The Grey Zone

by Easton, Don

  “It’s a moot point. You haven’t done anything to get busted for. At least as far as I know.”

  “Yeah … right.” Lance paused. “I’m retiring, by the way.”

  “I thought you might be,” Jack replied. “I’ll see if I can buy you a watch, paint it gold, and get it engraved on the back to thank you for all your help. Maybe even find a little Mountie emblem to stick on it.”

  “You know where you can stick that,” Lance replied, “but we should meet and talk face to face.”

  “This sounds grave. What time?”

  * * *

  At 8:00 p.m., Jack and Laura saw Lance waiting up ahead in the cemetery.

  “With him cut loose we’ll be in the dark when it comes to Satans Wrath,” Laura noted.

  “I know, but he’s paid his dues. He’s been honourable, and he’s more than stuck his neck out.”

  “That’s for sure,” Laura agreed.

  “Not to mention, with his help we’ve done a number on the club, as far as British Columbia goes. It’ll take time for them to sort things out. Hopefully by the time they do, we’ll have a new source.”

  “I’m going to miss him in a way,” Laura added.

  “He’s been an easy guy to handle. Always straight up with us.”

  “Easy except for the occasional murder.”

  “Now you’re being picky.”

  “Hey, Laura, where’d you find the sun?” Lance asked as they neared.

  “Hawaii,” she replied.

  “You’re really brown. Show me your tan line,” he said, pretending to attempt to look down her blouse. “Bet them headlights really stand out.”

  “Not as much as your nuts will after I kick them,” Laura replied.

  Lance guffawed and stepped back.

  “Laura and I were discussing something interesting,” Jack said. “A Walther PPK was found at the scene were Vath was murdered.”

  “Oh?” Lance said, feigning surprise. “Sounds professional. You wouldn’t want to get caught with the murder weapon.” He pinched his eyebrows together as if thinking. “You think I-HIT will bring James Bond in for questioning?”

  “I-HIT are good at what they do,” Jack cautioned. “Don’t underestimate them.”

  Lance grew serious as he looked in their faces. “I know I can trust the both of you and that you’d never burn me. You’ve also told me before that I’m not immune from other cops. Is I-HIT focused on me, or am I one of many suspects?”

  “You’re one of many,” Jack stated. “If I didn’t have an alibi, they’d probably suspect me.”

  “Right, an alibi,” Lance said, frowning. “Do you think they’d believe I was home in bed with my wife?”

  “Not if they got your vehicle on a street camera going to and coming back from where Vath was shot.”

  “Did they?”

  “I’ve no idea.”

  “I tried to be careful about that, but it was a long way to go. What about your wife?” Lance asked.

  “Natasha stuck to residential streets. I’m fairly certain there weren’t any cameras on her route.”

  “You actually think I-HIT would give you the hairy eyeball, too?”

  “Last Monday when I came back from the States, I was questioned briefly by my boss. I reminded her that Vath was a white supremacist and that the people he’d introduced me to were all white supremacists. I suggested that one of them might’ve done the hit in retaliation.”

  “So they’re not looking at me too seriously?”

  “I didn’t say that. I-HIT wanted to interview you. I said you’d refuse like any decent biker, but if they do think they have something on you, they’ll bring you in. If they question you about a specific date or street you might’ve been on, don’t deny it, but perhaps you won’t remember the details, because some days you’re out doing club business before you go to work and some days you’re not.”

  “Actually, that’s true,” Lance replied.

  “We know.”

  Lance’s eyebrows furrowed, no doubt wondering how much they did know about him.

  Jack cleared his throat. “If they ask who you might have met, I’d say it isn’t any of their business. Or that you were finalizing club rides or charity runs or something and can’t remember who you spoke to. They know you’re a chapter president. That’s an answer they’d expect even if you weren’t guilty of anything.”

  “Gotcha. Enough said. Thanks.”

  “So you’re finally retiring,” Jack noted.

  “First Saturday in June. The boys will be puttin’ on a bash for me.”

  “Have you moved your money out of that account in the Caymans?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to make sure I could do it without pissing you off. Also don’t want to raise any suspicions from Whiskey Jake, seeing as he and I were laundering together.”

  “Like I asked Natasha to tell you last week on the phone, you and I are even. As far as I’m concerned, you can go ahead. Tell Whiskey Jake whatever story you want. You’re retiring. Taking your money out now would make sense to him. The sooner, the better.”

  Lance raised his eyebrow. “Which will leave Whiskey Jake’s account at the bank by itself. You’ll still have evidence on him if you ever want to use it.”

  “I know.”

  “Are you thinking of replacing me with him?”

  “Wouldn’t that jeopardize you?”

  “It would if Whiskey Jake found out my banking information had been discovered along with his. Especially considering all the busts I’ve given you since then. He’d know that I ratted. Especially if I transferred out my money before you talked to him.”

  “Exactly, so don’t worry about it. We told you we’d protect you.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Of course, if you get run over by a truck or something, then I’ll approach him.”

  Lance eyed him suspiciously. “It better not be you driving, if I do.”

  Jack chuckled. “Enjoy your retirement.”

