The RCMP officer answered, “Molly Walker, the owner of this house, was found mauled in the woods.”
If I’d harbored any concerns about seeming too blasé, they were gone in the instant I heard those words. “M-mauled?”
“Brutally attacked by a human, if the tracks are any indication,” the officer said. “We’re not offering any particular details at this point.”
“I- uh,” I said. I stopped, then tried to start again, but the words didn’t escape my mouth. It didn’t help that I didn’t know what to say.
I’d known, but to hear it like this, from very human sources, minus all of the mystic crap?
“You what?” the RCMP officer asked me.
“She has family in town. They moved to be closer to our grandmother.”
“We know. We’ve spoken with them,” the officer said. “They pointed us here. We’d like to come inside and see if there’s anything that could explain the attack.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Irene Walker gave us permission to investigate the premises.”
Which meant letting this Laird Behaim person into the house.
“It- no. It’s not her call,” I said. “I’m sorry. I can give you the number of the lawyer. The way I understand it, the house would pass on to me, if Molly was dead. It’s my property, it’s my say. Not without a warrant.”
“This isn’t reflecting well on you, Mr. Thorburn,” the RCMP officer said.
“I know,” I said. My mouth was dry, and my eyes were tearing up from the cold and the recent announcement. “Yeah. I- I’m sorry. I need time to process the news, and I’m not going to make good calls, as tired and confused as I am. It’s better if you talk to the lawyer.”
“Mr. Beasley?” Laird asked.
“Mr. Beasley, right,” I said.
“I’m familiar with him,” he said. When the RCMP officer looked in his direction, he said, “There’s a great deal of concern over this house, in local circles. The town is booming with the addition of the train station and the proximity to Toronto, property prices are soaring, and the amount of good land that can be bought is somewhat limited, due to certain geographical concerns rooted in this property. The last time I paid any attention to the money, this property was worth twenty million dollars.”
“It’s worth more now,” I said.
“I imagine. A great many locals are very interested,” Laird said, his eyes fixed on me. “Mr. Beasley has been handling the bulk of the disputes for the family. I know him. With your permission, I’ll talk to him and see what we can’t figure out.”
“Please do” the RCMP officer said.
“I’d like to have a moment to talk to Mr. Thorburn here, if that’s alright. If he’s telling the truth and he has inherited the property, I wouldn’t mind the chance to talk this through with him.”
The RCMP officer didn’t seem happy with that. “You’re aware of the time constraints?”
“Of course. I’ll talk to Mr. Thorburn, then the lawyer, and we can meet for dinner? I’ll fill you in.”
The RCMP officer took that in. “Alright. I need to make some calls. Call me when you’re done.”
Laird nodded.
Together, we watched the RCMP officer trudge away through the snow, his boots squeaking. When he was gone, Laird withdrew a pocketwatch from his coat. He popped it open, looked, and then closed it, holding it in one hand.
His implement?
“I admit, thought it was a girl, here.”
“No,” I responded. “I’m just as surprised to be here as you are to see me here.”
“Well, if it helps, I think you’re innocent,” he said.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Here’s the honest truth; I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to discuss things with you.”
“You’re a pretty honest guy, huh?” I asked.
Stupid. Stupid question.
“I suspect you and I both know why,” he said. “Can we do away with pretense?”
I sighed. “Sure.”
“I believe you’re innocent because I know who killed Molly Walker.”
“Who?” I asked. I was getting colder, now.
He only shook his head. “I can’t say. It will probably go unsolved, the media will report it, but it won’t be sensationalized. Good officers will most likely put in a genuine, honest effort and find nothing.”
“Doesn’t this kind of conflict with the oath you swore, when entering office? Or are you faking the police thing?”
He smiled. “Rest assured, I studied for my position, I earned it, and I’ve maintained it in good conscience. I’d rather talk about you. Would you be up for a walk?”
“A walk?” I asked.
“If you’re worried, I can promise you my protection for as long as you’re in my company, I’ll take you somewhere where we can talk, then bring you back, as safe as I can manage it.”
“Which is how safe?” I asked. “I don’t know what your protection is worth.”
“You’re thinking I’ve limited myself somehow?” he asked, clearly amused.
“I’m thinking anything is possible.”
“If positions were reversed, I would trust my own daughters, who I care about deeply, to the care of someone of equivalent power.”
“This isn’t a trick?” I asked.
His smile faltered a little. “This line of questioning is getting a touch grating.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“This is not a trick,” he said. “My primary aim here is to find out who you are. You’re an unknown quantity in a very delicate ecosystem. But we can talk about that more after. I suspect you’ll gain more information than you give up.”
“Right this minute, with everything that’s happening, I’d rather be safe and warm than have information,” I said. “A bit of time to grieve might be nice.”
“What if I offered to help streamline matters on the legal front? You’ll be safer and warmer here than in a prison cell, awaiting a trial,” he said.
I considered the idea.
“I’d find that a little more tempting,” I admitted.
“If you’re interested, I’ll wait while you get your coat and whatever else you deem necessary.”
“Give me a minute,” I said. I shut the door.
I made my way to the living room.
“Don’t,” Rose said.
“It’s answers,” I said.
“It’s dangerous,” she responded. “We can go the safe route. Like I was saying before. There’s too much we don’t know.”
I found my jacket. “We’ve skimmed the little black book. Behaim… they’re one of the covens.”
“There’s a better word than coven, but sure. They’re a local institution, maybe the oldest here. All the more reason to stay.”
“He’ll fix the legal situation, which is maybe the biggest concern right now. I don’t know if we can do anything against ordinary people, if the cops decide to kick down the door.”
“Blake! I don’t get a say?”
“You do,” I said. “But… you were saying how you were going kind of crazy, alone? I’m going to lose it if I’m cooped up. I have to keep moving. I had to before I left home, and it only got reinforced after. If there’s an opportunity to stretch my legs and get answers, while preserving my sanity, I’m going to take it.”