“NO!” Ted shouted.
Chapter 9
Seattle
“No,” Ted said. “No, Mama, it can’t be true.”
Mama’s voice was full of whimpers and crying. She spoke again. “Si, Mijo. It’s true. I got a call from a policeman in El Paso. He say they found your Papa in Juarez.”
“But I told him to wait for me.” Ted couldn’t sit still. He jumped from his chair and circled the living room. “I told him not to do anything until I got there.”
“When I woke up this morning,” Mama said, “he was already gone.”
“How? I mean, it’s all so fast. How did he get to Mexico?”
“According to the policeman, he flew to El Paso.” Mama broke down in tears again. After a few minutes, she struggled on. “They say he met with the police in El Paso, then crossed the border. They don’t know much yet. Only that they found him in an alley.” She wailed again.
“Oh, Ted. He had a knife in his back.” She broke into tears. She wasn’t able to speak anymore.
“Is he okay? Is he alive?”
There was nothing but tears on the other end of the phone. Then he heard a soft “I don’t know . . . I don’t know . . .”
“Mama, is Hope there with you? Can she help you?”
Still more tears.
“Listen, Mama. I’m coming home. Chris and I will be there sometime tomorrow. Hang on until then.”
Ted raised his arm to throw his phone, then pulled it back down. The phone dropped from his hand. He sunk onto the sofa, sobbing. Tears ran down his face.
“Papa . . .”
****
Seattle
“Hi, Kayla, I’m Jennifer and this is my friend Catrina.” Jennifer Trask bent down to shake the ten-year-old girl’s hand. “We’re friends of your mom’s.”
The foster home seemed very nice, a picture book, middle class suburban home on the East Side. The family that lived there took in foster kids by the dozen.
“How are things going for you here, honey?” Catrina asked as she sat on the flower- patterned love seat.
“Okay I guess. I want to go home. When can I see my mom?”
“We’re working on it, sweetie,” Jennifer replied. “Catrina here is going to help your mom. She’s going to find your dad and bring him back.”
“Daddy? Where is he?” Kayla asked, clinging desperately to a battered teddy bear.
“We’re not sure yet.” Catrina leaned forward towards Kayla. “We need your help to find him, so we can help your mom.”
“Okay, what can I do?”
“Your mom says she gave you a locket for your sixth birthday. She says that you always wear it.”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded with wide eyes.
Three kids burst through the room in a wild game of tag. Just as fast as they appeared, they were gone.
“Where’s the locket now, honey?” Catrina held her breath. She had already noticed that Kayla was not wearing it.
“I don’t know. I mean I’m not sure.”
“Think hard, it’s really important.” Jennifer got up and sat next to Kayla on the couch. She put her arm around Kayla and pulled her close.
“I . . . I think it’s at home. I wasn’t wearing it when the police came. I’d already changed into my PJs. I never wear it to bed, ‘cuz it gets all tangled.”
“So, where do you keep it?” Catrina asked.
“On my dresser. There’s a little box with dolphins and seagulls on it. I put all my jewelry in that. That must be where it is.”
Jennifer gave Kayla a big hug. “Thank you so much, sweetie. You’ve been a big help.”
****
Los Angeles
Carlito met them at LAX. Hope didn’t want to leave Mama and of course, Guillermo wasn’t there to help. Carlito, the tallest by far of the Higuera brothers and thin as a rail, had just gotten his driver’s license. He hadn’t driven on the freeways by himself before. It was quite an adventure.
When Ted and Chris stepped out of the terminal building and Ted spied Mama’s Chevy Tahoe SUV, he immediately knew Carlito was not taking things well. His dark brown eyes were rimmed with red and tear stains streaked his face.
We’re nothing, if not an emotional family, Ted thought. “Carlito” Ted said as he scooped his skinny brother into his arms. “Have you heard anything else?”
“He’s gone, Ted. Papa’s dead.”
Ted staggered back. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t breathe. Chris grabbed his arm to support him.
