Art and Murder (15 page)

It was five-thirty when Jack arrived at the Emergency unit of the Vancouver General Hospital. He cut the zip-tie from Klaus's wrists and went inside with him before giving him back the keys to his car.

“Consider this the last time I ever want to see you or anyone else you work with,” Jack said coldly. “I'll be checking out of my hotel and tossing out the phone Anton calls me on. If I ever see any of you again, I will respond with extreme violence. The only reason you're still alive is that I know I was caught on a security camera entering the parkade.”

Klaus was relieved. Not only was Jack letting him live, but the others wouldn't find out.
As far as my injuries go, I'll tell them I got in a bar fight …

Jack left the hospital and called Anton as he walked across the parking lot to meet Sammy and Benny. “Got some good news for you,” he said when Anton answered. “My meeting's over and I'm free to meet your boss immediately.”

“You are?” said Anton, sounding surprised. “That's, uh, great. I'm in his room. I'll tell him.”

“Put him on the line,” Jack demanded.

Seconds later a voice with a strong German accent said, “Hello, Jack. My name is Wolfgang. I understand you are able to see me now?”

“Right. Where are you?”

“I'm staying at the Fairmont Hotel.”

“Perfect. Okay if I come to your room?”

“Yes, that would be okay,” said Wolfgang. “However, I thought that if you were worried, we could meet at some public place to discuss things.”

“Me worried? Why should I be worried?”

“Well, uh, before when —”

“Consider this a test of our future relationship,” said Jack. “Tell me your room number, and I'll be there in a few minutes.”

“That would be fine.”

“First, I will be sending over a security team to ensure my safety and check out your room.”

“We mean you no harm. But if that is what it takes … by all means.”

“Tell Anton to stay, but if anyone else is with you, tell them to wait downstairs in the lounge.”

“It is only Anton who is with me.”

“Perfect.”

As soon as Jack hung up, Wolfgang looked at Anton and said, “I thought Jack was hours away? What's going on?”

Anton shook his head to show his own bewilderment as he made a call.

Big Joe tried to answer his phone, but he was in a mountainous area and the call didn't connect. He put his phone back in his pocket and grinned to himself as he thought about the invoice he'd be submitting for the long hours of surveillance.

Had he realized his tracker was on an express bus bound for Edmonton, he would have been far less happy.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after speaking with Jack, Wolfgang answered a knock on his door.

“We work for Jack,” said Sammy by way of introduction as he brushed past Wolfgang. He was carrying a briefcase and was followed by Benny, who was talking on his phone.

Wolfgang and Anton stared at the two men. Both wore ball caps and oversized sunglasses. Anton recognized them as the two men Jack had used to dispose of Dempsey's body and swallowed nervously when he saw they were wearing latex gloves.

Sammy put the briefcase down, then checked the washroom to ensure the two men were the only ones there before giving Benny a nod.

“We're inside,” said Benny into the phone. “Only Anton and one other man is present.”

“As requested,” said Wolfgang. He smiled nervously.

“I've got eyes,” said Sammy gruffly. “Do you?”

Wolfgang quit smiling when Sammy and Benny both undid their jackets to reveal they each had a pistol in a leather holster on the side of their belts.

Wolfgang's face paled slightly. “Uh, yes,” he replied.

“Good. Put your hands on the wall,” ordered Sammy.

“Do you really think this is —”

Benny drew his pistol and spoke menacingly. “Do it!”

Wolfgang and Anton quickly obeyed and Sammy patted them down for weapons.

“Okay, the both of you take a seat.” Sammy pointed to a couple of chairs as Benny put his pistol back in the holster.

Wolfgang and Anton exchanged a solemn glance, then sat down and watched as Sammy retrieved an electronic wand from his briefcase and used it to scan the room. When he finished, he put the wand back in his briefcase and nodded at Benny.

“We're finished,” said Benny into his phone. “Neither one was packing and the room's clean.”

A minute later Benny opened the door and Jack entered.

“Surprised to see me, Anton?” Jack asked.

