by J. A. Jance
On the way, he tried calling Lani to see if any progress had been made on finding Gabe Ortiz and Tim José, but Lani didn’t answer. When he dialed Amanda Wasser’s number, she did answer, telling him that she had arrived safely at the hospital in Mesa, but that her father was still in surgery. She promised to call him with news when there was some.
Brandon had just ended that call when a new one came in. “How are you getting on with my friend J.P.?” Ralph Ames asked.
“Surprisingly well,” Brandon answered. “He put me in touch with a pal of his, a guy named Todd Hatcher. In a matter of minutes he was able to track down an address that I needed here in Tucson. That was a huge help.”
Ralph laughed. “Todd may be a forensic economist, but he comes with a lot of hidden talents. He’s also a great guy. If it weren’t for him, Beau’s wife, Mel, might very well be a goner now.”
“How come?”
“Beau and Mel Soames used to work together on the Special Homicide squad,” Ralph explained. “That’s where they met.”
“Mel Soames,” Brandon mused. “Why is that name so familiar? Oh wait, now I remember. She had something to do with putting the Kenneth Myers homicide together with the Mangum missing persons report.”
“Sounds like Mel, all right,” Ralph said with a chuckle.
“How exactly did Todd Hatcher save Mel’s life?”
“When Mel was appointed chief of police in Bellingham, her second-in-command got his nose seriously out of joint. The guy took Mel against her will and was about to toss her off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean when Todd managed to locate her phone so Beau could ride to the rescue.”
“So this Todd character is what you might call a forensic economist superhero?”
“You could say that,” Ralph agreed, “but don’t tell him I said so. He might get a swelled head. In the meantime, I’m glad you and Beau are able to work together. Getting back in the game will be good for him.”
“We’ll see,” Brandon said. “Talk to you later.”
He had arrived at the house and pulled into the garage. When he opened the door, Bozo was waiting right outside. Brandon gave the dog a pat on the head. “Hey, boy,” he said aloud. “It’s way past your dinnertime. Let’s find you something to eat.”
With Bozo happily downing his kibble, Brandon took a beer from the fridge and joined the dog on the patio. The sun was down. Evening chill was leaching the warmth out of the dry desert air, so Brandon turned on the outdoor heater before he sat down. Yes, he was tired. It had been a long day, but in the twenty or so hours since he last sat in that same chair, he’d accomplished a lot. Back then he’d been wrestling with the question of John Lassiter’s guilt or innocence. Tonight he was squarely on the innocence side of the equation. Last night he’d learned for the first time that Big Bad John had a daughter. Today he’d met the woman and liked her, too.
Brandon glanced at his watch. The fact that Lassiter’s surgery had gone on this long was worrisome. Would he make it? And if he did, would he and Amanda manage to eke out some kind of relationship? Brandon understood that outcome was up to him. Would he be able to establish John Lassiter’s innocence in a way that would finally make it possible for the man to come face-to-face with his own child?
Brandon’s phone rang, and Dan Pardee’s name appeared in the window. “Hey, Dan,” Brandon said. “How’s it going?”
Dan didn’t return his father-in-law’s greeting. “Have you heard anything from Lani?”
The anxiety in Dan’s voice was enough to make Brandon sit bolt upright in his chair and slam his open beer bottle onto the table. Brandon’s abrupt mood swing caused Bozo to abandon his kibble and come over to stand close to his master’s knee.
“I tried calling her, but it went to voice mail,” Brandon said. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“She’s gone, Brandon.” Dan’s words came out in something just short of a sob. “We were searching the airport at Sells for Tim and Gabe. She told people at the hospital that she was coming to join us, but she never showed up.”
“Sells has an airport?” Brandon asked. “Why were you searching there?”
