‘Pleasure,’ Grant said, shaking both men’s hands. ‘So, here he is. We didn’t touch the body at all—figured we should wait for you.’
‘Well, let’s see what we got,’ Dr. Dickinson said, shining his light on the body. ‘Shawn, can you grab the ladder, please?’
Constable Grant looked around. He hadn’t noticed either of the men carrying a ladder. Shawn put down the stretcher and walked over to the bag the doctor had been carrying. He opened it up, and pulled out a collapsible aluminum ladder. When it was folded down, it was only twelve inches tall, but when Shawn expanded it, it reached nearly six feet. ‘Cool,’ Grant said, admiringly.
‘Makes life a lot easier when you got to get up into a tree to cut someone down. I’m getting too old to climb trees these days. It’s not too bad getting up them, but my knees aren’t a fan when I jump back down,’ the doctor said as Shawn propped the ladder against the tree. ‘Mind holding the bottom?’
Grant moved over and grabbed hold of the ladder as the doctor climbed up, rung by rung, until he was staring at Jonny’s head. He moved the hair out of Jonny’s face, leaning over to see his expression. ‘Shawn, hand me the camera, will ya? I forgot to grab it.’
Shawn went into the bag again, pulling out a camera. He reached up and handed it to the doctor.
‘Thanks,’ the doctor said, as he leaned around again, taking pictures of Jonny’s face. He took a few pictures of Jonny’s neck, showing where the rope was digging into his skin, and of the rope tied around the limb above his head. ‘Okay, that should be good for now,’ he said, leaning down to pass the camera back to Shawn. ‘Right, so here comes the tricky bit. I’m going to cut the rope and I need the two of you to hold onto him. I don’t want him falling on the ground, if we can help it. Nice and gentle, okay?’
Constable Grant watched as Shawn moved to the side of the body and grabbed it around the leg. Constable Grant did the same on the other leg.
‘Okay, so, once I’m almost through the rope, I’ll let you know.’ The doctor removed a large knife from a sheath on his belt. He grabbed the rope with his left hand and started sawing at the rope, leaning against the ladder and the tree for balance. One by one, the strands of the rope gave way under the edge of the sharp knife—each time, making the body drop slightly. ‘Ready? He’s going to drop.’ Another strand gave way and the body fell with its full weight into the arms of Constable Grant and Shawn, who were taken by surprise despite the warning. Carefully, they held onto Jonny and lowered his body to the ground.
‘Man, he’s a lot heavier than he looks,’ Grant said.
‘They always are,’ the doctor said, climbing down the ladder. ‘Right, let’s get him bagged up and on the stretcher.’
Shawn went into the duffel bag again and pulled out a body bag, laying it on the ground beside the body, unzipping it so it was splayed open. ‘Mind giving a hand?’ Shawn asked Constable Grant.
‘Sure, what do you need?’
‘You grab his feet, and I’ll pick him up around his shoulders. We’ll lift him up and Dr. Dickinson can slide the bag under him,’ Shawn said, moving to Jonny’s head, bending down and grabbing under his shoulders. Constable Grant squatted down and grabbed around Jonny’s ankles, which were cold to the touch. He tried not to think about what he was lifting. ‘On three. One, two, three,’ Shawn said. The two of them lifted in unison as the doctor moved the bag under the suspended body.
‘Good. Put him down,’ the doctor said. Grant was all too happy to oblige. Dr. Dickinson felt around inside Jonny’s front pockets. ‘Empty. We’ll check his other pockets and everything else more thoroughly once we have him back in town where there’s more light. I’ll let you know if we find anything, Constable. Go ahead and zip him up,’ he said, standing up. Shawn did up the zipper on the bag, sealing it around Jonny’s face. He and the doctor each grabbed an end of the bag and lifted it onto the stretcher. Shawn folded the ladder back up, put it in the duffel bag, closed it and put it on Jonny’s stomach. He strapped Jonny and the bag to the stretcher.
‘Well, that’s it for us here. We’ll bring him back to town for an examination before sending him to the morgue—just see if there’s anything odd. Check his blood for drugs and alcohol. Once we’re done, I’ll send my report to the band office. You guys can let next of kin know.’
