The Blade Man

by Debra Purdy Kong

  “I just wish you’d found a better way.”

  “I wish one had presented itself.” She didn’t want to talk about Charlie Applebee anymore. “I spoke with Benny’s daughter yesterday. Benny’s home but he was asleep when I called. Yvette was happy to hear about Charlie’s arrest.”

  “I bet. My RCMP contact confirmed that Applebee never leaves the Tri-Cities, so just as we thought, he’s not the firebug.” Stan frowned. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to tell Gwyn before he went on TV and told the world that Charlie’s likely responsible for all of MPT’s problems. The idiot’s ignoring evidence to the contrary simply to get the ridership back.”

  “I saw him on the news,” Casey remarked. “The smug attitude makes me wonder if the arsonist wants to put him in his place, so to speak.”

  “Agreed, and I told Gwyn as much this morning. Now he wants us to keep up surveillance ’cause he thinks more of you are now available for graveyard patrols.”

  Casey slumped back in her chair. “The team needs rest, Stan, and I know other issues are waiting to be dealt with.”

  “Which I told him, but he’s not listening.”

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  “There’s been progress on other fronts,” Stan said. “Cops tracked down two people behind the Facebook threats. One of them is that Liam kid you busted the other night. The other is the buddy who was with him.” Stan scratched his beard. “Both have alibis for all of the arsons. Seems they work part-time at a McDonald’s that’s open twenty-four hours a day.”

  “Great.” She shook her head. “Benny’s sons are back on top of my suspect list. Did you tell the cops about them?”

  “Yeah, and I’ve been strongly advised not to have any further contact with the family.”

  “Bull crap. We have every right to visit Benny, and won’t it look strange to Yvette if we ignore Benny now that he’s home? The sons could become suspicious.”

  “Good point.” Stan tapped his pencil. “I’ll stop by to see Benny on my way home, then let you know if anything should be done to watch the brothers.”

  “All right. Who’s on graveyard patrol tonight?”

  “Marie.”

  Casey grinned. “She’ll love that.”

  . . .

  Slouched behind the wheel of his truck, Lou yawned as he turned to Casey. “How long are we supposed to stay on surveillance?”

  “Until Stan tells us to leave.”

  “But we’ve been here over two hours, and it’s after midnight. I’m bagged.”

  “Me too.”

  Casey hadn’t intended to bring Lou along, but when he heard what she was up to tonight, he volunteered to keep her company.

  “I’m still surprised he okayed this,” Lou said.

  Casey wasn’t. Stan had told her that the brothers were hostile when he showed up at Benny’s place earlier this evening. He’d also overheard them talking about meeting up somewhere tonight. She’d proposed the stakeout and he’d agreed, reluctantly.

  “He wouldn’t have if he didn’t think the brothers could be our arsonists,” she said. “Desperate times, desperate measures.”

  “Then shouldn’t the cops be doing this?”

  “Doubt they have the manpower.”

  Not that MPT did either, but she was especially grateful that Anoop was also here. Stan wanted both brothers watched, and if they took off at separate times then, two tails would be needed. Anoop seemed eager to earn extra cash and do whatever he could to get back into Gwyn’s good books. Catching an arsonist would certainly accomplish that.

  “It’s Monday night,” Lou said. “What are the odds that Max and Reese will go out now?”

  “High, if they’re the arsonists.”

  “Want more coffee?” Lou asked, lifting the thermos.

  “Sure, thanks.”

  He poured her a cup. “Looking forward to your bachelorette spa thing this weekend?”

  “Definitely.” She sipped the coffee. “It’ll be fun, but if we haven’t found our firebug by then, I’ll feel guilty about taking time off.”

  “You’ve worked hard.” Lou took a sip. “MPT can’t stop us from enjoying our down time or going on our honeymoon. I won’t feel one bit of guilt.”

  His attitude still bothered her. Maybe it would improve once Benny returned to work. But what if he didn’t return, or he did but without the same easygoing optimism that the drivers counted on? No. Don’t dwell on it. Time for happier thoughts.

  “What have the guys planned for your stag?”

