Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes Book 1)

by Barbara Freethy

  "So you did talk to each other? I had the impression you hadn't spoken in years before you returned to Miami and she came home for the wedding."

  "We hadn't seen each other in person in eight years, but we'd exchanged texts and emails occasionally, maybe three to four times a year, but not much in the last twelve months. I knew she was an attorney, but I didn't know much else about her life in Texas, and she didn't know much about my life in New York. We'd drifted apart as childhood friends often do."

  Alicia nodded. "Which is why it was unusual that she was suddenly so intent on seeing you."

  "I really thought she just wanted to connect. We were both in the same place at the same time and that hadn't happened in forever."

  "But she did say that she had something important to talk to you about that she didn't want to get into over the phone."

  "True. I've never figured out what that was. No one in the Valdez family has a clue, either."

  "It is pretty cryptic," she admitted. "I need to think about it."

  "Think all you want. Believe me, I'm open to new ideas. You've already given me one new possible lead in Brad Harte. Who knows what you'll come up with next?"

  "I'm just asking questions—questions you've probably already answered a million times."

  "Not all the same questions," he said, thinking it was good Alicia was now in the mix. She was shaking things up, making him look at everything in a different way. She was like the strong wind that had come with yesterday's storm. She was blowing cobwebs off dusty old facts, and he was feeling more hopeful than he had in a very long time.

  * * *

  They arrived at Paladar just before two. There were only a half dozen cars in the lot, which wasn't unexpected since they were past the lunch rush.

  "Where was Liliana's car parked?" Alicia asked as they got out of the car.

  "Over there." He pointed across the lot to the third spot in from the entrance. It was about thirty yards from the front door of the restaurant. "Unfortunately, that spot is not in view of the security camera by the front door, so there was no video of when she arrived or when she got out of the car."

  "That is unfortunate," Alicia murmured, her gaze sweeping the lot. "What kind of car did she drive?"

  "That night she was in her brother Rico's car, a flashy red Mazda Miata convertible. When the police arrived, the doors were locked. There was nothing belonging to Liliana inside the vehicle. It's believed that she had her purse and her phone with her when she disappeared."

  "Did you see the car when you drove into the lot?"

  "If I did, it didn't register. I was running late, so I was in a hurry to get through the front door. When I entered the restaurant, there was a line at the desk, so I went into the bar and made my way through the dining room, thinking she'd already gotten a table, but I didn't see her. I went back to the reception area and waited there. I couldn't believe she was later than me. I was going to text her, but when I pulled out my phone, I had some texts from the foreman on my job. I spent a few minutes answering his questions before I sent off a text to Liliana." He let out an angry breath. "I wasted a lot of time."

  "What happened next?"

  "When I didn't get an answer from Liliana, I went into the kitchen. It occurred to me that Liliana might be talking to her brother Juan. But she wasn't in the kitchen. Juan said he hadn't seen her. In fact, he hadn't been aware she was going to meet me that night. He thought she was spending all her time with her sister, getting ready for the wedding. I think that's when I first got worried." His stomach twisted with the painful memories.

  "What did you do after that?"

  "I texted Liliana again. Juan called Rico, who said he'd lent Liliana his car. He'd last seen her around six when one of his friends had picked him up to go to dinner. Liliana's mother said she'd last seen Liliana at seven. She'd mentioned she was going to run an errand before she met me. No one has been able to figure out if she actually ran that errand or what it might have involved."

  "Okay. So Liliana drove here, parked over there, got out of her car and—"

  "Vanished. We called the police around nine o'clock. Actually, we called Diego. He was on duty that night. He and his partner came by to find out what was going on. We searched the alley between the restaurant and the office building and went around the back area that leads to another alley. But we found nothing. Because there was no evidence of foul play, there wasn't a full-press search immediately launched. Diego was on patrol, so he looked around the neighborhood and the family started calling Liliana's friends."

  "When did the police start to look for her in earnest?"

