Hound

by Ken Ogilvie

  “Whatever his game is, I’ll help you.” Rebecca sat up straight in her seat. “My month-long leave of absence has begun, and I’ll use the free time to delve into Sarah’s death. Once I’ve talked with Maggie Delaney and Archie MacDougall, I’ll go to Prospect to have it out with my father. We’re sure to fall out again, so I’ve booked a room at the local hotel. This time I’ll stick around and hunt down people to interview in that browbeaten town. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Sykes eased back in the booth. “You won’t be alone. I’ll go there too, whether His Majesty likes it or not. Cartwright can fire me if he wants to, but I’m determined to continue investigating Sarah’s murder.” His grey eyes were flinty.

  “Your presence in Prospect will be most welcome, sir.” Rebecca nodded gratefully. She knew he wasn’t going there just to help her. He had a score to settle with her father. There seemed to be plenty of scores to settle at the moment — Hound with his father, Cartwright with Sykes, although Rebecca still didn’t know why, Jackie with the entire Bradley family, and she with Sarah’s murderer. Rebecca was beginning to think that revenge, along with the never-ending pursuit of money, were the most powerful driving forces in the world.

  “Please don’t address me as ‘sir’ anymore, Rebecca. I’m not your boss now, so just call me Sykes. Like O’Reilly, I don’t use my first name.”

  “By the way, what is it?” Rebecca realized she had never heard it before.

  “Ah . . .” He coughed. “Benny.”

  Everyone broke out laughing.

  Still chucking, Rebecca turned to Hound, who hadn’t said a word. “And what about you? Will you help me — I mean, us?”

  Hound gestured at Sykes. “Don’t feel bad,” he said. “Your name can’t hold a candle to Thaddeus.”

  More laughter. Then Hound grew serious.

  “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your request for help, Rebecca, at least for a few days. I have some awkward business to attend to.” He ignored Sykes’s sharp glance, and a brief silence ensued. Then Sykes placed a hand on his shoulder. “Good luck, son, whatever it is you’re up to. I get the feeling you’re in for another adventure. I’ll say no more.”

  One by one, they got up and left Duffy’s. Outside, as the others went their different ways, Rebecca caught up with Sykes. “At least you can clear up one mystery for me, sir — I mean, Benny.”

  Sykes chuckled. “Sykes, please, Rebecca. Okay.” He looked uncertain. “Perhaps. What can I tell you?”

  Rebecca bit her lip, and said, “Tell me what went on between you and Cartwright that’s made him so antagonistic towards you. He’s afraid of you, isn’t he?”

  Sykes was silent for a moment. “Alright, Rebecca, I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t tell anyone. Otherwise, no deal.”

  Rebecca smiled. “Go for it.”

  Sykes glanced around, but there was no one within earshot. “It’s actually quite simple,” he said, “though it reflects badly on both of us — me and Cartwright.” He lowered his voice. “You know the Medal for Police Bravery that he’s always bragging about? You know I nominated him for it don’t you?” Rebecca nodded. “Well, it’s a farce. Cartwright wasn’t shot by a gang member during the shootout that led to the medal being awarded. The truth is, he was out in the open when the shots were fired. He started backing off, looking for a safe spot to hide, and he tripped over his own feet. He had his gun out, and it went off as he fell. It was his own bullet that grazed his cheek. I was the only one who saw it happen, and he knows it. To this day, I don’t understand what compelled me to nominate him for the medal. I suppose I just couldn’t resist rubbing his face in it. Anyway, he accepted the medal, and he now lives in fear that I’ll reveal what really happened, and he’ll be stripped of the medal and booted out of the force. You’re the only person I’ve ever told about this. Besides, I would suffer as much humiliation as Cartwright, as well as the same fate, if I made it public.” He looked down, obviously ashamed. “So there you go. Mystery solved.”

  Rebecca’s face hardened. “What a cheap little bastard — Cartwright, I mean.”

