Art and Murder (16 page)

“A Ringmaster and jugglers.” Jack smiled faintly. “Sounds like quite a circus. I presume Klaus is your clown?”

Wolfgang's face darkened. “Was our clown,” he growled in response.

“I knew it, I knew it, I knew it,” said Rose, glaring at Jack from across her desk.

“I had witnesses,” replied Jack.

“What he said happened last night is true,” Laura put in. “I had a good view from where we were parked.”

“And, of course, you wouldn't bend the truth to cover up for Jack, would you.” Rose didn't bother to hide her sarcasm. She looked at the coffee mug on her desk. “I haven't even had a sip of my morning coffee and you tell me this. Great way to start the day.”

“It's not my fault,” Jack insisted. “Check with Sammy and Benny. If not them, Otto is likely still asleep in his room at the Delta. Give him a call.”

Rose shook her head. “No, the thing is, I do believe you. I'm angrier with myself for letting it happen. How do I explain it to the brass?”

“Tell them the truth,” Jack said. “I was going to disarm him and turn him over to Wolfgang, but he tried to pull a gun on me. A minimum amount of physical force was applied, resulting in some damage to his jaw, which was easily injured due to a previous injury.”

“Two previous injuries,” Rose said.

“Okay, two, but in any event, to be on the safe side, this time I drove him to the hospital and dropped him off in case he needed treatment.”

“That was awfully nice of you,” said Laura, “considering the circumstances.”

“Cut the theatrics,” said Rose in exasperation. “What do I tell the brass when they speculate that he may try to kill you again?”

“That's been taken care of.” Jack smiled smugly. “I met with Wolfgang and Anton to discuss the matter and I recommended Klaus receive counselling. They were already thinking of firing him, so I am sure he'll be sent packing.”
Packing a shovel to dig his grave.

“You recommended he receive counselling?” said Rose incredulously.

“Yes. My meeting with Wolfgang was quite civilized.”

“You really expect the brass to believe that's what you said?”

“I bet they'll
want
to believe it,” said Jack seriously. “Besides, it's true, so why not? Sammy's and Benny's notes will corroborate it.”

“I'm sure they will.” Rose said in a flat tone.

“Not only that,” Laura inserted, “but Otto and I did surveillance with Special ‘O' at the hospital for an hour last night while Jack met with Wolfgang and Anton. Klaus had the opportunity to bolt during that time, but he didn't. Obviously, he wasn't concerned.”

“Is that right?” asked Rose, looking at Jack.

“Yes,” replied Jack. “For my own safety, I wanted him watched until the meeting was over.”

“That's good to know,” said Rose. “Although you did it to protect yourself, the fact that he stayed is an important point in convincing the brass that he wasn't concerned for his safety.” She looked at Jack speculatively.
Something stinks.

“Something wrong?” asked Jack.

He seems so honest. Is it me? Have I become that cynical about everyone?
She decided to probe in a different way. “Has there been any phone action since last night?” she asked.

“Anton did call Roche and told him what happened, but said that Wolfgang would contact the Ringmaster direct. Unfortunately, Wolfgang did not use the phone I gave him.”

“So I can tell the brass that you feel safe from Klaus?” asked Rose.

“Yes. I told them I switched hotels so he wouldn't know where to look. Wolfgang and Anton don't want me dead, at least not until they get their hands on the painting. They're hoping to gain my trust so that I hang it in my villa.”

“Yes, about your alleged retirement villa,” said Rose. “If you think you can convince the force to spring for some villa in Tuscany, you better think again.”

“I know. Getting the bean-counters to spring for a couple of martinis is usually an issue. The bad guys are paying for my travel expenses, so that should help.”

“That worries me, too,” said Rose. “They'll be expecting some return.”

“I can handle that. You've got your masters in psychology. I'm sure you can come up with some test I can give them to start the ball rolling, then give them feedback about potential character flaws or something. After that, I'll tell them I need to know more about who has done what in order to appraise the situation. I'm hoping to get an admission about Kerin's murder from the Ringmaster long before they question my ability as a consultant.”

