It was early afternoon when Paul came home. Anna busied herself getting his lunch, dreading what would happen when he found out. Should she mention it immediately or wait until he noticed?
Paul was seated at the table when Jared came in from the living room.
“Willy’s gone away,” he said, to his father.
“What?” Paul looked at Anna.
“Willy’s gone away,” Jared repeated, “And he said I can go too when I’m bigger.”
Paul stood. “Where’s Willy?” he demanded.
“He left,” she whispered, fear engulfing her.
“So you finally managed to drive him away.”
Anna didn’t answer.
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know.”
Paul glared at her a few seconds then rushed to the boys’ bedroom. Anna could hear him pulling out the dresser drawers and slamming the closet door.
“When did he go?” Paul stood in the doorway.
“This morning.”
“Where’s he headed?” He lifted his hand.
“Into town to stay with friends.” Anna hated that she said that but she had to protect herself and the baby.
“I’m going to look for him,” he growled. “He’s too young to be out on his own.”
Anna sank into a chair, her heart pounding. Now what did she do? Paul blamed her for Willy leaving.
“Mommy?” Jared tried to climb into her lap. “Why was Daddy mad at you because Willy left?”
“Because he didn’t want Willy to leave,” Anna said, hugging him.
“Will he be mad when I leave?”
“I don’t know.”
It was late afternoon when Paul returned with Willy. The tall, muscular teenager glared at her as he walked by her. “I’ll get you for this,” he said, fiercely.
Chapter 16
Jared parked in front of the small house where Meredith Warren lived. The fenced front yard was full of flowers and bushes and the lawn was newly mowed. Elizabeth held open the gate for Jared as he wheeled through. She climbed the steps and knocked on the door.
The woman who answered was short and stocky. Her hair was gray and her face lined. She looked to be in her late sixties and Elizabeth noted that she had sorrowful eyes.
“I’m Elizabeth Oliver,” she said. “Jared phoned you about us coming over.”
“Yes. We’ll go around to the back yard where we can sit on the patio.”
She came out the door and down the steps. “Nice to see you again, Jared. I enjoyed your Haiku poems. Have you done any more work on your chapbook?”
“It’s going slow right now,” Jared said. “I’ve got other things on my mind.”
The back yard was a profusion of colour from more flowers plus there was a water fountain and a vegetable garden.
“You must like gardening,” Elizabeth said, once they were seated under the umbrella at the patio table. On the table was a pitcher of water with ice in it and three glasses.
“I used to love it when I lived on the farm. But now that I have nothing else to do with my time but that and write poetry, it’s lost its appeal,” Meredith answered.
“I’ve just bought your latest book,” Jared said. “And I’d like you to sign it.”
Elizabeth reached into his backpack, pulled the book and a pen out and handed them to him.
“Now I have all three,” he said, as he watched Meredith write her name. “When is the fourth one coming out?”
“I’m working on the poems now.” She gave him the book. “I’d like you to look at some of them when they are completed.”
“Okay. Just email them to me. I’ve got my laptop so I can look at them whenever.”
“Thank you. I will.”
There was a few moments silence then Jared cleared his throat. “We’re here because I think my mother may have been murdered instead of committing suicide,” he said quickly. He reddened as he looked at Elizabeth. She smiled encouragingly at him.
“Whatever gave you that idea?” Meredith asked, her voice incredulous.
“This.” Jared passed the photograph over to her.
“What about it?”
“Look on the back.”
Meredith had no reaction to the pasted words. “Who sent this to you?”
Elizabeth had the impression she was more curious than concerned.
“I don’t know,” Jared answered. “It came in an envelope with no return address on it but it was mailed from here in Redwater.”
“So why are you coming to see me? You think I sent it?” Meredith said, raising one eyebrow at him as she handed the photograph back.
“No, no,” said Jared hurriedly. “Just because you were one of Mom’s friends, probably her only friend at the time she died.”
Elizabeth was impressed with how much more confident Jared was getting with his questioning. He was either a fast learner or it might be because he and Meredith were such good friends.
“So? Her death had nothing to do with me.”
“I know. I’m trying to find out more about her, about her life.” Jared paused. “You’ve told me a few things about your friendship with her over the years but you never told me about that letter you gave Grandma Dombroski. Why?”
“I figured it was up to your grandmother to tell you.” Meredith poured them each a glass of water. “Did you learn anything new from reading it that you didn’t know before?”
“No,” Jared said, quietly. “It does sound like a suicide note. And if I’d read years ago it would just have confirmed to me that she did take her own life.”
“But in light of this photograph, it could be looked at as meaning something else,” Elizabeth said, taking a sip from her glass. “Since you knew her the best, do you think she would have committed suicide?”
“I don’t think she was happy, if that’s what you mean” Meredith said, her voice cautious.
“Why?” Jared leaned forward.
Meredith looked reflectively at him.
“Go ahead,” he said. “You can tell me.”
“Your father began to drink soon after their marriage and your birth.” She looked away, then back. “Gossip was even going around that he may have had a girlfriend on the side.”
