Beneath the Bleak New Moon

by Debra Purdy Kong

  Female radar always amazed Casey. All that intuition and women still made bad choices in men. Greg was a classic example.

  “So is he, like, some loser ex-boyfriend?” Lara asked.

  “Why are you two so interested?”

  “Just curious,” Paige answered.

  “He’s still hot for ya,” Lara remarked. “I can tell from the body language.”

  The remark made Casey cringe. She sat down and immersed herself in the editorial page of the Contrarian. A number of letters supported Danielle’s condemnation of street racers, and some recounted their own near misses with maniacs on the road.

  “There’s the spot where that jogger got smucked,” Paige remarked.

  Casey looked up and saw the roadside memorial of flowers and cards fastened to a light standard. She had told Denver about her encounter with the Asian kid. She’d also mentioned Danielle’s revelation about a racer called Eagle, an organizer known as Leo, and the group called Roadkill. Denver didn’t volunteer much information in return. She hadn’t expected him to.

  Lara turned around. “I guess you couldn’t save that jogger, huh?” The girl had a talent for baiting people.

  “She died in the ambulance.”

  “Maybe we could find out who hit her,” Lara replied.

  “Sure, you go ahead and do that.” Casey focused on the Contrarian.

  “No, really,” Paige said, swallowing her food. “We know kids who are into racing.”

  Casey turned a page. She would love to get some names, but letting the gruesome twosome know this wouldn’t be smart.

  “One of them is a Chinese guy from Richmond,” Lara added.

  Richmond was known for its large Asian population, and the city was just on the other side of the Arthur Laing Bridge at the end of Granville Street. Still . . . “That narrows the field down to a few thousand kids,” Casey said.

  “We know kids who hang with the Chinese kid’s sisters,” Lara replied. “We could get a name.”

  “Tell the police, not me.”

  “We don’t talk to cops,” Paige said.

  Casey tried not to smile. “Why is that?” She watched the twins scrunch their empty bags. “What did you two do?”

  “We just don’t,” Paige replied, turning away.

  “There’s an empty seat at the back,” Lara said. “Let’s go.”

  When the twins stood, Casey said, “Take your garbage with you.” She nodded toward the greasy crumpled bags on the seat.

  Lara looked like she’d just been asked to dip her hand in horse poop. Glaring at Casey, she grabbed the bags. “Bitch.”

  Ditto, Casey thought as she thumbed through her paper again. A minute later, she smelled cigarette smoke. She smacked the newspaper on the seat, opened her notebook, and jotted down the time before approaching the girls.

  “This is the second time I’ve told you not to smoke in here. Put that cigarette out right now, Lara.” A nearby conversation stopped.

  “Chill,” Lara said. “We’re out of here in two minutes.”

  “Put it out now, or we’ll be contacting your parents about a fine or suspending you from riding our buses for a month.”

  Lara blew smoke in Casey’s face. Casey yanked the cigarette out of the girl’s mouth and mashed it into the floor.

  Beneath the makeup, Lara’s face reddened. “No one else cares, so why are you making a big deal out of this?”

  “They do care. I’m here because of passenger complaints. Doesn’t it occur to you that someone with asthma, cancer, or emphysema could be on this bus?” She felt the M7 slow to a stop. “Why can’t you think of anyone besides yourselves?”

  Lara jumped up. “You are the biggest bit—”

  “Knock it off!” Greg’s voice ricocheted around the bus as he marched toward them.

  Casey fumed. Why was he interfering with her job?

  “You two.” Greg pointed at the twins. “Out!”

  The girls stayed put.

  “I’ve got this, Greg,” Casey said.

  Ignoring her, he said, “This bus doesn’t move until you girls leave.”

  “But our stop’s three blocks away,” Paige replied. “And the cigarette’s out.”

  “I don’t give a damn.”

  Lara snatched the crumpled bags. Paige wrapped her arms around the full one.

  “My mom will have your asses fired!” Lara stomped to the exit.

