LITMIR.BIZ

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told him about her phone call from some raspy sounding hooker who swore Spider killed the vet.

      “Spider doesn’t even know I’m a cop. I’m sure he didn’t do both murders,” said Jack. “Besides, he should remember what I look like.”

      “Holly’s husband didn’t look that much different than you. He was holding his baby in front of him. The killers were wearing visors. They might not have been able to see all that clearly.”

      “Spider is no professional. He could donate his brains to the field of scatology.”

      “So he could be dumb enough to kill the wrong guy? Like Holly’s husband?”

      “Dumb, yes. But not sophisticated enough to pack a piece with a silencer. Didn’t I hear on the news that the vet was stabbed?”

      “He was. Small amount of money and a piece of jewellery taken.”

      “That’s something Spider would do, but Holly’s husband was a professional hit. Robbery wasn’t the motive there. This bit about being killed at the front door is a coincidence.”

      “And you said that it was a coincidence that your name matched Holly’s husband’s.”

      Jack sighed but didn’t respond. “When you were working in the Black Water, wasn’t that to work your way up to someone connected with Satans Wrath?”

      “Yes. It worked, but that was several steps above Spider.”

      “Maybe some of those steps have since disappeared. Spider could be more connected than you realize.”

      Jack shook his head and said, “I don’t think so, but I’ll go down to the Black Water right now and find out.”

      “This is what you meant when you told Isaac you would keep a low profile?”

      “I said it would be prudent to keep a low profile. I didn’t say that I was prudent!”

      Connie smiled, then said, “Guess it’s your neck. I’d appreciate you coming with me to identify him.”

      “You’d be made in there. Let me go in alone. Pair up with Danny and wait in a parkade across the street. If Spider’s not there, I could wait or ask around without drawing heat.”

      “That is one sleazy hotel, but if you’re okay with that, then so am I. When you find him, let us know and we’ll come in and grab him.”

      “Do you have any evidence on this case?”

      “Not really. He did take some cash and a gold pendant in the shape of a heart. It was engraved on the back from when Albert and Essie got married. He ripped it off her neck. Being blind probably saved her life.”

      “If Spider did it, I doubt that he’ll be carrying it around with him. With all the heat he might even be afraid to pawn it right now.”

      “If he is as dumb as you say, maybe I can get him to confess.”

      “Right. You know how that goes these days. He’ll be sitting on the lap of some legal aid lawyer. How about DNA or prints?”

      “No prints. Recovered a single hair that we can’t identify. Could be from the perp, but it could also be from someone else. Grab Spider and hope we get a match.”

      Jack smiled politely, then turned and grabbed his jacket.

      Connie stared after him. The son of a bitch has no intention of grabbing Spider!

      chapter ten

      Jack, Danny, and Connie were leaving the office when Danny saw Elvis Secord approaching and whispered, “Uh-oh. ACU.”

      “You got a moment, Jack?” asked Elvis. “You too, Danny? It would be better if we talked in Louie’s office.”

      Connie smiled and said, “Take your time, Jack. A moment with Internal Affairs usually means an hour. I’ll just sit at your desk and browse through your briefcase while I’m waiting.”

      “It’s Anti-Corruption,” muttered Elvis under his breath as he turned and headed for Louie’s office. When Louie, Jack, and Danny were listening, Elvis told them about Molen.

      “We did surveillance. Had people from our unit and I-HIT. Molen met Leitch’s secretary in a coffee shop at noon. He gave her a large envelope and left.”

      “You follow the envelope?” asked Louie.

      “Both. We split up the surveillance teams. Some went with Molen and the rest stayed with the envelope. Molen returned to the office and the secretary went to a park and handed the envelope to Leitch.”

      “Which park?” asked Jack.

      “Nelson Park. Corner of Nelson and Thurlow. She then waited while Leitch took a walk in the park. He showed the envelope to an unidentified man, then returned and gave it back to his secretary. She then took it to her bank and put it in her safety deposit box.”

      “The guy in the park didn’t get a copy of the report?” asked Jack.

      “No, but it was pretty short. Juicy enough, but short. Might have been able to remember what was in it.”

      Jack nodded and said, “Well I’m sure that the guy in the park was either Damien or another Satans Wrath member who goes by the name of Pussy Paul.”

      “One of them a dark guy with a British accent?” asked Elvis.

      “No.”

      “I walked past when they were meeting. I’m sure I heard him say ‘jolly good.’ Then they looked at me real hard and I just kept going. I’m hoping I didn’t get burned.”

      “I hope not too,” said Jack. “Let me show you some pictures.”

      Elvis spent the next half-hour looking through pictures of Satans Wrath. “Sorry,” he said, “don’t believe it’s any of these. The fellow was quite dark. Maybe Indo. We’ll do another report for Molen tomorrow. See what happens then.”

      “Good luck,” replied Jack. “Is Laura still around? Or is she off to Bangkok or someplace again?”

      “She’s home. Why?”

      “Nothing. Just tell her I said hello.”

      East Hastings was swarming with a variety of the drug addicts, low-level dealers, pimps, muggers, and prostitutes who laid claim to the area. Drug overdoses, murders, and AIDS took a severe toll, but the population continued to grow.

      Jack felt dirty just walking into the Black Water Hotel. Even the regulars considered it a dirty, dangerous place. I’ll be showering tonight as soon as I get home. Maybe after the first shower, Natasha will join me for the second...

      The place had not changed any since last year. Pot lights marked a stage in the centre of the bar where a stripper was performing. She wore only a variety of tattoos and stood gyrating her crotch against a pole that ran up to the black ceiling before disappearing amongst the broken cardboard tiles. She didn’t have much of an audience.

      Jack sauntered to the rear of the bar where the pool tables were located. He didn’t see Spider but did recognize the face of someone he had continually lost money to when he played pool last year. The man recognized him and was eager to continue making money.

      The waitress came along a few minutes later. She also recognized him but didn’t know his name. “Hey! Mister Kokanee, right?” she said.

      Jack smiled. Like most waitresses, she knew her clients by what they drank.

      “Haven’t seen ya around for a while.” she said.

      “Ya, you know. Been travelling around the world. Staying in my penthouse suites as

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