Turning Secrets

by Brenda Chapman

  “You believe that now. Come see me in a few years when everyone and his dog has stepped over you on the way to the top. Then you’ll know what I’m talking about.”

  Bennett shook his head, but Woodhouse had had enough of sharing his wisdom. He started walking toward the elevator. “You can call it a day. I’ll send in the report to Rouleau. See you tomorrow, Bennett. My turn to spring for the doughnuts.”

  Dawn blinked in the bright sunshine as she and Emily walked out of the Landmark Cinema.

  “I don’t think those action hero movies are my thing,” said Emily. “I like romantic comedies.”

  “Why did you pick that movie again?” asked Dawn. “I’m not a fan of action hero movies either.”

  “Blame it on Chelsea. She saw it last week and told me it was great. I shouldn’t have listened to her.”

  They’d crossed the parking lot and reached Emily’s car when her phone rang in her purse. She fished it out and carried on a conversation while unlocking and opening the door. She slid into the driver’s seat after tucking the phone into her pocket.

  “That was Vanessa. She and Chelsea want to meet up. Are you sure you don’t want to sleep over?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Do you have time for a bite to eat and then I can drive you home?”

  “I’ll eat but I can make it home on the bus afterward.”

  “I’m going to start thinking you’re running a grow op or something else you don’t want us to know about. You’ve refused every ride home I’ve ever offered.”

  “Yeah, my cop aunt is growing pot. You have one overactive imagination.”

  Emily started the car. “I’m just saying … you’ve never had anybody to your house.”

  Dawn didn’t answer. How to explain that the house on Old Front Road was her sanctuary — hers, Kala’s, and Taiku’s — and she didn’t want to let the outside world in, especially anyone from school. Not even Emily. Instead, she asked, “Where’re we meeting them?”

  “Tim Hortons on Princess.”

  Vanessa and Chelsea were already sitting at a table with cups of coffee and doughnuts when Emily and Dawn entered. They got mugs of tea and sandwiches before joining the other two girls.

  “So, did you love the movie?” asked Chelsea. “Wasn’t Chris Hemsworth dreamy?”

  “Dreamy? Really?” asked Emily.

  “Well, someone you’d want to hop into bed with, anyway. Right, Van? Back me up here.”

  Dawn was the only one looking at Vanessa and she was shocked at the sight of all the colour draining from her face. For a split second, Dawn thought Vanessa was going to keel over. Dawn started to get up to help her but Vanessa glared her down.

  “Yeah, he’s definitely top of my list,” Vanessa said before picking up her doughnut and taking a big bite.

  “But maybe your boyfriend will have something to say about that,” laughed Chelsea. “Where is he tonight, by the way?”

  How clueless are you? thought Dawn, taking another glance at Vanessa under half-lowered eyelids. How could anyone not see that she was distressed about something? Vanessa’s voice came out lighter than the unhappy expression on her face.

  “He’s out with his friends. Speaking of which, he’d like to meet you, Dawn. He saw you the other day at school and thought you looked nice.”

  All three girls stared at her and a rush of embarrassment made Dawn’s face warm. “Does he need an eye test?” she joked to deflect whatever they were thinking but not saying.

  Emily said, “I’m sure his eyesight is excellent.”

  She smiled at Dawn and Dawn gave a sideways smile back. She wondered why nobody asked the obvious: what was Vanessa’s boyfriend doing looking at another girl?

  Vanessa tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Leo has a friend he thinks you might like, Dawn. It’d be fun to double date.”

  Again, Emily and Chelsea stared at Dawn, the expressions on their faces as curious as Dawn felt. Where was this coming from? Vanessa had never treated Dawn like anything more than a tagalong before. “Maybe,” she finally managed to say.

  “Next week, then.”

  Vanessa’s eyes were smug, shadowed in secrets. She smiled at Dawn for the first time and a tinge of pink returned to her face.

