The Benefactor

by Don Easton

“Don’t take it personal, Connie,” said Jack. “Guess I should have given you a little more notice, but if the brass didn’t back me, I knew there was no point arguing with you. You are working on one murder. I deal with organized crime … and who I’m after is responsible for dozens of murders, from Canada down to Mexico. It’s all about understanding the big picture.”

  Mia breathed a sigh of relief and felt giddy. She didn’t know what it was about, but knowing Jack Taggart worked on organized crime was better than finding out he worked in her intelligence field. Who do I know in organized crime? Nobody directly … at least not that I know of. Mia paused to reflect. It has to be someone who attended one of the Rolstads’ parties. They want to know how well I really know the person. I wonder who it was …

  She watched as Crane shoved the file box into Taggart’s hands and turned and stomped away. Taggart came in, closing the door behind him, and setting the box on the table. She hid her smile when he pulled up a chair and sat facing her on the same side of the desk as she was. Textbook … exactly like I was taught …

  After introducing himself, his initial questions and his demeanour were as she expected. Would I like a coffee or glass of water? He’s being friendly … trying to build some rapport. Mia declined and smiled politely as she sized him up. He is actually kind of cute … this could be fun. You think you can manipulate me? Well try this on for size …

  She squirmed and leaned back in the chair while slowly running her hand up the inside of her thigh on her skin-tight blue jeans while gently massaging her leg. Her lips formed a pout and she half-closed her eyes as if seeking comfort from a pulled a groin muscle while lifting her pelvis slightly. She ended her act by leaning forward to offer a view of her cleavage as she pretended to get comfortable by tugging on the sides of her jeans.

  During her performance she watched Jack out of the corner of her eye. Most men would have stared at my body and swallowed to keep from drooling … this bastard has the gall to yawn and look away! Okay, jerk. Round one for you. Let’s get down to business …

  As expected, he dismissed her questions about what it was all about, saying he would get to it in due time, but first needed some background information, much of which, she knew, he likely already possessed.

  She played the game and recounted a little of her childhood, returning his fake smiles with smiles of her own when the conversation would briefly focus on mundane subjects like what she did for entertainment or what restaurants she liked. Okay guy, you’re beginning to make me laugh. Time to drop the rapport bit. Say something designed to shake my confidence … and be there to offer support. On a subconscious psychological level make me feel like I’m talking to a priest and prompt me to confess. Well, guess what … I’m an atheist!

  “So it must have been hard on you and your mom after your dad died,” continued Jack.

  “It was hard, but we managed,” replied Mia.

  “You managed quite well,” noted Jack. “You are taking another major at university and I understand your mother also went to university and took journalism, is that right?”

  “Yes,” Mia said, shrugging.

  “So when your mom went to university, were you left with a babysitter or —”

  “No, I was a teenager then,” said Mia.

  “Must have been expensive,” Jack remarked. “I never bothered to review any records of employment yet, so tell me, how did she make ends meet before then?”

  Records of employment? Mia felt her stomach tighten. This is too detailed to be about someone I might know … it’s about me or Mom! She maintained eye contact with Jack, smiling and shrugging in response, before replying, “There may not be any records. My mother was an entrepreneur. Dabbled in different things. I was too young to understand exactly what it was.”

  An entrepreneur, mused Jack, reflecting on his recent call from his sons’ school.

  “I’m afraid I can’t waste much more time,” said Mia, interrupting his thoughts. “I do have an exam to study for. Can you please tell me what this is all about?”

  Jack’s face hardened and he glared briefly at Mia who stared unblinkingly back at him.

  Mia hid her contempt. Don’t tell me you want to play both good cop and bad cop yourself? Gimme a break …

  “It’s about two things,” said Jack, tersely. “The first is what Corporal Crane wants you for as a result of your drug charge.”

  “My drug charge?” Mia felt like laughing with relief. “Good God, is that what this is about?” She gestured with open palms and proclaimed, “I was in an accident and some old bag thought she saw me hiding dope under a bush. In reality, the dope was there all along.”

  Jack took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Okay, first of all, I want you to know that I am not upset with you for lying to me. Under the same circumstances I would, too, but please don’t refer to the woman as an old bag. She’s a really nice lady and for your information, is very much alive.”

  “Yeah, well … alive? What are you getting at?”

  Jack stared at her a moment, then got up and opened the door and gave a nod of his head. Mia’s jaw dropped open when Nancy Brighton entered the room, clasping a manila envelope to her chest.

  “You two obviously know each other,” said Jack.

  “Uh, of course,” replied Mia. “This, uh, lady thought she saw me hiding some drugs in her bushes outside her house.” She looked at Nancy and added, “Actually they were already there and I saw them when I dropped my purse.”

  “I know perfectly well what I saw,” said Nancy, “but that is not why I came. I want to show you something,” she said, taking a photograph out of the manila envelope and placing it on the table.

  Mia glanced at the picture of Nancy and another woman standing in front of a Christmas tree.

  “She’s my sister,” said Nancy, swallowing as she tapped on the photo with her finger.

