Unexpected Ties

by Gina Dartt

Kate tilted her head, still not seeing where this was going. “And?”

  “He was really disturbed by something just before his death. There are a couple of names checked. I think he was having a problem with those employees.”

  “What kind of problem?”

  “I don’t know. The day of the Historical Society Dinner, when we were getting ready, I asked him what had been worrying him. He mentioned there was some problem with the IT payroll at work. We were running a little behind schedule so I decided we could talk about it later.” Her breath caught, her face altering in a reminder of how there was no “later,” and Kate covered her hand comfortingly.

  “Have you told the police?”

  Denise nodded, looking vaguely helpless. “I don’t know if they ever checked it out.”

  “Have you asked them?”

  “Not really.” Denise leaned forward. “Kate, I can’t explain it any better than this. Stephen was far more upset than he should have been over a part of the company he has little to do with. I know in my heart he just wasn’t telling me something.” She paused, looking uneasy. “That’s why I made a photocopy of the letter before I gave it to the police.”

  Kate wasn’t sure how accurate Denise’s assessment of the situation was. Possibly Stephen’s wife, in her grief, was clutching at straws to explain such a tragic event, and the police were assuming that’s what she was doing. “How many other people know about this letter?”

  “I tried talking to Hannah about it, but she said I was being foolish.” When a certain dislike colored Denise’s dark eyes, Kate was not surprised. Hannah had always been disdainful of her in-laws. “Maybe that’s why I went to Irene. She’s always been…well, very kind to Stephen and me. She thought that since you have your own business and were able to handle that mess with Sam Madison in February, you would have a better idea about what I should do.”

  “Grandmother is very kind.” Kate ignored the part of her that wanted to scream about a meddling old lady who couldn’t stay out of things.

  “No one else wants to hear what I’m saying, Kate. Maybe they have reason. Maybe I am blowing this all out of proportion.” Denise glanced away, her face crumbling slightly. “But Irene thought that maybe you would listen.”

  Kate squeezed her hand. “I am,” she said with as much sincerity as she could manage. “Can I keep the letter? I’ll see what I can find out.”

  It would do no harm, she thought, and perhaps just the knowledge that someone was taking her seriously would ease Denise’s mind. She didn’t have to know that Kate totally agreed with the police and Hannah Elliot. The letter was merely another bit of typical government bureaucratic paperwork, nothing sinister, despite what Denise might want to believe.

  “Thank you, Kate.” Denise pulled out a tissue to dab her eyes. “It’s been very difficult.”

  “I can see that.”

  “I miss him,” Denise said simply.

  “That’s understandable.” Kate offered a few more platitudes as she escorted Denise to the door, once more promising that she would see what she could find out. As soon as she returned to the counter, she grabbed the phone and punched in Irene Taylor’s number.

  “I just spoke to Denise Elliot,” she spat out angrily as soon as the receiver was lifted. “What are you playing at, Grandmother?”

  “There’s no need to take that tone with me, young lady. Are you telling me that you can’t help her?”

  “There’s nothing to help her with.” Kate had the uncomfortable feeling that she was going to lose this one before she even started. “It’s a request for verification, Gram. The government sends these things all the time. Sometimes numbers get transposed on the T-4s, or the computer just isn’t finding it. It’s nothing.”

  “Then why was Stephen upset about it?”

  Kate sighed, exasperated. “I don’t know that he was, Gram. I only have Denise’s opinion, and, frankly, at a time like this, that’s not the most reliable testimony.”

  “Will you check on it?”

  Irene’s tone was one that was not to be argued with. Kate closed her eyes, frustrated. “Will that be the end of it if I do? If Nikki and I check this out and it turns out to be nothing, will you leave it alone?”

  A brief pause, then a small sigh of resignation. “Yes, I will.”

  “Gram, why was Denise talking to you about this, anyway?”

  “Sometimes the Elliot grandchildren find it easier to confide in me. Hannah has never been the easiest person to get along with.”