  Dawn wanted to tell her that she had no intention of dating anybody. She’d give it the weekend and break it to Vanessa on Monday morning when they were back in school. That ought to give her enough time to come up with a believable excuse. She might not need one, though. Vanessa probably wouldn’t even remember making the offer by then.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Kala looked up from her computer screen and was surprised to see that everybody had left for the day. A light was on in Rouleau’s office. She checked the time. Quarter past six. Where had the hours gone? She reread her notes before shutting down the computer and texting Dawn to say she was leaving the office now. She’d pick up some supper on her way. As she was putting on her jacket, she glanced again at Rouleau’s office. He should be calling it a day too. She crossed the room and tapped lightly on his door. He was standing at the window looking out and spun around to face her.

  “Ah, Stonechild. I thought everyone had gone.”

  “I should have by now, and you should go home as well.”

  “You’re right.”

  She glimpsed anger in his eyes before he smiled at her. “News briefing go okay?” she asked.

  “As far as those things go. We haven’t gotten many calls yet, but that should pick up tomorrow when the papers and the radio run the story.”

  “So, nothing else?”

  “Only that you’ll be seeing Vera front and centre in the media photos.”

  Kala took a second to understand what he was saying. “Is Ellington parading her out to be the face of the police force?”

  “That appears to be his plan.”

  “I’m surprised Vera agreed to it.” Kala could understand the pressure to comply, though. There was a time when she had been put in the same position and she hadn’t liked it.

  “She says that she’s biding her time. I wonder if you could be on the watch for any incidents of questionable judgment and keep a record in case Vera ever needs backup.”

  “Of course. I’m guessing she won’t let you intervene?”

  “Not yet.” The anger returned to his eyes.

  She wondered if he was aware of Vera’s feelings for him and the blow to her pride when he began dating Marci Stokes. There was no way Vera would accept his help with this. His next words went a long way to explaining his apparent lack of interest in having a relationship with Vera.

  “No person in a position of authority should be exploiting an employee. Even dating a subordinate shows questionable judgment at best.”

  “Not all bosses hold themselves to the same high standard.”

  “Then it’s time things changed.” He walked over to his desk and began putting documents in his briefcase. “You should get moving. Dawn will be waiting for you.”

  Kala turned to leave before remembering what she’d wanted to tell him. “I’ll be driving to Brockville tomorrow to speak with Nadia Armstrong’s brother-in-law, Peter Billings. Marci was there today and she phoned to say she thinks Peter is holding something back. Morrison is spending the night in Ottawa looking for this mysterious Danny and I thought I could swing up there afterward to give her a hand in the search.”

  “Sounds like a plan. We’ll have an early-morning team meeting to start the day. I already spoke to Morrison and she’ll be phoning in.”

  “Then I’ll come here first thing and leave for Brockville after the debrief. I entered a report about the Simmons brothers that you might want to read beforehand. They’re an interesting pair.”

  “Possible killers?”

  “I wouldn’t rule them out. Woodhouse’s hunch could be right this time.”

  Rouleau smiled but didn’t say anything.

  Kala unrolled her truck window and drove slowly through the gathe
ring dusk down Old Front Road. She breathed in the new spring smells of damp earth and trees starting to flower — lilac, cherry, crab apple, magnolia. A breeze from the east scudded across the lake, rippling the water and whipping up waves that struck the shore in fitful bursts. In the distance, a low rumble of thunder announced the arrival of a cold front that would bring stronger winds and rain overnight. For this moment in time, Kala savoured the leftover warmth from the day and tried not to think of the unsettled weather that lay ahead.

  Gundersund’s car was in his driveway and she could see a light on in the living room. He’d be settling in to watch some sports game on television while Fiona prepared him a late meal … or, more likely, Gundersund was cooking for her. Kala had heard through the work grapevine that Fiona had decided not to return to her teaching position at the university. She was home for good. Back to reclaim her old job and her husband, or that’s what she’d been telling people. Her words had sifted down to Kala, which Kala knew was Fiona’s intent.

