"And some of them have already been ruled out because of dental or other records," Sally said.
"Are you helping Elizabeth?" Cynthia asked.
"Oh, no. She’s in this all by herself," Sally grinned.
"But we’d better go," Elizabeth said standing. "It’s late and we are headed to Vancouver tomorrow."
"Something to do with the case?" Cynthia asked, following them to the door. "We never discussed travel expenses."
"That’s all right. This is pro bono."
Cynthia nodded. "Thank you. So what do you expect to learn there about Penny?"
"I really can’t discuss that with you right now. It is a delicate matter and if doesn’t work out I might be accusing the wrong person."
"But you will let me know as soon as you find out something, as per our agreement?"
"Yes, I will report back to you everything I learn."
Elizabeth and Sally hurried across the road. When they were out of earshot, Sally said. "Where did you learn all those phrases like privy to, pro bono, and delicate matter?"
"Hey, I read books and watch television, too."
* * *
It was just after eleven o’clock Sunday morning when Elizabeth and Sally arrived in Vancouver. They followed the highway to Taylor Way, crossed over the Lions Gate Bridge, drove through downtown and turned right onto Burrard Street. After crossing the Burrard Bridge, Elizabeth turned left onto 1st Avenue. She followed it as it curved and ended at Fisherman’s Wharf. Elizabeth found a place to park. Just as she shut off the vehicle her cell phone rang.
She dug it out of her bag. "Hello?"
"Hi, this is Madeline. I went through Sylvia’s things from the retreat and I didn’t find a manuscript either on paper or on DVD."
"What about in her room? She may have left a copy at home."
"I thought of that too and didn’t find anything there either."
"Okay, thank you for letting us know."
They climbed out of the vehicle and Elizabeth told Sally about the conversation as they walked to Mariner’s Walk. When they reached her grandmother’s condo they went through the gate.
Elizabeth led the way down the steps to the brick laid patio with a table and chairs. There were large pots with numerous flowers and bushes on the patio and to their right was a brick wall covered in hanging ivy. They went down three more steps to the red door. Beside them on the left were patio doors leading into the dining room.
Elizabeth rang the bell. In a couple of moments it was answered by a tall, slender woman dressed in black shorts and a blue sleeveless blouse. Her mostly gray hair was curly and cut short.
"Elizabeth," she smiled and grabbed her in a hug. "it’s so great to see you."
"Grandma." Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her grandmother.
"Sally," the woman said, pulling Sally towards her.
"Evelyn," Sally smiled, hugging back.
Chevy was jumping at her legs so Evelyn leaned down and patted him on the head. “Yes, I didn’t forget you,” she said. She straightened. "Come in. I’ve got a lunch ready for us."
Elizabeth and Sally entered the dining room Chevy at their heels. “Elizabeth will show you to the patio while I get the lunch," Evelyn said.
"Can we help?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, I’ve got most of the things out there. I just have to bring the devilled eggs and salads."
Elizabeth led Sally down the hall to the living room and out through sliding door to the front patio. Sally had met Evelyn in Edmonton when she’d come to visit but had never been to her place. Elizabeth waited for the reaction.
"Oh, this is so beautiful," Sally said, standing in the doorway. The patio was about four metres by four metres and overlooked a lagoon. Another door to the left opened into a bedroom. There was a row of flower boxes around the edge of the other two sides. Out on the lagoon a mother duck and six ducklings swam. The lagoon was surrounded on three sides by other patios and across it was the Island Park Walk with people strolling along it. On the other side of the park walk were the masts of sail boats docked in the marina.
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed, sitting at the bistro table. "I love coming here. I just don’t get to do it as much as I would like."
The mother duck and duckling swam over to the patio. "Quack, quack," the mama said.
"Just ignore her," Evelyn said, coming out with a plate full of eggs and a bowl of green salad. "She’s already had her lunch. I throw her bread crusts every day and so do most of the other residents here.”
