“As I said, no one knows what is in boxes,” Abuela said.
“No, hermana,” Whitehorse insisted. “What’s in these boxes, here in the storage shed?”
Abuela frowned, looking across the shed at Lena and the table, and then turning back to Whitehorse.
“Do you think I’m blind, hermano? Plastic bags. These boxes are full of plastic bags. You can see that as well as I can.”
“And what’s in the plastic bags, Abuela?” Lena asked.
“I do not know. Glittery things. Secrets,” Abuela said.
“You see?” Whitehorse faced Lena and stretched both arms out to the side. “We’ll drive back to Tres Palomas tomorrow. No one will think anything.”
“I don’t think so.” A deep voice startled all three of them.
Turning toward the doorway, Whitehorse lashed out verbally at the tall silhouette that filled the frame.
“What do you mean you ‘don’t think so,’ Hector?” Whitehorse said. “My sister has nothing to do with any of this.”
“You should have thought about that before you brought her out here,” Hector said. “I don’t invest this much into anything without protecting my interests.” He faced Lena. “Did you sort those shipments to go out to the other trading posts?”
“Yes,” Lena said, flipping through a few sheets on her clipboard. “Everything is ready: three shipments to go up north to Shiprock, Farmington and Tucumcari, plus four down to Lordsburg, Deming, Mesilla and Santa Teresa.” She set the paperwork down and looked up at Hector. “You know, you should really let me do the packing and shipping myself, instead of having those two creepy assistants of yours do it. It’s all ready to go once I finish the inventory and divide it between trading posts. You should give me the key to the closet of shipping supplies.” Lena gestured to a small door in a back corner, confident and bossy. “And we should use UPS. Your delivery guys spend a lot on gas, not to mention using cash for that. You could at least give them a credit card.”
“I thought we were only selling these pieces here,” Whitehorse said. “Is this why you have all this stock?” He took a step toward Hector, but stopped as the bookie pulled a knife out of his belt.
“We’re done, Whitehorse,” Hector said calmly. “You’ve been a waste of my time from the start. I should have put an end to this as soon as I got my hands on your property.”
“You’ve made plenty of money off me,” Whitehorse pointed out.
Hector laughed. “A drop in the bucket, trust me. Nothing worth the headache of dealing with you. I could have set up this operation anywhere.”
“That’s right, Hector,” Lena said, leaving the table and approaching him with a smile. “We need to think about moving forward. We don’t need Whitehorse anymore. Or his sister. Or….” She froze as Hector faced her, knife still in hand. “Or,” she repeated, confused.
“Or you, Lena,” Hector said. “You’re as stupid as the rest of them.”
“But…but I helped you…you said…we were going to….”
“Like I said, you’re as stupid as the rest of them.” He motioned with the knife for Lena to move over to join Whitehorse and Abuela.
“What are you doing, Hector?” Lena asked, joining the others. “Our whole inventory is in here. Everything we worked for.”
“Trust me, you have no idea what’s here,” Hector said. “And there’s no ‘our’ in this venture, or haven’t you figured that out yet? It’s enough I had to pay for the samples Whitehorse picked up from you at that store.
“And now, with the extra stash of jewelry from the spa building, I’ve got just what I wanted,” Hector said. “Never limit your sources.”
“What stash in the spa building?” Whitehorse asked.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Hector pulled a roll of cording off a hook on the wall. Keeping an eye on the trio, he cut off pieces and tossed them to Whitehorse.
“Tie them up,” he said. “Hands and feet.” At Whitehorse’s shocked expression, he repeated the order. “Now, Whitehorse, both of them.”
“Let me take my sister home. She has nothing to do with this.”
“She does now. She’s here. Tie her up. Lena, too. And make it quick. You’re coming with me.”
