Текст книги "Jack Taggart Mysteries 7 - Book Bundle"

Автор книги: Don Easton

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 141 страниц)

chapter twelve

Marcie locked the bathroom door and eased herself into the bathtub. Steam rose from the water. She closed her eyes for a moment and gritted her teeth. In the other room, Red turned on the stereo, and it blasted out heavy metal. Marcie could feel the vibrations of the music when she laid her head back on the ceramic tiles.

She sat up and with a facecloth gently scrubbed her body with soap and rinsed in the hot water. Then she scrubbed herself again, rubbing harder.

Then she felt it. Slowly at first. Like lice, crawling over her body. She examined her skin. There was nothing there.

She started over, using a hand brush, feverishly washing herself. Her skin became raw and red. The bandages on her fingers became soggy and fell off. Blood seeped through the dressing on her chest. She stopped washing. She didn’t feel any cleaner. She sat for a moment with her arms at her side, and then she cried.

She stayed in the bathtub until the coldness of the water brought her back to reality. Then she wrapped the damp bandages back over her fingers and went to her room and put on jeans and a loose-fitting shirt. She eased herself down on a mattress on the floor. There were no sheets and the mattress was dirty and badly stained. She started to shake and curled up in the fetal position.

Moments later, Red walked into the room. She sat down on the edge of the mattress and gently brushed the hair back from Marcie’s eyes.

“I’m so, so sorry, baby. I had no idea this guy would hurt you. You’ve got to believe me.”

Marcie didn’t respond.

“I’ll tell you what, you won’t have to do this kinda stuff ever again. You just stay here and rest for as long as ya want. I’ll take good care of ya! You’ll see!”

She closed her eyes and drifted in and out of sleep. Suddenly, he was back! Wearing the same mask and holding the leash in one hand. He was naked, except for his shoes. He walked toward her, rattling the silver chain on the end of the leash. “Okay, Cutesy…” His dog was at his side.

She tried to yell, but no sound would come out. The dog’s lips pulled back over its gums as it snarled, its hot breath on her face. Then it shook its head, flinging saliva across her cheek and mouth. Claws scratched her skin. She screamed and sat up.

“It’s okay, baby, it’s okay,” said Red, sitting on the edge of the mattress, hugging her tight. “You’re just havin’ a bad dream. It’s okay.”

She opened her eyes. There was daylight in the room. She looked at the bandages around her fingers. “It’s not a dream!” she cried.

“Just lie here, baby, everything will be okay,” said Red, easing her down on the mattress. “I’ll get ya somethin’ that’ll make ya forget. You’ll feel better,” she added, as she left the room.

Seconds later, Red was back. She smiled as she kneeled down beside her. A small piece of surgical hose dangled from her hand, along with a syringe. Red put them both on the floor.

“Just lie still,” she said softly. “Close your eyes. Soon you’ll feel real good.”

Red tied the hose tightly around her arm, slightly above her elbow. Marcie lay there, staring up at Red’s face. Red picked the syringe up off the floor, then smiled at her while gently brushing the hair back from her face. “This ain’t gonna hurt a bit, baby, you’ll see. It’ll help ya.”

Marcie watched Red put the needle over a vein in the crook of her elbow. Her skin resisted slightly before relenting. Marcie turned her head as the needle entered her body. Instantly she felt warm all over. Then she felt sick and scrambled to the washroom.

“It’s okay, baby!” yelled Red from the bedroom. “Lots of people puke the first time or two. Don’t worry, ya get use to it real quick. After that, it feels good, you’ll see.”

Marcie woke up in her bedroom. She felt so tired. She tried to get up off the mattress but couldn’t. She slept some more. Red came in and sat beside her, smiling, brushing the hair back from her eyes. She felt the hose around her arm again and shook her head.

“No, Red,” she murmured, “it makes me puke.”

Red smiled, shaking her head. “Not this time, baby, not this time.”

