by R E Swirsky
"What? I thought the house was empty now. It's up for sale."
"It is empty. But here's the thing. Tommy told me there is a secret room hidden in the study up front on the main floor. It's behind the fireplace. All of the bad stuff is in there."
"No shit?"
"No shit. The recordings are right there, so close, and I can't get my hands on them because there is a security system on that house."
"Wow," Bobby responded. "I guess you want to get those tapes."
Ricky turned to Bobby. "And you said you weren't very smart. Well there's your first ‘A’ of the year. Of course I want to get those recordings."
"But how are you going to do that if the house is alarmed?"
"I don't know. That's the problem, but I cant let those recordings just sit there for someone to find. No way, uh uh. That's not going to happen. I am going to get them."
"So what are you going to do?" Bobby asked.
Ricky just shook his head and didn’t answer. He was thinking about other things. "There's only three of us who know about what's in that secret room. Tommy, you and me. Jason doesn't even know."
"You know me, mum is the word."
"I know, I know. You're solid. I only told you because I might need your help."
"My help?"
"I think I have an idea of how to get to those recordings."
Bobby groaned, took one hand off the wheel and rubbed his leg.
CHAPTER 46
It had been many weeks since Dean talked with Patricia Mackie and discovered Jason had bust Doogie's lip open in a fight the night before Tim committed suicide. Dean had been meaning to go talk to Jason, but Spy Hill was all the way down the highway on the other side of Calgary, and he kept putting it off in the name of routine police work. With Doogie now up at Spy Hill too, Dean couldn't find a reason to put it off any longer. He could hit both boys in one shot.
Dean waited patiently for Jason to come into the visitor's room at Spy Hill. He already had his talk with Doogie, and that was, truthfully, a waste of his time. Doogie blamed Dean outright for being locked up and saw no reason to answer any questions that could help Dean on any investigation. It didn't matter if it was about "that little shit, Jason Oliver," Doogie was just not going to help. Dean also had no idea that Doogie would fail to graduate this spring because he was locked up at Spy Hill and was now missing his final exams. He would have to repeat one semester of grade twelve in the fall, and that, of course, was Dean's fault too.
Dean was still thinking about Doogie's self-centred mind when Jason was let into the visitors’ room.
"You're looking good, Jason," Dean said. Offering a positive word right away was something he found softened the mood and sometimes worked to loosen the tongue.
"You too," Jason replied politely. He took a seat opposite Dean.
"Been a while since we last spoke."
"Months," Jason said.
"Ayuh. How about if I just get right to it?"
"I wish you would. Everybody always wants to talk in circles up here. You should spend some time up here, Sherriff."
"I'm not a Sherriff. I'm a detective, and it's all these damn PhD people running around in these government buildings that get all of the whirlpools to start turning like they do." He made swirling motions with his hands.
Jason laughed. He felt warmth from Dean today, which was unusual but welcome.
"So, Jason, what I really wanted to talk about has nothing to do with why you're up here, okay?"
Jason frowned and nodded back.
"I wanted to ask you some questions about the night before it all went down. Questions about the night of the girls’ basketball game. You were supposed to be at that home opener game, but you never made it. I did some checking, and you were not at the game." Dean watched Jason carefully for any type of reaction, and he caught Jason's eyes darting about for a sec. He knew there was something here.
"You do remember that night, don't you?"
Jason squirmed and sat upright. "Uh, some things yes I, um, do of that night," he stammered.
"I see. Tell me about that night."
"I'm not sure what you want to know." It was obvious to Dean that Jason was stalling as he tried to figure out where the questions were leading.
"Anything. Everything. What you did, who you saw, where you went and who you hung out with. Just give it to me as it happened. How about starting right after you had supper?"
Jason hesitated. Dean could see Jason struggle to put it all together before he spoke. Jason had no idea what Dean knew, and Dean really wanted to see if Jason would be straight up or conceal the fight with Doogie like Doogie and Willie had.
