Mr. Big (23 page)

The next morning they delivered another quad across the island to Deer Lake.

75

Jennifer was exhausted. They had just made the return trip from St. John's. Nelson and Pat were still out in the truck. She assumed Nelson was being paid, although she hadn't ever actually seen him getting paid for his work.

But she knew he was making good money. Nelson's mood had been oddly calm these past few weeks. It was obvious that he respected Steph and Pat, and he wanted to be like them.

And he also loved the work. She couldn't ever remember him being as content as he was driving around in his new job.

In the days between jobs, he was on the edge of his seat waiting for the next phone call from Pat.

A couple days after they returned from their most recent trip, he couldn't wait any longer.

First thing on the morning of March 15, he called Pat.

This time there was a job. Jennifer listened to Nelson's phone conversation with Pat.

“Well, I've got a dentist appointment on Wednesday,” Nelson told Pat. Nelson didn't want to say yes right away. He was buying time so he could talk it over with Jennifer.

“He wants me to drive to St. John's, but they might need me for the rest of the week,” Nelson told her. “I might have to go out of the province.”

After some discussion, Nelson decided he would take the job.

“Will three pairs of jeans be enough?” Jennifer yelled out as she packed his overnight bag.

She still wondered about the company, but the thought of having Nelson away for the next week was appealing.

As soon as he was packed, Nelson took the car and headed for Gander. She knew that he was probably going to be flying to Halifax, but Nelson didn't say anything about what his business would be there.

Her only regret was that he didn't leave her the car so she could pick up some groceries at the food bank. But then, she wasn't able to drive the standard transmission, anyway.

76

March 16, 2005.

Nelson flew to Halifax, and for the next few days he would have a full schedule.

His first job was to pick up a package containing fraudulent credit cards at the YMCA. After a night at the casino, he and Pat had to drive from Halifax to Fredericton. On March 18, they drove back to Halifax, and Nelson was paid for the week's work. He was then told he would fly back to Newfoundland.

But first he let Pat know how much he was enjoying his friendship. He also liked working on the mainland. He knew the money was good, and Jennifer didn't mind.

After a few days at home, Nelson was back on another flight to Halifax, on March 21. He and Pat drove to Fredericton, had dinner, and stayed at a hotel. The next day, they drove to Woodstock on the United States border. There they met with a man who gave Nelson a bag. Nelson was to take the bag, buy a bus ticket, and head back to Moncton.

Nelson was nervous the police might have been watching him, but he assured Pat he didn't mind doing this kind of work as long as the money was good.

He was paid $500 and sent back to Gander.

A couple of weeks later, Pat picked Nelson up at the airport in Halifax once again. The next day, he had the job of delivering a package to Truro, and then he had to take a train to Montreal.

That night he stayed at the hotel next to the casino and was given $450 for his expenses and another $50 to cover the cost of interest on his credit card.

The next day, in Truro, Nelson was told he was going to need some nice clothing for Montreal. Pat bought him a shirt, pants, some socks, and even a new pair of shoes. They drove back to Halifax, where Nelson was given a package and Pat paid another man $25,000 in cash. Steph was there, too. Nelson counted the money, and listened. Pat told the man, if he ever told anyone where the package came from, he would have to learn to swim real fast. They made it clear to Nelson that as long as a guy doesn't have any limitations, there were bigger jobs. Bigger pay.

Nelson told them he had no limitations.

But Steph also told him how he felt about rats. Rats should go in the water.

Steph and Pat said they were a circle—family. And when you're in the circle, the money gets better. But Nelson was told he wasn't part of the circle. That was up to the boss.

The next day, April 9, Nelson left for Montreal on the train with the task of delivering another package. This time it was a suitcase, and Pat agreed to meet him there. That night Nelson went to a steak house downtown with Steph, Pat, and their girlfriends. Nelson and Pat's girlfriend, Carol, hit it off immediately. It was a great social night with a lot of laughs. In fact, Nelson even had a couple of glasses of wine and made a toast to the boss, someone he hadn't met. It was the first time Pat had seen him drink. But then, they were having a great time, and Nelson couldn't wait to introduce Jennifer to Carol.

77

April 11, 2005.

Nelson and Steph had lunch alone. Nelson learned the structure of the organization he was working for and learned there would be more risk if he wanted to move up the ladder. Steph also explained the organization controlled seventy per cent of the prostitution in Montreal and took a percentage from all the money earned.

According to Steph, “I told Mr. Hart that I had to deal with those two prostitutes and, as a result, they couldn't earn money for a while. I had assaulted them. I had to send a message to them so that we didn't get ripped off.”

Nelson told Steph he had no problem getting his hands dirty, either, and that he had done something terrible in his past. He explained one day he would tell them, and it would bring tears to Steph's eyes.

Steph, too, said he had terrible skeletons in his closet, and he liked the fact Nelson was being honest.

Nelson said he had dealt with two people and they were both in the ground now. He said it was all over the news and everyone talked about it.

Steph told Nelson he didn't have to say things to impress him.

