by Easton, Don
Danny was shocked. “A birthday present?” he whispered.
“A real den of snakes,” commented Jack, as they quietly got back in the car.
Danny sat quietly.
“They should all be shot,” added Jack.
“Up yours. I get the point.”
“Good. We’ll soon be out of this neighbourhood. You can take a crack at her then. Doubt that she’ll listen to you, though.”
Wigmore received a call back from Vital Statistics. He wasn’t surprised. Yes, they had a record for Edward Trimble. He died of a drug overdose two years ago.
Wigmore reached for a file he had marked “Project Hotshot.”
It was Friday night when Jack paged Red and arranged to meet inside the Black Water within the hour. It was to be the last small purchase. Red said her connection didn’t trust her enough to handle large quantities yet. If Jack wanted a larger amount, she would have to bring in her connection. It was what he had hoped for. Bart and Rex assured him that they would have the authority next week to provide the money to make bigger purchases.
Jack and Danny parked in the parking garage and Jack went to the hotel. Danny waited a discreet amount of time before walking down the ramp toward the street. He had reached the ground level of the parking lot when a voice spoke behind him.
“Good evening, officer!”
Danny spun around as Crystal walked up to him.
“I’m not a cop!”
Crystal laughed and said, “Damn right, you are! I’ve been watching. The way you swing your arms says you’re a Mountie. City cops don’t take that much drill marching, or whatever it’s called. Not to mention,” she clicked her teeth before continuing, “you’re on a dental plan.”
“You’re mistaken. I used to sell cars.”
“Yeah, right! Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to tell. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Taking your yearly holiday to the Mediterranean?”
“Don’t I wish. Naw, I’m goin’ back east. I finally saved up enough to do it. I’m gonna go back to school. I want to be a social worker. Bet that surprises the shit out of ya, huh?”
Danny was momentarily stunned.
“Told ya it would shock the shit out of you!”
“Crystal, to tell you the truth, I think that’s great. I wish you all the best, I really mean it.”
“Thanks.”
“Why spend your last night down here?”
“Just hoping to convince someone to come with me.”
“Marcie?”
“Yeah.” Crystal looked at Danny and smiled before continuing. “I saw you spyin’ on us that day when you were pretendin’ to tie your shoelace. That was the same day that Lenny got whacked. You should have been in the alley catchin’ them instead of spyin’ on me and Marcie.”
Danny didn’t know how to respond and said nothing.
“It still pisses me off that you don’t arrest kids like her and get their sorry little asses off this street. Nobody seems to give a shit about kids.”
“I care, but —”
“Yeah, I know. Nothin’ you can do. It just pisses me off, is all.”
“You said it was ‘them’ who whacked Lenny. Who is ‘them’?”
Crystal thought for a moment, then glanced all around before saying, “I’ll tell ya what. I’ll give ya a tip, but promise you’ll wait until tomorrow before doin’ anything.”
“I’m really not a cop. I’m just curious. I won’t say anything to anyone.”
Crystal chuckled, then said, “God, you’re a horrible liar, but I’ll tell ya anyway. Red is the key. She knows who did it. She fuckin’ works for them.”
“Who is ‘them’?”
“I’m not that stupid. You’ll have to find that out through her somehow. Now, I gotta go. Nothin’ personal, but talkin’ to you makes me feel nervous.”
Crystal sauntered across the street. O’Reilly stared after her, then started to walk toward the hotel. After a few steps he realized he was swinging his arms. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced back at Crystal. She gave him the thumbs-up sign. Danny took one more look at Crystal when he reached the door. She was standing on the sidewalk looking around. Marcie was not in sight. Danny entered the bar and sat at his usual table.
A few minutes later, Crystal found Marcie working the street at the end of the alley that came out from behind the Black Water. Heat escaped from a large vent on a building and Marcie huddled close to it.
“Hey, Mouse! What ya doin’ workin’ back here?”
“It’s warmer.”
