Jack Taggart Mysteries 7-Book Bundle

by Easton, Don

  “What do you mean, you don’t know?” yelled Danny.

  “That’s not what I mean,” muttered Lance, shaking his head. “I just don’t know if I’m doin’ the right thing by talkin’. I didn’t mind about Lenny, ’cause I knew you had that one figured out, but…” His voice trailed off and there was silence as Lance grappled with his uncertainty.

  Jack picked up the family picture. Lance eyed him nervously as he laid the picture down on the desk between Lance’s elbows. Lance looked down at his family. They disintegrated before his eyes as Jack smashed the butt of his shotgun into the glass. Splinters of glass sprayed out while other pieces tore into the faces on the portrait. Lance fell back in his chair. His eyes were wide and his mouth opened and closed. Fear and anger made him speechless.

  Jack reached for the telephone and said to Danny, “I’m calling the office. We’ll have Wizard and Rolly arrested tonight.”

  “It was Axle and Nails! Don’t call, man! I’m tellin’ ya, it was them!”

  Jack was silent for a moment, then said, “There’s no going back now.”

  Lance looked at the picture and sighed, then said, “Yeah, I know.”

  Jack replaced the telephone receiver and asked, “What role did you play?”

  “I had nothin’ to do with that one! Nails was in some special branch of the army. He knows all about makin’ bombs an’ booby traps.”

  “Who besides Axle and Nails were involved?” asked Jack.

  “The hit would have been sanctioned by Wizard or Damien, but I don’t think anyone else was involved. It’s not the sort of thing you normally talk about, but a few of the boys were called out to watch hospitals and clinics the night we tried to whack you. Axle was paired up with me. He’s still striking and he told me all about how Nails planted a bomb on her car. He wanted to know if I thought he would get his patch for what happened.”

  “What role did Axle play?” asked Jack.

  “He stood six while Nails planted the bomb.”

  “That’s all? He was just a lookout?” asked Jack.

  “He also drove and followed the whore until Nails detonated the bomb. Axle supplies us with hot cars when we need ’em. Whatever he was drivin’ when they followed the whore would have been stolen. It was Axle who got me the car we used on Lenny. The same goes for the Volvo I used for you.”

  Jack leaned over, close to Lance’s face. Lance felt uncomfortable and started to roll his chair back, but Jack gripped the armrest. “What other murders do you know about?”

  Lance swallowed, then said, “Well, two others for sure.”

  “Start with the most recent one,” said Jack.

  “They were both killed together, not too long ago.”

  Jack found himself holding his breath, listening to every sound to come out of Lance’s mouth. This is it! His grip on the chair and shotgun became intense. His muscles rippled and the knife wound on his back oozed blood. He could see every blemish and pore on Lance’s face.

  “It was a couple of Vietnamese guys,” continued Lance. “I don’t know their names, but they were brothers. They were startin’ to move a lot of speed on the west side. Real good stuff. Ice. We warned them to go someplace else, but they didn’t listen.”

  “When was this?” Jack relaxed his grip and struggled to keep tears from appearing.

  “It would be a year ago next week. I remember it because it was the Thursday before the May long weekend. Wizard has a boat out in White Rock. A big one, for fishin’ an’ crabbin’. My job was to bring a couple of oil drums an’ a wheelbarrow full of bricks out to his boat. We stuffed one guy in each drum, popped holes, weighed ’em down, and rolled ’em overboard.”

  “You killed them on the boat?” asked Jack.

  “Naw, actually I didn’t see who killed ’em and I didn’t ask. Wizard, Rolly, and I were already out on the boat. Wizard didn’t want to take a chance on haulin’ the bodies down the pier in White Rock. It’s too long and there’s lots of tourists. We left the dock an’ four of the guys delivered ’em to us in a speedboat. They were already dead. Shot once in the head. Wiz didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. There’s too many of them Asians, an’ they don’t give a fuck who they kill. Wizard decided it would be better if they disappeared, so we wouldn’t be startin’ any wars or anything.”

  “Who were the four guys who delivered the bodies in the speed boat?”

