“He said, he’d cut my nose off and then he’d cut my heart out if I didn’t get on my knees. He told me to suck his… ”
Lane looked at Ernie then at Harper to see if his partner was keeping up with the notes.
“He threatened your life,” Lane said.
“That’s important?” Ernie said.
“Very.” Lane thought for a moment. “Do you remember anything else?”
“Just that he fell on me and then I remember waking up in the hospital and seeing my Mom leaning over the bed.”
“Nothing else?”
“Nope,” Ernie said.
Lane chose his words carefully. “Now, you say you have reason to believe you know where Bob Swatsky is. You might not want to mention the names of anyone living if you decide to discuss his whereabouts.”
What is he doing? Beth thought.
Ernie considered this for a moment. “Nonno dumped Uncle Bob’s body in a grave. We can show you where.”
“How do you know this?” Lane said.
Ernie looked at Beth.
“You see, I have to have a good reason if I go digging for a body.” Lane continued to gauge their reactions and study their eyes.
Beth said, “A reliable source said we would find the body in a grave down the hill.”
“Do you know the name on the headstone?” Lane said.
Beth and Ernie nodded.
Lane said the name.
Ernie said, “Yes, that’s it.”
“Do I have to go to jail, now?” Ernie said. “I might have killed my Uncle.”
Beth gripped her son’s knee.
Harper spoke before Lane could, “We have to determine the cause of death before we proceed.”
Lane looked at Harper, then at Beth and Ernie.
Harper said, “We don’t know if Swatsky died from a blow to the throat, a heart attack or if someone else killed him. In fact, we don’t know the cause of death until we have the results of an autopsy. We are obliged to make a solid case before laying any charges. We also have to consider the fact that this was a situation where Ernie’s life was in imminent danger.”
I couldn’t have said it better, Lane thought.
Saturday, August 12
CHAPTER 28
“V Channel morning news.” The anchor’s face was somber. “Reporter Ralph Devine has some shocking updates related to his ongoing coverage of the Swatsky saga.”
Cut to a head and shoulders shot of Ralph Devine with the airport terminal in the background. “An exclusive interview with Lisa Swatsky, daughter of missing Red Deer Mayor Bob Swatsky, resulted in some startling revelations.”
Cut to video tape of Lisa leaving the funeral home and waving at the camera.
Devine’s voice-over continued, “Yesterday, a reporter talked with Ms. Swatsky as she waited for a flight to the Cayman Islands. Ms. Swatsky claims, and I quote, “I delivered a bag of cash to the Premier. My Dad told me it was part of a business deal.” When asked how much money was involved, she said, “$900,000, I think. I didn’t count it all.”
Cut to a head and shoulders portrait of a smiling Bob Swatsky. Devine said, “Lisa Swatsky is the daughter of Bob and Judy Swatsky. Judy recently divorced her husband and now lives in a million dollar mansion on the Cayman Islands. Officials believe Swatsky and his partners used money from an illegal land deal to buy real estate near this petrochemical plant.”
Cut to a shot of smoke stacks and concrete buildings. “Investigators believe Swatsky bought the land after receiving insider information on plans for plant expansion. The land was sold for an estimated 15 million more than its purchase price.”
Cut back to Ralph Devine, “When confronted with these allegations, the Premier replied… ”
Cut to the Premier saying, “I want to know why Lisa Swatsky left the country only days after her father disappeared!”
Back to Devine. “We may never know what happened to Mayor Bob Swatsky and the missing money. Ralph Devine.
V Channel News.”
Arthur sat at his kitchen table and said, “Did you read this?” He dropped the folded front page of The Calgary Herald on the kitchen table. Its headline read PREMIER IMPLICATED IN SWATSKY SCANDAL.
Lane glanced at the clock on the stove. Just back from an early two hour walk around Glenmore Reservoir with Riley, he used a napkin to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Then he poured himself a cup of coffee. He glanced at the headline and said, “Not yet.”
“The reporter maintains Lisa Swatsky told him she gave the Premier a plastic shopping bag. And the bag contained close to $900,000.”
Lane’s eyebrows shifted, “Beth said Lisa had rolls of thousand dollar bills in her handbag. I wonder if the Premier’s shopping bag was a little short?”
“Lisa’s statement about not counting the money was kind of odd.”
“Lisa is odd,” Lane said.
“Ernie might end up being a small part of a much bigger scandal.”
“Or a bigger part, it’s hard to tell.”
“What do you mean?” Arthur said.
“You know how it goes. Some reporters like to speculate.
The Premier has already survived three scandals. Suspicion could easily shift to Ernesto, Leona, Beth or Ernie. Who knows, somebody might even get the story right.”
“Still, Judy living in the Cayman Islands in a million dollar mansion is sure to send some suspicion her way.” Arthur rubbed Riley under the chin with his toe.
“Too early to tell. I’m heading for the shower.”
The phone rang.
Arthur reached for it. “Hello? He’s right here.” He covered the mouthpiece and handed the phone to Lane, “Harper.”
Lane took the phone, “Good morning.” He listened intently before before saying, “Thanks.” He handed the phone back to Arthur.
“Well?”
“He says the medical examiner may not be able to determine the exact cause of Bob Swatsky’s death.”
“The body was only there for two weeks,” Arthur said.
“The body was covered with lime,” Lane said.
“Lime?”
“If you choose the right kind of lime and know how to use it, it accelerates decomposition. They had to use dental records for a positive identification on the body. Very little was left except for bone, 13 centimeters of zipper, spare change, a tie clip, cuff links and a wrist watch.”
“Ernie’s off the hook?” Arthur said.
“Even discounting self-defense, how could the Crown prove Ernie, Ernesto, Leona, or even heart failure was the cause of death? Apparently, Bob’s heart wasn’t in great shape. All we may have is interfering with a body and the people responsible for that are already dead. The Premier has suggested Lisa may be responsible for her father’s disappearance. Next, she’ll be accusing the Premier. It looks like Beth and Ernie are last week’s news.”
Thursday, August 17
CHAPTER 29
Ernie opened one eye. He was in his grandfather’s house.
The phone rang.
He opened the other eye.
The phone rang.
He lifted his feet out of tangled sheets, sat up and felt the cool touch of hardwood. His nose filled with the scent of fermenting wine.
The phone rang.
He stood and stumbled into the hallway, then lifted the phone.
“Ernie?”
“Hi Mom.”
“Did I get you out of bed?”
“Mmmhmmm.” He leaned his left arm against the wall and rested his head against his forearm.
“It’s 10:30, Ernie.”
“Mmmhmmmm.”
Scout stepped into the hallway, leaned on her front paws and stretched.
“You have to catch the 11:30 bus. Randy pulled some strings to get us an appointment. We can’t miss it.”
“I know.”
“You went to bed at nine last night.”
“I think so,” Ernie said.
“And you slept right through?”
“Yeah.”
“No… No dreams?”
“Nope.”
“I’ll see you at the doctor’s office at one? I’m not taking my lunch hour till then, so you can’t be late.”