“I didn’t even know your name until after you started eyeballing me in the park this afternoon,” replied McCormick, truthfully.

“Bullshit! He set me up! He broke his word and if I’m not released right fucking now, I’ll be on the phone to my brother. Tell him that!”

McCormick glanced back over the seat and asked, “What does your brother have to do with anything?”

“You really don’t know?” replied Virgil incredulously.

“What? Is he a lawyer? Go ahead and phone him, I don’t care.”

“You really don’t know, do you,” Virgil sneered. “I would suggest you give the bitch he works with, Laura Secord, a call. She might be interested.”

McCormick thought briefly about what she knew. Jack had told her before he left that he might be able to set it up for the rapist to come after her. He even offered to use his young sons to make the undercover scenario look real, providing they were not there at night when the attack would likely take place.

Later, Laura told her that it was Jack’s idea to put two trackers on the rapist’s car, but other than that, she had not been informed of his name. She had been told he would likely be looking for his victim at the park and Laura had arranged an apartment for her to pretend to use. She had not been told anything about the rapist’s brother.

“I understand that Corporal Taggart had met you before,” said McCormick. “He wouldn’t give me your name because of some deal between the two of you. He also said he told you that if you attempted to attack another woman he would have you arrested. You did, and here you are. You have nobody to blame but yourself.”

“Fuck you. I got a right to a phone call. Gee, I wonder who I should call?” he added sarcastically.

“You may wish to talk to Constable Secord first,” replied McCormick. “She will be meeting you when we get to the office.”

“I’m not talking to her without my lawyer,” replied Virgil. “That bitch attacked me before. I’m thinking of charging her with assault. In fact, come to think of it, she may have given me whiplash.”

“You won’t be needing much money where you’re going,” replied McCormick. “I’ll allow you to call your lawyer when we get to the office, but that is it.”

An hour later, Basil Westmount showed up at MCU to say he was representing Virgil.

“For the moment, he is being held incommunicado,” said McCormick, who had been fully debriefed by Laura moments before.

“And why is that?” demanded Westmount.

“A temporary measure, due to an investigation that is in the process of being wrapped up. We will be watching you through the glass. If he attempts to make a phone call, your meeting with him will come to an abrupt end.”

“Really?” mused Westmount. “More business coming my way?”

McCormick shrugged in response. “As far as your client goes, we have a solid case. I’ll let him fill you in on the details, but something he doesn’t realize is that we got his DNA from another victim, along with identifiable knife marks left at the scene.”

“And you have this knife?” asked Westmount.

“No, but we found evidence that the same knife was used in the sexual assault of five women. I am confident that Virgil’s DNA will match and the knife marks then link him to the other victims.”

“Perhaps I better talk to my client.”

Half an hour later, Westmount waved McCormick in to join him with Virgil.

“This is clearly a case of entrapment,” said Westmount, as soon as McCormick was seated. “My client told me how provocatively you dressed this afternoon, basically trying to seduce him. From your actions, he may have concluded that you knew he was watching you and you were wanting him to help you fulfill some sort of sexual fantasy of being attacked.”

“That’s absurd.”

“Come, come, Officer. Surely you are familiar with things like bondage or other sex games that people like to indulge in. Perhaps even yourself … well we won’t go there now, but you can hardly deny that you purposely led him to your apartment. If you hadn’t behaved in such a manner, no crime would have been committed.”

“And for the other women who were attacked?” said McCormick. “Were they all dressed provocatively? Somehow I doubt it, but even if they were, it doesn’t justify being raped,” she said, returning Virgil’s glare. “And as far as living out a sexual fantasy, I would be happy to let a judge or jury decide if that theory would carry any weight.”

“It is my understanding that your evidence in relation to these other women hinges on identifying my client as a result of your seductive performance. If today’s case is tossed out, the rest is like fruit from the poisonous tree. Evidence deemed to have been obtained illegally tonight, could result in all other charges being dismissed.”

“Guess we’ll have to let a judge decide,” replied McCormick.

“I see. Well, there is one other issue to consider as well. It is my understanding that a Corporal Taggart made a deal with my client, which he then broke. I also understand that my client was not to inform certain parties that Corporal Taggart was currently working undercover. Considering the circumstances, one could hardly expect my client to hold up his end of the bargain if you do not hold up your end.”

“I was just apprised as to what you are talking about,” replied McCormick. She smirked as she looked at Virgil. “What are you going to do, Virgil? Call your brother and tell him that you set him up? I think not.”

“I set him up?” replied Virgil, feigning surprise. “What if my brother hears I overheard a conversation after my arrest? Perhaps some officer saying that the other brother is about to be arrested by an undercover cop by the name of Jack?”

McCormick stared at Virgil and did not reply.

“Or perhaps you offered me a deal to help catch him, which I obviously declined?”

“The long and the short of it,” said Westmount, “is you may want to think very carefully about whether or not you wish to proceed with a tenuous charge stemming from entrapment, or one that I understand, involves multiple murders.”

“I, uh, would like a few minutes to confer with a colleague,” said McCormick.

“Do hurry, will you?” Westmount said with a smile. “It is getting rather late and I would like to get back to bed.”

“Me, too.” Virgil grinned.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Before answering Laura’s call, Jack turned to Oskar and said, “Excuse me, it’s my ex. Unusual for her to call this time of night from where she is. I better answer.”

Jack answered his phone while climbing up the stairwells and returning to the bow area in front of the fly bridge. “We’re clear,” he said, talking in a hushed tone.

“Good news, bad news,” said Laura.

“Peaks and valleys,” replied Jack. “What’s the good?”

“I’m in the MCU office. Guess who’s been arrested.”

“You got him?”

“He made his move tonight. We nailed him. Used Mike and Steve earlier in the day. Talk about two little operators, they played their parts perfectly.”

Jack smiled to himself and took a moment to savour the pride he felt.

“Still there?” asked Laura.

“Still here,” replied Jack. “Did you catch him cold?”

“You might say that. He was naked and standing beside the bed with a knife in one hand and a garrot in the other. Not to mention a hard-on.”

“A garrot?”

“He made it out of a piece of broom handle and sash cord. McCormick is convinced from his profile that he intended to kill her.”

“Bet she’s right. Is the bad news what I think it is?”

“Yup. He’s got a lawyer. We’re told if we don’t let him go, Oskar will be notified.”

“Who’s the lawyer?”