  “I’m no better.” Sykes retorted. “In fact, I’m worse, because not only did I set him up, but I’ve also made use of his fear to manipulate him into giving me the things I want in order to do my job. I put him in a very awkward position. What was he supposed to do? Confess? He’s a vain and obtuse man, but he’s actually a fairly good cop too. Like you, he comes from a wealthy family, and he could be anything he wants, but the force is where he wants to be. I have to give him credit for that.”

  Rebecca considered this. “Okay, then. It’s over. Forgiven and forgotten. Cartwright’s only human, but then so are you.” She laughed. “I’ve been wondering about that for a long time.”

  Sykes grinned. “I guess that means you’ll be calling me Benny from now on.”

  “Just in my mind,” Rebecca said, and grinned back.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  I met with Superintendent Cartwright. What a bizarre encounter. He must have overdosed on his meds. But that doesn’t matter. I got what I wanted — the McBride case! I’m really excited about it — my first lead on a homicide investigation, even if it’s cold as ice. I’ll solve it, and then use it to shoulder my way into the CIB. So there, DI Sykes!!! Just try and stop me.

  — From the diary of Rebecca Sarah Bradley (July 1, 2007)

  Thursday, October 4, 2007

  Rebecca climbed into her Mercedes. She had originally planned to return to Orillia and pack things for her trip to Prospect, then return to Maggie’s for the night. But after talking to Sykes, she decided to go straight there. Maggie was almost always at home, and as far as Rebecca knew, she currently had no boarders. Also, she might know where Archie MacDougall could be found. After what Sykes had told her, she was even more anxious to talk to Archie before she went north to face her father.

  She drove up to the mansion and got out of her car. Hearing voices behind the house, she went round to the back. There, as if he’d been conjured up just for her, she saw Archie MacDougall lounging in a recliner near the back fence. Maggie was standing in front of him, gesticulating wildly. They were obviously in the middle of an argument.

  “I told ye, Maggie, there’s no gold there. It were just a way to skim money from greedy bums like Kingsley McBride. The mine weren’t never intended to produce an ounce o’ gold.”

  “Then you’re just another crook, no better than Steven and George Bradley.” Maggie turned round and her mouth fell open. Rebecca was leaning against the side of the house, listening. She had hoped all along that her father wasn’t another con man like her grandfather. Now she knew he was. She felt sick.

  “Rebecca!” Maggie rushed to her side and took hold of her hands. “Don’t pay any heed to what I said. Just foolish talk.”

  Rebecca disengaged her hands and strode over to Archie, who regarded her stoically. She gave him a frosty stare. “Speak to me, Archie.”

  He returned her look for a full minute. Then he rose from his chair and indicated that she should sit down. Rebecca did so, while Maggie came over to stand beside Archie.

  “It’s past time to tell ye what’s goin’ on round here,” he stated. “There’s danger in knowin’ too much, but things ha’ changed. Ye should ken the situation.” The mine was indeed a hoax, designed to swindle money from unwitting investors. Steven Bradley had come up with the idea when he ran out of money for his northern gold mine. His son had done much the same, although in his case it was to avoid selling valuable assets at fire sale prices. He’d spent most of his money buying gold artifacts from around the world, and then his mines had run into financial difficulties.

  “But now you’ve got yourself and George Bradley into even deeper trouble, haven’t you?” Maggie said. “You’re the one who got him into this mess. And Rebecca’s in danger because of what you did. So fess up and let her figure out how to protect herself and get on with her life.”

  Archie stared out across the hayf
ield abutting Maggie’s garden. Rebecca followed his gaze and saw Hound climbing into his Bentley. A much smaller man, who Rebecca didn’t recognize, was with him.

  Archie muttered, “All I can say to ye, Rebecca, is there’s more to this story than even Maggie knows, but ye’ll have t’ talk to yer father about it. It’s for him t’ tell ye what he’s up to.” Archie folded his arms on his chest.

  “And what about my mother, Archie? What do you know about her?” Rebecca realized that he didn’t know about Lily killing Steven Bradley, and she told him.

  Archie spread his arms wide. “Where’s the proof of it?”