That was the first they had heard of that, Elizabeth thought. It could add a different slant to everything. Anna may have committed suicide because of the other woman or she may have been murdered because of her.
“Who was she, do you know?” Jared asked. Elizabeth noted that today he wasn’t letting the answers stop him from getting his questions asked. “Where is she now?”
“This is only hearsay,” Meredith said. She picked up her glass and drank. “I never saw him with anyone, but the woman I heard about moved away years ago.”
Too bad, Elizabeth thought. It would be tough to ask Paul about her.
“How did Dad treat Mom?” Jared continued. He finally had a drink of water.
“Not very well. They had one vehicle so the only place she went on her own was grocery shopping and that was when he was out in the field. Even then she had to hurry in case something broke down and he needed the truck to buy parts. Sometimes, she’d stop in for a quick visit on her way to town.”
Jared seemed unable to think of anything more. Elizabeth looked around the yard. The vegetables in the garden were tall and bountiful. She could see the pea pods hanging on the vines, the lush potato plants, and the tall corn stalks. It was obvious that in spite of Meredith’s lack of enthusiasm about gardening, she had a green thumb.
“We just found out that your husband Ben died the winter before Anna,” Elizabeth said, looking back at Meredith.
“Your point?”
“We just wondered if there was a connection.”
“There wasn’t,” Meredith said, abruptly. “Christine killed Ben and Anna committed suicide. No connection.”
That was probably true, Elizabeth thought. The mystery bug had taken over and she was looking for hidden implication
s where there weren’t any.
“Did she love me?” Jared suddenly blurted out.”
Meredith looked stunned. Even Elizabeth was caught off guard by the question.
“Why on earth would you ask something like that?” Meredith asked.
“Because I was told that she committed suicide to get away from me.”
Oh, you poor man, Elizabeth thought, her heart going out to him. What a way to have lived your life.
“Who told you that?” Meredith demanded.
Jared reddened and looked down. “Dad told me one day when I asked him why Mom had gone.”
Elizabeth could not contain her gasp.
“What a terrible thing to tell a child!” Meredith cried. She reached out her hand to Jared. “Your dad was wrong. I know that Anna loved you.”
“But how do you know?” Jared implored.
Elizabeth wondered how much of this trip was to find out if his mother had been murdered and how much was to find peace.
“Well, for example, the community held a Christmas party every year in the hall,” Meredith began. “The parents were supposed to buy their children a present, wrap it, and then Santa would give it out. You were about three. I heard that your dad didn’t want to waste the money on buying something for you. Your mom tried to sell one of the necklaces her grandmother had left her so she could buy you a present. It was only costume jewellery and wasn’t worth much but I gave her ten dollars for it. She was so happy she couldn’t wait to go to town and pick out something for her son.”
Jared listened with a pleased look on his face. “Thank you,” he said at the end.
“It sounds like you were a very good friend,” Elizabeth said, gently.
“Kids have to have something at Christmas time,” Meredith replied.
“Do you mind telling us something about Ben?” Elizabeth asked. For some reason she couldn’t stay away from the subject.
“Why?”
“Just in case there is a link between him and Anna.”
“There isn’t.”
“Please.” Jared asked. “I want to learn as much as I can about what was happening in the area when Mom died. I need to know if she was murdered and if not, I’d like to find out why she committed suicide.”
When Meredith didn’t answer Elizabeth prompted. “He and Christine Dearden had an affair. Do you know when it started and how it began?”
Meredith turned her head away. “It’s all in my books,” she said, her voice subdued.
* * * *
“Do you want to tell me about what your father said to you?” Elizabeth asked. She’d wanted to ask ever since they left Meredith’s place but he’d been so quiet that she hadn’t wanted to disturb him.
Jared didn’t answer for a while. “I guess he was getting tired of me pestering him about my mother. There was just so much that I couldn’t understand at that age. Finally he said that she had committed suicide to get away from me and to leave him alone.”
“That really wasn’t a nice thing to do to a child.”
Jared nodded. “I’ve spent my life being plagued with the idea that somehow her suicide was my fault. But I just couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong. At times I would be generous with myself thinking that something else could have gone wrong in her world that would cause her to take her own life. Whatever it was must have been terrible enough that even her love for me and her wanting to watch me grow up wasn’t a good enough reason to stick around.”
“You know, Willy may have witnessed your father beat your mother. Maybe he thinks your dad killed your mother and that’s why he wants you to quit asking questions. I wonder if you should ask him.”
Jared was silent.
“What?” Elizabeth asked, inclining her head.
“I did have a memory that I’ve been trying to deal with.” Jared spoke hesitantly.
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
Jared pulled over to the side of the road. He took a deep breath. “I remember Mom and Willy fighting. At first I thought it was Mom and Dad because to me Dad and Willy’s voices sounded the same, but when I peeked around the corner, it was Mom and Willy.”
“Do you know what they were arguing about?”
Jared shook his head. “I’m not sure, but Willy kept yelling ‘Go! Just go!’ When I looked he had his fist raised in the air.”
“Did he strike her?”
