The Blade Man

by Debra Purdy Kong

  “Lou’s a huge asset,” Stan went on. “Nobody wants him to leave. How’s he doing anyway? Heard he got into a serious scrap at the rally.”

  Casey sat up straighter. “What exactly did you hear?”

  As Stan removed his glasses, the lines between his eyebrows became more evident. “What did he tell you?”

  “Stan! Please.”

  He sat back, raising his hands defensively. “Seems that some guys pinned him down and kicked the shit out of him before others came to help.”

  Casey’s body stiffened. “What else?”

  Stan shifted in his chair, looking pretty damn uncomfortable.

  “One of the kicks was to Lou’s head. He was out of it for a bit.”

  Casey jumped up, then sank back down again. She was about ready to carve a brand new gash in the damn desk. Did Lou honestly think she wouldn’t find out? Tempted as she was to call him this minute, she needed to cool off.

  “Moving on,” Stan said, tapping the sheet of paper in front of her. “You’ll see that you’re now off Tuesday and Wednesday. You’ll ride with Wesley on Thursday, Adrianna is Friday, and Benny the rest of the weekend. Better catch up on paperwork today.”

  Casey folded the sheet in half and tried not to stew over Lou. “Did the cops say anything about the man who was murdered Saturday night?”

  “Why would they? It doesn’t have anything to do with us.” Observing her, his expression darkened. “I’m right, aren’t I? Didn’t read anything about it in your report.”

  “I might have seen something, but it’s hard to tell.” She picked up her phone. “Check out the last video, upper right corner. The image is tiny.”

  “I see a man falling,” Stan squinted and his nose nearly touched the screen. “He’s the victim?”

  “Don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Share it with the cops. I’ll give you the investigating officer’s number. Meanwhile, we have our own problems to deal with. If MPT’s sued, the lawyers will expect more details in your incident report.” He handed Casey’s report to her. “I’ve marked where you’ll need to elaborate.”

  “Fine.” She didn’t feel great about what could happen to Wesley, or Dimitri for that matter. But denying, lying, or covering it up wouldn’t work. Stan had far too much integrity.

  Casey slowly got to her feet. “I need a coffee. Want any?”

  “No thanks. Any more caffeine and I’ll be jumping out of my seat.”

  Casey left, softly shutting the door behind her. She didn’t need caffeine as much as she needed a few minutes alone to decide how to confront Lou about his injuries. The man wasn’t a complainer, but silent suffering wasn’t going to cut it this time. He needed to see a doctor if she had to drag him there.

  Downstairs, Casey nearly bumped into Benny Lee on his way out of the lunchroom. He looked a little more tired than usual.

  “Glad you weren’t hurt Saturday night,” Benny said. “How’s Lou doing? Heard he got into quite a brawl.”

  “Yeah, and he’s refusing to see a doctor. Will you talk to him, Benny? He listens to you.”

  “Sure, but he can be stubborn, that one.”

  “Tell me about it. The idiot won’t even tell me how badly hurt he is.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

  “Thanks, Benny.” Casey gave him a hug. “Oh, and I received your RSVP to the wedding.”

  “Can’t wait for your big day. This wedding will happen, sweetie. You two deserve all the happiness in the world.” Benny squeezed her hand. “If I get emotional at the ceremony, just ignore me. I was a mess at my daughter’s wedding. Since you and Lou are practically family, it could happen. Thought I’d give you a heads-up.”

  Casey laughed. “You won’t be alone. A few of us will be crying happy tears. How’s Yvette doing? Still substitute teaching?”

  “She finally got a full-time position, but with two little kids and a husband working two jobs, she’s exhausted all the time. I’m trying to help out with babysitting, but my shifts don’t make it easy.”

  “I bet. Do your boys still live at home?”

  “Yep, and I blame them for my hair loss and the lines on my face.” He swept his hand over the few strands left on his scalp. “You’d think a nineteen- and twenty-two-year-old would want to be out living their own lives, but I guess they have it too good. Neither of them can afford to move out anyway.”

