“Thank you.”
“Just doing my job,” he replied as he winked at her. “Get those dressings checked and changed when you get back, OK?”
“I will.” She squeezed his hand back, the unspoken relief that she was leaving shared between them.
“Thank you officers,” she said to the three men.
“Ma’am, glad you’re safe,” said one.
“You are most welcome,” said the other.
The cowboy did not speak.
“Stay with the vehicle and secure it as evidence until the tow truck drops it off,” said the Sgt. “I expect the three of you in my office at the Almaguin Detachment at 2 p.m.”
“Yes sir.”
He turned to the cowboy. “You head back and file your report. We’ll review it at the meeting. Good work.”
“Ready to go home Ms. Spencer?” asked the Sergeant. “This way.” He gently took her arm, led her to his squad car and opened the door to the front seat. She thanked him and turned to watch as the paramedic got in the back seat of the other squad car. He gave her a tiny wave as they pulled away.
The traffic was quiet as the Sergeant sped to North Bay, using his lights only when necessary, the conversation minimal. At the airport he walked her to the Air Canada desk. She could see the plane out on the tarmac.
“Hello Sergeant,” said the agent. “Hello Ms. Spencer. I have your ticket. You may go through security.”
The Sergeant waited while she was given a cursory security check then he walked her though the gate to the plane. Jennifer looked at him, surprised that he was allowed on the tarmac.
“I have my orders. I’m to put you on this plane and I don’t intend to leave until this plane takes off.” He looked down at her, his face serious. “You’re very brave. It could have been a drastically different outcome if you hadn’t been able to get away.”
“I don’t feel brave. Where’s Travis?”
“We think he might have hitched a ride somewhere. He might need medical attention. We’re watching the area hospitals.” He extended his hand. “Take care Ms. Spencer.”
Jennifer responded in kind to his firm grip. It hurt. She didn’t wince.
“Thank you Sergeant.”
He helped her up the few steps to the plane where the stewardess directed her to the front seat.
***
Jennifer looked down as the plane banked over Lake Nipissing and with a tiny sigh, closed her eyes. She was exhausted and felt like she wanted to sleep, but sleep eluded her. She was too keyed up.
Just over an hour later, the stewardess assisted her down the steps as she disembarked at Pearson. She could see Sue and Ryan, the two of them in uniform, waiting for her inside the gate. She limped as fast as she could to Sue and threw her arms around her. Both of them started to cry. Ryan stood patiently until they composed themselves. He put his hand on Jennifer’s shoulder.
“Boy, am I glad to see you,” he said, his crooked grin as sincere as she’d ever seen it. “You gave us quite a fright. You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I know a diner just off the highway not too far from here. Let’s eat.”
Half an hour later they were seated in a quiet little restaurant where the waitress poured coffee and took their order. Sue had been subdued since their initial greeting and Jennifer turned to her.
“Sue, please don’t. You did nothing wrong. There was nothing you could have done.”
Sue teared. “I failed. I’m off your protection detail.”
Jennifer turned to Ryan. “Is that true?”
Ryan nodded.
“Then I won’t accept protection.”
“You have no say in the matter.”
“Probably not. But I don’t care. I can out stubborn Marcia. No more protection. It’s Sue or no one.”
His eyebrows went up. Marcia could be pretty stubborn at times.
Jennifer felt the liquid heat of her anger rising. She wasn’t ready to let the matter drop. “You mean to tell me Detective Sergeant Gillespie, that you have a perfect record? You never made a mistake? No blemishes or spots?”
He didn’t answer her questions, just looked at her. “Sorry Jennifer.”
She sat back and folded her arms. She felt like pouting. Jennifer was tired and sore and she wanted Sue back.
Ryan leaned forward, ignoring her negative body language.
“Are you ready to tell me what happened?”
Jennifer looked at Sue. She desperately wanted to protect her and lie, but she and Sue knew she didn’t have it in her not to tell the truth.
