Above Ground

by Don Easton

  “Hey! You’re still here,” said Spider, sitting back down in his chair. “What’s up?”

  Jack’s thoughts returned to the reason he was there. “I’m lookin’ for a piece. Have to have it by the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

  “Don’t have a gun.” Spider paused as the waitress yelled that it was last call, and then he asked, “What’s the rush? Maybe I could help ya if I thought it was worthwhile.”

  “I’ve been bangin’ this chick for about four months now. She’s kinda high class. Got lots of money and a rich husband.”

  “I’m listenin’.”

  “She wants him dead. Said there’s ten Gs in it for me.”

  “Ten grand!”

  “Keep your voice down,” said Jack, looking suspiciously around.

  “Why in two days?”

  “It’s her birthday. She’s gonna take the ferry over to Victoria in the morning to visit her mom. Her husband works at home by himself. Does some sort of bookkeeping thing. I’ve sort of been jerking her around for a couple of months. Now she says if it’s not done, she’ll find someone else. I swore I would do it.”

  “What’s been takin’ ya so long? Tryin’ to work up the courage to do it?”

  Jack looked down at the table as he toyed with his beer and said, “Yeah, I guess. Figure if I get a piece I could just pop him through the window and run. You come up with a piece and I’ll pay ya a grand for it.”

  “Oh, man! That ain’t the way to do it! You gotta get up close and personal. Popping him through a window ... you could miss or maybe just wing ’im. Look him right in the eye and take him out. That way ya know ya got him.”

  “I don’t know if I could ... I mean, I think my way is better.”

  “Forget the piece! You should use a blade. Knock on his fuckin’ door, an’ when he opens it, thrust deep into his lungs, just under his rib cage. Twist hard a couple of times and pull out. It’ll knock the air out of his lungs and he won’t be able to yell. He’ll grab his gut and bend over. Then bring it up and do his throat. No fuckin’ noise. No gun goin’ off to freak out the neigh-bours. I tell ya, that’s the way it should be done.”

  Jack put his hand up to partially cover his eyes and said, “Oh, man. I don’t think I could do that. I need a piece.”

  Spider smiled and said, “Just wait here. I’ll do some checkin’. I know everyone in here. If there’s one around, I’ll find out.”

  Jack watched as Spider quickly moved amongst a few tables, occasionally glancing back at Jack. Two people at different tables glanced at their watches. Spider is just asking them the time, pretending to look. It was what Jack had hoped he would do. He really didn’t want him coming back with a gun. The hook is set.

  Jack went into the men’s room and used his cell-phone to make a call.

  A groggy Elvis answered. “Yeah, she’s here. Just a minute.” In the background Jack could hear Elvis say, “Hon, wake up, it’s Jack Taggart.” A moment later, Laura was on the line.

  “You offered to help,” said Jack.

  “What’s up?” asked Laura, checking the time. It was after one.

  “Need a quick undercover tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got court in the afternoon. This the guy who killed your namesake?”

  “No, I’m fairly certain it’s the guy who did the war vet.”

  “Oh, man! Glad to be a part of that! What do you need?”

  “A girlfriend at about ten o’clock tomorrow morning. Won’t take long.”

  Laura sighed and then asked, “A bimbo?”

  “No, a couple levels above. Play the bitch. I want him controlled.”

  “Waking me up this time of night ... that should come easy tomorrow.”

  Jack returned to his seat as Spider came up to him. Spider said he couldn’t find a gun, but he was able to convince Jack to let him meet Jack’s girlfriend tomorrow morning at ten.

  Jack checked his watch as he left the bar. It had been twenty minutes since the sound of a crunching skull had started echoing in his head. He crossed the street to the parking garage and jogged up to the second level. He told Connie and Danny about his meeting with Spider and described Spider’s recommendation on how to murder someone.

  “It’s him,” said Connie. “That is exactly how Albert Dawson was killed. We’ve never released that information. Nobody knows that except the killer.”

  “Good,” said Jack, still distracted by what he knew was in the alley behind the hotel.

