Chica bared her teeth.
Neil glared at Chica, but didn’t move.
“If you go near Kalin again, I’ll kill you.”
“Fuck you.”
Ben tensed, and Kalin stepped beside him.
Neil shook his head and laughed. “Get the cops to give me my truck back.” He walked around them, staying away from Chica, and put his hand on Ben’s Ford F-150.
“Wrong truck, dumb ass,” Ben said.
Neil took a step toward Ben, and Chica snapped her jaws. He backed off and walked to Connor’s truck.
“Good girl.” Kalin grabbed Chica’s collar to keep her from following Neil.
As soon as Neil drove off, Kalin hugged Ben. A hug had never felt so good. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Ben let go of Kalin and took both of her hands in his. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I drove halfway to Manitoba and turned around. I’ve been back for a few days.”
“But you didn’t come see me.”
“I didn’t want to be so far away from you, but I wasn’t ready to talk.”
“But you are now?”
“I don’t know what happened to me. After Jason died, I couldn’t seem to hold it together. I was terrified of losing you. I didn’t think I could live if something happened to you. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me.”
Ben touched his lips lightly to Kalin’s. “I know. I realized that if I left you, I’d lost you anyway. So that was stupid. I want to come home.”
Kalin leaned into Ben. “You are home.” They stayed hugging until Chica bumped Kalin’s leg, reminding her she was there.
“So what was going on with Neil?”
She repeated the conversation. “But everything’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I’m going to drive you to work and back for a while.”
Kalin would put up with the monitoring if it meant she was his again. She leaned back into Ben and instigated another hug. The softness of his T-shirt felt good against her cheek. She ached for him. “I love you,” she whispered in his ear. “How come you showed up at the right moment?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you and when you didn’t get home on time, I decided to find you.” Ben gently pushed her away, and said, “Call Miller. He needs to know about this.”
* * *
Kalin woke with her naked body wrapped around Ben’s and didn’t want to leave the bed. She’d hated sleeping alone. She’d hated living in an empty house. Her world was right again. Chica lay on the floor, curled up on Ben’s side of the bed as if she’d missed him too.
“Hit the road,” Ben said to Chica. He gently shoved her toward the door and locked her out of the room. He turned to Kalin. “We’ve got things to do.”
“Again?”
“Last night was just a warm-up.” Ben rolled on top of Kalin. He pressed his mouth onto hers, pried her lips apart and pushed his tongue deep.
When Ben rolled off her, she didn’t know how much time had passed and didn’t care. “If that’s what people call make-up sex, I like it.”
Eventually she forced herself out of bed and into the shower. She left the house happy but during the time between Ben dropping her off and stepping into her office, anger built inside her. Neil Olsen would not intimidate her. He was all bluff.
At noon, she borrowed Monica Bellman’s car and drove to Holden. Ben didn’t need to know every move she made. She called Charlotte Summers and asked her to meet a block from the newspaper’s office. There was no sense having Leanne Olsen call Neil and report. They stood on the corner beside a health food store.
Charlotte tugged at her long braid. “I feel like we’re in a spy movie. Maybe I should cut and dye my hair.”
Kalin handed her a latté. “Hardly, but every time I meet with you, I think Leanne calls her brother or her cousin. I’m not sure which.”
She told Charlotte what had happened with Neil, including him taking Chica.
“Remember the cat,” Charlotte warned.
“I know. Have you uncovered anything more?”
Charlotte gave Kalin a bright smile. “Don’t you know it. I was going to call you today. I’ve been waiting for Leanne to leave the office. It was like she knew I wanted her to leave, so she stayed put.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“I searched our files, including the archives, and didn’t find anything. That seemed odd, so I talked to my boss and asked her about the Olsens. At first she didn’t say much, but after I told her what was going on and why I was interested, she showed me a file she’d locked in her office. I guess she doesn’t trust Leanne either.”
“She kept a private file on the Olsens?”