  “It was all guys from our chapter. Sparrow, Pan-Head, Halibut, an’ Rockin’ Ronnie. I think it was Rockin’ Ronnie who did ’em, but he’s dead now. Some old lady hung a left turn in front of ’im when he was ridin’ his bike this summer. He piled right into her.”

  “What makes you think it was Rockin’ Ronnie who shot them?” asked Jack.

  “Yeah, it’s kind of convenient,” said Danny, “the guy you say did it is now dead.”

  “I didn’t say he fuckin’ done it, I said I think he fuckin’ done it!” replied Lance, glaring at Danny.

  “Why?” asked Jack.

  Lance looked back at Jack. “Well if Halibut had done it, he’d have probably gotten his patch soon after. But he’s still strikin’. That leaves Sparrow, Pan-Head, and Rockin’ Ronnie. I noticed that Rockin’ Ronnie had a fresh lookin’ DD tattoo about a week later. Sparrow and Pan-Head still don’t have one.”

  “What tattoo?” asked Jack.

  “The Dirty Dog. It first started about four or five years ago. You can earn it by doin’ a hit that’s sanctioned by the executive. It’s got to be verified, too.”

  “The Dirty Dog,” Jack repeated. The words replayed through his brain.

  “Yeah,” Lance replied. “I know he didn’t have it before, so I’m presumin’ that’s how he earned it.”

  “How big is this tattoo?” asked Jack abruptly. “What does it look like? Could you see it, say, from across a room?”

  “You could, if the lighting was good. I don’t have one, or I would show ya. It’s just the words Dirty Dog tattooed over the head of a pitbull. Most guys get it on their biceps, but if they already got a tattoo there, then they usually put it on their forearm.”

  “Names!” Jack demanded harshly. “I want the names of everyone who has them!”

  “I don’t know everyone for sure,” said Lance, nervously. “It’s not somethin’ most guys run around showin’ off right away, either. At least, not if they’re smart. Just off the top of my head, I’d say I know about six or seven guys who got it.”

  “Write down their names!”

  Lance slowly pulled open the desk drawer and retrieved a pen and a sheet of paper. A minute later, he pushed the list toward Jack. “There may be others, but these ones I know.”

  Jack looked at the list: Wizard, Nails, Rockin’ Ronnie, Thumper, Whisky Jake, and Two-Forty Gordy.

  “Who are Two-Forty Gordy, Whiskey Jake, and Thumper?”

  “Just guys in the club. Different chapter than me. They’re from the east side. Two-Forty probably weighs three-forty now.”

  “This is all of them?”

  “All I can remember.”

  “If you remember any more names, call me on my cell!” said Jack, ripping off a piece of paper and writing his number down. He stared intently at Lance’s face and asked, “The two Vietnamese brothers are the only other murders you know about?”

  “Yeah. Them and Lenny and the whore on the freeway. I guess Red, too, if she was hit.”

  “I don’t suppose the club, or the executive, keeps any list of who gets a Dirty Dog tattoo and when they get it?”

  “Naw, are you kiddin’? Would be too risky in case it fell into the wrong hands.”

  “Who does the tattooing?”

  “A friend of the club owns a parlour down near the waterfront in Vancouver. He does all the club tattoos. It’s called Popeye’s. He’s had the place for years.”

  Jack nodded, then asked nonchalantly, “By the way, who handles the speed coming in from Montreal?”

  “Hey! I’m impressed! You know about that already? We only got
that started a couple of months ago!”

  “Tell us what you know about it. When’s the next shipment due?”

  “Not much to tell. We either pay cash or swap blow for speed with our brothers in Montreal. Someday we’ll get our own labs out here, but for the moment, the French shit is excellent. Wizard went to Montreal and set up the original connection. I think we’ve only done one deal so far. Fifty keys is what Rolly told me.”

  “Rolly is handling it?”

  “He picked up the first shipment to make sure everything went smooth. It came by train. I think another shipment is due this Friday. They’ll probably get one of the strikers to handle it now. Likely either Halibut or Dragon.”

  “No problems with the first shipment?” Jack studied Lance’s face carefully.

