Queen's Park

Wednesday, August 9
CHAPTER 25

Ernie blinked and held on, keeping his eyes closed for over a minute. Opening his right eye first, he saw dust dancing in the sunlight. He turned his face to the pillow and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He heard snoring rise from a whisper to a roar before falling to a wheeze.

“Lisa,” he said. She’d moved in before the funeral, camped out in Nanny’s room and had shown no inclination to leave.

He couldn’t escape the nightmare of his Uncle and now there was Lisa, the walking nightmare. She filled up the house with her demands. “WHERE’S THE MILK? WHERE’S THE CEREAL? HAVEN’T YOU GOT ANY CORN FLAKES? ERNIE, GET ME A POP. IT’S SO HOT IN HERE. HOW COME YOU DON’T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING? WHAT’S FOR SUPPER? AUNTY BETH WHERE ARE THE SANITARY NAPKINS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE OUT? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? MY MOTHER ALWAYS BOUGHT THE NAPKINS!” Ernie took to raiding Lisa’s stash of candies. She’d put them under some of Nanny’s clothes in a drawer and whenever the opportunity arose, he’d grab a handful and stuff them in his pocket. Lisa had begun to stand very close, sniffing his breath and saying, “ANYTHING TO CONFESS?”

Nightmares of Uncle Bob came every night. Sweat and the smell of onions stayed with him. Lisa had to have onions with every meal. She fried them, boiled them or ate them raw. Even over the dusty, lingering scent of his grandmother’s cigarettes, there was the ripe, thick, sharp stink of onions.

He pulled on sweats and a T-shirt. Ernie remembered the salads Nonno used to make: tomatoes, yellow peppers, cucumbers, lettuce with vinegar and olive oil. Then he remembered onions. Nausea ground him down.

Scout lifted her head and stretched her front paws.

Ernie rubbed her under the chin. She followed him downstairs. He looked for the oxygen line before remembering it was one of the first things his mother had thrown out. Next, she tossed the cigarettes.

WHEEZE!

He couldn’t smell his grandmother anymore. Just onions. He closed his eyes and hoped when he opened them again, he wouldn’t feel that itchy, annoying, rough, scratching against his eyeballs. For a day or two, crying had eased the irritation.

He opened the sliding glass door and let Scout out. He reached for the remote on the coffee table, pressed power then sat on Nanny’s love seat.

The news was on. “Love dolls and the men who buy them.” The reporter didn’t smile. Her eyes stared down the camera. Her black hair was parted down the middle and curled behind her ears. A shot of an ambulance pulling away with the Bow River weir in the background. Back to the reporter. “The recent drowning of a Calgary man has raised many questions about love dolls and men who spend up to $7,000 to buy them.” Next a clip of a life-sized doll in a teddy sitting in a wooden crate. The reporter said, “More on V Channel at six.”

Ernie pressed the power button. The picture faded. “Can’t even watch TV anymore.”

Scout scratched at the door.

Ernie stuffed the remote down between the cushions. “Let Lisa go crazy trying to find it.”

He remembered the look on his mother’s face when Lisa cried, “MY PARENTS SOLD THE HOUSE. NEW PEOPLE MOVED IN. WHERE AM I GONNA GO?”

Ernie let Scout in. She put her paws on his knee. He rubbed her under the chin. “How about a walk?” She ran for the back door, then ran back to see if he really meant it. The she waited, tail sweeping the linoleum as he attached the leash to her collar and opened the dead bolt.

“TELEPHONE!” Lisa said.

Beth rolled over and looked at the ceiling.

“TELEPHONE!”

Beth blinked and had her feet on the floor before she had time to think.

“TELEPHONE!”

“I heard you!” Beth stumbled into the hallway.

“YOU DON’T NEED TO YELL!” Lisa fell into an injured silence.

If I’m lucky, she won’t talk to me for the rest of the morning, Beth thought as she lifted the receiver.

