The Emily Taylor Mystery Bundle

by Catherine Astolfo

  The negotiations for the mine had not been so smooth, primarily because it was difficult to find a company that would adhere to May's environmental conditions.

  In the past, Jacob learned, highly toxic chemicals, such as mercury and even cyanide, were used to leach the boulders and uncover the gold. Not only was Oona's streak an unusual phenomenon in the Canadian Shield, but according to the assays, it also contained fairly rich host rock, which should have kept the leaching process to a minimum.

  However, for May, reducing the risk was not enough. She requested that Jacob do more research to uncover the best methods, processes that would preserve the land in, or return it to, its original condition.

  Jacob quickly became aware that Canadian law was very strict as well. Every mining company had to acquire a multimillion-dollar reclamation bond, especially for an operation of the size that Oona's land would require. The money had to be used to return the land to its original condition, just as May had hoped. There would always be inspections and tests carried out by the government to ensure that the bond requirements were being met as the venture was carried out.

  One of the companies Jacob discovered suggested placer mining. This method was especially effective in areas where there were large amounts of loose gravel and sand. The only 'chemical' they used was a large supply of a substance similar to Jet Dry, a kind of detergent many people used in their dishwashers. For extra protection, they set up ponds to capture any chemicals that might have otherwise gone into the ground. In addition, they guaranteed that the loosened soil would not be deposited in the surrounding river and streams.

  Although this method was a huge advance, Jacob then stumbled across several companies who employed what is known as the Haber Gold Process. The technique was faster and used nontoxic solutions for gold removal.

  Jacob studied the company's technology in detail and felt that he had discovered May's partner. Once he had presented his research to May, he began to look for Canadian companies who employed this method. He found three of them and began the negotiations immediately.

  One company, Ashlu Mineral Productions, proved to be the most promising. Their current operations took place in British Columbia, but they were thrilled to consider a venture in Ontario. They too were committed to ensuring that there would be no damage to the environment. With May's blessing, Jacob hired them and began the process of contracts and plans.

  Ongoing with the mining company research, Jacob handled all of the press interest. This gold mine was an astonishing event: a lode that, by most geologists' predictions, should not have been there. Add to that the history of its discovery. Walking Bear. The murder of some of the principals who discovered it. The story of the Native woman who'd had no idea she owned this land. The little town that had fought for her rights.

  Big city newspapers, television media from all over the country, magazines, and even some interest from the United States, kept Jacob extremely busy.

  For the most part, May chose to decline offers of interviews and articles, but he'd persuaded her to give them some tidbits if for no other reason than to stave off their inquiries. Eventually, the interest began to wane, but Jacob knew that as soon as gold recovery began, it was destined to start all over again.

  After a long period of a self-imposed frenetic pace—for Burchill, that is—Jacob found that his routines were well established and that he had more leisure time. He began to walk over to the school once in a while to pick up Ennie at the end of her day.

  Whether it was snowing and frigid or sunny and hot, he enjoyed the stroll through the village streets. It was a completely different experience to walking in Toronto. There he would be head down either to avoid the wind tunnelling through the buildings or the glare of the sun on a multitude of windows.

  Here in Burchill, he ambled with head held high, bundled or short sleeved as the case may be, and literally stopped to smell the roses or the icicles along the way. Before he realized it, Jacob was taking this leisurely walk more and more often.

  As the years went by, picking up Adrienne became only one of the motivations for visiting Burchill Public School.

  Chapter 20: Alain

  The second scenario that appeared to Alain through his nightmares was, in many ways, far worse.

  He was in a dark, gloomy room with walls covered in cloth. A rancid smell pierced his nostrils. His head began to pound. He felt as though he had just awakened, for he was lying down. Unable to struggle to his feet, Alain gradually realized that he was pinned down by something heavy. Breathing became difficult. A gooey liquid dripped slowly from above, blocking his sight.

  The only recourse he had was to ball up his hands into fists and begin pummelling whatever it was that held him down. As soon as he began the hitting, the heavy object assumed some definition, constantly morphing into other shapes as the dream progressed.

  At first, it was the same baby who'd died in the well. Next, it was the face that appeared from inside the smoke. After that, a woman or another boy or a girl, all faces without real form or clarity, loomed menacingly above him.

  Alain always did the same thing. He beat them into a mass of red and white, blood and tissue and bone.

  And all the while, as he smashed their faces into a bloody mess, he felt the same surge of delight that consumed him in the first dream.

  Chapter 21: Doro

  January 20, 1970

  Local Preacher Indicted in Fraud Scandal

  Robert Janot, known locally as Pastor Rob, who heads the Church of Leviticus in town, has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars from his parishioners. A class action suit was filed by André Johnson, the famous lawyer from Ottawa, based on a series of newspaper reports and investigations by our own editor, Vincent Pirelli. According to Mr. Johnson, there are five prominent families attached to the class action. By court order, their identities are not to be made public.

