years while heritage activists struggled to raise money for its restoration. During that time, homeless men often camped out in the five-story Victorian building. An illegal drug- making operation is believed to be the cause of the fire. Sources say a worker on a construction project next door provided evidence linking Mr. Cuvelier to a crack cocaine operation.
Mr. Boudreau suffered from mental illness and diabetes. Friends say Mr. Cuvelier was often seen helping him with a weight loss program.
Halifax Police ask that anyone with information regarding the Masonsâ Hall fire or the whereabouts of Byron Clyde Cuvelier to please contact Sergeant Hannah Gautreau at 431-TIPS.
chapter
twenty-two
Conspiracy
The agreement of two or more people
to perform an illegal act
T hat woke me up fast. I ran into the living room and turned on The Breakfast Show . I had to sit through about ten minutes of this irritating guy making jokes about the weather, but it finally came on. âMasonsâ Hall Fire Break-through!â
The reporter did a big thing about how the hall had welcomed home our troops from both world wars, and then another thing about all the famous people whoâd had their wedding receptions there. I was absolutely screaming at the TV by the time she got to the part about the hallâs sad years of decline, and how more than once it had been saved from the wreckerâs ball by heritage activists who fought against a new condo development or shopping mall.
I was just about to try another channel when the reporter finally got to the part about the fire and Byron Clyde Cuvelier. They flashed that old picture of him on the screen, and then she interviewed a bunch of his buddies at the menâs shelter.
Youâd swear they were talking about some guy whoâd just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Byron Cuvelier could do no wrong as far as they were concerned. One old grampa with about three teeth in his head and a bad eye said Byron was teaching him to read. Somebody else said Byron helped him give up smoking. A kid who looked about two years older than me said Byron gave him money when his eight-year-old needed a new snowsuit.
Then this guy named Stan Berrigan started ranting away about how the whole thing was a conspiracy. âByron ainât done nothing wrong. Just âcause he made a mistake a few years ago and done time, the police is pinning it on him. They always takes it out on the homeless. Like, just because you donât have a roof over your head means you ainât as good as the rich folks. Byron knows that ainât true. He knows a few other things too. Iâll bet he knows a few other things that some of them rich folks wouldnât like him spreading round neither.â
You could tell the guy wasnât half finished, but the reporter wrapped it up anyway. âAnd now back to you, Josh, and todayâs sports!â
Somehow I didnât feel like hearing about the Leafsâ season opener. I turned off the TV and stared at that stain on the ceiling again.
Okay, I thought, so this is what happened: Byron Cuvelier, counselor to the homeless by day, was making crack cocaine by night. In his drugged-out state, he set a historic building on fire and killed a man.
It at least explained that big blister on his arm.
I never liked the guy, so I really wanted to believe my theory was true. But I couldnât.
It just didnât sound like Byron to me.
chapter
twenty-three
Hearsay
Evidence that is heard secondhand
I got a bag of Nacho Krispies at Toulanyâs and headed off to the shelter to find Stan Berrigan. The whole way there I thought of all the things I could have believed about Byron. I could have believed he conned an old lady out of her last tube of denture cream. I could have believed he was a terrorist spy for the Home and School Association. Under certain circumstances, I could probably even have believed he was first runner-up in the Miss Nude Universe
Mr. Boudreau suffered from mental illness and diabetes. Friends say Mr. Cuvelier was often seen helping him with a weight loss program.
Halifax Police ask that anyone with information regarding the Masonsâ Hall fire or the whereabouts of Byron Clyde Cuvelier to please contact Sergeant Hannah Gautreau at 431-TIPS.
chapter
twenty-two
Conspiracy
The agreement of two or more people
to perform an illegal act
T hat woke me up fast. I ran into the living room and turned on The Breakfast Show . I had to sit through about ten minutes of this irritating guy making jokes about the weather, but it finally came on. âMasonsâ Hall Fire Break-through!â
The reporter did a big thing about how the hall had welcomed home our troops from both world wars, and then another thing about all the famous people whoâd had their wedding receptions there. I was absolutely screaming at the TV by the time she got to the part about the hallâs sad years of decline, and how more than once it had been saved from the wreckerâs ball by heritage activists who fought against a new condo development or shopping mall.
I was just about to try another channel when the reporter finally got to the part about the fire and Byron Clyde Cuvelier. They flashed that old picture of him on the screen, and then she interviewed a bunch of his buddies at the menâs shelter.
Youâd swear they were talking about some guy whoâd just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Byron Cuvelier could do no wrong as far as they were concerned. One old grampa with about three teeth in his head and a bad eye said Byron was teaching him to read. Somebody else said Byron helped him give up smoking. A kid who looked about two years older than me said Byron gave him money when his eight-year-old needed a new snowsuit.
Then this guy named Stan Berrigan started ranting away about how the whole thing was a conspiracy. âByron ainât done nothing wrong. Just âcause he made a mistake a few years ago and done time, the police is pinning it on him. They always takes it out on the homeless. Like, just because you donât have a roof over your head means you ainât as good as the rich folks. Byron knows that ainât true. He knows a few other things too. Iâll bet he knows a few other things that some of them rich folks wouldnât like him spreading round neither.â
You could tell the guy wasnât half finished, but the reporter wrapped it up anyway. âAnd now back to you, Josh, and todayâs sports!â
Somehow I didnât feel like hearing about the Leafsâ season opener. I turned off the TV and stared at that stain on the ceiling again.
Okay, I thought, so this is what happened: Byron Cuvelier, counselor to the homeless by day, was making crack cocaine by night. In his drugged-out state, he set a historic building on fire and killed a man.
It at least explained that big blister on his arm.
I never liked the guy, so I really wanted to believe my theory was true. But I couldnât.
It just didnât sound like Byron to me.
chapter
twenty-three
Hearsay
Evidence that is heard secondhand
I got a bag of Nacho Krispies at Toulanyâs and headed off to the shelter to find Stan Berrigan. The whole way there I thought of all the things I could have believed about Byron. I could have believed he conned an old lady out of her last tube of denture cream. I could have believed he was a terrorist spy for the Home and School Association. Under certain circumstances, I could probably even have believed he was first runner-up in the Miss Nude Universe
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