They watched the constant parade of people on the walk as they ate their lunch. Evelyn had even bought Chevy some homemade dog treats which he chewed on with gusto.
"Before we get onto other topics,” Evelyn said, as they munched on grapes and pear slices for dessert. “I want to discuss my plans for next summer. We haven’t had a family get together since your mother died and I think it’s about time we did."
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed. "I haven’t seen most of the family since Mom’s funeral. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, you know that your cousin Tabitha has been taking dance lessons for years," Evelyn began.
Elizabeth nodded. Tabitha was thirteen, the youngest daughter of her mother’s youngest brother. He’d married while in his late thirties and had had two children after he turned forty.
"Her dance school is going to Disneyland next summer and I thought all of us should go there to watch her and to spend some time together."
"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Elizabeth said. "Count me in.” Then she had a thought. “If Dad’s coming what will I do with Chevy?”
“I’ll look after him,” Sally offered.
“But you’ll be working.”
“I can take some holidays. Chevy and I can go to my cousin’s farm for a few days. I’m sure he would love to roll in some cow pies for a change.”
“Just as long as you clean him up before you bring him back,” Elizabeth laughed.
"Good,” Evelyn said. “Now, because it’s my idea I’m paying for everyone’s hotel room, they just have to get there on their own."
"You don’t have to do that," Elizabeth exclaimed. "I can pay my way."
"It’s not a question of anyone being able to afford it. It’s something I want to do for my family."
"Then, it’s okay with me." Elizabeth had learned long ago not to argue with her grandmother.
"So, now that that’s settled give me the low down on what’s going on in Whistler," Evelyn said, taking a sip of water. "I’ve been watching the news about the bodies found there."
"What makes you think I would know anything about them?" Elizabeth asked, giving Sally a wink.
"Oh, come on, quit fooling with me. I know that whenever there’s a suspicious death where you are you get involved, whether you want to or not."
Elizabeth laughed. "Well, this time it’s not me, it’s Sally who had the murder dropped in her lap."
Evelyn looked at Sally. "Go ahead, tell me," she said, and listened intently as Sally explained about Bonnie and her quest to find Sylvia’s murderer and then dying herself.
"Are you going to see her husband while you are here?" Evelyn asked.
"Yes," Elizabeth said, digging a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Madeline gave us their address. We were hoping you could tell us where it is."
"Don’t you have a GPS?"
"No, I haven’t invested in one yet." Elizabeth had thought about getting one but decided she would stick to maps for now. Sometimes she got lost driving from one place to another and found a lovely setting that she hadn’t known about. Plus, a GPS usually needs an address and waterfalls and lakes don’t always have that.
"You should with your writing. Maybe I’ll get you one for Christmas. Now what is the address?"
Elizabeth read it off.
"I believe that’s on the corner of Cypress Street and 6th Ave. It’s very close by."
"Oh, great. I hated the idea of having to drive very far."
"Go back along
1st Ave, cross Burrard Street and the next corner is Cypress. Turn left on it and go to 6th Avenue. You could walk from here if you want."
After lunch Elizabeth and Sally offered to help clean up.
"No," Evelyn said. "Go see the husband while I put things away and then we can go to Granville Island when you get back. I’ll keep Chevy here."
To save time Elizabeth and Sally drove to Bonnie’s apartment building. On the corner was a huge three storey place. It almost looked like it could have been a rooming house or a regular house with many additions, but on closer look it appeared to have been built like that. And there were two separate buildings. The outside of both was a combination of stucco and yellow siding. Elizabeth and Sally climbed the steps to the landing and knocked on the Stones’ door.
The door opened but the smile on the man’s face was quickly replaced with a look of confusion. He was dressed in a gray shirt and jeans. His brown hair was short and combed to the side. He was shaven and smelled of after shave. Not the picture Elizabeth had expected after what Bonnie’s aunt had said. She waited for Sally to speak, since she was the one who had been in class with Bonnie.
