Alonzo smiled and said, “Oh, joy.”
That was the hardest I had laughed in months.
Chapter 30
The next day at the office, I wasted no time, walking up to Harry Grissom and telling him some of what I had deduced about the string of killings. These weren’t business-as-usual drug rip-offs and grocery store robberies. There was a pattern to it—I just hadn’t figured out what that pattern was. I needed to keep digging and wanted Grissom’s blessing to start rummaging through old homicide cases.
He pulled me over to a corner near a window where no one in the squad bay would hear us. Then he looked at me with those droopy eyes and said, “What’ve you got?”
I’d known this hardened cop for too long not to come right to the point. “I think the ambush was part of a bigger drug war that’s going on. I don’t know why anyone would want me or Antrole dead, but the way our original suspect was murdered and the tip that came in to us makes it look like it was a setup from the very beginning.”
Grissom just nodded as he considered it.
“I’ve also found two murders of Canadian nationals here in the city in the last week. Both victims had a past involving narcotics and were known to be associated with the Canadian mob. I have intel from a couple of sources that says the Canadians are clashing with a Mexican cartel over control of the synthetic drug market.”
The lieutenant interrupted me. “Are you saying there’s a drug war involving Canadians?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“That will be one of the quietest, most polite drug wars in history.” He took a moment to think, then said, “You can keep on your assignment, trying to discover patterns in these homicides. But I don’t want you to start coming up with crazy conspiracy theories. You know as well as I do that the majority of the murders in New York are somehow related to drugs. I want to find Antrole’s killer just as badly as you do. But I don’t want you raising such a fuss that someone asks why you aren’t assigned any current homicides. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Then I expect you to get on with your assignment. If that assignment happens to lead to viable suspects in Antrole’s murder, then everyone is happy. If not, I wasted my best detective on a foolish assignment. I’ve been accused of worse.”
I watched Grissom as he padded back to his office. I often wondered if he tried to be inspiring or just had a way about him that pushed you to your limits. Suddenly I felt energy. I needed to line up some leads and feel like I was doing something.
That’s how a cop should always feel.
Chapter 31
Alex enjoyed the ride from the ranch up to Bogotá. She and the girls sang songs, then played silly games like “I spy” and “I’m thinking of an animal.” That was Gabriela’s favorite game because she loved animals and it was just twenty yes-or-no questions. Her sister was nice and usually picked a simple animal that Gabby could identify.
Alex’s mother laid a guilt trip on her about being away so much. Alex didn’t bring up the fact that she worked hard to pay the bills, which included her mother’s comfortable condo in the suburbs of Bogotá.
That was all just a prelude for what the real purpose of the day was. She left the girls at her mother’s condo for an hour and drove to Alcalá Park, between the highway and 19th Road.
It was a quiet park with enough trees to make finding a shady spot to sit easy. It also wasn’t a particularly busy park during the week.
As soon as she entered the park, she saw the man she needed to speak to sitting on a bench as far away from the parking lot as possible. She casually strolled toward him so she wouldn’t draw attention to herself and to let the man know she was in no hurry. He had an inflated view of himself. Many men in his position did.
Alex walked past him, feeling his eyes all over her, then sat on the far end of the bench. She didn’t say anything.
He was a well-dressed, extremely handsome thirty-five-year-old with a trim body. His Tommy Hilfiger shirt was clearly his attempt to look casual, but he looked like someone out of a catalog. She would’ve used him in an ad that called for a father and son.
The man simply said, “Alex, nice to see you. I occasionally forget that you could be a model as well as a photographer.”
She took a moment and said, “What brings you all the way from Mexico City?”
“Business. Always business. As long as Colombia controls the transportation and access to our product, I will make a dozen trips a year to your lovely country.”
Alex couldn’t get a sense of what Oscar was thinking. She suspected he was annoyed that she had not completed her contracts in New York. But he showed no sign of it. A wealthy man like him, who enjoyed getting his hands dirty occasionally, knew how to hide his emotions.
Finally Oscar said, “Some of the Canadians on your list are back in New York. And Detective Michael Bennett is alive. I believe my text to you covered that fully.”
“Yes. And I’ve considered the contract carefully. Isn’t it dangerous for your operation to kill a New York City detective?”
“This has more of a personal element in it.”
“Such as?”
“Does it matter? You’ve already been paid half up front to eliminate him. You need a reason to collect the other half?”
Alex gave him a careful smile. “I was just curious. It won’t be an easy job to complete. Bennett has proved quite resourceful.”
Oscar slowly bobbed his head. “Don’t get me wrong—I agree with you. But I am only a cog in a big organization. I am the liaison to you and several others. But I heard from some of my associates that Detective Bennett shot and killed a young man in a library not too long ago.”
“Sometimes police have to do things like that.”
“But this young man worked for us. His mother is related to someone higher up in the cartel. Apparently she asked for us to deal with the cop who shot her son, Diego. It’s really a matter of honor. But none of that should concern you. All you need to worry about is that Bennett needs to die. The sooner the better.”
