friends, you know. Close friends. It’s just totally out of character for her not to let me know what’s up. I phoned a couple of times, but she hasn’t called back. She hasn’t even picked up the messages, as far as I can tell. Also out of character.”
“Have you made any other efforts to find her?”
“After the surgery I called her office, but her assistant hadn’t heard from her. And I called her parents. They live in Sudbury, and Winter often goes to see them on weekends, but they hadn’t heard from her either. I didn’t know who else to contact. She’s only been in town about six months. She doesn’t know a lot of people here. I was going to call her office again, but I didn’t want to be a pest.”
“Actually, her assistant called us just after you.”
“Oh, no.” Dr. Perry covered her mouth with her hand.
“Let’s not get too worked up just yet. So far there’s no reason to suspect foul play.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what really scares me,” Dr. Perry said. “I drove over to her place at lunchtime, and her car’s still there. So if she isn’t at home, where did she go? And how did she get there? And why didn’t she let anyone know?”
“Do you have any reason to suspect anyone would harm her? Did she have any enemies that you know of?”
“I can’t believe anyone would want to hurt Winter. She didn’t have an enemy in the world. She’s just the nicest person you could hope to meet. Smart, funny, dependable—terrific doctor. Ask anybody who works with her. There’s just no one you’d rather have in the O.R. with you.”
“We’ll certainly talk to her other colleagues,” Delorme said. “But what about boyfriends? Is she seeing anyone that you know of?”
Dr. Perry looked down at the floor. Her surgical cap began to slip, and she pulled it back absently. “Winter does have an old boyfriend who is, um, problematic. From Sudbury. Craig something. I met him once. I don’t think she ever told me his last name. I was over at her place one night—we were on our way out to dinner and a movie—and this Craig character shows up at her door. ‘I can’t see you now,’ Winter tells him. ‘I’m going out.’ ‘That’s okay,’ he says, ‘I’ll drive you!’ She had a hard time getting rid of him.”
“Did he seem dangerous to you?”
“Oh, no. I just thought his showing up like that was a little weird. Winter said it was typical. Apparently she told him long ago that it was all over, but he insists on acting like nothing has happened. He always expected her to come back to Sudbury after she finished med school, but she really didn’t want to go back there.”
“Because of him?” Delorme asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to make the guy out to be a villain. I think she just didn’t want to stay in her hometown. I’m sure you can understand that.”
Actually, Delorme had never wanted to live anywhere other than her hometown. Even when she went away to university in Ottawa—and later at the police academy in Aylmer—she had missed Algonquin Bay. There was something about living in the place that formed you—the sense of comfort and continuity—that no other town, no matter how charming or cosmopolitan, could replace. But she also knew that other people didn’t feel that way.
“Is there anyone else Dr. Cates is having problems with? Did she mention anything?”
“Well, she was having some sort of dispute with Dr. Choquette, but nothing serious.”
“What kind of dispute? Over what?”
“Winter took over Ray Choquette’s practice when he retired, and there was some kind of misunderstanding over the arrangements.”
“He sold his practice to her?”
“No. You can’t sell a medical practice—not in Ontario. It was probably over equipment or something like that. Anyway, she was upset about it.” Dr. Perry looked at her watch and stood up. “I’ve really got to go. Listen, Winter is a good person. I mean, really special. She makes people
“Have you made any other efforts to find her?”
“After the surgery I called her office, but her assistant hadn’t heard from her. And I called her parents. They live in Sudbury, and Winter often goes to see them on weekends, but they hadn’t heard from her either. I didn’t know who else to contact. She’s only been in town about six months. She doesn’t know a lot of people here. I was going to call her office again, but I didn’t want to be a pest.”
“Actually, her assistant called us just after you.”
“Oh, no.” Dr. Perry covered her mouth with her hand.
“Let’s not get too worked up just yet. So far there’s no reason to suspect foul play.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what really scares me,” Dr. Perry said. “I drove over to her place at lunchtime, and her car’s still there. So if she isn’t at home, where did she go? And how did she get there? And why didn’t she let anyone know?”
“Do you have any reason to suspect anyone would harm her? Did she have any enemies that you know of?”
“I can’t believe anyone would want to hurt Winter. She didn’t have an enemy in the world. She’s just the nicest person you could hope to meet. Smart, funny, dependable—terrific doctor. Ask anybody who works with her. There’s just no one you’d rather have in the O.R. with you.”
“We’ll certainly talk to her other colleagues,” Delorme said. “But what about boyfriends? Is she seeing anyone that you know of?”
Dr. Perry looked down at the floor. Her surgical cap began to slip, and she pulled it back absently. “Winter does have an old boyfriend who is, um, problematic. From Sudbury. Craig something. I met him once. I don’t think she ever told me his last name. I was over at her place one night—we were on our way out to dinner and a movie—and this Craig character shows up at her door. ‘I can’t see you now,’ Winter tells him. ‘I’m going out.’ ‘That’s okay,’ he says, ‘I’ll drive you!’ She had a hard time getting rid of him.”
“Did he seem dangerous to you?”
“Oh, no. I just thought his showing up like that was a little weird. Winter said it was typical. Apparently she told him long ago that it was all over, but he insists on acting like nothing has happened. He always expected her to come back to Sudbury after she finished med school, but she really didn’t want to go back there.”
“Because of him?” Delorme asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to make the guy out to be a villain. I think she just didn’t want to stay in her hometown. I’m sure you can understand that.”
Actually, Delorme had never wanted to live anywhere other than her hometown. Even when she went away to university in Ottawa—and later at the police academy in Aylmer—she had missed Algonquin Bay. There was something about living in the place that formed you—the sense of comfort and continuity—that no other town, no matter how charming or cosmopolitan, could replace. But she also knew that other people didn’t feel that way.
“Is there anyone else Dr. Cates is having problems with? Did she mention anything?”
“Well, she was having some sort of dispute with Dr. Choquette, but nothing serious.”
“What kind of dispute? Over what?”
“Winter took over Ray Choquette’s practice when he retired, and there was some kind of misunderstanding over the arrangements.”
“He sold his practice to her?”
“No. You can’t sell a medical practice—not in Ontario. It was probably over equipment or something like that. Anyway, she was upset about it.” Dr. Perry looked at her watch and stood up. “I’ve really got to go. Listen, Winter is a good person. I mean, really special. She makes people
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