“Alright, I’ll start at the beginning.” She sighed. “I wanted to take out the garbage. I grabbed it and told Sue to watch from the balcony. She didn’t have her shoes on and couldn’t have caught up to me if she wanted to. Once outside, I looked back and saw her on the balcony and kept going. I lifted the lid on the dumpster and ... and ...” She broke down again, her shoulder’s shaking with sobs. Sue and Ryan sat quietly, waiting for her to compose herself.
“I woke up in the trunk of a car. My hands were taped, so was my mouth and my feet. Here’s some of the tape.” She pulled it from her pocket and put it on the table.
Sue cringed when she saw the blood on the tape.
Jennifer looked at her. “You had rehearsed and rehearsed with me the self-defence techniques Haney taught us and reviewed the articles with me—it saved my life.” Sue eyes filled with tears.
“It took me a long time to free myself from the tape. I found a tire iron and waited for the car to stop to pull the trunk release.” She paused. The same fear she felt when she was in the trunk threatened to overtake her. She looked at Ryan. His face showed no emotion so she focused on his calm demeanour.
“I told you I heard Travis’ voice when he pulled into a drive-through. A little while later though, when he pulled to the side of the highway and stopped, I didn’t think. I just popped the trunk release, grabbed the tire iron and smashed one of the back tail lights just in case I couldn’t get away. I guess I was hoping he might be pulled over for a traffic violation.” She stopped and took a few deep breaths.
Ryan and Sue had been listening intently. “Can you go on?” Ryan asked.
Jennifer nodded. “As soon as I got out of the trunk I ran as fast as I could into the woods. I didn’t get very far. It was dense and dangerous. I looked for a place to hide.”
As she struggled on with the story, it felt like she was living it all over again. “I saw a little clearing to my right. There was a rock. I sat on it and inched my way along. That’s when I knew I was up north.”
“How?” asked Ryan, puzzled.
“Lichen. Moss. The smell of the pine trees. Canadian shield.” Her short answers gave her time to take a deep breath. Her heart thumped in her chest.
“I could see Travis coming back with a flashlight, so I slid down. He found me right away and told me to get up. I picked up a rock and smashed it on his foot. He lost his balance and fell down the rock and off the end.”
“I climbed up and ran to the car. It was locked. I was so mad I smashed the window and headlights and pulled wires with the tire iron so he couldn’t get away. I had not said a single word to him.” Her lip quivered. “I wanted him dead.”
Sue reached over and touched her hand. “That’s a normal response Jennifer. I would have wanted him dead too.”
“Sue’s right,” said Ryan pragmatically.
“I was scared and I just wanted to get away. It was so dark. I walked and walked. Mack found me.” Jennifer was aware her story was getting choppy as her stress level rose.
“Mack, was that the truck driver?” asked Ryan.
“I have his phone number. He was so kind. I’m sure he saved my life.”
Ryan pulled out his notebook. “May I have it?”
Jennifer took out her phone. The battery was nearly dead. She looked up the number and turned the face towards Ryan, who made note of it.
“The officer at the station wasn’t exac
tly unfriendly, but he didn’t really seem to take things seriously until I called you.”
Ryan looked at Sue. Something passed between them, a conspiratorial, secretive look. Jennifer picked up on it.
“What?”
Ryan hesitated. “Your lawyer called about a half hour after Mack dropped you at the station. He heard about the kidnapping on the radio and called a colleague, whom he’d wakened and whom he refused to name. Apparently, that officer at that detachment may have been instrumental in Travis’ escape, with the emphasis on may.”
“Travis escaped again?” Jennifer said weakly. “How?”
“We don’t know the details. Mr. Duncan also suggested that it’s possible the officer you know as Doug was also involved. He may have been the reason Travis got to safety so quickly.”
“Doug, the one who didn’t believe me about Grimsby and Travis? The Major Crimes Unit officer?”
Ryan nodded. “We haven’t got much to go on.”