Hector blew across the tip of his knife blade and pointed it back at the group, waiting while Whitehorse followed his orders. Abuela sat stoic and silent during the ordeal. Lena, however, screamed obscenities. Once satisfied the women couldn’t get away, Hector shoved Whitehorse out the door, padlocked it and pocketed the key.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Paige struggled to dial Jake’s number as the bouncing of Miguel’s truck interfered with the dexterity of her fingers. She’d called twice already, once just after leaving Agua Encantada and again as they caught I-25 south from Santa Fe. Both times she’d reached voice mail, which made her resent Jake’s dismissive view of cell phones. It was just another reason a long distance relationship with him was frustrating. With modern technology, it should be easier to reach him. Instead, they continued a pattern of missed messages and miscommunication.
Hearing the number ringing, Paige felt hopeful she’d get through this time. Those hopes were dashed when the connection cut out. Looking at her phone, she cursed and dropped it into her lap.
“No answer again?” Miguel asked, swerving to avoid rolling tumbleweed, then straightening back out.
“No service,” Paige said, looking out the truck’s passenger window. The sun was getting lower on the horizon. It was almost evening and she still hadn’t reached him. And now, if he returned one of her messages, he wouldn’t be able to reach her, either. Why is it always like this? The distance, the difficulty reaching each other?
“You did not have to come along, you know,” Miguel said. “I tried to tell you not to. You are too stubborn for your own good.” He leaned forward and switched on the radio, turning the dial to adjust the static. Paige only half-listened, absorbing little of what Miguel was saying and understanding none of what came out of the radio. La Jefa 105.1 FM cuenta con la mejor música regional mexicana del momento…
Paige glanced at her cell phone again. Still no service. Resigned, she slid the cell phone into her pocket and looked back out the window, slumping down in her seat. “Where are we, anyway? We’ve been driving for hours.”
“West of Albuquerque, east of Gallup,” Miguel said.
“Gallup,” Paige repeated. She rummaged through her overnight bag and pulled out a slip of paper. “That’s the town on this receipt, where Sylvia bought the pin with Ana’s design.”
“Is there an address?”
“No, just the amount paid and name of the town,” Paige said.
“We can look for it after we find Whitehorse. He will know who did this to Ana. If not, his gambling buddies will. I know where to track him down.”
“His gambling buddies?”
“Whitehorse has always had a gambling problem,” Miguel said. “He can usually get himself out of trouble, but I think he is in too deep this time, way too deep. Somehow that is connected to Abuela going missing.”
“But why would that have anything to do with your sister?” Paige looked at Miguel. “Are these people trying to scare you by threatening to hurt Ana?”
“No,” Miguel said. “I think Ana just happened to be at the spa at the wrong time. This is not about me. It is about Whitehorse and his gambling.”
Paige sat up straighter, trying to put the pieces together. “I’m still not getting the connection. Why would these people even be in the spa? And are you involved with the gambling, too?”
Miguel shook his head, ignoring the first question. “No. I went up to Whitehorse’s favorite casino with him a few times, but I stopped going about a year ago. Whitehorse does not have good judgment when it comes to the people he works with.”
Paige pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and glanced at it. Still no service.
“No phone calls from anyone special?” Miguel smiled as he pulled o
ff the interstate and onto a frontage road. Paige chose not to respond. A conversation with Miguel about Jake wouldn’t be productive. She geared the discussion back to the current situation.
“I take it Whitehorse’s bookie is not a nice guy.”
“Bookies in general are not nice guys, but this one?” Miguel shook his head. “I have never met him, but I have heard stories.”
“Like what?”
“Nothing you want to hear, trust me.”
Paige turned and looked out the window again. The sun was almost down. She was out in the middle of New Mexico, without cell service, in a truck with a man she’d only known for a week. She stole a quick glance at Miguel. What was I thinking?
“Where are we going, anyway?”
A flashy neon sign appeared ahead, growing larger as they approached it. Miguel answered Paige’s question by turning into the lot, pulling into a parking spot and setting the emergency brake. Paige looked out at the expansive building and up at the sign.
