by K T Brodland
“Hi, I hope you’re sitting down while I give you the news about your car.”
A sigh came through the line. “Go ahead.”
“For starters, it’s going to take a week before the car is ready. Dave has to order a couple of parts. I gather the bill is going to be rather steep.”
“As long as the car will be drivable when he gets finished with it, I don’t care what it costs. And I still haven’t been able to reach my farm manager or any of his family. That really has me worried. It’s not like them to turn off their cell phones. Could you drive me out to my place later? There’s a pickup truck I can use until my car is fixed.”
Cat drew in a deep breath. She wasn’t looking forward to breaking the news about the McIntyres. It had to be done though. Sooner rather than later. “I’m heading home in a few minutes, Olivia. There’s something I need to discuss with you. And I would prefer to do it in person and not on the phone.”
A prolonged silence followed. “It’s about the McIntyres, isn’t it?”
Cat winced at the catch in Olivia’s breathing, pictured the woman trying not to cry.
“I’m sorry, but yes, it is.”
She heard a whispered denial and ragged sobs, then the connection ended.
Cat hung up, then headed to the outer office. She briefed Anne on the results of her conversation with Jean and her call to Olivia.
Anne nodded. “Do what you have to do, Cat, and give my condolences to Olivia.”
Cat wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Olivia when she arrived home a short while later. Hysterics? Stoic calm? Anger? She drew in a deep breath, exited the Mustang, braced for the worst. Telling friends and families that a loved one had died was the worst part of her job as an RCMP officer.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the kitchen to find Olivia seated at the table, a half-full coffee cup in front of her. The pinched corners of her mouth and the pain in the smoky gray eyes regarding her as she approached told its own story.
She poured a coffee from the carafe, pulled up a chair across from Olivia and sat down. She took a long swallow of the steaming brew before speaking.
“You guessed correctly when I spoke to you. I don’t have good news. And there is no easy way to tell you that the McIntyre’s are dead as a result of a drive-by shooting that took place on Saturday. When my boss brought me up to date, I called a friend of mine at the main RCMP detachment and she filled in the blanks for me.”
“What all did she say?”
By the time Cat relayed the news of the McIntyre’s tragic deaths, Olivia’s pallor and shock-filled staring eyes made clear the depth of her loss.
Olivia blinked rapidly, looked away for a moment or two then turned back. There were unshed tears in her eyes and a tremor in her voice when she was finally able to speak. “Do the police have any suspects?”
Cat shook her head. “Not at the moment.”
“Well, the bastards who did this better hope the police catch up to them before I do.”
Cat’s eyebrows rose at the edge to Olivia’s voice, an edge that could have cut through hardened steel.
Olivia drew in a deep breath, seemed to collect herself. “Okay. Well, I’ll call Abe’s brother later and find out when he is planning on flying out. I should also stop by the hospital as soon as possible and see if there’s anything Trish needs. I don’t even know if she has any family living around here.”
“You know you’re welcome to stay here until things get sorted out.”
“Thanks, but I think it’s best if I go home tomorrow. As I said, I can use the pickup to get around until my car is ready.”
“I don’t know. After that whack on the head you took, I’m not sure you should be driving just yet. In fact, I’d lay odds that a doctor friend of mine would say the same thing. So, do me a favor and be my guest until your car is ready.”
Olivia huffed. “I’m too tired right now to argue with you. Oh, before I forget, I do have one more thing to do before I turn in tonight. I at least owe you the courtesy of showing you how I got into your house yesterday.”
“We can deal with that later. From what you said earlier, I doubt I’d be any wiser after seeing how you by-passed the alarm than I am now.”
Olivia exhaled heavily and scrubbed her face with her hands. “No, you probably wouldn’t. Good night. See you in the morning.”
