by P. Thompson
Bo came in the door with bags of Mickey D’s in hand and the smell was over whelming. ”Thought you guy might be hungry.” There were hamburgers and French fries and milk shakes to go around. Loraine came in and sat down with us and we spread the wealth.
Bo looked up at the murder board and said, “What the hell is that picture?”
So Roy and I explained our morning to him.
Roy had put a bell on the door out front so if Loraine wasn’t at her desk she would know when someone came in. And sure as God made little green apple before she could even take the first bite the bell rang. Bo held up his hand and said, “I’ll get it, go ahead and eat.”
He came back in in a few minutes with Girl Scout Cookies and a grin from ear to ear. He held up a box of chocolate mint cookies and said, “Dessert.” Not sure how well that was going to go with the milk shakes, but hey, it was all good with me.
After we ate Loraine tried the GPS again but there was nothing. Tank came in with his K9 dog, Butch, and sat down and munched on some fries.
“You guys getting anywhere with the Martinez case?” He asked.
Roy took the time to explain the pass few days and the frustration of this morning’s raid on the house. He shook his head and said, “If I had a piece of the Rojas girls’ clothing me and Butch here might be able to help.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Max is at the house right now with his men. If they don’t find anything we’ll give you a call and let you have a whack at it.” Roy said.
With that we broke up the lunch time gang and everyone went in different direction. There wasn’t much left to do right then, so I headed out to Tony and Mick’s place.
******
As I headed down Possum Hollow Road I decided to stop in and see Tom and Mary Clanton. Tom was out with his chickens and Mary was knitting something while sitting on the front porch. She saw my Jeep coming and was up waving before I even got there. Tom stopped what he was doing and came to open the door for me.
“Howdy there girl, we haven’t seen you in some time. Where you been keeping yourself?” He asked.
“Working Tom. I came this way to see Tony and find out about the colors for the wedding.
“Yep, I understand you’re going to stand up with Tony. Strange, I never heard of a Best Girl before.”
“Times are a changing Tom. I hope the weather stays on the warmer side with it being on the back deck.” I told him.
By this time Mary had made it out to the Jeep and had a big hug for me. “We miss seeing you around here. How is everybody?”
“We’re good, Mary. Working a new murder case and it’s taking up a lot of our time.”
“I understand that Jeff is giving the bride away, and you’re stand up with Tony. Going to be a big day and I’m looking forward to it.”
We talked for a while and I got caught up on all the family things and heard about Tom’s new chickens he’s raising, Silkies they’re called.
I left and headed on down the road to Tony and Mick’s place. Tony had been working on a home for he and Melonie for some time and it looked like it had finally been completed. Tony was out front of it putting up the front porch light when I got there. He turned and saw me pull in and dropped what he was doing and came to the Jeep. He opened the door and pulled me out whooping and hollowing with kisses all over my face.
“Boy, you better watch out or Melonie will have my hind.” I told him.
“Naw, she’s up in Nashville picking out a wedding dress and won’t be back till dark. You know how she loves to shop.”
“Speaking of wedding dress, what are you guys colors so I know what to buy for the wedding in a way of a dress?”
“No need to buy, Melonie’s got your dress here and the lady at the dry cleaners will do the altering for you. You just have to go by with the dress and get it done, soon.”
“Well okay then I guess I had better get that dress while I’ve got a few minutes and get to the dry cleaners.” I told him.
I got my dress, a deep purple off the shoulder thing and headed to the dry cleaners. Riley saw me on my way in and got her pins cushion and had me go to the back and slip it on. The only thing she had to do to it was take up the length. I’m on the shorter side and so everything I buy needs a new hem line.
“Well that was easy.” She said. “Be ready tomorrow after three.”
I put my vest back on and attached the radio to it. My jacket was in the Jeep so I used the vest for the radio.
“How is your murder case coming?” She asked spitting out straight pin and putting them back in the cushion.
“Slower than I thought it would be. You never know when we’ll get a break.”
I was headed back when my cell rang and it was Loraine. “What have you got for me?” I asked her.
“GPS is up and it’s at the duplex. I’ve got Lyle and Dean headed that way.”
I hung up without answering her and headed that way myself. I didn’t even ask if Roy was on the way. I have no siren, but I do have a bubble for the roof and I got it working and was gone. I was blasting my horn and swerving in and out of cars till I got on the outskirts of Little Mexico. Lyle and Dean were coming from the opposite direction and we sort of met in the middle. The black car with the funny tires was parked out front with the motor running and the front door to the duplex wide open. The crime scene tape had been torn down and we could hear someone inside slamming things around.
Dean went to the back and Lyle and I approached the front door. He on one side and me on the other. I peered inside to see a Hispanic kid going through the kitchen drawers. I had my gun pointed at him and said, “You’re not going to find anything in them drawers. FBI has all your drugs. Put your hands on your head and get on your knees.”
With that he turned and headed out the back kitchen door, right into the arms of Officer Dean. Who slammed him to the ground and put cuffs on him before he knew what hit him. By the time Lyle and I got to the back of the duplex he was reading him his rights.