"Hello, I’m Sally Matthews," Sally said, stepping forward. "I was at the retreat with Bonnie and I’ve come to offer my condolences."
The man looked from her to Elizabeth. "I’m Elizabeth Oliver. Both of us were staying at the same bed and breakfast as Bonnie and I met her there."
"I’m Gerald. Thank you for coming." He made no move to invite them in.
"Have you decided when the funeral is?" Elizabeth asked. She really wanted to ask about their marriage and whether he had killed her but that would give him an opportunity to shut the door in their faces.
"No."
"If I give you my cell phone number would you call us and let us know?" If they kept talking and sounded like they really did care maybe he would feel guilty and let them in.
"Okay."
Elizabeth rummaged through her small purse and Sally did the same. "I guess we don’t have a pen and paper," Elizabeth said, glad that Sally seemed to understand what she was doing. "Do you have some?"
Gerald hesitated. "Come in," he said, grudgingly.
Elizabeth looked at Sally and they both smiled as they followed him into the apartment. They entered immediately into the living room which looked like it had been hastily cleaned. There was a pile of papers stacked beside the couch, a bunch of pizza boxes partially hidden under the coffee table, and a vacuum in the corner.
Elizabeth wondered if Gerald was expecting someone. That could have been why he had been reluctant to let them in.
Gerald found a paper and pen in a drawer of a desk in the corner and brought them over to Elizabeth. She began to slowly write.
"Bonnie was looking into the death of her cousin while she was in Whistler," Sally said. "Did you know she was going to do that when she left?"
Gerald looked surprised. "No, why would she be doing that?"
"Because she thought Sylvia had been murdered. Didn’t the police ask you about it?"
"No, probably because it wasn’t true. Sylvia died two years ago in an accident."
"Don’t you think it’s strange that Bonnie was killed in the same town as Sylvia was."
"I guess, but why are you asking me?"
Sally shrugged and looked at Elizabeth, who handed the paper back to Gerald. "We were just wondering if she had phoned you about what she may have found out."
"Bonnie wasn’t talking much to me before she left and she never called me while she was gone."
"She did say that the two of you were getting a divorce," Elizabeth said, jumping into the opening he had given them.
"What’s it to you?" Gerald asked.
"Did you visit Whistler in the past few days?"
Gerald snorted. "No, I never went to Whistler and I’ve already told the police that. Now if you will excuse me, I have things to do." He led them to the door and opened it. Unable to think of anything else to ask, they left and went back to Elizabeth’s grandmother’s.
"Did you learn anything?" Evelyn asked.
“Just that he hadn’t been to Whistler to see Bonnie,” Elizabeth said.
"Then are you ready to go to Granville Island?"
"Yes," Sally said. "I’ve heard so much about Granville Island, I want to make sure I see it while I am here."
The three women went out onto Mariner’s Walk and turned onto Island Park Walk. They wove their way through the joggers, bicyclists, walkers, parents with strollers, and couples walking hand in hand. When they reached Anderson Street, which ran under Granville Bridge, they turned onto it and entered the island. Evelyn showed them the artistic section along Cartwright and Johnston streets and they ended up at the Public Market. There they wandered up and down the aisles looking at all the fresh fruit and vegetables, the meat counters, the baked goods, and the food outlets. Elizabeth and Sally purchased some blueberries and raspberries and some buns and cheese to take back to Whistler with them. Then they looked through the shops along Duranleau Street before arriving back at Anderson.
At the condo Elizabeth and Sally said goodbye to Evelyn and headed to Whistler.
"Are you going to class tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked on the way.
"I’ve been wondering what to do. So far I haven’t heard that the course has been cancelled."
"Your poor teacher. Two years and two deaths. She must be taking it hard."
"Speaking of Kat Mac, it’s strange that there’s no trace of Sylvia’s manuscript. Her mother made it sound as if she had been working on it for awhile."
