Diamond Run

by Michael Croucher

  If it looked like the cops didn’t know about the staircase hideaways, he’d figure out a way to get those keys.

  As for his getaway. He had a big surprise planned for the cops, one that would keep them occupied while the freighter he was booked on left Hamilton harbor. This car would be the bait. He would use it to create chaos. Cops would be drawn to it like flies to shit. He slammed his fist onto the dashboard.

  If I have to live without the jeweler’s stash, people will have to pay. Most of them are fucking cops.

  Chapter 39

  Roy Jacobs and one of our guys transported Jasper Bain to Hamilton Police Headquarters for booking. Ernie went back to the property where Sue had been kept prisoner, Lemon’s property. Not long after Ernie left, I heard his voice on the handset announcing that they’d found a male body inside the old house. The coroner had been called and officers were busy stringing crime scene tape around the house and the RV where Sue had been held.

  After our emotional reunion, Sue was quiet. She sat at the kitchen table, just staring at the wall. I’d made a pot of coffee and put a mug in front of her. I was pouring myself one when a woman walked in, holding out her badge.

  “Hi, Sergeant Mahood, I’m Danielle Garvey, from Roy’s unit.”

  I shook her hand and told her to help herself to coffee. She did, and took a sip. “Look, Phil, I think Sue needs to stay with you for a bit. It sounds like Roy will be another forty-five minutes at least. So, I’ll leave you two alone. Roy and I will be taking her statement on the kidnapping as soon as he gets here. I don’t need to tell you the dos and don’ts in this situation, but I will. Avoid discussing details of the abduction, her confinement, or the investigation, just keep her comfortable and reassured.”

  I understood perfectly, and was impressed by Danielle’s professionalism. A lot of other cops would have been uncomfortable telling an experienced investigator that, or wouldn’t bother giving that reminder.

  Sue stared down at her coffee mug, both hands clutched tightly around it. She might not have felt like drinking much, but seemed glad it was there, glad that the mug was warm. Sometimes people find comfort in simple things after traumatic experiences. The coffee was an assurance that she was back, away from the terror, away from the ordeal. It was the first step of many she would need to take to recover a sense of normalcy.

  Danielle Garvey took her coffee and left the kitchen.

  I pulled a chair up beside Sue. I said nothing, just sat and held her hand for a while. She was pale, her eyes puffy and bloodshot. After about five minutes, she glanced at me. A trace of a smile.

  “Thank God you’re safe, Sue. We’ll get that other son of a bitch soon.”

  She stiffened. “He’s still on the loose? Christ, Phil... I can’t believe they didn’t get him when they got that other creep.”

  “He’s always been slippery, but we’re closer to getting him now than we’ve ever been. He’ll be locked up or dead before long.”

  “They were together at that place, that horrible, disgusting place. How could he get away, Phil? Wait till I tell you what—-?”

  I cut her off gently, held both of her hands. “Listen, Sue. I want you to tell me this when you’re ready, but not yet. It’s important that you wait until you’ve talked to the investigating officers from this jurisdiction. And I’ve got to be careful. I can’t say anything that will influence what you tell them. Are you okay with that?”

  She dabbed her eyes with a Kleenex, said nothing.

  “That lady, Dannielle, and a guy named Roy Jacobs from the Hamilton PD will be taking your statement. But you tell me if you’re not up to it, and I’ll tell them to hold off for a bit.”

  “No. Let’s get it over with.”

  “Roy is a good investigator, and a great guy to boot. Danielle seems solid as well. You won’t have long to wait.”

  Sue took one of her hands away from mine and brought her coffee mug closer. Every once in a while, a tear rolled down her cheek. I wiped each one with the back of my finger. I wanted to do more, anything to help her put that horrible experience behind her. Maybe I could help her talk some of it out, after she’d given the statement. That would be up to her.

  ROY JACOBS ARRIVED at the house about the same time as Ernie. Jacobs came into the kitchen and took the chair I had been sitting in. Danielle put down a pad of foolscap and a couple of pens. They were ready. So was Sue.

