Excerpt from the second novel.
Teresa called Julien Froment, a small-time thief, pot dealer and a source of information Teresa sometimes called on.
“Yeah?” A suspicious voice answered.
“Julien, we need to meet, like now.”
“Don’t think I can, Officer Cook. I have a doctor’s appointment.”
“You want to make some easy cash?”
“Depends. I have an appointment and…”
“Listen, you shit. Meet me at La Grande Poutine in thirty minutes. My treat, and if you can deliver on what I need, then you get a finder’s fee, a good one. Be there.”
Teresa hung up. His only meeting was with a client to sell some wee, so she drove to the restaurant and arrived minutes before him.
Froment entered the restaurant through the large double doors. He looked average, with thinning hair on top, a ponytail, and days' stubble. He looked around, noticed Teresa, and approached the table. As he sat down, he said, "
“Hey, Officer Cook. It’s been a while.” Then, seeing the fries in front of her, he reached over to pick one up, but Teresa slapped his hand away.
“If you want to order, then order. Don’t touch my food.” She growled. Even sitting, Teresa was physically imposing and easily dwarfed the informant.
A server came to their table, and Julien placed his order, which would have fed at least two grown men.
“Have you heard anything, and I mean anything, about teens disappearing in the area in the last couple of years?”
“No, nothing I can remember. Why? Is this a missing children’s case or something?”
“Maybe. Here’s what I need you to do. Contact your friends, ask around and see if you can get me some actionable information on teens who have disappeared over the past few years. I need to find out who could be a person of interest. I want you to dig around and put out feelers. Somebody knows something. I need a name.”
“That’s a tall order there, Officer Cook. I’ll see what I can do. And not to be crass, but what’s in it for me?”
“Two hundred if the information is good.”
“Make it five, and I get out of jail free on my next possession charge.”
“Look here, you shit. There will be no free passes. As for that amount of money, that is a big fat no! Bring me a name and an address, you hear me? We’ll see about the value of your info when you get it to me.”
“Okay, okay. You can’t blame me for trying.” Julien said as he scarfed down a bite of the double cheeseburger.
“Hand over your cell phone. I’ll add my number so you can reach me faster.”
He pulled his cell out of his back pocket and gave it to Teresa as she said, “I’ll call you as soon as I find anything.”
She entered her number and gave it back. “You make this your number one priority. Find me something quick. You do this, and we’ll see about going up to three hundred if it's factual information.”
Teresa waved the server over and paid for the meals. Then, she got up and walked out, not mentioning that she was no longer a Sécurité du Québec officer.
