by Sam Hawken
A military roadblock cut off the direct route to Bernardo’s house so they were forced to go the long way around. There were still more army vehicles buzzing around downtown like angry hornets whose nest had been disturbed. Seeing them made Jack feel better. So many soldiers and one of them must have seen something. Maybe Marina had been turned away by another roadblock and gotten lost. It could happen that way.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Jack called Marina again. The same. He stopped himself from throwing the phone. ‘Do me a favor,’ he told Lidia, ‘start calling your sister. Just keep calling even if she doesn’t answer.’
‘Okay, Jack,’ Lidia said, and Jack could hear the threatening break of panic in her voice. Not now. Not yet.
TWO
REINA MET JACK AT THE DOOR WITH A strong embrace. She looked as though she had been on the verge of tears for a long time, but had not succumbed. Jack heard Bernardo talking on the phone in the front room and when Jack came in Bernardo paused for only a moment to wave.
‘Yes, I understand that it is very busy,’ Bernardo said into the phone. ‘That is why I’ve waited so long to talk to an officer in charge. I realize it is difficult. Yes, I will hold.’
‘What’s happening?’ Jack asked Reina.
‘The police are all crazy because of the shootings this morning,’ Bernardo cut in. ‘Everyone’s out of the station, they say. But someone has to come back soon and then they can hear my report.’
‘Can’t someone visit the house?’ Jack asked.
‘I already asked. They don’t have anyone to spare for that.’
‘There’s got to be somebody!’
‘I’m trying, Jack. We have to give it some time.’ Bernardo straightened up. ‘Yes, I’m still holding.’
Jack turned back to Reina. ‘What time did you realize they hadn’t come home?’ he asked.
‘This morning. We didn’t expect them before midnight, so we went to bed. I thought about staying up, but I didn’t think we had to worry. There are always so many police at these things. I’m so very sorry, Jack.’
‘I could have called. I could have had Marina call.’
Reina’s face wrinkled up and Jack saw the tears pushed back again. ‘Let me get you something to drink,’ she said. ‘Lidia, come help me.’
They left. Jack spotted Little Bernardo and Leandra watching from the back hallway. Leandra clutched a naked baby doll to her side. Jack smiled at them, but they shrank back. He looked away.
Lidia brought Jack a hot cup of coffee he didn’t want. Reina urged one on Bernardo. ‘Come and sit down,’ Reina told Jack. He thought to say no, but did as she asked. She settled in beside him. ‘We called some of Patricia’s friends to see if she went to stay with them. They all told us no.’
There was a piece of notebook paper held to Jack’s refrigerator by magnets. The paper held the names and numbers of a half-dozen friends Marina knew well. Jack chided himself for failing to grab it. He could be calling now, too, instead of waiting for Bernardo.
‘They probably went with friends we don’t know,’ Reina added. ‘They’re probably there now.’
Believing that would be good. Jack could imagine Marina taking a drink she wasn’t allowed to have, partying hard, drinking more and then hiding away somewhere to ride out the inevitable hangover where no one could judge. Reina and Bernardo could not know all of Patricia’s friends. Jack didn’t know all of Marina’s friends. Soon someone would call.
Lidia stood by, looking lost. ‘Are you still calling your sister?’ Jack asked.
‘No, I stopped.’
‘Well, keep on calling. Call ten more times.’
‘There’s no one answering, Jack!’
‘I don’t care! She can’t answer the phone if it’s not ringing!’
He didn’t want to yell at Lidia. She retreated to the kitchen, dialing her phone. Jack wanted to bring her back and apologize. Maybe he would in a minute.
The coffee tasted like ashes. Bernardo paced the floor without taking a sip from his cup, pausing only to look out the front window as if his daughter and niece were coming through the gate. Now and then he would tell the faceless person on the other end that he was still waiting. Jack wanted to get up and pace with him.
Lidia emerged from the kitchen. ‘I tried ten times, Jack.’
‘Just—’ Jack said. Try ten times more, he thought. Try a hundred times more. Try until your ear hurts from pressing it up against the phone, listening for the sound of someone picking up the line. ‘Okay. Come in and sit down.’
