Marie grinned. “You bought that?”
“I have my gullible moments, especially when it comes to parenting.” Casey paused. “Summer came home drunk Saturday night, so I grounded her. She’s been sulking ever since.”
“You realize that won’t stop her from seeing him, don’t you?”
“I’m not that naïve.” Casey sighed. “I made her talk to her mother yesterday.”
Marie paused. “How’d that go?”
“Not well.”
Summer had yelled, “You don’t get it! This is all your fault!” to Rhonda. She’d then run out of the room, crying. When Casey picked up the phone, Rhonda was also crying and mumbling, “I don’t know how much more I can take.” Casey tried to reassure her that she and Lou would deal with this, but Rhonda sounded skeptical.
“Summer refused to give either of us the boyfriend’s name,” she told Marie. “I wanted to grab her phone and look it up, but it would have made things worse.”
“Damn right it would have. You’ve got to be the grownup here, Casey.”
Yeah well, that was getting bloody hard. With Devon back in Summer’s life, what was she supposed to do? He must have just turned sixteen and acquired a learner’s driving permit. Drivers with the mandatory L symbol on their vehicles weren’t supposed to be on the road after midnight. If Casey caught him breaking that rule again, she could have his license suspended. But there’d be repercussions.
She continued playing the footage until Summer and Devon disappeared down a side street. The footage ended. Casey sat back in her chair and shook her head as Anoop handed her his timesheet.
“I gotta get more sleep. Only caught an hour before I had to take the kid to preschool and drop the wife off at work.”
“Okay, and thanks.”
Casey opened the final attachment. Slowing the action down, she watched looters charge inside a jewelry store just as someone fell. Oh god, was he the stabbing victim? Zooming in as far as she could, she saw a man dressed in black right behind him. The ball cap covered his forehead and shaded his eyes, but the jaw stubble was evident. She’d bet her life savings that this was the same person who stabbed Benny and Stan. His average height and build were just as witnesses described. Except for the stubble, there was nothing distinguishable about this man. The suspect turned and pushed through the crowd, then vanished around the corner.
Casey stared at the now frozen image. Why had he chosen that individual? What, if any, connection was there between this victim and her coworkers?
. . .
Gwyn charged into the security department, yelling into his phone. “I told the guy we’ll pay him next month! If he keeps harassing us, then change suppliers.”
He stomped into Stan’s office. Bracing herself, Casey entered a minute later to find him dabbing his brow with a handkerchief. Gwyn was the only man she knew under age seventy who used handkerchiefs. But a lot about Gwyn was a throwback to earlier times. He also believed that men made better security guards than women.
“I’ve brought you the revised schedule.” She placed it on the desk. “Also reviewed the camera footage and saw something interesting.”
As she told him about the victim and the man in black, Gwyn said, “He sounds crazy enough to torch my office.”
“Or he could have nothing to do with what’s happening here.”
“For crying out loud, how many enemies do we have?”
A question Casey couldn’t answer and definitely didn’t want to discuss with him.
“I’ll talk to the RCMP about a connection between the rally victim and the attacks on our people,” he went on.
Casey hurried out of the room before Gwyn could dump more work on her. She wished she could discuss theories and motives with Stan. She could use his advice about Summer too. God, what would Lou say about the reappearance of Devon Price? Since Lou was home and Summer was at school, she might as well get this over with.
The second Lou answered the phone, she started talking.
She’d barely finished before Lou interrupted with, “How could she do that to us? Haven’t we treated her with respect, put our trust in her?”
Casey let him rant. He had the right to be upset.
“I’ll talk to her when she’s home from school,” Lou said.
“Wait till I get there, okay? We’ll do it together. But there’s something else we need to do first.”
“What could be more important than that?”
A cooling-off period, for one. “A trip to the hospital. I need to talk to Stan. Since Benny’s in the same ward, I thought you could come along.” She listened to the silence, well aware that Lou loathed hospitals.
