by Matt Lincoln
The expression on her face was priceless and captivating. “That’s it? That’s the only hint?” She unfolded her napkin and placed it delicately in her lap. She took in the room, probably trying to figure out more.
“You’ll just have to be patient, Eve. In the meantime, let’s discuss a little of why we’re here.” I didn’t want to lose sight of the overall mission today, even if my dinner companion was distracting me.
“You’re right! Um, so, let’s start at the beginning.” Eve took a sip of her water and dove in. “After the first emailed ransom note, we had our office track it to its source. They lost it somewhere in China, but I want to clarify that it wasn't where it originated.”
“Lots of encryption and false server intel, I’m guessing.” Xavier had run into something similar.
“Exactly,” she nodded. “So we sent the usual threats of legal action if they didn’t comply, yadda yadda… but I don’t expect that to give us anything valuable. So, I have my legal team tracing and cross-referencing past clients and their ties to anything even remotely related to the Azores.” She pulled out her phone and started to scroll through it. “I had the same thought as you did, to speak to the hospital where Arik was and to try to get some background on Mia.” She took another sip of water and nodded as more patrons entered to dine.
I needed to be very clear before we got too ahead of ourselves. “I want to be upfront about this, Eve, but I don’t think Mia is the key to any of this. This is based on what I saw, but also, in my experience, the whole ‘pretend girlfriend sets up a kidnapping’ doesn’t happen all that often. I want to make sure, just to rule it out, but I see it as a dead-end. I’m just trying to be upfront. Okay?” I wasn’t in the mood to waste time on something I knew wasn’t going to go anywhere.
Eve nodded and started to reply, but our food arrived first. Two large, steaming bowls were placed in front of us by a young man who made way for another young lady with two wine goblets. She poured a ruby wine, smiled at both of us, and let our original waitress take her place for the final offerings at lunch.
“I hope you both enjoy your meal.” She served a delicious smelling wrapped bowl of what I assumed were rolls or bread of some sort. We thanked her, then Eve continued with what she’d started to say beforehand.
“On that note, I think that you should be informed of some of Arik’s past.” She took a spoonful of the soup and melted. “Oh, my God! That’s so good. What’s in it?” She began separating bits to identify them. It was a typical act for tourists and foodies. “I see some kind of fancy rice, lots of tomatoes, a bunch of diverse kinds of fish, I think…”
She took another spoonful and savored it. “Garlic, spices, and… I don’t know! It’s just too good. Forget it. Let me eat.”
I laughed at this and joined her. It was incredibly good. The bread they served had a nice crust with the regional flavors baked into it. As I ladled the soup with the bread, I took this time to look at the woman across the table from me.
I wasn’t yet convinced that she knew what she was doing. I didn’t mean that in a bad way, but I hadn’t met many victim negotiators or brokers like her. After speaking to Judge Fu personally, I would have expected her representative to be more… I don’t know. Maybe just less like Eve.
After Eve had gotten through half of her bowl, she switched to conversation and business. “For the record, I don’t think this girl is involved with the kidnapping either, Mr. Header. I know some of Arik’s past indiscretions, and him ignoring everything his mother wants him to do… well, it’s pretty on point for him.”
She continued, “He’s not a bad kid, but he does let his impulses take over far too much.” She took another roll to dip in the soap. “He’s gotten away with a lot in his seventeen years, and now, unfortunately, it seems to be his pattern. As for Mia, I heard the conversations that Simon Chorley had with the Judge. Arik was head over heels for her and, reading between the lines, she may, may, have been using him to start a new life.”
“What do you mean?” It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a victim blamed for corrupting their partner.
“Mr. Chorley mentioned that Arik had stolen a phone for Mia because she didn’t have one. Also, Simon saw Mia with some of Arik’s personal possessions. A watch, some clothing, that sort of thing. Now, I was a teen once, and I know that boyfriends and girlfriends swapping and sharing clothes and stuff is not uncommon. So, giving her the benefit of the doubt, I’m fine with that.” She seemed to want to make sure that she wasn’t accusing Mia offhand.
