Читать книгу Jack Taggart Mysteries 9-Book Bundle - Don Easton - Страница 43

“Your men had quite a day, yesterday,” said Isaac, once Louie Grazia sat down.

“It would appear so.”

“I read a statement that Homicide took this morning from O’Reilly. Take a look. Tell me what you think.”

Louie read the statement, then said, “I think he should receive a medal. Both of them should.”

“You read the part about how he killed the one they called Wizard?”

“Yes. After being seriously injured and barely able to see, he captured him in the backyard. Made him toss the weapon and lay in the prone position. He was so weak he had to sit down to cover him. Said he started to lose consciousness and woke up in time to see Wizard with a lighter in his hand about to shove a pail of gas on him.”

“That’s the part that really got to me. As injured as he was, he still chased this guy down and tried to arrest him. If he hadn’t had the quick reflexes to kick the pail over, it would have been him that burned to death. Says he even caught the lighter that Wizard threw. Lucky for him the gas went in the other direction. I agree, commendations are in order.”

“Good. They’ll be pleased to hear it.”

“There is one other matter, however, that I wish to discuss with you.”

“Sir?”

“It’s about Taggart. The informant he had by the name of Edward Trimble died of a drug overdose over two years ago. How do you suppose that could be?”

“Typical of drug addicts. One of them dies in some flophouse and someone else who is probably wanted snatches his identification. I’ll speak to Taggart and tell him to smarten up. He should know better than to be fooled like that.”

“I see. Well, considering what he’s been through, I don’t think you should be too hard on him. Maybe give him a break on that one.”

“Yes, sir. If you think so.”

Isaac leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window but watched Louie out of the corner of his eye. “In some ways, Wigmore was right about Taggart.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, people he works on end up dead, including the two who murdered his niece and nephew.”

Louie shrugged his shoulders but didn’t speak.

“Have you had a chance to debrief Taggart? How does he feel about Sid Bishop?”

“He’s upset that he escaped. That he wasn’t able to arrest him.”

“Arrest him?”

Louie pretended that the connotation eluded him and said, “U.S. Customs found his boat on Orcas Island in the San Juans this morning, but there was no sign of him. From there, he could have easily flown to the mainland and then anywhere.”

“Do you think Taggart has any idea where he is?”

“Not a clue. He asked me if we’ve checked Bishop’s bank accounts yet.”

“And have you?”

“Preliminary inquiries look like there were some off-shore transfers to the Grand Caymans. He’ll know how to cover his tracks. Bet he is living under a new identity in some foreign country. Satans Wrath could help him in that regard. It wouldn’t look good for them if he was arrested. They’re in dozens of countries. I’m not optimistic that he’ll ever be caught.”

Jack’s meeting with CC was brief. He had already prepared a statement and slid it across the desk to her.

CC scanned the statement quickly, then leaned across the desk and said, “I want you and O’Reilly to know something. Strictly for professional reasons. I want you to have at least a little respect for me.”

“CC, don’t worry. Sid set me up beautifully. I have no grudge against you at all.”

“This isn’t about that. It’s what O’Reilly did! Tell him he owes me a hell of a favour.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Bullshit! I’ve taken enough statements to know when someone’s been coached! Not to mention that the burn marks on Wizard did not start under his arm and on his face, where they would have if he was throwing gas at Danny. They started on the back of his arm and head. He wasn’t looking when he got doused.”

“Danny was badly injured, barely conscious. Maybe he was a little off on —”

“Cut the crap! This is only between the three of us. I just want you to know that I do know how to do my job.”

Jack stared at CC for a moment, then said, “I’ll tell Danny. He’ll probably want to buy you a drink.”

“Tell him that, but if it arrives with a flame on top, I’ll shoot him!”

Jack returned CC’s smile, then said, “I need a favour as well.”

“What kind of favour?”

“It’s about the exhibits from yesterday.”

“Your recorder?”

“No. Something else. Something that might keep some people from dying.”

Jack lay in the bushes, resting his arms and chest on a sports bag as he watched several limousines pass through the electronic gate into Damien’s estate. He caught a glimpse of bikers roaming around inside. Some were there to provide security and showed their respect for the bosses by keeping their distance.

