My Sister's Fear

by T. J. Jones

  "That doesn't sound good. It's what I've been talking about. Dinar's organization is expanding all over the state and the east coast. Pretty soon, there won't be any small-time street corner pimps. They have to join up or wind up dead. They serve the master, but they get his protection."

  "Dinar already knows our names, and a couple people at that club do too. It isn't likely he'll be happy to hear we took one of his young girls off the streets. But for now, all I'm worried about is not having ICE knock on our door."

  "Lawyer up, today. The sooner she claims refugee status, the better your chances. The fact that her parents have been killed will get you a hearing, and the courts are backed up for two years. But I can't stress that enough, call your lawyer right now. I don't know what to say about Dinar. He may come and try to take her, or he might just let it go. You're not some low life street thug that he can just execute out of hand, and he's well aware that we still have Gary. I'd be damn sure the security is working at Maggie's house."

  I called Tommy Ackerman and explained our case to him. "The good news is, we've crossed a couple of suspects off the list of kidnappers. The bad news, I guess the bad news is obvious."

  "I'll get working on it. That's an area my intern is interested in, so I'll get him looking into case law. I know a couple of immigration lawyers, but they're all busy as they can be right now. For all the hype, there are ways to do this that are legal. Adopting an immigrant child isn't that difficult, but that's a hell of a commitment. One of the girls could be her foster parent, but that's temporary and doesn't guarantee that the girl will get a green card. First thing we get her a hearing and establish that she has an asylum case. Then we have time to figure the rest of it out."

  Gabriela Martinez was less than five feet tall, thirteen and a half years old, and already in love with Duchess the dog. That's why it was doubly painful when the Lab's owner showed up the next morning. Angela had done the responsible thing and put a notice on Facebook and Twitter right away, and shortly after breakfast there was a knock on the door.

  We had talked security after my conversation with Susan, and I went to the door and looked through the peephole, as I had instructed Angela to do. A full security camera system was on the horizon, but it hadn't been installed yet. I slender dark-haired guy in his early fifties, dressed in a plaid shirt and blue jeans waited patiently while I checked him out. He had a leash in his hand. I eased the door open.

  "Morning!" He said cheerfully. "I talked to a woman named Angela, and she said you found Buck?" Maggie and Angela walked up to the door and Andrew Mitchel introduced himself. "He ran off after a rabbit the other night just as it was getting dark, and I couldn't get him to come back. Stubborn sometimes, like me I guess. I sure have missed him."

  "We already love him so much, Andrew is it?" Angela held a hand out and he took it, ignoring Maggie's for an amount of time that became embarrassing. She finally gave up and took my arm as we both watched the sparks ignite.

  "Yeah, Andrew, I don't like Andy. Angela or is it Angie?" He was looking into those magnetic blue eyes. I knew the feeling.

  "I would love it if you called me Angie." She was looking back, so that was interesting.

  "So Buck, my dog? I really should take him home."

  "Can I get you some coffee first? We have a young girl staying with us, and she needed a few minutes to say goodbye. She is quite taken with your dog."

  "He loves everyone, that's for sure. But I could go for a cup of coffee."

  Andrew was a self-employed web designer that lived near the little airport where I kept my airplane. He talked about the marshes that stretched east of the runway and how he and Buck took walks there every night.

  Angela worked her magic. "With Slater and my sister gone as much as they are, they're Private Investigators you know, and gone all the time; I really loved having Buck here. My Dad never let us have a dog, but he passed away last year. My Mom went to Europe for a couple months, so it gets really lonely. Because I'm all by myself."

  "I know what you mean, my wife has been gone for three years now."

  A despondent widower no doubt. It was getting ludicrous, like stumbling into a Disney movie. Maggie laughed a little too loudly and brought the pair back to reality. "I should check on Gabriela and bring you your dog." Angela said.

  Gabriela shuffled out behind the Lab in a pair of oversized pajamas that made her look even younger than she was. Her face was covered in tears and she fell on the floor beside the dog and threw her arms around its neck, wailing and blubbering in unintelligible Spanish. Even the dog, happy as he was to see his real owner, didn't have the heart to break that grip. Andrew sure as hell didn't.

