how easily he would be able to connect later in the day when their schedules got busy.
“Can I help you?” Armel’s gruff voice suited his bear side.
“I just heard about the suspicious strangers and missing hikers, and I wanted to let you know that if you’re doing a search and need me to help from the air, I’m happy to volunteer,” Justin said.
Armel gave a curt nod. “Nice of you to offer. I’ll likely take you up on that. We need to clamp down on that nonsense fast.”
“I know it’s hunting season, but that territory is marked off-limits, isn’t it?” Justin asked.
“Yep. A lot of the land in a big circle around Fox Hollow is privately owned by folks who have an interest in not getting shot,” Armel replied. “The park land is also zoned for no hunting. So anyone setting traps or putting up tree stands is breaking the law.”
“I don’t want your food to get cold,” Justin said. “I won’t keep you. But if you need eyes in the sky, just let me know.”
“I’ll definitely be in touch.” The sheriff turned his attention back to his coffee as Justin returned to his seat at the counter.
“I’m sure he appreciated your offer.” Sherri brought Justin’s breakfast. “I hope the hikers are okay. There are always some people who think the rules don’t apply to them.”
“Have you heard any details about the company reopening the old mine at Platt Mountain?” Justin knew that nearly everyone in town stopped at Bear Necessities, and it was also the likely choice of anyone who was just passing through.
“Not from customers,” Sherri replied. “But our friends Joe and Maria, who own the diner on the road to Tupper Lake, say there have been strangers driving through who don’t look like they’re on vacation. Some in suits. Others are big guys who look more like workers than hunters. And big equipment coming in on flatbed trucks.”
“Oh?” Justin leaned in, thinking of the new equipment he had spotted on his flyover.
“Even bankers around here rarely wear suits,” Sherri said. “So seeing out-of-towners all dressed up driving fancy cars got noticed. Maria said she didn’t catch much in their conversation, not that she was eavesdropping.”
“Of course not,” Justin replied with a complicit smile.
“She said they were mentioning an investment and stopped talking when she brought the food,” Sherri continued. “She caught ‘reopening’ and ‘new players.’ Not much to go on.”
Justin frowned. “Guys in business suits don’t sound like poachers, or whatever those strangers were doing in the woods. Now that camping season is mostly over, there shouldn’t be as many out-of-towners around as in the summer. Maybe we’ll get a clue about who’s been causing trouble.”
“I’d think that poachers would know better than to show their faces around here,” Sherri agreed. “As for the business suit guys, we can always use new companies as long as they don’t mess up the land and the water.”
Big employers were scarce in the Adirondacks, creating an economy that relied on tourism and small businesses that met the needs of year-round residents. The area’s large amusement parks were mostly seasonal, although the ski resorts catered to winter visitors. Corporations tended to focus on timber and healthcare, along with a few manufacturers.
The extreme winters and relative remoteness of the area, along with restrictions protecting the park, narrowed the range of companies interested in doing business in the Adirondacks without a direct link to the area’s resources. Which made Justin even more curious about the suit guys and the mine’s new owners.
