The city of Pembroke lies beside the mighty Ottawa River, 100 miles upstream from Canada’s national capital. The community got its start as a supply centre in the late 1800s when logs cut from the surrounding hills were floated down the Ottawa River to the sawmills of Montreal.
Today Pembroke is a city of over thirteen thousand. Its downtown has a quaint and antique air about it. The main street is lined with rows of interesting little shops under sturdy Victorian store fronts. Most of the city’s modern buildings and its two new shopping malls have been relegated to the outskirts of town.
Although Pembroke has retained some remnants of its once flourishing lumber industry, it has primarily evolved into a major goods and services depot for the farmers of the lush Ottawa Valley and for the five thousand Canadian military personnel at nearby Camp Petawawa.
As the last major community on the route from Ottawa to North Bay, 130 miles to the west, Pembroke is a vital cultural and communications link along Highway 17. The significance of its location is enhanced by the Pembroke bridge, the only one for miles that crosses the Ottawa River and connects eastern Ontario with the Gatineau Hills of Quebec.
Because of its strategic location there is a significant police presence in Pembroke. As well as having its own police force, the city has a twenty-five member detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police stationed in the heart of town. The OPP are responsible for policing beyond the city limits. The RCMP also has a small representation in Pembroke to enforce federal law. It is ironic that so many police are stationed in Pembroke because this is a very gentle, law abiding community.
Pembroke is certainly not a pretentious place. It has few stately mansions or elaborate estates. Although the community has its share of professionals and entrepreneurs, most of its residents are hard working people of average means. Essentially, Pembroke is a humble city of modest frame homes.
It was on Dominion Street in Pembroke, in one of these unassuming bungalows, that Robert and Janice Whiteman lived with their eightmonth-old daughter Laura (not her real name).
Janice Whiteman, whose maiden name was McKenzie, was born and raised in Pembroke. Her mother and her brother, Peter, stayed here. In high school she was an average kid with a typical cluster of friends. She wasn’t particularly active in school and was only a marginal student. That was probably due to the fact that she paid more attention to her boyfriend than her books. If the other girls envied her it was because he was one of the few boys in town who drove a Corvette. Janice got serious about him quickly and made up her mind she was going to marry him.
Other than riding in the Corvette they didn’t attract a lot of attention. He was an average looking guy and Janice was rather plain. She was a strawberry blond with square shoulders who waged a constant battle with her weight. Her pretty face was spotted with freckles. A slight space between her teeth gave her an apple pie cuteness that was appealing. Janice’s charm was based on a ready smile and a willingness to help others. Beneath the smile, Janice McKenzie could be all business. She was a determined girl and extremely self-reliant. When she felt strongly about something, she could be very demanding.
Not long after graduating she married her high school sweetheart. Contrary to the common practice of the time, Janice decided to keep her maiden name. McKenzie was a proud British name that Janice had always loved. She felt very strongly about keeping it.
They were married at a time when Pembroke was economically depressed. There were few good jobs available and prospects were limited for young people seeking a promising future. Since Pembroke had little to offer, Janice decided that leaving town was the only sensible thing to do. She and her husband packed their bags and moved to Ottawa.
When Janice left Pembroke her mother and father were confident their daughter would be successful. She was an extremely independent woman who had always gone her own way and made things work out. Her parents’ only concern was that she was inexperienced and a bit naive. They felt that Janice trusted people too easily and had a natural empathy for those who were suffering. She seemed to be drawn to people with problems.
Janice recognized this quality in herself. She thought she could put it to good use by becoming a social worker. However, to do that, she realized she needed more than a high school education. For the time being, returning to school was out of the question. She was going to Ottawa to work as a secretary.
Nine months after leaving Pembroke her marriage collapsed. It was all very amicable; Janice and her husband agreed they had made a mistake and simply called it quits. And, even though she was young and alone, Janice had no intention of moving back to Pembroke. She enjoyed life in the big city and wanted to stay. Realizing that her job would barely support her living on her own, Janice moved in with her sister Carol.
Before long she was bored with her job and quit to try a couple of civil service positions with the federal government. Clerical work left her terribly unsatisfied. She wanted to be doing something that could make a difference in people’s lives. More than ever, she yearned to be a social worker.
