by Lin, Harper
“Oh. And you suspected him of murder. I remember the police calling me about his alibi. So you were with the detective?”
“Yes. I helped with the case.”
“That’s impressive,” she said.
“Thanks. Well, I wanted to help you with this case too. I know that the police are doing all they can to go after all the leads in connection with the mayor—where is Richard anyway?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “He might’ve gone to his office to work.”
“Does Richard know about Edward?” I asked.
“I don’t know. If he did, he probably wouldn’t even care. He probably has his own mistress, or two. I wouldn’t know or care either. All he really cares about is his political career. Wants to move to Toronto and be the mayor there in the near future.”
“Is that something you want to do?”
“I thought I did. Before I met Edward.” Her voice got quiet. “I wish Edward was here.”
“Why don’t you just get a divorce?”
“And have two failed marriages?” She let out a bitter laugh.
Looking at Eleanor in that pristine room, in that big fancy house with servants, I supposed she was the type to keep up appearances.
“But you do love Edward?”
“Yes,” she said. “Even if he is a dairy farmer. But I wanted to wait until the kids are grown to leave Richard. Richard and I have a good understanding anyhow.”
“How is Richard with the children?”
Eleanor turned pink, or was it just my imagination?
“He loves them, of course. He’s worried to bits.”
“Does he know who would take them?”
“He does suspect some of the men he used to be in business with, so I’m praying that they catch them soon.”
“But do you think it might be somebody else?” I watched her carefully.
Eleanor sighed. “I don’t know. I wish I did. All I know is that I’ve sinned and I’m being punished. I just hope that God doesn’t take it out on the children. The thing is, at the festival, I left them. It was my fault. I left the kids on their own while I stood by Richard’s side to work the festival and greet the visitors.”
She began to sob loudly.
“Oh, Eleanor, it’s not your fault. It was planned. There was a note, so whoever it was was waiting for a chance to get at them.”
“But who? And why would the kids go so easily?”
“That’s why I suspect that it might be someone your family is close to.”
Her teary eyes grew wide again. “You think?”
“It’s what I’m trying to figure out,” I said. “How many people are working or living in this house?”
“Well, there’s me, Richard, Joseph and Zoe, our housekeepers Joanne and her husband Henry, who cooks and also tends to the garden.”
“That’s everyone?” I asked. “Are there people who come here often?
“Sometimes my eldest son Matthew comes to stay,” she said. “He’s 18 and going to Callen University, so he usually lives on campus. There’s also our baby-sitter Isla, who works part-time.”
“I see.”
“Do you really suspect someone in this house? I just can’t imagine them doing this!”
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” I said.
“But I trust them,” Eleanor said.
“All of them?”
“Why, yes. Joanne and Henry has been working here for years before we moved in. They like the kids. Joanne was taking care of the kids for a while, but she had back trouble so we hired Isla. She’s been working with us for a couple of years, and she’s great with them. There’s no reason why any of them would want to kidnap my poor Joseph and Zoe.”
“I’m not accusing anyone,” I said. “I just want to know all the facts. Be aware of your surroundings is what my bodyguard always tells me. It could be someone in connection with the people who work for you as well. We just don’t know so we have to be careful.”
Eleanor took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Please tell me about the baby-sitter.”
“Isla? I found her through a nanny agency. She had good recommendations from the previous families she’d worked for.”
“So she doesn’t live here,” I asked.
“No. She picks the kids up from school and takes them home, feeds them and plays with them. She’s studying literature at the same university as Matthew actually.”
“Oh, are they friends?” I asked.
“No. Matthew studies History. I thought that he and Isla would make a cute couple, but Matthew told me that she’s a, well, lesbian.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but I’m quite forward thinking about these sort of things. Richard doesn’t know of course. I’m not sure how he would feel about it.”
“Oh, does Richard not approve of gays and lesbians?”
Eleanor frowned. “Unfortunately not. This is a conservative town, as you know. Richard is against gay marriage.”
“I’m not sure how well he’d do in Toronto then.”
