talk much. After dinner, the day cop got up, gathered his novel and magazine, his garbage from lunch, and left the room without a goodbye.
Five minutes later, Cavendish entered the room, a large smile on his face. He nodded at Darwin and set his things by the chair in the corner.
He looked at the door to make sure it was closed and then walked up to Darwin’s bedside.
“I’ve got good news for you.”
Darwin pushed himself up in the bed, eager to hear what John had found out.
“Although you may not be happy.”
“Just tell me, John.”
“My source knows where Rosina will be—”
“What? Where?”
“Keep your voice down,” John said. “She’s here, in Toronto.”
“How’s that?”
John shrugged. “No idea. Maybe Arkady’s men picked her up in Florida and that’s how she made it here.”
At the mention of Arkady’s name, stones weighed down Darwin’s stomach. “Is she hurt? Alive?”
“She’s very alive. In fact she’s having dinner as Yuri Pavel’s guest at his restaurant on Queen Street tonight in about,” he checked his watch, “two hours.”
Darwin frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Look, Darwin, I don’t have all the details so I’m going to have to guess a bit here.” John looked at the door again, then back at Darwin. “Arkady is reportedly working for Yuri. I’m going to guess that Arkady’s men grabbed Rosina and brought her here like they did you.”
Darwin grabbed the water glass beside the bed and took a drink to satiate his suddenly dry mouth.
“Then he handed The Blade’s ,” he said with air quotes, “wife to Yuri as a goodwill gesture.”
“Why goodwill?”
“Because Yuri is pissed with all the raids happening in his territory …”
“The raids you told me about?”
John nodded.
“Wow, I’m happy to see the RCMP working with the FBI. It looks like progress is taking place.”
“They have to do something because Ontario’s primary multi-force organized crime agency, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, is being reorganized and possibly dismantled soon. Without the RCMP and the FBI working together on this, nothing would be getting done.”
Darwin gestured. “Get me back to Rosina.”
“My source said that Yuri is keeping her safe and healthy until he can confirm you’re dead. You know, in case he needs her to get to you. Sorry, but that’s my best guess. Since there’s a publication ban on what happened at the warehouse and who died there, no one on the street has confirmation about you. As far as the street knows, you just disappeared.”
Darwin dropped back onto the bed. Would it ever end? How could a known Russian Mafia boss named Yuri Pavel be able to parade Darwin’s wife around like a trophy and the law did nothing about it?
“What’s being done about it?” Darwin asked.
“What do you mean?”
Darwin glared at him. “How can he have her and no one arrest him?”
“As far as the law is concerned, she’s with him willingly. She comes and goes without restraints nor does she call out for help. Based on that, there’s nothing we can do.”
“But she doesn’t want to be with him.”
“I know that. You know that. Yuri has something on her to make her so compliant. Maybe she’s waiting to see if you died. Then she’ll decide what to do. Who knows?”
“You have no idea how fucked this is.”
“True, but there’s something you can do about it.”
Darwin kicked his legs out from under the covers and slipped off the bed. He steadied himself.
“You want the crutches?”
“No.”
He took a step. Then another, using the bed for support. At the end of the bed, he let go and on unsteady legs made it across the room to the closet without falling.
“Tell me what I can do about it while I get dressed.”
“You can go get
Five minutes later, Cavendish entered the room, a large smile on his face. He nodded at Darwin and set his things by the chair in the corner.
He looked at the door to make sure it was closed and then walked up to Darwin’s bedside.
“I’ve got good news for you.”
Darwin pushed himself up in the bed, eager to hear what John had found out.
“Although you may not be happy.”
“Just tell me, John.”
“My source knows where Rosina will be—”
“What? Where?”
“Keep your voice down,” John said. “She’s here, in Toronto.”
“How’s that?”
John shrugged. “No idea. Maybe Arkady’s men picked her up in Florida and that’s how she made it here.”
At the mention of Arkady’s name, stones weighed down Darwin’s stomach. “Is she hurt? Alive?”
“She’s very alive. In fact she’s having dinner as Yuri Pavel’s guest at his restaurant on Queen Street tonight in about,” he checked his watch, “two hours.”
Darwin frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Look, Darwin, I don’t have all the details so I’m going to have to guess a bit here.” John looked at the door again, then back at Darwin. “Arkady is reportedly working for Yuri. I’m going to guess that Arkady’s men grabbed Rosina and brought her here like they did you.”
Darwin grabbed the water glass beside the bed and took a drink to satiate his suddenly dry mouth.
“Then he handed The Blade’s ,” he said with air quotes, “wife to Yuri as a goodwill gesture.”
“Why goodwill?”
“Because Yuri is pissed with all the raids happening in his territory …”
“The raids you told me about?”
John nodded.
“Wow, I’m happy to see the RCMP working with the FBI. It looks like progress is taking place.”
“They have to do something because Ontario’s primary multi-force organized crime agency, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, is being reorganized and possibly dismantled soon. Without the RCMP and the FBI working together on this, nothing would be getting done.”
Darwin gestured. “Get me back to Rosina.”
“My source said that Yuri is keeping her safe and healthy until he can confirm you’re dead. You know, in case he needs her to get to you. Sorry, but that’s my best guess. Since there’s a publication ban on what happened at the warehouse and who died there, no one on the street has confirmation about you. As far as the street knows, you just disappeared.”
Darwin dropped back onto the bed. Would it ever end? How could a known Russian Mafia boss named Yuri Pavel be able to parade Darwin’s wife around like a trophy and the law did nothing about it?
“What’s being done about it?” Darwin asked.
“What do you mean?”
Darwin glared at him. “How can he have her and no one arrest him?”
“As far as the law is concerned, she’s with him willingly. She comes and goes without restraints nor does she call out for help. Based on that, there’s nothing we can do.”
“But she doesn’t want to be with him.”
“I know that. You know that. Yuri has something on her to make her so compliant. Maybe she’s waiting to see if you died. Then she’ll decide what to do. Who knows?”
“You have no idea how fucked this is.”
“True, but there’s something you can do about it.”
Darwin kicked his legs out from under the covers and slipped off the bed. He steadied himself.
“You want the crutches?”
“No.”
He took a step. Then another, using the bed for support. At the end of the bed, he let go and on unsteady legs made it across the room to the closet without falling.
“Tell me what I can do about it while I get dressed.”
“You can go get
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