  “Dunno. They want it to be a surprise.”

  “Uh-oh. You aren’t going to wind up in a diaper handcuffed to a bus bench, are you? I wouldn’t put it past some of the guys.”

  “I had better not be.”

  Casey smiled as she observed Benny’s house. “Only two and a half weeks to go.”

  She couldn’t wait for their wedding. Kendal’s mom had offered the use of her large home for the ceremony and reception.

  “Hope Benny can make it,” Lou murmured.

  “Me too.”

  But she had her doubts. Casey hadn’t had the heart to share Stan’s concern about Benny’s weak and disoriented state. He said that Benny barely smiled at the news of Charlie Applebee’s arrest. Casey feared that Benny’s kids wouldn’t want him at the wedding. Hanging with coworkers on a happy occasion might trigger a desire to stay employed.

  “Looks like Yvette’s leaving.” Casey watched her step outside and head for her SUV. “Strange that she’d go out this late on a weeknight.”

  “Max and Reese are there to watch the kids, who are probably asleep anyway.”

  “I just had an ugly thought.” Lou paused. “If her brothers wanted to destroy MPT, would Yvette help them?”

  “I don’t think so.” She watched Yvette back her SUV out of the driveway. “Yvette wants Benny to sell the house and move in with her. She’s not a fan of Gwyn’s either. Still, I can’t believe she’d actually help them commit a serious crime like arson.”

  “Maybe not. But would she turn them in if she found out? Help them hide evidence?”

  Truthfully, Casey didn’t know. Despite Yvette’s arguments with her brothers and her disdain for their laziness, they were family. How far would Yvette go to protect them?

  Lou sighed again. “I’ll fall asleep if I have to stay here much longer.”

  She’d warned him that might happen, but pointing it out now wouldn't go over well.

  “Surveillance takes focus and patience, Lou.”

  “Patience?” He grinned. “You?”

  “I’m getting better. Haven’t you noticed?”

  “Now that you mention it, yeah.” Lou took another sip of coffee. “You’ve been more patient with Summer than I have.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Trust me, it takes a lot of effort, especially after her latest hissy fit. Can’t blame her for being upset over that last phone call with Rhonda.”

  Lou nodded. “She shouldn’t have refused to see Summer.”

  After Rhonda’s heated discussion with Summer, she’d called Casey, and yelled, “Why did you go against my wishes and tell her? How could you do that to me?”

  So, Casey told her the brutal truth, that Summer was lost and still angry with Rhonda, and now terrified that she would turn out like the rest of the Stubbs women. Despite Rhonda’s swearing and heartbroken sobs, Casey had pressed on.

  “Do you want to spend your time raging at me or fixing things with your daughter before she really stops caring?”

  Thank heaven Rhonda backed down and agreed to let Summer visit as soon as arrangements could be made. Rhonda’s continuing vagueness about her surgery only compounded the stress. Casey sensed that she really was keeping the details from them, but confronting her about it wouldn’t help. As things stood, there’d be plenty more tears and drama when mother and daughter met face-to-face.

  “You okay?” Lou asked, stroking her hair.

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “Thinking about
Rhonda.”

  “I understand, but try to focus on happier stuff, like how we’ll soon be on a tropical beach.”

  “Good idea.” Casey drained her coffee and rubbed her sleepy eyes. “Let’s hope we can get through these next few days without any more disasters.”

  . . .

  Casey’s cellphone rang, startling her. She hadn’t realized she’d dozed off.

  “Pretty spiffy surveillance work, Sherlock,” Lou remarked.

  “What time is it?”

  “Just after 1:00 AM.”

  “I thought you’d be the one to fall asleep,” she mumbled.

  “Well, one of us had to stay awake.”

  She glared at him. “You should have woken me.”

  “Thought you could use the rest.”

  She wasn’t surprised to see Stan’s name on her screen, given that he was helping Marie patrol for part of the evening. “What’s up?”

  “We’ve got action here. Someone’s sneaking down the admin building’s west side. Can you and Anoop swing by and cover the side streets? I’ve called the cops, but until they arrive I don’t want Marie handling things alone. God knows what our trespasser’s up to.”

