The Repossession (5 page)

The cop, RCMP Officer Maxwell Miller, was standing looking at the damage with a neighbour from across the road. First time for everything, he guessed. Tore the whole window out and driven off. The neighbour was keen to tell him what she saw.

‘This happened thirty minutes ago now,’ she explained, the reproach clear in her voice. ‘I dialled 911 the moment I saw it happen.’

‘Ma’am, there was an accident at the mall. Can’t be everywhere now, can we? Did you see who did this?’

‘They stole the girl. That’s what they did. Everyone knows Genie Magee is possessed by the devil. I don’t hold with keeping her prisoner behind bars and everything but . . .’

Miller looked at the woman with her grey hair and hooded eyes and wasn’t sure he was hearing right. ‘They stole a girl who was possessed by the devil?’ He stepped back a little to get a better look at her. ‘Ma’am, have you been drinking?’

‘I’m just telling you what happened. Aren’t you going

to write it down? Genie, that’s the girl, she was locked in her room. They put bars up and—’

‘Who locked her in her room? You didn’t think to call 911 when that happened? Why call it in now? Don’t you know it’s a felony to imprison someone – put bars on their windows? I don’t care if it’s family.’

‘Reverend Schneider said she was possessed. I told you I don’t belong to his church, but he should know.’

Miller wanted to arrest this woman for being so utterly stupid, but he had to listen to her. Sometimes you got the feeling that people didn’t deserve protection.

And Reverend Schneider was a menace. Blocking the streets with his prayer groups every time a kid went missing. Miller sighed.

‘What actually happened?’

‘They drove off. A red truck. I saw the boy climbing down from Mrs Mackie’s garage roof, but my dog was barking and—’

‘You can describe this boy? Did you see the girl?’

‘The boy was white.’

Miller looked at her, waiting for more detail. It didn’t come. ‘Anything else?’

The neighbour thought hard. ‘The driver was black.’

Miller took a deep breath. ‘Any other details other than white and black?’

‘My dog was barking and I thought he’d get loose,’ she began again. ‘Aren’t you going to see what they’ve done?’

‘Ma’am, I can see what they’ve done. They’ve torn a window out the side of the house.’ He was thinking he should call the fire department or something.

‘Mrs Magee belongs to the Church of the Free Spirits.

She goes every night at this time to pray. You can set your watch by it. Of course she was a Munby before she married that lawyer. Always going to be trouble if there’s a Munby in your street.’

Now Miller had some interest. ‘Munby? That’s this house?’ Everyone knew about the night Grandma Munby had shot the lawyer Magee in the ass. Killed him outright.

Claimed he was trying to rape her, but no one believed it.

Must have happened twelve years ago, no, more. He remembered that Grandma Munby used to tell fortunes in a caboose down by the railroad.

‘And they locked the girl up you say? Any reason?’

The neighbour looked at the cop as if he were a cretin.

‘I told you. She was possessed. The devil knows a Munby when he sees one.’

Miller called it in. He wondered what the captain would make of this.

‘I got the licence number,’ the neighbour reminded him. ‘Red truck. It’s a Spurlake plate. You’ll find them.’

The boat rocked gently as the little outboard motor propelled them along the narrow river. Clouds of midges hovered over the water, which was annoying. The moon was rising but they wouldn’t see much of it this night.

Rian was staring at the tall threatening black clouds stacking up over the mountain. ‘Doesn’t look good. They said there’d be a storm.’

Genie had one hand trailed in the water as she sprawled in the boat. She was over being nauseous, but was inexplicably tired. Couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so exhausted. But she was happy.

She studied the sky. It certainly looked ominous.

Nevertheless, it was so good to be outside, in the air, under the clouds; she didn’t care what the weather was like. She was with Rian and free. She had all she ever wanted right here, right now. She wanted the moment to last forever.

‘You OK?’ Rian called.

‘Where are we going after? We got a plan?’

Rian smiled. ‘Yeah. I got a plan. We’ll need money.

Figured we could head up to the Okanagan. Pick fruit.

Lots of kids do it. They need people right now before the season ends. It’s hard work but there’s a place to stay and we can do it for six weeks or so.’

‘Won’t they look for us there?’

