by Easton, Don
“What were you dreaming about?” persisted Megan.
“A real scary movie. I shouldn’t have watched it. That’s why I don’t let you watch certain shows.”
Tears streamed down Wendy’s own face as she watched. She felt sickened by the commotion she had caused and knew it would be a long time, if ever, before Amanda or Megan recovered from the horror they had endured.
Does murder trump rape? Jack’s brain felt numb as he questioned his own values. Can I go along with this? In his heart he knew if Virgil was telling the truth, then solving five murders and preventing the murders of three more innocent people left no doubt as to the decision he should make.
Virgil was intently focused on Jack’s face and did not see the dark scowl cross Laura’s face, but Jack did. To come down hard on Virgil would shut him up. He knew he had to act fast, or it would scare Virgil off from talking.
Jack cleared his throat and did his best to look calm and sound nonchalant. “Oh, yeah, for sure. Sexual assault is a far cry from murdering people.”
Virgil smiled. He felt like he was in control of the situation and decided to exert some confidence. “So I got your word?” he demanded. “The both of you?” he said, looking back and forth at them. “I tell you about something I did as credibility to prove I’m being straight and then we’ve got a deal?”
Jack saw Laura looking at him for a response. Her expression was solemn, her face ashen. For a moment, Jack wrestled with his conscience. Am I doing the right thing?
“Well?” asked Virgil.
“You’ve got my word,” sighed Jack. “We will keep this between the three of us and we won’t disclose anything to anyone to burn you. Our primary objective is to catch the murderers, if they exist.”
“Oh, they exist all right.”
“But like I said,” continued Jack, “you’re not immune if some other cop finds out what you did and you are not immune from any future criminal acts unless you have our approval.”
“Understood.” Virgil smiled. “And you, my lovely?” he asked, looking at Laura. “Do I have your word?”
Laura’s response was more of a deep-throated growl. She grabbed him by the throat while at the same time kicking him behind the knee and slamming him to the ground.
Virgil tried to cry out, but his Adam’s apple was being crushed by Laura’s grip and all he could do was emit a painful gurgle as she sat on top of him.
Jack placed a hand on Laura’s shoulder, but she ignored it and leaned down so her face was almost touching Virgil’s as he squirmed his head in the dirt in an attempt to break her grasp. “I am not your lovely,” snarled Laura. “You will treat me with respect! And yes, you pathetic little man, you have my word.” With that, she released her grip and stood up.
Virgil gagged and coughed for a moment, then lay there panting as he stared up at Laura.
“Get up,” said Jack. “You’re not hurt.”
Virgil rolled over onto his knees and staggered to his feet. He glared at Laura as he regained his balance. “You can’t do that!” He stopped, before coughing out some more words. “I was being honest with you guys! I want my lawyer! I’m not saying another fucking word!”
“We gave you our word we will not burn you,” said Jack. “Under the circumstances, it is the best option you have.”
“Yeah, right,” replied Virgil sarcastically. “If I say something, you two will turn me in.”
“Virgil,” said Jack, shaking his head. “We haven’t given you your rights. Anything you tell us, give us, or show us would be inadmissible in court. Also, we gave you our word.”
“Yeah? What about her word?” demanded Virgil, with a nod of his head toward Laura. “You saw what she did to me. What good is her fucking word?”
“She did that because she is angry. Angry that she will keep her word, even for a lowlife like yourself. If she was going to turn you in, she wouldn’t feel so angry.”
“I don’t know …”
“Quit procrastinating and start talking,” snapped Jack. “Otherwise I’ll let her take you into the woods while I hold back to make a phone call. After what you hinted at, I have a strong feeling she will be coming back out alone.”
“She couldn’t get away with that!”
“Really?” sneered Jack. “I can see her statement. She took your cuffs off to let you pee. That’s when you tried to grab her gun …”
Virgil looked nervously at Laura who did not blink as she gave him a cold, hard stare. Within seconds, Virgil’s shoulders slumped. “Okay, where do I begin?”
