by Don Easton
Okay? That damned kid is far from okay! She watched Danny get to his feet. Jack remained seated, staring at her.
“She’s not okay, is she, doctor?” he finally said.
She stared back. She didn’t need to speak. The tears that flooded her eyes said it all.
“I deal with victims in my work,” Jack said. “You and I, our objectives are not all that different. You treat the victims. I try to eliminate those who turn people into victims. We just go about it from different angles. You have my word. Nobody outside of this office will ever know that we have talked to you. I really would like to know what happened to her. Maybe I can do something to help or to prevent someone else from getting hurt.”
Danny looked at Jack. What did he really mean when he said eliminate?
The doctor stared at Jack for a moment, then quietly said to Danny, “You better sit down. This will take a few minutes.
She waited until Danny sat down and then looked at Jack. “Marcie has recently become a street kid. Except for a grandmother in a nursing home, the only relative she has is her father. Although she wouldn’t come right out and say it, I strongly suspect that her father carried on an incestuous relationship with her. Tonight she told me that she went to sleep under someone’s porch when she was attacked by a dog and repeatedly bitten. She said that the dog’s chain got wrapped around her neck and she almost strangled. She said she got her hands on her first fix of heroin tonight, to ease the pain.”
“So that’s what happened,” said Danny. “And someone dropped her off in an alley after she fixed.”
Her reply was laced with anger. “That is not what happened! There was a woman with her. Long dyed red hair and tattoos. I wanted to speak to Marcie alone, but she insisted that her friend had to be with her.”
“I’m acquainted with her … companion,” said Jack.
“Marcie was coached. She looked at her so-called friend for every response.”
“Did you treat her for animal bites?” asked Jack.
“It was evident from the eye teeth that they were animal bites. I treated her for bite marks on her fingers, breast, and thigh, but her clothes weren’t punctured or torn.”
“Sexual perversion with a dog,” said Jack quietly.
“That’s my guess. And you can bet she didn’t inject herself, either. The injection site was on her right arm. She’s right-handed, so the likely location should have been on her left arm.”
Danny felt nauseous. He thought of Tiffany. If someone did that to her… He waited until they left the clinic before turning to Jack and asking, “What can we do about this?”
“There is nothing we can do right now.”
“She’s just a kid, for Christ’s sake. We’ve got —”
“There’s lots of kids like Marcie. Social workers are always on the street trying to convince them to accept help. It’s not easy. Even if we take Red out of the picture, there will always be someone else to take her place. All we can do is wait for an opportunity.”
“What kind of opportunity?”
“I don’t know yet, but as far as Red goes, she told me that she can deal with Leonard’s connection if he isn’t around. Providing the quantity is a quarter-pound or more.”
“So?”
“So for now it would be better if we dispose of Leonard.”
“Dispose of Leonard? What do you…?”
Danny was interrupted when Dr. Trovinski caught up to them and said, “Excuse me, gentlemen, but I’m off shift now. Would you mind walking me to my car?”
They walked in silence to her car. She unlocked her door and then looked at Jack and blurted, “Would you like to have dinner with me? I’m off on Sunday. I know it’s short notice, but that’s the only day off I have for a while.”
“I’m sorry,” said Jack. “I already have a commitment for Sunday.”
“Bring her along!” said Danny. “Make it a foursome.”
“I was taking Danny and his wife, Susan, to a little Italian restaurant. A family-run place. The food is excellent. If you would like to join us…”
“You don’t mind?” she asked.
“Doctor, I don’t mind at all!”
“My name is Natasha. Please, no more ‘doctor’ bullshit.”
Danny noticed that their eyes came more alive as they looked at each other. Jack is right. If you pay attention, you can tell a lot from people’s eyes. Wished I paid more attention to Jack’s eyes when he talked about disposing of Leonard….
chapter twelve
Marcie locked the bathroom door and eased herself into the bathtub. Steam rose from the water. She closed her eyes for a moment and gritted her teeth. In the other room, Red turned on the stereo, and it blasted out heavy metal. Marcie could feel the vibrations of the music when she laid her head back on the ceramic tiles.
She sat up and with a facecloth gently scrubbed her body with soap and rinsed in the hot water. Then she scrubbed herself again, rubbing harder.
Then she felt it. Slowly at first. Like lice, crawling over her body. She examined her skin. There was nothing there.
She started over, using a hand brush, feverishly washing herself. Her skin became raw and red. The bandages on her fingers became soggy and fell off. Blood seeped through the dressing on her chest. She stopped washing. She didn’t feel any cleaner. She sat for a moment with her arms at her side, and then she cried.
She stayed in the bathtub until the coldness of the water brought her back to reality. Then she wrapped the damp bandages back over her fingers and went to her room and put on jeans and a loose-fitting shirt. She eased herself down on a mattress on the floor. There were no sheets and the mattress was dirty and badly stained. She started to shake and curled up in the fetal position.
Moments later, Red walked into the room. She sat down on the edge of the mattress and gently brushed the hair back from Marcie’s eyes.
“I’m so, so sorry, baby. I had no idea this guy would hurt you. You’ve got to believe me.”
