“Watching them kill their next victims isn’t exactly an option,” said Connie.

Dyck looked at Jack. “Corporal Taggart, do you have any thoughts on the matter? Sorry, do you mind if I call you Jack?”

“That’s nicer than what I have been referring to you as,” replied Jack.

“The big dick?” asked Dyck with a smile.

McCormick’s gasp was audible.

Jack gave a lopsided grin and said, “I had the feeling it wasn’t original.”

“I think my dad was the first one to call me that when I was still a teenager,” said Dyck. “It embarrassed the hell out of me at the time, but now I’m used to it. Before I was commissioned, the people I worked with called me that.”

“Sounds like a term of endearment,” mused Rose.

“It sort of was. But that was then and this is now,” warned Dyck. “Having reached the —” he paused, holding his fingers above his head like quotation marks “— all-mighty rank of an inspector, I have to lose that title.”

Jack smiled and said, “Consider it lost.” He knew he had been wrong about his first impression of the inspector.

“I have some news,” said Laura, as she arrived, rolling an extra chair into the office. “Commercial Crime got back to me. They identified a million-dollar corporate insurance payoff to Oskar Cruickshank for an employee from Vancouver who died in a scuba-diving accident in the Bahamas. His name was David Lee. It happened four years ago.”

“Jennings, Lee, and Welsh,” said Jack. “Does anyone still think the informant is lying?”

“I would say not,” admitted Dyck.

“So that’s three out of six,” noted Rose. “Who are the others?”

“Perhaps the other three were in the States,” concluded Laura.

“Might find out who they are later,” said Jack. “I’ve got calls in to the U.S. on that.”

“Or could be that whoever Oskar answers to in this venture has his own company,” suggested Rose.

“Mr. Merlin or Marlin,” said Jack. “We definitely need to identify him.”

“So what is the game plan?” asked Dyck.

Jack turned to Connie. “You are a lot more experienced at getting wiretaps in regard to homicide cases than I am. I don’t know if you have been filled in yet as to what transpired in Russia?”

“I bumped into Connie and Sue this morning while you were at the meeting,” said Laura. “They are both up-to-date.”

Connie sighed and said, “To be frank, I sincerely doubt that we could get the application for wiretap past a Crown prosecutor at this point. They won’t chance the embarrassment of bringing it to a judge if they think it won’t be signed.”

“We’ve identified three victims,” said McCormick.

“Yes, but the victims we know about have been investigated by the police departments concerned and their deaths were ruled accidental.” Connie looked at Jack. “Your informant, and correct me if I’m wrong, has not been involved in previous cases to prove a history of credibility. Is that right?”

“That is right,” said Jack. “This is his first time.”

“And is his willingness to help because of immunity from prosecution?” asked Connie.

“It is,” admitted Jack.

“Which a judge would say gives him a motive to lie about something,” replied Connie.

Jack’s tone indicated his frustration. “I thought of that, which is why I demanded credibility. He gave it. The informant is in fact the serial rapist and did admit it to prove credibility.”

“Thought so,” mumbled McCormick.

“Which opens up a real Pandora’s box for a judge to look at,” said Connie. “Rather than aiding his credibility, a judge may think the opposite.”

“Why does that not surprise me,” said Jack, bitterly.

“I can run it past a prosecutor,” said Connie. “But my experience tells me that you would definitely need more than a guy falling off a ladder, a scuba accident, and someone committing suicide in Russia to convince a judge that Oskar should have his privacy rights violated.”

“What if I come up with three more names?” asked Jack. “Perhaps in the U.S.?”

Connie slowly shook her head and said, “If we are going back eight years, that is a long time. How many other accidental deaths … real ones, I mean, would have been paid out by insurance companies in that time? I still doubt it would change anything.”

Jack leaned forward in his chair and stared at Connie. “The informant called me yesterday to tell me about the guy going off the balcony in Russia. I already knew, but the informant didn’t know that.”

“So?” asked Connie.

“So it means that Oskar knew about the guy going off the balcony shortly after it happened. It would have been nice to have a wiretap and hear who told him.”

“He’s the president of the company, it would be expected that he would be told.”

“That, yes, but —”

Connie raised her hand, gesturing for Jack to stop. “I agree with you that someone connected to the dirty deed may have contacted him. But tell me, if it was over a telephone or email, would that person have said enough to incriminate them?”

“Probably not,” said Jack, “but I was still hoping to get approval so we could get a bug for a car or in a room. Maybe even on Oskar’s boat. A wire might also identify who is pulling Oskar’s strings.”

“The informant indicates that Oskar and company will be hiring and killing two more victims in the next few months and then retire,” said Laura. “What are we supposed to do? Wait until they’re murdered? At that time we won’t need a wiretap, because they will be retired. Talk about building a pension plan.”

“Don’t shoot the messenger,” said Connie. “I’m only telling you what will happen if you try to apply for a wiretap at the moment. If a judge does refuse to sign it, you may have an even harder time getting it signed later.”

“The informant said Oskar plans to hire his next victim from Victoria at the end of the month,” said Jack. “How would it be if I am the one he hires?”

“Use yourself as bait?” said Dyck, looking at Rose as if he expected she would immediately reject any such suggestion.

“Exactly,” replied Jack. He glanced at the inspector and said, reassuringly, “It’s okay. I am a trained UC operator.”

“What chance do you think you would have of being selected?” asked Rose.

“The informant will be able to fill me in as to what kind of person Oskar is looking for. As far as corporate-type stuff, Commercial Crime should be able to help. Perhaps even use their contacts to build me a decent resumé.”

“You in a suit and tie with the white-collar crowd,” said Connie, shaking her head, chuckling. “That would be quite the transformation.”

“I can do it,” Jack said confidently. “I’ve worked the white-collar types before. Actually they’re not as astute as the junkies and hookers when it comes to reading people. I’ve got almost two weeks. Gives me time to take a crash course in how to talk the latest white-collar gossip. I’ll be able to blend in with the corporate types, so don’t worry about that.”

“Sounds like My Fair Lady,” replied Rose.

“Besides,” added Jack, “I doubt Oskar would ask difficult questions if the resumé is good. It isn’t like he plans on keeping me. As a new guy, I should be able to muddle through any assignments enough to get by until they decide to kill me. Again, I’ll use Commercial Crime to help out if need be.”

“But you’re setting yourself up to be murdered!” said Dyck.

“Yeah, can you try and make sure it happens in someone else’s jurisdiction?” asked Connie. “We’re kind of overworked as it is.”

Jack ignored Connie’s humour and looked at Dyck, asking, “Do you have a better idea?”

Dyck looked for at the others for an answer. Their bland faces said they didn’t have one. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “No,” he replied, “but what you are proposing sounds extremely risky.”

“It’s more risky if Oskar hires someone else,” said Jack.

Dyck nodded silently in agreement.

“Good, let’s do it,” said Jack.