Chapter 5
I gazed out the kitchen window. A dusting of snow had fallen overnight, but tire tracks had already blemished the pristine surface as neighbors left for work. Michael and I were lucky in that respect—we often worked from home.
I took a sip of the morning brew that he’d prepared. “Mmm... Nothing like fresh perked coffee.”
“You bet.” He smiled at me from across the table, then went back to unfolding and sorting Daniel’s notes from the package Claude had given him.
Daniel had scribbled his notes on bits of paper—hundreds of strips torn from the paper towels easily available in jail. He’d crumpled them so that they’d look like trash to curious cellmates.
“Did you find any leads?” I motioned to the papers spread over half the table.
He shook his head. “I’m still trying to piece together these handwritten notes so they make sense. Want to give me a hand in translating this stuff?”
“Sure.” I pulled out a chair and sat next to him. “Here’s to the big reveal.” I took a sip of coffee.
“I’m counting on it.” Michael smiled, then reached for another note and unfolded it. “Oh…with everything that’s been happening, it slipped my mind. My friend Dave called me earlier this week. He teaches Journalism and English Lit at a private college school not far from Sherbrooke. He asked me to do a guest spot there.”
“A guest spot?”
“To talk about my job. It’s part of a career seminar they’re holding for grad students before the holidays. Dave thinks it’ll help them evaluate their choices next semester. I haven’t seen him since he left Montreal to go teach there three years ago. It’ll be good to catch up with him.”
“When are you leaving?”
He smiled. “In a week. And make that ‘we.’ When I mentioned you were a ghostwriter, Dave asked if you’d like to do a class presentation about your career too. What do you say? We’ll be together a whole weekend and drive back by Sunday night.”
Did I really want to spend a weekend talking to a bunch of pampered teenagers? On the other hand, taking the trip with Michael would finally give us a weekend together. “Sure. I’ll go.”
He leaned over and kissed me. “Super. Now let’s get cracking on these notes before I get other ideas.”
As I translated Daniel’s notes, a common thread emerged: the Hells Angels were increasing their drug dealings in Quebec, Ontario, and other provinces and were doing so under legitimate cover. To that end, members had traded in their “outlaw motorcycle gang” image of leather jackets and bushy beards for a new corporate persona. It basically meant we wouldn’t recognize their illegitimate operations if we tripped over them.
“Local police forces and the RCMP raided a major Hells Angels drug-trafficking network in Quebec’s Eastern Townships a year ago,” Michael said. “It had taken years of undercover work to close it down. I’d hate to see the drug trade start up there again.”
“The Eastern Townships? Where exactly?”
“Sherbrooke.”
“Hold on. Isn’t that where we’re going? And one of Daniel’s notes mentioned something about Sherbrooke.” I dug out the note I’d seen earlier. “From what’s written here, the gang is revitalizing their drug manufacturing operations there.”
Michael stared at me. “That’s some crazy coincidence. Okay, we’ll use our trip there to do some digging into the Hells Angels criminal activities.”
I began to have second thoughts. “Do you think that’s a wise move? I mean—look at the danger involved. These people are coldblooded murderers.”
He shrugged. “It’s my job.”
Claude Savant’s body was located days later north of Montreal in Sainte-Adèle. He’d been shot in the head in a gangland-style execution, his body dumped by the road. His luck had run out with a payoff he’d so accurately predicted.
Author’s Note
TIMELY ESCAPE is a prequel to my next book. I invite you to join Megan and Michael as they continue their perilous adventure in ICY SILENCE, the next mystery novel in the series (publication date 2015):
When Megan Scott and Michael Elliott agree to speak at an exclusive college school, the undisclosed deaths of two students overshadow their agenda. Fear mounts as a powerful ice storm cuts them off from the rest of the world—harboring a potential murderer in their midst.
Without outside help, Megan and Michael are forced to rely on their wits to outsmart the killer and keep everyone alive in the process.
To keep up to date with my latest books and events, visit my website at https://www.sandranikolai.com where you can read my blog posts and join my Newsletter. You can become a fan on Goodreads, like my page on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter: @SandraNikolai
Happy reading!
Sandra Nikolai
False Impressions
Fatal Whispers
Timely Escape (A Short Story)
Icy Silence
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