Shallow End

by Brenda Chapman

  “As I recall, Sophie said that she never met up with Devon that day. She waited in the park but he didn’t show.”

  “She obviously lied.” Kala thought back to the day she interviewed Sophie and pictured the mother and daughter sitting side by side on the couch across from her. “Her mother was in on the lie. I remember having this sense at the time that she’d coached Sophie about what to say.”

  “What do you think it means?”

  “Devon and Charlie were up to something and Charlie is still keeping it a secret.” She thought about Sophie trying to kill herself over her brother’s death and didn’t like how the pieces were fitting. “We need to speak with Charlie again.”

  “I agree. After we check out the Etons’, we can swing past Charlie’s place.” Gundersund pulled into the Eton driveway, turned off the engine, and leaned on the steering wheel. He looked at her and said, “Mitchell’s car isn’t here but it could be in the garage. We’d better be ready for anything.”

  She gave a half-grin. “My gun is loaded and my trigger finger is sharpened.”

  He smiled back. “Good. Hopefully, this will go smoothly and you won’t need to shoot anybody.”

  They tried ringing the doorbell, stepping back with their handguns at their sides. Gundersund banged on the door but there was no movement or noise from within. They went in different directions and circled the house, checking windows and looking for signs of life, meeting up again on the front lawn.

  “He didn’t bring her here,” said Gundersund.

  Kala pulled out her phone. “I’ll try Rouleau again.” She moved into a circle of sunshine while she waited for him to answer, briefly enjoying the fall warmth and the absence of rain clouds. Her call went to Rouleau’s voice mail and she left a message for him to call her back. She joined Gundersund in the driveway. He was standing with his back to the road, watching the Eton house. She said, “Rouleau’s not answering. What now?”

  “We could head over to Mitchell’s work. A long shot, but worth a try. Then, we can pay Charlie that visit.”

  She agreed because she couldn’t come up with a better idea. “I’m not liking this, Gundersund. All of this uncertainty about what Eton is doing with Jane is giving me a bad feeling.”

  “I’ve got the same feeling.” He rubbed the scar on his cheek as he walked toward his car. “Try Rouleau again in a few minutes and let’s hope he answers. We might need to get everybody involved looking for Mitchell and Jane if this goes on much longer.”

  “What would you like for lunch?” Katie Bruster asked, rubbing her belly as she stood in the doorway to Ivan’s home office. She felt like a blow-up doll that had been filled to capacity and would soon burst. One more week before delivering this big baby from its cocoon inside her and the day couldn’t come soon enough. Fatigue was her constant companion and she was having more and more trouble hiding her grumpiness from Ivan and Kyle, although she had to admit that neither her husband nor son appeared fazed by her sharp words.

  “Just a ham sandwich is fine, babe.” Ivan was working on his computer and barely glanced at her. She stood waiting until he looked up from the screen and smiled at her. “Sorry, I was working on a file. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything is great. I’ll be back in a few minutes with your sandwich, unless you’d like to join me in the kitchen to eat?”

  He ran a hand through his mess of brown hair, the hair that she’d run her own hands through the night before in bed. “I’d love to but need to get this work done before the next little Bruster appears on the scene. I’ll be taking a few weeks off and don’t want to have to worry about loose ends.”

  “I understand.” She walked back to the kitchen, catching sight of herself in the full-length mirror as she passed by it in the hall. Was she heavier than the day before or was it her imagination? Her ankles were swollen and her legs ached but she wasn’t complaining. She’d had a healthy pregnancy and would soon have a lovely baby. Hopefully, a daughter to complete their millionaire family. She really wanted a little girl.

  She got the ham, lettuce, and mustard out of the fridge and made two sandwiches. She poured herself a glass of milk and opened a beer for Ivan. He allowed himself one at lunchtime and nothing more until he finished work for the day, usually after seven when she called him for supper.

  She returned to his office and set the sandwich and beer on his desk next to his computer.

