“Yes. Now can you two shut up while I land this thing? Swear, I prefer having Juliette with me. She knows how to not ask so many questions.”
Probably because she was there when everything went down, Jo thought but bit down on her tongue to keep from voicing.
From the plane, Joseph herded them to an SUV that wasn’t as nearly nice as the one he had driven them around in San Lucas. This one was older with several dents in the sides and was tan instead of black. He waved to the guy in the hanger before he hopped behind the wheel of the car and pulled onto another dirt road filled with potholes. Within a few minutes, they were heading down a dusty road with a view of the city ahead.
“Won’t your friend park the plane?”
“No. It’s Mick’s nephew. He’ll leave it alone, and we’ll be back to take off in a few hours.”
Jo fell silent and let Joseph focus on the insane drivers as they wove deeper into Mexico City. Finally they stopped at a nondescript building. It looked like a million other government buildings, gray and drab.
They entered the lobby, and Joseph pointed to uncomfortable looking plastic chairs in gray and white while he went to the receptionist’s desk. The gray theme found its way into the building with the only splashes of color in the flags on either side of the entrance, and Mexico’s emblem etched into the tiles. Even the receptionist was dressed in monochrome with her black hair in a twist.
Fifteen minutes later a secretary dressed in a brilliant red flared pants suit called for Mr. Smith and led them into the bowels of the building. The splash of color was easy to follow in the sea of brown, gray, black, and navy blue.
Two elevator rides and a security checkpoint later they reached a well-appointed office. The Mexican flag hung on a gold stand in the corner behind the beautiful desk and plush leather chair. Matching wine-colored visitor chairs flanked the front of the desk with a couch and a coffee table to the right. Everything blended together into a look that spoke of money and power.
A distinguished man with more salt than pepper in his brush cut hair rounded the desk. His handlebar mustache was well-groomed and accented his pearl white teeth as he grinned. “Mr. Smith, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
“You as well, Commissioner Hernandez.” Joseph turned. “This is my daughter Josephine, and the Interpol Agent I told you about, Ian Blair.”
“I can see the resemblance,” Commissioner Hernandez said as he kissed Jo on both cheeks. “It is nice to meet you, Agent Blair. Mr. Smith speaks highly of you.”
Ian smiled. “Thank you, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, even under these circumstances.”
“Dreadful. I would never have pictured a woman so young capable of so much death.” He gestured to the small sitting area to the side. “Mr. Smith said you had proof she killed Mexican citizens?”
“We do.” Ian pulled out the file and handed it to the commissioner. “These are all originals I had my agency gather them for each victim since we didn’t know where Lucy Appleton had fled to. I like to have all my bases covered when we finally track a fugitive down.”
Commissioner Hernandez grunted in agreement, but his eyes roved over the documents, pausing on each birth certificate before moving on. “We can include the victim in Canada as well since the father was Mexican, and the mother was from Canada. I have already talked to my contact there.”
Jo nibbled on her thumbnail as she waited to see if the man really would help them keep Lucy here or if she needed to call her captain to begin the paperwork to extradite her to the States.
Commissioner Hernandez set the file on the coffee table with a thump. “It looks like everything is in order. Now let us see this prisoner.”
Relieved, Jo’s tense muscles relaxed. She hoped they had the right person in prison. The motley group left through a door at the back of the office. Joseph in black, Jo in a navy-blue sundress, Ian in his beach look, and the commissioner in an olive-green suit. The elevator they shuffled into required a keycard and a code before it would descend. Then they were in a larger SUV while the commissioner’s driver wove through streets with businesses and restaurants that slowly morphed into squat, dilapidated buildings with tired, angry people. The longer they rode, the more depressed she felt.
On the way, Joseph and the commissioner talked their conversation in rapid-fire Spanish too fast for Jo to follow more than a few words here and there. It was enough to put together the conversation as Joseph explained to the commissioner that if it were up to him, he’d leave the woman here and never have contacted anyone, but his daughter was involved with the investigation. Which made the two men laugh about family complicating an uncomplicated situation. She had no problem leaving Lucy there if it was actually Lucy the Mexican police had caught.
However, Jo wanted answers. Why had Lucy snapped? What had made her leave Mark alone for almost a year before slaughtering him then going on a rampage?
Joseph half-turned to face Jo in the back bench. “You’ll do all the talking. As far as I’m concerned, it’s solved. Ian only needs a positive ID, and he can let the various departments know that she’s here.”
“Which I don’t need to talk to her for,” Ian chimed in.
“You did all this for me?” Jo asked touched her dad knew her so well.
“Unlike us, you need to know why. Me? I don’t give a crap why she killed those people. She did it and should be in the deepest hellhole that can be found. Unfortunately, she didn’t flee to China or Thailand.”
“Is not that the truth, my friend.” The commissioner chortled.
He spoke good English, but as with most foreigners the finer nuances of the wording got mixed up. At least Jo could understand him, but she didn’t get the joke. “China’s prisons are bad?”
Joseph snorted. “They make a used sewer drain look like the Ritz Carlton.”
“Oh.”
“But like I said, she didn’t go there.” He huffed, his brows pulled into a V.
