Jack cleared his throat and said, “Petya, or Peter as it is called in English, is a Russian we have been referring to as Moustache Pete. His partner is Styopa. They are the two men Laura and I followed to Hanoi.”
“They have Linh! Arrest them now! Search their houses!”
“They share an apartment together. It is not a house. They do not have Linh.”
“Then it is the man called Surrey! Do you know him?”
“Surrey is a
city
near Vancouver. It is where Hang was found. It is not a person.” Jack saw the tears fill Bien's eyes. “Tell us what you heard,” he asked softly.
“Thao spoke with Dúc when he arrived. He asked him if they might be in jail because of Peter and Styp' over the two girls. I am sure it is Hang and Linh they talk about!”
“Please ... tell us the rest,” said Jack.
“Dúc said it had nothing to do with them. He said it is only because of prostitution. He said the Vancouver police are behind it. He said Surrey is only a coincidence.”
“Did he say what kind of coincidence?” asked Connie.
“No. Thao said it was stupid of Peter and Styp'. He said he did not understand why they did that. He said they would have paid them more money for my daughters.”
“He said they were sisters?” asked Jack.
“No ... he said girls ... but I know he is talking about my daughters. Then Húu asked Dúc why he drove the girls to that place for Peter and Styp'. Dúc said it was because that is what they wanted.”
“What place?” asked Connie.
“Now I do not know,” cried Bien. “I believed he meant to one of the homes of the three names I told you.”
“Take it easy,” said Jack. “What you have done has helped us.”
“I did not do this right!” shouted Bien. “I should have asked questions!”
“No,” replied Jack. “I told you not to ask any questions. That would be very, very dangerous for Linh.”
Bien grabbed Jack's sleeve and said, “But now we know that Dúc and those two Russians know where they are. You
can find them easy now.” His eyes flashed and he added, “I would like to be there when they talk!”
Jack closed his eyes while briefly massaging his temple with one hand.
“What is it, Jack?” asked Bien. “Why are you still sitting here? Linh is in great danger!”
“It is not that easy,” explained Connie. “We know that they do not have Linh. If we question them about it, then they will tell whoever has her to kill her and hide her body.”
“You do not ask them politely!” yelled Bien. “You are the police! You make them talk! Do not let them talk to anyone until Linh is safe. You must act now!”
“I'm sorry, Bien,” said Connie. “It does not work that way in Canada.”
Jack looked at Bien and thought,
I'm sorry, buddy, there was a day I would have glady beaten the information out of them. I just can't. Please understand, I have someone I love in my life now. I have to do the right thing.
“It has to work that way!” said Bien. “It is my daughter's life! She is a child!”
Jack looked at Bien and sighed.
Why do I feel so much shame and hate myself if what I am doing is the right thing?
“Bien ... no,” said Jack. “You said that Húu told Dúc that he should not have driven the girls to that place.”
“Yes, that is right.”
“âThat place' ... does not mean that Linh is still there. It could have been a temporary drop-off place. Neither Dúc nor the Russians may know exactly where she is. Even if they were made to confess ... they may not know where Linh is now. Whoever has Linh might hear about it and kill her.”
“Then what will you do?” asked Bien.
“You have given us a good lead,” said Jack. “We can now focus our attention on Dúc and the two Russians.”
“It sounds like whoever has her is known to both Dúc and the Russians,” said Connie. “We have phone records. I will work on it tonight with many investigators. If there is a common denominator, we will find out.”
“Is there anything else they said?” asked Laura.
“There is only one more thing,” said Bien, bitterly. “Dúc mentioned that you only found half his money.”
Connie glanced at Jack and Laura and said, “I've already got Proceeds of Crime looking at his financial transactions.”
Jack nodded and looked at Bien and asked, “Did you tell Dúc about using lots of different girls to smuggle heroin?”
“Yes, I told him,” replied Bien. “He did not ... what do you call it? Steal the bait.”