Once she was upstairs, Olivia sat on the edge of the bed and stared at nothing, trying to take in the reality of what had happened while she’d been away. From the way Cat had spoken, if the shooting had not been random, then the McIntyre’s had been targeted. But why, and by whom? To the best of her knowledge there were only two major gangs operating in Kelowna. The Hells Angels and the Alphas. She couldn’t see Barb or Abe involved with either of them. That left Steven and possibly his girlfriend. Since Trish was the sole survivor of the shooting, she might be the only one who knew what really happened. Eyes narrowed, Olivia drummed her fingers on the edge of the bed and slowly nodded her head. A long talk with that young woman was in order, and the sooner the better.
In the meantime, there were practical matters that needed to be dealt with. Lifting her suitcase onto a chair, she pulled up the false bottom and took out two of the remaining bundles of money. She was in the habit of operating on a cash only basis when she was away at one of the symposiums like the one she had attended in Calgary. There were too many hackers around who could find all kinds of ways to follow a paper trail. She counted out enough to cover the bill for her car and put the money into an envelope. The balance went into a second envelope, both of which went into her shoulder bag. That done, she replaced the false bottom, closed the suitcase and returned it to its place under the bed.
Chapter Four
“ Y ou had quite a to-do list when you went up to bed last night. Where do you want to start?”
Olivia took a long swallow of her coffee and considered her options. She was keeping her voice neutral, trying to hide the rage simmering inside. “The farm first, to check on the condition of the mobile. From what I’ve been told, the place was trashed. Which means I’ll have to get a copy of the police report to give the insurance company.” She breathed a weary sigh. More than anything she wished she could go back to bed and pretend this was just a bad dream. “After that, the hospital to see if Trish can shed any light on what happened. Etcetera, etcetera, ad nauseam.”
“Since you didn’t bring your suitcase down, I presume you plan on staying here tonight.”
Olivia managed a weak smile. “Yeah. I hate to admit it, but it will be nice to have someone around for moral support.”
“Right answer.” Cat pushed her chair back and stood up. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Olivia headed for the connecting door between the kitchen and the garage and stood to one side as Cat checked the control panel and made sure it was activated. She took a deep breath. “Now seems as good a time as any for me to show you how I got past your alarm system.”
“This I’ve gotta see.” Cat opened the door and waved her through into the garage. She pulled the connecting door closed, made sure it was locked, then propped her shoulder against the frame. “Go for it.”
Olivia barely glanced at the standard keypad mounted on the wall. She shot a quick look in Cat’s direction, then slowly placed her hand within an inch of the keypad’s surface. There was a brief pause then she heard faint clicks as the electronics in the keypad responded to her presence. A moment later she dropped her hand. “Try the door now.”
Grasping the handle, Cat turned a surprised glance in Olivia’s direction when the door opened without triggering the alarm after thirty seconds had passed by.
“As far as the alarm system is concerned the door hasn’t been opened,” Olivia said.
Cat stepped inside the kitchen and checked out the control panel on the wall. Just as Olivia had said, the alarm had not been triggered. She shot Olivia a look of disbelief, then closed the door again. “That’s some parlor trick.”
“I hate to break this to you, but that was not a parlor trick.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so.”
Olivia turned and cast an admiring glance at the fire-engine red Mustang convertible that took up one side of the garage. A big black Harley was parked next to it and her fingers itched to stroke the leather saddle and the gleaming chrome.
Cat nodded in the direction of the convertible. “Shall we get this show on the road?”
Once she was settled in the car, Olivia sank back into her seat. Ignoring the side-long looks she was getting from Cat, she braced for what lay ahead. She’d managed to reach Abe’s brother and arranged a room for them at Best Western. He and his wife were flying out the next morning. She didn’t envy Abe’s family all the endless paperwork they were going to have to deal with. Everyone Abe and Barb had dealt with, from the bank on down, was going to want a copy of the death certificate before releasing funds or closing accounts. She shuddered at the memory of the endless hoops she’d had to jump through when Alison died.
