Читать книгу Stonechild and Rouleau Mysteries 5-Book Bundle - Brenda Chapman - Страница 42

Sunday, February 26, 8:45 a.m.

Rouleau took Stonechild’s call in his kitchen. “You’re up early for a Saturday,” he said while shuffling eggs with a spatula around the frying pan. He glanced at his watch. “Not even nine yet. Eager to put your media training to work?” Her excited voice at the other end made him smile. “No, but I am psyched about something I found out yesterday. I’ve been up most of the night going through the files and I think I have proof.”

“Proof of what?”

“Who killed Tom Underwood and Benny Goldstone.”

“It’s not your case anymore, Stonechild.”

“I know, I know, but this fell into my lap. I was with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time yesterday and the little girl goes to the after four program at the community centre downtown. Guess who her art teacher was?”

Rouleau shifted left to pop down the bread in the toaster. “No idea. Who?”

“Pauline Underwood. Tom’s ex-wife.”

Rouleau paused, the spatula suspended above the frying pan. “And?”

“Pauline told this little girl before Christmas that she was leaving to get married. Her husband was coming back to her at long last. As you recall, her husband was Tom Underwood, and he was planning to marry her best friend Susan.”

Rouleau lowered the spatula and began scrapping the eggs from where they’d begun to brown. “If this is true, it’s bizarre behaviour. Maybe even delusional.”

“Isn’t it? Anyhow, I spent the night going through all the documents and Pauline could have done the murders. In fact, she’s the logical choice when you look at who was killed. Also, don’t forget Susan’s near-death experience in the Gatineaus.”

“Why’s it logical?” The facts of the case filed through his brain.

“Let’s say Pauline found out about Tom and Susan and their affair. Here’s a woman who thinks she’s about to be reunited with her ex-husband, only to find out he’s sleeping with her best and oldest friend. Pauline’s family mentioned a few times her desperation and odd behaviour when Tom left her for Laurel. She stopped eating and visited a counsellor, likely a shrink if you read between the lines. It makes sense she would have tried to make them both pay for what she must have believed was their betrayal. For an unstable woman, it wouldn’t matter that years had passed since she and Tom were married. Tom’s murder was personal. I think she got him to drop in for coffee early that morning and drugged him. She could have parked his car in her garage and left him in the trunk. He might have even been there when we were first looking for him. She must have brought the car to the Central Experimental Farm one night and jogged to a bus stop where nobody would remember her. It wouldn’t have taken him long to freeze to death. As for the attempt on Susan Halliday, the two of them routinely went cross-country skiing together on that trail in the Gatineau Hills. It was just a matter of Pauline following Susan up there and waiting for an opportunity. Susan said there were tire marks near her van.”

“What about Benny Goldstone?”

“He was cheating on Geraldine with Max and stealing from her. Pauline must have caught them. The fact it was a piece of sculpture from the office used to kill Benny makes it appear the killing was done spur of the moment. Pauline’s whereabouts for the time he was killed are vague at best. She’d already made Tom pay. She must have thought the men in her life were all cheating scum.”

“Where would she get the drug she used on Underwood? It was a street drug.”

“Pauline worked at a couple of youth centres. Stuff is floating around, and she was well liked by the kids. It wouldn’t take much for one of them to sell her something.”

“Where are you now?” he asked.

“On my way to Susan Halliday’s. I think she was lying about the last time she and Tom got together. Something tipped Pauline off. I’m going to see if I can make her talk to me.”

Rouleau turned off the stove. “Wait for me in front of her house. Don’t talk to her until I get there. I’m on my way.”

“Will do, Sir.”

Kala kept the motor running in her truck and watched Susan’s house from a discreet distance across the street. She was quite certain that it was Susan’s Mazda in the driveway. A few minutes later, as if Kala conjured her up, Susan stepped onto the front steps, bundled up in a red down coat and nylon pants, scarf, hat, and mitts. She fumbled with the front door lock before striding toward the van and climbing into the front seat.

