welcome,” Shoe said.
She got into the car. Timmons started the engine.
“You were in the academy with Hank Trumbull, weren’t you?” Lewis said.
“That’s right,” Shoe said. He and Hank Trumbull had also served their probationary period in the same downtown Toronto division. Shoe hadn’t seen him since he’d left the force and moved to the West Coast, but he’d called him in January to thank him for his putting in a good word for him during the investigation into Patrick O’Neill’s murder. “Do you know Hank?”
“He was my boss,” she said through the open door. “He put in his papers last month. He got tired of waiting for promotion. I don’t blame him. He should’ve been deputy chief by now, or even chief, but — well, you know him,” she added with a shrug. “Anyway, his retirement bash was last week.”
“I’m sorry I missed it,” Shoe said. “I’ll call him.”
“Better hurry,” Lewis said. “He’s taking his wife on a three-month vacation in Europe. They’re leaving tomorrow. Thanks again for your help. I’ll see you around.”
She closed the door. Timmons put the Sebring in gear and pulled away from the curb without signalling. Shoe turned his back on the memories and went into his parents’ house.
chapter three
“You keep looking at your watch, Hal,” Jerold Renfrew said. “Is there someplace you have to be?”
“Uh, no,” Hal Schumacher replied.
“You sure? Because if there is, we can do this later.”
“No,” Hal said. “Let’s get it over with.”
“Okay. Hal, you’re fired!”
Don’t I wish, Hal thought sourly, smiling at Renfrew’s favourite joke nevertheless. “The severance will come in handy,” he said, playing along, as was expected, even required. “I’ve had my eye on a nice little summer place in the Muskokas for a while now.”
Renfrew slapped the top of his desk in appreciation. “Good one, Hal. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even be able to afford it after this year’s bonus. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that your quarterly numbers are great, Hal. Simply great. Up over fifteen percent from last year. I’m really proud of you, Hal. You’ve built a great team of people. Simply great. Their performance is outstanding.”
Jerry Renfrew was president, CEO, and sole shareholder of Renfrew & Doherty Assurance, Inc. Although younger than Hal by nearly a decade, Renfrew affected a kindly, avuncular manner, which Hal found as annoying as it was fraudulent.
“Thanks, Jerry. I’ll pass that along.”
“The next quarter is looking good too,” Renfrew said, as though he hadn’t heard. “Could be our best ever, in no small part due to the efforts of you and your people. It’s starting to look like a safe bet that you’re going to be taking home the Oscar again this year, Hal.”
Christ, but the man loves the sound of his own voice, Hal thought irritably, as Renfrew prattled on. He was careful to keep his impatience from showing, though. Under other circumstances, he would have been flattered by the effusive praise, even though he knew these sessions were just Renfrew’s way of reminding everyone who was really in control. Truth be told, Hal was counting on the “Oscar,” as Renfrew called the big annual bonus that went to the head of the most productive department. Too bad he wouldn’t get to enjoy any of it; it was already spent, and not on a cottage on Lake Muskoka.
Hal had always considered himself pretty sophisticated when it came to the market. He knew that when a stock looked too good to be true, it likely was, and he’d have scoffed at the suggestion that he could be taken in by a smooth sales pitch. Until recently, that is. Jesus, how could he have been so stupid? It only went to show that no matter how smart you thought you were, there was always some slick operator out there who was just that little bit smarter.
And, on top of that, he had Dougie Hallam on his back. Hal sighed. He’d screwed up, there was no denying that, but damn, a little good luck wasn’t too much to ask, was it? It would make a nice change …
“Hal?”
“Uh, yes, Jerry.”
Renfrew frowned. “Is something bothering you, Hal?”
“What? No, Jerry, everything’s fine. Why do you ask?”
“C’mon, man,” Renfrew said. “You sit there, inscrutable as a damn Sphinx, when I’m practically coming right out and telling you that if you keep this up you’re a shoo-in for CFO when Phil Desmond retires next year.”
Hal’s heart jumped, as if an electric current had passed through his chest. “I thought Ray Levesque was your choice for Phil’s job,” he said, barely able to contain himself. So the rumours of Ray Levesque’s fall from grace were true after all.
“Frankly,” Renfrew said, “I’ve been disappointed in Ray’s performance lately.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Hal said, careful to keep the smugness from showing in his voice or on his face. Ray Levesque had been Jerry’s fair-haired boy. Hal wondered what Ray had done — or not done — to fall out of Renfrew’s favour. Whatever, maybe Hal’s luck was taking a turn for the better.
“But we were talking about you, Hal,” Renfrew said. “You’ve been a bit distracted lately. Is everything all right at home? How’s Maureen? I was saying to Alice just the other day, we’ve got to have Hal and Maureen over for dinner soon. Alice is dying to show off the new house.”
“Everything’s fine, Jerry,” Hal said. “Maureen’s fine. And we’d love to see the new house.”
“So what’s the problem, Hal?”
“There’s no problem, Jerry.”
“I wasn’t born yesterday, Hal,” Renfrew said. “I can see plain as the nose on your face that something’s going on with you. You can level with me, you know. If there’s something bothering you, all you have to do is tell me. We’ll make it go away. Trust me.”
Yeah, right. “Jerry, honestly, it’s nothing. I’m just tired, I guess. It’s been a tough couple of months, and I worked a little later than usual last night.”
“So I understand. A little bird told me you were here till after midnight. That’s not good. I’m a big believer in a proper balance of life and work, Hal, you know that.”
Yes I do, Jerry, and I’m sure you believe it, too, until the numbers start to fall, then it’s a different tune you play for us to dance to.
“You sure everything’s all right between you and Maureen? Working late is often the first sign of problems at home.”
“We’re fine,” Hal said blandly. How easily the lie came. But was Jerry even listening?
“Because I don’t need to remind