  “Jack!” continued Connie. “This is great! You’ve got the son of a bitch! I had a feeling that you had something up your sleeve.”

  “Laura will do a number on him tomorrow morning,” replied Jack. “Then he will be...” The sounds of sirens and a police car racing past, accompanied by squealing tires as it turned at the corner and then again into the alley behind the bar, interrupted Jack’s conversation.

  “Wonder what’s going on?” said Danny, as both he and Connie looked at Jack.

  Jack shrugged to indicate that he didn’t know.

  chapter eleven

  It was nine-thirty in the morning when Jack and Laura walked into the coffee shop and took a seat. Jack ordered a coffee, black. Laura ordered tea.

  “So tell me,” said Jack. “What’s it like, you being a narc while being married to someone in Internal?”

  “Elvis is on the Anti-Corruption Unit.”

  “Right. ACU ... the serious stuff members are investigated for. IA’s big brother.”

  “You got it.”

  “Do you walk around the house constantly checking to see if he is watching you? Come on, a narc and ACU ... that’s like trying to mix oil and vinegar.”

  Laura chuckled and said, “Actually, that makes a good salad dressing. I think the expression is oil and water.” Laura took a sip of tea and said, “You’re right, our marriage is a little like an oxymoron. I’m not sure about ACU, but I’m sure half of the files IA has come from Drug Section.”

  “Pretty wild bunch sometimes. Work hard, play harder.”

  “You ought to know. As I recall, you were one of the wildest when you were on the section. I was a little freaked out the first time I met you.”

  “Come on, I wasn’t that wild.”

  “You were! Tell me, are you still drinking tequila?”

  “No,” replied Jack. “Decided it was too hard on my stomach. I’ve switched to olive soup.”

  “Olive soup?” Laura paused, then smiled and said, “More commonly known as martinis.”

  Jack nodded.

  “Sounds like that new wife of yours has brought a little culture into your life.”

  Jack smiled but didn’t reply.

  “You’re right about Drugs,” said Laura. “It hasn’t changed much. Sometimes I think IA is needed to tone things down a bit. Unfortunately, ACU is also needed on occasion.”

  “Hope you know I was just kidding about Elvis. Believe me, I know they’re needed. I gave Elvis a little work just the other day.”

  Jack saw Laura look at him sharply and quickly added, “Not me! I mean I gave him a good target. Someone leaking information to a biker lawyer.”

  “Leitch?”

  “That’s the one. I hope Elvis nails him.” “If someone is dirty, Elvis will get him. He’s good at what he does.”

  “Your husband seems like a good guy ... just don’t tell anyone I said that. Ruin my rep.”

  Laura snickered and then said, “He’s a great guy.” She stirred her tea and said, “I have to admit that the work has affected our relationship a little. We always used to talk and made a rule not to go to bed with any unresolved issues. Now, with the differences in our work, minor stunts that some of the narcs pull, we try not to discuss our jobs. I like to think I’m a good operator, but I can’t fool Elvis. He’s pretty observant. He picks up on things. Seems to know whether I’m upset with work or with life.”

  “With life?”

  “I was upset the other night and tried to hide it. Know that old expression ‘a
penny for your thoughts’?”

  Jack nodded.

  “We use it sometimes. When I went to go to bed the other night I found a penny on my pillow. Elvis just looked at me ... then I lost it and cried. I hadn’t wanted to talk about it, but it was good that I did. I was upset that I had started my period. It was late and this time I thought I was pregnant for sure. He just held me and we talked. Think we’ll go the adoption route.”

  Laura stared into the bottom of her teacup and added, “I really love the guy.” She was quiet for a moment before asking, “So how’s it been going with you? Your face looks a little gaunt. Actually you look awful. Everything okay at home?”

  “Natasha and I are getting along great. I love her so much. Still feel like we’re on our honeymoon ... even better. More relaxing than the honeymoon was.”

  “The job, then?”

