Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery

by Giacomo Giammatteo

  He walked up to Gino. “Detective, we need to talk.”

  ***

  “Okay, Lonny. One minute.”

  I called Coop’s cell, getting her on the second ring.

  “What have you got, Gino?”

  “A damn good lead, Captain. They put the girl on today, and she gave us a clue her friend picked up on. We’re confident she’s being held in a motel, probably on the north side of town.”

  “A motel. That’s all you have? Do you know how many motels there are?”

  “Not nearly as many as there are garages, houses, abandoned buildings, small businesses, or any other of the thousands of places she could be if she were not in a motel.”

  Coop took a big sigh. “Gino, I’m going to pretend you thought you were talking to Tip, or Delgado, or some other asshole. Anybody but your captain, who is too pissed right now to talk to you.”

  “But you will, so here’s what I need.”

  “Cataldi, I’m holding my temper for that young girl’s sake. When this case is over, we’re gonna talk. Now go on.”

  “SWAT teams. Several of them. I’m putting Delgado in charge of that operation. And we need to get moving on it right away.”

  “Where do you want them? And when?”

  “I’ll have Delgado call you. It will depend on what Julie finds out in her research. I’m calling her now.”

  “Keep me informed.”

  I hung up and looked over at the group. Some weren’t paying attention. “Hey!” I said. “Listen up. Our best shot at bringing this girl home safe is to find her before they know we don’t have the money. We’ve got full support from Renkin, but we don’t have much time. What that means is I want every son of a bitch in this room focused on what we’re doing. No calling your wives or husbands or anyone else.” I’d gotten their silence and their focus, so I continued. “I don’t have time to say all this twice, so listen while I talk on the phone.”

  I called Julie. She already knew about the motels, so Coop must have filled her in.

  “Go, Gino. I’m ready.”

  “I need a list of every motel on the north side first.”

  “Conroe, too,” Delgado yelled to me.

  “Including Conroe,” I repeated. “Take it down I-45 as far south as Greenspoint and both ways on 1960, say from Hardy Toll Road to 249.”

  “Gino, that’s going to—”

  “I know. Just get started. If we strike out, we’ll expand the search.” I stopped to think. “Julie, coordinate all this with Delgado. He’ll be running the show.”

  She hung up, but I called back right away. “Julie, one more thing. Get a team calling all of the motels. I want ones that have rooms rented in the past three days to people who still haven’t checked out. You can scratch the ones who checked in yesterday. These guys would have been better prepared.”

  “That will still be a lot, Gino.”

  “I know; do it anyway.”

  I set the phone on the counter and took a breather. Then I remembered Lonny. I turned to him. “Yeah, Lonny, you wanted to talk to me?”

  Chapter 36

  Bad News

  Connors headed back to the corner store where Lonny had spent so much time. When he got inside, he knew there was trouble. The guy behind the counter looked like his nose had been broken. His eye was swollen, and his lip was split. Connors flashed his badge. “Detective Paul Connors,” he said. “This is Officer Mirrol. What the hell happened to you?”

  “Nothing. This was from yesterday.”

  The man was either Pakistani or Indian. Connors couldn’t tell from looking at him, and he couldn’t distinguish the accent, but it was one of the two, he felt sure. “I didn’t ask when it was from,” Connors said. “Who did it?”

  “I was at the mall and three young men attacked me.”

  “That’s funny,” Connors said. “I was in here early this morning, and you didn’t look like that. You don’t remember me, do you?”

  The man squeezed his hands together, looked around, did anything to avoid eye contact. “It happened yesterday,” he said.

  Connors pulled his cuffs out. “You’re coming downtown with us.”

  “I have a store to run.”

  A customer came in, but Mirrol showed him outside.

  “I’ll only be a minute!” the clerk yelled as the door closed.

  “You’ll be a lot longer than a minute, sir, if you don’t tell me what happened.”

  The clerk looked around as if someone might be watching. Then he stared at Connors and whispered, “Some man came in asking about someone named Willard. I told him I don’t know any Willard. He demanded I tell him. When I repeated myself, he beat me.”

