One of the papers she had given Viola was a warranty deed for the couple’s home. Carlotta obviously believed in being prepared.
When Diego finished his smoke, the two of them returned to the office.
Viola asked Ricardo for the logon passcode for his desktop computer. When the older man hesitated, Diego slammed the billy club down on Ricardo’s left forearm.
Viola closed her eyes and fought to hold down the bile rising in her throat. Ricardo shrieked, swearing at Diego, God, and Guadalupe for always wanting more money.
Diego gave him a minute to scream and suffer then raised the club again. This time, the wooden club came down on the bridge of the man’s nose. Blood gushed out, and Ricardo shook his head from side to side like a wounded bull.
“Password?” Diego asked.
Ricardo was one stubborn bastard. He just kept shaking his head side to side and yelling.
Diego shrugged and grabbed Felipe. The kid shrieked and tried to kick Diego, but the boy’s hands remained tied behind his back.
Ricardo yelled at the top of his lungs, “Bastardo, enough! The passcode is casa73gato.”
It worked. Viola immediately went to one of the most popular folders, labeled Spreadsheets. It contained subfolders for the business and Ricardo’s personal finances.
First, she asked him to provide the details for each of his financial accounts. Using his passwords for each institution, Viola used Ricardo’s computer to transfer the funds in his personal accounts to the business, which meant to Carlotta.
Ricardo’s assets included a secret Panamanian stock fund. Guadalupe screamed at him when she heard him describe that account. He’d hidden three-hundred grand from her.
Within a half-hour, the couple had lost all their stock portfolios and other liquid assets. But that wasn’t enough for Diego. Ricardo and Guadalupe signed away their house without a murmur.
When Diego left the room to ask Carlotta for further instructions, Viola grabbed the boy.
Juan asked, “What are you doing?”
She hadn’t been sure until that instant. If she could get the kid away, she’d accept the consequences. “I will punish this one myself.”
Guadalupe rushed toward her, but Juan stood in the mom’s way.
Viola pulled the boy, his hands still bound behind him, into the warehouse. He began to cry and beg for his life.
She ignored him and looked around for something she could use to cut the zip tie. She found a box cutter on a bench and freed his hands.
In a whisper, she said, “This is your last chance—flee. And change your life or you will surely lose it. Most of all, make yourself worthy of the suffering I’m about to endure for letting you go.”
That shut him up.
“Where’s the nearest exit?” she asked.
He pointed to the right. The warehouse wasn’t particularly large, and they quickly found a rear door. A sign said an alarm would sound if the door was open, but that was the least of her worries.
She pushed the door open, and nothing happened. Next, she motioned Felipe out into an alley. “Run for your life, amigo!”
As soon as he disappeared to the left, she considered running in the opposite direction. But Diego spoke behind her. “Viola, what the hell are you doing?”
She didn’t say anything. Disappointment flooded through her. Her opportunity had vanished.
“Where’s Felipe?” he asked.
“I couldn’t endure the thought that you would hurt a child. I know you’ve done bad things, will probably keep doing them, but I pray to God you’ll never kill a kid. The Blessed Virgin will forgive most things, but not that.”
The idea that she was trying to save Diego’s soul instead of the kid’s life had popped into her head like a message from Holy Mary herself.
Diego blew out a deep breath. “Jesus Christ! Carlotta will punish you severely. I admit I would’ve taken no joy in killing him. But his father? A different story. Let’s go finish this.”
When they returned to the office, Juan asked, “What happened?”
“La Llorona, in her infinite wisdom, let him go.”
“You’re lying,” Guadalupe said. “The ghost loves killing children. She even drowned her own.”
Diego hung his head. “I wish I was, but you can go to your grave knowing that La Llorona showed mercy to your son.”
He pulled his .44 Magnum out of its holster. The shot hit Guadalupe in the side of her head. The back half of her skull vanished, and her brains and body matter splattered across the wall. Calmly, Diego walked over to begging Ricardo and blasted the center of his forehead.
It happened so fast that Viola couldn’t try to stop him. She dropped to her knees and vomited.
Diego approached two other men sitting against the wall and shot them in the chest.
“As for the rest of you,” Diego said, “if you promise to be faithful to Señora Santiago, she will spare your life.”
They all quickly promised.
Diego shook a finger at them. “Tell anyone you know who has cheated Señora that they must make amends right away, or La Llorona will come to visit.”
Diego cut the ties binding the surviving prisoners. One woman threw herself at Viola’s feet. “Bless you, bless you, Señorita, for saving the boy. By your grace, you are known. You are the gentle Niña Blanca, not vicious La Llorona.”
She wept as she kissed the hem of Viola’s robe.