At two o’clock, Jack used his new cellphone to call Natasha.

“I want you to know that I really love you,” he said.

“That’s nice. I love you, too,” replied Natasha. “Good news about Danny.”

“Yes. Good news. I have to go, but…”

“But what?”

“Just wanted you to know how much I really love you.”

“Jack? What is it? Something is going on…. You’re not doing anything that could put you … away, are you?”

“Don’t talk that way on the phone. I would die before I ever broke that promise.”

“Okay, sorry. I love you, too.”

Jack picked up the sports bag and crept to the rear of Damien’s home. He scaled the stone wall surrounding the back of Damien’s property and dropped down into the grounds.

A biker who had been monitoring security cameras inside the home ran into the backyard. Damien was speaking intensely to a group of over twenty men. Anger and talk of revenge was rampant. Silence descended when the biker told Damien that there was an intruder.

Jack strode toward the group. He saw two laser beams dancing over his heart and idly wondered how many more were on the back of his head. The group parted slightly as Damien walked up to him. The rest of the men exchanged glances. They sensed that Jack was an outsider and circled him like wolves around a farm dog.

“You got your fuckin’ balls walkin’ in here!” screamed Damien.

Jack looked at the group and said, “My name is Jack Taggart. I’m a cop. The cop who was responsible for killing five of your brothers yesterday.”

He took their moment of disbelief and shock to look Damien in the eye and say, “Out of respect for you, I brought you this.” He handed him the sports bag.

The wolves recovered from their shock and moved in for the kill. They stopped when Damien put up his hand before unzipping the sports bag and looking inside. Seconds later, he pulled out five sets of colours. The jackets belonging to T-Bone and Booger only had the bottom rocker. Wizard’s colours were badly burned but were still recognizable.

“You pick today to commit suicide?” asked Damien.

Jack looked at the angry faces and said, “Wizard, Rolly, and Thumper tried to kill my family, my partner’s family … and then tried to kill my partner and me. Maybe the rules have changed, but I think —”

A biker grabbed Jack by the throat and said, “Guess I’ll finish what Wiz started!”

“Let him finish!” Damien demanded.

Jack was released. He continued. “I think that T-Bone and Booger were following orders from Wizard. I also believe that Wizard was following orders from someone outside the club.” He saw several of the men look at Damien, who continued to stare at Jack.

“I believe that because I know Damien,” said Jack. “If he wanted us dead, we would be. He’s proved that to me already, which is why I respect him enough to return the colours and take whatever you dish out. I know if Damien wants me killed, I will be. I don’t want to try and lead a life and start a family, wondering every day if there’s a bomb in my car. If you intend to kill me, then do it now.”

Everyone stood in silence, looking back and forth from Damien to Jack. Damien nodded his head, and one of the bikers providing security approached and used an electronic wand to search Jack.

“Clean, except for this,” said the biker, taking the cellphone out of Jack’s pocket and handing it to Damien.

“Check the perimeter for a five-block radius and let me know,” said Damien, before dropping the cellphone in the pool. “Oops,” he said.

Minutes later, Jack was roughly brought into the house and hauled down into the basement, where he was placed on a stool beside a workbench. Five strikers stayed to ensure that he didn’t move. Jack spotted the electric drill on the workbench and thought about Stallion. What goes around, comes around. He checked his watch. It was 2:30.

At 4:25, Damien came downstairs, along with two other bikers. He gave a nod of his head and the five guards backed away.

“So you did come alone,” commented Damien.

Jack nodded.

“Yesterday … tell us how they died.”

Jack related what happened at the front of Sid’s home and in the foyer.

“How did dat Wizard die?” asked one of the bikers with a thick French accent.

Jack looked him in the eye and said, “The official version is that he caught fire on his way back to torch me.”

The two bikers looked at Damien. He gestured with his head and the three of them walked away a short distance to talk privately. Moments later, they returned.

“What about Thumper?” asked Damien.

“My girlfriend slashed his throat with a scalpel.”

“No shit?” said Damien, sounding surprised.

Jack said, “Yes, she’s quite a woman.” For a second, he almost forgot where he was as he thought about Natasha.