“I HEARD THAT!”

Beth suppressed the urge to scream, then said, “Hello?”

“Beth? It’s Judy. I’m so sorry, it just wasn’t possible to make it back for Mom’s funeral. Besides, I didn’t know if I’d be welcome.”

Beth recognized the tone of voice. It was all at once patronizing, slick, syrupy and tinged with just the right amount of guilt.

“And poor Ernesto dying on the same day. I don’t know how you coped,” Judy said.

Beth heard Atlantic waves. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. A part of her longed for sand and salt water sifting around her ankles. If she played it just right, Judy might invite her down. Beth shook her head and said, “What do you want?”

“Pardon me?”

Beth heard the real Judy. The Judy who always got what she wanted. “This is the way you talk to me when you want something. So, what do you want?” Beth said.

Lisa appeared in the doorway, “DON’T YOU TALK TO MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!”

Beth turned her head and stared, momentarily freezing Lisa with a glare.

“I’VE GOT SUCH BAD CRAMPS!” Lisa said, held her stomach, and retreated into the bathroom.

You can still hear what we say from the bathroom, Beth thought.

“Is Lisa okay?” Judy said.

If you’re so concerned, why isn’t she with you? Beth thought.

Judy said, “It’s so good of you to take her in for me. I don’t blame you for being upset with me for missing the funeral, but we’re all that’s left of the family. We’re still sisters.”

“Do you want to talk to Lisa?”

“Oh no, we need to talk. Like sisters. Like we used to.”

“Talk?” Beth said.

“Well, you know, this business opportunity came up on the island and I just couldn’t turn it down.”

“Bob show up yet?” Beth said.

“Not a hair.”

Beth was sure she heard relief in her sister’s voice. “We haven’t seen him either. Lisa would like to talk with you.”

“I don’t want to bother her,” Judy said.

“You sure?”

“Look,” Judy said.

Here it comes. The bottom line, Beth thought.

“They’re attempting to freeze my assets.” Judy was all business now.

“I thought only the daiquiris were frozen in the tropics,” Beth said.

“It’s no joke. There’s an investigation.”

“What kind of investigation?”

“Something to do with the RCMP and the divorce,” Judy said.

“Divorce?” Beth said.

“Bob and I got divorced a little over a month ago.”

Beth thought for a moment. Up to a couple of months ago, Judy’s only assets had been a house with a second mortgage and a car dealership that was slowly going bankrupt.

She decided to push Judy a little harder. “Then, why did you phone us to find out where he was?”

“Forget about that. I want my share of the inheritance.”

You won’t be happy with the will, Beth thought. An idea blossomed. “She did leave some money. How do I get it to you?”

“Well, it’s complicated.”

She expected me to put up more of a fight, Beth thought.

“I’ve got to have some kind of address if I’m going to send it.”

“It has to remain absolutely confidential.”

Beth reached for a pen and wrote down the address. “You like living on the beach?”

“What did Lisa tell you?”

“I can hear the surf, Judy.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sure Lisa would like to talk with you,” Beth said.

“I can’t right now. Send her my best. How soon will you be sending the money?”

“I’ll get right on it.”

“Thanks. Bye.” Judy hung up.

“Okay.” Beth set the receiver down. “Lisa, have you got a passport?”

“YES.”

Beth moved to the hallway. Through the bedroom doorway, she saw Ernie’s empty bed. “Where’s Ernie?”

“HOW WOULD I KNOW WHERE HE IS? HE’S NOT MY BROTHER.”

Ernie pressed the toe of his left runner against the heal of his right. Somehow, a pebble had hitched a ride inside his shoe.

He balanced on one foot. Scout pulled. He ended up on his knees next to a red mini van with tinted glass.

“Scout!” Ernie pulled on the leash. “Sit!” He did the same. Lifting the running shoe, he turned it upside down and watched the pebble fall out. “Now, where were we going?” he said while pulling his runner on.

