Vancouver Police Headquarters 21:55 hrs pdt
Lieutenant Innes, followed by patrolman Lewis, stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor of the modern new headquarters building and Innis found himself staring at one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen. He knew Julie of course, having met her a number of times in the company of Buddy. Even though her hair was a mess and her eyes were red and puffy from crying, Julie's devastating beauty was almost physically painful to Innes.
Her classic good looks were a blend of her Caucasian father and her Asian mother. Jet black lustrous hair, deep brown almond shaped eyes, tiny sculptured nose, full sensuous lips. She was petite, but her figure was full and alluring.
Innes mentally shook himself and walked to where she sat. He held out his hand. "I'm sorry, Julie, you ok?"
"I g-guess so Brian."
"Look, I'm going to be just a few minutes, do you want a coffee or soda?"
"No thank you, I'll be alright."
"Ok, I'll be right back." Innes turned and walked down the hall to his office. Lewis followed him, notes in hand. He sat down, took out his own notes, and dialed the phone.
"Medical Examiner's Office"
"Brian Innes here Bob, got anything for me yet?"
"Jesus Brian, we've only had the stiff for forty minutes, we're not miracle workers."
"That "stiff" was a friend of mine, Bob, so I apologize for pressuring you, but I need answers ASAP."
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| Eleanor Boylan, author of 11 published mystery novels, including Murder Machree and Murder Observed (Henry Holt ) says: "Good characters! Good dialogue! Good pacing! Good plotting! Great Book!"
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"Oh shit, Brian I'm sorry. You know I don't like to make a determination before I've completed my examination, but here's what I've got so far..," Innes could hear papers shuffling.
"Cause of death appears to be from gunshot, two entry wounds in the skull, no exit wounds. Indicates small caliber, probably twenty-two. Powder burns indicate he was shot at extremely close range. We haven't got the stomach contents yet, but I would venture he has been deceased at least twelve hours and more likely closer to twenty-four. We'll be opening the cranium shortly to look for the slugs. I'll call you as soon as I have anything else."
"Thanks Bob." Innes hung up the phone.
"That the girlfriend out there, LT?" Lewis asked.
Innes looked up from his notes. "Yeah. That's Julie Sullivan. Buddy's girlfriend of about five years. She used to date Roy Gallagher before that."
"She Chinese?"
"Half. Her father was white. She has a half brother who is full Chinese. You may have heard of him."
"Who's that, Lieutenant?"
"Tommy Pon," Innes said.
"You're shitting me, right? That gorgeous creature is the sister of the head of the Red Dragon Tong?"
Innes nodded. "That's how I first met Gallagher. There was an incident a couple of years back involving Julie, her brother, Buddy and Gallagher. Buddy contacted me on it, but only after the fact."
"What happened?" Lewis asked.
"How much do you know about Tommy Pon?"
"Just that he controls the Tong, most of the drugs , gambling and prostitution in Chinatown. I know he's ruthless and the gang is ultra violent," Lewis replied.
"Tommy Pon was the child of Julie's mother's first marriage. Her mother had divorced shortly after the family's arrival in Canada, from Hong Kong. She remarried and had Julie a couple of years later. Tommy's father had been involved heavily in criminal activity since the family arrived in the early 1950's. He had been a member of a Hong Kong Tong and was a ruthless operator. Tommy followed his father's examples step for step and by the time his father was murdered in a turf war in the early seventies, Tommy took over as the head of the Red Dragon Tong and ruled with an iron fist."
Lewis nodded his head and leaned forward, not wanting to miss any of this story.
"A couple of years ago Pon had taken delivery of a shipment of bad cocaine that had been delivered to Vancouver in five gallon drums of paint thinner. The solvent had eaten partially through the protective wrappings and contaminated all five of the one kilo packages. A dozen or so users had ended up dead or hospitalized after shooting up the bad dope. The city looked like someone had sprayed it with roach killer. There were bodies found in doorways and shooting galleries all over town. The emergency rooms were jammed with O.D. cases, arms and legs twitching. Narco was going nuts."
