An Element of Risk

by Don Easton

Jack took a few more photos, but the man had the phone close to his mouth and he wasn’t able to get a good facial image.

  He then saw Graves carrying a backpack and walking toward the restaurant.

  Jack eyed the man with the phone again. Did you just give him the all-clear call?

  Graves walked past the man without any obvious sign of recognition and Jack told Laura what he’d seen. A moment later Laura reported that Graves had joined Buster at his table.

  Jack then saw a woman pull her car over to the curb. The man he’d been watching put his phone away and quickly got in.

  Jack photographed the car and licence plate, then saw the man give her a peck on the cheek. A toddler’s seat in the rear told him that his suspicions were likely unfounded.

  “Okay,” Laura whispered into her phone. “Graves handed Linquist the backpack. He’s unzipping it … peeking inside … Linquist is reaching under the table … Graves is glancing down. Okay, I suspect Linquist handed him the money under the table.”

  “Good.”

  “Linquist is standing up. Looks like he’s leaving.”

  “Stay put to see if Graves hands cash off to someone else in there.”

  “Will do. I bet they were fronted. I don’t see a goofball like him having ten grand or whatever amount he’d need to pay for them. Okay … hang on, guess if he is handing the money off it’s not in here. They’re leaving together.”

  Jack watched Graves and Linquist part company out front. He and Laura then followed Graves back to his apartment. Once there Jack positioned his SUV to watch Graves’s truck from the rear of the apartment building while Laura parked her car to watch the front.

  There was no activity until 5:00 p.m. when Jack next saw Graves. He quickly phoned Laura. “He’s going to his truck. Hang on … he’s leaning over.” Jack thumbed the dial on his binoculars. “Maybe getting something from the glovebox. He’s back out of the truck. Yes! We’re in luck. He’s got a flashlight and is crawling underneath.”

  “Good, I was getting bored. Hopefully he’s getting ready to meet his connection and not deliver guns to someone else.”

  “My guess is it’s his connection. Roger’s team was on him. He only retrieved two socks from one vehicle. I’m sure all the guns he had were what he passed on to Linquist. Okay … he’s popped the hood and is looking inside the engine compartment.”

  “Monday night at the border shouldn’t be much of a wait,” Laura noted.

  “He closed the hood and is looking under his seat … wait … no, the asshole has his own set of binoculars. I’ve got to duck. He’s scanning the area.”

  “He is one kinky puppy.”

  Jack peeked over the dash and saw Graves using the binoculars to scan the sky.

  Looking for aircraft surveillance, jerk? No worries. I know where you’re going.

  Graves then got in his truck and drove away.

  “Okay, he’s on the move.” Jack said, smiling to himself. You’re not as thorough as you think you are.

  “Head for the border?” Laura asked.

  “You got it. I’ll get ahead of him and wait while you follow him through. I’m calling ATF now.”

  Jack then called Ferg and told him what had transpired.

  “Good timing,” Ferg said. “I’m already on my way home. Leaving the Seattle city limits as we speak. I could be in the vicinity of Bellis Fair within forty-five minutes.”

  “That’s where he brought the guns to be delivered to Canada,” Jack noted, “but who knows where he goes to pick them up … or pay for them, if my guess is right. He might be going to Seattle.”

  “Either way, he’s coming my way. We’ll have him between us.”

  “I think I can confirm he’s heading to the States. I just spotted him ahead of me, southbound on the 99. I’ll pass him and wait on your side of the border so I don’t get caught up waiting at Customs.”

  “See you soon, amigo.”

  Twenty minutes later Jack crossed into the U.S. and waited near the border while Laura followed Graves. Ten minutes after Jack crossed the border, Graves also cleared Customs and Laura followed two minutes later.

  Jack then called Ferg. “We’ve cleared Customs and are southbound on the I-5.”

  “Perfect,” Ferg responded. “That puts you about thirty minutes away from Bellis Fair, which I’m almost at. I’ll set up north of it on the I-5 and wait to join the parade.”

  “Good. I’ll call you when we’re about fifteen minutes away.”