‘Sounds good,’ Constable Grant said. ‘A death notice. My favourite,’ he thought. Looking around, he noticed a hint of light trying to break through the trees. The sun had finally risen.
‘You know the easiest way out of here?’ Dr. Dickinson asked.
‘Um, I think so. Pretty sure it’s this way.’ Constable Grant took a step to his left. He thought for a second and then turned back around to his right and started walking at a brisk pace. Dr. Dickinson and Shawn exchanged a look that was less than optimistic.
CHAPTER FOUR
Even though it had taken twice as long as it should have, Constable Grant was finally able to lead the three of them out of the woods. All the paths looked the same to him and they had taken a couple of wrong turns. But at least they made it.
‘So, I’ll try to get to the autopsy later today, maybe tomorrow. It’s a bit busy back at the office right now,’ Dr. Dickinson said, after loading the stretcher into the back of a van. ‘It seems pretty straightforward, so I’m not expecting to find anything, but we’ll let you know.’
‘Perfect. Thanks again for coming out as quickly as you did,’ Grant said, shaking the doctor’s hand. ‘If you’re free this afternoon, you guys should come back. There’s a powwow starting at noon. Should be fun.’
‘Thanks. I’ll see what the day has planned,’ Dr. Dickinson said, climbing into the passenger seat of the van. ‘We’ll be in touch,’ he said, before closing the door.
‘Nice meeting you,’ Shawn said, as he closed the driver’s side door.
‘You, too. Wish it had been under different circumstances.’ Grant waved as they drove away. He looked at the sun peaking out over the horizon, a vibrant pink hue in the clouds. ‘Going to be another hot one today,’ he thought. ‘Don’t envy the dancers.’ Checking his watch, he began walking towards the band’s police station. Barry should still be there and it would be good to fill him in on the night’s events. As he walked along, he could already hear children playing and laughing in the early hours. Life here was so different from in the city. At home, it seemed like kids didn’t play outside as much as they used to, at least not as much as he had when he was young. When he was a kid, he would leave the house on his bike at the crack of dawn, sometimes not coming back home until dinner time. Or until he heard his mom yelling his name from the back door. Today, city kids seemed to stay inside more, surfing the internet or playing video games. Not here though. Sure, kids had access to games and computers, but they still seemed to prefer to be outside, playing with their friends. Or, maybe it was more that their parents wouldn’t let them stay inside all day. Either way, it was good to see.
Grant climbed the wooden steps to the office and pushed the screen door open. He could hear Barry on the phone. It sounded like someone’s dog had a run-in with a porcupine.
‘Sorry, Ann. There really isn’t anything I can do. I’m not a vet. No, you’re going to have to bring Zeus to the city vet. Do you have the number? Okay, hold on, I’ll grab it for you.’ Barry put down the phone and started flipping through a binder that was on the desk, next to the phone. ‘Right, got a pen? It’s 613-67…’
Constable Grant waved to let Barry know he was there, then went to the kitchen to see if there was any coffee on. The pot was empty.
‘Hey, Grant. How’d it go?’ Barry asked, coming into the kitchen. Constable Grant was opening and closing various cupboard doors, searching for coffee filters.
‘Well enough, I guess,’ Grant replied over his shoulder. ‘Not sure if Sarah told you much, but it was Jonny Two Bears. Know him?’
‘Yeah, she let me know,’ Barry said, opening a drawer and pulling out a package of filters. ‘Good kid. Surprisi
ng really. He never seemed to have a care in the world. Did you want me to tell his mom? We’re pretty close and it might be easier coming from me than…’ He stopped mid-sentence.
‘Than from the white, city boy?’ Grant finished his thought, holding out his hand for the filters.
‘Well, yeah. No offense.’
‘None taken,’ Grant said. He placed a filter in the basket, filled it with grounds and turned on the coffee maker. ‘Anytime someone volunteers to do a death notice, I’m not going to refuse, no matter what the reason.’
‘Are you going to open the drop-in centre today at some point?’
‘I wasn’t really planning to. I figured everyone would be at the powwow for most of the day and I didn’t think anyone would want to stop by.’
