Samurai code, p.10
Samurai Code, page 10
part #4 of A Jack Taggart Mystery Series
“Don’t worry about it,” replied CC. “It’s a hell of a long shot, anyway. Even though Jack and Laura did trace the gun to Goldie’s doorstep, it doesn’t mean that anyone he knows had it. Angelo and Dominic may have tossed it before they … well, disappeared.”
Jack and Laura looked at each other and she gave a subtle shake of her head. Jack thought the same way. If Angelo and Dominic didn’t toss away the gun when they kneecapped Bernie, they likely didn’t toss it away over shooting someone in the arm. And what twelve-year-old kid would throw a gun away?
Laura saw Jack smile at her. It was a smile she had seen before. He’s got a plan.
***
It was eight o’clock Tuesday night when Jack found a place to park in an alley one block down from the rear door of the Goldie Locks nightclub. He rested the binoculars on the steering wheel to hold them steady and was able to see Goldie’s car parked behind the nightclub. It was a new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster with a custom gold paint job, complete with vanity plates reading GOLDIE. Laura was in another car, and found a place to watch the front of the nightclub.
An hour went by before Arthur Goldie appeared out the back door of his club. Jack noted that Goldie’s physique made him relatively easy to see. He was a tall man with a thin body, which made his hands, feet, and head look extra large and gangly in comparison. He was forty-three years old and kept the hair on the sides of his head shaved short, but had a mop of thick brown hair on the top of his head. He was dressed in khaki-coloured slacks and an open moss-green windbreaker that revealed a canary-yellow golf shirt underneath.
“We’ve got action out back,” radioed Jack. “Looks like he’ll be eastbound in the alley.”
“I’ll see him when he comes out,” replied Laura.
“Keep it loose,” cautioned Jack. “I don’t want him to see our faces yet.”
“It’ll be real loose, out of sight, if he steps on the gas with what he’s driving,” replied Laura. A moment later she said, “Okay, got him. Turning north from the alley. What’s he got on the top of his head?”
“Just his hair,” replied Jack, while turning north on the street one block west of Goldie before making a quick right on Robson Street to catch up.
“Looks like a dead rat.”
“Think the rat is under the hair.”
“Copy that,” snickered Laura. “Okay, he’s picked up a ruby coming on to Robson. No indicator on, looks like he’ll be going straight through.”
Jack glanced at Goldie’s club as he drove past and then entered the left turn lane at the next light. He spotted the Aston Martin to his right where it was still parked, waiting for the light to change.
For the next ten minutes Jack and Laura followed Goldie. Eventually, he parked in another alley behind a restaurant before entering through the rear door. Unlike many criminals Jack had worked on, Goldie seldom checked his rear-view mirror and did not drive in a manner to detect if he was being followed. Is he really an innocent business man? Or does he feel safe because he thinks he is so immune and protected by others who do the dirty work?
“Keep an eye on his wheels,” radioed Jack. “I’m going on foot to walk past the front of the restaurant to see if I can spot who he’s meeting. He either owns the place or has to be on good terms with someone to walk in through the back. I’ll call you on your cell.”
Jack glanced in through the front windows of the Wang Hui Chinese Restaurant as he strolled past. He didn’t spot Goldie, but did see a group of Asian men sitting around some tables that had been pushed together. By their boisterous mannerisms and the way they were dressed, Jack had the distinct impression that they were gang-affiliated … and not the boy scouts. He spoke to Laura on her cell and relayed his observations.
“Sounds interesting,” replied Laura. “Want to start scooping licence plates? Maybe find out who —” her words broke off suddenly. “Hold it, Goldie’s out again and chatting in the alley with some guy. Short, barrel-chested Asian wearing black, baggy pants, and a red golf shirt. Maybe forty to fifty years old.”
“The restaurant is Chinese,” said Jack. “Bet it’s the owner.”