"My guess is you already know where I was, and what really happened that evening. You just want to hear me say it."
Dean was not expecting that. He chuckled and lifted his hands as if he surrendered to being caught in this little game. "Okay then, just go ahead and say it. Your words."
Jason told his story. He recapped the events of the night: how he stumbled upon Doogie and Willie as they beat up his friend, Tim; how he bust Doogie's lip; how Tim ran off afterwards and he gave chase only to finally let Tim go home alone. Dean hadn’t heard the entire story in this much detail. It explained a lot. Jason was Tim's close friend. He could sense the degree of agony that Jason must have suffered when word of Tim’s suicide got around the next day.
Jason didn't tell Dean the entire story as it actually happened. He left out the part about Tim's confession. He also changed the ending, saying that Tim pleaded with Jason to walk him home after Jason caught up with him in the forest. But Jason refused to walk Tim home, saying he had things to do.
Dean was getting ready to wrap things up when Patricia Mackie came into the visitor's room. Both Dean and Jason looked over, surprised at first to see her, but they both knew she was here to see Doogie. She smiled at Jason. Jason gave a small wave back, and remembered how he had intended to ask her out on the night of the girls’ basketball home opener last fall. Patricia took a seat on the opposite side of the room and looked about anxiously.
"Well Jason, that's all I really came up for," Dean said. "Just putting to rest some of the loose ends on Tim's case."
"Tim's case?" Jason said, puzzled. "That's a long time ago now. He's been gone a while. Is that normal to keep a case open that long?"
It was Dean's turn to tell a lie and mislead. "Oh, yea. These cases are always kept open for months after all the work’s done. Years sometimes. Nothing to worry about here."
Dean quickly walked out and left Jason sitting at the table alone. Jason looked over at Patricia, smiled and said hello. Patricia smiled back and indicated she was waiting for Doogie. The guard outside the glass door stared in curiously, waiting for Jason to come to the door to be let out.
"Is this your first time up to see him?" Jason asked. "I'm not sure where he is bunked down inside, but he's not in my dorm. Tommy and I are bunked together."
"First time." Patricia replied. She kept staring at Jason.
Jason rose from where he was, crossed the room and pulled up a chair next to Patricia. He brushed his black bangs out of his eyes and smiled. "Doogie will probably be here in a minute or so. They're pretty fast in bringing us out for visitors."
Patricia nodded and smiled back at Jason.
"Graduating soon, huh?" Jason asked to keep the conversation moving.
"Oh yes! Next week is exams! Grad party's out on Wolfle's land. Do you know Michael Wolfle?"
Jason had hit the right string with his question.
"I think so. His dad is the rancher. Jens, I think his name is. Big guy. He's got about a gazillion acres out there on Battersby Road."
"That's the one. It's supposed to be a great party. Michael says his dad is letting everyone tent out there for the whole weekend if they want. Starts Friday night. I can't wait!"
"It would be so awesome to just hang
out with friends again for a while. You know Tommy would be out there graduating with you if he wasn't in here. He and I are still going to school here. Tommy's done, I think."
Patricia nodded back to Jason.
Jason was pleased to chat with Patricia. It felt as if he suddenly reconnected to the outside world. His thoughts turned to the night of the girls’ basketball game.
"So how's basketball going? I really wanted to watch you play on opening night."
"Basketball's good. We’re not at the top, but we’re not at the bottom either." Patricia tipped her head to the side, and brushed her hand through her hair unconsciously. "I looked for you that night you know."
"When? What night?"
"The home opener at the school." Patricia giggled and blushed. "I actually thought you were going to ask me out that night after the game."
"Why would you think that?" Jason replied, flustered but thrilled by her disclosure.
"You know. People talk. I heard you liked me, that's all. And I know you watched me from down on the ice at the hockey rink."
It was Jason's turn to blush.
"I saw you looking up at me in the stands," she said. "I could see your eyes peaking through the holes of your mask."
