The Specter by Jonas Saul Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jonas Saul
stood sentinel, ready to take pictures of any red-light runners.
A camera.
Could there be a camera in the House of Lancaster that records people coming or going? Maybe Folley could get them to show him what happened that night? Or maybe it was all erased for a price?
It angered him that he felt so helpless. There was really nothing he could do. He held no official capacity like Folley and he couldn’t allow himself to get into trouble while out on bail.
Aaron realized that his hands were tied. He had to let the system find his sister in their sweet old time. Whenever they got around to it, he might get a call.
He clenched a fist. If they find her body and someone could have stopped whatever’s happening if they worked a little harder, he didn’t know what he would do. Having learned about Gary and Frank Weeks and talked to the stripper, he wondered how far ahead the cops were. What could they possibly be doing to solve this if he’s out here getting closer by the minute.
That left one thing for him to do. Someone at the strip club knew something and they were hiding it. Whether it was the dancers, the bouncers or the owner, someone knew something. He’d rather spend a year in jail and save Joanne than lose her.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Daniel, his assistant from the dojo. He needed more people on his side. He would warn Daniel of the risks and explain the downside. Then he would get him to call a few of the black belts from the gym and see who wanted to go to the strip club to get some answers.
It was time to start asking the questions the hard way.
Being a nice guy simply wasn’t working.
Chapter 5
Nancy Demeers walked a block up Dixie until she saw a coffee shop. Dressed as she was in her blue hip-hugging dress, people would stare, but she didn’t care. She had done what was asked of her. She would collect her money and leave Toronto. Maybe it was time to visit her sister in Halifax.
She pulled her cell phone out and called the number she was supposed to memorize.
It was answered on the third ring.
“Hello?” Nancy whispered into the phone.
“Speak.”
The man’s voice was deep, gravelly.
“I did it. I told the man what you told me to say. I made sure he thought that his sister was taken out of the club. He knows exactly what you wanted him to know.”
“Good.”
“Can someone come with my money and pick me up?”
“Sure. Where?”
“I’m at Dixie Road and The Queensway in Etobicoke. I’ll be in a coffee shop on the Northwest corner.”
“Ten minutes.”
The man’s voice gave nothing away. No emotion, no appreciation, nothing. All it gave her was chills, even though the summer sun beat down on her exposed back.
“You’ll have my money?”
“Yes. We need his license plate number. Did you get that?”
“Of course.” She recited it by heart. “There, you have everything you asked for. Did I do good?”
She wanted a pat on the back for a job well done. Some form of gratitude. But nothing was forthcoming.
“Ten minutes. Be ready.”
“Oh, wait. There’s two more things. He asked about the vodka.”
“Vodka?”
“He wanted to take me to the police station to report what I know. I refused and made him pull over to let me out. I think he’s on his way to the cops.” She paused. “I just thought you should know.”
“Okay.”
The line went dead. Nancy dropped the phone back in her purse and crossed at the lights. She entered the coffee shop and felt the eyes of all six customers on her.
Take it all in, bastards. You’re the last batch of people who look at this body without buying me dinner first.
She was done. No more dancing, no more drugs, no more drinking. Most of all, no more hooking on the side to support her habit. She had enough money to settle down for a couple years. She would rent a car and head to
A camera.
Could there be a camera in the House of Lancaster that records people coming or going? Maybe Folley could get them to show him what happened that night? Or maybe it was all erased for a price?
It angered him that he felt so helpless. There was really nothing he could do. He held no official capacity like Folley and he couldn’t allow himself to get into trouble while out on bail.
Aaron realized that his hands were tied. He had to let the system find his sister in their sweet old time. Whenever they got around to it, he might get a call.
He clenched a fist. If they find her body and someone could have stopped whatever’s happening if they worked a little harder, he didn’t know what he would do. Having learned about Gary and Frank Weeks and talked to the stripper, he wondered how far ahead the cops were. What could they possibly be doing to solve this if he’s out here getting closer by the minute.
That left one thing for him to do. Someone at the strip club knew something and they were hiding it. Whether it was the dancers, the bouncers or the owner, someone knew something. He’d rather spend a year in jail and save Joanne than lose her.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Daniel, his assistant from the dojo. He needed more people on his side. He would warn Daniel of the risks and explain the downside. Then he would get him to call a few of the black belts from the gym and see who wanted to go to the strip club to get some answers.
It was time to start asking the questions the hard way.
Being a nice guy simply wasn’t working.
Chapter 5
Nancy Demeers walked a block up Dixie until she saw a coffee shop. Dressed as she was in her blue hip-hugging dress, people would stare, but she didn’t care. She had done what was asked of her. She would collect her money and leave Toronto. Maybe it was time to visit her sister in Halifax.
She pulled her cell phone out and called the number she was supposed to memorize.
It was answered on the third ring.
“Hello?” Nancy whispered into the phone.
“Speak.”
The man’s voice was deep, gravelly.
“I did it. I told the man what you told me to say. I made sure he thought that his sister was taken out of the club. He knows exactly what you wanted him to know.”
“Good.”
“Can someone come with my money and pick me up?”
“Sure. Where?”
“I’m at Dixie Road and The Queensway in Etobicoke. I’ll be in a coffee shop on the Northwest corner.”
“Ten minutes.”
The man’s voice gave nothing away. No emotion, no appreciation, nothing. All it gave her was chills, even though the summer sun beat down on her exposed back.
“You’ll have my money?”
“Yes. We need his license plate number. Did you get that?”
“Of course.” She recited it by heart. “There, you have everything you asked for. Did I do good?”
She wanted a pat on the back for a job well done. Some form of gratitude. But nothing was forthcoming.
“Ten minutes. Be ready.”
“Oh, wait. There’s two more things. He asked about the vodka.”
“Vodka?”
“He wanted to take me to the police station to report what I know. I refused and made him pull over to let me out. I think he’s on his way to the cops.” She paused. “I just thought you should know.”
“Okay.”
The line went dead. Nancy dropped the phone back in her purse and crossed at the lights. She entered the coffee shop and felt the eyes of all six customers on her.
Take it all in, bastards. You’re the last batch of people who look at this body without buying me dinner first.
She was done. No more dancing, no more drugs, no more drinking. Most of all, no more hooking on the side to support her habit. She had enough money to settle down for a couple years. She would rent a car and head to
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