“Besides, we’re perfectly safe here,” said Kate.
“She’s right, Michael. I’d like to stay a little longer, but I’ll check in with Fernice first.” I called her with an update which included what Lucas and Bart were up to.
“It’s 10:20 pm. How long have Lucas and Bart been gone?”
“Only a few minutes.”
“Call me back the moment they return. Then we’ll get all of you safely out of the club.” A vindicated Michael gave us the look.
“Michael, put me on the guest list as your uncle, Manuel Deroche and text me when that’s done,” said Alex.
“Okay.”
The sergeants were grim. They’d had a close look at Michael’s photos.
“MacLeish called me from here,” said Alex.
“Rhodes certainly looks like he’s right at home! What I’d like to know is who’s the guy across the table from Rhodes that he’s so angry with?”
Jeri noticed that Alex had his hand on the door handle. “Maybe wait until Bolton has you on the guest list,” said Jeri. No use tipping our hand unless we have to.”
He nodded reluctantly.
CHAPTER 36
Carey stared at the dark red stain, almost invisible in the dark plaid of the blanket. Seth’s blood. Maybe he was in the bathroom. The door was slightly ajar, and she knocked on it very quietly because she didn’t want to scare him, but there was no answer. She pushed it open, slowly. He wasn’t there.
She went back to the living room. She could hear a car making its way up the mountain below them, the sound fading and dying away when it parked. Someone was snoring upstairs. It sounded like Melanie.
Carey felt a flood of relief that Melanie was back. She’d been gone for two days. It was always harder when she was away. It was especially hard if Joy wasn’t here either. Then there was no one to take care of the younger boys and girls. Not that Melanie liked taking care of them, but she did take care of the basics. She was probably sick. She was always sick when she got back from being away. There was no use asking her to help find Seth.
Carey checked the little room under the stairs. The door was ajar, but the room was in darkness. She closed the door and turned on the overhead light. Everything was just like it always was. Photos of Ange’s daughter Winnie were everywhere. Ange told Carey that she wanted to live with her mother, and that at first, he missed her very much, but he didn’t care about that now because he had Carey and he hugged her tightly, which always scared her. It felt like he was never going to let her go.
Ange wasn’t going to give her back to her mom. And he wasn’t going to keep her either. She didn’t know what to do. Seth was gone. The men would be back from the club soon. She turned off the light and went back to Seth’s room and stood by the bed. That’s when she noticed the nightstand. She opened the drawer and there was Seth’s iPhone, attached to the recharger. He was never without it. She remembered what Ange had said last night: ‘Phineas, I didn’t sign on for murder!’ Maybe Seth had died. Thinking he might be dead made her heart hammer in her chest. She tucked the phone and the recharger into the pocket of her hoodie and left the room.
The house was quiet and the front door right there. She decided to go for help and reached for the doorknob, when she heard the crunch of tires on gravel as a car pulled into the driveway. She ran as fast as she could across the room and up the stairs. She went into the bathroom and closed the door and locked it. Then called her mom’s landline. Her mom didn’t pick up and it went to voicemail.
I’m sorry I went with Seth mom. Please don’t be mad. Ford hurt him bad. He’s gone. They’re going to sell Marie and she needs me to feel safe. They’re going to sell all of us. We’re at Ange’s house up high. They’re taking us to the States. Mom do you still love me? Please come and get me. I don’t—
Carey was so nervous and scared, she hung up before she was done. She made sure the phone was on silent and slipped across the hall her bedroom. The sisters were fast asleep. She climbed into bed and reached for her stuffie. She hid the phone in its secret compartment and hugged it close. Pulled the comforter up to her chin.
Michael had just returned with Batlan’s guest list when his cell rang. It was his sister Rosie and she was close to hysterical. Carey had called her a short while ago and left a message on the landline. Rosie, exhausted from lack of sleep, had laid down for a nap. She didn’t hear the phone ringing in the next room.