Crystal looked down the alley. “Yeah, also more dangerous. Come on. I got somethin’ to show ya!”
Marcie walked with Crystal over to the parking garage. Her wide eyes and open mouth revealed her astonishment when Crystal held up a set of keys.
“Crystal! Is it yours? You actually bought a car? Or is it…?”
“No. I bought it! Get in! It’s mine!”
Marcie quickly got in. “It looks great! I can’t believe it!” She giggled.
Crystal smiled while nodding her head. She started the car and backed out of the stall.
“Where we goin’?” asked Marcie, sounding excited.
“Just around the block.” Crystal drove down the street before glancing at Marcie and saying, “I want to talk to ya. I’m leavin’ tomorrow morning. Goin’ back to Ontario.”
“You’re leaving?” Marcie looked like she was going to cry.
“You can come with me! I’ll either drop you off with your grandma or you can come and stay with me.
We’ll get straight jobs.”
Marcie stared wide-eyed at Crystal and shook her head. “No, oh no, I can’t!”
“Why not? Because of Red?”
Marcie looked down and didn’t answer.
“That bitch! Fuck her! You don’t want to live with her! You can stay at my place tonight. I got a lot of stuff to pack but there’ll be room for you. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“But what if they come after us? They know where you live!”
“Fuck them!”
Marcie thought briefly, then said, “No, Crystal, you go, but I better stay. Thanks anyway.”
“Why not? Look what they make you do! Those bastards! Get out now while you can!”
“Maybe in a few weeks I’ll leave. But right now … like, I still owe them money.”
“You owe them money? Bullshit! They say I owe them, too, but fuck ’em. Do you have any idea how much money I’ve paid them already? They always say you owe them!”
“But they’re everywhere! They’ll find you, and then somethin’ will happen to…”
Crystal arrived back at the parking garage and looked for a place to park.
“Come on, Marcie! Please come with me. Now! Before it’s too late. I’ll just find a place to park and we’ll talk about it. I don’t wanna be burnin’ up gas.”
“See? That’s just it. I don’t have enough money to pay you for taking me.”
“I’m not askin’ ya for any bread! I’ve got enough to get us there. It’ll be tight. We won’t exactly be eatin’ three meals a day, but we can still do it.”
“So, like, we could just go? Right now?”
“Right fuckin’ now!”
The car stalled and rolled to a stop. Crystal tried repeatedly to start it. Eventually the battery became weak and the engine wouldn’t turn over.
Marcie quietly got out of the car and walked away.
Danny caught a subtle nod from Jack. It was time to go. Jack had said they had the weekend off. He was looking forward to it.
Danny left the bar first. He heard Crystal crying when he walked into the lower level of the parking garage. She was trying to push her car into a parking stall. Danny helped her. She tried to start the car again. No luck. Danny checked the battery cables. They were well connected and the battery looked new.
“What happened? It sounds like it’s out of gas.”
“It’s got half a tank.
It just fuckin’ quit,” she sobbed.
“Did you find Marcie?”
“Yeah. I think she was gonna come with me until this piece of shit…!” Crystal kicked the side of the car and then cried louder.
“Maybe it’s nothing serious,” said Danny.
“Yeah, nothin’ serious if ya got a regular fuckin’ paycheque,” she yelled.
“Give me your keys,” Danny demanded.
“Why? It won’t fuckin’ go! Marcie won’t fuckin’ go! I can’t fuckin’ go, either!”
“Give me your keys and I’ll give you my cell number. Call me tomorrow morning.”
Later, Jack listened closely as Danny told him what happened.
“Why not have her take the bus?”
“I suggested that. She says she has too much stuff that she wants to take with her.”
Jack sighed, then said, “Okay, I’ll pay half.”
“I wasn’t asking you for money.”
“If it gets her out of here, it’ll be worth it. The sooner the better. I’m meeting Natasha for lunch tomorrow. Call me later in the day and let me know if they can fix it and what it costs.”