“Tell us about the rape first,” said Jack. “Who and where?”
“I don’t know her name,” said Virgil. “It was last Sunday. I don’t know her address, other than it’s in Surrey. I could take you to the place.”
“The one in the newspaper?” said Jack. “Where the reporters are speculating that the assault is linked to other rapes?”
“Yeah. I did others, too, but one should be enough for credibility.”
“Agreed, but I want details,” demanded Jack. “Something not in the papers.”
“Her place was on the second floor. I was able to stand on the railing of the balcony below and climbed up onto her balcony. She had left the balcony door —”
“The papers said entry was gained through the balcony,” said Laura.
“Yeah, well, I did a couple of things the papers didn’t say.”
“Such as?” asked Jack.
“I wore a condom. I didn’t want her to get pregnant or anything.”
“Bullshit, you wore it because you were afraid of leaving DNA,” said Jack, sarcastically.
“Yeah, well, that, too.”
“You ever lie to me about anything and the deal is off, do you understand!” said Jack, vehemently.
Virgil stared at the ground and nodded.
“What else did you do?” demanded Jack.
“Well, I kind of rattled my knife a bit on her headboard, just to tease her.”
“The papers said it was a man with a knife,” said Jack. “What else? You said a couple of things.”
Virgil swallowed and said, “Well … before I went in her room I was in the kitchen. In the past I always wore a ski mask, but I saw a container of flour on the counter so I uh, took the mask off and put flour all over my face. I was already hot and sweaty from climbing up the balcony, so the flour stuck.”
“Why did you do that?” asked Laura.
“I don’t know. I thought it would be neat. I always keep the light off, but I knew this would stand out.”
“That’s weird,” commented Laura.
Virgil gazed as though he was in a trance and said, “Imagine waking up in the middle of the night in your own bed and seeing a white face lookin’ down at ya …”
You’re a very sick bastard, thought Jack.
Virgil snapped out of his vision and turned his attention back to Laura and said, “Guess I did it for fun, to see how freaked out she would get.”
“You’re the freak,” muttered Laura, taking a step forward.
Jack stepped in between and looked at Virgil and said, “That is probably enough detail.”
“Yeah? So now what?” replied Virgil.
Jack grabbed him by the arm, propelling him around, and said, “We’ll go back to our vehicles and you can tell us about the murders. Then I want you to show me where this last rape victim lives. After that, I’ll read the investigative file to verify you’re telling us the truth. If you are, I’ll cut you loose.”
Once back to the SUV, Jack took the scabbard with the knife from his belt and shoved it in the glove box.
“You keepin’ it?” asked Virgil.
“For the moment,” replied Jack, as he placed Virgil in the back seat and sat beside him while Laura sat in the front.
“Let’s hear it,” said Jack. “Tell us about these murders.”
“Okay,” said Virgil, sitting back in his seat a little farther when Laura turned to watch him. “The guys who are doing the murders, wel
l, one of ’em is my brother.”
“Your brother!” repeated Laura, shocked that he would turn in a family member.
“Yeah, Oskar.” He’s more of a high roller than me. He’s president of a company.”
“He owns a company?” asked Jack, for clarification.
“Yup. Actually he has been the president of several companies. He keeps changing the company names. Usually his companies are based out of Los Angeles, but he also works in Canada.”
“What kind of company?” asked Jack, making notes.
“An investment-type company. I don’t even know the current name, but it would be easy for me to find out. His company checks out something he calls ethical funds for other companies to invest in.”
“And who is being murdered?” asked Jack.
“Guys who work for his company.”
“You’re telling me he is killing his own employees?” said Jack. “Why?”
“For the insurance.”
“He insures his employees?” asked Laura.
“Some of them. I guess for corporations it isn’t uncommon. Once they go through head-hunter companies and the rest of the process to hire someone, they often take out a life-insurance policy on them.”
