The Opposite of Dark

by Debra Purdy Kong

  “Oh!” She hit the brakes.

  The metal pressed harder. “Drive,” a familiar voice ordered.

  In the rearview mirror she saw Darcy’s grim face.

  “You should clean your car more often.” He tossed her sleeping bag and pillow to the side.

  Her heart tried to leap up her throat. “How’d you get in with a cop here?”

  “He’s having a little nap. Now drive.”

  Sweat beaded along her lower back. “Where to?”

  “The Marine Drive house.” He lifted the blueprints off the passenger’s seat. “Where’d you get these?”

  “Gislinde Van Akker.”

  “I was right. Money’s in the house.” Darcy reached over and dumped her purse’s contents on the seat. “Where’s the tape?”

  “Tape?”

  Once again, he pressed the weapon against the back of her neck. “You like Mozart, Casey?”

  “Theo has it.”

  Darcy thumped the side of her head with the pistol. “Wrong answer.”

  Wincing, she struggled to stay calm. What in hell had Theo told him? “It’s in my safe-deposit box, I swear.” She eased the vehicle forward. “I was on my way to the house to try and find the money.”

  “Well, sweet thing, if I don’t get the cash and tape today, I’ll kill Summer and make Rhonda watch. Or maybe I’ll kill Rhonda and make Summer watch.”

  Casey gripped the steering wheel so hard her fingers ached. She turned right onto Commercial Drive. “The police think you killed Simone Archambault.”

  “I didn’t kill the old broad, Theo did. He came to Lillian’s place after it happened and told her while I was listening in the bedroom.”

  “Why would Theo murder Simone, then drop by to tell Mother?”

  “He needed Lil to give him an alibi. Anyway, if I wanted the old girl dead, I would have shot her. Think about that.”

  How long had he been carrying the pistol? “Mother came by a few minutes ago. Did you see her?”

  “I was focusing on that cop in your yard.” Darcy paused. “What’d she want?”

  “To apologize for things that happened in the past.” Casey turned left onto Venables.

  “She did, did she?” He leaned a little closer. “Does Lil know about the tape?”

  “We didn’t discuss it,” Casey lied, “only talked about her and me.” She prayed Darcy believed her. If he found out she’d told her . . .

  “What about you, Casey? Did you have a nice long listen to the tape?”

  “For a few seconds. Dad mumbled so much I couldn’t understand what he was saying.”

  She tried to ignore Darcy’s stare and focus on her driving. Five minutes later she reached Georgia Street. By the time they were crossing the Lions Gate Bridge into West Vancouver, his silence was frightening her more than his words.

  “Mother also came to say goodbye,” Casey said. “She’s leaving the country today.”

  Once more, she felt the gun against her neck. “Lil wouldn’t leave without me. She knows how much I love her.”

  Casey swallowed back her revulsion. “She wants to get away from Theo. I think she feels betrayed by him.”

  “For good reason. Anyhow, we’re gettin’ married as soon as we get the money. Guess that’ll make me your stepdad.”

  Oh, that was good news. “I’m glad you love her. She needs someone in her corner.” Casey glanced at the rearview mirror, hoping she sounded sincere. “See, the cops are about to arrest her for Gustaf Osterman’s murder.”

  “What are you talking about? Lillian didn’t kill Gustaf.”

  “Evidence was found under her sofa.”

  “What evidence?”

  “A bloodstained, sequined dress and the murder weapon.”

  Darcy’s brows scrunched into a long, ugly line. “She didn’t do it. I was with her the night it happened, at a restaurant.”

  Sure, right. Again, they drove in silence until Casey pulled up to the house. When she saw Theo’s car parked in the driveway, she began to relax.

  “Theo’s been waiting for you,” Darcy remarked.

  “I see.” Leeches on her legs couldn’t have been more repulsive than his amused expression.

  “Park on the street,” he ordered.

  She did so and stepped out of the car. Grabbing her wrist, Darcy pulled her past Theo’s vehicle. Casey scanned the windows and yard for signs of him. The alarm’s cover was missing and cut wires were exposed. Darcy opened the unlocked door and hauled her inside.