  "Maybe you could just keep him for a while for me? I have to go out of town next week anyway, and it's obvious he's getting plenty of attention around here."

  "Oh Andrew, that's so wonderful of you." Angie's smile lit up the room. "If you would consider it, I would buy Duchess from you, anything you want."

  "Duchess?" He muttered, then looked back into Angela's eyes. "Maybe I could come see him once in a while? I won't take any money, but maybe you could make me dinner some night, as kind of a payment? Or maybe I could take you out to dinner?"

  It was like Maggie and I weren't in the room. Andrew stumbled through another few minutes of conversation, said goodbye to his dog, and left with a big smile on his face. After Maggie explained everything to Gabriela, she cried even harder and wrapped her arms around Angela's neck. Pure Disney.

  After everyone calmed down about the dog, Maggie and I got in my pickup and drove to the Thatcher Estate. Maryanne seemed to be doing pretty well, so I dropped Maggie off to keep her company and drove back to Tommy Ackerman's law firm. If a letter came, it would be late morning and I wanted to get my hands on it as quickly as possible.

  Jarrod had his head buried in the computer, but he greeted me cheerfully. "It's a cool thing, you helping that girl from Honduras, Mr. Slater."

  "You can help her just as much as we did if you can get her immigration figured out."

  "Stuff like this is why I want to be a lawyer, so I can help people."

  Maybe I'd misjudged the kid, he didn't seem so bad. "Tommy alone in his office?"

  "He is, go right in."

  Tommy was at his desk, studying his computer screen. "Courier is bringing the mail over shortly. We'll see if there's a letter."

  "It would be fast a turn-around for the US mail, but maybe they sent something out before our ad in the personals came out. I expect they're going to try to set up a meeting. I just hope she's doing alright. I'm scared Tommy. Not that I know, but kidnappings don't usually end well."

  "The ones we hear about, anyway. Who knows how many get paid out and never make the news? I think your advice to Maryanne is good, if that helps. Two payments is asking for trouble."

  There was nothing in the mail and after being in the way for another twenty minutes, I drove back to Maryanne's. They had checked the ads online, and there was no response. We drove back to the Jeffries house and had supper with Angela, Gabriela, and the dog. After supper the girls sat down with Gabriela for language lessons, Angela to learn Spanish and Gabriela to learn English. The girl had adapted quickly to the safety of her new environment, and I hoped to keep it safe.

  "Okay if I sleep in your Dad's room tonight? Until we get the rest of the security updates done, I think I should hang around."

  "Of course Slater, we have a lot of beds." Angela answered for them both. Maggie had a book out and was busy showing the young girl something. She didn't acknowledge my existence.

  I went home and did bookwork for my remodeling business. Luis was doing a great job with the actual construction, but it was still up to me to write checks and bid on houses. My new job trailer sat in the front yard, untouched. There would be time for that after we got Jasmine back. If we got her back.

  The lights were still on when I got back to Angela and Maggie's house just before eleven. Angela sat at the kitchen table alone, stu
dying a book about Spanish. I poured myself some cold coffee and put it in the microwave, then grabbed a stale doughnut and sat on a stool.

  "Everybody else in bed?" She nodded and I decided it was a good time to tease her a little. "That Andrew guy, he seems nice."

  She smiled and peeked over her book at me. "He seems like a really good guy to me, good looking too. Is he Slater approved?"

  "I know I said you probably shouldn't date, but that's not my choice. Maybe he's the right guy, and it's the right time. So much happened, but if you feel ready, I say go for it. Guys think differently than women, and what do I know? I just want you to be alright." I was always afraid conversations with Angela would turn awkward, given our history, but it didn't.

