by Wendy Heuvel
Charles’ eyes narrowed. “That old place? It needs to be torn down.”
“The police were there the other day.” Anna lowered her voice as if someone might overhear. “I heard they found a body.”
“Did they?” He turned to Cassie. “What’s your name, miss?”
“Cassie. I own the Olde Crow Primitives shop on Main.”
“Oh.” Charles got up and went to the kitchen. “There’s some pie in here, would you girls like any?”
Anna and Cassie exchanged confused glances. “No, thank you,” Cassie answered.
Charles returned to his seat. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Charles. What can I help you with?”
“I just wanted to introduce myself,” Anna said. “I’d like to get to know all my new neighbours.”
“There’s a new couple moved in across the street.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Oh.” Charles stared at the floor and then looked up at Cassie. “And what’s your name?”
“Cassie.”
“Can I get you girls anything?” He stood and walked to the kitchen. “There’s some pie in here.”
Cassie sighed. Clearly, Charles wasn’t going to be able to help them. Unless only his short-term memory was affected. “Mr. Whitehorn?”
Charles popped back into the living room. “Yes?”
“Have you lived here long?”
“Oh, yes. I moved here in... in...” He furrowed his brows. “A long time ago.”
Time to cut to the chase. “Did you ever meet the people who lived in the house next door?”
“The mansion?”
Cassie nodded.
Charles looked out the picture window and to the street. Cassie followed his gaze. The plastic let light in, but the view was obscured. She could make out the shapes of houses and cars, but that was about it.
A moment later, Charles looked back at the girls. “I’m Charles. Who are you girls?”
Cassie stood and helped Anna to her feet. “Time to go, I think.”
Anna frowned and nodded.
“Would you like something to eat?” Charles asked them.
“No thank you, Mr. Whitehorn,” Anna answered. “We should be going now.”
“Come back again.” He followed them to the door.
Cassie shoved her boots on and again helped direct Anna’s feet into hers. Then they slipped on their coats.
“Thank you for the visit, Charles.” Cassie smiled. “It was nice to meet you.”
“What’s your name?”
“Cassie. And this is Anna, your new neighbour.”
He smiled and squinted as he winked both eyes. “Nice to meet you, dear.” He grabbed her hand and shook it with both of his.
“Nice to meet you. Enjoy your pie, Mr. Whitehorn.”
Anna waddled back across the street with Cassie by her side. “Poor, old man.”
Cassie shook her head. “How long do you think he’s been like that?”
“Not sure. But it can’t be safe for him to be living alone.”
“Do you think anyone checks on him?”
“If not, Zach and I will be.”
Cassie sighed as she opened Anna’s front door. “Do you think he eats okay?”
“No idea. He looks healthy enough.”
“And the house was warm, so that’s something. Brent is heading over there later today. I’ll see what he says.” Cassie stepped out of her boots. “Stay here. I’ll get the pie for Edward.”
“But I have to pee!”
Cassie laughed. “Fine. But make it quick.” She helped Anna pull her boots off.
“I must admit, I’m liking the service.”
“I’m just afraid if you fall over, you might roll away.”
“On second thought, I’m feeling a bit tired. Maybe we should postpone our visit to Edward?” Anna feigned a yawn.
“What I meant was, I’m glad to help you. I love putting your swollen feet into your boots for you.”
Anna giggled. “That’s what I thought.”
Chapter 11
Cassie balanced the cherry pie in one hand and closed Anna’s door behind her. She looked over at Edward’s house on the other side of the hedge. The car was in the driveway, so he was bound to be home.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Anna tugged on her coat, trying to pull the zipper up over her belly.
“I need to. He might be able to help.”
“I don’t think helping people is one of his strengths.” Anna frowned. “The other day, I was bringing a bag of groceries in and dropped it on the driveway. He was shovelling his front step and watched the whole time while I struggled to pick things up.”