  She parked halfway up the driveway, relieved to see the lights on. Dawn hadn’t returned her last text and uneasiness had travelled home with Kala. She trusted Dawn but worrying about her went with the territory. She supposed that she was lucky not to have had this responsibility for the entirety of Dawn’s life. The last few years had been stressful enough.

  Kala took a moment to stand in the shadows of the backyard and listen to the waves crashing and the wind soughing through the conifers. The clouds were already filling in the sky, blotting out stars so that she could barely see across the yard. For a moment, the moon was freed from the cloud that blocked it from sight and the ground was swathed in shimmering golden light. The beauty of this place made her heart ache. There were still times she couldn’t believe she owned this bit of land. She turned toward the porch light streaming across the back deck and climbed the steps, eager to open the door and see Dawn and Taiku.

  A man’s voice and Dawn’s laughter filled the kitchen and spilled into the hallway along with the smell of beef, onions, and garlic sizzling in a frying pan. Kala kicked off her boots and gave in to the moment’s happiness. She entered the kitchen to find Gundersund standing with his back to her at the stove and Dawn setting the table. They didn’t notice her at first and she stood silently in the doorway, listening to their banter. Dawn was trying to convince Gundersund to give her generation’s music a chance while he kept insisting that with only a few exceptions, nothing good had been recorded since the seventies. Gundersund was the first to spot her.

  “Home at last, woman. I was beginning to think we’d have to issue a missing person bulletin.”

  “You look mighty dashing in my apron,” said Kala, plucking a slice of carrot from the counter.

  “Aunt Kala,” said Dawn, “Gundersund is cooking pepper steak. Have you ever eaten that before?”

  “If she has, it wouldn’t even come close to this tasty masterpiece,” said Gundersund. “A family recipe handed down for generations on the internet.”

  “I thought you bore a strong resemblance to Betty Crocker.” Kala tilted her head as if considering a painting.

  Gundersund wiped his hands on a towel and escorted Kala to the table. He pulled out the chair with a flourish and leaned close as she sat down. “We call her dear Aunt Bet. Now, get ready to be wined and dined … so to speak. Cue the music, Dawn.”

  Dawn danced over to the counter and clicked on the radio, which was pretuned to a jazz station. Then she poured glasses of ice water while Gundersund dished out the food. Dawn had made a salad to go with the steak and rice, and they dug in with little talking. Kala hadn’t realized how hungry she was. “So good,” she said between forkfuls. She raised her eyes to find Gundersund watching her. “What?” she asked, embarrassed to be caught eating with such gusto.

  “Nothing. I just like seeing you enjoy my cooking.”

  “Well, I skipped lunch so I might be eating a bit fast.” She looked over at Dawn. “How was your day? Did you go to a movie with Emily?”

  “I did, after art class. Then we met Chelsea and Vanessa at Tim Hortons before I caught the bus home.”

  “To be greeted by me and a shopping bag full of food sitting on the back steps,” said Gundersund.

  Kala set down her knife and fork and patted her stomach. “The two of you have outdone yourselves. But I was supposed to cook for you, Gundersund.”

  “There’ll be other opportunities.” His eyes warmed her with their intensity and she had trouble looking away.

  Dawn stood and began stacking their plates. “I have homework to do, so I’ll leave you to entertain each other after I put the kettle on,” she said. She gave them a mischievous grin.

  “We’ll try to get along without you,” said Gundersund.

  “I’ll bring you up a cup of tea when it’s ready,” said Kala.

  Taiku followed Dawn out of the kitchen and Kala listened to their footsteps clatter up the stairs and across the landing.

  “She’s doing better,” Gundersund said, resting his elbows on the table.

  Kala wanted to believe him but couldn’t let go of her unease. Dawn often wandered the house in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep. “She still keeps so much to herself.”

  “Isn’t that normal for girls this age?”

  “I really have no yardstick. My teen years weren’t anything to go by.”

  “You never talk about those years.”

