Jamie sighed. “Are you sure? If you learn anything, call me immediately. The quicker we move on this case, the better, because with a homicide to contend with in addition to the break-ins...the very simple fact is that even if the thieves didn’t intend for loss of life during their robbery, it happened. And if they get away with it, psychologically they’re less likely to be as careful the next time, because they’ll know they can cover up their wrongdoing without consequence. Solving this could literally mean life or death for the next person who crosses the thieves’ path.”
Ellen nudged her brother with her elbow. “I understand. Leo’s RCMP, too, remember? He’ll know what to say. We’ll keep the GPS on Leo’s phone so you can track us once we’re back on the trail. We’ll see you back at the station.” Ellen gave her brother a quick hug and hurried off to the horses. Leo followed. Once they were mounted and out of earshot of Trucco and Clyne, Leo reined in his horse and cleared his throat.
“All right, let’s hear it.” He looked pointedly at Ellen’s hands. “What’d you hand off that I’m talking to this guy about?”
She pressed her lips together, then let them spring open. Leo had to look away, feeling a strange spark of adrenaline as he noticed the shape of her mouth. What was that about?
“I found something in a planter at the bottom of the stairs. I’m certain it wasn’t there before the men arrived, because I always start cleaning in the living room first. I clean out the dead leaves from the planters and water them.” She sighed and wrinkled her nose as if smelling something unpleasant. “I found a squished cigarette butt. I don’t know why the forensic examiner didn’t find it first, but...we’re going to talk to the man it belongs to.”
* * *
Ellen took a deep breath before plunging into her explanation. “Old Hogan does landscaping on the vacation cottages. He manages the outsides while I clean the insides. Well, his full name is Keith Hogan, but everyone just calls him Old Hogan since he’s been a fixture in the area for decades. He’s a nice enough person, but he smokes a lot and the butt I found is his brand.”
Leo eyed her with skepticism. “How could you possibly know that?”
“The smell.” She tasted the memory of bitter smoke on her tongue. “He only smokes these awful, cheap cigarettes that he imports from a reserve in Ontario. Don’t ask me why, he tried to tell me about it once—something about his childhood and where he grew up—but I didn’t listen. I wasn’t exactly interested in a story about cigarettes. But his vice may work in our favor. He’s not supposed to be inside the houses. He only cleans the outside, but this is definitely his.”
“You should have handed it directly to the forensic examiner if you were that sure.”
She looked over her shoulder toward the Fosters’ cottage. The rear porch was visible, along with Trucco’s back. “I wanted to give it to Jamie on the down low, because the staff sergeant was too angry to take us seriously, the forensic examiner was too incensed to listen to anything Jamie had to say and I didn’t want to hand it over while they were yelling at him. The way Trucco was behaving, I honestly worried that she might grab it out of my hand and throw it away or something. I don’t have a clue why she didn’t find it first, but hopefully it’ll provide Jamie with enough of a lead to get back into Clyne’s good graces.”
Leo glanced back, too. The staff sergeant still sat in his car. He probably wanted to be sure they didn’t try running back into the house as soon as he drove away. “I’m not sure I agree with your methods, but I understand your reasoning.”
He followed Ellen’s detour off the path to the back of the cottage where Old Hogan was working. “Didn’t you say yesterday that Hogan had gotten in his truck and left the Fosters’ property only minutes before the men who broke in arrived?”
“I did.” Ellen thought back to the day before, trying to reconcile the timing in her mind. “He left and then they showed up. I thought they’d waited for him to leave before breaking in, but his leaving could have been a cover-up for what came next. Though I don’t know that he’d have had the necessary time to take his truck far enough away that the police couldn’t see it, then make his way back to the house.”
“What if there was another driver? Hogan could have sped down the road, dropped off his truck and met up with the crew.”
Ellen thought about it, but something didn’t feel right. “Maybe. But the timing still seems odd...” She groaned, and her horse whinnied softly. She leaned over to scratch behind the animal’s ears. Boomer seemed to appreciate it. “I don’t know, Leo. I just don’t know. This is the best thing we have, though, and Jamie might be able to make something of it that I can’t.”
“You do realize that if the cigarette was his, it makes him a suspect.” Leo checked again for Clyne’s patrol car. He was still there. “Then again, we’ve got an armed RCMP officer watching our six, so I guess there’s that.”
They reached the edge of the cottage property where Old Hogan was working and dismounted. The path down to the flower beds was rocky and not good for the horses, and besides, Ellen didn’t want to ruin his careful landscaping. She’d known Old Hogan for nearly her entire life—he’d been landscaping in the area since her grade school days—but she didn’t know much about the man. It seemed unconscionable that he could be involved in theft and homicide, but then again, she had full confidence that had been his cigarette butt in the Fosters’ planter.
As they walked down toward Old Hogan, Leo squeezed her shoulder, and for some odd reason, her heart did a little hop at the same time. She shut it down by refusing to think about it, the same way she refused to think about a lot of things that bothered her. Bottling it all up was the only way to cope, the only way to avoid a descent into the madness of memory.