‘I think I’ll go see Leandra.’
‘You do that. I’ll be here.’
Reina was wringing her hands so forcefully that Jack thought it must give her pain. Again she looked at him, the lines of her face drawn. ‘She has her ringer turned off,’ she said. ‘That’s all. She doesn’t hear.’
‘Right,’ Jack agreed. ‘That’s it.’
Bernardo spoke up: ‘Yes, I haven’t gone away. Who do I see? Soler? And where can he be found? When? Yes, I will be there. Thank you. Thank you very much.’
‘What is it?’ Jack asked.
Bernardo put his phone in his pocket. His face was flushed and he was sweating. He set his coffee on a side-table untouched. ‘They say there’s an investigator I can speak to if I come to the station. He just started his shift. Gonzalo Soler. I have to go.’
‘Wait,’ Jack said, ‘I’m going with you.’
Reina rose from the couch and Bernardo embraced her. She clung to him so tightly that he had to push away. ‘Everything’s going to be all right,’ she said.
‘Of course it is,’ Bernardo replied. ‘Come on, Jack.’
‘Let me tell Lidia first.’
The house was rectangular and long and Leandra’s room was the second-to-last door before the exit to the rear. Jack found Lidia there. Leandra had set up a small table and chairs and a tea party was assembled. The naked baby doll seemed to be the queen of the proceedings.
Lidia looked at him. ‘Did they find her?’
‘No. I’m going to the police station now. Stay with your cousins. If you need anything, ask your aunt. And try Marina’s phone again. Please.’
‘I will.’
Jack went.
THREE
GONZALO WAS CALLED IN FOUR HOURS early to deal with a narco shootout that broke before dawn. The narcos killed other narcos until the army arrived and killed everyone. After that the photographs were taken, the bodies were collected, the shell casings swept into bags and all that remained was the blood. He stayed at the scene until finally he was relieved, but there was no break for coffee and a breakfast of eggs and sausage; he was expected back at the station, where long reports had to be drawn up about what he had seen, what he had done and what was still left to do.
From his desk he could see people coming in and going out. The computer he used was years out of date but there was no money for a new one. The Federal Police had all the new things.
Gonzalo saw them enter, the American and the Mexican. It was hard to miss the American because he was so tall compared to his companion and broadly built. They stopped at the front desk and Gonzalo could just hear the Mexican speaking quickly. Gonzalo’s name stood out clearly.
He went to them. The shorter man, the Mexican, had a look of panic. The American was calmer, but Gonzalo could see echoes of that panic in his eyes. Gonzalo offered his hand for both of them to shake. ‘I’m Gonzalo Soler,’ he said. ‘Who are you gentlemen?’
‘I am Bernardo Sigala,’ the Mexican said. ‘This is my cuñado, Sr Jack Searle. We were told to speak with you.’
‘I’m here,’ Gonzalo said. ‘Speak to me. But come back to my desk so we can sit.’
Gonzalo found a second chair so the American could be seated and the two settled in before his desk. ‘Thank you for seeing us,’ Bernardo said.
‘Does your brother-in-law speak Spanish?’ Gonzalo asked.
‘I speak it,’ Jack said.
‘Oh, good. I speak Eng
lish, but it is faster if we go in Spanish, okay?’
‘It’s all right.’
‘Tell me, Sr Sigala, what brings you here today.’
Bernardo Sigala told the entire story completely, breathlessly, as if he could not be rid of it fast enough. He told Gonzalo of the concert, of his daughter and his niece, of the night they left and when they did not come home. Through all of it the American, Jack Searle, was stone-faced, his fingers interlaced in his lap. Only the muscles of his forearms working betrayed him now.
Gonzalo took notes. When Bernardo was finished, Gonzalo asked, ‘You say you’ve called your daughter’s friends? Are these the same friends she went to the concert with last night?’
‘Yes.’
‘And they said that after the concert they all split up to go home, is that correct?’ Gonzalo asked.
‘Yes.’
