Memory House

by Ruth Hay

  Shania was on immediate alert. Anything that could save her little brother from being snatched out of his home was worth any risk.

  “So, it appears your instincts were right on the money, Shania. The guy is using the woman as a cover. Their marriage was one of those online things. Hardly legal at all. She has a past history of bilking older people out of money while she supposedly cleans their houses. Police officers cautioned her for this type of activity, but her unfortunate, fragile old victims were too afraid to press charges against her.

  Also, she changes her appearance on a regular basis so no one could identify her for sure in court.

  There is some indication of a small inheritance at risk for him. Some relative has died and left money if he can demonstrate a settled family life. Your Tyrone is just a ploy in that plan. He has shown no other interest in his son for years since the last court application was thrown out.”

  “This confirms what I suspected. Thank you so much, Faith. I owe you for this…. and Jolene too, and her brother as well. The next problem will be how to use this information without revealing the source.”

  “Well, my dear, in such situations I usually fall back on the tactics of my ill-spent youth. I saw my mother apply blackmail to unsavoury characters on a regular basis. It’s likely that just a whiff of what you now know, will send him scurrying back into the woodwork. She is also on shaky ground.

  The main thing is not to implicate yourself in this. You have worked too hard to get where you are right now and you deserve the great career in law that awaits you.”

  “You are right, Faith. I can’t be seen to have bent, or broken, the law.

  What do you suggest?”

  Shania was biting her fingernails. Two vitally important parts of her life were now in conflict. If forced to choose, she would give up her future for Ty’s safety. He was an innocent victim in this scenario and he did not remember their early life as she did. The care and love lavished on him by the Ridleys had wiped out all the evil memories.

  “No, wait a minute! What do you think of this idea, Faith? What if I confide in Dennis Ridley?

  He is a well-respected member of society. It’s natural for him to defend his son using what we uncovered. If he shared the info with his solicitor, client/solicitor privilege would be invoked immediately. Dennis’s legal representative could approach the police on Dennis’s behalf and we would be kept clear of the whole thing.”

  “Aha! I see your training at the law school is paying off already, my girl!

  Well done! It’s a plan!

  Now, I would keep most of this away from Louise. She’s a born worrier and she might talk to Mavis and others about it. Word soon gets around and we cannot afford to have something turn up unexpectedly.

  Dennis knows how to handle her.

  You know, Shania, one day this will make a grand story for you to tell Tyrone when he is well grown and of an age beyond the influence of the court system.”

  “I hope you are right about that. I will keep you informed about progress and thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

  “No problem. If Ottawa has taught me one thing, it’s that politicians survive by employing every tiny little advantage they can summon to their aid. It’s up to us, the little people, to know all their tricks.

  Bye for now, and please don’t worry! It’s a really good plan! “

  Shania put down the phone and felt as if she had shed a ton of worry weight from her mind.

  She would leave her studying and go downstairs to spend time with Betsy and Ty. Her brother was about to get a massive hug, even though he was past the age of welcoming such expressions of affection from his big sister.

  She would also corner Dennis Ridley and make him aware of what she had learned. She would not mention the name of any informant. She already knew about the power of plausible deniability.

  She was sure Dennis would move heaven and earth in defence of his son.

  All was going to be right with their world again.

  She hesitated as she slid back the inside lock on her bedroom door. She remembered the day when she and Dennis talked about why she needed the lock. He could have dismissed her concerns as unnecessary in her present situation. She would have believed him, but at that early stage in their relationship, she was still unsure of how permanent their stay in the Ridley home would be.

  She chose instead to tell him a little of the abuse she suffered as the one who defended her younger siblings in their previous horrible existence. She took the beatings and cowered in the back of a closet to escape.

  In those dark days, she longed for a lock of any kind to keep her mother away from her when she was drunk or off her head with drugs. The idea of a locked door became a symbol of security to her.

  Dennis Ridley listened to her story without saying a word. He left her room and returned with the sliding bolt, which he screwed into the door on her side. It was something she only rarely used, but from that day to this, the very sight of it gave her the sure knowledge that Dennis Ridley was her defender in all things.

  She had no doubt, now, that with the evidence she would provide, he would protect his son from harm, as he had protected her.

  Chapter 15

  When Vilma moved Eve’s chair into the renovated sitting area, each of the women made a point of stroking the back of the chair as if Eve was still sitting in it. The matching set of drapes was to be reserved for the new balcony door whenever the separate group of workers could come to complete that final item in the renovation. Because of the size of the new balcony, it required supports from below. Mavis and Hilary preferred stone pillars for stability rather than wooden columns. There was some discussion about steps from the balcony down to the stone patio but the cost of that would be prohibitive and Honor vetoed the suggestion. She was keeping a close eye on expenditures and she insisted on holding to the original budget. If not for Vilma’s determination to fund the improvements to her new suite, they would be unable to pay the bills. It was a matter of concern to Honor.

