“You did?” Kyle had thought about running away lately, but never to live on the streets. He’d even gotten a map and plotted hitchhiking back to Houston and Nate, but then he’d remember stories about the dangers of hitchhiking.
“Yes, but that’s a kid thinking nothing can touch him. I ended up in Texas—Del Rio. At first I was so angry at everyone, especially my aunt. I blamed her for everything that went wrong. That changed when my uncle was killed in the line of duty. He was a highway patrolman. He was helping a motorist who was stranded. A car swerved into him and killed him. My aunt and I became close after that. She needed me and I needed her.”
“He was a highway patrolman? My dad was, too.”
“I grew up and became one not long after I graduated from high school. I learned when I was a kid that change was going to happen no matter what I wanted. I couldn’t control that, but I could control what I did about it. My attitude. I couldn’t control my parents or my uncle dying, but I could control if it was going to take me down. That’s when I turned to the Lord to help me with my attitude. It sure needed work. You see my aunt insisted I go to church when I didn’t want to listen to anyone talk about God.”
“My dad makes me go with him. I hate sitting there. The preacher going on and on about how God is love. It isn’t love that He took my mother.”
“I guess all those Sundays sitting in the pew listening to the priest must have affected me more than I thought. When I started thinking about all the things that had happened to me, I realized something. If I had stayed in New York, I would have ended up in a gang, probably wielding a gun like the gang members who murdered my parents. That was the direction I was going. I wouldn’t have been there to help my aunt through the death of her husband. I can’t begin to understand all God’s plans, but I’ve learned He does love me and has my best interest in mind.”
Kyle bolted to his feet. “Sorry, I don’t buy that.”
“I didn’t either for years. But looking back I’ve seen God’s hand in my life and destiny. Knowing He’s there for me is about the only way I’ve gotten through those changes we can’t avoid in our life. He’s the one solid constant.”
“Are you going to tell Dad about this?”
Al pushed to his feet, steadying himself when he wobbled. “Nope. That’ll be your call. If you want your dad to know, you’ll have to tell him. Let’s go.” When he shut the door and turned the knob to make sure it was locked, he continued. “I do know one thing. Your dad loves you. He isn’t a man who likes a lot of change. This has been hard on him.”
“Why couldn’t we stay in Houston?”
“He has his reasons. Ask him.”
I just might. When Kyle grasped the passenger door handle, someone called out to him in the quiet.
Liliana marched up to her sister’s house and raised her fist to pound on the door, rather than ring the bell. She stopped before making contact with the wood. Dropping her arm back to her side, she inhaled to fill her oxygen-deprived lungs— again and again. Slowly her anger abated to a level where she thought she could manage a conversation with her sister and husband without punching him in the face.
When the door swung open, Samuel blocked her path inside. “You are not welcomed in this house anymore.”
“I want to see my sister.”
“No.”
“I’m not leaving until I do.”
“Fine. I’ll call the police. You’re trespassing on my property.” He stepped down from the stoop, puffing himself up like a male peacock showing off his prowess.
She remained where she stood. “Go ahead, and I’ll tell everyone who will listen what you did to Elena. I want to see my sister.”
He glared at her with such savagery that she was glad she wore her gun. In his eyes, she glimpsed all the things he wanted to do to her. Shivers rose on her scalp and ran down her body.
Suddenly he turned and yelled, “Elena, come to the top of the stairs.”
“I want to talk to her.”
He ignored Liliana, gripping the edge of the door while he waited for his wife.
Elena appeared in her nightgown. She stared at Samuel for a long moment, then said to Liliana, “I don’t want to see you ever again. You’ve tried to break up my husband and me. Please leave.”
“She won’t unless you talk to her.”
“I don’t have anything to say to her. Please come up to bed, Samuel.”
“Yes, dear, just as soon as your sister leaves.”
Liliana stomach clenched with nausea. Bile swelled into her throat.
“Get out, and if you say anything about my husband, I’ll deny every word and before I’m through, the town council will wonder why you’re a police officer.”
With her gaze glued to her older sister who looked away, Liliana wanted to deny the words she’d heard. How could Elena be saying this? She called her last night. Liliana had held her while her sister had sobbed. “Elena?”
Her sister stared hard at her. “Leave, Liliana. Now.”
“I’m going. But, Samuel, if anything happens to Elena, I’ll come after you and I’ll forget I’m a police officer.” Not daring to turn her back on him, she faced him and moved away.
The smile that slithered across his face taunted Liliana. He slammed the door, the sound resonating through the quiet on the street and trembling down her length.
When she made it to her car, she sat parked outside her sister’s house on the street. How can Elena have grown up in the same household and not see the danger she’s in with Samuel? Why, God? He’s going to kill her one of these days. Do something!
“Kyle. I’ve been worried about you.” Serena wheeled herself across the parking lot with a small, thin man trailing after her. She stopped near Kyle, the security light illuminating her features that reflected concern. “I heard what happened in your apartment last night. Are you all right? I was hoping to see you in the gym this afternoon after school.”
