the loonies into her dresser drawer and studied her two young friends intently.
Hard to believe she’s a hundred years old, Caitlin thought. In fact, she doesn’t look a day over ninety-nine.
Dani looked at the floor, the walls, the ceiling, everywhere except Sadie. “Um, the thing is —”
Sadie waved a thin arm encouragingly. “I know, child. You can’t tell me certain things for certain reasons. I understand. No matter. Just tell me how I can help.”
“Thanks, Sadie,” Dani said, letting out a huge breath. “I knew we could count on you.”
“When you start askin’ my advice so you can rob a bank, I might be less cooperative,” Sadie said with a wink. “Unless, of course, you cut me in for a third. So what’s on your young, eager minds this bright October afternoon?”
Caitlin smiled. “For a third you’d have to drive the getaway car, Sadie.”
“Horse and buggy’s more my style, child.”
Dani frowned impatiently at Caitlin and rolled her eyes. “Sadie, we kind of wondered if you remembered stuff about William Lyon Mackenzie King ...”
“Used to be the prime minister of Canada,” Caitlin added.
“Thank you, Caitlin,” Sadie said. “I might have forgotten that. Course, I remember him. Took us through some tough times — the Great Depression, the Second World War. Never seemed much of a leader somehow, but he outlasted all his critics. Nothin’ fancy, bland even, and just between us, bit of an oddball. Oh, it wasn’t so much talkin’ to ghosts, séances, and such, but it seems he was real stuck on his mother. She was a regular adviser to the PM on world matters, you might say. Mr. King never married. I guess ’cause no one could ever compare to his dearly departed mom.”
Dani stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Sadie, did Mr. King ever have any interest in parks or anything?”
“Parks? Well, since he was the man who created Gatineau Park, I’d have to say, yes, he sure did have an interest in parks.”
“Hey, that’s where Kingsmere is,” Caitlin said.
“Makes sense, don’t you think?” Sadie said.
“How about parks in Ottawa, particularly ones along the Rideau River?” Dani asked, rising on her toes, something she did whenever she enunciated big words. Then, for emphasis, she tapped her rolled-up Glebe Examiner.
“What you got there, child?” Sadie asked.
“Dustin Fairburn’s column,” Dani answered proudly, spreading the pages dramatically. “He says: ‘The City of Ottawa is contemplating selling several pieces of land, including Windsor Park, to developers in order to address its deficit problem, as well as its serious lack of housing.’ He also says there’s a meeting at City Hall tonight to vote on the Windsor Park sale.”
“You don’t say?” Sadie said.
“What’s a deficit?” Caitlin asked.
“That’s when you spend more than you earn,” Sadie answered. “But that’s no excuse for sellin’ parks. The fools! What in the world, though, has all that got to do with our long-deceased prime minister?”
Both girls shrugged.
“We were hoping you’d know,” Dani finally said.
Sadie blinked several times. “Much as I love you girls, you do tax an old body’s mind. How could a much-dead PM have anything to do with a present group of money-grubbin’ —” She stopped speaking suddenly when she noticed the wary expressions on the two girls’ faces. “All right, I know I’m not supposed to go there. I did say I wouldn’t ask too many questions about your latest adventure.”
The girls grinned as Sadie checked the big dial on her men’s wristwatch. “‘Sides, it’s time for my afternoon game of cribbage with Eunice.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Poor thing’s memory is going. Feel real sorry for the old girl, but not enough to let her win, mind. Cribbage is good for keepin’ the mind’s movin’ parts all workin’. So when’s our next game, girls?”
“I think we’ll have to wait until we’re paid our allowance.” Dani said. “How ’bout next Saturday?”
“It’s a date,” Sadie said, waving a bony finger. “Don’t forget.”
“We won’t,” Caitlin said.
“We’ve got a bit to learn yet,” Dani offered.
Sadie chuckled. “And when you’ve learned all there is to know, you can come and take back all them loonies I’m holdin’ for you.”
“It’s a deal,” Dani said.
Sadie’s smile faded as she wrapped an arm around each girl. “Don’t know what in tarnation you two are up to this time, but be careful, for the sake of these old bones, will you?”
“We will,” Caitlin promised.
“Besides, what trouble could we get into?” Dani added.
The three friends paused for several seconds to consider Dani’s words, then erupted into laughter.
“No more than a pack of beagles in a bagel shop,” Sadie concluded.
4
The Politics of Parks
Dani’s dad, John, stood first on one leg, then the other as he peered over the crowd. “There’s Mayor Perkins and Dustin Fairburn. And, look, here comes Jim Watson, the former mayor. Gosh, girls, standing room only in City Hall tonight. I think it’s great you two are taking an active interest in local politics and your community.”
“Parks, Dad. We’re interested in parks.”
“Right.”
“Order, order!” Mayor Perkins commanded, banging his wooden gavel long after the crowd’s murmuring had faded to silence. When the last bang echoed loudly, the mayor looked briefly embarrassed before speaking. “Well, we have an important vote before us this evening that has to be decided quickly. And since we’ve got an unusually large crowd tonight in the civic chamber, we’d better get started.” The mayor tapped the gavel on his palm almost challengingly.
John leaned down and whispered, “That’s what you call passive-aggressive behaviour, girls.”
“Except for the passive part, I think you’re right, Dad,” Dani whispered back.
“I’d call the mayor’s behaviour aggressive-aggressive,” Caitlin, too, whispered.
Dani and her dad hissed, “Shh!” and attracted the attention of the entire gathering of concerned citizens.
“Now we have this Windsor Park land development motion before council today,” the mayor said, “and lots of folks here have all kinds of feelings about it this way and that.”
Before