“Rosie, honey, it’s okay. It’s okay. This is great news! When did she call?” Morgan and Kate snapped to attention. Michael walked quickly to the other end of the suite and put Rosie on speaker. Kate and Morgan were right behind him.
“Rosie, was there a name displayed?”
“Seth. I have the number. And the message.”
I’d already started a text message to Fernice.
“You’re sure the name Seth displayed,” he said, looking from Morgan to Kate.
“Yes, I’m sure. I wanted to call her back, but I was afraid of getting her in trouble.”
“You did the right thing Rosie.”
“What did Carey say?”
Rosie started to cry, and the trio listened in silence to her sobs. When she got herself under control, she read back Carey’s message. As she read, Morgan put the message in the text and sent it.
“Oh Michael! Why would she ask if I still love her! Of course I still love her! And she hung up suddenly, like she was interrupted. What if someone caught her making the call?”
“Two officers are close by. They’re investigating Carey’s case. We’ll get this information to them immediately. I’ll get one of them to call you and tell you what to do next. Why don’t you get Estelle to come over and stay with you?”
“I’m calling her next.”
“Rosie, it’s going to be okay. Detective Fernice or Sergeant Desocarras will call you very soon. I need you to hang up now.”
“Okay.” We heard the disconnect. My phone rang. It was Fernice. I put her on speaker.
“Michael, did your sister call Seth’s number?”
“No. She didn’t want to get Carey into trouble.”
“Thank God. Michael, listen carefully: No one is to call this number. Are we clear?”
“Yes, we’re clear. I told Rosie one of you would call and tell her what to do next.” He gave her Rosie’s home number.
“We will. Right now. Sit tight.” Jeri hung up and turned to Alex.
“Right now, we’re the only ones with the number. Hopefully, it’s still live,” and she typed in the information for a trace.
“This is great, Jeri! A link that no judge can dispute.”
“VPD!” Jeri shouted at the screen. “The number traces back to the VPD! Shit! That bastard is really pissing me off. It’s Seth Boyce all right, but it looks like the phone is a line item for Special Investigations.” Alex looked at her and in answer to his unspoken question, “Phineas Rhodes, Sex Crimes. Rhodes signed the phone out to Seth. He could have a trace on the phone right now if he knows that Seth no longer has it.” She pulled up Ange Batlan’s address.
“Batlan lives on Marion Way in North Vancouver. Looks like he’s at the end of the road, so somewhat isolated. His road connects to a trail heading further up the mountain. North Vancouver is basically on a mountainside.”
“We need to go now!”
“We get the civilians to safety, then we go. Jas’s parents are away. We can use their house in Mount Pleasant. It’s close.”
Alex called Rosaline to reassure her and make sure she gave out no further information. Jeri was calling Jas when her cell phone rang. It was Morgan.
“Detective Fernice, I just found a link between one of the photos we found at the shipyard and the suite here that Batlan always books.” I’d been scrolling through the room photos I’d taken. I remembered one of the photographs from the shipyard was of a young girl, sitting on the arm of a chair, looking peacefully over the photographer’s shoulder. He’d tak
en the shot so that the red armoire in Batlan’s suite, framed her.
“Batlan’s suite has definitely been used for photo shoots. I’m willing to swear that the red armoire you can see in several of the long shots I took is the same armoire that was used in at least one of the pictures we found at the boatyard.”
“Which suite?”
“Shots I took earlier in Batlan’s suite.” Damn. I wasn’t going to tell her just yet.
“You were in Batlan’s suite!” Jeri looked at Alex. He had just finished his call to Rosaline.
“For the love of Christ,” she muttered, putting Morgan on speaker.
“Where is everyone right now?”
“Kate and I are here. Lucas, Bart, and Michael aren’t back yet. It’s been a little more than half an hour since Bart and Lucas left. Michael has gone to look for them.”
“I’ll get right back to you. Get ready to leave!”
