Race

Not satisfied, Cal said, “Let me ask you this and tell me honestly. Will you have the drug or not?”

“We will,” she said.

I went to the bar and ordered a ginger ale. I nearly choked when the bartender told me it was three dollars. It was ginger ale, not imported wine. Disgruntled, I headed for the chairs lined around the dance floor. This would be a good spot to scope out the place. It had an indescribable energy. I could see why this was the club to be at. The Beam Breaker already had a line-up. They all wanted to try it out.

I already had a personal tour.

A girl walked up to me. She smiled and said, “Buy you a drink?”

“No thanks, already bought one,” I said raising my glass of ginger ale.

Her face turned sour and she left.

I took a sip and then realized what a dope I was. The girl was interested in me and I turned her down. I looked around, hoping to find her again.

I forgot my glass and headed in the direction she’d gone. There were too many people and searching for her was like trying to find a toothpick in a stack of toothpicks. I thought of the Find-a-Friend. I went to the machine but changed my mind when I saw two huge guys with cut-off tank tops, which by the way revealed well muscled arms, standing in front of the machine having a good time. I didn’t want to disturb them. That wouldn’t be polite. I went back to my chair.

As I got near I saw a white kid with shaggy hair sitting on my chair.

“That’s my glass,” I said pointing to a half-empty glass perched on the rail.

“Sorry,” the kid apologized. “I didn’t know someone was sitting here.”

“That’s okay,” I leaned over to retrieve my drink.

The guy next to us suddenly got up and left. I think DJ Krash was playing his music. I took the empty seat and turned to the kid.

“Hey, I’m Jeff,” the kid said, offering his hand.

“If what you’re saying is true,” Cal said. “Then this new drug will be huge.”

“Very,” Ms. Zee reiterated.

“Then I would like a piece of the profit.”

Ms. Zee was taken back a little. In their previous meetings he was ardently against them opening shop in his establishment. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

“I cannot completely stop drugs from entering my club. If I join you I can control exactly what gets in and what gets out.” This sounded like perfect business. “On top of that, I can make some money.”

Ms. Zee seemed pleased. “How much are we talking about?”

“Fifty-fifty,” Cal said.

“No,” Ms. Zee was a good negotiator. “Thirty-Seventy.”

“Fifty-fifty. House of Jam is the place to be in Toronto-fifty-fifty it is.”

“Thirty-five-sixty-five.”

“No. In my place you’ll have more returning clients than anywhere else.”

“Forty-sixty.”

“Also,” Cal leaned for his final kill. “If I get raided I’ll lose everything.”

“All right. Fifty-fifty,” she said. House of Jam was the place to start a venture. It was also good business, considering she did not have the drug yet.

“I’m Jon Rupret,” I shook his hand. “R before E.”

He thought about it, “Not Rupert but Rupret. Interesting.” He moved his head up and down.

“You got it.” I took a sip of my drink.

“Hey, wait a minute.” He narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to locate something in his head. “Aren’t you the guy who messed up the drug squad investigation last year?”

I couldn’t believe he recognized me.

“Yeah, you are that guy,” he concluded.

I hung my head and took another sip.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I would have done the same thing. You did your job.”

“I did,” I said. “So you come here often?” I asked.

“Naw, whenever I get the chance. How about you?”

“First time.”

“Wow, you don’t get out much.”

“Working.”

“You still in the police force?”

“Yep, they couldn’t get rid of me that easily.”

“In parking?”

“Nope. Got transferred.” I took a sip. “What do you do?”

“I just graduated.”

“In what?”

“Pharmaceutical Chemistry.”

“We’ll return with the drug,” said Ms. Zee. She turned to Kong. “Get Suraj and Joey. We’re leaving.”

Kong went through the narrow hall and into the club. The music was loud and it hit him hard. He winced. There were too many people-moving, talking, laughing, yelling-it was all too much for him. He grunted.

Kong pushed through the throng of people-actually, they moved away as he passed them. He was too big and no one wanted to mess with him. He bumped into a guy holding two full glasses filled with coloured liquid that spilled onto the guy’s nice shirt. The guy apologized and quietly walked away.

Kong found Suraj standing at the bottom of the left staircase. Suraj looked bored and annoyed. He would rather be anywhere but here.

Suraj looked up and they both made eye contact. Suraj understood.

Barnes was chatting up a couple of girls in the mezzanine lounge when he squinted and moved his head to get a better view. Through the group of pool players he saw someone he recognized. Or thought he recognized. This guy had just come out of the narrow hall. His bald head was clearly visible, but from this angle Barnes could not see his face.

Barnes dialed a number and waited. “Come on,” Barnes said. “Come on.” A few more rings later Rupret answered.

“Come upstairs. I think I see someone,” Barnes yelled into the phone.

“What?” Barnes heard Rupret say.

“Come upstairs, now,” Barnes repeated.

“You have to speak louder. I can’t make you out,” Rupret said. “Why don’t I come upstairs?”

Barnes looked and the bald-headed man had disappeared. Barnes hung up and went in the direction where he had last seen the man.

“Wow, pharmaceutical chemistry,” I repeated. “What do you learn to do? Make drugs?” I laughed.

He laughed too. “Yeah, drugs.”

My cell phone vibrated.

“Excuse me,” I said. “Hello.”

It was Barnes.

“Come…(inaudible)…I think…(inaudible)…someone…” I couldn’t clearly make out what he was saying. I even