It wasn’t until they turned onto Boundary Road and built-up areas were replaced with open fields, orchards, and barns that her mood lifted. She was almost home. Her delight at being back in familiar territory dimmed when she spotted yellow crime scene tape fluttering from a fence post. A whimper of distress forced itself past her lips and she palmed her face, anything to hide from the mute reminder of what had taken place three days ago. A reminder that she was not alone came when a warm hand covered her own. She drew in a shuddering breath and whispered her gratitude.
“You’re welcome,” was the quiet reply.
Shortly, they passed a small, hip-roofed building set back from the road, complete with traditional red paint. A sign near the edge of the road read Jeffries Veggies, closed for the season.
Five minutes later they turned into her driveway and she felt a rush of pleasure at the sight of her old two-story farmhouse with its fading yellow paint, white gingerbread trim, and wraparound porch. When Cat came to a halt by the steps that led up to the kitchen door, Olivia slowly got out of the car. She felt a brief flash of irritation when Cat came around and steadied her with a hand on her arm. She wasn’t some little old lady that had to be helped out of cars. She bit back the snarky remark she was about to make when she realized Cat was staring at the door, where the words YOUR NEXT were scrawled in black paint.
Air hissing between her teeth, her hands clenching into white-knuckled fists, she glared at the declaration of war. If that’s what the Alphas wanted, she’d dish it up to them in spades.
She started when Cat spoke. “I wonder when that happened? Jean didn’t mention it when I spoke to her on Monday.”
“Yeah, the rep from Acme Security didn’t mention it either. Well, they could have at least got the grammar correct.”
“Yeah. Being correct was probably not a priority. Fortunately, I’ve seen stuff at the local hardware that will take it off easily enough. Wait here while I get my camera out of the trunk.”
When Cat reappeared, Olivia let out a low whistle. “Is that a Nikon DSLR?”
“Yup. It is.”
“Tools of the trade, eh?”
“One of them.”
“I’m impressed. I have one just like it.”
Cat chuckled. “Now I’m impressed. This model is used a great deal for forensic photography.”
“So I’ve heard. Let me know when the coast is clear. I can see past the crime scene tape that someone has kicked in the McIntyre’s front door. I’m almost afraid to guess what the inside looks like.”
Cat nodded and moved forward and began taking photos of the graffiti on the kitchen door and then of the tire tracks and the footprints that led up to the mobile’s porch.
Olivia waited until Cat gave her the all-clear, then squared her shoulders as she strode across the driveway, apprehension knotting the muscles in her stomach. Once Cat finished shooting photos of the splintered door frame, she took a step forward. Senses on high alert, she moved into the living room. Her worst fears were confirmed when she took in the damage. The couch and both armchairs were slashed. White foam padding was strewn across the floor and the furniture was upended.
Eyes narrowed, muscles clenching in her jaw, she slowly moved toward the rear of the mobile. She looked back as she sensed rather than heard Cat enter behind her. Dipping her head to acknowledge her presence, she continued down the hallway.
Outside a door that led to a bathroom, she paused to survey the damage. The toilet lid was on the floor, broken in half, and the contents of the linen closet tossed into the bathtub. The next door opened onto the bedroom Steven and Trish, had shared. She eased forward, stepping across clothing strewn on the floor. An upended suitcase lay in the midst of more clothing. Dresser drawers were pulled open and clothes hung out of them. The bed itself was stripped and the mattress cut to ribbons. At the end of the hall, the master bedroom hadn’t fared much better.
Cat’s expression was grim as she gazed at the turmoil in the bedrooms. “I’d say whoever trashed this place was looking for something in particular.”
“Yeah. I wonder if they succeeded or should I expect a return visit?”
“Hard to say, but the words on your kitchen door sounded like a warning.”