“No worries, my friend. We will put her someplace that she will want to escape in no time.” The commissioner clapped Joseph on the shoulder in sympathy.
Within a half an hour they pulled up to a women’s prison. Instead of bars, the outside of the building had a stone latticework where a child’s hand would have trouble fitting through. The tan building was small, depressing, and stank of sweat and fear.
Rapid-fire Spanish Jo had no hope of following was exchanged with the two armed men at the front before they were led into a cinderblock room with a warped wooden table and two chairs positioned on either side of the table.
Lucy was shoved in, and the door clanged shut behind her. She looked awful, pallid and unkept. Her honey brown hair hung in greasy hanks as if it had not been washed in days. Scrapes and a bruise on her cheek showed she’d already been in an altercation. Expecting to see defeat or some form of begging. Jo was surprised at how calm and composed the murderer was, her demeanor was icy and superior. Until she looked into Lucy’s brown eyes. Deep rage burned in her eyes.
“What can I do for you?” Butter wouldn’t melt in Lucy’s mouth.
Jo arched a brow. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop in see how you were doing.” She raked her gaze over the dirty, pockmarked walls and dirt floor. “I also wanted to see your cozy accommodations.”
“Now that you know I’m here, you have to extradite me to the States,” Lucy smirked as she settled in the chair across from Jo.
“Oh, I don’t think so. See, you raced down here to hide. What you didn’t realize was I have eyes everywhere and friends everywhere.” She pointed to the three men behind her to prove her point. “My friends were just as determined to find a serial killer as I was. They wanted you tucked away to save innocent lives.”
“Innocent?” Derision dripped from Lucy’s tone as her gaze frosted. “They deserved i
t. They were traitors! My boyfriend. He deserved to be tortured before dying, but I didn’t have time.”
She shivered as Lucy talked about killing Mark and the rest as if she were discussing the weather. “He left not only the clan we created, but me. And for what?” Lucy slammed her palms on the table the first crack to form through her icy exterior. “So he could experience college to the fullest. Fuck him. He made me a laughingstock. Now who’s laughing?”
Jo leaned toward Lucy and drove her point home. “Me. Because you didn’t take into account the people you killed. Two of your victims were Mexican citizens. Their government tends to get pissy when they’re killed.”
“Bullshit. I never killed in Mexico, it’s why I came here.”
“Technically you’re right. However, I didn’t say you killed anyone in Mexico, I said you killed their citizens. The guy you killed in Michigan was from here. He was studying agriculture and infrastructure in Michigan. The second person you killed in Georgia, she was from Mexico too.” Jo allowed her predatory smile to form. She wanted to gloat and pump her fists. Do a victory dance. Instead, she gave Lucy a grin filled with so many sharp edges, it was a wonder the woman didn’t bleed. “So you screwed up.”
Lucy’s face paled, and a light appeared in her eyes as if she finally realized she wouldn’t be leaving with Jo. “You still have to take me to the States. I’m a US citizen.”
“Maybe,” Jo shrugged, not bothered any longer about the legalities. It didn’t matter because she knew for a fact Lucy would pay. “But then again, maybe not since you’re an international serial killer. Once we have your fingerprints and DNA, we’ll tie you in with all the murders. Who knows? Maybe China or Russia will win the bidding war on which country wants your sick ass.” Jo hitched a thumb at Joseph. “After he told me about China’s prisons, I’m really hoping they win in getting you.”
“No! You can’t do that!” Lucy stood, her hands outstretched as if to grab Jo’s arm and not let her go.
Expecting the move, Jo stayed just out of reach. “You almost killed Evan. If I hadn’t gotten there, you would have killed him, Lisa, and my husband’s brother,” Jo snarled. She slammed the flat of her palms on the table as she stood and faced off on the woman that had almost cost Jo her family. “I’m done. If you want a change of venue, I’d suggest talking to your embassy and see if they give a shit, because I’m not a federal employee. I’m on my honeymoon and happened to hear the good news.” Jo spun on her heel and headed for the door. Commissioner Hernandez knocked.
The slide of the bolt from the outside was drowned out by Lucy’s screams as her composure crumbled. Jo had no sympathy. This woman had brought death and destruction to so many lives and had infiltrated Jo’s family. She’d befriended Arabelle and Rian. Made Jo trust her. Now Jo wanted the woman to pay for all the pain she’d caused.
Joseph and Ian followed her as she swept out of the room, leaving behind a hysterical killer. When the door clanged shut behind them the sound of crying and sobbing promises abruptly cut off as if a mute button had been hit.
“You know your country will try to extradite her.” The commissioner said.
“Not my problem. I just wanted to make sure it was Lucy in the flesh. Then I wanted to ask you to let Ian gather the DNA samples we need and her fingerprints so we can cross our T’s and dot our I’s. Otherwise, I’m on my honeymoon, and this was just an identity check so I can tell my captain to take those cases off our books.”
“Thank you Joseph, and Commissioner, for your help with this.” Ian grinned. “I’ll contact the concerned parties personally on where Lucy is being held. If any want to extradite her, I can help them navigate the appropriate paperwork and channels.”