She felt the needle slip under her skin. It didn’t hurt this time, and she didn’t feel sick. Red was right. She felt like she was floating on air. Her whole body felt good, really good. For the first time in her life she was truly happy. No pain. No dog. No Daddy. No more anything. The restaurant was crowded, so Danny stood up and waved to Jack and Natasha when they arrived. They were both laughing and laughed louder when they looked at him.

Danny introduced Susan, and the two women greeted each other warmly.

“So what was that all about?” Danny asked. “When you came in, I had the feeling that the two of you were talking about me.”

“We were,” said Jack.

“Jack! That was supposed to be confidential!” said Natasha.

“Okay, out with it!” said Danny, flicking his fingers to emphasize his demand.

Jack grinned, then said, “Well, I’m sure that Natasha here, being a doctor, had the utmost professional concern when she asked me if I had ever spoken to you about your problem.”

“His problem?” Susan leaned forward. “You mean about his hand?”

“No, not that,” said Jack. “She asked me if I had ever spoken to him about his BO.”

“BO?” asked Susan.

“Body odour,” said Jack. “She’s only met your husband twice before tonight. The first time he smelled of urine. The second time he smelled like garbage!”

“Hey! That’s from working with you! I don’t smell….”

Danny’s protest was drowned out by the laughter of his three dinner companions.

“Think what I have to put up with,” said Susan. “I have to sleep with him!”

Jack ordered the cannelloni. Natasha and Danny did likewise. Susan ordered linguini of the sea. It came with scallops, prawns, and clams.

The food was delicious, and the evening went by quickly. Perhaps too quickly, thought Danny. Tomorrow I have to call Wigmore. He waited until Susan and Natasha went to the ladies’ room before talking work.

“So, what’s next? Are we going to the Black Water tomorrow?”

“No. Give it a few days. Make them think I’m busy selling the speed I bought.”

“What about Marcie? I think I should try to convince her to go to Social Services.”

“Do that and you’ll blow your cover. If what she has just been through doesn’t convince her to leave, nothing you say will.”

“Maybe I should call them myself. It bothers me thinking about her.”

“I feel the same way, but now is not the time. With what she has been through, she probably won’t be downtown for a week or so. She’ll be going through the honeymoon phase with Red, or someone else she thinks is her friend.”

“Honeymoon phase?”

“Someone will be extra nice to her and try to earn her trust, or at least get her to be dependent upon them. Once we dispose of Leonard I’ll figure out how to bypass Red. Then we won’t be at the bar and you can take your chances with Marcie.”

“How the hell do you expect to come up with the money to buy quantity? Not to mention disposing of Leonard?”

“I’ll figure something out,” said Jack. He then changed the subject as Susan and Natasha returned. Danny had the feeling that Jack had already figured something out.

A couple with two children sat at a nearby table. Natasha caught the silent reflection on Jack’s face.

“You come from a big family, Jack?”

“No. I just have a sister and brother-in-law who live on a farm outside the city.”

“Sounds nice. Do they have children?”

“No. Would you please pass the garlic toast?”

“You still have some on your plate. I take it you’re the private type and don’t like to talk about your family?”

“Not tonight.” Jack quickly looked around the room and said, “Excuse me, I have to go the men’s room.” The table shook, slopping wine from their glasses as he stood up. He didn’t stay to apologize.

Natasha looked at Danny and Susan’s faces. Danny was expressionless and stared down at his plate. Susan looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Natasha was shocked. “What did I say?”

Susan’s voice was a whisper. “Jack’s sister did have kids. A boy and a girl. They were murdered less than a month ago in an abandoned farmhouse up the Valley.”

“Those kids in the news? They were his niece and nephew?”

Jack washed his face with cold water. The solace he sought in the men’s room vanished as Natasha strode in.

A man at a urinal said, “Hey lady, this is —”

“I’m a doctor,” she snapped. “You look like you’re done.”

“I – I guess so.” He left without washing.

Natasha then approached Jack and put her arm across his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Susan just filled me in. I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He squeezed the rim of the sink with both hands, then splashed more water on his face. “It’s not your fault.”

