Free Art and Murder by Don Easton Page A

Laura cut Klaus and Liam free. Then Anton shot Dempsey. I got the drop on them and tied them up. That’s when I called Laura and she said to call you. I don’t want to report Dempsey’s murder because it’ll burn my informant.”
    â€œChrist, you want to hide a murder?”
    â€œThese guys killed Dempsey just for bringing me here. Imagine what they’d do to my informant.” When Rose didn’t respond, Jack went on, “They also have access to blank passports. That, combined with Anton talking on the phone before killing Dempsey … and trying to kill me, I’m sure I’m on to something bigger than the two yokels I’ve got here.”
    â€œYou’re right that you’re on to something big,” Rose stated flatly.
    â€œSo fill me in,” Jack said.
    Her hesitation, Jack guessed, was because she was a bit afraid of how he’d respond.
    â€œWhat’s going on, Rose?” he pressed her quietly.
    â€œYou’re not safe, Jack. How long do you think you have before Klaus and Liam show up? We better get the troops over to where you are before they do.”
    â€œForget the troops. That would burn everything. Besides, I have reason to believe they won’t show up for at least a few hours, so quit stalling. Tell me what’s going on.”
    At last the words spilled out of her. She told Jack about her calls from Interpol and everything the French knew about the Ringmaster, leading up to their undercover officer being murdered.
    Jack wanted to cry out in both pain and rage, but managed to remain stoic as Anton and Bojan watched him from the far end of the building.
    â€œYou there, Jack? Speak to me,” said Rose softly.
    â€œYeah … I’m here,” he replied. “Something doesn’t add up. These guys never searched me or found my badge. There’s no way they think I’m a cop.”
    â€œThen it doesn’t make sense.”
    â€œIt does if they were testing Kerin,” Jack said. And he failed the test big time, all because of me. He swallowed, then asked, “Was he married?”
    â€œI don’t know. A moment ago I got a call direct from Paris telling me about their investigation into the Ringmaster. We didn’t know if you’d been killed, too. I’m expecting another call any minute from a Maurice Leblanc. He was Kerin’s partner and he’s at the scene.”
    Jack knew it was not a good idea to take his eyes off his captives, but he turned away briefly and pretended to cough as he wiped the moisture from his eyes with his knuckles. “And they don’t have any idea who this Ringmaster is?” he asked, sounding croaky.
    â€œA witness heard the shot and saw a man running from the washroom, but there haven’t been any arrests. The killer left a watch behind, along with a pistol. The French are not optimistic that Forensics will come up with anything.”
    â€œWhat kind of pistol?”
    â€œI don’t know yet. The person I spoke with wasn’t at the scene.”
    â€œWhat about the guy they call the juggler? Is he in custody?”
    â€œNo, Roche Freulard slipped away during the commotion … although then the officer I was speaking with changed it and said they didn’t have any grounds to arrest him, so they let him go.”
    â€œYeah, let him go without any surveillance on him. Meaning whoever you spoke with was too embarrassed to say they lost him.”
    â€œThey’re pretty upset.”
    â€œNo more than me.” Jack was bitter.
    â€œNo, but imagine the panic. Roche took second seat to finding the killer.”
    A plan began to formulate in Jack’s mind. “I’m glad Roche slipped away.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI don’t want him arrested. I want the Ringmaster.”
    â€œNobody knows who he is.”
    â€œI’ve got Anton. He might know. He’s Roche’s brother, after all.”
    â€œPossible, but the