Текст книги "Jack Taggart Mysteries 7 - Book Bundle"

Автор книги: Don Easton

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Текущая страница: 54 (всего у книги 141 страниц)

chapter twenty-four

Jack walked into the I-HIT office and placed the two bags of cocaine on top of a desk.

“Mind if I sit here to write my notes?” he asked Connie.

“No, go ahead,” she replied, glancing at her watch. “What took you so long? Stop for gas on the way back? We were getting worried.”

“No, sorry,” replied Jack. “I just took the long way. Wanted to make sure I wasn’t being followed.”

“Everything go okay?” asked Laura.

Jack gestured to the kilo on the desk and said, “Smooth as silk. Giang trusts me now. I don’t think it will be a problem to get him to introduce me to Dúc.”

“Yeah,” replied Connie. “Then figure out how the hell you bring up the subject of Hang without making him suspicious.”

“I’ll think of something,” replied Jack. “Now, please give me an hour or two of peace while I make my notes.”

An hour later, Jack was still writing when Randy Otto came out of his office and said he received a message from some uniform members that they wanted Homicide to attend a car fire in an industrial area.

“An off-duty fireman was driving past and saw the smoke,” said Randy. “He had an extinguisher in his car and put the flames out before things got too badly burned. Partial crispy critter slumped over in the passenger side. Looks like knife wounds to his throat and face. The fire was started less than fifteen minutes ago, so let’s get on it.”

Connie started to get up but Randy said, “Connie, you’ve got too much to do and still have a trial to prepare for. Wells, you take the lead on this.”

“What kind of car was it?” asked Jack, glancing up from the notes he was writing.

Randy picked up a portable radio off a desk and said, “I’ll find out.” He radioed and asked the officers at the scene.

“Red Pontiac GTO,” came the reply.

“Giang’s car!” said Connie, looking at Jack for a response.

Silence descended over the I-HIT office as everyone turned to look at Jack.

After several long seconds ticked by, Randy said, “How did you piece that together, Jack? What made you ask what type of car it was?”

Jack shrugged and said, “An hour ago I handed Giang more money than most of the punks he hangs out with would see in a lifetime. If Giang is the crispy critter ... I’m guessing he doesn’t have the money now.”

“You know,” said Laura, “he did do the deal in the alley behind Billiard Bill’s. A lot of the gang who work for Dúc hang out there. Wouldn’t take much for someone to look out a window from above and see the deal go down.”

“Damn it,” said Jack, throwing his pen down on the desk. “If it is him in the car, we just blew a lot of money for nothing.”

Connie stared at Jack. I always did think it was for nothing ...

It was four o’clock when Jack saw Natasha and Jade sitting at a table at the Red Robin restaurant in the Metrotown Mall in Burnaby.

Jade was now wearing slacks and a blouse that was buttoned up to her throat. Her long black hair that once hung halfway to her waist had now been cut to just below her ears.

“Hi, honey,” said Jack, before kissing Natasha on the cheek and sitting down beside her. He looked across at Jade and said, “Hi. How are you holding up?”

The stress had brought dark circles to Jade’s eyes. “Okay,” she replied, with little enthusiasm, before asking what was really on her mind. “Mister Dúc, he angry?” she blurted.

“No, not with you. Everything went well. Dúc has ... received a lot of money from Giang for you.”

“He angry with Giang?”

“Don’t worry about Giang. The important thing is that you’re okay. Dúc does not think you ran away and he has received a large amount of cash as compensation.”

The relief was evident on Jade’s face and she gave a genuine smile for the first time in several months.

“You like?” she asked, gesturing to her clothes.

“I like it very much,” replied Jack. He looked at Natasha and said, “I see you got her a haircut. Not a bad idea, although where Holly lives, it wasn’t ...”

“That was Jade’s idea,” said Natasha.

“It looks nice,” said Jack, smiling at Jade.

“I no have to look pretty for men,” replied Jade.

Jack gestured to the shopping bags piled next to Jade and turned to Natasha and said, “Hey, honey, it looks like you girls have been having fun.”

“It has been fun,” said Natasha.

