“I am better than anyone in this dump!”

“That attitude will get you killed. Besides, you’ve never walked in their shoes.”

“This is nothing but a den of snakes! Scum! I can see that much!”

“That’s the second lesson. If they don’t respect you, you’ll become a victim.”

“I just did!”

“I mean a dead victim. Everybody will know what happened. They’ll have a lot more respect for you if you stay and don’t act like a pansy. Wash up, then go out there and order a beer and drink it slow. Hold the beer in your cut hand. The cold will slow the bleeding. When I leave, don’t walk out with me. I’ll go out the back. Wait at least ten minutes then go out the front.”

“Anything else?” asked Danny, sullenly.

“Yes. Zip up!”

Jack returned to the pool tables. The wounded junkie was gone. A few minutes later, Danny stumbled out of the men’s room. The noise level dropped as patrons saw his bandaged hand and the open knife held forth in his other hand. His anger and paranoia was evident as his eyes darted about. Everyone waited and stared. Danny then used his good hand to press the release button and his forearm to close the blade. He dropped the knife in his pocket and then growled at the waitress to bring him a beer. The noise level returned to normal.

A few minutes later, Jack noticed a slim man with a shaved head and moustache walk casually through the bar. He was wearing a black leather vest that had silver medallions for buttons. He gave Red a subtle nod and walked back out the main entrance.

Red went to the rear of the bar and stood by the fire escape door. The door could be opened only from inside the bar. She waited until she heard a rap on the door and then opened it. She was passed something and then pulled the door shut.

Several men, all holding cues, slowly encircled Jack. Some held the cues by the wrong end, gripping them like a baseball bat. They stared into his eyes, defying him to make a move.

The circle parted slightly as Red walked up to Jack. Without saying a word, she handed him a plastic baggie of brown powder. Seconds later, the transaction was completed. Jack pushed open the fire escape door and disappeared down the darkened alley.

Danny showed up at the parking garage on schedule.

Jack held up the plastic baggie of powder. “See anything after I left?”

“Yeah. Red went to where Spider was sitting and gave him a couple of bills. Then she met a guy who just arrived. A minute later they both split for the lobby.”

“Bald? Leather vest?”

“You saw him?”

“He cruised through the bar right before the deal went down. I’m sure Baldy is her connection. Bet he stashed the dope in the alley until he checked things out, then went and handed it to her through the back door.”

“Recognize him from the photos?”

“No. A club member would never deliver it.” Jack saw Danny grimace as he adjusted the piece of shirtsleeve wrapped around his hand and said, “I’m sorry if I was a little snarky in there. I respect how you handled yourself after. You don’t listen very well, but you’ve got guts. If you don’t want to be my partner I’ll understand.”

Danny thought about Wigmore. Do I have any choice? He looked at Jack and replied, “I’ll still be your partner — for now.”

“Good. Then I’ll clue you in as to what my plans really are. This is just the beginning.”

I’m sure Wigmore will be very interested to hear your plans. Danny stared down at his hand and said, “This is just the beginning?”

Jack playfully punched him on the shoulder and said, “What a pansy. Okay, I’ll drive you to the clinic. We’ll talk after.”

chapter seven

Jack and Danny entered the medical clinic and approached the receptionist, an older, heavy-set woman with short grey hair. Behind her, a younger woman wearing a white lab coat stood bent over with her back to them as she rifled through some papers.

“What can I do for you two gentlemen?” the receptionist asked.

“My friend fell on some glass and cut his hand.”

Jack picked up a magazine and sat in the reception area. He heard the receptionist ask Danny for his provincial health card. Jack winced when Danny didn’t lower his voice to explain that as a federal police officer, he was on a different health plan. He was glad there were no other people in the office. A moment later the receptionist said, “Doctor?”

The doctor turned around. Jack noticed that she was a petite woman, with a slim figure and long black hair.

“Hello! I’m Dr. Trovinski,” she said to Danny in a cheery voice. “Come with me, officer, and we’ll take a look.”

Jack joined them as they entered a small examination room and stood beside Danny as he sat on the edge of the examination bed.

“And why did you come along?” the doctor asked.

Jack smiled and stuck out his hand as he introduced himself. She reluctantly accepted his handshake but remained silent, awaiting his reply.

“My partner suffers from a phobia about seeing doctors. On the way over he made me promise to stay with him.”

“Really?” She looked at Danny, who looked perplexed. “You suffer from iatrophobia?”

“Probably got smacked on the bum too hard by a doctor when he was born,” Jack offered.

The doctor gave Jack a furtive look and smiled. Her bright white teeth shone, as did her eyes. She turned her attention to Danny’s hand and slowly unwrapped the shirtsleeve that was being used as a dressing. Classical music softly played from a nearby office and she hummed quietly as she worked.

“Fantasy. D-Minor by Mozart,” said Jack.

“You know your music,” she replied without looking up.

“My favourite is The Marriage of Figaro.”

“Mine, too, but that CD is scratched.” She finished unwrapping Danny’s hand and started to wash off the blood.

“Would you like to eat pickled herring in chocolate sauce?” Jack asked.

“Would I what?”

“Would you like to eat pickled herring in chocolate sauce?”

“Certainly not. Sounds gross!”

“Sounds gross to me too. Looks like we have at least two things in common. Are you a vegetarian?”

“No, but I see where you’re going with this, and —”

“That makes three things we have in common.”

“I’m married.”

I’m such an idiot! He looked at the doctor and said, “Sorry.” He found the silence that followed more embarrassing, so he asked, “Do you have children?”

“Uh, yes. Three of them.”

“You’re not wearing a ring, so I thought…”

“Sanitary reasons.”

She examined Danny’s hand carefully, then looked at Jack. “You told my receptionist that he cut his hand when he fell on some glass.”

Jack nodded.

Dr. Trovinski’s face hardened. “I don’t appreciate being lied to. Do you really think I don’t know what a defensive knife wound looks like? Especially working in this neighbourhood? Give me a break! I treated a fellow not even half an hour ago with a stab wound to his shoulder. Believe me, I know knife wounds when I see them!”

“Is he going to be okay?” asked Danny.

“Who?”

“This other guy, who was stabbed in the back.”

“How did you know that it was the back of his shoulder?”

There was an uncomfortable silence, then she said, “Yes, he’ll be fine. I don’t know what happened between the two of you and I really don’t care. My job is to patch people up. Most of my customers wouldn’t come in for treatment if they thought I would tell anyone.”

“Thank you, doctor,” said Jack.

She nodded curtly and then turned back to Danny. “I smell alcohol on your breath. I suspect you’ve had enough to drink that I won’t need to waste time administering freezing.”

Danny sat upright. “No! I didn’t drink that much!”

The doctor pursed her lips into a slight grin as she walked over to a cabinet.