Chapter 10
“How was your day, Cassie?” Frank tossed his suit jacket over the chair at the desk and pulled off his tie before sprawling gratefully in the armchair.
Cassie sauntered over to give Frank a fond peck on the forehead. “It was strange to be able to wander downtown without Gord trailing me. Meghan dragged me to a lot of shops. I did get that ultra book you suggested and a good pair of boots and some sturdy clothing so we can go hiking in Gatineau Park like you want to. But other than a little black dress, I decided not to buy any more new clothes until I’m up to my proper weight and I’m sure what size I’m going to be. I think I’ll settle out at size 6 unless I can find somewhere that sells things in size 5 that don’t make me look fifteen. Of course, if you’re willing keep buying me custom tailored clothes...”
“You know that’s not a problem.”
Cassie wandered back to the stove to check supper. “I hope you like butter chicken with broccoli over rice.”
“Ah, that’s what smells so good.” Frank unlaced his shoes and slid them off.
“I hope it turns out okay. It’s the first time I’ve made it.” Cassie gave the pot a stir and asked, “How did it go with Trevor?”
“We got through all the false invoices today. Tomorrow we’ll go through the diverted assets first then the ghosts on the payroll. He says that will go much faster. We did get one piece of good news, though. Because there is more than one provincial jurisdiction involved, we’ll need to deal with the RCMP and Trevor knows most of the guys in the commercial crime unit from when he worked in the Crown Prosecutor’s office. So someone will be coming to look at everything on Thursday afternoon for a preliminary assessment because they know that Trevor wouldn’t waste their time.”
“But you’re tired.”
“It was an intense day. I’d forgotten how picky lawyers have to be. They’re worse than accountants.” Frank stood up and wandered over to set the table. “But I think that I’ll be up for doing something fun after supper.”
“Like what?”
“Trevor said that they went to Stony Swamp with the kids on Sunday afternoon to feed the chickadees. Apparently they’ll feed from your hand if you hold up oil seeds. Sundown isn’t until almost nine so we could take a walk in the woods if you want to.”
Cassie grinned. “As long as we pick up bug spray before we go. I always get eaten alive when I go on field trips. Not that I’ve been on very many.”
“Do you like hiking? Or kayaking?”
“I don’t know. I really haven’t done very much of anything, Frank, if it cost money or took too much time away from caring for Granny. I guess the closest I got to hiking was taking the subway to High Park. I liked to sit and read or sketch the ducks on the lake. Or I’d wander Kensington Market if one of the neighbours was sitting in with Granny. Or I’d go over to Nathan Phillips Square for a free concert and watch people. Mrs. Soares always arranged for me to have Saturday afternoon for myself.”
“Maybe we can get some time to ourselves at the summer place when we head down east.”
Cassie’s face brightened with a broad smile. “I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Canada with you. I got to go back to Toronto this spring with my class from Rideau High. I know it was the dreaded school trip but I had fun. I love the Art Gallery of Ontario because Granny used to take me. And even though I lived a stone’s throw from Queen’s Park, I’d never taken the tour. That was pretty neat. When we get to Halifax I really want to see the new museum at Pier 21. Great-grandfather Marcussen entered through Halifax when his family came to Canada.”
Frank smiled fondly at his wife’s happy anticipation. “I’ll be happy to show you more of the country. The rest of the world, too. And you’ll have to let me know where you want to go for our honeymoon.”
Cassie stopped bouncing to stare at Frank. In a very tight voice she said, “Honeymoon?”
Frank took advantage of her stillness and kissed her nose before wrapping her in a gentle hug. Cassie stiffened automatically then consciously relaxed in Frank’s arms with her hands on his shoulders.
“Yes. A honeymoon. Newlyweds often take a honeymoon trip together and I think we might be newlyweds. I seem to recall getting married recently. To you.” He gave her a wink. “Is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go?”
“Norway.” Cassie blurted.
“Why Norway?”
“Dad’s family was originally from there.”
Frank gave his head a shake. “Of course. Marcussen.”
Cassie disentangled herself from Frank’s hug and said, “Supper’s ready.”
Frank gave her a fond look and said, “You take good care of me, Cassie.”
Cassie wore a pleased smile as she began to serve supper.
———
Cassie stood very still with her left arm held out to one side. After what seemed like five or six minutes but was probably closer to thirty seconds a black capped chickadee dove down from the alder and landed on her index finger before grabbing an oilseed and flying away.
Frank took several pictures over the next five minutes as several chickadees and a nuthatch came to feed from Cassie’s hand. He let the camera rest on his chest and allowed himself to share in Cassie’s pleasure.
