LITMIR.BIZ

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night and jogged to a bus stop where nobody would remember her. It wouldn’t have taken him long to freeze to death. As for the attempt on Susan Halliday, the two of them routinely went cross-country skiing together on that trail in the Gatineau Hills. It was just a matter of Pauline following Susan up there and waiting for an opportunity. Susan said there were tire marks near her van.”

      “What about Benny Goldstone?”

      “He was cheating on Geraldine with Max and stealing from her. Pauline must have caught them. The fact it was a piece of sculpture from the office used to kill Benny makes it appear the killing was done spur of the moment. Pauline’s whereabouts for the time he was killed are vague at best. She’d already made Tom pay. She must have thought the men in her life were all cheating scum.”

      “Where would she get the drug she used on Underwood? It was a street drug.”

      “Pauline worked at a couple of youth centres. Stuff is floating around, and she was well liked by the kids. It wouldn’t take much for one of them to sell her something.”

      “Where are you now?” he asked.

      “On my way to Susan Halliday’s. I think she was lying about the last time she and Tom got together. Something tipped Pauline off. I’m going to see if I can make her talk to me.”

      Rouleau turned off the stove. “Wait for me in front of her house. Don’t talk to her until I get there. I’m on my way.”

      “Will do, Sir.”

      Kala kept the motor running in her truck and watched Susan’s house from a discreet distance across the street. She was quite certain that it was Susan’s Mazda in the driveway. A few minutes later, as if Kala conjured her up, Susan stepped onto the front steps, bundled up in a red down coat and nylon pants, scarf, hat, and mitts. She fumbled with the front door lock before striding toward the van and climbing into the front seat.

      Kala started to open her truck door to intercept her, but remembered Rouleau’s instruction to wait until he arrived before approaching Susan. She thought about ignoring his order. While she hesitated, she figured it might be a better idea to see where Susan was heading. Kala grabbed a map from where she’d tucked it under the passenger seat and held it up near her face. She lowered it enough to keep an eye on the driveway.

      Susan let the van warm up for a good minute before slowly backing onto the street so that she was pointed west. Acting on instinct, Kala ducked down and averted her head just before Susan cruised past. Kala checked in the side mirror, but Susan hadn’t looked in her direction. Kala straightened and kept watching in the mirror. The van was rounding a curve in the road and heading north, still on Eisenhower.

      Kala didn’t have a good feeling. Susan was dressed for the outdoors. Was she meeting Pauline somewhere, or was she foolish enough to be going somewhere isolated alone? She tossed the map onto the passenger seat and put the truck into gear, making a three point turn and following several metres behind the van. Kala stayed back but close enough to see if Susan turned off onto a side road. She felt in her coat for her cell and hit the speed dial button to Rouleau’s phone. He answered on the second ring.

      “Susan’s on the move, dressed for the outdoors. We’re heading north on Eisenhower Crescent. Any ideas? Should I intercept her or just keep following?”

      “It might be an idea to see what she’s up to. She could be going to meet Pauline who lives further into Chapman Mills. Her place is not too far from Susan’s house, but far enough that she might drive. I’ve sent Bennett over to Pauline’s to see if she’s home. I’m waiting for him to check in.”

      “Oh wait, she’s making a right onto Cortleigh, heading east, so she’s not going to Pauline’s. She just drove past Davidson Park and I see a larger park up ahead on the right.”

      “Heart’s Desire Forest Park. I’ve brought up a map on my cellphone. Is she stopping?”

      “No. She drove right past.”

      “I’d bet money she’s heading to those nature trails.”

      “You could be right. She’s turning south on Woodroffe toward the Rideau River.”

      “There’re a couple of places along there to walk. I’ll start in that direction. Call me when you know her exact destination. Perhaps she’ll lead us to something interesting.”

      “Will do.”

      Kala dropped back. She’d been gaining on the van and didn’t want Susan to spot her. Traffic was light. She checked her mirrors to make sure Pauline wasn’t also on Susan’s tail. All looked clear.

      Five minutes later, Kala turned south on Woodroffe and followed it for a few minutes until she reached Prince of Wales. Susan was a few cars in front. They idled at a red light for several beats before it turned green. Susan pulled out slowly and headed north on Prince of Wales. Traffic was heavier and Kala was able to drop back and put more cars between them.

      A few kilometres further on, she spotted the red flash of Susan’s right turn signal and slowed the truck even more. Kala watched the van pull off the road into the wooded area called Chapman Mills Conservation Area. Kala put on her turn signal and pulled onto the shoulder not too close to the turn off so Susan wouldn’t notice her if she looked back toward the roadway. Susan’s van took the side road down an incline into a plowed parking lot.

      Kala called Rouleau again while taking off her seat belt. She shut down the engine and did a shoulder check, careful not to open her door into oncoming traffic. Two cars sped past doing over the speed limit. There was never a traffic cop around when you needed one.

      “She’s gone into the parking lot at Chapman Mills Conservation Area. I parked on the shoulder on Prince of Wales and am going in on foot.” Kala watched in her side mirror for a break in traffic.

      “I’m almost there. I can see your truck on the shoulder. Sit tight. I’ll do a U-turn and will park behind you.”

      “Okay.”

      Kala spotted Rouleau driving toward her less than a minute later. The minute felt like an hour. Her instincts told her not to wait, but she didn’t have any reason for this sense of urgency. Susan might just be on a nature walk by herself with no danger present. Pauline hadn’t followed her, of this Kala was certain.

      Rouleau made the turn and slid his car in behind her truck. Kala opened her door and stepped onto the snowy shoulder. She shivered and pulled up the hood of her jacket as cars sped by, blowing up gusts of snow.

      Rouleau walked toward her, his phone cupped next to his ear. He was dressed casually in a dark blue parka, jeans, and Sorels. He closed his phone and stopped next to her. “Pauline’s not at home. Her car’s not in the driveway.”

      “She might be at her daughter’s. It’ll be a shame if I got you out here for no reason. Pauline didn’t follow Susan here but she could already be in the parking lot.”

      “I told Bennett to keep checking for her. Shall we take a walk to see if Susan’s alone?”

      “Sure.”

      They trudged from the main road to the parking lot. It took a long five minutes. The lot had been recently plowed, but the snow had blown into drifts that were knee-deep outside the tire tracks.

      “Hard to believe the temperature fell so suddenly. I was thinking about getting my golf clubs out a few days ago,” said Rouleau.

      “Just Susan’s van over there. That’s a relief,” said Kala. She felt a drop in adrenaline. “I guess I really did get you out here for nothing.”

      Rouleau’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked around as he answered. He said a few words that Kala couldn’t hear and shut it again. “That was Bennett. Geraldine’s expecting her mother within the hour. They’re catching a plane to Florida for a two-week holiday.”

      “Geraldine and Pauline?”

      “And the baby. Geraldine told Bennett that they need a break from

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