“No,” Anton replied as he and Wolfgang started to rise. Sammy put a hand on each of their shoulders to let them know to stay seated.

Anton looked nervously back at Sammy, then turned to Jack. “You said you were coming. Why should I be surprised to see you?”

“I thought you might've believed I was driving through some mountain pass,” replied Jack harshly.

Anton's eyebrows arched in his surprise. “Uh … I don't understand. Why would —”

“Don't lie to me, Anton,” Jack snarled, stepping closer.

Both Anton and Wolfgang saw the blood splattered down the front of Jack's raincoat and on his sleeve. They looked at each other in fear and confusion.

“Your lives depend on the truth,” Jack hissed. He paused and stared at them to make them feel more uncomfortable. “This afternoon one of my men found the tracker on my car when he took it for an oil change. I then stuck it on a Greyhound bus bound for Edmonton. I presume you know that because the gelatinous slob who was following me should have clued in a long time ago and is probably back in the city. Believe me, when my men speak to him, I will learn the truth, unless I hear it from you first.”

Anton looked nervously at Wolfgang, who responded with a subtle nod.

“Okay, okay, I, uh, hired him,” Anton admitted. “I did call him a few minutes ago, but couldn't get an answer.”

“Meaning he is still in the mountains someplace,” said Jack, shaking his head in disgust. “The man really is inept. You should train your people better.”

“He is not one of our men,” Anton said. “He's a private investigator.”

“A private investigator?” Jack pretended surprise.

“You are taking security precautions,” said Wolfgang, gesturing to Sammy and Benny, “and so did we.”

“Oh, I am not angry about that. A little disturbed at one of my own men, perhaps.” He looked at Anton. “I believe the only time you had the opportunity to put the tracker on my car was last Thursday when I met you for lunch.”

Anton stared down at the floor, then nodded.

“Good for you,” Jack said. “I hold no ill feelings toward you for doing that, even though it has forced me to change hotels. I had anticipated you might do that and posted a person to watch my car. This afternoon he admitted to me that he had an intestinal bug and left his post to use a washroom. I will no longer be using his services.”

“So … everything is okay between us?” asked Wolfgang, rising to his feet. “I'm Wolfgang,” he added, then smiled while extending his hand. “It is good that we respect —”

“Sit down!” Jack said angrily.

Wolfgang immediately sat down.

“There's another reason I wondered if you were surprised to see me,” said Jack, looking coldly at Wolfgang's and Anton's faces.

“I don't understand.” Fear reduced Wolfgang's voice to a whisper.

Jack sneered at him. “You are the top guy, aren't you? The one who calls himself the Ringmaster?”

“No,” Wolfgang said meekly.

“You're not?” Jack feigned surprise. “Anton told me you were his boss.”

“Anton is at the same executive level as I am, but he is new to his position and is still on probation. Normally he is supervised by Roche.”

“But since your arrival in Canada, which Anton told me was last night, I presume you are in charge of the people here, is that right?” Jack asked.

Wolfgang nodded.

“So you're the one who gives them their orders.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Interesting,” Jack mused. “You didn't try to lie your way out. I have another question for you. Knowing that you had a tracker on my car for the last five days, if during that time you wished to kill me, how would you have gone about it? Hypothetically speaking, that is.”

“I have no intention of trying to kill you,” said Wolfgang quickly. “Do we, Anton?” He glanced at his colleague.

“Certainly not!” Anton blurted.

“I said hypothetically speaking.” Jack raised his voice. “Answer me.”

“Well, uh, we know you were staying at the Pan Pacific,” said Wolfgang. “It is too crowded in that area and the hotel is no doubt equipped with too many security cameras and the like for us to make an attempt on your life there. If I were to have you killed, I would simply follow you someplace, such as a mall or a restaurant, then do it when you were either getting in or out of your car.”

Jack pursed his lips as he thought about it. “Sounds reasonable. How many men would you use to carry out the assignment?”

“I would use all four of us.”

“Yourself, Anton, Bojan, and Klaus,” Jack said.