  “I don’t understand,” replied Mia. “If she was there, too, and thinks she saw something, well, she is also mistaken”

  Nancy was trembling as she plunked another photo down on the desk. It was of two tots, both posing for the camera on either side of an older man. “These are her two grandchildren,” continued Nancy. “The man was Betty’s husband.”

  Was? reflected Mia.

  Nancy started sobbing and spluttered, “Go ahead, Jack! Show her what my sister looked like after her friends got done with her! Show her!” she yelled, before reaching for the investigative file box on the desk.

  Jack grabbed her in a hug and held her for a moment as she sobbed. “Not while you’re here,” he whispered.

  “Why not?” she wailed, struggling to break free from Jack’s hold. “I was the first one there when she died. You think a moment goes by when I don’t think about it! I know what she looks like in your pictures. I want this little bitch to see!”

  “Please, Nancy,” replied Jack. “It’s time for you to go,” he said softly, guiding her out the door where Mia caught a glimpse of another woman leading her away before Jack closed the door.

  Jack solemnly walked over to the table and reached for the file box. One by one, he plucked out five close-up coloured photographs of Betty’s mangled body and dropped them on the table. “It was suppose to look like a hit and run, but as it turned out, it was a well-planned murder,” he said as he pushed the photos closer to Mia.

  Mia looked up at him in confusion.

  “Look!” he seethed. “Look at them!”

  Mia glanced at the face in the picture. It looked distorted like a rubber mask and she realized it was from having a broken skull. The bloody body was on a sidewalk next to a mangled ball of fur that she realized was a dog. She allowed her eyes to flicker back to the picture of the two women in front of the Christmas tree.

  “I … I don’t understand,” said Mia. “What does it have to do with me?”

  “It has everything to do with you!” yelled Jack. He gestured to the photographs and said, “Betty Donahue was murdered by mistake because they
thought it was the witness who saw you stash the dope! All so you wouldn’t have a criminal record for an offence that would have seen you get probation or a small fine,” he added, contemptuously.

  “They … who … they?” responded Mia, with her voice quavering.

  Jack took another picture out and placed it in front of her. It was of an older Chinese man and she shrugged her shoulders to show she didn’t understand.

  “Benny Wong,” said Jack. “Are you telling me you’ve never met the boss man in person?”

  The boss man? The words only brought more confusion to her brain and she shook her head.

  “Are you going to tell me you don’t know this guy either?” continued Jack, as he placed another photo on the table.

  Mia looked at the photo of Mr. Frank and her face went ashen.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “How is Nancy?” asked Jack, as he stepped into a monitoring room with Connie and Laura.

  “I got someone to drive her home,” replied Connie. “She was still crying when she left.” She frowned at Jack. “That was a rotten thing to make her do. I thought you were only going to let Parker get a glimpse of her to know she was still alive. You never told me about having her bring the pictures.”

  Jack sighed and nodded. “You’re right. It was a rotten thing for me to ask her to do, but Parker isn’t any ordinary student going to school. You saw how she handled herself with Special ‘O’ … and that was with two teams trying to follow her. I needed to shake her up.”

  “Well, I don’t know about Parker, but Nancy was sure shook up.”

  “I know. I feel awful. I was hoping she was still here so I could talk to her.”

  “She wanted out of here right away.”

  “I’ll swing past her place later,” replied Jack.

  “Well, with the stunt you pulled in there, forget about ever trying to enter anything Parker says into court,” said Connie.

  “I’m not interviewing her for court,” replied Jack. “This is all a build-up to scare her before I get her to think I can be bought. She needs to be convinced we have something on all of them if Wong is going to take me seriously.”

  “Her face is totally without expression,” noted Laura, indicating the camera monitor. “She’s staring at the photos with about as much interest as watching paint dry.”

  “Probably in shock,” suggested Connie.

  “She knows she is being monitored,” said Jack. “I don’t think she’s in that much shock. There’s something about her that bothers me. To start with, she acted like it was all a game. Anybody else would have been more nervous.”

  “What are you getting at?” asked Laura.

  “Didn’t you see at the beginning how she tried to use her gender to manipulate or influence me?”

  “Yeah, I loved it when you yawned,” replied Connie. “She is one attractive lady. Bet that took her down a rung or two.”

  “We know she has been schooled on counter-surveillance,” continued Jack. “I’m betting that Wong has had a lawyer or someone school her about interrogation techniques, as well. She’s educated in that department beyond what she would have received with her psychology degree.”

  “She’s obviously intelligent,” said Laura.

  “Yes, but I sense there is more to her than that,” replied Jack.

  “Like what?” asked Laura.

  “I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it yet. She looked upset when I showed her the picture of Mr. X. I don’t think she figured we knew who her connection to Wong was.” He glanced at Connie and said, “You read her as being in shock as she stares at the pictures. I see her as still being in control of her emotions.”

  The three of them stared at the monitor for a moment. Jack sighed and said, “I don’t know, maybe you’re right. I better get back in there. I doubt she will say anything, but hopefully I can shake her enough to convince Wong that he needs me.”

