Bleeding Darkness

by Brenda Chapman

  She picked up her phone and clicked to open the screen. Three text messages waiting. Two from Salim with attachments and one from … Matt Delgado. Her finger hovered over the phone and opened the one from Matt.

  Hey, want to grab a drink or cup of coffee around seven?

  She texted back: How did you get my number?

  Called & your sister-in-law Mona gave it to me. Said since I was a family friend. Seemed nice.

  Lauren raised her eyes and looked at Mona. So clueless and not worth getting upset with. She began typing and started over three times. She wanted to see him but didn’t want to see him. The idea of him hopping in and out of her life gave her a stomach ache.

  I’m going to walk Clemmie later. Could meet me outside our house.

  Time?

  After supper. Closer to nine thirty. Will text before I leave.

  K. Later.

  “Work?” Mona asked.

  “No. It’s that person you gave my number to when they called earlier.”

  “Sorry, I meant to tell you. He said that you went to high school together and that he wanted to get in touch. I hope that it was okay giving him your number. He sounded so nice.”

  “He said the same about you. No, it’s okay.” Lauren stood and stretched. “I’m going to have a shower before dinner.”

  “And I’ll get the potatoes peeled and a salad made so we’re set to eat when the guys get home.”

  Lauren climbed the stairs to her room. I will not feel guilty for leaving Mona with the rest of the work, she thought. It’s her choice to be the martyr. Not mine.

  Clemmie needed to be coaxed from his sleep after supper to be taken outside into the cold winter night. Lauren had second thoughts herself but once they’d tromped down the driveway and onto the snowy road, her mood lifted and she was happy to be striding through the darkness with stars shining above her like a tray of sparkling diamonds on a cloth of plush black velvet. Small boulevards of trees and bushes cut the streets in two and added to the feeling of being in the country. The air had the damp, soon-to-snow smell that she associated with Kingston and her childhood. She half expected that Matt wouldn’t show up because she wasn’t allowing herself to expect anything. When he appeared at the end of Grenville Crescent where it turned into Phillips Street, she relaxed and kept walking toward him.

  “I thought you’d bring your dog,” she said by way of greeting.

  “Jupiter’s getting up there and not much for long walks anymore.” He hadn’t shaven and she could see a smudge of grease under his chin that he’d missed. His eyes were tired and she wondered why he’d insisted on seeing her after a day working in the garage. The thought crossed her mind that she shouldn’t be out here alone in the dark with him with two murders unsolved, but she dismissed it as quickly. She knew Matt and he would never hurt her. At least the Matt she used to know wouldn’t. She glanced over at him, trying to read his mood.

  “Hard day at the office?”

  “Up at four so I start to run out of steam around now. I’ll get a second wind.”

  “Is the garage ever closed?”

  “Mondays. I have tomorrow off. We hired a new guy a few weeks ago and have an ad out for another mechanic so I’m aiming to get two-day weekends. Dad’s getting up there along with Jupiter and will soon only work the books and front desk.”

  “I gather you’re going to inherit the business one day.”

  “One day.”

  “Clemmie’s getting up there too and his paws look to be cold. We shouldn’t go too far tonight.”

  They made a right onto Portsmouth and another right on Elmwood. Traffic was light and Lauren imagined most people were spending the night in, getting ready for Monday and the start of another work week.

  “Does your dad know that we’ve met up again?”

  “He does.”

  “And he’s okay with it?”

  Matt took a few seconds to answer. “He wants me to find out what you and your family have kept back about Zoe’s murder.”

  “Is that why you’ve asked me out? Playing at being a spy?” She stopped walking and Clemmie turned back on the lead and sat at her feet. She bent down to rub his head so that Matt wouldn’t see how much his answer mattered to her.

  “No. I realized when I saw you the other night that I’d missed you.”

  She took a deep breath and straightened to face him. “We won’t work, Delgado, you must know that. You live here and I’m in Toronto. You can’t leave your dad and I sure as hell am not giving up my business or my life. I also know that we don’t stand a chance as long as Zoe’s killer is running free. You suspect my brother and that will always be the wedge between us. So telling me that you missed me is empty words.”

  “You never struck me as a quitter, McKenna.” He grinned at her until she smiled back. She swatted him on the shoulder.

  “I get why I like you but have no idea why you like me.” She turned and tugged on Clemmie’s lead to get him walking. “I’m a jaded, bitter woman with a dicey past. Broken relationships, loose morals, and a self-centred existence.”

  “A woman of intrigue.”

  She looked sideways at him. “That’s one interpretation, although probably not the sanest.”

  “Maybe I’ve lived my life too sanely and carefully. I’ve done time with a cheerleader and prefer your honesty … to be honest.”

  They reached Grenville Road and turned toward home. The street was deserted with houses few and far between on their left and woods on the right.

  “This street always creeps me out a bit at night,” she said.

  “You need to be careful.”

  His warning floated eerily in the darkness and she shivered inside her wool coat, aware of how easy it would be for her to be dragged into the seclusion of the trees. When it came down to it, she didn’t know Matt anymore and he hadn’t made any attempt to reach out to her in the past fourteen years.