  “Sure, little girl.” Greg followed them down the aisle.

  Casey didn’t know which made her angrier: Greg’s interference or the twins’ insolence. She waited until the girls had exited before she moved closer to Greg.

  “Stupid kids are ruder every damn day,” he muttered.

  Casey took a deep breath. “You had no right to butt in.”

  He merged back into traffic. “I was just trying to help.”

  “Well don’t.” She didn’t need his macho crap back in her life.

  “I heard about your promotion to second-in-command a while back,” he said. “Congrats.”

  “Thanks. It means I know what I’m doing.”

  She started to walk away when he said, “Uh, can I talk to you a minute? It’s about the house.”

  Not the house, her house. The one she grew up in, the one she and Greg had shared until she’d learned about his affair with Tina and moved out. The memories had been too painful to stay. Besides, she’d wanted to show their colleagues that she wasn’t a vindictive, bitter ex-wife. Apart from not needing the cash, she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t sold the place. Yet keeping the house had become a good investment. Greg paid his rent on time and took care of the property, or so he’d told her. She hadn’t seen the place since she’d moved out.

  “We shouldn’t be discussing personal matters—”

  “Money’s been tight.” Greg kept his gaze on the road. “Tina’s pregnant again.”

  A second baby? No surprise there. Greg had always wanted three or four kids fairly fast.

  “The thing is, she quit her job,” he went on. “I was wondering if we could have a temporary reduction in rent until I can put a few more paychecks together.”

  Was he for real? “Greg, I haven’t increased the rent since we began this arrangement.”

  “I appreciate that.” His Adam’s apple moved up and down. “It’s just that I heard your dad owned a fancy house on Marine Drive and had a fair bit of cash, and that your mom had a condo in Yaletown. That had to be worth some big bucks, so you must be doing okay, right?”

  Un-friggin’-believable. “I had to pay off Mother’s many debts. Living within her means was never her strong suit, though I guess the grapevine didn’t tell you that part. But belated thanks for the sympathy card.” Given that Greg and Mother had never met and Mother’s name rarely came up during their marriage, Casey had been shocked that he’d sent her a card at all.

  “You’re welcome.” He checked the side mirrors.

  “As for the cash and the Marine Drive place, there’s a complicated legal dispute about who owns what, so I won’t see a penny anytime soon, if ever, by the time the lawyers are done.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  She just bet he was.

  “Look, I wouldn’t ask for the reduction if there was another choice,” he said. “We’ve maxed out our credit with the banks, and our families are broke.”

  Then why didn’t he rent a cheaper place in the suburbs? Why should she take a financial hit because of Tina’s pregnancy?

  “Will you at least think about it?” he asked.

  No way in hell, but why start an argument now? “All right.”

  She’d turn him down later, when she felt like it. Casey returned to her seat, wondering if she was a touch vindictive after all.

  SIX

  “GREG HAD THE GALL TO ask for a reduction in rent. Can you believe that?” Casey slumped against her sofa and sighed. It was only 10:00 PM, but she was exhausted and frustrated by her shift on the M7 bus.

  “He had no bloody righ
t to ask,” Lou said, his arm firmly around her shoulder.

  “Have you seen him since he’s been back?” she asked.

  “Yeah. This afternoon, from a distance. As soon as Greg spotted me, he took off.” Lou shrugged. “Probably still thinks I’m the one who told you about Tina.”

  Casey had never told Greg which driver blabbed about his affair. Although she’d tried to make it clear that Lou wasn’t the one, Greg didn’t believe her. It was actually another driver who’d ratted Greg out and then quit the company the same day he spilled the news.

  “I always hated how Greg started referring to you as my wife rather than by your name,” Lou said. “He knew it, too. Told me he did it on purpose.”

  “Really?”

  “After you split up, the asshole said he knew I had a thing for you, and that he needed to keep reminding me who you were married to. I told him he couldn’t have expected the marriage to last, seeing as how he’d broken his vows.” Lou scratched the stubble on his face. “That’s when he threw the first punch.”

