Mr. Big

by Colleen Lewis

  Once they had checked out of the hotel, she and Nelson climbed into the truck with Pat and started the trip back to Grand Falls–Windsor.

  Jennifer sat in the back, and she had the feeling that Nelson and Pat were probably avoiding talking about work because she was there. She knew Nelson didn’t want her to be talking, so she kept quiet for nearly the entire trip.

  Nelson spent most of his time talking about the province and how well he knew the roads around the island.

  They stopped at the Tim Hortons in Clarenville along the way, and they made another stop for pizza in Gander.

  By the time they made it back to their home, Jennifer had started to take a liking to Pat. At least he wasn’t hugging her all the time like Steph, and he was a lot easier to understand. Even though the French accent was still there.

  Pat dropped them off at the apartment, but it wasn’t long before Nelson started to get anxious again. He liked his work. He liked the money and wanted to get back on the road.

  And although his moods were a lot better, Jennifer was enjoying the peace of having him away.

  74

  March 3, 2005.

  Nelson was tasked with delivering a truck to St. John’s, where Pat would be waiting. Over dinner, Pat told Nelson there were two things he hated in life. The first being the police, or pigs, as he put it. If they knew he was on the island, they would be all over him. Pat also made it clear he hated anyone who was pretending to be righteous in a criminal organization.

  “If you rat on me, you are taking a one-way street.”

  Pat also stressed that people who work in the organization didn’t tell stories to their wives.

  Nelson said he wanted to take Jennifer to either Florida or Hawaii. And Pat said if he kept working hard, he’d soon be able to afford it.

  The next morning they delivered another quad across the island to Deer Lake.

  75

  Jennifer was exhausted. They had just made the return trip from St. John’s. Nelson and Pat were still out in the truck. She assumed Nelson was being paid, although she hadn’t ever actually seen him getting paid for his work.

  But she knew he was making good money. Nelson’s mood had been oddly calm these past few weeks. It was obvious that he respected Steph and Pat, and he wanted to be like them.

  And he also loved the work. She couldn’t ever remember him being as content as he was driving around in his new job.

  In the days between jobs, he was on the edge of his seat waiting for the next phone call from Pat.

  A couple days after they returned from their most recent trip, he couldn’t wait any longer.

  First thing on the morning of March 15, he called Pat.

  This time there was a job. Jennifer listened to Nelson’s phone conversation with Pat.

  “Well, I’ve got a dentist appointment on Wednesday,” Nelson told Pat. Nelson didn’t want to say yes right away. He was buying time so he could talk it over with Jennifer.

  “He wants me to drive to St. John’s, but they might need me for the rest of the week,” Nelson told her. “I might have to go out of the province.”

  After some discussion, Nelson decided he would take the job.

  “Will three pairs of jeans be enough?” Jennifer yelled out as she packed his overnight bag.

  She still wondered about the company, but the thought of having Nelson away for the next week was appealing.

  As soon as he was packed, Nelson took the car and headed for Gander. She knew that he was probably going to be flying to Halifax, but Nelson didn’t say anything about what his business would be there.

  Her only regret was that he didn’t leave her the car so she could pick up some groceries at the food bank. But then, she wasn’t able to drive the standard transmission, anyway.

  76

  March 16, 2005.

  Nelson flew to Halifax, and for the next few days he would have a full schedule.

  His first job was to pick up a package containing fraudulent credit cards at the YMCA. After a night at the casino, he and Pat had to drive from Halifax to Fredericton. On March 18, they drove back to Halifax, and Nelson was paid for the week’s work. He was then told he would fly back to Newfoundland.

  But first he let Pat know how much he was enjoying his friendship. He also liked working on the mainland. He knew the money was good, and Jennifer didn’t mind.

  After a few days at home, Nelson was back on another flight to Halifax, on March 21. He and Pat drove to Fredericton, had dinner, and stayed at a hotel. The next day, they drove to Woodstock on the United States border. There they met with a man who gave Nelson a bag. Nelson was to take the bag, buy a bus ticket, and head back to Moncton.

  Nelson was nervous the police might have been watching him, but he assured Pat he didn’t mind doing this kind of work as long as the money was good.

  He was paid $500 and sent back to Gander.

  A couple of weeks later, Pat picked Nelson up at the airport in Halifax once again. The next day, he had the job of delivering a package to Truro, and then he had to take a train to Montreal.

  That night he stayed at the hotel next to the casino and was given $450 for his expenses and another $50 to cover the cost of interest on his credit card.

  The next day, in Truro, Nelson was told he was going to need some nice clothing for Montreal. Pat bought him a shirt, pants, some socks, and even a new pair of shoes. They drove back to Halifax, where Nelson was given a package and Pat paid another man $25,000 in cash. Steph was there, too. Nelson counted the money, and listened. Pat told the man, if he ever told anyone where the package came from, he would have to learn to swim real fast. They made it clear to Nelson that as long as a guy doesn’t have any limitations, there were bigger jobs. Bigger pay.

  Nelson told them he had no limitations.

