Кэти Райх - Death Du Jour

Then another thought. Ryan’s call. Had I slept through it?

I threw back the quilt and moved to the living room. The answering machine was dark.

Back in the bedroom, I took off my damp clothes. As I dropped the sweatpants to the floor I could see fingernail-shaped moons in the flesh of my palms. I dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater.

More sleep did not seem likely, so I went to the kitchen and set water to boil. I felt queasy from the dream. I didn’t want to bring it back, but the vision had knocked something loose in my mind, and I needed to make sense of it. I took my tea to the sofa.

My dreams as a rule are not particularly wondrous nor frightening or grotesque. They are of two types.

Most commonly, I cannot dial the phone, see the road, catch the plane. I must take an exam but have never attended the class. Piece of cake: anxiety.

Less frequently the message is more baffling. My subconscious sifts material that my conscious mind has amassed, and weaves it into surreal tableaux. I am left to interpret what my psyche is saying.

Tonight’s nightmare was clearly of the cryptic type. I closed my eyes to see what I could decode. Images flashed, like glimpses through a picket fence.

Amalie Provencher’s computer face.

The dead babies.

A winged Daisy Jeannotte. I remembered my words to Ryan. Was she truly an angel of death?

The church. It resembled the convent at Lac Memphrémagog. Why was my brain beaming that to me?

Élisabeth Nicolet.

Harry, beckoning for help, then disappearing into a dark tunnel. Harry, dead with Birdie. Was Harry at serious risk?

A reluctant bride. What the hell did that mean? Was Élisabeth held against her will? Was that part of her saintly truth?

I had no time to sort it further, for just then the doorbell sounded. Friend or foe, I wondered as I stumbled to the security panel and picked up the handset.

Ryan’s tall, lanky frame filled the screen. I buzzed him in and watched through the peephole as he trudged up the corridor. He looked like a survivor of the Trail of Tears.

“You look exhausted.”

“It’s been a long one and we’re still in overtime. I’m on my own, thanks to the storm.”

Ryan wiped his boots and unzipped his parka. Ice cascaded to the floor when he pulled off his tuque. He didn’t question why I was dressed at four o’clock in the morning, and I didn’t ask why he was dropping in at that hour.

“Baker’s found Kathryn. She had a last-minute change of mind and bailed on Owens.”

“The baby?” My heart raced.

“He’s there too.”

“Where?”

“Got coffee?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Ryan threw his hat on the hall table and followed me to the kitchen. He talked as I ground beans and measured water.

“She’s been in hiding with some guy named Espinoza. Remember the neighbor who called Social Services about Owens?”

“I thought the neighbor was dead.”

“She is. This is her son. He’s one of the faithful, but he holds a day job and lives down the road in Mama’s house.”

“How did Kathryn get Carlie?”

“He was already there. Ready for this? Someone drove the vans to Charleston while the group went to ground in the Espinoza house. They were all on the island the whole time. Then, when the heat cooled they left.”

“How?”

“They split up and everybody boogied to a different tune. Some were picked up by boat, others were smuggled in pickups and car trunks. Seems Owens has quite an underground. And like schmucks, we just focused on the vans.”

I handed him a steaming mug.

“Kathryn was supposed to go with Espinoza and some other guy, but she talked him into staying put.”

“Where’s the other guy?”

“Espinoza turns into igneous rock on that topic.”

“Where did everyone go?” My throat felt tight. I already knew the answer.

“I think they’re here.”

I said nothing.

“Kathryn isn’t sure where they were heading, but she knows it involved a border crossing. They’re traveling in twos and threes and they’ve got directions for roads that aren’t patrolled.”

“Where?”

“She thinks she heard talk of Vermont. The highway patrol and INS have been alerted, but it’s probably too late. They’ve had almost three days and Canada isn’t exactly Libya when it comes to border security.”

Ryan sipped his coffee.

“Kathryn claims she didn’t pay much attention because she never thought they’d really go. But she is clear on one thing. When they find this guardian angel, everyone will die.”

I began wiping the counter, though it was already clean.

For a long time neither of us spoke. Then,

“Any word from your sister?”

My stomach constricted anew. “No.”

When he spoke again his voice had softened.

“Baker’s boys found something in the Saint Helena compound.”

“What?” Fear shot through me.

“A letter to Owens. In it someone named Daniel is discussing Inner Life Empowerment.” I felt a hand on my shoulder. “It looks like the organization was a front, or else Owens’ followers infiltrated the courses. That part’s not clear, but what is clear is that they used ILE to recruit.”

“Oh, my God.”

“The letter’s dated about two months ago, but there’s nothing to indicate where it came from. The wording’s vague, but it sounds like there was some sort of quota to be met, and this Daniel is promising he’ll deliver.”

“How?” I could hardly speak.

“He doesn’t say. There’s nothing else that makes reference to ILE. Just that one letter.”

The dream slammed back in vivid detail and I felt ice slide through my veins.

“They’ve got Harry!” I said with trembling lips. “I have to find her!”

“We will.”

I told him about Kit’s call.

“Shit.”

“How can these people remain invisible for years, then we turn over their rock and they slither away and vanish?” My voice was quavery.

Ryan set down his mug and turned me around with both hands. I was squeezing the sponge so hard it made small hissing sounds.

“There’s no trail because these people have a tremendous source of clandestine income. They deal exclusively in cash but don’t seem to be involved in anything illegal.”

“Except murder!” I wanted to pace but Ryan held me firmly.

“What I’m saying is these assholes can’t be tied to drugs or theft or credit card scams. There’s no money trail and no evidence of crime, and that’s usually where the break comes.” His eyes were hard. “But they’ve fucked up badly by coming into my backyard and I’m going to nail the rabid little pricks.”

I ripped free of his grasp and threw the sponge across the kitchen.

“What did Jeannotte say?”

“I tried her office, then staked her pad. No-show at either place. Don’t forget I’m working this alone, Brennan. This storm has shut down the province.”

“What did you find out about Jennifer Cannon and Amalie Provencher?”

“The university is pulling the usual student-privacy crap. They won’t release a thing without a court order.”

That did it. I pushed past him and went to the bedroom. I was pulling on wool socks when he appeared in the doorway.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going to get some answers from Anna Goyette, then I’m going to find my sister.”

“Whoa, scout. There’s a blanket of polar ice out there.”

“I’ll manage.”

“In a five-year-old Mazda?”

I was shaking so badly I couldn’t lace my boots. I stopped, untangled the knot, and crisscrossed the cord carefully through the prongs. Then I did the other foot, stood, and turned to Ryan.

“I am not going to sit here and allow these fanatics to murder my sister. They may be consumed with suicidal obsession, but they are not taking Harry with them. With or without you I’m going to find her, Ryan. And I’m going to do it now !”