by Liz Turner
The woman gave her piercing, cold look. “No.,” she said again. Placing down her glass, she walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
Victoria, a little hurt by the rudeness, shrugged it off anyway. In the customer service business, you learned not to take these things personally. Perhaps the woman had just had a bad day.
Any thoughts about the mysterious woman in red vanished immediately, as the music slowed and raised voices filled the room.
“So why don’t you just say it?” Declan was asking, his jaw sticking out, his eyebrows squashed downwards.
“Say what? Things that have been obvious to the rest of the world forever?” Hanson, the richest man in town, and owner of a whole lot of ski-resorts seemed like he was very drunk.
“You’re pathetic.” Declan was saying. “Sure, you own a few properties, and you had an aristocratic daddy, but when push comes to shove, you’re nothing but a schoolyard bully. And like a schoolyard bully, you can’t take it if someone else is happy.”
Victoria looked to see how LeeLee was responding to this disruption. instead of looking shocked or angry, LeeLee looked simply amused as she watched Declan flex his muscles and shout. She hadn’t moved from her place at the throne.
“Ok. I’m a bully.” Hanson took a swig of his drink, then upended it until he had finished every last drop. Instead of placing the glass down on a counter, he simply released it from his hand so that it smashed on the floor, as others around him screamed and scrambled away from the glass.
In the quiet that ensued, Hanson said, “I may be a bully, but at least I’m not an opportunist like you, Declan. Twenty-seven, and about to marry a woman of sixty. Tell me, would five million have been enough to trade away your freedom? Or did you only do it because she’s worth fifty?”
“You better shut up,” Declan said.
“Oh come on, Declan. Everyone here knows exactly what you are. We’re just trying to determine your price.” Hanson laughed.
With a roar, Declan charged like a bull, his head lowered and his powerful shoulders driving forward. Hanson, who was drunk but not stupid, swerved sideways, still laughing, as Declan went charging past him and crashed into the crowd of onlookers.
Slapping his thigh and hooting with laughter, Hanson approached Victoria and asked for another drink.
“You’re done,” Victoria said. “I’m cutting you off, Hanson.”
“Give me the drink Victoria, or you’ll end up...”
“Uncle Hanson.” A large, heavy hand fell on Hanson’s shoulder, as Corporal Randolf Jager, of the local RCMP, arrived. “I think you need a ride home, and I’m going to make sure I give it to you.”
“Oh don’t be such a stuck up prude, nephew,” Hanson said, laughing. “There’s no harm done. Just a few fun and games.”
“There’s no harm done, yet,” Randolf said. “I’m hoping to keep it that way. Now come on, Unc. Your choices are a night at home, or a night in the cell. Choose fast.”
“You think you can push me around?” Hanson hiccupped and slapped at Randolf, who took the blow without flinching. “You, this entire town, give me no respect. I own you people. I own ever...”
Rolling his eyes to the skies, Randolf shook his head at Victoria, and handcuffed Hanson, then began dragging him, kicking and screaming, to the door.
He had barely made it out the door when LeeLee had gotten up from her throne, and with a simple clearing of her throat, focused everyone’s attention back on herself.
“Well, now that the entertainment and drama are done.” She said with a laugh. “I feel it's time to begin the actual party!” She made a gesture with her hand, and the guests oohed and aahed as showers of chocolates covered in gold wrappers fell from the ceiling, with the music once again echoing out, playing “Happy Birthday”.
Victoria, not for the first time, stared at LeeLee’s impassive face and wondered what, if anything, the birthday girl felt. She seemed to treat life as a grand joke, with only herself knowing the answers. And yet, behind the mask of impassivity, Victoria thought there lurked an unhappiness.
Across the floor, she saw Declan dust himself off. Still looking furious his blank eyes met LeeLee’s. Then, deliberately turning, he walked away from her.
Chapter 4
It rained unexpectedly hard all the next day, and so Amanda and Victoria had to postpone their hike. When they did manage to go the day after, Amanda warned Victoria that rock-slides had occurred in a few places, and they’d have to be extra careful. Talk soon turned to the events of the party, though.
