The Blade Man

by Debra Purdy Kong

  Still hugging herself, Casey watched the firefighters work. God, when would this nightmare end? Craig Hedley rode up on a bicycle. No surprise that at least one of the Friends would appear. Stepping onto the road, she waved him down.

  “Hedley? Were you or any of the Friends watching the property tonight?”

  “No. I found out what happened from a video on the net.”

  “Who posted the video?”

  “Dunno. Assumed it was a passerby.”

  Or the culprit. “When was it posted?”

  “About a half hour ago, give or take. Anyway, I jumped on the bike and raced here.” He looked around. “Was anyone hurt?”

  Even under the streetlights, Hedley looked flushed and sweaty as he surveyed the damage.

  “Marie Crenshaw.” Casey cleared her throat as the smell of gasoline and smoke again wafted over her.

  “That sucks. Will she be okay?”

  “Hope so.” Casey observed the cops talking to spectators. Stan was with Lou and the drivers. “You didn’t happen to see anyone in dark clothing, or even a driver’s uniform, leaving the area as you got here, did you?”

  “No.” He frowned. “Why?”

  Casey shook her head. “Doesn’t matter.”

  He looked at his phone. “Mind if I take a couple of photos for Travis? I’ll stay out of the way, especially if your president’s around. Is he?”

  “No,” Casey murmured, observing spectators recording the action. “Go ahead with the photos. Everyone else is.” She paused. “Listen, have you or your friends accepted new members to your Facebook group over the past couple of months?”

  “No, it’s still just the five of us. Why?”

  She ignored the question. “Any requests to join, or strange activity with your accounts?”

  “Not that I know of.” Hedley peered at her. “Is this about the threats on MPT’s page?”

  “Mostly, it’s about this.” She nodded toward the fire.

  Hedley hesitated. “Yeah. Well, I hope you find the asshole.”

  While he was riding off, Lou joined her. “From what I’ve heard, the cops haven’t found the suspect. Probably long gone by now.”

  Casey plunked her hands on her hips. “How is that bloody possible?”

  “Must have had a car waiting a few streets over and took a shortcut through the properties to get to it.” He looked around. “Haven’t seen any silver Dodge Rams or green Hondas around either.”

  Stan came up to her. “Did I see Craig Hedley talking to you?”

  “Yeah. Apparently this latest disaster’s already shown up on social media and Hedley came to get a firsthand look. I asked him about the Facebook group and he said there’s been no new requests to join or weird account activity.”

  “Not that he’d be completely honest.” Stan looked down the street. “Kid probably came to gloat.”

  Casey frowned. “Why would he do that?”

  “I never told you this because Gwyn didn’t want anyone else to know,” Stan said, gazing down the street. “But last summer, after he caught Hedley wandering toward the executive offices, Gwyn had him charged with trespassing. His parents came to see Gwyn and things got a little ugly.”

  “What a jerk,” Lou remarked.

  Staring at the spot where Hedley stopped his bike, Casey realized that the kid had appeared after two of the explosions. He’d been wearing shorts and a light blue jacket tonight, but he’d also been sporting a backpack. And hadn’t she gotten a whiff of gasoline while she was talking with him?

  “Uh-oh.”

  “It’s never good when you say that,” Lou remarked.

  “No kidding,” Stan said. “What’s wrong?”

  “What if Hedley didn’t come from home tonight? What if he’d been here all along?” She noted their blank expressions. “You just provided a motive and I admit it’s weak, but he could be behind this. The guy knows MPT’s layout well.”

  The thing that had been niggling in the back of Casey’s mind sprang forward, making her blood race. “And Hedley’s into fitness. Teaches classes, for god’s sake.”

  “Why would a trespassing charge cause him to act out a year later?” Lou asked, “and in such an extreme way?”

  “For one thing, the longer he waited the less likely he’d be considered a suspect. It could explain why Hedley distanced himself from the Friends, pretending to lose interest when he was actually plotting revenge,” Casey replied. “Secondly, he’s been really busy with school, which is over now, and third, he saw the knife attacks as an opportunity to add to Gwyn’s troubles and anxiety.”