She grabbed him by the shoulders and made him turn and look at her. His hair was askew and his face dripped water.

What happened next came without warning or reason … and shocked them both. Two people who had walked through that valley of death too often had, within themselves, suddenly unleashed a primal lust for life. They kissed each other hard and passionately on the lips. Passionately enough, for a moment, to block out the world around them. It was their first kiss.

chapter thirteen

Monday evening came, and Danny told Susan that he needed to go to the store. He used a payphone to call Wigmore.

“I made a mistake. Jack isn’t breaking the rules. I know I —”

“What the hell are you talking about! You told me last week that Taggart left his gun in the car and went in the bar to buy dope! Bullshit, O’Reilly! What are you trying to pull?”

“Nothing, sir. I saw him take off his holster, but I later discovered that he has two holsters. He switched his gun into an ankle holster. I just didn’t realize it at the time.”

“You also said he went in the bar alone. What have you got to say about that?”

“He had an informant in there and was just catching the person’s attention so they could meet outside. His informant is a little paranoid and Jack wanted to meet alone to start with.”

“The story I heard was that the so-called informant came about as a result of being caught with drugs – after you started working down there.”

“That’s someone else. That’s who Jack’s first informant tipped us off about.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I see. Well … all the more reason for you to keep me posted so that I fully understand what is going on. Dealing with informants is acceptable, but you are aware, aren’t you, that you and Taggart are not to do anything other than surveillance down there?”

“Yes, sir.”

Wigmore paused, then said, “Don’t wait until Monday night to call me anymore. It will be up to you to call me as soon as possible if Taggart is not obeying orders or following policy.”

“I’ll do that, sir.”

“Keep up the good work, Danny. I expect to hear from you soon.”

Danny felt a sense of relief flood over him when he hung up the telephone. No more weekly calls needed – as long as Wigmore didn’t find out what Jack was up to.

It was 8:15 Tuesday morning when Superintendent Wigmore called and spoke to the inspector in charge of Internal Affairs.

“Yes, we need to meet,” he said. “We now have two rogue officers to discuss.”

Mid-week, Jack and Danny started making periodic visits to the Black Water, but there was no sign of Red or Leonard. Marcie was not around either.

It was not until the following Saturday night that Red showed up.

“Where ya been?” asked Jack. “I’ve been lookin’.”

“I had other business to take care of. You want another two?”

“How long would it take to get me three? I don’t want to wait around all day like before.”

Red went to the lobby and then returned a few minutes later. “It’ll be here in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half.”

A few minutes later, Jack had a quick visit with Danny in the men’s room.

“Make your anonymous call,” said Jack. “I don’t have the money for this!”

Leonard cautiously made his way down the darkened alley. He took three ounces of speed out of his boot and carefully slid the brick out of position. Then he saw two shadows appear on the wall in front of him and he darted to the left.

Leonard had about as much chance as a baby lamb being jumped by a grizzly. Bart’s large, muscular hands compressed his throat while the force of his body simultaneously smashed him down into a puddle of water.

“Police! Open your mouth! Open your fuckin’ mouth or I’ll rip your throat out!”

Leonard automatically tried to pull at the hairy hands holding his throat. The grip tightened. He was stunned and blinked his eyes. A smear appeared on his lips. He had bitten the end of his tongue when the back of his skull bounced off the wall. His legs jerked a little as his brain told him to run before realizing it was impossible.

Bart sat on his chest, choking him. Water in the puddle slopped around his ears and up his back. His eyes bulged as his lungs fought for air. He blinked, then obediently opened his mouth.

“Move your tongue around so I can see if you’re hidin’ somethin’!”

Leonard moved his tongue.

“Never mind, Bart, it’s in the wall.”

Bart released his grip, and Leonard made a gasping, gurgling sound as air rushed back into his lungs.

Leonard was jerked to his feet and slammed back against the wall. He didn’t realize until later that the warmth he felt in the crotch of his jeans was from his own body.