  “I always wondered how it started, and I do remember the huge shiner you gave him.” She also remembered that Lou and Greg’s friendship ended right after the fight.

  “I bet he regrets losing you,” Lou said.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “One of the guys kidded him about his weight.” He watched Casey’s guinea pig, Ralphie, scamper around the cage on the bookshelf opposite the sofa. “Greg said the old ball and chain was making him fat.” Lou turned to her. “He never talked about you that way.”

  “I wasn’t a great cook.”

  “You’ve gotten better.” Lou smiled and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Anyhow, the jerk’s only been back a week and he’s already trying to grab overtime shifts. That’s money out of my pocket, which pisses me off when I’m trying to save.”

  Lou rarely discussed finances, but Casey knew he wasn’t a big spender. “What are you saving for?”

  “My own house someday.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Meanwhile, what do you think about us living together? I mean, me moving in here.”

  Casey’s mouth fell open. “This is a surprise.”

  “I know, but the timing feels right, and I’d pay half of everything. I could be settled in by Christmas.” His eyes were cautious, hopeful. “What do you think?”

  She was thinking, what was the rush? “Are you unhappy with the way things are?”

  “Well, our shifts are crazy and we don’t see each other at all some days, and we’ve been together nearly a year and a half.” His expression became intense. “Don’t you think it’s time we took our relationship to the next level?”

  Casey wasn’t convinced that relationships worked in levels, but her heart and stomach fluttered with a mix of delight and trepidation. “I think it’s a good idea. But this still feels like it sprang out of nowhere.”

  “I’m blurting it out like a moron, but it’s been on my mind for a couple of months.” Lou stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Truth is, I was planning to bring it up over a romantic dinner this weekend, but my mouth got ahead of me.”

  Because they were talking about Greg? She glanced at Lou’s old ABBA T-shirt. Living with Lou would mean regularly listening to his god-awful disco collection. There’d be lots of adjustments, big and little.

  After two quick knocks on the door, Summer stepped in, followed by Cheyenne. She looked from Casey to Lou, then back to Casey. “What’s with you two?”

  “What do you mean?” Casey asked.

  “Lou looks worried, and your face is all red and your eyes are kind of weird.”

  “I mentioned moving in.” Lou waved his hand in front of Casey’s face. “I think she’s going into shock. Maybe we should lay her down and throw a blanket over her.”

  Casey smacked his thigh. “You caught me off guard, that’s all.”

  “That would be fantabulous!” Summer’s eyes shone.

  Casey knew she’d approve. Lou was the only male role model in Summer’s life, and she treated him like a beloved older brother. “Did you get your homework done?”

  “Yeah, Jacob helped me. He’s good at science.”

  Casey hadn’t met the boy yet, but Summer was always on the phone with him or chatting online. She’d have to learn more about the kid.

  “When are you moving in?” Summer asked Lou.

  He glanced at Casey. “After the shock wears off.”

  “What’s the big deal?” Summer replied. “You’re here practically every night.”

  Four nights out of seven, on average, Casey thought, but it wasn’t the same as living together. Living together was huge. While Lou might have been thinking about this step for a while, she hadn’t. On the other hand, she couldn’t think of a good reason why he shouldn’t. Lou was the best man she’d ever known.

  “You are moving in, right?” Summer asked Lou.

  “Yes, he is.” Casey nodded emphatically. “By Christmas.”

  “Cool.”

  As Summer left, Lou stroked Casey’s back. “Are you okay? Heart rate back down?”

  She smiled. “I’m fine.”

  “You looked like you were about to hyperventilate.”

  “I wasn’t.” At least she hoped not. “Are you sure you want to live with me? I’m still not a great cook and I’m a bit of a slob, and there will be lots of chores.”

  “Casey,” he said, gripping her hands. “I’m looking forward to it. Every bit of it.”

  “There will be stressful days and probably not enough quality time. We’ll also have to figure out where to fit all your furniture.” Glancing at his T-shirt, she tried not to think about the music. “What if I mess up, Lou?”