  “I agree with Lou,” Stan said. “To commit arson over a lousy trespassing charge just doesn’t make sense.”

  “The Lee brothers’ motive is stronger,” Lou added.

  “Maybe, but Hedley brought up Gwyn’s name tonight, asked me if he was here and I told him no. I also got a whiff of gasoline while talking to him. Thought the breeze was carrying the smell from the building, but what if it came from Hedley?”

  “Freakin’ hell.” Stan scowled at the street.

  “I suppose he could have stolen a uniform by entering the building during office hours and making his way to the guys’ locker room,” Lou said. “If there’s only clothing inside, most of us leave our lockers unlocked. Benny often did it when he was on a break in the lunchroom.”

  “I’ll talk to Del and find out what he knows,” Casey said.

  “Bad idea,” Stan replied. “He could be a co-conspirator.”

  “I don’t think so. He and Hedley have been at odds and don’t talk. Now I’m wondering if Del suspects something.”

  “What about the other Friends?” Lou asked.

  “More complicated. Felicity and Travis are closer to Hedley,” Casey answered. “I doubt they’d help him commit crime, but covering for him is another issue, especially if they really don’t know what’s going on. Maybe Del can clue me in if I talk to him alone.”

  “Is he capable of keeping a secret?” Stan asked.

  Casey thought about this. “He’d better be.”

  THIRTY

  As Lou drove the bus down Lougheed Highway, Casey stared out the window without really seeing anything. She was too busy stewing over Hedley. Online research showed that every photo or video posted about last night’s explosion popped up after Hedley claimed he saw it.

  Casey knew she’d been on the phone with Marie at 1:05 AM when it happened. That was roughly the same time Hedley claimed he saw a social media post about the explosion. But what if he’d been here, recording it himself?

  Stan had shared her suspicion about Hedley with the police, but who knew if they would take it seriously. She just hoped that Del could give her some insights into the guy. When she invited him to meet her tonight he’d been eager to oblige until he was told that he had to come alone.

  “This is a highly sensitive matter,” she’d insisted, “and I need your discretion. We can decide what to tell the others later.” Casey knew he would agree. He’d be too curious not to.

  Del boarded the bus and sat next to her. “Hey, Casey.” His black hair looked damp and was tied back in a short ponytail. The smell of soap wafted off him. “I heard they caught the Blade Man right at his own house. Must be a huge relief.”

  “It is, and thanks for coming to see me on short notice.” She didn’t want to discuss her experience with Charlie Applebee. Happily, the cops hadn’t told the media that she’d been there.

  “I’m surprised that you’re working with your fiancé again,” Del said, glancing at the few passengers. “Thought that was against the rules.”

  Stan had little choice, given that Marie was in the hospital and Anoop and Wayne were unavailable. Although Applebee was off the streets, several Bandana Boys were still out there, and Stan didn’t want Lou ambushed.

  “How do you know about that rule?”

  Del cleared his throat. “Must’ve heard someone mention it. Anyway, pretty awful about last night, eh?”

&nb
sp; Good. The opening she needed. “Yep.”

  “Is Marie okay? Will she be back at work soon?”

  “She’ll be fine, but I don’t know when she’ll be back.”

  The flying glass hadn’t done serious damage, but Marie had injured her left hip, arm, and shoulder when she hit the ground.

  “Did you see it happen?” Del asked.

  “No, we arrived shortly afterward.” Casey paused. “Hedley came by.”

  “Yeah, Felicity said he’d texted.”

  Casey waited, but Del didn’t add anything. She didn’t expect him to. “You don’t seem to communicate directly with Hedley. Is there a reason for that?”

  Del’s smile faded and his glance bounced from passenger to passenger. “He lost interest in the group after college started.”

  She wasn’t ready to add that he sure seemed interested in it now. “Why? Hedley seemed passionate about it.”

  Del shrugged. “I think he was kind of jealous.”

  “Of what?”