“But he did steal the phone for her,” she continued. “I was responsible for clearing the account with the merchants here to avoid prosecution.” She finished her soup and sopped up the last of it with a roll. “The idea of Arik attempting to purchase fake IDs to leave the island, well, that’s a bit of a stretch. I don’t see him thinking that far ahead. If Mia didn’t suggest it, and I know that Simon wouldn’t have, then my bet is that someone else entirely gave him the idea.”
I’d been so focused on the main players in this that I hadn’t even considered yet another person manipulating the situation or Arik. “Do you have any ideas on who?”
“Sure, but I have no proof and barely any evidence to go on. That’s why my first stop was going to be the rehab center. I mean, if a nurse can hook up with a patient and become his girlfriend in a few weeks, then what else is possible?” She raised her dark eyebrows at me, and I really wished that we hadn’t finished lunch so soon.
I paid the tab, left a healthy tip, and together we stepped out into the autumn noon sun. “So, did you have a plan for the hospital, or were you just going to go in there and ‘American Lawyer’ your way into compliance and information?”
Eve laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. “No. I mean, I could! But no, I was just going to be professional and polite and hope for the best. I really don’t have any jurisdiction here, you know.”
“I do know that, but I think I’d like to see Eve Sarabia get her law on and push a few buttons, too.” I gestured her toward the sidewalk nearest the better view of the ocean. The sun danced off the waves, making the water seem to flash and shimmer. There was no reason for her trip to be only memorable for the business end of it. “So, do you want to head back to your hotel, and from there, we’ll drive to Arik’s hospital?”
“It’s a Rehabilitation Center, and yes. I would. Thank you very much.” She offered her arm for me to escort her, and I obliged. No reason that I couldn’t appreciate it, either.
Chapter 11
Jake
The Guerreiro da Graça Center was a big, bland building with painted white brick walls and a newly tiled brown roof. The same white brick barriers surrounded it, reaching six feet tall and encompassing the entire compound. There was one large entry gate that held a guard dressed in a smart uniform with the center’s name emblazoned on it and his name, Julio, below that.
Eve and I approached the gate in the rental car I’d borrowed from Rosa, and I slowed as the guard motioned for us to yield. “Olá. What business brings you to our center today?” He had a nice cadence in his voice, and I could tell by the raspiness of his voice that he used to be a smoker.
Eve leaned over me to address the man. She was closer to me than she’d ever been before, and I didn’t mind it.
“Hello! I have an appointment with Doctors Coelho and LeMieux.” She smiled sweetly at him. “Eve Sarabia. My colleague and I are expected. We had an open meeting today.” She produced a business card that he took and examined.
The guard went back to his station a few feet from the gate to verify. We waited on the outside, viewing the center’s grounds from behind the bars of an expensive and manual entranceway. She remained poised over me so that she could see the guard’s actions.
“You don’t have an appointment, do you?” I muttered into her ear. I could smell a bluff a mile away, and I most certainly knew one when it was only inches from my face.
“No, I do! Sort of.” She glanced u
p at me. Her eyes were so close that I could see the light brown specks amid the dark orbs. That was a view I would not soon forget. “I may have insinuated that I was looking to place a client of mine here, but I do have an appointment.”
The guard returned and unlocked the gate for us. He nodded. “I hope that you have a pleasant visit here today, Ms. Sarabia. The doctor’s assistant will meet you at the foyer.” He tipped his cap to Eve, and she sat back into her seat as I drove on through.
They had divided the lawn up into squares with colorful rocks lining the walkways. As we drove around the perimeter, I could see a few staff wearing beige slacks and crisp white shirts working with and aiding who I assumed were their patients. The patients wore plain tee-shirts with ‘Guerreiro da Graça Center’ printed on the chest in bold, black letters. Some wore knee-length shorts, while others wore what looked like sweatpants. All of it was ivory colored and identical.