“No. It can’t be . . . There has to be a mistake . . .” Ted’s heart beat ran wild. “Why didn’t he wait for me? This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to Seattle.”
“C’mon, amigo,” Chris led Ted towards the SUV. “Let’s go see Mama.”
Chris tossed their bags in the back of the blue SUV. Ted opened the driver’s side door.
“No, Ted.” Chris pulled on Ted’s arm. “Let me drive.”
Ted shoved Chris away. “Keep your hands off me, asshole.” He moved towards the car.
Chris grabbed him again. “Ted. No. You can’t drive. Not now, not in this state.”
Ted turned around swinging. He aimed a powerful blow at Chris’s head. Chris saw the fist coming, sidestepped and parried. He wrapped his arms around his friend.
“It’s okay, Ted. Let me drive. You sit in back and calm down. You need to be strong when you get home.”
The life drained out of Ted. Chris helped him into the back seat. Chris slipped behind the wheel.
He took the 105 to the 110, exiting onto S. Alameda Street. He finally pulled through the wrought iron gates into the driveway of the modest Spanish Colonial style house in East LA.
The house was Papa’s pride and joy. He spent every free hour working in the yard or fixing up the house. A high brick-trimmed stucco fence surrounded the property with wrought-iron gates and matching wrought-iron bars over the windows. A fountain trickled next to the driveway with an avocado tree to one side and an orange tree to the other.
While one of the best houses on the street, no one would suspect a millionaire lived there. Since Papa won the lottery, he continued to be frugal with his money. He only spent what the family needed to get by.
College for Hope had been a necessity. Mama had a new car. Papa continued to drive his old Chevy van. They had done a little work to the house, but basically, it remained the same.
What good did winning the lottery do? Ted questioned. All it did was get my brother kidnapped and my father killed.
Usually there was a festive spirit to the house. It was a place of much joy. Today, it radiated pure devastation and sadness.
The street was filled with cars. As Ted and Chris walked through the open door, they heard the soft murmur of voices.
It seemed like every Mexican woman over seventy in LA was inside the house. There were others too, but Ted was amazed at the number of older women dressed in black who sat and talked in hushed tones.
“Mama,” Ted said, spying his mother and Aunt Anna on the new leather couch. Mama worked her rosary while Anna clung to her shoulders.
The small shrine in the corner to the Virgin of Guadalupe was alight with candles.
Mama, hair disheveled and tears streaking down her face, rose to meet Ted. He put his arms around her and lost it, letting his own tears flow.
He felt her sobs and the trembles through her tiny body. He was amazed at how small and frail she felt in his arms. It was as if she had let the air out of her body. She wasn’t whole anymore.
“Your Papa . . .” she said into Ted’s ear. “We were together every day. For over thirty years. There wasn’t more than a week or two that we didn’t sleep in the same bed.”
“Mama, I’m so sorry.” Suddenly Ted’s anger flared. “Why didn’t he wait for me? That cantankerous old goat. Why couldn’t he just wait a couple of days?”
Mama sobbed and dropped back down to the sofa. Aunt Anna put her arms around Mama and pulled her tight.
“Ted, there’s food in
the kitchen,” Anna said. “You must be hungry. You and Chris help yourselves.”
Ted didn’t have anything else to say.
Chris knelt down in front of Mama and put his hands on her shoulders. She raised her head to look in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mama. Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”
“Chrees . . .” Mama said and pulled him close. “You’re a good boy.”
Ted reached down and lifted his friend from the floor. “C’mon.” He led the way to the kitchen.
People congregated around the house in little groups. Hope leaned against a wall with red, tear rimmed eyes, talking to a college age guy and two girls. Ted didn’t know any of them.
He reached into the fridge and pulled out a couple of Coronas. A bowl of roasted cashews sat on the counter. Papa’s favorite. He remembered sitting with Papa watching baseball on TV, Papa with a beer, Ted with a Coke and both munching on cashews. He felt a lump in his throat.