“No, but I think he wanted to.”
“Maybe we should ask him about that, too. We can go there now, if you like.”
Jared nodded. “I guess we’d better and get it over with.”
Elizabeth and Jared headed to the farm. A tractor with a hay baler attached sat in the yard. Paul and Willy were leaning against the tractor, talking. They looked up when Jared parked the van.
“I hear you’ve been asking your questions,” Paul said, when they reached the tractor.
Jared nodded. “And I’d like to ask you and Willy some more, too.”
“Is that a fact?” Paul folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t look or sound like he was going to answer any of them.
This seemed to intimidate Jared and he began to stammer. “Well… I really need…”
Elizabeth was not daunted and she stepped in. “We’ve heard certain stories about both of you and we’d like to clear them up.”
Neither one said anything. Elizabeth took that as a good sign and pressed on. “Paul, we’ve heard that Anna was unhappy and that she basically was stuck on the farm since you only had one vehicle.”
“So?”
“So, in your opinion, was she despondent enough to take her own life?”
“She must have been, because that’s what she did.”
“Did you try to make her happy, to find out what was wrong and correct it?”
“Look, obviously you don’t know much about farming. There really isn’t time to spend discussing feelings and having heart to heart talks. There is a lot of work to do.”
“Willy, did you fight with Anna?” Elizabeth turned to him.
Willy looked startled for a moment. “Yeah, we had a few arguments. What step-mother/step-son doesn’t?”
“Did you ever hit her?”
“No way!” He stepped back as if he’d been slapped. “Where did you hear that? Who is spreading those lies about me?”
Elizabeth wasn’t going to say but Jared answered. “I remember seeing you raise your fist to Mom,” he said. “And you kept telling her to ‘Go’. Where was she supposed to go?”
Willy shook his head. “I just wanted her to leave so Dad and I could get our life back the way it was before they married.”
“Before I was born,” Jared said, quietly.
Elizabeth saw Willy blush under his tan. “I’m sorry I said that,” he mumbled.
And you should be, Elizabeth thought. “How did you change after Jared was born, Paul?” she asked. “What were you like before?”
Paul looked uncomfortable. He glanced at his watch. “I have to get the haying done,” he said and began to climb into the cab on the tractor.
“Dad, please,” Jared pleaded. “I need some answers. What was wrong with me that you changed and Mom would rather take her life than see me grow up?”
“It wasn’t your fault, Jared,” Paul said, as he settled in the tractor seat. “It just wasn’t your fault.”
“But you told me it was when I was a kid.”
“What?”
“You told me that Mom committed suicide to get away from me and to quit asking you about it.”
Paul stared at Jared as if trying to remember. He shook his head. “If I did, then I was wrong about that and to have said that to you.” He closed the cab door.
Elizabeth wasn’t sure but that sounded almost like an apology.
The others backed up when he started the tractor and drove away.
“I really wish you would leave this alone,” Willy said.
“Is that because you think your father killed Anna?” Elizabeth a
sked.
Willy glared at her then turned and walked away.
“Is that a yes or a no?” She called out but received no answer.
“Well, we didn’t learn much this time,” Elizabeth said, as they climbed back in the van. “I noticed you didn’t mention the possible girlfriend.”
“I don’t know how to approach that but when I do it will be just Dad and me.”
“Tell me about your relationship with your father.”
“Well, there isn’t much to tell. I remember him yelling a lot when I was a kid. Then after Mom died, it’s like he softened. He quit yelling at me, but at the same time he never told me he loved me.”
“So basically he provided you with a home and food and not much more.”
Jared nodded. “He did the best he could.”
“What about Willy? How was their relationship?”
“About the same, although Dad does put his arm around him occasionally and laughs more with him.”
“And how did you and Willy get along?”
“I don’t remember much before Mom died. But afterwards he was a typical older brother, teasing me one day, taking me places the next. It’s like he took over the role of my mother. He went to my Christmas pageants and cheered for me at my track meets. One time he actually went with my class on a day trip to Edmonton.”
Of the two, Willy was the one who acted guilty, who acted like he was seeking redemption. Elizabeth didn’t say what was on her mind.
But Jared must have been thinking the same. “It sounds like he was trying to make something up to me, doesn’t it?”
“We’ll have to keep going back until we find out what they’re hiding,” Elizabeth said.
Jared nodded. “Maybe they’ll get used to the fact that I need to know what took place. Plus, I hate that I’m thinking that my dad, or even Willy, may have killed my mom. I have to find out the truth.”
Elizabeth looked at her watch. “Do you want to go see Wayne Dearden?”
Chapter 17
“I wanted to build another barn and expand our dairy herd,” Wayne Dearden said. “Our son Graham had left home and I felt it was time for Christine to quit work and for us to spend more time together. We had worked hard, me on the farm and she in an accounting office in town and we had paid off the mortgage. I thought it was time for us to relax and enjoy the farm. It’s ironic but I wanted us to be like Ben and Meredith, who farmed together. But she had other ideas.”
The Travelling Detective: Boxed Set Page 38