“Thanks for the information. That’s good to know, and I’ll keep it in mind when I interview them. By the way, someone will be coming along the lake to collect water samples.”
“Why?” His tone was abrupt.
“I need to check diatom levels with the water in the lungs. I’ll need samples from everywhere. Sometimes chemicals from the surrounding land leech into the water. It’ll help me pinpoint where they went into the lake.” The lie slipped off her tongue.
“I see. I can have those samples collected for you.”
She laughed. “That would be great, but it doesn’t work that way—it’s the whole chain of evidence thing. Since the professor’s students are adept at sample collection, I’ll use the boy.”
“Do what you must. When will he be coming?”
“Tomorrow probably. The sooner I get the samples, the sooner I can rule on cause of death.”
He frowned as if the short time frame didn’t suit him. She finished her coffee.
“Now, I really have to get back. Can I drive you to your car?”
“No. I have to talk to Jim. I’ll get him to drop me at the inn later. You’re sure I can’t tempt you with that champagne?”
Michelle shook her head.
“All right. Maybe we can do this again?” Ron reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.
“I’d like that.” She swallowed a twinge of discomfort. “How about next Sunday. I’ll be quite busy this week.” She’d hoped she’d resolve all her uncertainties by then.
“It’s a date.”
Ron helped her into her coat and walked her to the Camaro. He put his arms around her and bent to kiss her. Her reaction to his lips on hers was disappointing. It was a pleasant sensation, but not the bone-melting feelings she got when she kissed her dream lover. When his tongue delved into her mouth, her reaction intensified, and she felt desire, but it only added to her confusion. She had a sudden urge to push him away, fight him off—why? The underlying feeling made it hard to respond to Ron’s advance. While her senses were engaged, her heart wasn’t in it, and she was immensely grateful the invasion was soon over. How could Ron be her dream lover if she felt conflicted this way? Why was her body giving her these mixed messages? Trust her senses? Hell, she couldn’t even figure out what they were telling her.
“Don’t get yourself into any trouble, Doctor.” He smiled arrogantly and dropped a light kiss on her nose. “I’ll see you next Sunday, if not before.”
Michelle smiled, got in the car, and started the engine. She waved and reversed out of the parking lot. She drove about a hundred feet from the entrance and pulled into a driveway. Her hands were shaking, and her stomach felt ready to give back her lunch. The two bottles of wine he’d given her were on the back seat. She looked over her shoulder and stared at them. From this angle, they resembled the bottle in the photograph, but all wine bottles were similar, weren’t they? She thought of the barrel of broken glass. Was her evidence buried in there? The corks, the broken glass, the labels—it was all circumstantial and yet, she sensed there was something going on here. Ron was deliberately trying to mislead her. Lissa kill them? My God, the girl was a wee thing. There’s no way she could have overpowered Aaron. And the professor behaving immorally with Lindsay? She didn’t buy it, not for a second. She leaned against the steering wheel to compose herself. Ron was trying too hard to implicate the professor and his students, and it didn’t wash.
Five minutes later, she was about to pull out of the driveway and head to the morgue when a truck coming out of the winery entrance caught her attention. Instead of turning right or left, the loaded vehicle crossed the road into the driveway of the Happy Valley Winery. She’d asked Ron about that place. He said it had been abandoned when the owner had died last year.
She watched a man get out, unlock the chain on the gate, and then open it. The truck went through the opening, and the man relocked the gate behind it. Why would Ron’s employees be delivering anything over there? Why wouldn’t he have told her if they used the place for storage? Lies of omission were just as serious as any other kind. Too much wasn’t adding it. She needed answers and she needed them now before any more of her evidence disappeared. She needed her mate, and since she couldn’t trust her senses, she realized there was one man who might be able to help her with that.
She waited until they’d driven around back of the facility and reversed. She headed away from the resort and the winery. She pressed the on-star button on her car and asked to be connected to Joseph Smoke. When the man came on the line, she arranged to see him later in the afternoon after she finished at the hospital. Next, she called the PCO and asked Rick to find out who’d released her crime scene. She also asked to have Stevens meet her at the morgue around four.