He looked to Jack. ‘Sr Searle, have you talked with any of your daughter’s friends?’
‘Not yet. But she didn’t cross the bridge with any of them.’
‘But she might have gone back to the Texas side last night anyway.’
‘I don’t know why she would do that.’
‘I have to consider everything. Sr Sigala, you say your daughter called you late last night, but left no message. What time was that?’
‘After midnight.’
‘Do you always ignore calls after midnight?’
‘No.’
Bernardo’s eyes reddened and Gonzalo thought the man might start to cry right then and there. He kept his expression neutral. ‘If only you had taken the call. We might have some idea where they went after leaving their friends.’
‘I know,’ Bernardo managed to say. Jack put his hand on Bernardo’s shoulder.
‘You don’t have to worry, señor,’ Gonzalo said. ‘We will do everything we can to find your daughter. But it’s possible that she went somewhere else to sleep last night and tried to call you to let you know.’
‘Then where is she now?’
‘I don’t know. But we will find out.’
Jack leaned forward. ‘Is it a question of money? Because if it is…’
Gonzalo stiffened and he felt his face go sour despite himself. He put his pen down too hard. ‘Not everyone is looking for the mordida, Sr Searle. I said that I would help you find your daughter and I will. There are simply questions that must be asked before we proceed any farther. Do you understand?’
Jack blushed and sat back in his chair. ‘I understand. I’m sorry.’
‘Have you been to the American consulate, señor?’
‘No. No, I haven’t.’
‘When you have finished here, the best thing to do is to speak with your consulate.’
‘What will that do?’
‘Your daughter is an American citizen?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then the consulate should know. It’s the best thing.’
Bernardo sniffed heavily and covered his mouth. His eyes were shining now.
‘It’s important that you stay calm, Sr Sigala,’ Gonzalo said. ‘Not every story in Nuevo Laredo has an unhappy ending. Most people who are missing even a few hours turn out to be fine. Your daughter is somewhere safe and when this is all over with you will laugh at how worried you were.’
‘As long as she is not dead,’ Bernardo managed, and then the tears came. His body shook with them and he put his hands over his face. Jack drew him closer, put his arm around him and said something too low for Gonzalo to hear.
Gonzalo spoke up to be heard. ‘Sr Searle, I think it would be best if you called all of your daughter’s friends just to be certain she is not with them. I know it seems like a waste of time, but you could be surprised.’
Jack nodded. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘In the meanwhile there are forms to fill out. Do you think Sr Sigala would be able to do that?’
‘Let me take care of it,’ Jack said.
‘I’ll get them for you. Wait here.’
Gonzalo left them at the desk and went away for a while. He dawdled at the copying machine, giving Bernardo Sigala a chance to compose himself. By the time he returned the man was almost under control, his breathing ragged, his lips still trembling. Gonzalo gave the paperwork to Jack. He waited while it was filled out, line by line. When he got the forms back, Gonzalo saw that Jack Searle had a simple man’s handwriting, printing large.
‘How long until… until you know something?’ Jack asked.
‘I will put these through to our officers immediately,’ Gonzalo said. ‘It would be helpful if you could produce some photographs of the girls. Something recent if you have it. You’ll need it for the consulate, as well.’
‘Marina took her passport with her,’ Jack said.
‘The United States keeps those kinds of pictures on file. Anything will help.’
‘Gracias,’ Bernardo forced out. ‘Thank you for all your help.’
‘You need to remember what I said: most disappearances resolve themselves. By this time tomorrow… well, I don’t want to make predictions. I will make copies of these forms for you to take with you.’
He let the two men have their space again and saw them speaking to each other, their faces close together. Gonzalo wondered whether Bernardo was going to be able to make it home in his condition or if the American brother-in-law would have to drive. Jack was no less concerned, but he steadied himself better. Of the two of them, Gonzalo predicted Jack would withstand the process intact.
Armed with copies, Gonzalo turned them over to Bernardo and Jack. He tried putting on a smile for them, but neither seemed prepared to accept it. ‘And that is all for now,’ he said. ‘Be sure to get those pictures to me just as soon as you can. I will be on duty until eight o’clock tonight. Here is my card. You may call me any time if you have questions and I will do my best to answer them.’
