I should probably leave it inthe attic. However, after all the emotion I feel exhausted, tooexhausted to climb up and put it back. I stuff it back into mypocket and exit the pantry, closing the door quietly behind me.
Stinky is sitting by the frontdoor doing a pee dance. After opening the door for the dog, I walkinto our bedroom. I look over to the bed, but she’s gone.Immediately I feel a stab of nerves. Then, I hear the shower start.I knock on the door. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she says. She doessound better. Stronger.
Over dinner, Annie brings up themoney that Denny gave us for a wedding present. I’d honestlyforgotten about it. “What about it?” I ask.
“I thought we should take thecash and put it towards building an add-on to this place.”
“An add-on? For what?”
“For the baby’s room,silly.”
Well, there goes the new boatI’ve been thinking about. “Sounds like a wise decision to me,” Isay, smiling.
On the way to work, I tryDenny’s number. Again, it goes straight to messages, and I let outan impressive string of swears.
As soon as I pull into the lot,Tim walks over to my truck. “How’s Annie?” he asks, concerned.
“She’s fine. False alarm.”
“I covered for you, explained itto the boss. You don’t have to worry about getting in shit.”
“Thanks, man.”
“So,” Tim says behind me, as Iwalk towards the building, “you had a visitor come by when we wereclosing up shop yesterday.”
I turn around and look at him.“What do you mean?” Denny.
“It was the police. Older guy.He said his name was Dickenson or something.”
Jesus Christ. “Dickson. What didhe want?”
“He wanted to talk to you. Hewas askin’ some pretty strange questions, too.”
“Like what?”
“Like if you ever made mentionof Denny.”
That asshole. He’s relentless.“Okay, and what did you tell him?”
“That I’d never heard the namebefore.”
“Thanks. It’s none of his damnbusiness.”
“I agree. Then, he asked me ifyou appear healthy or if I was aware of any illnesses you have. Ithought, what do I look like, her doctor?” Tim chuckles.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Nope. That’s what the guyasked. I couldn’t believe it. That’s a pretty personal thing to beasking someone’s co-worker.”
What the hell is Dickson’s game?Maybe he was trying to stress me out to the point of illness, theninterrogate me when I’m weak. I can’t think of any other fuckingreason for his question.
After a busy day, I call Anniebefore I leave work. She says she’s feeling better. I ask her howher interview went at the cop shop. She says that she’ll fill me inlater. “It was nothing to worry about. I think they’re just tryingto see if our stories have changed. They didn’t keep me there long.What they really want is Denny. I swear, Jade. It’s all his fault.He’s the sonofabitch that brought Robbie to the cottage in thefirst place. If you ask me, he’s guilty.”
“Don’t say that, honey. We don’tknow what happened.”
“Jade, wake the hell up, wouldyou? I know he’s been all sweet lately, but you’re forgetting whata maniac he was before the cops started investigating. He’s scared,Jade. That’s why the sudden character change. He’s manipulating youbecause he knows he can.”
She’s wrong, dead wrong, but howcan I tell her that? We haven’t spoken about the events of thatnight because it’s too painful for her to relive and too painfulfor me to imagine.
“Let’s just not talk about it,okay?” Her voice is calmer. “We’ve done well by not bringing itup.”
She’s right. Now isn’t the timeto be hashing this out. I don’t want to upset her so soon after thehospital incident. I tell her I’ll be home soon and then hangup.
I’m last in line for the sixo’clock ferry. I sit back and wait for the ship to unload so we canboard. I try calling my brother again but it’s useless. His phoneis still off. After a seemingly short boat ride to Gabriola, I’moff the ferry and heading up the road when I see a cop pulled overon the side of the road. The cruisers lights are flashing and thecop, a young male, is standing with his arms folded, watching eachvehicle that passes.
I’ve never seen a seatbelt checkhere before. I pass him slowly and wave. In my rear-view mirror, Isee the cop jump into his car and pull up behind me, the red andblue lights flashing. I slow down, thinking he’ll go around me. Hedoesn’t. Instead, he chirps the siren.
Shit. What the hell is thisabout? I’ve had my seatbelt on since Nanaimo and I definitelywasn’t speeding. When I see the first sign of a shoulder to theroad, I pull over.
The cop sits for a while in hiscar, talking on his radio, before finally getting out and walkingup to my door. I unwind the window. “Hello, officer. Do I have atail light out or something?”
“No. You haven’t committed aviolation at all. Is your name Jade Banks?”
“Yes,” I answer, feeling anervous lump grow in my throat. “Is there a problem?”
“No. Not really. We just have toask you a few questions down at the station, okay?”
“About what?” I already know theanswer.
“Just routine stuff about anongoing investigation.”
“The supposed murder,right?”
“That’s the one. Ma’am, there’sisn’t an arrest warrant for you, but take it from me—it would lookbadly on you if you didn’t comply with our request to speak toyou.”
“Can you just ask me what youwant to know now?”
“It’s not my investigation.Detective Dickson is at the detachment now and would be thankfulfor just a few minutes of your time.”
Dickson. That asshole who showedup at my work, who could have made me look bad in front of my boss.Thankfully it was only Tim when Dickson visited.
“I guess I might as well get itover with.”
The cop returns to his car andwaits until I pull back onto the road before following. I guess hewants to make sure that I actually keep my word.
I turn on to South Road and parkin the lot in front of the RCMP station. The young cop that wasfollowing me parks in marked stalls off