  Benny always was a soft touch, but since his wife’s death a decade ago, Casey thought he’d grown even softer. The man had a hard time saying no to anyone. When his boys were teenagers, he’d been known to show up for work super stressed because of some mess they’d gotten into.

  “Your eldest boy Max apprenticed here as a mechanic for a while, right?”

  “Yeah. He works at a garage now, but can’t save a dime.”

  “What’s Reese up to these days?”

  “Trying to figure out what to do with his life, which means doing a whole lot of nothing. I want him to work here until he comes up with a plan, but he thinks the pay’s too low.” Benny shook his head. “Like he can afford to be choosy. The spoiled brat doesn’t appreciate that MPT has fed, housed, and clothed him for years.”

  Given the frustration in Benny’s voice, Casey changed the subject. “I hear we’re working together this weekend, after Friday night’s shift with Adrianna.”

  Benny glanced up and down the corridor. “You might have your hands full. She’s already freaked out by the online threats.”

  “Which is why I’ll be with her.”

  “You’ll keep her safe.” Benny patted her arm. “That’s what you do.”

  FOUR

  Casey sat by the bus’s front entrance in a seat reserved for seniors and the physically challenged. Since it was nearly 11:00 PM on a Friday night, she was the only person at the front of the nearly empty bus.

  Adrianna had been gripping the steering wheel all evening as if afraid to let go or let her guard down. Every young man who’d boarded had been treated to an intimidating don’t you dare cause trouble glance. Adrianna’s dark eyes seemed almost too large for her face, a stark contrast to the brown hair and light blond highlights that stopped at her jawline. She’d told Casey that she’d been working out, trying to get her body back to what it was before the birth of her son eighteen months ago. Tonight, Adrianna was both nervous and defiant, a demeanor that made Casey uneasy. If trouble arose, Adrianna’s attitude could make things worse.

  Compounding the unpleasant ride was another chorus of “Wheels on the Bus” being sung a few rows down. The singer, an immature seventeen-year-old named Felicity Akenhead, and her pals, Del and Lawrence, were part of a small group of high school outcasts who began riding MPT buses about ten months ago. They’d caught the bus a couple of stops back and hadn’t settled down yet tonight.

  Calling themselves “MPT Friends,” these three always rode together and apparently had been friends since elementary school. For some reason, they’d developed a particular interest in everything to do with Mainland Public Transport, including its routes, bus models, and fleet maintenance. What they loved most, though, was riding different routes. It was a weird hobby, but better than drinking and drugs, Casey supposed. The kids were always respectful and endlessly curious about MPT’s operation.

  Late last August, Felicity’s parents met with Stan to tell him that bus riding was one of the few drug-free remedies that helped their ADHD daughter relax enough to sleep better at night. As long as Felicity was with Del and Lawrence, the parents permitted these evening excursions.

  Felicity was bouncier than usual tonight, seemingly oblivious to the smirks and snorts from a couple of guys at the back of the bus. A bemused elderly rider also watched her. Del waved at Casey. Felicity also waved and stopped singing. Before Casey knew it, all three were moving toward her. Oh joy.

  “Hi, Casey.” Del sat next to her. The other two took a nearby seat. “Quiet night, huh? We’ve never seen you on a Coquitlam route before.”

 
“And I’ve only ever seen you catch a bus in Vancouver. What brings you out this way?”

  “Travis lives nearby,” he replied. “After his family moved out here, we started riding the Coquitlam routes.”

  Travis was an anomaly Casey didn’t understand. The kid suffered from motion sickness, so he rarely rode buses, yet he loved everything to do with them. He used to live within walking distance of MPT and often visited the garage to chat with the mechanics. She’d heard him say that he wanted to work for MPT one day.

  “I take it this isn’t grad party weekend for you?” she asked, knowing that all three of them were about to graduate from the same high school.

  “Next week,” Lawrence replied without enthusiasm.

  Tall and lanky and sporting black-framed glasses, Lawrence Tam was the quietest of the trio. His MPT passion was photographing buses, inside and out, with the Nikon he always had on him. Apparently, his photos had already won awards.