  “Not as far as I know. That’s some of the same stuff you were buying from Red.”

  “You guys got any heavy connections an hour or so drive out in the Valley? Someone that Rolly may have dealt with on that first shipment?”

  “Nobody that I know of. I don’t think he would make a big delivery out there. Maybe some of the strikers got some people. I don’t know everyone.”

  “Would it draw any heat on you if this next shipment gets taken down?” asked Jack.

  “Don’t think so. Especially if it’s a striker. They might think the heat came from Montreal.”

  Jack stood up and said, “Stay in touch. We’ll talk again in a couple of days.”

  “I won’t be around if it’s this coming weekend.”

  “Why not?”

  “We’re taking our hawgs out for one last run before winter. Headin’ up to the interior for a big bash. Leavin’ Friday afternoon and comin’ back Sunday. Pretty well the whole club is going. Taking our ol’ ladies along too.”

  “Then go. But if we find out you’re holding anything back on us, you’re dead meat.”

  Lance didn’t respond, so Jack said, “Did you hear me?”

  “I’ve got ears,” he replied sullenly.

  When Jack and Danny were at the door, Lance asked, “So tell me, man, how close did we come to doin’ ya? I thought Wiz plugged ya.”

  Jack yawned, then said, “Got me once, but it ricocheted off my back and through my arm. Rolly slashed my back with a knife. It did more damage than the bullet did.”

  Lance nodded. “Yeah, I guess a .22 is okay if you got it stuck in someone’s ear or the base of their neck, but I figure if they’d been usin’ a 9 mm, you wouldn’t have been so lucky.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. See you around.”

  Lance sat and stared at the broken picture after Jack and Danny had left. He thought about Jack’s response to his last question. Tough motherfucker. Seems to tell it straight. For a moment it made him feel safer, then a wave of fear and shame overtook his brain.

  Danny waited until they were in the car before turning to Jack. “You did it! Just like you said you would. You got somebody on the inside!”

  “We did it. The two of us.”

  “So, the guy they call The Suit has to be the one who molested Marcie.”

  Jack nodded.

  “And now we know who murdered Crystal! Let’s haul their asses in! Maybe Homicide can match something from the bomb on Crystal’s car to Nails’ and Axle’s houses.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “I gave Lance my word. Arresting them would jeopardize his position.”

  “Busting Axle and Nails is more important than worrying about that piece of shit!”

  Jack looked sharply at Danny. “Always keep your word!”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you? They murdered Crystal! You were there! Did you see her eyes? She was —”

  “I was there.”

  Danny drove the car out of the lot before saying, “You’re waiting to get information about Maggie and Ben Junior, aren’t you? That makes sense, except Lance doesn’t know anything about that, so let’s arrest Axle and Nails. Maybe they do! One of them might talk!”

  “I gave Lance my word.”

  “This is bullshit! I don’t believe you!”

  “You better believe me, because it’s true. It’s about respect.”

  “You’re telling me that you respect that asshole sitting in there!”

  “It’s about us having respect, not him. And actually, yes, I do respect him.”

  Danny’s face reddened. His nostrils flared and his lips curled down, exposing his teeth. “He’s a sleaze-bag! Kept referring to Crystal a whore! How can you respect him?”

  “In Lance’s world you use derogatory names. If you dehumanize them, it’s easier on your conscience. What was he supposed to refer to her as? The young woman who was being sexually victimized?”

  “Crystal was a good person.”

  “I know she was. I respect her for what she tried to do.”

  “But Lance is nothing but scum!”

  “How would you respond if someone shoved a shotgun into your nuts? Would you have the guts to stare them in the eye and refuse to talk? Think about it! He expected to die! No whimpering, no pleading. The only reason he did cooperate was to protect his family. Yes, I have some respect for him too.”

  “He tried to kill you!”

  “Hey! I respect that he’s dangerous! He could still flip back to the other side. Which is why I didn’t give him your name or cell number.”

  “Why not?”

  “You have a family to look after. As I said, I respect the fact that he’s dangerous.”

