At last she looked up, startled. “Oh, I’d forgotten you were here. Please, I’m sorry. I’ve just heard some bad news.”
“Would you like us to leave?” Teht’aa suggested.
“No, it’s okay. I was expecting it anyways.” Louise lapsed back into silence.
We waited. The seconds stretched into minutes. Feeling we had to do something, I was about to speak when the woman roused herself from her reverie and said, “It’s no big secret. It’ll be on the news soon enough. The police have just found the body of one of my girls.”
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter. I think we should go,” I said.
“No, no, she was no relation of mine, although I loved her as a daughter. She was one of my clients. A young woman I’d tried to help.”
I went cold. “Not Fleur Lightbody?”
She put her glasses on. “No. Her name was Sandy White Owl. She disappeared over three years ago.”
Girl number four in Eric’s files.
“I’m afraid when Sandy went missing, I was worried there would only be one possible outcome. And sadly, today I’ve been proven right. Such a tragedy.”
Teht’aa’s voice broke through the ensuing silence. “Any death is a tragedy, none more so than that of a young person killed before they’d had a chance to live a full life.”
Louise nodded, her eyes glittering with tears. “Such a waste. Unlike many of the girls that come seeking our help, she’d been given a much better start on life. Her father was band chief, her mother a teacher. After taking a year off after graduating from high school, she was registered for the fall semester at Carleton University when she had a falling out with her family.”
I felt myself go cold. This was sounding too familiar.
“I’m not sure what happened,” she continued. “Given her addiction, maybe it was drugs. I don’t know. She never told me, but her father kicked her out of their house and off the reserve. She went first to Montreal and then a couple of years later came to Ottawa. When I first met her, she was in a bad way, but I worked carefully with her over a nine-month period, and in that time she made significant improvements. She’d gone onto a methadone program, had stopped hooking and got herself a job as a sales clerk. I felt she was finally turning her life around.”
Had Fleur been heading in this direction?
I could hear Teht’aa fidgeting impatiently beside me. No doubt wanting to be polite, like me, she gave the woman time to tell her story. Unfortunately, our precious time was quickly being used up.
“And then one day she didn’t show up for her appointment. After the second missed appointment, I went to her apartment and discovered that no one had seen her for over a month.”
“Was that when you called the police?” Teht’aa glanced at her watch then showed it to me. We only had another fifteen minutes.
Louise shook her head. “Sadly, I didn’t. I assumed heroin had once again taken over her life. It took a couple of her friends to convince me that she was missing.”
She sighed and was about to resume when Teht’aa spoke up. “Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but you mentioned having to leave by five, so we don’t have much time. As I mentioned on the phone, my dad has disappeared, and we think his investigation into these missing women, including Sandy, might have triggered it. I believe he talked to you about it.”
“He’s such a nice man. He has done so much for the Centre.” Louise patted her hair down as if trying to tame it. “I’m so sorry. It must be very worrisome for you and your family.”
“I’m afraid there’s just me. When did you see him last? And was it about Sandy?”
“Let me see. I think it was before the May board meeting. The ED suggested he talk to me. Apparently he was doing some kind of an investigation into missing native girls. Did you know that sixteen are missing here in Ottawa? Four have been found dead and now there’s a fifth victim. I wonder how many more of them are dead, waiting to be found in the bush.”
“Was Sandy’s body found in West Quebec?” I interjected.
“Yeah, about an hour’s drive from here, not far from Lac aux Herons. Apparently some hikers found her. I gather given the state of the remains, she’s been dead for some time.”
“Do you know if it was close to where Becky’s body was found?”
“Not sure, but I know that lake is sometimes used for floatplane training. My brother-in-law, who teaches flying, uses it for training in take-off and landing. I gather it’s a pretty isolated lake with no cottages on it.”
“We think Eric was working on a theory as to why these women disappeared or were murdered, and we’re wondering if he might’ve shared it with you,” I asked.
“He didn’t mention anything at that first meeting, but when I bumped into him a few months ago, he mentioned the Welcome Centre, something about it being a common link to many of the murdered and missing women.”
Teht’aa raised a quizzical eyebrow. We’d only noticed the reference to the Centre in three of his files.
“You’re certain that the fourteen missing women my dad was investigating were all clients of the Centre?”
“Not all. I think Eric said there were ten. I only know about the four or five that participated in the Nanabush Program. The others were probably using the Centre’s other services, like Job Placement.”
“When did he tell you this?” she asked.
“Let me see. Sometime in mid-July … I know, it was July nineteenth, the date of my niece’s christening. I bumped into him on my way to the Bay to buy a gift. I was running late and —”
Teht’aa cut in again. “Did he tell you what significance, if any, the link might have?”
“No, he didn’t. I mentioned it to Claire, but she just laughed, saying it was no big deal. Since we handle the majority of cases for troubled aboriginal girls in the city, she said that chances were high most of the missing women had used our services at some point in time. And I would agree. I’ve handled —”
“Did you talk to anyone else about it?” Teht’aa had completely given up on being polite.
It was now 4:55.
