Little Boy Blues (19 page)

Alvin stood, staring at his feet.

“Go ahead. If you really think you have more chance to find Jimmy in the woods, that’s where you should be.”

“You don’t have to shout. I thought you might manage a pep talk.”

“You want a pep talk? Here it is. Move your butt.”

Five backyards, four garages, two sheds and a pergola later, I felt I needed a pep talk myself.

Alvin said. “Jimmy would never go further on this street. Something about it bothered him.”

“Fine, we’ll finish and try the other direction.”

Alvin said, “You know something? I’m being Jimmy. I run down here in a panic and then, I think, hey wait, this is
that
part of the street, and then I think of whatever scared me in the first place about that area, and this makes me panic more.”

“So we give a little extra attention to this part of the street.”

We were in front of a large brown house with an old-fashioned covered veranda. Alvin rang the doorbell, and I checked the mailbox. I rifled through several pieces of mail, plus flyers from Sobey’s and Atlantic Superstore. “Looks like the Smith family has been away for a couple of days, Alvin.” A broom, some flower pots and a few gardening tools in a little carrying basket lay on the veranda. Alvin kept ringing, and I stepped to the end of the veranda to check if there was another path to the backyard. By the edge of the veranda, wrinkled and curled, lay an X-Men comic.

“Bingo, Alvin,” I said. “Time to call the cops.”

“Hey, Camilla, we don’t have to. They’re already here.”

“That’s great.” I bustled down to the sidewalk. “Officer? Could you come around here? What? Wait a minute. Why the hell should I put my hands on top of the car?”

“Lord thundering Jesus,” Alvin said.

There might be worse outcomes than ending up in the holding tank in Cape Breton Regional Police Force’s Central Division, but I was hard pressed to imagine them. Plus that goddam fingerprint ink is hell to get off.

• • •

Ray Deveau was in his usual good humour as he entered the interview room, where I was fuming. He had Alvin with him. He said, “I can’t wait to hear your explanation.”

“Apparently doing the job the police should have done.” With any other cop that would have been a strategic error.

Ray Deveau threw back his head and laughed. “We don’t usually get involved in breaking and entering. They must have different methods on the Mainland.”

“Very funny. You know we weren’t breaking and entering.”

“Neighbours saw you going in and out of garages and slinking about in backyards. We must have had half a dozen 911 calls.”

“Do I look like I can slink?”

“Under the right circumstance, I’m betting you could.”

“Be serious.”

Alvin said, “Are you blushing, Camilla?”

“No, but I think I might be having a stroke.”

Ray Deveau laughed harder. Finally he wiped his eyes. “It’s hard for us not to charge you, considering the number of laws you violated.”

Alvin sniffed. He hates getting arrested.

I said, “Go right ahead and charge. It will make good reading. Lets see: Heartbroken brother of missing boy, tired of police incompetence, finds trail and gets arrested in police cover-up.”

“Just kidding,” he said. “What trail?”

“It will all come out in court.”

“Don’t get huffy. If you found something, we’d better get on it.”

Alvin blurted it out. “We found the X-Men comic Jimmy had with him the day he disappeared. On the veranda where we got arrested. We told those cops who we were and what we were doing. They wouldn’t listen. It’s still there.”

“If it’s any consolation, those guys are never gonna make detectives. I’ll keep you informed about what happens.”

“Better bring us with you. And a scene of the crime tech. Plus you’ll need Thomas’s fingerprints. I imagine you already have Jimmy’s.”

“It’s a great break. We’ll get a search warrant for the property. As a lawyer, I imagine you know about that irritating due process stuff.”

Turned out Ray Deveau’s good nature did not extend to inviting us to join the investigation. However, he did have us sent home in a squad car, which was easy on the feet.

• • •

Loretta and Donald Donnie were overjoyed to be asked about the Smiths. As a bonus, I got some pretzels for breakfast and a Joe Louis for lunch.

“Loretta will check out the street, won’t you, Mum?”

“You need a cover,” Mrs. Parnell said, her eyes gleaming.
“You don’t want to give away our position.”

“Don’t you worry, I’ve got a cover all right, don’t I, Dad?.”

