“Just a sec,” said Jack. “I was talking to the DEA when I was chasing you. They don’t know I’ve caught you yet.”

Jack walked a short distance away and pretended to use his phone. “Yeah, listen, the guy I’m chasing just entered the U.S. He’s right in front of me. I could have him within ten seconds if I jump the border. Want me to grab him and hold him for you? … Got it.” Jack looked at Laura as he put his phone away and said, “Permission granted!”

“What the fuck! You can’t do that! I’m a Canadian on Canadian soil. This is Canada,” Virgil said, stomping his foot on the ground for emphasis.

“You’re confused,” said Jack. “You obviously got turned around in the dark when you tried to elude us. Isn’t that right, Laura?”

“Oh, for sure. If you listen close, the wind in the trees even sounds like it is saying, y’all.”

“You might want to brush up on your American jailhouse slang,” said Jack. “Things like, ‘Yo’ bitch, I drop da soap. Y’all bend over and pick it up for Papa.’”

“You … you can’t do this,” pleaded Virgil taking a step backwards.

“Can and we will,” said Jack, while placing a simple wrist-lock on Virgil’s wrist with which even a slight amount of pressure brought him enough pain to rise to his tip-toes. “Now, be a good boy and keep walking south.”

“No, please …” said Virgil, trying to push backwards. After emitting a yelp of pain he stopped resisting.

“I guess there is one thing that could save your sorry ass,” said Jack gruffly. “I do hate giving the Yanks all the glory. Do you know someone more worthy than you that we could bust in Canada?”

“What do you mean?” asked Virgil. “Are you saying you won’t bust me if I give you someone?”

“That’s what I’m saying. But you would have to come clean with us on everything. Whoever you give us has to be a lot bigger than you. Not some peon you have running a lab somewhere. I’m talking big.”

“Oh fuck,” mumbled Virgil as his brain reeled over what he should do.

“Don’t have all night,” said Jack.

“I know some guys … but if they ever found out …”

“I promise, if you are completely straight with us, we will never burn you and your identity will be kept secret.”

“So you’re not asking me to testify or something?”

“No, not if you don’t want to,” said Jack. “As long as we catch who we’re after.”

“We would need to know everything about what you have been doing,” said Laura.

“Everything?” replied Virgil.

“As long as you’re being straight with us, we don’t care what you are up to, as long as the end result is putting a bigger fish in jail,” said Jack.

“But then you would bust me,” replied Virgil.

Jack shook his head. “Any criminal acts you have done up to now, you can tell us about and we won’t bust you for them or turn you in, but at the same time, you won’t have immunity if you are caught by some other cop. We both work for an Intelligence Unit. Knowing how things work … different trends, is important to us. It is also crucial to coming up with a plan.”

“A plan for what?”

“A plan to prevent you from being identified if we bust someone you give us.”

Virgil’s expression said he liked that idea.

“Any future criminal activity some organization might expect you to do would have to be cleared through us first,” continued Jack. “This is strictly between the three of us. What can you give us?”

“I … I’m not sure where to start. How to get you the proof.”

“Let us worry about that,” said Jack. “Right now any conversation is off the record. Start by telling us how many kilos of meth were delivered tonight.”

Virgil swallowed and said, “Twenty-eight.”

“And how many altogether so far this year?” prodded Jack.

“Ah … I’m not sure. About twenty or thirty keys a month so … this is May … so maybe about a hundred and twenty-five counting tonight.”

“Simple math,” said Jack. “Who can you give us that deals in, say two-hundred and fifty kilos in about the same amount of time?”

“It isn’t that simple,” said Virgil.

“You must know other dealers who are bigger than you,” said Laura.

“Not really,” whined Virgil. “I stay independent from the gangs. Figure it’s safer. From them and from you guys.”

“Too bad,” said Jack. “Guess we may as well keep walking south.”

“But I know about something else,” said Virgil quickly.

“I’m listening,” replied Jack.

Virgil paused, hesitant to talk until Jack grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a shove to start walking again. “Okay, okay,” he said. “I know about some murders. Isn’t that more important than running meth?”

“Maybe … maybe not,” replied Jack. “Thought you said you weren’t into the gangs. What are we talking? Is it related to all these gang shootings we’ve been having?”

“No, no. Nothing to do with that. I’m talking straight dudes being killed for money by some guys.”

“Straight dudes?” questioned Laura.

“Yeah, yeah. Citizens.”

“Exactly how many murders are we talking about?” asked Jack.

“Five so far and three more are planned.”

“Over how long of a time frame?” asked Jack.

“Uh … gotta think. I’m not a hundred percent certain, but I think it started about eight years ago. It was Christmastime, I remember that.”

“And you’re saying the victims had nothing to do with criminal matters?” said Laura.

“No, I told you. These are straight dudes. Some were married and had kids. They were chumps.” Virgil looked at Jack and said, “If I tell you who is doing it, is that enough?”

“Not if I don’t get the evidence to charge them,” said Jack. “I need to hear more. I want details so I can get proof and know you’re being straight with me. Give me the names of the victims so I can at least check out the murders to know what you’re telling me isn’t complete bullshit.”

Virgil sighed and said, “I don’t know their names. I only met the first guy … and that was eight years ago at a hotel in Los Angeles. I don’t even remember his name, but what I am telling you is the truth.”

“These are American murders?” asked Jack.

“I was told three of the chumps were American, one was British, and one Canadian.”

“One Canadian?” queried Jack.

Virgil nodded. “A guy from Vancouver. Out of the next three planned, at least two of them will be Canadian, as well. The murders were all made to look accidental so there wouldn’t be much of an investigation.”

“This sounds like a load of crap,” said Laura. “Come on, Jack. Make him move faster for wasting our time.”

“It is true! I swear,” pleaded Virgil. His eyes filled with tears. “It is true, it’s just … I don’t know how you could prove it. I am only going by what I was told, but I know the guy who told me was telling the truth.”

“Maybe you think it is true,” said Jack, “but what if it was some goof trying to impress you? The whole story might be bullshit.”

“No way. I know him really well. In fact, I could maybe find out who their next victim is going to be. If you watch the guy, you will see he dies of something within a month or two after I point him out to you.”

“You’ll probably kill him yourself,” said Jack.

“No way! If you’re watching the guy, you would catch who kills him.”

Jack stared at Laura for a moment and shook his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t necessarily believe Virgil, it was because Virgil actually thought they would let someone be murdered.

Laura looked at Jack and gestured with her hands. What do we do?

“We need some form of credibility from you,” said Jack, stabbing a finger into Virgil’s chest. “What drug stash can you give us immediately? Something as a gesture of good faith.”

“I don’t have any,” blubbered Virgil. “Everything I had went across the border tonight. I need, like two or three weeks, then you’ll know I’m telling you the truth. I could find out who the next victim is. Then when he dies you would have your proof. Just hold off a bit from, uh, deporting me tonight.”