Leonard was completely soaked, and a combination of fear and cold made him shake.

Bart barked, “Put your hands on your head and don’t fuckin’ move, asshole!”

Leonard watched silently as Rex removed three small plastic baggies from the hole in the brick wall. He squirmed a little when he heard Bart’s deep voice comment on the putrid odour.

“Oh, Christ, Rex! He shit himself! So help me, this job makes me wanna puke sometimes! An’ my jeans are wet from the knees down!”

Rex turned his head slightly away so Bart wouldn’t see him grinning.

“Next time, you do the honours. I’m gettin’ too old for this bullshit. What’ve we got?”

“I’d say about three ounces.” Rex waved the baggies in Lenny’s face and said, “Care to confirm this for us? We’re going to have it analyzed anyway.”

“I want my lawyer!”

Their moment of silence as they went through the papers in his wallet gave him a little more courage.

“Besides,” he added, “I don’t think you got reason’ble and proper beliefs to grab me in the first place! You’ll be lucky if my lawyer don’t sue you or somethin’.”

“Shut up, asshole, or I’ll make you eat your shorts,” growled Bart.

Leonard paled and stood quietly, looking down at his feet. Minutes later he was half-dragged down the alley and tossed unceremoniously into the back of an unmarked police car. His pale face became whiter yet when he was driven to an underground parking lot several blocks from the hotel.

“Where ya takin’ me? This ain’t no police station!”

“Relax, Lenny. We’re just going to have a little talk, is all,” said Bart. “But we’ll do it outside the car. You stink too much, even with the windows rolled down!”

The three men got out of the car before Bart continued. “You’re goin’ to tell us who you got this from.”

“Fuck you, I am.” Leonard looked around at the empty parking lot and said, “What are you going to do? Beat me? Go ahead!”

“Don’t be impolite,” said Rex. “I get real pissed off at people who are impolite!”

The conversation was interrupted when the police radio informed Bart and Rex that Leonard was still on probation for trafficking in drugs.

“How about that, Lenny!” said Bart. “Caught again while you’re still on probation. You’re lookin’ at doin’ some serious time!”

“Don’t care. I ain’t rattin’.”

Leonard leaned and stretched his head forward as Bart and Rex whispered to each other, then jumped nervously when Bart unexpectedly laughed.

“Okay, Lenny, you can go. We’ll keep the dope, but go ahead, fuck off!”

Leonard stood with his mouth gaping, looking back and forth at the two faces in front of him. “You’re gonna shoot me for escapin’!” he said, his eyes nervously darting back and forth.

“Naw, I ain’t gonna shoot you,” replied Bart.

“I can just walk away?” said Leonard in disbelief. “Just like that?”

“Sure, Lenny, just like that. I’d suggest you use what little time you have left to wash out your shorts so you won’t smell so bad at your funeral.”

“What do you mean?” asked Leonard suspiciously.

“Well, the way I got it figured is you’ve got three choices.”

Leonard stared at Bart without answering.

“Number one is you can tell everyone about the two nice narcs who relieved you of a few thousand dollars worth of dope but didn’t arrest or charge you.”

“I won’t do that! Everyone would think I was a rat! My life —”

“If we find the prints of your supplier on these baggies, we’ll tell ’im you ratted!”

Bart let this message sink in and then continued.

“Number two is you could just say you lost it or were ripped off. But I got a feeling that a low-life like you doesn’t have enough money to pay for this up front. So I think you still owe money … which means someone will be awful pissed off at you. In fact, they’ll probably think you ripped them off.”

Lenny’s head drooped down. “You guys have pretty well got it all figured out, don’t you?” he mumbled.

“It’s our business. Do you want us to spell out your third option?” asked Rex.

Lenny raised his head. “No, I know how the game is played. But if someone finds out I squealed … I’m dead!”

“We won’t tell if you don’t. But make up your mind fast because I don’t plan on hanging around here all night!” said Bart gruffly.