Diego’s eyes opened wide, but he stayed silent. One of the other women got down and crawled on her knees to Viola, and so did one of the men. “Bless me, Santa Muerte,” the woman said. “Every night, I light a candle in your honor.”
Viola had no idea how to respond. She hadn’t heard of Niña Blanca or Santa Muerte. But the two women and a man kept kissing the hem of her garment.
Viola had to do something. She was a lapsed Catholic who’d spent countless hours speaking with priests. So, she had a pretty good idea of what one of them might say to someone asking for grace. “Bless you. Go with God.”
Diego turned to Juan. “Our reinforcements are almost here. Keep an eye on this scum while I speak to La Llorona.”
He took her back to the reception area. “You’ve been crazy since the moment we grabbed you, but not like this. What are you thinking?”
Viola threw up her hands in frustration. “Why’re you asking me? I am not thinking anything. Your boss turned me into a freak, killer ghost. Now, your people seem to think I’m another freak or two. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone. You tell me what I should do next.”
Diego started to argue, but his phone rang. “It’s Pablo.”
He answered right away and listened. A smile broke out on his face. “Excelente!” After another pause, he said, “We are taking care of Carlotta’s business still. We’ll celebrate with you later at the casa.”
He hung up and turned to Viola. “All I know is Carlotta says you’re La Llorona. So, that’s who you are. You’re a crazy killer ghost. Play the part.”
Before Viola could figure out what he meant, Carlotta’s reinforcements arrived. The six men didn’t wear body armor, but otherwise, they looked like tough hombres. Diego led Viola and the new fighters into the office.
Diego pointed at one of the newcomers. “You will come with me and La Llorona. The rest of you will keep control of this warehouse for Carlotta and her new staff.”
He pointed at the prisoners. “You are free to go. Carlotta would like you to take pictures with your phones. Tell everyone how Carlotta treats traitors.”
Dutifully, each of the remaining prisoners snapped photos of Ricardo, Guadalupe, and Viola, then left.
-o-o-o-
Mount Evans Motel, Idaho Springs
Athena completed preliminary criminal background checks on every Hispanic subscriber to the Denver Business Journal. She wasn’t surprised that she found no hits. But one address caught her eye. Someone named Manuel Ortega lived at Casa Sant
iago. And according to Beau, the top drug lord in the area was a lady, Carlotta Santiago. She ruled her three-state empire with an iron fist.
The FBI and DEA had massive files on Carlotta, but for some reason, they didn’t know anything about Ortega. As far as Athena could tell, he didn’t exist. The bottom line was if Viola had been captured by the cartel, she was obviously in great danger. Just like Athena and Leo. Her yet-to-be-born baby relied entirely on her for his survival.
She reviewed the few unencrypted Santiago documents collected by DEA. That got her nowhere, so she looked for social media connections. According to Beau, at least seventy-five people lived at the casa. She hoped some of them stayed in touch with family and friends through social media.
Athena started checking the major social media sites for the names she already knew, namely Carlotta Santiago. The woman didn’t have any obvious accounts, but her nephew Pablo was active on Instagram. Unfortunately, Athena didn’t know much Spanish, but Beau did. During breaks in his work, he helped her to track down Pablo’s many contacts.
Chapter 10
Sizzler Gentlemen’s Club, Glendale, Colorado
Viola dreaded another violent confrontation, but the fact that Diego had brought only one thug along gave her hope. He obviously didn’t expect much trouble.
They drove from Northwest Denver across town to Glendale, an area best known for strip clubs and nightlife.
Viola tensed up when they entered a large, empty parking lot that surrounded a glitzy, three-story building. Who was going to die next?
The thug entered the building first. A moment later, Diego received a text.
“You can take off your body armor and relax,” he said. “The three managers have already heard about our party at the pottery warehouse. The assholes are gone. Carlotta will have to sic her hounds on them.”
Viola wondered whether he was talking metaphorically. “Does she really have people who look for her enemies?”
“Of course, many. She put out a bounty on you and gave me the chance to collect it first. My amigos and I earned twenty grand for only a few hours of work.”
He grinned, and several gold teeth glittered. His joy at her predicament sickened her.
“Sorry, not sorry,” he said. “Let’s find out how much the bosses here stole from the family.”
Viola had never been in a strip club, but she’d seen them on TV and in the movies. This one was no different. Everything seemed to be either blood red or mirrored chrome. A tall blonde with big fake boobs greeted them. She wore a loosely fitting Broncos jersey and tight blue jeans. Her smile was as fake as the rest of her, and her hands trembled. “Diego, great to see you again!”
He beamed back at her. “Candy, I’ve been thinking about you every night since the New Year’s party. I hope we’ll have a chance to catch up soon.”
A real smile spread across her face. “Definitely. I’ve missed you.”