  Jack nodded. “It bothers me that a family was destroyed because some psycho thought it was me. They were a great family. Now Holly’s on her own, barely scraping by and trying to raise a four-year-old. Both of them are suffering from post-traumatic stress. Meanwhile, her other baby is in intensive care and will end up in a wheelchair when he’s big enough to handle one.”

  Laura’s face showed her sorrow. “Jack, I don’t know what to say to —”

  “Hang on, here he comes,” said Jack.

  Laura took a deep breath and assumed her new role. “He does have an attitude, doesn’t he?” she whispered, as Spider swaggered over.

  Jack smiled and gestured for Spider to sit down.

  “So this is him!” said Laura sarcastically. “Doesn’t look like you described!”

  Spider looked a little taken aback, but before he could respond, Laura said, “So you two have known each other for over ten years, is that right?”

  Jack quickly interjected, “He’s okay, sweetie. Honest, we go way back!”

  “Really? Tell you what, babe, I’ll talk to him alone for a few minutes. Go sit on the other side for a bit.”

  Jack hesitated, and then Spider leaned over and whispered in Jack’s ear, “It’s okay, man. It’ll be better this way.”

  “You sure?” asked Jack.

  “Yeah, I can handle her. I trust my instincts.”

  Jack took his coffee and moved to another table. He watched as Spider talked earnestly with Laura. Less than two minutes later, Spider reached into his pocket and handed Laura a gold chain and heart-shaped pendant.

  Laura motioned with her finger for Spider to lean forward so she could whisper something to him. When he did, she grabbed him by the hair and smashed his face into the table while sticking the barrel of her 9mm in his ear.

  Jack was on his feet, as were Connie and three of her colleagues who had been sitting at a couple of other tables.

  They need not have rushed. Spider was too shocked to move. He would never trust his instincts again.

  Late that afternoon, back at the office, Connie called Jack to thank him.

  “The dumb shit gave Laura the pendant he stole. Told her it was a birthday present for her. Tried to file off the numbers on the back but the lab will pull them up. He’s confessing to everything he’s done, hoping to get concurrent time.”

  “That’s good. Obviously he doesn’t have legal aid yet.”

  “He waived it. The judge will probably be pissed off that we didn’t force him to get one. Makes it easy for his lawyer to say he was intimidated and rule it inadmissible. Hope the DNA pans out. I know his lawyer will tell him to say he bought the pendant from someone else.”

  “You’ve still got Laura and me to give evidence.”

  “Yeah, but you know how that goes. They’ll say he made up the story, either to impress you or because he was scared of you.”

  “The normal defence to an undercover operation on a murderer. If the jury believes it, they deserve to live with spiders.”

  “I know. Still, I prefer to see justice.”

  “Me too. Sounds like you’ve done everything you can. Let’s hope the DNA is a match.”

  “That would be nice. Unfortunately your good friend Spidey had nothing to do with killing Holly’s husband.”

  “I figured that.”

  “He said he hopped the commuter train to go to the suburbs and do some break-ins. He saw Albert go to an ATM and picked him because he was old. Said he needed the money because the price of speed went up after all those labs got taken down last week.”

  Jack briefly closed his eyes and massaged his temple with one hand. So if I hadn’t taken the labs down, Albert Dawson would still be alive...

  “Anyway, I have one other thing to ask,” continued Connie. “Don’t know if you heard the news this morning on the radio, but there was a murder outside the Black Water last night. I called City. That was what the sirens were about when we were leaving. It had to have happened when you were there. Do you know anything that would help?”

  Jack let out a long sigh, then said, “I might have a possible lead. Let me check it out. I’ll pop down there tomorrow. There might be someone I could chat with.”

  chapter twelve

  The next afternoon, Jack told Danny he had some personal business to take care of and left the office. He stopped at a red light and thought about why Albert Dawson had died.

  A blast from a horn behind him caused him to jerk, and the tires squealed as he drove through the intersection. When he arrived at the Black Water, he parked in the rear alley. If Ophelia isn’t here, I’m not waiting around!