  Rebecca thought hard for a moment. “She claims she struck him with a rock until he was dead.” As she said this, she sensed that something was wrong.

  Archie smiled cryptically. “And how would ye prove it?”

  “The police must have the rock. It would have her DNA on it.” What was he getting at? He must have some sort of card up his sleeve.

  Archie continued to smile. “Maybe a little checkin’s in order.”

  “I’ll do just that. But to get back to my mother. You know who killed her, don’t you?”

  Archie shrugged. “Ye’ll have t’ solve that by yerself. And maybe ye’d best leave it be. I canna’ tell ye anythin’ about it.” He turned and strode off.

  “Archie!” Rebecca yelled at his retreating back. “I need to know. And I will find her killer, with or without your help.” She got up to go after him, but Maggie put a hand on her arm.

  “Sit down again, Rebecca. I have a few things to say. It’s no good chasing after Archie. He’s told you everything he’s going to right now.”

  Rebecca lowered herself onto the recliner. “Okay, Maggie, let’s have it.”

  Maggie gazed around the garden. The flowers were still in bloom and a gentle breeze blew the tops of the sugar maples. She looked wistful. “I’ll miss my beautiful home, and my friends and neighbours — well, some of them, anyway.”

  All at once, Rebecca understood. “I saw how tired you looked the last time I stayed here, and you seem even more weary now. Tell me about it, Maggie.” She reached out and caressed Maggie’s wrist.

  “Yes, Rebecca, I’m not long for this world. My heart’s too weak. The doctors say I have maybe a month or two left, at most, though I could go at any time. At least I can spend my final days here, which is a blessing many people don’t get to enjoy.”

  After this devastating revelation, Rebecca was reluctant to question Maggie about her mother. But Maggie held on to her hands. “I’d better tell you what I know now, because who can say if I’ll get another chance. I’ll just take a seat next to you.”

  Rebecca fetched a chair, and Maggie sat down. She gazed across the hayfield, and said, “He’s an extraordinary man, Hound. I wonder where his life will take him. I’m guessing it’ll be a hell of a ride.”

  Rebecca smiled, despite the sad news she’d just been given. Yes, Hound was destined for great things.

  “So, about me and your father. George and I knew each other from childhood,” Maggie said, “as kids, and then as high school sweethearts. He had his pick of all the girls in Prospect, but he always came back to me.” She smiled to herself. “I never even looked at another man, I just assumed we would get married and live together our whole lives.” Her smile faded. “Then we graduated from school and he went to work at the mine. George threw his heart and soul into making it more profitable. It was like a sacred mission to him. We saw less and less of each other, and I became afraid I would lose him. Then he met your mother, and after a brief courtship, he married her. I told myself it was just another fling, and he would come back to me. But I was wrong. I never really got over it.”

  Maggie spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. “I waited for years, watching George and Sarah walking around Prospect arm in arm. And then you were born. You were such a darling baby, and you grew into the daughter I had always dreamed of having with George. When you were about to turn eight, I had a nervous breakdown — a really bad one. I went into a fugue state, meaning I was so disturbed that I wasn’t aware of what was happening around me. I was sent to an institution in Thunder Bay to recover. And I did, sort of, but I still can’t remember anything about that time in my life.”

  Maggie turned and gazed into Rebecca’s eyes. “The rest you know, more or less. Archie, whom I’d known in Prospect, took pity on me and brought me to Conroy, where I’ve been ever since.”

  Rebecca reached out and touched Maggie’s haggard face. This affectionate woman had become another mother to her. She would miss her terribly.

  Maggie became silent, while Rebecca sat next to her, mourning her impending death but also disappointed that she hadn’t learned anything new about Sarah’s murder. It looked like she would just have to get to Prospect and have it out with her father once more.

  After a while, Rebecca decided it was time to leave. She would come back and stay with Maggie as soon as she could manage it, and if possible, stay with her until the end. She rose to her feet and Maggie waved her off with a gentle smile.

