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the reporters turned on them, saying, “How much dynamite, Pierre?”
    More than a dozen cops followed them in, some of the big-shot detectives from anti-terrorist and a few uniformed cops carrying wooden crates and a couple of green duffle bags. A camera flash went off and a reporter said, “Is that guns?”
    The cop carrying one of the bags, an older cop Dougherty didn’t know, hefted it and said, “Machine guns,” and the flash went off again.
    â€œThe Mayor of Westmount says you have no leads at all on the bombs there, is that true?”
    Vachon stopped and turned to face the reporters, and Dougherty saw Carpentier coming down the hall leading the Webbers, Joe with his arm around Millie, through the lobby.
    No one else noticed them.
    Dougherty got the Webbers into the back seat and was walking around the car when Carpentier said, “Tell them I’ll be by tomorrow.”
    â€œYou’re not coming?” Dougherty said.
    Reverend Barker was standing by the car then, and Carpentier motioned for him to get into the passenger seat. Then he looked back at the big front doors of police headquarters and said, “Did you hear? They found dynamite, detonators, machine guns and bulletproof vests. These fucking guys want a war.”
    Dougherty didn’t know what to say, from the chatter he heard in the station houses a lot of the cops wanted a war, too, get it out in the open and be done with it, but it didn’t look like that’s what Carpentier wanted. The detective stood there for another moment and then said, “
Bon, c’est ça
. Take the Webbers home,” and walked back into the station.
    The crowd was gone on Coleraine Street but Arlene Webber was still sitting on the front stoop when Dougherty pulled up. She didn’t get up when Reverend Barker led her parents into the house, just moved over a little to let them pass and then she said, “Did you see her?”
    Dougherty said yeah, and he was thinking about saying “she looked just like you” but didn’t.
    Arlene nodded and took a drag on her cigarette then blew out a long stream of smoke and said, “Little bitch, never listened,” and Dougherty saw the streaks of tears on her face and watched as she started to shake and sob.
    He had no idea what to say, standing there in his uniform, feeling so useless. This sure wasn’t the kind of action he’d signed up for.
    Arlene looked up at him. “Who did it?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œIs anybody going to try and find out?”
    â€œYeah, of course.”
    â€œReally, Eddie?”
    She was looking right at him, shaking a little, not angry or resentful, just wanting an honest answer.
    And he didn’t want to lie to her so he didn’t say anything.

chapter
    three
    The loud, clanging bell of the phone woke Dougherty from a deep sleep. He stumbled out of bed and took the three steps into his kitchenette, thinking he must have slept all day and was late for his four-to-midnight. He hadn’t been able to fall asleep for hours when he’d got back from the Point, the sun was just coming up when he finally nodded off. When he picked up the receiver and said, “Hello,” it was his mother’s voice saying, “Is it true?”
    â€œMa, wha— is what true?”
    â€œBrenda Webber,” his mother’s French accent drawing out the name and he said, “Yeah, it’s true.”
    â€œYou see her?”
    Dougherty sat down on the only chair in the place, a wooden kitchen chair that came with his furnished room. “Yeah, I saw her. How do you know?”
    â€œIt’s in the
Gazette
. Tommy saw it.”
    â€œFront page?”
    â€œNo, the front page is the dynamite and the machine guns they find in the garage. Tommy, after he finish his route he read the paper.”
    Dougherty stood up and retrieved his smokes from the pocket coat, saying, “I thought he just read