Jack Taggart Mysteries 8-Book Bundle. Don Easton
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go to the seawall. We need to talk.”
“I don’t feel like drinking right now.”
“You might when you hear what I have to say.”
Jack jumped down from where he was sitting on the seawall and took a couple of angry steps in the sand before turning to confront Danny. “I should have known from the first time I worked with you! You stabbed someone in the back that night! Now you’re stabbing me!”
“I’m not stabbing you in the back! I’ve never told Wigmore anything, except for that first night about you going in the Black Water, and I covered for that later.”
“Well you sure as hell didn’t tell me anything, either! I thought we were partners! You’re supposed to talk with your partner! Why the hell are you telling me now? Do you expect me to forgive you? Tell you I’ll understand? What?”
“Jesus. You sound like Susan,” muttered Danny. “That’s what she said.” He then looked up to the sky, holding his hands to the heavens, and yelled, “I’m not asking for forgiveness!”
“Then what are you asking for?”
“I’m just telling you so you know what’s going on. You do anything rash and Wigmore will be all over the both of us. I’m trying to protect your ass as much as mine! I told you because you are my partner and I’m not ratting you out!”
“When did you tell Susan?”
“This afternoon.”
“You waited until now to tell her?”
“Yes, and now she’s scared. I knew she would be.”
“Worried about her family,” said Jack, his voice calming down.
Danny nodded and said, “Yeah. That and she’s really pissed at me.”
“So am I. You should have told me sooner.”
Jack walked back to the car and got in as Danny reached for the passenger door. It was locked. Jack gestured at Danny with his middle finger and then drove away.
Danny waved his fist and shouted, “You son of a bitch!”
It took Danny an hour to walk out of the park and find a taxi to the office. It was another forty-five minutes before he arrived home.
He was shocked to see Jack’s car blocking his garage door. He parked on the street and got out of his car as the front door to his house opened. He saw Jack putting on his coat. Susan, holding a glass of wine, laughed at something he said. She gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek. Jack walked toward his car.
Danny stood in the driveway with his mouth hanging open. Susan looked at Danny and yelled, “Hi, honey! Glad you finally made it home!”
Jack unlocked his car and glanced across the roof at Danny. “See you at the office at ten tomorrow night. Let me know if you’re bringing an arrest team so I can get a lawyer.” He then drove away.
Danny went inside his house. “What’s going on? Do you know that the son of a bitch dumped me in a park tonight? I had to take a cab…”
“I know,” snickered Susan. “Want some wine? Oops! Guess there’s none left.”
“What’s going on? Why are you so happy all of a sudden?”
Susan turned to face Danny. Her voice became serious and she said, “Jack told me that he would always protect you and our family — even if you are a bone-head. He said I had his word on that.”
Danny didn’t respond.
“Do you think Jack’s word is good?”
“Jack’s word is good.”
“I thought so. I respect him. Trust him, too, to do what he says.”
Danny sighed, then said, “It all sounds nice, but how do you protect yourself from someone like Wigmore?”
“That bastard! You hadn’t mentioned that he accused me and you of having a threesome with Crystal!”
“Jack shouldn’t have told you that part.”
“I’m glad he did. He has a plan. He said I could help. I’m looking forward to it.”
“What do you mean? He’s got a plan? You’re not getting involved with this shit.”
“Wigmore tried to fuck with my family! You’re damn right I’m getting involved!”
“What plan? What does he want you to do?”
“Talk, talk, talk. I’m horny. Let’s go to bed.”
“Tell me about the plan!”
“It starts off with the two of us having sex.”
“What?”
“That’s what Jack said I’m to do. Oh yeah, and tell you I love you because he says you really love me.”
“Jack said that?”
“Yup. Then we fuck Wigglemore after.”
“That’s Wigmore. And I don’t like it when you swear.”
“It’s your fault. I swear when I’m horny.”
chapter twenty-five
Jack listened to the news on Friday afternoon. “Vancouver City Police recorded the city’s largest ever seizure of methamphetamine around noon today. Fifty kilos of the drug were seized at the train station. Police attribute the seizure to an anonymous tip received by the police in Montreal. A juvenile from Montreal was arrested, along with a local man known in the underworld by the unusual name of Halibut. His real name…”
Jack’s telephone rang a minute later.
“You hear the news?” asked Danny.
“Sounds like the narcs will be happy with Eddy Trimble. Bet I could get them to buy me a beer.”
“No kidding! You were right about Bart and Rex. They’re trustworthy.”
“They even threw in the bit about the anonymous call in Montreal. They’re not only trustworthy, but they’re doing their best to protect me.”
“Or Eddy Trimble.”
“Whatever. It’s good news. This is just the beginning. I told you there would be no stopping us now. How’s Susan?”
“Her head hurts a little, no thanks to you, but she’s fine. We had a good talk last night. Thanks. I really owe you.”
“Talk? That’s not what I told her to do to you!”
Danny paused, then said, “Right. She fucked some sense into me, too.”
Jack chuckled and Danny continued, “Susan said you have a plan to get Wigmore off my back?”
“I haven’t worked out all the finer details. We’ll have to wait until Monday when he returns, but trust me, by then I’ll have it together. Need a woman to help us, though.”
“Susan’s primed. She wants to help.”
“Good. See you tonight at the office.”
“This time I’m driving!” yelled Danny. He was too late. Jack had hung up.
Danny checked his watch. The search of Wizard’s penthouse apartment hadn’t taken long. All they had found was a .357 magnum revolver stuck in a holster fixed to the back of a bedside table. None of the phone numbers they located had prefixes for outside the city.
“That was quick,” whispered Danny. “Took us less than fifteen minutes. Do you still plan on doing Rolly’s? His place is an old house; it’s going to take a lot longer.”
“Yes, I plan on doing