  The Janot manse has an addition that houses the local branch of the Church of Leviticus. The farm has been the location of many village celebrations, picnics and Pastor Rob's church services since 1958. A large number of people in town and from the city have generously donated money toward various charities, as directed by the pastor.

  The possibility that this money has not, in fact, been going to the charities, has enraged many of the parishioners.

  "I still can't believe Pastor Rob would cheat those charities—and us," said Mayor Melanie Stevens. "I am going to wait and see what proof Vincent Pirelli has uncovered before I make a judgment."

  The local mayor's reaction mirrored that of many villagers whom the Village Voice interviewed. Pastor Rob appears in the city at provincial court next week.

  February 27, 1970

  Pastor Rob to Go to Trial

  Yesterday a provincial court judge ruled that Robert Janot, known locally as Pastor Rob, will be brought to trial on the charges of fraud and in answer to a class action suit filed by local complainants. "The evidence against him is very strong," André Johnson, lawyer for the class action group, stated after the arraignment. "We believe he has diverted several thousand dollars of our good people's money to his own interests, rather than to the charities he purported to be supporting." Janot was released on bail.

  Doro picked up this article, the only other column in the file that had a photograph with it. This one was a picture of Pastor Rob. Though it could have been partly the fault of the harsh black and white photo, Robert Janot looked like the stereotype of a criminal: squinty black eyes, thick eyebrows, a scowl that seemed permanent, a thin cruel mouth, a pointed chin with a deep cleft. He appeared to be nasty and livid, which perhaps at that point in his life, he had reason to be.

  She tried to see if this was the male figure in the snippets from her childhood, but she could not tell. All she could remember was the sound of his voice. Always in the background of her memories, his deep rumbling speech was authoritative, aggressive, terrifying. His actual frame was indistinct, ephemeral.

  She sometimes im
agined that she could hear him spouting commandments, quoting from the Bible while at the same time, humiliating and abusing her mother. At least she assumed it was her mother.

  The sad-eyed woman who flashed through the recollections always seemed to be stooped and cowering. Doro could not recall the sound of her voice at all.

  These articles, written four years before her birth, were incapable of evoking any real emotion. She was still not convinced that she was reading about her biological family.

  March 1, 1970

  Church Vandalized

  The Church of Leviticus, housed inside an addition to the manse of Pastor Robert Janot, was spray painted with graffiti last night. There are no suspects.

  April 4, 1970

  Pastor Vows to Keep Church Open

  Pastor Rob, or Robert Janot, has vowed to keep his church open for his devotees. Despite financial difficulties as a result of his legal problems, he states that, "I will continue to run the one true church for my followers as long as I have breath in my body."

  June 2, 1970

  Church Picnic to Be Held July 14 as Usual

  A young man from Ottawa, describing himself as "Assistant to Pastor Rob" and known only as 'Deacon,' has announced that the annual Church of Leviticus fund-raising picnic will take place in spite of the allegations levied against the church leader. "The parishioners have continued to support the one true church by their attendance," Deacon stated. "They will surely rally around their pastor." This time, the picnic is being advertised strictly as a fund-raiser for Pastor Rob, to pay for some of his legal fees.

  July 15, 1970

  Picnic a Huge Success

  Despite his legal woes, Pastor Rob, whose real name is Robert Janot, continues to draw an enormous following. It is estimated that over three hundred people attended this year's picnic and raised over $30,000 to support the preacher's legal battles.

  December 13, 1970

  Pastor Found Not Guilty!

  In a surprise turn, the judge in the trial of Robert Janot, or Pastor Rob, returned a verdict of not guilty within a few minutes' deliberation. Immediately, André Johnson, lawyer for the group involved in the class action suit, met with reporters outside the city courthouse to announce that they will file an appeal.

  More information in a series of articles followed, recounting the trial in surprising detail. Pastor Janot had indeed donated the money raised by his church, though it had not ended up with the charities that the donators envisioned. Every dollar had been bequeathed to the Church of Leviticus.

  This organization was able to demonstrate that the cash had been used for good works, such as schools, adult training courses and support for the poor. The objection from the class action group was that all the money had gone exclusively to the Church and not to any general charities such as the United Way.

  However, the judge had concurred with the argument that all the advertising for the fund-raising events had been vague about where the money would be directed. Since the Church of Leviticus was a legal nonprofit organization, the judge reasoned, the money had not been stolen but had been donated to a registered charity.

  In addition, it was proven beyond a doubt that Pastor Robert Janot had taken none of the money for himself or his family, other than a generous salary that had been agreed to by representatives of the parishioners within a signed contract.

  But that wasn't the end of the story by any means. Through the next ten years' worth of clippings, Doro skimmed through accounts of two appeals (both of which were lost by André Johnson), editorials and comments from villagers and tales of encounters that took place at the manse.

