by Alex MacLean
“A Jacob Stark stayed at the Huntsville Inn for three nights last year when Li Chen was murdered. He arrived two days before the murder. Left the day after.”
“What about Hailey Pringle? Was Stark there at that time?”
Denis took a seat on the sofa and slumped forward. “None of the hotels has any record of him.”
For a moment, Allan watched him stare at the floor, wringing his hands.
“Have you prepared yourself?” he asked. “In case Stark had nothing to do with her murder?”
Denis winced. “I have. But it’s hard, you know. Hailey’s mother will be calling me this coming Friday to see if there’s any new information.” His eyes became sad, distant. “I was hoping I’d have something to tell her.”
Allan could see part of himself in Denis. Over a detective’s career there always seemed to be one case that ate away at your brain, one you couldn’t psychologically step away from. Denis had Hailey Pringle; Allan had Mary Driscow.
“You never thought Hailey Pringle’s murder was related to Li Chen’s,” Denis said. “I don’t think Detective Price believed it either.”
Allan shrugged. “The crime-scene characteristics didn’t add up for me.”
Denis looked over at him. “This Jacob Stark certainly seems like the suspect.”
Allan agreed. “He’s looking more and more like it. Detective Price found out he had stayed at the Halifax Marriott during his two visits. That puts him right in the city for both crimes.”
“You have enough grounds to obtain your DNA warrant.”
Allan nodded. “That’ll tell us if Stark is guilty. Or if we’re back to square one.”
“We still haven’t had the professionals compare the weave patterns in the ligature marks.”
“That is true. We got too busy with all of this.”
“Then there are all those other cases we looked into. We have to determine if Stark was in those areas as well.”
“We’ll pass on the information to those jurisdictions,” Allan said. “Let them take care of their end.”
Exhaling a breath, Denis stood up.
“Say,” he said. “How about joining me in the lounge downstairs for a stiff drink?”
Allan gave him a weak smile. “Sure. I could use one right now. Or two.”
41
Burlington, October 31
11:09 P.M.
Life can change in the blink of an eye. One day everything is going great, and then a wrecking ball blindsides you and smashes it all to pieces.
I sit here at my desk, waiting for the vodka to kick in. I don’t drink the hard stuff often. We keep a couple of bottles on hand for guests or special occasions. Tonight just feels like the perfect night to break one open.
Heidi and the girls are in bed. After my outburst earlier, I’m surprised she didn’t pack them up and leave. Maybe she realized she was the one at fault, pushing my buttons like that.
I stare at the application for divorce on the desk. I still can’t believe Heidi took it this far. By reflex, I slip the application into my shredder, watching as the blades cut the paper into ribbons.
There’s your divorce, Heidi. How’s that for you, you contentious bitch? You were right about one thing: I am a man with secrets. Just not the ones you’re accusing me of.
I down another shot, grimacing against the burn. The vodka feels hot in my stomach, and the heat radiates out to the rest of my body.
I tip my head back over the chair, closing my eyes. There’s an ache in my throat, tightness in my chest.
I’m not sure if it’s fear. I’ve been afraid before, but I never felt it like this, the overwhelming despair of it.
Mentally, I feel as if I’ve fallen into a dark place. Terrible images swirl around inside my brain, and I struggle to shut them out.
I drink another hit of vodka, trying to calm my nerves. Then I get up from the desk and tiptoe toward the hallway. I stumble, catch myself on the doorjamb. My head swims a bit.
Through the semidarkness, I see Heidi has closed the bedroom door. There’s no lock, so unless she has a chair wedged on the other side, entry will be easy. Instinctively, I glance down the hallway to the girls’ room. Their door is also closed, but that’s normal for them.
The heat snaps on. A whir of air pushes out of the registers. The sound masks my footsteps as I make my way into the kitchen.
The knife block sits by the sink. I stagger forward, bracing myself on the counter. Slowly, I draw out the chef’s knife. Holding it in my hand, I close my eyes and swallow. My legs feel weak.
I go back to the hallway, turning toward the bedrooms.
I clasp the doorknob of the girls’ room and touch my forehead to the door, pausing. My stomach is queasy, my skin cold.
As I open the door, I don’t feel like myself. Someone else has taken over my body.
In the faint light, I see the girls asleep in their beds. The rise and fall of their breathing fills the room.
I stand there, trembling, ashamed.
Jade’s bed is closest to the doorway. She’s sleeping in a fetal position. When I lie down on the edge of the bed beside her, she starts awake.
“It’s only me,” I say.
“Daddy?” she moans, groggy.
“Yes, honey. Go back to sleep.”
She cuddles into my chest and drops off quickly. I lay my cheek against her head, smelling the cherry shampoo in her hair.
She and Jaleesa are the only two people I ever bonded with, the only two people I ever really cared about. I can’t let Heidi take them away from me. I can’t let her win.
I kiss Jade on top of her head.
“I love you,” I whisper.
Tears spring to my eyes as I place the blade to the side of her neck.
42
Burlington, November 1
5:42 P.M.