  “We heard you got trapped at the riot,” Felicity said.

  “Oh?” Casey’s eyebrows rose. “Who told you that?”

  Del gave her a weak smile. “Word gets around.”

  Although Del Darzi would never admit it, Casey suspected that this kid’s particular MPT interest was more surreptitious than that of his buddies. She was pretty sure he hacked into MPT’s databases. Del knew too much about the company and often showed up wherever she was working, which creeped her out at times.

  “How come you brought your security jacket?” Felicity nodded toward the jacket folded beside Casey.

  “It’s a better raincoat than anything else I own.” Given the heavy clouds threatening to spill, she just might need it.

  Adrianna eased the bus up to the next stop. Two people left through the back entrance. No one else boarded. So far, this shift had gone smoothly.

  “Did you see the man who was stabbed at the riot?” Del asked.

  Casey had no intention of sharing information about that night. “No.”

  Del was short for a seventeen-year-old. His facial features were delicate and his tawny beige skin unblemished. If his black hair was longer, he could be mistaken for a girl. His androgynous appearance caused riders to stare occasionally, but Del’s charm and empathy also made him popular with most of the drivers. He was a sweet kid who once told Casey that he thought her and the drivers’ choice of work was heroic.

  “Travis and Hedley were at the rally until the fighting started.” Felicity fidgeted in her seat. “They took off after that. Saw your bus stopped on Glen Drive.”

  Casey nodded, surprised to hear that Craig Hedley had been with Travis. Hedley was the Friends’ founder. Since he started college last September, she’d heard that his interest in the group had faded.

  “How’s Hedley doing? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

  “He’s been busy with school, but the semester’s over now,” she replied.

  “Why would they go to a union rally?” Casey asked.

  “Something to do, I guess,” Felicity answered. “Travis has been homeschooled since he moved away. Any excuse to get out of the house works for him.”

  Casey noticed Lawrence pointing his Nikon at Adrianna.

  “Remember, you can’t take pictures of anyone without their permission, and never of security personnel, okay?”

  “Yep.” Lawrence opened the bus window and began snapping pictures of buildings.

  “You didn’t get hurt Saturday night, did you?” Felicity asked her. Under the bus’s lousy lighting, her porcelain skin and dark red hair adopted a greenish tinge. “We know your driver had some trouble. It’s been posted everywhere.”

  Casey nodded. They didn’t need to know that Stan had already told her this. “I don’t spend much time on the net.”

  “You should.” Del’s expression became solemn.

  “Why?”

  “Someone’s threatening to do some serious damage to drivers.”

  Casey glanced at Adrianna, who kept her gaze on the road. “Let’s sit further back.” After they’d settled into seats, she said, “What exactly do the posts say?”

  Del exchanged pensive glances with his friends. “That he wants to bash the drivers’ heads in. Someone else posted that they should be burned alive.”

  Casey’s neck and shoulders became prickly. Despite the anger swirling in her gut, she kept her expression impassive.

  “Any specific drivers or routes mentioned?”

  “No,” Del answered, “but I might be able to find out who posted the remarks.”

  “The cops can do that.”

  “Doubt they’d be as fast as me.”

  Her phone rang. She wasn’t surprised to see Stan’s name on her screen. He was driving the security vehicle in this area.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Benny triggered his alarm on the M28. Dispatch could hear two people shouting at him. What’s your twenty?”

  As she thought about the posts, Casey’s adrenalin raced. She glanced at the street, then moved out of earshot of the Friends and Adrianna.

  “We’re heading north on Johnson Street, just about to reach Guildford Way. Why didn’t dispatch use the radio to notify me?”

  “They don’t want to upset other drivers,” he answered. “Benny’s at the stop just past Town Center Boulevard and Pinetree Way. I’m about ten minutes from there. I’m hoping you can reach him faster than me.”

  “The RCMP detachment’s only a couple of blocks from Benny’s location,” she murmured. “Can’t they help?”