"Jesus. He kept selling the stuff, knowing it was killing people?"
"The street level dealers had refused to sell the stuff until a couple of them were found full of bullet holes. The remainder of the dealers finally agreed to sell the shit at cut rate prices. That enticed even more whackos to try it."
Lewis got up and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You want some LT?"
Innes nodded and took the cup. "Anyway, Tommy's regular deal was to pay half of the money for a shipment up front, and the balance after delivery. He flat out refused to pay the balance he owed. The dealers in Los Angeles informed their bosses in Las Vegas and a contract was taken out on him."
"So how did McNaughton and Gallagher get involved?" Lewis asked as he took his seat once more.
"It was right at that time that Julie, totally unaware of any of this, had gone to Vegas on a weekend gambling junket. It took the local muscle exactly three hours after her arrival to locate and snatch her. The Vegas mob called Tommy and gave him 24 hours to come up with their seventy thousand dollars or Julie would die. Tommy told Buddy and Buddy called Roy Gallagher."
"What the hell was he going to do?" Lewis asked sarcastically.
"Gallagher flew to Vegas immediately and somehow during the night located Julie. Rumor had it that he left her three guards in various levels of permanent physical impairment, including crushed elbows, kneecaps and one poor fellow who's left foot had been disintegrated by three forty-five caliber slugs."
"No way!" Lewis was incredulous.
"Gallagher left Vegas in a rented car with Julie and called the kidnappers from Spokane," Innes continued, "He told them they had made a serious error and that Julie was not part of the play. He then suggested he could recover their money for a finders fee. When he reached Vancouver he met with Pon and convinced him he was already a dead man. He reminded Pon that during the time Roy had lived in Vancouver he had made many friends of ruthless and unsavory character, including the entire BC chapter of the Hell's Angels. He had told Pon that if he didn't have the money in one hour there would be an all out war and Tommy would be its first casualty. At Gallagher's own hand. Tommy paid."
"With all the muscle Pon has?"
"Gallagher is a man with a big reputation and he lives up to it. Pon knew Gallagher would carry out his promise, come hell or high water."
"What happened then?" Lewis asked.
"Roy flew back to Vegas with the money and negotiated a $20,000 fee for himself."
"Goddamn!" Lewis was clearly impressed.
"Why don't you go and put your notes in order. I'm going to interview her now," Innes told the junior officer.
Innes scanned his notes for a few moments, then stood and went to Julie in the waiting area. "Ok Julie, come with me please." Innes led her to his office and sat her down. He refilled his coffee and poured a cup for Julie from the pot on the side stand. He placed the cup in front of her and took his seat at his desk.
"How are you holding up?" he asked her.
"I'll be ok," she answered.
"I have to ask you some questions."
"I understand," Julie said sullenly.
"Tell me what happened, starting with the last time you saw Buddy alive."
Julie shifted in her seat, took a big breath that caught in her throat and began "Buddy and I were out shopping yesterday, in Chinatown. We got back to his place about three. We..uh..you know..made love, showered, changed and went out to dinner."
"What time?" Innes interrupted.
"What time what?" Julie asked, blushing slightly.
"What time did you leave the apartment?"
"About five o'clock."
"Where did you go?"
"We have a regular thing on Sunday nights at Orestes on Broadway. We've been going there for Sunday dinner for years when we're both in town."
Innes was familiar with the popular Greek restaurant in Kitsilano. "What time did you leave?"
"Seven thirty or eight. Buddy dropped me off at my house because I had an early appointment this morning. Usually he stays with me on Sunday nights, but since I had this important meeting I had to prepare for, he just went home."
"Your house is about five minutes from Orestes, and it's another twenty minutes to Buddy's apartment. That would put Buddy home around eight thirty?"
