by K T Brodland
“I never was much of a drinker.”
“Good thing.”
Her chin trembling, tears shimmering in her eyes, Olivia whispered a rush of words. “If you aren’t afraid of me by now, you should be. How do you think I killed my dad? I threw him across the room so hard he smashed his skull against the edge of the fireplace. But he was dead, his neck broken, before he ended up in a pool of blood on our living room floor. Before that happened though, apparently my brother had seen me kissing a girl outside the school and ran to tell my father. That definitely put me outside the pale. No filthy dyke whore was going to remain under his roof. So, he proceeded to try and beat me to death. I killed him first, then got out of there as fast as my broken ribs and bruised back would let me. I hung out in an old shack I knew about for a few days until I could move without screaming, then snuck back into the house when my mother and my brother were out. I stuffed a backpack with as much as I could in the way of warm winter clothes, then dug out an old wallet from under my mattress. I’d had a hunch I was going to need a little cash one day, so I’d been squirreling money away against that day. I had about one hundred dollars that I’d earned doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. I just hoped that would do me for a little while.”
A muscle twitched in Olivia’s cheek. “Do you want to know what is ironic about all this? In the letter Elsa wrote to me she said my brother committed suicide two years after I left. In the note he left he said he couldn’t live with the guilt he felt at letting everyone believe his sister was the one who killed his dad. He finished him off while his mother knelt in a corner praying for her daughter’s soul. I don’t know how many times I reread that part, in between bouts of tears. Poor Jamie, if he only knew, our dad was dead before he even hit the edge of the fireplace.”
Cat could only shake her head in dismay at the recounting of Olivia’s last night in her family home. “I saw enough of that shit when I was with the RCMP. There was more than one occasion when I would have dearly loved to take some bastard outside and beat the shit out of him. Give him a taste of his own medicine.”
Olivia nodded. “Yeah, I hear you. Still, that’s the reason I never wanted anything to do with my family after that. Not to mention that I wanted to avoid going to prison. There is no statute of limitations on murder.”
“That wasn’t murder; that was self-defense, pure and simple. And based on the reports I came across, there isn’t a court in the land that would convict you even of excessive force in defending yourself.”
“Could be. Anyway, I survived by using my wits for the next four years until I ended up in Alison’s barn. She turned out to be the mother I never had, I was the daughter she always wanted.”
“Was it her idea or yours to change your name and pass you off as her daughter?”
“I think it was mutual. Oh. Did Elsa use my birth name at any point?”
“Yes, but just once.”
“Okay, then please forget you ever heard it. I’m not that person and I don’t want to ever hear that name again.”
Cat offered a tight smile. “That’s all right, I much prefer Olivia anyway. Or babe.”
She’d seen a broom and dustpan in the pantry earlier. She retrieved them and set to sweeping up the broken pieces of china. “Well,” she observed. “At least you spared the Royal Albert.”
“Yeah, and I must have a word with the manufacturers of that unbreakable dinnerware. It is not shatterproof. At least not when I’m around.”
Cat glanced her way in time to see tears trickling down Olivia’s face as she clutched her arm. She wordlessly went into the bathroom and found a bottle of pain reliever in the medicine cabinet. She returned to the kitchen, filled a glass with water, and set it down in front of Olivia. She fished out two caplets, set them down on the table. She palmed two more for herself. “Get these down you and then head off to bed. I can stay down here tonight if you like.”
Olivia washed down the pills, carefully set the glass down again. “Thank you, Cat, but what I really want…what I really need…right now is to just be alone for a while. I need time to wrap my head around all this.”
Cat rested her hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to have brought all this down on you, babe. If I had really known what it was going to do to you, I never would have agreed to help Elsa find her missing daughter.”
Olivia shook her head. “Don’t blame yourself, Cat. You may have been able to read between the lines, but you couldn’t have known just how bad things had really been. I’m so used to keeping secrets that I couldn’t bring myself to talk to you about my past.” A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “As it is, you now know far more about me than anyone else does around here.”
“And that’s the way it’s going to stay. And that includes Elsa Lundgren. When I see her again, I’ll tell her I have located her daughter, but said daughter does not wish to have any contact with her.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“In the meantime, I would feel a lot better if you’d let me stay here tonight.”
Olivia exhaled softly. “All right. But after breakfast I really do want you to leave.”
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You promise to text me if you need anything at all, even if it’s just to talk.”
Olivia nodded. “I promise.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
O livia, I know you said you wanted to be alone for a while, but it’s been more than a week and I’m getting worried. Are you okay? I’d like to come and see you. Text me, please, even if it’s only to tell me to bugger off.
Cat hit the send button on her cell phone then crossed her fingers, hoping for a quick reply. Half an hour went by and she was about to send a second text when her phone beeped. She breathed a sigh of relief as she scrolled through the incoming message.
“Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I was out in the yard and forgot to turn my phone on. As for you coming here. Sure. See you soon.”
Seconds later, Cat was out the door and in the Mustang. When she arrived at the farm, she found Olivia seated at the kitchen table, admiring the shiny new toy that Cat recognized as a directional mic similar to the one she used in her work.
“Going high-tech, now, are we?”
