Blackfly Season

33

“TERRI,” CARDINAL SAID. “Are you all right?”

She looked away from him, and her face vanished in shadow. “Please go away.”

“Come on out, Terri. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Cardinal thought he had never seen anything as sad as this young woman huddled in a crawl space hiding from—as far as he knew—the only person who was trying to help her.

She sniffed wetly; tears glistened on her cheeks.

“Terri, come on out and let’s see if I can help you with whatever it is you want to do. All right? Let’s work together on this.”

Cardinal wished Delorme was with him. Mind you, Delorme would probably just drag Terri out of there and ask what the hell was on her mind. Delorme could be a little short on sympathy when it came to attractive young women.

Terri crawled out of the cupboard and stood up, hugging herself although it was not cold.

Cardinal pointed to the stairs.

“Why don’t you sit there.”

“I think I’ll just stand.”

“Sit, for God’s sake. You look like you’re going to faint.”

He took her by the shoulders and gently lowered her to the stairs.

“Why were you so frightened?” he asked. “Who did you think I was?”

Terri shrugged. She was wearing the blue hoodie. The sleeves hung over her wrists and made her look like an orphan, which of course she was.

“Did you think I was whoever might’ve shot you?”

“No. I don’t even know who that would be.”

“Come back to the hospital with me. You won’t have to hide in any cupboards there.”

“I don’t need a hospital. I’m not sick.”

“Someone tried to kill you, Terri. Until we find that person, you’re still in danger. Come back with me.”

“I don’t want to. Believe it or not, I do have a life, and if you don’t mind I’d like to get back to it.”

“In an empty house? Where you haven’t lived for, what, ten or twelve years?”

Terri looked at him. The green eyes, informed now by memory and who knew what personal history, no longer looked so innocent.

“Tell me about your brother Kevin.”

“I don’t want to talk about Kevin.”

“You called him last night. His number’s not in service.”

“Kevin’s away right now.”

“Away where?”

“How should I know?”

“Terri, I’m just trying to help you. Your brother has been involved in narcotics in the past. He could have some connection with whoever tried to kill you.”

“I told you, I don’t remember anything about that. Are you going to arrest me for trespassing or something?”

“I don’t want to arrest you. I’m trying to protect you.”

“Why? What do you care? You don’t even know me.”

“I know that. I need to know you better. I can’t help you if I don’t. Tell me why you’re still here. You said your brother is away. Does that mean he’s here? Look, I can find out from the phone company where he’s dialling from, so you may as well tell me. Is that why you came to Algonquin Bay? To find your brother? If he’s not here, why are you still here?”

Terri folded her arms across her chest and looked away from him.

“Look at me, Terri. Is your brother here in town? Is that why you’re here?”

“It’s really none of your business.”

“I think he’s here. I think he’s what drew you back here. And I think you know where he is.”

“I don’t.”

“I need to talk to him, Terri. He’s involved in the heroin trade—it can be a violent line of work. He could even be the one who tried to kill you.”

“He isn’t.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know who shot you.”

“I know it wasn’t Kevin.”

“Tell me something. You said you were staying in a motel by the lake. I don’t suppose you remember the name of that place yet, do you?”

“No, I don’t, as a matter of fact.”

“Reason I ask, we don’t seem to be able to locate that motel.”

“This is northern Ontario, right? There’s lots of motels by lakes.”

“Here in Algonquin Bay there are exactly twelve. We’ve talked to all of them and none of them remember any red-haired young woman who suddenly disappeared.”

“So, it was a different motel. A different lake. What do I know? I haven’t lived here for a long time.”

“There are no motels on the other lakes. See, here’s what I think’s going on—you tell me if I’m wrong: I think you came back here to find your brother. I think he’s still here and you intend to find him. I think you remember exactly where he was. You don’t want to tell me, and I can only assume that’s because he’s involved in criminal activity. I don’t care about that, you understand? That isn’t what I’m interested in right now. I just want to get whoever tried to kill you off the streets.”

“Detective, last week I got shot in the head. My memory is not what it should be. Why can’t you accept that?”

“Dr. Paley says it’s unheard of for a person with your injuries to remember some things and not others. It all comes back at once, not in these convenient little packages you’re offering up.”

“Dr. Paley doesn’t know what I think or what I remember.”

“And that’s very useful when you want to hide something, isn’t it?”

“You should know. You’re the detective.”

“Well, here’s something you should know, Terri. Whoever put a bullet in your head just did the same to someone else. Only this young man wasn’t as lucky as you. He got two in the head from the same gun and he’s dead, Terri.”

Cardinal was not at all sure it was the right move to make just then, but he turned from her and went to the front door. He snapped open the locks and went outside.

Follow me, he silently urged her. You must be desperate to know. Follow me.

He opened his car door, but before he could get in, she called after him.

“Wait!”

She came running down the front steps in bare feet.

“Detective, wait!”

Cardinal got in the car and started the engine.

Terri threw open the passenger door and got in beside him.

“Who was it?” Her pale skin had turned even paler. “The guy who was killed. Who was it?”

“We don’t know that yet.”

The green eyes were bright with panic.

“Oh, God, you have to tell me! How old was he? What did he look like? Was he thin and sort of gangly?”

Cardinal opened his briefcase and pulled out a forensic photo. The smashed head, the pool of blood.

Terri covered her mouth.

“Is it your brother?”

She shook her head, still covering her mouth. Cardinal hoped she wasn’t going to vomit in his car.

“This guy was mid to late twenties. About five-foot-five. Light brown hair.”

She let go of the breath she had been holding. “It wasn’t Kevin. Kevin’s younger. And he’s nearly six feet tall.”

“It could’ve been you or your brother,” Cardinal said gently. “Whoever did this made absolutely certain with this guy. The gun they’re using is malfunctioning and it looks like they finally figured that out. When the bullets didn’t kill him they busted him over the head with a baseball bat. The next time I get called to a scene like that, I don’t want it to be your brother, and I especially don’t want it to be you.”

Terri was sitting back against the seat now. She looked exhausted.

“You don’t want me to ask any more questions, I won’t ask any. But get your shoes and I’ll take you someplace safe.”

Terri stared straight ahead.

It’s now or never, Cardinal thought. She’ll either come with me now or I’ve truly lost her.

“Not the hospital?” Her voice was barely audible.

“Not the hospital.”