“Where’s Raymond?” I asked him.
He pleaded no English. They all say that. I got on the radio and asked where Bo was and found him in the office with the sheriff. I let Loraine know that we were bringing in a Hispanic youth who spoke no English and I needed him to stay put. Dean and Lyle put him in the squad car and I locked up the duplex and turned the motor off on the car. I locked it up also and was headed to the office.
Before I got out from the duplex Ms. Nelson flagged me down. She was holding her little dog and he was squirming away to get to me.
“I tried calling you, but the lady at the sheriff’s office said you were on your way. He’s only been here a little while. I was afraid you wouldn’t get here in time. I had thought about putting a hole in one of his tires.”
“That’s not a good idea, but thanks. I need to get back to the sheriff’s office and interview this kid. Have you ever seen this one around here before?” I asked her.
“No, never, he’s a new one on me.” She said.
I said good-by and I laid down a bit of rubber leaving the scene.
Chapter Ten
By the time I made it back to the office, Bo had taken him to the jail and had him in interrogation. I don’t do interrogations; I leave that to those who know what they are doing. Bo was one of those who knew what and how to do it better than most. I walked over to the jail and got in the observation booth to watch the master at work. The kid was scared. I’m not sure of who or what, but he was scared of something. My best guess was he was scared to death of Raymond and this kid was never going to talk.
I got on my cell and had the wrecker crew go pick up the black car at the duplex. I told them I had the keys and where I was at. The new garage was finished and had been named for the two who were killed last year in the explosion. The wrecker was new and hadn’t even got a scratch on it yet. Insurance paid for it all and what a break for the town that was; we didn’t have to lay out a penny.
I watched Bo work for a while an
d then left for the office. There was paper work to be done and Dean and Lyle was ahead of me on that. Bubba came in and shook his head. “I can’t find anything out on Mr. Alvarez’s sister. Nobody will talk to me about her or any of it.” He said
“Lyle is going to talk with Mr. Mendez after dark tonight. Maybe something will come out from that conversation.” I let Bubba know. “Her first name is Mercy. I found that out from Ms. Nelson. I’m betting she lives somewhere near where the rest of the Mexicans live. It’s just a matter of finding out where.”
“That’s the thing, the finding out when no one will talk to you, too damn scared.”
“Do you blame them? The whole neighborhood has been terrorized from these guys.”
“Has Max got back to you after going through that house out there?”
“No and I need to call him. I’ve been out of contact for part of the afternoon.”
I dug out my cell and gave him a ring. The guy who answered said he wasn’t in just then and he would have him call me. So I tried his cell and it went to voice mail.
It was beginning to cool off outside and the heater in the lobby with Loraine was feeling mighty good about then.
“Hey Loraine, how did you like the house out on Possum Hollow Road?” I asked her.
“I love it out there and Mick is going to teach me ride if Roy doesn’t get around to it. We close on the place next week.”
“That’s great! So glad you like it out in the country. Roy was afraid you being a city girl you wouldn’t.”
“I know, he told me, but I do love it out there. It’s so quiet and peaceful except for the coyotes.”
“I like to listen to them howl. As long as they stay on the mountain side and not down in the valley.” I told her.
My cell rang and I checked the ID. It was Max.
“Hey, did you find anything?”
“You bet we did. You got him good. His prints and DNA are all over the place along with several other males, plus the Rojas girl’s prints and DNA is there too.”
“That’s great! Has it been put into evidence yet?”
“All signed, sealed and delivered.” He said.
“By the way, we have a wedding to go to on Saturday. Tony and Melonie are getting married on the back deck at Mick’s place. If you’re free that is?”
“What time?”
“You know, I didn’t ask. Guess I had better do that as I’m standing up for Tony.”
“That would be a good idea.” He laughed.
******
Cindy came in and I hadn’t realized it was that late. Loraine filled her in on what went on during the day and Loraine left. Cindy asked about our day and I told her what all had gone on. The sheriff came out of his office and said good night and left. Cindy pulled out some knitting and began to work it.
“I didn’t know you knew how to knit.” I told her.
“Miss Massie taught me when I was living out there with her. It gets quiet here at night, unless there’s a horse show in town, and I get a lot done on whatever I’m working on.”
“Halloween is coming so it won’t be very quiet then.” Bubba told her.
Bo came through the door shaking his head and said, “We are never going to get a thing out of that kid, not even his name. He’s so scared of Raymond he would go to his death rather than talk. He’s signed into the jail for the night and he’ll see the judge in the morning. I’ve talked with the DA and asked she hold out on any bail. Let’s keep him close at hand just in case he has a change of heart,” Bo said.
Suddenly there was a popping noise on the street and our front door shattered. Cindy hit the floor and so did we. We pulled our weapons as we crawled to the door, then another round of gun fire came through the other door. (We had double doors on the front of the lobby.) I had glass in my hair and Bo had a cut above his eye. Not bad, but it bled a lot at first. I shook my hair out and got to Bo with a paper towel that was on the couch. I put pressure on his cut and Bubba called for backup. By the time they got here it was all over with. I put a butterfly on Bo’s cut and then called Scott Mallard. He did our window replacements.