Kala started to open her truck door to intercept her, but remembered Rouleau’s instruction to wait until he arrived before approaching Susan. She thought about ignoring his order. While she hesitated, she figured it might be a better idea to see where Susan was heading. Kala grabbed a map from where she’d tucked it under the passenger seat and held it up near her face. She lowered it enough to keep an eye on the driveway.

Susan let the van warm up for a good minute before slowly backing onto the street so that she was pointed west. Acting on instinct, Kala ducked down and averted her head just before Susan cruised past. Kala checked in the side mirror, but Susan hadn’t looked in her direction. Kala straightened and kept watching in the mirror. The van was rounding a curve in the road and heading north, still on Eisenhower.

Kala didn’t have a good feeling. Susan was dressed for the outdoors. Was she meeting Pauline somewhere, or was she foolish enough to be going somewhere isolated alone? She tossed the map onto the passenger seat and put the truck into gear, making a three point turn and following several metres behind the van. Kala stayed back but close enough to see if Susan turned off onto a side road. She felt in her coat for her cell and hit the speed dial button to Rouleau’s phone. He answered on the second ring.

“Susan’s on the move, dressed for the outdoors. We’re heading north on Eisenhower Crescent. Any ideas? Should I intercept her or just keep following?”

“It might be an idea to see what she’s up to. She could be going to meet Pauline who lives further into Chapman Mills. Her place is not too far from Susan’s house, but far enough that she might drive. I’ve sent Bennett over to Pauline’s to see if she’s home. I’m waiting for him to check in.”

“Oh wait, she’s making a right onto Cortleigh, heading east, so she’s not going to Pauline’s. She just drove past Davidson Park and I see a larger park up ahead on the right.”

“Heart’s Desire Forest Park. I’ve brought up a map on my cellphone. Is she stopping?”

“No. She drove right past.”

“I’d bet money she’s heading to those nature trails.”

“You could be right. She’s turning south on Woodroffe toward the Rideau River.”

“There’re a couple of places along there to walk. I’ll start in that direction. Call me when you know her exact destination. Perhaps she’ll lead us to something interesting.”

“Will do.”

Kala dropped back. She’d been gaining on the van and didn’t want Susan to spot her. Traffic was light. She checked her mirrors to make sure Pauline wasn’t also on Susan’s tail. All looked clear.

Five minutes later, Kala turned south on Woodroffe and followed it for a few minutes until she reached Prince of Wales. Susan was a few cars in front. They idled at a red light for several beats before it turned green. Susan pulled out slowly and headed north on Prince of Wales. Traffic was heavier and Kala was able to drop back and put more cars between them.

A few kilometres further on, she spotted the red flash of Susan’s right turn signal and slowed the truck even more. Kala watched the van pull off the road into the wooded area called Chapman Mills Conservation Area. Kala put on her turn signal and pulled onto the shoulder not too close to the turn off so Susan wouldn’t notice her if she looked back toward the roadway. Susan’s van took the side road down an incline into a plowed parking lot.

Kala called Rouleau again while taking off her seat belt. She shut down the engine and did a shoulder check, careful not to open her door into oncoming traffic. Two cars sped past doing over the speed limit. There was never a traffic cop around when you needed one.

“She’s gone into the parking lot at Chapman Mills Conservation Area. I parked on the shoulder on Prince of Wales and am going in on foot.” Kala watched in her side mirror for a break in traffic.

“I’m almost there. I can see your truck on the shoulder. Sit tight. I’ll do a U-turn and will park behind you.”

“Okay.”

Kala spotted Rouleau driving toward her less than a minute later. The minute felt like an hour. Her instincts told her not to wait, but she didn’t have any reason for this sense of urgency. Susan might just be on a nature walk by herself with no danger present. Pauline hadn’t followed her, of this Kala was certain.

