Turning Secrets

by Brenda Chapman

  “Who?”

  “Leonard Clement.”

  Gundersund was quiet as Kala connected the name to her leads. “Leonard, Lenny, Leo. Is he the guy Vanessa was dating?”

  Woodhouse glanced at her. “That was my thought. He’s the mayor’s youngest son, if you haven’t pieced it together yet. Living in a family rental property at 533 Rudd Avenue, east of the city off Highway 2.”

  Gundersund’s voice filled the space between them. “Bennett and I will meet you there. Wait for us before you approach.”

  Kala pulled the phone back. “Don’t tell anybody else.” She wasn’t sure why the thought came to her but mention of the mayor made her wary. He had connections everywhere, and she didn’t want this Leonard to get advance warning. “Let’s make sure we’ve got the right guy before we bring any others into it.”

  She ended the call. Woodhouse drove slowly across the causeway but picked up speed as they passed the military college.

  “Did Fisher wake up?” she asked.

  “He surfaced for a moment, but I wouldn’t say he was completely conscious. He might have woken up after I left.”

  She sensed a curious tone in his voice and wondered what he wasn’t telling her. “Did he say anything else?”

  “No. Dawn must have been on his mind.”

  She looked out the side window and let his statement hang unquestioned, like the opening to a hornet’s nest that she couldn’t allow herself to explore. They drove farther into the country, Woodhouse following his GPS but staying on Highway 2. The lights inside houses and businesses zipped past, breaking up the stretches of pitch black. “Never been on Rudd Avenue before,” he said, slowing down and scanning the road in front of them. “Looks like it has two exits off the highway. GPS says to turn off at the far one.”

  He veered right at the last second onto Park Place, a narrow, paved side road blocked on both sides by spindly black elm trees and brush. It jogged to the right and short driveways led to small houses on either side, separated from each other by long hedges or pockets of woods. Kala knew that the properties on the left trailed down to the water even though the darkness hid the lake from view. She strained to see the house numbers under the porch lights. They rounded a bend lined with trees and kept going. The houses were eclectic, some small ancient cottages, others new constructions set farther back from the road. Another swoop right and the trees were thicker, the buildings more spread out, with longer stretches of lawn.

  “It’s that small place on the left,” said Woodhouse. “The Audi is in the driveway. Licence plate BRAG 213,” he said under his breath. He slowly reversed and pulled onto the shoulder, where a wide stretch of pavement sat empty in front of a two-car garage. They could observe from a distance without being obvious.

  “It’s got no neighbour on this side and looks to share a driveway with the house on its left,” said Kala. “Lights are on inside.”

  Woodhouse lowered his window and they listened to the wind. Kala felt a damp breeze moisten her face. Taiku was restless in the back seat and moved into position behind Woodhouse with his nose close to the window.

  “I’d like to get out and have a look around,” said Kala.

  “Gundersund said to sit tight so we probably should.”

  She thought about ignoring him and taking a walk down the road on the shadowy side of the street. Sitting here doing nothing was not her style. She had her hand on the door handle when she heard a vehicle approaching from the other direction. Its headlights rounded the corner and Kala and Woodhouse slumped low in their seats. “Down, Taiku,” Kala ordered and heard him drop onto the back seat. The car pulled into the driveway of the house they were watching.

  “Can you see who it is?” Kala asked.

  Woodhouse had his phone out and was taking pictures even though the lack of light would likely make the images useless, in Kala’s estimation. That and the bushes blocked most of their view. The front door of the house opened and a young man in his midtwenties with longish hair, wearing a black jacket and jeans, emerged and ran down the walkway to lean in the front passenger window of the car. The driver kept the engine running while they talked. The young man pointed toward the neighbour’s backyard. A second man who also looked to be in his midtwenties came out of the front door of the house and approached the car. He was wearing a ball cap and a thick beard covered most of his face. Both men looked toward the woods.

  “Do you think one of the girls got away?” asked Kala.