“Yeah,” he said, his tone quiet. “I should see Benny.”
“Pick you up in a half hour.” Casey ended the call before he could change his mind.
THIRTEEN
For one reason or another, Casey had found herself inside three different hospitals in recent years, as visitor and patient. Unwanted images of last year’s hospital stay after that psycho attacked her still flashed through her brain at times. Months before that, she’d been visiting her best friend, Kendal, who’d nearly died after an unexpected encounter with an enemy. And now Benny. Small wonder she felt uneasy here.
Lou did too. He gripped her hand and glanced up and down the corridor, as if in search of an escape route. The prospect of facing a seriously injured friend who was more of a father figure to him than his own dad had definitely ramped up his anxiety.
“It’ll be okay,” she murmured.
Lou’s Adam’s apple moved up and down. “I’ve heard he’s not in good shape, mentally and physically.”
“He will be. We just have to give him time.” When they found Benny’s room, she noticed Lou’s cheeks turning red. “It’s okay, Lou. I’m sure Benny won’t expect a long chat.”
Lou stood at the threshold. “Coming in?”
“Not yet. I need to see if Stan’s alone and up for a chat. If he is, I’d better speak to him now before others show up.”
Lou looked inside, then stepped back. “The beds are full,” he mumbled. “Everyone seems to be sleeping.”
“Maybe just dozing.” She gently placed her hand on his arm. “Why don’t you check on Benny. I won’t be far away.”
“Yeah.” He swept his bangs to the side. “I can do this.”
“See you in a bit.”
Two doors down, Casey entered a room devoid of visitors. All four beds were occupied. The senior across from Stan was snoring. An elderly woman occupied the bed next to the snorer and stared at Casey with dull, hooded eyes.
Stan appeared to be the youngest patient in this room. Only now did she realize how white his beard had grown. After this disaster, would he actually consider retirement?
He looked up from his magazine and removed his reading glasses. “Ah. News from the front line. How goes the battle?”
“Lousy. How are you doing?” She pulled up a chair and sat down. “Nora says you’re going home soon.”
“Tomorrow, thank god.”
“Excellent.” She paused. “What about work? When will you be coming back?”
Stan smiled. “Gwyn’s been that much fun, huh?”
“I truly want to strangle the man.”
Stan’s chuckle became a grimace. In a flash, he was smiling again, as if eager to convince her that he was perfectly fine. “What’s he done?”
By the time she finished, she was embarrassed “I sound like a whiny kid.”
“With good reason. Gwyn has no business threatening your job like that. I’ll have a word.”
“Think he’ll listen?”
Stan didn’t answer right away. “I won’t give him much choice.”
“I didn’t come by just to whine.”
“I know that. So, what’s up?”
Casey told him about the film footage. Evidence that he, Benny, and the riot victim were stabbed by the same individual. “Gwyn said he would discuss it with the police, but I
need to ask if you got a look at the suspect’s face?”
Stan shook his head. “Just stubble and dark eyes, and I think he wore a black hoodie. Could be the same guy. Oh, and I remember bad breath and a funky smell, like he hadn’t washed his clothes in weeks.”
“Have you compared notes with Benny?”
“We talked briefly yesterday.” Stan adjusted his blanket. “He doesn’t recall much and I’m not sure he wants to.” He paused. “Benny’s in rough shape. Not himself.”
She nodded, imagining how Lou must feel right now. “It’s probably temporary. What with the surgery and everything, he’s experienced a lot of trauma.”
“All I know is that our jovial, easygoing coworker is now a frightened, disoriented victim.” Stan lowered his gaze. “He kept rambling about how hard things have been since his wife died. Truth is, Casey, I’m not sure he’ll be back.”
She shook her head, scarcely able to grasp this possibility. “MPT without Benny would be awful. No one else has his patience.”
