Sonoran Sun

by Sharon Canipe

  Neal reached for her hand and drew her toward him. “Don’t blame yourself,” Neal whispered. “ This might’ve gone differently if we’d all paid more attention to your questions initially. You were right. These murders were not so simple after all. Now I think we all know that the drug cartel was behind everything. It may take some time for the whole story to come out in the open but when it does, mark my words, no one will question your concerns at that point.” He pulled her down toward him and kissed her deeply. “At least I didn’t fall on my face into that cactus,” he grinned.

  “Good news, that,” Lin smiled. She kissed him once more, “I think I should let you rest. That IV will probably take a couple of hours. Then maybe they’ll release you like the nurse thought. Ask the doc when he comes in. I think I’ll try to find out something about Chris and the two men who were shot.”

  “If you do please let me know,” Neal lay back on his pillow and closed his eyes.

  Lin quietly slipped out of the cubicle and returned to the waiting room. She saw that Marla Dawkins was no longer there but Sgt. Montoya appeared to be napping in a corner chair—at least his eyes were closed. Lin sat down across from him and picked up a magazine. He wasn’t actually asleep and opened his eyes in response to her movements. He smiled and sat up straighter. “Sorry, I was about to nod off.”

  “You’ve been up a long time and done a full days work plus,” Lin sympathized, “you need to rest. I don’t suppose you know anything about the condition of the others, Neal seems OK—just needs some fluids and had a bunch of cactus spines that had to be removed—I think the doctor will probably release him in a few hours. I don’t know anything about Chris Dawkins or the two men who were shot though.”

  Montoya shook his head. “ I know those two men were part of the drug business and probably deserved what they got, but I still feel badly that I couldn’t resolve the situation peacefully. Now I just hope that they pull through and are willing to talk about what was going on. At least we should have a chance. They are small potatoes in this entire situation and maybe they’ll be willing to give us information to improve their own situation. I hope so anyway. As for Dr. Dawkins, I really don’t know, but they did come to get his wife a few minutes ago. From what I overheard, I think he’s being admitted, at least for overnight. She’s left so I presume he’s heading for a room and she’s gone to join him.”

  Lin silently resolved that she would find out where Chris was and go by before she left the hospital. She felt she needed to talk to both Chris and Marla and let them know how sorry she was that all this had happened. For now, she determined to try to persuade Sgt. Montoya to leave and get some rest.

  “Why don’t you call DJ and see if someone from the sheriff’s department could come down and provide some protection for these two men when they get out of surgery. My guess is that they could be in serious danger if their bosses think they might talk, and besides, this mess occurred in Pima County’s jurisdiction.”

  “I don’t need to call really. DJ already called me and there are two deputies on their way to be here when the men are moved from recovery to a room,” Montoya admitted. “I was actually waiting to talk to you. Are you still planning to leave tomorrow?”

  “Well, we won’t actually know until Neal talks to his doctor and is cleared to be discharged. I know he wants to leave and we have reservations. I feel sure that we will go unless the doctor won’t let him travel, but I’m sure we’d be glad to return if there is a trial later, and we are needed as witnesses.” Montoya rose to leave and Lin decided to walk with him to the parking lot.

  “I really owe you a debt of gratitude,” she extended her hand to shake his, “you were there to help when we really needed it and couldn’t get it from the local authorities. Without your help this case would’ve never been cracked. “

  “Well, it’s not really cracked yet,” Montoya smiled, “but I think it will be soon. Now that we have these two men, plus Jose Lucas who followed you the other day, we should be able to get some information.” He looked thoughtful, “with the almost certain involvement of insiders in the sheriff’s department, I think we can safely say that Doug Davison will no longer be blamed for killing Mark Garcia or Dave Jennings. He most likely was a victim himself.”