  I took two mugs of coffee and went out to join Ernie. We sat on the front porch, staring out across Ridge Road, both of us concentrating on Marco. We didn’t say we were. We didn’t have to, we knew each other too well. There were times when we had to think like the perp, and lay out all his options. This was one of them.

  Ernie eventually reached into his pocket for his smokes. I figured he would speak first. He usually did. I watched him light up and take a deep drag. He pushed the spent match into the dirt in one of Sue’s flower boxes.

  “Plane, train, or car, Phil. How do you figure this prick will go?”

  “Depends, partner. He’ll go when he’s ready to go, in a way that feels safe to him. I doubt he’s ready yet. Not until he knows for sure that Nathan’s shit is out of his reach. I’ve got some ideas on how to convince him that it is... And, that safest way for him to get away... But I guaranty, that asshole will come up with something unpredictable.”

  “Well, the Mounties and the FBI both have him on their most wanted. We have all-points-bulletins out on both sides of the border. Depending on what we put out publicly, Phil, he’s not likely to hang around the Hammer too long. He’ll steer clear of Toronto, and Montreal too.”

  “Yeah, I’m with you on that. The way he’s been going for broke, settling scores and cutting ties, makes me think he’s looking long-distance. Wants to do a complete transplant.”

  Ernie leaned forward and flicked his cigarette ash over the flower box. “Marco’s not the type to share his plans, or his thoughts. We’re not going to trip over anyone he’s confided in.”

  “Right. But what about someone who may have seen or heard something. We could shake that tree, but only if we find someone he worked with who isn’t dead. Just about everyone he deals with directly gets snuffed. There’s only one of them left.”

  “Yeah, Jasper. We’ve got to take a damned good run at him. He taxied Marco around to get him laid, and probably took him other places to set things up. Maybe we could sniff out a few hints. We’re lucky that bastard’s still alive.”

  “True enough. I’d like to see the asshole dead myself.”

  Ernie looked into his mug. “I hate to think about what would have happened if he’d taken Sue back to Marco.”

  “Thank God she got that drape out the window.” I said. “If she hadn’t, we would never have known she was in the house. Fifteen minutes more and she would have been taken to Ranez. That’s the first thing I want to ask her when Jacobs is finished. I know he’ll be asking her the same thing. But I want her to tell me how she managed to pull that off.”

  I took a long sip of coffee. “I’m going to ask Jacobs to consider a press release that gets Marco moving. That might be a tough sell, especially if the release stretches the truth.

  “In the meantime, let’s get people onto that pizza shop, the hookers upstairs, that scumbag car dealer, and anyone else that may know something about Marco’s movements around Hamilton. Tell them to drill down for any scrap of information. Let’s see what we come up with.”

  “Makes sense, Phil. Let’s hope Roy goes along with a bit of creative writing....and then we’ll get right into Jasper’s face.”

  Chapter 40

  They’d finished with Sue, Roy came out to the porch and Danielle went upstairs with the forensic team. Roy leaned against the rail by the flower box.

  “We’re done with Sue for today. We’ll be back to her as the case develops and we prepare for trial.” He grinned and rubbed his forehead.

  “Here’s a bit of a scoop, guys. I just got off the phone with my department. They advised me
that Danielle and I have been attached to your unit until further notice. We’re to handle the kidnapping file, and help out with your CFSEU projects. In other words, we’re now part of your team. The rest of our Hamilton files have been reassigned. Hope you guys don’t mind...We didn’t request this, but we’re both looking forward to working with you on a longer-term basis.”

  I knew this was coming. It made a lot of sense. Combined-forces units were non-existent until a few years back. Now they were part of a trend that looked like it had legs. The CFSEU was a prestigious joint-force squad, and the Hamilton PD had wanted in for a while. With our investigation taking a big turn towards Hamilton, and with the rising body count, it all came together. I couldn’t have been happier. By the look on his face, neither could Ernie. It would be a huge help to have them on board.