  “That’s bullshit! I’m your partner. Susan knows the risks. She married me —”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to take risks if you don’t need to.”

  Danny shook his head. “I guess it doesn’t really matter. If you’re not going to do anything, then we’re no further ahead. Not when it comes to your sister’s kids.”

  “We’re a lot further ahead. This is the first phase in gaining control.”

  Danny drove another two blocks, then said, “So now what do you propose we do?”

  “Keep quiet about Axle and Nails. Verify what we can about what Lance told us, then concentrate on Wizard and Rolly. They were involved in the original speed connection. Find out if they have contacts up the Valley and find out who the leak is.”

  “How? Lance didn’t know of any —”

  “They’re leaving on a ride this Friday. Search their places. Maybe turn up an address book or phone numbers.”

  “You figure we have enough to get search warrants?”

  “No. Even if we did, we don’t know who the leak is. I’m not jeopardizing Lance. Speaking of which, from now on, we don’t use his name. No slip-ups — anywhere!”

  “What do you plan on calling him?”

  “Just refer to him as our friend.”

  “Your friend, maybe, not mine. And now you’re talking about doing illegal searches.”

  “Damn it, Danny! Do I have to spell everything out? You sound like you’re wearing a wire and working for Internal, for God’s sake.”

  Danny squirmed in his seat and glanced out his side window.

  “I appreciate that you have a family,” continued Jack. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to take risks. If you want to work on something else, talk with Louie and get reassigned. But make a decision. I need someone I can trust and depend on.”

  “With what we’ve been through, don’t you feel you can trust me yet?”

  Jack looked at Danny and sighed. “I’m sorry. I owe you my life. I know I can trust you. But you do have Susan and Tiffany to think about. I’ve done enough searches in my life; I don’t really need you to come along.”

  “Yeah, right. In the space of a month, my hand was slashed with a knife and I stabbed a junkie in the back. You’ve been shot and stabbed. Lenny, Crystal, and Red murdered…”

  “It does sound like we could be on to something.”

  “It’s not funny! I’m waking up at night seeing Crystal’s eyes, asking why I got her killed.”
/>
  “You see what you want. I see her eyes, too. I see her asking for justice.”

  “Whatever! But that’s what I see and I’m not bailing out now! I may not agree with you, but I’m still your partner.”

  “Glad you feel that way. There is something else.” Jack paused as the memories of an abandoned farmhouse interrupted his thoughts.

  “Something else?”

  Jack swallowed, then said, “The last thing Maggie did before she was murdered was print the word Dirty in her sketchbook. Tomorrow night I’m going to take a look at Popeye’s. See if there is any record of who has the Dirty Dog tattoo or when they got it.”

  “You think she saw that word tattooed on someone?”

  “It’s possible.”

  Danny shook his head, then mumbled, “What the hell. After what’s happened so far, what are a few break-ins going to matter. Speaking of which, how do you plan on getting in?”

  Jack took a leather case out of his jacket pocket and flashed Danny an array of lock picks.

  “Where did you get those? Do you know how to use them?”

  Jack smiled, then said, “Some locksmith must have dropped them. Yes, I know how to use them. Believe me, with my new friend helping, nothing will stop us. It’s just a matter of time. I’m also going to revive Eddy Trimble and give the City narcs a present.”

  “Bart and Rex?”

  “Can’t use our narcs. We’re only doing surveillance, remember?”

  “What if one of them is the leak?”

  “My friend didn’t think he would draw any heat if it was taken down. If it was one of the narcs, they wouldn’t have turned me into an informant in the first place. I trust them. Wish I could say the same for the rest of their office — or our own people.”

  “Enough emphasis on my friend already! I’m your partner. He can be our friend.”

  “Good. Welcome aboard. Hope you enjoy the ride!”

  An hour later, Danny arrived home in time to pick up his telephone. He recognized the harsh voice immediately.

  “This is Superintendent Wigmore. Meet me at the Oceanside Lounge. Immediately!”

  chapter twenty-four

  Danny spotted Wigmore sitting alone in the lounge. Wigmore scowled at him and nodded toward a chair. Danny sat down as the waiter approached the table.