Turning Secrets

by Brenda Chapman

  “People setting out to kill themselves are known to leave their wallets and jewellery at home, but you’re right. You’d think she’d have something.” Rouleau squinted when the sun came out from behind a cloud. “Have Forensics go through the building. Are we positive the fall killed her?”

  “We’re not one hundred percent certain yet, but the coroner said by the angle and impact, it’s likely she dropped from the sixth or seventh floor.”

  The fire truck was pulling away and they waited for it to move on to the roadway. Once gone, the girl’s body was revealed like a curtain had been pulled open. Rouleau stood still for a moment and Gundersund waited with him before they walked toward her. Rouleau spoke quietly to the coroner, who rolled back the sheet to give them a look. The paramedics were waiting with a gurney, and after Rouleau had bent down to inspect the girl, he rose slowly from his crouched position and signalled them to take her away.

  He looked at Gundersund. “The priority is to locate her family and make sure she doesn’t end up a Jane Doe. We need to find out exactly how she died and why.”

  Gundersund nodded and Rouleau walked back to his car. Gundersund waited for the ambulance to pull away before he went in search of Bedouin. They had a long day ahead of them.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Dawn met Emily and Chelsea after class on the front steps of the high school. The wind was steady and the sky was increasingly overcast, but the sun was warm on her face when it came out from behind the clouds. She felt a lightness inside at the approaching longer days that would glide into summer months. She usually didn’t mind winter but Kingston winters were damp and unpredictable. She’d gotten tired of walking in slush and shivering in the cold wind off the lake.

  “Want to go for a coffee?” asked Emily. “I can drive.”

  Chelsea nodded and Dawn said okay. She looked back at the front door of the school. “Aren’t we waiting for Vanessa?”

  Chelsea frowned. “Van’s been seeing some guy but doesn’t want anybody to know — well, anybody besides us. She says her parents would freak if they found out.”

  Dawn fell into step with them as they walked toward the parking lot at the back of the building. “Does he go to our school?”

  Chelsea shook her head. “He’s older.”

  “University?”

  “Van hasn’t said much but I get the idea he’s out of school and working. She said he drives a new car.”

  Emily gave Dawn a look that she couldn’t interpret before climbing into the driver’s seat. She was still surprised to find herself hanging out with these popular girls; the reason they included her was that she’d been helping Emily pass math. They’d been having private tutorials after class in the library since the year before. Emily seemed to like her but she knew that Chelsea and Vanessa only tolerated her presence because Emily wanted her there.

  Thick black rain clouds rolled in while they sat drinking cappuccinos at their favourite table by the window in the Tim Hortons on Princess. Kala had warned Dawn before school about a thunderstorm later in the afternoon and told her to pack a raincoat, but she’d forgotten. She was going to get soaked walking from the bus to their house on Old Front Road. She looked over at Emily, who listened to the end of Chelsea’s monologue about some show she’d watched the night before on Netflix before shifting her eyes to return Dawn’s stare.

  “Plans for the weekend, Dawn?” Emily asked.

  “Not sure. It depends on my aunt Kala. We were planning to go to Montreal on Saturday.” To visit my mother in prison. So far, she’d avoided telling Emily about her convict parents and her mom’s convict boyfriend and wasn’t planning to anytime soon. She knew the knowledge would change how they treated her. Vanessa and Chelsea would have more ammunition to convince Emily that she wasn’t worthy. “But I got a text that she’s going to be late, which means she probably has a new case, and that’ll nix our trip.”

  “Want to see a movie Saturday night if you’re around?”

  Chelsea twisted a strand of hair round and round in her fingers and said, “I thought you and Van and I were going to hang out, Em. Sleep over at my place.”

  “Well, Dawn could come too.”

  Chelsea took her time answering. “I guess.”

  Dawn pretended not to notice Chelsea’s reluctance. “No, that’s okay, but thanks anyway, Chelsea.” She picked up her empty cup and stood. “I need to get moving. A storm is coming in and I have to take the dog out.”