Laura looked at Jack and showed her skeptisim by raising on eyebrow.
“I have heard of it,” replied Jack. “I think it is properly called key executive coverage. In theory, it is designed to provide financial interm assistance to a company that might suffer a loss if a key employee were to die. It has also been called dead peasants insurance after it was found out some companies do it like gambling, hoping to make money off their employees’ lives. ”
Virgil leaned forward to ease the pressure on his handcuffed wrists and added, “You sure as hell won’t get me signing any life insurance policies.” After squirming in his seat, he leaned back again. “Anyway, then they whack the guys to make it look like an accident and collect the insurance. Pretty simple really.” Virgil paused, then muttered, “Probably better than runnin’ meth around the country.”
“Who, besides Oskar, kills these guys?” asked Jack.
“Oskar doesn’t do the dirty work himself. He only hires the right chump for his company. They got other guys who do the dirty work. Professionals who were specially trained in the military. They’re not with the company. My brother told me another guy he knows is the brains behind it. It’s that guy who sends the hitters in to do the job.”
“Who does Oskar work for?” asked Jack. “I thought you said he owned the company.”
“He does. The other guy isn’t with Oskar’s company. He is only Oskar’s boss when it comes to doing the murders. He’s the guy who came up with the idea and orchestrates the hits.”
“So who is this guy?” asked Jack.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met him. I did hear my brother call him one time. I think he called him Mr. Merlin or Mr. Marlin. Something like that. It was years ago, so I’m not too sure.”
“You said your brother did work in Canada, too,” said Laura. “Are you talking Vancouver?”
“Clients more than anything. He doesn’t have an office here. It’s a pretty small operation. Only a few people who work out of an office in L.A. Mostly secretaries. The others are legit and don’t know what is going on.”
“I take it your brother doesn’t hang around with the same kind of people as you do,” said Jack.
“That’s for sure. He mingles with a lot of high rollers from all over the world. People who got money to invest. Whacking people for insurance is sort of a sideline. Maybe it’s to help get them through these bad economic times.”
“Where is Oskar now?” asked Jack.
He lives on his sailboat, so he is kind of mobile. Sometimes he lives on it in L.A. and other times he stays in Victoria at a marina across from The Empress Hotel.”
“Where is he now?”
“Last I heard, he had left L.A. and was supposed to arrive at the Victoria marina sometime today.”
“Do you know the name of his boat?”
“Yeah, he calls it the Corporate Asset.”
“And you said they plan on committing three more murders?”
“That’s what Oskar said. Then he said he’s going to retire. He’s hoping to sell his company off to some older guy he knows who already has a similar company. Oskar told me that by Christmas, he will be sitting under a palm tree on some beach and enjoying the good life.”
“You said you met the first victim. When and where?” asked Jack.
“That was like, I don’t know. Eight or nine years ago at some hotel in Los Angeles. I don’t even remember the chump’s name. It was at a Christmas party Oskar’s company was putting on. He told me later the guy I had met would be dead before Christmas.”
“Can you remember what the victim looked like?” asked Laura.
“No, not really. I think he was wearing a Santa’s cap, but that’s all I can remember.” Virgil looked at Jack and asked, “Do you think there’s a chance you wouldn’t need to bust Oskar and just go after the other guys?”
“Probably not,” replied Jack.
“Oh, well,” replied Virgil. “Guess that’s life. Better him than me.”
Their conversation was interrupted when the police radio crackled to report the woman who had dropped off Peltier earlier, was driving back into the area.
Jack grabbed the portable radio. “Copy that. It’s dark enough that you could put a guy in the bush where she dropped Peltier off and have him jump in the car. He’ll have her in cuffs before she realizes it isn’t who she expected.”
“Yeah, copy that. Will do. In case it doesn’t work, I’ll put a car down the road in front to stop her if she tries to bolt.”