  “Thanks, babe,” he said, catching her hand for a moment in his. “Kyle taking a nap?”

  “He is, and I’m going to stretch out on the bed for a snooze after I eat.”

  “I wish I could join you.” He smiled and she bent and kissed his mouth.

  She’d eaten half her sandwich when the doorbell rang. She heaved herself out of the kitchen chair and walked toward the front door, making out the shapes of two adult figures on the other side of the beveled glass. Please not those Jehovah’s Witnesses again trying to convert me, she thought. She opened the door a crack and looked out, taking a few seconds to recognize Mitchell Eton. She didn’t know the woman with him. She pulled the door open wider.

  “Mitchell, was Ivan expecting you today? He never said.”

  “No, this is a surprise visit.”

  “Well, come in.” She held out her hand to the woman. “I’m Katie, Ivan’s wife.”

  The woman looked from her to Mitchell and he nodded. The woman held out her hand. “I’m Jane.”

  She gripped Katie’s hand with such force that she was momentarily taken aback. Katie thought she saw a warning in eyes so clear and beautiful that she had trouble looking away. A sense of inadequacy filled her as it did every time she met someone this striking, but she stifled the feeling. She had grown a lot since marrying Ivan and becoming a mother. She knew looks weren’t important when it came to happiness … well, not as important as she’d believed in high school and college. Mitchell cleared his throat and prodded the woman to walk ahead of him into the house. He shut the door and shot the deadbolt into place behind him. “Why don’t you lead us into Ivan’s office, Katie,” he said.

  She didn’t like the tone he was using but didn’t say anything. She looked from him to the door. Why had he locked it? “I was just eating my lunch at the table. Maybe I could make some coffee while you go speak to Ivan.” She took a step in the direction of the kitchen.

  “I’d rather you take us to Ivan,” Mitchell said.

  Katie half-turned and looked into Jane’s eyes. She knew she wasn’t misreading the situation. Something was wrong. “Okay,” she said.

  She and Jane led the way down the hall. Before they reached Ivan’s office, he called out, “Who was at the door, babe?”

  “I was,” Mitchell said. “Take the two seats, ladies.” He raised the handgun he’d been holding behind Jane’s back and pointed it at Ivan, who was sitting pressed back against his chair.

  “I only see one chair,” said Katie.

  “You take it,” said Jane. “I can stand.”

  “No, Ivan will stand. You take his chair,” said Mitchell.

  Ivan got up, his hands raised waist level, palms out. “What’s all this about then, Mitchell? What are you doing here?”

  Katie looked from her husband to Mitchell and something passed between the two men that made her hold both hands over her stomach. A spasm of pain made her gasp. She’d never met Mitchell’s wife but she was beginning to think that Jane might be her. Was she about to find out that Ivan had been unfaithful with Mitchell’s wife? The crazy idea made her want to giggle, and she knew this was the typical way she dealt with stress. She tried to breathe deeply like she’d been taught for her upcoming labour. The woman stared at her from across the desk with concerned eyes.

  “You know why I’m here, don’t you Ivan?” Mitchell asked.

  “Can’t we let the women go into the kitchen while we talk?”

  “I don’
t think so. Your wife will want to know what you’ve been up to.”

  Ivan’s eyes reddened and he looked as rattled as Katie had ever seen him. He was usually so self-assured and domineering that she knew her world was about to be rocked. Jane, in contrast, looked resigned and calm, as if she’d seen her fate and was okay with it. “Tell me, Ivan,” Katie said. “Have you done something the kids and I should know about?”

  Ivan seemed to get a second wind. He glared at Mitchell. “My company has done a lot of business with yours. If you want our good relationship to continue, tell my wife that you’ve made a mistake coming here. We can work out our differences in private once everyone has settled down.”

  Mitchell looked at the gun he was holding and back up at Ivan. “My daughter tried to take her own life last night because of what you did to her. My son was murdered because of that woman sitting there in your desk chair. You think I really care about our damn business relationship?”