“I agree. I will head back to New York in a few days. I’m still in contact with some of the Dominicans I used for the ambush.”
“Did they prove reliable enough for you to use them again?”
“They screwed up the first time, but they have a certain reputation to uphold as well. Besides, they’re expendable. That’s why I pay them so well.”
Oscar smoothed his dark hair and said, “That’s funny. That’s the same way we feel about you.”
Chapter 32
So far, I wasn’t impressed with Juliana’s new career. It felt like my daughter was using it as an excuse to distance herself from the family. Her stage name was only part of the puzzle. She was spending a lot less time at home and barely spoke when she was there.
I took another ride into Brooklyn and strolled onto the set.
A cameraman nodded to me as I walked past. Although no one had paid me any attention the first time I visited, it was clear that everyone knew who I was. I kept my sport coat on, covering my pistol this time. There was no sense in being obnoxious.
I saw a chair with a sign that said JULES BAEZ. It made me cringe, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I heard a loud voice yell, “Quiet on the set.” Someone else made another announcement, then slammed the handle down on a board indicating what scene they were working on. It was just like I had seen in movies. Even for me, it was kind of exciting.
Then I saw my little girl turn toward a tall, handsome young man. Two cameras were close to them as they filmed what looked to be a tender scene. Now that I saw how professional the production was, despite the cheesy studio, I felt better.
I watched as Juliana and the young man did a quiet scene where he told her about his dream to be on Broadway. This was not a show I’d watch if my daughter wasn’t in it.
The scene ended.
The director yelled, “Cut. That was perfect.”
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Someone else called for the set to be changed, and I watched Juliana as she walked toward me with the young man.
“Hey, Dad.” She gave me a mechanical hug.
I took a breath and said, “You looked great up there, sweetheart.”
That brought out a big smile.
Juliana said, “Dad, this is Cade.”
The young man stuck out his hand and gave me a firm handshake as he looked me in the eye and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Bennett.”
“So you know Juliana’s real name.”
“Oh, yes, sir. My real name is Carter Javits. But around here I’m Cade Jason. I’m trying to go by that all the time now.”
“Your parents must be very happy.”
Juliana cut in. “I have to get my stuff.” She looked up at Cade and said, “I’ll see you later tonight.”
I said, “What’s going on tonight?”
“Cade is taking me out to dinner.” She wandered off to gather her purse and school clothes.
I decided it was time to get to know this young man. “Is this your first acting job?”
Cade said, “No, sir. I’ve had a few bit parts here and there since I graduated three years ago.”
“What high school did you graduate from?”
“I graduated from Stony Brook University three years ago with my degree in communications.”
Like any father, I did the math in my head quickly. He had to be twenty-five or twenty-six. I played it cool. “Would you like to eat with us tonight, Carter—I mean, Cade?”
Juliana saved him. “Thanks, Dad, but we’ve already set up our plans.”
With that I was served notice that my daughter had grown up.
Chapter 33
Alex Martinez took Avianca flight 244 directly from Bogotá to New York. It was a flight known for being watched by the DEA. Now that drugs came in by the truckload across the border, the flight had lost some of its mystique.
That night, Alex wasted no time checking into an older, funky hotel she liked, the Skyline Hotel on West 49th. There was something about the retro feel of the place that gave it charm. And the hotel had a decent indoor pool.
In the morning, Alex immediately started researching her next target.
Alicia Toussant was an attractive middle-aged Canadian woman who financed much of the violence the Canadian mob used to keep people in line. She was here in New York gauging her organization’s efforts to control the synthetic drug market.
Alex preferred not to take contracts on women, but she felt that if a woman was in some kind of nasty trade like drugs, then all bets were off.
Alex knew that no one would show her mercy if she was ever targeted because of her job.
After only a short time conducting surveillance on the woman, Alex discovered that Ms. Toussant had a security man who stayed well out of the way and out of sight. It was the mark of a true professional, not drawing any extra attention to herself.
Alex first noticed the man when she started following the Canadian from her hotel. She appreciated her choice of the Hotel Giraffe on Park Avenue South and 26th, which was under the radar but boasted a good restaurant and comfortable atmosphere.
The man was dressed in casual clothes, his loose shirt probably covering some kind of weapon. He was in his midforties and had a little extra weight on him. He wasn’t there to scare people; he’d been chosen because he was discreet and knew his business. Alex wouldn’t take any chances when the time came.
Alex knew the hotel and the area well. It would be difficult to get into the woman’s room at the Giraffe. That meant she had to find a spot in the open to do it—rarely a good idea in New York City.
She conducted the rest of her surveillance a little farther back than she normally would to keep both the bodyguard and Alicia Toussant in view.
The Canadian seemed to have hourly meetings. She was a hard worker. Alex admired that. They were all short face-to-face meetings with white or Hispanic men. Alex didn’t care what each meeting was about. Because some time after sunset tonight, any agreements struck would be null and void. That’s how things worked in the narcotics business.