  “That will mean a lot to Susan,” Lin said. She knew Montoya was thinking about Deputy Ramirez but just hadn’t said his name. Most likely others were involved also. After eliciting his promise to stay in touch and let her know how the case finally played out, Lin took her leave and went back inside to locate Chris Dawkins and Marla.

  ***

  A quick stop by the main desk in the hospital lobby gave Lin the information she needed to locate Chris, but before heading up to his room, she decided to check on Neal once more. This time she went directly back through the ER with no one asking any questions. She found Neal sound asleep, the IV still dripping into his arm. It seemed to Lin that it was about half done, so she slipped out and headed upstairs.

  The door to Chris’s room was half open and it was dark inside. Chris was sleeping and Marla was sitting in the only chair. Lin decided to pretend that she hadn’t noticed Marla’s standoffishness.

  “Neal’s asleep downstairs too, and I don’t think the doctor has come by to see him yet. I thought I’d take the opportunity to slip up here and see how Chris is doing,” she took a deep breath, “and I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am about all this. I realize that this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t continued to inquire about the murders.” Lin swallowed hard, feeling a bit choked up about the harm that had come to Neal and to Chris, “ I feel responsible in a way, although I realize…” Marla cut her off.

  “It’s a little late to say you’re sorry, don’t you think?” Marla almost spat out the words, “and, in my book, you are totally responsible. Had it not been for supporting you, neither Chris nor Neal would’ve been hurt. Chris is going to be OK. He just has to stay overnight—dehydration mostly. I consider him lucky to have escaped with his life, and as far as I am concerned, you need to be out of his life and mine entirely.”

  Lin was shocked at the degree of Marla’s anger. She felt as if she might burst into tears herself and was determined not to do so in here. She turned to leave, “I realize how upset you are and I understand why you feel the way you do. Hopefully, you’ll feel differently when all of this is over and we can talk then. Neal and I both value your friendship. We’re probably still leaving tomorrow. We’ll look forward to seeing you both next month at the wedding.”

  “Don’t count on it,” Marla said as Lin reached the door. “If it’s up to me we won’t be there.” Lin didn’t respond. It was hard to believe this was the same person who’d been so eager to join her in asking questions on the reservation. She almost felt as if Marla’s anger was coming from something else—some other problem Lin knew nothing about. Yes, Lin felt bad about what had happened, but still, she knew she’d likely do the same thing again if circumstances were similar. In fact, hearing Marla’s vitriolic words made her more than a little angry herself. After all, Neal understood why she’d pursued these questions, and she believed that Chris did too. Something had to be going on with Marla, but she didn’t know what.

  Before she returned to the emergency room, Lin ducked into a restroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She’d managed to stifle her tears, but she still felt hot and dingy from the morning, and her face was a bit sunburned. She realized that she needed to get herself under control before she talked to Neal again. She didn’t want him to see how hurt she felt by Marla’s reaction.

  ***

  It was late afternoon, almost five o’clock, when Sgt. Montoya’s cousin DJ pulled up at the emergency room entrance to give Lin and Neal a ride home. He’d called a short while before. When he heard Neal was to be discharged and they were still planning to leave the next day, he’d insisted on coming by and picking them up. He said that he needed to talk to them, especially Lin, about their dealings with the sheriff’s d
epartment and this might be the best opportunity. The ER staff had insisted that Neal ride out in a wheel chair and now DJ was helping him into the patrol car.

  “Really, I can manage this myself but thanks,” Neal tried to be polite. He didn’t complain but Lin saw him grimace when he sat down and realized that he had to be sore from his “cactus experience.” Maybe a pillow would help him endure the long flight back to North Carolina.

  Lin was very happy to have the opportunity to talk to DJ again. The ride to the casita was a short one, but she remembered that there was no food available there. What little they’d had she’d cleaned out in preparation for their return home. “I don’t know about you guys but I’m starving,” she said. “I haven’t had anything since breakfast and Neal hasn’t eaten since yesterday except for some juice and crackers at the hospital.”