“No, I don’t think so.” Louise glanced at the clock on her desk. “Oh my, look at the time. I’m afraid —”
“I just have one more question,” Tehta’aa said. “Did Dad mention if he’d been talking to anyone else or who he was going to see next?”
“I know he talked to Paulette. She mentioned it when I told her about your dad’s idea about the Centre being in someway implicated in the disappearance of these women.” She paused and patted her hair down. “That’s right, I did mention it to her, didn’t I?”
“So Eric had suggested that the Centre might be involved?”
“Yes, I guess he did, though I don’t remember his exact words. But I thought it was a silly idea. In fact, I was a bit insulted that he thought we would harm our girls.”
“And what was Paulette’s reaction?”
“The same.” She began putting away material on her desk and shutting down her computer. “Look, I’ve got to go.”
I had one last question. “You didn’t happen to have Fleur Lightbody as a client, did you?”
“She’s missing too, isn’t she?”
I nodded.
“When I bumped into Eric that time, he asked me the same question.” She pulled her purse from a drawer.
I waited for her to continue while she locked up her desk. As we followed her out her office door, I finally gave up waiting and asked, “What did you tell him?”
“About what?”
Our footsteps clattered down the hall.
“About Fleur?”
“Oh yes, Fleur, such an unusual name.” She stopped and turned to me. “She didn’t come to me about helping her, rather it was for a friend of hers, Becky.”
“The girl who was murdered?”
“You knew her, did you?”
“No, I didn’t. Why did Fleur want help for Becky?”
“She was w
orried that Becky had gotten into serious trouble. She wanted to know if I could help her.”
“Did she say what that trouble was?”
“No, she didn’t, but I had the feeling Becky was being forced to do something she didn’t want to.”
“Like prostitution?”
“I’ve no idea, but I wouldn’t be surprised.” She frowned at her watch and resumed walking at a much faster pace. The empty hall echoed with our thudding footsteps.
“When did you see Fleur?” I asked, trying to keep up.
“July sometime.”
She tripped down the stairs with Teht’aa and me endeavouring to stay within voice range. At the bottom, she suddenly stopped. We both narrowly missed colliding with her.
“I remember. It was before I bumped into Eric, maybe a week or so,” she exclaimed. “Such an unusual name. Pretty girl too. I remembered her visit the minute Eric mentioned her name. Now I really must go.”
She headed out the door to the waiting cab, leaving Teht’aa and me breathless and confused.
Chapter
Thirty—Four
As we watched the black cab veer around the corner, I mused, “I’m surprised we didn’t see any red circle reference to the Welcome Centre in your father’s files. He seemed to have highlighted all the other common links.”
“True, but most of his analysis will be on his laptop, which he took with him,” Teht’aa replied. “At least she helped narrow down the date Dad was last seen. July nineteenth.”
“Which happens to be the day before the Centre board meeting he missed. So it looks as if he disappeared sometime after bumping into Louise on July nineteenth and the meeting, which I think Mary said was in the evening of the twentieth.”
I turned to go back through the glass doors of the Centre. “Let’s see if Mary is still here. She might know more about the Centre’s connection to these women.”
“But is there enough time?” Teht’aa remained fixed to the sidewalk. “I don’t want to miss Marie-Claude’s brother. I have a feeling that if anyone knows what happened to Dad, he does.”
“We’ve got about forty-five minutes, which should give us plenty of time to talk with her plus the ten or so minute drive to the Market. Okay?”
“Sure, as long as it’s quick.”
Since it was past quitting time, Doris had already vacated the reception desk. But I vaguely remembered the location of the Executive Director’s second floor office and was able to navigate us there without getting lost. Luck was with us. The woman, this time dressed more casually in slacks and a sweater, was clearing her desk when I knocked on her door.
Although she seemed eager to leave, she graciously invited us in. “Nice to see you again, Meg. And you must be Eric’s daughter,” she said, turning to Teht’aa. “I can see him in your eyes and smile.”
Funny. I’d never thought there was any family resemblance between the two of them. Her slim gazelle-like grace had always seemed at odds with Eric’s bear-like build. And certainly the daughter’s fiery black eyes were a distinct contrast to the father’s soft grey ones. But Mary was right. The similarity was in their expressions. The way they looked at you, the way they smiled and laughed. Maybe subconsciously I’d recognized it, and that was why I’d turned to Teht’aa when Eric left my life.
“Any word on your father?” Mary asked Teht’aa.
“No, I’m afraid not. And to make matters worse, they’ve found his suitcase.”
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, where?”
After bringing her up to date, Teht’aa explained, “We’re following up on the investigation Dad was doing into the missing women. We’ve just learned that ten of the women had a connection to the Anishinabeg Welcome Centre. Were you aware of this?”
“I was, but didn’t think it important, since many First Nations people living in the area drop by from time to time, if not to take advantage of our services, at least to socialize with members of our community. In addition to our annual pow-wow, we have many evening events, including aboriginal film nights, art exhibits, and other cultural events.”
“So you wouldn’t read anything sinister into this connection,” I said.
She didn’t try to hide her outrage. “Surely you’re not suggesting that the Centre had any involvement in the disappearance of these women?”