Her flirtatious gestures had not gone unnoticed by Jason, and he remembered them well. "I am an idiot sometimes," he replied and laughed. Patricia laughed too. "I wanted to ask you out so much. I guess it's a little late now. Missed my chance, didn't I?"
"You never know. Everything changes."
"Not everything."
"What do you mean?"
Jason shrugged. "Well, you're still hanging out with Doogie."
"I guess you're right, huh? Here I am, still hanging out with Doogie."
"Yea, why is that? He never really seemed like your type to me. No offence, but you play basketball, you're smart and pretty. Doogie is... well, Doogie."
Patricia giggled. "We aren't going out or anything. I've known him forever it seems. We've lived next door to each other since grade one. We just kinda hang, you know?"
"Shit, yea. I know what you mean," Jason replied, pleased to hear that she and Doogie were not really ever a thing. He hesitated and found himself looking Patricia up and down as if he was seeing her for the first time. She had deep black hair, a delightful, pencil-thin nose and a set of white teeth that gleamed from where they were hidden behind the two softest lips he had ever seen. She was prettier than he remembered. "You should come up and see me sometime."
Jason was really beginning to enjoy himself. He had almost forgotten that he was locked up inside a detention centre when the door suddenly opened and the guard and Doogie both entered.
"Hey, shithead!" Doogie shouted. He moved quickly towards Jason and Patricia. "What the hell yous doing talking to Patricia? She's come up here to see me!"
"Hey, boys! Cool it right now!" the guard shouted and moved up quickly behind Doogie. Jason pushed his chair back and stood up as Doogie raced towards him, ready for an altercation.
"I said stop! Right now, or detention for both of you!"
"I'm not doing anything," Jason replied with his hands raised in the air.
Doogie stopped a foot away from Jason. Anger showed wildly across his flushed face. "I asked yous why you here talking to her?" Doogie demanded again.
Jason pointed to the door. "Detective Daly was just here to see me and..."
"You stay away from her. You hears me?" he shouted and thrust his finger in Jason's direction.
The guard quickly put himself between the two boys and instructed Jason that it was time to leave. Jason gave no objection and headed for the door.
"I will get yous, Oliver! This place ain't so big! You're just lucky yous're in the other wing or yous'd be making a quick trip to the hospital ward later!"
Jason stopped at the door, and turned back towards Doogie and snickered. "Who got the busted lip last time?" He snickered again. "Got a short memory there, hey, Doogie?" Jason looked across to Patricia and smiled. She forced a smile back, but just a tiny one. Jason sensed that she didn't want Doogie to see.
"Yous better watch your back, Oliver! I ain't done with yous."
"Oh, you gots good English too," Jason mocked back to Doogie. "And I guess since you're in here, you won't be graduating next week. You could always use another year to fix your grammar."
He walked out of the room with a smile that felt like it would stay there forever.
CHAPTER 47
Another week slowly passed. It was early Friday afternoon at the Bistro and the lunchtime rush had already died down. Only a few customers remained seated at the window. Simon asked Sarah to go sit by the window and take a load off while she could before the dinner rush came in. He brought her a fresh coffee and let her have a few moments to recoup from the noon rush.
Sarah sat at the window and watched the people as they came and went on the street below. It was a beautiful Friday. The sun was out on a clear, blue, cloudless afternoon, and all the signs of the coming summer were on full display. People dressed accordingly and walked happily about on the streets below as if Bluffington had never seen such a beautiful day.
Sarah was lost in her own world as she watched the people below. She didn’t even notice Simon pull up a seat next to her.
"Beautiful day isn't it, darling?" Simon uttered and startled Sarah out of her daydream.
"Oh! It's just you," she said. She released a deep breath. "I was miles away."
"Didn't mean to startle. Just wanted to say I'll miss you. But I'll not miss you staring out the window like this."
Sarah didn't reply as her attention was suddenly diverted by an image below. She was caught in a moment of terror as she stared out on Main Street. She started to shake as she pointed her finger out the window and grunted guttural sounds. Her voice was suddenly gone.