“Bien, believe me,” said Jack. “We will find her. You've got my word on that.”
Bien nodded as he silently committed one other piece of information to memory.
The Sacred Phoenix at one o'clock.
Linh tried to ignore the sound of the bat slapping against Pops's hand as she got to her feet. Until now, she had remained defiant ... angry at the man she knew had killed her sister.
Pops had been wickedly controlling. A slice of bread ... perhaps allowing her to temporarily have an article of clothing to lord his power over her. But he had not caused any physically lasting pain. With the exception of her fighting with him and being slapped and punched when he first chained her up and tore off her clothes, she had not yet suffered much physical torture.
There were times when he would urinate on her, but he seemed to take more joy with marking an X on the calendar each day, while verbally tormenting her about the box that was out of her reach and what she might expect on the red-circle day.
Linh had refused to show any interest in the calendar or the box ... at least when Pops was in the room.
Tonight, something is different about his face. He does not look as evilâhe looks ... afraid! The bat ... the hose ... because I do not play his game, he is going to kill me!
“Please, Mister Pops,” said Linh, pointing at the calendar. “I must know. Tomorrow is the first red-circle day. Please tell me! What is in that box?”
Pops stopped and stood staring at her. He was panting, as if he had just been using the exercise equipment that Linh had seen in the basement when she first arrived.
“Mister Pops! I must know. Don't make me wait. Please ... tell me now.”
Pops turned to look at the calendar and looked at Linh and smiled. “It
is
your first red-circle day tomorrow,” he said.
Abruptly he stepped forward again, raising the bat menacingly over her head and she stepped back.
“No!” Pops shouted. “I will not tell you now! You will wait until tomorrow.” He lowered the bat and, almost as an afterthought, he said, “It is Saturday tomorrow. When I come home from work I will be off for the next two days. I think it will be best if I give you all the surprises during that time.”
Linh watched as Pops leaned the bat up against the box and placed another X on the calendar. He stared at her intently before gathering up the hose and disappearing back out the passageway.
It was eleven o'clock at night when Natasha heard Jack arrive and the noise of his suitcase landing on the tiled floor at the front door. She was ready for bed, but he had called so she waited, watching the
The National
on CBC.
“Let me guess, don't tell me your name,” said Natasha teasingly, before kissing him warmly on his lips. She stepped back and looked at him again. “I'm not sure ... maybe if
I use a little more passion.” She kissed him again, taking her time and running the end of her tongue around his lips before stepping back.
“Now do you remember who I am?” asked Jack.
“I've certainly narrowed it down to a short list.”
“Really? How many names are on that short list?”
“Unfortunately, quite a few. Do you have any distinguishing marks or scars to jog my memory?”
“I can't remember. Maybe if you allowed me a moment to take my coat off and undress we could find out.”
Natasha smiled and hugged him again. “I missed you. I'm so glad you're back. Travelling to all these exotic places ... with another woman, I might add.”
“Speaking of Laura, you didn't happen to buy her a certain bottle of perfume, did you? As a bon voyage present?”
Natasha furrowed her eyebrows and said, “No, I never ... ah, ha! Your allergies.”
“I did get you a little something,” said Jack, handing her a large plastic bag.
Natasha peered inside the bag. “A conical hat!” she laughed, quickly trying it on. “What do you think? Perfect for the rain we're getting this time of year.”
“Looks adorable, but the outfit isn't complete. There's more. I just have to unpack it.”
Natasha followed Jack into the bedroom and watched him unpack.
“You must be exhausted,” she said.
“Managed to catch a couple of winks on the plane, but not much.”
“How did everything go? Earlier, when we talked, you said you were putting the father into jail with them.”
“Partly successful,” said Jack. “He learned that the two Russians and one of the Tran brothers likely know where Linh
is, but that is all. Homicide will work through the night on it. Laura and I are meeting with them in the morning.”
“These guys are monsters,” said Natasha. “They should be ...”
