Page 19 of The Catcher
“Kind of makes me feel like a lab rat.”
“Me too,” Noah added. He motioned for Sam to take a seat, his emotions churning beneath the surface as he struggled to maintain a professional demeanor. “Please. Let’s continue.”
“I’ll stand if you don’t mind,” he replied. “Look, I’m notsure what else I can tell you that I haven’t already told those assholes over at DEC. Which, I might add, could use a lesson in manners.”
“I’ve heard,” Noah said, thinking of Callie’s words. He glanced at Isabella.
“Listen, aren’t we supposed to have a lawyer here?” Sam asked.
“You aren’t under arrest,” Noah said. “You’re free to go anytime you want.”
“I know, but…”
“Do you need one?” McKenzie asked.
“No. We don’t have anything to hide,” Isabella said, glancing at Sam. “Do we?” she asked. Sam shook his head before exhaling hard and reaching for a can of pop.
Noah looked down at the statement taken by the DEC ranger. “So it says you were out there to go geocaching.”
“Well, not exactly that,” Sam said, tapping his foot. “I was planning on proposing, and well, the whole thing got screwed up.”
“Aye, I’d say it did,” McKenzie said, unable to hide a smile.
Noah continued. “This geocache container. You told us that the contents had changed from the day before. Explain.”
“There is not much to explain. The day before, a logbook was inside a plastic bag for folks to sign and date. Usually, there is some swag, like little gifts and whatever, but I couldn’t be bothered with that when I made it.”
“So you created this?” Noah asked.
“Yeah. Years ago, back when I was into it.”
“What?” Isabella said, turning in her seat. “You told me you were still doing it?”
“I am. I mean. Well, that’s because you said you were into outdoor things.”
“Oh, so you lied to me?”
“No. Yes. Um.” Sam groaned. “It’s not like that. I just thought I would take something you love and something I used to love and combine it, but I guess I screwed that up as well,” he said before sighing.
There was a pause. Noah glanced at McKenzie, who seemed to find it all amusing.
“You were thinking of me?” Isabella said.
Sam nodded; his gaze fixed on the table.
Isabella’s face seemed to melt as she reached for his hand. “That’s so sweet.”
McKenzie leaned over and whispered in Noah’s ear. “I think I threw up in my mouth.”
Noah cleared his throat. “Back to the matter at hand. So the lock of hair, the key, the faucet, and the note about the gadget weren’t there?”
“No, not when I placed the ring the day before. That geocache is traditional — a single place you could visit, not a multi.”
“So there are two types?”
“Two?” Sam laughed. “Add another eighteen to that. Earth, mystery, event, virtual, webcam, the list goes on. There are lots of types of geocaches out there, all over the world. I was telling Isabella about that.” He paused and squinted at them. “Are you telling me you two don’t know what they are?” He got this smirk on his face. “Huh! Well,shit. I finally know something someone else doesn’t. Look at that!”
“Yeah, look at that,” McKenzie growled. The smile was gone from his face. McKenzie didn’t like young people acting as if they knew more. That’s because he wasn’t a father. Parents eventually reached a point where their kids rattled off things that made them feel out of the loop. It wasn’t just normal; it was the cycle of life.