“Okay, that was quick,” continued Laura. “Goldie is back to his wheels and the red golf shirt went back inside the restaurant. Your call. Want me to stay with Goldie?”
“No, let him go. I don’t want to heat him up. Let’s watch this place and see if we can figure out who the clientele is and what is going on that would require a back-alley meeting.”
Over the next couple of hours, Jack and Laura recorded numerous licence plates of people coming and going from the restaurant. They also noted a pay phone outside the restaurant was used frequently by the clientele, some of whom clearly had cellphones.
***
By noon the following day, Jack’s and Laura’s desks were piled high with paper. They identified the owner of the restaurant as Hui Wang, who named his restaurant in the Asian fashion of Wang Hui Chinese Restaurant by using his surname first. It was also discovered that Wang was the owner of a furniture store called Wang’s House of Bamboo.
What Jack found of particular interest was that Wang had been charged for trafficking in crystal meth several years earlier, but was not convicted after someone else claimed ownership for the drug.
Laura glanced at the mug shot of Wang and confirmed that he was the man in the red golf shirt.
Jack discovered that he was partially right in that the clientele belonged to a gang. In fact, there were three different Asian gangs represented by the clientele. The Big Circle Boys, Sun Yee On triad, and some who had been listed by the Vancouver Police Department’s Anti-Gang Unit as belonging to gangs who were unnamed. Their criminal records included: attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, extortion, pimping, auto theft, identity and credit card theft, and drug trafficking.
“Except none of the drug trafficking is heroin,” said Jack, looking at the different records. “These guys are all into ecstasy and meth. If Goldie is involved with heroin, then he’s visiting the wrong crowd.”
“Maybe Wang plans on adding to his menu,” suggested Laura.
“Maybe, but something doesn’t sit right,” replied Jack. “Goldie seems much more sophisticated. The Chinese we saw were basically a bunch of hoods strutting around like Hollywood gangsters. They all seem close-knit. To me, Goldie doesn’t fit in.”
“He must somehow. He met with Wang in the alley.”
“You’ve got a point there. I’m going to call Sammy and see how they feel about approaching some of the dealers associated with Wang. Those guys are punks in comparison to the players who hang out at Goldie Locks. If heroin is about to be moved through there, it might be an opportune time.”
***
Drug Section was glad to assist, and over the next few nights they managed to get an undercover operator to meet some of the Chinese associated with the restaurant. By the following Monday, another meeting was held amongst the investigators in the boardroom.
“Good news, bad news,” said Sammy. “The good news is that Jack and Laura gave us a hell of a good tip on the Chinese restaurant. We’ve got two operators in with some of the bad boys connected to there. One operator is Chinese. She is being offered large quantities of ecstasy and crystal meth. She scored a sample of the meth and it is high quality. I tell ya, the bad guys are tossing weights and numbers around like it was the Toronto Stock Exchange. Anything goes, providing you’ve got the cash. We’ve also seen Wang using the pay phone out front. We’ve submitted a new operational plan to start a new UC there and I think we’ll have a wiretap up and running on Wang that will include the pay phone out front.”
“How long to get wire?” asked Jack. “With the action you’re talking about, I imagine it will take you a month or so to push the paperwork through.”
Sammy smiled and said, “Normally, yeah, but we got the Asian Heat on board with us.”
“Asian Heat?” asked Jack.
“That’s what I call her,” replied Sammy. “She’s of Chinese ancestry and is attached to the Asian Based Organized Crime Unit within our office. Tina is a real pit bull when it comes to catching bad guys. Before joining the Force, she was a loans officer in a bank. She’s good with the paperwork. Don’t worry, we’ll get the wire. We’ll also bug his car if we get the chance.”
“Tina sounds like someone we could use in our office,” Jack said, looking at Laura.
“Hands off!” replied Sammy. “I shouldn’t have told you about her.”
“You said earlier that there was some bad news,” interjected CC.
“Our operators have been turned down flat when it comes to heroin. Maybe Arthur Goldie isn’t into heroin. Maybe it’s his clientele who is.”
