"No I didn't Bill. We had a couple of couriers come in early this morning but none of it was for you. What is it?"
"It's not important. I just wondered where it came from. It wasn't there before lunch, so someone must have put it there while I was out for my luncheon meeting."
"You could check with the girls at the front reception desk. There's always someone there at lunch time."
"Thanks Hazel, I'll do that."
Bill checked with the front but the two girls manning the desk weren't any help either. He went back to his office and read the note one more time.
Maybe it was a joke. Could this be somebody's idea of pranking him? No, not likely. The note mentioned the correct sum of money for the project and the reason for the payment. Very few people knew about this and the people who did would not be kidding about it.
He picked up the phone and hit a speed dial key. Not too many people had the number to the Mayor's direct line.
"Hello."
"John, it's Bill Paxton. We need to talk. Have you got a few minutes?"
"Sure Bill, I'm free for about an hour."
Paxton walked down the hall to the mayor's office. The mayor's secretary Deedee looked up as he walked in. "He's expecting me Deedee."
He knocked on the mayor's door and let himself in. Bill, have a seat."
"John, we've got a problem. I just came back from lunch and found this on my desk." He tossed the envelope onto the mayor's desk.
Corbett pulled the note out. Holy shit Bill. How did it get there? Courier?"
"No idea. Hazel didn't see who delivered it and neither did the girls at the front desk."
Corbett read the note again. "Twenty five grand. That's a lot of money."
"How could anyone find out about this John? I thought we were being discreet."
"I have no idea Bill. I can tell you one thing though. Whoever this is, they're not going to get away with it and they're going to be very sorry they tried to pull this off."
"What should I do. Should I do what they're asking?"
"You do absolutely nothing. I'll take care of this Bill. I want you to go back to your office and go about your business as if this never happened."
"Jesus John, if this gets out I'm done." Paxton was a wreck.
"Relax Bill. There's no paper trail for anyone to follow. It's just some idiot who managed to get their hands on information they shouldn't have. We'll find out who leaked this and we'll make sure it doesn't happen again. You've got nothing to worry about."
Chapter 28
Monday morning
Time felt like it was standing still this morning. Jimmy had got up a couple of hours earlier than usual, excited at the prospect the day offered. It felt like he'd been up for half a day already but it was only ten in the morning. He still had a couple of hours to kill before he was due to pick up the package at Union Station.
Jimmy was pretty sure Paxton was going to pay up. Why would he risk having the story show up in the papers when he could prevent that by sharing some of the graft. After all, even suspicion of fraud on the part of the city treasurer would be enough to end his career.
Eleven o'clock finally came around. Jimmy left his apartment and took the subway to Union Station. Union Station is the hub for public transit in Toronto. Trains run every 15 minutes regardless of the route and every one of them ends up at Union Station before starting another run. It's a busy place.
Jimmy got off the train and followed the other passengers through the turnstiles. He made his way to the food court where he bought a coffee and a bagel. Jimmy wasn't hungry, but he could see the entire bank of lockers from the food court. He munched on his bagel and sipped his coffee as he casually scanned the room for suspicious characters or any activity that looked out of place.
Satisfied that no one appeared to be watching the locker area, Jimmy decided to get it over with. He walked over to locker 215. He took one last casual look around before he unlocked the door and swung it open. If anyone was watching, the smile that came over his face was a dead giveaway that the package was there.
Jimmy unzipped the bag and took a quick look inside. He couldn't tell if the money was all there but the bag had three bundles of cash in it. He zipped up the bag, slung it over his shoulder and closed the locker door.
Heading back to the subway, Jimmy was thinking that this blackmailing business could turn out to be a good gig. It was easy enough to pull off, he just needed a few more names to go after.
Lost in his daydream Jimmy didn't notice the gray-haired man as he quickly walked up to his side. He was pulled out of his reverie when a firm hand took hold of his left arm. "You don't mind if we walk with you a bit do you?" A taller black man with a shaved head had just as suddenly appeared on his right side.
"I'm detective Rossi and my friend there is detective Patrick. What's your name by the way?"
"What do you guys want?" Jimmy stammered.
"I guess you didn't get the memo but there's been a change of plans."
Detectives Rossi and Patrick guided Jimmy to the South end of the station and outside to where their car was parked in a no parking zone. Rossi cuffed Jimmy's hands behind his back. Patrick opened the rear door and put Jimmy in the back seat. He got in with Jimmy and Rossi got in the front and drove south one block to take the Gardiner Expressway Eastbound.
Detective Patrick opened the bag he had taken from Jimmy and took a look at the three bundles of cash. "Our friend is carrying a lot of cash in this here bag Detective Rossi."
Rossi took a quick look at Jimmy over his right shoulder. "You mind telling us where all that cash comes from friend?" Rossi looked more like a wise guy than a cop Jimmy thought.
