The Benefactor

by Don Easton

  Connie nodded submissively.

  “Chinatown is a busy area,” said Jack. “If I need help, I suspect it will be a 911 call to VPD.”

  “Except your phone will be back in Mia’s car,” grumbled Laura.

  Jack grinned. “If it comes to that, I’ll make sure it’s a bad guy calling for help and not me.”

  The attempt at humour did not go over well with Rose. “Are you going to question Mia tonight about Cheng’s murder?” she asked, bluntly.

  “I don’t think that would be wise,” replied Jack. “If she had nothing to do with it, all it would do is cause her to lose focus when she takes me to meet Wong. If she did have something to do with it, I don’t think it would be prudent for me to stick my nose into a case that belongs to VPD unless they want me to.”

  “I agree with you on that issue,” said Connie. “I’ll talk to Wilson, but I’m sure he will want to hold off until we see how far you get with Wong.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement, but Jack saw that Connie was frowning.

  “So why the long face, Connie?” asked Jack. “If you’re still thinking about Cheng, in reality, he isn’t even your case.”

  “Yeah, but I feel that his murder is the result of my case,” retorted Connie. She scowled at Jack and muttered, “Two minutes ago I was really pissed off at you. Now I have to suck up to you and ask you to continue with the undercover operation.”

  “Sucking up to me isn’t necessary,” replied Jack. “You already did a number on me the day you had me deliver Nancy Brighton her mail. She’s a spunky lady and deserves justice for what happened to her sister. I’m more than glad to be assisting.”

  Connie nodded politely to hide what she was thinking. The thing is, Jack, I know all too well what you consider justice to be …

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  At seven o’clock, Jack met Mia at the university parking lot and got into her car. He saw that she was wearing a snug-fitting sweater and tight blue jeans.

  “No, I’m not trying to seduce you,” she said, aware that his eyes had scanned her body. “I was told these jerks will search us tonight. I thought it would save them the trouble. Obviously I’m not hiding anything.”

  “That’s for sure,” agreed Jack emphatically, before smiling. The situation they were entering was stressful and he hoped that a little humour would alleviate it. He was relieved to see her smile back.

  Mia found a place to park her car in the heart of Chinatown and at precisely eight o’clock she received a call on her cellphone. Jack leaned over in the seat to hear the conversation. It didn’t do him any good. The caller was a man who spoke Chinese and it was apparent that Mia was fluent.

  After hanging up, she said, “We’re to leave the car and walk to the southwest corner of Main and East Hastings. There is a moving company on the corner and we are to go to the alley behind it. We will find instructions inside a discarded take-out food container stuck under a Dumpster.”

  “Was that Mr. Frank?” asked Jack.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know who it was.”

  “In the future, I would prefer you speak English,” said Jack.

  “Don’t trust me?” smiled Mia, feigning mock innocence as she touched her chest with her hand.

  “Probably about as much as you trust me,” replied Jack.

  Mia stared blankly at him for a moment. “Actually, I do trust you,” she said.

  Her comment made him feel uneasy. It gave him the feeling that she was more in control than he was.

  They each tucked their phones under the seat and walked in silence. Minutes later they arrived at the Dumpster and Jack retrieved a discarded Styrofoam food container from underneath. Inside was a note telling them to cross East Hastings and go north in the alley to East Cordova Street, then dogleg down to another alley to another Dumpster. They did as instructed, only to find a note directing them to a third Dumpster.

  After the third Dumpster, the note gave them an address to go to. They had entered a less desirable part of the city and Jack was conscious of Mia slipping her arm through his as they passed a cluster of drug addicts making a transaction on the sidewalk.

  Eventually they came to the address on the note. It was a small hole-in-the wall restaurant and Jack grabbed hold of the doorknob, but paused to look around. The restaurant was a two-storey building with living quarters on the second floor. The building itself was wedged between a pawnshop and a dry cleaners.

  He casually glanced up and down the sidewalk. He didn’t see anyone who might have been following them, but remembered that the last time Wong’s men had cornered him in an alley he hadn’t seen anyone either, until it was too late.