  As Jack followed Graves south on the I-5 he noticed he was checking the side mirrors on his truck continually. Jack glanced in his own rear-view mirror and saw that Laura was behind him. Jack picked up the phone again.

  “We better drop back out of sight, Laura,” Jack said. “He’s driving slower than most everyone else and is checking his rear-views continually. You and I are beginning to stand out like a couple of sore thumbs.”

  “We’ll risk losing him,” Laura replied.

  “I’d rather do that than heat him up. He’s only about fifteen minutes north of where Ferg is. I’ll call him and tell him to keep his eyes peeled. With luck, the three of us can then follow him without being made.”

  Jack then called Ferg and kept him abreast of the distance between them as he drew nearer. Any hope he had of discovering Graves’s connection vanished when he drove past Ferg, who was still waiting on a side ramp.

  “Sorry, amigo. He didn’t come by,” Ferg said.

  Damn it! The son-of-a-bitch turned off.

  “Maybe he took the Bakerview Road exit north of here,” Ferg suggested. “It’s not the shortest way to the mall, but it still takes you there. Let’s check the mall regardless. He could still be meeting someone there.”

  Jack felt disheartened, but agreed. Minutes later he was driving through one of the mall parking lots when he knew his troubles were not over.

  Oh shit!

  He swung the wheel hard, but the sound of grating metal and his SUV being knocked sideways told him he was too late.

  Jack came to an abrupt stop and stared out the window. Oh yeah. I’m in it now. Right up to my ears.…

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The following morning, Jack and Rose were summarily called to Lexton’s office and each took a seat in front of her desk.

  Lexton gave Jack a look of contempt. When she spoke, her tone was calm but her words were cutting. “Going down there like a renegade cowboy and smashing up a police vehicle — let me guess. I bet you were also wearing your sidearm?”

  Jack sighed. “There wasn’t time to leave it at the office.”

  “You didn’t have authorization to go to the U.S. Carrying a weapon into a foreign country is a second offence — regardless of whether you had authorization to enter their country.”

  “Yes, I realize that, and I’m totally to blame.”

  “Did it never occur to you to seek Ottawa’s permission?”

  “I didn’t get confirmation until Saturday that Graves was crossing the border and planting guns on innocent cross-border shoppers. Yesterday I was tied up on surveillance, but it was my intention to apply for permission this week.”

  “What about Constable Secord? Did she cross the border?”

  “Yes, but under my orders.”

  “Your orders don’t override policy.”

  “Perhaps she thought I had permission,” Jack suggested.

  Lexton ignored the comment. “No doubt she was also armed,” she stated.

  “Would you believe she turned her weapon over to me?” Jack asked.

  “No, I would not,” Lexton replied crossly.

  “I guess I wouldn’t either,” Jack replied.

  Lexton raised an eyebrow. “Do you think this is funny, Corporal?”

  Jack paused to take a deep breath. “No, I don’t, but you must realize that it wasn’t done out of malice. Our hearts were in the right place.”

  “Obviously your brains weren’t.” Lexton paused. “Don’t look to the Force to cover the da
mages sustained to either vehicle or for any civil litigation that may follow.”

  “The other driver backed out of a stall and hit me. He admitted fault and our police unit should be out of the body shop in one or two days. The fender was bent into the tire, but it’s mostly cosmetic. It’s only the fender that needs replacing. The other driver was insured, so there —”

  “I’m not interested in the details! That will be between you, the other driver, and whatever lawyers may become involved.”

  “I understand. I used my own credit card to pay for it to be towed to the body shop.”

  “You better understand, because if it ever happens again, let me assure you that the next border you’ll be looking at will be from Baffin Island across Davis Strait to Greenland. Tell Constable Secord that goes for her, as well.”

  Jack nodded.

  “How is the vehicle being returned to Canada?”

  “The ATF agent I was working with will deliver it to the border.”

  Lexton paused. “Then we’re done. Get out of my office.”

  As Jack and Rose got out of their chairs, Lexton pointed her finger at Rose. “You stay.”