“He didn’t help you?” Cassie huffed. “You could have fallen and maybe even have hurt the baby.”
“Yup. He did yell at me, though, wanting to make sure I didn’t leave any garbage laying around.”
“Awful.” Cassie shook her head but then remembered how God calls His followers to show love to everyone. “Maybe he’s just lonely and needs a friend.”
“Or maybe he’s just a mean, old man.” Anna stepped onto Edward’s walkway.
“One way or the other, we’re about to find out.”
Cassie reached the door ahead of Anna and knocked. No one answered. She knocked again.
“Go away!” Edward’s snarly voice yelled through the door.
“Mr. Morris?” Cassie called. “We have a pie for you.”
“I said, go away! I’m not buying nothin’.”
“We’re not trying to sell you anything. It’s a gift. It’s free.”
The door opened a crack and his bulbous nose poked through. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch, Mr. Morris.” Anna peered around Cassie’s shoulder. “Just being a friendly neighbour.”
“Fine.” He opened the door, snatched the pie, and proceeded to push the door shut again.
But not before Cassie wedged her toe between the door and the jamb.
“Hey.” Edward pulled the door open again.
Cassie took the opportunity to step into the house, pulling Anna in behind her. “My name is Cassie, and this is your new neighbour, Anna.”
Anna held out her hand. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”
Edward sneered but backed away. “Close the door then. I’m not paying to heat the outside.” He turned and walked through the living room, taking the pie with him.
“That was bold,” Anna whispered.
“Yes, but it worked! Hurry. Get your boots and coat off before he kicks us out.” Cassie helped her friend out of her winter garb and led her to an old recliner to sit. The mixed scent of mustiness, pipe tobacco, and body odour filled the air.
The room was dated, with old panelling on the walls, a thick carpet, and worn, fabric couches. Apparently, Charles and Edward had used the same decorator. Unlike Charles’ home, however, Edward’s was full of clutter. Stacks of old newspapers sat on the end of one of the couches. Clothes were strewn about, old takeout containers covered the coffee table, and the shelves were stuffed full of trinkets and model antique cars.
Edward returned from the kitchen, without the pie or any plates. Clearly, his lack of hospitality extended beyond absent invites.
He stopped in front of Anna. “That’s my chair.”
Cassie resisted the urge to sigh, or worse—say something she’d regret. Instead, she arose to help Anna out of the chair and over to the couch. Anna glared at her when Edward wasn’t looking.
“You have a lovely home,” Cassie forced the words out. “How long have you lived here?”
“I’ve always lived here.”
“You were born in this house?”
“Of course not. I meant since I was on my own.”
Anna shifted, trying to get comfortable. “Were you married?”
“Yup. Bernice died in eighty-three. Didn’t even ask permission.”
Cassie wasn’t sure if he was serious or not. “Do you have children?”
> “Nope. Never had no use for the little brats.”
Anna put her hand on her stomach as if creating a shield between Edward and the baby.
Cassie patted Anna’s hand and turned back to the cantankerous old man. “If you’ve been here that long, you must remember the couple who used to live in the mansion across the street.”
“That’s where I’ve seen you.” He slapped the arm of the chair. “You were one of them folks who broke in a few days ago.”
“Uh, yes. I was there,” Cassie said. “It must have been a beautiful home in its day.”
Edward grabbed a pipe and a match from the adjacent side table. “Yup. T’was.”
As he proceeded to light his pipe, Cassie knew her time was short. There was no way Anna was going to stick around in the smoky air. Nor should she. “Can you tell us about Marilyn and Wayne?”
“Not much to say.”
Anna coughed as Edward puffed his pipe and small clouds of smoke infiltrated the air.
“What happened when they left?” Cassie asked.
“Dunno. One day, they just up and went. Never saw ‘em again. Though if she was swinging from the attic rafters, that would explain why.”
Anna emitted a small gasp and covered her mouth.
