Last lullaby

by Alice Walsh

  “Thanks, both of you.” Patrick moved away from the booth, his arms piled high.

  Lauren and Claire continued their walk around the campus, stopping at tables and booths, and looking at displays. At a table set up by the drama department, Lauren stopped to look at used books. “Literature is my second love,” she told Claire. After carefully perusing the stack of titles, she settled on Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry. “He’s one of my favourite authors. When I was doing my English minor I took a course in world lit and couldn’t read enough Asian literature.”

  “All books cost a loonie,” said the girl tending the table.

  “Hi, Angie,” Claire said.

  “Professor Ste Denis! I didn’t notice you standing there.”

  Lauren was reaching for her change-purse when something on the table caught her eye. “Oh, God!” she exclaimed. “Look at that.”

  “What is it?” Claire asked.

  Lauren pointed to an infant carrier with a shiny purple butterfly stuck to its side. Leaning toward Claire, she lowered her voice. “I’m pretty sure I saw that carrier in Jade Roberts’s apartment back in February.”

  “How do you know it’s the same one?”

  “I remember the butterfly,” Lauren said. She saw Angie looking at her and realized she was waiting to be paid for the book. “How much do you want for the baby carrier?”

  “We’re asking ten dollars.”

  “I’ll take it.” Lauren handed her a twenty. “Do you happen to know who donated it?”

  “No, but Tara might.” Angie put the money in a tin can and fished out change. “David and Tara picked up the donations. She’s coming to relieve me—”she looked at her watch“—in about an hour. I can ask her then, if you like.”

  “Thanks,” Lauren said, picking up the carrier.

  “Here,” Claire said, taking the quilt as Lauren struggled with her purchases, “let me help.”

  Lauren thanked Claire and grabbed the carrier.

  “What do you plan to do with it?” Claire asked as they were walking away.

  “Lab tests can determine if Cara’s DNA is on the seat. It might be important to the investigation.”

  “How do you suppose it ended up here?”

  Lauren shrugged. “Jade could have donated it after she sold her car. But I doubt it. The carrier can be used for a variety of purposes. I remember when Bailey”—Lauren stopped talking when she saw Claire’s look of sadness.

  “It’s okay, Lauren,” Claire said. “Finish your thought.”

  “I was going to say the seat is useful in and out of the car.”

  Claire nodded. “Yes, I had one myself. Still do, I guess.”

  They walked in silence for a few minutes.

  “Jade may have taken money for Cara,” Lauren said after a while.

  “You think she sold her baby?” Claire sounded horrified.

  “It’s a possibility. Jade’s mother told me someone from the drama department offered Jade money. At first, I thought it was Frances and Annabelle, but I’ve seen their baby and she’s…certainly not Cara.”

  “I can’t imagine any of our staff doing that,” Claire said.

  “Neither can I,” Lauren said. The department’s faculty was made up of either young parents or parents of grown children. There was no reason any of them would want to buy a child.

  “A student perhaps,” Claire said.

  Lauren stopped walking. She hadn’t considered that possibility.

  “Would it help if I asked Mitch to fax you a list of the students in the program?”

  A student, Lauren wondered. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “Thanks, Claire. It would be a place to start.”

  She knew Rebecca didn’t want her involved in the case, and felt a tinge of guilt going behind her back. I’m only going to check out the students, she told herself. If she came across anything that might be relevant to Cara’s case, she would call Rebecca straight away.

  Chapter 35

  It was late Sunday evening before Mitch faxed Lauren the list of students. Beside each name was an address and phone number. Lauren shook her head, amused. Wasn’t Mitch aware of the Privacy Act? Didn’t he realize the trouble he could get into for giving out this information?

  She took the list to her computer. In less than fifteen minutes she’d learned that one of her students had been charged with drunk driving, another with shoplifting, and yet another for disturbing the peace. Not much is secret anymore, she thought. But what was she looking for? She hardly expected to find information on Cara’s disappearance. Still, she continued to google the names on the list.