“Do you know what you’re going to say to him?” Leo asked suddenly. She paused and he stepped in front of her, placing his hand on her hip with his back to Old Hogan. Like he didn’t want the man to overhear them—or her to go bolting over and tossing out a volley of random questions. “Here’s the thing. While he’s not a suspect yet, he will be as soon as Jamie processes the evidence—that is, if you’re right about what you found. But the fact of the matter is, the thieves are still out there. These people tried to kill you, and even though I can see you’re trying not to let it bother you, it should. A car bomb isn’t a matter to take lightly, and neither was the washroom attack. We need to stick close together, and I need you to continue letting me take the lead.”
His voice lowered as he stepped toward her, and only then did she notice that his hand hadn’t left her hip. It lingered there, the warm pressure of his fingers suddenly making her very aware of the small distance between them. “Does that sound fair?”
Her throat seemed to close again...but this time, his fingers resting against her hip were the culprit.
“Sure,” she managed, though the word felt strange as it left her lips.
Was it fair that he wanted to watch over her? Of course. Was it fair that her long-abandoned childhood crush on this man had suddenly been rekindled by a few heroic gestures and the gentleness of his touch?
Not at all.
SIX
Leo winced internally as a strange, unreadable look came over Ellen. She nodded as if she understood and agreed with him—and then pulled away, hurrying down the path toward the landscaper. Leo spared a glance back in the direction of the Fosters’ place. Sure enough, the staff sergeant’s patrol car was still there, though Jamie’s was now gone and a new car had arrived. The forensic examiner, on the other hand, was now wandering around the Fosters’ backyard, and if Leo wasn’t mistaken, appeared to be tossing glances in their direction a little more often than necessary.
He made a mental note to ask Aaron if she’d been so intense in the course she’d taught, too—some specialists were just like that. As long as they did good work, abrasive attitudes were allowed to slide. Nature of the business, i
t seemed—plus, specialized skills like forensic examination weren’t exactly a dime a dozen, so often supply and demand with experts came into play on larger cases.
Leo followed Ellen down the path, noticing the immaculate design and care of this cottage’s exterior grounds. Close-cropped green grass was framed by neatly trimmed hedges, and flower beds dotted the wide yard in an asymmetrical pattern. The flowers were bright and lively, evidence of a skilled hand at work in the harsher climate of northern BC.
“This is...really good.” He raised an eyebrow at Ellen.
“There’s a reason he gets hired by the big city folks, and you’re looking right at it.”
“If all his work is like this, I’m not surprised. It’s exceptional.” After the events of yesterday and this morning, there was a strangeness to the beauty of the property. His adrenaline kept him expecting someone to jump out at them from around the corner or for a nearby object to randomly explode, but his brain knew it wasn’t rational. They were using horses for transportation—and it was nearly impossible for someone to tamper with them unnoticed.
Besides, they were dealing with thieves. Thieves didn’t want to get noticed. They operated in the shadows, under cover of anonymity. If another attack came, it would make sense to expect it at night or during the twilight hour, when visibility was at its lowest, or—he glanced up at the sky, noting the large mass of gray clouds rolling in from the west—under any conditions that provided some level of cover.
That didn’t mean he and Ellen could afford to relax their caution, however. And to their advantage, they were being watched by several fellow law enforcement professionals, even if it was out of frustration or suspicion that they might interfere with a crime scene.
From the angle they approached Hogan, they only saw the top of his head, but as they came closer, it was clear they’d interrupted the man during his lunch break. He was seated on a piece of decorative driftwood, a sandwich raised halfway to his mouth. A donut sat on a napkin next to him, and a silver thermos rested at his feet. His skin was wrinkled and leathery, evidence of long days spent out in the sun without protection.
The closer they came to him, the more the air reeked of sweet, pungent cigarette smoke.
Leo sneezed in an unintentional announcement of their arrival, startling the older man. He sneezed twice more, the cigarette smoke bothering his sinuses more than usual.
“Eh? Ellen? What on earth...?” The man lowered his sandwich and squinted at the two of them. “Welcome to my, er, office, I suppose. And who’s this?”
Leo scanned the area as Ellen came forward. Nothing about this man gave off an air of danger or aggression. Rather, he seemed confused.
“Hi, Hogan,” she said. “I’m going to skip the small talk and get right to the reason we’re here.”
Leo did a double take. Where was this side of Ellen coming from?
She took a deep breath and continued. “You might have heard about what happened at the Fosters’ yesterday. After you left.”
Hogan nodded and folded the wrapper back over his sandwich. “Got a visit from a couple of officers, but I already told ’em I don’t know anything. Didn’t see nothing after I left. Went to the store, bought some muffins, went right home.”
“You live in town?” Leo asked. He noticed Ellen raise an eyebrow at him. Of course she already knew the answer to that.
Hogan frowned. “Of course I do. Who are you?”
Ellen sighed pointedly at Leo and continued, “One of your smokes was found inside the Fosters’ place in a planter. As if someone put it out, got startled and accidentally left it there. And before you ask how I know it’s one of yours, give me some credit. We’ve worked on the same properties for years, and I know the smell of that special brand you bring in from out of province. Which I’m not even sure is legal. Is it legal, RCMP Officer Thrace?”
