“Anyone talk to him to see where he got the meth?” asked Jack. “I’m trying to track down any labs or even rumours of labs at this point.”

“I don’t have any info on any labs,” replied the Mountie. “As far as where he got it from, you have to be kidding. Around here kids can buy that shit easier than they can cigarettes. If you want to know who the dealers are, go down to the schools and see who are driving the muscle cars. Sure as hell isn’t the teachers.”

“That’s a sad state of affairs.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve got kids of my own. As far as this guy goes, CPIC says he is gang-connected.”

“Bottom end,” replied Jack.

“You have time to work on the bottom end?” said the Mountie. “Must be nice, we don’t have the time or manpower to go after the bigger fish, let alone the small fry.”

“I understand,” replied Jack. He briefly thought about Varrick and his previous opinion that he was too small to work on. A four-year-old girl may die because I didn’t make the time.

When Jack hung up, he sighed as he thought about Ai-li. Bet she doesn’t think the guy who injected her was too small to work on …

Jack picked up the next report from a pile on his desk. It was about some youths were joyriding in a stolen car. They lost control and drove onto a sidewalk where a man was walking with his wife. He pushed his wife out of the way in time, but the car mutilated his legs against the side of a building. He would never walk again. The youths escaped, but a small quantity of meth was found in the car. The investigation was still continuing.

As Jack picked up the next report he glanced at Laura and their eyes met. “I don’t know how much more of this I can stand,” she said, gesturing to the reports. “Feel like a coffee?”

“You go ahead,” replied Jack. “To me, it’s like taking off a Band-Aid. Do you do it slowly or rip it off all at once? I prefer to get it over with.”

“Hadn’t thought of it that way,” replied Laura. She grimaced and continued reading.

Jack’s next report was about an incident in the early hours of Sunday morning. The police in Richmond were called by a husband to a domestic dispute. Their sixteen-year-old daughter, due home at midnight, arrived forty minutes late. His wife and daughter argued and the mother punched the girl in the mouth, breaking her tooth. The husband attempted to intervene, but his wife, who had prior convictions for prostitution and was addicted to meth, threatened him with a butcher knife. The man locked himself in the bathroom and used his cellphone to call the police. The mother was arrested and a small quantity of meth was found in her purse, along with a phone number for a known Brotherhood dealer.

Jack threw the report down in disgust and said, “A few years ago there were only a few labs. Today it’s everywhere. The Ministry of Health should list meth as an epidemic,” said Jack, facetiously.

“More like the World Health Organization should declare it a pandemic,” replied Laura. “You coming up with anything?”

“Nothing except a sour stomach. Doesn’t anybody care about what is going on?” he lamented.

“Someone does,” mused Laura. “I’ve got a Crime Stoppers report that indicates someone with a reliable history has been giving tips about drugs and dealers at Queen Elizabeth Secondary School in Surrey. Uniform has made several small-time busts.”

“Glad someone is doing their bit,” replied Jack, dismissing the information as his thoughts focused on the next report. A Dave Valentine of the Victoria Police Department had responded to the CPIC entry concerning one of the lab rats that Jack had arrested a year and a half ago. This particular lab rat was in jail, but Jack had listed him as a person of interest in the event he was granted day parole. Victoria PD reported they had heard he was receiving drugs while in jail through a Victoria dealer by the name of Cory McCall.

Jack called Valentine and learned that Cory McCall had a lengthy record, including seven previous drug convictions, three of which were for trafficking. He was currently on probation in Victoria and had only been released from jail the previous week. He was known to be a close friend of the lab rat and they had been in the same jail together.

“Cory isn’t a huge dealer,” said Valentine, “but he is a thorn in our side. Out only a week and we’re told he’s got dealers putting out for him all over town.”

“Meth?” asked Jack.

“No. Coke. Small amounts up to the pound level.”

“His friend in jail used to run a speed lab,” explained Jack. “Labs are what I am after. I’m trying to identify a person by the nickname of Cocktail who is connected with the labs and is likely working for Satans Wrath. Cocktail was involved in a murder of an innocent citizen who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Sorry, I don’t know of any labs and have never heard of Cocktail.”

“Any objection if I do a UC on McCall and try to turn him?” asked Jack. “If they were in jail together and are friends, McCall might know who Cocktail is.”

“I’d rather see the asshole busted and put back in jail. He has a dangerous reputation … but seeing as you’re talking about a murder, I don’t have any objections.”

“Good. Do you know where he hangs out at?”

“His dealers float around town, but usually on weekends McCall goes to a club in the basement of the Strathcona Hotel.”

“My partner and I will be over this weekend.”

“Like I said, he is dangerous. I think he has a screw loose. You’ll need a good cover team. We can help you with that.”

“Great. Really appreciate it.”

Jack’s next call was to Connie. She was in full agreement with the idea and reiterated that she was anxious to get something going rather than wait and take their chances when Kent Rodine went to court.

“This could be the one time the judge puts Rodine in jail,” said Connie. “Rolling McCall could be our best and maybe only option.”

At eleven o’clock on Friday night, Jack and Laura descended the steps below street level into the club beneath the Strathcona Hotel. They had seen a photograph of McCall and knew that he was tall, tattooed, and had used his time in jail to lift weights. He was someone who would easily stand out in a crowd.

Once Jack’s eyes adjusted to the dimness of the lights, he saw that the majority of the crowd were young people who appeared friendly and were there simply to have a good time. Many were university students while a few were tourists who were checking out the nightlife that Victoria had to offer. There was no sign of McCall.

“Music is a little loud,” commented Laura as they took a seat.

“I agree,” replied Jack. “Some say if the music is too loud it means you’re too old.”

“Don’t even go there,” replied Laura. “No sign of our friend.”

“It’s early yet.”

Over the next hour the crowd continued to swell. Jack and Laura discreetly watched and eventually identified two or three drug dealers who were making frequent trips to the washroom with some customers or simply doing exchanges under the tables with others.

It was one-thirty when they spotted McCall saunter in and sit with two of the dealers. Jack saw them whisper and both dealers handed money to McCall.

“Bingo,” said Jack. “Time to score.”

Jack waited and approached one of the dealers after he left McCall.

“Hey, I moved from Edmonton,” said Jack. “Don’t know anyone yet.” Jack touched his nostril and said, “Do you know where a guy could get something a little stronger than booze?”

The dealer stared at him briefly, sizing him up, and asked, “How much ya lookin’ for?”

“An eight-ball,” replied Jack.

“Meet me in the can in three minutes,” said the dealer.

The transaction went smoothly and the dealer sold Jack one-eighth of an ounce of cocaine. Five minutes later, Jack returned and sat with Laura.