  “Dispatch called them, and were told that officers are dealing with major incidents right now. Benny doesn’t think the drunks are carrying weapons, which means the cops will probably treat it as a low priority call.”

  Casey’s hand clenched. Given the social media threats, Benny could have a major problem on his hands.

  A passenger pulled the bell cord. The traffic light turned red.

  “We’re nearing the next stop. Adrianna’ll be too distressed if I pull her off her route, and I’m less than ten minutes away on foot.” Casey put on her jacket and marched to the front exit. “I have Benny’s cell number. Should I call him?”

  “Worth a try, but don’t panic if he doesn’t answer. Sounds like he has his hands full. See you shortly.”

  If anyone could stay cool in a tense situation, it was Benny Lee. He’d dealt with plenty of unruly drunks and junkies over the years, which was why Stan hadn’t placed security personnel on his bus.

  “What are you doing?” Adrianna asked, her tone anxious.

  Casey kept the explanation brief, playing down the danger to Benny. The light changed to green.

  Easing the bus forward, Adrianna mumbled, “I knew there’d be trouble.”

  Casey glanced at the Friends, who appeared anxious. They’d either eavesdropped or were adept at reading body language.

  Casey dialed Benny’s number and was relieved by his quick response. “What’s happening there? Stan and I are on our way.”

  “Just a misunderstanding,” he murmured. “No worries.”

  His flat monotone concerned her. In the background, Casey heard, “Who are you talking to, old man? Gimme that phone!”

  The line went dead. Casey gripped the pole by Adrianna’s chair, every muscle in her body tightening. Adrianna moved at a snail’s pace through the intersection. God, she was deliberately going slowly? Casey bit back the urge to yell at her to move faster. Her shoulders twitched.

  Finally, Adrianna stopped the bus and opened the door. “You’ll be back, won’t you?”

  “That’s the plan.” Casey leapt off the platform and bolted down Guildford Way.

  FIVE

  Casey was already breathing heavily, not just from racing down the sidewalk but out of fear for Benny. Rational thinking was losing ground to panic. Glancing at the sky, she welcomed the sprinkling rain. It cooled her skin and in a strange way helped her focus on ways to protect Benny once she reached the M28.

  Several yards ahe
ad, a man ambled down the sidewalk with his poodle.

  “Coming through!” she shouted. “Emergency!”

  Beneath the streetlight, a wrinkled, wary face turned to her. The senior picked up his dog as she darted past him.

  “Thanks!” Bright yellow security jackets had their uses.

  Casey tried to see beyond this block, toward Pinetree Way, but the curving road made it impossible. This part of Guildford was wide. A grassy boulevard ran down the center of the road. Leaves rustled from branches dangling over the sidewalk.

  A firetruck siren ripped through the silence, somewhere too far ahead to see. Her scalp prickled and her shoulders rose. Were they heading for Benny? . . . No. Don’t go there.

  “Hurry up, Lawrence!” Felicity yelled behind Casey. “You’re too slow.”

  Crap! Casey glanced over her shoulder to find Felicity leading the charge. “What are you three doing here? Go home!”

  “We can help!” Del yelled out. “Take photos, or keep the crowds back.”

  Why would there be a crowd this late at night? Shoving that and thoughts of the Friends aside, Casey focused on getting to Benny. Sweat trickled down her sides as she kept running. Spotting the intersection ahead, Casey glanced at the RCMP detachment across the street. No one appeared to be around.

  As she reached the side road called Town Center Boulevard, a man darted from behind the closed aquatic center to her left. He crossed the road and raced into a condo/townhouse complex. The dark ball cap and hoodie reminded her of the Bandana Boys. Why was he running?

  Suspicion sent Casey charging down the road to see where he went, but by the time she reached the complex’s entrance the man had vanished. Trees and bushes along the winding road created too many hiding spots to search. Besides, she needed to get to Benny.

  Continuing on, she passed the aquatic center and adjoining parking lot and soon found herself on Pinetree Way. The M28 bus was stopped across the road a block further north, along with a firetruck. Her heart sank. A dozen people stood on the sidewalk, gazing at what looked like an empty bus.