“What's your next step?” asked Rose.

Jack glanced at his watch. “I'm meeting Wolfgang for breakfast to talk about how I could benefit their organization. At this point, I think they would like to hire me.”

“That's good,” Rose said dryly, “because after I debrief the brass, it might be wise for you to have a new career prospect.”

* * *

At ten-thirty Jack and Wolfgang ordered breakfast at the Dockside Restaurant, which overlooked False Creek in the heart of Vancouver. Although Jack drove Wolfgang to the location and ensured he was not being followed, as a display of trust, he had not searched Wolfgang. Outside the restaurant, Laura and Otto watched and waited in a Special “O” surveillance vehicle.

“So, Jack,” said Wolfgang, once coffee arrived, “I wish to apologize for the incident with Klaus yesterday. I can assure you that he will no longer be a threat to your safety.”

“That is good to hear,” Jack replied. “Apology accepted.”

“And you must believe that I had nothing to do with his actions,” Wolfgang added.

“Of course I believe it. You wouldn't be alive otherwise.”

Wolfgang looked at Jack in surprise, then smiled. “I believe you.”

“You should,” Jack said.

Wolfgang watched Jack take a sip of coffee. “From what I know, you're an interesting man. Uniquely talented.”

“I have my moments.”

“You said that if you were to consult for us, you would first do a background check and a profile of our executive members, is that correct?”

“That is of utmost importance,” Jack confirmed. “Before I stick my neck out, I like to know I can trust the person I'm sticking my neck out for.”

“By sticking your neck out … I presume you are talking about things like cleaning up the mess our men made in the workshop?'

Jack nodded. “Taking care of loose ends is something I do, but usually not before I know who I am dealing with. In the matter regarding your men, I felt it in my best interests to intervene.”

“I understand,” Wolfgang said. “Out of curiosity, what would you usually charge for what you did?'

“Ninety-eight hundred if it was a simple as Dempsey,” Jack replied. “If I had to get rid of, say, a car, or perhaps build a false trail to make someone think the person went elsewhere, then the figure would go up accordingly.”

“You did take Dempsey's car,” Wolfgang said.

“I had it parked near an airport alongside a river. Not a bad solution, but a far cry from making it disappear completely.”

“I see.” Wolfgang hesitated. “Your base figure of ninety-eight hundred seems odd to me.”

“Many bank transactions in different countries have to report amounts of ten thousand and up. I am not a greedy person and that amount simplifies things for certain clients.”

“I see. So, back to your profiling. How do you do that?”

“Fairly simple, actually, although because you're one of the people I would assess, I won't tell you all the secrets until such time as you have been cleared.”

“Ah,” said Wolfgang. “I guess that makes sense.”

“What I can tell you is I would want to know everyone's background. Things like what kind of families they came from, poor or wealthy. Do they have siblings. Are they married and do they have children.” Jack paused as the waitress brought them their orders, then continued, “I would ask them to complete a questionnaire designed to identify their level of intelligence and personality traits. Can they easily be deceived? Are they prone to bragging? Are they disgruntled and apt to talk to the competition or grasp an opportunity to take more than their share? Are they the type to snap under a police interrogation? Things of that nature. Then I would follow up with interviews to flesh out any problems.”

“You are very professional.” Wolfgang spoke matter-of-factly before biting into a blueberry scone.

“These days, so are the police,” Jack said. “Cameras are everywhere, it seems, and police have scientific laboratories at their disposal.” Jack enjoyed a bite of his order of Southside Huevos, then added, “Of course, it's not only the police you need to worry about. Sometimes the competition can really make a killing … literally.”

“Once you are convinced that our executive level is okay, what would follow?”

“Naturally, I would need to know your business inside and out, but let me say that I have an exceptional talent for obtaining information. I have many clients who tell me things that are not in their realm of interest, but could prove extremely profitable for others.”

“And your fee for such information?”

“It's negotiable and depends on how much assistance I provide. I don't expect to be paid until the venture is successfully completed.”