“This is really cool, Frank.” Cassie beamed a smile his way as she shook out the burn in her arm muscles and reached into the bag for another small pile of oil seeds. “Chickadees are so tiny and light.”
Frank returned her smile and took some seeds for himself. “And they have more colours than I thought. From a distance they look black, white and grey but they have beige bellies and some bluish highlights in the neck and wing feathers.” He fell silent for a moment to concentrate on the chickadees gathering their courage in the nearby thicket. He almost laughed as he realized that he was doing the same thing with Cassie – waiting for her to gather her courage to trust him enough to come to him.
In no time at all the small flock of chickadees had taken all of the seeds on his hand and he moved down the trail to a shady spot to review the pictures. The zoom lens caught two that he thought were worth framing. He felt a surge of possessive pride as he examined an upward angle close up of a chickadee on Cassie’s left hand that showed a profile of the nervous bird and the rings he’d put on her hand. He smiled as he perused a picture of Cassie’s joyous face intently concentrating as a nuthatch’s head was down to steal a seed.
“Any good ones?” Cassie looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder to get a better look.
Frank scrolled through and showed her the sequence but didn’t tell her that he was going to frame the one with her face for his office. “Three or four that are worth sharing with other people.”
Cassie tiptoed to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s a very special place.”
He looked over her shoulder to see an older couple staring intently at them. He sighed.
“Something wrong?”
Frank gave her a rueful grin. “I just got another ‘dirty old man’ look.”
Cassie kept her arm in his as she began to march down the path towards the parking lot. “You are not a dirty old man, husband of mine. Believe me, I know too much about dirty old men and you are not one of them.”
Frank shrugged. “I know but it’s a challenge not to react.”
“For me, too.” She slowed down and her tone grew serious. “It was a really hard decision to run away from home, Frank. Mum isn’t much of a mother but she’s my only family and I was a total basket case after Granny died. Mum married Gord about four months after I moved in with her and he was on his best behaviour at first. But when my inheritance money ran out, he started doing favours for the gang that distributes drugs in the neighbourhood.” She sighed. “A quarter-million dollars should have lasted way more than two months.”
Frank nodded but didn’t say anything to interrupt her train of thought.
Cassie sighed again and continued, “Things got really stran
ge after the neighbours on Donald called the cops on them during a really loud party and they almost got charged because there were people doing drugs and having sex everywhere, well, except my room. I had locked my bedroom door and I had my headphones on and reading so I wouldn’t be bothered. Children’s Aid had their little talk with Mum the next day, which she ignored of course. After the next party, the landlord cancelled the lease and we moved to that awful apartment and then Gord wouldn’t let me out of his sight except for school. He almost kept me home from the Toronto trip. I was pretty scared of him. Still am. He said that if I tried to get in touch with Mrs. Bountoulous or any of my other spare grannies that he’d make certain they would pay for it. So I didn’t contact them, in case he was serious.”
Frank covered her hand but said nothing, recognizing that Cassie needed to tell him something important.
“About two weeks before I ran away, this little intense guy in biker colours visited us and Gord told me to go to my room. Deion had dropped over quite a few times before but this time Gord actually introduced him. It seemed different, scarier, because he was paying really close attention to me. A week or so later, Deion brought this really creepy balding guy in a silk suit with him when he came over and Gord held me still while both of the guys felt me up and started to force me to do things. I was too scared to fight them very hard, Frank, after Gord smacked me a couple of times. Deion tried to make me… do things.” Cassie shuddered and her tears started to flow. “Anyway, I bit him and got really badly beaten because of it. The creepy guy, who Deion called Vlad, just laughed and said that his customers would enjoy it better if I had some spunk. It was awful and what’s worse is that I can’t remember everything they did to me.”
“They thought Mum was zonked out on oxys but she came out of her room and started yelling at them to leave me alone. I ran and barricaded myself in my bedroom.”
She took a deep breath and looked at Frank with glistening eyes. “I’ve read the stuff the counsellor recommended about coping with grief and about what to do as a dependent of an addicted parent. Everyone says to get professional help – for me and for Mum. But when Mum said it was my fault for teasing those two awful men and she ignored the fact they beat me and she wouldn’t take me to the hospital or let me go on my own, I knew I had to get out. But without school to go to I wasn’t allowed to leave the house. Gord hinted that he’d been offered a lot of money for me and he had to protect his investment.”