“Man, I thought we outgrew fighting at parties in our teens,” Amanda said as she and Victoria walked together. “Now I wish I’d been there.”
“It was alright after Hanson left,” Victoria said. “But I think it sobered us all down a little bit you know. Except for LeeLee though, who was totally unfazed. In a way, I think I’ve never met a woman as strong as her. I’m amazed by her capacity to look so stoic even when things are in shambles around her.”
“I suppose it’s a result of having seen far worse tragedies in life,” Amanda said. “Or maybe LeeLee was just drunk.”
“LeeLee wasn’t drunk.” Victoria shook her head. “She never drinks. She hasn’t had a drink for forty years.”
Amanda raised an eyebrow. “Then she’s a strong woman indeed, considering she’s surrounded by fountains of drink at her parties.”
“Well, enough about them,” Victoria said. “Tell me how you’ve planned this wedding!”
Amanda laughed. “Well, so far, Steve has asked me to marry him quickly and quietly in the old historic Calgary Town Hall.”
“But I thought you wanted flowers, fireworks, all of it?” Victoria sighed.
“Oh I do, but what Steve said made sense, as always. If we get married at the town hall and have the proper reception about three months from now, then we can get a head start on the adoption process.”
“Adoption process?” Victoria stopped.
“I’m officially adopting Ida, of course.” Amanda had tears in her eyes and a blush on her face.
“Oh. Oh, Amanda! Congratulations! This is just as big as the ring!” Victoria hugged her again, delighted. Thirteen years ago, after she had lost her first husband in an accident, Amanda had found out that she would never be able to bear children. Steve’s entry in her life had been a double miracle of sorts. Amanda loved Ida just as much as she had loved Steve.
“Ida’s happy about it too,” Amanda said. “It’s really sad for a girl to grow up without a mother, you know. And now she’s at that age when she’s first getting interested in boys and makeup.”
“Oh thank goodness my Annie’s still a little child,” Victoria said. “Though I know she’ll start having her own phases soon.”
“The two of them are really fond of each other, by the way,” Amanda said. “Annie and Ida, that is.”
“They ought to be,” Victoria smiled. “They like the same music, they both like swimming, their favorite hero is Channing Tatum, and they are both obsessed with the books of Louisa May Alcott. Precocious little girls.”
“I think you mean precious,” Amanda smiled. “Anyway, my mother wasn’t very keen on it. She thought it improper to marry first and have the official ceremony later, but I quite love the idea. Oh, Victoria, I’ve been staying up nights the last few days planning how I’ll redecorate the house now that Steve and Ida will move in after the wedding.”
“They’re moving in with you? Not the other way around?”
“My house is closer to town,” Amanda said. “You know I can’t leave the shop very long.”
Victoria nodded. Besides volunteering as the town librarian three days a week, Amanda owned an art gallery in town that sold select pieces from some of the most famous artists in Canada. Although she did a healthy portion of her business online, she still sat in the shop 12 hours a day for four days a week, servicing those who walked in. For Amanda, it wasn’t just about the sales or the money. Nor did she care about how famous
an artist was. To her, a piece was only worth selling if it truly connected with the customer. So she took great care to find out the tastes of each person who came into a shop. Needless to say, she was very popular, with her shop being mentioned in several guidebooks about the region as a must-see.
As for Steve, he had once been a doctor. But, so he said, after the death of his first wife, and a baby to take care of, he had given up his profession and decided to move to Canada.
“Steve is very sensitive, you know, and although Ida has a bit of a class-clown personality, she’s the same way. Steve felt his first wife’s death very keenly, and decided he’d never again step foot in the USA.” Amanda shook her head. “I know it makes no sense, but he’s superstitious. He thinks if he goes back, he may lose Ida too. So he came here and gave up his past life to become an artist. Luckily for him, he did really well, too.”
“Destiny draws us to where we belong in the end,” Victoria smiled. “What are Steve’s latest projects?”