  “Has there been any progress with Vivian’s investigation?” he asked.

  She wondered if he intended to sound offhand. Was he digging for himself or his father, or was his question normal curiosity? Paranoia and self-preservation had been with her for so long that she couldn’t tell honest interaction from nefarious. She said, “Not that I’m aware. The police haven’t told us we can go home yet, though.”

  “I guess nothing new about Zoe yet, either.”

  “I’m sure the police would have told you.”

  “You’d think.”

  They reached Grenville Crescent and passed the brush and path leading into the Rideau Trail. The trees formed a thick black barricade, separating the road from the marshes, which extended in a thick swath above the river. Lauren was chilled through and exhausted from her day cleaning and the emotional roller coaster she’d been riding since she’d arrived at her parents’. Even now she wanted to spend time with Matt but she knew that she shouldn’t.

  “Thanks for the walk,” he said. “I still owe you that coffee sometime.”

  Her heart rose and fell with his words. She knew then that she’d been hoping for more even as he must have realized that she’d been right about the futility of starting up again.

  “I won’t hold you to it,” she said.

  This time he didn’t lean in to kiss her before he walked away and she didn’t stand to watch him go. She’d let Clemmie off his lead and could see him waiting for her on the front steps. She started toward him. As she trudged up the driveway, she looked across the snowy yard to the Orlovs’. Their house was in complete darkness.

  I need to get over there to check in on Antonia. She thought about how little interest or concern Evelyn had for her neighbours, but couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Tomorrow, she promised herself, tomorrow I’ll get to the bottom of the Orlov puzzle.

  chapter twenty-eight

  Dawn had brought her lunch from home Monday morning as she always did: tuna sandwich, apple, and carton of milk. She hadn’t liked to ask Kala for lunch money
even though it was considered cooler to buy food in the caf, which she stood in now, scanning the room before making her way to the nerd table. The noise level was high and she felt invisible as she started across the floor. She’d come to like sitting with the other misfits who now said hello before leaving her alone. She made the mistake of glancing to her right and spotted Emily a few tables down, waving for Dawn to join her. For a second, Dawn thought about pretending she hadn’t seen her, but then remembered that they were supposed to meet in the library after school. She hoped Emily was calling her over to cancel. She walked between two tables to reach the end where Emily was sitting while several pairs of eyes watched her progress.

  Emily pointed to the only empty seat, which was directly across from her, next to Vanessa. “Why don’t you sit with us?”

  Chelsea yanked on Emily’s arm. She whispered loud enough for Dawn to hear, “Are you crazy? Brett’s on his way over.”

  Vanessa looked at Dawn. “Sorry, but I saved this seat for someone.”

  The entire table had gone quiet, as well as the tables on either side, and Dawn was glad that she didn’t have to fake not caring. She looked over their heads and said, “Thanks, Emily, but I’ve got a seat over there.” She kept her head high as she walked away, telling herself to ignore the tittering laughter going on behind her.

  “Wait up!” Emily’s voice cut through the ridicule of her friends and across the room.

  Dawn looked back and saw Emily picking up her tray. She kept walking and didn’t stop until she reached the nerd table. The regulars sitting at the table were looking away, probably glad that they weren’t the ones in the spotlight of shame this time. Dawn sat and tucked her head, trying to disappear inside her jean jacket. She didn’t raise her head when Emily slid in next to her. She didn’t look up when she said, “I don’t need your pity.”

  Emily’s hand was on her arm. Her voice was low. “This isn’t pity. I want to sit with you.”

  The three grade nine boys at the end of the table, who looked as if they could be characters on the show The Big Bang Theory, were glancing over and Emily waved at them. She picked up her carton of milk. “You’re smart to bring your lunch. I’m getting sick of this cafeteria food. Did you get a good mark on your English essay?”

  Dawn could tell that the exaggerated lightness in Emily’s voice was false bravado and was surprised to realize that Emily was nervous. Dawn turned her head toward her and, after a few beats, said, “I guess. You?”

  Emily smiled. “B-plus, which is a minor miracle. I usually get a C.”

  “Mind if I join you?” Brett McDonald was standing at the end of the table holding a tray. Dawn knew who he was but had never spoken to him. He was on the swim team and his parents were both doctors.

  Emily waved him to the other side of the table across from her. “Brett, you know my friend Dawn?”

  “Hey, Dawn.”

  “Hi.”

  The three boys had finished their meal but weren’t going anywhere. Martha, a Chinese girl who always ate alone, started walking down the length of the table and stopped when she saw Brett.

  “Hey, Martha,” he said. “This seat’s free.” He pulled out the chair next to him.

  Dawn could tell by the expression on Martha’s face that she was surprised he knew her name. People like Martha didn’t expect people like Brett to know their name.

  Dawn found it easy to listen to Brett and Emily talk, respond when asked a question, and laugh at Brett’s jokes. This would likely be the only time they ever interacted, so Dawn decided to relax and enjoy his company. When he got up to leave, he said, “Bye, Martha. See you around, Dawn, Em.”

  Emily arranged the dishes on her tray as she also prepared to leave. “See you in the library later. I can’t stay long today, though.”

  “I need to get home too, so we can skip it today if you want to.”

