16

 

Ray Palmer called his wife, May, and told her he wanted them to go on holiday for a few weeks. At first May thought he was kidding because it didn’t make any sense. They’d just got back from Bermuda not two months ago, and they had a trip planned for Christmas that was coming up fast. In fact, she still needed to shop for that trip. But he insisted they had to go away immediately. His voice told her how frightened he was. She asked what was the matter, but he wouldn’t say. He just asked her to trust him and told her everything would be okay.

The flight had been booked and May packed for both of them. They were flying to Hawaii Sunday afternoon. Ray told her not to prepare dinner because he was picking up takeout and would be home by seven. She was watching from their living room window when his car pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the garage door.

She watched as the garage door started to open and another car pulled into the driveway, and parked, right behind Ray.

Two men jumped out. One of them moved to the driver’s side of Ray’s car and stood there for a moment. Then he returned to their vehicle, they both got back in their car and were gone.

But Ray didn’t pull the car into the garage. Maybe he was on his phone. The car was still running, sitting in front of the open garage door.

May waited a few minutes, but he still hadn’t pulled into the garage. Something was wrong. Best she go check on him, she thought. It was cold out at night this time of year, and May knew she’d really feel the cold in her dress and fancy pumps. She put on her coat, pulled on her short boots, put her phone in one of the deep pockets, and went out the front door. She stood there for a minute, listening to the purr of the car engine, waiting for Ray to pull the car into the garage. She walked slowly down the steps and over to the car and around to the driver’s side.

The glass on his side was shattered. Ray was collapsed against the steering wheel, blood oozing from the back of his neck. In a daze, May Palmer stepped back from the car, pulled out her phone and dialled 911. It wasn’t until she heard the words 911, police, fire or ambulance… that she started to scream.

 

 

Two officers in a patrol car beat Strickland and Bannon to the Palmer place by a few minutes. One of them took a sobbing May Palmer back into the house, and the other one turned off Palmer’s car and secured the scene.

Once inside, the officer had helped her with her boots and got her sitting on the sofa. She kept her coat on. He pulled the drapes so May couldn’t see what was going on outside.

When the detectives arrived a few minutes later, they surveyed the scene, then called for the crime scene techs.

Donning gloves, Bannon scooped up Palmer’s phone from the cradle on the dash. Then he followed Strickland inside to talk with May Palmer. When they entered, she was quietly sobbing. The uniform had fetched a glass of water. It sat on the coffee table in front of her.

“Mrs. Palmer, I’m Detective Strickland and this is my partner, Detective Bannon. Can we speak with you for a few minutes?”

May took a long shuddering breath and nodded. Strickland took a seat on the sofa beside her, and Bannon took the chair opposite. Strickland pulled out a notebook and pen. Bannon turned on his phone’s recorder and placed it on the coffee table. She looked at Bannon, then at Strickland. She started talking, her voice a dull, lifeless monotone.

“Two men drove in, behind Ray. One of them got out of their car… He went to the driver’s side… I thought he was just talking to Ray. We were going to Hawaii. Tomorrow. Because Ray was scared… I don’t know why. Ray said everything would be okay. He said he’d tell me everything when we… when we…”

“What about the car that they were driving? Do you remember anything about it?”

“It was a dark colour. That’s all I can remember. I thought the two men were with Ray. I really didn’t pay much attention.”

“Okay. What about the two men in the car. Can you remember anything about them?”

“There were two men, like I just said. They were behind Ray when he drove in and they both got out of the car. They were wearing hats. No, they were wearing caps. Baseball caps. I couldn’t see their faces. Then, the driver walked over to Ray’s window and stood there a minute. I thought they were talking.”

The detectives asked a few questions, but it was clear from her answers that May Palmer had seen nothing that would help with identifying the gunman. She had no idea why her husband had been shot dead in their driveway. She repeated the same information. It was clear that she was in a state of shock and couldn’t be left alone.

“Can we call anyone for you?” asked Angie Strickland.

“I don’t have any family here in Kamloops, but there’s Marilyn. She’s Ray’s sister.”

“Marilyn Barlow?” asked Strickland.

“Yes,” said May.

Bannon called the Barlow’s number and the judge answered. He relayed what had happened and that May was in shock and couldn’t be left alone.

“Let me speak with my wife first. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Marilyn Barlow didn’t take the news well. Malcolm called a neighbour to come and sit with her, then put on his coat and drove to Ray Palmer’s place to pick up May.

Bannon couldn’t access Ray Palmer’s phone without the password. He asked Marilyn if she knew it.

