Chapter 15

“C’mon. What’s this list all about?” Smith said, jiggling a set of keys in his pocket. “Tell me.”
“You’re persistant, Bob, I’ll give you that. The List is a list of guards on the Gypsy shit-list. The letter talked mentioned three guards on the list, using their jailhouse nicknames. Todd Purcell- Toad, and two others, Wendell Ferris and Vernon Fequet. All three were on in the intervention that stormed the basketball court. We immediately saw the letter as a credible threat to those officers and filed a report with management. Nothing happened. They downplayed it-”
“What were the nicknames?” Digby said, interrupting again. “What were the nicknames the offenders had for officers Ferris and Fequet?”
Chega looked at her, wearily. “Fairy and Fuck-it,” he said. “You can probably figure out which is which?”
Smith and Dawe flashed eachother a quick smirk. Digby wrote down the nicknames with a straight face.
“Creative inmates you got here,” Smith joked.
“Now listen to me,” Chega said. “A man’s home got firebombed. They waited ‘til his wife and kids were home alone. Now Sally leaves a ring of skin behind her in the bathtub. How do you think the other two feel right now? Hey? Ferris and Fequet went out on stress leave this morning, but not because they’re pussies- but so they can be home protecting their families, because, by Jesus, nobody else will. Fequet’s installing a camera above the back door. Who you think pays for that? You think the province pays for that? Not in your life.” Chega was exasperated, understandably.
Det. Sgt. Smith did his best to reassure the man.
“They’ll be protected. Major Crime will put a car outside their homes tonight, for as long as they need. Digby? Am I right?”
“Of course,” Digby said, softly.
“I don’t want you guys to worry. The only thing you need to do is convince Todd Purcell to talk to us. I understand he’s reluctant or whatever, but we’re on the case, all the way. We’re going to crack skulls.”