“Yes, well, Richard knows how to turn on his charm in public.”
“Does he ever rant about his stance against gay marriage in this house?” I asked.
Eleanor thought about it and she turned pinker with embarrassment. “Maybe. I hope he didn’t offend Isla. She’s really good with the kids and they adore her.”
“What about Joanne and her husband? I haven’t met her husband yet.”
“They’re lovely too. Henry does odd jobs around the house and works in the garden. He’s a sweetheart. They’ve been living in the house before we even moved in here. I guess you could say that they came with the house. They have their own section of the house adjacent to the garage. This house is very old and it has a servant’s quarter. But the good thing about their room is that they have their privacy.”
“And you think they always enjoy working for your family?”
“I think so,” Eleanor said. “They’re lovely to me, and the children, but I guess Richard can be a bit gruff and demanding. But he works so much and he’s out of the house most of the time that they don’t mind. I’d call them my friends.”
“Are they well paid?” I asked.
Eleanor gave me an incredulous look. “I sure hope so. Sure Richard got his assistant to order them some thoughtless presents for Christmas. He gave Joanne a new vacuum and Henry a new rake. Richard thought it was funny, but I felt like they were insulting, so I baked them cookies and got them gift certificates to go shopping at the mall.”
“And your son, he’s the son you had with your first husband, right?”
“Yes. He’s all grown. Time goes by so fast. Can you believe it? His father lives in Calgary and Matthew is close to him. Luckily he likes the school he’s in here so he’s closer to me. Otherwise he’d be in Calgary and I’d never see him.”
“Why? Does he not get along with his stepfather?”
“They get along okay. Don’t speak much, but it’s all right.”
“I’m starting to get the picture that not a lot of people get along with your husband.”
Eleanor laughed that same bitter laugh. “Yes. Well, he’s not the easiest person to get along with. But he’s powerful and he’s got charisma, which was what attracted me to him in the first place, I suppose.”
Speaking of the devil, Richard Champ’s voice boomed from downstairs.
“Eleanor? Eleanor! Where are you?”
I jumped up and opened the door to the library and stuck my head out to the staircase.
Mayor Richard Champ was stomping up the stairs right to me.
CHAPTER SIX
Joanne followed Richard Champ up the stairs, lecturing him for stomping on the carpet that she had just cleaned. Richard ignored her and kept calling Eleanor’s name. He was waving a piece of paper around. His round face was flushed red and he was panting from running. When he saw me, he stopped and took a deep breath.
“Emma, hello.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Where’s Eleanor?”
“Right here.” Eleanor appeared looking frightened. “What is it?”
“The bastards!” Richard waved the paper around. “Found this at my office.”
He showed us the note.
Place $50,000 in a brown bag inside the mailbox in front of the Canoe Creek today at 6pm. The big one will take it. Any interference and the little one’s gonna get it.
This ransom note was a lot less poetic this time. The Canoe Creek was a canoe rental place just outside of town near the lake. It was closed at this time of the year so the canoes were strapped and locked in and the place abandoned.
“I knew they wanted money,” said Richard.
“What are we going to do?” Eleanor said.
“I already called the police. Once I get my hands on this guy, I’m sure he’ll live to regret it! Just wait!”
The mayor paced in the hallway with a murderous look in his eyes. The police were on their way, which meant that Sterling, Sandra, or both might show up. I dreaded the thought of meeting Sandra again so soon.
The news of the ransom note threw off my theory that the kidnapper was out for personal revenge. This was a disappointment, but I still had to keep up the investigation on my end to cover what Sandra wanted to ignore.
The note had come in the mail. Hand delivered. There was no handwriting this time; the writing was printed from a computer. The police would want to analyze the paper, the font, and the printer that it came out from.
And what would I do? The only thing I could do—talk to the other people in the house. I went downstairs to find Joanne. As unpleasant as she was, I had to talk to her. When I got into the living room, I looked through the glass windows and saw the gardener shovelling snow in the backyard. It must’ve been Henry, Joanne’s husband.
