“This land belongs to our people. We’re not going anywhere.” Eric’s face was stone, his voice steel.
“This ain’t Migiskan land. Start moving.”
“Should’ve known your dirty hand was in this, Charlie. What did you do? Try some of Louis’s tricks and salt it, eh?”
I started at the mention of Louis’s name and realized I didn’t know the half of what Louis was all about.
“Shut up!” Charlie growled. “Damn right there’s gold here, over a million ounces, and you’re not going to see a single ounce of it.”
“You’ve sold out, Charlie, for a few pieces of gold. You’ve betrayed our people by turning over to the white man the land the Creator left in our keeping.”
For a moment, I thought Charlie was going to attack Eric, but instead he slowly brought his rifle up and pointed it directly at him. John-Joe grunted. I stopped breathing.
“Are you threatening us, Charlie?” Eric continued, his voice as emotionless as his weather hardened face.
“I’m just asking you very politely to leave. This land belongs to CanacGold.”
For an eternity, no one moved, and then someone scraped a boot over some loose stones.
“Fine, Charlie. We’ll leave, but I am not giving in. This land is Anishinabeg land. The band and I are going to fight you and your damn mine all the way.”
He stepped forward, inserted the black and white feather into the muzzle of Charlie’s rifle, turned around and walked away.
FIFTEEN
The next day I woke up late, much later than I’d planned. After the previous day’s gun-toting confrontation, I’d decided the safest way to stop Charlie and the damn mine was to prove that the government did not own Whispers Island. I planned to spend the day searching through every single box, trunk and any other belonging of Aunt Aggie’s in the hope, no matter how far-fetched, of finding the proof.
But first, my breakfast. I was starved. However, I’d no sooner sat down to a large plate of scrambled eggs, hash browns and English sausages than Sergei, who was supposed to be sound asleep in the front room, burst into an uproar.
“Be quiet!” I shouted. But he persisted. I prayed it was nothing more than a teasing raccoon. However, after yesterday, I was half expecting to see Charlie Cardinal’s threatening mass on my doorstep.
I had no idea what he had against me. Even Eric didn’t know, just assumed, like Hélène, that Charlie’s intense hatred for him was spilling over onto me. That, and the fact I was also against the gold mine. Moreover, Eric was convinced Charlie was nothing but a harmless bully, full of bluster with no substance. He figured that as long as I stayed out of Charlie’s way, he’d leave me alone. Eric did, however, tell me to let him know if Charlie threatened me again.
It was all very well for Eric to say Charlie was no real threat. But with the possibility of Charlie arriving on my doorstep, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to test out Eric’s theory. I debated pretending I wasn’t home but decided that was playing into Charlie’s hand. So, determined not to allow my fears to get the better of me, I marched to the front door. But no bull moose stood on my doorstep, or anyone else for that matter. Nor was Sergei in sight. In fact, he had stopped barking.
Before I had a chance to return inside, Sergei bounded over the top stair from the dock. Close behind him strode a tall figure, too lean to be Charlie. I relaxed. It was Eric.
“What’s up?” I called out, surprised but faintly pleased by this unexpected visit.
He waited until he reached the porch before replying. Instead of a smile, worry creased his face.
“I wanted to let you know before you heard from anyone else.”
“What’s happened?” I asked wondering what Charlie had done now. But as I looked more closely at Eric’s sombre face, I knew this had nothing to do with Charlie. Cold, numbing dread washed over me. This was about Marie.
“We’ve found the body of—”
I closed my ears. I didn’t want to hear her name. If I hadn’t been so drunk, she’d still be alive. I grabbed Aunt Aggie’s chair and sat down. Shit. Marie. Dead. Because of me.
“I hope you caught the bastard,” I lashed out.
“Who’re you talking about?”
“Louis, of course.”
“Meg, you aren’t listening. It was Louis’s body that was found.”
“Louis?” I cried out, not quite believing my ears.
“Yes, Louis.”
“Not Marie?” I still wasn’t entirely convinced.
Eric patiently said no.
“Thank God.” I relaxed. Too bad Louis was dead, probably drowned, or maybe his liver had packed it in. What did it matter how he died. Marie was alive. “What about Marie, Eric, is she okay?”
“Don’t know. I haven’t been able to reach Tommy on my satellite phone, which means he’s turned it off.”
“Wait a minute, didn’t Louis die at his hunting camp?”
“No. Frosty found his body this morning at their homestead.”
“What was he doing there? He was supposed to be at the hunting camp with Marie.”
“No idea, but I’m sure the police will find out during their investigation.”
“Police? Does this mean someone killed him?”
“Looks that way, shot twice.”
“Do they know who shot him?” I asked.
“Not yet. Meg, I’m going to have to return to the Council Hall. You going to be okay?”
I nodded yes but didn’t feel it.
“What about Marie?” I asked. “Does this mean she didn’t go to Louis’s camp either?”
“We won’t know until we hear from Tommy. For the moment, I’m assuming she’s there, and for some reason, Louis returned home.”
“I sure hope she’s okay,” I said and left it at that. I didn’t want to voice my real fear—that she’d been killed too, and her body lay hidden waiting to be found.
As if reading my thoughts, Eric answered, “Don’t worry, I know it looks bad right now, but she’ll come out of this unharmed. Marie’s a survivor.”
He gave me a pat on the arm and left.
Deciding that Marie had greater priority than the ownership
