The Benefactor

by Don Easton

  “So what do you think?” asked Mia. “I’m sure you can order Wong to do it.”

  Mr. Frank tried not to let the annoyance of his thoughts being interrupted show and he threw out a question to stall for time as he put the final garnish on his plan. “This Jack Taggart … working Intelligence … he could be of value down the road. Perhaps you could seduce him at some point?”

  “I don’t think so,” replied Mia. “I made certain … overtures … during his interview with me. I suspect he is too intelligent to fall for that.”

  “Have you told your mother?” asked Mr. Frank, staring intently at Mia’s reaction.

  “Nothing about the interrogation, but there is more.”

  “More? What possibly more could there be?”

  “Of no consequence to you, but the police have a picture of the man who drove over my father twenty-five years ago. They allowed me to see their file. It was a poor-quality photo that back then was unrecognizable, but they enhanced it and you can see the man’s profile. They gave me a copy. He is Asian, which shows he wasn’t some government —”

  “You have the picture? Show me!” said Mr. Frank, abruptly.

  “I left it in my car, but I have a copy on my iPhone that I sent Mom,” replied Mia. “I didn’t think you would be interested or find it relevant,” she said, as she fumbled with the buttons on her phone to retrieve the photo, “but then again, he looks to be Chinese …”

  “You sent your mother a copy of the photo? I thought you said you didn’t tell her?”

  “I told her I complained to the police when I received a ticket for my car accident about their investigation into my father. I said they called me in to show me the file as proof they had tried to solve the case. It was Taggart’s idea.

  “I see. Your father died long before my time, but I am still interested. It is likely a dupe made up to convince you to co-operate with them.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t … here it is,” she said, holding the photo up for Mr. Frank to see, while staring at him in the hope that by some remote chance he might know the man.

  Mr. Frank grabbed the phone from her hand and held it closer to his face and peered intently at the photo as his eyes registered surprise.

  “Do you know him?” asked Mia, excitedly. “You look like you think you —”

  Mr. Frank glanced up and shook his head. “No, of course I do not know him,” he said, mockingly. “I am, however, impressed with how good the enhancement is.” He handed her phone back and said, “Which makes me more convinced that it is a fake. Nevertheless, you are right, it is not relevant. What is relevant is the matter at hand.”

  Mia nodded in response.

  “What did your mother say?”

  “She didn’t get back to me on it, but I could tell when I first told her that she didn’t believe me. She has been angry all these years. Me, too, I guess. I wanted her to know that the police weren’t refusing to charge someone. I don’t think it is a fake. I think they really don’t know who did it.”

  “I suppose you need to cling to some hope. How about your mother? Did she believe your lie that they showed you the file as a result of your complaint when you had the car accident?”

  “Maybe. She could tell I was holding something back. She’s in Calgary and won’t be home until after midnight tomorrow. She wants to talk to me Thursday morning.

  “And the rest? Your drug charge?”

  “I didn’t think she needed to hear that over the phone. I didn’t want her to worry. I was going to wait until she returned. She will need to know sometime. I’m sure we will be getting a new case officer … that’s if the benefactor ever decides to use us. I imagine we’ll be left to cool off for years to come.”

  “Don’t be sure of anything,” said Mr. Frank, ominously. “And do not say anything to your mother until the benefactor decides what is right. I will be meeting her when she returns. If she is to be told, I will tell her.”

  “Did I do the right thing by pretending to co-operate with the police?”

  “Definitely.” Mr. Frank smiled while giving her a reassuring pat on the back. He tried not to frown when he saw that his touch caused her to step back. “I am positive the benefactor will wish to proceed with the scenario that you have set up.”

  “And you will be able to get Wong to co-operate?”

  “I expect it would work better if Wong believes Taggart might be corrupt. His demeanour will reflect that and make it more believable for Taggart to presume that you did your best.”

  “How long before you know, and, if approved, how long before the meeting would take place?” asked Mia.

  Mr. Frank stared at her for a moment. If your mother wasn’t away, I would kill you all tomorrow night … “I could see it happening in the next forty-eight hours. Go home and relax. You’ve performed admirably. In the meantime, I will look after things. We’ll meet tomorrow and go over the details. If the plan is approved, which I am sure it will be, you can then contact Taggart to pass on the details.”

  As Mr. Frank trudged back to his car, he went over what he would later tell the benefactor.

  Unbeknownst to me, Mia had become involved in drug trafficking. She was caught and panicked. Knowing about Wong, she went to him to kill the witness. It was a foolish venture. The RCMP turned Mia and came up with a ruse to trap Wong. Taggart pretended to be a dirty cop, but Wong became suspicious and called me, requesting I meet him immediately at the restaurant. When I arrived at the back door, he let me in and confessed what had transpired, but was concerned Mia was trying to set him up. Mia then saw me and panicked. A fight broke out and Taggart, who hadn’t been properly searched, pulled a gun and killed Wong. I wrestled the gun away from him, but in so doing, it discharged and killed him. Mia grabbed me and screamed out to the bodyguards, accusing me of killing Wong. I was forced to kill her and flee before the bodyguards arrived … plus I thought it wise that they didn’t find out about the benefactor’s association with Mia or myself.