  Jack strolled through the bar. He saw Ophelia and motioned her to come and sit with him at table near the rear exit.

  “Yeah, what do ya want?” she asked.

  “Have you heard from Spider?”

  “Naw. Haven’t seen ’im yet today.”

  “You’re not going to,” said Jack, showing her his identification.

  “Oh, fuck,” said Ophelia, her voice sounding like the blade of a snow truck on a bare street.

  “You know why I’m here?”

  “Can’t believe I was that stupid to ask you to pipe that guy with me. That’s my fuckin’ luck!” she added.

  “The young girl with you. What’s her —”

  “Aw, man, leave her be. She had nothing to do with it. Didn’t know what was going on.”

  “Yeah, right. Do you think I’m blind?”

  “Come on, man. Give her a break. She’s just a kid. Here, take me,” she said, holding her wrists out over the table to be handcuffed. “I won’t cause a fuss.”

  “I know you’re the one who dropped a quarter on Spider.”

  Ophelia’s eyes widened. “Fuck! Don’t say that too loud,” she said, glancing around. Then she admitted, “Yeah. Glad you got him.” She slowly put her hands down and then asked, “You did get him, right?”

  “We did. So tell me, why did you turn him in ... for free?”

  “He’s scum. What the news said he did to that old guy.... Just because I’m an addict doesn’t mean I don’t give a shit about people.”

  “Where was your compassion when you killed an innocent man two nights ago?”

  “Innocent! That fucker wasn’t innocent! You see the age of the girl he wanted to fuck?”

  Jack nodded.

  “And she was older than some of the ones he’s had. Do you know what that’s like for a kid to go through?”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “Yeah? Well you’re lucky, cuz I do know what it’s like to turn tricks at that age!”

  “That’s what I figured,” said Jack.

  “Yeah, well ... life sucks.” She held out her wrists again and said, “Go ahead. For the time I have left, maybe three meals a day won’t hurt.”

  Jack shook his head and said, “Child molesters aren’t high up on my Christmas list. As far as I’m concerned, justice has been served. See you around.”

  Jack stood up to go, and Ophelia said, “You mean you’re not going to arrest me?”

  “No, but keep this conversation between the two of us. Have
a nice day.”

  “I owe ya one,” she said.

  “Yeah, I’ll hold my breath waiting for the phone to ring,” said Jack. He pushed open the rear door to step outside.

  A woman with two preschool children stood in the back alley. She was weeping while placing a bouquet of flowers on the ground.

  “Ophelia, come here.” Jack motioned her over.

  Ophelia came to the door and looked out.

  They listened as the woman explained to the children that Daddy was in heaven now.

  “Fuck,” whispered Ophelia. “Her ol’ man paid extra to ride bareback. That’s why he liked them young. Thought he wouldn’t get AIDS. What a chump. I know the kid has it. Maybe you should tell his ol’ lady there to get checked.”

  Jack watched as Ophelia turned and walked back to her table.

  He was just stepping out the door when he received a call on his cellphone.

  “Hi ... uh, it’s Holly,” she said, not wanting to say his name. “You said you would help me, so...”

  “What is it, Holly?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m at the hospital but my car won’t start. Then I went and locked my keys inside. Jenny needs to be picked up from daycare. They won’t wait. Can you ... I don’t know what to do.”

  “Stay at the hospital. Call the daycare and tell them I’ll pick up Jenny. We’ll meet you at the hospital. If we can’t get it started, I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “You sure? If you’re busy...”

  “A taxi would cost a fortune and buses would take longer. I’m not busy. I’m really glad you called. I need a break from work.”

  “Thanks.” She gave Jack directions to the day-care. When she was finished, she said, “There’s one other thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Is it okay if I don’t call you Jack? Like ... do you have a nickname that you wouldn’t mind being called?”

  “My middle name is Bruce. Sometimes my friends call me J.B.”

  “Like the scotch?”

  “Yes, like the scotch,” said Jack, watching as the woman led the children down the alley.