  “I want to show you what will happen if you try to cross me,” he said.

  Oh no, was Theo dead? Darcy pulled her into the living room, toward the hole in the floor.

  He gaped at the hole. “What the hell?”

  Darcy started to turn as Theo shoved him into the hole.

  Darcy landed hard, dropping his pistol. Cuts crisscrossed Theo’s forehead and his left eye was nearly swollen shut. His split lip had dripped blood onto his chin and shirt.

  “So, you two caught up with each other,” Casey said, shaking with relief and fear.

  “I told Darcy I had the tape and he insisted on meeting me here.” He pointed a pistol at Darcy.

  “And when he realized you didn’t have it, he came to me. Or did you send him?”

  “He guessed.”

  Darcy looked incensed. When she saw he was within arm’s reach of his gun, she stepped back. “I’m amazed you didn’t shoot each other.”

  “Didn’t have a weapon—I took this one from him.” Theo kept the pistol leveled at Darcy’s chest. “Who knew he had two?”

  “I’ll call the police.”

  “No cops,” Theo replied.

  “Why?”

  “Because he knows that if I’m charged with murder or killed,” Darcy answered, “a certain piece of incriminating evidence will be sent to the cops on my behalf.”

  “Evidence of what?” Casey asked.

  “Something that proves Theo killed the guy who crashed into his wife.”

  “I’ve told you a hundred times,” Theo said. “The guy was drunk, couldn’t swim, and was stupid enough to fish alone. He fell in the water. I had nothing to do with it.”

  “So why do I have pictures of you at the lake the same weekend he drowned?”

  “Circumstantial, that’s all.”

  “Why have you kept me around when you hate me so much?”

  “Because you did your job until you started losing control.”

  Darcy lunged for his gun.

  “Casey, run!” Theo fired a shot.

  On her way outside, Casey heard a second shot. She raced to Gil’s place next door and rang the bell. Gil took a few seconds to answer.

  “Can I use your phone? It’s urgent!”

  He opened the door wider.

  Seconds later, she contacted Lalonde who ordered her to stay put. “I’ll be there shortly.”

  “Where have you been all morning? Did you get my message?”

  “Yes, and I’ve been busy. This case isn’t just about answering your phone calls, Miss Holland. There are meetings, new witnesses to interview, and more evidence to analyze.”

  “Like the dress and the meat clever?”

  “Among other things. As I said, stay put and we’ll talk when I get there.”

  Staying put wasn’t easy. She desperately wanted to know what was happening next door.

  “Man, I didn’t hear or see anything,” Gil said as he shut the drapes. “Are we safe?”

  “I think so.” She tried to sound reassuring. “I’m betting Darcy wants to get far from here.”

  Casey paced the room, partially aware of the scent of lemon oil. Tabletops shone and magazines were attractively displayed. The plush carpet looked like it had just been vacuumed.

  Judging from the way Gil fidgeted, she was making him nervous, but she couldn’t help it.

  “Are you parents back from Arizona?”

  “Yeah, they’re at work.”

  Casey headed for the doors that l
ed to the balcony overlooking the backyard. Through the drapes, she peeked outside. From what she could see of Dad’s yard, no one was around. Whether Theo and Darcy were still inside or down on the beach was anyone’s guess. Casey wished she heard sirens or even shouting. Anything was better than this silence.

  Thirty

  TO CASEY’S RELIEF, vehicles screeched to a halt outside. “It must be the police.” She ran to the door.

  “Think you should go out there?” Gil asked.

  “Probably not.” She turned to him. “The other day, you said you could see my dad’s driveway from your bedroom window, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe we can see what’s going on from there.”

  Gil looked worried. “I don’t know.”

  “Just a quick peek, that’s all.” He still looked uncertain. “I promise to ignore any mess and posters of naked people. Is it up here?”

  “Uh . . .”

  She started up the stairs. “Which door, Gil?”

  “Last one on the left,” he answered, lagging behind.