  "Not until the next day. It bothers me that it took so long. Those first few hours were crucial. The family was looking for her, but if we'd had more manpower, maybe we would have found her."

  "Or not," Alicia said gently. "It doesn't sound like you had anything to go on."

  "But if I hadn't been late—"

  "Stop. I know you've been on a guilt trip since that night, but you have to stop going around and around."

  "That's easy to say, but—"

  "But what? You were twenty minutes late. That happens. Liliana parked in a crowded, lighted lot in front of the restaurant where her brother worked. This isn't a dangerous neighborhood, and it wasn't late at night. No one could have anticipated that she'd run into trouble here. She obviously didn't. She got out of the car and locked it behind her."

  "And then someone grabbed her."

  Alicia stared back at him. "It is weird that no one saw anything, because it would have been a popular time for people to be going in and out of the restaurant."

  "I know. It doesn't make sense. She wouldn't have gotten in the car with a stranger without a struggle. She was the kind of woman who would fight for her life."

  "Maybe she knew the person who approached her. She didn't fight because she wasn't afraid."

  "Which is how I came to be the main person of interest," he said.

  "Oh, right. I get it now. I don't know why I keep thinking I'll come up with something new. It's not like the cops don't have a lot more experience than me unraveling mysteries."

  "I appreciate that you're trying, Alicia. It certainly can't hurt."

  He looked around the lot, wishing there was some hidden answer just waiting to be found, but if it was there, he couldn't see it.

  "One scenario," he said, pointing across a five-foot wide plant divider to the parking lot next door, "is that whoever approached Liliana parked over there and walked toward her from that direction."

  "There's a camera on that building. I can see it from here."

  "Yes, but it was broken, and the business closed at five, so there was no one around there, either."

  "It was broken? For how long?"

  "The owner said it had happened the day before. She hadn't gotten around to fixing it."

  "That's odd timing—the day before."

  He nodded. "I thought so, too."

  "So Liliana parks in a spot that can't be seen from any camera that's working. Is it possible someone disabled the camera?"

  "It's possible. Or it could have just been broken. Do you want to go inside or do you want to eat somewhere else?"

  "I want to go inside." She gave him a thoughtful look. "Have you been back here since that night?"

  "A few times. Not to eat, though. The restaurant became ground zero for the search. My father has been feeding volunteers for months."

  "Is your dad working today?"

  "He usually works Saturdays," he said, his lips tightening. "It's the busiest day and night of the week."

  "Maybe I'll get to meet him."

  "Maybe you will. I hope you like Cuban food."

  "I couldn't live in Miami and not like it," she said, as they walked toward the front door. "I love spicy food, and sometimes the Cuban dishes remind me of Texas. There were a lot of Latino influences on the menu in Corpus Christi."

  And just like that, he was reminded of the Texas connection betw
een Liliana and Alicia. Were all the little connections coincidence or something else? But what else could they be? It was the lightning that had drawn Alicia to the park the night before, not Liliana.

  Alicia's earlier words rang through his head. My great-grandmother believed that the lightning comes down from the heavens to show you what you need to see.

  Had the lightning given them a valuable clue, or was he just letting Alicia's passion for the mystical get into his head?

  Probably the latter, he decided, opening the restaurant door for her.

  As she walked past him, her scent stirred his senses, but he had enough trouble in his life. He needed to think of Alicia as a partner and not as a beautiful, impulsive, fearless woman who had already gotten past his usual line of defense. Unfortunately, he had a feeling introducing her to his father was only going to bring her deeper into his life.

  Seven

  Paladar was a cozy, charming restaurant with hardwood floors, tall ceilings, spinning fans, and the fragrant air of Cuban spices wafting through the large dining room. The hostess was a petite, dark-haired young woman who appeared to be in her late teens. She gave Michael a big smile. "I can't believe you're here, Michael. Papa will be so happy." She gave Alicia a curious look. "Is this your girlfriend?"

  "No, this is my friend Alicia. This is my sister, Violet."