  “Okay, en route.” She turned to Lou. “Stan thinks the arsonist might be on the property.” She noted that Max’s truck was missing. “Max is gone!” Yvette had returned, though.

  “I know. Anoop was eager to follow him so I said sure. Max left by himself, which means Reese must still be inside.”

  Lou started the engine. “We’re heading to Mainland?”

  “Yep. I need to tell Anoop to get over there fast. Stan wants all of us cruising the side streets.” Casey brushed cheese and cracker crumbs off her shirt. “This is the messiest surveillance I’ve ever been on.”

  “One of the most restful too, I bet.”

  “Until now.” She dialed Anoop.

  TWENTY-NINE

  As Lou sped toward Mainland Public Transport, Casey watched for patrol cars. She wasn’t worried about being stopped. In fact, she wanted their help. Glancing at the night sky, she could almost feel the heavy clouds swell and prepare to spill. Moist air filled her lungs. Her phone rang and Marie’s name appeared on her screen.

  “What’s happening?” Casey asked.

  “We haven’t found anyone. He may have left,” Marie murmured. “Stan’s near the back of the yard. I’m working my way around the admin building, but he wants you to take a close look at the front of the property before you check the side streets.”

  “Sure. Have you noticed a silver Dodge Ram near the place?”

  “Wait.” Marie’s voice became strained. “I hear glass breaking.”

  Casey sat up straighter. “Where?”

  “Northeast corner of the admin building, main floor.”

  “Get away from there!”

  “I’m on—”

  An enormous explosion blasted Casey’s ear. “Marie!” No response. “Marie!”

  “Whoa, I heard that from here.” Lou reached for his phone. “I’ll call 9-1-1.”

  “Marie, are you there? Talk to me!” Casey gripped the phone. “Oh god.”

  She hung up and phoned Stan. The phone rang five times before he answered. It sounded like he was running.

  “I was talking to Marie when something exploded,” Casey blurted. “She’s not responding to me. Lou’s talking to a 9-1-1 operator. Can you see her?”

  “Not yet!” He wheezed as if struggling to catch his breath. “What’s your twenty?”

  “Couple minutes away.” Lord, he shouldn’t be running like that. “Stan, be careful.”

  “Copy that!” Stan gasped for breath. “Search the area.”

  She was on the phone with Anoop, two blocks from MPT, when Lou hit the brakes and pulled over, his eyes on the rearview mirror. “Someone’s running down the sidewalk.”

  In her side mirror, Casey didn’t see anyone. She opened the door and stepped out, spotting him instantly.

  “Anoop, the suspect’s running north on Bedford Road,” she replied. “How fast can you get there?”

  “Nearly there now.”

  “We’ll take the next street over in case he tries to cut through.” Casey hopped in the truck. “Watch for any vehicles. He might have one waiting, and stay on the line.”

  “Ten-four.”

  “Cops and fire department are on their way,” he said.

  “If the suspect’s heading toward Lougheed, maybe we can cut him off.”

  “I couldn’t tell if he was in a driver’s uniform,” Lou said.

  “Neither could I, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the same culprit and sooner or later we’ll find out if he’s one of us or not.”

  Lou turned down a dimly lit street populated by industrial buildings. Each property was surrounded by a high chain link fence. Bushes, and hedges provided a buffer from Lougheed Highway traffic. They also offered plenty of hiding places.

  Casey put her phone on speaker. “Anoop, see anyone?”

  “Afraid not.”

  “Must be cutting through properties. With all those fences, he’d have to be quite the athlete.” Something niggled in the back of her mind but she couldn’t quite get her head around it. “When you’re sure he’s gone, take the next street over, on the east side.”

  “Ten-four.”

  Casey scanned every parked car, worried that the suspect might already be hiding in one of them. She heard sirens.

  “Any sign of a silver Dodge Ram?” she asked Lou.

  “No.”

  “I still don’t see anyone,” Anoop said over the phone.

