LITMIR.BIZ

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There was still time to cruise around the ByWard Market before packing it in for the night.

      Kala spotted Grayson and Malik on her way in to the station at seven the next morning. She parked her truck and hurried after them. Malik held the front door open and waited for her to catch up. Grayson had already disappeared inside the building.

      “You’re up bright and early,” she said to Malik, slightly out of breath.

      “Rouleau called us at home around five a.m. to get over to the General and interview Susan Halliday.” He yawned. His breath came out in a stream of white frost. “I could have used another hour’s sleep.”

      “The General?”

      “Hospital. Halliday was found unconscious in the Gatineau Hills late yesterday afternoon.”

      Kala stopped. “Is she okay?”

      “She’s doing better than she was last night. We were able to speak with her for about ten minutes before the doctor told us we had to leave. She’s suffering from hypothermia and has some frostbite to her feet and hands.”

      “Is this tied to Underwood’s murder?”

      They’d begun walking down the hall toward the office. Malik lowered his voice when they stepped inside the main office.

      “Not likely. Her Mazda was out of gas and had to be towed. She said it wouldn’t start so she started walking toward the main road. She was lucky a park ranger was on patrol or she wouldn’t have lasted the night.”

      “What in the world was she doing out there?”

      “Cross-country skiing. She said it was her favourite trail. She likes to go there during the week when there aren’t a lot of people around.”

      Kala shook her head at the insanity of someone heading into the woods without checking their gas tank. “Craziness,” she said.

      She left Malik and sat down at her desk. Something didn’t feel right. Susan hadn’t struck her as a stupid woman. She’d appeared logical and organized, not the type who would leave the city without checking if there was gas in the car.

      Rouleau called them over for the morning briefing just after eight. They filled up their coffee mugs and gathered around the crime scene photos posted on the wall.

      Grayson stood first to give the report on Susan Halliday. He read the details and ended with, “So no connection to Underwood’s murder. She was still a bit out of it this morning but blamed herself for going into the park without checking her gas gauge.” He shut his file and started back to his seat.

      “Where was her husband when this happened?” Kala asked.

      Grayson hesitated and looked around the group as if waiting for a better question. Finally, he looked toward her. “On his way home from the base in Trenton for a surprise visit. He arrived at their house shortly after six p.m. and was concerned to not find her there. He started checking around. The hospital called him less than an hour later. He was in her hospital room when we spoke with her.”

      “Your thoughts, Stonechild?” asked Rouleau.

      She forced herself to look away from Grayson’s stare. “It seems odd to me that a woman close to Underwood and his family has this kind of accident.”

      “Shit happens,” said Grayson. “She’s an old woman who forgot to check the gas before heading out. She said as much in the hospital. You can’t go looking for a conspiracy theory when accidents happen.”

      “Do you have anything to add?” Rouleau asked Kala.

      “No.”

      “If Susan Halliday admitted she was careless, we haven’t got reason to believe someone was trying to hurt her.” Rouleau smiled at her. “By the way, I’ve told Whelan he can have until the new year off. His wife has come down with the flu and with the new baby and the son in the hospital, he can’t be spared at home.”

      “No problem, Sir,” said Kala. “Bennett and I can cover.”

      “Good. I’d like you both to give Gage a hand going through the phone records and the documents on Underwood’s home and office computers. There’s a lot to go through and I’d like that wrapped up today.”

      She nodded even though she’d just been demoted to the drudgery work.

      Grayson shifted in his seat and crossed his legs. He said, “Gage found one email from Underwood to J.P. asking to meet the day before he died. Malik and I are going back to their office to talk to him about it.”

      “I’m in meetings all morning but you can reach me on my cell if anything breaks. Stay in touch,” said Rouleau. He turned to Malik. “Any sign of Annie Littlewolf yet?”

      “No, but the cops patrolling the ByWard Market are keeping an eye out. She’s not in her usual haunts. I’d like to think she’s visiting family for the holidays, but it’s not likely. We can swing by the Rideau Centre later if you like.”

      “Let’s hope we get a lead on something today. We could use a break.”

      Just before one o’clock, Kala stretched and turned her chair toward Bennett. “I’m going to an appointment and might have a slightly longer lunch hour than usual. If you and Gage can keep at this, I’ll stay late and finish up what you don’t get through.”

      Bennett looked up from his computer screen. “Take your time. I’ll cover. I’ll stick around to help if it goes late.”

      “You don’t need to do that.”

      He looked up and smiled at her. “I know, but I want to.”

      She found herself smiling back. “Call me if anything comes up.” She grabbed her coat and a stale doughnut from a box sitting on the filing cabinet as she headed out the door.

      Twenty minutes later, she parked her truck in the General Hospital parking lot. She followed the trail of visitors through the sliding glass door at the front entrance and asked the woman at reception for Susan Halliday’s room number. She walked toward the elevator and watched the people streaming out of the open doors as it reached the ground floor. Clinton Halliday stepped off behind a woman dressed in green scrubs and a man in a wheelchair. Halliday was a hard man to miss with his buzz cut and wrestler body. He appeared to be alone and immediately snapped open his cellphone. Kala stepped back from the doors behind the other visitors until he’d passed by. For now, she’d rather he didn’t know she was there.

      She got off on the fourth and slipped past the nurses’ station. The two nurses on the desk were busy working on charts and didn’t look up. She located the number to Susan’s private room half-way down the corridor and entered after a quick knock on the door that she hadn’t expected to be answered. She approached the bed. An I.V. bag hung on a pole dripping a clear liquid through a needle into Susan’s arm. Her hands lay on top of the sheet and were wrapped in gauze. Her eyes were closed.

      Kala stood for a moment, uncertain whether to wake her. She was likely doped up on pain killers and it might be better to return later. Just as Kala decided to leave, Susan opened her eyes and blinked at the ceiling. She turned her head slowly sideways and focussed on Kala. Her lips moved with effort.

      “You’re the detective who came to our house.”

      “Yes. I wanted to ask you a few questions about your accident. Do you feel up to it?”

      Susan gave a small nod and Kala drew a chair close to the bed so that her head was at Susan’s eye level.

      “Had you checked the gas level before you went into the Gatineau Hills?”

      “No.”

      “I find it odd that you would have set out on your own without making sure there was gas in the car. You don’t strike me as disorganized.”

      “I get … confused sometimes. Forget things. I thought I’d filled it up last week. I must have been mistaken. I

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