The Travelling Detective: Boxed Set

by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

  Christine walked away from the window. She wanted to go to bed but knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep as long as he was out there. She made a pot of tea and sipped it during the late news on television, determined not to look out the window until the broadcast was over. However, she didn’t hear one word; her mind was on the man sitting outside.

  When news, weather, and sports had ended, she finally stood and walked over to the curtains. After a moment’s hesitation, she carefully pushed one aside and peered out. Ben was gone. Not believing, she looked up and down the street. He wasn’t parked anywhere within her vision. She leaned her head against the wall in relief then went to bed, hoping she could get some sleep before the alarm went off in the morning.

  Chapter 28

  “So, what’s in Wainwright?” Jared asked turning off the highway onto Main Street.

  “Well, that there is Canada largest buffalo,” Elizabeth said, as they passed the statue. “And the Memorial Clock Tower, which is also a cenotaph.”

  Jared slowed to a stop on the main street and stared up at a tall rock structure with the clock at the top. “Look at this, the tower is in the middle of the intersection. So, which way would you go if you wanted to turn left,” Jared asked. “Do you go in front of the tower or around behind?”

  “I really don’t know,” Elizabeth said. She looked in the mirror. “There’s no one behind us so let’s wait and see what people do.”

  Three cars went through the intersection before one finally turned to its left. The driver went around the tower.

  “There,” Jared laughed. “Now we know.”

  Elizabeth toured the museum and the Wainwright Railway Preservation Society grounds. While she walked through the displays, she wondered if it had been a good idea after all to bring Jared. She’d noticed him repositioning himself in his chair. She knew he did that to keep from getting pressure sores, but he also lay down most afternoons. Since they’d arrived in Redwater, he hadn’t had many of those rests.

  Back on the highway they drove through Fabyan and followed the signs to the Battle River Trestle, also called the Fabyan Trestle. At the viewpoint Elizabeth let Chevy out for a run. Jared got out of the van and they both looked down at the long railway trestle.

  “You know,” Jared said. “Just from what I’ve seen today there’s a lot about this province that I don’t know. I can understand why you like being a travel writer.”

  “It’s very satisfying,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve learned so much since I started this.”

  He grew serious for a moment. “Thank you for inviting me. I really needed to get away from thinking about Mom and what may have happened to her.”

  Elizabeth kissed him. “I’m really glad I invited you, too. This is much more enjoyable than travelling alone.” She didn’t voice her concerns about his comfort. There really was nothing either of them could do until they were back at the B&B.

  At the Viking Ribstones, Elizabeth and Chevy climbed the small hill and she took her pictures of the large white stone. She showed them to Jared in the van.

  “Wow, they do look like ribs,” he said. “Who carved them?”

  “The First Nations people. A number of sites like this have been found in Alberta. They made them as a monument to Old Man Buffalo, who was the protector of all the buffalo.”

  As they approached the town, Jared said, “I know what you can say about Viking. It’s the ‘Home of the Sutters’.”

  “Yes, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Rich and Ron played in the NHL at the same time during the 1970s and 80s,” Elizabeth recited smugly. “Darryl, Brian, Duane and Brent also went on to become coaches and general managers.”

  “Oh, you’re a hockey fan.”

  “Yup. Terry, Sherry, Dad, and I have season’s tickets to the Oilers.”

  “That’s better than me. I only buy a ticket once in a while but I watch most of the games on television.

  “Let’s do a taste test,” Elizabeth said. “Let’s stop in to buy some Viking Sausage at Viking Meats and compare it with the Mundare Sausage.”

  Elizabeth ran in to buy the sausage. She was surprised to see that the Viking type was long and slim like a pepperoni, although lighter in color and not as wrinkled. She gave Jared and Chevy a piece then tried some herself. The taste was quite mild.

  “I like it,” she said.

  “Me, too,” Jared agreed.

  Elizabeth toured the Viking Museum and the Holden Museum, and then they headed west from Holden.

  When she saw a tall grain elevator to their right she told Jared. “The tiny community here is called Poe and is supposed to be named after the famous master of detective and horror stories, Edgar Allan Poe.”

  “That’s news to me,” Jared said. “I didn’t even know we had a hamlet named Poe in the province. I’ll bet Edgar Allen would be pleased to know that some place in the world has been named for him.”

  “Well, I don’t know how true it is that it was named for him.”

  “Oh? Why?”

  “Because I also read that in England, Poe is the name of the potty used to toilet train children.”

  Jared laughed loudly. “I think I’d rather live in a place named after a famous writer than a place named after a kiddie’s potty.”

  After visiting the Ryley Museum, she thought about making museums the theme of this tour. At Tofield they stopped at the Beaverhill Lake Nature Centre and the Tofield Museum in one building. Inside she looked at the displays of Tofield’s history as well as stuffed birds, pictures of birds, books on birds, and information on Beaverhill Lake, one of the best places to see snow geese on their spring migrations.

  “If you are a birdwatcher you can pick up a pamphlet at the centre listing the over 250 documented bird species that have been sighted on or near the lake,” she whispered into her recorder.

