Loose Ends (22 page)

“He's still a badass,” said Danny.

“By the looks of his record he's not as violent as his partners.”

“Or he's just smarter and hasn't been caught.”

“I'm looking for someone smarter. What else do you have on him?”

“He's married to some waitress, and they've got four kids. He owns an arcade, and they've got a modest home just outside of Vancouver. I think it's in…”

“Surrey,” said Jack, studying the report.

“Yeah, it's just an average house with a big mortgage.”

Jack slowly sifted through the file again.

“So? What are you thinking?” asked Danny.

“I want to know more about Lance Morgan. See if he owns any companies or whatever. An arcade is a good business for laundering money. It would be tough to prove how many kids are dropping how many quarters into all those machines. Lance may be a lot smarter than his cohorts. He also has a family. This could be our chance.”

“Our chance to do what?”

The telephone interrupted Jack's reply.

“All right, Jack! What the hell are you up to?”

“Oh … Louie! How are you?” replied Jack, catching the worried look on Danny's face.

“Don't give me that crap! What are you up to?”

“Didn't Danny tell you? I took a few days off to go fishing.”

“Bullshit! I didn't say anything to him in case he believed it. But I sure as hell don't!”

“Well … I'm fishing for bad guys.”

“Jesus, you drive me nuts sometimes. I've been listening to the news, reading the papers — even the obituary columns — trying to figure out where you were or what you were up to. I've been phoning for two days. If you've been down to the States again, so help me I'll —”

“No, no, Louie! Relax! There's nothing to worry about. I've been spending a lot of time on the street. Only at home to sleep.”

“So everything is okay?” asked Grazia suspiciously.

“You bet.”

“Did you catch any?”

“Catch any?”

“Bad guys. You said you were fishing for bad guys.”

“Had a few nibbles. Nothing solid, but I've got a feeling in my bones that we're on to something.”

Natasha was in a grim mood as she drove home from work that evening. Usually she enjoyed a warm autumn rain. It made her feel cozy when she sat beside her fireplace with a glass of wine. Today was different. The rain only served to accent her feelings of despair, along with a dyspeptic stomach that gnawed at her like a disease.

She had picked up sandwiches at the deli and rushed home at lunchtime, hoping to surprise him, only to find
her apartment empty.
The ungrateful swine could have at least written a note to say thank you!

She felt the tears well in her eyes as she tried to force her office key into her apartment door. She changed keys, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

She looked on the counter as if by magic there might be a note, but there was nothing.

But something had changed. She looked again. Her kitchen felt warm, and her stereo was playing quietly in the living room.

“Hi,” Jack said softly, appearing from the living room.

He was clean-shaven and dressed in a navy blue suit accented by a burgundy tie and handkerchief. He held a solitary long-stemmed red rose in his hand.

He looked at her face and dropped the flower on the counter, stepping forward.

“What is it? What's wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing,” she said, then kissed him and let him hold her tight before pushing him away and picking up the long-stemmed rose. “Is this for me?”

“No, I thought it was Danny coming in.”

She saw the grin on Jack's face and smiled back. “Where's your sling?”

“I'm okay as long as I don't jar it.”

“You can cook?” asked Natasha, while retrieving a vase from her china cabinet.

“I've taken a few courses. French, Italian, Thai, but being a one-armed gourmet is something new. My repertoire is small, but I like to think it's good.”

Natasha noticed that the gas fireplace was on. Her table had already been set, with two new candles alongside her dishes. Romantic music drifted softly through the room. “Give me a minute to change,” she said.

Natasha liked the look on Jack's face when she
reappeared wearing a black chiffon dress, a pearl necklace accenting her long dark hair.

The candles had burned to the bottom by the time dinner was over. Crab-stuffed mushroom caps were followed by a beef roulade accompanied by mushroom gravy. The wine was a pinot noir. It was a good match for the food. The main course was followed by latticed chocolate rum pie. Natasha found the whole meal a sensual experience.