"There's nothing illegal about having money, Jimmy stammered. What do you guys want from me?"
Patrick cut in with a loud voice. "What we want is for your dumb ass to tell us everything you know. You must be one dumb motherfucker to think you can get away with blackmailing a city official."
Rossi looked at Jimmy in the rear view mirror. "You're in a lot of shit pal. The best thing you can do right now is tell us what this is all about. Let's start with where you got the information. If we like what we hear, we keep the money and let you go. If we don't like what we hear, we still keep the money, but we drag your ass off to jail and we make sure you don't get out for a long, long time."
Jimmy didn't get a chance to respond before Patrick started in on him. "Gimme your wallet. I said, gimme your wallet!" Jimmy couldn't believe he had been too stupid to leave his wallet at home.
He leaned forward so he could reach into his back pocket and grab his wallet. Not easy to do when your hands are cuffed behind your back. He dropped it on the seat between him and Patrick.
Patrick pulled his id out and read aloud. "We got us one Jimmy Logan here Detective Rossi. Lives at 171 Front St. E., unit 205. So tell us Jimmy Logan, where did you get the phony information you used to try and blackmail the Treasurer of the city of Toronto?"
Jimmy hadn't prepared for the possibility of getting caught. All he kept thinking was that he didn't want to give up Alina. "I overheard a couple guys talking at the bar."
Rossi broke into a big chuckle. "Oh! Now that's a good one isn't it Detective Patrick. He overheard a couple of guys talking at the bar."
"Do we look stupid to you Jimmy? Now tell us where you got the information before I get upset and lose my temper. Are you intentionally trying to piss me off?" Patrick had his best crazy look on.
"I'm telling you the truth. I'm a bartender. I overhear all sorts of shit every day."
"So these two guys, what did they look like?" Rossi asked.
"I don't know. White, middle aged. Probably gay. I think the one guy was trying to impress the other with gossip about an inside scandal at city hall."
"That's it? That's your story? You overhear two gay guys talking at a bar and you decide to blackmail somebody with what you heard?" Patrick looked like he wasn't buying it.
Rossi turned north
on Don Mills Parkway and pulled into the small park on the east side of the Don River.
Patrick was getting upset. "I think Jimmy Logan thinks were a couple of idiots Detective Rossi. You're coming for a short walk with us Logan. There's something I want you to see." Patrick got out and came around the other side of the car. He opened the door, pulled Logan out by the arm and started walking him along a path that led to down to the Don river.
At the river's edge, Patrick carried on, "A lot of people drown right at this here spot every year Jimmy. Seems like some people don't recognize danger when they see it."
Jimmy tried to keep the sound of panic out of his voice. "I really didn't expect any money to be there today, honest. It was just a shot in the dark."
"You overhear anything else at that bar you might want to try and blackmail people with Jimmy?" As strange as the story was, Rossi thought Jimmy might be telling the truth.
"No. Well, look, I hear all sorts of crazy shit at that bar. I overheard someone else talking about blackmailing this guy at work and that's where I got the idea. I won't do it again, I promise."
Patrick started forcing Jimmy towards the water. "What do you think Detective Rossi. I say we throw his dumb ass in the river so we don't have to come looking for him again." Rossi moved closer and grabbed Jimmy's other arm.
Jimmy struggled. He leaned back with all his strength, trying to stay on dry land. Patrick tripped Jimmy, pushing him forward and down to the water. Jimmy went down. He just managed to keep his head out of the water. Patrick pushed Jimmy's head underwater and held him there. Jimmy struggled, holding his breath till he felt his lungs would burst.
Finally, they let him up. Jimmy was coughing and spitting up water, gasping for air.
"We can do this all day Jimmy, but you might have somewhere else you'd rather be. Why don't you tell us where you really got the information and who else is in on this with you?" You could tell Patrick was having fun.
"I've told you everything already. Really guys."
"I don't think he understands us yet Detective Rossi. Let's explain things again so he understands exactly what it is we want." Patrick pushed Jimmy's head underwater again. Jimmy struggled but Rossi was pushing down on his back too, making it impossible for Jimmy to get himself out of the water.
When they pulled him out again Jimmy sounded like he might not survive.
"This is your last chance dumbass. You sure you don't want to change anything about your story?" Patrick didn't look like he was kidding.
Logan didn't want to die but he wasn't going to give up Alina. Besides, he didn't think the two cops would actually kill him so he dug deep to put on his best performance.
"I've told you exactly how it happened. It may not be the greatest story but it's the truth. I could make something up if you want but I've told you the truth. I promise I won't ever do anything stupid like that again."
Rossi looked at Patrick and nodded his head toward the car. Patrick leaned in close to Jimmy's face. "We find out you been lyin to us or we hear that you're trying to pull this shit again, we're gonna bring you back here one more time and I guarantee it ain't gonna be nearly as much fun for you."
