“How are you?” he asked.
“Not one of my better days.” She took a breath.
“There are some inconsistencies.”
“Go on,” Lane said.
“There are no fingerprints on the duct tape used to seal the cab of the truck.”
“Why would he go to the trouble of leaving no prints, if he was about to commit suicide?” Lane asked.
“Exactly. There are more contradictions. We’ll have to wait for the autopsy, but I don’t think the father died of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Lisa said.
“What about the child?”
“The cause of death will have to wait for the autopsy,” Lisa said. “But, I did find a torn piece of plastic in the waistband of her pants. It looks like it came from a garbage bag.”
“She was wrapped in it?” Lane had a flashback of finding Candy in the garbage bag.
“It looks like her head and torso were wrapped up. Then the bag was tucked into her waistband.”
Lane remembered Kaylie’s shoes. “Did you see the soles of her shoes?”
“Too clean for a kid on a camping trip?”
“Yes,” Lane said.
“That’s about all I have right now. Just thought you’d want to be kept up to speed. You didn’t stick around for very long.”
“No.”
Lisa waited for an explanation that wasn’t coming, then said, “Say hello to Arthur for us.”
“You bet. And pass on our regards to Loraine.” Lane hung up. This could get really messy, he thought.
Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang.
“Lane?” There was an anxious excitement in Arthur’s voice.
“What’s the matter?” Lane asked.
“I’m signing Matt up for hockey.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
“The team is run by volunteers,” Arthur said.
“And?” Lane became anxious with where this conversation was headed.
“They’ve already got a coach and a manager.”
“That’s good.” Lane was relieved but still uneasy.
“The team needs a referee.”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Lane said.
“You can skate,” Arthur said.
“Figure skate.”
“Exactly. They need a person who can skate.”
“I don’t know the rules,” Lane said.
“They have a course.”
Lane heard the voices of parents talking over each other. “No way.”
“You’ll be going to Matt’s games anyway. This way you can get some exercise at the same time. Get your mind off work. Besides…”
“Besides?”
Arthur said, “I already signed you up. And, they gave us free tickets. We’re going to a hockey game tonight.”
“CKKY, KY Radio, regrets to announce that Bobbie will not be on the air today. She’s taking time off due to the death of her daughter. Bobbie sends her appreciation for the kind wishes and prayers of her listeners. We’ll be playing The Best of Bobbie until she returns.”
Jay surveyed the kiosks on either side of Mac Hall. The lineup at The Noodle House was at least fifteen minutes long. Other lineups formed at burger, coffee, and taco shops. I beat the rush, he thought, while using chopsticks to maneuver noodles, beef, and mushrooms into his mouth. For five bucks he could eat and watch the people go by.
“Hey cracker, you’re pretty good with chopsticks,” Tony said. He sat down next to Jay and leaned his back against the table. Tony set his backpack on the floor.
“You’re late.” Jay slurped an especially long noodle.
“This guy in the front row kept asking questions.” Tony used his fingers to grab the last piece of beef from Jay’s plate.
“Hey!” Jay tried to stab Tony with the chopsticks.
“Too slow. We still on for Rex’s game tonight? I’ve got the masks,” Tony said.
“You ever gonna let that guy off the hook?”
“No. Not after he got my cousin pregnant, and the way he treated Uncle Tran.”
“How’s your cousin doin’?” Jay wiped his chin with a paper napkin.
“Okay. The baby’s getting big. Uncle Tran got them a place. He’s helpin’ out with school and daycare,”
Tony said.
“Uncle Tran’s restaurant must be doin’ well. He got you and your mom a house and helps you with school,” Jay said.
Tony laughed, “His money’s in elephants.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The lucky elephant in the restaurant,” Tony said.
“Yeah, I saw it. Uncle Tran said he picked it up in Saigon and carried it onto a plane.”
“That’s right. And, on the long ride over here he found out the elephant was hollow,” Tony said.
“So?” Jay asked.
“The plane landed at night. Uncle Tran slipped away. He disappeared with the elephant.”
“What are you sayin’?” Jay asked.
“Uncle Tran lost everything and everyone in Vietnam. He picked up a lucky elephant and started a new life,” Tony said.
“How can he be your uncle if he lost everyone?”
Tony appeared to be staring at the spiral staircase leading to The Aboriginal Friendship Centre. “He’s not my real uncle. My mom and I are refugees. Just the two of us. My cousin with the baby, she’s not my real cousin. She and her mother were in the same situation. Uncle Tran adopted us, and we adopted him. Now, we’re a family and help each other out.”
“So, how does the elephant fit in?” Jay asked.
“It’s Uncle Tran’s story to tell.” Tony stood up.
“Come on. We’ve got some planning to do.”
“Want some popcorn?” Arthur asked Matt as they entered Father David Bower Arena.
“And a hot dog?” Matt wore a new blue T-shirt, red jacket, and black running shoes.
Lane watched the boy closely. There was a slight hitch in the way he walked. He hardly talks when he
walks because he’s so busy concentrating on not falling, Lane thought. Arthur has been waiting a long time to spoil a nephew or niece. I wonder what will change between them when Matt finds out his mother has cancer? Lane watched Arthur, and his nephew, and felt a mixture of joy and foreboding.
“You want something?” Arthur asked.
“No, thanks,” Lane stepped close to a cinder-brick wall. The arena brought back memories of early mornings and figure skating. Jibes from boisterous hockey players jogged his memory. One particularly vicious experience surfaced. A dark-haired, teenaged hockey player once used the blade of his stick to jab a twelve-yearold Lane just below the ribs. Lane remembered gasping for air and dropping to his knees. The player then said, “Just another fag in tights.”
Lane looked up. He saw tonight’s fans arriving in dribs and drabs. They bought food and drinks at the concession before wandering through the heavy metal doors to the stands.
By the time Arthur found a place to sit near centreice, Matt had finished the hot dog and was half-way through an industrial-size popcorn.
Players warmed up on the ice. The red and white uniforms of the Dinos circled one half of the rink, while Edmonton’s green and gold university team shot pucks at their goalie at the other end.
“Hey, look at that.” Matt pointed across the rink. His right arm came up a little too quickly. He spilled some popcorn.
The Dinos’ mascot, a red-and-white dinosaur named Rex, stood behind the crowd and did a series of cartwheels. The antics were made all the more amazing because of Rex’s tail. It was at least as long as he was tall.
Lane watched Arthur beaming and enjoying Matt’s company. Matt pointed again. Lane’s eyes followed.
Two men in masks ran along the aisle behind Rex. Both wore latex masks-presidential caricatures, Lane realized-running shoes, and Speedos. The crowd was momentarily silent. One president looped a necklace the size of a Hula-Hoop around Rex’s neck. Lane stared at what was attached to the front of the necklace.