Art and Murder. Don Easton

your informant, I might agree to stall,” Rose conceded.

      “Might?”

      “Depends on what your plan is — and don’t tell me you haven’t already thought of something. I know you better than you think. How do you plan on getting in with them?”

      “At the moment I don’t know. I want to stall for a couple of hours to figure out my best options.”

      “A couple of hours?”

      “Yes. During that time I want you to find out every detail you can about this organization, including getting a translation of all of Kerin’s undercover notes.”

      “I doubt I could get the notes that fast.”

      “Then have them read the notes to you over the phone so you can record them.”

      “I’ll try.”

      “Explain that I’m going undercover into the group, as well. What I learn could be critical to how I go about getting in.”

      “I’ll do my best.”

      “I also need to know Roche’s level of sophistication,” Jack said.

      “From what I was told, he’s sophisticated. Travels internationally.”

      “By sophistication, I meant lifestyle. Bikers are international, too, but not the sort to hang out at cocktail parties. Find out his tastes in wine, clothing, cars, women … whatever. I need to know whether to continue on as a pimp or figure out a way to change my image.”

      “But you have a body and two bad guys trussed up. There —”

      “— isn’t much time. Exactly. I also need you to find Klaus and set up surveillance on him and report his movements back to me.”

      “Yes, Klaus.” Rose paused, then, “Why, as you said, are you fairly certain that he and Liam aren’t going straight to where you are?”

      “I think Klaus will be going to Emergency. Try VGH — it’s the closest hospital.”

      “You said you roughed him up a little.”

      “I brought it to his attention that he has bad teeth and should get them looked at.”

      Rose’s sigh was audible. “Hang on, I’ve got another call.”

      Jack waited for about a minute, then Rose came back on line. “That was Maurice Leblanc — Kerin’s partner. He’s glad you’re alive and wanted to know what we knew about the guys here. I told him we hadn’t even heard of them until tonight.”

      “And?”

      He heard Rose swallow. “Kerin was married. His wife’s name is Gabrielle.”

      “Children?” Jack asked.

      “First one due next month.”

      Jack felt his stomach knot and swallowed the acrid taste of bile that burned up the back of his throat and into his mouth. How would Natasha get along if it was me?

      “Jack … I’m sorry.”

      “Sorry enough to support me,” he said coldly, while staring at his prisoners.

      “Yes. I’ll do what I can, starting with calling Special ‘O’ to watch Klaus.”

      Jack felt a little relieved. Special “O” was an elite surveillance team that was in high demand. Rose is onside … at least for now.

      “Anything else?” Rose asked.

      “Not at the moment. I’ll call Laura and tell her to meet me here.”

      “And here being?”

      “I’ll get back to you on that. The address is difficult to explain. I don’t have time.”

      “Time for what?”

      To tell you that I’m about to do an illegal search.

      “Or is it that you won’t give it to me until you find out if the brass will approve Homicide not getting involved until you okay it?”

      “That would be insolent. I need to call Laura for security reasons. I don’t know who else might show up. Every second I spend talking to you could be putting me at risk.”

      He heard Rose sigh with exasperation. He knew she was thinking he always had an excuse.

      “And as far as the brass goes,” he said, “let’s wait a couple of hours and see what I come up with. It’s not like they could do anything at the moment, so why bother waking them?”

      “Okay, but after you call Laura, sit tight and don’t do anything until I call you back.”

      “Well, there is one thing I’ll be doing,” Jack said.

      “And what is that?” Rose snapped.

      “I’ll be calling Roche to have a little chat.”

      Chapter Thirteen

      Jack’s first call was to Natasha. “Hi, I’m okay,” he said quietly. “Thought you might be awake. I heard that telecoms and Rose called you.”

      He heard Natasha take a deep breath, then slowly exhale. “I’m lying in bed reading.”

      “Sorry about that.”

      “You’re whispering. I take it whatever you’re doing is not over yet?”

      “It’s far from over … but I wanted you to know I’m okay.”

      “You sound unhappy. Are you really okay?”

      “I’m okay. Very tired and busy. Hopefully I’ll be home for supper and I’ll explain then. Go back to sleep.”

      He heard her yawn. “The boys will be up soon.”

      “Sorry, I have to go. I love you.”

      “I love you, too.”

      “Yeah? Well, I love you six.” Jack hoped a little humour would provide assurance to Natasha that he really was okay, but she’d hung up. His next call was to Laura.

      “You heard?” she asked glumly.

      “Yes. Get over here.”

      “I need directions.”

      “Hang on a sec.” Jack walked to the rear of the shop and kicked Bojan in the knee. “Hey. I’ve got a friend coming to pick me up, but she needs directions. You two can figure out a way to untie yourselves after I’m gone.”

      The optimism on Bojan’s face was evident as he quickly gave directions.

      “You get that?” said Jack into the phone.

      “Got it,” replied Laura. “Should be there in thirty minutes.”

      Jack hung up and glanced around the workshop. The building was open to the roof and long and narrow, with windows on the sides. The floor was a cement slab and the walls were covered in sheets of plywood. A long workbench was under the windows in the front section of the building, and another workbench was on the end wall in the room at the rear. The end wall did not have any windows, and rows of tools hung above the workbench.

      Jack used his knuckles to rap on the end wall. As he did, Anton glanced at Bojan and gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes, as if to say Jack was an idiot to search there.

      That’s encouraging. He knocked a few more times and detected a section that sounded hollow where a stud should have been. A tug on a support bracket holding a row of screwdrivers caused the section to open like a door to reveal that a false wall had been built over the end of the building.

      Inside, Jack saw kilos of cocaine stacked up, along with a cardboard box and a narrow wooden crate. He hauled the cocaine and the cardboard box out and placed them on the workbench, then smiled at