Patrick and Rossi left a shaken Jimmy Logan by the river and headed back downtown.
Chapter 29
Tuesday morning 9:30am
Mayor Corbett was sitting in his office with Bill Paxton, James Turkell and Deputy Chief James Galecki. Attorney James Turkell was the only one in the group who had no idea what the meeting was about. He'd been around long enough to know something had gone wrong or this particular group of people would not be having a meeting.
Corbett started the meeting. "Gentlemen, we have a problem that needs to be dealt with swiftly. It appears we have at least one set of loose lips that need to be found and zipped. I'll let the Deputy Chief bring you up to speed."
"Last Friday, a would-be blackmailer delivered a note to treasurer Paxton's office. The note was pieced together with words and letters from different newspapers and magazines and it demanded that twenty-five thousand dollars be put in a locker at Union Station the following Monday."
James Turkell was hearing about the incident for the first time. "What was the reason for the demand?"
Galecki continued. "The blackmailer said if the money wasn't delivered, he would go to the press and give them the story about how the Treasurer had accepted a bribe for helping push through the Bay Street Lofts and Suites project. The information in the note made it clear someone with inside knowledge was involved. That's why we're all here."
Corbett took over. "We know that this particular project involved Sergei Mogilevich's company but we work with a few others. That's why you're here James. You represent several of the builders we work with and we expect you to make sure they all hear about this.
We also expect you to make sure they all do whatever it is they need to do to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again, ever."
City treasurer Bill Paxton was dying to hear more details. "What happened at Union Station on Monday. Do we know who is responsible for this?"
Deputy Chief Galecki picked up where he had left off. "We put some money in a bag and put it in a locker at Union Station, as instructed. At 12:05pm yesterday, we picked up a male perp named Jimmy Logan when he showed up to pick up the money. Anyone heard of him?"
Everyone had a blank look so Galecki continued. "I had two detectives pick him up and question him. There's no way to verify his story but the perp said he overheard two gay guys talking at the bar where he works as a bartender. Decided he'd send a note asking for money to see if Bill would bite."
"Two gay guys at a bar. Really?" Turkell looked at the others. He wanted to smile but he knew this wasn't the time or place.
"Like I said, we have no way of knowing whether or not the story is true. My boys shook him up a bit and let him know he would be in deep shit if we ever hear from him again. I'm having them look into his background to see whether he's connected in some way that would help us understand how this happened."
"Did they let him keep the money to shut him up?" Paxton was obviously still anxious since it was his butt on the line.
"No we didn't let him keep the money. We scared the living shit out of him and made him feel real lucky he gets to sleep in his own bed for a few more days." Galecki couldn't believe Paxton had really asked the question.
Corbett took over. "So you've all been updated. James, I want you to talk to Mogilevich and see if he has any idea who it is that could be doing the talking. This was his project so it had to come from someone in his camp. I want you to talk to the other developers too. Tell them anybody running a loose ship doesn't get to play anymore. Got it?
Chances are this Logan character is covering for somebody. We need to find out who that is and make sure this doesn't happen again. Remember gentlemen, loose lips sink ships. Someone is trying to sink our ship and I intend to burn his ass."
"I want to add one more thing if I could Mr. Mayor." Galecki cast his most sombre look over each and every one of them. "We got lucky this time because we were dealing with a perp who only had a rumor to go on. If it had been someone with some sort of physical proof, this could have turned into a much bigger mess. A mess that might be impossible to contain. If any of you has any sort of paper trail, this is a good time to get rid of it."
Chapter 30
Tuesday afternoon, 4pm
Turkell wasn't looking forward to telling Sergei about the Paxton incident. Sergei had a temper and he rarely missed an opportunity to tear into someone if given even half a reason.
Mogilevich was unusually silent as Turkell recounted the meeting with Mayor Corbett, Deputy Chief James Galecki and Treasurer Bill Paxton.
"Any more information come in about this Jimmy Logan character?"
"Not yet Serge. The story about the two gay guys at the bar does seem a bit far fetched."
"Yeah. There's got to be more to it than that. Let me know as soon as the background check c
omes in. As soon as we find out who Logan is connected with we'll know who was behind this." Sergei buzzed Mark Fenton and asked him to join them.
Fenton came in. "Have a seat Mark. Some very sensitive information about some of our business dealings got leaked into the wrong hands. We need to find out how this happened."
"What kind of information? What happened?" Fenton looked worried. If it was a leak of financial information, he would surely be held responsible.
"James, why don't you tell Mark what we know so far. I need to go make a call to confirm an appointment I have later tomorrow."
Sergei stepped out of the office and called Alina to make sure they were still on for their dinner date. Meanwhile, Turkell brought Fenton up to speed.
The Borman Factor Page 7