“It’s not okay as far as I’m concerned.” Christine tapped the table with her middle finger to emphasize her point. “You never stopped to find out the facts. Your job is all about gathering evidence and discovering the facts. You never gave me a chance to explain – you just reacted emotionally.”
Matt covered his mouth. Christine glared at him.
Arthur looked over his glasses at her. “Did you just say something about reacting emotionally?”
Christine smiled. Arthur looked at Lane. Daniel laughed.
The phone rang.
Lane got up, put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder as he eased by, and went into the kitchen. Less than a minute later, he poked his head out the door. “I have to go.”
“I was just opening the front door to go outside. There was an explosion. I think it was a pipe bomb.” Keely’s red hair hung down to her shoulders, framing her face.
A redheaded officer from the bomb disposal unit held the remains of the explosive device in his palms so Lane and Keely could see them. “This is what we’ve found so far. Not very sophisticated but still lethal. Either someone was just trying to scare the hell out of you, or this thing went off early.”
Lane read the name SHANE on the officer’s uniform.
Keely looked at the burned-out remains of her car. “So it was taped to the bottom of my gas tank?”
“We found some duct tape,” Shane said, “so that’s our working theory.”
A tow truck driver crawled under the front bumper of Keely’s car and attached a cable. Firemen packed up their equipment. The pavement was wet and shimmering. Lane looked across the street as a photographer with a long lens took their picture. “Maybe we should go inside.”
Keely’s condominium had one bedroom with a kitchen and living room divided by a nook.
“You want a cold drink?” Keely reached into the fridge.
“Water sounds good.” Lane sat on the couch. Keely handed him a bottle of water and sat at the other end.
Someone knocked at the door. Startled, Keely spilled her water onto the carpet.
Lane got up. “I’ll get it.” He reached for the doorknob. “Who are you expecting?”
“Dylan. My parents.” Keely put her bottle, with what little water was left in it, on the coffee table.
Lane opened the door to face a round, dark-haired man and a taller, red-haired woman. Both of them appeared ready for a scrap.
“Who are you?” the woman asked.
“Yes, where is my daughter?” The man put his fists on his hips while looking Lane up and down.
“Mom. Dad. This is Detective Lane. My new partner. I called him right after I called you and Dylan.” Keely stood behind her partner. “Lane. This is my father Amir and my mother Katherine.”
Lane smiled, remembering his own defensive reaction after meeting Daniel for the first time. He offered his hand to shake Amir’s.
Katherine brushed past the two of them to hug her daughter. “You sure you’re okay?” Mother and daughter sat on the couch.
“Fine, mom.”
“What’s being done to protect our daughter?” Amir asked.
“Your daughter needs you now, Amir. Get over here,” Katherine said.
Amir glanced at his wife and sat down beside his daughter. He put his arm around Keely. She began to sob. Katherine started crying right after Amir did.
Lane was looking for a box of tissues when the door opened. The man entering was just under six feet, with sandy hair, and carried a briefcase. He held a key as he walked into the room. He stood open-mouthed at the scene on the couch.
“Let me take that, Dylan,” Lane said.
Dylan handed over his briefcase and keys, went to the couch, knelt down, and soon found himself in the middle of a group hug. Katherine leaned against the arm of the couch, smiled at the scene, then looked at Lane. Lane handed her a tissue.
“Thanks.” She wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
Lane waited five minutes before asking, “How about some pizza?”
Forty-five minutes later, they arrived at Lane’s house – just ten minutes before the pizza deliveryman. Arthur set the pizzas out on the table on the deck, poured wine, and worked his way through the introductions.
“You speak Arabic?” Amir asked.
“Of course.” Arthur proved his point by speaking in the tongue of his father and mother.
“They’ll be busy for a while,” Keely said to Lane.
Lane stood up. “I need to make a few calls,” he said before exiting into the kitchen.
Christine nodded in Amir’s direction. “Does he know?” she asked Keely.
“Know what?”
“About our uncles?” Christine glanced to see if Amir had overheard, but he was happily talking with Arthur.
“That they’ve been very kind to our daughter and to us?” Katherine asked.
“That he’s my partner?”
Christine rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Do you have a problem with it?”
“Do you?” Keely glanced at her mother.
Christine’s face went red; she opened her mouth as if to respond, closed it, and frowned.
Lane came back outside. He looked at Keely and Dylan. “You know you can’t go home until we find out who this bomber is?”
“What?” Dylan looked at Keely.
“A safe house has been arranged for you. I’d recommend that Katherine and Amir stay there as well. Does your brother live in town?”
“Yes, but you don’t have to worry about Amir,” Keely said.
“I’m wondering how the bomber got your address?” Lane asked.
Keely shook her head. “You think it’s someone from work?”
“It’s more than a distinct possibility,” Lane said, then wondered, How come she believes her brother is safe?
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24
chapter 10
Bomb Misses Its Target
A bomb destroyed a vehicle owned by a detective with the Calgary Police Service last night.
“We are in the initial stages of the investigation,” Staff Sergeant Barton explained. “It appears that the device was attached to the underside of the vehicle.”
A source within the police force said that the bomb might have been meant to warn the detective, who worked undercover to expose the illegal activities of the owner and patrons of a local restaurant.
“Fibre has some information for us. It’s time you and I sat down with him.” Lane handed Keely a coffee.
“Those Nanaimo bars look tasty.” Keely leaned closer to the glass display case.
“Before I forget, Christine asked me to tell you ‘Not anymore.’ Don’t know what it means, but there you are.” Lane stepped outside the door, took a sip of coffee, and felt the morning sun on his face.
Keely stepped past him. “You’re happy this morning.”
She’s right! “Yes I am, and so are you.”
“I slept right through last night. Didn’t realize how stressed I was.” She walked over to the car. “My dad and Dylan started to talk last night. That was a relief.”
Lane held up the keys. “You want to drive?”
She smiled. “Sure. Where to?”
“The hospital.” Looks like I’m going to be there every day for the next little while.
Ten minutes later, they had parked in the lot in front of Fibre’s glass and brick building. Keely followed Lane to the elevator. Inside she asked, “How do I approach him? Fibre has a bit of a reputation.”
Lane looked at her. “I’m not sure. Do what you think needs to be done, I guess.”
He knocked on the door to Dr. Weaver’s office and opened it. Weaver looked up as they came in. “It was rumoured you were working with a new partner.”
“Keely Saliba, Dr. Weaver.” Lane stepped to one side so that Keely could stand next to him. Weaver remained seated, nodded, and used his hand to indicate they should sit down.