  “That I got along with MPT employees better than he did and have better computer skills. He’s also super sensitive. Takes things personally.”

  Casey glanced at the two older women quietly chatting across the aisle. “I just learned that there were some repercussions after Hedley was caught wandering through the admin building after hours last year. Do you think that might have something to do with his loss of interest?”

  “Maybe.” Del paused. “I warned him that it was a stupid move, but Hedley wanted to prove he could get inside anytime.”

  “Gwyn upgraded our alarm system after that, but I never heard Hedley explain how he bypassed the old system in the first place.”

  “He didn’t bypass it, he’d been watching staff press the digits on the keypad,” Del answered. “I told him it was wrong, and he stopped talking to me after that.”

  Del looked like he wanted to say something more. Instead, he stared out the window.

  “Does Hedley hold grudges?”

  He turned sharply. “Why do you ask?”

  “Curiosity mainly.”

  Del’s facial muscles tightened. “You didn’t want Lawrence and Felicity here because they stay in touch with him, right?”

  “Something like that. Would you say that he’s renewed his interested in MPT?”

  “Maybe. Hedley’s been asking Felicity for inside info about MPT.”

  “What kind of info?”

  He rubbed his hands on his jeans. “Who’s going where and when.”

  “Drivers?”

  Del’s mouth opened and closed. His tawny complexion turned a couple of shades darker, and he swept long black bangs from his forehead.

  “Del?” She kept a gentle tone. “I need to know.”

  He cleared his throat. “Gwyn.”

  She was afraid he’d say that. “I’m going to share a theory, but it stays between us, promise?”

  Dark chocolate eyes zeroed in on her. “Yes.”

  “Since the damage to MPT seems directed at Gwyn, I can’t help wondering if Hedley’s involved and the fires are some sort of payback for the trespassing charge and being banned from MPT.”

  The color on Del’s face deepened. “I can’t believe he’d do something as bad as arson. That’s really messed up.”

  “Agreed, but Hedley showed up at MPT after both explosions, which might make the police wonder how solid his alibis are.” Leaning closer, she lowered her voice. “If he becomes their prime suspect, the police will want to talk to you and the others. I’m sure you know that withholding information could mean trouble for all of you.”

  Del fidgeted. He brushed his fingers through his bangs again. Good. He was beginning to understand the stakes. She wanted him to think about this a minute, to weigh the pros and cons of his decisions.

  “Anything you can tell me about him might help me understand the guy better. Maybe I can do something to stop the destruction, without involving the cops, before somebody dies.”

  Del glanced behind him as if worried about eavesdroppers. “Did you know that Hedley was originally accepted at UBC?”

  “No.”

  “He was excited about studying medicine, but plans fell apart after the trespassing charge. Hedley wouldn’t discuss the details, but I know he lost a big scholarship that would have covered a lot of his first-year tuition.”

  “Yikes.”

  Admission to the University of British Columbia was fiercely competitive. It was one of the few institutions in Western Canada that offered medical training. Did Stan know this part of the story?

  “That would have made Hedley furious, no doubt.”

  “Yep. His parents weren’t happy with the trouble he caused and withdrew their offer to pay for his education once the scholarship money was spent. So they sold their house and moved to the Okanagan. It’s why Hedley rents a basement suite and goes to Douglas College. Felicity says he supports himself on whatever jobs he can get.” Del paused as Lou stopped the bus for more passengers. “It’s changed him.”

  The loss of an expensive education would certainly be a stronger motive, especially for a hyper-sensitive kid who took things personally.

  Del’s phone rang. “It’s Felicity.”

  “Can it wait till you’re off the bus? We’re pretty much finished anyway.” Casey didn’t like his hesitancy. “Look, based on what I’ve seen, Felicity’s really into Hedley. If you tell her about this meeting, you might upset her.”

  Resignation swept across Del’s face. It was hard to tell if this was because he couldn’t trust his friend or because he didn’t approve of her feelings for Hedley.

  “Got it,” he mumbled.