“Tierra Roja Casino?”
“Good that you can read, even if you do not know how to roll a double ‘r’ correctly.”
Paige smacked Miguel’s shoulder. Without looking at him, she knew he was smiling.
“Don’t make fun of my Spanish,” Paige quipped.
“I would never, Sonrisa.”
“And stop the ‘Sonrisa’ stuff, Miguel. It’s flattering, but you know I’m not available.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Miguel didn’t wait for an answer, but let the engine idle as he got out of the truck and looked around the parking lot. He circled the truck, arriving at Paige’s door as she was opening it. Pushing it closed, he tapped on the window.
“Now what?” she said, reluctantly rolling the window down. “You don’t think I came all this way to sit in your truck, do you?” She yanked on the door handle, but Miguel pressed against the door, his face a few inches from Paige’s as he leaned in the open window. A nervous flutter ran through Paige’s body. But he is not Jake….
“Whitehorse’s truck is not here. But I want to check the casino out,” Miguel whispered. “See if his bookie is here, or if anyone in the casino has seen him. Promise me you will stay in the truck.”
“Maybe,” Paige said. She had no intention of being left behind.
“I mean it, Paige. Stay here.” Miguel’s voice was firm. “Let me make sure it is safe. If Whitehorse’s bookie is here, you should stay in the truck. I will check. Then you can come in.”
“Fine, I’ll wait,” Paige lied. She watched Miguel sprint toward the casino. As soon as he disappeared inside, she turned off the ignition and got out of the truck. Glancing quickly in both directions, she hurried across the parking lot and into the building.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
As she stepped inside Tierra Roja Casino, Paige blinked at the bright lights, then coughed, the thick smoke that hovered across the room assaulting her. She’d never been comfortable around smoke, even outdoors. But inside the building, it felt suffocating. Apparently gambling and nicotine addictions went hand in hand. In addition, the low hum of voices and sharp ping of slot machines added to the claustrophobic atmosphere.
She glanced around, but saw no sign of Miguel. Pulling out her cell phone, her heart leapt at the sight of cell service. It crashed just as quickly when a call to Jake went to voice mail. Two messages from him did nothing to calm her down. He said the first time, “Call me,” and the second, “Where are you?” Did he think she was avoiding his calls? She left a quick voice mail and put the phone away.
A cocktail waitress wearing satin shorts and a low-cut tank top offered Paige a drink. Paige shook her head and mumbled that she was just looking for someone. The server moved on to a table to take orders from a group of men hunched over a game of cards. Blackjack? Poker? Paige had no idea and didn’t care. Her only goal now was finding Miguel, who seemed to have disappeared.
Paige circled the room, intrigued by the activity, by the serious focus on some faces and carefree expressions of others. Clearly some of the patrons took their gambling seriously, while others were just there to have fun. And some were there to get into trouble, whether intentionally or not. It had sounded, from Miguel’s comments, like Whitehorse fell into the latter category. Considering what had happened to Ana, as well as the missing status of Abuela, Paige was sure of it. The question was what connected the events. Hopefully, the casino held the key.
“Are you looking for someone?”
Paige turned toward the casually, yet impeccably, dressed man who now stood beside her. He was dignified, measured and controlled, with a neat haircut and perfect manicure.
“Yes,” she stuttered, unnerved at the unexpected question. “A man about your height with long hair pulled back into a ponytail.”
“Ah, in his thirties, maybe? Handsome? Wearing jeans and a button-down shirt of some sort?”
“Yes,” Paige answered, reluctant to agree to the handsome comment, though there was no question it was true.
When the man steepled his fingers, his shirt sleeve rose to reveal a watch that promptly reflected the casino lights. Paige was hardly an expert on jewelry, but his watch looked expensive, as did his diamond cufflinks. Were those real?
“I believe the person you’re looking for went into a back room over there.” The man indicated the far side of the casino. “If you’d like, I can take you back.”