Marcie didn’t respond.
“I’ll tell you what, you won’t have to do this kinda stuff ever again. You just stay here and rest for as long as ya want. I’ll take good care of ya! You’ll see!”
She closed her eyes and drifted in and out of sleep. Suddenly, he was back! Wearing the same mask and holding the leash in one hand. He was naked, except for his shoes. He walked toward her, rattling the silver chain on the end of the leash. “Okay, Cutesy…” His dog was at his side.
She tried to yell, but no sound would come out. The dog’s lips pulled back over its gums as it snarled, its hot breath on her face. Then it shook its head, flinging saliva across her cheek and mouth. Claws scratched her skin. She screamed and sat up.
“It’s okay, baby, it’s okay,” said Red, sitting on the edge of the mattress, hugging her tight. “You’re just havin’ a bad dream. It’s okay.”
She opened her eyes. There was daylight in the room. She looked at the bandages around her fingers. “It’s not a dream!” she cried.
“Just lie here, baby, everything will be okay,” said Red, easing her down on the mattress. “I’ll get ya somethin’ that’ll make ya forget. You’ll feel better,” she added, as she left the room.
Seconds later, Red was back. She smiled as she kneeled down beside her. A small piece of surgical hose dangled from her hand, along with a syringe. Red put them both on the floor.
“Just lie still,” she said softly. “Close your eyes. Soon you’ll feel real good.”
Red tied the hose tightly around her arm, slightly above her elbow. Marcie lay there, staring up at Red’s face. Red picked the syringe up off the floor, then smiled at her while gently brushing the hair back from her face. “This ain’t gonna hurt a bit, baby, you’ll see. It’ll help ya.”
Marcie watched Red put the needle over a vein in the crook of her elbow. Her skin resisted slightly before relenting. Marcie turned her head as the needle entered her body. Instantly she felt warm all over. Then she felt sick and scramble
d to the washroom.
“It’s okay, baby!” yelled Red from the bedroom. “Lots of people puke the first time or two. Don’t worry, ya get use to it real quick. After that, it feels good, you’ll see.”
Marcie woke up in her bedroom. She felt so tired. She tried to get up off the mattress but couldn’t. She slept some more. Red came in and sat beside her, smiling, brushing the hair back from her eyes. She felt the hose around her arm again and shook her head.
“No, Red,” she murmured, “it makes me puke.”
Red smiled, shaking her head. “Not this time, baby, not this time.”
She felt the needle slip under her skin. It didn’t hurt this time, and she didn’t feel sick. Red was right. She felt like she was floating on air. Her whole body felt good, really good. For the first time in her life she was truly happy. No pain. No dog. No Daddy. No more anything. The restaurant was crowded, so Danny stood up and waved to Jack and Natasha when they arrived. They were both laughing and laughed louder when they looked at him.
Danny introduced Susan, and the two women greeted each other warmly.
“So what was that all about?” Danny asked. “When you came in, I had the feeling that the two of you were talking about me.”
“We were,” said Jack.
“Jack! That was supposed to be confidential!” said Natasha.
“Okay, out with it!” said Danny, flicking his fingers to emphasize his demand.
Jack grinned, then said, “Well, I’m sure that Natasha here, being a doctor, had the utmost professional concern when she asked me if I had ever spoken to you about your problem.”
“His problem?” Susan leaned forward. “You mean about his hand?”
“No, not that,” said Jack. “She asked me if I had ever spoken to him about his BO.”
“BO?” asked Susan.
“Body odour,” said Jack. “She’s only met your husband twice before tonight. The first time he smelled of urine. The second time he smelled like garbage!”
“Hey! That’s from working with you! I don’t smell….”
Danny’s protest was drowned out by the laughter of his three dinner companions.
“Think what I have to put up with,” said Susan. “I have to sleep with him!”
Jack ordered the cannelloni. Natasha and Danny did likewise. Susan ordered linguini of the sea. It came with scallops, prawns, and clams.
The food was delicious, and the evening went by quickly. Perhaps too quickly, thought Danny. Tomorrow I have to call Wigmore. He waited until Susan and Natasha went to the ladies’ room before talking work.
“So, what’s next? Are we going to the Black Water tomorrow?”
“No. Give it a few days. Make them think I’m busy selling the speed I bought.”
“What about Marcie? I think I should try to convince her to go to Social Services.”
“Do that and you’ll blow your cover. If what she has just been through doesn’t convince her to leave, nothing you say will.”
“Maybe I should call them myself. It bothers me thinking about her.”
“I feel the same way, but now is not the time. With what she has been through, she probably won’t be downtown for a week or so. She’ll be going through the honeymoon phase with Red, or someone else she thinks is her friend.”
“Honeymoon phase?”
“Someone will be extra nice to her and try to earn her trust, or at least get her to be dependent upon them. Once we dispose of Leonard I’ll figure out how to bypass Red. Then we won’t be at the bar and you can take your chances with Marcie.”
“How the hell do you expect to come up with the money to buy quantity? Not to mention disposing of Leonard?”
