Deadline by Stephen Maher Read Free Book Online Page A

trying to comfort her, with his hand on her shoulder, rubbing her back.
    “Oh my God,” said Sophie, and ran to the bedside.
    Beverly Sawatski started to cry, and reached to draw Sophie to her. Tom Sawatski tried to put his arms around both of them. “There, there,” he said, but he started to sob too.
    It was the first look Ashton had had at Sawatski since they hauled him from the canal that morning. He was lying on his back, with a tube in his mouth, and an IV in his arm. A heart monitor pinged along steadily next to the bed.
    Sophie clutched his hand and stared at his inanimate face. “Oh, Ed,” she whispered. “Ed. Can you hear me?” But he just lay there, eyes closed, unmoving.
    Ashton slipped out into the hallway and called Flanagan on her cell phone.
    “Hey,” he said. “You talk to the girl?”
    “Yeah,” said Ashton. “I just brought her to the hospital. She’s in there now. Jesus.”
    “She broke up?” asked Flanagan.
    “Pretty distraught,” said Ashton. “I don’t like her for this. No way. And the parents are in there, too. Just flew in from St. John’s.”
    “She knows where he was last night?”
    “Yeah. He was out drinking with a reporter, guy named Jack Macdonald.”
    “That checks,” said Flanagan. “We’ve got a tape from the Chateau, shows two guys walking down from the Hill at 4:40 this morning, going down the stairs by the bridge. Maybe they are our two.”
    “Any chance of getting a solid ID?”
    “The camera is too far away, and the landing at the top of the stairs down under the bridge is on the edge of the frame. You can just see two figures, for about five seconds, walking down the trail that runs along the edge of the bluff, then they disappear down the stairs.”
    “Did you find the cab driver who drove the kids home?” said Ashton.
    “Not so far. It would have been a Gatineau taxi, so it could be couple different firms. They tell me they’re asking all their drivers, but nobody has volunteered any info yet. Maybe later today or tomorrow. The night shift guys might not even be on the job yet.”
    “All right,” said Ashton. “I’d better go in and talk to the parents. Christ.”
    When she walked back in, Sophie was holding one of Sawatski’s hands and his mother was holding the other. The mother was talking to him very quietly.
    “Excuse me,” said Ashton from the doorway. “I’m Detective Sergeant Mallorie Ashton of the Ottawa Police Service, and I’m investigating your son’s injury. I’m so sorry about what happened.”
    Tom Sawatski stood to shake her hand.
    “What can you tell us?” he said. “What happened to our son?
    “Ed’s an excellent swimmer,” said Beverly Sawatski. “He was a lifeguard. This just doesn’t make sense.”
    “I know,” said Ashton. “We’re trying to get to the bottom of it. I’d like to take a statement from one of you, if you feel you can manage it.”
    “I’ll give you a statement,” said Tom.
    “Okay,” said Ashton. “I’ll go see if there’s an office here we can use.”
    She turned to Sophie. “And Sophie, if you can forward me those messages now, please.”
    Sophie nodded and pulled out her phone.
    Beverly Sawatski stayed at her son’s side.
    “Oh my God,” she blurted. “Oh thank God.”
    Ed’s eyes were open.

     
    By JACK MACDONALD
    Ottawa Bureau
    OTTAWA – Liberal MPs stuck up for Len Ramia on Tuesday after the RCMP charged the senator with fraud for allegedly misusing Senate property by using government furniture, art and computer equipment in his home.
    Newfoundland’s Liberal MPs say Ramia should keep receiving his $132,000-a-year salary until the trial.
    “The Senate has its rules,” said Humber-St. Barbe—Baie Verte MP Loyola Quoyle. “And we have to respect the principle of innocent until proven guilty.”
    Ramia was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1998 after working as the key Newfoundland organizer in his campaign for the Liberal leadership. At the