back into them, pretending amazement the while.
— Neil Gaiman
Conspiracy
After my phone conversation with Tara I phoned Luc and Wren to set up a meeting at my house.
I felt we were getting in over our heads and Tara's cautionary remark about the militia being dangerous got me thinking—what if we made a mistake and one of us got killed? I'd never forgive myself.
My gut feeling was to take what we learned to the detectives and let them and the OPP handle it. They were experienced in dealing with terrorists.
I didn't sound any alarm bells over the phone but pitched the meeting as an opportunity for the three of us to touch base and get updated.
But my gut feeling was that the militia was getting ready to strike again and we had a responsibility to notify the authorities.
I set up the meeting for six pm and told Wren and Lucy I'd order in pizza.
I have to admit I felt a bit disappointed our collaboration might be coming to an end, but it seemed the best option under the circumstances.
Later, it was like family, the three of us gathered round the fire laughing, eating pizza and enjoying our feast.
But once the repast was finished and we were having coffee, I updated Wren and Luc on what I learned about Barr.
"Turns out Tara was able to supply a few details about Barr that confirm what we already knew. ‘The Three amigos’ were getting together at Barr's place a week before the shooting. Chet Cole was calling the shots and Tara saw Barr going through the same routine Luc and I saw, loading crates into his truck at night and then, stealthily driving away so as to avoid raising suspicion."
Wren furrowed her brow, "So she had no inkling Barr was involved with militias?"
"Not really. She saw Cole looked military but more fit than the other two as if he were still serving—and he was the one giving orders."
"So no hint of a link between Tara and Barr?" asked Luc.
"Actually, there was a hint of one. Barr resented Tara because she was an academic and held liberal views. He also was a misogynist and had many narrow and bigoted beliefs. Apparently, he didn't much care whether someone was Fascist or Communist as long as they opposed democracy and believed in autocracy—he liked strong men in charge."
"Like Putin in Russia," Wren hissed, “which explains the attack on the luncheon in support of Ukraine and attacking the university where Tara worked and spread her liberal ideas."
"Exactly," I nodded.
There was a moment of silence while everyone processed the significance of what Tara had reported.
Finally, Wren spoke up. "That's really significant intel, Jude—good job. We now have a motive for the attack and it also explains the link between Tara and Barr."
"Should we take this to Kate and Sam, your detective friends?" I asked.
"We will...eventually," she replied, "but we need to see if there are other militia members we aren't aware of living in the area. According to news reports, witnesses recalled seeing a half dozen men come out of the military truck used in the attack."
"But what if the militia strikes again?” I protested, “they seem to be gearing up for another attack?"
"That's why we'll alert Kate and Sam about Barr's possible involvement and have them monitor the group's movements. But I don't want to lose the momentum we've got going. We can help the detectives and the OPP by continuing to monitor Barr's activities. We have cameras on him 24/7 and face it, you live right next door."
I couldn't argue with her logic.
And, I was also relieved in a way. I wanted to continue the pursuit.
After all. I had a personal involvement in the case—they robbed me of my peace of mind and targeted me.
No way I wanted to let Barr and his psycho friends get away with that.