"My dear. What is it?" Simon queried, as he looked at Sarah and then down to street below. He shook his head confused.
Sarah continued to thrust her finger until she finally found her voice. "There!" she shouted. "He's there! That's him!"
Simon gazed out at the street, not sure where he was supposed to look. "Where? To whom are you referring? Is it Gerald?" He frowned.
"Yes! It's Gerald, right there!" She began to shake. "He just climbed out of that truck and is walking this way. He’s over there on the left, coming towards us. Just this side of the bank!"
"Are you sure?"
Sarah shoved herself back from the table and spilled her coffee cup over onto its side in the process. "It's him. I'm damn sure it is. That looks like his truck." She went silent and continued to stare out the window. "Please no!"
Simon looked down and spotted the man, ignoring the coffee as it washed across the table, over the side and on to the floor. "The man with the grey top?"
Sarah nodded. "Yes!"
"That's Gerald?" Simon squinted. "How can you really discern details from this far away? I can barely see his face from here."
"It's him, Simon. I'm sure it is. He's finally found me. Oh my God! What am I going to do, Simon?"
Simon shook his head in surprise at the turn of events. He and Sarah both watched in silence as the man on the street walked towards them. He had a wide, purposeful gait and walked with a dark attitude. Systematically, the man moved closer. For the very first time, Simon had finally seen the mysterious figure of the man who taunted Sarah.
"You're absolutely sure? He doesn't seem to be coming up here to the Bistro. He hasn't even looked up here yet."
"I'm sure," she replied, but there was now a small trace of doubt in her voice. "I think... It sure looks like him." Then the man abruptly turned away and walked into the drug store on the corner below.
It wasn't Gerald.
Simon reached over and pulled Sarah close to him until they embraced. "You, my dear, need a break. I mean it. The sooner you stop staring out this win
dow, looking for him, the better off you’ll be, I say. That wasn't him and he's not out there. He's probably fifty miles or more away from here right now. I am so happy you are moving into that big house next week. No more of this silliness, staring out this window."
"It's just that sometimes I get so scared, Simon. I know it's been a long time but..."
"A long time?" Simon almost shouted. "It's been nearly a half a year since you arrived. Sheesh! He's probably got himself some new, young filly and has forgotten all about you."
Sarah gazed down the peaceful street again. "I don't know. Maybe you're right," she said, but she wasn't convinced.
"Tell you what. You must come up to my place for the weekend. I will not have you sitting there alone, worrying about this Gerald character any longer. Not this weekend. I'll have Brenda open up the shop alone tomorrow. You will come over, and we will both get our hands dirty fixing up my flowerbeds. Just the two of us. No more being alone, and no talk of Gerald."
"I don't know, Simon."
"Well I do! I won't take no for an answer. You are coming home with me after we close tonight. You can trundle up to your place, grab a few things and off we’ll go."
Sarah wanted to rebut, but Simon was persistent and countered all of Sarah's reasons for not going with him until she finally relented.
By the time the busy dinner service was completed, and the bistro was being cleaned and readied for the next day, Sarah realized she was drained and felt relieved at having accepted Simon's offer. When had she last let herself be swept away by anyone spur of the moment? It was certainly not anytime recently with Gerald. The shop would be closing soon, and Sarah found herself excited about going with Simon. Simon always allowed his last seating to be no later than nine o'clock. Today was no exception, and the night was still young.
Simon grabbed Sarah and smiled at her. He told her it was time to go. He let the kitchen staff close up tonight, and he ushered Sarah up to her place to collect some things.
Accepting Simon's offer was a step beyond the boundaries and walls she had built up around herself. She felt something she had not felt for many years.
CHAPTER 48
"I have to make sure everyone sees me, don't I?" Ricky asked Bobby.
"I guess so," Bobby replied. "My mom's gonna be so pissed if she finds out I went to the grad party. I really shouldn't be doing any of this, Ricky. You know how my mom can get."