Later in the day, Alex followed while Ms. Toussant strolled down Fifth Avenue. Alex had enough photographs of her to create a pretty good biography in pictures. It was the necessary preparation for any assignment.
Only once did Ms. Toussant have any contact with her bodyguard. She bought something small from a jewelry store, then turned and walked directly to him. He stuck whatever she had bought in his left front pants pocket.
Alex noticed that the sun was setting and some of the city lights were slowly coming on. Her target turned and started to stroll back toward the Hotel Giraffe.
Alex fell in behind the bodyguard. She had both her stiletto and her 9mm pistol in her Vera Wang purse, which had a strap that slipped over her shoulder comfortably. She was as ready as she would ever be.
First she had to deal with the bodyguard.
Chapter 34
On the walk back to the hotel, Alex formed a plan in her head. It was tricky because there were two targets, though she was only getting paid for one. She would’ve preferred to kill Alicia Toussant without having to deal with the bodyguard. But killing him, too, was just a good business decision.
Then she saw an opportunity she couldn’t resist. Her target, Alicia Toussant, strolled into Madison Square Park. She stopped and sat on an ornate cement bench. She pulled out an iPhone and relaxed on the bench. It looked like she’d be there awhile.
Immediately Alex changed her plan and started to ease up behind the bodyguard, who was standing behind a chest-high wall at the edge of an intricate water fountain.
Alex glanced around and realized the park was relatively quiet. The bodyguard gazed up at the Flatiron Building in the distance. Then he returned his gaze to his employer. It almost looked as if he was spying on someone from the bushes. He was just being professional and maintaining his surveillance of the entire area.
That was his mistake.
He never even noticed Alex as she came up behind him with her stiletto already extended.
Just as she stepped up next to the bodyguard, he turned, giving her the opening she needed. She shifted her weight and drove the stiletto straight up under the man’s jaw so that the sharpened steel crashed through his mouth and nasal cavity, then directly into his brain.
Alex would call his expression confused. He didn’t understand what had happened or why he couldn’t move. His eyes focused briefly on her, and he gurgled a question for a moment.
Then she moved her left arm behind him and eased him carefully to the ground. He was now just a sack of bones and skin. Against the wall, with the bushes near him, his body was barely visible.
Alex ran her hands over his waistline and found a Browning 9mm pistol in his waistband. She slipped it into her purse.
Just as Alex was about to leave the body, she reached down into his left front pants pocket and retrieved the tiny box that his boss, Alicia, had given him earlier.
She opened it and found a pair of beautiful pear-shaped diamond earrings. They were at least two carats. They were remarkable. For a moment, Alex wished she were a thief instead of a killer. She slipped the earrings back into the man’s pocket.
When Alex stood up and peeked over the wall, she could see Ms. Toussant still sitting in front of the fountain.
Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she thought.
Chapter 35
Alex was polite and waited until her target completed her phone call. When the woman slipped the iPhone back into her purse, Alex calmly walked toward her and sat down on the same bench.
Alex said, “Hello, Ms. Toussant.”
That got the woman’s full attention. She turned her pretty face, framed by light brown hair, and focused on Alex.
She said, “Do I know you, dear?” She had a slight French accent.
Alex said, “No. I’m not someone you would normally do business with.”
/> “But you do work for someone. That means you’re not here for a friendly conversation.” The woman looked over Alex’s shoulder toward the wall where her bodyguard had been waiting.
Alex calmly pulled the man’s 9mm pistol from her purse and said, “If you’re waiting for the man who owns this to come to your rescue, you’ll be in for a surprise.”
The Canadian remained calm and said, “Are you just going to shoot me? No warnings or attempts to find out information?”
“I’m afraid not.” Before Alex could say anything else, the Canadian financier swung her left hand, knocking the pistol away, and came back with a right elbow that caught Alex low on the chin.
The blow knocked her off balance and almost completely off the bench. She twisted into a crouch as she slid off the bench to face the Canadian woman.
The Canadian threw a knee just as Alex looked up from her crouch. She was able to move, and the knee just grazed the side of her head. She had underestimated her target.
The Canadian didn’t waste any time throwing another kick, then pulling a straight razor from God knows where. She whipped it at Alex’s face.
Alex felt the blade just miss her nose as she jumped back. That thin blade would’ve sliced her nose in half. She desperately tried to regain her balance before the Canadian disfigured her. Or worse.
A police siren blasting in the distance distracted them both for a moment.
As soon as Alex realized it was a block away, she hopped back and raised the pistol. Just as her target advanced with the razor poised for another strike, she pulled the trigger. Without a silencer, the shot sounded like a cannon. But the echo would make it hard to tell exactly where the shot came from.
The bullet struck the woman just above the bridge of her nose. She crumpled straight to the ground right in front of Alex.
Instead of checking the body, which was perfectly still on the hard concrete next to the fountain, Alex looked up to make sure no one was rushing toward her.
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