  “Thanks, I will.” Lance looked uncomfortable, then stuck out his hand. “You’re the only two cops I’ve ever wanted to shake hands with.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Jack said, “but no kissing.”

  Jack and Laura shook hands with him, then Lance walked away.

  Jack waited a moment, then hollered, “Don’t forget to keep an eye on your rear-view mirror!”

  “Fuck, I don’t need a rear-view mirror anymore,” Lance yelled back without turning around. “I’m done with all this bullshit!”

  I-HIT might disagree with you.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Late the following morning, Rose approached Jack and Laura at their desks. “Possibly some good news,” she said. “Lexton gave me a call and said that the two constables who were transferred to our unit aren’t coming. One is quitting and the other is being terminated for medical reasons.”

  “I bet Quaile is scraping through the bottom of the barrel now,” Jack replied pessimistically.

  “Not if he doesn’t want to piss Lexton off. She told me that she met with him and made it clear that our unit is important to her and she expects qualified replacements.”

  Jack could feel his mood brighten. “That sounds promising.”

  “Hopefully he’ll listen to her,” Laura added.

  “I’m sure he will,” Rose replied. “No doubt he’s still squirming over getting caught trying to screw Jack out of his promotion.”

  Laura looked at Jack. “That was nasty of him.”

  “He’s vindictive,” Jack replied, “but I agree with Rose. He’s a sycophant who’ll go out of his way to curry favour. My only concern is that I doubt he has the cerebral ability to identify truly qualified members.”

  “Maybe he’ll let Lexton peruse his selection,” Rose suggested.

  “Any idea on a time frame?” Laura asked.

  “I expect it’ll be soon,” Rose replied. “Before summer is over, I think.”

  “Guess we better keep our fingers crossed,” Jack said.r />
  “So what are you two up to?” Rose asked. “Back to busting bikers?”

  Jack leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms. “I cut loose our only source in Satans Wrath after he introduced me to Vath.”

  “So you’re in the market for a new source. Anyone in mind?”

  “Not yet. Laura and I need to do a little fishing before we decide who to work on. We got quite a few names from our … old friend these last few months. Dealers, money movers, that sort of thing. At this stage we’ve got lots to do before selecting the best target.”

  * * *

  Alicia Munday was pleased to get the call from Inspector Crimmins saying that he and Inspector Dyck wished to speak to her. Crimmins worked in Major Crimes, but Dyck worked on the I-HIT side of the office. She hurried to Crimmins’s office, certain she knew what the meeting was about.

  Now that I’ve passed the UC course, they’ll want me in I-HIT with Connie. Perfect!

  She sat down beside Dyck in front of Crimmins’s desk. He stared at her briefly. Was he sizing her up?

  “How would you feel about accepting a transfer into the Intelligence Unit?” he asked.

  “The Intelligence Unit?” Alicia blurted. “I was thinking you’d want me to go over to I-HIT,” she added, giving Dyck a quick glance.

  “Believe me, I’d be happy to see you come over to our side,” Dyck stated. “You have a stellar reputation. But first, listen to what we have to say.”

  “I received a call this morning from Staffing,” Crimmins said. “They noted that you had the UC course and asked about you. I will say that you couldn’t have received a higher recommendation from me.”

  “Thank you, sir, but … you want me transferred?”

  Crimmins exchanged a smile with Dyck. “No, on the contrary. You’re an exceptionally dedicated, hard-working member. I told them that. I also told them that you have a reputation for being completely honest and going by the book, traits they were also interested in.”

  Then why do you want me to leave?

  “You look a little dubious,” Crimmins continued, “but let me assure you that the praise I passed along to Staffing was sincere. You’re the type of officer I like to see in Major Crimes … but I have to consider what is best for you and for the Force. In my opinion, you stand out as having the potential to go far. I can easily picture you having an important leadership role someday. With that in mind, I think it’s in your best interest to have a background that’s diverse in experience. Major Crimes and I-HIT aren’t really all that different when it comes to experience.”

  “I see.” I don’t even know what the Intelligence Unit does.

  “As much as I’d like to see you in I-HIT, I have to concur that a stint in the Intelligence Unit would be to your advantage down the road,” Dyck added.

  “Oh.” Alicia wasn’t sure whether she should be happy that she was being groomed to become a commissioned officer or sorry that she wouldn’t be going to I-HIT.

  “I was told that I could give you twenty-four hours to think it over, if you like,” Crimmins said.

  “I’m not quite sure what they do in there,” Alicia ventured.

  “With your new credentials as an undercover operative, I imagine you’d be working under Corporal Secord and Sergeant Taggart,” Dyck stated. “I’m sure either one of them could provide you with an overview of what they do. Give them a call.”

  Taggart. She’d heard rumours both good and bad about him. Come to think of it, Connie’s mentioned his name more than once. “Sir, I’d like to think about it for a day.”

  “No problem. It’s your decision.”

  Alicia hurried over to Connie’s office. “You got time to talk?” she asked. “It’s sort of urgent.”

  Connie raised an eyebrow and gestured for Alicia to take a seat.

  Alicia closed the door after her and told Connie about Crimmins’s offer.