  But Steph also told him how he felt about rats. Rats should go in the water.

  Steph and Pat said they were a circle—family. And when you’re in the circle, the money gets better. But Nelson was told he wasn’t part of the circle. That was up to the boss.

  The next day, April 9, Nelson left for Montreal on the train with the task of delivering another package. This time it was a suitcase, and Pat agreed to meet him there. That night Nelson went to a steak house downtown with Steph, Pat, and their girlfriends. Nelson and Pat’s girlfriend, Carol, hit it off immediately. It was a great social night with a lot of laughs. In fact, Nelson even had a couple of glasses of wine and made a toast to the boss, someone he hadn’t met. It was the first time Pat had seen him drink. But then, they were having a great time, and Nelson couldn’t wait to introduce Jennifer to Carol.

  77

  April 11, 2005.

  Nelson and Steph had lunch alone. Nelson learned the structure of the organization he was working for and learned there would be more risk if he wanted to move up the ladder. Steph also explained the organization controlled seventy per cent of the prostitution in Montreal and took a percentage from all the money earned.

  According to Steph, “I told Mr. Hart that I had to deal with those two prostitutes and, as a result, they couldn’t earn money for a while. I had assaulted them. I had to send a message to them so that we didn’t get ripped off.”

  Nelson told Steph he had no problem getting his hands dirty, either, and that he had done something terrible in his past. He explained one day he would tell them, and it would bring tears to Steph’s eyes.

  Steph, too, said he had terrible skeletons in his closet, and he liked the fact Nelson was being honest.

  Nelson said he had dealt with two people and they were both in the ground now. He said it was all over the news and everyone talked about it.

  Steph told Nelson he didn’t have to say things to impress him.

  But Nelson said he could prove it. Everyone had talked about it,
and there were 600 people in the church. He took out his wallet, opened it, and there was a picture of two little girls wearing red dresses. Nelson showed him the pictures and said he’d leave it at that.

  Steph pressed him.

  Nelson said the girls in the picture were his daughters. He went on to say the police were talking to him and he didn’t tell them anything about what he’d done. He told Steph one murder was twenty-five years, but he was looking at fifty years because he did two murders. He said he got away with it because of family. He said that when he got rid of his kids, he had planned it. When the cops tried to get him, he kept his mouth shut, and now there was no heat on him.

  He told Steph they were blood brothers now.

  After lunch, Pat picked up Nelson and they drove to Cornwall, Ontario. When they arrived, they picked up a truck loaded with a large quantity of cigarettes and brought it to a warehouse back in Montreal. After they unloaded the truck, they went to dinner.

  For Nelson, the expensive restaurants were something he had never experienced. He told Pat there were times he didn’t feel comfortable because it was all so new.

  But he liked this new life, and he didn’t want to go back to work in Newfoundland. Instead, he wanted Jennifer on the mainland with him.

  78

  April 12, 2005.

  Nelson’s job was to transport a package from Montreal to Ottawa. Steph met him at an Ottawa hotel, where they waited for the buyer of the package Nelson had delivered.

  They sent him to several locations before telling the buyer their real location.

  The actual book undercover operators used to hide the fake passports. Nelson thought they were selling them for $50,000 US in an Ottawa hotel room.

  Once he arrived, they got down to business. He brought a bag filled with money. Fifty thousand dollars in US dollars, to be exact. Nelson counted it while the other men talked about their investments in New York and Chicago.

  Steph told Nelson to go into the washroom and retrieve the bag he had brought from Montreal. Inside was a book that had sections cut out. Inside the cavities were fake passports that the buyer was assured were of top quality.

  But the buyer was more interested in talking about the organization and his connections. Bragging.

  He was sitting on the couch when Steph walked over and slapped him across the face. He had no business talking about Steph’s business.

  With the $50,000 in his pocket, Steph and Nelson headed to a pub for something to eat.

  79

  “I don’t have anything to wear,” Jennifer said.

  Nelson had just finished telling her that she was going to Halifax.

  For the past few weeks, life had been relatively peaceful for Jennifer. Nelson was a changed man. He hadn’t been violent toward her once. In fact, his behaviour had changed so much for the better, she was looking forward to the trip to Halifax.

  “Well, at least you’ve got the new clothes they bought you,” she said. “I don’t really feel comfortable going there with these old rags.”

  But Nelson had recently bought her a new coat while he was in New Brunswick, and he told her she would look fine.

  “I think you’ll really like Carol,” he told her.

  She knew the money for new clothes wouldn’t come, so she gave up asking. Instead, she packed her two best pairs of jeans and a couple of decent shirts. She thanked God they wouldn’t see how badly she was in need of new underwear. And while her boots were far from adequate, at least they covered up the holes in her socks.

  Jennifer couldn’t believe that Nelson had landed a job that required social trips to other provinces, but here they were—on a flight to Nova Scotia.

  As soon as they got off the plane, Pat was there to meet them. She could instantly see that he and Nelson had become very close over the past few weeks. And to be honest, she liked Pat as well.