“I remember when you first trained as a driver. That was a special challenge for Benny,” Stan said with a wink. “Hitting Gwyn’s car on your way out of the yard was epic.”
“I’ll never forget it.”
Gwyn had wanted to fire her on the spot, but Benny persuaded him to give her a second chance.
“Gwyn doesn’t think I could ever do as good a job as you.” Casey didn’t add that she feared he was right. “I’m beginning to wonder if he not only expects me to fail but is setting me up to do exactly that so he can finally get rid of me.”
“It won’t happen.”
“I’m not so sure.” She paused. “I’ve already been suspended once. Remember my altercations with those twin teenage girls on the Granville Street route? Wouldn’t surprise me if Gwyn’s been keeping a list of all my transgressions.”
“Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ve got your back. Gwyn knows how much I depend on you. He’s just in a weird state of mind right now. Worried, distracted, and paranoid. Doubt he means half of what he says.”
“Thanks for saying that.” Her face grew warm because she knew he meant it. “Has Gwyn come by to see Benny?”
“Just drivers and his kids, as far as I know. Man, his boys are one giant pain in the ass.”
“What’s happened?”
Stan glanced at the door. “A couple of days ago, the kids got into a shouting match in Benny’s room. I could hear them from here. The nurse had to call security.”
“What was the yelling about?”
“The boys wanted money but their sister said she’d given them enough.”
“Poor Benny,” Casey murmured. “Lou’s with him now. I should pop by and say hello.”
As Casey stood up she considered asking for advice about Summer, but Stan already looked worn out from talking.
“Keep me posted,” he said. “My phone’s here.”
“Will do, and come back soon.”
“That’s the plan,” he replied, “and try not to brood over Gwyn. I know you’re doing a great job.”
While she appreciated his confidence in her, Casey couldn’t shake the feeling that she was letting him down. She wore this feeling with about as much comfort as a cold, wet scarf around her neck. Stan had to come back.
Casey said goodbye and left the room, her trepidation about seeing Benny escalating. She found Lou standing by Benny’s bed. Drawing closer, Casey noted the bruises on Benny’s face. His right eye was discolored and swollen. She hadn’t realized how much of a beating he’d taken. The thought that this might have been payback for Wesley’s behavior at the riot made her sick. She stifled her rising anger.
“Has he been asleep the whole time?” she whispered.
“He was awake for a couple of minutes.” Lou’s somber face turned to her. “Said something about being lost at sea.”
“Did he mention his assailant?”
“I asked. That’s when he started babbling about the sea.”
“Who are you?” a voice demanded behind them.
Casey turned to see a younger version of Benny. Benny’s youngest child had grown taller since she last saw him.
“You don’t remember us, Reese? We’ve met at your dad’s Boxing Day parties, though I think it’s been about four years since we last saw you,” she answered. “We’re Casey and Lou from MPT.”
The frown relaxed only a fraction. “Right. Well, don’t expect him to go back to work.”
Casey stared at the kid. No point in telling him that Benny liked his job and had tons of friends there. “Has your dad been able to talk about what happened?”
“Nah. Just says crazy shit.”
Casey waited for Reese to elaborate but he didn’t. “Even what sounds crazy could be a clue.”
Reese scratched his cheek. “He was going on about a man in black and a green freak. Probably thinking about those dumb superhero movies he always watches. Probably expected to be rescued by one of ’em.”
“That’s not true,” a woman said, entering the room.
Although it had been only a couple of years since Casey last saw Benny’s daughter, Yvette looked much older than she recalled. No surprise, under the circumstances.
“Hello, Yvette,” Casey said.
“Casey! Good to see you again.” Yvette gave her a hug and turned to Lou. “Hi, Lou.”
He nodded. “How’re you holding up?”
“As best I can. You being here will mean a lot to Dad. Just before this nightmare happened, he told me how much he was looking forward to your wedding.”
“It’s still a month away,” Lou said. “We’re counting on him being there.”