Cassie grimaced. How could someone be so crass and uncompassionate? What had happened in his life to make him so callous? “Did you know her at all? Before then?”
“Nope. Saw her in her gardens sometimes. Leaving piles of weeds on her lawn for the whole street to see. And sometimes she rang up my groceries at Boersley’s.”
“She worked at the grocery store?” Cassie thought of the little grocery market on Main Street. It had been around for years, offering staples to the community.
“Yup. Don’t know why. That husband of hers was loaded. Guess she was one of them types that actually likes people.”
Anna coughed again and touched Cassie’s arm. The smoke in the room thickened. “Cassie...”
Cassie nodded. “I know. Okay.” She turned to Edward and stood. “Thank you for the visit, but we must be going now.”
“Make sure you shut the door tight on your way out.” He puffed his pipe again and reclined his chair, causing Anna to have to step around him.
Cassie and Anna redressed into their outwear as quickly as possible and stepped out into the chilly air, shutting Edward into the smoky house behind them.
Anna took a deep breath. “I can breathe!”
“Yes. Edward’s not exactly a breath of fresh air, is he?”
“No. And I don’t care if I ever talk to him again. Did you see him? He lit up that pipe with no concern for the baby. Or us!”
“I’m sorry. We should’ve left right away.” Cassie took Anna’s arm as she stepped onto the curb to get around the hedge.
“I was going to ask him to put it out, but I knew there’d be no point. I only wish he’d had more helpful information for you. At least the visit would have been worth it, then.”
“I’m disappointed, yes.” The snow crunched under Cassie’s feet as she walked up Zach’s and Anna’s driveway. “I thought I’d learn a lot more this morning. But I’m not leaving entirely empty-handed.”
“What do you mean? What did I miss?”
“First of all, Marilyn worked at the grocery store. I might be able to find someone who worked with her at Boersley’s. Maybe even someone who she’d confided in.”
Anna shivered as she started up her front walk. “And second?”
“I’m not sure yet, but think about this. We just spent time with a man who hates people, is always annoyed at something, and has no regard for anyone around him.”
Anna gasped and turned back to Cassie. “You think...?”
“I don’t know. But those are certainly the type of qualities I’d expect in a murderer.”
“Hey!” Anna pointed at the mansion. “Look.”
Cassie whirled around to stare at the cold, empty building. It was quiet, and still. “What am I looking at?”
“Oh, nothing.” Anna waved her hand and reached for her doorhandle.
“What? What did you see, Anna?”
She looked past Cassie, her face paler than it should be in the cold winter air. “Upstairs. By the second window. I saw a shadow move in front of it.”
Cassie looked over her shoulder at the house, but it was still quiet. And there was no movement behind any of the windows that weren’t boarded up. “I think you need to sit down. I pushed you to do too much this morning.”
“You’re right.” Anna pushed the door open. “I must be imagining things.”
And yet Cassie watched Anna give one more glance at the house, her eyes wide and lips pressed together.
Chapter 12
“Can we please get a BeaverTail, Mom?” Eleven-year-old Olivia poked Maggie with her fluffy mitten as Maggie tied her daughter’s skates.
“Yeah!” The younger Lily chimed in. “Please?”
“BeaverTail? What’s that?” Daniel skated up beside Cassie.
“For real?” Cassie pulled her toque down to her brows. “You’ve never skated on the Rideau Canal, and now you’re telling me you’ve never had a BeaverTail, either? You’ve been seriously deprived.”
“So, educate me.”
“You’ll have to catch me, first.” Cassie quickly skated away from the bench, with Daniel at her heels.
She was glad Maggie and Rick had asked them to join in on an evening skate up the canal in Ottawa. It had been a slow day at Olde Crow Primitives, and all day long, her mind had been mulling over the murder and lack of information. She’d grown a whole new level of respect for those who toiled over cold cases.
“Ha!” Daniel grabbed her around the waist. “Gotcha.”