“He did a lot of the artwork for LeeLee’s bash.” Amanda said. “and he’s painting a mural for Hanson’s new ski-resort. It’s going to be seventy feet high, and depict a snow leopard skiing, I hear. He always has a hint of Salvador Dali in whatever he draws, though. I quite love his style.”
“Of course, you do.” Victoria teased. “You’re his number one fan.”
The two laughed together as they walked on, pausing only to eat some homemade trail mix and down some bottled water.
“This is a tough trail,” Victoria said. “I’d expected nice flat terrain, and you’ve taken me into the Himalayas!”
“Sorry,” Amanda said, huffing herself. “At least, I’m glad we came prepared to hike. Hanson actually told Steve about this trail. The trailhead is so well hidden that no tourists ever come by here, and apparently the view from the top is magnificent.”
“If I live long enough to see it, I’ll be delighted,” Victoria said, catching her breath and collapsing down on a nearby rock.
“You know that’s a sign you’re having one too many cupcakes, don’t you?” Amanda teased. “Go on, Victoria, push yourself!”
Victoria swatted at her, laughed, and then heaved herself up again. “Alright, only for you.”
“I loved when Steve proposed to me on the top of the mountain,” Amanda said. “It was the cutest idea ever. So I’ve decided that with my maid of honor, I’m going to do the same.”
“Excuse me?” Victoria raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll ask her on a mountain top, to be my maid of honor.” Amanda giggled. “If, that is, my best friend can manage to get there.”
“Oh, you owe me a dozen cupcakes, but fine, I’ll make it.”
Laughing, joking, the two climbed up the trail, unaware of the horror that awaited them.
Their jokes eventually turned into reminisces about life in Larch Hot Springs, and Amanda said, “Growing up, I always envied your family, you know. After ma and dad had divorced when I was 12, I thought you were the luckiest girl in the world, to live with your mom and dad and own the nicest, warmest café in town.”
“It wasn’t all easy,” Victoria said. “Mom was never, never an easy person to love.”
“You fought with her so much,” Amanda said. “As a teen, I couldn’t imagine doing that. With my mom, I was always super obedient.”
“It used to irritate me, and amaze me.” Victoria laughed. “A teenager who wasn’t rebellious. You were a real unique case, Amanda.”
“Well, here we are,” Amanda said, as they overcame the final climb and reached the top. “Wow.” She whistled, and Victoria, unable to speak, only nodded.
Below them, the town of Larch Hot Springs was visible, with its crystal lake and its cover of velvety green. Below them, the whole world seemed to stretch out and here they were on top. Victoria raised her hands above her head and gave a whoop. “We are the Champions!” she shouted.
Amanda laughed. “You’ll have an avalanche on our heads, Vic.”
“There’s nothing that can fall on us now!” Victoria laughed, feeling suddenly refreshed and energetic. “We’re on top of the world!”
Her words seemed to echo, and wind made the trees below her flutter and bow. Looking straight down, Victoria shivered, wondering what it would be like to fall an endless distance, with spiky rocks to break you as you hit them.
Then, giving a cry, Victoria pointed. “Amanda, do you see that? There, that flutter of red cloth down there?”
“What is it?”
“Get your binoculars out,” Victoria said, a sudden dread filling her. “I think we’ve found the body of a hiker.”
Chapter 5
Unlike when Boyd’s body had been found, Spring Hopes Café wasn’t abuzz with news of the hiker’s body. In fact, as Victoria stood behind the counter twenty-four hours later, she thought that people were surprisingly cool about it all.
Sure, it was tragic but in a town, this close to Banff National Park, news of a hiker who had made a grave mistake wasn’t really news. It was an inevitable part of life. There was some speculation about whether the death had been due to suicide or accident but most townies felt that it was just another typical case of bad luck.
Most townies except, that is, for Victoria.
When she and Amanda had caught sight of the body below them, they had called emergency services and then, fearing that the hiker was still alive, Victoria had climbed down to where the body had fallen.