“Then why the back-alley meeting?” asked Jack.
Sammy shrugged and said, “It’s summer. The restaurant kitchen was probably hot and steamy. Outside would be cooler.”
Jack shook his head and said, “If he’s innocent, why not phone? He drove all the way over for a two-minute chat.”
“Well … whatever, but with a new UC in the works on ecstasy and meth, we’re going to be shutting down the heroin operation soon. Maybe we’ll get Wang talking to Goldie, but as it stands now, as far as the heroin operation goes, we hope to set up the final buy and bust within the next two weeks.”
“Mind if Laura and I start a little UC of our own in Goldie Locks?” asked Jack.
“Uh … hang on, Jack,” said Rose. “Are you proposing that you and Laura start buying heroin? We also don’t have a budget for that.”
“Not buying heroin,” replied Jack. “Just an intelligence probe. Basically go in and watch. See who’s who in the zoo. Might claim a few drinks, but nothing too expensive.”
Laura glanced at Jack. A few drinks, a few laughs … nobody gets hurt … right, Jack?
“That I can approve,” replied Rose, “provided we’re not interfering?” she added, looking at Sammy.
Sammy shook his head and replied, “Not at all. It could help us. If Jack and Laura can figure out who is who in there, next time we score from Jojo they might be in a position to figure out what is going on if he shows up at the club after.”
“Keep us in the loop,” said Jack. “We’ll start going inside and getting acquainted.”
“As long as you don’t cause us any heat before we’re done with our operation.”
Jack smiled. That is exactly what I intend to do.
13
It was Wednesday and relatively quiet at eight o’clock at night when Jack and Laura walked into Goldie Locks. The nightclub was tastefully decorated with well-spaced leather furniture and dim lighting. Classical music played softly through speakers and it, along with the expensive drink menu, ensured that the establishment catered to the over-thirty crowd — over thirty and wealthy.
A bouncer, who Jack figured had a taste for steroids, nodded politely to them from where he stood near the front door. He had short, blond hair trimmed in a buzz cut and wore a tan-coloured suit with a bright pink tie. His colleague, who looked like he could have been his twin brother, was dressed in a similar fashion and loitering near the bar where he was flirting with a waitress.
“Looks nice. How do you want to play it?” whispered Laura, as they made their way inside.
“Classy, wealthy, and friendly for now,” replied Jack.
“And later?”
“Once we get in with Goldie, he should be impressed by who he thinks we are. Then maybe we’ll add a touch of intimidation or psychotic behavior to the recipe. Keep him a little off balance … but interested. He’s used to being in charge. I want him to like and respect us, but we’ve got to keep control.”
Jack and Laura took a seat together on a white leather sofa facing an etched-glass oval coffee table.
“Martini, gin,” ordered Jack, to the young woman who quickly arrived to serve them.
“Bombay or Tanqueray?”
“I prefer Tanqueray Number 10, but if you don’t have Number 10, then Bombay.”
“Sorry, we don’t have Number 10, so Bombay it is. And you, madam?”
Laura frowned and replied, “Bellini.”
Jack saw Laura glare at the waitress as she left to get their order. “Okay, what’s up?”
“What’s up,” seethed Laura. “Didn’t you hear what she called me?”
“I thought she was polite?”
“She called me madam. I’ve never been called that. Do I look that old to you? I’m not even thirty-four yet. Do I look older?”
Oh, Christ. “Maybe she thought you owned a brothel,” offered Jack, hoping to make light of the situation.
“I bet it’s my makeup,” replied Laura, sounding concerned. “I was running late and in a hurry. I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she added, abruptly leaving.
The cocktails arrived before Laura returned and Jack asked the waitress her name.
“Patty,” she replied with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Jack. My girlfriend Laura and I recently moved here from Edmonton. Have you been working here long?”
“Just started the end of June. Only for the summer. I’m going back to Simon Fraser in the fall. Getting my degree in education.”
