Deadly Expectations (43 page)

“Anna,” Paul called from down the hallway.
 
“When was the last time you made your bed or is this the laundry table?”

“Both,” I called back.
 
“Try and keep it down.
 
If we wake up Mrs. Desmond we’ll be whipped.”

Then I went into the living room and turned it on to channel two for the listings.
 
They went out to the truck for another load so I waited until they came back in.
 
“Paul?
 
Come here a second.”

When he came in I pointed to the TV.
 
“We have some time here at least before we need to get back.”

He stopped dead and tipped his head to the side as he read it.
 
“Nine pm October thirtieth?
 
I need a minute.”

Ray and Denis gaped at the TV beside him.
 
When I realized they weren’t going to move for a bit I put on CNN.

“Ray you and Denis can set yourselves up in here.
 
Carpet is clean … it’s just the hall that’s trashed.
 
I’ll go deal with the bed Paul.”

“Denis, do you have everything?” I asked him.
 
I wanted to close the door.

“One more trip,” he said.

I took the spare sheets from the closet before I pulled everything off the bed.
 
The laundry went onto the floor.
 
I gave the washer two scoops of soap before I turned it on.
 
Smell number two dealt with.
 
Then I turned on the dryer for twenty to get the wrinkles out of whatever was in it.

“You really live like this?”
 
Paul asked from the bathroom door.
 
I squeezed past him and started putting the bed together.

“No.
 
I was home maybe a couple of days a month.”
 
I pointed to the heap of clothes on the floor.
 
“I have dirty clothes at the bottom of the pile from nineteen sixty-two.”

He shuddered.

“I’ll get it caught up.
 
Just don’t open the fridge.
 
I’ll deal with that and get food for a couple of days tomorrow morning.”

“Anna … how is it October?”

“It’s right where I was aiming for.
 
I’m getting better at it.
 
Pilot gave me the idea that there’s a time component in the jump.
 
I figured I would try and set it myself,” I told him.
 
“I was hoping I could make up for some of the things we missed and give you lots of time with your father.
 
I’ll try and stick to the same date when we try again.

“I don’t know what went wrong.
 
There has to be a road connecting so maybe he’s somewhere that there isn’t a road … maybe an island and I just brought us here because I’ve come here so many times before.
 
I’m really sorry.
 
We’ll try again in a few days when I’ve rested.”

“It’s okay,” Paul said.

When the bed was put together we went out to the living room.
 
Ray and Denis had set themselves up already.

“Who’s hungry?” I asked.

“We’re not eating anything cooked in that kitchen,” Ray said.

I sighed.
 
“I get it … it’s a dump.
 
I was never home to do much with it. There’s a place a few blocks away that’ll be open for a couple more hours.
 
We can head up there for something?”

“Sounds good,” Ray said.

I went to the spare room to get some cash.
 
After I got on the chair I started putting boxes of photos down on the desk to get at my secret cash boxes in the back.
 
Paul found me and was unimpressed at the mess.

“Two bikes, just like I told you.
 
And a lot of junk.
 
It’s not like you didn’t have secret junk rooms in your place.
 
Here, can you put these on the desk please?”

“Yeah,” he said.
 
“But the rest of my place isn’t a health hazard.”

I ignored that.
 
When I found the cash box I wanted I took it down and started counting out four piles of five hundred dollars each.

“Geez Anna, how much money is in there?”

“Over twenty-five thousand in unmarked small Canadian bills,” I answered pausing my counting.
 
Then I took one of the piles and put a hundred in one pocket and the rest in the other.

“Cash only,” I said and gave him one.
 
Then I got up on the chair and put the box of money and the boxes of pictures all back up on the shelf.

“But where did you get it?” he wanted to know.

“I had to get paid for my criminal career somehow.
 
I can’t put it in the bank without signing a letter saying where it came from and I have to spend it before they change the style of the bills so I don’t get attention for it.
 
And if you’re spending a ton of US dollars around here you’re going to draw attention to us.”

“Anna,” he said trying to give it back.
 
“I’m not spending dirty money.”

I wouldn’t take it.
 
“It’s been clean for years plus all that paper up there is a fire hazard … you’re doing me a favour.”

Paul sighed with frustration and put the money in his wallet.
 
We left the spare room and I took my gun off and put it beside the bed.

“Yours will have to come off too.
 
You’re in
Canada
now … you won’t need it and anyone who sees it will call the police.
 
I don’t think the Colonel will be much help getting you out of that.
 
Knives off too.”