Cassie giggled and pretended to struggle in Daniel’s arms. She whirled around, and their eyes met. The reflection of a nearby streetlight made Daniel’s glisten.
He held her for a moment, then let her go. “What time are we meeting Lexy and Brent?”
“A little after seven, I think.” She glided alongside him back to Rick, Maggie, and the girls. “Up by the ice sculptures.”
“I’ve heard about those famous ice sculptures. Word travels, even to Toronto.”
“They’re amazing. Wait until you see them!”
“There you are.” Rick skated up. “The girls are all laced up. Ready to go?”
“As long as you promise to get me one of those BeaverTail things.” Daniel grinned.
“Deal.”
Maggie arrived and handed Rick the large backpack holding their boots while Daniel skated back to the bench to get the bag with his and Cassie’s.
Moments later, the group skated up the canal. It was lower than street level, with large block walls and stairs leading up every few hundred feet. The streetlights shone down from both sides of the canal, illuminating the ice and the dozens of people on it. Everyone, young and old, seemed to be enjoying a skate on the brisk night. Couples held hands, parents towed kids on sleds, and the occasional speedskater whizzed by, darting around and between the others.
“This is great.” Daniel skated up to Cassie’s side. “Do you come here every year?”
“Usually a few times each winter, if the weather allows.”
Daniel looked at the winding street, following alongside the canal. A few people came down a flight of stairs with skates hanging around their necks. “I know Ottawa is a city too, but it’s so different than Toronto.”
“Night and day. Toronto is all hustle and bustle, while Ottawa is more slow-paced and family-oriented. Except for downtown. There it’s all about politics.”
“You know, I’ve lived in Banford for almost seven months, and I still haven’t visited the Parliament Buildings.”
“I’ll have to take you. The architecture is stunning.”
“I’d like that.” Daniel smiled and reached for her hand, but then stopped and pulled back.
Cassie pretended not to notice. She longed for his touch. It would be
romantic—skating on the canal, holding hands. But it wasn’t time. Hopefully, it would be, someday.
“Aunt Cassie!” Lily skated up, her blonde braids hanging beneath her red Canada toque.
“Yes, honey?”
“Can I hold your hand while we skate?”
Cassie’s heart warmed. “Of course!” She grabbed the child’s mittened hand in her own. God was good, understanding, and full of mercy. If she couldn’t hold Daniel’s hand, God had provided her with the next best thing.
“Woah! Look at those skates!” Daniel pointed at Lily’s adjustable, pink princess skates. “Did you know those skates have special powers?”
“Really?” Lily almost lost her footing as she gazed at Daniel with big eyes.
“Yup.” Daniel leaned in and spoke behind his hand in a big whisper. “They can make you fly.”
“No way!”
“Yes, way! Wanna see?”
Lily nodded, making the pompom on her toque shake about.
Daniel skated to the other side of Lily and took her other hand. “But you have to hang on tight, or it won’t work, okay?”
“Okay!”
Cassie noted a wink from Daniel as Lily tightened her grip on Cassie’s hand.
“Ready?” Daniel picked up speed, taking Lily and Cassie with him. “1... 2... 3!”
Cassie took his cue and joined him in lifting Lily into the air.
“Whee!”
They set her down.
“Again! Again!”
After a few more flights, Olivia skated over. “My turn! My turn!”
“And then me!” Rick chimed in.
They laughed and continued to joke and have fun all the way to the ice sculpture lot. There, Cassie followed Daniel to an empty bench to remove their skates, while Rick and Maggie helped the girls.
“Wow.” Daniel pulled off his gloves and rubbed his thigh. “I’m going to feel this tomorrow.”
“And likely the day after that.” Cassie grinned. “But it’s worth it.”
“Any time spent with you is worth it.” He looked into her eyes and gently grazed the bottom of her chin with his cold finger.
A warm sensation travelled through Cassie’s body.