  Del stood as Lou pulled up to the next stop. The moment he exited, Casey called Stan.

  . . .

  An uneventful two-hour ride had lulled Casey into a drowsy, relaxed state until her phone rang. The caller identified himself as a Vancouver officer who was investigating the arsons.

  “Your supervisor, Mr. Cordaseto, gave me your number.”

  Casey sat up straighter. There were only five passengers on board. Not surprising, given that it was nearly midnight. “What can I do for you?”

  “I went to Mr. Craig Hedley’s residence this evening, but the roommate said he packed a duffel bag and drove away an hour ago. The roommate claimed he didn’t know where Mr. Hedley went or when he’d be back. Couldn’t even confirm if he would be back.”

  Crap. So why was he calling her? “I have no idea where Hedley would be.”

  “I understand that, but Mr. Hedley had a visitor just before he left. A young Indo-Canadian male. Your supervisor says you know who he is.”

  Casey’s stomach sank. Damn it, why had Del gone there? “His name’s Del Darzi, one of our regular riders and part of a group of teens who call themselves the MPT Friends.”

  She provided a brief history of the Friends’ relationship with MPT, but admitted that she didn’t know Del’s address or phone number, just the name of the high school he attended.

  “Any idea why Mr. Darzi would show up late at night to Mr. Hedley’s home?” the cop asked. “The roommate said the two were arguing.”

  Oh boy. “I’m afraid it’s about a conversation Del and I had earlier tonight.” After she told him what Del had revealed, the long silence that followed sent her heartbeat quickening.

  “Miss Holland, I strongly suggest you avoid further chats with the MPT Friends until we’ve spoken with Mr. Hedley.”

  The authoritative tone irritated her. “Just trying to help.”

  “I think you’ve helped enough.” He hung up.

  While Lou pulled up to the next stop, Casey ranted about Del and her chat with the cop.

  “He has a point, you know,” Lou said. “If you can’t trust the Friends, then you need to isolate yourself from them.”

  “Not before I have a few choice words with Del. I’m tempted to call him right now.”

  Lou merged back into traffic. “You don’t seriously think he’ll answ
er.”

  “Probably not.” She slumped into a nearby seat.

  The best way to get answers would be through the Friends’ chattiest, most gullible member, Felicity. After her parents’ first met with Stan, they gave him their contact information and address, should an emergency arise. In Casey’s view, an emergency was unfolding right now. Calling them at this time of night, though, wouldn’t be smart.

  “I know that look,” Lou remarked. “You’re planning something.”

  Casey responded with a dismissive wave. Why say anything when he’d only try to talk her out of it?

  THIRTY-ONE

  Parked in front of Felicity’s house, Casey waited for her to come home from school. Although the school was only three blocks from here, she couldn’t risk being seen by Del and Lawrence. Coming here was a gamble, but since Felicity didn’t seem to have any extracurricular activities, a part-time job, or friends other than Del and Lawrence, Casey thought it a safe bet that she’d be here soon.

  It was highly possible that the cops had already talked to the Friends and probably their parents, so technically she wasn’t interfering. She truly believed that Felicity would confide in her about Hedley and share info that she wouldn’t tell the cops. The challenge would be in persuading Felicity to help find him. If the girl was protecting Hedley, persuasion could turn into a forceful ultimatum. Not a great strategy, but a necessary last resort.

  Casey spotted Felicity ambling down the sidewalk, staring at her phone. Casey stepped out of the car. She was only a few steps away before Felicity finally looked up.

  “Casey!” Her eyes widened. “I was just reading about the Blade Man on my phone. Were you there when they caught him? A couple of people said he tried to attack two women in a car.”

  “Actually, I’m here to talk about Hedley,” Casey said. “Do you know where he is? I really need to speak with him, and he’s apparently vanished.”

  As anticipated, the direct approach caught Felicity off guard. Her complexion blanched.

  “The police came to our house before school this morning and asked me the same thing. Went to Del’s and Lawrence’s place too.” She stared at Casey. “Did you give them our names?”