Sue took over, “That’s why the Sergeant arrived at the scene so quickly, as a result of Detective Sergeant Gillespie’s call to OPP headquarters. The Sergeant was given an order from his superior to get you out of there immediately. The other two officers are clean, we think, but we weren’t sure about the one at the station where Mack dropped you off. I think you did the right thing walking in the direction you did. Who’s your cell phone provider?”
Jennifer told her and mentioned that she had no service in that area. “Even with no service I should have been able to dial 911. I don’t know why it didn’t work.”
“Travis is with Bell, and he was close to the restaurant, which did have service. He could have called Doug who made sure his officer on the take got to Travis quickly, which he would have done via the main highway. It was faster. He’d pulled to the side of the road only a kilometre from the restaurant where he bought his coffee. It closed at 3 a.m. If the officer had seen you before picking up Travis, there might have been a different outcome.”
“The paramedic never left my side. He didn’t like that man one bit. I got the sense that he knew something wasn’t quite right. Mind you, that’s my intuition talking.”
“Trust your intuition Jennifer,” said Sue. “Mr. Duncan was quite emphatic about getting you out of there. So was Detective Sergeant Ryan after he spoke with Mr. Duncan.”
“I don’t think he would have done anything with the paramedic there, he just didn’t seem to want to believe me.”
“We should know soon enough,” said Ryan. “We’ll be checking landline and cell phone records. The Sergeant won’t let anyone know an investigation is underway until there’s proof. As far as the officers under suspicion know, it’s business as usual.”
The waitress arrived with their breakfast and they dropped the conversation. Jennifer just wanted to get home. She knew that Evelyn and Linda could calling anytime with the sad news of Greg’s death, and she felt the need to be there for them. She needed her life to return to normal.
“I’d pick up the bill but I seem to be a little short,” joked Jennifer when they finished eating. The three of them laughed. She was starting to feel safe again. Her friends were with her and friends were waiting for her. She was almost home.
13
Sue said goodbye to Jennifer as they dropped her off.
“You can’t stay?”
Sue shook her head. “It’s official, I’m off protection duty.”
Ryan spoke up, his tone all business. “There’s an officer inside, he’ll be in the lounge all day. Someone will replace him this evening.”
“We’re supposed to visit Winter today, in fact, in about two hours.” Jennifer looked at Sue.
“I know, we should probably cancel so you can get some sleep.”
Jennifer shook her head emphatically.
“No. Did you get the photo?”
“I did, and a few details about Winter and Aaron. I can show you the photo and fill you in another day.”
“No.”
“You need to rest.”
“I can rest later. We won’t be with Winter long. Please, Sue.”
“Alright, I’ll pick you up.”
“Thank you.”
Jennifer opened the garage door, locked it behind her and looked up to see a plainclothes officer watching.
“Hello Jennifer, I’m Stuart. Sue’s told me all about you. I’m here if you need me for anything.”
“Thanks,” the dejection in her voice clear. She pulled herself up the stairs, her feet throbbing.
“Hey bud,” she said to Grimsby who sat waiting at the door. “I need to take a shower and toss this suit out, it’s ruined.” She checked his water and food dish. Someone, probably the officer downstairs, had fed Grimsby. Sue would have made sure of it. Jennifer was used to having Sue around. She’d miss her.
Dialing the answering service, she let them know she was back and asked them to cover the line for another half hour. There were no messages and Jennifer felt a heady sense of relief. Today was Linda and Greg’s fourth anniversary.
Jennifer called Anne, it went to voicemail. She left her a message saying she was home and safe. She thought about her promise to herself to call her parents, but didn’t feel ready to speak to either of them. They must have heard about the kidnapping on the news, she thought. Yet they hadn’t called to see if she was OK—no message from them. It could wait. She wandered over to the window and stared across the parking lot at Simon’s upstairs window. All was still.