  He took time to look around again, as if Lonny might come through the door any moment.

  “He wouldn’t quit,” the clerk went on. “He just kept hitting me and hitting me.”

  “And that’s all he asked.”

  He nodded. “Where’s Willard? Where’s Willard? He was a madman.”

  “You want to press charges?”

  “No! No charges.”

  Connors handed him a card. “If he comes back, or if anyone comes back, call me. Especially if you hear from Willard.”

  “I’m getting a gun that—”

  Connors turned and pointed to him. “Sir, I would strongly advise you not to get a gun. It wouldn’t be a good move. Too many people with guns already.” Connors got in the car with Mirrol and started toward Winthrop’s house. He dialed Gino as he drove.

  “Cataldi.”

  “Gino, can you talk?”

  “Let me call you right back.”

  ***

  I finished up what I was doing then called Connors back, making sure to keep my distance from Lonny so he couldn’t hear. “Go ahead.”

  “I just left the corner store. Lonny beat the shit out of the guy running the place. Bruised him up good. I think he broke his nose.”

  I made sure not to look in Lonny’s direction, instead focusing on the map sitting on the table. “No shit. Why?”

  “No clue. The guy said he kept asking where Willard was.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “The guy said he doesn’t even know a Willard. He said he told Lonny that, but he wouldn’t believe him.”

  “Hang on, I’m getting a call.” I switched over. “Gino Cataldi.”

  “It’s Ramirez.”

  “Hang on. Let me get off the other line.” I clicked over. “Connors, I got to take this. Finish your story when you get here.” I clicked back to Ramirez. “Sorry about that. Go ahead.”

  “The Marshall boy is dead.”

  My body sagged. I had hoped the boy would be all right. “When?”

  “Maybe an hour ago.”

  I slammed my fist against the door. “Shit! Goddamnit!” I wanted to kick something, but this wasn’t my house. “Who’s working this with you?”

  “Tom Foss.”

  “Get more help. I want these guys caught. And, Ramirez…no deals for anyone. This is felony murder now. Every goddamn one of them is in for murder. And with Marshall’s connections, they’ll all be going to Huntsville to get a needle in the arm.”

  “I’m on it. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Son of a bitch!”

  “What’s the matter?” Delgado asked.

  “The Marshall boy died.”

  “Hijo de puta!”

  Lonny headed toward the living room. I’d forgotten he’d asked to talk, and now I sure as shit wanted to talk to him. What the hell is going on? And who the fuck is Willard?

  “Lonny, you wanted to see me?”

  He turned, seemed sheepish all of a sudden. “I gotta see Lucia. I’ll be back.”

  ***

  Lonny wanted to run, and not just to the living room. He needed to run for the border or someplace else he could hide—disappear forever. He’d do it, too, if Jada were here. Ten minutes ago, he had made up his mind to tell Gino, figuring he would do time if necessary. But he wasn’t
going in for felony murder. No way. Down here in Texas, they put your ass in the grave for that shit.

  Maybe with a high-priced lawyer and a lot of time, he could get off easier, but Lonny didn’t have the time, and he sure as shit didn’t have the money. As much as he wanted to, there was no way he could tell Gino now. Not when it meant facing the death penalty.

  As he searched for Lucia, he ran the possibilities through in his mind again. If he thought he could help Jada, he’d trade his sorry ass in. She was a damn-good girl. But—and he’d been through this a hundred times since yesterday—he didn’t see any way that what he had to offer would help her. Besides, maybe Gino would catch them now that they had this motel lead. Maybe they’d find her safe.

  Please, Lord, let that be.

  ***

  I looked around for Delgado and found him strategizing with Sameena at the table. They had drawn a crowd, probably because Sameena was a looker, not because they were all so dedicated.

  I tapped Ribs on the shoulder. “You’re going to have to move it soon.”

  He looked at his watch. “I got a few minutes. We’re setting up base at a mobile unit by 45 and 1960.”