“I’ll figure something out,” said Jack. He then changed the subject as Susan and Natasha returned. Danny had the feeling that Jack had already figured something out.
A couple with two children sat at a nearby table. Natasha caught the silent reflection on Jack’s face.
“You come from a big family, Jack?”
“No. I just have a sister and brother-in-law who live on a farm outside the city.”
“Sounds nice. Do they have children?”
“No. Would you please pass the garlic toast?”
“You still have some on your plate. I take it you’re the private type and don’t like to talk about your family?”
“Not tonight.” Jack quickly looked around the room and said, “Excuse me, I have to go the men’s room.” The table shook, slopping wine from their glasses as he stood up. He didn’t stay to apologize.
Natasha looked at Danny and Susan’s faces. Danny was expressionless and stared down at his plate. Susan looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Natasha was shocked. “What did I say?”
Susan’s voice was a whisper. “Jack’s sister did have kids. A boy and a girl. They were murdered less than a month ago in an abandoned farmhouse up the Valley.”
“Those kids in the news? They were his niece and nephew?”
Jack washed his face with cold water. The solace he sought in the men’s room vanished as Natasha strode in.
A man at a urinal said, “Hey lady, this is —”
“I’m a doctor,” she snapped. “You look like you’re done.”
“I — I guess so.” He left without washing.
Natasha then approached Jack and put her arm across his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Susan just filled me in. I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” He squeezed the rim of the sink with both hands, then splashed more water on his face. “It’s not your fault.”
She grabbed him by the shoulders and made him turn and look at her. His hair was askew and his face dripped water.
What happened next came without warning or reason … and shocked them both. Two people who had walked through that valley of death too often had, within themselves, suddenly unleashed a primal lust for life. They kissed each other hard and passionately on the lips. Passionately enough, for a moment, to block out the world around them. It was their first kiss.
chapter thirteen
Monday evening came, and Danny told Susan that he needed to go to the store. He used a payphone to call Wigmore.
“I made a mistake. Jack isn’t breaking the rules. I know I —”
“What the hell are you talking about! You told me last week that Taggart left his gun in the car and went in the bar to buy dope! Bullshit, O’Reilly! What are you trying to pull?”
“Nothing, sir. I saw him take off his holster, but I later discovered that he has two holsters. He switched his gun into an ankle holster. I just didn’t realize it at the time.”
“You also said he went in the bar alone. What have you got to say about that?”
“He had an informant in there and was just catching the person’s attention so they could meet outside. His informant is a little paranoid and Jack wanted to meet alone to start with.”
“The story I heard was that the so-called informant came about as a result of being caught with drugs — after you started working down there.”
“That’s someone else. That’s who Jack’s first informant tipped us off about.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I see. Well … all the more reason for you to keep me posted so that I fully understand what is going on. Dealing with informants is acceptable, but you are aware, aren’t you, that you and Taggart are not to do anything other than surveillance down there?”
“Yes, sir.”
Wigmore paused, then said, “Don’t wait until Monday night to call me anymore. It will be up to you to call me as soon as possible if Taggart is not obeying orders or following policy.”
“I’ll do that, sir.”
“Keep up the good work, Danny. I expect to hear from you soon.”
Danny felt a sense of relief flood over him when he hung up the telephone. No more weekly calls needed — as long as Wigmore didn’t find out what Jack wa
s up to.
It was 8:15 Tuesday morning when Superintendent Wigmore called and spoke to the inspector in charge of Internal Affairs.
“Yes, we need to meet,” he said. “We now have two rogue officers to discuss.”
Mid-week, Jack and Danny started making periodic visits to the Black Water, but there was no sign of Red or Leonard. Marcie was not around either.
It was not until the following Saturday night that Red showed up.
“Where ya been?” asked Jack. “I’ve been lookin’.”
“I had other business to take care of. You want another two?”
“How long would it take to get me three? I don’t want to wait around all day like before.”
Red went to the lobby and then returned a few minutes later. “It’ll be here in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half.”
A few minutes later, Jack had a quick visit with Danny in the men’s room.
“Make your anonymous call,” said Jack. “I don’t have the money for this!”
Leonard cautiously made his way down the darkened alley. He took three ounces of speed out of his boot and carefully slid the brick out of position. Then he saw two shadows appear on the wall in front of him and he darted to the left.
Leonard had about as much chance as a baby lamb being jumped by a grizzly. Bart’s large, muscular hands compressed his throat while the force of his body simultaneously smashed him down into a puddle of water.
“Police! Open your mouth! Open your fuckin’ mouth or I’ll rip your throat out!”
Leonard automatically tried to pull at the hairy hands holding his throat. The grip tightened. He was stunned and blinked his eyes. A smear appeared on his lips. He had bitten the end of his tongue when the back of his skull bounced off the wall. His legs jerked a little as his brain told him to run before realizing it was impossible.
Bart sat on his chest, choking him. Water in the puddle slopped around his ears and up his back. His eyes bulged as his lungs fought for air. He blinked, then obediently opened his mouth.
“Move your tongue around so I can see if you’re hidin’ somethin’!”