Charlotte nodded enthusiastically. “My boss’s brother was a site foreman for Timber Construction, the company Neil used to own. Connor worked there too, before he went to Mountain Terrain Builders.”
“I went to Kicking Horse and talked with Stan Blakeford about Connor. He didn’t have anything positive to say.”
“My boss said her brother started to notice irregularities, her words not mine, at his construction sites. Small breaches in safety procedures or stuff not built to code. Then the suppliers started asking for payments, saying they heard the company was giving them out to others, and if they wanted building material they better pay up. He wasn’t sure what was going on so he asked Neil, and Neil fired him.”
“I didn’t get much info out of Mountain Terrain Builders, but I bet I could if I approached Stan in the right way,” Kalin said.
“That’s what my boss said too. I think she’s going to call him.”
“Does the RCMP know any of this?”
Charlotte sipped her latté. “I don’t think so.”
Kalin pointed to Charlotte’s upper lip. “I’m thinking that’s not what you had in mind for your spy disguise. Anyway, can you convince your boss to tell the cops what she suspects? Get her to call Constable Miller. Maybe he should talk with Stan Blakeford.”
Charlotte licked her upper lip, removing the milk. “I’ll try, but this is my boss’s story.”
“I get that, but Jason Tober died. The resort almost burned to the ground. It’s not just about a story or her brother anymore.”
“I think Connor was undermining Pete’s company as a favor to Neil. Neil isn’t the smartest, and he couldn’t compete.”
“Stan said the last year Connor worked in Kicking Horse, Neil visited him a lot then the quality of work dropped. I bet Neil and Stan bid for some of the same jobs. You think Neil’s been having Connor systematically bring down his competitors?”
Charlotte swished one hand through the air, and gold bangles jingled on her wrist. “It is the Olsen way.”
“But Neil went out of business last year.”
“Yeah. Then Pete hires Connor and look what happened to him. They probably blame Pete for Neil’s business failure. With Pete out of the way, Neil can start up again.”
* * *
Farley was having what Nora called, “One of his fizzy fits.” Bursting with energy, he ran from the window to the door and back to the window. He barked and jumped as he whipped by her. After several moments of crazy behavior, he stood with his paws against her front door. He barked, looked back at Nora and barked again. His tail wagged hard, forcing his torso to follow along. Nora laughed at his excitement.
She wasn’t surprised when she heard a knock at the door. Ian must have forgotten his key. Farley was getting used to them, and maybe he recognized Ian’s scent. With Ethan resting on her hip, she opened the door.
Farley burst forward and jumped at Pete, desperately trying to reach his face. Pete kneeled, and Farley licked his recently shaved cheeks. Farley’s paws pulled at Pete’s shoulders and his nose nuzzled Pete’s neck, knocking off a piece of tissue.
“Good boy. I’ve got you.” Pete stood, and Farley ran around his legs.
“Come in,” Nora said between laughs. “I th
ink he’s happy to see you.”
Pete followed Nora and Ethan into her living room. He stepped over Melanie’s suitcase and pushed a box of her clothes out of the way. Nora cleared the couch of Melanie’s pillows and blanket, stuffing them into the bottom shelf of the bookcase.
Once they were settled, Nora with Ethan on her lap, Pete with Farley stuck to his leg, Nora asked, “They let you out?”
“My lawyer’s good. There’s some new evidence. They haven’t dropped the charges, but I was allowed bail. Can I hold him?”
Nora placed Ethan into Pete’s outstretched arms. “Meet your grandpa.”
Pete closed his eyes and rested his chin on Ethan’s head. “I never thought I’d have this luxury again.”
Nora let him have a moment before asking, “When did you get out?”
“This morning.”
Nora guessed he’d gone home and changed before coming over. He looked freshly showered, his shirt and pants were ironed and he smelled of aftershave. Some masculine scent. “You still have to fight this then?”
