Never Hug a Mugger on Quadra Island (16 page)

She gave Kyra a thin smile. “A great guy.” Her eyes were welling.

“Did you get to know his friends?”

“Some.” She pulled a tissue from a pocket.

“Who was he close to?”

“Well, couple of guys over on Quadra. Here at the college, Mike Campbell, it was Mike who introduced Derek and me.” She giggled.

“Is that funny?”

“Well, no. Before I started dating Derek, I was going with Mike.”

“I see. Was that hard on Mike, your leaving him for Derek?”

“It wasn't like that. I wasn't going to be with Mike much longer anyway.”

“Did Mike know that?”

“Yeah. Well, sorta.” Cindy wiped her nose. “Why do you want to know this?”

“Anything we can learn about Derek and his friends might help us. You want us to find who beat him, don't you?”

“Mainly I want him to be okay again.”

“And when he's okay, you don't want anything else to happen to him, right?”

She sighed, close to a sob in her outbreath. “No. Please no.” She looked Kyra in the eye. “Ask me.”

“Was Mike angry when you started dating Derek?”

“No. Course not.” She stared at the table again. “Why should he be?”

Noel said, “You're a very attractive young woman. Any guy could be upset if you shifted your affection.”

“Are you saying Mike could've done this to Derek? He's not even in town.”

“We're just asking questions, Cindy.”

“No. There's no way Mike would—he's a gentle guy. No.”

“Tell us about his other friends.”

“Gaston Robitaille and Joe Daimley. They drank a lot of beer together. Too much, I thought. Gast specially, he got real loud after a few.”

“Is that what they mostly did together?”

“Beer, and they played hockey. And sometimes we double-dated, Derek and me, and Gaston and Kelly. Or Joe and whoever he was with and— Shit.”

“What?”

She put her hands to her mouth. “Won't be doing that for a while.”

Noel made the connection. The list of numbers— “Did Gast and Joe do drugs with Derek?”

“What?”

“We think they were. More than just doing.”

“What d'you mean, more?”

“Dealing?”

“Derek? No way.”

“We've learned a few things, Cindy.”

“Come on. Not Derek.”

“If you know something about drugs, now's the time to tell us. To help Derek.”

“I do want to help Derek. But how can this help?”

“Tell us what it is, and if it helps, then you've helped.”

“It's not—oh, I don't know.” She wiped her nose again.

Kyra smiled encouragingly. Noel looked stern. Cindy wouldn't meet their eyes. She rolled her shoulders. She rubbed her right hand with her left.

Kyra leaned toward her. “What?”

“I don't know. I'm sorry, I just don't know.”

“We're not the police, Cindy. If it's not important we'll forget it. I promise.”

Cindy took a deep breath. “Derek did it because he really cares for Shane. He did it for Shane.” She paused. “He could get some good weed. Gast and Joe, they found the guys to sell it to. They were supposed to meet up that night.”

Out of the corner of her eye Kyra noted Alana, leaning out the window of the Honda, listening intently.

“The three of them were going to meet these buyers. The meet was up at the end of Evergreen Road. Where he was found.” Tears welled again. “Then Derek was coming over here. We were going to be together.” She sniffed hard and wiped her face with the decomposing tissue. “He never came here, he was lying up there. I waited an hour then went looking for Gast and Joe. I found them at the Riptide, they were pissed. I got Joe outside and he told me they'd done the deal and they'd left Derek up there. He was fine when they left him.” She sniffed, and wiped her nose.

Kyra found a pack of tissues in her purse and handed one to Cindy.

Cindy took it, wiped her cheeks and eyes. “Thank you.” She stared at the hood of the car. “Except then—I drove to Evergreen but I never got that far, I saw cop cars, their lights flashing like crazy, and I just turned around, if he was okay he'd be fine and if he wasn't—anyway, I came home and took some sleeping pills and the next morning Linda told me.”

“You said Derek was doing this deal for Shane. What do you mean?”

“There's a chance that the guy who's been supporting Shane's going to stop.”

Noel said, “Austin Osborne?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“The stock market's tanking and Osborne lost money and maybe couldn't afford to keep on supporting Shane.”