  “You know,” Elizabeth said, when they were driving again. “When I was researching Tofield on the Internet I found a site that mentioned the discovery of the partially decomposed body of a man in a septic tank near the town in 1977.”

  Jared glanced at her. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” Elizabeth nodded. “He was called Septic Tank Sam. Isn’t it strange that just last summer I figured out how a skeleton ended up in a septic tank near Fort Macleod. My one was dubbed Septic Stan by the media.”

  “Was the Septic Tank Sam murderer ever found?”

  Elizabeth shook her head.

  “Have you thought that maybe you should….?” Jared left the sentence hanging.

  “No way,” she said loudly, startling Chevy out of his sleep. “Sorry,” she said, rubbing his head.

  Elizabeth directed Jared to her last stop.

  “What’s this?” he asked, as he pulled into the Waskahegan Staging Area parking lot.

  “It’s part of The Cooking Lake Blackfoot Grazing, Wildlife and Recreation Area,” Elizabeth said. “Coyote, elk, moose, deer and more than 200 varieties of birds live in the reserve along with cattle. And there are over 150 kilometres of trails for people to snowmobile, cross-country ski, hike, bicycle, and ride horses.”

  “Whew, how do you remember all this stuff?”

  “I read it over enough times when I’m working on my routes. I try to find the most interesting places.”

  “Well, you’ve done a great job on this route.”

  “Thank you. I’ll take Chevy on one quick jaunt to see what the trails are like.”

  Chevy was excited about this new sniffing trail and made the most of the length of his leash. Elizabeth inhaled deeply of the fresh air. They didn’t go far, Elizabeth remembering Jared’s need to get to the B&B and lie down.

  Back in the van Elizabeth shut off her laptop. “I’m finished my research,” she said. “Let’s go to the B&B.”

  “Could we find a place to eat first?” Jared asked. “I’m hungry.”

  Elizabeth looked at her watch. “Oh, sorry. I seldom get hungry when I’m working like this and I always forget about the time.”


  “That’s okay. I’ve managed to sustain Chevy and myself on the sausage we bought. But we both could use a good meal.”

  Chapter 29

  Anna’s Story

  She felt a sense of security and promise when she saw the buildings of the city ahead of her. All she had to do was move in with her parents, apply for a student loan, and enroll in a nursing course. Then she could find a place of her own and raise Jared without the fear he’d been experiencing all his life. Oh, if only her parents will agree....

  Anna woke Jared when they pulled into bus parking area. They disembarked and picked up their suitcase. She watched warily as they walked into the building. Looking around she was relieved when she didn’t see Paul and discouraged when she didn’t see her parents. It doesn’t matter, she told herself. She’d take a city bus to their place.

  She went out to find a bus stop. She had never been to her folks’ house but she had their address, which she gave to the bus driver. He told her the bus number to watch for. Finally, after two transfers, she stepped off at a stop within two blocks of her parents’ home.

  When she found the right address she looked around for Paul’s truck. She didn’t see it so they walked up the front sidewalk to the door. Anna set the suitcase down and rang the bell. Her mother opened it. “Oh, Anna,” she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of joy and dismay.

  “Hi,” Anna said, as cheerfully as she could.

  Her mother looked down at Jared.

  “Mom, this is Jared, your grandson.” She needed to try everything to get her parents on her side. “Jared, this is your grandma.”

  Her mother stepped aside and let them in. In the kitchen she found her father sitting at the table. He didn’t look up when she entered and she feared she had lost her bid to save herself and her children.

  Jared was hesitant, hiding behind her. These people were strangers to him. She took his hand and led him to the table

  “Dad, this is Jared, your grandson,” she said, determinedly. “Jared, this is your grandpa.”

  Her father glanced at Jared then away. She saw her mother start to reach out her arms for Jared but draw back when her father shook his head.

  “Paul called,” her father said. “I told him you were on your way here.”

  “I can’t go back to him,” she said, her voice quivering.

  “A woman’s place is with her husband.”

  “Yes, but her husband isn’t supposed to do this to her,” Anna said, raising her lip to show her broken tooth. “He isn’t supposed to beat her and threaten her children.”

  “You dated him against our wishes. You disgraced us by getting pregnant.”

  Anna couldn’t believe her father still held that against her after five years. “I made a mistake. I admit that. How long do I have to pay for it? How long do my children have to pay for it?”

  Her father only shook his head.

  She just wanted to sink to the floor, to close her eyes and go into a deep sleep never to awaken.

  The doorbell rang. Fear encompassed her. Paul was here already.

  “Please, can we stay?” she begged, dropping to her knees in front of her father. “Please, for Jared.” She put her hand on her belly. “And for this one.”

  Stone faced, her father stood, walked around her and went down the hallway. She could hear him open the front door. She turned to her mother who was now holding Jared.

  “Please help me, Mom.”

  “I can’t.” There were tears in her eyes.

  “Why can’t you?” Her voice was weak with despair. “I’m your daughter. You heard what Paul is doing to me.”

  “You made the choice years ago.” She leaned her cheek on Jared’s head.