* * * *
Michelle used the doorknocker and waited impatiently for someone to answer. She was angry, upset, and frightened. There wasn’t any more time to waste. She needed answers now. If The Three Sisters had put all this in motion, then they were moving at Warp Speed.
The old man answered the door himself. “I’m Joseph Smoke. Come in, princess. I’ve waited a lifetime for this day.”
Just as they’d been with Audra, the spirits were strong in this man, far stronger than they were in her.
“You know who I am? Why I’m here?”
The old man’s leathery face crinkled into a smile. “I do. Follow me. We’ll go someplace where we can talk.”
He led her to a small room decorated in Mohawk symbols and motifs. He indicated a recliner next to the one in which he sat.
“My legs aren’t what they used to be. These old bones ache in the dampness. Do I know who you are? Yes. Part of you is the provincial coroner. I assume you’re here to tell me I can have my ceremony?”
Michelle nodded.
“Good. I’ll arrange it for Saturday. Another part of you is someone who lived here long ago, someone whose spirit has walked the shores of the lake for over two hundred years searching for the one you loved. You’ve come to do The Three Sisters’ bidding.”
There was no point is arguing with him. What she’d learned at the hospital had distressed her. She needed his help—their help.
“Joseph, someone is poisoning the lake. I know what the problem is, but a spirit guide in another place told me I’d need my mate to help me fix it. I realize you walk with the spirits too. I don’t know what to do. What my senses and the evidence tells me is contradictory. I don’t know what’s real. People have interfered with my crime scene and my corpses. I was told not to trust my senses, but to trust my heart, and right now, I’m not sure I can trust it either. Do you know who my mate is?”
“Tell me what confuses you, daughter.”
“There are two men in my life. I’m physically attracted to both, and yet, I’m not sure I can trust either. Both have secrets. The evidence is stacking up against one, but it’s being manipulated, and if I were anyone else, it would damn him. Like you, I speak to the spirits. Someone was at the morgue. The person planted evidence on one of my corpses, evidence that incriminates one man, but also condemns the other. I’ve always believed the evidence. It doesn’t lie, but if the evidence is falsified, how do I know what to trust?”
“Trust your heart.”
“I want to, but I don’t know how. Who is my mate?”
“Your mate is the man the sprits chose for you.”
She shook her head. “Did they choose Gowanda or Annosothka, or was there someone else I never lived to meet? My spirit’s been punished for making the wrong choice, but I don’t know what that was. How do I know which one is the right one this time?”
“You must listen to your heart. Many things happen in life we don’t understand. Choosing Gowanda and punishment may have been necessary.”
“I know the spirits can be fickle, and having me make the right choice and punishing me for it seems like something they might do. How do I know who to choose this time? Did I make the right or the wrong choice before? Whi
ch of the two men is my mate? One man is being framed. The other lies to me, or at the very least omits things. My senses are playing tricks on me. I was told not to trust them, but it’s what I’ve always done. It’s how the spirits have led me to the truth. Another man, a good man, has died. Three innocent deaths. I can’t have any more on my conscience.”
The old man stared into space, and she thought for a moment he’d fallen asleep with his eyes open. His hand moved and reached for hers.
“Close your eyes. It’s time. The Sisters understand your confusion and have agreed to help you.”
She did as she was told. Suddenly, she felt light-headed. She wasn’t asleep. It was more like a trance. She knew where she was, felt Joseph’s rough hand holding hers, and then it wasn’t, and she was alone.
Three men stood in the shadows. One separated himself from the others and approached her, but unlike seconds earlier, the room was now in darkness. She stood. He moved closer to her, his body darker against the deep gray of the gloom. Her heart pounded. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. She wanted to talk, ask him who he was. She raised her hand to touch his hair and found it was long and silky, the way it had always been in the dreams.