“Good for you. Waitressing and dealing with the public is a learning experience. Something that will come in handy when you’re a teacher.”
“Hadn’t thought of it that way,” replied Patty.
“Speaking of which,” continued Jack, “between you and me, Laura hated being called ‘madam.’”
“I’m sorry, I —”
“Not a problem, but perhaps mention to her that you noticed she looked upset and —”
“I upset her?”
“And that you feel awkward being ordered to call all women by that —”
“The boss didn’t order us. I just —”
Jack put up his hand, gesturing for her to stop. “It would enhance your tip if she thought you were following orders from the boss.”
Patty paused and then smiled. “I’ll take care of it,” she said.
Jack noticed Patty go up to Laura as she was returning from the ladies’ room.
“It wasn’t me,” said Laura happily as she sat down.
“Wasn’t you what?”
“The waitress. Her name is Patty. She was only following orders on calling women ‘madam.’”
“Go figure.”
“I asked her about her boss. She said she didn’t really know Mister Goldie all that well yet. I asked her if he ever mingled with the customers and she said, sometimes. I said if he did, he would soon find out that calling young women ‘madam’ was not a good idea.”
“I bet they change their policy,” replied Jack. “It’s good he mingles. Just have to get him to mingle with us.”
***
Good undercover operatives are friendly by nature. Within a couple of hours, Jack and Laura were on a first-name basis with most of the staff.
On Thursday night, Jack and Laura returned to the club. Patty was quick to serve them, no doubt appreciating the fifty-six-dollar tip she received on top of the forty-four-dollar bill for the two martinis and two Bellinis she served the night before. The bartender, Purvis, also appreciated Jack’s added tips in appreciation of what he deemed “the perfect martini.” He waved to them both when they came in.
Jack took a jar out of a plastic bag and handed it to Patty and said, “Give this to Purvis, will you?”
“Olives?” asked Patty in bewilderment, staring at the jar.
“His martinis are excellent, but the olives he uses are getting old. Also, mention to him that I prefer three olives.”
Later that night, Jack and Laura saw Goldie make an appearance. Purvis spoke to him from behind the bar and Jack saw Goldie glance in their direction.
The next martini was on the house. When Jack and Laura left that night, they were being treated like prized regulars by all the staff.
***
It was ten o’clock on Friday night and Jack and Laura were looking for a place to park at Goldie Locks when Jack received a call from Sammy.
“Interesting call on the pay phone this afternoon,” said Sammy. “We just got it translated. Wang called another Chinese man by the name of Woo. We don’t know Woo’s full name yet. The number is registered to an auto body shop. It sounds like Woo is moving to Montreal and Wang told him to try and find a new connection out there for his friend who owns the nightclub. Wang has to be talking about Goldie.”
“Connection for what?” asked Jack.
“Didn’t say.”
After hanging up, Jack recounted the conversation to Laura.
“So, what do you think?” asked Laura.
“Let’s get Goldie to tell us what it’s about.”
“Really? And how —”
“On the sidewalk!” said Jack quickly, turning Laura’s attention toward the front of Goldie Locks.
Laura saw Goldie, in his familiar moss-green windbreaker, and Wang both walking down the sidewalk. Wang checked his watch and said something to Goldie, after which both men hurried their pace.
“What do you think?” asked Laura, with her hand on the door handle.
“They’re late for something. Would be nice to find out what. Go for it, but don’t be seen or Goldie will for sure recognize you from the club. I’ll call you on my cell. I’m going to give Sammy a call first and see if he knows anything.”
Once Laura exited the car, Jack dialed Sammy on his cellphone.“Sammy … Jack again. You ever get a bug in Wang’s car?”
“Yeah. Went into his garage behind his house last night and did it. Nothing on it yet. We didn’t have time to put in satellite tracking. The asshole turned his lights on. Probably going to the bathroom, but we decided to bolt.”