Fernice hung up and messaged Michael that everyone was to prepare to leave the club, but before she finished, Alex added.
“Tell Michael I’m coming in and to meet me at the front desk,” said Alex.
A minute later, Michael texted back: At front desk.
Desocarras was out of the car in a shot and up the underground parking ramp to the street behind the club, then quickly jogging the short block to the front of the club. Michael was at the front desk and signed him in. Alex pulled his fedora low and followed Michael through the main concourse and up a short flight of stairs to the mezzanine, then on to the elevators at the back wall. Michael rang for one.
The club was animated and busy and it was getting late. No one paid any attention to the two men as they slipped into the empty elevator and pushed the button. They got off at the fifth floor and Michael led them down the hall to the Burrard Suite. He opened the door and followed the Sergeant into the room.
“Where’s Lucas and Bart?” Alex asked.
“They’re not back yet,” said Kate. “I’m worried.
“No one has come or gone across the hall either, not for quite a while,” I told him.
“I couldn’t find them and I’m pretty sure they’re not on this floor,” said Michael.
“What were they planning to do?”
“They went to check out the stairwell area at the end of the hall, right beside Batlan’s suite. We thought there might be another way into the suite.
“Are you familiar with the layout of the club?” Alex asked Michael.
“Yes.”
“Good. Come with me. Let’s see if we can find them. Once we do, we’re out of here.”
He called Fernice and quickly filled her in, then turned to Kate and Morgan.
“Stay here until we return.” Checking that the hallway was clear, Alex and Michael left the room and made their way quickly to the stairwell, then entered the landing.
“This would be the end wall of Batlan’s suite,” said Michael quietly.
“Let’s have a look around,” said Alex and he led the way down to the fourth-floor landing. Several large swing doors led out to banquet facilities. They descended to the third-floor landing. Similar swinging doors led to meeting and banquet rooms. But there was an additional door, marked with an EXIT sign. They took that one and found themselves in a narrow passageway, dimly lit by old fashioned wall sconces. Without a word, Alex started down the passageway, Michael right behind him. The murmur of indistinct voices could be heard. They seemed to be coming from the floor above them.
They reached another door, which opened directly onto a narrow flight of stairs going up. The air was dry and very close, the lighting dim.
Alex closed the door and turned to Michael. “Have you seen this passageway before?”
“No. I didn’t know it was here.”
“Where is Batlan’s party?”
“Second floor.”
“I want you to return to your suite and stay with the women. If I’m not back there in ten minutes, phone Detective Fernice.”
Michael nodded, but he hesitated.
“Go back to the suite. I’ll meet you all there.” He waited until Michael went back through the door that led to the main landing, then started to climb.
The stairwell was steep, the treads were narrow and there was no handrail. It wasn’t much wider than Alex. He counted twelve steps to a small landing, then up again to another small landing which joined with yet another stairway going up. He judged himself to be at or near the fourth floor. There was no exit to the club proper on this landing. He continued up to the next landing and judged himself to be halfway between the fourth and fifth floors. There was a sound now that he hadn’t noticed before. He crossed the landing and stopped to listen. The sound of laboured breathing reached him. He continued to climb.
As Alex neared the next landing, the first thing he saw was a pair of expensive Italian loafers, then the man wearing them. Gun out, he stepped over the man’s legs and bent to check his pulse. Fast, but steady. He was wheezing heavily. He stepped over him and examined the small, narrow door behind him, slightly ajar. It was impossible to get the door open because the man was blocking the swing side. There was just enough room to roll him over onto his right shoulder. He propped him in that position with one foot and was able to pull the door open a few feet and slide through sideways.
He found himself in a small storage room. A few feet ahead of him was a half open door, its edges illuminated by light from the next room. Alex let the door to the landing close behind him and stood motionless in the closet, gun out, listening for signs of life from the room beyond. Hearing none, he stepped into the suite. It was something of a shock after the narrow passageway. Vancouver harbour was picturesque through a bank of windows to his right. He checked the bathroom. The suite was empty.