  “Son of a bitch,” Connie blurted, shaking her head when Alicia had finished.

  “What? You don’t think I should accept? You’ve worked with Taggart, right?”

  Connie held up her hand for Alicia to slow down. “Give me a moment.” She rubbed her temples. “Okay, first off, I know Taggart and Secord really well. I’ve had a lot of cases where they were involved. Cases that I’d never have solved without their input.”

  “So they’re good? I’ve heard rumours that —”

  “I didn’t say they were good. I said they solve cases. The problem is, they play fast and loose with the rules.”

  “Rules? You mean Force policy?”

  “Force policy? Christ, I wish that’s all it was. No, I mean like statutes under the Criminal Code. I’m currently investigating the murder of a gun smuggler who I’m sure was killed because of Taggart.”

  “You think Taggart murdered him?” Alicia was astounded.

  “No, but I think he gave the go-ahead. I suspect his informant did it, to protect himself from being found out.”

  “I see.”

  “It’s stuff like that I have trouble with. There are numerous other incidents. Sometimes the brass even goes along with it. They call it ‘the big picture’ — which usually means that I don’t get to see all of that picture.”

  “That actually sounds kind of interesting.”

  “Well, from what I’ve glimpsed, it isn’t always pretty, especially when it comes to Taggart.”

  “Yet you say he and Secord have solved a lot of cases for you?”

  “Yeah … to be honest, sometimes I don’t know what to think about him. There’re times I’d like to kiss him and times I’d like to shoot him.”

  “You’re really not helping with this decision.”

  Connie made a face. “I can tell you one thing. Working with those two, you sure as hell would get the diverse experience they talked about.”

  “Maybe it’d be a good thing for me to learn about this big picture,” Alicia suggested.

  Connie looked thoughtful. “Staffing specifically said they were looking for someone who goes by the book?”

  Alicia shrugged. “Inspector Crimmins mentioned they were interested in those traits. I presume there’s concern about members being corrupted when working on organized crime.”

  Connie’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Maybe you’re being offered your first UC assignment.”

  “Do they do a lot of that over there?”

  “Uh, that’s —”

  “I hope so. It really does sound interesting. And it probably would be a good career move.”

  “Sounds like you’ve decided to take the job.”

  “I think I will.”

  Connie nodded. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  Alicia rose to leave. “Listen,” Connie said, “when something comes up that you’re not sure about … or that makes you uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to give me a call if you want any advice. Nobody needs to know.”

  “When something comes up?” Alicia smiled. “You mean if something comes up.”

  “No, I mean when. With Jack, there’s always something.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Two weeks later, Rose breezed into Jack and Laura’s office, a smile on her face that said something was up.

  “Why are you so happy?” Jack asked. “If you’ve been spiking your morning coffee with Baileys, how about sharing?”

  “Lexton called. I know who one of our new constables will be.”

  “From the look on your face I presume it’s a better choice than either of the last two,” Laura noted.

  “Sounds like it. Her name is Alicia Munday. She starts in a month. Lexton said she completed the undercover course recently.”

  “Never heard of her,” Laura responded, then looked at Jack.

  “Is she from the Major Crimes Unit?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, do you know her?”

  “No, but I’ve seen her. She stands out. Young, I’d say mid to late twenties. Long auburn hair … very attractive. Bet her looks make it easy fo
r her to meet and con the bad guys.”

  “She sounds promising,” said Laura.

  “Yes … but MCU needs operators, too,” Rose stated, “which made me wonder.”

  “They’ve only had one up to now,” Jack said. “Barry Short. A really good guy, but from what I hear, he’s run off his feet.”

  “Exactly,” said Rose. “So I called Inspector Crimmins in MCU and asked him why they were pawning her off on us.”

  “And?” Jack prodded.

  “He had nothing but great things to say about her. He said she’s a real go-getter, single, spends most of her days off at work. He thinks she’ll be commissioned some day, and he wants her to gain experience in different areas.”

  “Can’t believe I’m agreeing with one of the white shirts,” Jack replied, “but it’d be nice to have a commissioned officer with field experience, not some pencil-pusher out of Ottawa.” He paused. “No idea about the other candidate yet?”

  “Lexton said they’re still looking. She hinted that with the type of work coming out of our unit, she’d prefer someone with undercover experience.”

  “That’d be perfect,” Jack replied.

  “Perfect?” said Rose. “Hell, I’ve a hard enough time with the two of you. Four would be a disaster!”

  Jack and Laura smiled as Rose left.

  “Give Munday a call,” Jack said, “and welcome her to the section.”

  “A friendly little girl-to-girl chat?”

  “Exactly.”

  “In other words, check her out and see if I can get a feeling of what she’s like,” Laura said knowingly. She reached for her phone.

  Jack smiled at how well he and Laura knew each other and what close friends they’d become. He busied himself with administrative work while Laura was on the phone.

  A few minutes later, Laura ended the call and smiled.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “You’re right, she is young, but she sounds really eager. I told her we often work nights and weekends, and that didn’t faze her. She asked a lot of good questions about what we do.” Laura paused, then added, “She said she wants to learn all about ‘the big picture.’”

  “She’s been talking to Connie.”