Final Act by Dianne Yetman (best free ebook reader .TXT) 📕

coffee perking.  Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed, she sat across from David at the breakfast nook.

“I’m off shortly.  How long are you in town?”

“For two days.”

“I’m not sure when I’ll arrive home.  We may not have much time to spend together.”

“You have to come home at night sometime.  What would you like for breakfast?”

“Coffee.  I’m having breakfast with a friend this morning.”

He turned and looked at the clock on the stove but not quick enough to hide the frown.  She felt the familiar stab of disappointment followed by annoyance.  Last night had been great but the morning wasn’t so hot. Nothing had changed. She felt a sense of shame; she wasn’t playing fair with him. No time now; she stood and kissed him on the cheek.

“I’ve got to leave.  I’ll try to get home as early as I can.  We need to talk David.”

The frown reappeared. “What about?  Things are fine; every couple goes through their ups and downs.”

“We need to talk.  About us, our relationship, where we’re at and where we’re going.   Now’s not the time, I’ve got to run.  See you later.”

She punched in Hanya’s number on her cell and closed the front door.

Kate decided to walk.  At a brisk pace she shouldn’t keep Hanya waiting.  Shirley was scheduled to interview her later this afternoon but one of the conditions Kate set with Hanya was that their meeting remain a secret.  She hated subterfuge. Screw Gordon, it was his fault, he should have given her the interview in the first place.

She walked east on Brunswick St. enjoying the architectural hodge podge of one of the oldest sections of the city.  On the fifteen minute walk, she passed a historic Church, condos, run down tenements, a hotel, a book store, and one of the best wine shops in the city.

The cool air cleared her head and lightened her senses.   She was all smiles when she walked in the coffee shop and spotted Hanya sitting at the corner table.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No, just got here.  Didn’t want to order anything until I heard your recommendations.”

“Not a problem.  I have more than one favourite.  There’s the sunburst muffins, granola with blueberries and yogurt, oatmeal patties crammed with seeds, nuts and honey.  You can have your choice of potent coffee, coffee like beverages (such as chai tea latte) and then there are those inventive smoothies delightful to the palate.  Of course, there’s also...”

“Enough already.  I know what I want.”

They waited until they finished eating before getting down to business.  Hanya was the first to speak.

“I hope to hell I’m not wasting your time with this as what I have to say is all rather ‘airy fairy’, just something my gut tells me.”

“Fire away.”

“Camira and I were very close.  We grew up together, lived with our grandmother, had each other’s back.  She was the opposite of me – tall, slender, beautiful and talented, I’m large and all the rest that goes with it.  She sang beautifully; I croaked.  She would make up stories; I would listen.  But, I wasn’t at the very back of the talent line, I could win an argument and I could fight.  I mean down and dirty fighting.  I used my fists, my teeth, my feet; I didn’t waste a body part. I kept the bullies away from her and no one damaged our grandmother’s house.”

“If you ever decide to leave the Church, you might want to consider the police force.”

She smiled.  “That’ll never happen, Kate.  Anyway, to get on with the reason I’m here.  Camira called me before she was murdered.  And believe me Kate, she didn’t commit suicide, it was murder.  She was spooked, asked me to come by after my meeting to talk.  You’ll never know the depth of my regret at not going over earlier, Kate.  But that’s something I have to live with, not your problem.  Point is I think she knew who killed Jeffrey Stone and that’s the reason she was killed.”

“I think you could be right.”

“I had very little sleep last night but I did a lot of thinking.  I want to help find her killer, Kate.  And I think I know how to do it.”

“No, Hanya.  It’s too dangerous.  Trust us, we will find Camira’s killer.  Things are tough enough without a civilian stirring the pot.  Someone will get hurt and that someone would most likely be you.”

“Hear me out, Kate.  The night I went to her place, her cup was on the table by her chair, the TV on but muted.  Camira made tea for her visitor and while she was in the kitchen, her own tea was drugged.  There was no sign of another cup in the living room or the kitchen.  The bastard washed up after himself.”

“Why do you say he?”

“Figure of speech, that’s all.  Jeffrey Stone’s funeral will be happening soon and all the major suspects will be attending.  The killer doesn’t know Camira called me so I thought I’d let that piece of information slip out in my conversations.  I would hit everyone in the room. It’ll smoke the killer out and I’ll be waiting.”

“Listen to me, Hanya.  You can’t do this.  You’re not playing around with some bullies on the reserve.”

“Sorry, but I need to do this.”

“No you don’t.  You want revenge and don’t you dare call it something else.   What do you say to the people you counsel who are focused on revenge?”

Hanya said nothing.

“Promise me this.  Swear on our friendship.  Don’t do anything.  Give us a chance, once its confirmed she was murder, we will move. And if we can’t uncover her killer, and I believe we will, then, sure, do what you want.”

“I won’t make any promises but I will think about it.”

Kate left the coffee shop a very worried woman.

***

The intercom buzzed.  Susan, arranging the fresh cut flowers in the vase on the fireplace mantle, asked Alexis to get the door.  Alexis laid Laura Lippman’s, The Sugar House, aside, made the trek