Alex made his way to the door. No one was visible through the peephole, so he opened the door and checked the hallway—all clear. Michael Bolton’s suite was directly in front of him. He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. But as he raised his hand to knock on the door to Bolton’s suite it opened, and he slipped inside. The scene that greeted him was bizarre.
Morgan and Lucas were at the door. Lucas looked like he’d seen a ghost. Kate and Bart were sitting on the couch. A child, about seven years old, sat between them. She was wearing a red velvet dress. Long, dark curls framed her delicate face. Her eyes were frozen wide, her face solemn.
“We found her in Batlan’s suite,” said Lucas. “There was a man on the landing. He was unconscious. Our guess is he and the child came up that staircase. The unconscious guy must have doubled back through the passage door for some reason. We left the guy where he was and entered the suite and we found the girl.”
“When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ahead of you.”
Alex walked over to the couch and knelt in front of the girl.
“Can you tell me your name?” he asked her gently. The child was holding on tightly to Kate’s hand. She stared at him, mute.
“Has she spoken at all?”
“No, she has not, poor wee thing.” said Kate.
Alex called Jeri. “Lucas and Bart rescued a child from Batlan’s suite just a few minutes ago.”
“Do you think they know the child is gone?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You’re coming out now.”
“We’re on our way.”
“I’ll move to the top of the ramp.”
“Copy that.”
He turned to Michael. “What’s the best way out?”
“Down the elevator to the bottom floor and from there to the underground parking via an exit door that’s close to the members’ gym. The gym is on the right and the exit door is just beyond it, on the left side.”
“Michael, go and hold the elevator. We’ll watch from here. If it’s clear, I’ll bring the others and we all ride down.”
“Okay,” said Michael. “I just got this. It’s a l
ist of Batlan’s guests.” He handed it to Alex, grabbed his coat and overnight bag and took off down the hall to the elevators. Alex stuffed the list in his vest pocket. He followed Michael to the door and watched as he made it to the elevators and pushed the button. A ding was heard, and the doors opened. Alex quickly ducked back inside the room and pulled the door shut.
MacLeish barrelled down the hall and Alex, finger to lips, watched through the peephole as he entered Batlan’s suite and closed the door. Everyone stood at the door behind him. Bart was carrying the girl. Kate had their bag. Morgan was wearing her short, curly wig and Lucas carried their bag.
“We go now,” Alex whispered. He opened the door and crossed the hall to the door of Batlan’s suite, gun out. Kate left first, then Bart, carrying the child, then Lucas and Morgan. Michael, ashen faced, was inside the elevator, holding it for them. Alex backed down the hall, keeping his eye on the door to Batlan’s suite as everyone quickly boarded the elevator. Alex slipped in, the door closed, and they were on their way down to the basement.
“Bart, where’s your car parked?”
“Level B, one down from the street.”
The elevator reached the basement and they all got off. This late on a Saturday night the gym area was in darkness. A few staff could be heard talking in the lounge area further along the hall. They took the exit to the parkade, emerging on Level A.
“Detective Fernice is waiting at the top of the exit ramp, this level, at Cordova Street. I’ll take Morgan, Kate, and the child to her car. Michael and Lucas, go with Bart to get his car. We’ll wait till you’re behind us on the ramp, then I’ll hop in with you. We all leave together. Go! Now!” and they did, running.
Fernice was waiting at the top of the ramp. Morgan got in front, Kate and the child tumbled into the back seat.
“Where are we going?” Alex asked Jeri through the driver’s window.
“Jas’s parent’s house in Mount Pleasant. They’re on holiday. She’s on her way with the spare key.” She gave him the address.
Moments later, Bart pulled up behind Jeri and Alex hopped in the back beside Lucas. Jeri spun out onto Cordova and cut over to Hastings Street before heading east, Bart right behind her.
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