Part 25 (1/2)
Smith punched in the code to bring up the computer as she heard the doors open and the car pull in.
The door to the booking room opened. ”Jesus, Molly, you have to help me. It was that sister of Jasons. She framed me.”
The prisoner was Lorraine LeBlanc.
”You know this young woman, Constable Smith?” Nose worthy asked.
”Yes.”
”It was frame-up. You know she hates me. Let me go and well forget all about it.”
”Im sorry, Lorraine, but its not my call. Constable Nose worthy?”
”Clerk at the Craft Gallery saw her pinch a bracelet. We got there and the bracelet was on the floor. Witness, a shopper, says she saw this woman take the item and drop it when she was accused.” Lorraines eyes were round and wild. She was dressed in her winter coat and boots. Noseworthy carried a tattered scarf. He tossed it onto the counter.
”Tell them, Molly,” Lorraine pleaded. ”Please tell them.”
”Ill call Gary,” was all Smith could say as Noseworthy went to the computer.
”Full name?” he said.
Lorraine moaned.
Fortunately Gary was home when Smith called. He arrived at the police station red-faced and breathing heavily. He placed his hands on his thighs and gathered his breath for a few moments as Smith explained the situation.
Lorraine was a minor, with a local address, a relative to take care of her, and no prior record. She was released to her brothers care.
Smith walked with them to the door. The air was sharp but the sky clear in the approach of night. A few stars were popping up in the east. ”This isnt over, Lorraine. Youll have to appear in court.”
The girl avoided her brothers eyes. He put an arm around her and gave her a hug, but his fist was closed tight, knuckles white. ”Well worry about that when the time comes,” Gary said. ”You understand, Moon, that this is a vendetta by that Wyatt-Whatever bunch.”
Smith let out a breath. It turned to mist in the cold air.
”Wait for me at the bottom of the stairs,” Gary told his sister.
Lorraine left them. Her head was bent, her coat formed a black shroud around her thin frame.
Gary LeBlanc and Molly Smith watched until Lorraine was standing on the sidewalk, underneath a street lamp. A patrol car pulled out of the station parking lot. Brad Noseworthy glanced at them.
”Wendy Wyatt-Yarmouth was in the shop, Gary,” Smith said. ”But she only backed up what Mrs. Roberts told Constable Noseworthy. And that was that she saw Lorraine take the bracelet, put it into her coat and head for the door. When she was stopped, at the door, Lorraine dropped the bracelet.”
”When she was stopped by Wendy Wyatt-Yarmouth who, as we all know, has a personal animosity toward my sister. Mrs. Roberts didnt see the bracelet emerge from Lorraines coat. She only says that it was there on the floor.”
”Im not an attorney, Gary. Dont argue your case in front of me.”
”They wont be hard on Lorraine, will they, Moon? Shes never been in trouble before, you know that.”
”Ive no idea what the courts will do. But I can tell you one thing: you dont want a repeat of this. Talk to her. Get her some help.”
Gary lifted his chin, but his eyes s.h.i.+fted to one side and the slightest touch of color crept into his face. He could afford professional help only if he used the money he was trying to put together for Lorraines education.
”Call the Trafalgar Womens Support Center. Ask to speak to my mom. Sh.e.l.l know what to do to help.”
”Thanks, Moon.”
An RCMP car drove past. It signaled a turn into the Trafalgar City Police parking area.
Constable Smith stood on the steps of the police station as Gary LeBlanc wrapped his arms around his sister and guided her up the street toward their home.
Molly turned and headed back inside.
Adam Tocek was talking to Jim Denton. They looked up as Smith punched in the code to let her into the station.
Tocek had deep brown eyes and curly black hair and a five-oclock shadow no matter the time of day, but his face always seemed to light up from inside when he saw Molly Smith. ”Hey,” he said. ”Havent seen you for a while. Hows it going?”
”Problems. Always problems. Where are you from, Adam?”
”From? My grandparents emigrated from Slovakia in 1950. My father was very premature, born on the s.h.i.+p in the middle of the Atlantic. Lucky, so the story goes, to have lived.”
”Sorry, no. I mean where are you from? Where did you grow up?”
”Toronto. The Big Smoke.” He glanced at Denton. Denton shrugged. ”Why are you asking, Molly?”
”To be honest, Adam, I dont know.”
”Well, I know that its almost four and if my replacement doesnt get here in the next two minutes, youll be short a dispatcher,” Denton muttered to no one who cared. ”Not again.” He took a 911 call.
”Do you have time to grab a coffee, Molly?” Tocek said, in deep contemplation of the floor.
She could feel her heart beating in her chest. A coffee. With Adam Tocek, the big, tough Mountie who turned to mush around Molly Smith. Should she have a coffee? Would that be a betrayal of Graham? Graham would want her to be happy.
She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
”Vehicle out of control,” Denton said. ”Corner of Front and Elm. Pedestrian injured. Brad is occupied and cant take it. Sorry to break up this tte--tte, Mol, but we have work to do here.”
”See you, Adam.” She ran for the parking lot.
Chapter Twenty-two.
Low clouds covered the tops of the mountains and mist rose from the river running through the valley. The trees, thickly covered with fresh white snow, seemed almost to float in the gray air, neither anch.o.r.ed to earth nor reaching to the sky.
Someone might have stolen all the colors from G.o.ds crayon box, leaving only black and white, and a stub of brown, to work with. John Winters stood at his kitchen window, drinking strong dark coffee.
”More snow?” Eliza wrapped her arms around him from behind and laid her warm cheek against his back.