  Mia brooded over the photo of Mr. Frank. How much do they know? They know he’s connected with me … and I know Mr. Frank uses Benny Wong … but they think Wong is the boss. I need them to keep thinking that …

  Conscious that she was being watched, she brushed the photo of Mr. Frank to one side like he was a fly and picked up the photo of Benny Wong and stared at it while she thought. Mr. Frank, why didn’t you tell me that the benefactor was going to kill the witness? I could have been better prepared … or is that the reason? My lack of knowledge and innocence would be apparent to the police …

  She put the photo down when Jack returned, sliding his chair closer to her.

  “I spoke briefly with Corporal Crane,” said Jack, with a nod of his head toward the camera mounted high in the corner of the room. “She can’t wait to get her claws into you. Guess she’s not the type to see the big picture.”

  Mia decided to play along. “The big picture?”

  Jack gave a wave of his hand toward the camera like he was dismissing it as being inconsequential. “I’m not sure of everything she has on you because I haven’t had time to review the entire file,” he said, looking at the box on the table.

  Mia nodded solemnly. Bet you have the whole thing memorized …

  “However, she only plans to charge you and Wong for one murder,” continued Jack. “I’m looking at him for a lot more than that. As I said, I’m not sure of all the evidence she has. She did mention to me that she was pleased by your inept attempts at counter-surveillance.”

  “Counter-surveillance? I don’t —”

  “Please, I would rather you simply be quiet than to lie to me,” interrupted Jack. “The point is, Corporal Crane looks at your behaviour as another nail in your coffin.” Jack paused, then mused, “Maybe she has a point. A judge would be curious. It certainly shows guilt.”

  “This is your big picture?” asked Mia. “That I may have a bad memory and back-tracked a few times or something when going about my daily life or out shopping?”

  “Naw, that’s not the big picture,” replied Jack. “Murder is the big picture.”

  “I really didn’t know about any murder,” retorted Mia, “let alone understand why you think I would be involved in such a thing.”

  “There is a certain verisimilitude to what you say,” admitted Jack. “I spoke with a uniformed policeman who talked to you a few days ago about your drug charge. He had the distinct feeling that you thought someone had been bought off … rather than murdered.”

  Mia stared a moment, then said, “If your theory is that the murder involves me, then why didn’t I know about it? As far as suspecting bribery goes, it is common knowledge how corrupt your system is. I had presumed that my lawyer had looked after things.”

  Jack reflected on her choice of words. How corrupt your system is … doesn’t she mean the system? He shrugged it off as her meaning the justice system, of which he was a part of and not her. It was a mistake he would later realize, albeit much too late.

  “It really doesn’t matter as far as Corporal Crane goes,” continued Jack. “Even if you didn’t realize your colleagues were going to commit murder, it still involves you. If four people go in and rob a bank and one robber shoots someone, all four robbers pay the price. And as far as saying you thought someone had been bought off … a judge will certainly take note of that as well.”

  “When I said I thought my lawyer had looked after things, I was referring to paying a fine or something for me,” replied Mia. She gave a nod toward the photographs. “How was she killed? With a bat?”

  “No, it was a hit and run.”

  “A hit and run?” replied Mia, sharply. The stress she had been feeling over the interrogation manifested itself into anger when the unfairness of the situation raged through her brain. “You are so eager to connect me to an alleged murder involving a hit and run?” she yelled, jumping to her feet. “Where were you when my father was killed in a hit and run?” she asked, clenching her fist in front of Jack’s face. “You certainly didn’t charge that person! How much did that guy have
to pay you? Or by being a politician, didn’t he have to pay anything?”

  Jack was taken back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “That simply isn’t true. Who told you that?”

  “Bullshit!” she yelled. “You’re corrupt! You’re all corrupt! What is it you want from me? You know I didn’t know anything about it!”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jack hurried in to see Connie. “The wheels fell off my plan,” he said, with astonishment. “Did you see her?”

  “I thought she was going to punch you,” said Laura, looking shocked.

  “Bribery … corruption?” exclaimed Connie. “I personally looked at the file involving her dad. Remember? I told you that someone in our office pulled it out five years ago and enhanced a photo of the suspect and tried to run it through face recognition, but wasn’t successful. Too much of a profile shot rather than face-on.”

  “She thinks a politician did it and we are protecting the person,” said Jack.

  “Who would tell her such a thing?” asked Laura.

  “She didn’t say, but people say stupid things and make flippant comments,” replied Jack. “Maybe by a friend or neighbour who had been prejudiced by some unrelated news article or something, or perhaps came from another country where such things are common. The sad thing is, Mia believed it as gospel.”

  “Her mother came from China,” noted Connie. “Corruption there is rampant.”

  “She is sure angry with you,” noted Laura, shaking her head in sympathy toward Jack. “So much for getting her to open up to you now.”

  “After a death in the family, there is a desire to funnel anger toward someone or some organization,” noted Jack, then added, “such as the justice system.”

  Connie and Laura did not respond. They knew he had personal experience in that regard.

  Jack looked at Connie and asked, “How fast can you retrieve that file? I want to show her that we have been doing everything we can to find out who killed her father.”