She tossed her torn dirty suit into a bag and put it in the corner of her closet. She wasn’t ready to throw it out; no one had mentioned it could be evidence, but she held onto it just in case. The bandages on her feet were caked with dried blood. Not bothering to soak them off, she unwound them and pulled them off, ignoring the pain. She realized she didn’t have anything to replace them with. Socks and running shoes will have to do for now, she rationalized. Sue and I can stop at a drug store later.
Standing in the shower for a long time, she soaped herself liberally with lavender soap and shampooed her hair. The bathroom smelled wonderful. Feeling rejuvenated, she dried and styled her hair into a smaller and higher bun, due to her new hair cut, and put on her black funeral jacket and black pants.
It was mid-morning. Sue would be by to pick her up soon. Jennifer looked around for a colourful top, finally choosing red. She’d have to ask Sue to shop with her for a new suit later in the day. The running shoes looked a bit ridiculous. She stared at her feet. At least her runners were mostly black and grey with some red that almost matched her top. Grimsby lay on the bathmat waiting for her to finish.
“Not very attractive, but it will have to do,” she told him. His ears flicked. She reached down to stroke his fur. He purred with contentment. “I didn’t think I was going to see you again Grimsby.”
She reviewed herself in the mirror again. There were no bruises on her face, just a couple of minor scratches and the cut on her forehead. Her right hand was swollen from the soft tissue injury. The jacket and pants covered the rest of the scrapes and bruises.
“Bye Grimsby, see you later.” She picked up her phone and portable charger, slipped it into her inside pocket and went downstairs to seek out her new protection officer.
She heard voices as she approached the lounge. Familiar, friendly voices—Peter’s voice, followed by Elaine’s. Turning the corner, she saw Peter sitting with his crutches beside him. He rose. Elaine got to Jennifer first. Jennifer barely noticed Officer Stuart.
Elaine swept her into a hug. “Thank God you’re safe.”
Peter was next. “I’m back,” he said in a Schwarzenegger voice as he lifted her off her feet and set her down gently.
“Haven’t you had enough of all this Travis nonsense?” said a voice behind her. “I mean really, Jennifer, the rest of us are so over it.” It was Marcia. She took one look at Jennifer and burst into tears.
“Don’t cry.” Jennifer as she hugged her. “It’s OK, really.” There was no point, they bo
th sobbed for a bit before they were able to compose themselves.
“Wait a minute,” said Jennifer, stepping back and looking at her friend. “Don’t you have a funeral today? And a visitation?”
“We do. I just stopped by for a couple of minutes. I have something to confess.”
Jennifer looked at her friend fondly and with mock seriousness raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Brent is starting later today. I called him. It’s a few days early, but I have movers clearing the cottage as we speak and he’ll stay there until his family joins him in their new place.”
“That’s why I pay you the big bucks. You have been carrying a heavy workload. Good call.”
“Well, if you’d stop romping all over the province ...” Marcia stopped mid-sentence and started to cry again.
Elaine spoke up. “Tea or coffee, Jennifer?”
“Coffee please.”
“Marcia?”
“Tea please, Elaine,” she responded as she attempted to stem the flood of tears. Elaine put her hand on Marcia’s shoulder as she walked to the counter.
“I’m sorry Peter, I didn’t say hi,” said Marcia. “Welcome back!”
“I’ll let it go this time,” Peter said sternly. “Just don’t let it happen again.”
The group of them laughed.
“Enough drama for one day,” Jennifer said. “I have a pending call. Anything new on your end Marcia?”
“Other than today’s visitation and service and the school assembly, and the visitation and funeral for Emily tomorrow ... no.”
Jennifer was not aware the little girl died last evening. Emotions would be running high for all of them as they struggled with her death. No wonder Marcia’s emotions were labile. “When is the assembly?”
“3:00 p.m. We have twenty minutes to present and answer questions from the kids.”
“I’ll meet you at Williams around 2:30. I had a chance to review some material yesterday, we can discuss it later.”
“Me too. You kept me up half the night so I used the time to prepare and stay focused on other things.”
After a quick break, Marcia returned to Williams. Jennifer turned her attention to Peter.
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