“For Jack and Laura … how do you decide on something like this? To live with that …”

“I don’t know. Maybe in their work the instinct to survive precludes armchair morality, but I don’t agree with it. Right is right and wrong is wrong.” Connie looked at Dallas and pointed her finger at him and added, “And having a sixteen-year-old kid murdered is wrong.”

“Did you say, have the kid murdered?”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jack and Laura sat at their desks for the next half-hour. Eventually Jack received a text message. He glanced at it and said, “It’s done. The devil is in the hole.”

Laura nodded.

Jack called Connie and said, “I’ve got her name.”

“You’re kidding,” said Connie in surprise. “Are you positive?”

“Yes. I told you it was on the tip of my tongue. Her name is Lorraine Calder.”

“Lorraine Calder? I know that name.”

“She’s the one involved in the suicide of Julie Goodwin, so you’ll have her address in your file. She also set up another young girl by the name of Cassandra.”

“Who’s that?”

“Another kid at the party the night Lorraine made a pass at me. Consider it good news that you don’t have Cassandra’s name in your file.”

“And you’re just remembering Lorraine’s name now? She’s Brewski’s girlfriend. You guys know her!”

“What can I say. It’s been a hell of a day. You try to remember details and voices after the day we had.”

“Yeah … okay. Sorry.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Go over to her house and speak with her parents. Maybe say we heard from an undisclosed source that some gang is going to kill her because they don’t trust her.”

“Lorraine won’t scare. She’ll tell you to pound sand and it will still heat things up as far as Laura and I are concerned. Satans Wrath will pull Cocktail away from these guys.”

“I don’t have a choice. As far as you and Laura go, it’s time for you to pull out.”

“Let me know how it goes.”

After hanging up, Connie looked at Dallas and said, “He gave me her name. Lorraine Calder. Her address is in our file. Somewhere in Surrey, as I recall.”

“Guess you were wrong about Jack,” replied Dallas.

Connie sat for a moment. “I wonder if I am,” she said, reaching for the telephone.

“Who you calling?” asked Dallas.

“Surrey Detachment.”

Moments later, Connie hung up the phone and said, “You can quit looking in the file. Lorraine’s parents came home from work an hour ago and found her dead in the washroom.”

“What?”

“It looks like an accidental overdose. When Lorraine’s parents got home they found that their bathroom door was locked. They banged on it and eventually opened it to find Lorraine slumped over the toilet with an empty syringe beside her. She had old track marks on her arms. The case looks pretty open and shut.”

“Man, what a coincidence,” said Dallas.

“Gee, that’s a word I’ve never heard before,” said Connie, sarcastically.

“Aren’t you going to phone Jack and Laura and let them know the investigation is still on?”

“You do it. Personally, I think they already know.”

Jack hung up the telephone after a short conversation with Dallas.

Laura looked at him and said, “That sounded amiable. I thought Connie would have grilled you more.”

“It wasn’t Connie on the other end. It was Dallas. I have a feeling that Connie is too angry to talk to us at the moment.”

“I understand that,” replied Laura. “I feel sickened and angry myself.”

“Are you in a hurry to get home?” asked Jack.

“Let’s see. Almost got killed this morning. Set up a drug lab this afternoon … not to mention what … or I should say who we set up at the same time. I’ve missed supper with my husband who I’ve hardly seen enough to recognize. I’m exhausted …”

Jack nodded his understanding.

Laura sighed and said, “With what happened today, I know I won’t be able to sleep tonight. What did you have in mind? Double martinis?”

“Tea.”

“Tea!”

“Gabriel called yesterday. She’s having your typical adolescent problems with Noah and sounded stressed. Faith is at home, too. I thought a visit to let them know they haven’t been forgotten would help.”

“You’re hoping that seeing Faith will convince our brains that what we did was the right thing? Finding Cocktail is more important than a young girl’s life?”

Jack gave Laura a sideways glance and said, “Well … this particular girl, yes. Also a yes for my motive to see Gabriel tonight. You’re getting to know me pretty well.”

“The sad thing is I think it’s a good idea. The emotional baggage I’m carrying is not something I want to bring home.”

“Then let’s see if we can shed some baggage.”

Gabriel, grateful for the visitors, poured tea while Noah sat watching television in another room. Faith was asleep in her bedroom.

“How has he been doing?” asked Jack, with a nod of his head toward the living room.

“Not well,” replied Gabriel, with a frown. “His grades are still slipping. I know he can do the work if he wants. A couple of years ago he was a top student. His personality has changed. Acts macho sometimes and listless other times. Gets angry with me all the time.”

Jack and Laura exchanged a glance and Jack looked at Gabriel and asked, “Any money disappearing around the house?”

“No, I keep track of every dime. Why would you ask that?”

“Does he have any new friends? Phone conversations that he hangs up on or changes when you come in the room?”

“No, he’s really a loner. Why … you think he could be on drugs! Good Lord, no. He goes to church every Sunday. He would never take any alcohol or drugs.”

“Have you talked to him about his behaviour?” asked Jack.

“I tried, but he walks away.”

“Would you like me to talk him?” asked Jack.

“Thanks, but no. I asked him how it was going with the counsellor at school and he just blew up at me. Said he wanted to be left alone and didn’t appreciate me interfering in his life. I think it best to leave him alone for now.”

“Do his moods seem to change, in that sometimes he seems really happy or other times tense or jittery?” asked Laura.

“No, more often he is off in his own little dream world, staring blankly into space.”

“Have you searched his room?” asked Jack.

“Why would I? I told you he would never use drugs. He is a good Christian.”

“I’m sure he is, but Noah has been under a lot of stress. He probably feels he has to be the man of the house. There is also a lot of peer pressure at his age.”

“What if he found out I searched his room? He would think I don’t trust him.”

“He would know that you care and that you love him,” replied Jack.

Gabriel thought for a moment and said, “I’ll think about it.”

Jack arrived home as the CBC National news was starting. Natasha stood up from the television set and gave him a long kiss followed by an even longer hug.

“What’s that for?” asked Jack.

“Can’t a girl give her guy a hug and a kiss? Even if he does stink,” she added. “You smell like your hair got scorched.”

“I was near a fire,” he said, plunking himself down to stare at the television set. “Let me catch the news, then I’ll take a shower.

Natasha saw the distant look in Jack’s eyes. She knew that there was something more to the fire than Jack wanted to talk about.

“Three days ago you said this assignment might be over in a week,” said Natasha. “Do you still think that?”

She saw a brightness flicker in his eyes. “We’re almost finished,” he said. “I’m thinking it will be over in a couple of days now.”