Loretta flipped through the phonebook and began making calls. She was working her way through everyone who lived on the street, asking for donations for something she called the Find Jimmy Ferguson Fund. All the conversations went something like this: “That’ll be grand. Donald Donnie will be right along to pick that up, dear, as soon as his arthritis is a bit better. Isn’t it a shame about that poor boy? Awful. Awful. Awful. I heard the police have been asking everyone if they saw anything unusual on Canada Day. Donald Donnie thinks they figure it was a kidnapping. What? Today? I can’t believe it. A man and a woman. Did they? A ponytail? Dangerous? Really?”

Alvin let out a bleat.

“But what about the day in question, dear? Did you see anything then? No? No sign of Jimmy? Of course, you’d tell the police. No, no, I don’t think you’re dumber than a cow’s arse. Sometimes, we see things we don’t know are important. No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

Five calls later and she hit the jackpot. “The Smiths are out of town, all right. But they’re only in Ingonish. We’re on to them.”

It took another three calls to track down the very same Smiths at their cabin in Ingonish Beach. Loretta had refined her tactic.

“My God, girl,” she said, when Mrs. Smith finally came to the phone. “The police are all over your place.” We couldn’t really make out the squeaks and squawks. “It has to do with that Jimmy Ferguson being missing... God, yes he is. Since Canada Day. Did you not hear about that? It’s been all over the radio and television... Well, you heard it now. Yes, it is
awful. But listen, the police want to talk to you... Because, his comic book was found on your front porch. They’re getting a search warrant. They’ll have a scene of the crime officer in your garden and everything. They’ll go through your dresser drawers. They’ll dig up your garden... Well, dear, no one’s accusing you. When did you leave town?... Oh, not until
Monday
... I don’t mean anything by that... He went missing on Sunday, Canada Day. They’ll want to know if you saw him hiding out in your area. Maybe in your backyard... Go on! Did he?... Was he?... No! And you saw this?... You’re right. That is very strange... What? At your door now. Ask them to wait. I want to hear about the...”

Loretta slammed down the phone. “Well, if that’s not the living end. She hung up because the Mounties were banging on the door. Isn’t that something, Dad?”

Alvin’s long, fishlike fingers twitched near Loretta’s neck.

“We need to know what Mrs. Smith said.” I did not say cut the dramatic bullshit, which took some self-control on my part.

“Well, if it’s so important, why aren’t you willing to wait and hear the story?” By now, Loretta was definitely in sulk mode.

“Everyone would relish your story, Loretta,” Mrs. Parnell said. “But it is urgent. Give them the bare bones of it, and you can repeat it, adding all the rich detail, later. While young Ferguson and Ms. MacPhee are investigating, you can call your friend back and find out what the police wanted. I am certain she’ll be delighted to tell you.” Loretta glowed.

“So,” I said. “What happened?”

“She saw him. In her backyard. He seemed to be playing a game with a woman, then Jimmy careened into the roses. Destroyed her prize Peace rose bush and God knows what else.”

“A woman?”

“Yes. She said the woman shouted she was sorry, and she’d pay for any damage to the flowers, but she had to get Jimmy home fast. Then Jimmy broke right through the cedar hedge and took off, and the woman took off after him. Mrs. Smith was planning to call your mother when she got back from Ingonish and tell her to replace the rose bush.”

“Did Jimmy say anything?”

“She said no, but he was crying, and now she’ll never forgive herself. I mean, it was only a frigging rose bush.”

We stared at Loretta.

Alvin said, “What woman would have been chasing Jimmy to take him home?”

• • •

Mrs. Parnell took charge of the next phase. Unlike me and Alvin, she commanded respect from the Fergusons. Mrs. Ferguson, Frances Ann and Tracy were stunned. None of them had gone to find Jimmy, much less chased him through a garden, trampling a rose bush before bursting through a cedar fence.

“Chased him? Do you think we’re crazy?” Frances Ann said.

“No one would chase Jimmy. He would panic even if one of us chased him.” Tracy had tears in her eyes.

“Imagine, then,” Mrs. Parnell said, “what would Jimmy do if someone else was chasing him?”

Mrs. Ferguson gripped her throat. “He could have another seizure. Oh, holy mother of God.”

Alvin let out that low keening sound.

I gripped his elbow.

• • •

“Poor boy,” Mrs. Parnell said, inhaling deeply in sympathy.

Alvin was back at Loretta and Donald Donnie’s. Gussie was snuggled up next to him on the sofa.

“I hope he’s in control, because he’s been the key so far,” I said. “Do you hear me, Alvin? Jimmy needs you.”