  Many of the students’ names came up in connection with reviews of plays they’d been involved in. When she typed in Erika Jansen’s, she got over thirty hits. A number of other reviewers praised Erika’s talent as an actress. Jansen Shines in Student Production of Macbeth, one critic wrote. Rising Star read another headline. Both the Daily News and the university paper had done profiles on her. Scrolling down the list, Lauren found an article published in the local newspaper of a small town in northern Ontario: Tragedy Strikes Young Couple. Lauren clicked on the link. The story was accompanied by a photograph of a much younger Erika. Eagerly, she scanned it. Tragedy struck the small town of Dundalk, Ontario, when a transport truck crashed into an oncoming vehicle. Dead are Paul Jansen, 24, and his daughter Sadie, 9 months. Jansen’s wife, Erika, 20, escaped the accident with minor cuts and bruises. Police who arrived on the scene arrested the truck driver, Gary Wade, 40.

  Lauren sat for a long time staring at the screen, stunned by her revelation. Poor Erika. It was remarkable how well she hid her pain. Then she recalled how upset Erika had been the day following Ariel’s death. Had it brought up memories of her own baby girl?

  There were at least a dozen other articles connected with the accident, but the story that caught Lauren’s interest was in the Dundalk Daily News: Mother Settles for 1.5 Million in Wrongful Death of Husband and Infant Daughter. As she read the account, Lauren was struck with another thought: Had Erika tried to buy Cara? With her settlement money, she could easily have paid Jade thousands of dollars. Unless she’d spent it all, she would most likely be the only student in the department who had that kind of money.

  Lauren thought she’d learned everything there was to know about Erika Jansen when another article caught her eye: Mother Who Settled Wrongful Death Suit Now on Probation. The article had been written more than a year ago: Erika Jansen, who settled a wrongful death suit after her husband and infant daughter were killed, was placed on probation after stealing makeup from a local Walmart. Jansen’s lawyer, Mike Graham, argues his client was under tremendous stress following the death of her family when the incident occurred. “My client could easily afford the items she lifted,” Graham told the court at Jansen’s trial. “It was depression brought on by overwhelming grief that caused her to act out.”

  Picking up the phone, Lauren dialled the number next to Erika’s name on Mitch’s list. Almost immediately, a recorded message cut in: “The number you have dialled is not in service. Please check the number and call again.”

  Lauren’s mind raced. As far as a suspect in the disappearance of Cara Roberts was concerned, Erika Jansen fit the bill. But if that was the case, where had Erika been keeping her? Cara had been missing for more than seven weeks now.

  —

  In bed that night, Lauren tossed fitfully, her mind sifting through the information she’d learned. She fell asleep around two o’clock but awoke an hour later. Not able to go back to sleep, she put on her housecoat and went downstairs to make hot chocolate. Bailey would be awake in another three hours. Daniel was coming around nine to spend the day with her. Tomorrow I’m going to be a mess, she told herself.

  She was startled by the sound of the doorbell. When she went to answer it, she found Rebecca Taylor standing outside with Connor
in a baby carrier. He was wearing a pink dress with lace ruffles. Rebecca walked past Lauren into the living room without a word of greeting.

  “Why is Connor wearing a dress?”

  Rebecca didn’t answer. She put the carrier on the table and began taking pictures with her cellphone.

  “Why did you put your son in a girl’s dress?” Lauren demanded.

  Rebecca laughed harshly. “They all look alike at that age. The only way you can tell them apart is by their clothing.”

  “But Connor is a boy.”

  Rebecca laughed. “They all look alike when they’re dead.”

  “He’s not dead,” Lauren said, her voice rising.

  The doorbell rang again.

  “Let it ring,” Rebecca said.

  Lauren continued down the hallway.

  “I said let it ring.” Rebecca grabbed her arms and tried to handcuff her.

  Chapter 36

  “Take your hands off me!” Lauren shouted.