When her twenty-seventh birthday rolled around Janice knew if she didn’t go back to school she would be trapped forever in a series of meaningless jobs and would grow old doing work she detested. Independent as ever, she quit her job and enrolled in the social services program at Ottawa’s Algonquin College. She knew it would be a tough couple of years scrimping on student loans but was determined to do it. To make ends meet, Janice moved in with two girl friends who attended the college. Although her resources were limited, living the life of a college co-ed was fun. And, although the work at school was demanding, she loved it.
When Janice finished school she got a job in a men’s hostel in Ottawa. Then she met Robert. Not long after that, they got married. A year ago, the two of them had come to Pembroke to live. At that time, Janice was pregnant and wanted to be near her mother when she had her baby. She also wanted her child to grow up in the wholesome environment of Pembroke where she could absorb the solid values of the smaller community.
Once she had the baby, Janice found she was spending a lot of time at home by herself. Robert was often on the road. He worked for his father, who ran a financial investment business out of Calgary. He had to travel a great deal because, as a stocks and bonds courier and a security analyst, he was required to make calls all across Canada. Her husband was away almost every second week and in the two years that she had known him he had flown to almost every major city in the country. Janice wasn’t about to complain about his job because he made an excellent salary and was a very good provider. There were, however, other things about her husband that bothered her a great deal. Sometimes he drank too much and she wasn’t crazy about some of the friends he’d made in Ottawa. She was not pleased that some of them came out to Pembroke to visit. Occasionally, Robert went to Ottawa to see them.
But, all in all, life with Robert was good. As long as they loved each other, Janice was convinced they could work out their problems. She felt they had a better chance of doing that in Pembroke. Things might not be perfect between them, but they were a lot better here than they had been in Ottawa.
Janice was sitting beside the phone at home when it rang. She picked it up and said, “Hello.”
“Hi,” Robert said, “it’s me. I’ll be home in about twenty minutes.”
“Where are you?” Janice asked.
“I’m calling from the sky on a chartered airplane. It’s the only way I could get home in time. Can you meet me at the airport?”
“You’re flying on a charter?”
“Yeah. What’s the big surprise? I’ve done it before.”
“God, you are extravagant. I hope your dad’s paying for it.”
“Why wouldn’t he? It’s all in a day’s work. Can you meet me at the airport?”
“Yeah. When are you due in?”
“In about twenty minutes.”
“Alright. I’ll see you there.”
“Bring the baby too, OK?”
“Yeah, she’ll be excited to see you.”
“Me too. Talk to you later.”
Janice got Laura ready and carried her out to the car. Although their house was small and simple, their car was definitely the classiest automobile in that part of town, if not the entire city. It was a Chrysler 5th Avenue, black and sleek, and it looked great in their driveway. Many of Robert’s Ottawa friends drove cars just like it. They all bought them from the same Ottawa Chrysler dealer.
As she settled the baby in her car seat, Chris, one of her neighbours, waved hello. He was standing on the roadway in front of the house.
“Hi,” Janice said as she strapped Laura into her car seat.
Chris came closer.
“Where you off to? Going for a ride in the country?”
“No, I have to pick up Robert at the airport.”
“Went away again, did he?”
“Yeah. Seems like he’s away more than he’s home.” Janice got in behind the steering wheel.
“Where’s he been this time?”
“London, I think. I’m pretty sure he said he was going to London.”
“You mean in England?”
“No, no, no. London, Ontario. He’s only been gone since yesterday afternoon.”
“Sure gets around, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, he flies a lot.” Janice closed the door to the car. Not wanting to offend Chris, who was standing right beside her now, she immediately rolled down the car window.
“Wish I had a job like that,” he said.
“Oh, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. There’s lots of times he doesn’t want to go. He doesn’t like being away from the baby ... or me.” She said the last part with a twinkle in her eye.
“Well, I wouldn’t mind trying it for a year or two. Hell of a lot better than sticking around here all the time.”
“The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, you know.”
“I suppose.”