  “Damn it.” She sighed. “I’ll call Stan on Lou’s phone. Stay on the line.”

  Lou handed it to her. It took five rings before Stan finally answered.

  “What’s happening?” Casey asked. “Is Marie okay?”

  “I’m with her now. She’s conscious, barely. There’s some bad cuts from glass on her back and left arm. Fire department got here pretty quick and I can hear the ambulance coming.”

  Lou leaned forward and squinted at the windshield. “I see someone.”

  Following his gaze, Casey also thought she saw movement.

  “One block down?” she asked Lou.

  “Yeah.” He hit the gas.

  “Stan, tell the cops we’re in pursuit of someone dressed in dark clothing.” After Casey provided the street name, she turned to her own phone. “Anoop, did you hear that?”

  “Yes. En route.”

  “Put me on speaker,” Stan said.

  As Casey did so, Lou said, “He’s turning the corner!” Lou sped down the road, slowing just enough to make a right turn. “Where’d he go?”

  “There!” Casey pointed to the property halfway down the block. “He’s hopping the fence. Pull over! I’m going after him.”

  “No!” Stan yelled. “Cops’ll be there any second.”

  She did as ordered, but feared they were losing precious seconds. Lou stopped in front of the property’s padlocked gate. Anoop approached from the other direction.

  “He disappeared.” She switched phones. “Anoop, do you see anything?”

  “No.”

  Casey peered at every shrub, every foot of vacant asphalt, and every visible corner of the building. A patrol car sped up to them. By the time she finished updating the officer, she was exasperated. The suspect had probably gotten away, and the cop didn’t seem overly eager to jump the fence and search on foot.

  “Leave the area, ma’am,” the officer said. “We’ll take it from here.”

  “Do as he says!” Stan’s voice rang out. “And tell Anoop he can go home. I’m hanging up now.”

  “Fine.” She ended the call but kept staring at the property, alert to any sign of movement.

  Lou took his phone back. “Come on, Casey. Stan’ll need us.”

  She nodded. “Anoop, we’re heading over to Mainland. Stan said you can go home, and thanks for your help tonight. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.
I hope Marie will be okay.”

  “Me too.”

  The closer they got to MPT, the smokier the air became. Since the entrance was once again cordoned off, two buses were parked on the side street. A barrier at the end of the road kept Lou from getting closer to Mainland.

  “Looks like we’ll have to walk in,” he said.

  Casey stole another glance at the sky. The dense clouds felt heavier. Two news vans approached the police barriers. Once Lou had parked the truck, she marched toward the premises, gaping at the smoke billowing from the northeast corner of the admin building.

  A handful of coworkers and other spectators waited on the sidewalk. Stan was as close to the building as was permitted. Casey noticed the way his shoulders rounded as he spoke on the phone. Was he talking to Gwyn? Demolishing the idiot’s delusion that their problems had been solved?

  “I’m gonna talk to the drivers a minute,” Lou said.

  “Okay.”

  Casey hurried toward Stan and tried not to gag on the stench of gasoline. She caught sight of Marie in the ambulance just before they closed the doors. Stan ended his call.

  A shudder rippled through her and she hugged herself. “I was afraid it was only a matter of time before one of us was hurt.”

  “Yeah.” Stan released a huff of air. “Gwyn wants to come by but I talked him out of it.” He shook his head. “The torched room was his temporary office. Don’t see how Benny’s sons could have known that unless they have an informer on the inside.”

  Casey thought of the Friends and everything they knew. “If Del can hack our emails, maybe they can too.” She paused. “A few days ago, I learned that the Friends have a private Facebook group for sharing MPT stuff. That could also have been hacked.”

  Stan rolled his eyes. “Talk to those kids, see if any new members have joined or if there’s been any strange activity with their accounts.”

  “Sure.” Stan’s haggard look concerned her. This latest fiasco wouldn’t help his recovery. “Why don’t you go home? I’ll stay here a bit longer.”

  “I don’t think any of us needs to stay. Doubt our firebug will be back tonight.” Stan looked up and down the street. “I want to see if the cops have found any evidence.”