“Don’t you think the bad guys are going to search me or at least pat me down?”
“They have some new ones that are very small.” He took her hand. “They’re not going to let you meet anyone alone without having, at least, ears on you.”
“I realize that.” She looked around and then back at him.
Thinking of Pilar being held hostage left a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. If she could help get her back, she had to find the courage to do what they were asking of her. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll wear a wire.”
“Are you sure? Because if you’re not, we can come up with another plan to get Pilar out.”
“Out of where? We’re not even sure where she’s being held.”
He had been one continuous motion of activity since she received the call. He suddenly stopped, cupped her face with his palm and said, “In fact, I would rather you didn’t do this.”
She put her hand on his shoulder, leaned in and kissed him. “I’ll do it. I’ll be all right. I trust you.”
“I have to call Mark to let him know this is in motion.”
“Who?”
“Mark Bauer, my friend with the Key West PD. We’ll probably have to go to the police station, or they’ll come here to us.”
Jack punched in the phone number. Libby could hear it ringing. She was suddenly frightened of what was going to happen next.
“Mark,” Jack said. “It’s going down. Ten in the morning.”
“Where?” Libby heard the man on the other end ask.
“Holden’s house on Whitehead Street. The one you’ve had under surveillance.”
As he listened to what the man on the other end of the line was saying, Jack stood and began to pace. He responded with ‘OK’ and looked directly at Libby, giving her the impression they were talking about her. Finally, he hung up.
“Get the flash drive out of the safe and pack up your stuff. We’ll have it ready to go in the morning, and we’ll stash your stuff in my car in case we have to leave in a hurry.”
“I have this room for another night.” She went to the closet safe and opened it. She removed the flash drive and the items she had put in the safe when she arrived. She handed him the flash drive and placed the other items on the table next to the bed.
“That’s good. The room will be here if we need it, but if we pack up the car, then we won’t have to come back here in case we need to leave.”
“Ok. So what’s the plan for tonight?”
“You need to stay here and get some sleep. I’m going to meet with Mark at the police station. He’s been working on this state-wide task force. Apparently, they’ve had Holden under surveillance for some time, but have never gotten enough evidence for a search warrant. But now, with this connection to Pilar, it’s coming together.” He waved the flash drive at her before sliding it into his pocket.
“Has anyone seen Pilar?” Libby asked.
“No one has seen a girl in that house, but they could have brought her in during the night.”
“That no one has seen any evidence of her really concerns me,” Libby said. “She could be anywhere.”
“You’re right…although Holden’s house is the most likely place.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to sleep. It’s already after one.”
“You’ll have to try. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You’re not coming back tonight?”
“No, probably not a good idea,” he said. “Lock the door. Don’t open it for anyone, except for me.”
He kissed her and was gone.
Libby locked the door behind him and rested her forehead on the door. What have I gotten myself into? She lightly banged her head against the door. It will be all right. Jack will be there. He’ll make sure that the plan is put together. I can do this. Pilar will be all right. We’ll get Pilar back, and everything will be back to normal.
Deciding to, at least, try and get some sleep, she began to undress. From her pants pocket, she removed her wallet and the burner phone that Mario had given her earlier in the day. She tossed her wallet on the table and pressed the button on the phone to illuminate the screen.
There was one number in the contacts…Mario’s.
She debated whether she should call him. She hadn’t told Jack about Mario, but she had told Mario that Jack was a cop. Mario would want to know what was going on. She didn’t want him wandering blindly into the middle of a police operation. Someone could get hurt, maybe even her.
But then again if he knew what was going on, he might try to do something himself and mess up the operation and, then again someone could get hurt, again maybe her or Pilar.
“Shit.” She pressed the button and held the phone to her ear.
“Yeah.”
“Hi, it’s me.”
“Imagine that. I thought you ditched the phone.”
“Sorry to call so late.”
“Is the cop with you?” He asked.
“No.”
“Do you know where Pilar is?”
“I think so.” She told him about the plan for her to wear a listening device during the meeting to exchange the flash drive for Pilar.
“I can’t believe they’re going to send you in there to do this.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve done something like this,” she said. “They will be listening, and if it gets messy, they’ll send in the good guys.”
“Senior Montoya and Tony are not going to like this,” he said. “If this goes bad, it won’t be pleasant for anybody.”
“Well, I wanted you to know the plan because I just thought you should know, and you can tell Mr. Montoya that I’m going to get her back.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t get in the way of the cops, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ll be close,” he said.
Before Libby could respond, the line disconnected.
Chapter 26
Tuesday – Key West
Wired
Libby was in an interview room at the Key West Police Department where she was being wired up by a female technician named Trina. Jack and Detective Mark Bauer of the KWPD entered the room just as Libby was pulling a black V-neck shirt over her ponytail.
“Even if they pat you down, they shouldn’t detect the wire,” Trina said, adjusting Libby’s shirt. “Most likely, they’ll think it’s the underwire in your bra. I’m glad you’re wearing a black bra. That wire should blend right in.”