“A couple of days later a big guy Mum called Hulk came to stay in the apartment while Gord went to the States to pick up a shipment. I think Hulk might be Gord’s contact with the gang, although I don’t know that for certain; it might be Deion. Anyway, when he isn’t blitzed, Gord is really charming and looks really normal, at least in public. He made a few smuggling runs for the gang because he doesn’t have a record and he has that nice boring Chev sedan he bought with the money Dad left me. He told Hulk he had a run to do and that he was worried that I was going to run away. He made it sound like he was worried about me. As if.” Frank looked up. They were almost at the parking lot.
“When I came out of my room to make lunch, Hulk started to grope me but he backed off really quickly when I panicked. Then he mumbled something like ‘Gord’s an idiot and a liar. Sorry I bothered you.’ After he apologized to me, he sidled up to Mum and asked her if she wanted to make out, for old time’s sake. By the time I’d finished making lunch for them they were only half dressed. I guess Gord hadn’t been paying her much attention or she was just in the mood, or something. I took my lunch and hid in my bedroom like I always did when Mum was entertaining.”
Frank quelled his automatic disgust and allowed Cassie to continue.
“About four hours later I heard Gord come back. I guess he caught Mum with Hulk and decided that I’d be better company. He came into my bedroom and grabbed me hard then started to beat on me when I fought him. You were right, by the way. He left bruises again, here, here and here.” She pointed at both hips, one thigh, her left arm and an area on her ribs near one breast.
“Hulk came into my bedroom and tapped Gord on the shoulder. Then he said, ‘Leave her alone. She doesn’t want you.’ Gord said, ‘Just wondered why she’s worth so much to Vlad. But you’re right, she doesn’t want it. And she’s too skinny.’ Then he shoved me hard and gave me a major lump on the back of my head when I hit the bed frame. Then Hulk said, ‘I bet Penny’s willing to entertain both of us. You in?’ Gord said, ‘Sure,’ and got off me and slammed the bedroom door behind him. I wedged it shut and prayed that he’d stay away.”
“I finally came out of my bedroom the next morning with my pack hoping that I could sneak past them. Mum and Gord were both passed out in the living room but Gord woke up enough to ask me where I thought I was going. When I said the library he searched my backpack and because he didn’t find anything but books and my wallet he said I could go. He told me he was too wasted to come with me but I had to be back to cook lunch, or else. So I lied and told him I’d be back in two hours and left. And ten days later I met you downtown.”
Frank gathered her into his arms next to the car and held her tight. Cassie sensed that he wasn’t relaxed at all. “Is there something wrong, Frank?”
“Too many things, Cassie. I wish you’d report Gord and his buddies to the police. Actually I wish it was a few hundred years ago and I could just get a gun and shoot them all but the gang is probably better at that than I am.” Frank began to relax as Cassie rested her head against him. “Worth so much?”
“I overheard Vlad tell Gord that his cut would be around fifteen grand. Maybe more. It sounded like there would be some sort of auction but I didn’t associate it with me until just now. I thought Gord was talking about drug running again.”
“No wonder he wanted me to pay for the permission letter.”
“I guess that’s what my virginity is worth to someone. No, it has to be a lot more than that. That’s just Gord’s cut. And it must be someone overseas because Gord made sure I had a current passport. I guess natural blondes like me are pretty rare.” Cassie’s tone was matter-of-fact and it was apparent to Frank that she was trying to keep some emotional distance from the events. Then he felt his shirt start to get wet.
“Hey, sweetheart. Things turned out okay.”
Cassie wiped her eyes and gave a bleak look Frank’s way as she backed away. “So far. For now.” She turned abruptly and hauled on the locked door handle. Frank unlocked the car and walked slowly around to the driver’s side to gather his thoughts and give Cassie some space.
For now. At least Frank had a better understanding of what his wife had been through in the last year. Losing her Granny and her Dad. A mother she couldn’t count on. No other family or friends to turn to. An abuser for a stepfather. Sexual interference. Aggravated assault. Forcible confinement. Human trafficking. Homelessness. Post-traumatic stress, too, probably.
He sighed and started the car. Cassie was right that natural blondes were rare but a truly beautiful blonde like her would be a great prize anywhere. A great prize to me, too. He said a quiet thanksgiving that he’d rescued her in time.
His lips curled in a brief smile at the thought that she was beginning to trust him enough to tell him at least part of her story. But her very distant tone suggested that she’d experienced far too much and that she’d had to grow up far too quickly. He prayed that knowing some of the story would make it easier for him to keep his promise to let her get closer in her own time.
Frank allowed the silence to continue as he drove towards the city. When he was up to speed, he said, “Would you like some ice cream?”
