“It is something serious,” said Isaac, reading his thoughts. “I would like to delay your transfer,” said Isaac.

“For a few years?” asked Jack, hopefully.

“No. Just temporarily. I would like you to complete your investigation on the Russians. Particularly in regard to their smuggling operation.”

“Staff Quaile felt it wasn’t worthy of our attention. I don’t think he would appreciate me coming back.”

“I’ve already spoken with Staff Quaile this morning,” replied Isaac. “He assures me he is in complete agreement with this ... temporary extension.”

Yeah, I bet. “I take it something has happened?”

Isaac nodded and the sorrow he felt showed in his eyes. “An unidentified Vietnamese girl between the ages of ten and fourteen was sexually abused and murdered. Corporal Crane is the lead investigator and thinks she may have been smuggled into the country. Would you be willing to help?”

“A young girl sexually molested and killed?” said Jack, vehemently. “You bet I’m willing to help.”

If Isaac had any qualms about Jack’s initiative at completing this temporary assignment, he didn’t now, after hearing the tone of his voice.

“I believe Corporal Crane is currently working on the case at this moment,” said Isaac.

“I’ll call her and start work immediately,” replied Jack.

“Good. Somehow I believed you would,” he said, standing up. “Please apologize to your wife for me again. I realize it is early.”

Jack was seeing Isaac out the door when Isaac turned and asked, “Do you believe in God?”

Jack was taken back but remembered his exclamation when he first saw Isaac at his door. “I’m sorry about that,” he replied.

“About what?”

“That I said Jesus when I first saw you this morning. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Isaac smiled to himself. I’m not Jesus ... maybe just a servant. He looked at Jack and said, “I would have buzzed, but someone was just leaving so I entered. That is not why I asked. You don’t need to answer if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Jack stared at Isaac momentarily and said, “Both Natasha and I are atheists. Why?”

“Because I think He believes in you.”

Two hours later, Jack and Laura sat in the I-HIT office and listened to Connie as she updated them on the nature of the file and the steps they had taken to date.

Jack gave Connie a brief account of their investigation into the Russians who were smuggling women to use as prostitutes for the Trans at the Asian Touch and Orient Pleasure massage parlours.

He outlined the Tran brothers’ criminal history and how the one called Dúc headed a vicious gang of approximately fifty thugs. He also told Connie about the trip to Costa Rica, but did not tell her about the added excursion to Cuba.

“What do you think?” asked Connie. “Is there a connection?”

“The pathologist thinks the child was being tortured over a period of at least three or four months,” noted Jack.

“That’s according to the various bone fractures,” replied Connie.

Jack looked at Laura, but didn’t speak.

“Come on, you guys,” said Connie. “Do you know something?”

“I’ve got a Vietnamese friend,” said Jack, “who was smuggled by boat into Canada about four months ago by the Russians.”

“That fits!” said Connie. “Who’s your friend? I want to talk to her.”

“Confidential informant,” said Jack. “The same person who confirmed that the Russians were in Hanoi and that they looked at the girls before they boarded the boat.”

“Didn’t you submit a report on what your CI told you?” asked Connie. “I never read anything of that nature.”

“Quaile wouldn’t allow us to work on the Russians, let alone the Vietnamese, so I’ve never put specific reports in on the CI. I just found this out last week. The CI is someone I’ve been developing on my own. I’ve also done a bit of UC work on another character by the name of Giang who is a Vietnamese drug dealer and works for Dúc.”

“UC?” asked Connie. “Are you buying drugs from him?”

“Not yet. I’ve been doing this out of my own pocket.”

“How much you out of pocket?” asked Randy, who had been standing behind Jack and listening.

Jack turned in his seat, unaware that Connie’s boss had been listening.

“Well, counting drinks for the drug dealer and his friends, plus a hundred just to talk to my CI, I’m out about two hundred and fifty. It’s no big deal.”

Randy nodded and said, “Come into my office before you leave and I’ll give you five hundred dollars. Consider it payment to a confidential informant. A receipt from your CI isn’t necessary the first time. If you need money, overtime approved, rentals, travel, anything ... forget about Quaile. You talk to me. We’re running this show. Understood?”

Jack smiled and said, “Understood. Do you think when it’s over you could use an extra corporal on your section?”

“And constable,” added Laura.

“Have you looked at the photos of the vic’?” asked Randy, curiously.

Jack and Laura shook their heads to indicate they hadn’t.

Connie passed a large brown manila envelope over to them and Jack took the photos out. The picture on top was an alley, after which the pictures progressed to the Dumpster and the torn garbage bag with the child’s face staring up. More pictures showed the child’s body after being removed from the garbage bag.

“Still interested in coming over?” asked Randy.

“I feel nauseated,” said Laura, pushing the photos away.

“Likewise,” admitted Jack. “Also makes me determined to want to find out who did this to her.”

“I’d love to have the both of you in here,” said Randy. “We have serious stuff sitting on the back burners that we just can’t get to. More stuff is arriving every day. Connie told me about your transfer yesterday afternoon, Jack. I’m sorry. I called Staffing immediately to see if I could get you in here. I was told to forget it. There was no changing it.”

Jack picked up a picture of just the victim’s face and turned to Connie and asked, “Do you have a smaller version of this one that I can have?”

“To show your CI?”

Jack nodded.

“I can scan it down to wallet size if you like,” said Connie.

“That would be even better.”

“The Orient Pleasure open on Saturdays?” asked Randy.

Jack nodded. “Seven days a week, three-sixty-five.”

“Let me know immediately after you’ve shown the picture,” said Randy, before walking back toward his office.

Jack looked at Connie while gesturing with his thumb toward Randy. “You’re lucky, you know.”

“You’re telling me,” said Connie. “He’s not afraid to come out and work either. Surveillance, take-downs, you name it. He’s the best boss I’ve ever had—even if he does make me drink Scotch.”

It was one o’clock when Jack entered the Orient Pleasure. He had forgotten that Dúc spent his lunch hour there and they passed each other in the doorway as Dúc was leaving. Dúc looked up at him and smirked before continuing on his way.

Jack glanced after him. I want so bad to choke your skinny little neck and bash your head into the floor until you talk ...

“Oh, you come back, big guy,” said Cuóng. “You like Jade, yes?”

Jade sat on the edge of the bed with Jack. “I glad you come,” she said. “I hear Mister Dúc tell Cuóng that more girls come in six week. I think I go to United States when that boat come.”

“Why do you think that?” asked Jack.

“Girls on next boat not so old like me.”

“You’re what, nineteen?”

“Some men like girls not so old like me,” said Jade. “I go to United States and you put Mister Dúc in jail and I no be sent back to Vietnam.”

“Jade, this life ... I have another way, but first, I need to ask you to look at a picture of a girl’s face.”

“Okay, Jack. Show me picture.”

“It’s not easy to look at. It’s a young girl. She was tortured ... blinded in one eye. I need you to take a good look ... she may not be easy to recognize,” added Jack, as he handed her the picture.