“Maybe?”

“They had to wait and see what happened to Osborne's investments. But Derek didn't want to take the chance. So he did what he figured he had to.”

Kyra said, “Where'd he get the weed?”

“I don't know.”

Kyra glanced at Noel, back to Cindy. “Thanks for telling us.”

Noel straightened up. “Did you inform the police?”

Cindy blinked hard. “No.”

“Because?”

“Because I didn't want to get Derek into trouble!” Now nearly shouting.

“He's already in trouble.”

Kyra touched Cindy's shoulder. “We'll do all we can for Derek.”

Noel said, “Is there anything else you could tell us?”

Whispering: “I've told you everything.”

“It may help Derek. If there's anything else you think of, please phone us.” He handed her a card.

“What're you going to do now?”

“Continue the investigation.”

“Will you talk to Gast and Joe?”

“Probably.”

Cindy grabbed the door handle. “Please don't tell them I said all this stuff.”

He glanced at Kyra, who nodded. “We won't tell them.”

She moved toward the house. Turned, looked from Kyra to Noel, went inside.

Kyra raised her eyebrows. “Impressive. How come you zeroed in on Derek's dealing?”

“Little things. Tim calling those two dopeheads. Derek's oldest best friend Jim growing marijuana—”

“Which he said he'd never deal, he'd lose that license—”

“But which he might deal if the close friend was desperate. But mostly it was the schedule Alana found. First date on the list was June 15, the day Derek was beaten. Is three thousand dollars a good price for a kilo of marijuana?”

“Sounds cheap to me.”

“And six more kilos to go. With medical marijuana Jim would make sure he always had a fresh supply ready to harvest. What's a kilo when you're getting fifteen or twenty kilos every few weeks? Does Jim's father know exactly how much is maturing?”

“We don't know. We don't even know if Derek got the stuff from Jim.”

“I'd bet on it.” He walked back to the Honda. “We should revisit Jim.”

Kyra said, “Right now, back to Gaston and Joe.”

“I'd guess Derek's partners in crime weren't the ones who beat him.”

They got into the car. Alana said, “Did you learn good stuff?”

“Didn't you hear everything? Your curious head was obvious.” Kyra found herself liking Alana more and more.

“Derek took Cindy away from a Mike, and Derek did the deal for Shane because Osborne may have money problems.”

“Good ears.” Noel started the engine and pulled away. He inverted the arrival route, back on Dogwood. Again on to Evergreen, then Peterson, and there was Joe Daimley's house. On the porch no chair was occupied.

Kyra said, “Alana, this time keep the windows closed and stay low in the seat. We may have to confront a couple of guys here.”

“You mean—you mean they might try to fight you?”

“We don't know.”

“Uh, Uncle Noel? Do you have a gun?”

“No, Alana. We don't carry guns.”

“Shouldn't you?”

“We don't work that way.”

“What if they have guns?”

“We'll walk away and they won't use them.”

“Please be careful.”

“We try very hard to be careful.”

And sometimes even succeed, Kyra thought.

Kyra and Noel got out and walked toward the stairs. Noel said, “Plans?”

“Confront them with the deal they made, find out who the buyers are.”

“You lead.” They crossed the verandah. Noel pushed a doorbell. Ringing inside. Silence. Another ring. Nothing.

Kyra tried the doorknob. Unlocked. “Want to look around?”

“No, Kyra, I do not.”

“If they're not there, no big deal.” She pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Hello!”

“I'll wait here.” He hated it when she did this. He stared at the car. Alana wasn't visible. Good. A couple of cars drove past. He sat in one of the chairs. What the hell was taking her so long? Probably peeing, on top of everything else. She had to get serious about this baby. At the very least a medical exam. Where the hell was she? He squeezed his eyes tight. A headache coming on? Damn. He breathed deeply.

A voice said, “Hi. You looking for me?”

Noel's head jerked and his eyes opened. Joe Daimley, backpack slung over one shoulder, same jeans and T-shirt as yesterday. “Yes.”

“All by yourself today?”

“No. Kyra's inside.”

“The house?”

“Yes.”

“What's she doing in there?” Irritation building.

Investigating, stupid, that's what she does. “The door was open and—”

“Open?” Joe's eyes narrowed. He pulled his long hair off his neck.

“Unlocked, and she went in. She had to use the bathroom. I'll call her.” He leapt from the chair, opened the door, “Kyra! Joe's arrived! You done in there?”

“Thank you!” A calm voice. Followed a few seconds later by Kyra, adjusting her T-shirt. “Hey, Joe. We've been waiting for you. Is your buddy around?”

“He's at the college.”

“We'd like to talk to the two of you.”

“About what?”

“More questions about Derek.”

“Ask away.”

“We'd like your double insight.”

Joe shrugged. “I can try calling him.”

“Good.”

Joe took a cell phone from the front of his pack, pressed in a pre-set number. “Hey, Gast . . . Yeah, look, those two guys from yesterday . . . Yeah, and they want to talk to us, can you come over? . . . Oh, yeah, sure. Hold on.” To Noel and Kyra: “He's got a class in forty minutes. But we can meet him at the college. The bookstore.”

Kyra looked at Noel. He nodded.

“Great. Be there in ten.”

Noel said, “We can drive you.”

“Naw, I'll check out some stuff for my hydraulics class. I'll drive myself.”

“We'll follow.” Down the stairs to Noel's Civic and Joe's Echo.

Noel whispered to Kyra, “Joe's a trusting fellow.”

Kyra said, “You're right. These guys wouldn't have bashed Derek around.”

They got into the Honda. Noel started the engine and drove off behind Joe. He asked Kyra, “What did you find in there?”

“Nothing. He's got a bedroom, clothes on the floor and books in piles and graph paper all over the place. Looks like he's studying heavy machinery too.”

“Not the room of a criminal.”

“Only if mess is a crime.”

From in back Alana said, “Did you just walk into that house and look around?”

“Sure.”

“Why?”

“Because the door was open.”

“Huh?”

“It was like being invited in.”

“Oh,” said Alana.

“Like your taking a memory stick out of a hockey skate.”

“It fell out, Kyra!”

“Same difference.”

Alana sat far back in her seat. “Unc? Why didn't you go in, too?”

“Somebody has to stand guard.”

“Oh.” Smaller voice.

Under ten minutes to North Island College. Alana had to stay in the car. Objections, but that was how it would be. Or she could go to the cafeteria. She stayed. They followed Joe to the bookstore. It was a new campus, meticulously landscaped, one side the college, the other the high school Tim attended.

Gast, shaven skull gleaming in the sun, waited at the door. “Hey, what's up?”

“Just a few more questions.” Noel looked at the grassy slope between the buildings and the parking lot. “Want to sit on the grass?”

They did. Kyra said, “Now look, guys, don't panic, okay?”

Gast raised his eyebrows. “About what?”

“You'll likely come out of this okay. We know you two and Derek met a couple of people up on Evergreen and sold them some dope. How much did you get?”

Gast was on his feet first, then Joe. Gast said, “Fuckin' nerve, accusing us of dealing.”

“Sit down,” said Noel.

Joe: “What the hell's this about?”

Kyra: “Sit down and we'll tell you.”

The two guys glanced at each other, and sat.

Noel said, “The first thing you need is a lawyer. The second is to go with us and your lawyer to the Mounties. Your lawyer will make it clear that you've come in freely and want to help in the Derek Cooper case.”

Joe and Gast stared at Noel, saying nothing.

“Your lawyer will also make it clear that all potential charges regarding the sale of an illegal substance must be dropped. Say nothing till the Mounties agree. Then you tell them everything you and Derek did that evening. Understand?”

Gast turned to Kyra. “Is he serious?”

“Very. The Mounties are going to be much more interested in what you have to tell them about the buyers, and about what happened before Derek was beaten.”

“We got to talk.” He stood again and moved away ten meters. Joe followed. They spoke in whispers. Kyra and Noel heard a few words: “. . . kill us . . . give them up . . . Soy and Gagnon . . . looked mean . . . The two came back.”