  He took a deep breath, nodded to Mia and was about to open the door when he heard the impatient muttering of a heavyset Chinese woman who had stopped behind him and was waiting to enter, along with her husband. He guessed the couple to be in their early-sixties. The husband was tall and thin and his wife was short and overweight.

  Jack opened the door and gestured for them to enter ahead of him. As he did, the woman nodded politely, while giving him a smile that showed she was missing most of her teeth. She said something to him in Chinese, so Jack smiled and nodded in return as they entered.

  The restaurant had less than a dozen seating areas, comprised of mismatched kitchen tables and equally mismatched chairs. A strong odour of garlic and other spices permeated throughout the steamy room. I’m in the real Chinatown …

  The only patrons already in the restaurant were a young Chinese couple who were giggling over some fortune cookies and two Chinese men who were sitting together in the rear. Jack recognized them as Dai and Rong, the two Dongfang brothers who had previously accosted him in the alley with Laura. At that time they each held newspapers over their arms to hide their weapons. This time they had no newspapers. A sign that Jack took to mean they felt safe in their current environment. It gave him the feeling that he was in the lair of a predator.

  Jack made eye contact with them and Dai stared back, then nodded for them to take a seat near the middle of the restaurant.

  As soon as they sat down, a young waiter appeared through a set of swinging bar-style doors in a narrow hallway behind Dai and Rong. Dai barked at the waiter in Chinese as he went past. The waiter glanced at Jack and Mia and quickly disappeared behind the doors again.

  “You know those two guys at the back?” asked Mia. “They’re really checking us out.”

  “Yes. The guy on the left is Dai and the other one is Rong. I’ve run into them before. Wong uses them as protection.”

  “Then where is Wong?”

  “Likely close by.” Jack eyed her and said, “You’re doing good. You look relaxed.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll be happy to get it over with.”

  Seconds later, the waiter returned with a teapot and hustled over to where Jack and Mia were sitting.

  The waiter’s hands trembled as he poured them some green tea while casting a quick peek back at Dai and Rong.

  Mia looked at Jack and raised an eyebrow. “You want any food?” she asked. “I’m not hungry myself.”

  “Only green tea for me as well,” replied Jack, glancing at the waiter. “Perhaps later.”

  The waiter nodded, then hustled over to give the older couple each a menu before meeting the young couple who were waiting at the till and munching on their fortune cookies.

  Would be interesting to see what my fortune would be, thought Jack. A few minutes went by and Jack saw Dai answer his cellphone. When he hung up, he looked at Jack and gave him a nod and gestured for them to follow him down the hallway.

  Mia glanced at Jack and whispered, “Guess it’s showtime. Hope it all works out for you.”

  Jack and Mia followed Dai down the hall and Rong tagged along behind. The first set of swinging doors they passed on the left opened in to the kitchen, where Jack caught a glimpse of an older Chinese couple cleaning dishes.

  In the hall past the kitchen was a door leading to th
e woman’s washroom. Directly across from that was the men’s washroom. They continued past and Jack sidestepped as another door on his left opened in front of him, blocking his view of the hallway momentarily. Once the door opened wider, he saw it was the same waiter carrying a box of food items up from a dingy basement.

  The next door on the right past the basement led to a small office. At the end of the hallway was the fire-escape door leading to an alley. Dai gestured for Jack and Laura to enter the office.

  The windowless office was comprised of an old wooden desk with an oak swivel chair behind it. In front of the desk were three kitchen chairs that were made of chrome and had seat pads covered in red plastic, which had split open in several places. The desk itself had a pile of Chinese magazines on one corner, a spike receipt holder containing a skewered bundle of restaurant receipts on the opposite corner and a bookkeeping ledger in the middle.