“Try Rose’s birthday, 0423. That’s my niece. She’s like a daughter to us. He uses that a lot.”

Bannon turned on the phone and entered the password and he was in. He brought up Ray’s contact list.

“What’s his boss’s name?”

“Paul Mistry is his immediate supervisor.”

“Would you like us to let Paul Mistry know what happened?”

“Yes, please.”

Bannon moved outside to make that call.

 

 

Paul Mistry’s phone rang. He picked it up.

“Mr. Mistry?”

“Speaking.”

“My name is Detective Al Bannon. I’m with the Kamloops RCMP.”

“Yes, Detective. It‘s late. What can I do for you?”

“I’m afraid I have bad news, sir. One of your employees, Ray Palmer, has been murdered. It looks like it was a gang hit.”

Paul Mistry expressed what he hoped sounded like shock at the news.

“Ray… dead? A gang hit? This is shocking and upsetting news, Detective. Ray is an important and highly valued member of our team.”

“We’re trying to get an idea of why Mr. Palmer was murdered.”

“I really don’t know what to say to that. I can’t believe he’s dead! You say he was murdered?”

“Yes. Listen, why don’t we leave this till tomorrow. If you could come to the detachment office tomorrow morning, let’s say nine am.”

“Yes, of course Detective. Anything I can do to help.”

“Ask for Detective Bannon.”

As soon as he was off the phone, Paul Mistry called John Prince.

“They killed Ray.”

“I can’t say I wasn’t expecting that,” said Prince. “The League was livid about what happened to Frank McGiver.”

“It is a shame though. Ray was a good man.”

“Yes, he was, but someone had to pay.”

“Do you think this will be the end of it?”

Mistry was afraid and knew Prince could hear that fear in his voice. He didn’t care, and he didn’t bother to hide it.

“Maybe. For now.”

“What do you mean, for now? Did Chandler give you any kind of assurances?”

“He did.”

“What does he want in exchange?”

“He wants a thirty percent interest in Mountain Metals.”

“What are you going to do, John?”

“I don’t see that I have a fucking choice, Paul. I will give them their fucking thirty percent and then figure out what the hell I’m going to do next!”

“That’s all they want?”

“For now!”

“They’re going to keep up their public persona.”

“Exactly. There are two murders that could be linked to them. It wouldn’t do to look too greedy.”

“There has to be a way to stop them.”

Prince was silent for a beat.

“Make sure Ray’s wife is taken care of, Paul. We’ll cover the funeral arrangements, of course. Find out what they owe on the house. And make sure we give her a decent payout on Ray’s stock options. Whatever she wants, when she’s ready to discuss it. We can deal with that when the time comes.”

“I’ve been called in for an interview tomorrow morning at the detachment office.”

“Let’s talk strategy for that, and the rest of this fucking mess. I should have killed that bastard when they first started making their move.”

“It wouldn’t have helped, John. It just would have brought this down on you a lot sooner.”

 

 

It was well after midnight before Max got to Rose’s place. She was waiting for him with a big hug and a very long kiss.

“I needed that!”

“Me too.”

He held her tight for a long minute.

“How are you Rosie?”

“I’m fine. How is Alex’s dad doing… and Alex, and his mom… and Ari, that poor guy. And your mom?”

“Everyone’s good, but they’re worried. They won’t know right away whether Ron will be able to walk again. The bullet just missed his spinal cord. It was this close.” Max said putting a thumb and index finger together.

“Oh my god, Max.”

“Alex is pretty torn up. He thinks it’s his fault.”

“Why would he think that?”

“Wait till I give you the whole story.”

“They wouldn’t let me see Ari when I left the hospital.”

“Sweetheart, I’ll tell you everything I know, but first… I don’t know if you’ve had word yet…”

“Dad called to tell me Uncle Ray was murdered, so I wouldn’t hear it on the news.”

“How is your mom taking the news?”

“Mom is devastated.”

“I imagine she is.”

“What about your dad?”

“I don’t know if Dad will come back from this. If you had heard him on the phone…”

“I imagine it’s been hard for both you parents to try to fathom how this could have happened.”

Max stopped talking and held Rose tighter. She rested her head on his shoulder and they stood quietly for a bit. Rose broke the silence. She looked up at Max.

“Alex came to see me in the hospital last night. He wanted to clarify when Uncle Ray asked me out to dinner. By then I was clear-headed enough to put two and two together, and I realized Uncle Ray was making sure you’d be at home. And also making sure that I wouldn’t be there. I tried to explain that to Dad tonight.”