His lips claimed hers with a hunger beyond anything she’d ever experienced. She sensed anger and frustration fueled by desperation. He plundered her mouth, mindlessly, passionately, and she knew she was his, only his, then, now, and forever. He pulled his mouth from hers, and moved away slightly. She looked up into his face. Familiar aquamarine eyes filled with love stared back at her. Mist filled the room, and he vanished.
“Princess, you have your answer.” Joseph sat in the recliner as he had before and held her hand.
“I do, but how will I explain it to him?” Part of her was elated, another part as confused as it had been earlier.
“You brought something with you that is the key to the past and the future. Use it. He will recognize the truth. It won’t be as difficult as you think. Love is a powerful force.”
Michelle let go of his hand and stood.
“Thank you, Joseph. I have to get back and meet with the parents and students. I have a feeling everyone who stays here any longer may be in danger and not from the spirits either. I’ll see you on Saturday for the ceremony.”
Joseph escorted her to the door. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds, and she hoped she’d make it back to the resort before it rained. She’d done groceries and picked up an extra night chain for her door. After she finished with the parents she’d speak to Tony alone. She hoped Joseph was right. Why Tony would remember the moccasins and blanket were a mystery to her, but she was glad she’d listened and brought them with her. She had a feeling she’d need all the help she could get. “By the way, I’m the woman whose ghost has been having sex with you,” didn’t seem like the right thing to say.
Chapter Fourteen
Tony knocked on the door of Michelle’s cottage. Ron had collected his truck around four, but she’d just returned, an hour later than she’d expected. She’d called and explained she’d been delayed. Ron hadn’t looked happy when he’d claimed his vehicle. Something hadn’t turned out the way he’d hoped, and it pleased Tony immensely.
Michelle answered the door. Dressed in navy slacks and a white sweater, her hair pulled into a long ponytail, she looked relaxed yet professional. Her light floral perfume, pleasant but not overwhelming, added to the friendly atmosphere of the cottage.
“Come in. I was just putting away the groceries I bought. Ron will let Jackson collect water samples on his property in the morning. Ron wasn’t pleased with the idea, but he agreed.”
She opened the door wider to let him in, and Tony saw she’d made the place homier than it had been. The gas fireplace was on and a tray of veggies and dip and other cold hors d’oeuvres sat on the table.
“I hope you won’t mind, but I thought we could eat supper here instead of in the restaurant. I picked up a couple of steaks, salad, and baking potatoes for dinner. I’d rather eat here where we won’t be overheard.”
Tony wrinkled his brow. She seemed secretive, nervous even, and if she wanted to talk to him alone, the news couldn’t be good. What the hell had happened to her?
A knock at the door announced Lissa and Jackson. Tony watched Michelle introduce herself and make his students comfortable. The disquiet he’d sensed in her moments earlier had vanished, and he thought he might have imagined it.
He liked the way she probed for answers without seeming too. He’d never heard Jackson opened up about himself so much, and by the time Lissa had finished talking, he was convinced Michelle was a miracle worker. She knew exactly what to say to ease the girl’s pain and heartache. He noted she hadn’t reacted one way or another to Lissa’s pregnancy or Jackson’s comment he’d seen him outside in the storm that night. The kids had just left when the families arrived. Tony had planned to leave, but Michelle asked him to stay. He was amazed by her professionalism. How could he have doubted her ethics? Her attitude made him feel even worse.
Tony watched as Michelle put the parents at ease as she’d done with his students. She smiled at them, invited them to sit, and took a chair across from them. He was too agitated to sit. Instead, he leaned on the back of her chair. It didn’t seem to bother her.
“Thank you for coming. Please accept my deepest sympathies for your losses. I know this hasn’t been easy. Tragedies, like this one, never are. Mr. Moorcroft set this investigation in motion, and while some of you might be unhappy about it, I think it’s necessary.”
“If you think Aaron’s mom and I are upset about this, don’t be, doctor. We want the truth.”