“A second date with Natasha?”
Jack smiled, then said, “What? You keeping notes on me, Danny?”
It was dinnertime the next day when Crystal met Danny at a garage. Her car, equipped with a new fuel pump, was running smoothly.
She hugged him and gave him a kiss on his cheek and then said, “I hope your wife doesn’t mind.”
“My wife?” Danny asked.
“The lady watching us from that car over there. She is your wife, right?”
Danny chuckled, then waved at Susan. “Yes, she’s my wife.”
“She’s pretty.”
“Come on. It’s against policy, but I’ll introduce you to her and Tiffany.”
Susan gave Crystal a hug and wished her luck, then Danny walked her back to her car.
“What about Marcie?” he asked.
“I phoned her. She won’t go.”
“You phoned her? I thought you wanted to be a social worker! You’ve got to try harder than that! Go see her. Don’t take no for an answer!”
Marcie answered the knock on her apartment door. Her look of surprise at seeing Crystal was quickly overtaken by fear.
“What do you want?” she whispered. “Red’s just gettin’ out of the tub.”
“It’s fixed. It was just a gas thing. Runnin’ good now.”
“I told you on the phone that I’m not going.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Crystal, I can’t. You’re my best friend and everything, but I can’t.”
“Come on! It’s stupid to stay here!”
Marcie thought about Red and the big man with the goatee. She thought about her grandma and the pictures. No, she could never go back. She looked at her friend and slowly shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Crystal lowered her voice but the intensity of her words was clear. “Come on, Mouse! Walk out right now. Don’t worry about your things. Just leave. Come with me now.”
“I can’t. I’m afraid they’ll … I just can’t! You go.”
“I really want you to come with me!”
With a quivering smile she said, “Thanks, Crystal, but no. Except maybe for my grandma, you’re the only real friend I’ve ever had. Good luck.”
“You won’t change your mind?”
Marcie stared down at her feet, then shook her head. She felt Crystal’s hand on her shoulder and turned to look her in the face. Crystal was crying too.
“This is silly,” said Crystal. “Everything will work out, you’ll see! I’ll get hold of ya real soon! We’re friends for life, right?”
“I’ll always keep the mouse in my purse to remind me of you,” she replied.
Red, wearing only a towel wrapped around her, appeared behind Marcie. “What the fuck is goin’ on?” she asked.
Crystal was defiant. “I’m movin’ back east. Leavin’ tomorrow morning. Just seein’ if Marcie wants to join me.”
“Leavin’? Like fuck you are! You owe me money! So does this little bitch here! You’re not going anywhere until I tell ya you —”
Crystal’s punch caught Red high in the stomach. She buckled and gasped for air. Crystal shoved her back inside and slammed the door shut.
Red swore at Crystal from inside the apartment, but she didn’t open the door.
“See?” said Crystal. “She’s not so fuckin’ tough if she doesn’t have any of her goons around. Come on, let’s split. The both of us!”
“I can’t.”
“Marcie! Listen to me!” pleaded Crystal. “Ya stay here, and you’re gonna die! Believe me, I know what I’m sayin’.”
Red’s voice came through the door, “Marcie, you better get back in here, right now!” Seconds later, they heard the sound of cutlery as Red rummaged in a kitchen drawer.
Marcie looked at Crystal, then said, “I’m gonna go back inside now.”
Crystal grabbed her by the shoulder and said, “I’ll tell ya what, kid, in a month or so, when I get settled, I’ll phone ya. If you change your mind, I’ll send ya bus fare or whatever, okay?”
They wrapped their arms around each other and said a quick goodbye.
Marcie reached for the door, but Red yanked it open. She was naked and held a butcher knife in her hand. She pushed Marcie aside and stepped into the hallway. Crystal was gone.
chapter eighteen
The sun cast a crimson glow as it came up behind the Rocky Mountains. Crystal lugged her last garbage bag full of clothes out to her car. Her car was already packed, but she found room to wedge it behind her seat. She never looked back as she pulled out into the morning traffic.
