Bleeding Darkness. Brenda Chapman

happy spin on the troubled world of their son.

      Do you ever get pissed off, feel like hitting somebody? Lauren had once asked Mona’s smiling picture, her blond hair freshly cut into its signature bob, her hand outstretched with a glass of white wine to toast the photographer. She’d had to squint to see Simon’s moon-shaped scowling face in the background over Mona’s right shoulder.

      If I had a son like Simon, I’d struggle getting out of bed each day.

      “You’re looking so good,” Mona said as she sat back down in her chair. “I love your hair. The cut suits you. Everything going well in Toronto?”

      “Can’t complain. How’s life in Vancouver? Simon?”

      “Oh, you know.” Mona laughed. “Life is never dull. Adam’s been away a lot but he has longer layovers now that he’s started the Asian route. We have a new teacher’s aide who works exclusively with Simon and he’s doing wonderfully.”

      Vivian covered a yawn with her manicured red nails. Then she laughed. “This baby is making me tired.”

      Lauren doubted the yawn was from fatigue. Vivian always became bored if the talk wasn’t about her.

      Mona was kinder. “You’ll need more naps for the first trimester especially, but soon you’ll have your energy back.”

      “Oh, I hope so.” Vivian reached for a bran muffin.” I’m hoping my ravenous hunger drops off too or I’m going to be huge. Simply huge.”

      And … ba da boom. The conversation has returned to you. Lauren let her gaze rest first on Vivian and then on Mona. Two polar opposites in looks and personality. Vivian, dark-haired and sloe-eyed with a petite, curvy body even in pregnancy, and Mona, blond and solid with farm girl fresh looks right down to the freckles on her face and arms. And yet, they got along fine. Lauren was the odd one out. “So what are your plans for today?” she asked.

      “I’m going to take a long nap after I go for a walk this afternoon,” Vivian said. “I’m not kidding when I say that I’m exhausted. I hardly slept at all. I’m at the spa this morning for a massage and facial. Tristan is on his own today.”

      “And Adam and I are going to see your father at the hospital this morning. Your mom’s already there. After that, I don’t know,” said Mona. “Adam wants to meet up with someone from high school later. I plan to go shopping. What about you, Lauren?”

      “I’ll visit Dad this afternoon. I have some work to do before then.”

      “Oh yes, you’re a businesswoman,” said Vivian. “How I envy you.” Her lips formed a rosebud pout, likely to remind them of her condition. Lauren knew that Vivian was not lacking attention from Tristan, who’d wanted a child for ages. Her lot in life was to be envied if anyone’s was. Lauren was one hundred percent certain that Vivian was not envious of her at all.

      “Once you have the kid, you’ll have it made. Tristan will give you everything your heart desires.” Lauren immediately regretted how churlish the words made her sound.

      Vivian looked across the table at her. Her eyes were amused and her voice came across light but her message felt like a glimpse behind her carefully controlled facade. “I’m quite sure I have that now.” She smiled. “You see, Lauren, unlike some people, I’ve always been lucky with men that way.”

      chapter five

      The first thing Kala did when she got into the police station Tuesday morning was put in a call to Millhaven. She was still on hold when Paul Gundersund plunked himself down at his desk across from her. She covered the phone receiver and mouthed a good morning. He nodded back before standing up again. “Coffee?” he asked.

      She nodded and watched him walk toward the machine near the window, stopping along the way to talk to Andrew Bennett. Gundersund had stopped coming by after work and on weekends to visit her and Dawn as he once had. She’d missed him at first but gradually she and Dawn had begun the long road toward getting closer. They took Taiku for meandering walks after supper and while they didn’t speak much about the past, Dawn seemed to have forgiven her for the stint in foster care. At least, she never talked about it.

      Gundersund set a full cup on her desk and Kala signalled a thank you. She had drunk half of it by the time a real person clicked online. “How can I help you?”

      “This is Officer Kala Stonechild. I’m currently fostering Fisher Dumont’s daughter and understand he got early parole. I’d like to speak to someone about his release.”

      “One moment.”

      She heard keys tapping. “Fisher Dumont made early parole.”

      “I realize that. Can you tell me why and where he’s living now?”

      “Is this part of an official inquiry?”

      She could lie but wasn’t prepared to risk getting into trouble. “No, not exactly.”

      “Dumont went before the Parole Board and they granted early parole with strict conditions. I’m not at liberty to tell you where he’s living now without a written request and permission from above. As you know, privacy laws are strict.”

      “But what about his ex-wife and daughter? Don’t they have a right to know where he’s living? I have custody of his daughter, who is under eighteen.”

      “They’ll have to fill in the form. It’s online.”

      “You’re kidding me.”

      “If you have a complaint —”

      “I know. Fill in another form. This is the definition of insanity, you know that, right?”

      “Have a good day, ma’am.”

      Kala was left listening to the dial tone. She was going to have to find another way to track down Fisher Dumont.

      Dawn kept her head down and walked past the girls standing on the sidewalk. They were in her class, always sitting in a row at the front. Dawn preferred the back row near the exit. Emily, Chelsea, and Vanessa. She was surprised when one of them spoke to her.

      “Hey Dawn. What did you get on the math test?”

      She lifted her eyes. Which one had asked the question? She couldn’t be sure, but thought it might be Emily, the leader of the pack. The blondest of the blondes. Before she could respond, Emily was walking beside her. The other two followed a few steps behind. “I passed,” Dawn said at last. “Why?”

      “I failed.”

      The two girls giggled from behind. One of them said, “Like Mr. Biggs said, Em has to find a tutor or she’s going to fail her year too.”

      Emily’s head bobbed up and down, strands of hair catching sunlight as she moved. “Mr. Biggs suggested you might be able to tutor me.” She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and gently rolled her neck from side to side as she walked. “I can pay.”

      “No thanks.” Dawn pulled her hood over her head and sped up her steps. She tried to put distance between herself and Emily without actually breaking into a run.

      “Why not?” Emily’s voice sounded incredulous as if she’d never considered the possibility of Dawn turning her down flat.

      Dawn picked up her pace, Emily’s red leather jacket stubbornly bobbing up and down in her peripheral vision. She felt anger well up from her gut. “I don’t need your money.”

      “But I need your help.” Emily’s voice was pleading now, not the entitled tone she’d first used. She dropped it a few notches to something close to a whisper. “Please.”

      Dawn turned her face sideways and glared. Emily stared back at her without blinking or breaking stride. She flipped her lip glossed pout into a smile, which Dawn was all too aware was meant to win her over. “I’d be in your debt.”

      Dawn remembered