Day Into Night (42 page)

Finally, I manage to pull on my headset.

“He fell,” I say slowly. “He didn’t have his belt on.”

30

I WANT TO GO to the ranger station but they take me straight to the hospital. Nurse Betty has been expecting me and I receive a stern reprimand — I’ve opened the wound again and risked infection, not to mention bleeding to death. The doctor is equally unimpressed, seeing his handiwork undone. I’m patched up, given another shot of painkillers and shown to my room. Rachet is waiting for me. He stands as they wheel me in, watches them tuck me into bed, hook up the machines.

“Christ, Cassel,” he says as the nurse leaves. “You just can’t stay away from this stuff.”

“You told me to stick to forest fires.”

“Yeah.” He nods. “Well you sure got one going now.”

“How big is it?”

“Big,” he says expressively. “And getting bigger.”

“You get everyone out of the way?”

“I think so. You made a good call.”

“What about my sister and her kids?”

“They never left town. One of the kids wasn’t feeling well.”

I lie back, let out a sigh of relief.

“About Mr. Mackey,” Rachet says. “What exactly happened?”

“He was the one starting the fires,” I admit. “I didn’t figure it out until the end.”

“That’s usually how it goes. I’m sorry it had to be your friend.”

I picture Carl in his buckskin jacket. Sitting in The Corral. At the duty desk. “So am I.”

“Why did he do it?”

“Overtime,” I lie. “He needed the overtime.”

“Hell of a way to get a few extra hours.”

We’re both silent for a minute. The painkillers have reached their full potential; I think they gave me a double this time, to keep me in bed. I blink hard, try to remain conscious. Rachet drums his fingers on the side of my hospital bed. “Tell me about Mr. Mackey’s fall.”

I’m tempted to tell him that I think it started years ago, and that I should have noticed. “He didn’t put his seatbelt on,” I say. “He was peering down at the fire as we lifted off, trying to get a good look. I think he was leaning against the door and it popped open as we banked to that side. He just lost his balance.”

“He lost his balance?”

“I think so, but I can’t be sure. I was a little distracted.”

“I heard an interesting theory,” Rachet says slowly. “One of my colleagues, a Mr. Kirby — I believe you know him. Apparently, he had this notion that whoever was lighting the fires could also be the Lorax. Said there was a possible connection as far as motive might be concerned. Went so far as to suggest it might be worth looking into.”

“That was my suggestion,” I say, looking directly at Rachet. “A misguided notion.”

“You’re sure?” He’s trying hard to read me.

“I didn’t push my friend out of the helicopter.”

He looks at me hard a few more seconds, then smiles ruefully. “Of course not.”

I think that was the question he was waiting to ask because he leaves soon after, unconvinced. For Rachet, nothing is ever over until the evidence has been logged and the case makes it through court. He’s going to be disappointed this time.

I wake the next morning to a familiar face. She’s wearing a dress.

“How long have you been here?” I ask groggily, lifting my head.

She smiles, comes to the edge of the bed and offers me her hand. “Let’s start again,” she says. “From the beginning. My name is Christina Telson, and I’m a journalist, but this isn’t an interview. I’m not a vegetarian and I didn’t grow up on a farm. In fact, hamburgers are my favourite food and I have only a vague inkling where they come from.”

“Cows,” I say. “Beef.”

“I had my suspicions,” she says.

Her hand is still hanging in space, wavering just slightly. I shake it.

“Porter Cassel,” I tell her. “Unemployed firefighter. Romantically helpless.”

“Wonderful,” she says. “I love a challenge.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I WOULD LIKE to thank the following members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their patience in the face of my ceaseless questions; their input greatly enhanced the technical accuracy of the story: Cpl. Vaughn Chistensen, Didsbury Detachment; Sgt. Larry Moore, Explosives Disposal Unit, “K” Division; Joe Deak, Chemist, Crime Lab, “K” Division; Sgt. Larry McLeod, nco, Athabasca Detachment; Cpl. Gordon Petracek, Forensic Identification Specialist, Red Deer Detachment. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Paul Steensland, usfs Special Agent, for reviewing the manuscript, and Randel Yopek of Explosives Limited for advice on dynamite configurations and legalities. Thanks also to Dave Garbutt of Hub Cigar & Newstand for information on the Emperador cigar, and to Marc Côté of Cormorant Books for his interest and encouragement.