  “No one gets through life without messing up now and then. We’ll work it out, Casey.”

  “I once thought I could work things out with Greg.”

  “He was a control freak who wouldn’t let you travel, or go to school, or build a career that paid better than his.”

  She knew Lou was the opposite. Things could still fall apart, though, and then she’d lose the best friend she’d ever had. Was it really worth the risk?

  “I’d better head home.” He gulped the last of his beer and then stood. “Got another 6:00 AM shift.”

  Lou’s pensive expression filled her with guilt. Had she hurt his feelings because she wasn’t jumping up and down with excitement? He deserved a better response.

  Casey followed him to the door. As he opened it, she said, “Start bringing your stuff over.”

  Doubt flickered in his eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” She put her arms around him.

  Lou kissed her tenderly. “We’re good together. You know that, right?”

  “That’s the one thing I do know.”

  After Lou left, Casey shut the door and wandered around the living room. Were they good enough to last a lifetime, though? That’s what moving in meant, didn’t it? Permanence. Yet he hadn’t proposed. Probably because he needed to take things one step at a time; maybe opt out if he decided she wasn’t really committed to their relationship after all. And that would be her fault. Had she ever let Lou know that she hoped they’d last forever? Did she have hope? She wanted to.

  Casey looked at her pine coffee table and bookcase, her rocking chair with the comfy black cushion, the sunflower footstool. She looked at her suede sofa, the color of dark jade. It might work with Lou’s garish plaid brown and yellow furniture.

  The phone rang. Casey was surprised to hear Danielle Carpenter’s voice. “I just found out that Eagle’s connected to the Regency Fitness Center in Richmond, though I’m not sure if he’s a member or an employee,” Danielle said. “Word is he’s there on Saturdays, so I’m going to check it out. I could use help scoping the place inside and out. Will you come with me?”

  Was she nuts? “Sorry, but Saturdays are chaotic around here.”

  “It wouldn’t be all day. My friend Ginny can help for most of it, but I could sure u
se your surveillance skills.”

  “Danielle, this is a police matter. We shouldn’t get involved.”

  “I told the Richmond RCMP everything, but they don’t have the time or manpower to stake out fitness centers all day.”

  Casey moved to the bay window overlooking the front yard of this corner lot. “Even if Eagle shows up, how will you recognize a guy you’ve never met?”

  “By his car. I told you, these guys drive hot, flashy machines. Action in the parking lot could be more interesting than anything happening inside. If we hear a souped-up engine, all we have to do is get a plate number.”

  A car sped past the front of the house, a common occurrence on this residential street. Casey herself had done it a million times. She peered out the window but couldn’t see much past the fence and the weeping willow tree. The vehicle turned right and disappeared.

  “You want Beatrice’s killer caught, don’t you?” Danielle went on. “These guys are racing around town, doing whatever the hell they want, and now they’ve killed someone. Haven’t you had enough?”

  The guilt trip annoyed her. “The police will catch them.”

  “Maybe, but not fast enough. My source says they’re racing again soon, and don’t you think the cops could use some help chasing down leads?”

  “When’s the race?”

  “I don’t know, which reminds me, how are you with word puzzles?”

  “Lousy. Why?”

  “Because on the forums they’ve started using some kind of strange code to communicate, and I can’t figure it out.”

  “My boyfriend’s good with puzzles; I’ll ask if he can help. Have you forwarded the code to the Vancouver Police?”

  “Yeah, and I haven’t heard squat. If I pay for your workout, will you come? Please?”

  Casey rubbed her forehead. “Let me think about it.”

  “Okay, but I’m going no matter what. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Danielle sounded obsessed. Was she that worried about innocent people, or was she desperate to make a name for herself as a journalist? She was right about one thing: Roadkill had to be stopped.

  Ralphie stood on his hind legs, pressed his tiny paws against the wire mesh, and started to whistle. For a guinea pig, he was awfully punctual about his evening snack.