Olivia took one final look around. “Their mistake if they come back when I’m around,” she muttered, then headed outside, with Cat close behind her. She stood in the driveway a few minutes longer, hands shoved in her jacket pockets, shoulders slumped. She glanced up at Cat. “I’m sorry to involve you in all this. You’re getting rather more than you bargained for when you found me in your living room.”
“I don’t imagine you had this in mind either.”
“No, I didn’t. Oh, shit. The chickens! Be right back. I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”
“Take your time.”
Olivia nodded, then strode off in the direction of the big red hip-roofed barn at the end of the driveway. Fifteen minutes later she emerged with a wicker basket in hand. She headed to the long narrow shed where Cat was inspecting the pickup truck. She took one look at the way Cat was examining the tires, her hands on her hips, “What’s wrong now?”
Cat shook her head. “You won’t be using the pickup for a while. Someone has slashed all four tires.”
Cat rescued the basket of eggs from Olivia’s hand and stood back out of the way as Olivia exploded. Letting loose a barrage of profanity that would have made a stevedore blush, seemingly oblivious of the empty buckets, a shovel and a rake, a wheelbarrow, and a writhing garden hose whirling about the interior of the shed, she stomped back and forth before slamming her fist against the pickup’s tailgate.
“Ow!” she yelped and shook her hand. The objects that were spinning about apparently without assistance abruptly clattered down onto the shed floor. Regaining control, she snarled loudly. “If I ever get my hands on the assholes who did this, they’ll need a sponge to clean up the mess when I get through with them.”
Only then did she notice that Cat had taken refuge on the other side of the Mustang, seemingly intent on the stack of garden tools that littered the shed floor beside the pickup. The guarded expression on Cat’s face suggested she was wondering if she should shoot first and ask questions later. Without moving from where she was slumped against the pickup, Olivia sighed and returned the items to their original places.
“Feel better?” Cat remarked.
“For the moment.”
When Cat made no move to leave, Olivia growled at her. “Welcome to my world. Why are you still here?”
Cat shrugged. “I’m asking myself that same question. On the other hand, you wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen during the twenty years I spent as a cop. I must admit, seeing inanimate objects flying around on their own tops anything else I have ever seen. I’m just glad I wasn’t any closer to the action. I imagine bodies don’t fare too well to that sort of treatment.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “By the w
ay, you have a remarkably colorful vocabulary. I don’t think I’ve heard that many cuss words since my days at the training center in Regina.”
Olivia scowled down at the toes of her shoes. “Yeah, again, why are you still here? I’d think you’d be clear across town by now after what you just saw.”
“I must admit I was a bit startled.”
A bit? Now there was an understatement! It’s a wonder I don’t need clean underwear after witnessing that little performance.
“But considering what I saw you do to my alarm system this morning, I decided to stick around and see what else you can do.”
Olivia grunted. “Trust me. You really don’t want to know what else I can do.”
“Perhaps. In the meantime, if you’d like I can call Dave again and have him tow the truck to the garage and replace the tires.”
Olivia glanced at the shredded tires. “Thanks, but I’ve got spares in the storage area.” She waved her hand at a corner of the shed where a stack of tires could be seen. “I can deal with this later.” Her shoulders slumped and for a space, she looked for all the world as though she’d like to kick something. Or someone.
“Could be, but in light of what’s happened out here,” Cat gestured toward the slashed tires and the graffiti on the kitchen door. “I’d prefer you stay at my place for the time being.”
Olivia was silent for a beat. “I appreciate the thought. What I really need though is for you to not treat me as though I’m some helpless female who needs your protection.”
“After what I just witnessed, I don’t think there is any danger of me thinking of you as a helpless female. Besides, I’ve seen women smaller than you toss a 250 pound male clear across the room during sessions. I’d still like to help out in any way I can.”
Olivia’s eyebrows rose. “You do? I can’t imagine why.”
Cat grinned. “Aside from being a PI, it must be that streak of masochism in me.”
Olivia matched Cat’s grin. “Yeah, that must be it. That or you’re a card-carrying crazy.”