‘Sure. But I got an ace, Genie. New ID. Found a website.

You just upload your photos and they mail you new ID.

We are going to like totally vanish. We are going to be John and Jasmine Briar.’

Genie looked up at him sharply. ‘Married?’

‘Brother and sister. No one would ever believe we were married.’

‘Brother and sister? Eew. That won’t be suspicious. I mean, if I kiss you or something. You are planning on kissing me, aren’t you?’ She was teasing but it was a serious question.

‘I had to get something. Couldn’t discuss it with anyone.’

Genie looked at him and nodded. ‘No. You did right. No one will be looking for a brother and sister.

Be weird though. Weird for other people.’

‘I don’t care. As long as I’m with you.’

Genie smiled, then leaned over and splashed her face. The water was cool. She wanted to swim. She

dunked her head in the water and pulled back quickly, tossing her hair back, spraying Rian.

‘Hey.’

She laughed. Was surprised at the sound of it. Surprised she could laugh again.

‘Much further?’

‘Five minutes. It’s a floating palace. You’ll love it. Got six bedrooms and the state room is like some old movie with stuffed animals and ivory and—’

‘Don’t spoil it. I’ll see it when I get there. What you do with the money he paid you for varnishing it?’

‘Gave it to Tunis. He needed tyres. You any idea what new tyres cost on a truck?’

Genie looked sad. Poor Ri had worked all summer just to give the money away to get her free. She would have to pay him back one day. Somehow.

‘Did I say thanks yet?’ she asked.

‘You just did, Genie Magee.’

‘Well thanks again, Ri. And for the record, I know it’ll kill you, but I love you and will always love you for what you did for me.’

Rian just smiled. She didn’t have to say thanks or that she loved him. He knew that already.

It was steadily growing dark. The ever expanding clouds were rapidly obscuring the stars and the moon.

You could feel the atmospheric pressure changing and the midges gathering everywhere was a sure sign that a storm would break soon.

‘There it is,’ he said. ‘Our new home. For a couple of weeks anyways.’

Genie studied the houseboat as they drew closer. It was moored by an old landing right beside the northern tip of Blacksnake Forest. It was an excellent hiding place. There wasn’t even a road to it. You could only get to it by river. Rian had thought of everything.

‘How the hell did they get a boat that big up this shallow river?’ Genie asked.

‘Same way they got the theatre up the mountain in 1890, dragged it all the way. Must have been something. I still can’t figure out how there were once ten thousand people in Spurlake. They cleared the forest and built the entire town from scratch, didn’t even stop when it snowed. My great-grandmother emigrated here from Bordeaux to work in a bank. Gran told Ma that there were thirty banks here in 1915 and it was one of the richest towns in BC. Only two left now.’

Genie smiled, looking back at him. ‘Must have been exciting, coming all this way to dig for gold and silver and think you were going to get rich. You think there’s any left?’

Rian shook his head. ‘Panned out. Tunis and me went digging about two years ago by the river, fancied we’d find gold easy. Gave up after a week and a lot of blisters.

Only later did we discover we’d been digging in a place called Sucker Creek.’

Genie laughed. She could see him digging and growing all disappointed as they piled up rocks.

They both heard the roll of distant thunder. They glanced back to the looming mountain. Lightning momentarily illuminated dense clouds. It was going to be real bad up there. Spurlake’s street lights twinkled in the distance. They’d get the worst of the storm. That was the problem of living next door to a mountain. Probably why most sensible people left so quickly when the gold ran out.

Reverend Schneider held Mrs Magee’s hand as they prayed in Genie’s bedroom. The shock of seeing the hole in the wall and the presence of police and firemen outside her home had now passed. The anger that Genie had escaped was still present and it was all Reverend Schneider could do to contain it, keep her calm and just pray for the soul of her wayward daughter. The devil was strong here. He had found a weakness and exploited it and whoever was responsible was clearly resourceful. The girl was out in

the world and there was nothing they could do now but pray that when the devil came for her, he would take her quickly and painlessly.

‘She can never return to this house. Genie Magee is no daughter of mine. I will never have her back,’ Mrs Magee declared to no one in particular.

‘She needs our love,’ Reverend Schneider told her, but without any sincerity.