  October 4, 1974

  Church Once Again Vandalized

  The church that is situated in the home of Pastor Robert Janot was vandalized again last night, even more viciously than in the past, according to eyewitnesses. Spray paint, torn choir books, destroyed chairs and other debris were found by Cécile Janot this morning. The family swears they heard nothing out of the ordinary during the night. This is the fifth time the manse has been the target of vandals in this year alone. Police are investigating.

  July 15, 1975

  Picnic a Non-Event

  Very few people attended the picnic at the manse of Pastor Rob, also known as Robert Janot. According to an observer who wished to remain anonymous, there were only about fifty people in attendance. This is a huge contrast to the enormous numbers who used to flock to the Church of Leviticus, housed on the Janot manse farm. However, the pastor's assistant, known only as Deacon, stated that they were "happy with the quality of the devotees who attended and for their everlasting support."

  October 11, 1976

  Pastor Janot Beaten

  Robert Janot, the disgraced pastor of the town's former Church of Leviticus, was savagely beaten and left bleeding on the steps of his church altar yesterday. His wife Cécile called an ambulance and he was hospitalized last night. When Janot regained consciousness, he claimed to have no knowledge of what happened. Police are investigating.

  Cynthia Denis was quiet while Doro read avidly. At some point, fresh tea appeared, along with a small square of something gooey and delicious. After an hour, Doro got up and stretched. Cynthia appeared by her side.

  "Now that you've read most of the accounts, at least the ones I think you'll be interested in, let me show you the pictures I've gathered and some of the records from the Town Hall and the city."

  She said this in a voice that sounded cautious, as though warning Doro that the pictures would be more difficult than the newsprint.

  Doro sat once again, realizing quickly that she was holding her breath. She tried to sit straight, taking slow, deep breaths as Cynthia opened a huge scrapbook.

  Doro gasped in admiration. "Where did you get all the pictures?"

  "Oh, I am very resourceful!" Cynthia chuckled. "I collected them from garage sales, from the elderly people in town and from collectors like myself. The story of Pastor Robert Janot is extremely famous around here."

  The first few pages in the scrapbook were photographs of the picnics held on the manse grounds, beginning in the early sixties and continuing through to the last reported event in 1975. Doro devoured the pictures.

  In the beginning, they were small and black and white. They progressed to colour by the time they reached the mid-seventies, but were still relatively small and difficult to discern in detail. However, they were far more revealing than the words she had just read.

  She thought of the adage that a picture was worth a thousand words and at that moment, she believed it. She felt like she did when she suddenly saw Niagara Falls or the Great Pyramids after years of reading about and studying them in books. The reality was so much more powerful, so all consuming, yet informed and shaped by the words of the texts she had devoured. This was the point at which her nightmares became reality. Far less frightening, yet perhaps more damaging.

  The pieces of the puzzle, the little snippets of memory that had darted in and out of her consciousness for so long, suddenly shaped themselves into a picture that had definition and depth. In some ways, she had been right. It was better to have the monster out in the light where she could deal with it, but it was also far more difficult than she had envisioned.

  In the initial photographs, Pastor Rob stood very close to a thin dark-haired girl, his arm resting on her shoulders. She was extremely pretty and petite. Even in the poor resolution of the primitive camera lens, her eyes appeared wide and cloudless. Her skin was clear and smooth, her legs long and shapely. A full mouth curved up in a shy smile. Her delicate hands were folded prayer-style in front of her. She could have been a model for a flower child poster. Her dress was below her knees and formless. Her hair was unnaturally straight. She never looked as though she wore make-up or jewellery, at least for the photos.

  Doro had the sensation of soft hands on her cheek and she sucked in her breath.

  Luckily, sensing that this would be the most difficult journey, Cynthia kept up a runni
ng commentary as they went through the pages.

  She pointed to the original picture of the preacher and his wife and compared it to a picture at the bottom of the first page.

  "This was taken when they were first married," Cynthia told Doro. "According to the records, they were married on May 6, the year that picture was taken, 1961. Her name was Cécile Meloche. She was from French River. You can tell by the name of the town that it was a real French Canadian enclave. She was twenty and Pastor Rob was twenty-nine."

  "I was able to trace Cécile's family pretty far back. She was a descendent of the 'coureurs de bois,' very Canadian background. However, her mother died during childbirth, so Cécile appeared to have lived a very solitary and sad existence. As for Pastor Rob's background, I couldn't find much, other than he was born in this area to a couple who had come from Québec. He didn't have any siblings either that I could find."

  "Now here, in this photo, taken in the summer of 1962, Cécile has a baby in her arms."

  The woman still looked young and pretty, though there were dark circles under her eyes, perhaps from nights awake with a child. The baby appeared only as a clump of blankets, even though the picture was taken in the summer under a sunny sky. The pastor stood next to her, once again his arm across her shoulders, but his face was exactly the same as before, stern, serious, unfriendly.