Lane was waiting in traffic at the lights when the phone rang.
“Lane?”
Lane recognized the voice, “Chief.”
“One question. At any time during the investigation did Bobbie Reddie warn you of a danger to her son?”
“No, but other witnesses warned us that Bobbie was a danger to her child.” Lane turned right onto Glenmore Trail.
“Any leads on the child?” the chief asked.
“One,” Lane said.
“Keep on it.”
“We will,” Lane said.
The Chief of Police hung up.
It was 5:30 PM when the knock came on Jay’s door. He was sitting in the chair by the window.
The knock came again. “Jay? Come on. It’s me, Rosie. Tony’s here too.”
Jay got up and walked to the door. He looked over his shoulder then put his hand on the doorknob.
“Jay? We’ve got a message from Uncle Tran,” Rosie said.
“Not now.” Jay pulled his hand away from the door.
“Look, Jay,” Rosie’s voice was lower, just loud enough to be heard through the door. “I spoke to the landlady. She told me a story. She says you brought a child to your apartment. You want me to blab it all over? I mean the landlady only speaks Vietnamese, but her eyes are good. I speak English and Vietnamese, so I can blab the story to almost anyone in town. The thing is, even I’m not as nosy as the landlady. Maybe you’d like her to come around and ask the questions?”
Jay opened the door.
Rosie noticed he was wearing black sweats and a blue T-shirt.
“Come in,” Jay said.
Rosie walked in, followed by Tony.
Jay closed the door.
They stood there looking at the child asleep on the couch.
Tony said, “Shit! Man, that kid’s face is everywhere.” Rosie turned to Jay. “Explain.”
“He’s my nephew. I went to his school and waited ’til he came out at lunch time. Then I brought him back here.” Jay rubbed his eyes.
“Sit down,” Rosie said.
Jay sat in the chair across from the couch.
In the silence, they heard Cole’s gentle breathing.
“My sister killed Kaylie. Then she killed Cole’s dad. Cole saw most of it. He was talking in his sleep last night and most of it came out. No wonder he’s afraid to sleep. He thinks his mom will come for him and put him in the trunk of her car like she did Kaylie. He’s terrified at night. I can’t get any sleep, because he wakes up screaming. He’ll only sleep when the sun’s up and only if I promise to stay awake while he sleeps. We can’t leave the apartment, because someone will recognize him. We’re trapped.” Jay leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling. “I haven’t slept since we came here.”
Rosie sat down on the couch by Cole’s feet.
Tony sat on the floor with his back to the wall.
“Man, you should’ve called us.”
“I didn’t know what to do,” Jay said.
“Get Jay something to drink,” Rosie said to Tony.
When the fridge door opened, Rosie said, “The landlady’s not a problem. She just saw you bring a boy in here. I asked her to keep quiet. Eventually, someone else will spot Cole. It’s only a matter of time before the police come to your door. Besides, there’s another problem. Uncle Tran.” She rubbed Cole’s feet and smiled.
“He’s mad at me?” Jay asked.
“No, he’s living here illegally. If you get caught and the police find out he’s not a Canadian citizen, he’ll be deported,” Rosie said.
“No way,” Jay said.
Tony handed Jay a glass of water. “When Uncle Tran stepped off the airplane, he came to Chinatown, and stayed. He didn’t stop at customs and immigration.”
Jay took a sip of water. I need some sleep, he thought.
Tony said, “Get some sleep. Rosie and I will keep an eye on Cole.”
“I don’t know what he’ll do when he wakes. He doesn’t know you.” Jay closed his eyes for a few seconds. It was hard for him to open them again.
“We’ll take good care of him,” Rosie said.
Thursday, October 29
Chapter 21
“WHY AREN’T WE looking for Cole?” Harper asked.
Lane drove in the middle lane of the freeway. The tires hummed on the grooved surface. “His face is everywhere. Bobbie’s putting together a reward. If he’s alive, he’ll turn up. Tommy Pham’s phoning us before noon. That gives us time to cruise by Idaho Metals so we can tie up this loose end.”
“I’m not sure,” Harper said as they passed a van on their right. The driver was singing. He looked over at Harper and smiled.
“I’m not sure either, that’s why we’re going. We weren’t sure about that vet Dr. Dent, and she’s looking like an impeccable but quirky source. Remember how nervous junkyard Joan was?”
“I remember. It’s just…” Harper said.
“What?”
“Bobbie’s actions seem so illogical.”
“You’re right, it’s not about logic. It’s beginning to look like it’s all about ego. If you accept the premise that each of these murders is motivated by ego, then it begins to appear that each murder has some logic behind it.” Lane eased off the freeway.
Jay woke at eight-thirty in the morning. Someone had
covered him with a blanket. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains. Tony was snoring on the couch.
Jay got up. He heard water running in the bathroom and walked down the hall. He inhaled the sneezy scent of hair-salon products.
Rosie said, “We’ll get you some new clothes. When Jay gets up, he’ll make you breakfast.”
“Are you Uncle Jay’s girlfriend?” Cole asked.
“I think we’d have to kiss first.” Rosie’s tone told Cole any question was reasonable. “Let’s dry your hair and see what it looks like.”
“Okay,” Cole said.
Jay peeked in the door. “Wow,” he said.
Rosie and Cole’s reflections were framed in the mirror. Rosie rubbed Cole’s head with a towel. His hair was red and cut within a centimetre of the scalp. “Rosie’s gonna buy me some new clothes,” Cole said.
“Well?” Rosie asked.
“He looks totally different.” Jay smiled.
Rosie smiled back.
Jay felt like singing. Instead, he said, “I gotta go.”
“Where?” There was apprehension in Cole’s voice.
“To the bathroom,” Jay said.
“Come on Cole, we’re all done,” Rosie said. They pushed past Jay. Her hair brushed Jay’s arm. Rosie smiled at him. Jay caught a whiff of her shampoo. It smelled of citrus and honey.
“Will you look at that?” Harper said.
“Sometimes, you just never know.” Lane looked at Harper who was smiling.
“Same year, colour, and make. You don’t think?”
Harper asked. He studied the champagne-coloured Chrysler parked in the Idaho Metals parking lot out front of the office.
“At the very least, it’s worth checking out.” Lane parked their Chevy directly behind the Chrysler.
They got out of the car and walked up the frostcoated steps to the office. The lights were on inside. Joan looked up when they opened the door. Her face immediately turned red.
Harper said, “Hello, Joan. We were just in the neighbourhood.”
Joan picked up her coffee cup.
Lane noticed that her hand was shaking.
She wrapped ten long fingers around the cup. Joan sipped without taking her eyes off them. She glanced at the photo of her sons.
“Is Mike around?” Harper asked.
“Should be here any minute,” Joan said. It sounded like she wished Mike would hurry up.
“Would you prefer we waited or could we talk with you now?” Lane asked.
“Up to you.” Joan tried to make herself sound nonchalant. It had the opposite effect on Harper.
“Been watching the news?” Harper asked.
“Hard not to,” Joan said.
Go easy, Lane thought, Joan’s got two kids. She’ll be worried about what will happen to them if we arrest her. Women can be tigers when it comes to protecting their kids.