  “We need the help, Roy. This guy will give us one hell of a chase,” said Ernie.

  “Really glad to hear it,” I said. “Why don’t you kick some things around with Ernie? I’m going to spend a few minutes with Sue, then get her settled in for some rest. Give me forty-five minutes and we’ll get at it. I’ve got an idea I want to run by you both.”

  I went inside. Sue had showered and put on jeans and a sweater. She looked a lot better, but said she was exhausted. No wonder, after what she’d been through. She went to the fridge, got us each a glass of orange juice. She put them on the table, fighting off a yawn. “I’ll stay up for another hour or so, and then I need to sleep. Danielle told me I could go up as soon as the forensic people have finished whatever it is that they’re doing. God, I think that whenever I do drop off, I’ll sleep for a week.”

  She moved her chair right up beside mine. I put my arm around her.

  “We got lucky tonight, Sue...but we have to stay on our toes...there’s a chance this maniac might hang around Hamilton. We’ll know more about that in a few hours.” I shook my head and gently turned her face towards mine. “How the hell did you manage to get that drape out the window with that other jerk watching you?”

  “That’s the reason I’m not bugging these people for my bed, or sound asleep on a chair in the front room. I’ve got to tell you personally what happened, and then I’ve got something important to show you.”

  She told me about Jasper going to investigate a sudden commotion in her bedroom, creating the opportunity for her to slip the drape over the window sill. That he’d rushed back, completely freaked out, and frantic to leave. She said he’d had an encounter with the entity. The same one I’d run into the other night.

  “Well, Sue, whatever or whoever it was, the diversion saved your life, but I’m not sure it was...”

  She cut me off with a hand gesture, and told me about the fire he set in the wheelbarrow.

  “That was Jasper’s signal for his buddy Marco to bail,” I said.

  “He was creepy enough, but that other man was a disgusting slug. Marco, is that his real name?”

  “Uh huh, Marco...” I hesitated, not knowing what my next question would reveal. “Did either of them do anything to you, Sue?”

  She gave a heavy sigh, shook her head, and put both hands up to her face. Her hands were trembling. Her voice weak again.

  “Danielle and Roy asked me the same thing. This Marco made it very clear what he wanted to do to me, Phil. And if he got me back there, or wherever that guy was going to take me...he would have done it all. He got excited describing everything he had in mind...in detail.” She sobbed and her hands kept trembling. I reached over and held them both. I brought them to my lips and kissed her clenched fingers softly.

  My blood was boiling, but I said nothing. I’d get my time with that asshole Marco.

  Sue squeezed my hands. Her eyes locked onto mine. “Do you really doubt what it was that confronted you up there, Phil?”

  “I’m still struggling with it, but it’s tough not to be curious after what’s been happening...And tonight, that thing, whatever, or whoever it was, saved your life. It gave you a chance to get away from Jasper. Marco wouldn’t have left here without killing you.”

  She shuddered and looked away.

  “What was it you wanted to show me, Sue?”

  She went to the kitchen. I watched her pick something up from the counter. When she came back, she placed an index card and an Allen key on the table. “These are what they were looking for: these notes and a stupid key.”

  The key had been pulled away, but I could see where it had been taped to the back of the index card. Next to the tape mark, there was a crudely drawn sketch of the stairs, with directional arrows and notations indicating how to access each compartment. On the back of the card there was a list of names, and beside each name, the address of a bank branch, and a three-to-five-digit number.

  “These names and numbers must correspond to safety deposit boxes. They’re useless to Marco without keys to each box,” I said. “How does the Allen key fit in, and what do you think is in the compartments?”

  Sue took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe the safety deposit box keys...but I don’t know for sure. I never really considered that possibility until my confinement. I just know these compartments were expertly concealed in the staircase woodwork. Once they’re exposed, the Allen key opens them all.