  “Where’s Carol?” asked Nelson. “I was hoping she would be here.”

  “Oh, she’s still getting ready,” Pat replied. “It takes her forever.”

  They drove through Halifax, and from the back seat Jennifer could see the tall buildings downtown. Pat pulled up in front of the glass hotel doors and came around to help her with her bags.

  Inside the lobby, Jennifer waited uncomfortably as Nelson and Pat had a quick conversation. She felt like she was now in Nelson’s new life, and she waited for direction from him. Everything was new and fancy. Even Nelson had become higher-class in her eyes.

  Finally, Nelson walked over to where she stood with the bags.

  “Pat is going to be back to pick us up in a minute,” he said. “Let’s go up to our room to get ready for dinner.”

  In their room, Jennifer became even more self-conscious of what she was wearing. She longed for a new outfit so she could feel part of this environment. She looked out the window overlooking the city. Part of her was excited to be going out to dinner, but she felt nervous and inadequate at the same time.

  “Let’s go downstairs to the casino,” Nelson told Jennifer.

  She wasn’t aware that there was a casino in the building, but she wasn’t surprised that was where Nelson wanted to go.

  Inside, she was in awe of the sheer size of the room, and the noise. The bells and games rang in her ears.

  “I need to go find a washroom,” Jennifer told Nelson.

  Nelson pointed her to the washroom, and inside she drew a deep breath. Looking at herself in the largest mirror Jennifer had ever seen, she felt better just to be away from the noise and the people. She looked at the women standing next to her. They were wearing dresses and were glittering in jewellery. She had never felt so poor or so unattractive in her life.

  When she regained her composure, Jennifer went back outside. She looked around the room and realized Nelson was nowhere to be seen. What would she do? There was no way she could ever find him here. She didn’t know where to look, and she didn’t want to.

  But she had no choice but to find him. Slowly she began to focus and stepped down onto the main floor. She delicately walked through the crowd and passed the beautifully dressed people until she saw Nelson sitting at a table. He already had a pile of chips in front of him, but Jennifer didn’t care. She was just relieved not to be alone here.

  For a moment Jennifer had been worried the old Nelson was back, and that he had abandoned her here in another province.

  “There you are,” he said. “Pat just called, and we have to meet him out in the lobby.”

  Jennifer’s heart began to pound again. She was nervous that Carol wouldn’t like her. Especially the way she was dressed.

  Pat was waiting in the lobby, but again there was no sign of Carol.

  “Come on,” he waved.

  As they walked through the big glass doors, Jennifer could see Carol in the truck.

  Outside, the fresh saltwater air was just what Jennifer needed. Once they were in the truck, Nelson and Pat did the introductions.

  “How about we drop you girls off at the doors, and we’ll go park the truck,” said Pat. “Will that be okay?”

  The girls agreed and got out near the front entrance of The Keg. Several times over the past few weeks, Jennifer had heard Nelson say they had eaten here while on business. She now realized first-hand the kind of lifestyle he had been living, while she had been at home eating from food hampers from the local food bank.

  Even the restaurant doors looked elegant.

  But among the nicely dressed couples and groups, she noticed something odd.

  “Carol,” she said. “Why are those girls sitting on the grass over there?”

  “They’re prostitutes,” said Pat.

  Jennifer was stunned. It was the first time in her life she had ever seen prostitutes. Again she felt overwhelmed.

  Inside the restaurant
, they waited for Nelson and Pat. Jennifer watched Nelson as he walked toward the building. He was confident. She could see he was also very excited about tonight. Part of her felt like she hardly knew this man compared to the old Nelson.

  He even held the chair for her to sit down. As she looked around, she felt like even the waitresses were dressed better than her. It was uncomfortable, and she was worried she might make Nelson angry by being so out of place.

  Jennifer was relieved when the server filled her glass with water. She thought her throat was about to close off. Then she looked at the menu. The prices were staggering, and she had never tried any of the dishes written before her.

  It was as if Nelson knew exactly what she was thinking. He grabbed the menu and started looking through. He then placed the menu in front of him, and when the server took their order, Nelson ordered for her. She trusted he knew what she liked and would order something good.

  Meanwhile, Pat had ordered a bottle of wine, which was placed in the middle of the table.

  “Let’s celebrate our friendship,” he said as he grabbed the bottle.

  “I’m not drinking tonight,” said Nelson. “Jennifer doesn’t drink, either.”

  “Oh well,” laughed Pat. He shook the bottle and popped the cork.

  Jennifer was shocked to see the champagne cork strike the high ceiling of the restaurant. The golden liquid turned into a fountain that poured into the air and all over the floor.

  She noticed that Nelson and Pat didn’t talk about work all evening. They made small talk, and Carol was asking Jennifer a lot of questions about herself. Gradually she began to feel very comfortable with Carol. And the food was perhaps the best she had ever tasted.

  At the end of the evening, the server put the bill on the table. But Nelson, Pat, and Carol continued to laugh and talk.

  Jennifer could see some of the print on that bill. Specifically, the $200 bottle of wine she had just seen spill over the floor.