“Well, I got to get going,” Janice said. She turned the key in the ignition. “I don’t want to be late. He called me from the airplane.”
“He did what?” Chris’s eyes got bigger.
“He called me from the plane. He does that some time.”
“I’ll be damned. He sure lives the high life.”
The baby started to squirm in her seat. Janice nudged the car backwards in the driveway.
“Say hello to him for me,” Chris requested.
“I will. Talk to you later.” Janice waved goodbye and pulled the car out into the street. It was only a ten-minute drive to the airport but she wanted to be there in time to watch his plane come in. So would the baby. Besides, when she drove Robert to the airport yesterday morning she had told him, in no uncertain terms, to be home today in time for supper. Janice was still steaming from his last trip when he flew to western Canada and, without telling her, stopped off in the United States to visit friends for a few days on the way back.
This time he had kept his promise to be home for supper. The least she could do was be there when he arrived.
As Janice drove west into the sun on the county road she glanced over at Laura. Just looking at the little girl filled Janice with pleasant feelings. Her chubby face was so beautiful. Her little hands were so perfect. Janice knew the new baby would be beautiful too. She liked the idea that there would be less than two years between them. That would work out well. They would grow up together and be best friends.
Janice thought about how Laura loved playing with Robert. There was always so much laughter between them. He spent hours playing with her and caring for her. Robert might have his faults but he was wonderful with Laura. Janice was sure he would be the same with the new baby. When the new baby came, their family life would be even better than now, twice as much fun.
Then Janice’s mind strayed to the most exciting news of all. She and Laura would be heading for the Caribbean sometime in the future. Robert and her cousin Mick were flying out next week to look for a business to buy in the islands. Robert had met Mick in England on one of his trips overseas. The two of them had taken an instant liking for one another and thought they would like to be partners in running a bar or a restaurant. Once they found a business that looked feasible, Janice and the baby would fly down to be with them. If she liked it there, they all might stay – permanently. Robert was tired of his job travelling for his father. It was too demanding, too hard on his nerves. He wanted to open a small bar in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Robert had done a lot of reading and checked it out. There were thousands of tourists on those islands, and a little business like he had in mind could work out well.
He and Janice had talked about the move very thoroughly. Maybe they wouldn’t make as much money as they did right now but they wouldn’t need a lot of money. Living down there would be much cheaper. Almost everything was less expensive – housing, no heating bills, less clothing. The bottom line was that Robert would be happier and that was important because he had become difficult to live with lately. He seemed constantly on edge, easily irritated.
Robert’s trip with Mick was all set. He had already booked his flight through Bennett Travel in Pembroke. They were leaving next Tuesday, June 16.
By the time Janice turned onto the Airport Road, she was talking to herself out loud.
“I will definitely come back and have the baby in Pembroke but Robert can go down and get the business started. Then as soon as I’m strong enough, we can go down and join him.”
“It’ll be great, Laura,” she said to the baby beside her. “Swimming whenever we want and playing all day in the sand.” Janice’s happiness was infectious; the baby clapped her hands as if applauding.
Janice didn’t know where this idea about the Turks and Caicos Islands would lead but it was exciting to think about. That was the one great thing about being married to Robert Whiteman. There was always something new and exciting happening, something to look forward to. She never knew what was going to happen next.
Janice turned right off the Airport Road and headed down the driveway towards the terminal. As she pulled into the large paved parking lot adjacent to the modern brown brick building, Janice took no notice of two men sitting in a grey Pontiac that was parked near the entrance. There were only four other cars in the lot. With plenty of open spaces to choose from she pulled to a stop in a space about forty feet from the entrance doors. After lifting Laura from her car seat she stood for a minute checking the sky. It was overcast with a layer of dark grey clouds. The flag hung limp from its standard.
“Not such a nice day for Daddy to fly,” she said to her little girl. “Oh, well, he probably talked the whole way anyway and never noticed it.”
Inside the terminal, Janice carried Laura across the waiting room to the huge windows that looked out on the long runway. The lounge area was almost empty. There were two business men with briefcases sitting in the row of chairs closest to the window. A woman with papers in her hand walked into the hallway leading to the administrative offices across from the lounge.