‘I’ll have those pictures for you soon,’ Jack said. He helped Bernardo to stand. ‘You’ll make sure they get out to the people who need them?’
‘Of course. You have my word.’
‘It’s just that you have everything else to handle.’
Gonzalo gave Jack his most serious look. ‘I take my work very seriously, Sr Searle. If I tell you that you have my word, then you can know it’s true. This is at the top of my list.’
‘Okay. Thank you.’
‘De nada. Now, please, take your brother-in-law home and let him get some rest. I will contact you the second I learn anything.’
He walked them to the station entrance and waited there until they had reached the corner and vanished around it. An army Humvee roared down the street in the opposite direction, dragging a cloud of dust and diesel fumes behind it. When he was sure the men were not coming back, Gonzalo returned to his desk.
Gonzalo studied the paperwork. The girls were nineteen and seventeen and out for fun with friends. It was not a wonder that they’d gone astray. He could have named half a dozen cases of missing persons just like it. He was not worried.
Amando Armas was the second inspector on duty. Gonzalo waved him down. ‘Put these in the fax to all stations, would you?’ he asked. ‘And write a note saying photographs are coming.’
‘What is it?’ Armas asked.
‘Nothing exciting. Two girls who didn’t come home last night. It will be cleared by the end of shift.’
Armas riffled the papers. ‘Then why bother putting it out?’
‘The fathers are upset. Even if it does no good, at least I can say we did our best.’
‘You’re too much of a soft touch, Gonzalo.’
‘Don’t tell anyone.’
‘I won’t. Let me take care of this.’
‘Thanks, Amando.’
Armas left and Gonzalo turned back to his computer. He thought briefly then of Iris Contreras. Gonzalo had not known her father, but surely he must have felt as these men felt now that their daughters were not at home. So long as the end result was not the same.
He would think about i
t no more. There were still reports to be written on the morning shootings. If he was lucky, he would be finished with it before the next emergency was called in.
FOUR
THEY WERE BACK AT THE TRUCK AND Bernardo looked as if he was about to be sick. Jack stood with him on the street as cars passed randomly by, his hand on Bernardo’s shoulder, aware of people watching them, wondering about them, but not caring what they thought. Bernardo wilted further, as if the hot sun were diminishing him. Jack hung on more tightly.
‘It’s gonna be all right,’ Jack said. It felt like lying, but he could think of nothing else to fill the space between them. ‘You heard the man. This isn’t Juárez. They’ll turn up. They might be at home right now.’
‘I’ll call,’ Bernardo said, and he straightened a little to bring out his phone. Jack listened while Bernardo talked. He looked at his own phone. The policeman said to call all of Marina’s friends. He needed that sheet of paper. He had never needed to know these things because Marina was always responsible and never stayed out too long, never strayed with strangers.
Bernardo was finished with his call. ‘Well?’ Jack asked him.
‘They aren’t there,’ Bernardo said, and his voice was hollow.
‘We need pictures,’ Jack said. ‘Do you have something decent on your phone?’
‘I think so. Yes. I took it last week.’
‘I don’t have anything. I need to call Lidia.’
Lidia picked up on the second ring. ‘I’ve been trying to get her, Jack,’ she said. ‘It just keeps going to voicemail over and over.’
‘You can stop for now,’ Jack said. ‘I need to know if you have any pictures of Marina on your phone. Something recent.’
‘Yeah, sure, I have something.’
‘I need you to email it to me. Can you do that? Can you email it me?’
‘I can. As soon as we hang up.’
‘Thanks.’
‘What’s happening, Jack?’
Jack looked at Bernardo. The man was starting to melt again, his face tinged with gray. If they didn’t do something soon, he would break down and weep in the street. Jack knew that if that happened, he could not bring Bernardo back. ‘I’ll have to tell you later,’ he told Lidia. ‘We’re doing everything we can here. Just send me the picture.’