The Deadly Tourist

The following is the first chapter in a short fictional story written by yours truly.

Copyright 2025. Olive Barker. All Rights Reserved. This story is a work of fiction. That means all names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are all used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored, or replicated in any way.

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It was 9:30 am on Saturday morning just off the rugged coastline of Lake Superior when Eden June, was sitting on her porch drinking her coffee and reading the newspaper. 

Eden was a middle-aged woman, bright and talented. She lived in White Fish but worked as a Charter Captain for the local water taxi in over Paradise. Every day, Monday through Friday, she was on call and ready to report to Duty. 

But today was Saturday, and that meant it was Eden’s day off. Even on her days off, she still loved to be out on the water.

After her second cup of coffee, she decided she would do what she does best, and so she packed a nice lunch, left over chicken tikka masala and rice pudding, grabbed her trusted sidekick, her Australian Shepard Buddy, and headed down to her dock to board her pontoon. 

“Morning Tom!” She shouted from the edge of the dock. Tom Chevy, who was sitting on his porch across the water, was Eden’s neighbor and had been for over 15 years. Ever since his wife passed, a little under two years ago, Eden felt a need to check in on him from time to time. 

“How goes it?” He asked.

“It’s going!” She replied. “Just enjoying a nice day off. How are things over yonder?”

“Same thing, different day. You know the drill. Might throw some steaks on the grill this evening if you want to stop by.” He offered.  

“Alright, I’ll see where the day takes me and check in with you later. Stay out of trouble!” She said.

Eden liked to drive out past the coastline and let her boat drift in the water. It was freeing to her. To be out in the middle of the water without a care in the world. It was her guilty pleasure, if she would ever decide that she had one. 

The air was warm and filled with the crisp scent of the lake as she sat in the front of the pontoon and watched the waves of the water carry her along. 

After a few minutes of drifting, Eden noticed a rather large box bobbing in the water, ahead of her. It immediately drew her curiosity, and so she turned on the engine and slowly made her way toward it. 

As she attempted to pick it up out of the water, she nearly fell overboard due to the weight of the box. But as she maneuvered back and forth on the bow of the boat, she was able to lift it up onto the pontoon and push it to the middle of the boat.

When she finally got the box out of the water, she could see clearly that it had been in the water for quite some time. It was old and delicate, and it had a lock on it. But even with its delicacies, Eden could see the box was engraved with something, she just couldn’t quite make out what that something was.

Determined to get the box open, Eden took the boat back to her dock and enlisted Tom to help her open it.

“What do you got there?” Tom asked as he walked over to the dock, watching Eden struggle to get it off the boat. 

“I’m not sure yet. It was floating in the lake, 4 miles past the coastline. Want to help me break into it?” She asked him. 

“I’ll go get my bolt cutter.” He offered. Tom was always willing to help Eden with whatever silly little project she had going on, and apparently even breaking and entering. 

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