  Jack glanced at Rose and discreetly mouthed the word sorry as he left.

  * * *

  Rose tried to look calm as she faced Lexton.

  “I take it you didn’t know he’d entered the United States until after?” Lexton asked.

  “I wasn’t aware of it until he called me after the accident.”

  “Perhaps he doesn’t respect you, either,” Lexton noted. “It’s obvious he has no respect for commissioned officers.”

  “That’s not necessarily true. He held Assistant ­Commissioner Isaac in high regard,” Rose stated. “I think if you get to know and understand him a little —”

  Lexton acted as if she wasn’t listening. “He acts like everything’s a joke,” she fumed. “What’s even worse is that he exhibits a superior attitude to those above him.” She paused to glare at Rose, then said. “His attitude needs to be documented and should be reflected on his annual assessments.”

  Okay, how do I reply to that without having you flip out at me? Ah, what does it matter? It’s not like I’m expecting to be promoted above the level I’m at.

  When Rose didn’t immediately respond, Lexton said, “You’re his boss. Bringing him into line and documenting his atrocious behaviour is your job. Start doing it!”

  Rose took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Yes, I’m his boss. As such I feel obligated to protect him from false accusations.”

  Lexton looked startled. “False accusations? There’s nothing false about his insubordination! If you allow that to continue, it will become like an infectious disease.”

  “I agree that insubordination cannot be tolerated. However, what you perceive as insubordination may be a sign of the frustration he has in regard to a recent incident involving another commissioned officer. I don’t believe that he’s intentionally disrespecting you.”

  “Another commissioned officer?”

  Rose hesitated. “May I talk to you off the record about Corporal Taggart? It’s not something I ask lightly. He asked me to keep what he told me secret, and if he found out I told you it could seriously affect the trust he has in me. Trust which, when it comes to sharing intelligence, is an essential component to a good working relationship.”

  Lexton sat back in her chair and appeared to study her face carefully. “Okay, you have my curiosity. Go ahead. What you say to me will remain between us.”

  Rose waited a beat. “First of all, let me lead up to it by addressing your concerns, starting with his respect for commissioned officers. You believe that the rank of commissioner should automatically grant respect.”

  “It should.”

  “Corporal Taggart has good reason not to blindly follow that assumption. Your predecessor —”

  “Assistant Commissioner Mortimer.”

  “Yes. He basically tried to shut down our office. He didn’t want any criminal organizations to be targeted. At one point he ordered all undercover operations to cease and for Corporal Taggart to turn over any informants he had to someone else. He wanted our office to collect statistics or look at drug smuggling trends instead of going after the groups responsible.”

  Lexton’s brow furrowed. “What was his rationale?”

  “He didn’t provide any rationale to me, but warned Corporal Taggart that his career would be finished if he submitted any reports that would force him to make any decisions that had the potential to bring about criticism from Ottawa.”

  Lexton looked skeptical. “Was this alleged interaction between Assistant Commissioner Mortimer and Corporal Taggart witnessed by anyone else?”

  “He held his meeting with Corporal Taggart in private. There was nobody to corroborate what was said. If Corporal Taggart had said anything, it would have been his word against the word of a commissioned officer.”

  “Yet you believe what Corporal Taggart told you?”

  “Yes. I also had conversations with Assistant Commissioner Mortimer. His orders support what Corporal Taggart told me as far as redirecting our office to collect statistics and cease investigations like the ones we had targeting Satans Wrath.”

  Lexton put an elbow on her desk and stroked her chin with her fingertips as if in deep thought. When she lowered her hand, she said, “Years ago when I was stationed on I-HIT, there was a situation where Corporal Taggart was accused of wrongdoing by a Superintendent Wigmore. Are you familiar with it?”

  “No, it must have been before my time,” Rose replied.

  “At that time, before downsizing, Superintendent Wigmore was in charge of the intelligence units throughout the province.”

  “I don’t even know the man,” Rose replied.