  Emily started to put on her jacket. “I’ll drive you to the bus stop.”

  “You don’t need to.”

  Chelsea checked her phone and looked up at Emily. “Vanessa texted that she’s being dropped off here in half an hour.”

  Emily stood as she struggled to get her arm into the second sleeve. “I’ll be back way before then, Chels. You can wait here in case she’s early. Maybe you’ll even get to meet the mystery boyfriend.”

  When they reached the front door, Emily said over her shoulder, “I think it’s already raining.”

  “Lovely.”

  They were merging into traffic on Princess when Emily said, “Chelsea and Vanessa can be idiots. They think I’m going to dump them to hang out with you so they get all weird.”

  “I’m not offended.”

  “Well, I am. I probably would dump their sorry asses if we hadn’t been friends since kindergarten. I feel this loyalty to them even if they sometimes act like jealous bitches.” Emily flashed her a wide grin before looking back at the road. “Vanessa’s parents are getting a divorce and it’s ugly. She lives with her mom and her two brothers are with her dad. He’s some big-deal architect so there’s lots of money and property to fight over.”

  “I didn’t know.”

  “She thinks if she doesn’t talk about the divorce, it’s not really happening. Like her parents will make up and move back in together. She forgets about all the screaming and fighting when they were living under the same roof.”

  Dawn had only ever thought of Chelsea and Vanessa as shallow, faded versions of Emily — when she thought about them at all. Emily was the one she liked, the reason she spent time with the three of them. Realizing Vanessa was going through a difficult time at home put her in a new, uncertain light.

  After Emily drove away, Dawn stood in the misty rain at the bus stop scanning both sides of the street. She knew he wouldn’t be there but part of her was still disappointed. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled down to his last message.

  Will try to get to Kingston on the weekend.

  She raised her head when she heard the rumble of the bus getting closer. She knew she should tell Kala that her father had made contact, but for now, she wanted to keep him a secret. When she’d seen him waiting on the sidewalk across from her school, his aloneness had made her forget Kala’s and her mother’s warnings. She’d known who he was before she went over to him, before he even opened his mouth.

  She’d seen him twice before, standing by himself in the same spot as if he was waiting for somebody. Nobody had joined him either time and she hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that he was there for her. Snow had started falling when she finally crossed the street to talk to him for the first time, and he’d been shivering in his wet coat and running shoes. He’d flicked away the stub of a glowing cigarette and met her stare. His dark eyes were searching, needing something from her that she couldn’t name. She’d been the one to break the silence.

  “I’m Dawn,” she’d said. “Are you waiting for me?”

  He’d nodded and reached out his hand. “I’m Fisher. Your dad.” He gave a phlegmy, self-conscious laugh. “Been a long time.”

  Fisher Dumont. Absent father. Convict.

  The warnings to stay away from him had echoed in her head. She’d understood the danger, and yet, she couldn’t stop herself from walking with him to a coffee shop so she could get him somewhere warm. She’d bought him a coffee, and they’d sat together for twenty minutes before she’d rushed outside to catch he
r bus home. It was enough time for him to tell her that he regretted not being in her life. Enough time for her to give him her cellphone number.

  She hoped she hadn’t made a big mistake.

  Kala rested her chin on her hand and looked through Rouleau’s open office door. They were the last two working at their desks and she was about to call it a day. Rouleau had been on the phone for a while but was now reading something on his computer. She put on her leather jacket and walked over to say goodnight on her way out.

  “Sit down for a minute if you’ve got time,” Rouleau said, swivelling his chair away from the computer screen to face her. “I’d like a moment to catch up.”

  She took the seat across from his desk. “You’re working late.”

  “You as well. Any progress identifying the girl?”

  “I’ve put word out to the university and college but nothing so far. No new missing person reports either.”

  “We could issue a bulletin to the public.”

  “If nobody reports her missing tomorrow, we might not have any other option but to go to the media.” Kala considered warning him about the chatter surrounding his relationship with Marci Stokes but decided against it. He had to know that sleeping with the Whig’s crime reporter would put them both under scrutiny.