Could he have been the man I saw talking to the kids that day at the festival?
I stepped outside the glass windows to talk to him.
“Hello,” I said. “I’m Emma, Eleanor’s friend?”
The man looked up at me and smiled. He was missing one of his front teeth, and his pale skin was as dry and wrinkly as his wife’s, but his eyes were hazel and kind.
I made small talk. “It’s cold outside today, huh?”
“Sure,” he said. “But I’m not looking forward to this ice storm this weekend. I think I’ll stay in then.”
He chuckled. It was odd that he was in such good humour when his employers’ children were missing.
“Yes,” I said. “I hope those children are all right, wherever they are.”
The smile remained on his face. “Little Zoe and Joseph, yes.”
Henry didn’t look too concerned that the children had been kidnapped. I thought they were supposed to be close.
“I have faith that they’ll be back,” Henry said, still smiling. “That’s why I’m continuing my work, preparing the backyard for them to play in. Sure was a heavy snowfall yesterday.”
“I suppose that’s an optimistic way of looking at it,” I said. “But aren’t you concerned that maybe they are in real danger?”
The smile stayed on Henry’s face. I was beginning to think that he was a bit out of it.
“If they are, what can we do? Worrying will only make it worse. The most that I can do is imagine that they’re safe and sound and back here.”
I thought that there was something that we could do: find out who did it. Henry and I must’ve had very different life philosophies.
“Any idea who would do such a thing?” I asked innocently.
He shook his head. “Beats me. But I’d rather not focus on this. I want to focus on the image that they’re safe and sound.”
“Yes.” From the way his face looked with his permanent grin, I was starting to think that there was something mentally wrong with him. Still, I pressed on with my questions.
“How do you like working for the mayor? Must be a privilege, huh?”
“He’s a bright man. He gets the work done in this town.”
“What about at home? Is he a good father?”
Henry hesitated. I thought I saw his eyes dim. “The kids are lucky to have so many people working in the house and looking after them.”
I nodded. This wasn’t getting anywhere. Henry wasn’t forthcoming with information. I had to go in another direction.
“When was the last time you saw the children?” I asked.
“Before they went to the Snowman Festival yesterday. Joanne was helping them with their hats and mittens.”
“So the baby-sitter wasn’t here to help?”
“Isla doesn’t work on Sundays.”
“I see. So you didn’t go to the Snowman Festival?”
“Me? No. Had to paint the garage. Mr. Champ also wanted the toolshed be to cleaned.”
“Wow, he works you hard, huh? Even during the festival, when you could be having fun?”
Henry shrugged. “Well it’s not an official holiday. Plus the festival’s really for young people anyway. Working’s good for an old man like me. Keeps the spirit young.”
“So your wife didn’t go either?”
“Oh no. Joanne, she doesn’t like big crowds.”
Henry was piling the snow up high and I didn’t know what else to ask. All I knew was that they were both home when the others were out. Could they have done it? Henry seemed a bit slow, but could he have a crazy side stemming from his apparent mental illness?
When I went back inside, I heard yelling coming from upstairs.
I quickly snuck back up.
It was a male’s voice that was shouting. An angry voice. It wasn’t the mayor’s voice because it wasn’t as deep. I listened.
“Oh, so now that they’re asking for money, you care?”
The door to the library was open, but I couldn’t risk looking in without being seen.
“What are you implying?” the mayor bellowed.
“I don’t think you give two shits about your kids,” said the man. “You’re more upset now that they’re asking for your campaign funds. You weren’t this upset when they were merely going to be murdered.”
“Stop it, Matthew!” Eleanor cried. “Of course Richard cares about the children. He’s just doing the best he can.”
Eleanor was sobbing. It must’ve been her first son doing all the yelling.
“No, you stop, Mom. I don’t know why you’re defending him and making all these excuses for him when you know what he’s like. Everybody knows. Hell, I know that you don’t love each other, so why are you even here, Mom? So you can have all this? Well the kids are gone. What are you going to do now?”