  “Something out there definitely has their attention.”

  As they watched, the car backed out of the driveway and started slowly up the road in the same direction as it had come. They were too far away to read the licence plate or to see inside the car. Leo and his friend were running toward the neighbour’s property.

  Woodhouse and Kala opened their doors at the same time, but before Woodhouse got his closed, Taiku pushed past him from the back seat and leapt out of the car, disappearing into the darkness.

  Kala whistled for him to come back but he was gone.

  “Don’t yell for him,” said Woodhouse. “They can’t know we’re here.”

  “I’m going after them,” said Kala.

  “Then I’m coming with you. We can split up when we get closer and be backup for each other.” Woodhouse pulled his service revolver out of the holster inside his jacket and Kala did likewise. She’d been carrying her weapon ever since Dawn went missing.

  She checked to see whether Gundersund and Bennett were approaching as they ran toward the house but there was no sign of their car. “Should we look inside the house first?” she asked. The wind was whipping her hair around her face and the cool air made her shiver inside her jacket.

  “We don’t have a warrant.”

  “Probable cause. Don’t you think you hear a girl screaming?”

  “I think I do.”

  They approached the front door cautiously, one on either side of the entrance, guns pointing at the ground. Kala turned the handle. The door opened into an empty front room. “Do you want to wait here and I’ll do a check?” she asked.

  “I’ll go straight ahead. You get the door on the left.” He strode past her without waiting for a response. She opened the door to a bedroom: a depressing, claustrophobic room with a small window high up, a bare lightbulb on the ceiling, and a smell of mould and sweat that made her eyes water. Sheets and blankets were bunched up at the bottom of the bed but nobody was in it. She looked inside the small closet. It was filled with men’s clothing. A second door opened on a bedroom much the same as the first although the bed was made and there were fewer clothes in the closet. She shut the door and hurried into the kitchen. The stink of stale food and beer was strong and she wasn’t surprised to see stained pizza boxes and empties stacked on the floor and on the grey linoleum countertop. The door to the basement stood ajar.

  She approached and looked down into the murk. Another bare bulb hung from the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs. “Woodhouse?”

  He appeared under the light. His face was ashen in the harsh glare. “Dawn made a run for it. I have the other girl here and she needs an ambulance.”

  “I’m going to find Dawn.”

  “I can’t leave this one down here alone.”

  “I know. You stay. I’ll be okay on my own.”

  Even if I’m not.

  Kala unlocked the back door and stumbled across the uneven yard toward the woods, fear pulsing in her throat. She flashed back to the cottage in Smiths Falls when Bennett had been shot, and even further back in time to her and Rose running from the man in the van. Anyone could be hiding in the woods, waiting for a chance to kill in the dark. But Dawn needed her to be strong … and Taiku. She couldn’t lose either one of them. She saw the arc of a flashlight bobbing far off in the direction of the water. Resolve made the panic disappear and her feet begin running toward the light.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Dawn quickly realized that she couldn’t outrun them or hide for long.
The woods were not thick or extensive and the lake cut off her exit path. She could keep going and hope somebody took her into their house, but she didn’t feel safe exposing herself on the open stretch of lawn that she’d have to cross to get to a back door. Would she be putting somebody else in danger? How many people would Leo be willing to hurt to get her back?

  I won’t let them take me to the cottage or do to me what they were doing to Vanessa. They’ll have to kill me first.

  Once she knew in her being that she was prepared to die, the terror went away and she was at peace with whatever was to come. She stopped at the edge of the wood and bent over to catch her breath with her hands on her knees.

  But I won’t go easily. What should I do, Aunt Kala?

  She straightened and looked up at the sky for an answer. That was when she spotted the pine tree at the edge of the clearing. If she could get high up in the tree, they might not think to look for her there. She’d fight them every inch of the way down if they did find her. It took a few tries to find a toehold, but luckily, the lowest branch was in reach once she hoisted herself up a few feet. She pulled herself over and continued climbing, testing each branch before putting her full weight on it. She settled on a bough and wrapped her arms around the tree, taking comfort from its solid strength. They would probably be able to see her from the ground if they shone a light upwards but she’d sit perfectly still and hope they didn’t.