Leonard swallowed, and then said, “All right, I’ll talk. It’s speed. I get it from a biker by the name of Halibut. I don’t know his real name,” he said nervously, looking at Bart, “but he’s got a glass eye,” he added quickly.

chapter fourteen

“What’s the scoop, Red?” asked Jack as he sat down. “Last night was a waste of time.”

“My guy almost got busted last night.”

The word almost bothered Jack. “What are you talking about?”

“He said there were narcs all over. Bart and Rex in the alley and more of ’em out front. He saw them and split. We’re gonna lay low for a few days until the heat is off.”

“There’s always narcs. We just gotta be cautious or go somewhere else.”

“I don’t call the shots. Who knows? There could be some narcs in here right now watchin’ us. Best for everybody to tap it cool. Give it a week or so.”

“Maybe I’ll find somebody else. Maybe at a better price.”

Red laughed. “Don’t try and scam me. My stuff is the best there is, and I’m still sellin’ it to you the cheapest. If you have been lookin’ elsewhere, you know that I’m not shittin’ ya.”

Jack grinned and said, “Yeah, I know your stuff is the best.”

“I sometimes wonder why I’m lettin’ you have it so cheap. I think it’s only because of them big blue eyes of yours. Tell ya what. To make up for last night I’ll buy ya a beer. You can sit and chill with me for a bit.”

Marcie sat on her mattress and looked at a small swollen lump on her arm from the last needle taken an hour ago. With her fingernail, she scratched off a little piece of dried blood.

It had been two weeks since … the motel. If she could go thirty seconds without thinking about it, it would be a relief. She thought about her grandmother. She’s the only one who really loves me.

She heard the door open as Red arrived home. A moment later, she stuck her head into the room to check on Marcie.

“Red, I’ve been thinking,” Marcie said. “I’m gonna split out of here. Go live by my grandma in Regina.”

“What? What are you talkin’ about?”

“Well … I kind of miss her. I think I’ll go live there so I can visit her.”

“You ungrateful little slut! You think you can just walk out of here like that?”

“What do you mean? Why not?”

“What about all the money you owe for clothes an’ dope?”

“Money?”

“Yeah, money! You retard! Where is it? Go ahead; cough up with what you owe! Then I don’t give a rat’s ass what you do!”

“I thought, like, the speed was free?”

“Free? Like fuck it was free! Sure, I lent you some out of the goodness of my heart, but you damn well better pay me back! It cost me money! Besides, it’s not speed, you twerp. It was the big H. An’ that stuff is fuckin’ expensive!”

“Well, like, I thought I didn’t have to go to work, you know, since, because, you know…”

“You still mopin’ about that? It was only a dog! He couldn’t have had that big of a dink! You think you can just fuckin’ hang out here all day, while I pay the rent, buy your clothes, and put juice in your arm? Who the fuck do you think you are that you can just rip me off like that?”

Marcie looked up with her mouth gaping open.

“You want to leave? Fine!” said Red, shaking her fist. “Get up and get the fuck out there! Start earning me the money you owe! It’ll cost ya a hundred bucks a day for protection. What you owe me is above that.”

Marcie’s voice was barely audible. She started to get up and said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinkin’. I know I owe you, but…”

Red grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her close enough for Marcie to feel the hot breath on her face.

“You’re damn right you owe me!” said Red, shoving her back down on the mattress. “And now is payback time!”

Marcie wiped some spit off her face with the back of her hand. She could feel Red’s burning glare as she slowly stood up and walked over to the closet. She trembled as she took off her jeans and put on the new clothes that Red had given her earlier. Mesh nylons, a miniskirt, and a tank top. The she slipped on a pair of high heels.

“Marcie! You better not be thinking of screwing off and rippin’ me for what you owe!”

“I won’t,” she squeaked, looking down as she spoke.

“Better not, because all you got for family is that grandmother of yours. Unless of course you want to go back to Daddy! What do you think dear old Grandma would say if she got all those cute little pictures of you and the doggie in the mail?”

Marcie’s face turned white. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t utter a sound.