Rouleau made the turn and slid his car in behind her truck. Kala opened her door and stepped onto the snowy shoulder. She shivered and pulled up the hood of her jacket as cars sped by, blowing up gusts of snow.

Rouleau walked toward her, his phone cupped next to his ear. He was dressed casually in a dark blue parka, jeans, and Sorels. He closed his phone and stopped next to her. “Pauline’s not at home. Her car’s not in the driveway.”

“She might be at her daughter’s. It’ll be a shame if I got you out here for no reason. Pauline didn’t follow Susan here but she could already be in the parking lot.”

“I told Bennett to keep checking for her. Shall we take a walk to see if Susan’s alone?”

“Sure.”

They trudged from the main road to the parking lot. It took a long five minutes. The lot had been recently plowed, but the snow had blown into drifts that were knee-deep outside the tire tracks.

“Hard to believe the temperature fell so suddenly. I was thinking about getting my golf clubs out a few days ago,” said Rouleau.

“Just Susan’s van over there. That’s a relief,” said Kala. She felt a drop in adrenaline. “I guess I really did get you out here for nothing.”

Rouleau’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked around as he answered. He said a few words that Kala couldn’t hear and shut it again. “That was Bennett. Geraldine’s expecting her mother within the hour. They’re catching a plane to Florida for a two-week holiday.”

“Geraldine and Pauline?”

“And the baby. Geraldine told Bennett that they need a break from all that’s been going on.”

“Understandable,” said Kala. Disappointment washed over her. She’d really believed she was onto something. She looked at Rouleau. “Are you heading out then? Likely there’s nothing to worry about here if Pauline is on her way to Florida. Will you be bringing her in for questioning?”

“We haven’t enough evidence.”

“I’ll just go have a look at Susan’s van before we go. I’ll get some lunch and then head back to her house for that interview. She should be home by then. Clinton looked to be away.”

“I’ll come with you.”

They trudged through the snow and circled the van. Kala squatted down next to the footprints. “Looks like she was alone. She headed that way toward the path.”

Kala stood and began following the footprints. They were difficult to see in the crusty snow but no harder than tracking animals through the woods. Rouleau followed a few steps behind her. They reached the first line of trees. Kala searched the ground under a big pine. She crouched down for a better look, then looked up at Rouleau, not as relaxed as she’d been a moment before.

“There’s two sets of footprints. I think she met someone and they went down the path into the woods together.” She pointed toward the river. “They have a good fifteen-minute head start. We should follow.”

“Could the two of them have come in the same van?” Rouleau asked.

“No, it was definitely just Susan in the van.”

Rouleau looked back at the parking lot. “Then where’s the other vehicle?”

“We’d better hurry,” said Kala. “That bad feeling has just come back.”

Kala was jogging close behind Rouleau and nearly crashed into him when they rounded a curve in the path some twenty minutes into the woods. Rouleau reached back to steady her. He half-turned and looked at her with eyes that reminded her of hard green stones.

He spoke quietly. “They’re up ahead talking. I’m not sure if it’s Pauline in white. What was Susan wearing?”

“Red coat. Knee length.” Kala’s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.

“Susan’s sitting on the bench. The other woman is standing. They might be strangers who met by chance. It looks like Pauline’s height and weight.”

“How do you want to play this?”

“We can pretend we’re just out for a walk.”

“They won’t buy it.”

Rouleau thought for a moment. “If it is Pauline, we don’t want to tip her off before we have some evidence that she killed Underwood. Let’s stick to the original plan and interview Susan alone. We can start back and hope they don’t catch up to us.”

“You think Susan’s safe?”

“Looks safe enough to me.” Rouleau watched the two women another moment “They’re just talking.” He turned and started walking back the way they’d come.

Kala hesitated. Rouleau stopped and looked at her. “Coming?”

“Yeah, I guess.” She took a step toward him, but a noise that sounded like a strangled scream made her turn and look back. She motioned to Rouleau to stop.