  Not long afterward, she counted two flashlight beams metres apart, criss-crossing the ground in the darkness and coming from the direction of Leo’s house. They were slowly moving her way, searching for her like bloodhounds on the trail of her scent. She heard a rustling in the bushes before a sharp bark rose up from the darkness below the tree. She looked down and thought she was hallucinating. The dark shape standing under the tree looked a lot like Taiku. The animal had its front paws on the tree trunk and was staring up at her through the branches. She blinked twice and rubbed a hand across her eyes. The dog was still there. Dawn’s heart lightened even though her whole body began to tremble.

  “Taiku,” she said. “Go find Kala. Go, go.” Fear made her voice high and shrill but she couldn’t have them find Taiku or her hiding place. “Go! Away and find Kala!” She said it with more authority and Taiku dropped his paws to the ground. He whined and looked up at her before running off into the trees.

  Kala is nearby. Vanessa and I are going to get out of this.

  The wind was strong enough to make the smaller branches sway but the larger boughs remained relatively still. The clouds that had covered the moon were scudding eastward and the night was brighter. One flashlight beam stopped at the spot where she’d first spotted the pine. The second flashlight made its way to the same place and she could hear the low murmur of their voices. She knew they were deciding what to do next, which direction to track her. One of the flashlight beams swung in an arc beneath her tree and across the backyards of the closest houses. She sat as still as she could, willing them to leave. Instead, the lights moved closer until they were almost directly below her. She prayed that Taiku wasn’t in the bushes nearby.

  “I’m doubling back to my car.” A voice that she didn’t recognize. “Don’t return without her.”

  “What if she’s in somebody’s house?”

  “Christ, you’ve really balled this up.” A long pause. “Call me if it turns out she’s talked to somebody. I’ll have to handle it.”

  “Shit, what’s that?” Leo’s voice, startled and full of fear. “Where did this crazy dog come from?”

  Taiku was under the tree barking, defending her, sensing the danger. She squinted as the flashlight beam swung upward and impaled her in its glare.

  “She’s up there.” The flashlight beam arced down and back up again. “In the tree.”

  The light was blinding her; she covered her eyes with her hand. The panic that surged through her was as much for Taiku as for herself.

  “Get out of the tree or we kill the dog.”

  She wasn’t sure which one of them had spoken but she could tell he wasn’t making an idle threat. “I’m coming down,” she said. “Don’t hurt him.” She felt for toeholds and lowered herself from the tree, landing with a thump on her feet next to Taiku. The ground jolted up her backbone but she remained upright.

  “You stupid bitch,” said Leo. He was shining the flashlight in front of her and she could see him and Shawn with another man a few steps back. Leo made a move to grab her arm but Taiku got in front of her and bared his teeth, a low rolling growl coming from his throat. Dawn looked past Shawn to the third man who’d receded into the shadows.

  “You’ve set us behind schedule,” said Leo. “You must have known you wouldn’t get away. What, were you going to leave your friend back there all alone? Not very nice.” He turned his head to look at Shawn. “Do something about the dog.”

  “You do something about the dog.”

  “Either one of you touches the dog and you’ll regret it.” Kala stepped out of the darkness and stood with her gun levelled at the ground between Leo and Shawn. “Taiku, down. Come over here, Dawn.”

  “There’s another one,” Dawn said. “He was with them a second ago.”

  Kala was surveying the woods but seemed satisfied there was no immediate danger. “He’s making a run for it, no doubt. Left the two of you to clean up this mess, right, Leonard Clement?”

  Shawn shoved Leo against the tree with both hands. “Just great. I’m not taking the fall for any of this.”

  “Shut up.”

  “I’m not doing time for you or your seriously fucked-up family.”

  Leo shoved him back. “I said shut up!”