“Yes, but my lawyer is optimistic. She said with Ben’s testimony about me handling his gas cans, they really don’t have the proof to convict me. I’m going to hire an investigator to find out who started the fire. Even if I’m not convicted, I don’t want this hanging over my head.”
An awkward moment settled between them.
“We haven’t had much time to talk,” Pete said.
“It’s been crazy here. Melanie and Ian moved in, and Farley’s been keeping us entertained.”
“Thanks for taking care of him. I’m not sure what the RCMP would have done with him. Put him in the pound I guess. He wouldn’t have done well there. He needs to be around people.”
“I can see that,” Nora said. “I’ll take care of him anytime you need.”
“Does that mean…”
“It means I’m willing to try to have a relationship with you. It’s hard for me to accept I have parents.”
“Was Lisa Hudson a good mother?”
“The best. I miss her.” Nora stood and picked up Lisa’s photo from the mantelpiece. “She treated me like I was her own. I miss Rachel too. You know about her?”
Pete nodded.
“Sometimes I can’t believe it’s true, what happened to them.”
“Have you seen Janet Wood at all?”
“Once. She gave me this.” Nora handed Pete the photo album Janet had given her. “She said she didn’t want anything from me but thought I’d like to see photos of the first two years of my life.”
Pete shifted Ethan to one side, took the album and opened it. He flipped pages for a while, and Nora watched his face.
Nora’s cell rang. “Hey, Kalin.”
“Just checking if you’re coming to the Pampered Chef party tonight?”
“Yup. I’ll see you there.” Nora disconnected the call, and Pete put down the album. “You were a cute baby. I’m sorry I missed that. It’s odd seeing Janet so young. I barely remembered her, but this is bringing back a bit of it. She looks happy in the photos.”
“She does,” Nora agreed. “I don’t know the story about you and Janet.”
Pete cleared his throat and pulled his button-down collar away from his neck. “I met her in a bar. We had one night together. I left the next day. Went overseas. I didn’t know about you until years later. What are you smiling at?”
“You look uncomfortable. I’m not judging you. As the saying goes, like father, like daughter.”
“What does that mean?”
“I was with Ian for one night. We weren’t dating or anything. At first I regretted being with him. Doing something so rash isn’t like me. I didn’t know Ian well. I was trying to get back at my boyfriend. It was a shitty thing to do, but now I have Ethan. It doesn’t matter how he came about. What’s important is he’s here. All I’m saying is you don’t have to feel bad about your one-night-stand. I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t happened.”
Pete gave her a double dimple smile. “Have you thought about what it means if Janet didn’t kill her son?”
“Every day. I can’t imagine going to jail for eighteen years and not being guilty. If that’s true, then we should help her now, but I need to be sure.”
“I know you do.”
“I don’t want her near Ethan until it’s one hundred percent.”
“I get that too.”
“I know it seems harsh, but I have to protect him. Her behavior when I first met her wasn’t normal. I mean, who breaks into a person’s home at night and holds a baby?”
“She did that?”
“She did. I found her in Ethan’s room. She scared the crap out of me.”
“That’s bad, but can you try to see things from her side? She probably thought she had no other way to meet her grandson. Her desire for a connection after all this time must be overwhelming. Will it bother you if I try to help prove her innocence? I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.”
Nora slowly shook her head. “You really don’t think she did it.”
“There are others who were wrongly convicted based on the testimony of the same pathologist. It seems fair to give her a chance.”
“I know all that too.” Nora told Pete about the information Kalin had collected from Charlotte Summers. “I don’t mean to be hard on her. This is hard on me too. And no matter what, Ethan has to come first.”
“Are you saying I can help Janet?”
“I’d like you to.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Kalin entered Monica Bellman’s home for the first time. She’d been Monica’s boss for one and a half years but had never been invited before. Monica was hosting a Pampered Chef party. Normally, Kalin avoided what she called home shopping parties, but Monica had invited the entire HR team, and she felt obligated.
