Shallow End by Brenda Chapman

Author:Brenda Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2017-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

Marci Stokes agreed to meet Kala at five o’clock at a café at the corner of Ontario Street and William, a stone’s throw from Lake Ontario. Kala drove toward the waterfront and parked her truck on a side street a few blocks away. The short walk was invigorating. It felt good to be in the fresh air after sitting at her desk all day. The rain had stopped early afternoon, and while the air felt damp, the breeze was lighter than when Kala had stepped outside her house in the morning and surprisingly warm.

The Common Market sign, bolted into the limestone wall above red awnings, was a painting of shipbuilders and sailboats with gold lettering inside a navy border. Kala had driven by on occasion but never entered the building and was charmed by the brick fireplace, limestone walls, and warm woodwork. The tables and chairs were mismatched but the decor worked, especially when she smelled the rich scent of coffee and fresh baking — breads and croissants, chocolate and cinnamon. Kala searched the tables of customers but Marci hadn’t yet arrived, so she walked to the counter and ordered a caffè latte and lemon square. The girls at the table next to the fireplace got up to leave and Kala grabbed their spot. She settled in and took a moment to savour the lemon pastry and milky coffee.

The front door opened as Kala took the last bite of the tart and Marci rushed into the café. She spotted Kala and signalled a greeting before heading straight to the counter. She arrived at the table with a scone and coffee and shrugged out of her trench coat as she sat down. “Sorry I’m late. I had to finish a story before I left the office.”

“Thanks for meeting me on short notice.”

“Yeah, well, I was glad you called because I’ve been wanting to apologize for that article about your homeless stint. If it means anything, I had second thoughts after I wrote it, but my editor printed the story without my knowledge. The worst part was that he edited out the paragraph where I expressed my admiration for the way you turned your life around. I hope the story didn’t cause any problems. Rouleau reprimanded me with a rather terse email.”

“Forget it. I have. I actually wanted to meet with you about Jane Thompson. I understand you had coffee with her.”

Marci looked at Kala while biting into her scone, her eyes searching Kala’s face. “So no make-up sex,” she said, smiling. “I guess I can’t blame you or Rouleau if you were pissed at me.” She slumped back in the chair. “Yeah, I had coffee with Jane. Understandably, she’s not doing well. Her former colleagues and neighbours painted a picture of this dreamy, smart woman. Good with kids, family-focused. Principled and seemingly above the tawdry. I’d say she lost all that mattered to her when she slept with her student. Now, she’s alone, suspicious, and haunted.”

“Did you make a connection with her?”

“Hard to know.

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