Woman Chased by Crows (60 page)

Mikhael Tomashevsky became quite a familiar figure in the Toronto courts. As a recognized expert in all matters pertaining to missing treasures and specifically the crucifix once in the possession of the Dowager Empress Feodorovna, he gave testimony on many occasions. He also expended a great deal of effort lobbying for the return of the three Kashmiri sapphires known to exist, one of which had to be somewhat forcibly removed from the finger of Dylan O'Grady's wife, an event that was recorded by some enterprising teen on a cellphone camera and subsequently went viral on YouTube.

The fourth sapphire was still missing. Darryl Kamen, heir to Louie Grova's pawnshop and collectibles, was (with the help of law enforcement and Canada Revenue Agency) still searching for it. Hopes were not high.

Closer to home, Donna Lee Bricknell was reelected Mayor of Dockerty. The vote wasn't even close. Gregg Lyman and his lovely wife, Cheryl, moved back to Port Colborne to reassess their plans for his political future. Orwell and Erika secured, without difficulty, the severance of ten acres of the “Brennan Estate” to give to his daughter and son-in-law as a wedding present. Patty Brennan and Gary Blomquist loosely set a date for their wedding, sometime in June, and were now discussing, at length, the details of the service. Gary, a Quaker, explained to the Brennans that weddings were entirely simple affairs at the Meeting House, with no rings exchanged, no ministers involved and merely a public declaration of their desire to be married. Erika was hoping to persuade Patty to at least participate in a second, more celebratory service with cake and perhaps some music. Negotiations were ongoing. Diana took an apartment in Dockerty. She seemed to be happy working alongside Georgie Rhem and seeing Sam Abrams socially. Leda Brennan was considering a career in the theatre. She was also considering careers in art and literature, and was determined to save the planet. Her budding romance with the young man named Peter dissipated when he moved to Toronto to try his luck as a standup comic.

Randy Vogt turned in his papers and retired from the Dockerty
PD
to take a private security job in Toronto. This left Emmett Paynter with an odd number of investigators. For the foreseeable future, Stacy Crean would be able to resume her role as utility detective, a situation she embraced happily. Any thoughts she might be harbouring about moving to Toronto to become a big city detective were, at least for the time being, placed on hold. Joe Greenway, her wandering fishing-guide boyfriend returned from a lengthy sojourn in B.C., to find the rowan trees in Stacy's front yard well established, and the woman herself happy to see him.

Stacey Crean, dedicated investigator that she was, dropped in on Anya Zubrovskaya often. There were many questions that she felt needed answers. But while Anya contributed what she could to unravelling the story, all she really cared about was the sad fate of her friend Ludmilla. She had some sympathy for Vassili Abramov, whom she believed had been so in love with Ludmilla that he kept poking and snooping until he tracked down the identity of the mysterious “big black musician.” It was too bad for him the musician turned out to be a murderous policeman.

Anya was also visited, at least once, by Mikhael Tomashevsky, who told her, “The government of Russia would be prepared to pay a reward, a finder's fee if you like, to the person who could help with the return of the Ember. No questions asked.”

Anya found that an interesting idea. “Really? Yes, I suppose, considering how it wound up lost in the first place. They might not care to have the full story come out.”

“The finder's fee would be quite substantial.”

“And discreet?”

“Of course,” he said. “A person could perhaps have enough money to start a new life. Without always looking over their shoulder.”

“There is that.”

He gave her his card. “If you should hear of anyone . . .”

“Yes, if I should hear of anyone.”

It was possible that Mikhael wasn't convinced that the ruby in question was a fake at all.

Anya Zubrovskaya had no intention of returning the ruby. She had no need for riches. She did not need much to live. A little school, a small apartment, a promising student now and then. What else was there for her now? Mrs. Lytton had offered her a teaching position in the new arts centre, if it ever got built, or maybe she could go back to Russia, they might welcome her, it would be nice to speak her own language again. Who knows? The rest of Louie Grova's money might make a good start to a travel fund. But for now she was content to live her quiet life in her quiet town without too much fear, and with fewer and fewer nightmares as time went by.

She would keep the ruby. It was safe, hanging in plain sight on the wall of her little studio, surrounded by a few framed photographs, safe inside the toe of a battered pink dancing shoe, protected by the scrawled signature of Yuri Soloviev, the greatest dancer she had ever known.

The cat was on the fire escape. At his feet was the black-feathered carcass of a crow.

“A gift? I am honoured. You have outdone yourself. Crows are not easy to catch. He was either very stupid, or you are very smart. Which is it? I will go with the latter. Are you coming in? The dead thing can stay outside. If that is all right with you.”

She opened the window to let the cat inside. Crows were cawing above her, but she didn't care. They were just birds, and she had an assassin of her own.

For those who care about such things:

Although certain organizations familiar to Canadian readers are referred to in the story, the people mentioned are fictional and their involvement in those organizations is imaginary.

MARC STRANGE
is a writer and actor. He is co-creator of the hit television series
The Beachcombers
, and between 1972 and 1990 wrote, directed, and/or story edited over seventy episodes. He has appeared in many Canadian and Hollywood feature films and television series. Strange is the author of two Joe Grundy Mysteries:
Sucker Punch
(2007), shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel, and
Body Blows
(2009), the winner of the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.

Also by Marc Strange

Sucker Punch

Body Blows

Follow Me Down

Copyright © Marc Strange,
2012

Published by ECW Press

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LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Strange, Marc

Woman chased by crows / Marc Stange.

I. Title.

PS8637.T725W64 2012 C813'.6 C2011-906971-7

ISBN: 978-1-55022-969-1

also issued as:

978-1-77090-244-2 (PDF); 978-1-77090-245-9 (EPUB)

Cover and text design: Tania Craan

Cover images: ballerina © Masterfile; crow © Shane Link/iStockphoto; gem © Andrew Reese/iStockphoto

The publication of Woman Chased by Crows has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested
$20.1
million in writing and publishing throughout Canada, and by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities, and the contribution of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit. The marketing of this book was made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.