Olivia nodded. “Yes. I picked it up at the post office this morning. Accessing computers is one thing but the gang members have gotten careful about the information they exchange online these days. So, it occurred to me that I need to be able to hear actual conversations if I’m going to trace the source of their drug.”
“Good plan. If you need any help, just give me a shout.”
Cat was hard put to figure out what was behind the odd look Olivia flashed her way. Hoping for clarification, she added a caveat. “Assuming you want my help, of course.”
Olivia rolled her shoulders, fiddled with the price tag still attached to the mic. “The jury’s still out on that. I…I appreciate you coming to check on me, but after what happened the last time you were out here, I’m surprised that you even want to talk to me, let alone help me with my efforts to bring down the Alphas.”
“Hm. It would seem I have a vested interest in that myself. After seeing how they operate and knowing what R did to three of the gang members, I’m just as eager as you to bring down that pile of shit.”
“Pile of shit, eh? That’s a pretty good description of that lot.”
“Yeah,” Cat growled. “And it’s been a long time coming.”
“You’ll be interested to know, then, that R is not enjoying prison all that much. I’ve heard through the grapevine that on several occasions he has had visitors to his cell late at night. He is currently in the prison Infirmary after the latest visit.”
“Gee, that’s too bad.”
“Isn’t it just? The fact that these visits took place in his cell suggests that one or more guards is in on it.”
“You could be right.”
Clasping h
er hands on the table in front of her, Olivia spoke quietly. “There still remains the question of why you want to be within miles of me after what you saw me do to Peter Smith. Not to mention what I did to you the last time you were here.”
Cat scratched a non-existent itch on the back of her head. “Given the circumstance, I’m not really concerned about what you did to me. As for what you did to Smith, I’m still kicking my ass for not stopping you.”
Olivia broke in. “You couldn’t have stopped me. You were standing close enough that you were caught in the backlash from the power I was wielding. So much so that you were unable to move. So you can stop kicking yourself about that.” Her chin trembling, unshed tears brimming in her eyes, she continued. “For what it’s worth, I was so horrified by what I’d done that I cried myself to sleep that night. I could also still see that shock and anger in your eyes as you drove away.”
“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me ever since that night?”
“I was under the impression you were avoiding me. Which was why I was so taken off guard when you showed up with those letters from Elsa.”
Cat shook her head, tried not to smile at the way she and Olivia were so wrong about one another’s motives. “We make quite a pair, don’t we?’
“Not sure what kind of pair, but yeah, I guess so. That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t think I can be around you anymore, Cat. I like you well enough, but I don’t trust myself to be a part of anyone else’s life. Not after what I’ve done to you. And others.”
“Livvy, I’m not going to pretend I understand exactly what you’ve been through, now or in the past. I certainly don’t understand how your powers work, but I’m a firm believer in giving people a second chance. Can you do the same for me?”
“If you are asking if we can still be friends, the answer is… I don’t know.”
“Will you at least let me continue working with you until we nail whoever is supplying drugs to the Alphas?”
“I guess I can go that far. Especially since you’ve done so much already. So, okay, I can go that far.”
Olivia moved the mic to one side just as the oven timer rang. She pushed out of her chair and removed what looked like a pie from the oven and set it on top of the stove. “Lunch is ready. I hope you like quiche.”
Cat’s stomach rumbled. “It’s not something I have on a regular basis, but I do like it.”
Olivia took a large green salad from the fridge and joined Cat at the table.
“After that lovely meal, don’t you ever tell me you can’t cook, ‘cause I won’t believe you.” Cat remarked, with lunch out of the way.
Olivia offered up a shy smile. “Thank you, but perhaps you’re biased.”
“Could be.”
“So, what all have you been up to for the past week?”
“You first.”
Olivia sighed, “I wish I could say I had a great time, but I didn’t. I spent most of the first couple of days alternating between reading the letter Elsa wrote and crying.”
“How are you feeling about her now? Any inclination to go and see her?”
“No. Not yet anyway.” She fiddled with her coffee cup. “What was your impression of her?”
“She seemed a bit frail and she’d clearly had a stroke at some point. Other than that, she was pleasant enough. She was definitely showing her age, though.”
Olivia nodded. “Yeah, she’d be in her seventies by now.” She lapsed into silence, gazing down at the healing cut on the palm of her left hand. “Anyway, when I got the self-pity out of my system, I sat out on the porch, drinking coffee and thinking about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. At one point I was almost ready to pack it in, leave the area entirely. Just disappear to somewhere no one could ever find me again. There didn’t seem to be any reason for me to stay. Rational thought kicked in and I reminded myself of all the things I needed to do. Bringing down the Alphas is a priority, of course. I came up with a few more ideas on that subject. Then there is the shelter. I feel as though I owe the kids there more than the occasional bag of vegetables. Locating the Alphas’ supplier and shutting them down is the least I can do for them. Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, it’s your turn. What have you been up to for the past week?”
Cat made a face. “Mostly interviewing potential receptionists for the front desk. The rest of the time was spent trying to pacify my eldest niece for missing her birthday. Again. I will definitely not win the greatest aunt of the year award as far as she is concerned. I finally managed to convince her I would try and get up to see her sometime this fall. Given how busy I am these days, I crossed my fingers when I said that.”
