She smiled. "Good, you've done your research, which means I can skip the lecture and jump straight to the good stuff. Do you know anything about Ijiraat?"
"Just that they're shape-shifters from Inuit mythology."
Lynn explained that Ijiraat were a lesser known type of shape-shifter, indigenous to the Arctic and the Inui
t. They were believed to be spirits of the land who could take on the form of any creature native to that land, from raven to wolf, and even human. As with most such myths, the Ijiraat were commonly believed to be evil, hell-bent on deceiving and destroying humans. Another branch of the myth, though, claimed they weren't inherently evil--just wild creatures that would, if threatened, defend themselves. One common thread in the stories was that the Ijiraat could influence memory. If you saw one, you'd forget all about it if you didn't tell someone else right away, which coincidentally explains why they aren't seen more often.
"Now, as with most legends, there are regional variations. The Inuit say that the type living here can only shift between three forms--human, bear and wolf. There's a rich history of sightings dating back over a hundred years, from tourists to weekend warriors to folks who only leave the woods when they absolutely have to."
She reached onto the table behind her to grab a folder, then handed it to me. I opened it to find a thick sheaf of typed pages.
"Those are all the accounts I've been able to find, both written and oral sources. I typed them all up into a database. You'll see notations on each account--a color and a number. The color indicates the reporting party's credibility. Green would be a group of trustworthy locals all reporting the same thing. Red would be a kid who admitted he was out in the woods drinking. Yellow is in the middle, and you have all kinds of variations in between. There's a legend on the first page. The numbers show how I rank how close the accounts are to the most common core story. Ten means it's dead on the money. One means it's so far off I only included it to be thorough."
"You definitely are thorough."
She laughed. "I might be a nut, but I'm the best organized nut around."
"Would I be able to borrow...?"
"Oh, that's a copy for you to take."
As I flipped through a few pages, I caught familiar phrases and felt a surreal sense of deja vu. Or maybe not so much deja vu as spooky coincidence. I'd seen some of these pages... just a couple of hours ago.
"Do you give out a lot of copies?" I asked.
"Not as often as I'm asked for them. I don't advertise my research--I bring my children enough grief as it is--but people find out about my interests, as you did. With most, I prefer not to encourage their fantasies. Give them these and they'd be scouring the countryside looking for proof and shooting anything that moves--and not with a camera."
"So this is the only copy?" I tried to say it casually, absently even, as I scanned the pages.
"I did give them to someone else recently. A friend of mine." She blushed. "I suppose friend is being a bit hopeful. An acquaintance really. He's interested in the Ijiraat myth and he knows someone on the police force. My name, and my theory, came up when they were discussing the deaths and he got in touch with me."
"He's interested in the myth? An academic?"
"No, no. He's an electrician. This is just a hobby, but he's quite serious about it. Not obsessive, mind you. Just a scholarly interest in a nonprofessional way. Like mine. We hit it off quite well."
She sipped her wine. "Which reminds me that I haven't heard from him in a while, and I found a book he was asking about. I should call him. Perhaps invite him to dinner." She glanced at me. "Does that seem too forward?"
I'd developed a good poker face over the years, but it was hard to keep it as I said she should do it... knowing that the date would never happen. I couldn't help thinking that it would have been nice for Dennis and Lynn to have that dinner.
"Do you know what got him interested?" I asked. "People who suddenly take a serious interest in the paranormal... Well, in my experience, it screams 'encounter.'"
I could tell by her expression that she was uncomfortable with the question.
I hurried on. "Sorry, I didn't mean for the article. Hope has a policy of never reporting anything that isn't a firsthand account. I was just being nosy. When you work with this stuff, you can't help... looking for proof, I guess."
"I can imagine. Well, Den--he seemed to have had a sighting, but he never told me about it. I've learned not to push. There are some who are eager to pour their tale in any sympathetic ear, and those who need to work it through themselves first. He did say he has a cabin in the region reputed to be Ijiraat territory. He asked about the Ijiraat's forms, specifically. Whether they shape-shifted into bears or wolves, or perhaps into something that simply resembled both, depending on the witness."
"Like two people seeing an animal in a city alley, one saying it was a cat and one a rat."
"Exactly. It's a fascinating idea that I hadn't considered. If a human is going to change into an animal, a full shift into a bear or a wolf seems rather unlikely. It would be more logical to change into something bear like or wolflike. A beast on two legs."
"Like those old Hollywood wolf men."
"Yes, exactly."
CLAY WAS HUNGRY. I told him what I'd learned as we picked up burgers at a drive-through.
"Maybe these creatures do exist," he said as he took the paper bag and drove away without waiting for his change. "But I don't see any evidence that they're shape-shifters. I finished going through those accounts while you were inside and there's not one mention of the usual signs of a shape-shifting human--footsteps go into a thicket and paw prints come out, shoot an animal and see a wounded man later. Not a credible mention anyway. I'd say it's more likely to be a single-form humanoid like Bigfoot."