After dinner, Natasha sat on the sofa while Jack went to the kitchen. He appeared moments later carrying a silver tray, upon which were two glasses of flaming liqueur.

“Sambuca,” he said, putting the tray on the coffee table and sitting down.

She moved closer to him on the sofa and watched the rain running down the outside of her patio doors. The glass caught the flickering reflection from the fireplace. The rain seemed beautiful again and gave a feeling of intimacy.

She felt his arm wrap around her bare shoulder, coaxing her body closer. The musky, haunting smell of his cologne aroused her senses. She enjoyed the feel of his warm hand on her shoulder as she snuggled in.

She raised the sambuca to her lips and watched as the clear liquid picked up the light from the fire, shimmering like diamonds. Three coffee beans floating on top glistened below the blue flame dancing above. She marvelled at it for a moment, then caught the shine in Jack's eyes as he held his glass up, giving a silent toast.

She gave a small breath to blow out the flame and let the licorice flavour of the liqueur explore her mouth before warming its way down her throat. She looked intently into his eyes, then put her glass down and took him by the hand and led him to her bedroom.

She felt his naked body next to hers as he lay on his side, softly touching her face before gently kissing her on the temple. She felt his hand gently glide up the inside of her thigh and then slowly trail up the rest of her body. The underside of his arm brushed her nipples and she felt them harden to his touch. His scent filled her lungs and she could almost taste him, wishing he were inside her.

Finally he kissed her again. She responded with a lustful hunger but felt him pull away.

“I'm sorry,” she murmured. “I keep forgetting you're injured. Did I…”

His placed his finger lightly on her lips, shaking his head. “No, you didn't hurt me,” he said softly. “I just want to remember this moment forever.”

Their mouths found each other again and her passion grew with intensity until it exploded when she felt him inside her. When they were finished, she lay with her head on his chest, enjoying the feel of his hand as he continued to caress her body.

She was not totally unaccustomed to making love, but it had never felt so good and so right in all her life as it did tonight. Her body tingled again under his touch and soon she was aroused to a passion that, until now, was something she thought existed only in books and the fantasies of others.

Lance Morgan locked the public door from inside his arcade and walked to his office in the rear. It was mid-week, and business had been slow. He flicked off the lights and opened the rear door leading into a small parking area behind the arcade.

The barrel of a shotgun rammed deep into his belly below the rib cage. He doubled over, his lungs paralyzed as his knees sunk to the floor. Danny stepped forward and with his free hand grabbed Lance's hair and sent him sprawling backwards. Jack followed and flicked on the light to the office as the door swung shut behind him. He also carried a shotgun with a metal folded stock.

Lance looked up from the floor, still trying to catch his breath, and gasped, “Take it, guys, no need to hurt me. It's only about four hundred bucks. Mostly coin. I'll open it for ya,” he said, waving his arm toward a small safe in the office.

“You don't remember me, do ya?” Jack barked out the words while stepping closer and sticking the barrel of the shotgun into Lance's crotch.

Lance used his hands and feet to edge himself backwards on the floor. He stopped when Jack pushed the shotgun deeper into his crotch. His eyebrows furled as he stared up at Jack.

“One week ago, behind the Black Water,” Jack added.

The blood drained from Lance's face. He whispered, “You're Eddy!”

Jack smiled down at him. “So, how does it feel to be on the receiving end?”

“You ought to know,” said Lance bitterly. “Live by the gun, die by the gun. Just do what you came here to do, man. I had nothin' against you personal, so just kill me an' get it over with.”

“Tell you what,” snarled Jack. “Tell me why you tried to kill me and maybe I'll consider letting you live!”

“Yeah, sure you will,” said Lance sarcastically. “Besides, you know the answer to that yourself!”

“I want you to tell me!”

“You're a rat!”

“Who says so? Who told ya I was?” snapped Jack.

“I don't know, I was just carrying out orders,” replied Lance defiantly.

“From who? Who were the two guys with ya? Fuckin' talk, man, or I'll blow ya away right now!”

“Fuck you. You're gonna do me anyway. I'm not sayin' nothin', so you might as well get it over with!”