“I feel underdressed,” I teased Eve.
“Me, too. But I suppose uniformity has its uses.” She was looking for something, scanning the patients in particular.
“What’s the matter?” I couldn’t help but ask, in case there was more to this that I needed to know.
“Arik mentioned making a friend on his first day. A guy with pigtails.” She peeked over at me and must have realized my confusion. “Two braids. Like an old-time schoolgirl.” Eve mimed it out to show me. “Arik called him Remy, or Renny, I’m not sure. But if we can find him and talk to him, we might get a better story than the one the doctors will tell us.”
“So, you forgot the name but remembered the hairstyle. Interesting.” Whatever worked, I guess.
“A guy in a rehab center with pigtails? Yeah, it stuck out.” She must have found it as entertaining as I did. “From what I got on the weekly phone calls between mother and son, Arik was bored a lot of the time. He and this guy hung out until Arik met Mia, and then this Remy fell off the face of the Earth… not literally.” She amended her last statement with a grin.
“A biased eyewitness to another guy’s love affair. Totally dependable.” I hoped that wasn’t all she had to go on.
We parked in the designated area and got out. The doors to the facility opened, and out walked a small woman with short brown hair. She wore the same beige and white clothing as the rest of the staff, and she had a lanyard full of keys and cards around her neck. She pressed her hand forward as she approached us.
“My name is Marcella, and I’ll be showing you around until Doctor Coelho is available.” We all shook hands politely. “Do either of you need anything before we start the tour, or shall we just begin?”
Eve and I looked at each other, then I answered, “Let’s get into it, shall we?”
Marcella was well practiced at this tour, and it only took me a few minutes to see that. Every word out of her mouth had been carefully chosen and emphasized to put potential clients and caregivers at ease about the center. It was a good pitch, but I found myself wondering what Arik had felt about it.
We walked on the sanded paths and stopped to admire the garden plots and foliage that the patients tended themselves. Marcella must have meant that as a selling mark because she mentioned it a lot. I supposed it was part of her job to point out the finer features of what the rehabilitation facility could offer. It wasn’t only about addiction treatment, but a sense of accomplishment, as well.
Eve played her part well and asked all the right questions. “What kind of influence do the staff here play in their daily treatment? That is, I assume that Orderlies and Nurses make up a higher percentage of contact in day-to-day interaction.” She gave me a fake, knowing look. “My client has been known to bribe and beg staff for favors and special treatment. I just want to make sure that wouldn’t be a problem here.”
“I assure you, Ms. Sarabia, our staff is highly trained, and they all go through extensive preparation to maintain our standards of care and therapy.” Marcella let a pall fall over her face, though. “In any rare or extreme cases of interpersonal relationships that breach our code of ethics, the staff members are reprimanded and are usually let go from employment. Family or caregivers are notified immediately, and we provide every measure to ease the client back into normalcy.”
“That’s so good to hear.” Eve placed her hand on Marcella’s arm, drawing her in. “You have no idea how often that is a concern with my clientele. Thank you.” Eve stepped away and took in the passing patients and staff walking by us. “May I… Would it be permissible for my colleague and me to speak with a few of the patients here? Just to have an eyewitness perspective?”
When she said that word, I scanned the oncoming group of people headed our way. There he was, a heavyset guy with long braids and a bored look on his face. He trudged along like a scolded child not allowed to leave his parent’s side. Eve didn’t even wait for Marcella’s answer. She stepped right up to the guy and spoke to him.
“Hello, I was wondering if you could tell me a little about the center. About the kind of people that you get to know and make friends with? I’m Eve, by the way, and you are?” She got super close and whispered something only he could hear after her first pronouncement.
The guy’s eyes got wide, and he stared at me as Marcella ushered Eve onto the next part of the tour. “I’m afraid that we really don’t allow outsiders to address any of our patients without the doctors’ expressed permission. If you would, please? We should check on Doctor Coelho. He should be back from lunch any minute.”