“Rain and no guns,” Paul said.
 
“I feel like I’ve landed on another planet.”

I heard the dryer turn off so I went to fold what was in it before it could wrinkle again.

“Can you break the bad news to Ray and Denis and give them their cash?
 
If you need anything while you’re here help yourselves.”
 
Paul went to explain
Canada
to Ray and Denis.
 
I found that the dryer was empty so I went to get the basket of clean laundry from the couch and took it to my room.

They were all unarmed when I got back.
 
“Just in case I forget … Mrs. Desmond has a key so she’ll let herself in to put the paper on the counter when she’s read it.
 
Hopefully I won’t be on my long sleep when she gets here … that could give you a bit of trouble.
 
Ready to go?”

Paul drove us up to the Chinese food place where I had dinner with my father.
 
In spite of it being morning for them Denis managed a few drinks.
 
When we got back I put the load of wash in the dryer and fell right to sleep.

Next thing I knew Paul was crawling over top of me going for his gun.
 
I could hear a key in my door.
 
My clock said it was a little past eight.

“It’s Mrs. Desmond,” I grunted as I shoved him.
 
“Put it away.
 
Ray, Denis.”
 
I called more loudly.
 
“It’s the lady upstairs.
 
Stay out of sight.”
 

Paul got off me and finished waking up as I quickly got dressed and went down to the kitchen.

Mrs. Desmond had finally gotten the stubborn lock to pop so I took the knob and slowly pulled it open toward me.
 
She looked just as I remembered.
 
I wasn’t much taller than she was in spite of her shrinking with age.
 
Her grey hair was cut short and she wore a rainproof jacket over her stretchy slacks and floral button up shirt.
 
Rain dotted the lenses of her glasses.

“Mrs. Desmond,” I said leaning close to her to kiss her cheek.
 
“Come in … how have you been?”

“Anna my dear … as well as can be expected,” I knew what that meant.
 
Something wrong with everything but she was going to spare me today.
 
Then she stopped and looked at me.

“Your line’s been tangled dear,” she said.

I looked back at her.
 
Sometimes she went on about my lines and loops but tangling was a new one.

  
“Tangled,” I said.
 
“That doesn’t sound too good.
 
Have you had tea yet?
 
I was just getting my day started.”
 
I tried to take her to sit at the table but she wouldn’t move.
 
I could hear Paul coming up the hall.

“Tangled with another,” she said firmly.

“Okay,” I didn’t know what else to say.
 
I worried about leaving her alone so much.
 
She spent far too much time off in her own little world now.

Then she suddenly put her hand on my stomach.
 

“Who have you been with?” she whispered.

I could hear Paul behind me so I kept a hand on her elbow and reached back for him.

“Mrs. Desmond, this is my husband Mr. Richards … Paul,” I told her slowly.
 
She was fussy about formal introductions so I made sure I did it the way she would want.
 
I had no idea what she was on about and would have to explain later to Paul that the only part of her mind that was thriving at her age was her imagination.

She took a step toward him and took his hand to shake it.
 
Not like a regular hand shake, but she held his fingers and put them to her nose as if she was going to kiss it.
 
Then she gently brushed them along just above her top lip and her eyes rolled up just briefly like mine had done when I was figuring out Denis.

She dropped his hand and then put hers on Paul’s chest.

“I found her a few years ago,” she told him.
 
“But I never found you, son.
 
I searched as long as my body would let me but my gifts are weak like this.
 
I hoped if I was with her you would find her … and find me.”

Paul quickly stepped toward Mrs. Desmond and put his arms around her.
 
“My God Anna … you did it,” he whispered, relief covering his face, but I was shaking my head at him.

“Stop encouraging her …” I whispered but he smiled back at me.

“You found him,” he said again.

“Did you find any of the others?” she asked.

“About half,” Paul said sadly.
 
“I don’t have your gift for that.
 
Ray, Denis?
 
Come say hi.”

She sampled them both under her nose as she had with Paul, recognizing them immediately.

“Paul,” she said.
 
“You should all call me Bee.
 
Now come upstairs for breakfast.
 
Anna will need her rest soon and I can promise you that there is nothing edible in this kitchen.
 
We have a lot of catching up to do.
 
You boys too.”

And then I was alone trying to get a handle on what had just happened.

Chapter 36

Paul had left the truck keys on my night table so I picked them up and put on a jacket.
 
Then I hurried out to the truck before anyone could remind me that I didn’t have a license and roared up off the street then downtown to the store.