‘Can I go now?… Can I go now?’ Michel parodied. ‘You’re a fucking stuck record.’ He waved a hand to one side. ‘Sure, be my guest. Go out there and let Roman kill you.’
Georges looked between Chenouda and Maury, hardly believing he was being let go so soon, before getting uncertainly to his feet. ‘I’m not convinced Roman had anything to do with Savard’s death. So I’m afraid I just don’t see the danger the same way you do.’
‘Not convinced?’ Michel raised an acute eyebrow. ‘I thought you bankers were meant to be sharp guys. Oh, and I forgot-‘ He put one hand up, a stopping motion. ‘Pretty soon we’re going to know for sure whether Roman had anything to do with Savard or not. Which was actually the other reason why I asked you in right now.’ Michel drew fresh breath and explained about Venegas being ID’d from a Jaques Cartier Bridge camera; he was being sought as they spoke. Michel glanced at his watch: almost an hour since they’d gone to Venegas’s apartment, twenty minutes since they pulled up Massenat in Roman’s BMW. Chac and his team were now parked within eyesight of Venegas’s apartment entrance and a province-wide alert was out. How much longer before he showed? ‘We expect him to be pulled in any minute.’
Georges sat slowly back down again. ‘So if you’ve got him — what do you need with me?’
‘What I need is for you to see this as your last opportunity. With Roman fingered by Venegas, he’ll likely go down for Savard and Leduc — because without one there isn’t motive for the other. And we’ve got Savard on record putting you right beside Roman when it happened. So the minute we cuff Venegas — you’re just one beat away from going down for accomplice to murder.’ Michel stared the threat home, seeing the alarm rise in Donatiens’ eyes before Donatiens became uncomfortable and averted his gaze. ‘Unless, that is, you give us your account first. Now’s your chance. Maybe your only chance.’
Georges ruffled his hair brusquely before looking back directly at Chenouda. ‘We’re into lawyer territory again. And we agreed at the outset I wouldn’t be answering anything where I might need a lawyer.'
Michel ignored it. He sensed that he was close to breaking Donatiens. Just a turn more on the screw. ‘I might be wrong — but I don’t think you’d have willingly gone along with Roman, knowing that he was about to murder Leduc. That isn’t your role in the Lacaille organization. And witness to self-defence is not even a misdemeanour. But with you staying quiet, it’s starting to look more and more like it was murder.’ Michel held one hand out, an invitation. ‘If you come clean, I’ll make sure you don’t even see a cell door. But if not…’ Michel waved the same hand towards more uncertain, worrying alternatives.
Georges felt the small room closing in on him tighter. His pulse was racing and there was a constriction in his throat making swallowing difficult. He couldn’t believe how quickly everything had been turned around on him. An hour ago he’d been heading to his office, now he was only a step away from a jail cell. Depending on what move he made next.
Michel felt the conflicts tugging at Donatiens like raw electricity in the air; he was hovering close to the brink. Just one more push should do it. ‘You need to share this with someone for another reason, Georges. Every minute you keep this secret to yourself, you pose a threat to Roman. While he can’t breathe easy — how much longer do you think he’s going to let you breathe? With the secret out, that problem goes too. You get rid of the death threat and the jail cell in one.’
Georges had to admit, it was tempting: no more double game with Jean-Paul and wondering what Roman might do next, no more dreams in the middle of the night with Leduc’s blood sticky against his skin, no more… Georges suddenly stopped: Jean-Paul! His main anxiety all along had been his guilt over not telling Jean-Paul, and this would just constitute further betrayal. He owed Chenouda the same as Roman: nothing!
Georges shook his head. ‘If this was just about Roman, fine. But I work for Jean-Paul, not Roman.’ Georges felt the escape rope firmly in his grasp, felt it pull back some of his clawing nerves. ‘I would do nothing to betray the trust Jean-Paul has put in me, and believe me, it’s reciprocated. Even if I did have reason to fear Roman, he wouldn’t be able to make a move on me without sanction from Jean-Paul. Which won’t be forthcoming — now or at any time. So while I appreciate your concern about my safety — thank you, but it’s misplaced.’ Georges forced a hesitant smile.
Michel’s jaw tightened. At times he could look upon Donatiens as the business innocent caught up in the Lacaille’s wolves’ den; at others, like now, he was the smooth, smug money-launderer hiding the Lacaille’s dirty millions and laughing up his sleeve at the RCMP. And when that view held sway it angered him all the more because, unlike Jean-Paul and Roman, Donatiens had had a choice: he was outside of their world and had a highly-paid respectable job with a bank. He could have simply turned his back.
Michel sneered thinly. ‘Jean-Paul and Roman have worked side by side now for over twenty years. They’ve been through hell and high water together, buried both their father and their younger brother in the name of a crime empire that’s survived now two generations. If it comes to the crunch and that’s threatened — do you really think Jean-Paul’s going to take your side over Roman’s just because you’ve turned some good trade these past few years and you’re shacked up with his daughter?’
‘We’re to be married, in case you haven’t heard.’ Georges tone was indignant. ‘But where all your theories fall apart is that they’re not even involved in crime anymore.’
‘You expect me to believe that? The bikers are still getting their supplies to distribute. It’s business as usual. And a lot of the old Lacaille contact names, like Leduc, keep cropping up.’
‘It’s Cacchione, or a new independent. Maybe even more than one.’
Chenouda’s sneer was back. ‘You and I both know that Medeiros won’t go near Cacchione. And he wouldn’t trust these levels of transactions to some new kids on the block. He’s dealing with old friends; and with Cacchione out of the picture, that leaves only the Lacaille family.’
‘You don’t get it, do you? That’s what me being brought in was all about. To make money from legitimate enterprise so that they didn’t need crime. After Pascal was shot, everything…’ Georges faltered, his voice trailing off. He was getting drawn out by Chenouda, heading into areas he shouldn’t be talking about. ‘Look — we’ve covered much more here than we agreed. I’ve got to go.’ Georges stood up and smiled tightly. ‘Earn some more legitimate money.’
Michel shrugged. ‘Yeah, sure. Cool your heels for a while in one of our cells while we pick up Venegas — then you’re free to go.’
‘What?’ Georges voice was strained with incredulity. ‘You said before I could go straightaway.’
‘Oh, did I say that? You know, that’s the problem with not running a tape. You never can keep track from one moment to the next.’ Michel’s voice was heavy with sarcasm; then his tone suddenly became low, threatening. ‘You must be kidding. You know now we’re onto Venegas. As soon as you walk out of here, you could put a call through to Roman and ruin our operation. And if you want to call a lawyer, fine — he’ll only tell you the same: that under section 359 we’re allowed to hold someone up to twelve hours when an active operation might be threatened.’
‘You bastard, Chenouda.’ Georges glared back hard. ‘You knew all the time you were going to do this. You planned it.’