“The FBI obtained a warrant for Tim José’s cell phone. The last ping on that came from somewhere on or near the airport grounds. Hulk and I were late to the game and were sent to the far end of the airport. As soon as we made it back to the main group of searchers, Hulk alerted at the entrance to one of the buildings, a Quonset hut that was locked down tight. Leo Ortiz used a blowtorch to get inside, and that’s where we found the boys.”
Brandon felt a rush of relief. “Are they all right?”
“They’re both at the hospital, being treated for dehydration. Tim is in far worse shape than Gabe is. I think they’ll keep both of them overnight at least, but it was when we got to the hospital that I learned Lani wasn’t here. Lucy Rojas said she was going to join the search, but she never showed up. She isn’t at home, either.”
Dan’s words had poured out in such a rush that Brandon had to struggle to keep up. “You’re saying the boys were locked up in a garage?”
“They were actually imprisoned in a concealed compartment in a pickup that was locked inside a garage. It’s a Toyota Tundra with a false bottom on the bed and a camper shell over the top.”
“Whose truck?”
“A guy from here on the T.O.—Henry Rojas, who, I’m sorry to say, happens to be one of the Shadow Wolves. His wife’s car was found near the airport. We assumed that Rojas was somewhere near where he’d left her vehicle. Hulk and I helped with that search, too. Hulk picked up a scent all right, but he lost it on the shoulder of the road a dozen car lengths or so from the gate to the airport.”
“You think he abducted Lani?” Brandon asked.
“I don’t think: I know. I pulled some strings and got the officers at the Three Points checkpoint to review their video feed. Lani’s Fusion passed through there half an hour ago with Henry Rojas at the wheel and Lani—or someone who looks like Lani—asleep on the passenger side.”
“The guy has to be beyond desperate to pull a stunt like that,” Brandon said. “Any idea where he’s headed?”
“None. The FBI has posted a BOLO. I gave them permission to go after our phone records, but once again, they’re insisting on getting a warrant first. They have to because there may be patient privacy issues with both Lani’s phone and her computer. Once they have the warrant, they’ll be able to trace her, but for now we’re stuck.”
“Wait,” Brandon interjected. “Are you saying Lani has her phone with her?”
“I can’t imagine that she doesn’t,” Dan replied. “She’s a doctor. The ringer is usually turned off, but the woman doesn’t go anywhere without her phone. Why?”
“Good-bye, Dan,” Brandon said. “I’m hanging up now.”
“But—”
“I’ll get back to you.”
Abandoning Dan midsentence, Brandon searched through his recent calls list. He found the one he wanted—the phone belonging to Todd Hatcher—a few calls earlier on the list. Brandon punched the number. When it rang, a woman answered.
“It’s for you,” she said, passing the phone along to someone else.
“Brandon Walker,” he said when Todd came on the line. “I hope you don’t mind my calling you back directly, but we’ve got a situation here—a serious situation. I need your help.”
Only after finishing the call to Todd did Brandon call his wife. Diana was laughing as she answered. “Hey,” she said. “This turned out to be fun. You should have come along after all.”
“How much have you had to drink?” Brandon asked.
“A couple of glasses of wine,” she said. “Why?”
“Do you have a designated driver?”
“Brandon,” Diana said indignantly. “What the hell?”
“Do you?” he insiste
d.
“My publicist is a Mormon girl who doesn’t drink at all. So, yes, Mr. Busybody, I do.”
“Good. You need to leave the restaurant now and have her drive you straight to Lani’s place in Sells.”
There was a moment of silence on the phone. “To Sells? Why? What’s happened?”
Brandon squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to say what was coming next, but he had no choice.
“A man named Henry Rojas is the one who killed Carlos and Paul José,” he said. “Now he’s taken Lani.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Not kidding. Dan says they found Gabe and Tim, and they’re okay, but Lani is gone, along with her Fusion. You need to go help with the kids.”
“What about you? Can’t you drive me? Shouldn’t we both go?”
“I’m at the house waiting for someone who may be able to give us a line on Lani’s cell phone. I’m going to wait here until I hear back from him.”
