Stonechild and Rouleau Mysteries 5-Book Bundle. Brenda Chapman

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СКАЧАТЬ bright red face, so familiar and so grotesque. It kept fading in and out like an image distorted by mirrors in a fun house. Panic shot up from her stomach.

      “I don’t want to die,” she screamed with all the fear of a woman who knew the end was near. The words were garbled when they finally made it to her lips.

      Pauline kicked her in the side. “You should have thought of that before you slept with my husband.”

      38

      Sunday, February 26, 8:45 a.m.

      Rouleau took Stonechild’s call in his kitchen. “You’re up early for a Saturday,” he said while shuffling eggs with a spatula around the frying pan. He glanced at his watch. “Not even nine yet. Eager to put your media training to work?” Her excited voice at the other end made him smile. “No, but I am psyched about something I found out yesterday. I’ve been up most of the night going through the files and I think I have proof.”

      “Proof of what?”

      “Who killed Tom Underwood and Benny Goldstone.”

      “It’s not your case anymore, Stonechild.”

      “I know, I know, but this fell into my lap. I was with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time yesterday and the little girl goes to the after four program at the community centre downtown. Guess who her art teacher was?”

      Rouleau shifted left to pop down the bread in the toaster. “No idea. Who?”

      “Pauline Underwood. Tom’s ex-wife.”

      Rouleau paused, the spatula suspended above the frying pan. “And?”

      “Pauline told this little girl before Christmas that she was leaving to get married. Her husband was coming back to her at long last. As you recall, her husband was Tom Underwood, and he was planning to marry her best friend Susan.”

      Rouleau lowered the spatula and began scrapping the eggs from where they’d begun to brown. “If this is true, it’s bizarre behaviour. Maybe even delusional.”

      “Isn’t it? Anyhow, I spent the night going through all the documents and Pauline could have done the murders. In fact, she’s the logical choice when you look at who was killed. Also, don’t forget Susan’s near-death experience in the Gatineaus.”

      “Why’s it logical?” The facts of the case filed through his brain.

      “Let’s say Pauline found out about Tom and Susan and their affair. Here’s a woman who thinks she’s about to be reunited with her ex-husband, only to find out he’s sleeping with her best and oldest friend. Pauline’s family mentioned a few times her desperation and odd behaviour when Tom left her for Laurel. She stopped eating and visited a counsellor, likely a shrink if you read between the lines. It makes sense she would have tried to make them both pay for what she must have believed was their betrayal. For an unstable woman, it wouldn’t matter that years had passed since she and Tom were married. Tom’s murder was personal. I think she got him to drop in for coffee early that morning and drugged him. She could have parked his car in her garage and left him in the trunk. He might have even been there when we were first looking for him. She must have brought the car to the Central Experimental Farm one 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 СКАЧАТЬ