  “The girl could have been passing through Kingston,” he said.

  “And decided to jump off an unfinished, out-of-the-way hotel after ditching all her personal belongings?”

  Rouleau smiled. “Far-fetched, I grant you.”

  “Unusual behaviour at the very least.” She could see that Rouleau wanted to raise something with her but looked uncomfortable. After a brief silence, she asked, “Glad to be back as head of Major Crimes?”

  “I am. Less paperwork and not as many meetings as when I was acting chief. Plus, I can be involved in the cases hands-on.”

  “Well, the team is glad you’ve returned. What do you think of the new acting chief?”

  “Willy Ellington? A good old boy. I suppose he’ll do as a placeholder until Heath gets back at the end of the year.

  If he gets back.

  They exchanged looks, but neither mentioned the elephant. Instead, she said, “I get the feeling Vera isn’t thrilled being Ellington’s assistant.”

  “No.”

  She’s unhappy about having to exchange you for a chauvinist. Not to mention losing you to Marci Stokes. Kala watched him for a moment more before slapping her hands on her thighs and standing up. “Time I got home to Dawn. You should be on your way too.”

  “One last file to review and I’ll be right behind you. I promised Dad we’d watch a movie on Netflix and order in pizza.”

  Kala smiled. “Dawn loves helping your dad with his research. He’s given her some work to do at home.”

  “Dad’s grown very fond of her too.”

  The rain had soaked her hair by the time Kala reached her truck in the station parking lot. She drove west out of town; the roads were oily black, slick with rain. Between buildings on her left, she glimpsed the grey-blue lake through the blowing sheet of rain. Whitecaps were crashing like giant fists on the shoreline. She could hear the harbour bell clanging out its warning. I love this, she thought. The wildness. The force that won’t be tamed.

  She turned off Front Road onto Old Front Road. Gundersund’s Mustang was halfway down his driveway. Fiona drove his second car, a Camaro, when she was in town. It wasn’t in the laneway; likely it was tucked away in the garage. Kala turned her face in time to see a woman staring out the window facing the road. She recognized Fiona’s long blond hair as she disappeared into the room. Kala quickly looked back at the road.

  Fiona had dropped by unexpectedly with a bouquet of flowers the day before Gundersund returned from holidays. It would have been ungracious not to invite her inside for tea. Paul has been telling me how much he misses me so I decided to surprise him. A week isn’t nearly long enough, but my sabbatical will be over in a few months and I’ll be home permanently. Fiona had slipped the words into the conversation as smooth as silk, not waiting for Kala to respond before starting on another line of thought. But it was enough to shake any hope Kala had allowed herself that Gundersund would soon be free to start a relationship with her. He’d talked convincingly to her about getting a divorce before his holiday but he must be waffling or Fiona would have backed off by now. It was time for Kala to protect herself.

  Taiku greeted Kala at the back door. He took one look outside into the rainy darkness, whined, and turned tail into the kitchen.

  “I can’t say I blame you, boy,” said Kala, taking off her boots and jacket.

  Dawn was sitting at the kitchen table reading. She got up to hug Kala and to pour her a cup of tea from the pot on the stove. “Sit down, Aunt Kala, and I’ll get your supper out of the oven. I kept a plate warm.”

  “How did I ever survive without you?” Kala squeezed past Taiku — now stretched out on the floor — and happily settled into a chair. “Good day?” she asked, sipping the tea.

  Dawn stopped halfway to the table with a plate covered in foil. She tilted her head and smiled in Kala’s direction. “Yeah, it was an okay day. I went for coffee with Emily and Chelsea.” She set the plate in front of Kala and removed the foil. “Voilà. Chicken strips and fries. Sorry it’s kind of a crappy meal.”

  “This is exactly what I’ve been craving.”

  “I doubt it, but nice of you to say.” Dawn sat back down, rested her elbows on the table, and watched her eat. “Will we be able to visit my mother this Saturday?” she asked after a while.