“No, that’s OK,” Paige said. Even with her penchant for letting curiosity control her, she was too smart to go into a back room with a man she didn’t know. The casino itself felt ominous enough. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask questions, would it?
“Maybe you can help, though. He – the man I was asking about – and I are looking for a man named Charlie Whitehorse. Have you seen him?”
Paige caught the man’s brief frown before he smoothed his expression into nonchalance.
“Charlie Whitehorse? No, I can’t say I’ve seen him recently.” The man glanced around the casino, a gesture Paige was certain to be an act. Whether Whitehorse was there or not, he wasn’t about to say. At a loss, Paige excused herself and moved away, making a conscious effort not to look back. She could sense the man’s eyes following her. Which was why she jumped when she felt a firm hand grab her arm.
“What are you doing in here?”
Paige turned to find herself face to face with Miguel.
“I told you to stay out until I made sure it was safe.” Miguel let go of Paige’s arm and massaged the back of his neck, looking around.
“So, is it? Safe, that is?” Paige rubbed her arm, which smarted from Miguel’s grasp.
“Well, Whitehorse is not here, as far as I can tell,” Miguel said. “And no one has seen Hector or any of his thugs.”
“I thought we were looking for Whitehorse.” Paige sighed, exasperated. “Would you please tell me what’s going on? And wait…what thugs?”
“You should not even be here. I should have thrown you out of the truck when you first got in. The gambling world is no place for you, Sonrisa, especially when someone you know is in debt. Whenever Whitehorse gambles, there is always trouble.”
“That sounds like the reputation of someone else I know,” Paige said, crossing her arms and looking around the room.
“I do not run up debt, especially not in a place like this,” Miguel said. “You do not want to owe anyone here anything, not money and not favors.”
“What makes you think Whitehorse is in debt?”
“He is always in debt,” Miguel answered. “He has been gambling all the years I have known him. He tries to quit, but he always goes back. Usually he is trying to win in order to pay his debts off, but this time I think he got in too deep.”
“You still didn’t tell me who Hector is.”
“Hector is his bookie. Whitehorse places his bets through him. But Hector also loans him money to play, which keeps him coming back to the casino. And he expects a lot more back than he loans him, so his debt is never
paid off.”
“You mean interest,” Paige said.
“It is called vig in this world,” Miguel pointed out. “And it is nothing you want to get involved with.”
“And the thugs?”
“They do Hector’s dirty work for him.”
“Really? Like in the old gangster movies? Like in Goodfellas? Like…” Paige’s voice trailed off as another cocktail waitress walked by. A good stiff drink was starting to sound good.
“Rosa,” Miguel called out, causing the server to turn back.
“I thought you never come here,” Paige said. Miguel ignored her.
“Well, if it isn’t Miguel himself,” the server said, her voice a little too sweet for Paige’s taste. “Long time, no see. Did you miss me?”
“Of course, Rosa,” Miguel said, flirting back for a moment before becoming serious. “But I am looking for Whitehorse.”
“I haven’t seen him, not since last night.” The waitress was clearly disappointed that Miguel wasn’t looking for her. She gave Paige an inquisitive look, but said nothing.
“He was here last night?” Miguel and Paige spoke at the same time.
“Yes, but not for long. He hightailed it out the side door when Hector came around. Did you try down by the trading post?”
“By the…” Miguel looked confused. “By what trading post?”
The server returned Miguel’s look, equally confused. “You know, the trading post down by his place, where he sells that jewelry. Beautiful designs. Tiny place, but it’s been a popular tourist stop since they opened it a few months ago.”
“They?” Again Miguel and Paige spoke at the same time.
“Well, supposedly just Whitehorse,” Rosa said. “But everyone knows Hector is behind it. Whitehorse would never have the money to finance a trading post. He spends every dollar he can get his hands on right here in this casino.”
Paige MacKenzie Mysteries Box Set Page 52