"So maybe there wasn’t a manuscript," Elizabeth said.
"What do you mean?" Sally asked.
"Well, Bonnie registered in the course without having a manuscript and without any desire to learn about science fiction writing. Maybe Sylvia did the same."
"Why would she do that?" Sally asked. "It cost a lot of money to take it. And according to both Bonnie and Madeline, she seemed excited about coming here. Bonnie said she kept texting her about how much Kat Mac liked it."
"I wonder if Bonnie talked with Kat Mac. She said she would if no one else came forward with something."
"I’ll ask Kat Mac if she had and also ask her about Sylvia’s manuscript. If she saw it she might know where it is. And if she never saw it then what was Sylvia really doing in Whistler?"
Chapter 18
"What are you going to do today?" Sally asked Elizabeth, as they ate breakfast.
"Work on my article, maybe read by the pool."
"I don’t like you being alone."
"I won’t be alone. Chevy will be with me. He may be small but his bark can be intimidating when he’s protecting me."
The fear that had made them agree that they should stick together had diminished somewhat over the weekend but they still felt the need to be cautious.
"I’ll drive you to class and then come back here."
Sally directed Elizabeth to Fitzsimmons Street South and showed her John’s yard.
Elizabeth slowed to take a good look.
"Lovely," she said.
"I don’t see John," Sally said. "But there’s Wendy." She waved but Wendy just stared at her. "I hope John’s okay."
"Why have you taken such an interest in him?"
"I like him. He seems like a nice guy. It’s too bad he has to put up with his daughter."
Elizabeth glanced at Sally. Ever since they were teenagers Sally had liked older men, even having a crush on Elizabeth’s father, and she usually dated men up to fifteen years older than she.
"You don’t know the whole story. Maybe he’s lucky he has a daughter to look after him."
"True," Sally agreed.
No one from their class was waiting in front of the building. Sally wondered if she was the only one who was going to show up. She couldn’t remember if there had been any assignment she was supposed to have done. It didn’t matter. When she reached the class room everyone was in their seats. Kat Mac was at he
r desk. Sally headed to her spot and took out her things.
There was a pall over the class as everyone waited for Kat Mac to begin. Kat Mac stood and looked at them.
"I have checked with admissions and unfortunately there will be no refunds if you decide to withdraw from the class. So I’m going to ask you if you wish me to continue with the lectures and assignments or do you wish to leave?"
The class was silent. No one wanted to take the initiative. Finally Daryl spoke up. "We all know that Bonnie wasn’t interested in this class. She had come here to find the phantom killer of her cousin. So I think there is no good reason for us to stop the class because of her."
"What do the rest of you think?" Kat Mac asked.
"I agree with Daryl," Luke Johnson said.
"Me, too." Henry Freisen said.
Slowly the rest of the class nodded their assent.
"Thank you," Kat Mac said. "Today I would like to continue with how to incorporate science fiction and fantasy with other genres such as mystery or romance."
During the break Sally looked for Michael Wolf again. She hadn’t talked with him since before Bonnie’s body had been found. Maybe he had something to offer that would help them. Before she could ask her questions, though, Michael asked her how the class was surviving after the death.
"We decided to finish out the week."
"Ah, yes. Because Bonnie wouldn’t have wanted everyone to forfeit their money on her account."
"I doubt that anyone thought that. We have some students who are quite passionate about getting everything they can from this course."
"And the others?"
Sally grimaced. “Many are like me, here on a scouting trip to see what writing science fiction is all about. More like a tentative step into the genre."
"What do you think of Kat Mac as an instructor?" Michael asked
"I think she knows her subject, but at least for me, she doesn’t seem to know how to teach it."
Michael nodded. "Does she have any favourite students?"
"There are a couple that seem to hang around with her more than the rest of us."
The Travelling Detective: Boxed Set Page 72