“Shouldn’t the cops be doing that—tracing her phone?”
“Maybe they should,” Brandon said, “and maybe they are, but she’s my daughter, Diana. Dan was able to learn that Rojas passed through the checkpoint west of Three Points a while ago, coming in this direction. If Lani’s somewhere here in town, that’s where I’m going to be, too. I’m guessing Dan’s on his way to Tucson as well. That’s why I want you to be there with the kids, in case . . .”
Brandon stopped talking at that point. He didn’t want to think about the worst-case scenario, much less say it.
“I’m on my way,” Diana said. “We’ll leave right now. But if you find out where she is, Brandon, don’t do anything stupid. Promise?”
“I promise,” he said.
Brandon had his fingers crossed when he answered. He glanced at Bozo lying nearby on his heated bed. “You won’t tell on me, will you, boy?”
The dog thumped his tail. That was all the response Brandon needed.
GABE DID NOT LIKE AGENT Howell. She was blond and smelled like some kind of flower, but there was something mean about her. If she was from the FBI, why wasn’t she out looking for Lani instead of sitting here asking him stupid questions?
With his parents flanking him, Gabe had told Agent Howell everything he knew: about Tim leaving the diamond-laced peanut butter jar with him for safekeeping; about how Henry had burst into the house looking for it sometime that morning; about waking up in the box with Tim next to him; about how the two of them had managed to get free of their bonds, if not free from the box.
“But how did you know the José family was involved in smuggling diamonds?” Agent Howell insisted.
As far as Gabe knew, the four diamonds he had taken from the peanut butter jar were still hidden in the pocket of his jeans. Gabe had almost died for those diamonds. I’itoi had told him they were his, and he didn’t want to give them up.
“I saw one,” he said. “I couldn’t see what was so important about a jar of peanut butter, so I took out a spoonful and spotted one of the diamonds.”
Gabe had actually seen more than one of the stones, but that was a lie he could live with.
“You’re sure you had no idea about the diamonds before that?”
“Agent Howell,” Delia Ortiz said firmly before Gabe had a chance to reply. “This interview is over.”
“But—”
“Gabe has explained that he was helping a friend without the slightest idea of what was really going on. It sounds as if you’re coming dangerously close to accusing my son of being actively involved in a smuggling operation, so the next time you speak to him, it will be in the presence of our attorney. In the meantime, I suggest you get the hell out of his room and start doing the rest of your job, like tracking Dr. Walker-Pardee, for instance.”
Gabe looked at his mother in surprise. He had never before heard her use her tribal chairman tone of voice outside of council meetings, not even when she was angry. He looked back at Agent Howell. She seemed poised to voice an objection, but then thought better of it.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said, slapping her notebook shut. “We’re on it.”
Gabe waited until Agent Howell left the room before turning to his mother. “This is all my fault, isn’t it? If I hadn’t walked off the mountain . . .”
“Hush,” Delia said, hugging him close. “None of this is your fault.”
“Mr. Rojas was going to kill us, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” Delia said. “I believe he was.”
“And now he’s going to kill Lani.”
“I hope not,” Delia said.
Gabe was silent for a moment. “Where are my clothes?” he asked. “There’s something in the pocket that I need to have.”
“Those clothes are filthy,” Delia objected, but Leo was already on his feet.
“They’re out in the tow truck,” he said. “I’ll go get them.”
Leo left the room and returned a few minutes later carrying a black plastic yard waste bag. When Gabe opened it, the stench was enough to make him gag and set his eyes watering, but he found the jeans and gingerly extracted the four diamonds.
“What are those?” his mother asked, eyeing his closed fist.
“They’re my divining crystals,” Gabe said. “I need them.”