She didn’t see the orange van that wheeled in behind her. Axle, a striker for Satans Wrath, drove the van, while his only passenger, Nails, sat beside him. Nails had been a member of the club for six years. He earned his nickname because nails were a tool of his trade.
Crystal pulled into a gas station and filled her car. She saw the orange van in the reflection of her car window as it slowly drove by behind her. Minutes later, she paid for her gas and was walking back toward her car when she saw the van drive by again. The two men inside stared back at her.
She fought to control her fear. Probably some past trick who recognizes me… She spotted a cellphone on the seat of another car. The driver was inside paying for gas.
Moments later, Crystal pulled back out into traffic. There was no sign of the orange van and she felt foolish for being afraid. By the time she eased her car off the on-ramp and onto the eastbound lane of the Trans-Canada Highway, the sun was glistening down the western side of the mountains, sparkling off the snow on the peaks.
The sun was directly in her eyes, but it was Sunday morning and the traffic was light. She accelerated and passed a semi-truck before switching back to the slow lane. Seconds later, she saw the orange van in her rear-view mirror.
“Thanks for dropping by.” Danny closed the door behind Jack and gestured to one of two sofas in his living room. “This is the new one. The other one needs to go upstairs. It’s a hideaway bed. Weighs a ton. Susan and I would never get the damned thing up there by ourselves. Have you had breakfast yet? We’ve still got the coffee on.”
“I’ve eaten. Let’s move this and then I’ll have a coffee before heading out to the farm. What about Crystal? What do I owe you?”
“The bill is in the kitchen. We can figure it out over coffee.”
Danny led the way up the stairs while Jack wrestled with the lower end of the sofa. Halfway up the stairs the sofa became wedged on a landing. Both men paused to rest.
“Did she leave yesterday?” Jack asked.
“No. She called me last night and said she was heading out this morning.” Danny’s voice sounded glum.
“You did a good thing by helping her. Why the long face?”
“I was hoping she would take Marcie with her.”
“You said she tried. What more did you expect her to do?”
“I told her to go over to Marcie’s and talk to her direct. She did, but Marcie wouldn’t go.”
“Doesn’t Marcie still live with Red?”
“Yeah.”
“Was Red home when she went over?” There was concern in Jack’s voice.
Danny chuckled. “That was the good part. I was going to tell you over coffee. Crystal gave her a knuckle sandwich and she backed right off. Too bad she didn’t do it a long time ago.” Danny saw the furrowed look on Jack’s forehead and said, “You don’t think that’s funny?”
The conversation was interrupted when Danny paused to answer his cellphone.
“Danny! I think I’m being followed!” The fear was evident in Crystal’s voice.
“Where are you?”
“Two guys in a van. They could be bikers. They watched me gas up and now they’re behind me on the freeway.”
“Where are you?” Danny yelled into the phone.
“I’m on a cellphone. Just coming up to the Willingdon exit. What should I do?”
“Keep driving. Don’t get out of your car and don’t hang up. I’m on my way. You’re less than ten minutes away from me!”
“Crystal’s in trouble!” Danny yelled to Jack, while jumping over the railing. The glassware in the dining room vibrated, knocking into each other.
Seconds later, the tires squealed as Jack drove through the quiet residential street. Danny sat beside him and tried to talk calmly with Crystal. She said that she was driving in the slow lane but explained that she had changed her speed a few times and each time, the van had matched her speed.
“Danny! They’re pulling alongside me now! What should I do?”
“Can you see them in your side mirror? Is the passenger window open? What about a sliding door?”
“Side mirror? The fucking passenger is practically beside me. His window is closed. The van doesn’t have a sliding door!”
“Then they’re probably not going to shoot at you. We’re only five minutes away. What does the van look like? Can you see the plate?”