The van’s fan whirred.

Why is its engine running? Ernie thought.

The van’s side door slid open.

Scout’s hair rose up. She growled and backed away.

“Wait.” The voice came from inside the van. The man seemed to fill the interior.

Ernie felt his mouth fall open and the sweat on his back chilled the length of his spine. It couldn’t be Uncle Bob, he thought. “No way.”

The van’s front door opened. A woman stepped out. Her hair was blonde, gelled and cut short. She wore a yellow tank top and a pair of black shorts with bulky military pockets. She opened the rear hatch.

There were goose bumps all along Ernie’s arms and he started to shiver. His mind reeled with memories of Uncle Bob.

Scout barked a warning as the man stepped onto the sidewalk. His white shirt stuck to his flesh. He had black hair and a salt and pepper beard.

Ernie thought, If it weren’t for the beard, he’d look just like, “Uncle Bob?” Ernie choked on the words.

The big man stood. His fly was open. One white shirt tail peeked out.

Big man took a step closer.

Scout barked.

The man stepped back. “Hey, Annie, grab some cheese outta my bag!”

Ernie’s wrist and elbow ached from the strain of holding Scout’s leash. “Uncle Bob?”

“I’m Ralph Devine,” Big man said.

“Here it is,” Annie said. She hefted the camera to her shoulder and tossed a bag of cheese.

Ernie couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen.

“You’re Ernie Rapozo.” Ralph fumbled with the bag, pulled out a piece of cheese and broke it in half. He offered it to Scout.

She sniffed the treat.

Ernie saw the shirt tail retract from Ralph’s fly. “How do you know my name?”

Ralph smiled. “It’s our job to know. We just want to ask you some questions. No harm in that?”

Ernie couldn’t stop shivering.

Scout growled as Ralph took a half step forward.

“You gettin’ this?” Ralph said to his partner.

“Rolling,” Annie crouched for a lower angle of the boy and the dog.

“Have you seen Bob Swatsky recently?” Ralph said. He opened his hand. Scout inched forward, then retreated without taking the cheese. Ralph closed his fist. “Come on baby.” With his other hand, he motioned Annie closer.

Ernie said, “How come it’s so cold?”

“You gotta be kiddin’,” Ralph said.

Ernie watched sweat form along Ralph’s hairline.

Annie moved onto the grass. Ralph moved toward Scout.

He revealed the cheese. Scout turned toward Annie.

Ernie blinked. In that instant, he imagined a knife. Ernie opened his eyes.

“Hey, stop it!” Annie said.

“What’s wrong?” Ralph kept his eyes on Ernie.

“Dog stuck his nose in my crotch.” Annie pointed the camera at Scout.

“Her,” Ernie said.

“What?” Ralph said.

“Scout’s a she, not a he,” Ernie said.

“Whatever.” Annie pointed the camera at Ernie. “Tell ‘her’ to stop.”

“You tell her,” Beth said.

Ralph looked past Ernie. Annie pointed the camera at Beth striding up the sidewalk in a pink nightshirt.

“Mom, you aren’t wearing a bra,” Ernie said.

“Where’d you go? I woke up and you were gone.” Beth leaned to help Ernie to his feet.

“Took the dog for a walk. Lisa was snoring. I couldn’t sleep.” Ernie swayed and Beth caught him around the shoulders. “Do you know where Bob Swatsky is?” Ralph said. Annie moved in for a close-up.

“Who are you?” Beth said.

“Ralph Devine. V-Channel. Do you know where Bob Swatsky is?”

“No.” Then Beth said to Ernie, “What’s the matter?”

“It’s cold out here.” Saliva collected at the back of his throat.

“Ernie, you on somethin’?” Devine said.

“Shit! Get your nose outta there!” Scout yelped and backed away. Annie tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.

The camera fell. Annie reached. It rolled away from her.

“Ow!” The lens hit her toe before the camera toppled onto its side and scattered bits of plastic onto the sidewalk. “Stupid dog!”