I squinted to avoid the smoke Mrs. Parnell aimed at me.

“Don’t go too far in that direction. Remember, Ms. MacPhee.”

“Remember what?” Alvin said.

“We figure your spells are connected with Jimmy’s accident. And we’ll make sure we deal with them after we find him,” I said.

“Are you feeling all right?” Mrs. Parnell asked Alvin, after giving me a look that would kill a lesser woman.

Alvin said. “You said something about the accident?”

“Yes. We’ll make sure you finally get some treatment for that trauma. But now, hop to it. We have unfinished business downtown.”

“Treatment? I don’t even remember the accident. We were kids.”

“It is quite likely that’s why you’re collapsing now, dear boy. Even so, you mustn’t allow Ms. MacPhee to bully you.”

“Move it or lose it, Alvin,” I said.

“What does the accident have to do with what’s going on now?”

“Probably nothing,” I said. “And speaking of now, it’s time to go. We’ll wait while you get yourself ready. Countdown three minutes.”

Outside the bedroom Mrs. Parnell fixed me with another look. “Be careful, Ms. MacPhee. You’re playing a dangerous game here.”

“No game. He seems to respond well to firmness. I agree with you that he needs help, and we’d better make sure he gets it. Strategically, since the Fergusons listen to you, you should make them get him hooked up with a therapist here. But in the meantime, Alvin has to help himself. That’s something Jimmy can’t do. If he’s alive, he’s on his own until we find him.”

“Camilla’s right,” Alvin said, emerging. “We’re Jimmy’s best chance.”

“Good attitude, Alvin. Enough talk. Let’s roll.”

“I thought you needed to talk to Vince again. He’s on his way out.”

“Okay, I’ll tackle him, and you tell Loretta to get a description of the woman who was chasing Jimmy. Probably quicker than getting it from Ray Deveau.”

Vince was already in his car, and he wasn’t happy to see me. And even less happy to discuss Honey again. Of course, I didn’t give a rat’s ass about his happiness.

“How do I reach Honey Redmore?”

“Are you still harping on that?”

“I am.”

“Why?”

“Because we haven’t found Jimmy yet, and we know there’s a woman involved. Maybe that event sent Honey over the edge in some way, and she’s getting even. Who knows? It’s something to follow up on.”

“That doesn’t make any sense at all. Honey wasn’t the type to go over the edge. Anyway, she doesn’t live here. Her family moved away right after the, um, event.”

“Where does she live now?”

Body language is easy to read. Vince sat in his car, with his face and body turned away from me. He kept his arms crossed, his eyebrows knit. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.”

• • •

Loretta had struck out, but not from lack of trying. The phone in her hand must have been white hot.

I used my cellphone to call P. J. and left a message asking
him to practice his research skills and to ferret out one Honey Redmore, whereabouts unknown. What’s the point of having friends if you can’t ask a favour every now and then?

“Okay,” I said to the rest of them, “we’ve turned up a lot of good stuff. Now we’ve got to focus, concentrate and strategize.”

“Yes!” Loretta screamed from the phone. “Yes, yes, you’re kidding, yes, yes, really, yes, okay, that’s good, dear.” I expect to spend less goddam time in Purgatory than Loretta took to say goodbye.

We all stood up when she finally put the phone down.

“What is it?” Alvin, Mrs. P., Donald Donnie and I said.

“The woman who was chasing Jimmy was...here let me sit down for a minute, and catch my breath.” Loretta collapsed in a chair, clutching her chest. “I’m so excited that my heart is racing. It does when I get right worked up. Doesn’t it, Dad?”

“Indeed.” But even Donald Donnie didn’t want to drag this out.

“Every minute counts,” Alvin said.

Loretta fanned herself. “Right, dear. A woman, she thinks a tall woman, wearing jeans and a scarf.”

“A scarf?” Alvin said. “Who wears a scarf in July?”

“I meant a head scarf.”

“Even so.”

“Someone who doesn’t wish to be identified,” Mrs. Parnell said.

“Anything else, Loretta?” I said.

“Well, Dad, Mrs. Smith did mention that she was pretty ugly, but she wouldn’t swear to that in a court of law.”

“I guess that’s something,” I said.

“Alvin, is Honey Redmore tall?”

“I don’t remember her being particularly tall.”

Loretta said, “Honey Redmore?”

I don’t know who howled louder, Loretta or Donald Donnie. Gussie howled a bit too.