“Hey Scott, we need you,” I told him.
“What happen, someone take out your windows at The Table again?”
“Nope, it’s at the sheriff’s office, both front doors,” I told him.
“I’ve got plywood in the shop and I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
He was good to his word and had us fixed up within an hour.
“It’ll take a couple of days for the glass to come in. Speaking of glass, you still have some in your hair.”
I shook my head and pieces fell out on the desk. Cindy came over and looked through my hair for anymore and found none. With my hair pulled back in a ponytail, most of the glass stayed on top.
As we swept up the glass, the sheriff barreled through the door. “What the hell happened here? I just left to go get something to eat and heard it on the radio. I was all the way in Coffee County.”
“I do believe that Raymond doesn’t like us taking his car nor his friend.” I told him.
He looked at Bo and examined his eye. “You need to go to the hospital and have a stitch put in that.” He told him.
“I’ll be alright,” Bo said.
“I said go get a stitch tonight. It’s a matter of insurance, workman’s comp and all, you know the rules.”
Now Bo hates needles, he would rather take a beating than get stuck by a needle.
“I’ll hold your hand.” I told him with a laugh.
“Kiss my ass!” He said, and then walked out the wooden doors.
Bubba found another small piece of glass in my ponytail and picked it out.
The sheriff looked at me and said, “Go home and wash your hair. Get all that glass out before you get cut too. Sam and Hank are on tonight, I’m going to get them to come stay here with Cindy in case any more shots are fired.”
“Good call, I’m leaving now. See you guys in the morning.” I walked out and climbed into my Jeep and headed home.
******
At home Ming was sitting on the couch with her back leg extended giving it a good wash. She looked up at me as I walked in and her look said, ‘It’s about time you came home.’ She hopped off the couch and came howling into the kitchen as I fixed her wet food and refreshed her water bowl. I was hungry too and found some farm fresh eggs in the fridge and a slab of bacon. Sounded like breakfast for supper.
With supper taken care of I locked my front door and headed to the shower when I noticed the blinking red light on my answering machine. I figured it was a teller marketer but I had better answer it just in case. There were three messages on the phone and the fourth was no teller marketer.
“Listen bitch, you’re going to die if you don’t stay out of my business. You got me?”
Well yeah, I think I got you buddy, but that ain’t going to happen. There was no number from where he had called, it had been starred sixty-nine. I left it on the recorder so that Max could tape it off for a voice print. The more this guy does the more he’s hanging himself. A threat on a police officer will get you good time up state.
I headed for the shower and a good night’s sleep, only the guy next door had a rooster who didn’t know day from night and he cock-a-doodle-doed all night. I need to turn him in to animal control first thing tomorrow.
******
Morning brought a cold wind right off an iceberg. I dressed warm and fed Ming then I headed out the door. I stopped by The Table for something to eat then off to the office. Lyle was waiting for me in the conference room with his notebook opened and ready for me to ask questions. Bo was in the kitchen getting a cup of cop coffee, I pass, and then he joined us at the table. Our conference room had once been a back storage room of this three-bedroom house the sheriff’s department took over as their home. I cleaned out the storage room and set it up as a conference room rather than we keep meeting in the kitchen. The sheriff found funding for the table and chairs along wi
th a computer and monitoring set-up. We are right up town for a back woods department.
“Okay Lyle, tell us what you found out last night at Mr. Mendez’s house.” I asked him.
“I went by late, around nine-thirty, and met him in the back yard. I parked two blocks away and walked down the alleyway as not to let anyone see me coming or going. I knocked on the back door and his wife gave me the one minute finger so I stood on the back porch and waited. Mr. Mendez came out and we sat on the steps leading up to the porch. He said that Mercy was his wife’s second cousin and that she thought that Mr. Alvarez and family along with his sister had taken refuse in St. Michael’s Catholic Church. The priest there is Monsignor Salazar, he’s from Honduras. He’s been the priest there for about four years and really good friends with the Alvarez’. His wife says that there is a part of the church with meeting rooms along with a kitchen and shower facilities. She thinks they have set up a sleeping room for the family as a safe haven. He doesn’t know if the priest will let you talk with them or even acknowledge that the family is even there. The Rojas’ are planning on going back to Mexico as soon as Tonya is released from the hospital. That’s about all I have from him at this point. I gave him my card and told him if he found out anything more, just to give me a call.”
“Great job Lyle. Bo and I will follow up on you lead and see if the good priest will talk with us.”
“You had better take a car that no one has ever seen before. Raymond has eyes and ears everywhere according to Mr. Mendez.” Lyle told me.
“Maybe I can borrow Ralph’s truck. It looks like it belongs in that neighborhood. Oh, and by the way, I had a message on my answering machine that was a threat from Raymond that I should butt out of his business or die, bitch!”
“Turn that tape over to Max and let him get a voice print off of it. Good for court.” Bo said.