  Dai told Jack and Mia to remain standing as Rong entered and closed the door. Moments later, Dai thoroughly patted Jack down as he looked for a weapon. His search of Mia was slightly less thorough, opting instead to use his fingertips to probe around her chest. When he was finished, he stepped back and Rong used an electrical wand to scan their bodies. Satisfied that they were both free from weapons or communication devices, Dai told them to return to the restaurant and have their tea while they waited.

  On their way back to their table, Jack noticed that Dai went into the kitchen while Rong returned to his table to watch them. He heard Dai’s footsteps on the floor above his head and a minute later, Dai returned and sat with Rong.

  A few minutes later, Jack heard more footsteps from above, where they descended stairs into the kitchen, before entering the hallway. It was Wong and his two other bodyguards, Zhang and Shen. Wong walked down the hallway to the office while Zhang and Shen joined Dai and Rong at their table.

  “The top boss has arrived,” said Mia. “Are you going to go talk to him?”

  “Not until I’m told to. The two guys that joined our friends at the table are Zhang and Shen. I think the big guy, Zhang, is in charge of Wong’s security. Sit tight until we’re told otherwise. Wong is probably waiting for Mr. Frank to arrive.”

  Mia shrugged in response. “Who cares about him? Wong is who you want. How long do you plan to wait?”

  “Patience. Give them time.” Jack glanced sideways at Mia. Interesting that she would call the top guy by his surname … but show respect for Frank by addressing him as Mister… It caused Jack to reflect upon his past dealings with Mia as he sipped his tea. She told me her mother was an “entrepreneur” … exact word I trained my sons to say.

  Mia had thoughts of her own and was anxious to get it over with. There is no way the benefactor will risk letting Mr. Frank show up. Mom even said so … She smiled to herself. After tonight, my part will be over.

  Jack’s subconscious was alerting him to the danger he was in and his senses became more alive. He heard the older woman with the missing teeth speaking in Chinese to her husband behind him … bits of Chinese conversation from the bodyguards came to him from the opposite direction. He glanced at Mia. I don’t feel like I’m in Canada. I feel like … I’m in your country … this sophisticated spyware that —

  Wong stepped out of the office and Jack’s thoughts were interrupted as he watched him go down the hall and open the fire escape door, allowing Mr. Frank to step inside.

  Jack felt relieved. Okay, everything is going according to plan. So far, so good.

  Mia stared down the hall, unaware that her mouth was agape. Something is really wrong … why is he here? She saw Zhang give a wave of his hand, directing her and Jack to go down the hall. Mom’s talk of an awakening … of being deceived ourselves … Her hand trembled as she put her teacup down while her brain tumbled thoughts around like clothes in a dryer.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Jack nodded curtly to Zhang as he walked past the table where the bodyguards remained seated. He heard Mia stop behind him and speak in Chinese to Zhang. The tone of her voice sounded harsh and condescending.

  Zhang glowered at Mia who had asked him if he was a rice farmer, adding that proper guards would post someone at the rear fire-escape door as well as at the office door. He answered back abruptly in Chinese, “The guest Mr. Wong has allowed in is a trusted friend. We have been told to keep our distance from him. As far as you and the police officer go, we know that you are unarmed.”

  Mia gave a nod of her head to indicate Jack and said, “That man may be far more dangerous than you know.” She saw Jack glaring at her, so she abruptly left to join him, but felt comfort when she heard the chairs scrape as the men got up from the table.

  “What was that all about?” whispered Jack, tersely. “I told you to speak English.”

  “Sorry. Zhang really leered at me and was being intentionally rude. I put him in his place.”

  Jack eyed the bodyguards who had risen and were approaching. He knew Mia had lied to him. Zhang was too professional to act that way and whatever she said had caused them to glance suspiciously at him. Too late to back out now …

  They entered the office and Jack saw Wong seated behind the desk while Mr. Frank stood and gestured for them to take a seat in front. Mr. Frank was dressed in black slacks and a black windbreaker open at the front to reveal a dark blue shirt. He appeared to be of an athletic build and matched Jack’s height.