  “Starting there?”

  “I got three teams. One will start at the beltway on 45 and head north, one will be at 1960 and 249, coming east, and one will start in Conroe, working south. Meanwhile, Julie’s working the phones. If she gets anything hot, we switch gears.”

  I nodded. “At least we have a plan.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “We stall the kidnappers until we find the girl.”

  “Not much of a plan, cuz.”

  “Yeah, but it’s all we got.”

  Chapter 37

  The Drop

  Delgado had been gone a while, but I hadn’t heard a thing. I called to see where he was.

  “What’s up, Gino?”

  “It’s two fifteen. Is everybody in place?”

  “We’re good to go. I’m on 45 with Sanchez. She’s dressed as one of the cleaning crew.”

  “She’s not going to try anything alone, is she?”

  “She’ll walk by, see if she can spot anything. How about you—things in place?”

  “For all the good it will do, yes, everyone is in place. We’ve got a guy in the hotel and one in the woods across the street.”

  “I guess your cynicism means you don’t think they’ll show.”

  “Just like you said, Ribs.”

  “That’s what I would do.”

  “Me too,” I said, “and I think these guys are smarter than me.”

  “I hope not. That would make them almost as smart as me.”

  “You know, Delgado, one thing’s bothering me. They said they’d call once he’s inside Denny’s, but they didn’t ask for Eddy’s cell. You think they expected him to take Scott’s?”

  “Beats me. But I got SWAT here. Gotta go. Keep me informed.”

  “Me too. Buona fortuna.”

  “Good luck, amigo.”

  I looked around for Lonny, hoping he didn’t think I was treating this case casually. Sometimes humor was all that kept us going on cases like this. That and the thought of catching pricks and doing evil things to them.

  While I went over last-minute details with Doran, Connors brought me more of Scott’s good coffee. “I’m nervous. Did we miss anything?”

  I shrugged. “I think we’re set pretty good on the surveillance. Once Doran leaves the restaurant, we got him covered no matter where he goes.”

  I walked to Doran and patted his back. “You about ready, Uncle Eddy?”

  He smiled. “Eddy’s ready.”

  “Don’t forget to leave your wallet here, in case they ask to see a license.”

  Doran looked at me funny.

  I shrugged. “You never know what these guys will do.”

  Winthrop’s home phone rang. On the third ring, the tech came in. “Unknown caller,” he said.

  “It’s all you, Doran. You’re Uncle Eddy now.”

  He took a deep breath and picked up the phone. “Hello.”

  “Is this Winthrop?”

  “No, this is Eddy.”

  “Ah, the famous Uncle Eddy. Good. We’ll be meeting soon enough, so I shall save the pleasantries until then. In the meantime, please go to the mailbox. Inside you will find a phone. Take that with you to Denny’s. We will call that number.”

  “What should—” The line went dead. Doran looked up to me, confused as hell. “They said a phone is in the mailbox.”

  I pointed to one of the cops near the door. “Check it out.”

  When he returned, he held a disposable phone. “It was just sitting there,” he said. “Should we dust it?”

  I shook my head. “No sense. We don’t have time, and they wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.” Now one of my questions was answered—the one Delgado and I had just discussed. “Give the phone to Doran.”

  I wanted to cover everything one more time with the team before he left. “All right, everyone. This is it. Listen up.”

  Once they had gathered at the table, I went over the plan. “Remember, the techs will monitor us from downtown. We all have stations. Stay there! Don’t move until you get the signal. As soon as the kidnappers commit to a direction for Doran, we shift gears.”

  Two guys near the door started talking. I hollered to get their attention. “Keep listening! I know you’re all professionals. These instructions aren’t meant as an insult. I don’t want any cell phones on other than the ones assigned to you. No radios. No reading papers or looking at dirty magazines. No donut runs. If you need to take a piss, take the phone with you or man-dog it. And hurry up.” I looked around. “A young girl’s life is at stake.” I remembered what Lonny said to me not long ago. “Her name is Jada. You’ve got her picture. Take a look at it. Imagine she is your daughter or niece or sister. That’s the goal today—bringing Jada home safe.”