“I pay you back, Jack,” said Jade. “Much money you honey pay for me.”

“No, Jade,” said Natasha. “I told you, this is our gift to you.”

“No,” replied Jade. “Too much. I pay back some day quick. You no worry.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” said Jack. “I’ve called Holly, the woman you’ll be working for. We’re to meet her at five. We have to get going.”

“In North Van’?” questioned Natasha.

Jack nodded and said, “But she wants to meet me at a place in some strip mall near her house. She said she has a surprise to show me.”

“What place?”

“She wouldn’t say. She said I would know when I got there.”

Minutes later, they placed the shopping bags in Jack’s car and Jade sat in the passenger seat while Jack said goodbye to Natasha.

“Did you know she didn’t even have any underwear on?” whispered Natasha.

“How would I know that?” replied Jack.

Natasha paused, smiled and said, “Correct answer, Officer.”

Jack drove slowly through the strip mall, grinned, and parked the car.

“You see Miss Holly?” asked Jade.

Jack shook his head and said, “No ... but she’ll be in that coffee shop over there.”

As they approached the coffee shop, Jade said, “It closed. Sign say grand open ... something.”

“Grand opening, tomorrow,” said Jack, as he knocked on the door.

Holly was quick to unlock the door and hugged Jack and beckoned them inside. After Jack introduced Jade, Holly said, “So what do you think? My own place now!”

Jack looked around. The room was spotless and redand-white checkered tableclothes were already in place. “This looks great,” he said.

“I’ll have flowers on every table tomorrow morning. What do you think of the name?”

“The Torn Twenty,” said Jack. “I like it.”

Holly gestured to an item on the wall behind the cash register. Jack saw that it was a framed twenty-dollar bill that had been torn in half. The glass held it in place and allowed for a small space between the two halves.

“Why you put money in picture?” asked Jade.

Holly smiled and said, “I used to work for someone in a coffee shop. That was the best tip I ever received,” she said, glancing at Jack. “It came in two pieces. It brought me luck. Now I have my own place. Speaking of which, we should get going. I’ve got a girl babysitting from next door. I said I would be back in time for her to be home for dinner.”

A short time later, Holly and Jack watched as Jade sat on the living room floor playing with Charlie and Jenny.

Charlie sat on the floor propped up with his back to the sofa while Jade pretended to drive a small plastic car up his arm and onto his tummy where she said, “Oh, car stuck!”

Charlie squealed and giggled as Jade tickled his stomach. Linh saw that Pops was about to leave the room and she shook as she crawled naked toward the toilet to wash the urine from her head. The chain rattled on the floor and he looked up.

“You worthless little beast,” said Pops, “tonight I have a treat for you. It’s not a red-circle day, but here,” he said, reaching into the box at the far end of the room.

Linh glanced at the calendar on the wall and back at the box. Her clothes were in that box ... along with metal objects that Pops would sometimes clang together while he looked at her, telling her she would have to wait until her first red-circle day to find out what surprises awaited her.

He pulled out a jacket and threw it at her.

Linh put it on. It wasn’t her jacket, but it looked familiar—a look of horror crossed her face and she looked up at Pops.

It was the response Pops wanted. He laughed, and moments later Linh heard the passageway door creak shut and she was alone.

She slowly put her hand in the pocket and felt the tissue paper containing the pearl necklace from Ha Long Bay.

chapter twenty-five

At nine o’clock Monday morning, Randy drove Jack and Laura to the Vancouver International Airport.

“What do they use for money over there?” asked Randy.

“The Vietnamese dong,” said Jack. “A hundred dollars Canadian is worth approximately 1.5 million dong.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, dead serious. When I checked with the bank I figured I’d need a wheelbarrow to pack it around,” he chuckled. “Apparently they have really large denominations. They also don’t allow you to take the dong out of Vietnam, so you don’t want to get more than you’re going to spend. Banks outside of the country don’t carry it, but you can get it at ATMs in Vietnam. I’m also told that the American dollar is widely accepted.”

“I’d like to go there someday,” said Randy. “Hell of a long flight, though.”