They arrived in one car—Audra, Allan, and Denis. Detective Sage Montoya pulled the forensic service van up behind them and parked. Other officers from the Halton Regional Police joined the scene in two separate cruisers. Down the street, out of sight, the tactical rescue unit waited for instructions.
From the backseat, Audra looked over at Jacob Stark’s home. He lived in a cozy bungalow set far back from the curb. The olive-green paint on the trim and double garage doors blended well with the stacked-stone veneer that covered the exterior. Two maple trees, one on each side of the front yard, towered high above the property; their naked branches hung out over the street.
Audra noticed two little bikes leaning against the side of the garage.
“There are children inside,” she said. “We can’t be sending Tactical in first.”
Denis blew out a breath. “Hmm…I guess you’re right. Last thing we need is them bursting in there, scaring the shit out of some little kids.”
“Let’s do this ourselves,” Allan said. “In the chance Stark runs, he won’t get far.”
Denis said, “It’s not his running that I’m afraid of.”
Allan turned to him. “There’s nothing in the database about him owning any firearms.”
“Not legally.” Denis got on the radio. “Unit six-zero-two-eight, you come to the front door with us. Detective Montoya, wait for my signal to come inside. Everyone else stay frosty.”
The radio squawked, and a man’s voice popped through the speaker. “Copy that.”
Denis checked the search warrant then turned over his wrist, looking at his watch.
“Time to go,” he said.
As Audra stepped out with Allan and Denis, two uniformed officers got out of the cruiser parked closest to the driveway. They followed the three detectives to the door. Allan instructed the dark-haired constable to keep an eye on the back door.
“Yes, sir,” he said, leaving to carry out the duty.
Denis pressed the doorbell. Audra recognized the chime inside as Beethoven’s Fifth.
Seconds passed. No one answered.
“Maybe nobody’s home,” Denis said. “I don’t hear anyone in there.�
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He poked the doorbell again. They waited.
Crossing her arms, Audra looked over at Allan. He tapped his foot on the step, watching the door with a hard stare. Denis tipped his head back to the sky and let out a heavy groan.
“Once more,” he said, ringing the doorbell a third time. “We might have to get Tactical up here.”
All at once, there came the sound of someone fumbling with the latch. From the corner of her eye, Audra saw Denis reach into his coat and produce his badge case.
The door swung open to reveal a cute little girl who looked no older than five. She had dark, expressive eyes and long hair done up in a half-loop braid.
“Hi,” Denis greeted her. “What’s your name?”
“Jade,” she said. “Who are you?”
“My name is Denis. Are your parents home?”
“Mommy is.”
“Can we speak to her?”
Jade turned from the doorway. “Mommy.”
Somewhere in the house, a woman called back, “Who is it?”
“Denis.”
“Who?”
“Denis,” she said louder.
“Be right there.”
Another little girl appeared behind Jade. A head taller, she shared the same features, right down to the half-loop braid.
Looking at the four strangers in the doorway, she frowned. “Who are you guys?”
Denis told her his name then jerked a thumb at each person accompanying him. “This here is Allan, this is Audra, and that’s Constable Perez behind us. And what’s your name?”
She said, “We’re not supposed to talk to strangers.”
“We’re the police,” Denis said politely.
“Are you going to take us to jail?”
Denis gave a throaty chuckle. “No, darlin’, we’re not going to do that.”
The girl narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you here?”
Denis jerked his head back and slid a glance to Audra. “A little rambunctious, isn’t she?”
Audra smiled.
A slender woman with long, dark hair walked up behind them. It was obvious whom the girls took after. She wore a knit tunic and black pants.
“Girls,” she said. “Go to your room and play.” She stepped up to the doorway. “Sorry, I was busy in the laundry room.”
“That’s okay, ma’am.” Denis flashed his badge case. “What’s your name?”
“Heidi.”
“Heidi Stark?”
Lips parting, she nodded.
“Is Jacob Stark your husband?”
She gave them a guarded look. “He is. What’s this about? Did something happen to him?”
Denis shook his head. “No, no. I take it he’s not home.”
“I don’t know where he is. He was gone when I got up this morning.”
Audra said, “To work, maybe?”
Heidi looked at her. “I don’t think so. He never had any work lined up, from what I know.”
“Does he have a habit of doing that? Just going off without telling you?”
“Well…um…he did take off last week for three days and never told anyone. Never even called the girls. He showed up Saturday night when we were all in bed.”
Allan asked, “Did he say where he was?”
“He told the girls he went down to Pennsylvania.”
“Pennsylvania?”
Heidi nodded. “To the Allegheny National Forest.”
Allan frowned. “He told the girls. But not you?”
A flush crept across Heidi’s cheeks. “We’re…um…not exactly getting along.” She glanced back over her shoulder as if to make sure her daughters weren’t listening. “I gave Jacob divorce papers last night.”
“How’d he take it?” Audra asked.
Heidi licked her lips. “Not well. He grabbed me by the throat. I thought he was going to choke me to death right then and there. He had this look in his eyes I’d never seen before.”