“If we’re lucky, they won’t pat her down that closely,” Jack said.
“Now Jack, if you had the opportunity, wouldn’t you pat her down?” Mark laughed, looking from Jack to Libby and back to Jack. “Perhaps you already have?” He whispered to Jack, loud enough for the ladies to hear him.
Jack shared a quick glance and a wink with Libby, cleared his throat, and said, “How far away can we safely be and still hear what’s going on inside the house?”
“Unfortunately, not too far,” Mark said leaning against the wall, his thumbs struck through the belt loops of his jeans. His badge and gun were on his belt. “We already have a telephone truck parked on the street.” Bauer was a tall man, even leaning against the wall, he seemed to tower over Libby.
“As long as you stay in or near that house, we’ll be able to hear you in the truck,” Trina said.
“Don’t forget the safe word. It’s ocean,” Mark said. “Anytime you feel your life or Pilar’s life is in danger, just say it, and we’re coming in that front door.”
“Do you know if Pilar is even in the house?” Libby asked.
Mark shook his head and said, “No one’s seen any evidence of her being here. But there’s no other options. She’s not at Holden’s bar. To our knowledge, he has no other buildings in town.”
“Are your SWAT guys in place?” Jack asked.
“Should be getting here as we speak.”
Libby wondered how far they had to come, perhaps from Miami, abo
ut one-hundred sixty miles away.
“Do we know anything about the layout of the house?” Libby asked.
“We Conchs are quite proud of our architecture down here. I did some research on the house. Brian Maxwell Holden bought it three years ago, and fully renovated it to the tune of more than half a mil.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of money for a bar owner musician,” Jack said.
“Trevor, the bartender at The Blue Pelican, said that his family came from money and his dad gave him the money to open the bar,” Libby said. “But I heard a somewhat different story from someone else.”
“Holden came from a middle-class family in North Carolina. The truth is, he had to do something with all that cash he got on his side job,” Bauer said. “The house has an illustrious past with stories of pirates and buried treasure. There’s rumors that it’s haunted.”
“It’s even on the ghost tour,” Trina added.
“Sorry I missed that,” Libby said. “I’ll have to catch that the next time I’m in town.”
There was a knock at the door, and a uniformed officer stuck his head inside the door.
“Detective, there’s a man out front wanting to speak to the person in charge of the Pilar Montoya investigation. He’s down from Miami, and apparently, he’s representing the family. Somehow, they must’ve gotten wind of the operation.”
“And how would the Montoyas know about this operation?” Bauer asked, looking directly at Libby.
“Well, I did tell Mr. Montoya that I was coming down here, but that was before Jack and you came into the picture. I was hoping for some backup from Mr. Montoya’s associates.” She figured that leaving Mario out of the story was probably the best decision at this point.
“Holy shit,” Bauer said.
“And when were you going to tell me about this?” Jack asked.
“Well, when you showed up, I figured I didn’t need them.”
“Is this guy a lawyer or what?” Bauer asked.
“Talks like one. His name is Anthony Cassinelli,” the officer said.
Libby gasped, “Oh my God, what’s he doing here?!”
“Do you know him?” Bauer asked.
“He’s my ex-husband.”
“And the hits just keep on coming,” Bauer said.
“Libby, did you know anything about him showing up here?” Jack asked.
“No, of course not. I haven’t heard from Tony in at least two years,” she said. “But when Mr. Montoya first called me, he mentioned that he knew Tony because Tony’s uncle and Mr. Montoya are business partners in the hotel where Tony works, and apparently, they’ve become friends.”
“Jesus Christ,” Bauer said.
“Tony is a lawyer, but actually, he’s been disbarred,” Libby said.
“I guess I’ll go talk to him,” Bauer said, opening the door. “Jack, come with me. You,” he said, pointing at Libby, “stay here until I say otherwise.” He slammed the door on his way out.
After the men left, Trina rolled her eyes and said, “You should be all set here.”
“Thanks.” Libby stood and walked to the window. “What do you think of Detective Bauer?”
“He’s blustery, if you know what I mean, but overall a good guy, really one of the best.” Trina paused from packing her supplies and joined Libby at the window. “Are you nervous about going in there wearing a wire?”
“I guess I would be nuts not to be, right?”
“I’ll be one of the techs in the van. Don’t be a hero. Say the word if things go south, okay?”
“Yes, I will.”
“What’s the word?”
“Ocean. Ocean is the word.”
Trina patted Libby’s arm, then went back to the table and picked up her bag. “Good luck,” she said as she left the room.
Libby stood at the window and watched the cars pass. She hadn’t seen Tony in two years. After he was released from prison, he stopped by the café once on his way to the new job in Miami. When he showed up, she was so surprised, she’d dropped a full cup of coffee on the floor. She remembered how good he looked, and how he kissed her before he left. He was hoping for a reconciliation, a wish she couldn’t grant.