“Tell us about it,” said Jack. “Leaves at noon and we don’t arrive until ten-thirty tomorrow night. Even with the time difference, it’s still twenty-and-a-half hours’ flight time.”

“We’re going to be tired puppies,” said Laura.

“At least the Russians will be in the same boat when they fly out tomorrow,” said Randy.

“I’m impressed you got permission for us to go this fast,” said Jack.

Randy grinned and said, “A lot of phone calls to a lot of people who aren’t used to working weekends. It was good to let them know how the rest of us work. What was really nice was being able to tell them to call Isaac direct if there were any problems. There weren’t. Funny how that works.”

“You’ll confirm the Russians do board tomorrow?” asked Jack.

“I’ll do it personally. Any changes and I’ll let you know. Are you being met at the airport in Hanoi?”

“Yes, the Canadian Consulate arranged for a local to pick us up. I think the title was a Doctor Son, from the Interpol desk of the General Department of National Police.”

“A doctor?”

“Probably in criminal behaviour. He speaks English.”

Randy gave Jack a sideways glance and asked, “Has Quaile had anything to say to you about this?”

“Haven’t spoken with him, or seen him since last Wednesday when he sent me to Staffing.”

“Good. Consider yourself on loan to our office until this is finished.”

“With pleasure.”

Isaac called Randy Otto later that morning and Randy updated him on the investigation. When Randy told him about Giang being murdered, Isaac shook his head. So it begins ...

“This is right after he met with Corporal Taggart?” asked Isaac.

“Yes, sir. It had to have been within the hour.”

“And where was Corporal Taggart when Giang was actually murdered?”

“In our office making notes. He certainly wasn’t responsible.”

No, he never is. It’s always a coincidence ...

“We’re checking the possibility that Giang may have been responsible for Hang’s death.”

With Taggart involved, that would explain why he’s dead. Of course, it would just be a coincidence ...

“But it doesn’t appear likely,” continued Randy. “He doesn’t have any previous history of deviation that would fit the profile. Long record for violence, drugs, extortion and the like ... but I don’t think he’s our man.”

“What about Dúc or the Russians as viable suspects?” asked Isaac.

“Dúc doesn’t fit the profile, either. We’re not sure about the Russians. Still waiting to hear back on their history, but on the surface, I would say not. I think it is someone they know, however.”

“Keep me apprised. If anything happens to the Russians when they arrive in Hanoi, I want to be called, day or night.”

“If something happens to the Russians, sir?”

“I meant with the Russians,” replied Isaac, before hanging up.

It was eleven-thirty Tuesday night before Jack and Laura retrieved their luggage and arrived at the Vietnamese customs counter. The customs agent motioned with his arm and a man quickly came forward and introduced himself as Doctor Son.

Doctor Son was a short, stocky man and Jack estimated that he was in his mid-fifties. He looked friendly and gave a firm handshake. Soon after, Jack realized that Doctor Son was of average height in his country.

“Your name is like the star up in the sky?” asked Laura. He smiled and said, “No. It is S-O-N. In Vietnamese it means ‘mountain.’ I like it if you just call me Sonny.”

Minutes later, they stepped outside the airport to face a cool breeze and a light mist.

“My image of Vietnam was jungle, heat, and humidity,” said Laura.

“Down south it is,” said Sonny. “Hanoi is much like Vancouver in the winter. Cold and wet.”

“You have been to Vancouver?” asked Jack.

“Six years ago. I worked there for two weeks with narcotics investigators to learn how the police work in Canada.”

“What did you think?”

“You are fortunate. You have lots of money. Most of us have scooters, old cameras, very few radios ... mostly cellphones. Mostly what we have for listening ... bugs, you call them, is old equipment the Russians gave us during the war with the Americans. You are very lucky. Today, I was able to borrow a car because of your status.”

“We have status?” murmured Laura.

Sonny whisked them along their way. Once in Hanoi, Jack and Laura saw that many of the women wore conical hats, suited for rain and sun. Many of the men wore green pith helmets, something else that was left over from past conflicts.