  “Lauren? Wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

  Daniel was leaning over her, holding her wrists, a concerned look on his face. He was so close, she breathed in his aftershave—a mixture of spices and old leather.

  “Daniel?” At first glance, she thought she was dreaming. He was dressed in denim jeans and a pullover. He looked so handsome that Lauren felt the pang of her loss all over again.

  “Bailey let me in.” He released her wrists.

  Lauren sat up and rubbed her eyes. “She knows she shouldn’t open the door to anyone.”

  “I’ve already lectured her about that.”

  “You should have called,” Lauren said.

  “I tried, but you didn’t answer the phone.” Daniel frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  Lauren nodded, the dream still tugging at her memory. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I keep the ring volume on low while I’m sleeping. I woke up at three and didn’t go back to sleep until a couple of hours ago.”

  Daniel continued to stare at her, concern clearly etched on his face. “You sure everything’s okay?”

  “I had trouble falling asleep. I learned last night that a student in the drama department lost her husband and child. It happened some time ago but she never mentioned it.”

  Daniel sat on the sofa beside her. “We never know the burdens another person might be carrying.”

  “True,” Lauren agreed. “A couple I know adopted a baby girl. I got the shock of my life about a week ago…I dropped by their house unannounced, and found out the baby has neurofibromatosis.”

  “Neuro…?”

  “Neurofibromatosis, the same disease as the Elephant Man.”

  “Lord help her,” Daniel said.

  “Her deformities aren’t as severe, but they’re similar.”

  “Weren’t you aware of the baby’s condition before the visit?”

  Lauren pulled her housecoat around her, and reached for her slippers. “Apparently they were keeping it a secret,” she said.

  “Did they think they could hide it forever?”

  “Well, they’re moving to Arizona soon. The medical services for her are better there.” Lauren got up from the sofa. “Where’s Bailey?”

  “She went to her room to get dressed.”

  “I better go check on her.” Lauren gestured toward the kitchen. “Help yourself to coffee or tea.”

  “I’m fine.” Daniel glanced at his watch. “I’m taking Bailey to McDonald’s. You’re welcome to join us.”

  “Thanks, Daniel, but I’m not up to it.”

  At that moment, Bailey came downstairs wearing a frilly dress, her corkscrew curls sticking out in all directions.

  “You look pretty,” Daniel told her.

  “Let me comb your hair,” Lauren said.

  “You always take too long,” Bailey complained, but she allowed Lauren to brush her unruly curls into a ponytail.

  After Bailey and Daniel left, Lauren made a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table. She stared out at the dark ocean, trying to recall the dream that had unsettled her. Siggy, her psychologist father, called dreams coded messages from the unconscious. He was forever quoting Freud and Jung. Is my unconscious mind trying to tell me something? Could such a jumble of nonsense have meaning? Lauren stared out the window at the dark ocean. It’s only my confused state of mind, she told herself.

  The phone rang. “Lauren? It’s Mitch returning your call.”

  “Mitch. Thanks for getting back to me, and for faxing that list of students.”

  “Glad I could help.”

  “I tried calling Erika Jansen, but her phone’s disconnected.”

  “Erika called me yesterday, as a matter of fact. She’s in the process of moving back to Ontario.”

  “Erika’s moving away? Why?”

  “She said it was because of a family crisis,” Mitch said.

  “Doesn’t she have an exam coming up soon?”

  “I excused her from taking the exam. I’m going to average out her final grade. She’s a good student. She always showed up for her classes, always had her assignments in on time. I’m not going to penalize her for this one time. She’ll graduate with the rest of her class.”

  “I hope everything is okay with Erika and her family,” Lauren said.

  “She’s doing really well,” Mitch said. “In fact, she got an offer for a part in the television series Candlewood Lane.”

  “I’m happy for her,” Lauren said. “With her talent, she’ll go far. I just wish I could have reached her.”

  “I can give you her cell number if you need to contact her,” Mitch said. “I don’t think she’s moved yet.”