The commissioner ordered a cab for Joseph and Jo back to the federal building to pick up their SUV, while he took Ian to talk with the guards about the DNA swab and fingerprints.
Ian remained in Mexico City to settle the case while Joseph flew Jo back to Cabo. It felt as if a twenty-pound boulder had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how much she’d worried about Lucy coming after her family until she saw the killer across the table in shackles. It hit her that Jo hadn’t rested a full night without triple checking the locks and alarms and even then, she’d been up before everyone else to make sure no one would walk into an ambush.
It was over, and she could relax now that everyone she loved was safe.
“I know Lucy’s been captured and it’ll go a long way at putting Rian and Evan at ease. But I was worried about you and Rhys traveling down here without protection, so I got you a Sig.” Joseph pointed toward Jo’s lap. “It’s under your seat.”
Heart thumping, Jo bent over and found a beat-up lunchbox. “Dad? What the hell am I going to do with a gun?”
“When you leave, put the lunchbox under your bed with the gun in it. Someone I trust will pick it up and make it disappear.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need this.”
“Yeah, ya do. You want to travel to one of those ruins and a few other places that attract unsavory people. Especially groups that pull the kidnap for ransom scam.” Joseph was calm in the face of Jo’s utter disbelief. “Rhys is rich. You’re a cop. Both of you are American. Any of those is a recipe for trouble outside the US. If something happened, wouldn’t you rather be armed to defend yourself and Rhys or would you rather hope everything will work out your way?”
“But a gun?”
“Why not? You know how to use one. Hell, Carl made sure you were familiar with several, so I know you can handle the Sig.” He rubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “Look, if it were me, I’d rather have one and not need it as need one and not have it.”
“Fine. What should I do if your friend the commissioner’s men are chasing me?” she asked setting the lunchbox next to her purse.
“In what realm of reasoning would the police be chasing you?”
“I don’t know, but what if they were?” Could she keep the gun? Would her father’s contact shield her from any repercussions?
“Ditch the gun.” He threw one hand up.
Good to know where that line was. So the commissioner wouldn’t be able to help her if that happened. “And if it’s the bad guys?”
“Use the gun and get the hell outta there.”
“Got it. Ditch the gun and grab a tamale if it’s the cops. Shoot and run if it isn’t.”
“God, you’re a wiseass like Karma. I should’ve known. But quit mangling the Godfather. I like that movie.” He released his first smile since picking her up hours ago.
Jo laughed at having cracked her dad.
“By the way, since we’re talking about dangerous situations. You remember the Skinned case?”
“Won’t be forgetting that case in my lifetime.” She still woke in a panic, reaching for Rhys in the dead of night. Until she ran her hands over his body looking for wounds and listened to his heart, she couldn’t go back to sleep.
“Remember Trunk Guy?”
“Yeah,” Jo remembered nicknaming the guy when he dove into a trunk to escape her. “He did a lot of threatening, but I guess he wasn’t as connected as we thought.”
“That’s technically not true. Juliette and I took care of the men his uncle sent. And after explaining everything to our handler, we were given permission to take care of the uncle.”
“By take care of, you actually mean kill him?” Jo’s stomach bottomed out. Her little sister and father had killed people for her. He had done it once before when she had been kidnapped and left in a refrigerator to die. But that had been personal and done the second Maddy contacted Joseph. This had been strategic and planned through his actual work. Which meant he had gone to his handler and presented a logical case to put a target on someone’s back. “Wait. Trunk Guy sent men to kill us? Who us? Me and Sullivan? Or our families?”
“Yes, we killed the man heading up the organization. And the contract was for you, Sullivan, and both of your families. Including Elle, Rhys, and Rian.”
“Jesus.” Bile rose to the back of her throat. She hadn’t known they were still in danger. Trunk Guy had been arrested, and Jo had thought that was the end of it when nothing else had happened after a month. “But the uncle ran everything from Russia.”
“I know. It took us months to get him and his most trusted associates so you and Rhys would be safe.”
Jo’s shoulders slumped. This man continued to watch out for her. How she ever thought he’d left her when she was born was a mystery. “Thanks, Dad. Can you tell me about it?”
“Sure.”
The rest of the flight was spent with her asking questions and him answering. It was a level of trust she never thought to have with her biological father. And a gift she’d treasure, she needed to be sure never to break his trust as she might not get it back.
~ ~ ~
Jo listened with half an ear to Rian on the other end of her cell as he rambled on about how Evan was doing and what Maddy, Carl, and Lisa had done that day. And had she heard that Joseph had gotten Lucy arrested?
A bright sun hung high in the cloudless blue sky, beating warmth into her skin barely covered in the bright blue and gold bikini she’d worn for Rhys. The turquoise water of the ocean rolled across the white sand in front of her as she lounged in one of the chairs the resort had nestled together.
Not many had come down yet, so they had the beach to themselves for the moment. She was glad. Otherwise she’d be beating women off Rhys. He drew them like bees to honey whenever they went anywhere. Not that Jo could blame them, her man was gorgeous.
Damn, the ocean was put on this earth just for him to walk out of. Rhys emerged from the water, and Jo stared, riveted, noting every movement as if in slow motion.
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