Outside Forces

by R E Swirsky

CHAPTER 53

  Wednesday 10:50 Near Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

  “You could try calling the Senator,” Michelle said to Richard. They were crowded around the kitchen table with Tawnie while Michael remained sequestered on the living room couch alone. Tawnie was busy clicking away on her laptop.

  “I’m not sure I like that idea,” Richard said. “Calling him after pointing the finger at him in that message won’t get us anywhere. It could be dangerous if he actually did have any involvement.”

  “He did say he was going to try and help us.”

  Richard pointed towards the front room. “Did he help Michael? No, he didn’t. Michael was lucky to get away like he did.”

  “Maybe he was trying to organize something, Richard. You don’t know that he was not doing anything to help us. And don’t forget where he is. He’s way overseas at the moment.” She checked the time.

  “Yeah. Using time as an excuse for why he didn’t call doesn’t cut it. It’s seven o’clock in the evening in Paris right now. He’s had all day to call us.”

  “Just call him then, Richard.”

  Richard grunted his reluctance. “I don’t have his number. How am I supposed to call him?”

  “You do have his number. He called us, remember?” Michelle said. “It’ll be on your phone.”

  “Oh,” he replied, feeling sheepish. The number was easily located with the extra digits required for international calls. “So what am I supposed to say?”

  “Just tell him the truth, that what happened on the mountain needs to be exposed for the sake of Lucy Carter and her family, and we want nothing more to do with this. A man in his position must have connections all over the place.”

  “Why would he want to help us? We practically blamed him for being part of this in the note we sent.”

  “And he denied being a part of it, didn’t he?” Michelle replied.

  “He’s a politician,” Tawnie said. “That’s what they do. He’s probably part of it.”

  “But he did say he would help us. Maybe we’re misunderstanding him,” Michelle said.

  Michael’s voice crept in from where he sat alone sulking on the couch in the other room. “Well, I didn’t misunderstand anything. I know what I heard on Friday, and I know what I heard last night. Lucy didn’t fucking go hiking alone.”

  “Okay, Michael. There is no need for that kind of language,” Michelle said.

  “But this is such bull crap,” Michael called out. “Why can’t we just go to the paper if not to the police? You’re a reporter, Michelle. Can’t you write up what really happened and put it in the paper? They’d have to investigate it then. This whole sitting around waiting for something to happen thing sucks.”

  “It doesn’t work like that.”

  “See? Everything about this sucks.”

  Richard pressed the CALL button, moving past Michael’s moody rant, and in a few seconds the call went through. After a half dozen rings another voicemail box picked up the call. This one was without a name.

  “Uh, hi, Senator Diamond. This is Richard Crowder calling. I was just looking for a call back from you. And Michael’s fine…he’s back home now. Please call me back when you have a moment.”

  Richard shrugged and Michelle reached out and grabbed his hand. “You sure that was his phone number?”

  He checked the number again. “Yeah. It has to be. I hit send from the number displayed on the phone. It’s the only international one.”

  “Gawd,” Michael moaned in the other room. “First he says he’s going to call me about Lucy’s funeral, and then he comes and kidnaps me an hour later. Shussh! Why would he do that?”

  Tawnie clicked away on the keyboard. She made an unsettling sound, “Hmmm.”

  “Do you think, Richard, that Harvey was planning on grabbing Michael even before Michael called him?”

  “No, I don’t think so. He asked where Michael lived. I think he was thinking on his feet and just saw an opportunity and took it.”

  “And you did say he told Michael to stay at home.” Tawnie added.

  “Yes, that’s true too.”

  “Oh, wait a minute.” Tawnie stopped clicking on the keyboard and her eyes grew large. She looked up at her father and Michelle and put her hand to her mouth.

  “What?” Richard asked.

  Tawnie leaned out from her chair and tried to catch a glimpse of Michael in the other room. She couldn’t see him. “You are not going to believe this.”

  “What is it?”

  She glanced into the other room one more time before focusing her attention on her father. “Her funeral is today.”

  “What!” Michael shouted from the other room.

  “I think it’s now, uh.…” She reread the article displayed in front of her. “Yeah…uh, she’s definitely being interred sometime today.”

  “Today? What the hell!” Michael’s voice was rattled. “No you didn’t! Just shut up already!” He cried out and started to cry again as he jumped off the couch and stomped around in an angry circle looking ready to punch anyone who came near. “No! He said he’d call me.… Fuck!” He mashed his fist against his temples. “He already knew when the funeral was!”

  Both Richard and Michelle rushed over to offer some comfort but Michael wouldn’t having any of it.

  “Shh.” He paused and snapped his head around at Richard and Michelle. “That’s the reason he kidnapped me, isn’t it?” he shouted and stomped hard on the floor with his fists clenched tight. “He didn’t want me there. Is that it? What an arsehole!”

  “Okay, Michael. Let’s try to calm down for a minute,” Richard said.

  “He did this just to make sure I wouldn’t show!” He cried out again and mashed his teeth as the rage inside him grew. “All that stuff he said.…”

  “Michael, stop it.”

  “No!” He swung out into the air and Richard seized the moment to move in between swings, catching Michael in a bear hug. Michael continued to thrash about, thumping his father on the back until his swings weakened to mere taps and ending in a full-on embrace. He cried hard.

  “I know this is hard, Michael. You should be there. You should, but there is nothing we can do about it now.”

  Michael’s sobs lightened and he gasped for a few breaths before speaking again. “Shhh! He…he made sure I wouldn’t show up. No! I should have been there for Lucy, Dad.”

  He sobbed some more and cried into his father’s shoulder.

  “I miss her so much. Oh gawd, I miss her.”

  “It’s okay, Michael.”

  “I should have helped her. Shushhh! Don’t you see? I should have come out when Johnny was there and none of this would have happened. And now…” he sobbed again.

  Richard hugged Michael until he had no more sorrow to surrender.

  Michael cried out and moaned for Lucy. It had only been four days since Lucy’s death. Michael hadn’t yet let out all of his grief, and this outburst was probably a good thing.

  “Don’t worry, Michael. I know it hurts, but it will pass in time.”

  “I don’t want it to pass,” he cried out. “I miss her. I’ll always miss her.”

  “I know you will.”

  Richard offered comfort as best he knew by holding his son and allowing him to vent in any way he wanted. As Michael’s tears soak into Richard’s shirt, Richard worried how deep the slide intruded into his wound. No matter how far it went, he was prepared to hold onto his son for the rest of the day if that was what Michael needed.