“Do you have pictures of the girls?”
“I certainly do.” Cat dug out her cell phone and clicked on the gallery icon. She scrolled through the images until she came to the ones she wanted, handed the phone to Olivia and pointed out which niece was which. Olivia smiled at Cat’s obvious affection for the two girls. At seventeen Wendy was a striking teenager with chin length auburn hair and freckles. Her younger sister, Natalie, shared similar coloring, right down to the freckles, but where Wendy was smiling, Natalie scowled at the camera, clearly not interested in having her picture taken.
Olivia gazed at the photos for a moment longer, then handed the phone back to Cat. “I envy you having people you can call family.”
Cat shifted on her chair, then swallowed the last of her coffee, which had long since gone cold. “There’s a big difference between your family and mine,” she observed quietly. “And a chosen family can be just as important as biological family. Sometimes even more so.” Cat glanced sideways. “Speaking of which, have you heard from Trish lately?”
“Yes, Mary phoned me a couple of weeks ago to let me know Trish was the proud mom of a baby girl. Trish named her Olivia Barbara and asked me if I would be her little girl’s godmother. Needless to say, I lost it before I hung up, I was so touched by her wanting me to be a part of her life.”
“That’s wonderful. Oh, and your family is going to be expanded by one before the month is out.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I heard from Anne the other day and she’s planning on heading back this way. Her sister passed away not long after she arrived in Vancouver and she stayed on to help the nephews tie up any loose ends. They were going to sell the house but the oldest one decided he and his wife could make better use of it. Especially since they were expecting their third kid. Of course, that all had to be sorted out.”
“Oh. So, is Anne wanting her job back?”
“No. In fact, I’m hoping she will help me screen potential new staff. I don’t know how other PIs manage to work without someone covering the front desk, but I’m having to put the sorry, not available message on my answering phone far too often lately.”
Cat side-eyed Olivia. “I don’t suppose I could tempt you to come and work for me again?”
“Nice try, Cat but nooo. Not while I plan to wreak havoc on the ungodly in this town.”
“Oh well, it was worth a try. Speaking of the ungodly, care to share your plans with me?
Olivia busied herself with clearing the table before replying. “I’ve got some files upstairs I’d like to show you. I’ve…I’ve also got a couple of ideas I’d like to run by you. If you’re interested, of course.”
The gleam in Cat’s eyes was the only answer she needed.
Once they were settled in Olivia’s office, Olivia retrieved the facial-recognition file and slid it across the desk to Cat. “Of all the photos I took at the funeral only half-a dozen were in the database. The only one of any real interest to me is this fellow.”
She tapped the top file, with its image of a male in his early forties, with a close-cropped haircut, a narrow face, and ice-cold blue eyes. “He and Rhodes seemed to have been quite chummy. With Rhodes out of the picture now, I am thinking Wild Bill could be his replacement. Not sure why, but there’s just something about him that says he could be trouble.�
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She turned to Cat. “Which reminds me, just how did the RCMP know to show up at Rhode’s house that night?”
“Simple. I contacted Jean, told her what I had overhead using my trusty little mic. She took it from there. And before you ask, yes, I gave her the information you got from Smith. Not particularly proud of that, but I had a hunch time was running out for the boys. So I made a judgement call and used what I had heard Smith tell you.”
Cat smoothed a crease in her jeans before meeting Olivia’s eyes. “I just wish Sonny had lived long enough to tell us more about Rhodes.”
“You and me both. Too late for regrets now.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Hopefully we can prevent anything like that from happening again.”
Olivia gathered up the photos and put them back in the folder. “I’ve been thinking about Rhodes a lot lately.” She swiveled her chair around until she was facing Cat. “You know, I’m wondering if he wasn’t the real power behind the throne? That William Underwood is just a figurehead?”
She pulled up her file on Rhodes while she waited for Cat to mull that idea. After a few minutes, Cat responded. “You could be right. Which means we need to focus our attention more on him. He might be in prison, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t leave a network behind.”
“I agree. And I’m thinking Wild Bill is at the top of the list. And if he has been asked to take control of the business, let’s not make life easy for him.”
Cat chuckled. “I like the way your mind works.”
“That’s good, because my mind can go down some weird and wondrous paths at times.”
Two hours later, Olivia stretched hard to ease her back, then dipped her head at the emails showing on her laptop. “There was a lot of chatter between Rhodes and Bill prior to Rhodes’ incarceration. There are frequent references to packages and assets. Given how close those two seemed to have been, I’m thinking we should keep a close eye on Bill. He just might lead us to the gang’s supplier.”
She drew in a deep breath and reached for another stack of photos. She tapped the top one that showed a clean-shaven middle-aged man. “This is the fellow I presumed was William Underwood. I took it at the Wilkes brothers’ funeral.” She added a second photo. “This one was also taken at the funeral. I wish I could have managed more but he was too well guarded.” She dug through the stack of photos until she came to another image and placed it next to the photos she had taken at the funeral. “See anything unusual about these pics?”