Hogan shifted abruptly on his seat, as if someone had jolted him with a small electric shock. He stared at Leo.
“Lots of regulations surrounding the import of tobacco from out of province,” Leo said. “I hope you’ve got all your paperwork in order.”
The man flinched, but Leo had an inkling it was out of surprise rather than fear. If Ellen knew that the man imported these products, so did Jamie, and undoubtedly so did the rest of the local RCMP. Either the man really did have his permits in order, or the local detachment looked the other way when it came to this particular situation—and either way, it really wasn’t any of Leo’s business.
“Never you mind about that,” the man muttered, likely picking up on the same things Leo had. “But I never went into the Fosters’ place, not once. I’m no dummy. I’ve been working on properties in this town and at the lake for thirty-odd years now, and I’m not about to jeopardize my business. Not when I’m on the verge of retirement, you hear?”
Leo slid his gaze across to Ellen, who regarded the older fellow with almost apologetic pity. “The cigarette butt got inside the house somehow, and Ellen here insists that you’re the only one in the area who feeds his vice with this particular brand. Might I add, these things are going to kill you someday, sir.”
Hogan snorted. “As if I don’t know that? I’m too old to change. Too far in now, son. Can’t fix an old badger like me. But I tell ya, I don’t know how it got in there.” The man’s gaze went squirrelly, darting from place to place.
Gotcha, Leo thought, stepping closer. “You sure about that? I want you to think really carefully about what you say next, sir. A man died yesterday. A treasured community member. And so far, the only thing the police have to go on is a cigarette butt from a brand you’re known to smoke. At this point, you’re the prime suspect.” Or at least, he would be once Jamie had the go-ahead from the staff sergeant to resume work on the case.
Hogan’s eyes widened like saucers and he dropped his hands to his lap. “You know, now that I think about it...a few days ago, a customer came to see me. I have a little office space. Biers here knows where it is. Wore a hat and sunglasses. Sat right across from me, early morning when the sun was coming up and streaming through the window, you know? I had to squint to see him through the sun’s brightness. He pulled out his pack at the end of the meeting, but it was empty. Asked if he could bum a smoke. I...well, I gave him a few, because he was talking about bringing in a lot of business. A couple of new properties on the west side of the lake. Said he was a developer, looking to fix up the exterior so’s he could sell or rent at a higher rate.”
The man’s story sounded reasonable enough. “Did the man leave his name? With a big proposition like that, he must have.”
“Hah, you’d think.” Hogan shook his head and raised his sandwich back to his mouth. “Took my smokes and I haven’t heard from ’im since. Still might. Sometimes takes a while for folks to decide. Lots of options around here, but my work speaks for itself.”
Leo ran his hand through his hair and looked over at Ellen, who responded with a small shrug. She didn’t know whether to believe him, either.
“So what you’re telling me is that a client came to see you, dressed like a person trying to disguise himself, proposed a whole bunch of new business, then took some items from you that are commonly known to be used by you and you alone.” Hogan nodded. “And then those items were found at a crime scene a few days later.”
Hogan froze, mouth hanging open. Leo recognized the moment the man understood what was going on.
“I don’t suppose,” Leo said, “you have a security camera set up at your office?”
The landscaper’s face fell. “No, Officer. There’s an alarm on my shed with all the tools, but nothing like that. Never needed it.” He dropped his sandwich back into the wrapper, almost missing the edge of the checkered paper. “I’m being framed, Officer. Surely you can see that.”
I can also see that you didn’t start respecting authority until it seemed like you might be in trouble, Leo t
hought. “I recommend that you think a little harder about what might have happened that day, and I recommend even more strongly that you pay a preemptive visit to the police station and tell them exactly what you told me. But with more detail and specifics. Understand?”
Old Hogan nodded, but his chin drooped as Leo escorted Ellen back up the path toward the horses.
“I feel bad for him,” Ellen said as soon as they were beyond earshot. “I don’t think he had anything to do with this.”
Leo began to untie the horses. “I don’t, either, but the fact remains that he’s connected somehow through those cigarettes. And I have a feeling he knows more than he’s letting on. Like the identity of the person he gave the smokes to, perhaps. He looked awfully upset when he put the pieces together—disappointed, even. Hopefully if he does know who it is, he realizes that they took advantage of him in a big way and aren’t worth protecting.”
“Loyalty runs deep in small towns, though,” Ellen said. They mounted the horses again and headed back to the trail. Leo couldn’t resist a quick wave at both the forensic examiner and Staff Sergeant Clyne. Trucco didn’t acknowledge them, but Clyne raised two fingers. The moment their horses hit the trail, they heard a car engine start and tires crackle down the driveway.
As impressed as he was that Ellen had known who the cigarette butt belonged to, Leo couldn’t help but feel like they’d come full circle and were back at square one. Unless Hogan could identify the person to whom he’d given the cigarettes, they had nothing left to go on.
“Back to the precinct?” Ellen asked after several minutes. “I don’t want to spend the rest of the day and possibly the night at the police station, but that’s the safest course of action. Jamie told us to come back, and he’s monitoring your phone’s GPS, after all.” She sighed, her full, red lips tilting downward.
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