But Nelson said he could prove it. Everyone had talked about it, and there were 600 people in the church. He took out his wallet, opened it, and there was a picture of two little girls wearing red dresses. Nelson showed him the pictures and said he'd leave it at that.

Steph pressed him.

Nelson said the girls in the picture were his daughters. He went on to say the police were talking to him and he didn't tell them anything about what he'd done. He told Steph one murder was twenty-five years, but he was looking at fifty years because he did two murders. He said he got away with it because of family. He said that when he got rid of his kids, he had planned it. When the cops tried to get him, he kept his mouth shut, and now there was no heat on him.

He told Steph they were blood brothers now.

After lunch, Pat picked up Nelson and they drove to Cornwall, Ontario. When they arrived, they picked up a truck loaded with a large quantity of cigarettes and brought it to a warehouse back in Montreal. After they unloaded the truck, they went to dinner.

For Nelson, the expensive restaurants were something he had never experienced. He told Pat there were times he didn't feel comfortable because it was all so new.

But he liked this new life, and he didn't want to go back to work in Newfoundland. Instead, he wanted Jennifer on the mainland with him.

78

April 12, 2005.

Nelson's job was to transport a package from Montreal to Ottawa. Steph met him at an Ottawa hotel, where they waited for the buyer of the package Nelson had delivered.

They sent him to several locations before telling the buyer their real location.

Once he arrived, they got down to business. He brought a bag filled with money. Fifty thousand dollars in US dollars, to be exact. Nelson counted it while the other men talked about their investments in New York and Chicago.

Steph told Nelson to go into the washroom and retrieve the bag he had brought from Montreal. Inside was a book that had sections cut out. Inside the cavities were fake passports that the buyer was assured were of top quality.

But the buyer was more interested in talking about the organization and his connections. Bragging.

He was sitting on the couch when Steph walked over and slapped him across the face. He had no business talking about Steph's business.

With the $50,000 in his pocket, Steph and Nelson headed to a pub for something to eat.

79

“I don't have anything to wear,” Jennifer said.

Nelson had just finished telling her that she was going to Halifax.

For the past few weeks, life had been relatively peaceful for Jennifer. Nelson was a changed man. He hadn't been violent toward her once. In fact, his behaviour had changed so much for the better, she was looking forward to the trip to Halifax.

“Well, at least you've got the new clothes they bought you,” she said. “I don't really feel comfortable going there with these old rags.”

But Nelson had recently bought her a new coat while he was in New Brunswick, and he told her she would look fine.

“I think you'll really like Carol,” he told her.

She knew the money for new clothes wouldn't come, so she gave up asking. Instead, she packed her two best pairs of jeans and a couple of decent shirts. She thanked God they wouldn't see how badly she was in need of new underwear. And while her boots were far from adequate, at least they covered up the holes in her socks.

Jennifer couldn't believe that Nelson had landed a job that required social trips to other provinces, but here they were—on a flight to Nova Scotia.

As soon as they got off the plane, Pat was there to meet them. She could instantly see that he and Nelson had become very close over the past few weeks. And to be honest, she liked Pat as well.

“Where's Carol?” asked Nelson. “I was hoping she would be here.”

“Oh, she's still getting ready,” Pat replied. “It takes her forever.”

They drove through Halifax, and from the back seat Jennifer could see the tall buildings downtown. Pat pulled up in front of the glass hotel doors and came around to help her with her bags.

Inside the lobby, Jennifer waited uncomfortably as Nelson and Pat had a quick conversation. She felt like she was now in Nelson's new life, and she waited for direction from him. Everything was new and fancy. Even Nelson had become higher-class in her eyes.

Finally, Nelson walked over to where she stood with the bags.

“Pat is going to be back to pick us up in a minute,” he said. “Let's go up to our room to get ready for dinner.”

In their room, Jennifer became even more self-conscious of what she was wearing. She longed for a new outfit so she could feel part of this environment. She looked out the window overlooking the city. Part of her was excited to be going out to dinner, but she felt nervous and inadequate at the same time.

“Let's go downstairs to the casino,” Nelson told Jennifer.

She wasn't aware that there was a casino in the building, but she wasn't surprised that was where Nelson wanted to go.

Inside, she was in awe of the sheer size of the room, and the noise. The bells and games rang in her ears.

“I need to go find a washroom,” Jennifer told Nelson.

Nelson pointed her to the washroom, and inside she drew a deep breath. Looking at herself in the largest mirror Jennifer had ever seen, she felt better just to be away from the noise and the people. She looked at the women standing next to her. They were wearing dresses and were glittering in jewellery. She had never felt so poor or so unattractive in her life.

When she regained her composure, Jennifer went back outside. She looked around the room and realized Nelson was nowhere to be seen. What would she do? There was no way she could ever find him here. She didn't know where to look, and she didn't want to.

But she had no choice but to find him. Slowly she began to focus and stepped down onto the main floor. She delicately walked through the crowd and passed the beautifully dressed people until she saw Nelson sitting at a table. He already had a pile of chips in front of him, but Jennifer didn't care. She was just relieved not to be alone here.