‘Might not be a bad idea, though. Some of Jonny’s friends might want to talk,’ Barry said, as he moved the pot out from the coffee maker, replacing it with his mug.
‘Hey, what are you doing? That’s the strong stuff!’ Grant said.
‘You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first,’ Barry said, smiling. When his cup was full, he moved it out of the way and put the pot back in its place.
‘Unreal,’ Grant said.
‘Man, that’s good. Nice and strong.’ Barry made a show of smacking his lips after his first sip. Grant just shook his head. ‘Anyway, might not be a bad idea to ask around at the powwow. See how the kids are doing. If it looks like there’s a need, we could call in a counsellor from the city. There’s a good one who works at the hospital. We had her out a couple of years ago when three elders died on a hunt.’
‘Three? What happened?’ Grant asked, finally pouring himself a coffee.
‘They were tracking a moose during the winter hunt. A storm rolled in at the end of the day and visibility was really bad. They ended up following the tracks out onto the ice and they must have hit a thin area—all three of their snow machines broke through. Water’s pretty deep where they went down, and there’s a strong current. They didn’t have much of a chance.’ Barry stopped, thinking about the friends he had lost. ‘Divers didn’t find the bodies until late the next spring. That was really hard on the community.’
‘Man, I guess. I couldn’t even imagine,’ Grant said.
‘The counsellor lady was really good. Almost the whole reserve showed up in the Great Meeting Hall, and we just talked, taking turns telling stories about them. It was really a good way to heal. She made sure everyone was doing okay at the end, talking to each one of us personally. Afterward, we had a meal and a drum circle. It was a good send off.’
‘I’ll make sure to ask around and see how everyone’s doing. I’m sure the news will travel fast,’ Grant said, finishing his coffee. He looked at his watch. ‘I think I’m going to try to catch a couple hours of sleep. I don’t want to miss the Arrival of the Clans ceremony.’ He pointed at Barry. ‘Don’t forget you owe me a bannock.’
‘Yeah, no problem,’ Barry said. ‘Thanks again for your help last night.’
Constable Grant walked out of the office, squinting in the morning sun. The humidity was already making the air heavy and hot. ‘Hope they have tents set up,’ he thought as he started walking back to his room. In the distance, he could hear someone pounding on the ceremonial drum over at the fairgrounds. After the night he’d had, he was looking forward to a better day.
CHAPTER FIVE
Detective Terry Millar knocked, hesitantly, on the Captain’s office door. It had been a few months since Millar had been back at the precinct. Even after he felt like he was ready to return to work, his therapist had recommended taking a little more time off. But sometimes Millar thought being home alone was worse than being around crime. He was feeling good. As good as could be expected anyways. He was still having a hard time coming to terms with what his daughter, Tina, had done. But, with the help of a good therapist, he had finally accepted that it had happened and he couldn’t do anything about it. Life was different now, but he still had a life to live, no matter how hard it seemed to be some days.
The Captain looked up from his paperwork, smiling when he saw Millar. Privately, the Captain thought that Millar looked a bit rougher than he remembered, but that was to be expected. The man had gone through something no parent could even imagine. The fact that he was still walking around and willing to come back to work was a small miracle in itself.
‘Terry, great to see you!’ the Captain said, waving Millar into the room. ‘How are things?’
‘Hey, Captain. It’s good to be seen,’ Millar said taking a seat in one of the spare chairs. ‘Things are pretty good, actually. Been getting more sleep over the last month or so. I wasn’t sleeping very well at all for the first couple of months. Just couldn’t turn my brain off, you know? My doctor prescribed some meds that really helped—just made things a bit quieter in my head.’
‘That’s good to hear. Take all the help you can,’ the Captain said. ‘Looks like you lost a bit of weight. Still eating?’
‘Yeah, I’ve actually been eating a lot. But, being at home, I can eat real meals instead of sitting in my car or office eating whatever I can pick up at the closest fast food restaurant or convenience store. Mind you, I do kind of miss those microwave pizza pocket things from the convenience store on the corner.’
The Captain smiled. He remembered the days when he wasn’t in his office all the time. Some days he was lucky if he ate any real food at all. Lots of chocolate bars and vending machine sandwiches. ‘How’s Tina doing, if you don’t mind me asking?’ He knew this was a touchy subject, but, if Millar was going to come back to work, he was going to be asked it a lot, so the Captain wanted to see how he reacted.