  Jared and the two doctors were contributing only the monthly running costs. None of them was an owner.

  Jannice was not employed, currently, as a Personal Services Worker because of the travelling and uncertainty of her situation with Mitchell, but she spoke privately to Mavis and Honor and offered to do general house cleaning and kitchen duties to offset the money she owed.

  “If Mitchell and I decide to settle here, he will make the necessary financial adjustments. I hope he will stay. I love it here with all of you around me again. I missed you.”

  “We missed you too, Jannice,” said Mavis, giving Jannice a big hug. “We may have two doctors standing by for now, but no one could ever replace your loving care of Eve. If I get sick, I want you to look after me. You are priceless to us.”

  These were reassuring words to Jannice. She and Vilma were re-establishing their close friendship and Jannice was slipping smoothly into the routines she knew so well, despite the addition of two young men and the changes within the house itself. The longer she was away from Quebec the less she liked the thought of living there on a permanent basis. It was Mitchell’s home. It would never feel like her home. She liked and admired Mitchell Delaney and she had sleepless nights when she wondered if she was being foolish to refuse his offer of marriage and a settled home life.

  For now, she had time to think it through, and she was glad of the respite. She must make a decision, eventually. Of that, she was sure, if of nothing else.

  Stuart and Grant retrieved the records from the two blood pressure monitors and studied the results closely in their shared room.

  “Chart everything, but we need to pay attention to the readings that are higher than normal.”

  “Of course! I don’t see much variation from the norm except in this one case.”

  “Who is it?”

  Stuart consulted their set of ID numbers and quickly deduced the higher pressure belonged to Jannice O’Connor.

 
“Is it significant?”

  “No. It could be caused by nervousness. We won’t know for sure until the reading persists for several weeks.”

  “Does that mean we can’t do anything more, other than observing for unusual behaviours or thinking anomalies?”

  “Well, Stu, my lad, it depends on how persuasive we can be. There are two more tests with proven results that we can employ to narrow down any abnormalities, but this is a tiny study and we cannot guarantee compliance.”

  “Do you mean the blood sugar test and the retinal thickness indicator?”

  “Yes. They are both fairly new but we could expect interesting results nonetheless if we can get the women to cooperate.”

  “Just how do you propose to achieve that cooperation, my man?”

  “I have given that question some thought, Stuart my lad. We need to reach out and prove our worth to the ladies. We will employ our various skills and talents and show them we are both trustworthy and determined to be part of the Harmony House endeavour.”

  “Sounds good, Grant, but how exactly did you intend to do this?”

  “Fear not! I shall assist Mavis in the garden. It’s the season of digging out, pulling up and cutting down, if my mother’s garden in Edinburgh is anything to go by. A strong man can do what Mavis cannot or should not. In addition, you have already begun to prove your capabilities in the kitchen and I hope you shall continue with that. There’s nothing like a good steak and kidney pie to warm the heart of any female, and Jannice will be nearby so you may have private conversation with her and find out if she is stressed in any way.”

  Stuart had to admit his friend was on the right track. The matter of his own participation in this scheme, by way of cooking prowess, was minimal. Jannice did most of the work.

  “So what else do you have in mind for me?”

  “Ah! You have the voice of an angel, Stuart. While I am active on the garden side of things, I hand over to you the more aesthetic and cultural tasks.”

  “I refuse to teach Scottish Country dancing, Grant. It would never work!”

  “No. I guess not. What I am asking for is music. You can start by singing around the place so your fine tenor voice may be admired. One of our lovely Scottish songs to start with, then we will lead into performances.

  I believe I spotted a piano downstairs. Someone in the house must play and I have my chanter for accompaniment. I will be astonished if there’s not one female with a good singing voice amongst the women. What do you say?”

  “I say you are a true product of your wily, Hebridean ancestors, Grant Ewan Mackenzie Caskie.

  May I presume the purpose of your plan is to lull the women into acceptance of our increasing medical demands?’

  “Precisely! Once trust is established, they should follow along. After all, we are pursuing health information and sharing it with them.”

  “All right, but don’t expect all the women will agree to this.”

  “As long as most of them continue over a number of months we will have useful data.”

  “I should go ahead and order the monitors for blood sugar levels then?”

  “Indeed!”

  Stuart still had his private doubts, but there was no denying the red-headed Highlander had charisma on his side. Women loved his bravado. On many occasions, Stuart Ingleby had watched in wonder as the tall figure carved a path through a dance floor or a meeting room, singling out the women and charming them utterly. If truth were told, Stuart’s own conquests were often obtained from the overflow of this conduct. Nevertheless, they were not here in Canada for frivolity. They had scholarship requirements to fulfil and esteemed doctors to impress. Stuart was beginning to wonder how all these plans fit into the day. He foresaw evenings of frantic work to keep up with all their commitments.