  Ivan’s eyes found Katie’s. They appeared to be begging for understanding and she felt her insides go cold. “Tell me, Ivan,” she said.

  “Tell her what you did if you don’t want me to shoot your wife right now,” said Mitchell.

  “This is insane. You can’t just waltz in here and threaten my family.” Ivan took a step toward Mitchell but raised his hands and backed up when Mitchell pointed the gun at him.

  “Tell her,” said Mitchell. His voice rose to a shout. “Tell her now!”

  “Okay, okay, okay.” Ivan looked at Katie with a pleading look on his face. “I paid to have sex with his daughter. Her brother, Devon, set it up. I’m so sorry, baby. It just … it just happened. If I could take it back, I would. It was wrong and I was crazy out of my mind to do it and you have every right to hate me. It was only the one time and I’ve regretted it ever since. I love you more than anything. You’ve got to believe me. Please, baby.”

  Another stab of pain filled Katie’s belly. She could see Ivan’s mouth moving but stopped hearing him after he said he’d had sex with Mitchell’s daughter. Her mind turned sluggishly as she struggled to remember a conversation she’d had with Mitchell the summer before. He had one daughter named Sophie — yes, she was sure he said only one daughter — and she was starting grade eight. Ivan had paid for sex with a child. The pain in her stomach had moved up to her chest. Surely, this was what it felt like to die, to feel as if the entire world had stopped spinning and she was about to free-fall into outer space. She cried out and black, fuzzy spots filled her eyes. Jane called to her and Katie turned her face toward the sound of her voice. Like a magnet pulling her back, she looked into Jane’s mesmerizing blue eyes.

  “Don’t think about it now,” Jane said. “Slow, deep breaths. You can get through this, Katie.”

  “Shut up,” said Mitchell. “Just shut up.” The gun in his hand was shaking and tears were running down his cheeks. He doubled over, but kept the gun wavering in the air. “How could you have done this to my child? My beautiful girl. I thought we were friends.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Ivan. “I’m sorry.”

  Mitchell straightened. “Sorry isn’t good enough.” He levelled the gun and shot Ivan Bruster two times in the chest.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  After they found Mitchell’s office building locked and empty, Kala called in to the station that Jane Thompson was missing, and conveyed their fear that she was with Mitchell Eton and he could be distraught over his daughter’s suicide attempt. Gundersund drove them to the Hanson house while Kala spoke to Fred Taylor on her phone.

  She dropped her cellphone into her lap and said, “Taylor’s spreading the word and will have patrol on the lookout for Mitchell’s car.”

  “Good. We should be at the Hansons’ in ten minutes.”

  Charlie answered the door after five minutes of ringing the doorbell and banging. His hair was spread out like a rooster’s comb and his eyes were red. “I’d just fallen asleep,” he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. “What do you want now?”

  “Is anyone else home?” Gundersund asked.

  “Mom’s at work and I don’t know where Tiffany is.”

  “We have a few more questions. Can we come inside or would you prefer a trip to the station?”

  Charlie’s voice was as sullen as he could make it. “I guess you can come in, since I don’t have a choice.”

  Gundersund filled the small entrance and Kala stepped around him “We can talk here in the hall,” he said.

  They angled Charlie against the wall and stood on either side of him. They’d agreed on the way over that Gundersund would be the set-up man and Kala would ask the questions.

  “Charlie, we have you on camera at the Limestone Spa Hotel, entering by the back door with Sophie Eton on the day that Devon went missing. Devon let you in, in fact, at around four thirty. You’ve been lying to us and it’s time you told the truth.”

  Charlie shook his head.

  “What were you doing with Sophie at the Limestone that day?”

  “We weren’t there.”

  “We have proof that you were.”

  “I don’t have to say anything.”

  “Charlie, you need to tell us what you know so we can sort out the damage. Do you understand?”

  Charlie stood with his head lowered, hair flopped over his eyes, mouth tightly shut. Kala stared at him, trying to figure out what to say to get him talking.