Ernie leaned forward and heaved. Vomit spilled onto the sidewalk.

Devine stepped back, “My shoes!”

Ernie shivered uncontrollably.

“Ernie!” Beth said as she held him by the shoulders. She shifted a hand to his forehead.

Ernie heaved.

“Ernie!” Beth looked around, searching for help.

Devine picked up bits of the camera, “Think it’ll still work?”

Annie said, “I’m callin’ an ambulance, lady.”

Beth said, “I don’t want to leave a message. I want to talk with Detective Lane. Don’t put me on hold. I don’t want to talk with anyone else. I left his pager number at home in my purse. I left in a hurry. I’m in my nightshirt at the Foothills Hospital Emergency and I’m in no mood for any double talk.” She repeated the doctor’s questions in her mind, ‘Is your son depressed? Have his sleeping patterns altered? Is he eating? Has he lost weight? Any problems at home?’ She looked above the phone. The sign read HAVE YOU BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED? Below the sign was a list of numbers.

“We’re trying to locate him,” the male voice said.

“Thank you.” Beth leaned forward. Tears rolled off the tip of her nose.

“All I’m saying is I’m considering it,” Lane said. They sat at the back of the coffee shop. The walls were a forest green.

Green and white checkered table cloths matched green and white floor tiles. Lane sipped a black Colombian. Harper stirred a latte. The window at the other end of the shop overlooked the Stephen Avenue Mall.

Harper said, “It goes against everything we’ve been taught.”

“Yes, everything we’re trained to do.”

“Not just that. Look what’s happened as a result of it,”

Harper said.

“The whole problem is my theory’s based on a maximum of three witnesses. Two are dead. Now, there may only be one person who knows the whole story and he’s not talking. If we threaten him or get tough, he’ll clam up and we’ll end up with less than we’ve got now.”

“The theory matches the facts.” Harper leaned back in his chair.

“Then, how do we prove it?”

“The location of the body seems the obvious place to start. And it’s the location that makes it all so damned complicated. How’d you think of it?”

“Went to Hawaii when I was a kid. Took a guided tour of Oahu. The Vietnam War was still going on and there was a military cemetery. The army came up with a way to save space when the cemetery started to fill up.” His cell phone rang. “Lane here. She still on the line? Give her my cell number and ask her to call.” Lane looked at Harper. “It’s Beth.”

The cell phone rang. “Beth?”

Beth said, “Yes. Ernie’s in emergency. He’s still having flashbacks. He’s not eating. This morning some reporters tried to talk to him and we ended up here.”

Lane reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a notebook. “Slow down. Are the doctors with him now?”

“They’re waiting for the results of some more blood tests. They say it looks like his electrolytes are out of whack. Whatever that means.”

“Is he going to be admitted?” Lane said.

“They haven’t decided yet, besides, I don’t think it’s about his blood.”

You’re wrong there, this is all about blood and relatives, Lane thought. “How can I help?”

“What do you know? All I know, and I’m not even sure why I know, is that I need to know what my Mother and Ernesto hid from us. You have a pretty good idea. So, what happened to Bob?”

“I don’t know, exactly.”

“Can we just get to the point? Either Ernie and I find out what’s happened or I’m afraid he’ll only get worse. They’re talking about some kind of traumatic stress disorder.”

“What’s it been like for you two at home?” Lane said.

“He’s not sleeping. Hardly eats anything. It’s worse since my niece moved in,” Beth said.

“Bob’s daughter?” Lane remembered Lisa handing out her business cards at the funeral.

“That’s right. But it’s all about to change.”

“When?”

“As soon as I can make an airline reservation and call her a cab,” Beth said.

“Cayman Islands?”

“Yes.”

“Can you move?” Lane said.

“What?”

“Can you move out of your Mother’s house?”

“Where would we go?” Beth said.

“Not very far,” Lane said.