  One good consequence should emerge from this elaborate plan. Grant had proposed it. Grant was responsible for it. Therefore, any wild socializing among London’s available young women was not likely to feature in the coming months.

  There was just the small matter of keeping the whisky intake at a reasonable level.

  Stuart decided he would monitor that consumption with the same diligence as he monitored the blood pressure and sugar level results.

  There remained the issue of how to achieve retinal scans, but enough for now.

  Sufficient unto the day…. and all that!

  Chapter 16

  Honor and Jared had a date.

  Jared booked a dinner in a downtown hotel in London and reserved a room for the night. According to how the evening progressed, they would sleep together in the hotel, or not.

  Honor was charmed by the surroundings and the excellent meal, as well as her companion’s attentive manner. He complimented her dress, her hair and the effort she had expended on their new accommodations at Harmony House.

  “I guess it’s kinda like living in an apartment building but one where you know all the neighbours.”

  Honor agreed. “You fit in pretty well, Jared. It’s much harder for you, naturally. I have almost ten years of living with these people. You must be honest with me about things that don’t suit you. I know the decision about giving up your own apartment in London is pending but please do not do that until we are both quite sure we want to be together.

  Jared, looked away and fiddled with his napkin.

  “What’s wrong, Jared?”

  “There are two matters on my mind. The first one is a question.”

  “Ask it.”

  “Why have you not told me the results of the DNA tests?

  Is it bad news for us? Are we close family?”

  “Oh, I apologize! I should have told you by now. I forgot about it with all that’s been going on lately.

  The tests proved we are not closely related. It’s one of those odd coincidences that we have the same last name. We might think of it, if you like, that we were meant to meet and get together?”

  “I am glad to hear you say that, Honor, but I’m afraid there is another problem and this one came up only today, just before I left work.”

  Honor’s happy mood vanished. Jared sounded serious and his grey eyes darkened with some emotion. For a minute she imagined all kinds of things……. sickness, accident, an argument with someone in Harmony House? Just when she was beginning to have confidence in a future with him, this unknown problem had shown up to spoil their plans.

  “I’m afraid to ask. Just tell me fast and get it over with.”

  He reached over the table and took both her hands in his.

  “It’s a long story and you will read about it in the newspapers tomorrow. You have been in Toronto and seen the number of highrise buildings there. Without efficient elevators, those buildings can’t function. Most people do not know that there is no actual law to govern the operation standards for elevators. A couple of years ago a commission formed to draw up standards and address the issue of the lack of elevator technicians in the province. It was to be a new Elevator Availability Act but it has come to a complete halt now.”

  “Jared, are you saying there are buildings in Ontario with inadequate elevator systems?”

  “It’s worse than that. Almost 10,000 reported entrapments mean about twenty-six times every day, people become trapped in elevators.”

  Honor gasped in horror. “What about wheelchair users?

  What about people with claustrophobia?

  What about access for first responders when there’s a fire, or someone has a heart attack?

  This is appalling!”

  “I know. The trouble is we had a recent election in Ontario and a new Progressive Conservative Government under Doug Ford is now in charge. You may have noticed that Premier Ford has been cancelling legislation passed by the former Liberal Government in an attempt to save money and please the people who voted for him.”

  “This sounds a lot like what is happening in the United States with President Trump.”

  “Unfortunately, it does, Honor, and this is where
it affects me, and you.”

  There was a significant pause at this point. Honor knew the nub of the matter was about to come.

  “Without the legislation, there will be more broken equipment, more accidents and not nearly enough technicians to service the twenty-thousand individual elevator cars in the province. The situation can only get worse.”

  Honor looked into Jared’s troubled face and saw disappointment and concern. It did not take her long to figure out what it meant for their relationship.

  “Are you telling me you have been summoned to Toronto and you could be based there for any number of months?”

  “I am afraid so. It’s terrible timing for us. I can’t ask you to commit to me under these uncertain circumstances.”

  He let her hands go and sat back. She could see his frustration clearly, although he was a man of few words in normal circumstances and big passionate statements were not his style.

  Honor Pace took a moment to respond and in that brief period of time a number of choices presented themselves to her.

  Postpone her entire relationship with him and wait to see what develops in the future.

  Say goodnight now and send him on his way.

  Consider this news as an excuse for a lucky escape.

  Forget her hope for a real, close, intimate partner for the first time in her life.

  She knew there were valid reasons to support each option. Her logical mind told her to just pick one, and be done with it.

  Honor Pace decided to do the last thing Jared expected. It was also the last thing she expected but, in the moment, it felt so right. She would throw caution to the winds. She would take a chance. She would choose to live without fear of condemnation. She would erase all the early, negative influences of her life and act as an adult.

  “Jared, my dear! Take my hand. Let’s go up to that bedroom you reserved and let’s do what we should have done years ago. I admire your honesty. You did not need to tell me all this tonight, but your choice demonstrates your integrity. I don’t need any more proof than that.”