  Everyone was getting up from the table when one of the younger ones asked, “Excuse my ignorance, sir, but what did you mean by ‘man-dog’ it?”

  I leaned in close. “It means piss on the grass or behind a tree.”

  “Like a dog,” one of the older guys said, and laughed like hell.

  “Okay. No questions. We’re outta here.”

  I nodded to Doran. “Good luck, Eddy. And don’t forget to take your own phone. We need to keep in touch.”

  The mood was good as they headed out the door. I liked that. It relieved some of the tension.

  Before leaving, I went to Lucia and Lonny. She was crying. He looked as if he might too at any time. Mars stood behind them for support. “Keep the faith,” I said. “My goal is to bring her back.”

  “I’ll be praying,” Lucia said.

  “Good. You all should.”

  ***

  Doran drove a few miles to Denny’s, parking near the back as instructed. He went inside, casting glances at all the patrons. As far as he knew, one of the kidnappers might be watching him. He asked the hostess for a booth near the back. She seated him, and then a waitress quickly filled a cup with coffee for him and whipped out an order pad.

  “Know what you want, hon?”

  “Not yet. Give me a few minutes.”

  He pretended to scan the menu, but he watched the people around him. He picked up the business section of a newspaper left on the table and started reading, but all the time wondered when the kidnappers would call or contact him. The waitress came back for his order. Doran quickly scanned the menu.

  “Still need time?” she asked.

  He remembered what the caller had said, and even though he didn’t like it, he followed instructions. Maybe it meant something. “Blueberry pancakes with a side of sausage.”

  “Toast?”

  “No thanks.”

  She scooped up the menu, refreshed the coffee, and headed toward the kitchen. Not a minute later, the phone rang.

  “Hello.”

  “Go to the restroom.”

  “Wha
t?”

  “I don’t like repeating things. It makes me suspect you of trickery.”

  “Nothing of the sort. I just—”

  “Go to the restroom. In the trash can you will find a cell phone in a brown bag. Pick it up. Stay on the line with me until you get there.”

  Doran got up and went into the bathroom. As much as he didn’t want to, he removed the trashcan lid and opened up a brown paper bag near the top. A cell phone was inside. “Okay, I got it.”

  “Answer it.”

  The phone rang, and Doran answered. “Hello.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere. Take the phone you came in with and place it in the toilet.”

  “Do what?”

  Doran heard a sigh. “I told you I don’t like repeating things.” The voice on the other end grew louder, more irritated. “Place the original phone in the toilet. Clear?”

  Doran dropped it in the bowl. “Now what?”

  “Now go back out and eat. We’ll be watching. Don’t talk to anyone other than the waitress. Don’t call anyone. We’ll know if you do. One false move, and I will let my sex-starved men have their way with your niece. Clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Say it.”

  “What?”

  “Say, clear. I want to know that you have heard and understood.”

  Doran wanted nothing more than to get hold of this guy and beat his brains out. “Clear.”

  “Good. Enjoy your breakfast. Take your time. When you’re done, go to your car and we’ll call you. I anticipate you should be fifteen more minutes.”

  While waiting for his food, Doran scanned the restaurant, wondering who might be watching. A cook in the back? One of the customers? Someone outside with binoculars? Or was it a bluff? He wanted to take the other cell and call Gino, fill him in on what happened, but…he couldn’t risk it. Not with Jada’s life at stake.

  Doran sipped the last of the bad coffee, took a few bites of the pancakes and sausage, and paid the check. As he walked across the lot on the way to his car, the new cell phone rang. “Hello.”

  “Get on 45 heading south.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Shame on you for asking. Do as I say.”

  Doran got in, started the car, and soon was on the entrance ramp for 45 South. He reached down and got the spare cell from his boot and started to dial Gino. Just then the other phone rang again.