“Susan’s fallen off the bench into the snow. Something’s wrong,” she said.

He walked back and moved around her. “The other woman just kicked Susan.”

Rouleau ran faster than she could have imagined and she was right behind him. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hide their approach. The woman in white looked up at them from where she was crouched, undoing Susan’s coat. Dark sunglasses hid her eyes but Kala recognized Pauline. Her lips were clasped tightly together, her face determined. She looked from them back down at Susan, bending to grab under her arms. Pauline’s back heaved with exertion as she pulled the dead weight backwards through the reeds bowed with ice. She was making slow progress closer to the river’s edge.

“It’s too late,” Pauline screamed. “You’re too late.”

Rouleau held out a hand. “Let us help you.”

“Then help me pull this bitch onto the ice.” Pauline’s hysterical laughter travelled across the eerily frigid landscape to where they stood motionless. They were a hundred metres away and there was nowhere for Pauline to go. She wouldn’t be able to drag Susan far. Pauline gave another frantic pull at Susan’s arm and then straightened up and looked at them. She let Susan’s arm drop into the snow. She stared at them for a moment longer before turning in one swift movement and stomping through the reeds toward the river.

“Stop!” yelled Kala, but she knew Pauline was past listening. She was picking up speed and running full tilt toward the deeper part of the river. As Kala watched, Pauline zigzagged around sections, trying frantically to find ice thick enough to bear her weight.

Rouleau reached the river bank first and took tentative steps onto the ice before Kala reached him. She looked down at Susan lying awkwardly just above the frozen water line then across the white expanse of river to where Pauline was making her way. Rouleau kept calling for her to come back but had stopped following.

Pauline turned and must have seen that nobody was coming after her. She slowed her pace, now testing her steps more tentatively on the ice. She wasn’t even a third of the way across.

Kala shouted to Rouleau not to follow. It was too dangerous. He looked back at her, his face filled with indecision. She waved her arms for him to come back.

Suddenly, a cracking noise filled the silence, carried by the wind back to where they stood. Rouleau turned back toward the river in time to hear Pauline scream, her arms flailing above her head, her legs slipping out from under her. She seemed to skid several feet before she disappeared into a gaping hole. Dark, jagged fissures in the ice snaked toward the shoreline. Rouleau took a step forward.

“Don’t do it.” Kala yelled into the wind. “Pauline can’t be saved.” She knew it was true. Her last glance at the river had witnessed Pauline’s head disappearing into the darkness of the black hole. He wouldn’t have time to reach her even if the ice held his weight.

Rouleau hesitated and Kala held her breath. She willed him back to shore. Rouleau’s shoulders dropped in defeat. He slowly turned and started back toward her. “She’s gone,” he said. He scrambled up the incline and squatted next to Susan, zipping up her coat. She writhed in the snow and moaned, her eyes still closed.

“She’s been drugged. Let’s get her moving before she freezes and we lose both of them,” Rouleau looked up at Kala. The papery lines in his face were deeper than they’d been seconds before. He stood and pulled out his cellphone. He looked out across the river while he called for an ambulance and police backup.

Together they grabbed Susan under the arms and started down the path the way they’d come, carrying her limp body between them. The path was barely wide enough for three and the going was awkward. Susan was a dead weight between them. Nearly half an hour later, they reached the opening to the parking lot. A siren wailed from somewhere close by.

Kala looked over Susan’s head at Rouleau. “It’s better this way, Sir, for everyone. You couldn’t have saved her.”

“Maybe.”

“We had no way of knowing what she was planning,” Kala said. She felt a sudden urgency to convince him. “She had everyone fooled.”

“Not everyone,” said Rouleau, meeting her eyes. “I should have trusted your judgement and moved sooner back on the path.”

“It could easily have gone the other way.”

“You were closer to the case than I was. You have good instincts and I should have remembered.”

“And I should have pieced it together sooner. We did the best we could.”