  “Both of you put your hands on your heads and face away from each other.”

  Shawn put his hands up but stayed in place. “I knew I shouldn’t have come back. I knew this shit show was going to hell.”

  “I said, turn around.” Kala tucked her gun into her belt and pulled out handcuffs. She grabbed their arms and yanked them close to each other, snapping the cuffs on their wrists so that they were attached together. She patted them down roughly.

  Gundersund emerged from the woods with his gun drawn just as she finished with Leo. The tension in his face relaxed when he took in the scene. “Looks like you have it all under control, partner,” he said. “Dawn, are you okay?”

  “I’m okay.”

  Kala nodded at Gundersund to take over and stepped back to wrap her arms around Dawn. She didn’t say anything but Dawn felt her aunt’s heart beating hard against her own.

  “I knew you’d come,” she said. “I knew …” Dawn stopped. “Vanessa. She’s in the house.”

  “We’ve got her,” said Gundersund. “You’re both safe now.”

  Kala gave her one more long squeeze before letting go. Dawn dropped down to rest her head on Taiku’s. “Such a good boy,” she said into his ear. “You’re such a good boy.” He licked her cheek and stayed by her side as Kala led them out of the trees to the road.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Rouleau decided to question Shawn Baxter alone in the interview room with a video camera rolling and a mic recording every word. Shawn had the look of a tough street thug but the possibility of life inside had him rattled. Like he’d do anything to shift the blame away from himself. Rouleau offered Shawn a soda and something to eat. Made sure he was warm enough. Comfortable. Then he began to work Shawn in earnest, maintaining a low-key, friendly tone, like a father talking with his son. His patience began to bear fruit around the two-hour mark.

  “Yeah, Leo was dating Vanessa and he brought up the idea of making money for sex.”

  “She was willing?”

  “She was hot for Leo. Yeah, she went along.”

  “Did you pay her for sex?”

  “No, man, nothing like that.” Shawn was sitting back in the chair with his legs spread wide apart. He held on to his Coke can with one hand while his other hand rested on his thigh. “I only partied with her the one time and she was,
like, more than willing.”

  “Do you know how old she is?”

  A too-earnest furrowing of the brow. “Seventeen? Eighteen?”

  Rouleau pulled back. Pointing out that Shawn knew Vanessa was fifteen would only put him on the defensive, break the rhythm they’d established. Instead, Rouleau changed the line of questioning. “Why did you agree to take Dawn on her way home from school?”

  “Leo said he wanted to talk to her, and she got in the car.”

  “You didn’t help her get inside?”

  “No. I opened the door and she got in by herself.”

  Another lie that Rouleau let go for now. “So Leo was driving.”

  “Yeah.”

  “He was driving when the car struck a man named Fisher Dumont.”

  “Yeah. I told him to stop and check it out but he said he’d hit a deer and it got away into the woods. I didn’t question it, man.”

  “Fisher Dumont is still in a coma.”

  Shawn dropped his head and shook it back and forth. “That blows. That really blows.”

  Rouleau looked at the top of Shawn’s head for fifteen seconds before checking a message on his phone. “Why don’t we take a short break. Would you like a sandwich?”

  Eyes up. “Another Coke would be good too.”

  Gundersund was waiting for him in the hall with an update on Woodhouse’s interview with Leo. “He’s lawyered up and his father the mayor is in the building putting pressure on Ellington, who’s putting pressure on us to get this settled.”

  “That’s all we need. Has Leo said what he was doing with Vanessa in his basement and Dawn running to get away?”

  “Only that the girls were there of their own volition. He says he told them they could leave whenever they wanted. He’d be happy to drive them home.”

  “Did Woodhouse point out the evidence to the contrary?”

  “He did.”

  “And?”

  “Leo claims the girls know they’ll get into trouble, so they’re lying.” Gundersund’s voice was worried. “There’s one more thing. Shawn’s lawyer is on her way and you’re not to continue interviewing him until she’s here.”