The streets were mostly packed with motor scooters and bicycles. Pedestrians appeared to walk blindly in all directions as they crossed the street. The blare of horns was almost non-stop.

“Aren’t these people afraid of being run over?” asked Jack.

Sonny smiled and said, “It is different here. We are a poor country and do not have as many streetlights. It is the driver’s responsibility not to hit the pedestrians. It is a good idea to walk slowly when you cross the street and maintain the same speed. Drivers will judge as to which side of you they will pass on.”

“Do you get a lot of traffic fatalities here?” asked Laura.

“Oh, yes. Very many.”

It was midnight when Sonny checked them into the Hotel Happy Holiday. It was located on what was now a fairly deserted street, a couple of blocks out of the mainstream of traffic. The hotel looked quaint and the lobby was open to the second level where the hotel operated a small restaurant.

“We are on the third floor,” said Sonny, pushing the button for the lobby elevator.

After waiting several seconds, Sonny said something to the desk clerk who answered back.

“He says sometimes it gets stuck,” said Sonny.

Jack couldn’t tell if his tone was apologetic or that of exasperation. “That’s okay,” he said. “After the flight we’ve been on, I’d rather walk and get the circulation moving.”

When they arrived on the third floor, Jack saw that the portion of the hotel which housed the rooms was built with the middle opened up. It made the place noisier, as did the tile floors, but it also looked picturesque. There was one elevator and one set of stairs on opposite sides of each floor, allowing access up and down to the different levels.

“Laura, you will have this room,” said Sonny. “Jack, you will have the room next to her.”

Laura put her luggage in her room and went to Jack’s room.

“I’ll lend you this,” said Sonny, passing Jack a cellphone and business card. “If there is a problem with anything while you are here, please call me.”

“Thanks. Much appreciated,” replied Jack.

“Tomorrow night when the Russians arrive, they will be staying in the room directly above you,” said Sonny, looking at Jack. “I will stay in your room with you. I speak Russian.”

“Their room will be bugged?” asked Jack.

“If the equipment decides to work,” said Sonny. “I will also have men to follow them wherever they go.”

“Great,” replied Jack. “I think our faces would stand out in this city.”

Sonny smiled and said, “They would. You are both tall ....” he paused and looked at Laura and said, “You, of course, would never be good at following people.”

“I’m sorry?” replied Laura, not sure that she heard him correctly.

“You must know that you would not be good for such a duty. You are too beautiful. Men would remember seeing you.”

Laura waited until Sonny left and turned to Jack and asked, “Did I just receive a compliment or an insult?”

“I don’t know. I’m too tired to think. See you in the morning.”

Six hours later, Jack awakened to the echo of people chatting and the noise of tiny rollers on suitcases being dragged across the tiled floors to the elevators. Moments later, he heard the sound of a shower in the room next to him and knew that Laura was up. He met her for breakfast and suggested a walk around the area before noon.

“This is nerve-wracking,” muttered Laura, as they crossed various streets. “These scooters and cars are zooming past so close I can touch them.”

“The trick is to keep walking at a steady pace,” said Jack. “Don’t make eye contact with the drivers. I just did and ended up doing a jig while we tried to second guess each ...”

“Silk!” shouted Laura. “Tailor-made! Success!”

Laura gestured to a mannequin in a store window wearing a woman’s traditional-style Vietnamese dress known as an áo-dài. The long gown was tailored to snugly fit the body and two long slits along the side allowed the gown to have free-floating panels in the front and the back. Silk slacks were worn underneath.

Laura was pleased to find that the clerk spoke broken English.

Laura turned to Jack and said, “Can you believe the price? Twenty-two bucks American. This would cost a fortune at home. I like the emerald green dress with white slacks. Do you think Elvis would like it?”

“It’ll look great,” said Jack.

“Two for twenty dollar each,” the clerk told them.

After some discussion with the clerk, Jack ordered a similar outfit for Natasha. “Same figure, only shorter,” he said.

Laura whispered in his ear and said, “Tell her to make yours a bit larger through the chest,” while indicating her breasts.

“You can explain that to her.”