“If Booger had given himself up, would you have let him live?” asked Frenchie.

“I knew he was a striker who probably didn’t know the rules, but at the same time I didn’t know if my fiancée and the girl had been hurt. Either way, he messed with them. If given the opportunity, I would have finished him off.”

The two bikers glared at him, then looked at Damien, who said, “Yeah, that’s pretty well how Sid Bishop told it.”

The comment was not lost on Jack. He knows where Bishop is!

Damien looked down at Jack and said, “Okay, sit here. It’s not us three who decide if you live. We’re all taking a vote on it. Get you a beer while you’re waiting?”

“No, thanks.”

As they were leaving, Frenchie asked Damien, “You offer dat pig a beer?”

“This is strictly business. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be hospitable.”

Jack remained on the stool as the strikers moved back into position.

It was three hours later when Damien returned, this time by himself. “Leave us!” he barked. The five strikers promptly went upstairs.

“Looks like it’s your lucky day,” said Damien. “You’re going to live.”

“It took long enough to decide.”

Damien shrugged his shoulders and said, “We had an election to do as well. What saved you was that Wizard took orders from someone outside the club.”

“I thought returning the colours was a nice touch.”

“That showed class, but it will only be T-Bone and Booger’s colours that will be kept and held in respect.”

“Are you still national president?”

Damien smiled and said, “Yeah, I got it. I think you turned the tide on that one. They figure that if you acted that way out of respect for me, then maybe I was doing a good job.”

“Sounds like you owe me one.”

“I don’t owe you fuck all! I reiterated what you said, that Wizard and Rolly took their orders from someone outside the club. Thumper was a weasel. It gave everyone something to think about. If anything, my two cents’ worth may have saved your life.”

“How close a vote was it? On letting me live?”

“It was unanimous. Everybody out there is clear on the rules. Wizard, Rolly, Thumper … they broke the rules.”

“That’s good they respect the rules. Too bad Sid Bishop doesn’t.”

“The trouble with guys like him is they’ve never been educated on the street. They don’t know how to survive.”

“So where is he?”

“Fuck, you think I’m going to tell you? Give your head a shake!”

“You were the boss when all this took place, and you are still the boss. That makes you accountable. He messed with the people I love. You can’t ride the fence on this.”

“You don’t fucking tell me what I can do or what I can’t!”

“Then as far as I’m concerned, if you don’t tell me, you are breaking the rules, and I’ll hold you responsible.”

Damien stabbed his finger into Jack’s chest and roared, “You have the gall to threaten me? Right here in my own house?”

Strikers immediately appeared on the stairs and Damien yelled, “I didn’t call you guys! Fuck off!”

Jack waited until they were alone and said, “I’m not threatening you. Just reminding you about the rules.”

Damien studied Jack closely, then shook his head and said, “Our rules say that we never help the police. You arrest him and I’d lose respect. Think you know what that means. Unlike you, I don’t believe in putting myself or my family in jeopardy.”

“My family is top priority to me, too.”

“Then get your priorities straight! Walking in here this afternoon … you let your emotions rule you instead of your brain. Leave now and count yourself very lucky!”

“I want to know where Sid Bishop is!”

“You don’t listen, do you? I will never help the police!”

“Who said anything about helping the police? I’m talking about me.”

Damien looked exasperated. “You are the police.”

“Do you remember the night you met me in that construction site, when you said that you and I were in different clubs, but in some ways we were very much alike?”

“I remember.”

“I was wrong to think we weren’t. You’ve opened my eyes. Neither of us would be alive if we went by the rules that govern the rest of society.”

“What are you getting at?”

“It makes me sick, but I’m admitting that you probably know me better than anyone else. You know I don’t plan on arresting him!”

Damien looked at Jack for a moment, then said, “Still no reason to help you.”

“I’m in a good position to return you a favour someday.”

Damien paused, then said, “So you’ll be Sid’s replacement?”

“Not exactly. Call it rules of honour and respect. If we play by our rules, both you and I, and our families, should be around for a long time. It’s wise to invest in the future.”

Damien stared at Jack long and hard, then said, “You would owe me. Owe me big!”