  They agreed to stop at Tucson Tamale Company on their way. Fortunately, Sgt. Montoya had given DJ Lin’s purse. Neal had left his wallet at the casita when Stevens took him hostage. They also stopped to purchase drinks, Neal declaring that he needed a cold beer in the worst way.

  Lin really wanted to ask DJ a lot of questions, but she managed to restrain her curiosity while they purchased food and drink and drove home. Once there, she began putting the food on the table and turned to the young officer. “I’m dying to know what you’ve learned today,” she asked, “but I know you have questions for us too.”

  “Yes, and I’d like to go first if I may,” DJ seemed even more confident than he had earlier. Lin surmised that he felt his work with the internal departmental investigation was beginning to yield results given the recent events.

  Lin helped Neal to get settled on the sofa with his beer and a plate of food. She joined DJ at the nearby dining table and the three of them dug into their meals.

  DJ pulled out a notepad and started with Lin. “I’d really like for you to go back to the beginning of all this and try to remember all of your encounters with any members of the sheriff’s department. Who did you talk to and what did they say or do? I realize that a lot has transpired, but it’s important for us to get the larger picture surrounding all these events. I need the facts first, and then we can talk about your impressions during these experiences.”

  Lin realized this was a tall order, but she did her best going back to the day Mark Garcia’s body was discovered and moving forward to the present. When she’d finished Neal did the same thing. It took well over an hour for them to review all of these happenings. Finally, they had exhausted their memories. Now it was their turn to ask questions.

  “How does all of this fit in with what happened today?” Lin asked. “I know you can’t talk about the department’s internal investigation, but we definitely saw Deputy Ramirez drive into the camp this morning after my interview, and we heard him leave just before the others arrived. We know he was there; your cousin caught a glimpse of him running away, and we heard him start his car and drive out of the camp.”

  “Yes, he was there. The deputies whom you called for help saw his car on the road leading from the camp as they arrived. They questioned why he was leaving and not staying to help—why he hadn’t been the one calling for backup. His presence there was reported to the sheriff directly, and he said he’d look into it personally. I’m not sure where all that will end up, but I have a pretty good idea,” DJ reported, “It seems to me that he has to be involved in what’s going on inside the department related to all this drug business. I believe that someone, possibly Ramirez, possibly someone else, has been siphoning information to the cartel regarding departmental drug interdiction activities. Somehow they know when and where law enforcement is going to be working so that they can avoid detection. We’ve suspected this was true for some time, but these recent events will help us to open all this up, I believe. It’s only a matter of time until we have a breakthrough.” He smiled at Lin, “thanks to your asking questions and getting my cousin involved I think that breakthrough will come sooner rather than later.”

  It was growing late by the time they finished talking and Lin could see that Neal was growing weary. She herself felt pretty grubby and they both needed to pack for their departure the following afternoon. DJ evidently read her thoughts.

  “I want to thank both of you for agreeing to talk to me. I know the past 24 hours have been very difficult for you, and you have to get ready for your departure tomorrow; however, you both have been very helpful. I feel certain that we are close to resolving these cases, and this time, I think we’ll have the real killer or killers in custody. I’ll leave you alone now but I do promise I’ll stay in touch and let you know what happens here.” With that the young deputy departed and left them to their own devices.

  “I’m feeling much better about what’s going on here,” Lin said, after they were finally alone, “but I need a shower in the worst possible way.”

  “They tried to clean me up in the hospital but I need to soak in a bathtub. The nurse told me that a long, hot soak would help the cactus spines and glochids that remain in my skin to soften and work their way out,” he looked sheepish as he said this, “so even though I almost never soak in a tub I guess I should. Maybe after that you might be willing to pull a few more spines out if they emerge.”