‘She gets none from me,’ Mrs Magee spat. ‘That girl is dead to me – forever. I swear it. I never had a daughter.’

RCMP Officer Miller was on the stairs suddenly.

‘Reverend Schneider? Can I speak with you a moment, sir?’

Reverend Schneider let go of Mrs Magee’s hand and got up off his knees. Mrs Magee remained where she was, staring at nothing, consumed by her anger.

Miller met the Reverend outside on the stoop. Both men could see the wind was gathering strength. The trees shook and swayed, but the rain was holding off for the present.

‘Any news on the people who did this terrible thing?’

Miller nodded. ‘Witness got a licence plate number. Is that your car there, Reverend?’ He pointed to the silver Mercedes Benz parked in the yard.

‘Yes, Officer.’

Miller was a tad confused. The witness had described

a red pick-up truck. The licence plates she had remembered were now attached to the silver four-door sedan outside.

‘Is there a problem?’ Reverend Schneider wanted to know.

‘You don’t happen to own a red pick-truck by any chance?’

Reverend Schneider looked confused. ‘No.’

Miller nodded and put his notebook away. ‘I guess someone has a sense of humour in this town.’ He looked at the Reverend and back towards the Mercedes. ‘Looks like God is a paying business, Reverend.’

‘The Lord is generous and helps those who do his work, Officer. Now if we are done, I have a distraught mother inside who is missing her daughter.’

‘About that girl, Reverend. My report will show that you encouraged Mrs Magee to cage her daughter up for the summer. Copy goes to the welfare officer. You can advise Mrs Magee that she can make a fuss that the girl is gone, but no one is going to be sympathetic, given the situation. You make a song and dance about all the kids that go missing from this town, but in my experience, problems begin at home.’

Reverend Schneider ran a hand through his oil-slick hair and narrowed his eyes.

‘You have no idea what situation was going on in this home, Officer. You are not the judge and jury of home life in this town.’

Officer Miller pointed at the badge on his sleeve.

‘Serve and protect, Reverend. That’s what we do. What is it
you
do exactly?’

Reverend Schneider turned away without a word and went back inside, slamming the door behind him.

Miller walked back to his car. The girl would be long gone by now. Good luck to her. Spots of rain were spitting on to his windshield. Not a good night to be out there, wherever. When that storm broke it would be pretty treacherous. What kind of mother was it that couldn’t even produce a photograph of her child? He’d been shocked by that. Something bad had gone on in this house. This wasn’t like the other kids who’d gone missing in Spurlake and God knew there had been enough of them lately. This girl had been rescued; he had no doubt about that. He hoped the boy who’d set her free would take better care of her than her mother.

He looked back at the house a moment. Thought he glimpsed Reverend Schneider and Mrs Magee staring at him from a darkened bedroom. He didn’t know why exactly, but it made his flesh crawl.

Genie watched Rian make pasta with sauce out of the bottle. He’d stashed food and got at least two of her favourite DVDs to watch. He’d even brought cute blue cupcakes from the bakery. She was amazed at how organized he was, how good he was at looking after her.

The houseboat really was like a palace. Well, perhaps not a palace, but maybe like an old fashioned railcar, like one she’d seen in a museum once, with thick upholstered furniture, lit by gold-tipped Tiffany oil lamps and leather armchairs and a wood and steel kitchen and bar that was so elegant it must have been built for a ship’s captain.

‘This is like a room out of the Titanic,’ she told Rian.

‘I’ve never been anywhere like it.’

‘It once belonged to Premier Maclean. Used it for hunting trips up the river. Wait till you see our four-poster bed.’

Genie smiled.
Our bed
, he’d said. The very idea tingled every fibre of her body.

‘Of course it’s got all these stuffed deer and bears on

the walls,’ Rian was saying, pulling a face as he glanced at a bear’s head on the wall. ‘People shot anything that moved back then, I think. No respect for wildlife. This was their floating hunting lodge.’

‘Well, it’s our palace and I love being here with you.’

Rian smiled.

‘Food’s ready.’

He turned with a steaming bowl of pasta and placed it on to the redwood table. ‘It’s hot, Genie. Eat slow.’