  Jack focused his attention on Wong, who was small in stature. At sixty-seven years of age, his muscles had deteriorated, leaving a drooping waddle of skin hanging below his chin. His face was fat and round, making his balding head look too big for his body. His skin was mottled with age spots and he was wearing a faded checked shirt buttoned to the top. Jack mused that for those who didn’t know him, his appearance made him look decrepit, hiding his true nature. Jack speculated as to how Wong had climbed his way to the top of his organization. Smart … cunning … ruthless … violent? Likely all of that … Jack observed a work of art hanging on the wall behind Wong. It was made of wood and depicted a vicious-looking golden dragon over a background of fire. Symbolic of the man I face …

  Mr. Frank’s focus was on the details of his plan and he felt his adrenaline surge. The next few seconds and they will all be dead … He eyed Taggart closely. Wait until they are seated … step in behind … shoot Taggart in the head first, followed by two more rapid shots … Mia, then Wong. I’ll be out the back door before the bodyguards have time to enter the hallway.

  Taggart sat in the chair farthest from the door and Mia sat in the middle, leaving the chair by the door for Mr. Frank. He remained standing, ostensibly to close the door while reaching for the five-shot snub-nosed revolver tucked in the back of his waistband under his jacket.

  Mr. Frank felt his body twitch in surprise when Zhang walked past the doorway. He looked into the hallway and saw Zhang taking up a position near the rear door and the other three bodyguards loitering close by.

  As a trained Intelligence case officer, Mr. Frank had received training in firearms and hand-to-hand combat, but he knew his current plan would not end well with the close proximity of the bodyguards. Remain calm … trust my training … revamp the plan … He glanced around the room and pursed his lips to hide a smile before closing the door and taking a seat. A gun will not be necessary …

  Wong glanced at the three people seated in front of him and his eyes settled on Taggart. “So I am told that you have some information that may be of interest to me?”

  Jack nodded. “I work for an Intelligence Unit dealing with organized crime. About six months ago AOCTF felt they had a leak in their office, so a group in my office started their own project … on you, specifically.”

  Jack caught Wong’s surprised glance at Mr. Frank, who remained stoic. Wong turned his attention back to Jack and said, “That sounds preposterous. Why on earth would —”

  “Yes, I know,” interrupted Jack. “You are a legitimate businessman. You told me that the night your men cornered me in t
he alley.”

  “Six months ago?” questioned Mr. Frank.

  “Yes … and I know what you’re thinking,” replied Jack. “The report naming the Vietnamese who killed Betty Donahue was a plant provided to AOCTF.”

  “You’re saying the report was false?” said Wong, looking at Mr. Frank who frowned.

  “Yes, I actually helped draft that report myself to help the team who are working on you,” said Jack, looking at Wong. “They wanted to verify what someone close to you was telling them in regard to your relationship with the Vietnamese. They all had a good chuckle when the Viets were killed. Not to mention, the team in my office were thrilled to discover that their source was reliable.”

  “How do we know that you are not trying to cover up for some leak by saying you meant it to happen?” said Mr. Frank, contemptuously.

  “If that were true, would we know that Bien Duc and Tom Nguyen were murdered in Hong Kong and the driver of the car, Anh Dang, was killed here?” He turned to Wong and said, “We were watching Duc and Nguyen and waiting to see who would kill them. The team did not wish to save them because it might alert you that there is an informant close to you. I can even tell you that Duc wasn’t at a meeting with the other Vietnamese bosses the week before, because they were planning to kill him.”

  Wong glowered back at Jack. “Who is their source?” he hissed.

  “I do not know yet, but I suspect in time I could find out,” replied Jack. “I have been assigned to work mostly on Satans Wrath. It is another team that is working on you, but sometimes we assist each other.”

  Wong sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest a moment, giving himself a moment to calm down and think. Eventually he looked at Jack and said, “What you said sounds interesting and naturally has aroused my curiosity, but you have told me nothing. Even if what you say is true, it is not anything I could act upon. Do you have anything else to throw on the table to make me think you would be worthy of my, uh, friendship to you?”