  When she stepped over the threshold, Casey stopped. She hadn’t expected this. The room was spotless. “You must have a really good housekeeper.”

  “No housekeeper.” He blushed, “Just me.”

  Looking at his hands, Casey saw the red cracked skin of someone who spent far too much time with chemicals and hot, soapy water. No wonder the living room was spotless.

  “It’s kind of an obsession thing.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.

  Poor kid. Casey looked out the window. Theo’s car had been replaced with a police cruiser and Lalonde’s Sebring. How was it that he always managed to stay one step ahead of them? Years of practice maybe? Two uniformed officers were in the front yard while two more were heading toward the back. Lalonde and Krueger emerged from the house.

  Casey ran downstairs and bolted straight for Lalonde. “You didn’t find them?”

  “We’re checking the beach,” he answered. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

  A gust of wind swept over them and slate gray clouds sailed across the sky. After Casey finished her story she waited for a response, but none came.

  “Have you managed to track Ziegler down since he’s been back in Vancouver?”

  “Yes, we spoke briefly, but there was nothing to hold him on at that time.”

  Meaning what? That there might be later? Was he still investigating TZ Inc.’s activities?

  “I saw my mother this afternoon,” she said. “Did your people pick her up?”

  A pained look deepened Lalonde’s wrinkles. “Mrs. Stubbs said a murderer was in her house, then hung up before we could learn more. I thought she meant Churcott.”

  “Since we’re dealing with three, maybe four, separate murders, there could be at least two killers.”

  “Four murders?”

  “Gustaf Osterman, Simone Archambault, my father, and possibly a waiter at Alvin’s All-Canadian Café, which the French police think was a suicide. You really need to see the evidence Theo gave me. It proves that Darcy arranged to give Dad contaminated food.”

  She told him what she’d heard on the tape and Theo’s conversation with the waiter. While Lalonde scribbled notes, raindrops began to fall.

  “If you can get the evidence out of your safe-deposit box by the end of the day, I’ll have it picked up.”

  “Fine. Meanwhile you’ll probably want to pick up Mother too, because she’s leaving the country today. She should be at the airport by now.”

  “Then why is she speeding along the Sea-to-Sky Highway toward Whistler?” Lalonde asked. “Her movements have been monitored since she left your apartment.”

  Why in hell was Mother heading north when the airport was south? Had she changed her mind, or had she lied about leaving?

  “Go home, Miss Holland,” Lalonde said.

  “Can I check something out in the house first?”

  “Like what?”

  “A hiding place for three million dollars.”

  Lalonde tried not to smile. “Think you’ll find it, do you?”

  “Darcy’s convinced it’s there or he wouldn’t have put a big hole in the floor.”

  “He could come back.”

  “You’ll have officers around for a bit, right?” She nodded toward the handful of men and women standing about, looking like they needed something to do. “I won’t be long.”

  Lalonde nodded. “Fine, but when they leave I suggest you do, too.”

  “Sure.”

  Casey grabbed the blueprints from her Tercel and dashed inside the house. Starting with the den, she walked through each room, comparing written measurements with the actual size of rooms and examining every cupboard and closet. Upstairs in the master bedroom, she found a discrepancy. The closet looked slightly smaller than the prints indicated it should be.

  She stepped into the closet to look at the wall separating Dad’s bedroom from the courtyard. On close examination, the wall seemed a bit too near, as if it didn’t quite extend far enough to be level with the doorway and the rest of the wall. Was there an empty space on the other side of this closet? Casey looked for latches, buttons, and loose boards. Nothing.

  She left the bedroom and took a close look at the wood-paneled wall. It was a bit odd that the paneling covered only the lower half of the wall, but then oddity had been somewhat of a trademark for Dad, and he’d loved wood. She felt around for latches, switches, depressions or other weaknesses. Still nothing.

  Stepping back, she studied the area. The trees had started to lose leaves and the live plants looked thirsty. The whole place was becoming a jumbled mess.

  Casey gazed at the six trees. Three on one side of the courtyard, three on the other. And then she remembered . . . two vertical rows of x’s and o’s, plus squiggly lines on the slip of paper Dad had left in the notebook. A jumbled mess.