  A voice from upstairs made his head snap up. Kala and Gundersund raised their eyes. Tiffany was making her way toward them. Today she was wearing black leggings under a black tunic, but her eyes looked naked without the usual black smudging. She seemed younger, more vulnerable. “He was there with Sophie,” she said as she came down the stairs. “Devon made Charlie do it.”

  “Why were they at the hotel?” Kala asked.

  “Devon wanted to hurt his father. He told Sophie that they were meeting Mitchell in Ivan Bruster’s room, but he drugged her with some Quaaludes in a drink when she arrived and left Sophie alone with Ivan. Devon made a thousand dollars, which he shared with Charlie to keep him quiet.”

  “Is this true, Charlie?”

  Charlie looked at his sister before nodding and bowing his head again.

  Kala swallowed hard. “Did Mitchell find out what Devon did to Sophie?”

  Charlie and Tiffany looked at each other. Tiffany answered for them both. “We don’t know. Charlie never saw Devon again after he took off. Devon was going to wait around for Sophie and take her home around seven. He said he’d done the same once before with some girl from school and gotten away with it.”

  Kala looked at Gundersund. “This must be why Sophie tried to kill herself last night. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “I’ll call Ajax police and get someone to check this out.”

  “Wait, Sophie tried to kill herself? Is she okay?” asked Tiffany.

  “What do you think?” Kala said more sharply than she’d intended. “Sophie is suffering. Keeping quiet about what Devon did to her was entirely the wrong thing to do.”

  Charlie finally spoke. “Devon said she wouldn’t remember and if she did, nobody would back her up. He said part of him wanted his parents to know so he could see their faces when they found out, but he’d have to be satisfied with knowing what happened to her. A laugh behind their backs, he said. I have the money he gave me. You can have it back. I don’t want it. I never wanted it.”

  Kala was at a loss for words, the evil in Devon Eton was so profound and terrible. The part these two played was unforgivable. She reined herself back in before she said something she would later regret. She reminded herself that they were kids and victims, too. “We’ll talk about this more later. Lock the doors after we leave and let your mom know what’s been going on. If Mr. Eton shows up, call 911 and don’t let him in.”

  She followed Gundersund out o
f the house and down the stairs toward his car where he stood talking on his cell. She stood stock still while he explained the situation and asked someone, perhaps his cop friend in Ajax, to get over to the Bruster house. Gundersund lowered his phone and looked at Kala standing next to him. He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. “You okay with this?”

  She nodded. “Although it’s making me sick to hear what they did to Sophie … and to Jane Thompson.” His arm was comforting and she let herself enjoy his closeness for a moment. “You know, it’s only a few hours to Ajax.”

  “One and a half, if I floor it.”

  She pulled back. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get going.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Katie watched her husband fall to the floor, a look of shock on his face. The noise deafened her for a moment and she was surprised to taste salty tears on her lips. She thought there should have been more blood. The room started to become brighter, every part of the scene sharp and pointy, like a movie in slow motion. She watched Jane get to her feet and Mitchell turn the gun on her.

  “Don’t move,” he said. He looked over at Katie. “I hear your son crying upstairs.”

  His words made her pull out of the foggy realm and back to earth. She looked at him and tried to see some sign of the man she’d eaten dinner with on his trips to Ajax to meet with Ivan. She remembered his boy, Devon, and how excited he’d been to be going to a Jays game with his dad. “Please,” she said, “he’s just a little boy. He never hurt anyone.”

  Mitchell shook his head. “I’m not going to hurt you or your son. I never wanted to hurt anybody. Go to your son and don’t come back.”

  She stood on unsteady feet and grabbed on to the desk as the room swayed. She took a deep breath and looked at Ivan on the floor. He was lying on his stomach with his face turned toward the wall. A bright red stain circled out across his back, ruining the blue shirt that she’d bought him the week before at the Bay. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing.