“It's okay,” I called to the officer. “He works for me. Although not very hard.”
“Hello, Lindsay.” Alvin made his icy way into the living room. I was glad I wasn't the one with nine visible earrings and a metal eyebrow ring. No doubt even Alvin's belly button chain was frozen to his skin.
Lindsay managed to smile at him. I put it down to the parrots on his shirt.
* * *
“Listen,” I said into my chirping cellphone, “this is not a good time.” I could feel everyone's eyes as I tried to disengage Alexa from her theme: my need to pick out a bridesmaid's dress. “I'll go into the kitchen for this. Since it's hard to hold a private conversation here”
Alexa continued to squeak.
“Hold that thought,” I said into the phone. “I'll head to the other room so I don't interrupt any of the fascinating conversations in here. Hold your horses, and I'll be right with you.”
Two minutes later, I was holed up in the kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee and a grip on myself. I tried to think about what made my sister tick so I could use the information to get her off my back.
“Alexa. I know this wedding thing is important to you.”
Squawk.
“As it would be to anybody. Of course…” I took a deep breath. You can try to beat my family or you can join them. But it's a hell of a lot easier to join them, because to the best of my knowledge they've never been beaten. I'll take my chances with politicians and defence lawyers. “What? No. I do not intend to demean the ceremony and all it stands for…what an idea…Well, Alexa, that's a lot to read into someone's reaction to shopping for a dress.”
This could be dangerous. In an unguarded moment, I might reveal to Alexa where I was and why. Ten minutes later my nearest and dearest would pile into the townhouse to help by bossing everyone around. We already had enough bosses, and I didn't want my sisters interfering with the tricky business of keeping Lindsay safe.
“Fine, I will put my money where my mouth is…Sure, I'll make a commitment to shop for the dress. Okay, okay, it doesn't have to be neutral. Yes, I understand black is out of the question. I'll do it…Yes, I know the ceremony's only two weeks away. Yes, I promise…No, not tonight. I'm tied up for the next little while.”
Who knew how long it might be before Benning's rampage would end?
“I can't help it. I'll shop with you on Saturday, and we'll find a dress you approve of.” Saturday had to be a safe bet. No way Benning could evade the entire focus of the Ottawa police much longer.
“Oh, it is not too late, Alexa. Be serious. That's more than a week before the ceremony. No, that's the absolute earliest. Well, I can't help it. Previous commitments. Yes, I realize being a bridesmaid is a commitment…No, I do not have any reason to want to ruin the ceremony for you. None at all…Alexa, you are out of control. What is it with you? The way you carry on, all this stress and anxiety, perhaps you don't want to go on with this wedding. Could that be it? Second thoughts? Cold feet? Alexa? Alexa?”
* * *
I returned to the living room to face a weird tableau. They might have been cast in bronze, statues in a public plaza. Merv stayed in a half crouch, Alvin's mouth hung open wide enough to reveal fillings. Mrs. P. leaned against her walker. I could smell the spilt sherry from her overturned glass. No one moved to wipe it from the pale hardwood floor. The sole sound was the local weather news from the radio.
“What is it? What happened.”
No one spoke.
“Will somebody tell me what the hell's going on here?”
“They found her body.” Alvin dropped his voice.
“Whose body?”
“Holy shit, keep your voice down,” Merv said. “Lindsay will hear.” Lindsay lay motionless on the sofa, covered with a mohair throw.
“You're the one yelling, Merv.”
“Settle down, troops,” Mrs. Parnell whispered. “There was a news bulletin, Camilla. The body of a woman has been dumped in a snowbank off one of the side roads west of Kanata.”
Alvin whispered, “Benning's wife.”
Eight
“They gave her name on the radio? Before notifying her family?” I couldn't believe it.
Mrs. Parnell nodded. “Someone who was being interviewed blurted it out. Must have been traumatic finding her. She'd been beaten.”
From the sofa, Lindsay murmured, “What happened?”
Merv and Alvin broke out of their statue routine. Merv loped over and sat by her side. He picked up her small white hand. “It's okay,” he said.
“Is it Ralph?” She rubbed her eyes with her free hand.
“Yes,” I said.
Merv gave me a warning look. “No.”
Alvin dug an elbow in my ribs. Even Mrs. Parnell shook her head. What was this dopiness? Why would we keep this information from Lindsay?
“Please, what is it?” Lindsay sat up, small and shaky.
Merv said, “Nothing. And nothing will happen to you while I'm alive to prevent it.”
From Lindsay's other side, Alvin slid onto the sofa. “Goes double for me.”
Lindsay appeared not to have heard them. She leaned forward, head in her hands. “It is Ralph, isn't it? No one can stop him.”
“I can stop him,” said Merv.
“Me, too,” said Alvin.
Lindsay was right, even if she didn't have all the facts yet. I knew it even if those two bozos didn't. Time to set the record straight here. I opened my mouth. Mrs. Parnell motioned me to step aside.
“In a minute,” I said.
“It's important.” She gripped her walker and headed for the kitchen.
Fine. I followed her.
“Wait until the right time to tell her,” she said, when we were out of earshot. “She's a bit shell-shocked. We're not all suitable for life in the trenches.”
“Oh, come on. She's not a child. She has a right to know. Do you think she won't hear it on the news? She's shown courage. What's wrong with you people?”
“Not everyone is like you, Ms. MacPhee.”
“Maybe not, but she's an intelligent woman, and she…”
“Let us be circumspect.”
“Mrs. Parnell, I expect you to be sensible. What is gained by not telling her?”
“She's traumatized. You should wait until she's had a chance to let those pills take effect. I recognize the situation is serious. Nevertheless, we have to be gentle if we want her to get over this.”
“Listen, she's the one whose life is in danger. And she's already doped to the ears.”
“The police are bound to catch up with him after this. But in the meantime, even if he shows up, she's safe with us here.”
“I hope to hell we're up to the task.”
Mrs. Parnell straightened up smartly. “Up to it? This will be our finest hour.”
Maybe. I'd already found out the hard way I can fend off a murderer. Mrs. P. was equal to any emergency, although you'd never guess it. Merv had the security training. He and Alvin were prepared to lay down their lives