“Good. Let’s have lunch.”

A few minutes later, Jack found a secluded spot amongst some towering Douglas fir trees and spread out a blanket before opening a small cooler. Lunch consisted of spiced Dutch gouda cheese, French bread, strawberries, a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio, and dark chocolate squares for dessert.

Natasha felt Jack’s warm embrace again as they lay with their legs entwined upon the blanket. “You plan on seducing me now?” she asked, feeling his kiss and warm breath upon the nape of her neck.

“The thought crossed my mind, unless you want to see if we can get the bridge rocking.”

“Exhibitionism isn’t really my style. No, I think this —”

Jack groaned and picked up his cellphone to look at the number of who was calling. “I’m not available,” he muttered and let the call go to voice mail. “Now, you were saying?” asked Jack with a smile, pulling Natasha closer.

“I was suggesting we may have enough privacy —”

Jack swore softly and glanced at his phone again. This time a text message said URGENT!

“Sorry, hon, I better take this.” Jack sighed.

His call to Sammy was short. Sammy concluded the conversation by saying, “Sorry for the delay. The monitors didn’t get around to listening to it until now. CC is on her way in, too.”

Jack hung up and turned to Natasha and stared a moment without speaking. He could see the tears form in her eyes.

“You promised,” she said quietly. “You said it was going to be our day.”

“It’s about Melvin,” replied Jack. “We’ve got a lead.”

Natasha’s open mouth showed her surprise. Her sorrow gave way to anger. “Go get ’em,” she said angrily.

15

Jack, Laura, and CC crowded around Sammy as he replayed a second conversation held in Wang’s car between Wang and Goldie.

“So what do you think of the meeting tonight?” asked Wang.

“It went about how I expected,” replied Goldie.

“How you expected?” replied Wang, his voice sounding angry. “Wish you would have told me that up front. I thought you caved in too easy. You sure as hell didn’t try to back me up!”

“Trouble in paradise,” said Jack. Divide and conquer …

Laura caught his grim smile. Oh, man … that means trouble …

“He raised some good points,” continued Goldie. “I agreed with him. Nothing wrong with admitting when you’re wrong.”

“Were we wrong? Or are you sucking up to him because he plans to promote you into his position? You want to become the new Enabler.”

“Fuck you,” replied Goldie. “I’m not sucking up to anybody. The Enabler was right about what he said. Why rock the boat? We’ve got a good thing going. Maximum gain with minimum risk. As he said, if you don’t like what you have, then branch out on your own. Just be prepared to accept that you’ll be operating in a theatre without protection.”

“Who the hell is this Enabler guy?” whispered CC.

“Don’t know,” replied Sammy.

“I still think The Enabler is looking after his own interests, as well,” grumbled Wang.

“Oh, definitely. I totally agree. But in reality, his interests become our interests.”

“Yours, maybe, once you’re in his position. You’ll be making the commission that he is getting now.”

“True, but you’ll still be making a good cut on your end. Besides, if your man Woo ever gets his ass moved to Montreal and can find someone to move product there, then I’ll make sure you get a percentage of everything distributed on that end. That’s if you could ever convince him to deal with us round-eyes.”

“I don’t know about that, but if he does, then you better be dividing the noodles my way.” The sound from inside the car was partially obliterated by the sound of squealing brakes. “Hey! You fucking moron! Signal next time!”

“You know I will,” continued Goldie. “That is what The Enabler would expect. He isn’t the sort of guy I would want to piss off. Him or his boss.”

“He calls him The Shaman,” replied Wang. “Did you know that most Shamans are actually women?”

“He referred to The Shaman as a he. Either way, in my book, I don’t want to ever put myself in a position to find out about their early retirement plan.”

“Here it comes,” whispered Sammy.

“Think you’d end up like that wino in the park?” asked Wang.

“Maybe.” There were several seconds of silence before Goldie continued again. “Why they did it or had me deliver him way out there still puzzles me. My own guys, who I used to pick him up, are still looking at me like I’m squirrelly. I said it was a prank to drop off a wino in someone’s yard. It all seemed like a big risk for nothing.”

“You never asked?”

“Was told it was a need-to-know basis. The whole thing wasn’t professional in my books. Totally out of character to the point that it was comical. The fuckin’ wino almost … well, I shouldn’t talk about that. Anyway, it gave us both a good laugh after.”

“Both? Thought you said there were three of you?”

“The third guy I told you about before. The one wearing a suit. He doesn’t laugh at anything. I’ve never met anyone so cold in my life.”

“Like that woman’s boyfriend who was going to cut the guy’s nuts off tonight?”

“Man, that was nothing compared to the guy wearing the suit. You could see it in his eyes. Black, cold … like they were dead. Let’s change the subject. It gives me the creeps thinking about him. We shouldn’t be talking about it, anyway. Especially in a car. How about turning on some tunes?”

“That’s it,” said Sammy, turning off the recorder and looking at CC. “What do you think? Time for you to string some wire naming Goldie?”

“That’s it?” said CC. “There’s nothing to say this is even my case. The victim’s tox’ came back negative for alcohol or illicit substances. He’s certainly no wino.”

Jack didn’t want to say what he thought. The Shaman? The Enabler? Guys above Goldie. Then some guy in a suit with dead eyes? The wino in the park has got to be Melvin. But why would they kill Melvin? Goldie has proven himself to be a smart businessman … and these others are above him? Nothing makes sense.

“Maybe it is a coincidence,” said Sammy. “Might not be related to your thing.”

Jack’s mind was still replaying what he heard. They thought it was comical? Something to laugh about? They’d probably really find it funny if they saw me shooting Winston in the alley. He realized his fist was clenched and took a deep breath to relax his body. He knew it was one conversation he would not tell Natasha about. She was in enough pain already. He glanced at CC and said, “Melvin looked like a wino. If you didn’t take the time to know him, you would think that.”

“Goldie’s big,” said CC. “What? Maybe a size ten to twelve shoe? Sammy might have a point. It could be a coincidence.”

“Come on, CC,” said Laura. “We traced the gun to Goldie’s doorstep, it was used to murder Melvin, and now Goldie talks about a wino in a park who almost escapes? It fits.”

CC sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. Don’t get me wrong. I think we might possibly be on to something. But what I think doesn’t matter. It’s what evidence we have, both supportive and contradictory, that counts. I’m speaking about how the Crown or a judge would view it. I sincerely doubt we could get a wiretap on Goldie based on what we have so far. Not to mention, you heard these guys — they use code names. Also words like product. Even Goldie said they shouldn’t be talking about it in a car.”

“To be this close to nailing him for murder,” said Laura. “It’s driving me nuts.”

“Close to nailing him for murder!” exclaimed CC. “That’s a laugh. Girl, we’re a long way from that. Even if we could prove it was Melvin he’s talking about, what have we got? It sounds to me like Goldie was only the delivery boy. If the evidence was going against him, all he would have to say is he thought it was all some sort of prank. He even told his guys it was. You know what the judges are like. He doesn’t have any convictions. Upstanding businessman. He’d probably end up with probation or at best, a few months served before being released. Hell, if we did catch him, I’d cut a deal with him in a second and let him walk if he’d give us whoever did do it. Even then, without a motive, it would be damned hard and likely impossible to get a conviction. Sorry to break your bubble, Laura, but in my books, we’re not close at all.”