Queen's Park

Tuesday, August 8
CHAPTER 24

“What’s so funny?” Ernie said. He was wearing a new black shirt and pants bought especially for the funeral.

Beth brushed the lapel of her red jacket. “I was thinking about Mom. We went for a drive out in the bush just after Judy ran away. Used to go quite often in the spring when the leaves came out and in the fall when they turned. It started to rain. The road was pretty rough. We got stuck. Mom put Dad’s big rubber boots on and got out to push. I can still see her face as she pushed against the hood. Dad worked the gas and clutch and we started to move back. Mom’s eyes got real wide. Her hands slid off the hood and she disappeared. We kept backing up and there she was lying face down in the mud. I looked at my Dad, he looked at me. Mom rolled on her back and started to laugh. When I think of her in the mud and hear her laughing, it always makes me smile.” Beth looked around the funeral home’s reception room where elderly people talked and drank coffee.

“Look at her,” Ernie said. His cousin, Lisa, stood next to the coffee urn. She wore black eye shadow, a black blouse, black jacket, black skirt, black stockings and black leather shoes. As people came up to refill their cups, Lisa smiled, held out a business card and said, “LEONA WAS MY GRANDMOTHER. MY BUSINESS IS LIFE, DEATH AND TAXES.” She handed a card to a woman. The woman muttered something in Italian.

“SORRY, I DIDN’T HEAR THAT,” Lisa said.

“Donna de la notte!” The woman said and turned without taking the card.

“AUNTY, WHAT DID SHE SAY?”

“She called you a lady of the evening,” Beth said.

Lisa considered this for a moment then smiled when she spotted the arrival of two men in suits.

“Can pick your friends but can’t pick your relatives,”

Arthur said.

Beth said, “Who are you?”

“Arthur.” He extended his hand and pulled her close. He was impeccably dressed in a single-breasted grey suit, rainbow tie and blue shirt. He put his arms around her and hugged. Beth closed her eyes at this unexpected kindness.

“Arthur always says what’s on his mind. We came to pay our respects,” Lane said.

Arthur released her and turned, “You must be Ernie.” They shook hands.

Beth opened her hand in an invitation for them to sit. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t expect this.” She wiped her eyes.

“My Dad had to leave right after the funeral. He had a business meeting,” Ernie said.

Lane studied Ernie. Dark half circles lay on the boy’s cheeks. He must have lost between five and ten kilos, Lane thought.

“How about something to eat?” Arthur said to Ernie.

“Not hungry.” Ernie crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well, then come and help me find something good.” Arthur took hold of Ernie’s elbow.

“All right.” Ernie stood.

“Lead the way,” Arthur said.

“If anyone can get him to eat, Arthur can,” Lane said.

“He’s still having those nightmares. Woke up screaming at three this morning. He thinks Bob is coming back.”

“That’s not likely.” Lane studied her.

“When you came to tell us what happened to my Mother and Ernesto, you watched me the way you’re watching me now.”

“You’re very perceptive,” Lane said.

“You wanted to see how I’d react?”

“That’s right. I had to know.”

“What?” Beth said.

“If you knew what happened to Bob.”

“Well, what did happen to Bob?”

“Ummm… ”

“Come on, out with it.”

Lane glanced at Lisa handing out another of her business cards, oblivious to their conversation, “For one thing, I don’t know for sure. For another, you’ve experienced a series of tragedies.”

“I was convinced my mother was hiding something from me. So was Ernesto.” Beth leaned closer to Lane, “What the hell are you holding back? There’s no way I’m gonna lose my son too!”

“I don’t know the truth. I only suspect it.” Underestimating this family is a habit I have to kick, Lane thought.

“Then, what do you suspect?” Beth said.

“Will you answer a question?”

“If you’ll give me some answers,” Beth said.

“What’s it been like dealing with the media?”

“This morning I got a call from a talk show. They wanted us to fly to Chicago to discuss Ernesto’s relationship with the doll.”

“What did you say?”

“Do you know how to swear in Italian?” Beth said.

“No.”

“I swore at them in Italian.”

“What about the newspapers?” Lane said.

“A couple of tabloids phoned to set up an interview and take some pictures.”

“Let me guess, you swore at them in Italian?”

“It felt good to swear at someone. Miguel came home and wouldn’t lift a finger to help with the arrangements. Now, he’s using work as an excuse not to deal with all of this. I can’t swear at him. Ernie doesn’t need that. And I’ve had to put up with her for the last three days.” She glanced in Lisa’s direction. “She keeps hinting about an inheritance from her grandmother and how much she misses Nanny. So, when the tabloids call, I let them have it.”

“If my suspicions are correct, then that’s just a taste of what you can expect from the media.”

“I can take the tabloids. I can take the talk shows. But I can’t take losing my son. I’ll fight to the death to take care of my kid,” Beth said.

“I suspect there’s been enough of that already.”

“When do I get my answer?”

“I’ll set it up.”

Arthur and Lane argued in the Jeep on the way home from the funeral.

Lane said, “It’s the only way. If I’m there when he talks to Beth and Ernie, then I have to do my job. If you’re there, it’s a different situation.”

“And what if I refuse?” Arthur said.

“Can you see another way?”

“You’re forgetting something.”

“What’s that?” Lane said.

“Harper.”

“He doesn’t have to know.”

“Yes he does, he’s your partner.”

“You don’t understand,” Lane said.

“No, you don’t understand. You’ve got a partner. Harper works with you. You can’t shut him out like you’ve shut out most everyone else. It’s time to trust someone besides me. You think you can do this on your own. You can’t. Listen to what I’m saying to you. Harper’s a different person now. Trust him.” Arthur crossed his arms to say there was no point in discussing this further.