  “No.” She knew that he wanted something more. She said, “I moved foster homes six times between the ages of ten and fifteen. That’s when I decided living on the street was better than trying to fit into somebody’s idea of who I should be.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t need your sympathy.”

  “It’s not sympathy I feel.”

  “Well it sure sounded like it.”

  Gundersund stood and pulled Kala to her feet along with him. “What I feel for you has nothing to do with pity. I’m sad for the girl you were and all that was taken from you. But more than anything, I admire the person you’ve become.”

  His face bent over her and she felt his lips, soft at first and then opening hers so that they stood locked together for what felt like a long time. His hands cupped the sides of her face and she grabbed onto his shoulders. She was drowning in the strength of her feelings for him and her need to feel his body pressed against hers. She returned his kiss with equal passion and they stumbled back against the table. A ringing phone startled her and she pulled abruptly away from him.

  “Let it ring,” he said gruffly.

  “What if it’s about the case?”

  “They’ll leave a message.”

  She took another step away. “You need to answer.”

  He kept his eyes on hers but reached behind him to pick up his cellphone from the table where he’d left it. He held the phone to his ear and listened. After a pause, he said, “Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “What is it?” Kala asked.

  “Fiona’s fallen and thinks she sprained her ankle. She wants me to run her over to the hospital.”

  Kala’s first unkind thought was that Fiona had injured herself on purpose, but that seemed beyond the pale, even for her. “What would she do if you weren’t around?”

  “Good question.” Gundersund picked up his jacket. “Hopefully she’ll be in her own place soon and we’ll find out.”

  “Is it true she’s home for good?”

  “So she says. I’ve yet to get the full story but more than likely it concerns a married man. She’s attracted to them like a bee to honey and only runs back to me when things turn ugly.”

  “That’s awful. It’s sad that you would even think that of her.”

  “She’s not a woman who likes to be alone.”

  He was almost at the door when he turned and strode back across the room. He grabbed Kala around the waist and pulled her to him in a tight hug. “Give me a little more time,” he said, pressing his cheek against hers. “F
iona’s agreed to the separation and knows she can’t stay with me much longer.” He kissed Kala’s forehead before he left her.

  She stood rooted in place, imagining a future with Gundersund. Waking up next to him in her bed. Seeing his smile every morning and feeling the warmth of his hands on her body. Eating breakfast together with Dawn and taking the dogs for walks by the water. For the first time in her life, she’d have someone she could count on. She’d have a real home.

  The boiling kettle broke her reverie and dropped her back to earth.

  People like her didn’t get to live the fairy-tale life. She could never escape her childhood or the terrible things she’d done. She’d spent twenty years blocking out the part she’d played in getting rid of that man’s body after Rose had beaten his head in with a rock, but the knowledge of it was always with her. His death haunted Rose. It haunted her. Their secret crime was an invisible knot, tying them together in guilt and strangling their happiness.

  Gundersund would learn soon enough that she wasn’t good at long-term relationships. He’d find that she and Dawn were too much work and move on to a less complicated woman. If not another woman, then he’d go back to Fiona as everyone expected. Gundersund must still have feelings for his wife or he’d have extricated his life from hers long before now. He’d learned to forgive her infidelities.

  Kala crossed to the stove and turned off the element, lifting the kettle and filling the waiting teapot. While the tea steeped, she closed her eyes and traced a finger over her lips.

  Let yourself have this moment, she thought. He loves you tonight and wants to make this something more. Don’t fret about tomorrow. Let yourself have this.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The morning meeting lasted half an hour. Everyone was present except Morrison, who phoned in to report that she had a lead on Danny and had traced him to a business in the ByWard Market and would be going there after the call to interview him.

  “Do you want to wait for me to join you?” Kala asked her. “I can be there by lunchtime after a stop in Brockville.”

  Rouleau said, “I think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you relax for the morning and get a good breakfast, Morrison? The two of you can meet up and interview this Danny fellow together.”