  “Indeed,” Kate said, as if this was news to her.

  “Spare me your sarcasm, darling. Honestly, I’ve always been there for them, especially when they were young. I’ll never forget that night Stephen called me from jail just after his car accident.”

  “What car accident?”

  “He and Martin and Pat Spencer were in a crash on Robie Street.” Irene sounded surprised that Kate didn’t know about it. “They ran into the light pole by the cemetery. There was alcohol involved, of course. You know how wild the boys were when they were teenagers, Kate, and apparently, everyone agreed that Pat was the driver. He was the most severely injured. That’s why he walks with a slight limp today.”

  “What do you mean ‘everyone agreed that Pat was the driver’?”

  Irene lowered her voice. “Between you and me, Kate, I’ve always believed Stephen was behind the wheel that night, but if he was, nothing more was ever said about it. Pat ended up in court and was sentenced to three years of community service.”

  “My God.” Kate was appalled. “How were you involved? Did you bail the little bastards out of jail?”

  “Of course not. They had to accept the consequences of their actions. I merely broke the news to Hannah and arranged for my lawyer to represent them.”

  “I still don’t understand why they look to you.”

  “I’ve always lived next door to their family, Kate. They inevitably made their way to my place. Honestly, don’t you understand about being neighborly?”

  Kate, who rather hoped her neighbors would mind their own damned business when it came to her, didn’t respond. Instead, she rolled her eyes and picked up the mug Denise had been drinking from. A smudge of lipstick on the rim required more than a quick rinse, and she put it aside to take upstairs later. “Gram, I really don’t want you to encourage Nikki to involve herself in things she shouldn’t.”

  “What are you, Kate, her mother?” Irene’s barb snagged deeply. “You just worry about that letter. Nikki can look after herself.” Irene paused, as if distracted by something. “I have to go, Kate. Someone’s on the other line.”

  “Fine. Good-bye, then.”

  She put down the phone, a little more gently than normal because what she really wanted to do was slam it into the cradle so hard the plastic would shatter. She didn’t remember her grandmother being this hard to get along with. Or did she just feel like that because in previous years, she had simply gone along with whatever Irene wanted, whereas now she was digging in her heels? She couldn’t afford not to, she thought darkly. Nikki was involved, and the need to protect her was almost impossible for Kate to ignore.

  Yet, Nikki had made it quite clear that she wasn’t going to tolerate this kind of attitude from Kate, particularly when it implied she was in charge of her on any level. Kate would have to loosen up if she didn’t want to cause a permanent rift between them, though she wondered where this protectiveness was coming from. She honestly didn’t think she considered Nikki to be a child. If she did, this was a very unhealthy relationship. On the other hand, it was commonly accepted that men were often protective of their women, though some men were more possessive than caring.

  Disturbed by questions for which she didn’t really have the answers, Kate pulled out the book she had been reading before Denise interrupted her. She wondered if there was a book out there that dealt with the various struggles of lesbian courtship. If so, she needed to read it as soon as possible.

  Chapter Twenty-sixr />
  When Nikki saw the letter Kate dropped on the table in front of her, she noticed it was from Revenue Canada before she realized it was addressed to Elliot Manufacturing, Inc. Intrigued, she read it and then looked up at Kate in confusion.

  “What’s this?”

  “Apparently it came across Stephen’s desk and upset him.” Kate poked at her food, and Nikki wondered at the tone in her voice. She couldn’t quite identify it, and she considered it as she read the letter a second time.

  “Why was he upset?”

  “I don’t know. This type of letter routinely comes to businesses around April and May, particularly to large companies. It’s just to verify names, addresses, and social insurance numbers.”

  “Do you get them?”

  “I have on a couple of occasions.” Kate sipped from her mug of coffee and shrugged lightly. “A student would accidentally give me an incorrect SIN, and I either had to track it down or send a note back to Revenue Canada saying that was the one I was given and had no reason to alter it.”