She dropped her backpack in the front hall and entered the living room. Monica lived in a furnished condo in the upper village.
A kitchen filled the space to the right of the door. Monica shut the dishwasher so she could remove nachos from the oven, then shut the oven door so she could grab sour cream from the refrigerator. “Only one door opens at a time,” she said to Kalin. “Efficiency at its best.”
Kalin took in Monica’s ripped T-shirt and denim shorts and compared them to her own low cut jeans and V-neck T-shirt. Neither would wear something so casual to work, even at a ski resort.
The dining room, hardly larger than the table, came next and was covered with appetizers. The mountains cooled quickly every evening, and the gas fireplace in the over-stuffed living room was lit to counter the chill.
Kalin handed Monica a bottle of red wine and joined the others already in the room.
Nora arrived with Ethan tucked in the crook of her arm, and Melanie trailed behind her.
“I don’t know if I can afford to buy anything, but I wanted to come anyway,” Nora said apologetically to Monica. “I hope that’s okay?”
Cooking supplies covered the coffee table and each person was given an order sheet and a pen. Monica introduced everyone and all fourteen found places to sit, some taking spots on the floor.
Nora approached Kalin and whispered, “I saw Ben. I knew he’d come back.”
Kalin grinned. “Is that an ‘I told you so’?”
The door from the hallway opened, and Cindy Tober entered. Monica ran to her side and hugged her. “I’m so glad you decided to come.”
Kalin hesitantly approached Cindy. Cindy wore a cropped T-shirt showing the heart tattoo circling her belly button. It had changed since Kalin last saw it. “Jason,” was written in an arc above the heart. Cindy had cinched her skinny jeans tight to compensate for her recent weight loss.
Cindy reached forward and held Kalin’s hand. “I’m sorry about my behavior at the front desk. I was upset about being hit with the lock and took my anger out on you. I heard they let Pete Chambers go, so I guess he wasn’t the one.”
Kalin was relieved Cindy was talking to her. She didn’t w
ant to lose her friend. “Don’t be sorry. I shouldn’t have been so sure of myself.”
“Should we get started?” Monica asked.
Kalin joined Tessa and Melanie on the couch. Nora sat on the other side of the room, farthest away from the cool night air. When they were settled, Monica gave her spiel about the products and the shopping began.
Melanie offered Kalin peanuts from the bowl being passed around.
“No, thanks. I’m allergic.” Kalin bought a set of measuring spoons. Tessa bought a plastic microwavable pot, but the big spender was Melanie. She bought a carving knife.
She shrugged at the expense. “I like to cook.”
With the shopping done and the socializing starting, Tessa asked Melanie, “Is Connor still bugging you?”
Melanie bit the inside of her cheek. “Yeah.”
“You should stay away from him.” Tessa’s voice was just above a whisper level.
With the others chatting in the room, no one other than Kalin could hear. Connor sure had a wide taste in women. Tessa with her blonde curls and blue eyes, and Melanie with her all black façade and facial piercings. Tessa used to have a hearing disability and Melanie a drug addiction. Maybe Connor liked a woman with a weakness.
“He won’t leave me alone,” Melanie said.
Tessa inched closer to Melanie. “I mean it. He’s dangerous.”
Kalin remained quiet, hoping Tessa and Melanie would forget she was there and continue to talk openly.
“He hates women,” Tessa said.
Melanie rolled her eyebrow ring. “Yeah, well I hate him.”
“He tried to get me back until he met you. Does he want you to get back together?”
Melanie flipped her purple streak of hair behind her back. The purple was an explosion of color compared to her black hair, black makeup and black clothes. For the first time, Kalin noticed the freckles on Melanie’s nose. Maybe she was a natural redhead like her brother, Ian.
“He doesn’t take no for an answer.” Melanie’s phone buzzed, and she held the screen in front of Tessa. “See, he texts me all the time. He wants me to meet him later. Like that will happen.”
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