“That must have been hard for your dad to accept.”

“He insists there has to be another explanation. More to the point, he wants there to be another explanation, but of course, there isn’t.”

“Are you okay babe? Really? Are you going to be okay?”

“Fuck! No! I’m not okay! My Uncle Ray was involved in the planning of our abduction, Max… I had a feeling you know… Not right away.

“But his phone call, asking me out for dinner, there was something odd about that. Because he usually texts me. Actually, he always texts me, because he’s so busy. And I told him I’d be with Meeta Sunday night. But then I stayed with you a little longer.

“No one else knew, Max. No one but him. I just couldn’t put it together with the uncle that I’ve known all my life.”

“He didn’t mean for you to be hurt, Rose. Maybe he didn’t realize that the plan was to get rid of me.”

“Oh Max! You are my great love! He knows that! I mean, he knew that. I shared that with him right from the beginning, when I first met you.”

“I didn’t know that,” said Max, with a smile.

Rose thumped him hard on the chest. Max smiled.

“When Mom and Dad wouldn’t listen, he listened, and he understood. He was so supportive of me… of us.”

Silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

“Oh, my Rosie,” said Max, wrapping her in another big hug.

She held on tight, and they stayed like that for a while. Then he stepped back a little and gently cradled her face in his hands.

“I’m sure it’s occurred to you, but if you hadn’t been at my place, with me, neither of us would be here now.”

“I know. Alex reminded me of that.”

He kissed her gently and she kissed him back.

“Let’s talk later,” she said and led him to her bedroom.

 

 

They didn’t get down to any actual talking for quite a while. Later, they were lying in bed, but neither of them were very sleepy. Rose decided she was hungry. They threw on housecoats and slippers and headed to the kitchen.

“I want to hear about everything that happened since you were rescued,” she said.

She was at the stove making toad-in-the-hole grilled sandwiches and brewing tea.

“I’ve told you everything already,” he said with a smile.

“But I want to hear everything again.”

“Me too. Are you making tea? Rosie, we’ll be up all night.”

“We’re going to be up all night anyway.”

“You’re right,” he said, “but we need to be very quiet, or we’ll wake Meeta.”

“No, you won’t,” said Meeta from the doorway. “I’ve been waiting for you two to get up.”

She walked over to the stove and gave Rose, then Max, a big hug.

“I’ve only been home for a couple of hours.”

“I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

“And then, Max arrives,” Meeta said with a grin, “and suddenly you’re up and at ‘em and a whole lot noisier.”

“I hope we didn’t disturb you,” said Rose with a chuckle.

“Not at all. And don’t think for one minute that I don’t want to hear every single detail of what happened!”

“Don’t worry, you will. Do you want one of these?”

“A toad? Absolutely.” Meeta came over to stand beside them. “Cook mine till it’s crunchy, please; no runny yoke, okay.”

Rose nodded and pushed hard on one of the toads.

“I’m just so grateful that you’re both okay!”

“I can do crunchy,” said Rose laughing. “I’ll try not to burn it.”

“I heard that,” said a voice from Meeta’s bedroom door. “I want one too! I don’t care how well done it is.”

“Trevor’s here,” said Meeta, as a tousled hair guy joined them in the kitchen.

“I need to hug this guy,” said Trevor and enveloped Max in a bear hug and lifted him a few inches off the ground.”

“Put me down!” said Max laughing.

“If you insist,” said Trevor.

“Rose made to back away.

“I’ll give you a hug after you’re finished.”

“You’re both okay,” said Trevor. “That’s what’s really important. We were sure worried.”

“Does anyone want chocolate cake for dessert?” said Meeta, who was at the fridge.

“Did your mom make it?” asked Max.

“She did.”

“In that case, yes. There’s ketchup, right? For the toad’s, I mean,” said Max, laughing.

“Of course there is, dear,” said Rose. “Let’s get this food on the table, and then Max and I are going to tell you a story you will not believe. There are spots we haven’t been able to fill in yet. We both have memory lapses, don’t we sweetheart?”

“What? No!” said Meeta.

“But they don’t hurt the narrative at all,” said Max. “Because we do remember everything important that happened.”

“Okay,” said Meeta. “As I should have previously stipulated, tell us everything you remember.”

“Lawyers,” said Trevor. “So detail oriented.”

Meeta whacked him playfully in the arm.

“Ouch. We promise to hang on every word.’

“That’s for sure,” said Meeta.

“Do you guys have pickles?”