“You’ll get it. What I’m going to ask you now may be difficult, but it’s necessary. I need you all to leave the resort and go home tomorrow.”
“The investigation is over?” Lindsay’s father jumped up, his voice angry.
“No, far from it. I’ve officially ruled the deaths suspicious. I filed the notice with the Provincial Coroner’s Office this afternoon. I’m sure it’ll be in the paper by morning. I don’t want anyone talking to the media—that includes you, Professor. It will take weeks for all of the test results to come back, but I’ll release the remains as soon as I can. There isn’t anything you can do here. The sooner you all leave, the better.”
“Can Lissa come with us?” Aaron’s mother spoke, her voice clogged with tears. Tony wished he could say something to comfort her.
“Yes, she can.” The sympathy in Michelle’s voice was unmistakable. “I’ll be sending Jackson home as well, but I need him to do something for me first. I’ll see he gets on the train in the morning. I’m sure you noticed the beach has been cleaned as well as the shed where the handyman was working. According to the boys, the police called and released the area. My colleagues in Toronto have spoken to the police chief. Neither he nor any of his men can confirm it.”
Lindsay’s mother gasped. “Someone’s trying to cover this up?”
Michelle nodded. “It’s a possibility and until I know who, anyone of you could be in danger.”
Tony frowned. If the police hadn’t made the call, who had? No wonder she was being secretive. Something was definitely wrong.
“I’ll have the bodies shipped to you as soon as I can. Leave the information with Rick at this number. It’s the Provincial Coroner’s Office.” She handed a slip of paper with a phone number on it to each of them. “Do not speak about this to anyone else, not even amongst yourselves in the restaurant. Leave as soon as you can in the morning. I know this sounds rather cloak and daggerish, but I promise whoever is responsible for this will pay.”
After the parents left, Tony walked over to Michelle. He sensed her discomfort and ached to take her into his arms, but didn’t dare.
“I’ll talk to Jackson now, but you should know I’m not going anywhere.”
“Glad to hear it since I need you here. I’ll explain as much as I can later, but go speak to Jackson now. It’s important. Here.” She hande
d him the key. “Let yourself in when you come back. It’s going to be a long evening.”
Tony grabbed his jacket and left, more confused than ever. He heard her lock the door behind him. Something had her spooked. He walked over to the house where he knew Jackson and Lissa were cataloging the samples they’d collected and packing up the equipment they’d brought with them.
Lissa looked up when he came in, but Jackson continued his work.
“Okay, you guys. Leave the equipment and stuff. I’ll have someone from the university come and collect it. You’re leaving. Lissa, you’ll be going to Calgary with the Harts. I’ll work something out with the university out there so you can finish your research. We can Skype if we need to talk, and you can get whatever information you need from the university servers. I’ll see you have access. Everyone’s being sent home.”
Lissa nodded.
“Jackson, Dr. Thomas has arranged for you to get samples from the Whippoorwill Winery section of the lake. I’ll take you there around nine tomorrow morning, then I’m putting you on a train for Toronto. I want you back in the lab correlating the mineral information we collected. Compare it with the other samples. I’ll be sending you more info as I get it.” He thought giving the boy something to do would help him work through his grief.
“What about the meth lab?” There was a belligerent tone to his voice.
“Don’t worry. I’m not letting that go. Dr. Thomas is on our side, and she can bring a lot of expertise to the table. She can force the mayor to take the matter seriously—hell, she can go over his head in the blink of an eye. She wants everyone safely away from here, and I agree. Be careful what you discuss at dinner. The walls have ears.”
After he let Lissa and Jackson go, he gathered all the samples they’d taken and put them in a lab kit, which he carried upstairs with him. He wasn’t letting anything out of his sight. He took a shower and changed into clean clothes, grabbed a bottle of white wine out of the fridge—she’d mentioned she preferred white last night, the samples, and locked up. He crossed the grass and let himself in. As she’d done, he locked the door behind him.
Echoes of the Past Page 20