  Lin agreed to the plan and started drawing his tub on her way to the stall shower. She scrubbed herself all over washing away the grit and grime along with the tensions of the day just past. When she finished Neal was still soaking so she put on a soft cotton gown, dried her hair and then began to pack for the trip home. She’d almost finished by the time Neal emerged from the bathroom clad in a soft terry robe.

  “I need to pack also, but I think I’d better let you work on me first, while my skin is still soft and warm.” Neal seemed a bit reluctant; however, he removed the robe and stretched out on the bed, backside up. Lin saw that there were several more spines emerging from his skin, and a soft brush over with her hand revealed some of the nasty, fine glochids also. They were the hardest to get rid of and could cause lingering soreness. She went to work with some tweezers and soon had accumulated a small pile of the pesky offenders. A gentle rubdown with some of the salve Neal had been given at the hospital finished off the task.

  “That feels better, thanks,” Neal smiled as he got up and donned his boxers. “I was told it could take weeks, maybe even months, before they all worked their way out, but the salve helps a lot with the soreness and I can lie on my back and sit fairly comfortably if I’m careful going down.”

  “I still recommend you use a pillow to sit on during the flight tomorrow—it may take two of those small airplane pillows, but they should help and it’s a long time to have to sit still.”

  “I will,” Neal responded. “Right now I just want to get a good night’s sleep. We don’t leave tomorrow until early afternoon. I’d like to run by the hospital to see Chris before we go.”

  “I’d like to see him also. He was asleep when I went by today but,” she shook her head, “I don’t think Marla would want to see me so I may wait this one out in the lounge.”

  “You’ll do no such thing,” Neal was adamant, “I don’t know what’s eating Marla, but I’m sure Chris doesn’t blame you for any of this—we’ve talked. I don’t think you should back down one inch. I want you to visit with me—if you will.”

  Lin reluctantly agreed as she climbed into the bed, relieved to be stretching out in comfort beside Neal. She wanted to put her arms around him but decided that might cause him discomfort, so instead, she kissed him gently and turned on her side.

  “Not so fast,” Neal said, “My back is a mess but the rest of me is fine.” He reached over and gently pulled her toward him, nesting her back against his chest in a spoon-like fashion. She settled in against him realizing from his even breathing that he was already asleep.

  Chapter 18

  Lin had forgotten to close the blinds in the bedroom the previous night, and the summer sun flooded the room well before six o’clock, waking her from a su
rprisingly sound sleep. She was actually glad for the visual alarm clock. Neal had never gotten around to packing the previous night, and she still had a few items to add to her suitcase. If they were going to see Chris at the hospital they needed to be up and about. She gently shook Neal’s shoulder and let him know that he needed to get up and get started on his packing. He grumbled just a bit but he complied.

  By seven o’clock they were packed and ready to tackle the issue of transportation. Chris had planned to take them to the airport, but now that couldn’t happen. His rental car was still at his casita; however, now that Marla was in town, he wouldn’t need it for his own transportation. Just one problem, neither Neal nor Lin were listed as drivers for that car, but Neal did have a key for the other casita. Chris had given him one so that he could come and go as they were working on their report. Together Lin and Neal walked down the street to see if they could locate the keys to that car. Neal felt certain that Chris hadn’t had them with him when they were held hostage.

  As soon as they entered the casita they saw Marla’s luggage, left sitting in the living room when she’d arrived. Evidently she’d come by here at some point the previous day. There was no indication of her being there overnight, however. “She must’ve stayed all night at the hospital,” Lin remarked.

  “I’m sure she did,” Neal said as he rummaged through some papers on the table they’d been using as a makeshift office. “Ah, here they are,” he picked up the keys, “and here is the contract for the car.” He telephoned the rental agency and explained the situation. A few moments later he hung up.

  “We have transportation,” he smiled. “At least we will have legitimately once we ride out to the airport and sign some papers. I tried to talk my way around doing that since we’ll be leaving today and turning in the car this afternoon but decided maybe it was safer to dot all the i’s and cross the t’s.”