“I’m sure he will be.” Yvette moved closer to Benny and leaned over. “How are you doing, Dad?”
“How do you think?” Reese snapped at her.
She spun around and glared at her youngest brother. “If you can’t be more positive, then don’t come by.”
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
Gaping at the kid, Casey felt Lou squeeze her hand, a warning to stay silent. Sometimes, he knew her too well. The patient across from Benny shifted in her bed and moaned softly.
“Keep raising your voice like that and you’ll get kicked out again.” Anger swept through Yvette’s hushed tone. “You’re here only for money anyway.”
“I told you, we’re almost out of food.”
“Then stop buying takeout and start cooking. You won’t get any more until Friday. If you want more, then get a job.”
“Screw you.” Reese stormed out of the room.
Yvette let out a long sigh and rubbed her forehead. “Sorry about that. My brother doesn’t handle stress well, so he’s nastier than usual. Dad’s situation has brought out the worst in all of us, I’m afraid.”
And clearly exposed some unresolved issues. “I understand,” Casey replied. “This has to be incredibly tough on your family.”
“Tough would be an understatement.”
“Any word on Benny’s progress?” Lou asked.
Yvette hesitated. “Dad’s not healing as fast as they hoped. He’s also having trouble dealing with reality.”
“Yeah well, reality’s a little ugly right now,” Casey said. “My supervisor was also attacked. He’s just two doors down.”
“I heard, and that’s terrible.” Yvette hesitated. “There are rumors that the same man is responsible for both stabbings.”
“Did the police tell you that?” Casey asked.
“Good lord no. They’re not telling us anything. Dad’s coworkers told me.” Yvette watched her. “Have the cops said anything to you?”
“They’re keeping us out of the loop,” Casey answered, “which is beyond irritating.”
Benny groaned. The undamaged eye opened partially.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Yve?”
She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Are you feeling okay?”
He mumbled something Casey couldn’t hear.
“Lou and Casey are h
ere,” Yvette said softly. “Do you want me to raise the bed?”
Benny barely nodded. While Yvette adjusted the bed, Casey glanced at Lou’s pensive face.
“Hey, Benny,” Casey said, grateful for the flicker of a smile.
“Haven’t missed your wedding, have I?”
Lou smiled. “No. There’s still plenty of time.”
“Marriage is good,” Benny murmured. “My wife was amazing.” His voice quivered.
“It’s okay, Dad.” Yvette took his hand and stroked his head.
Casey edged closer. “Benny, do you remember anything about the man who attacked you?”
He nodded slowly. “Crazy eyes, like he wanted to kill me.”
Crazy eyes? Like the goatee thug? “Did he have facial hair?”
Benny took his time answering. “Stubble, and B.O. Thought he was homeless.”
Casey glanced at Lou, who raised his eyebrows. “How old would you say he was?” she asked.
Benny’s eyelids began to droop. “Late thirties. Maybe older.”
“Dad’s tiring,” Yvette said. “Maybe it’s time to stop.”
“Just one more question.” She kept her gaze on Benny. “Was he dressed all in black?”
“Yeah,” Benny answered, grimacing.
The pain twisting his expression was hard to watch.
“Are your meds wearing off, Dad?”
“Yeah.”
Benny’s oldest son, Max, appeared at the end of the bed. He was short and pudgy like Benny, but his face was more square-shaped than his father’s.
“What’s going on?” Max asked.
“Get a nurse,” Yvette said. “Dad needs medication.”
Max hurried out the door.
“We should go,” Lou murmured. “Take care, Benny.”
“Benny, were you able to tell the cops any of this?” Casey asked.
“Think so.”
“Thanks, Benny.”
“That’s more than he’s shared with us,” Yvette said to her.
“I’ll see what I can learn from the cops. The homeless angle could be important,” Casey answered. “Thanks for letting me talk to him, Yvette.”
“Whatever it takes to catch the bastard.”
The Blade Man Page 10