Red’s voice softened. “Look, I’m not hard to get along with. I just don’t like the idea of anyone rippin’ me off. The guys I pay for protection? They’re all with Satans Wrath, and now you owe them, too. If you tried to fuck off on them, do you know what they’d do?”

Marcie shook her head, staring tearfully at Red.

“First they’d kill your grandma, ’cause she’d be easy to find. Then they’d track ya down and rip the guts right out of ya. There’s no place ya can hide. They got guys all over the world!”

Marcie didn’t answer. She stood, looking straight ahead, tears dripping from her cheeks.

It was late Friday afternoon, but Sid Bishop waited patiently and smiled warmly when Bart and Rex walked through the doors of the Department of Justice. Most people had gone home, but Sid was the group head of the department. He hated drug traffickers with a passion and was more than willing to wait and review the wiretap application.

Sid refused to admit it, but he actually feared drug traffickers. And the more he feared them, the harder he worked to deny that fear. It was a vicious circle. The harder he worked, the more he had to fear. He was also starting to drink more.

Bart tossed a large manila envelope on his desk. Sid waited until both men sat down before talking. “You said on the phone that this involves Satans Wrath.”

“It’s all in there,” said Bart. “Rex and I turned an informant. We’ve had him make a couple of buys while we watched to verify everything. He’s been buying quantities of speed from a guy who goes by the name of Halibut. Through our guy, Halibut has been supplying all the speed to the Black Water Hotel.”

“This Halibut is a member of Satans Wrath, is he?”

“He’s been striking for the club for two years. He’s still on probation, but I expect he’ll be getting his full colours soon.”

“Colours?”

“Yeah, his patch. The cutoff jackets they wear. Right now he only has British Columbia written on the bottom. It’s what they call the bottom rocker. Once he’s done strikin’, the full name of the club and their skull emblem gets sewn on, too.”

Without so much as a glance at Bart and Rex, Sid opened a large drawer on the side of his desk and removed three glasses and a bottle of Courvoisier. He told Bart to pour while he opened the envelope.

Eventually Sid looked up. “Nobody has caught any of these miscreants for a long time. If you’re successful, I’ll take you both out salmon fishing.”

Bart and Rex smiled and clinked glasses. It was no secret that Sid’s parents were extremely wealthy and had left him with a fortune when they died. Sid enjoyed life to the fullest. He lived on an acreage of oceanfront property northwest of the city and owned a cabin cruiser. Sid welcomed guests, and parties at his place were notoriously good. The haunt was secluded enough that police and prosecutors alike could unwind without facing the disapproval of a critical public. Bart was more than glad to be invited.

Last year Sid had contributed $20,000 to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. When asked why he still worked, Sid would say that it was for the sheer pleasure of putting bad guys in jail – a trait that Bart both respected and admired.

Sid told them that there would have to be some grammatical changes and rewriting of a few paragraphs concerning the reliability of the informant, but overall it looked good.

Sid was scheduled to start a trial on Monday but promised to burn the midnight oil and assured them that he would work on it over the weekend. If all went as planned, they should have it before a judge by Monday or Tuesday. Sid stared at the bottle of Courvoisier when they left. It occurred to him that he was beginning to despise alcohol as much as drug traffickers.

Damien sat at a table outside, overlooking the marina. He nodded for Wizard to sit down, and the waiter hurried over.

Wizard ordered a Grandview Island Stout. It was a local beer, one he preferred over the imports.

Damien waited until the waiter left before asking, “So what’s The Suit’s problem?”

Wizard shrugged indifferently. “Not a big problem. Just a rodent.”

“In-house or out?”

“Gnawing outside one of the striker’s houses. Halibut’s place.”

“Take care of it personally and be sure to advertise why.”

“Why me?”

“Involves The Suit. The fewer who know, the better. Use Rolly as well.”

“I want a driver.”

“That’s fine.”

“I’ll use Lance. He’s —”

“Shut the fuck up. I don’t need to hear all the details.”