  Anna heard the two sets of footsteps in the hallway. She hadn’t had enough time.

  Mustering what little strength she had left, she whispered quickly. “If something happens to me will you check on Jared? Will you try to make sure Paul doesn’t harm him?”

  Before her mother could answer, the footsteps entered the kitchen. Anna covered her face and wept. She had failed and she and her children would suffer for years because of her attempt at freedom.

  “Time to come home,” Paul said, pulling her to her feet by her arm. He didn’t let go once she was standing.

  She looked imploringly at her mother and saw her glance at her father. In that glance she saw thirty years of subservience of a wife to her husband, a subservience that could not be broken in one hour. Her mother looked down.

  Paul picked up the suitcase with his other hand. “Come on, Jared.”

  Anna had expected an outburst from Paul as soon as they were in the truck, but he didn’t say anything which heightened her fear. His cold silence was worse than his tirades.

  When they pulled into the farm yard Paul spoke for the first time. “I don’t know how you thought you were going to get away with this. You’ve made a fool of me in front of our neighbours. You’ve cost us money and time in the field and you can believe that you will pay for it. It won’t be tonight and it might not be tomorrow. You won’t know where and you won’t know when but,” he spoke these last words very precisely. “you can be certain it’s coming.”

  * * * *

  Christine’s Story

  There was a knocking on her door but she had decided to ignore all unwanted visitors. If her neighbours complained, she would tell them to call the police. She didn’t want to talk any more about her leaving. She didn’t want to have to listen to someone telling her she couldn’t go, that she couldn’t live her life the way she wanted.

  The knocking continued on a louder level. She moved the curtain on the window enough to see who it was then went back to her chair. Eventually he would leave.

  But he wasn’t to be put off. The noise increased until she couldn’t concentrate. Maybe she should call the police. Maybe it was time she let them know what was happening. She hadn’t in the past because she didn’t want to feel guilty about the lives that might be upset.

  Christine went to the door. “Go away!” she yelled through the little window.

  “Let me in,” he hollered back.

  “No. I want nothing more to do with you.”

  “I’ll stay here until you open the door.”

  “I’ll call the police.”

  “And what will they do? I’m your husband. I have a right to talk to you.”

  Christine dialled the police station. She gave her name and address. “My husband is standing on my porch and pounding on my door,” she explained. “He won’t go away.”

  “Why don’t you let him in?”

  “We are separated and this is my home. He lives on a farm.”

  “Is he threatening you?”

  “No, he’s just making a lot of noise.”

  “Okay, we’ll send a car around.”

  Christine had to endure ten more minutes of Wayne beating on her door before the police car drove up in front. She pulled the curtain aside and watched as the officers talked to Wayne. He kept gesturing and pointing. Finally one of the policemen knocked on her door. Christine went and unlocked it.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to him?”

  “Yes. I want you to make him leave me alone.”

  “Has he threatened you in any way?”

  “No.”

  “Well, we can’t stop him from coming here and if he hasn’t threatened you there is nothing we can do.”

  “You mean he can come here anytime he wants.”

  “You can charge him with trespassing if you wish or you could go to court and get a restraining order so he has to stay away from you. If he hits you then you can charge him with assault.”

  Christine closed and locked the door. She watched as the three men talked some more and then Wayne turned and headed for his truck. They had convinced him to go. She waited until he had driven away before making herself a cup of tea to soothe her nerves.

  Chapter 30

  “Did I tell you how much I liked yesterday?
” Jared asked the next morning as they showered together.

  “Yes, you did,” Elizabeth grinned. “Many times.”

  “Did I thank you properly?”

  “Yes, you did that too. Many times.”

  “Well, that’s good. Just so long as you know how I feel.”

  “I think I do. You’ve been very demonstrative.”

  Once they were dressed they went for breakfast. Elizabeth felt very relaxed. Her research was done. Her worst fear had been that the mystery would eat up her time and she wouldn’t get her travelling in. She didn’t have to worry about that now. And her article was partially written. She just wished they’d been as successful with Jared’s mission.

  At their table Elizabeth said. “I don’t think we’re getting anywhere with either death. And we’re running out of time. I have to get back soon and finish my article.”

  “I know and I just can’t come up with anything new to do or say to anyone.” Jared sounded disappointed.

  “Well, after we eat let’s go see Meredith again. Maybe she can tell us something about Christine.

  Jared nodded.

  “Still looking for your mother’s killer?” Meredith asked, when they were settled on the back deck.

  “Yes,” Jared said, “And we’re not having very good luck.”

  “Can you tell us about your friendship with Christine,” Elizabeth said.

  “I thought you were here to find out about your mother’s death. Why are you asking about Christine?”

  “No one seems to know much about Mom so we are trying to learn everything that happened during that time to see if it will give us some sort of clue.”

  “It was strange that we could have started our married lives the same and yet we grew apart,” Meredith began. “Ben and I had been friends with her and Wayne for years. We went to dances and parties and Christine was always the life of the party. She had a great sense of humour and was willing to do anything for a laugh.