“I’m fine.” Dressed in her workout clothes, she must have been at the gym working late. He’d forgotten to call her and tell her he couldn’t help her today. Her face was flushed and a fine sheen of sweat covered it. His hand itched to wipe the towel she’d slung around her neck over her face to make up for not calling her. Instead, he clasped the handle and opened the truck’s door. The light from its interior shone in her dark brown eyes, their appeal touching him as no girl’s had.
The man paused behind Serena’s wheelchair. “I’m Serena’s dad. You and your father have been the talk of the apartment complex.”
“Yeah, I was out on the patio and think I saw the man running away from your place,” with that, Serena pulled his attention back to her.
“Ever seen him around here?” Kyle asked, then nearly laughed. He was starting to sound like his dad.
“I didn’t see his face, but I saw someone earlier about his size when I left the gym and went to our apartment.” She tossed her head back. “That’s why my dad’s escorting me tonight.”
Kyle glanced at Serena’s father. “Hopefully my dad will find the man soon.”
“With all that’s been going on lately, I don’t want Serena even leaving the apartment alone.”
“Dad, I have to work out.”
“Maybe we can do it together,” Kyle said before he censored the words coming from his mouth. Why did he say that? Yes, he’d helped her a couple of times, but he didn’t need to do it on a regular basis. She’d managed by herself tonight.
“Partner up? I sure could use your help. I need someone to force me to keep going. Dad’s worthless. He kept looking at the clock and asking me if I was finished.”
“Yeah. That would be nice. Right now, we’re staying with Ranger Garcia, but when I come back, I’ll help you. We can make some kind of schedule.”
She backed herself away. “Looking forward to it. Take care of yourself.” Then she maneuvered her chair around and headed for the incline to the sidewalk.
Kyle climbed into the truck. “Don’t say anythin
g, especially to my dad.”
Al chuckled. “No way. None of my business, but she’s pretty.”
“She’s only a friend,” Kyle mumbled, looking in the side door mirror at Serena and her dad going into her apartment.
When his cell rang, Kyle jerked back, not expecting the sudden intrusion. “Dad, where are you?”
“Still at the station. I’m going to be later than I thought. The good news is one of the people we caught is the guy who attacked me.”
“Does that mean we can go back to the apartment tonight?”
“Not yet. I still don’t know what’s going on and the man isn’t talking. I should be at Al’s in the next hour or so.”
“I’ll let him know.”
After hanging up from talking to his son, Cody caught Chief Winters signaling him. The last suspect, his assailant, was ready to be interrogated and this was one interview Cody wanted to conduct. As he walked toward the room, his gaze strayed to the clock on the wall. He hadn’t heard from Liliana in over an hour. Did something happen at her sister’s house? Was everything okay? He’d dealt with spousal abuse before, and it rarely ended well. The fact her sister went back to her husband didn’t bode well for the situation.
When Cody entered the interview room, he forced himself to shut down thoughts of Liliana or he wouldn’t be effective. He took a seat at the end of the table while Chief Winters sat across from the Jolly Green Giant, the name Cody had dubbed him when they rounded up the perpetrators in the cavern because the huge man wore a green T-shirt. Certainly not for a jolly demeanor. His scowl could wither the blue bonnets blooming right now.
Chief Winters gestured toward Cody. “I think you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Ranger Jackson last night.”
The man grunted.
The police chief opened a folder. “It didn’t take us long to identify you. You’ve got quite a rap sheet here. Why did you move recently from Phoenix to Durango, Dave? A job opportunity?”
Jolly Green Giant shrugged his left shoulder and looked down at his fingernails on his right hand as though assessing if he needed a manicure or not.
Cody fixed his gaze on Dave Bond, an enforcer for the highest payer. Was he responsible for the other three murders? “Phoenix wants you back for skipping bail. But we aren’t giving you back. And since you skipped bail in Arizona, you won’t be getting a chance to do it here. Who do you work for?”
“Would you believe the Tooth Fairy?” Dave’s look pierced right through Cody. “I want my lawyer.”
Chief Winters scraped his chair back and rose. “Suit yourself. The first person who talks gets a deal. The ones who don’t will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We caught you red-handed smuggling guns and with Ranger Jackson’s testimony, you’ll go down for attempted murder of a police officer. You’ll be in prison a long time.”
“Wait,” Dave said as Cody and Chief Winters reached the door.
11
Liliana came into the police station from the back at the same time Officer Robertson was leaving. “Is all the fun over with?” She tried to inject some humor into her voice, but that was the last thing she felt after her confrontation with her brother-in-law.
“Chief and Jackson are interviewing the last guy we caught today. The one who attacked Jackson last night, a Dave Bond with a rap sheet a mile long.”
“I thought he would still be at the hospital.”
“It was only a flesh wound, easily taken care of.” Officer Robertson grinned. “Although painful. I’m heading home before my wife doesn’t recognize her own husband.”
“Tell her hi for me. I’ll going to listen in on the interview.”
Liliana turned down the hall that led to the two interview rooms with the small observation area between them. At the end of the corridor, Juan exited the back part of the station where the jail was. He was rarely here this late since he worked at the police station/courthouse during the daytime. His head down, he dragged his foot more than usual. Which meant he was tired or something was wrong. Or both.
