Race

I didn’t know that either. But why investigate your own team?

“I will not go into the details of the misappropriation in the fink fund but I will say that there were certain officers who were not following all the rules. These officers were noted for bribery, money laundering, assault and various other offenses. Sergeant Aldrich was not, by any means, part of those corrupt officers. No. While in the drug squad, Sergeant Aldrich was clean. But, eventually he became depressed by the legal system; drug dealers and pushers were receiving insignificant penalties.”

“How do you know all of this?” I said.

“Detective David Longfoot.”

“Who?”

“You met him in Scarborough while on our stake-out.”

I remembered. He and Beadsworth had had a private chat in Beadsworth’s car while I was forced to go for a walk.

Beadsworth said, “One night, when Detective Longfoot was undercover, he stumbled upon this group-”

“RACE,” I spoke in.

“Actually, Officer Rupret, the name RACE never existed until…” he trailed off.

“Until what?” I asked.

“Until Sergeant Aldrich invented it.”

I was taken aback. “So Aldrich gave RACE the name RACE?”

“Precisely.”

Wow. “So this Radical Association of Criminal Ethnicities-”

“Invented.”

“And the stock market bullshit about Nex-”

“Invented.”

Beadsworth continued. “Once Detective Longfoot realized this group was onto something big, he contacted his supervisor, Sergeant Aldrich. The information provided to Sergeant Aldrich stated RACE-we shall still call it that-was working on this new drug, which was going to be bigger than Ecstasy. Sergeant Aldrich saw an opportunity. I believe it was then that he made contact with RACE.

“He would provide RACE with information and in return they would give him a piece of, as they say, the action.”

I was partially correct. It was about money.

“Detective Longfoot was told to suspend his investigation into the group, but he felt this could one day pose a real threat, so he continued privately. Seeing that RACE might be exposed, Sergeant Aldrich involved Internal Affairs, citing improprieties in the squad. The RCMP then launched a full-blown inquiry into the now-missing fink fund. Some drug squad officers were re-assigned and others were suspended.

“Detective Longfoot was suspended with pay pending the inquiry. Prior to this he had sent a report directly to the chief, highlighting the seriousness of this new group. She in turn ordered that a team look into this. Sergeant Aldrich volunteered to head this new team along with Detective Garnett.”

“Hold on,” I said. Something didn’t make sense. “Why put Aldrich in charge of a team that would investigate a group he was part of?”

“At the time, Detective Longfoot was not aware of his involvement. Even the chief does not know.”

“Then who knows?”

“Five individuals: Detective Longfoot, Detective Garnett, Detective Nemdharry, and you and I.”

“So that’s why we weren’t allowed to talk to any members of the drug squad?” I said more to myself than him.

“Precisely,” he said. “Detective Longfoot and I go back many years. He suspected something and informed me of this. I then volunteered to be part of Operation Anti-RACE.”

“So you could keep an eye on the team.”

“Yes.”

“Then why bring me in?”

He went silent.

“Why involve me in Operation Anti-RACE?”

Again silence.

I twisted, straining my neck. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Officer Rupret,” he said. “You were brought in to…complicate our investigation.”

“Complicate?”

“Yes.”

“You mean screw up? Right?” I snapped.

“Sergeant Aldrich had no intentions of this operation being successful. It was only a facade. Set up to please the chief. That was why you were brought in. Sergeant Aldrich remembers well what had transpired between you- then a parking enforcement officer-and the drug squad.”

“It was a mistake,” I said, as always explaining my actions from that night.

“An error in judgment. Yes. Sergeant Aldrich thought you to be a loose canon. Naive and incompetent, if you pardon my saying, perfect to nullify this investigation.” There was fidgeting. “But I had insisted you be put under my supervision-”

“I’m under no one’s supervision,” I retorted.

“You made that quite clear.”

There was silence again. I couldn’t believe I was brought in to jeopardize the operation. Here I was thinking Aldrich only wanted me because I was young, handsome and creative.

“So it was Aldrich who told you to watch over the LLPM Import amp; Export building?” I said.

“Precisely,” Beadsworth answered. “He was certain we were closing in on RACE. So he placed the entire team to watch over that one building, hoping to buy some time.”

“Putting all eggs in one basket,” I muttered to myself.

“Sorry?”

“Nothing. What about the videocassette you took from the House of Jam?” I asked.

“You’re aware of it?”

“I met Cal Murray in the morning.”

There was a noise and then Beadsworth said, “The tape is safe.”

“Does it show Barnes’ attacker?”

“Quite clearly.”

“Then why take it?”

“We did not want RACE to become alarmed and end their operations. We wanted to confiscate the Nex production equipment and we did not want them to leave our jurisdiction. We did not want the OPP or the RCMP involved. Also, by securing the videocassette I was able to hold some leverage over Sergeant Aldrich, in case it was justified. And, if the videocassette had gone into Sergeant Aldrich’s hand, it would have disappeared.”

It was simple and it made sense.

“Is that why you left Joey with me and not with Aldrich?” I asked.

“Yes…but I shouldn’t have.”

“I screwed up,” I said taking full responsibility. “It was my fault. Okay?”

“Perhaps. But…” He paused. “They did not find a body in your house.”

“What?”

“No burned or charred body, I’m afraid.”

“He’s alive?” I said.

“We don’t know.”

I felt better. There was still hope.

There was something else I wanted to ask. “I spoke to Noel the other night; he mentioned that…he saw you give your wife money.”

“Yes.”

“Large amounts of money…at night.”