HENRY KNEW THAT THE COPS had to be looking for Dr. Pardee’s car by now, so he couldn’t just drive around in the bright red Fusion forever, but he couldn’t afford to show up at Jane Dobson’s house empty-handed, either. He had left the original jar of peanut butter, the one with the diamonds in it, locked in his garage. He needed a replacement in the very worst way. That meant going to a grocery store where there would be people, surveillance cameras, and most likely at least one off-duty cop. Right that minute, though, he was actually more afraid of Jane Dobson’s reaction than he was of facing down a shopping center security guard.
He knew the woman kept large amounts of cash in her home because that’s how she’d paid him and Max and Carlos José—in cash. He’d hand over the goods, and she’d reach into that huge purse of hers, drag out a stack of bills, and count out whatever was due. That meant she probably also had some kind of weapon. It would be either on her person or else nearby, and she would know how to use it.
So tonight, when Henry handed over the peanut butter jar and she reached for the purse, that was the moment when he’d have to get the drop on her. If he didn’t nail her then, he wouldn’t get a second chance. And if things went as Henry hoped, he’d have a pile of cash and a new escape vehicle as well. The cops would be looking for a missing Fusion, not Jane Dobson’s Acura.
He stopped in the far corner of the parking lot of a down-at-the-heels mall that held a dead gas station, a Fry’s, a struggling Target, a barbershop, and a check-cashing store. Pulling in behind a shuttered taco truck, he glanced over at Lani. She was still out cold. That was good. Carlos and Paul had come around a lot sooner than this, but then again, they were almost twice her size, and size probably made all the difference.
His phone rang. “Hey, Francisco,” he said. “What’s the word?”
“We’ve got a guy named Manuel who built a new tunnel down in Douglas. That’ll get you as far as Agua Prieta. Using that costs an extra five over what I already quoted.”
It was a lot of money—money Henry didn’t actually have right that minute. “It’s okay,” he managed.
“You want help going farther south than that, you’ll need to deal with Manuel at the time. He’s good, but he’s not cheap.”
“Where do I meet him?”
“Can you make it to Benson by midnight?”
“Sure.”
“Exit the freeway at the first Benson exit. There’s a dead bowling alley just to the left after you come off the exit. Wait there. Someone will come by, pick you up, and ditch your vehicle. ¿Comprendes?”
“Got i
t,” Henry said.
He looked at his watch, estimated the distance to the store, and looked at Lani again. He couldn’t risk having her wake up too soon and cause some kind of attention-getting fuss here in the parking lot. He only had three syringes left and four glass vials. Would that be enough to take care of both Lani Pardee and Jane Dobson? He certainly hoped so, but if he had to get more physical than that, he would. After all, he had taken out both Carlos and Paul, hadn’t he? Maybe the next ones would be easier.
Still, just to be on the safe side, he reached into the gym bag on the floorboard of the passenger side of the vehicle and located one of the remaining vials, then plunged the needle of a loaded syringe into Lani’s upper arm. The way she jumped when the needle penetrated the skin made him think that maybe she wasn’t as far under as he had thought she was, but he hoped that would hold her for a while. If he left her here sleeping, he might have time to pick up the peanut butter and maybe even some new duds. If someone was sending out an APB on him, it might be a good idea to have a couple of changes of clothes.
CHAPTER 26
WHEN WINTER CAME, THE INDIANS returned to their village in the desert. But the next summer, when they brought their horses and cattle back into the foothills, they returned to the deep water hole near Baboquivari. And even before they reached the charco, they could hear the sound of Shining Falls, singing and laughing.
LANI AWAKENED TO THE SOUND of a door slamming shut and the smell of peanut butter in the air. Peanut butter? Why peanut butter? Was Henry hungry and making a sandwich?
She looked around. The car was parked in the driveway of a two-story house with lights on downstairs. There were houses on either side with no lights showing in either one and very little traffic on the street. She guessed that they were in a residential area somewhere in Tucson, but she had no idea where. Then her eye caught the slowly moving lights of a descending airplane. That put them in the southwest side somewhere near Tucson International Airport.