While Janice and the baby waited in the lounge the supervisor in the traffic office was giving the incoming pilot, Grant Milburn, the wind speed and direction. The airport traffic had been so quiet today she was pleased to have a little business to transact. In standard air controller’s jargon she cleared the plane for landing.
Janice scanned the horizon and spotted a lone twin engine plane approaching over the trees in the distance. It was coming from the southwest.
“That must be it,” she said to the baby. Pointing to the plane, Janice whispered, “Here he comes. Here comes Daddy.” Laura, imitating her mother, pointed her little finger in the general direction of the incoming aircraft.
The plane landed and taxied towards them. Moments later it was roaring its engines in front of the terminal building. Janice watched carefully, and as soon as the engines were cut, she saw Robert appear in the plane’s doorway holding his briefcase and a leather jacket.
“I think Daddy’s bought a new coat,” she whispered to Laura.
As much as Robert had enjoyed the flight, he was glad to be on the ground again. The sight of Janice and the baby in the window of the terminal made him feel good and brought a smile to his face. He started down the stairs.
One of the pilots, Grant Milburn, carrying Robert’s garment bag, followed him. The two men advanced briskly towards the terminal, chatting as they walked.
When Robert entered the lounge he went directly to Janice and the baby.
“Hi,” he said and kissed them both. He gently stroked Laura’s cheek and made a fuss over her. She responded with delight and reached out to touch him back.
Janice said, “You’ve been drinking.”
“Yeah, I’ve had a few drinks.” Her comment irritated him. He felt she could have at least said hello first. It was discouraging. “Let’s go. I’m kind of tired,” he said.
Then Robert remembered his garment bag. The pilot had been standing back so as not to interfere with the intimacy of their meeting. Robert turned to him and took the bag.
“Thanks for the flight,” he said. “It was great.”
“Our pleasure,” Milburn replied, “It was fun. I hope you call us again some time.”
“Yeah, maybe I will. See you later.”
Milburn said goodbye and headed back to his aircraft. The two business men sitting in the front row chairs didn’t seem to notice Robert’s arrival or Milburn’s departure. They sat face-to-face and continued their intense conversation.
Robert and Janice didn’t talk as they left the lounge. He was still stinging from her opening rebuke; she wasn’t happy that he’d been drinking so early in the day. Janice carried the baby. Robert had his garment bag in one hand and his briefcase in the other. His new jacket was tucked under his left arm. They stepped out into the parking lot.
Janice broke the brittle silence between them. “Not a real great day,” she said. “What was the flight like?”
“It was OK, but I’m glad it’s over.”
“Is it good to be home?” she asked with a slight touch of sarcasm in her voice.
“It’s great to be home,” he said earnestly. Then he gave the baby a joyous, wide-eyed smile which she returned with glee, tossing her head against her mother’s shoulder.
As the little family headed to their car they paid no heed to the two men in casual clothes who got out of the grey Pontiac in the parking lot, and began walking towards them.
Although Robert Whiteman, the consummate bank robber, was clever and cunning, he had no reason to suspect that the police had been closing in on him for weeks. He had no idea how close they had come to capturing him earlier that day, no notion that just hours ago an inspector with the Ontario Provincial Police had called London City Police to warn them that Robert Whiteman was in their city to rob a bank. He was totally unaware that Inspector MacCharles’s phone call had come just a whisker too late.
At this moment, all Robert Whiteman was thinking about was how good it was to be home. He was tired and hungry and looking forward to having a bite to eat, flopping in his chair and putting his feet up for the rest of the evening.
Of course, he would make time to have some fun with the baby. He was never too tired for that. She was the best thing that had ever happened in his entire life. He had never really known pure love until Laura came along. Just her smile could melt his heart.
As they walked, without any prompting, she gave him that beautiful smile again. She was the centre of the satisfying little world that Robert now enjoyed. It was a world that he had taken him a long painful journey to find.
It was hard for him to believe that his troubled life had turned out so well. Here he was with a family of his own, living comfortably in a quaint little city in a tranquil country far from his angry roots. He was well aware that no life can be perfect, but this must be close, considering the utter misery he’d left behind.