‘She’s getting by.’ Millar’s demeanor changed slightly as he started talking. ‘She’s still getting physio for her leg, which is good. I didn’t know if that would continue once she was inside. Still walking with a limp, but it’s not as pronounced now. Apparently it’s not always noticeable.’
‘Well that’s good. Pain gone?’
‘Mostly. Sometimes it flares up if she uses it too much, but for the most part she said she’s been okay. She’s started having tutoring sessions. There are two other girls that are at the same level, so they’re working together. They all seem to get along, which is good. I was worried she was going to get picked on, but so far so good.’
‘Glad to hear it. I was worried for her. I didn’t think it was going to be an easy ride for her. Still a long time to go, but she’s a strong kid. She should be fine,’ the Captain said.
‘I sure hope so, but not much I can do either way,’ Millar said. Out of everything he’d said so far, this admission of helplessness seemed to bother him the most.
‘So, what are your thoughts?’ the Captain asked, trying to change Millar’s train of thought. ‘Thinking of coming back?’
‘Well, I talked it over with my doctor and we think I’m ready. Maybe not ready to take the lead on any new cases, but to run support for Penner or someone else. How is Sue, anyways?’ It had been a few weeks since Millar had spoken to Sue Penner. Before taking time off, he and Sue had been partners, investigating homicides and other major crimes in the city.
‘She’s doing well. Been teamed up with Detective Marks while his partner was on paternity leave. Lemieux’s wife had a little boy around the time you went on leave. They seem to be working out, but I know she’s ready to have you back. Apparently Marks won’t let her boss him around like you will.’ The Captain chuckled.
‘Smart guy. I should have tried that years ago.’ Millar smiled. ‘She still working with Constable Grant?’
‘At times,’ the Captain said. ‘He’s been splitting his time as a liaison officer at a reserve about an hour south of the city. They’ve been really understaffed and needed the help.’
‘Wow, really? That’s a big step for him, isn’t it?’ Millar was surprised. Constable Grant hadn’t been on the force for too many years. Usually a role like that would have gone to a more senior officer.
‘Well, the band office got in touch looking for someone, and they actually asked about him, specifically.’
‘Really. How did they know who he was?’
‘When he was a paramedic, before joining the force, he attended several calls from the reserve. They don’t have their own doctor out there, and people weren’t getting the help they needed until they were really sick. By the time it gets to that point, they’re often so poorly off that they need an ambulance to go to the hospital,’ the Captain said, shaking his head. ‘If the government would just commit the money to ensure they got the services they needed.’ He stopped himself. Thinking about how the Indigenous communities in Canada were treated made him angry. ‘Anyway, apparently he ended up building a good rapport with a lot of the community. Did you know he actually goes out there on his days off and helps with the youth drop-in centre?’
‘I had no idea.’ Millar was a bit taken aback. ‘I guess I never really got to know much about him.’
‘Came as a surprise to me, too. He never mentioned it to his Sergeant, either. I guess he likes to keep his personal life separate from his work life.’
‘Don’t we all,’ Millar said, knowing that his personal life was way more out there now than he really would have liked.
‘I’m all for a healthy work/life balance. So, speaking of which, are you sure you’re ready to come back? There’s really no need to rush,’ the Captain said with concern. ‘You can continue on long-term leave for another six months, I think. Why not take advantage of the time? Go do something for yourself?’
‘I appreciate it, sir, I really do—but I’m kinda going stir crazy,’ said Millar. ‘I think I need some normalcy back in my days. Some routine. Like I said, maybe not full days or anything right away, but there has to be something I can do.’
The Captain thought about it, looking at Millar’s face. It was riddled with concern, trepidation, fear and hope. He knew the best thing for Millar was to feel needed, to keep busy. Sitting alone at home wasn’t doing either. ‘Right. What if you help Constable Grant out at the reserve? It doesn’t sound like it’s high pressure stuff for the most part, just being an extra presence of authority, helping out when and where needed. Kind of being a goodwill ambassador.’
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