The Caretaker is another short story by author Paul Doiron, which takes place in the universe of Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch. Like many of the other short stories in this series, it involves Mike and his mentor, Charley Stevens. Charley is a retired Game Warden and pilot, but still likes to get involved when he can.

In this case, a couple from Massachusetts shows up at Charley’s house, which is down a remote road. They allege they have spoken to the police, who are treating what seems to be a very disturbing situation like a joke. Josiah and Violet Baker have renovated a cabin they bought on Sixth Machias Lake. It seems like they have a stalker who doesn’t like them. At first, they think it’s just pranks, but the two are nervous that it’s going to escalate far beyond that. Violet thinks the “prankster” is a local man, Kevin Moran, whom she interviewed as a possible caretaker but decided not to hire.

Since Charley is retired, Mike is the actual law enforcement officer involved. He happened to be out on the lake just before the couple arrived at Charley’s place. The two of them head over to the Baker’s home to see what’s going on.

I have found that many of these short stories which involve Charley show how outsiders view people who live in rural areas as less intelligent. Charley uses that against them. He lays it on thick with the Maine accent when he’s trying to dupe them. In reality, Charley is as sharp as a tack. His acting like a less-than-intelligent backwoods bumpkin works in that people tend to underestimate him. At times, it seems to annoy Mike, but he has to admit that it gets results.

The Caretaker is a mystery as Charley tries to figure out exactly what’s going on. He knows the Bakers are hiding something – particularly Violet. He holds what seems like innocent conversations with her husband that he gleans much more from than Mike realizes. It’s more like Mike is tagging along on Charley’s investigation, even though Mike is the actual lawman.

I like that these short stories add to the series’ characters. They show a lot more of Charley and why Mike sees him as such a great mentor. This one is no different. How Charley put it all together is a bit of a mystery, but the ending fits with the clues the reader is given. In a sense, it’s a tragic situation. When justice is denied, some people will take matters into their own hands. Do I blame them in this case? Not at all. It leaves Charley and Mike with mixed feelings as well.

I enjoyed The Caretaker, even if I didn’t figure out the mystery until Charley revealed his suspicions. It was a good mystery that kept me guessing. Mike and Charlie act in ways that fit into what I know of them from previous stories, and the new characters are developed just enough to make them interesting for this story. It’s not a long read, but if you like the Mike Bowditch series, you really owe it to yourself to check these short stories out.