Laura laughed and said, “Tell you what, buy me a conical hat and I will.”

Just before noon, they returned to their hotel. As promised, Jack bought Laura a conical hat, along with an extra one for Natasha. The total price for the hats came to two American dollars. As a souvenir for himself, he bought a green pith helmet with a small badge on the front. The badge had a single gold star on a red background to closely match the Vietnamese flag. “How do you like it?” he asked Laura as he modelled the helmet. “Could I pass as a local?”

“Too tall, round eyes, too tall,” she retorted.

Sonny arrived at Jack’s room on schedule and Laura mentioned that they had been out shopping.

“What do you think?” asked Jack, indicating the green helmet he still wore.

Sonny grinned and said, “Many people use them as rice buckets here, but they are not that good.”

“They cook rice in these?” asked Jack.

Sonny chuckled and said, “No, that is what I call motorcycle helmets.”

“I’ve noticed that some helmets have a similar badge on the front with the gold star over an upper background in red and the lower half in blue.”

“That badge was special made for when the Communists won the war with the Americans. It was worn by the Northern soldiers when the last push was made to get the Americans out. It is a symbol of reunification between north and south Vietnam.”

“Were you in the war?” asked Jack.

Sonny nodded. “I was a teenager and fought for the North, but I also have family in the South. I had an uncle who fought for the South during the war. When the Americans pulled out, he was isolated deep in the Mekong Delta. Later he escaped to Cambodia and four years later made it to America.”

“An American citizen now?” asked Jack.

Sonny shook his head, replying, “The Americans told him he was too late. They would not accept him. My uncle went to Canada and became a Canadian citizen. He lives in Vancouver.”

“That’s good,” said Jack.

“The Americans treat you like a lemon,” said Sonny.

“How is that?” asked Laura.

“They squeeze you until there is no juice left and then throw you out,” he said, bitterly.

“Tough times back then,” said Jack. “Tough decisions being made by bureaucrats who never saw either end of a rifle.”

Sonny smiled. “You are right. Now I do not like to talk politics. It is best forgotten. Many American tourists come here now. They are most welcome.” He paused and added, “I have found them much friendlier now that I am not shooting at them.”

All three laughed and left the hotel to go for lunch to a place that Sonny recommended. They walked through crowded streets and eventually came to a small restaurant where they seated themselves.

Jack pointed to a line on the menu. Bún bì, thit n

ong, cha giò. “Strips of grilled pork with noodles?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Sonny. “Your Vietnamese is very good. So is that selection.”

“You understand that?” asked Laura in surprise.

“I have a favourite restaurant I go to whenever I’m in Victoria,” said Jack. “It’s called the Saigon Night. That’s number eighteen on their menu. It is what almost everyone orders.”

Laura ordered the same selection on Jack’s advice and discovered that the meal consisted of a combination of rice vermicelli with shredded strips of grilled pork topped with peanuts and spring rolls filled with shrimp and crab. She also asked for a knife and fork.

“You don’t use chopsticks?” asked Jack.

Laura shook her head and said, “I can never seem to master them. I’m afraid I’ll end up sticking one up my nose.”

“I thought you worked a UC op’ in Bangkok?”

“Actually, the Thai are one of the few Asian cultures that don’t use chopsticks. They use a fork and a tablespoon. They push the food onto the spoon with the fork and eat it that way. They also tend to order the food on platters for the centre of the table and everyone helps themselves. Very social. Kind of nice, really.”

Jack also added several clumps of hot chili paste from a small dish he found amongst the condiments.

“Watch it, Jack,” Sonny warned. “Very hot.”

Jack nodded and said, “I know. I love this stuff.”

Laura found the food to be delicious without the chili paste.

“You both like beer?” asked Sonny. He waited until he received affirmative nods and ordered three bottles of Huda.

Jack picked up the bill when it arrived and discovered that the total was less than twelve American dollars.

They spent the rest of the day sightseeing. Sonny took them to Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum and pointed out the Canadian embassy across the street as they approached the mausoleum.