  She put her book down and looked at me. "My Dad was a sick man. When you're a child you trust everyone: your teachers, the cops, the babysitter, but especially your parents. When he did those things to me, I lost all that trust. Maybe it drove me to the booze and pills, or maybe I would have found those on my own, but he's gone now. I can't forget what he did to me, but I'm not going to let it define the rest of my life, that would be giving too much power to whatever sickness it was that made him behave that way. I'm finally sober and I'm going to stay sober. I miss Charlie and Davey more than I can tell you, but thanks to you and Maggie, all of a sudden, I have a chance to do something good for someone other than myself. A purpose, and it's really empowering."

  "Gabriela?"

  "Her, and maybe other girls like her. I'm in a unique position to help. Other than my privilege, girls like Gabriela are not so different from me at that age, abused and lost. Of course, I was so self-centered and entitled, I can't imagine why anyone put up with me. But you did, you and Davey. You were both more than I deserved."

  "You're becoming someone Davey would really be proud of." My voice broke a little from the unexpected emotion of the moment. This was the Angela I had always hoped was hiding behind those blue eyes.

  "Thanks Slater, you are too."

  I dumped my coffee out, untouched. "Don't know why I would want coffee at eleven o'clock at night. I need to get some sleep."

  "Good luck with that, I'm heading up to bed." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and started up the steps, then stopped and looked down at me with an odd smile on her lips. "Slater, I'm glad that after everything that's happened, it's you and Maggie that are together."

  "Me too." I husked out. I turned off the light and went into Frank's old room. I wasn't alone.

  Maggie slid an eye open and looked up at me, smiling. "I gave Gabriela my room. I hope you don't mind sharing."

  "You don't snore do you?" I knew she did, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't bother me.

  "Glad you two finally got that out of your system." Angela laughed as she dropped a pair of plates loaded with eggs and bacon in front of us the next morning. "Rosa will be here pretty soon. She's going to be scandalized."

  "She'll get used to the idea." Maggie laughed. "Not like she didn't know this was coming. Does she know about the new house guest?"

  "Yes, and I told her eventually I want to take in more girls like Gabriela, so she'll still have a fulltime job, even after you two move out. Have you closed on the new house?"

  "Signed the papers, but I can't take possession for a month or so. Morning sleepy head. Manana Dormilon." Gabriela stumbled down the steps with Duchess close behind her.

  "Hello. Slater and Maggie." It wasn't perfect English, but she got it out. We had breakfast like a real family, and Gabriela even snuck Duchess a table scrap, like a normal teenager.

  Somewhere during breakfast, I called Maggie, Sweetheart; because of all the sex, and because I'm a guy and we're always confused about the rules.

  "Slater, don't get weird on me. It's still just me, I didn't turn into a Princess overnight. I appreciate the effort, but don't change how you act just because we did the hokey-pokey."

  "Hokey-pokey?" Gabriela frowned.

  "See, scandalized." Angela laughed.

  Maggie and I took the dog for a walk, then went for a run. It had been a few days and we both could feel it. When we got back to the front door, Maggie sat down on the stoop and started crying.

  "Jasmine?" I asked.

  "I'm sorry. I feel guilty, being this happy while she's out there. We're good, Angela's the best I've ever seen her, and we have a dog and a child. I just wish Jasmine was here to share in all this."

  I sat beside her and put an arm around her. "Me too. But you're allowed to feel good about what's good, even when there's bad stuff going on. We'll get another letter or ad today, and then we'll know what to do. Okay?"

  When we walked back inside, Angela had turned on the small television above the counter in the kitchen. The news was detailing another shooting, possibly another homicide. I barely glanced at the screen; it happens so often you forget to be shocked. But this time was different. I recognized the building with the police tapes surrounding it.

  It was Gary Jeffries safe-house.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I had never met any of Susan Foster's coworkers and I wasn't sure she had any in Florida. On the one occasion when she had needed help, she had enlisted local law enforcement and I knew she worked with the FBI sometimes. We took Maggie's car and drove to the scene. The reporters were all gone and most of the gawkers. Two uniformed cops stood outside and I could see activity inside the building. It looked like the back door had been yanked from its frame, which seemed to indicate that they had probably taken Gary, not just killed him.