It had been a stupid, risky thing to do, perhaps but Victoria had felt that if there was any chance the hiker was still alive, she ought to do her best to help. As it was, by the time Victoria had scrambled down there, she knew in her heart that it was too late.
The woman’s mouth had been slightly open, her eyes large with shock, and her mouth open in a scream. But a wave of unease had swept through Victoria as she saw her.
The woman had on a red overcoat.
The same overcoat Victoria had seen on her last night when she’d served her water.
This was no accident. Victoria knew it the minute she saw the clawed hands of the woman. This woman had struggled. This woman had been thrown off the cliff. Victoria hadn’t touched the body of course, but even looking at the woman, she could tell that something was suspicious.
For one, instead of being dressed in sneakers and sensible clothing, as any hiker out here would, the woman had bare feet with only stockings on. It was possible, of course, that her shoes had somehow gotten thrown off, but Victoria thought it unlikely.
For another, there was the frozen expression on her face. The expression of betrayal and of shock.
As she sat behind the counter of her café, Victoria remembered that expression and felt a shudder climb up her body.
The bell jangled as Karen, Victoria’s sister walked in. A tough, no-nonsense woman, Karen was nevertheless very sensitive and protective of her family. As soon as she’d heard about what Victoria had discovered, she’d been hovering over her, ready to battle away any negative thoughts. Victoria smiled as Amanda came in right after Karen.
“Both of you, you have your own jobs to look after. I’m alright,” Victoria said as they slid into a booth.
“Well, who says we’re here for you?” Karen asked. “What an ego you’ve got, Vic! No, personally, I’m here for the pancakes special and some hot coffee.”
“I’ll have a mushroom omelet.” Amanda said, “and a smile from you would be good too, Vic. I know how shaken you were yesterday.”
“She’s shaken in the head,” Karen said, suddenly furious. “You better never pull a stunt like that again, Vic! You had no business clambering down there.”
“She might have needed my help, Karen,” Victoria said.
“There was no one who could help her by the time you reached her,” Karen said, looking upwards. “No, Victoria. You were just your usual moronic, heroic self. You’ve got two kids to think of, and business to handle. We can’t afford heroism.”
“What I like best about you
is your dedication to higher causes,” Victoria said, rolling her eyes.
“Raising a family is the highest cause there is,” Karen said. “You had no reason to risk your life for that stranger, Vic.”
“It’s a lost cause, Karen,” Amanda said. “I tried reasoning with her too, but she wouldn’t listen. She never did. Remember when we were all in school, and the science teacher used to bully little Alan? I told Victoria not to speak up and that it would only get her in trouble. So what’s the first thing she did?”
Karen sighed. “Speak up, of course. I remember it. Old Mick Bergan got an earful the next time he picked on Alan unfairly and Victoria got a week’s suspension.”
“Well Bergan got fired soon after, so it was worth it,” Victoria said.
“He only got fired for stealing school funds,” Karen said.
“...but since Victoria was the one who discovered he did it, I’d say she won that round,” Amanda replied.
“Fine. But she hasn’t won this one. Vic, the next time you do something foolish, try and picture little Annie, and how devastated she will be if something happens to you. Or Byron, and how his life will become one of misery. Ok?” Karen asked.
“Karen, I can’t do that,” Victoria said, with some heat. “I’m trying to teach my kids to be the best people they can be. To do that, I have to be the best person I can be. If someone’s in trouble, ever, it’s my duty to help. That’s the Armstrong Code, isn’t it?”
“It’s useless arguing with you.” Amanda sighed. “Just get us our coffee Vic and if you need us, we’re right here. And we love you.”
Victoria bent down and hugged Amanda. “You’re the best.”
“Yeah yeah.” Karen said, “Get me some coffee sis.”
“You too.” Victoria gave Karen a hug.
“Hey!” Karen protested, hiding a smile.
The bell jangled again as Corporal Jager came in, with his partner Constable George Keeney.
“Heya Karen.” The Constable slid in next to her, as Corporal Jager headed to the counter.