"That's right. Buddy called me right around eight thirty. He was really upset."
"About what?" Innes leaned forward.
"He accused me of forgetting to lock his door when we left. He said the door was unlocked and his computer had been left on. I told him he probably just forgot to turn his computer off and reminded him that he was the last one out the door, so if anyone left it open it was him," Julie paused. "We were having a fight over that" she said, lowering her eyes.
Innes was jotting down notes. "What then?" he asked.
"We eventually agreed I'd call him in the morning when I finished my meeting and we'd go for brunch."
"Ok, then what happened?" Innes prodded.
"Well, I tried calling him when I was done this morning and got no answer. I tried five or six times for about an hour. Finally I went to his place to check on him."
"What time did you get there?"
"About 11 o'clock."
Innes checked his notes. "We got your call at eleven twenty two. What did you do in that time?"
Julie's eyes began to tear up again. "I'm not really sure. When I saw him sitting there I was mad at first, thinking Buddy was really, you know, being a prick, ignoring me like that. Then when I realized there was something wrong I got really scared." Julie was crying again. "Then I saw the bullet holes in his head."
Innes rose and got Julie another coffee and a tissue. "Here, take it easy. There's no rush, just take your time."
After a few minutes Julie had composed herself and continued "I don't know how long I stood there screaming, but finally I picked up the phone."
"And that's when you called us?'
"No. That's when I called Roy."
Innes stared at her incredulously. "Roy Gallagher?"
Julie nodded, unprepared for his reaction.
"What would make you call him before the police?"
"He was Buddy's best friend. He introduced me and Buddy. He's been my friend for years. He was always there for Buddy and he saved my life once. He was the first person I thought of and I knew he'd help me." Julie was crying again.
Innes stood up and came around the desk to her side. Placing one hand on her shoulder he soothed "It's Ok Julie, it'll be alright ."
"But what if Buddy was right? What if I left the door unlocked and someone got in and killed him? What if it's my fault?" Julie was near hysteria.
"I don't think that happened Julie," Innes replied softly. "There are signs the locked was picked. Buddy's killer probably broke in and was still there when he got home . Buddy said his computer was on when he called you?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Do you know what Buddy had on his computer?"
"Everything. His whole life was on that thing. His diary, phone numbers, business stuff, I mean everything."
"Did he keep any back-up disks anywhere?"
"Sure, he was a nut about backing everything up. He kept a big box of disks by his desk."
"Did he store any backup disks anywhere else"
Julie paused and looked at her hands for a moment. "No, I don't think so," she said softly.
Innes sat back and gave Julie a hard look. She didn't look up from her hands. "Have you talked to your brother lately?"
Julie's head jerked up, her eyes narrowed , her nostrils flared. "No" she said flatly,"Why?"
"Look, Julie, we have to cover all the angles. Your brother is a punk and a career criminal. I wouldn't put anything past him. When was the last time you talked to him?"
"We haven't spoken since that Vegas thing over two years ago. He was at Mom's funeral last year but we didn't speak. He's only a half brother and as far as I'm concerned he doesn't even exist."
"We can't rule out Tommy Pon as a suspect in this Julie"
"Why would he want to hurt Buddy?"
"Maybe he's still pissed at Gallagher and this is his revenge."
Julie looked shocked.
Innes nearly jumped as the phone rang. " Excuse me Julie," he said as he picked it up "Innes here."
"Gallagher here, Lieutenant."
"Ah, Mr. Gallagher, I've been expecting your call." Julie looked up expectantly and Innes nodded.
"Yeah, I'm in town and I'd like to talk to you."
"Ok Roy, I'll be in my office for a while yet. You might as well come down now."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes; and tell Julie to wait for me. I'll see her home when we're finished."
"What makes you think she's here?"
"She's not at home Brian, where the hell else would she be?" Gallagher hung up.
"Arrogant asshole," Innes said as he replaced the receiver.
Julie smiled for the first time in many hours.
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