Worried, she covered the distance to him. “It’s late, Juan. Why are you here tonight?”
“My nephew.”
His words garbled together more than usual, only reinforcing her earlier impression. “Is he okay?”
“José is in trouble again and got hauled in for drinking and driving.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. My brother said he hasn’t come back to school.”
“He wouldn’t listen to me then, but now he wants me to pull some strings and get him out of the DUI. Like I could or would. I don’t know what that boy is thinking anymore. What’s happening around here?”
“I wish I knew. We had a big bust tonight. Caught some people smuggling guns across the border not far from the ranch Carlos Salazar lived at.”
“So that’s why there’s so much going on around here.”
“Yeah, it’s been a long day.”
“Don’t forget in the middle of all of this to take care of yourself.”
“You, too. I’m discovering that some people you have to let go to make their own mistakes and hope they learn before something bad happens.”
“You’re not having problems with Rafael? I keep wishing José would be more like your brother.”
“No, not Rafael,” she said with a deep sigh.
“Your sister? I heard she went to the ER last night.”
“Juan, is there anything you don’t know?”
“I have a big family. My niece works at the hospital. She told me. Is she okay?”
“No, but she’s refusing my help.”
“Like José. Until he needs me. What would we do without family?”
“Have peace.”
“Right.” Juan patted her arm. “I’d better leave. Tomorrow will be here soon enough, mi amiga.”
For a few minutes, she’d forgotten about the murders and smuggling ring as she and Juan had commiserated about their family problems, but she needed to turn her attention to her cases. Then maybe she wouldn’t go crazy over something she wasn’t going to be able to fix. Her sister had made that clear tonight.
Slipping into the observation room, Liliana watched Cody and Chief Winters hovering near the door as the man who had attacked Cody said, “Wait.”
Anticipation flashed into Cody’s eyes, but he quickly masked it. Liliana moved closer to the two-way mirror, wanting to catch every nuance on the suspect’s face. Sometimes it wasn’t what a person said, but how they said it that was telling.
“I was hired through a middleman. I don’t know who’s paying me to be the muscle. I was told to be cautious about the people I’m dealing with in Mexico. I’m given instructions over the phone. All I know is the other men call him El Jefe.”
Cody closed the distance between them. “Is El Jefe the one who ordered you to pay me a visit last night?”
“No. I did that on my own. I’m the protection for the operation and you were getting too close to it. That was why the shipment today was going to be the last one. I want a deal.”
Chief Winters folded his arms across his chest. “You haven’t really told us anything so there’s no deal.”
“I overheard you all talking about El Jefe. How creative. You called the man who hired you ‘the boss.’ ” Derision in Cody’s voice mirrored his expression.
“I do have a piece of evidence that might help you, but until I’m given a deal and the paperwork is signed on it, I’m not giving it to you. I want immunity from prosecution.”
Cody chuckled and slid a glance toward Chief Winters. “That’s all he wants.”
“That isn’t going to happen unless the evidence you have leads to an arrest.”
The man lounged back in the chair and smiled. “I can give you the name of the middleman and a recording of El Jefe’s voice—not well disguised, by the way. I know with modern technology that can be stripped away and matched.”
Cody nodded to Chief Winters who said, “You’ve got yourself a deal. Who’s the middl
eman?”
“I know police lie all the time. There’s no way I’ll trust you. You get nothing until I have a signed agreement.”
“Fine,” Cody clipped out, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
Liliana sagged against the two-way mirror. Even if Dave Bond got immunity from prosecution on this case, he wouldn’t for the charges in Arizona. He would still go to jail. Maybe tomorrow they would have a lead they could work on. At least they might be able to close the smuggling ring case. That left three murders. She massaged her fingertips into her temples. She should go home and try to sleep, but she didn’t think she could.
Taking a deep breath, she turned toward the door and stopped. Cody stood in the entrance. Seeing him, looking tired but hopeful, nearly unleashed the dam that held back her emotions. He would understand.
“You heard?” Cody asked, coming into the room and shutting the door.
She nodded, her throat tight from the intensity of his look.
“If we find El Jefe, maybe we’ll find the person who ordered the murders—at least Salazar. Don’t know about Ruiz or Jane Doe.”
“What if all three murders are connected?”
“So identifying this El Jefe might solve all three murders?”
“It’s something to consider.”
“I’ve ordered a DNA profile on Jane Doe’s unborn child. It’ll take a while even with a rush on it. If we have a suspect, the baby’s DNA might be the proof we need to tie the person to the murdered woman.”
“You think it’s the baby’s father?”
“Maybe.”
She’d come down to work until she was so tired she would fall into bed, numb, not able to think of the disaster with her sister. But as she and Cody discussed the murders, her mind couldn’t grasp anything. It was tired. If only her body would cooperate with her mind. A chair nearby beckoned. Her head throbbing, she sank onto it and rubbed her forehead.
Cody took a seat next to her. “What happened with your sister? Is she okay?”
Shattered Silence: Men of the Texas Rangers Series #2 Page 19