Jack and Laura were warned to look sombre at all times and lower their head to show respect as they entered the mausoleum. Guards with harsh, angry faces ensured that cameras were not taken inside and that people walked single file.

The experience was a reminder to Jack that he was now in a communist country and understood the fear that people developed toward authority.

Beside the mausoleum was a large park with many trees and ponds. Sonny led them down a path to show them where Uncle Ho lived during the war with the Americans.

“I never see any birds,” noted Jack.

“People eat them,” said Sonny.

“Even the little ones?”

“Yes.”

They viewed the small bamboo structure and tiny room with a single bed that had been used by Uncle Ho.

“Did Ho Chi Minh ever marry?”

Sonny quickly glanced around to see who might have heard the question and said, “Keep your head down. That is not talked about.” He saw the bemused look on Jack’s face and added, “The official version is no, he never married.”

“I guess he was gay,” Jack whispered to Laura.

Later that day, Sonny also took them to what was formerly the Hoa Lo Prison. It had been built by the French in 1896 and was home to thousands of Vietnamese who were imprisoned, tortured, and lost their lives.

In 1954 the communist party took over North Vietnam and the building became a state prison. From 1964 to 1973 it also became a prison for captured American pilots who nicknamed it the Hanoi Hilton.

In 1993 most of the prison was demolished to make room for commercial property but a small portion of it was preserved for historic value, complete with dungeon-type cells with rows of shackles.

It was depressing, but for Jack and Laura, it was even more so. The shackles were a graphic reminder of a more recent victim who had been chained ... and a reminder of the real reason they had come to Vietnam.

On their way back to the Hotel Happy Holiday, Sonny pointed at a passing motor scooter being ridden by two men. On the back of the scooter was a small cage containing three dogs.

“Look,” he said. “Those are dognappers.”

“Dognappers?” asked Laura, watching the scooter quickly disappear amongst the traffic.

“Dog meat is considered a delicacy to Koreans. Sometimes to tribes in northern Vietnam also. Men on scooters will drive by and steal dogs.”

“In Canada, people on scooters steal women’s purses,” said Jack.

“Was that really pork we had for lunch?” asked Laura.

Sonny smiled and said, “Yes, you don’t have to worry. Dog meat is very expensive. Pork is much cheaper.”

Back in Vancouver, Randy passed the taxi containing the two Russians as it entered the perimeter leading to the Vancouver International Airport. He parked his car at the International Departures level and was met inside the doors by Aaron, who was an RCMP officer attached to a special unit at the airport.

At the airport Aaron routinely did surveillance on people as requested by various departments, such as Drug Section. On slower days, he would pick his own targets who looked suspicious, sometimes discovering drug mules or money launderers passing through from city to city or country to country.

Aaron also had the right connections with airline services to obtain information to meet various investigative needs. Aaron didn’t look like a policeman and blended into the crowd like any other passenger ... except the attaché case he carried also took pictures.

“Not busy today?” asked Randy. “I didn’t know whether to call you or not.”

“Not a problem,” replied Aaron. “You want photos of these guys?”

“May as well.”

Moments later Randy saw the taxi arrive and Moustache Pete and Fat Man stepped out.

“These your boys?” asked Aaron.

“That’s them.”

“You should check with Intelligence. They took close-up pictures of these two just a couple of weeks ago. Man, it really shook them.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s kind of funny, really. I was tailing this guy and didn’t know who he was. I didn’t find out until later when I scooped his licence plate and showed his picture around the office that he was one of our guys. Staff Sergeant Quaile from Intelligence. He was following these same two guys. Walked right up to them and said, Hello, comrades, or something to that effect and took their picture.”

“Quaile did that?” said Randy, in disbelief.

“Yeah. These two guys looked so rattled I thought they were going to run out of the airport. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but figure Quaile must have been trying to scare them from taking their flight or something.”

“Did you talk to him about it?”

“No, he was gone long before I found out who he was. It was none of my business.” Aaron gave a nod toward the two Russians and said, “Here they come. I take it you want to be discreet this time?”

“Definitely,” said Randy, through clenched teeth. “And after, I want copies of every picture you took last time they were here.”