“Yes, of course.”
Ashley watched him leave, and she thought, Did he come here as a warning? Does he know more than he’s telling me?
Toni was more absorbed than ever in the Internet. She enjoyed her chats with Jean Claude the most, but that did not stop her from having other chat-room correspondents. At every chance, she sat in front of her computer, and the typed messages flew back and forth, spilling onto the computer screen.
“Toni? Where have you been? I’ve been in the chat room waiting for you.”
“I’m worth waiting for, luv. Tell me about yourself. What do you do?”
“I work at a pharmacy. I can be good to you. Do you do drugs?”
“Sod off.”
“Is that you, Toni?”
“The answer to your dreams. Is it Mark?”
“Yes.”
“You haven’t been on the Internet lately.”
“I’ve been busy. I’d like to meet you, Toni.”
“Tell me, Mark, what do you do?”
“I’m a librarian.”
“Isn’t that exciting! All those books and everything.…”
“When can we meet?”
“Why don’t you ask Nostradamus?”
“Hello, Toni. My name is Wendy.”
“Hello, Wendy.”
“You sound like fun.”
“I enjoy life.”
“Maybe I can help you enjoy it more.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Well, I hope you’re not one of those narrow-minded people who are afraid to experiment and try exciting new things. I’d like to show you a good time.”
“Thanks, Wendy. You don’t have the equipment I need.”
And then, Jean Claude Parent came back on.
“Bonne nuit. Comment ça va? How are you?”
“I’m great. How about you?”
“I have missed you. I wish very much to meet you in person.”
“I want to meet you, too. Thanks for sending me your photograph. You’re a good-looking bloke.”
“And you are beautiful. I think it is very important for us to get to know each other. Is your company coming to Quebec for the computer convention?”
“What? Not that I know of. When is it?”
“In three weeks. Many big companies will be coming. I hope you will be here.”
“I hope so, too.”
“Can we meet in the chat room tomorrow at the same time?”
“Of course. Until tomorrow.”
“À demain.”
The following morning, Shane Miller walked up to Ashley. “Ashley, have you heard about the big computer convention coming up in Quebec City?”
She nodded. “Yes. It sounds interesting.”
“I was just debating whether we should send a contingent up there.”
“All the companies are going,” Ashley said. “Symantec, Microsoft, Apple. Quebec City is putting on a big show for them. A trip like that could be kind of a Christmas bonus.”
Shane Miller smiled at her enthusiasm. “Let me check it out.”
The following morning, Shane Miller called Ashley into his office.
“How would you like to spend Christmas in Quebec City?”
“We’re going? That’s great,” Ashley said, enthusiastically. In the past, she had spent the Christmas holidays with her father, but this year she had dreaded the prospect.
“You’d better take plenty of warm clothes.”
“Don’t worry. I will. I’m really looking forward to this, Shane.”
Toni was in the Internet chat room. “Jean Claude, the company is sending a group of us to Quebec City!”
“Formidable! I am so pleased. When will you arrive?”
“In two weeks. There will be fifteen of us.”
“Merveilleux! I feel as though something very important is going to happen.”
“So do I.” Something very important.
Ashley anxiously watched the news every night, but there were still no new developments in the Dennis Tibbie murder. She began to relax. If the police could not connect her with the case, there was no way they could find a connection to her father. Half a dozen times she steeled herself to ask him about it, but each time she backed off. What if he were innocent? Could he ever forgive her for accusing him of being a murderer? And if he is guilty, I don’t want to know, Ashley thought. I couldn’t bear it. And if he has done those terrible things, in his mind, he would have done them to protect me. At least I won’t have to face him this Christmas.
Ashley telephoned her father in San Francisco. She said, without preamble, “I’m not going to be able to spend Christmas with you this year, Father. My company is sending me to a convention in Canada.”