“I am impressed with you.” Wolfgang sat back and wiped his mouth, then tossed the napkin onto his plate. “However, I am not the one who makes the final decision on whether to hire you. Would you mind if I stepped away to make a phone call?”

“Not at all,” replied Jack. “If there are any questions, I would be happy to speak to whoever you are calling, as well.”

“That won't be necessary.” Wolfgang left the table.

A few minutes later he returned. “There is someone I would like you to see right now,” he said.

“Now?” Jack felt the adrenalin surge through his chest.

“Yes, at the place where you first met Anton.”

“Okay.”

“Does that make you nervous?”

“Not particularly,” Jack lied.

“Good. Let me pay the bill and go to the washroom, and then we can leave.”

Jack nodded. “Go ahead, I need to make a call myself.”

* * *

Moments later, Laura started feeling exasperated as she spoke to Jack. “Are you positive?” she asked. “No backup?”

“I'm positive. I need to build trust. It's too easy for them to spot you out there. Wolfgang made a call a few minutes ago, but I don't know what phone he used. Check with the monitors in the event it was the phone I gave him last night.”

“But —”

“Don't worry, I'll be okay. I'll call you when I'm clear. ”

“Yeah, sure, you'll be okay. Look what happened last time. They could get the drop on you before you had a chance to draw your gun.”

“I'm not packing,” Jack said. “I'm trying to build trust. Gotta go.”

Laura hung up and immediately dialled a different number. A woman answered.

“Who am I speaking with?” asked Laura abruptly.

“Hi, Laura. It's Nicole Purney,” she replied.

Laura was surprised, but also relieved. She knew her name would come up as
private
on Nicole's display, but Nicole was good at what she did, and voice recognition was part of her job. Laura had only talked to her a few times before, but it was enough for Nicole to file her voice away in her memory.

“Calling about the new line?” asked Nicole.

“Yes. Jack is with Wolfgang at a restaurant. He says Wolfgang made a call a couple of minutes ago.”

“Not on the phone Jack gave him,” said Nicole.

“Anything on Anton's today?”

“Not a thing.”

“I know you guys have a ton of lines to listen to, but Jack is going into a situation. Any chance you could live-monitor those two lines for me until he's clear?”

“You've got it,” replied Nicole sombrely. “Hang on! The light went on for Anton's line. I'll turn it on so we can both listen, if you like.”

“Please,” said Laura as she strained to hear. The first couple of words spoken by Anton and another man told her that listening would not do her any good. “They're speaking in French,” said Laura. “Which I can't understand.”

“No worries,” Nicole said. “I'll translate for you. Anton called Roche. They've greeted each other … Roche said he was brought up to date about Klaus last night.”

“By who?”

“Didn't say. Stand by … Anton says Wolfgang is coming over with Jack … I presume to that same acreage?”

“Yes.”

“Anton says Big Joe is really pissed off, but doesn't say why. Says Big Joe is looking for revenge. If Jack isn't who he says he is, Big Joe will soon know.”

“How?”

“What I'm telling you is everything we know,” said Nicole quickly. “Your interruptions make it hard —”

“Sorry, I'll shut up.”

“Anton says they were going to fire Big Joe, but he's anxious to make up for it and will work today for free … the Ringmaster has set some sort of test for Jack … Roche knows … is telling Anton to call him back when the test is presented, as he wants to hear.… That's it. The call's ended.”

Oh, man.
“What kind of test?” Laura asked.

“What I told you is all there was.” After a moment Nicole added, “Please let me know when he's clear of the situation, will you? Jack's a friend of the family. He and my dad have worked together.”

“I know. I've worked with your dad, too. I'll keep you in the loop. Gotta go. Jack and Wolfgang are out of the restaurant. I'm going to call him.”

* * *

Laura watched Jack answer her call. She knew he couldn't say much without being overheard by Wolfgang, but she was, at least, able to tell him about the phone call.

“That's too bad Nicole isn't well,” Jack replied. “You should keep her company.”