  “The allegations that Superintendent Wigmore made were discredited. In fact, he was institutionalized for a thirty-day psychiatric assessment after threatening the assistant commissioner.”

  God, Jack. What did you do to the guy? Is that where I’ll end up?

  “While he was in the psych ward, his replacement discovered that Superintendent Wigmore was into child pornography. It was rumoured at the time that the reason he wanted to get rid of Corporal Taggart was because he’d been investigating a child pornography case.”

  “I never heard about it,” Rose stated.

  “Later on, Superintendent Wigmore admitted to consuming child pornography, but strongly denied the accusations and circumstances that first led to him being sent to the psych ward. He claimed he’d been framed by Corporal Taggart in a series of events to make it look like he was mentally unbalanced.”

  Should I act surprised? Rose opted to remain stoic instead. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me?”

  “You don’t think it more than coincidental that Superintendent Wigmore went after Corporal Taggart and was committed to a psychiatric ward and then Assistant Commissioner Mortimer tried to shut Taggart down and a squad of biker hit men showed up at his house?”

  “I’m not one to deal in rumours,” Rose stated. “I deal in facts, and the facts of the matter regarding Assistant Commissioner Mortimer indicate that Satans Wrath and some Russian drug dealers were responsible. There’s nothing to indicate that Corporal Taggart had any involvement whatsoever. In fact, the opposite was true. Corporal Taggart’s own family were threatened by Satans Wrath.”

  Lexton appeared to ponder her words for a moment. “This problem that Corporal Taggart and you had with my predecessor is what you wish to keep secret? I’d hardly think it necessary seeing as Assistant Commissioner ­Mortimer has retired.”

  “No, what I am about to tell you is what I wish to remain between us. It’s in regard to another commissioned officer. Chief Superintendent Quaile.”

  “In charge of Staffing.”

  “Yes, but years ago he was a staff sergeant in charge of the intelligence unit. He only lasted a few months and was transferred due to his incomp … I mean, inability, to handle opera
tional duties. His inability was exposed in part by an investigation headed by Corporal Taggart.” Rose paused, wondering how deep a hole she was getting herself into.

  “Continue,” Lexton said. “Inability … incompetence, whatever it is, don’t dance around the issue. Tell me what you have to say.”

  “Recently it came to Corporal Taggart’s attention that Chief Superintendent Quaile is holding back his performance evaluation to prevent him from being short-listed for promotion. I submitted it four months ago and it’s remained in his basket ever since, despite repeated reminders by his secretary.”

  Lexton appeared taken back. “He’s holding it until after the promotion board sits in two weeks.”

  “Exactly.”

  “How does Corporal Taggart know this?” Lexton questioned.

  “The secretary called him because she was so upset at what she perceived as being wrong.”

  “It is wrong,” Lexton stated. “Why haven’t you or ­Corporal Taggart reported it?”

  “Because Corporal Taggart knows it would jeopardize the secretary’s job. Considering Chief Superintendent Quaile’s personality, I’d have to agree.”

  “So he is willing to forgo his own promotion to protect the secretary?”

  “Yes.”

  “I take it they’re friends?”

  “No, he’s never met her. I presume she’s someone with a strong sense of what’s right or wrong.” Rose paused, and when she didn’t get a response she continued. “Corporal Taggart holds some commissioned officers in high regard, but for him, that respect doesn’t come automatically and perhaps for good reason.”

  “I see.”

  “As you are likely aware, I have my masters in psychology. I am well acquainted with people’s behaviour patterns and have known Corporal Taggart for a number of years. You mentioned he acts like everything is a joke. Were you to consider the number of attempts on his life and the severe stress he has endured, you might be surprised there is any humour left in him.”

  “You may think of it as humour, I don’t. I didn’t find it humorous when he asked if I’d believe that Constable ­Secord turned her firearm over to him, then acknowledged that he wouldn’t believe it, either.” Lexton leaned forward in her chair and her face darkened. “He was playing with me. I had the same experience when I spoke to him last Friday. He backed me into a corner to make it sound like I told him that being overly candid was not always advisable.”