“I don’t know what to think. But I do find it curious that apart from being aboriginal, young, with little or no family contact, the only other common thread that links most of these women, including the five that were murdered, is the Anishinabeg Welcome Centre. Did Eric suggest a possible involvement?”
“Of course not. There is no way the Centre could be responsible for the disappearance of these women. It would be a betrayal of all we believe in.”
“I don’t think Meg was suggesting that the Centre itself is responsible,” Teht’aa said to ease the tension. “But it could be someone close to the Centre, like an employee or volunteer. Does anyone come to mind?”
Mary shook her head vehemently. “All our employees and volunteers are carefully vetted. As I said earlier, a connection to the Centre is not unusual. It could apply to most of our people living in the area.” She paused. “But I should tell you that your father did ask for a list of employees and volunteers.”
“Did he indicate that he might have someone in mind?” I asked.
“No, he didn’t,” Mary replied brusquely before turning back to Teht’aa. “You mentioned five murdered women. I’m only aware of four.”
“One of the Nanabush counsellors, Louise, told us about this latest death,” Teht’aa replied. “I think her body was recently discovered. The woman’s name was Sandy White Owl.”
“Oh God, I hadn’t heard.” Mary paused. “I hate to think how many more will turn up dead.”
I nodded grimly. “It also looks as if a biker gang might be connected. They’re called Les Diables Noirs, or the Black Devils in English. Did Eric mention them to you? Or perhaps you might know if any of your employees are involved with this gang?”
She turned her unsmiling face back to me. Clearly she didn’t like the thought of her organization being implicated. “No to both questions,” she exclaimed. “But if a biker gang had something to do with their disappearance, it makes me even more worried about the fate of these poor girls. Now if you don’t mind, I have to go. I have a hungry family to feed.”
Switching her smile back on, she held out a hand to Teht’aa. “I must congratulate you on your new job.”
“Oh, you know about it.” Teht’aa seemed momentarily flustered. “I only just found out myself.”
“Ours is a very small community in Ottawa, so word gets around quickly. But in your case I also have insider knowledge. My husband works at APTN. I think you’ll be wonderful on the screen. You have quite a presence, you know. And I gather your screen tests were fantastic.”
Teht’aa squirmed. “Thanks. I’m really looking forward to it. We won’t keep you any longer. We’ve got to get going too.”
She pointed at her watch and mouthed that we were going to be late.
I had one more question. “Mary, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I find it curious that even though ten of these missing women had connections to the Centre, you didn’t do anything about it?”
“I did,” she shot back. “I went to the police repeatedly. They refused to do anything more than they already were doing, which was nothing.” She shoved papers into her desk drawer and slammed it shut with such force that the desk shook.
“You could have turned to the media?”
“I wanted to, but the board wouldn’t let me. I was hoping Eric would be able to convince them. Now if you don’t mind.” She motioned for us to leave.
Teht’aa was beginning to walk down the hall when Mary called out, “I almost forgot. Please let me know the minute you hear any news on your father. I pray to the Creator that he is found safe and well.”
“I pray too. Thanks for your wishes,” Eric’s daughter sai
d and walked away.
I turned to follow, but as I did, I happened to notice several photos scattered on a table next to the door, one in particular. “I see you were at the same place as Paulette.”
I pointed to the photo with a group of people sitting in Muskoka chairs spread out on the lawn in front of a timber building. Although I didn’t recognize the people, I did recall the sprawling verandah, which reminded me of Three Deer Point’s Victorian version. I’d noticed it in one of the group photos in Paulette’s office. She had been sitting in these same chairs with several young women, who I assumed were some of her successes.
Mary’s brow arched as she stared at the photo. “Sorry, I’ve never been there. Someone gave it to me.”
She hustled me out of her office and locked her door with a firm click.
Teht’aa and I had exactly ten minutes to drive from the Welcome Centre in Vanier to the Market. Although I felt it was doable, unlike Teht’aa, I wasn’t particularly worried that we would miss J.P. if we were late. I doubted he would be punctual himself, but if he was, he’d likely settle in to wait with a beer or two. After all, it was a bar. And I was sure J.P. wasn’t exactly averse to drinking.
But I hadn’t counted on us getting lost. Unlike most downtown Ottawa streets, Vanier’s roads didn’t follow a grid pattern. Instead they meandered with a will of their own. I thought I was directing Teht’aa on a shortcut to Beechwood, the most direct road to the Market. Instead we found ourselves going around in circles as we confronted one curved one-way street after another, none of them going in the desired direction. Finally, in exasperation, Teht’aa screeched the SUV to a halt to get directions from a pedestrian.
Unfortunately, we ended up on a less direct route, one clogged with traffic lights, all of which were either red or turning red as we approached. By the time we arrived in the Market, we were fifteen minutes late. It took us another ten minutes to find a parking spot and the bar itself, tucked away on one of the Market’s less travelled streets. I tried to quell Teht’aa’s spitting anger by insisting that J.P. would be well into his second beer. But when we walked through the scuffed wooden door, we were greeted by a mostly empty room with no sign of the one-eyed biker.
A Green Place for Dying Page 18