Jack raised the shotgun and pointed it directly at Lance's face. Lance glared back. When he saw Jack's finger slowly squeeze down on the trigger he closed his eyes. The seconds ticked by. When he opened his eyes he saw that Jack had lowered the shotgun.

“I got some news for you, Lance. I'm not going to kill you. But I might arrest you!”

“You what?” asked Lance, looking confused.

Jack and Danny produced their badges.

“You guys are cops!” A nervous laugh escaped his lips.

“Yes, I'm a police officer. My real name is Jack Taggart. For attempting to murder me, you could be looking at a long time in the crowbar hotel.”

“Oh, man,” said Lance, shaking his head, “I didn't know you were a cop! I thought you were just a rat.”

“Well, this could be your lucky night, Lance, because if
you
become a rat, we'll forget the whole thing!”

“What? You'd let me off tryin' to kill ya? Just for me to rat out?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, but you'd be working for us for the next ten years. I think that's fair. You'd be ours, body and soul. You lie to us just once or try an' hide something from us and we feed you to the wolves!”

Lance reflected on the proposition, then gestured to a picture on his desk of his wife and four children. “I can't. Go ahead and bust me. I got them to think about.”

“You've got my word. I will never arrest anyone or do anything if I think it will jeopardize your position. Once we haul you out of here it's too late to change your mind. You could be looking at life in prison. You won't be any good to your family in there.”

“Thanks, man, I appreciate what you're sayin', but no, I'm still not turnin' in my brothers.” He gave a weak smile, then added, “As they say, don't do the crime if you can't do the time!”

Jack picked up the picture of Lance's wife and children. “I'm no psychic, but I have a feeling that if you don't cooperate, you'll be a widower soon.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you don't cooperate, I'll arrest you now and charge you with stealing the car. Considering your record, you'll probably get about six months in jail. I'll put in a good word for you so you'll be out as soon as you're eligible.”

“You're only going to charge me with stealing the clunker?” Lance gave Jack a puzzled look.

“Later tonight,” continued Jack, “we'll pick up Wizard and Rolly and charge them with attempted murder. They'll end up getting life. Especially with the parole reports I'll do on them.”

Lance gawked up from where he sat on the floor. “What do ya mean? You already know who they are? I tried to kill ya just as much as…” He stopped talking when he saw the grim smile creep across Jack's face.

“You can't! They'll think I cut a deal with ya! That I gave 'em up to save myself!”

Jack nodded. “Life's a bitch, ain't it! Your own brothers, as you call 'em, will do you just like Lenny. Except with you, they'll probably take it a bit more personal. I doubt they'd kill you as quickly as Lenny.”

Lance sat in a stunned silence, slowly shaking his head. Jack knelt down so they could look at the picture together.

“Nice family. Tell me, I'm curious to see what will happen. You know your bros better than I do. If we see to it you serve your time in protective custody, where they can't get at you … what do you think they'll do?”

“You fucking bastard! You know what they'll do!”

“Oh, well,” said Jack, standing up. “What did you say? Live by the gun, die by the gun? Well I have one you can tell your family: If you fly with the crows, expect to get shot at.”

Lance's face turned pasty white, and for the first time his trembling body betrayed his fear. He looked
up and his voice quavered. “Okay, you guys win, but I gotta tell ya, you got someone on your side who's talkin'. Someone big.”

Jack and Danny looked silently at each other for a moment, then Jack turned back to Lance. “We know there's someone. Who is it?”

“I don't know, man. I really don't know.”

“Don't give us that shit!” said Danny. “If you cooperate, you go all the way!”

“I am fuckin' cooperating! Do you think I'm gonna fuck with you two, with what you'll do if I lie? I really don't know! Look at me, I'm shakin' I'm so fuckin' scared. If I knew who it was, I'd tell ya, just to make sure I stay alive! I told you I'd cooperate, and I will. I'm just sayin' you better fuckin' watch who you tell, 'cause I'm puttin' my life in your hands!”