“Yes.” Wolfgang felt uneasy that Jack knew the names of all his associates, while he knew little about Jack's people.

“Go on,” Jack prodded him. “Explain how. Would you run up and shoot me?”

“Not necessarily. I would have one man distract you when you opened the door of your car, perhaps by asking for directions. Then I would have another man stab you from behind if silence was necessary, or shoot you if the situation allowed it.”

Jack nodded. “You may have saved your own lives.”

Wolfgang and Anton looked at each other in bewilderment.

“So … your man, Klaus. You wouldn't send him to try and kill me on his own?”

“Mon Dieu!”
gasped Anton as the reason for Jack's line of questioning became clear.

“I don't believe in any god,” Jack said. “Save your prayers for later and listen. About an hour ago, Klaus tried to kill me.”

“He is dead?” Anton stared at the blood on Jack's raincoat.

“Let me explain,” said Jack. “After finding the tracker, I discovered he was hanging around the front of my hotel. I thought it was odd that he would risk exposure doing that when you could rely on the tracker — unless, of course, he was not made privy to that information. So it got me to thinking. Was he acting on his own? He did strike me as having a vindictive personality.”

“He told me he was with his girlfriend,” spluttered Anton. “Please, you have to believe me. I didn't know.”

“Relax, Anton,” said Jack. “I do believe you.”

Anton and Wolfgang glanced at each other again as their tension subsided.

“If you had sent him to kill me,” Jack continued, “I'm sure you would've been in touch with him before allowing my men to come to your room.” Jack directed his attention at Wolfgang. “At first, I wondered if you intended to kill me as I walked over to your hotel, but decided you wouldn't have allowed my men into your room if that were the case. It appears to me that Klaus was acting on his own.”

“He was,” Wolfgang said emphatically. “We knew nothing about it.”

Jack nodded to indicate he believed him.

“What … will you tell us what happened?” asked Anton.

“I approached Klaus when he returned to his car in a parkade. He was putting a flat tire into the trunk when I stuck a gun in his ear. He tried to pull a gun on me, which resulted in him losing more of his teeth, along with other facial injuries. I then shoved his body in the trunk and bound his hands and ankles together.”

“He is still alive?” asked Wolfgang.

“Very much so. I drove him to the emergency ward myself. I suspect they're getting tired of seeing him. Three times in one week for the same problem must be annoying. Regardless, when I left him, he was seated in the waiting room. He'll likely be there for several hours. I also gave him his keys back and left his car in visitor parking.”

“Why didn't you kill him?” asked Wolfgang.

“The parkade has security cameras at the entrance and exit. So does the hospital. If his disappearance or death results in an investigation, I will be seen as the one who took him for treatment and not the one who followed him to his car and murdered him.”

“I see,” said Wolfgang.

“Plus, he is your man, and therefore you are responsible for him. And quite frankly, I feel that you should be the one to, uh, take remedial action and counsel him in that regard.”

“Counsel?” repeated Wolfgang. His voice revealed his deadly intent. “Oh, yes, let me assure you that he will be counselled, providing we find him. Under the circumstances, he may have wisely gone elsewhere for treatment.”

Jack cleared his throat, then said, “I suspect he is not that smart, but if you do go there, it might be prudent to wait for him at his car.”

Wolfgang nodded.

“I'm glad we have cleared the air,” Jack said. “However, I have found this to be a long and tiring day. I suggest that you and I meet over breakfast to discuss what services I may be able to provide your company.”

“Good,” replied Wolfgang. “I would like to go to the hospital as soon as possible.”

“I have a secure phone for you.” Jack nodded at Benny, who took a phone from his briefcase and gave it to Jack to pass on. “Feel free to use it as you like. I will call you at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you,” replied Wolfgang.

Jack, Sammy, and Benny were heading for the door when Jack turned and said, “Incidentally, Roche told me that you had a secure name to use over the phones to protect the identities of your executive members. What's yours?”

“I am simply referred to as a juggler,” said Wolfgang. “Same as Roche.”