Chris took one of the beers and twisted it open. He raised his bottle to Ted. “Here’s to a fine man.”
Ted clinked his bottle against Chris’s. “He was an amazing man. He brought Mama from Chihuahua because her parents wouldn’t let her marry him. She was only sixteen. He had no education, no prospects.” Ted sniffed and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.
“They crossed the desert, then swam the Rio Grande. He always called it the Rio Bravo. They made their way to California. They were always happy. He always provided for Mama and always took good care of her.”
“I know, Ted.” Chris put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I never met two people more in love.”
“He did little things for her every day. He was a virgin when he met her. He never wanted another woman in his life.”
“I liked the way they were always touching,” Chris said. “They were always holding hands, always petting each other. It’s been so long since I lost Mom that I don’t even remember if Mom and Dad ever acted as in love as your parents.”
Despite their recent prosperity, Mama’s kitchen looked much the same as always. White painted cabinets, the picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the wall. The worn Formica cabinet top was the same, but the appliances were new.
“Ted, come.” Hope took Ted’s hand and led him out the back door. The backyard, surrounded by a high stucco fence trimmed with red bricks, felt as sad as the house. Abuelita, Ted’s grandmother, sat on the brick raised bed circling an avocado tree as always. That was her spot.
“Teddy!” She said. She was too tired and worn out to get up.
Ted gave his grandmother a hug and a kiss, then Hope led him to the corner under the orange tree. Even the ever-present bougainvillea showering the yard with purples and pinks could not lighten the mood.
Chris found three chairs and they sat.
“You’re going to go get him?” Hope asked. “Aren’t you? Bring him home.”
“Yes.” Ted said.
“And Guillermo,” she continued. “You’re going after him too?”
“Yes. Have you heard anything new on Guillermo?”
Hope shook her head. “No.”
Ted looked at the ground.
“You know you’ll have to go into Mexico? You’ll need to start searching in Juarez?”
“I know. That’s where we’ll start. We’ll talk to the police in El Paso, then cross the border.”
Chris sat back and listened to the brother and sister talk.
“I’m going with you.” It wasn’t a question. Hope was adamant.
“No,” Ted’s voice rose. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous. You have to stay here. Take care of Mama. Take care of the restaurant.”
“What? You think I can’t handle myself? It’s just because I’m a girl isn’t’ it?”
Ted was as liberated as the next guy, but he couldn’t take his little sister into harm’s way. It just wasn’t going to happen.
“No way, chica! I need you here. Someone has to be here to deal with the kidnappers when they call. Someone has to have access to the money to pay the ransom. You know that Mama can’t do that right now. I need to know that Mama will be taken care of. I don’t know what will happen down there. I don’t know if we’ll even find Guillermo, or if he’s all right. I don’t know if we’ll be coming back. You have to stay here. I can’t have any more of our family lost down there.” Tears flowed from his eyes.
“I know more than you think. I can handle myself. I took self-defense classes in school. I even took a firearms course. I bet I’m better with a pistol than you are.”
“Hope, Esperanza.” Ted felt the tears streaking down his face. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t go down there knowing you’re in danger too. I need you here to be an anchor for me. You need to keep things sane here; you need to be here for me to come home to.”
“You’ll find out who did this to Papa? When you do, don’t turn them over to the police.” She grabbed Ted by the collar. “You hear me, Ted Higuera. You don’t give them to the police. You take care of them yourself.”
Chapter 10
West Seattle
Catrina sat in the driver’s seat of her Ford Explorer. Jonathan Jefferson, her partner at Flaherty and Associates, rode shotgun. Jeff was a tall, thin black man with movie star good looks. His eyes twinkled and she always wanted to rub his bald head for good luck.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s there,” Catrina said.
“Let’s do one more drive by.” Jeff was a former Seattle police officer. He quit the force when his partner outted him and he couldn’t get any backup in a “shots fired” scenario. “You can’t be too careful.”
