Jack Taggart Mysteries 9-Book Bundle. Don Easton

his room.

      “Went really well,” said Jack. “Some details still have to be worked out, but we can head home now.”

      “Long night. Was starting to worry.”

      “Partied hearty. Helped gain his trust. Right now we’re all beat. I’m going to grab three hours of shut-eye, then meet you at seven. We want to catch the morning flight back to Vancouver.”

      Jack then knocked on Laura’s door. She came out in the hall and quietly closed the door behind her. They gave each other a hug before walking down the hallway.

      “Think I could round up a drink if you want one,” Jack said. “It’s just that if you feel like talking, we can’t do it in our rooms.”

      Laura shook her head and said, “One drink would-n’t be enough and forty-seven would be too many. Glad you’re here, though.”

      “How do you feel?”

      Laura didn’t respond.

      “You okay?”

      “I don’t know. Right now I just feel numb. I just killed a guy for saving my life. How do you think I should feel?”

      “Numb. Same as I feel.”

      “I should have ordered him to drop it. I just ... I was so freaked out with what was going on ... then to see his face. The guy I figured for the epitome of evil. I double-tapped him without thinking. I should have known that he wouldn’t have missed me at that range. My presumptions got him killed!”

      “Rellik didn’t save your life. Damien did. Rellik was just a soldier following orders. The fact that he was ordered to save you doesn’t make him a good guy. He acts without conscience. He could have just as easily been told to torture you. Knowing his personality, he likely would have preferred that.”

      “I thought of that, but I still fired without weighing all the evidence. He even told me to duck! I was so convinced about him being evil that I didn’t listen. What if he had been a good guy and I did that?”

      “He wasn’t.”

      “But me thinking he was...”

      “We don’t live in a courtroom. We don’t have the luxury of taking months or years to decide whether or not a decision is right. Out here, it’s survival. You reacted how you should have.”

      “It’s the consequence of my prejudgement that is eating at me. It made me react...”

      “Consequences! Tell me about it! Everything I’ve done lately brings about a consequence I hadn’t planned on. I guess there are things we have to accept. Things we can’t control. There are always consequences. You shooting Rellik was a consequence of the type of guy he was. In a way, he got himself killed. At least, his lifestyle did. It wasn’t Mother Teresa running toward you!”

      They walked for a little while longer, both lost in the silence of their own thoughts. Eventually they returned and stopped outside of Laura’s door.

      “Thanks, Jack,” she said. “I’ll be okay. Just need time to sort things out.”

      “You sure?”

      Laura nodded and said, “You’re a good friend. Goodnight.”

      “A good friend?”

      Laura smiled and said, “Yeah. This time you’re helping me bury a body ... if only in my mind.” She then hugged Jack. He kissed her on the forehead and returned to his own room.

      It was six-thirty in the morning when Jack was summoned to Jean-Louie’s room.

      As soon as he entered, Jean-Louie waved a copy of El País in front of him and yelled, “What is this?”

      “A newspaper,” replied Jack.

      “What it says,” snarled Jean-Louie, holding up the headlines reading CARLOS — MORTE!

      “I don’t know,” replied Jack. “Haven’t seen it and I don’t read Spanish.”

      “I’ll explain the grisly details,” said Jean-Louie. “Sit down!”

      Jack took a seat and listened.

      “Norte del Valle,” Jean-Louie started, then paused and said, “Early this morning, on a road outside of Buga, travellers were shocked to discover the bodies of nine men piled in a pyramid on the road.”

      “Wow!” said Jack. “People really play it rough down here!”

      Jean-Louie stared briefly at Jack, then said, “I’m an old-school operator too, remember? Skip the concerned part and go straight to denial.”

      Jack stared ahead, his face frozen.

      “I’ll continue,” said Jean-Louie. “This pyramid of bodies was only half the size of another pyramid discovered on the outskirts of Palmira. A naked man was laid face-down at the top of that pyramid. He had a broomstick protruding from his buttocks with a green beret dangling from the end. Later it was discovered that this was the notorious...” Jean-Louie paused to look at Jack and said, “The hell with it! You know who it was!” he said, flinging the newspaper down. He glared at Jack and asked, “Any comment?”

      “No.”

      “The paper said that in both incidents the police were unable to find anyone who heard or saw anything ... but Ramirez is being linked as someone who has a previous history with Carlos.”

      Jack nodded quietly.

      “For the record, were you with Ramirez all last night at the party?”

      “He left for a little while. We thought he was picking up some more guests.”

      “A little while?”

      “Might have been longer. Maybe a couple of hours. Everyone was partying and having fun.”

      “Good.” Almost believable, Jean-Louie thought. “What are you thinking?” asked Jack.

      “I’m thinking the three of you should grab your bags and get the hell out of here!”

      chapter forty

      It was eleven-thirty at night when the plane touched down on the Vancouver runway. It was an hour later when Jack and Laura cleared Customs. Damien was already gone.

      Jack expected to get a taxi, but a familiar voice in the terminal stopped him.

      “Hey, cowboy. How ya doing? How’s your new sidekick?” asked Danny as he approached, carrying a shopping bag.

      “What are you doing here?” asked Jack.

      “Talked to Natasha. Heard you were coming in. Thought I’d like to pick up a friend ... if you still want to call me that.”

      Jack looked at him, too surprised and too tired to respond.

      “I know I’ve been an ass,” added Danny.

      Jack put his suitcase down and embraced Danny. “I always think of you as a friend,” he said. “A good friend.”

      “Thanks,” said Danny, stepping back while wiping his eyes. “Your trip ... did it have anything to do with...” He paused a moment and looked nervously around before whispering, “The guys who ... tried to drown Jimmy?”

      “Yes,” said Jack.

      “How did it go?”

      “Total success,” said Laura.

      Danny closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”

      “We’ll talk about it over a beer,” said Jack. “Just not tonight. We need to get home.”

      Danny nodded that he understood but looked glum as they made their way to the parking lot.

      “What’s wrong?”