  Kala swallowed part of a fry. “We’ll have to play it by ear but likely yes. It’s a good sign that your mom agreed to a second visit.”

  “She must have understood that I’m not traumatized by seeing her in prison.”

  “And are you upset at all?”

  “I wish she wasn’t in there. I guess I’ve realized that she didn’t have much say about helping Gil hold up the liquor store. He was controlling her.”

  “Your mom regrets ever getting tangled up with him.” Kala tried to sound offhand. “She worries that you’re going to be approached by your dad now that he’s on parole, even though it’s unlikely after all this time.”

  Dawn slid her elbows off the table and leaned back. She stared at Kala and frowned. “I don’t get why that worries her. Fisher was good enough to get pregnant with.”

  “She said that he often finds himself in the middle of trouble. She’s concerned that he could bring some your way.”

  “Well, that’s not going to happen. I’m not stupid. Why would she even care if I saw my dad? It’s not like I can’t be trusted.”

  “I know that. She knows that.” Kala wondered at how quickly Dawn’s back had gone up and the flash of anger in her eyes. Both seemed extreme reactions to a casual comment about the father she wouldn’t even remember since he’d left when she was a toddler. “Your mom wants to keep you safe. Maybe she’s fretting too much because she’s stuck where she is.”

  “A little late for her to worry about me. She might have considered raising her standards before hooking up with Fisher or Gil. She wasn’t exactly being mother of the year when she robbed that liquor store with me in the back seat.” Dawn stood up, her mouth set. “I’m going to do my homework.”

  Kala studied Dawn’s face and decided now was not the time to get into Rose’s sins or the reasons for them. If Rose hadn’t shared the details of her miserable childhood with her daughter, then Kala wasn’t about to break her confidence while she was in prison — or make excuses for her reckless behaviour.

  She reached up and touched Dawn’s arm. “We can talk more later when we’re not both so tired. I’ll clean the kitchen while you get your homework done. Thanks for supper.”

  Dawn’s shoulders relaxed. “Okay, Aunt Kala.”

  Kala listened to Dawn clump up the stairs before picking up a cold chicken finger. She chewed it slowly while she thought about Dawn and all she’d been thro
ugh. She had a right to get angry — hell, the kid had a right to scream and throw things and rage for days on end. Up until now she’d been amazingly placid for someone her age with this amount of baggage. Maybe this show of spirit was a good thing. She’d become secure in her place in the world and felt strong enough to vent her emotions.

  Kala reached down to pet Taiku’s head. The feel of his fur under her fingers always made her calmer. He was the constant in her life and the thought that she’d outlive him weighed heavy when she considered how long they’d been together. He was eight years old. Fifty-six in dog years. She got down on the floor beside him and ran her hands across his silky back.

  “This has been one long, distressing day, old pup,” she whispered into his ear. “Let’s hope it isn’t a prelude to what’s yet to come.”

  She lay her head on Taiku’s side and listened to the steady beat of his heart. She was feeling restless as the winter turned into spring. She’d have liked to head north with Taiku and her canoe and disappear into the woods for a month, but now she had a house and Dawn to keep her here.

  “This is enough,” she said into the softness of Taiku’s neck. “This has to be enough.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Teagan McPherson woke to the sound of crying. It took a moment to orient herself and to remember that baby Hugo was sleeping in a travelling cot at the foot of her bed. She heard her daughter, Shelley, scream for her from the other room as she rolled over and swung her feet onto the floor.

  “I’ll be right there!” She called back, lifting the squirming baby off the thin mattress. “My goodness, could your bottom be any wetter?” She rubbed his back and shushed him with soothing noises. “Let’s get you changed and then some milk.”

  After putting a clean diaper and sleeper on him, she carried Hugo into the kitchen on her hip. Shelley and Aiden were sitting at the small table under the window eating cocoa puffs. Milk dripped from the side of the table onto the floor where Mittens the cat was busy lapping it up. Raindrops splattered against the windowpane and the air in the kitchen felt close and damp.