  “I feel like such a goddamned idiot, Phil. And to be honest with you, I do feel a bit guilty as well.”

  “Look, Sue, we went over this place with three teams of seasoned investigators after Nathan’s arrest. They are some of the most thorough people we have when it comes to doing searches. If we missed this card and the index key, we missed them, it’s not your fault.”

  There was something really eating at her. I could see it in her eyes. “What’s wrong, Sue?”

  “This card and key weren’t...”

  “Weren’t what?” I asked.

  She put a hand to her forehead. “I knew Nathan had these little hideaways built into the stairs. But I was never sure he’d used them.”

  “Look, you didn’t mention the hideaways when we did the searches, and you didn’t mention this card and key. Why?”

  “Because I’d convinced myself that he never used the compartments.”

  Her eyes filled again. She turned away from me.

  I placed a hand on her back, lowered my voice. “When did you change your mind about that possibility?”

  Now she massaged her forehead with all ten fingers. Her voice trembled. “That’s what I feel guilty about, Phil. I’m wondering if a small part of me wanted something to be here.”

  “I get that, Sue. But, for God’s sake, you cooperated with us on everything. You were a huge help...What I don’t understand is why this card and the Allen key didn’t turn up in our search.”

  She faced me, her jaw tight. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. The damn things weren’t here then.” She dropped her head into her hands, exasperated.

  I felt the blood drain from my face. “Then how did you get them?”

  “I had them locked away in my desk on campus. They were there for several months before I brought them here in a box of my research notes. I didn’t think much about them then. But for some reason, I couldn’t throw them away.”

  This revelation stung. I pushed my chair back with a little more energy than it needed. I stared at her for what seemed like a minute.

  Eventually, she spoke again. “You see...I guess I didn’t cooperate with you on everything. Now, of course, I wish I had. But... I just didn’t.”

  I felt like I’d been kicked between the legs. I sat there digesting it all.

  “You and I didn’t start up until a while after those searches,” she said. “So, I don’t feel that I betrayed you, just a little guilty because I was less than honest with your team. And, really, I didn’t think anything was in those hideaways. I’d pushed that card and the key out of my mind until I was abducted.”

  My head was spinning, but I needed to push forward with the investigation. “Does Marco know all this?”

  �
�He does now. I told him. I had to get out of that RV, and I knew my chances of getting out of this alive would be better at my house. I knew you had people watching it.”

  I thought that over. “That was the right call, Sue.”

  It was smart, really smart, but she could tell I was pissed. This information could cause me a lot of grief if it wasn’t handled well. There was another awkward pause.

  I calmed myself. “Hon, when Roy and Danielle took your statement just now, did you mention any of this to them?”

  “I thought about it, and decided not to. I wasn’t trying to withhold it though. I knew I would be giving all this to you the minute I saw you. I wanted you to know about it first, so I could explain everything. I was worried stiff about our relationship. You’ll tell them right away. The investigation won’t suffer.”

  “That’ll be okay, Sue. But Roy and Danielle will want to do a follow-up interview so they can add the details to your statement. You told me right away, and that will help.”

  I thought about the promise I’d made to Jack Duggan. I’d have to let him know about this. Soon. I picked up the index card and Allen Key.

  First thing first, make sure Sue stays safe.

  “Right here, Sue, we’ve got enough information to get Marco moving. If we use it effectively, he’ll leave Hamilton in a big rush. You’ll be out of his crosshairs, and my team will be right on his rotten ass.”

  Chapter 41

  The sun had been up for over an hour. Sue was exhausted and wanted to get to bed. Although I would have preferred she go somewhere else for a few days, she insisted on staying at the house. Reluctantly I agreed, providing the place was set up like an armed camp. But If I couldn’t get agreement on a press release to convince Marco that he’d never get at Nathan’s stash, and that it was permanently out of his reach, I wasn’t going to let her stay even if we protected the place with a regiment of commandos. I needed an answer on the press release quickly.