Now, here he was in the middle of this. Pilar’s father said Tony had given Pilar her name as a contact in Mariposa Beach. She wondered if Tony was connected in some way. Surely, he didn’t violate his parole by getting involved in money laundering and trafficking.
Detective Bauer interrupted her thoughts when he and Jack returned to the interview room.
“What’s Tony doing here?” She asked.
“He says he’s representing the Montoya family at the request of Javier Montoya,” Detective Bauer said.
“When did you say you first spoke with Mr. Montoya?” Jack asked.
“Friday morning,” she said. “He called me on my cell at the café before you came by.”
“We brought Mr. Cassinelli up to speed on the situation, and he asked to talk to you,” Bauer said. “Do you want to see him?”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Jack said.
“That’s okay. I’ll talk to him.”
“I’ll get him,” Bauer said as he opened the door and left.
“Libby, are you all right?” Jack asked, touching her arm.
“Yes, sure.” She reached for him, but she heard Bauer once more at the door, so she turned toward the window instead.
“You have five minutes, and then we have to get going,” Bauer said, as he and Jack left the room.
“Hey, Lizzie.” Back in the day, most people called her Mary Beth, but Tony called her Lizzie. It was his special name for her. She liked it then, but now, she found his use of that name irritating.
“What are you doing here?” She asked as she turned to face him.
He looked the same with that dark curly hair, brown eyes and classic aquiline nose inherited from his Italian ancestors. She noticed a few lines had appeared around his eyes that she didn’t remember being there before.
“Mr. Montoya heard from a close friend that there was a strong possibility that Pilar was here. Then you called asking for help. He heard from Mario, and he told him about you and the cops. Mrs. Montoya is so distraught he couldn’t leave her, so he asked me to come down here and represent the family.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, and said, “More importantly, how are you? Mr. Montoya told me that you found the boyfriend’s body at her house.”
“I’m fine. Really, I am.”
“You’re actually going through with wearing this wire?”
“Yes, I am. But…”
“What?”
“Do you have any idea what Pilar was into?”
“I have no idea what this is about. All I know is that she got a job selling networking and computer implementation services to small businesses. When I heard she was going to Sarasota, I gave her your name as a lead. That’s all.”
“The kidnappers targeted her and slit her boyfriend’s throat from ear-to-ear. Could it have been something her father was into?”
“From what I know, her father is a legitimate businessman. He came here from Cuba and started a food truck business selling Cuban sandwiches. He’s a real American immigrant success story.” Tony stepped closer and raised her chin with his forefinger. “Are you sure you can handle this? I know you had a really hard time after everything that went down back home.”
“Tony, I’m fine,” she said, stepping away from him.
Detective Bauer opened the door without knocking. “Reunion time is over. We gotta go. You have an appointment in twenty minutes,” he said, pointing at Libby. “Mr. Cassinelli, you need to wait here.”
Jack was standing in the hall when Libby followed Detective Bauer out of the room. “You sure you can do this?” He asked.
“Weren’t you guys listening?”
He nodded.
“I’ve already said that I’m fine. Let’s go.” She followed Detective Bauer down the hall, leaving Jack to stare at her for a
moment. She turned to see him glance towards the closed interview room, and then follow closely behind.
Chapter 27
Tuesday – Key West
Ocean is the Word
Jack parked his rental car around the corner and a block over from Whitehead Street. Libby opened the passenger door and paused for a moment. This is really happening, isn’t it? She looked up and saw Jack watching her.
“Are you sure?” He asked.
“I’ve already answered that question. Yes, I’m sure,” she said, getting out of the car. “I’m ready to do this.”
“What’s the word?”
“Ocean. Ocean is the word.”
“If at any time you don’t feel comfortable, or if there’s any sign that this is a trap, I want you to say the word, and SWAT will be in there so fast.”
“What if something happens, and I haven’t seen Pilar?”
“I don’t care. Say the word.” He put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Regardless of whether you have eyes on Pilar or not, it goes hinky, you say the word. Promise me.”
She nodded her head and said, “I promise.”
“SWAT should be in place by now,” he said. “And remember, we can’t see you, so keep talking. Make it sound like a conversation.”
“Okay, Cowboy.” She winked, “This ain’t my first rodeo, you know.” But we all know how that turned out, too.
He smiled, shook his head and said, “Very funny.” He put his forefinger to his lips as a signal for her to be quiet. He kissed her quickly and softly. “I’ll be here when it’s all over.”
“I’m counting on that, Detective.” She turned and walked away. As she rounded the corner, she glanced back to see him watching her, a troubled look on his face.
• • •
Libby stopped in front of the pale yellow, two-story house, built in the classical style with a white upper and lower porch across the front and, from what she could see from the sidewalk, along both sides. There were tourists across the street, maps in hand. She assumed they were looking for the Hemingway House that was much further down the street.
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