  We walked up to the police tape and I waved at one of the officers.

  He nodded dismissively. "Move along please, we aren't releasing any information."

  I pulled out my PI card, feeling a bit like a Cub Scout trying to join the Army. "I knew the individual that was being held here, and I have information about what happened."

  "That person was my uncle." Maggie joined in. The cop went into the house for a few moments, then waved us in. There was a blanket on the floor covering what could have been a body. I saw the edge of a paw.

  The detective looked at us skeptically. "Alright, what do you know about this."

  "The man being held here under protective custody was my uncle." Maggie offered. "And Susan Foster is a friend."

  He nodded at me. "And your name?"

  I waved my PI license again. "Eric Slater, this is Maggie Jeffries."

  "Just making sure. Susan was hurt, but it isn't serious. She pulled up halfway through the deal and exchanged fire with them. The officer assigned to her is critical, but hanging on. They yanked the back door open somehow and came in shooting, killed the dogs and wounded our guy. He was conscious long enough to tell us it that it looked like a jailbreak, not a kidnapping. The guy they pulled out of here, he was yelling orders and they were listening."

  "But Susan was shot?"

  "Twice, leg wounds. Could kill you, but it would be bad luck if it did. Anyway, she said if you showed up, to get you to the hospital. Her cellphone got lost in the shuffle and she couldn't come up with your number offhand. Of course, she was on a gurney, and they were pumping drugs into her, so that's understandable."

  "Which one, we'll head over there."

  "St. Mary's. There's a uniform outside the room, but I'll tell him you're coming."

  "Why a guard?"

  "This has mob written all over it, well organized and armed. She doesn't make a lot of friends doing what she does, not in those circles. Brave-ass woman is what she is."

  Susan Foster was awake, barely. She smiled when we came in the room. "How're my favorite Gingers?"

  "I haven't heard that in forever." Maggie laughed. "How are you? My uncle isn't worth all this, you should have just tossed him in jail, I would have been fine with that."

  "I got hit, twice, I think they said. Can't feel anything right now, some kind of good drugs they have me on." She seemed to doze for a moment, then started awake and slid up in the bed. A plump nurse came out of nowhere and scolded her.<
br />
  "You can't move Miss Foster, if you can't stay still, your visitors will have to go. You open those wounds and lose any more blood, you'll need a transfusion."

  "Okay Sarah, I'll be good." She watched the nurse leave, then scooted up again. "Who knew getting shot in the ass could hurt so bad?" She giggled at us, then winced. "Once in the knee, must have turned me around and then I got it in the butt. No vest on my backside." The drugs must have made everything seem funny, she laughed at her own joke. "Did they tell you about the dogs? I don't know if the breakout was Gary's idea, but they sure weren't trying to kill him. I heard him yelling, warning them not to kill me. I don't think it was because he likes me, but because he promised you." She looked up at Maggie.

  "I told him how I feel."

  "Still, he cares about you and your sister. He feels bad about Davey too, now that he knows he was a blood relative. I think that's why he broke out. That's why I needed to talk to you."

  "Why did he break out?" I asked, trying to keep her awake.

  "Dinar, he's coming back to the States from the middle east, soon. Gary thinks he will come after you, you and Maggie, for interfering with his business. He told me he had to go back and run things, take over the Florida operation, so if Dinar comes for you, he can kill him. I said I wouldn't let him do that, that the best way was for him to testify, but here we are. I'm in the hospital and he's out there."

  "The people that helped him escape and followed his instructions, do you think they're loyal to him or will they protect Dinar?"

  "Can't say. Shot me in the ass." She was dozing again. "Just be ready, 'case they come for you." She fell asleep and we didn't bother trying to wake her. Sarah came back and scowled at us.

  "We were just leaving." I explained.

  "Bastards kill Duchess and they're done." Maggie fumed.

  "To say nothing of Angela and Gabriela." I reminded her.

  "Dogs just do what they're trained to do, they should be off limits."