  “No, I need your help with a couple of math problems, so if you can spare twenty minutes, I’ll owe you one.”

  Dawn finished up her afternoon with biology and English and waited in the library for ten minutes before Emily rushed in with her winter coat on. “I can’t stay after all,” she said, out of breath. “My brother’s flying home from university and we’re on our way to Toronto to pick him up.”

  “I didn’t know you had a brother.” As soon as she said the words, she thought, Why did I say that? None of my business.

  “Shawn is studying environmental science at UBC. He’s five years older than me. I feel bad for making you wait. Did you miss your bus?”

  “I’ll get the next one.”

  “I won’t be at school tomorrow morning, but wanted to know if you’d come with me to the Shawn Mendes concert Saturday night? My way of repaying you for getting me through math this semester. I wouldn’t have passed without you.”

  “You don’t need to do that.”

  “But I want to. I already have the tickets.”

  Dawn started to say no thanks, but Emily was walking toward the door. “It’s at the K-Rock Centre and we can meet up outside,” she called over her shoulder. She didn’t wait for an answer and disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived.

  Dawn left the school with shadows casting long fingers across the road. A few students straggled out of the front doors with her, but nobody else was walking alone. She was partway down the steps when she looked across the street. A man dressed in dark clothes stood under the lamppost and he appeared to be watching the school. She pulled up the hood of her parka and took another look from under the fur-lined rim. His hair was black and long and tied in two braids; his skin was brown and lined and he was skinny to the point of looking unwell. She reached the sidewalk but he’d already left the spot where he’d been standing and was walking away, head down with his hands in his pockets.

  She didn’t linger to see if he’d turn around but stayed on the same side of the street and walked as quickly as she could in the other direction toward the bus stop. She couldn’t figure out why the man had looked familiar and pondered where she might have seen him before. She also wondered why a man who looked to be down and out would be standing in the cold watching students leave the school.

  Especially an Indigenous man.

  “Detective Woodhouse wants all of us available today,” said Evelyn, hanging up the phone. “Apparently, he wants to go through everyone’s statement again to confirm where we were when Vivian went missing.”

  Tristan groaned and Adam pounded the kitchen table with his fist. “When are they going to let us go home? Surely they can’t keep us in Kingston much longer. I have a plane to fly.” Adam paused, then put a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “Sorry, brother. That sounded more insensitive than I meant it to.”

  Mona looked up from her knitting. “Perhaps we’ll be free to leave after the detective goes through everything one more time. I’m going to insist that I need to get home to Simon. Evelyn, did you decide whether to have the memorial service for David now or wait until the summer?”

  “The summer. Once this is behind us.”

  Lauren was holding Clemmie in her lap, rubbing his head and talking softly into his ear. She looked up. “I know the police told you to stay but they never told me that I couldn’t leave.”

  “I suppose because you only live a few hours away,” said Mona.

  “That could be. Anyhow, I’ll be in my room working, so call if the cops want to talk to me again.”

  She climbed the steps with Clemmie at her heels and they both jumped onto the bed. The dog found a comfortable spot on the pillow and immediately went to sleep while Lauren pulled open her laptop and began working on a bathroom design. A moment later, Tristan knocked on the door and entered without waiting for her to answer. He flopped down at the foot of the bed and leaned his head against the wall.

  “I can’t take much more of this.”

  “I know.”

  “Two weeks since Viv and our baby died and then Dad … I still feel like I’m in a fog. Like the world has caved
in and I’m trying to climb out from under the rubble but it keeps falling back and knocking me over.”

  “It’s going to take time. You have to let yourself grieve.”

  “Just like you are.” His tone was accusatory, but she didn’t react. Tristan was little more than a boy child and attacking her was his way of working off his own weakness. The strategy had worked when they were kids in the schoolyard. He’d pick on her when they were with his friends so they wouldn’t notice his fear or lack of backbone. She liked to think he did this because he knew that she could handle herself, and she always had. She’d protected him however she could, even if it meant taking the blows. Looking at him now, she could tell that he was close to breaking.

  “Will you stay in Edmonton?” she asked to deflect him.

  “Christ, I haven’t given it any thought. There’s nothing for me there anymore.” He banged his head lightly against the wall: one time, two times.

  “You could move to Toronto and live near me.”

  “That’s all you’d need.” He smiled at her. “Me crying next door and you propping me up.”

  “I’d like to have you close by.”

  “Thanks, Laur, for everything. I mean it. We’ve always been a unit against the world and I don’t know if I’d function so well without knowing you had my back.”

  Just what are you telling me?

  She tamped down the feeling that she’d sold her soul and said, “Anytime.” She propped herself up on the pillow next to Clemmie.

  “You and Mom still on the outs?” he asked.

  “We’re civil. I think for once she might feel some shame for what she said to me in the hospital. God knows, it’s a new emotion for her. Say, do you know much about the Orlovs? I have to say Boris has started to give me pause.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why hasn’t he gotten medical help for Antonia if she’s been sick for two weeks? How come she never leaves her room?”

  “They’ve always been reclusive. They show up over here whenever it suits them and keep to themselves otherwise.”