  Darcy had assumed the insert drawn on the note referred to the entertainment center on the first floor, and that the x’s and o’s represented the furniture. There’d been a sofa and two end tables on one side of the room, and two chairs separated by a table on the other. If he’d taken the chairs apart and come up empty, this could explain why he tore into the floor below the furniture.

  But what if the insert referred to a hidden space in the closet on this floor? The x’s and o’s could have meant the two rows of trees. Casey recalled seeing an arrow pointing to the left. Closing her eyes, she visualized the diagram and recalled that the arrow had pointed to an “x” at the top of the row.

  She opened her eyes. It was the first tree on her right, the one Lou had said was a Japanese maple. The tree was only a little taller than herself. Casey gazed at the gracefully arched branches and leaves. Its clay pot looked heavy. The floor tiles were about the size of the palm of her hand. The tiles around this pot weren’t as stained as the ones surrounding the other five pots: apparently, Gustaf hadn’t been a great gardener.

  It took repeated pulls before Casey managed to move the pot enough to see the tiles beneath. She ran her hands over the floor and grinned when a tile moved. Using the tip of her car key, she pried up the loose tile to find a rusty keyhole corroded by water. So, where was the key?

  Casey thought of the extra house key Dad used to keep buried in the potted plant at their old place, and how she’d occasionally asked him to use a fake plant with sand. She studied three silk flower arrangements displayed on a narrow table. Fake flowers sitting in sand.

  She yanked the flowers out of the nearest pot, dumped it upside down, and raked her fingers through the sand. No key. Dumping sand out of the second pot, she spotted a piece of plastic. Inside the plastic was a small silver key. Casey smiled.

  No wonder the money hadn’t been found; she was the only one who knew that Dad had kept a spare key in dirt and that he liked secret compartments. After some jiggling, the key turned forty-five degrees and a two-foot wide panel next to the bedroom door slowly swung open. Casey shook her head and again sm
iled. The narrow, vertical rivets in the wood paneling hid the fact that the panel wasn’t completely sealed.

  Casey saw a cardboard box sitting on six black briefcases. She lifted the lid and saw her old, one-eyed teddy bear. Beneath the bear was a baby sweater and several crayon drawings. Her heart sank. She’d had no idea he’d been so sentimental.

  Casey lifted the first briefcase out. She opened the case and gaped at American bills bundled with elastic bands. Each bundle looked the same size and each appeared to contain hundred dollar bills. She counted fifty bundles, which amounted to half a million bucks. If every case contained the same thing, then all of the missing money was accounted for.

  “Casey!” Rhonda shouted from downstairs. “Are you here?”

  Casey shoved the briefcase in the closet and pushed the wall back into place. “Upstairs!”

  She removed the key and closed the tile as Rhonda ran into the courtyard, her expression frantic.

  “Darcy’s got Summer! He says if you don’t give him a cassette tape and the missing three million, he’ll kill her!”

  Thirty-one

  CASEY GRIPPED RHONDA’S shoulders. “When did this happen?”

  “Forty minutes ago. We went straight from school to the pool for practice and Darcy approached us in the parking lot and—oh god—he had a gun!” She choked back a sob. “He told S-Summer to come with him or he’d kill me.”

  As Rhonda cried, dread prickled down Casey’s spine. Darcy must have stolen a car. She took deep breaths. “Did you call the police?”

  “You didn’t hear what Darcy said he’d do to her if I told them anything.”

  “When and where does he want the money?”

  “I’m to meet him at B-Britannia’s, parking lot at six.”

  Casey pictured the parking lot at the Britannia, community center. The skating arena was next to the indoor swimming pool and fitness rooms. Plenty of places to hide. She checked her watch. Four-fifteen.

  As Rhonda collapsed against her, guilt overwhelmed Casey. “I should have done more to stop him.”

  “How could you? He’s out of control.”

  “I know.” Casey told her about this afternoon’s encounter with Darcy and Theo.