board. She sat on the floor opposite us.
“So you are Zoe.”
She nodded.
“What’s your last name, Zoe?”
“Tario.”
“Thanks for talking to us.”
“I can get you some water.”
Cobb declined and I started to but thought better of it. In some strange way, I felt that this street girl was doing her best to be hospitable and that water was probably all she had to offer us.
“Thanks,” I said. “I’d appreciate a water.”
She got up, reached behind her for a plastic jug of water, poured some into a glass that may or may not have been clean. She handed me the water with a flicker of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
“I hope you like cold water.” She shook the glass and I could hear bits of ice hitting the sides.
“Cold’s my favourite.” I said.
Another flicker, then she sat back down and looked at Cobb. “Why should I help you guys?”
“Because you’d be helping Jay,” Cobb said. “It’s like we said before, there are some other people who might be looking for him. If they are, it’s imperative that we find him before they do.”
“Who are these people?”
“We’re not sure.”
“Pretty vague.”
“I wish I could give you more definitive answers but I can’t. You’re going to have to trust us.”
“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that in my life? From my favourite uncle who was a pedophile to my first boyfriend who turned out to be violent to the two cops who arrested me for shoplifting and offered me some interesting ways to avoid being charged to … there’s more, but I’m sure you get the picture. So, bottom line, I don’t have to trust you.”
Cobb glanced over at me. I could see he was thinking about how much he’d tell her. He nodded. “Two drug trade guys were killed last night. A house over in Ramsay. Crack dealers … they were shot.”
Zoe looked thoughtful, nodded slowly. “I heard something about it on the news. There was a radio playing at a shelter I stopped at to get some blankets.”
Blankets. That explained the garbage bag.
“It’s going to be bloody cold tonight,” I said. I shook my water glass to remind her just how cold. “Why didn’t you just stay at the shelter?”
“I like it here.”
When neither Cobb nor I responded she added, “I sort of wanted to be here in case … someone comes here.”
“Jay?” I asked.
She didn’t answer. Turned instead to Cobb. “What’s the shooting have to do with Jay?”
“Maybe nothing,” Cobb looked down at the floor for maybe a millisecond then back up at Zoe, his decision made. “The guy who shot those two men was Jay’s father. He’s worried that the guys who are higher up the food chain might want revenge for a couple of their guys getting snuffed.”
“So why wouldn’t they want to get their revenge on Jay’s father?”
“They will want that. But if they’re not successful, or even if they are, Mr. Blevins is concerned that they might want to go farther. If he’s right, then Jay could become a target. Or maybe already is.”
Zoe didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. She seemed to be digesting the information.
Cobb let her think about it for a while. “Do you happen to know that house? It’s on Raleigh Avenue.”
Zoe pulled a cigarette out of her jacket pocket, not a pack, one lone cigarette. She lit it from one of the candles, took a drag, blew smoke above our heads. “I know it.”
“You a user, Zoe?”
She shook her head. “Was. I’ve been clean for almost four months. Went through a program and got off it … for now. I guess we’ll see.”
I appreciated her honesty. None of the “I’ve never used” or “I’ve beaten the thing for life” that you hear from a lot of users.
“What do you know about the house?” Cobb asked her.
“Not a lot. Jay bought there quite often. He took me with him twice. I hated the place. Real creepy guys. I remember one was called Stick. Real tall. The first time I went there with Jay, that asshole, Stick, offered to show me why he had that particular nickname. Total jerkoff.”
Blevins had told Cobb one of the guys was very tall. Maybe Stick was one of the victims.
“Who else was there, do you remember?”
“The first time it was only Stick and two kids who looked junior high school age making a buy. The second time, it was like Walmart on Saturday night — people everywhere. Stick was there and another guy was doing the selling and distributing. I didn’t pay much attention to who was in there, mostly I wanted to get out and gone as fast as we could. After that time I told Jay I wouldn’t go there anymore. He said he’d buy for me — that was when I was still using.”
“Crack … that what they sold there?”
“Crack, ecstasy, blow, lots of other stuff. One stop shopping.”
Cobb nodded and leaned forward. “Jay ever say anything about the people who sold out of that house? Like who they worked for?”
“No. I even asked him once. He said he didn’t know and didn’t want to know. Just as long he could get what he needed he didn’t care if Stephen Harper owned the place.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s not him,” Cobb said, smiling.
Zoe didn’t return the smile.
“Listen, Zoe, we don’t know who runs that place either and we don’t know if it’s the same people Stick and his pal report to … or maybe reported to is more accurate. But we’ve talked to some guys who are in the know and they’ve told us that these aren’t people you want to mess with.”
“So why are you messing with them?”
“Because a scared dad hired me to protect his kid. And that’s what I’m going to do, but I could use your help.”
“Trouble is, I don’t know where he is. Jay isn’t what you’d call reliable. He’ll tell you he’s going to be somewhere at a certain time and show up a few hours later, or the next day, or not at all.”
There was a knock at the door. Sitting there grouped around the candles, talking in low voices, we hadn’t heard anyone approach. I have to admit I jumped. I think Zoe did too. Cobb stood up, turned to face
