LITMIR.BIZ

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He glanced at Hobbs. “Did you pull phone tolls off Damien’s number?”

      “I did, but the phone was only put in service last Friday.”

      “When we raided his house and turned him,” Jack said. “That figures. He wouldn’t want to risk me pulling intel off any other phone he used. It’s not uncommon for guys in his position to have more than one phone. One for idle talk and then disposable ones that few people would know the number to.”

      “There were only three numbers that he called in the week on that phone. One was yours, one was to Vicki’s old number — which was terminated three days ago — and then there was a third number we haven’t identified. Vicki’s old phone also indicated calls to that same third number.”

      “Likely Buck’s regular phone,” Jack said.

      “Sort of what I figured,” Hobbs replied. “There were two calls placed yesterday morning from it. Both were triangulated to Damien’s house. The first one, at 10:00 a.m., was to a new number. The second call was right after to Damien’s number. Both calls were brief.”

      “I bet the first call was to Vicki’s new number,” Jack said.

      “That’s my guess. I was hoping I’d see her calling Basil Westmount’s number, but she didn’t make any calls after that.”

      “Vicki’s too smart for that,” Jack said. “She would’ve used another disposable phone that nobody knew she had.”

      “What’s interesting is that Buck called Damien right after,” Hobbs said. “Why make two calls? Couldn’t he have had Vicki pass her phone to Damien? Seems odd to me.”

      “Maybe Buck was checking to see if they were both home,” Jack suggested. “Vicki might’ve said she was out when she wasn’t. She told me she visited her dad for lunch every day at his hospice. Maybe that’s what Buck expected. Then for him to call Damien right after …” He stopped talking as he pondered the possibilities.

      “You think Buck helped them grab Damien when he thought the coast was clear?” Dyck questioned.

      “I don’t know,” Jack replied. “Maybe he didn’t know what was going on. He might still not.”

      “The thing is, if they took Damien and had him at the top of Sumas Mountain by noon, he’d have had to be out of the house soon after the calls were made,” Hobbs pointed out.

      “You need to consider that Buck has been brainwashed, told all his life that the club comes first,” Jack said. “With Damien being national president, I’m sure the kid idolized him. If he found out that his father was an informant … I don’t know what he’d have done.”

      “Damien only became your informant to save Buck and Vicki from going to jail,” Randy inserted. “You’d think Buck would realize that.”

      Jack nodded. “I’m also curious that the phone wasn’t password-protected when it was put in my mailbox. I’m inclined to think Damien would’ve done so and I’m thinking that only Buck or Vicki might’ve known what his password was.”

      A silence fell over the room for several moments as everyone doubtless pondered whether Buck could have set up his own father. At last Randy cleared his throat and said, “You know these guys better than we do, Jack. What do you propose we do first?”

      “Well, I believe the three-three is the weakest link,” he replied. “They take their orders either from Pure E or through chapter presidents who have spoken with Pure E. Either way, the investigation will be long, require lots of investigators, and probably some luck. It may take a few times to find out where they dispose of their bodies.”

      “Times?” Dyck repeated. “Are you proposing we let them get away with murdering someone simply to find out how they dispose of the bodies?”

      “Sometimes it’s difficult to predict a murder,” Jack said. “There may not be time to save someone. If you do save them, it may mean there’s no evidence to charge anyone. If we get Pure E on a wire giving the order first, we could charge them with conspiracy, but I’m not optimistic that we’ll be able to do that immediately. I think the odds are more likely that some murders will take place during our investigation before we catch Pure E giving any orders.”

      Dyck’s face darkened. “In other words, it’ll lead into what you on the intelligence unit refer to as ‘a delicate matter.’”

      “Yes, or as Isaac later referred to it, ‘an indelicate matter,’” Jack said.

      Dyck sighed. “No doubt tough decisions will have to be made. We’ll deal with them when they arise.” He looked at Jack. “I know you’re not optimistic about approaching Vicki, but I still think it’s worth a shot. We need solid evidence to link her. Without that we’re screwed.”

      “Laura and I will try,” Jack said, “but if she knows we’re coming, she’ll be calling a lawyer. We need to catch her by surprise. Maybe when she leaves the house or goes shopping. She’ll be expecting us, so let’s give her time to relax, then approach her when she’s not expecting it.”

      “Makes sense,” Dyck replied. “I’d also like to see if she reports Damien missing. If she does, fine, but if she doesn’t, how about approaching her a week from Monday?”

      “Works for me.” Jack nodded. “Come to think of it, Laura and I’ll find out which hospice her father is in and approach her there.”

      As everyone stood to leave, Hobbs said, “This is going to be one tough case to solve.”

      “I think it’s already solved,” Laura stated. Her eyes met Jack’s. “It’s bringing the culprits to justice that’s the tricky part.”

      Taking pictures of my family. Believe me, justice will be served.

      Chapter Eleven

      Jack sat down at the dining-room table and Natasha raised a glass of Pinot Noir toward him. “Budem zdorovy.”

      Jack hadn’t learned much Russian from his wife, but that was one phrase he knew. Yes, let’s stay healthy. Their wineglasses chimed and he saw the candlelight glimmer in her eyes as she took a sip. I’m so lucky to have married you. I love you so much.

      Years earlier it had been Natasha’s idea to try to set Friday night aside as “date night.” It was a shared moment each week that gave them time to unwind, reconnect with each other … and value their lives together.

      Jack shared Natasha’s smile when Mike and Steve quietly passed by on their way to the family room to watch television. Friday nights, both boys knew, was time for Mom and Dad to be alone.

      “It’s been quite a week,” Natasha noted. “Did you happen to check for mail when you came home? I decided that should be your job from here on in.”

      Jack nodded. “That little surprise might turn out to be the biggest mistake Satans Wrath ever made.”

      “You think the task force will harm them that much?”

      “If it goes right across country, it could. At least it might set them back a few years, which would cost them a lot of money when others stepped in to replace them.”

      “And the guy you call Pure E?”

      “He’s the number-one target.”

      Natasha looked silently at Jack.

      “It’s okay,” Jack assured her. “Once it goes national … and likely international, they’ll be hit from all sides by dozens of investigators from numerous jurisdictions. Pure E will have a lot more on his mind than thinking about me.”

      “Good. So no worries?”

      “No worries. I promised you I’d deal with it.”

      Jack grinned and looked at his plate. “This lasagna is delicious.”

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