  "Hi," Alicia said as the girl gave her a speculative look.

  "Nice to meet you," Violet said. "Do you guys want to eat?"

  "That's why we're here," Michael replied. "Do you have a table?"

  "Lots of them, but…" She hesitated, taking a quick look over her shoulder. "The Valdez family is here, just so you know."

  Michael nodded. "That's fine. Is there any news?"

  "I don't think so. Everyone is pretty discouraged after the search this morning."

  Violet grabbed two menus and led them down a short flight of stairs.

  Michael moved closer to Alicia as they made their way past a large crowd of people in the center of the room. Some of those people she'd seen at the park earlier in the day—obviously, Liliana's family.

  Conversation seemed to hush as they drew near.

  Then a short, stocky man jumped to his feet and blocked their path.

  "How can you show your face here, Michael?" the man demanded.

  "Get out of my way, Rico."

  "Why should I? You don't belong here," Rico said with a hateful look. "You never did."

  "Stop it, Rico," a woman said firmly, getting up from the table. She appeared to be in her late fifties or early sixties. She had piercing black eyes, dark hair and a commanding manner. "This is a time for us to draw together, not fight with each other. Sit down."

  Her words got Rico to shuffle back into his seat. He settled down, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

  "Michael," she said, moving around the table.

  "If it bothers you that I'm here, I'll go," he said.

  "It only bothers me that Liliana's disappearance has caused pain between our families. Please sit down with us. You and your friend." She gave Alicia a strained smile.

  Michael hesitated. "We don't want to interrupt."

  "You're not interrupting. We've been talking for hours, around and around in circles," she said wearily. "We were just about to order. Please sit." She turned toward the group of five seated at the table. "We can make room," she said, making it a statement rather than a question.

  "Are you sitting here?" Violet asked her brother.

  Michael gave Alicia a pained look. "What do you want to do?"

  "Your call." While she didn't like the attitude Rico was giving them, it might be beneficial to talk to Liliana's family.

  "We want to talk to you about the search," the woman added, obviously sensing Michael's hesitation. "Please join us."

  "All right. We'll join you." They walked over to the table and Michael introduced her to the family: Liliana's mother Theresa, who had invited them to the table, her husband Dominic, son Rico, daughter Isabel and Isabel's fiancé David Kenner.

  "How did the search go?" Michael asked as they sat down between Isabel and Theresa.

  "Not well," Theresa said. "We'll try again tomorrow. It's a big park."

  "But there's probably nothing else there," Isabel put in, a discouraged note in her voice. "We don't even know how long the tag was in the dirt. I know the woman who found it thinks she saw Liliana by the carousel, but it all sounds very vague."

  Alicia tensed. Obviously, Isabel did not know she was that woman. She glanced at Michael. He gave her a subtle nod.

  "I'm the woman who found the ID tag in the park," she said.

  Isabel's jaw dropped. "You? I don't understand. I thought you were a friend of Michael's?"

  "We met this morning. I went back to the park to see if there was anything I missed," she explained. "Michael was there. We started talking."

  "You saw my daughter last night?" Theresa interrupted.

  "I saw a man and a woman fighting by the carousel. I didn't see their faces, unfortunately." She didn't want to crush their hope, but she had to be completely honest. She couldn't lead them on.

  "You said they were fighting?" Dominic asked, a question in his eyes.

  "The man had a hold of the woman's arm. She was struggling to get away. I couldn't hear any words being exchanged."

  "Why didn't you help her?" Rico demanded, his glare burning through her.

  "I tried," she said defensively. "The tree next to me was hit by lightning and the branches fell on top of me. When I got up, they were gone. I saw the tag in the dirt, and I took it to the police. I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I can't imagine what you're going through. I really want to help you find Liliana. Her scream echoes through my head."

  "You heard her scream?" Theresa asked, putting a hand to her mouth, fear in her dark eyes.

  Dominic put a comforting arm around his wife. "Liliana is a fighter, Theresa. She's tough. We have to keep believing."