Catrina started up the Explorer and slid it into gear. They slowly drove up the street with the lights off. There was no sign of life at Lisa’s neat two-story house.
“Okay,” Catrina parked at the end of the block. “We’re going in.” Breaking and entering was one of Catrina’s many talents.
Both dressed in black, the pair moved silently up the street. They’d worked together for over eight years and didn’t need verbal communication. They got to Lisa’s front door, stopped and listened. No sound.
Catrina made a circular motion with her index finger and Jeff nodded. He moved off the porch and made his way around the house. A couple of minutes later he reappeared from the other side of the house and gave a thumbs up sign.
The front door was crisscrossed with yellow police tape. “Crime Scene, Stay Out,” it said. Catrina had never paid much attention to silly rules. She reached into her hip pocket and produced a set of lock picks that she used to open the door. They stepped under the police tape, entered and stopped to listen.
Not a sound. Jeff went through the dining room into the kitchen. Catrina moved up the stairs towards the bedrooms.
It was eerie in the dark house. Innocent shapes in the daylight took on a sinister cast in the dark. Was that a hat rack or a man with a gun?
Pulling a penlight from the holster on her belt, Catrina stepped into one, then the other bedroom. The second room was obviously Kayla’s. Catrina ran the light around the room, checking out the furniture, looking for the dresser.
A canopy bed was the centerpiece of the room. It overflowed with pillows and dozens of stuffed animals. The dresser was on the opposite wall.
“Clear,” Jeff whispered as he appeared at the door.
She flashed him the “okay” sign.
Sure enough, on the dresser, next to a lighthouse lava lamp, there was a small wooden box decorated with dolphins and seagulls. Catrina picked it up and opened it.
Something moved behind her. She twirled.
“It’s just a tabby,” Jeff laughed.
An old cat got up from the bed and arthritically jumped to the floor and exited the room.
“Here it is,” Catrina said, pulling a locket on a gold chain from the box.
“What’s in it?” Jeff asked.
Catrina shook it. She could hear something rattling around inside.
“I don’t see how to
open it.” Catrina fumbled with the locket.
“Let me see.” Jeff took the locket, put his pen light in his mouth and produced a flip knife from his pocket. “Hmmm . . .” He worked the blade of the knife into the seam of the locket. It popped open.
Inside were pictures of Kayla’s mom and dad . . . and a key.
“Looks like a locker or a safe deposit box,” Jeff said.
Catrina reached for the key. “But for where?” She slipped the key into her pocket and took the locket from Jeff. She closed it and replaced it in the box. “Let’s get out of here.”
Halfway down the stairs she froze. The lock on the front door moved. The knob turned and the door swung in.
Reacting instinctively, Catrina flicked her wrist. A metal wand magically appeared in her hand. She flipped her wrist again and it extended into a police baton.
“Oh,” the nice lady said as she turned on the lights. “I didn’t know anyone was here.”
Catrina breathed. She collapsed the baton and held it at her side. “Hi, we’re friends of Lisa.”
“Oh my, I’m Amy White. I live next door. I’ve been taking care of Kayla’s cat, Tiger. I didn’t see any lights on. I didn’t know anyone was here.”
“What about the police tape?” Jeff asked. “Why didn’t that stop you?”
“Oh that,” Amy said. “That didn’t mean me. That’s for strangers. Besides, who was going to feed Tiger and change his litter box? Do you think I’ll get in trouble?”
“It’s all right, Amy,” Catrina said. “We were just leaving. We’re not going to tell anybody. We just dropped by to pick something up for Lisa.”
****
El Paso, Texas
Southwest Airlines deposited Ted and Chris at El Paso International airport. They rented a dessert camouflage colored Jeep and headed downtown to the Judicial Complex.
Detective Robles met them at the entrance.
“Mr. Higuera, I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” Ted said. “This is Chris Hardwick.”
Robles extended his hand. “Mr. Hardwick.”
The Mexican Connection: Ted Higuera Series Book 3 Page 8