  Mr. Frank smiled to himself as he thought of ending his account. I was saddened by how Mia disgraced herself and went to Jia-li to explain what had happened. Unfortunately, she became enraged over her daughter’s death and said she was going to go to the authorities. In the end, I had no choice but to kill her as well.

  Chapter Forty-One

  On Wednesday morning Jack called Jim Purney and told him Benny Wong may have somehow corrupted the computers at the Asian Organized Crime Task Force office. Jim was skeptical that the system could be compromised, but promised to investigate immediately and would liase with Roger Morris.

  At one-thirty that afternoon, Jim was no longer skeptical and called Jack.

  “I think we’ve discovered the leak,” said Jim.

  “So I was right,” said Jack.

  “Partially. It isn’t any of the Force computers. I’m at the home of Constable Josephine Bagley. She works for AOCTF, but has had a back injury and has been working from home, doing reports and analytical services for them. Her computer has been corrupted, likely when she downloaded something.”

  “Great work, big guy. I bet Roger Morris will be pleased to hear that,” Jack remarked. “He was concerned it was one of his people or perhaps one of the Chinese translators.”

  “He might be pleased, but some other people aren’t,” growled Jim.

  “What do you mean?”

  “This particular spyware is something like I’ve never seen before and as far as I can tell, neither has anyone else. It’s way over my head, so I called in a couple of buddies who work for the CSE to take a look. They’re with me now.”

  “CSE? Who are they?”

  “The Communications Security Establishment of Canada. They’re our national cryptologic agency. Code-makers and code-breakers, amongst other things. One of the things they do is provide information on technology security and assistance to federal law-enforcement and security agencies. They’ve only been here half an hour, but I can tell they’re concerned.”

 
“Will they be able to trace it back to Wong or perhaps someone working for him?”

  “In time, I’m sure they can. They’re seizing Bagley’s computer and taking it with them. I might learn more later.”

  It was three-thirty in the afternoon when Mia received a cryptic message, giving her a location to meet Mr. Frank an hour later.

  Mr. Frank arrived on time and parked near the Prospect Point Café in Stanley Park, before walking a short distance down Bridle Path. He was pleased to see that the path through the forest was deserted. Once he crossed over Rawlings Trail, he counted his steps, and, upon reaching one hundred, veered off into the bush a few steps to wait.

  “I’m already here,” whispered Mia, stepping out from behind a tree.

  Mr. Frank nodded, but put his finger to his lips for her to be quiet. They both stood for a couple of minutes peering through the bush at the path. When nobody appeared, Mr. Frank turned and said, “I met Wong this morning and he agreed to meet you and Taggart tomorrow night.”

  “Perfect,” replied Mia, feeling relieved that everything was going as she had hoped.

  “Wong is understandably paranoid about the meeting and is concerned he is being set up.” Mr. Frank paused. “Can’t say as I blame him, I feel uncomfortable about it, too.”

  “Surely you won’t be there?” exclaimed Mia. “The benefactor would never risk putting you in a position like that where you could possibly be apprehended, especially when your presence is not necessary to complete the charade.”

  Mr. Frank eyed Mia for a moment. She is right of course … Jia-li has taught her well. “The benefactor has not given me an answer on that yet,” replied Mr. Frank.

  “But —”

  “You are a valuable asset and if my presence there will aid your credibility, I may be instructed to go. Wong will still meet with Taggart, whether I am there or not. Either way, now that the police have me on their radar, I expect I will be leaving Canada soon.”

  “Did you tell Wong that you think Taggart is corrupt?” asked Mia.

  “I told him that you felt that Taggart was genuinely corrupt, but of course he will need to decide for himself,” replied Mr. Frank.

  “That’s okay. Taggart is perceptive. As long as Wong thinks Taggart might be corrupt, his actions and demeanour will lead Taggart to conclude that I have done what he asked of me. There would be no reason for you to risk attending. Wong must realize and respect your position, as well.”

  “Perhaps, but the decision of whether or not I attend is up to the benefactor. You will go to Chinatown tomorrow night at eight o’clock and park near Main Street and East Hastings. Then you will receive further instructions over your phone, at which time you will leave your car and walk to wherever the instructions tell you.”

  “Wong wants to make sure the police are not following us,” said Mia.

  “Of course. He is worried that it is a trap. You must tell Taggart that Wong will have both of you searched prior to meeting him. No phones, guns, or any electronic devices are allowed once you leave the car.”

  “Taggart is a policeman. I expect he would carry a gun.”

  “Not if he wants to meet Wong he won’t. Wong said he spoke with Taggart before and was warned of a possible contract on his life. Wong is worried that if Taggart is corrupt, that he may try to fulfil the contract himself.”

  “I see.” Mia paused and asked, “What if Taggart does succeed in tricking Wong into confessing about the murder … or murders, according to Taggart?”

  “Wong isn’t a fool. If Taggart does manage to trick him, it wouldn’t happen for a long time to come. Certainly not on the first meeting when you are there.”

  “But if Wong is caught, is there not a fear that he might co-operate with the police and expose us to gain leniency?”