  “What happens then?”

  “Sometimes they send a second notice like this one because something really is wrong with the number, or because I didn’t get back to them quickly enough. They won’t process the income tax claim of the person until the employer responds. Sometimes, it’s just a computer error that they didn’t catch before sending out the second request. Sometimes they determine that the original number on their computers was incorrect and change it to the information the employer gives them.”

  “So it’s not really important?” Nikki was clearly disappointed. “How did you get it?”

  “Denise Elliot gave it to me.” Kate took a bite of toast, chewing deliberately. “Grandmother wants us to see if it’s significant or if Denise is simply overwrought. Since you find this sort of thing interesting, I’m giving it to you.”

  “You don’t really believe it’s anything, do you?” Nikki eyed her suspiciously.

  “It’s evidence of a sort. You’re not going to see much paperwork that crosses the desk of Stephen Elliot. Don’t forget how crucial the paper trail was in solving the Madison murder.”

  “That’s true.” Nikki glanced at it again. “Would Stephen normally deal with these letters?”

  Kate hesitated, and Nikki leaned forward, suddenly expectant, though of what, she wasn’t sure. “No, from what I’m told, payroll usually handles those things without the CEO ever seeing them. Furthermore, Denise told me that Stephen believed there was some problem with the executive payroll.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know, and neither does she.” Kate sighed. “I won’t lie to you, Nikki. I’m really not enthusiastic about this, but if you absolutely have to pursue this, this is information you should have.”

  Nikki considered Kate’s words, on all its levels. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Kate returned to the newspaper.

  Nikki leaned back in her chair, regarding her carefully. Obviously Kate was humoring her a bit, which she wasn’t sure she liked. On the other hand, Kate could have tossed the letter in the trash, or waited a while and returned it to her grandmother with a report that it was nothing. Instead, she’d given it to Nikki. That was good enough. Picking it up, she stared at the names, wondering what Stephen would have detected, especially considering that normally he would never see such a letter. Who was in charge of payroll?

  Andrew Elliot, of course, Nikki realized with a certain chill of anticipation. The man was currently being hassled by Pat Spencer over something that didn’t make either of them happy. Did it relate in some way to this? Had Stephen confided in his good friend about what was worrying him? Nikki wished she knew either Pat or Monica Henderson so she could ask them. Granted, that never stopped the detective characters on television, but Nikki had to live in this town. There was a fine line between being nosy and being flat-out intrusive. Get a reputation for the latter and no one would talk to her about anything.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Kate was scrutinizing her and Nikki grinned. “How I can get to talk with Pat Spencer. You know him, don’t you?”

  “You want me to call him?” Kate looked resigned if unenthusiastic.

  Nikki offered her most appealing smile. “It would really help.”

  Kate glowered a bit, but with a sigh, she reached for the phone book on the counter behind her, retrieved the portable phone, and started looking for the number. Nikki had no illusions about how aggravated she was and how creatively she would need to make it up to her. She only hoped Pat would be home and agree to talk.

  Kate spoke for only a few moments, while Nikki, able to follow half the one-sided conversation, had a puzzled expression when she finally hung up.

  “That was odd.”

  “Yes?”

  “I spoke to a woman—”

  “Monica Henderson,” Nikki stated with authority.

  “Maybe. She didn’t give a name. She said she hadn’t seen Pat for a few days, nor had he been to work. Furthermore, she let it slip that the police are very anxious to speak with him.”

  “He hasn’t been seen for awhile? That means he would have disappeared around the same time we saw him talking with Andrew at the driving range. I wonder if the cops know about that.”

  “I’m sure they do. We weren’t the only ones who saw them talking there.”

  “They might know about it, but not with you giving me clues that they’re overlooking.” She looked back at the paper. “I bet Lynn could figure out something about these names. She’s an accountant.”