  "I'm trying to have faith, but it's been so long." She looked back at Alicia with watery eyes. "Thank you for taking the tag to the police."

  "Hold on a second," Rico interrupted. "I still don't get why you're with Michael now. You met hours ago. Why are you still together?"

  "We've been talking, trying to figure things out," she said, feeling a little intimidated by his forceful glare.

  "That's enough, Rico," Dominic said, giving his son a stern look. "Alicia helped us by taking the ID to the police."

  "I wonder," Rico muttered, doubt in his eyes. He shoved back his chair and stood up. "I'm out of here."

  Rico stalked away from the table, leaving silence in his wake.

  "Please forgive my son," Theresa said, an apology in her gaze. "He's worried and scared. That's no excuse, but it is the truth."

  Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of large platters of food. Alicia hoped that the meal would ease the tension, but when an older man with pepper-gray hair, olive skin and dark eyes came to the table, she could feel Michael stiffen. Seeing the similarity in their features, especially the gleam of stubborn pride in each of their eyes, she had to assume he was Michael's father.

  The man's gaze fell on Michael and a long look passed between them, the substance of which she could not read, but there were definitely a lot of emotions involved.

  "Michael," he said. "I didn't know you were here."

  "I just got here. This is Alicia."

  "She's the one who found Liliana's tag," Theresa put in.

  "It's nice to meet you. I'm Ernesto Cordero."

  "Alicia Monroe," she said.

  "Well, I hope I have brought enough food to sustain you all on this difficult day," Ernesto said, waving his hand toward the large platters. "We have filete salteado, pernil asado, croquetas con jamon, a salad with avocado, watercress and pineapple, rice and beans. Are we missing anything?"

  "You've outdone yourself once again, Ernesto, thank you," Theresa said.

  "You are always welcome
. Please enjoy." He paused, moving around the table to where Michael was sitting. "May I have a word?"

  Michael hesitated, then nodded. "I'll be right back," he told Alicia. "This won't take long. We don't have anything to say to each other."

  "Take your time."

  As Michael left the table, an older couple paused by the table to speak to Theresa and Dominic, so Alicia turned toward Liliana's sister.

  Isabel handed her a platter of beef tenderloin strips sautéed with peppers. "This is one of Ernesto's most popular dishes," she said.

  "Thank you." Alicia dished some beef onto her plate, then said, "Michael told me that you had to postpone your wedding."

  "Yes, it's been very hard on David," she said, casting a quick glance at her fiancé, who was reading something on his phone. "But I can't get married without my sister."

  "That's understandable."

  "So what do you think of Michael?" Isabel asked as she handed Alicia a bowl of rice.

  "I don't know him well, but he seems genuinely upset and worried about Liliana. He told me that they were very good friends when they were young."

  "Very good friends," Isabel agreed with a nod, her brown eyes filled with sadness. "Liliana always said that Michael would do wonderful things with his life. I didn't believe her when we were kids, because he was a troublemaker. He was always getting into fights at school. But after he went away, he changed his life, and Liliana's prediction came true."

  It didn't sound like Isabel disliked Michael as much as some of the other members of her family.

  "Isabel, I have to make a call," David said, drawing Isabel's attention back to him. "I'll be back in a moment."

  "Don't you want to eat first?"

  "This can't wait." He glanced back at his phone and then headed out of the restaurant.

  "David has been so stressed the last few months," Isabel said. "Not just about the wedding but also about his business. He started a computer software training company a few months ago, and he's been working a lot. Sometimes I wonder why we ever thought getting married and starting a new business at the same time was a good idea."

  "That does sound challenging."

  "Things would have been better if we'd actually gotten married. Now, we're stuck in limbo. David is getting more and more impatient with me. I feel like he's given up, but I can't do that." She paused. "We've been at this restaurant a lot since she disappeared. It always makes me feel conflicted. Knowing this was where she came last makes me feel close to her, but then again it also reminds me of everything bad that's happened."