When Jack put the portable radio down he looked at Virgil. “Who is it?”
“That would be his girlfriend, Helen. She doesn’t have much to do with anything. I’ve never even met her.”
“Yeah?” replied Jack. “You can’t convince me she didn’t know what was going on.”
“Oh, I’m not denying she didn’t know,” said Virgil.
Laura frowned at Jack. “Knowing what was going on as opposed to being convicted for what was going on, are a little different in court.”
“Yeah, I know,” sighed Jack. “Still, we got enough to toss her sorry ass in jail for the night to shake her up a little. Maybe she’ll confess.”
“Like I did,” mumbled Virgil.
“Your ass, we had,” lied Jack. “I’m going to tell the Americans you got away, but they would be pissed if they ever found out I had lied to them and cut a deal with you instead.”
Virgil nodded in agreement.
“Once Helen gets busted and everyone clears out, you’re going to show us where your last rape victim lives.”
“Yeah, no problem.” Virgil sighed. “What about my car? Will you let me drive?”
“No, Laura will follow us in it. The cuffs are staying on you for the time being.”
“Are they really necessary? They’re kind of uncomfortable,” complained Virgil.
“Yeah, Jack,” said Laura, “why don’t you take them off him? Maybe I’ll get lucky and he will try something.”
“Actually, I guess they’re not that bad,” quipped Virgil, bending forward and shaking the cuffs to adjust them on his wrists.
Jack took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. At the moment he thought it would be a simple matter to verify the woman’s address and check with the Major Crime Unit to ensure that Virgil was being truthful. If he was, Virgil would be cut free as promised.
Having determined a course of action, Jack’s stress level had dropped a little, although in the back of his mind he still questioned and hated the decision he had been forced to make.
Laura got in the BMW and Jack glanced at himself in the mirror as he got in the SUV to drive. He had been at work since noon the day before. His goatee already gave him somewhat of a menacing appearance, but now with being unshaven, exhausted, and chille
d from being in the bush, he could see he really looked awful.
He blinked his eyes as he imagined going home soon to a long hot shower and a clean bed, but a glance in his rear-view mirror at Virgil brought back the promise he had made. He went over it again in his head.
Yes, I am doing the right thing. It is a simple matter of letting one criminal go to catch worse ones …
Jack was about to find out it was not a simple matter.
Chapter Seven
On Thursday morning at eight o’clock, Amanda and Megan arrived at her apartment complex, as her brother Burt backed a U-Haul truck up to the back door of the apartment building. A car with three of Burt’s friends parked in the alley.
“Sorry I couldn’t get a sitter,” apologized Amanda when Burt got out of the truck. “Wendy had to take her own kid to a doctor’s appointment this morning so I thought I should —”
“Are you kidding? I’m glad she’s here.” Burt looked at Megan and pointed to the truck and said, “There it is! This is the big truck your Uncle Burt is going to give you a ride in!”
Megan looked at the truck and her eyes widened with excitement. “That is a big truck!” she exclaimed. “And I’m going in it!” she squealed.
“You betcha!” said Burt. “But first we have to get it loaded.”
Everyone went inside the apartment at which time Amanda announced she had left the coffee pot out, along with a few mugs for everyone to use. After switching on the coffee pot, Amanda stepped into the living room.
“Hot and stuffy in here,” mumbled one of Burt’s friends, as he walked over and slid open the door to the balcony.
Amanda looked at the sliding door and her body started to tremble and she hugged Megan.
“What’s wrong, Mommy? Are you afraid of the bad man?”
“Forget about the bad man,” said Amanda, gently placing a hand on each side of her face to hold her attention. “We’re moving to a new place. Away from bad men.”
“Maybe you should take Megan and wait outside in the truck,” suggested Burt. “Really, you don’t need to be, uh, in here. We’ll be done in no time at all.”
“Yes, Mommy! The truck! I want to see the truck!”
