“Why doesn’t he just kill them?”
“That’s just it. I don’t understand.” Jack spoke his thoughts aloud. “There’s something he isn’t telling us. Some potential consequence that scares the hell out of him.”
“So what should we do?”
“I think we better do as he says. Check these guys out.”
It was late afternoon as Assistant Commissioner Isaac sat at his desk and gazed at the picture that stood upright on his desk next to his Bible. It was a picture of Sarah and Norah. His wife and daughter. Norah was only seventeen when an impaired driver raced through a red light, striking the side of the car that she was in. She died at the scene. Her friend, who was driving, was also seventeen and Isaac knew that she still blamed herself.
It was not her fault ... I pray that some day she realizes that. The impaired driver was convicted and lost his licence. Little compensation for losing our daughter.
“Staff Sergeant Quaile here to see you,” announced his secretary.
Moments later, Quaile was seated in an overstuffed leather chair facing Isaac’s desk while nervously wondering why he had been summoned.
For management purposes, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was broken down into four nationwide regions: the Atlantic, Central, NorthWest, and Pacific Regions. Isaac was the Criminal Operations Officer who oversaw all the operational investigations in the Pacific Region. It made Quaile feel like he had just been invited into the inner sanctum of power.
“You’ve been in charge of the Intelligence Unit for three months now,” observed Isaac.
“Yes, sir,” replied Quaile. “Three months today, actually.”
Isaac nodded. It was a date he had already noted in his Day-timer from when Quaile first arrived to the section. His piercing eyes examined Quaile closely and he said, “I wanted to wait until you had ... a feel ... for the office before having this conversation with you. A conversation that for now will remain between the two of us.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I want to talk with you about Corporal Taggart.”
“Sir?”
“Are you familiar with the more unusual aspects of some of his past investigations?”
“I heard he was in a shootout with some bikers two years ago. Also that someone tried to kill him last year.”
Isaac nodded knowingly and said, “He’s had a rather lively career. Outstanding in some aspects. But ...” Isaac paused and glanced down at his desk before continuing, “I’m not exactly sure how I should word this. There’s never been any proof,” he muttered, more to himself than to Quaile.
“Proof, sir? Of what?”
“Of any wrongdoing on the part of Corporal Taggart. This is the dilemma. He could be completely innocent. Incredibly lucky, perhaps. His predictions in his reports about organized crime families have been remarkably accurate.”
“That concerns you, sir?”
“No,” said Isaac, brusquely. “That is not what concerns me. What concerns me is that key people he works on end up dead! That is what concerns me!”
“Dead?” said Quaile, sounding dumbfounded. “You mean like—I don’t understand.”
“I’ll give you a quick history lesson. Three years ago, Corporal Taggart worked on a notorious French bank robber who was the ringleader in a gang that robbed banks across Canada. They were responsible for wounding and paralyzing a female officer in Quebec. Two months after Taggart starts to work on them, suddenly the gang believes their boss is an informant and kills him.”
“Was he Taggart’s informant?”
“No.”
“Oh, I see,” said Quaile, wondering what Isaac meant.
“That investigation followed another where a corrupt prosecutor working for Satans Wrath had ...”
“Had the bikers go after Taggart’s niece and nephew. I heard about that,” said Quaile.
“And did you hear that this prosecutor was later found dead in his swimming pool?”
“Yes, sir. An accidental drowning, I was told.”
“Maybe it was—but it happened in Mexico at the same time Taggart was in Mexico.”
Quaile swallowed nervously when he realized the implication.
“Perhaps that was just a coincidence,” continued Isaac. “Then, last year, a Colombian drug lord tried to kill Taggart and terrorized the family of Constable Danny O’Reilly, who was Taggart’s partner. A short time later, Taggart went to Colombia, allegedly to work on an unrelated investigation. Within a day of his arrival the drug lord and thirty of his men were murdered.”
“Taggart did that?” asked Quaile, his eyes wide and his mouth dropping open.
“No, I’m not saying that he did. It’s just that ... well, quite frankly, it has crossed my mind if he wasn’t somehow responsible. All this might simply be the suspicious brooding of an old man who has been on the job too long.”
“I don’t think you’re old, sir.” Quaile caught the frown that passed over Isaac’s face. Smart old fart. I’ll have to be more tactful ...
“What I’m asking,” continued Isaac, “is that you keep an eye on him and report anything suspicious to me. Understood?”
“Yes, sir. You may be pleased to know that I’m already on top of it. I’ve sensed he was a bad apple ever since I first arrived.”
“You have?”
“I’ve found him to be contemptuous in nature and he is not someone I feel is properly groomed for the duties he is now responsible for. I’m surprised that his predecessor did not identify this.”
“I’ve noticed that your office seems ... well, more spruced up since your arrival.”
“Thank you, sir. Shoddiness, tardiness, insubordination ... are all things I will not permit under my command. Unfortunately, Corporal Taggart has required discipline in all these areas. I also suspect he is a bad influence on the more junior members in the office. Now, realizing his history, perhaps Taggart is someone who should be given a less significant position?”
Isaac let out a sigh and said, “I hope you haven’t misunderstood me on this matter. Taggart has done excellent work in the past. He is a particularly gifted undercover operative, exceptionally astute, and if I were a criminal, quite honestly, he is the last person I would ever want on my trail. All I’m asking you to do is to keep close tabs on him. Treat him fairly, but at the same time, I will not tolerate any deviations from policy. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Quaile. The first real test of my leadership! Thank you for the opportunity, Corporal Taggart!
chapter three
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As soon as her feet touched the deck of the trawler, she anxiously pushed her way past the others to the outside edge to see if she could see any lights on shore. She saw only darkness.
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