Cassie lifted her head and Frank could see her spirits begin to rebound as she wiped away her tears. “Would you take me to a Dairy Queen? Dad used to take me when he was in Toronto.”
“Sure. I haven’t had one of their cones in years.”
Frank took her hand after he turned onto West Hunt Club. “Do you know where the nearest one is?”
Cassie pursed her lips. “I know there’s one where Merivale turns into Clyde. I remember passing it on the bus. There’s probably one closer but I don’t know the west end that well.”
Frank handed her his smart phone so she could look up the address and enter it into the GPS. He waited until she sat back before changing the subject. “So, have you thought about Henry’s proposition? I’d be taking a pay cut, at least in the short term.”
Cassie remembered her shock Monday morning when she and Frank had gone into the bank armed with their marriage license and photo ID. Frank had the bank set up a savings account for her that he couldn’t touch then had them transfer five hundred thousand dollars into it. Her safety net he’d called it. Then he’d set up a joint account for household expenses and started that with sixty thousand then ordered a credit card in her name. The ultra book and the new clothes she’d purchased hadn’t really put a dent into the account.
“I only have one question. Do you think you’ll enjoy doing it?”
Frank went silent as he thought about it. He finally said, “I think the enjoyable parts will outweigh the boring and irritating parts. Call it rewarding and satisfying rather than enjoyable, although I will enjoy much of it, especially if there are interesting puzzles to solve.”
“And if you stay at Alawen?”
“Henry’s offer is more appealing. I’ve learned a great deal at Alawen in the past two years but I don’t much like working there anymore, especially as CFO. But what about you?”
Cassie shrugged. “I’m starting from nothing, really, so it won’t matter where we are. I have to finish Grade 12 before I do anything else. I didn’t have many friends at Rideau. I had a couple at St. Patrick’s in Toronto but when I moved to Ottawa I lost touch with them. I could have tried harder to make friends at Rideau but I didn’t fit in very well because there are all sorts of cliques and I started there in Grade 11 after everyone had already made friends.”
“I thought you got along well with the geeks and nerds.”
“Sort of. I thought they were okay.”
“And they thought they’d gone to heaven because a pretty girl was actually talking to them.”
Cassie tilted her head as she pondered that. “Was that what that was? I thought they were just trying to be nice and wondered why they’d bother hanging around with boring old me.”
Frank got a smug smile as he glanced at his beautiful wife. Then he got a serious look. “Okay then. We’ll start house hunting tomorrow. I’ll call Anne to let her know our decision and we can decide on a start date that’s before school starts in September.” He asked again, “You’re sure you’re okay with that?”
“Yes, Frank. I’m okay with it. I just want you to be happy with your work. Dad loved the driving but hated being so far away from me all the time. He would have been happier if he’d been back in Toronto more than once a month or so but he needed to keep up the payments on the truck and the long runs were better money. When Granny got put in the hospice, he lined up a local job so I could live with him for Grade 11 and 12. At least he died doing something he loved.”
As the traffic got heavier Frank had to pay more attention to his driving so they paused their conversation until they pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot. Frank was aware of the speculative glances their way as they took their place in line. He turned to admire his wife again and said, “Norway, eh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Do you want to do it as a driving holiday or a cruise or a combination?”
“Norway?”
“Yes. You said that’s where you wanted to go for our honeymoon. If I start the new job here the last Monday in August that would give us enough time to find a house and an office, give my notice, and pack up the apartment in Halifax before we take off for two weeks in Norway with maybe a few days in England. There’s lots to do in London. Maybe we could take in a play or a musical. And we’d be back here in time for your driver’s test.”
“Are you serious?” Cassie looked as skeptical as her tone suggested.
“Very serious.” He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I can even book a two bedroom cabin on the cruise if necessary. But I hope it won’t be.” He gave her a peck on the cheek before he straightened up.
Cassie began to blush and said, “We can talk about that later, Mr. Ellis.”
“Whenever you’re ready to, Mrs. Ellis. I’ve never been to Norway. It looks beautiful in the pictures I’ve seen.”
Cassie leaned into him and let him wrap his arms around her waist. “I don’t want you to spoil me, Frank.”
Frank gave her a gentle squeeze and said, “I don’t know anyone who deserves it more, my dear.”
Cassie squirmed a bit at his words but felt the seedling put out more roots. A memory of Frank’s earnest face saying ‘I’m not pretending,’ came back to her and she closed her eyes and leaned back against him to enjoy the comfort and safety he was offering.