  As she came round the house, Rebecca saw O’Reilly’s Chevy racing along Main Street. It slowed and turned into the driveway. O’Reilly leapt out, his face red and anxious.

  “What’s wrong?” Rebecca asked.

  “Your father,” O’Reilly exclaimed. “He’s been shot. Still alive, thank God, but in critical condition. I saw you heading here and came to tell you the instant I heard.”

  Rebecca put a hand over her mouth. “Where is he?”

  “In Prospect,” O’Reilly said. “A medical team from Toronto is flying up there now. He’s too seriously wounded to move him south just yet.”

  Rebecca rushed to her convertible and jumped in. She said goodbye to O’Reilly and drove away from Maggie’s house, her mind in a whirl. It would take her close to four hours to reach Prospect. On her way there, she thought about what Maggie had just told her.

  Chapter Fifty

  Thursday, October 4, 2007

  Hound and Matthew motored north on the Trans-Canada Highway. They were well-equipped for a trek through the forest, though neither of them carried a weapon. They had no desire to harm Jackie, just capture her and hand her over to the police.

  After driving for a while, Hound said, “How do you know where Jackie’s at, or where she’s heading?”

  Matthew said, “She doesn’t know that part of the forest well, but I do. I marked the spot where I left off tracking her. We can follow her trail from there, but I can make a good guess at where she’ll end up, for the time being at least. I know the type of terrain she’ll be looking for. She’ll stop short of going into the boreal forest, preferring to stay in the woods she knows well. It should take us two days to reach her, then things will get tricky. She’ll be on the alert, but she’ll also be focused on gathering the things she needs to survive the coming cold weather.”

  “When we do get close, how are we going to capture her?”

  Matthew smiled cryptically. “Bait, Hound. We’ll lure her into a trap.”

  Hound stared at the road ahead for a few minutes. “It’s me, isn’t it? I’m the bait.”

  “Of course.” Matthew chuckled. “She won’t have forgotten the role you played in catching her the last time she was taken into custody. All the hate will resurface, and she’ll turn her full attention to killing you, knowing you’re her most dangerous foe. I’m betting she won’t even suspect that I’m helping you, because she knows you’re a loner. With all her concentration on you, I’ll have a good chance of nabbing her.”

  “And if you fail?” Hound swallowed.

  “You’ll die, of course. And then she’ll come after me.” Matthew grinned. “I’ll die too.”

  Hound snorted. “Just great, Matthew. I wish you’d told me about it while I still had time to make out a will.” They drove on in silence.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Thursday, October 4, 2007

  On the way to Prospect, Rebecca called S
ykes on her cellphone.

  “What’s up, Rebecca?”

  She told him about her talks with Archie and Maggie, and what had happened to her father.

  “That’s awful,” Sykes said. “I’m so sorry. Who shot him?”

  “O’Reilly said they don’t know, but there are OPP officers up there now. I’m guessing it was the syndicate, given what he’s been up to. Maybe Kingsley McBride is behind this one too.”

  “I doubt it,” Sykes said. “He’s too small a fish to make that kind of call. It must be someone at the top of the hierarchy.”

  “Where are you now?” Rebecca asked.

  “About halfway to Prospect. I’ll be there in two hours. And you?”

  “I’ll get there about an hour after you. I’ll see my father first, but I could meet you at the Big Rock Hotel later this afternoon. I’ll be staying there. Where will you be staying?”

  “The same place, Rebecca. But your father getting shot has complicated things. Now there’ll be OPP officers swarming all over the place, and many of them will know me by sight. If Cartwright finds out I’m up there, he’ll go ballistic. I wouldn’t put it past him to have me detained.”

  Rebecca cleared her throat. “Will you now tell me everything you know about my mother’s murder, and who you suspect. I’ve been giving it some thought but, apart from my father, I can’t think of anyone. I can’t believe he would have done it, so it must be someone I’ve never met, maybe somebody who worked at the mine and had a falling out with him. But if so, why wouldn’t he have told the police at the time?”

  The line went quiet for a while.

  “Are you still there?” Rebecca asked.