  “I sincerely doubt she would even if she could.” Kate said. “She’s not an accountant for the company and would have no business being involved with it. You’d only get her in trouble. After all, it’s not as if you should have that letter either.”

  “What would you do if you were me? And don’t say ‘wash your hands of the whole thing.’”

  Kate smiled, as if amused at how well Nikki knew her, certainly well enough to predict what she would say in certain circumstances. “I would find out as much as I could about the people listed in the letter. See if you can figure out why Stephen checked two of the names.”

  Nikki knew Kate thought such mundane fact finding would keep her out of trouble, and she tried not to grimace at this silent agenda. But she also agreed that it might be a good idea. As long as she had the social insurance numbers, she could find out practically anything she needed to know about the people involved. It wasn’t entirely ethical to use them in that manner, of course, but they gave her a great advantage when it came to digging out details. That was why citizens were advised so strongly to be careful about giving them out.

  She folded the letter and slipped it into the pocket of her robe, intending to stick it in her wallet later. Draining her orange juice, she felt drowsy. She had dropped by Kate’s after her evening shift, passionately needing to see her lover. Kate had been surprised, but equally as happy to see her, despite being roused so early in the morning.

  They’d made love, and Nikki had joined her for breakfast, but she planned to crawl back into bed as soon as Kate went downstairs to open the store. Fortunately, she had clothes tucked away for such occasions and didn’t need to make a special trip back to her apartment. Powder had enough food and water out that he shouldn’t notice if she didn’t return for a day or so.

  “Heavens, look how late it is.” Kate closed the paper. She had showered and dressed while Nikki made breakfast and was now eyeing the clock.

  “I’ll clean up,” Nikki offered. “You go ahead.”

  “Thank you, darling.” Kate paused long enough on her way out to kiss Nikki thoroughly, and Nikki gathered up the dishes and popped them in the dishwasher before moving into the bedroom.

  Sometimes she found it hard to drift off during the day, even with the dark blinds pulled down over the windows. Traffic was much heavier, and the large trucks passing by on Prince Street sometimes shook the hundred-year-old bu
ilding. Her own apartment wasn’t much better since it was just as old, and Queen Street just as heavily trafficked.

  She wondered if they should consider finding a totally new apartment in a quieter neighborhood, or perhaps even out in the country. If they did move in together, they would most likely choose Kate’s apartment, but she wasn’t sure she would be entirely comfortable here. It was lushly decorated, the decor so elegant and refined that sometimes Nikki was scared to relax. She certainly wouldn’t prop her feet up on the heavy oak coffee table the way she did on her own scarred, cheaply manufactured pressboard one. She probably wouldn’t be able to keep any of her furniture, either. Kate’s was so much nicer, but Nikki had lived with her things for a long time, and, frankly, they were all she had. She wasn’t particularly attached to her possessions, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to always have to use Kate’s things.

  But she did love this bed. She rolled over luxuriously, burying her face in the plump pillows and delighting in the firm support of the thick mattress. Kate’s fragrance still lingered on the fine linen sheets. The queen-sized space allowed Nikki to sprawl in a way that her narrower double bed didn’t, and the expensive comforter was wonderfully fluffy, light, and efficient.

  Yes, she definitely wouldn’t mind giving up her old bed to be able to sleep in this one every night. Its charming sleeping companion was purely a bonus. Powder would adore it as well, if Kate would allow the cat in the bedroom. As easy-going as Kate was, that would still be asking a lot from her.

  Of course, demanding that Powder give up his natural inclination to be lord of all he surveyed would be asking a lot from him.

  *

  “I’m not bothering you, am I?” Nikki’s mother Adele stood in front of the counter in jeans and a western type shirt, her boots scarred and dull from mud.

  Startled, and guilty that she had just been fantasizing about the young woman currently tucked into the big bed upstairs, Kate said, “Of course not.” She gestured to the extra stool behind the counter. “Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea or coffee?”