I glanced from Eve to the braid guy, then followed the women. Not long after, Eve and I took our seats in a musty smelling waiting room with minimal air circulation or lighting. One wall had a bookcase filled with histories of the area and mental, physical, and emotional health books. We sat on a couch that creaked loudly when one of us even thought about moving. A single chair sat in the center of the room with two very antiquated standing lamps on either side of it.
Another wall had colored glass windows that needed cleaning. Two doors led in and out, and it was the one on the right that I watched. It was made of dark, stained wood, and the handle and lock looked too old to function anymore. We’d entered through the one behind us, and it was practically space-age comparatively.
Once we were left alone, I asked Eve, “What’s the plan?”
“Well, I will stay here and talk to the doctor while you, um… need a bathroom break?” Eve sounded optimistically clueless. “Or you could have left something in the car? That you need to… bring in?”
“You are terrible at this.” I placed a hand on her shoulder and rose off the couch with a sly grin to let her know that I was only joking.
“I know!” Her eyes filled with hope as I checked the older door.
I assessed the handle and found it unlocked. Cautiously, I cracked it open and peered inside. “It’s empty. But I see another door opposite. Want me to investigate?” I turned back to Eve, who nodded vigorously at me.
“I’ll use the bathroom excuse and then, maybe, that you weren’t feeling well and went back to the car. Does that sound good?” She was overthinking this. “I mean, it sounds plausible, right?”
“Completely,” I reassured her. I had faith in my abilities to get myself out of any difficult position I might get into. “We’ll meet back at the car, no matter what. Give it, forty minutes at the most?” I glanced at my watch and took note of the time.
“Forty minutes,” Eve checked her wristwatch. “Sure, no problem.”
“See you soon.” I winked and vanished into the empty room. It was clean. They hadn’t let dust gather or anything like that. The walls were bare and painted dark, and the floor had a very odd texture to it as I walked. It took me a second or two to figure it out.
The floor had those rubber tiles that people used for kid’s playrooms. They looked like puzzle pieces, all interlocking with each other. There was no color pattern that I could discern, just a bunch of random tiles to cover the ground. It was an odd detail for a place named the “Warrior of
Grace” rehab center.
There was light streaming in through two plain windows with ornamental bars on the inside which was another strange feature. I saw no pictures, no furniture, nothing in here. It was just an empty room with bizarre decorating choices. The door leading out of the room was the same as the modern type used before, like all the previous doors. I listened carefully for any noises on the other side of the door, and, hearing no voices, I quietly turned the handle.
The door led directly to a hallway with an ‘Exit’ sign and a door not ten feet from me. The small window above the handle showed that it would take me back outside. Eve and I had only left there a couple of minutes ago, so I hoped that the guy with the braids would still be out on the lawn area.
It hit me right then that I’d forgotten to ask what Eve had whispered to the guy earlier. I had to hope that it was something to get his attention and maybe, just maybe, give us an edge when it came time to talk to the guy. As I exited the building, I could see staff and patients milling about and going about what I assumed was their routine.
I took out my phone, turned off the ringer, and faked to be on a call. People were less likely to interrupt you if you were carrying on a meaningful and quiet conversation, I’d observed. As long as I looked busy and involved, I stood a better chance of gathering passive intel.
I found the group from earlier that the braid guy was a part of. He saw me coming and made some very obvious gestures for me to meet him over by a tree. The staff didn’t seem to mind him walking off, so I followed his lead and tried to be inconspicuous. I leaned against the tree and kept ‘talking’ on the phone.
“Is Arik okay? Where is he?” The guy asked. His voice was scratchy and hoarse. He also leaned against the tree on the opposite side, which wouldn’t have fooled anyone.
“He will be okay if you help me. Can you tell me anything about his time here?” I nodded and smiled as a patient walked by me.