  “I am sure these are questions the benefactor is already considering,” replied Mr. Frank. “There are possible solutions. Perhaps when the charade has gone on long enough, Wong may be tipped off that it is a trap. By then, you will be free of your charge.”

  It was a quarter to six and Jack and Laura had each parted company in the office parking lot to go home when Jim Purney called Jack on his cellphone.

  “Who the hell are you investigating?” asked Jim.

  “Hi to you, too,” replied Jack. “What are you talking about? I told you, I’m working on Benny Wong. Top bad Chinese guy in the city. Why? What’s up?”

  “What’s up? Man … a lot of people are asking that question,” he muttered. “I heard back from my buddies at CSEC. This spyware has a lot of people panicking, to the point that they are calling everyone in Ottawa who worked the day shift today to get back to the office immediately.”

  “I take it they are concerned that more than one laptop is being hacked?”

  “You’ve got that right. Whatever it is they are looking at has huge ramifications, both in Canada and in the States. Some of our government computer systems share the same protection.”

  “I thought your Communication Security buddies would be used to looking at spyware and dealing with hackers on a daily basis. Isn’t that a big part of their job?”

  “It is, which is why they’re upset. They’ve never encountered something like this before. They’re trying to trace it from where it’s bouncing from one URL address to the next, which is normal for hackers to do to try and hide themselves. What isn’t normal is that my buddy thinks they are bouncing a beam off the side of a mountain to throw us off. That type of sophistication is still in the theoretical stages here. They didn’t think anyone had actually developed it yet.”

  “So we’ve got some real computer geek involved,” noted Jack.

  “More likely a team of geeks. I don’t know what you’re getting into, but Wong may be a lot more than he appears.”

  Jack paused as he received a text from Mia that read: UBC same spot — 6pm. “Have to go Jim,” said Jack. “I’m going to meet a source connected to Wong. Is there a problem if the bad guys know we’re on to their spyware? It would help me with a UC scenario that I plan to do.”

  “I’m sure with the steps being taken that whoever is responsible will already know that we’re on to them, or will by tomorrow. That’s why everyone is in a scramble to protect what we can before it’s compromised further.”

  “Good. If I learn anything relevant from my source, I’ll call you back.”

  Jack called Laura before she pulled out of the lot and told her he wanted her to return and go with him to meet Mia.

  “She does makes you nervous, eh?” snickered Laura.

  “You’ve got that right,” replied Jack. “In more ways than one.”

  It was a quarter to six and Mia was on her way to the university parking lot when Jia-li called her.

  “Hi, honey,” said Jia-li. “I’m calling to make sure everything is okay and that we’re still on for ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”

  “Yes, everything is going fine,” replied Mia. “I’ll be there. What’s the weather like in Calgary? It’s cloudy here and looks like rain.”

  Jia-li glanced up at the clouds from where she was parked on Gore Avenue in downtown Vancouver and replied, “Sunny, but windy.” At least it was when I left there this morning … “What are you up to tonight?” asked Jia-li. “Sounds like you’re on the speakerphone in your car?”

  “I’m meeting some, uh, people at school in fifteen minutes. Have to work together on a project.”

  Perfect … “That’s good. Study hard. You’ve only got another year to go.”

  After Jia-li hung up from speaking to her daughter, she got out of her car and steeled herself for the decision she had made. I’ve never murdered anyone before … but I certainly know someone who has …

  Chapter Forty-Two

  As Jack drove Laura to the university for their meeting with Mia, he told her about the phone call he had received from Jim Purney.

  “So you were right,” said Laura. “She was holding out on us.”

  “I’m positiv
e she knows about the spyware,” agreed Jack. “That’s why she was worried about us putting in a report.”

  “Maybe Wong had Mr. Frank tell her about it to ease her nerves,” suggested Laura. “To convince her she would never be caught because they would know if the police were on to them.”

  “Possibly, or it could be deeper than that,” brooded Jack. “The way the Communication Security people are reacting, it could be a lot bigger than we realize. I’m wondering if Wong got Mia to corrupt the computers at the Rolstads’ PR firm. That would also explain her knowledge about it.”

  “So much for her crap about listening to dinner or party conversation.”

  “I’m sure she does that, too,” replied Jack. “There is something else to consider. She told me Wong wanted her to try and get a job with the Rolstads’ firm when she graduated. Their Ottawa office provides spin doctors for our politicians. Try and imagine what Wong would gain if he could corrupt the computers there.”

  “Oh, man … we’re lucky to be finding out now. I told you I didn’t trust her. The little bitch is in a lot deeper than she’s letting on.”

  “I agree.”

  Laura shook her head. “So how do you want to play it when we meet her? Come down hard on her or what?”

  “Let’s see what she has to say first. I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize my chance of meeting Wong. It would be nice to know what the Communication Security people find out before disclosing what we know.”

  “Good point. There she is,” said Laura, pointing to Mia’s car.

  Mia quickly got out of her car and into the back seat behind Jack and Laura. She immediately admitted she met Mr. Frank yesterday right after they had left her at the university. She said she told him what Jack told her to say, then met him again this afternoon and learned that the meeting with Wong had been arranged for tomorrow night.