“I know,” said Jack. “Let's not talk about that now.”
“Sorry.” Natasha changed the subject and said, “I bet you're glad that Jacob recanted your transfer.”
Jack paused and grinned. “Yeah, Jacob to you. God to me.”
Jack found the package wrapped in soft tissue paper and handed it to Natasha. She tore it open and saw the silk gown.
“Traditional Vietnamese gown,” said Jack. “I hope it fits.”
“It's beautiful!” said Natasha. “Thank you,” she added, kissing him on the cheek. “Give me a minute in the bathroom to try it on. You finish unpacking.”
Minutes later, Natasha decided that the outfit looked really good on her. It was tailored to fit the curves of her body perfectly. She leaned into the mirror and re-did her makeup, before lightly tossing her hair with her hands.
“What do you think?” she asked, walking into the bedroom and giving a wave of her arms to show off her new outfit.
Jack didn't respond. He was sprawled across the bed, sound asleep.
Connie glanced at her watch when she saw Jack and Laura walk up to her desk. It was eight o'clock in the morning. She stifled a yawn before asking, “What did you do with Bien?”
“We told him we'd meet him today for lunch. How did you make out?”
“Nada. Nothing. Most everyone in our office has been up all night and we don't have a thing to show for it.”
“No third party connection?” asked Laura.
“Not a fucking one,” said Connie, angrily. She looked at Jack and said, “So now what the hell do we do? They'll all be released in a couple of hours and we still don't have a clue as to where she is.”
“At least now we know that Dúc and the Russians probably have a good idea as to who has her,” said Jack.
“So what?” said Connie. “After yesterday, they'll all be too paranoid to go anywhere near where Linh is. Besides, they have no reason to. It's not like we have a clue. If we do risk putting surveillance on them and they spot itâyou both know what will happen.”
“You're tired,” said Jack. “You've been up all day and all night.”
“Christ,” said Connie, dismissing Jack's comment with a wave of her hand. “I even considered telling Dúc that the charges might go away and his money might reappear if he had something of value to give us.”
“They would figure that out pretty quick,” said Jack. “You'd be signing Linh's death warrant. Not to mention that Dúc is involved with this. He has his own ass to protect.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Go home, get some sleep,” said Jack. “It's easier to think of a game plan when you've had a little shut-eye.”
“Yeah? Well you just had some. Do you have a game plan?”
“So you don't have any surveillance planned on Dúc or the Russians?” asked Jack.
Oh, man ... I don't like the sounds of this,
decided Laura.
“No,” said Connie. “Like I said, we don't dare chance it.”
“I agree completely. Just wanted to make sure.”
Connie glanced at her watch and said, “Damn it, I'm already late to talk to Isaac. He wants to be debriefed personally on this twice a day. So what are you two going to do?”
“Look for a new informant,” said Jack. “Maybe some way to get in through the back door.”
“Yeah, well ... good luck.”
Laura waited until they were in the car and looked at Jack and said, “I heard you in there.”
“Heard me what?”
“You're pleased that they're not being followed. I know you, it's more than just not tipping them off. What's up? What's this about getting a new informant?”
“Two of them,” said Jack. “Moustache Pete and the Fat Man.”
“You can't be serious. They'll never turn! You ask them anything and Linh will end up in another Dumpster.”
“We won't ask them anything. All we have to do is get them to tell us.”
“What, some kind of UC? The Trans didn't take the bait with Bien.”
“A UC, but we keep Bien out of this.”
“How? You got an angle to get in with the Russians?”
“Yes.”
“Even if we do gain their trust ... I doubt that they would ever talk about it. Or if they do, they're smart enough not to give away any details that would let us locate her.”
“That depends upon our approach,” replied Jack, giving a grim smile. “I think I figured out something from what Bien told us last night. The part about the Trans wondering why the Russians didn't sell them the girls for more money.”
“I remember.”
“So why didn't they?”