  “That would be helpful.” Lauren picked up a pen as Mitch rattled off the number.

  After she hung up, Lauren studied the number scrawled on the back of her telephone bill. She would go see Erika, she decided. Her address was on the list Mitch had faxed her: Pitcher Plant Road, less than two kilometres away. She could jog there in no time.

  Lauren emailed Rebecca, informing her as to what she had learned about Erika Jansen. She worded the message carefully, knowing Rebecca was not going to be pleased; she had made it clear that she didn’t want Lauren involved in the investigation.

  By the time Lauren left the house the sky was overcast, threatening rain. Fog had rolled in over the ocean. The moist salt air felt wonderful, and she inhaled deeply as she ran. She was out of breath by the time she reached Pitcher Plant Road.

  A moving van was parked on the street outside Erika’s house. Men in overalls were carrying furniture, crates, and boxes. The door was open and Erika stood in the foyer wearing faded blue jeans and a white shirt rolled up at the sleeves. “Professor LaVallee?” she said, stepping aside to let one of the movers pass.

  “I know this is probably not the best time to visit,” Lauren said, “but I was hoping to have a word with you.”

  “Come in. I should warn you, though, the place is upside down.” Erika led Lauren down a short hallway to the dining room. The only furniture was a stool and a couple of collapsible lawn chairs. “Have a seat,” she said, indicating the stool. She unfolded one of the chairs for herself.

  “Mitch told me you got a part on Candlewood Lane,” Lauren said once they were seated. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. I was thrilled and very surprised.” She smiled at Lauren. “But I’m sure you didn’t come over here to discuss my success. I’m not being sued, am I?”

  “I’m a criminal defense attorney,” Lauren said, playing along. “We don’t sue.”

  “Do I need to be defended?”

  Lauren smiled. “As a matter of fact, I came to talk about your friend Jade Roberts.”

  Erika eyed her warily. “The police already interviewed me about Jade and Cara. Constable Taylor asked about a message I left on Jade’s voice mai
l.” She lowered her eyes. “I was devastated when I learned what happened.”

  Lauren nodded. “We all were.”

  “I mean…who would do such a terrible thing?”

  “The police are still investigating.”

  A brief silence passed between them.

  “When was the last time you heard from Jade?” Lauren asked.

  “The day before she disappeared. I told the police that already.”

  “Erika,” Lauren said, cutting to the chase. “I know you offered Jade money…money for Cara.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it got the reaction she wanted.

  Erika’s face went pale, her lower lip trembled. “How…? Who told you that?”

  “It must have been difficult losing your own baby and husband,” Lauren continued, evading the question.

  Tears glistened in Erika’s eyes. She looked down at her hands.

  Lauren felt a pang of guilt for upsetting her, but she needed to know the truth.

  Erika quickly composed herself. “I don’t know where Cara is,” she said. “I certainly don’t have her, if that’s what you’re implying.” She got up from her chair and went to stand by the patio doors. “Yes, I offered Jade money. It was foolish, I realize that now. At the time, I didn’t think of it as buying a baby. Jade needed money. I desperately wanted a baby. What I wanted was Sadie back,” she amended. “I was so confused I didn’t realize I was trying to replace her.”

  “Did you give Jade money?”

  “I lent her a couple hundred.”

  “A couple hundred?” Lauren thought about the three thousand she’d found in the cabin.

  Erika glared at Lauren. “Jade was my friend. I saw no harm in helping her out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m very busy.”

  Well, at least I know who offered Jade money, Lauren thought as she walked away. But was Erika telling the whole truth? Her story was plausible enough and she sounded convincing, but she was one hell of a good actress.

  By the time Lauren reached Main Street, it had started to rain. She jogged past Tim Hortons, wishing she’d remembered to bring money; she could use a bagel and some coffee. Except for a cup of tea this morning, she hadn’t eaten anything. Hansel and Gretel’s was across the street, a good place to hole up until the rain stopped.