“Did you report it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Heidi spread her hands. “I didn’t want all that in front of the girls. It would just get them upset.”
Allan asked, “I presume he didn’t grab you in front of your daughters?”
“No.”
“Is he prone to violence?”
“That was the first time I ever saw him like that.”
“Obviously, he let you go,” Audra said. “What happened next?”
“Nothing. I left him in his office and got the girls cleaned up. Then we all went to bed. Jacob stayed in his office. Never showed his face.”
Denis said, “He’s a business analyst, right?”
“Consultant.”
“His job involves a lot of travel?”
“He’s on the road more than he’s home.”
“Province to province?”
Heidi nodded again. “He’s been from Newfoundland to British Columbia.”
Denis asked, “Has he ever been to Huntsville?”
“A couple of times, I believe.”
Denis lifted his chin, quiet.
“How long has he been at that job?” Allan asked.
“Over ten years.”
Audra asked, “Do you ever go with him on his business trips?”
“No.”
“Never?”
Heidi shook her head. “I stay at home with the girls.” She frowned. “Why are you all here? This is quite a police presence. What is it you think Jacob has done?”
Allan said, “We’re not sure he’s done anything yet.”
“But you suspect him of doing something, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
Denis handed her the search warrant. “This gives us the right to look around your home. It details what we’re looking for. Why we’re here.”
The warrant shook in Heidi’s hands. “You’re looking for hiking gear? Jogging apparel?”
Allan asked, “Does your husband own a pair of Merrell hiking boots?”
“Wow.” Heidi did a double take. “That’s a rather specific question.”
“Does he own any?” Allan asked again.
“I bought him a pair four Christmases ago.”
“As in two thousand six?”
“Yes.”
Denis moved his head forward a bit. “Were they size tens?”
Heidi gave him an incredulous stare. “Yes.”
“Are they here?” Allan asked.
“He threw them out last year, I think. The sole started coming off one. He goes through boots like socks.”
Audra asked, “How about a blue hoodie and black Adidas sweatpants with three white stripes on the legs?”
Heidi blinked at her. “He does.”
“Both?”
“Yes.”
“Are those items here?”
“They should be hung up in his closet. I remember washing them.”
Audra could see all the pieces falling into place. “Sounds like he jogs and hikes often.”
“All the time.”
“Provincial parks?”
“All over,” Heidi said. “He’s hiked in every park in Ontario that I know of.”
Allan asked, “How long has he been doing this?”
“Before we were married. I’m ballparking, but probably ten years or more.”
Audra became still. She saw Allan and Denis share a look.
Heidi went back to reading the warrant. “You want computers too?”
Denis said, “And any documents pertaining to your husband’s job travels. Dates, locations, etcetera.”
“Why?”
“Keep reading. Should be right after the listed items.”
Audra watched Heidi’s eyes widening, her face draining of color.
A tremor carried her words as she read a passage off the warrant, “Relevant to the investigation of the following indictable offence: murder contrary to section two thirty-one of the Criminal Code.” She openly stared at Denis. “What’s the two in parenthesis mean?”
He said, “It means planned and deliberate.”
“Impossible,” Heidi said. “This must be a mistake.”
Allan said, “It very well could be. Right now, your husband is just a person of interest. Let us do our jobs so we can get to the bottom of this.”
“A person of interest in whose murder?”
Audra said, “We can’t disclose that information. It’s imperative that we locate your husband. Does he have a cell phone?”
Eyes scared, Heidi looked at her. “He does.”
“Can you call him? Tell him something to get him to come home. Just don’t tell him we’re here.”
Heidi shut her eyes for a moment then nodded. As she handed the warrant back to Denis, he turned around and motioned for Detective Montoya to join them.
“Who’s that?” Heidi asked.
“Detective Sage Montoya,” Denis told her. “Works in Forensics. She’ll be collecting the items.”
“Do I have to leave?”
Denis shook his head. “We know you have your daughters here. How about you point out where these items are, and we’ll be on our way.”
Heidi grabbed her cell phone off the kitchen counter as she led them to the master bedroom first. There were two closets, one on each side of the wall. She opened the one on the right.
The first thing Audra noticed was the color-coding of the clothes hanging inside. They went from white to black, with each color in between organized from light to dark. The second thing she noticed were the shoes placed in a perfect line with the toes facing out.
Heidi stepped inside. “The hoodie and sweatpants are in here.”
Montoya set her field kit on the bedroom floor. “You just point them out, ma’am. I’ll do the rest.”
Biting a fingernail, Heidi looked down one side of the closet then the next.
“They’re not here,” she said. “Neither one.”
Audra couldn’t spot them, either. “Could they be in the wash?”
Heidi gave a slight shake of her head. “I’m doing the laundry. They weren’t in the hamper.”
Montoya asked, “How ’bout a dresser?”
“I doubt it,” Heidi said. “He only keeps his undergarments in there.”
Denis let out an exasperated sigh. “Let’s look.”
Heidi pointed to the left side of a double dresser. “Those are his drawers.”