He looked her up and down with a grin. “Unfortunately, Carlotta expects me to take care of business before pleasure. This is La Llorona, who wants to examine the books.”
He turned to Viola. “Candy Simpson is in charge of the waitstaff and the talent.”
The woman’s brow furrowed. “You’ll remind Carlotta that I had nothing to do with the finances, won’t you?”
“Don’t worry, she knows. You’re not in trouble for what bosses did. Carlotta will punish them soon enough.”
Candy blew out a deep breath she’d been holding and shook Viola’s hand. Woman didn’t seem to mind that a ghost wanted to review the club’s financial records. She probably saw weirder outfits every day.
Diego leered at Candy. “Hey, maybe you should talk to Carlotta about a position in management here. There’s room at the top, and you definitely know the ropes.”
The woman purred. “Would you put in a good word for me?”
“Absolutely.”
She gave him a come-hither smile.
Viola half expected Diego to screw Candy on the spot, but the woman turned and motioned for them to follow. The guard Diego had brought stayed at the main entrance.
The three walked from one end of a long rectangular room toward the other. A series of stages were lined up against the club’s back wall, and a long bar stretched across on the opposite wall. The space in between was filled with over a hundred round tables. White lights glittered in every direction, bouncing off mirrors on the ceiling and the pillars supporting the building’s upper floors. In no time, they disoriented Viola.
She was happy to reach the subdued lobby for a pair of elevators at the far end of the building. Candy took them up to the second floor.
Diego said, “Explain to Viola how the brothel works.”
“Most of our clientele is looking for a few beers and pretty women, so they stay downstairs where everything is completely legal and much cheaper. But if somebody asks a waitress or a bartender for a more intimate feminine experience, they come here to meet our concierge.”
She nodded at an empty desk a few feet away. “He checks them out, and unless they’re vice, they are allowed to choose whatever kind of companionship they prefer—payment in advance, of course.”
Candy continued through a door behind the desk and ushered Diego and Athena into a room that contained a bar and a dozen tables for two.
“Every evening, a lady will be sitting at each table,” Candy said. “The guy can choose anyone he likes, and when he makes his choice, the bartender brings over a complimentary glass of champagne. The couple spends a few moments getting to know each other, then the lady takes him to one of our rooms.” She motioned at what looked like a hotel hallway beyond the bar.
Was this place part of the white slave trade, Viola wondered. She asked, “Where do the girls live when they’re not working?”
Candy shrugged. “I have no idea. They’re free to come and go as they please. Actually, we have a waiting list for sex workers. The girls earn fifty percent of whatever the client pays, and they receive a safe environment for sex work. Their only expenses are high heels, a sexy dress, and nice perfume. Our busiest ladies earn a couple grand a night on the weekends.”
That was an incredible amount of money, and being a whore wasn’t nearly as nasty as selling hard drugs. “Where’s the business office?”
“Third floor, along with a few rooms where we host private parties,” Diego said.
As they returned to the elevators, Viola said, “Tell me who manages what.”
Candy answered, “The general manager has two assistants. One runs the club, and the other oversees the brothel. I reported directly to the club’s assistant manager. All three of the bosses took off right before you showed up. No goodbye, just hurried out the door.”
“So…why did you stick around?” Viola asked. “You must have suspected that something was seriously wrong.”
“I thought Carlotta must’ve called an urgent meeting. I’ve got no reason to run.”
In fact, it seemed that Candy stood to benefit from a management shakeup. The businesses were creepy, but if she were forced to manage one of Carlotta’s businesses, she’d rather work here than distribute dangerous drugs.
The business suite contained three offices and a receptionist’s desk. The first and largest presumably belonged to the GM. Viola plopped down in his plush leather chair and turned on his computer.
“Okay, folks,” Viola said, “this is going to take a while. How do I get ahold of you when I need you?”
Diego grinned at her and gave her a cellphone number. “We won’t be far.”
-o-o-o-
Once Diego and Candy left, Viola unlocked the computer with a password Carlotta had given her and dove into the records. The spreadsheets she found on the desktop did not match those the general manager had provided to Carlotta.
Over time, Viola realized that the businesses produced seventy-four grand in extra income that had disappeared, maybe in someone’s offshore account. The
office safe was open and empty.
She called Diego and explained. He and she called Carlotta. Viola explained the discrepancies she’d found in greater detail to the jefa.
After listening patiently, Carlotta said, “Bring back electronic copies of the accounts receivable and payable and double-check your work. Before you leave, set up new spreadsheets from today forward. A new general manager will arrive shortly. When she does, explain what you’ve learned.”
-o-o-o-
A middle-aged black woman in a light gray business suit with a white silk blouse arrived. Viola spent the next hour explaining what she’d found. The woman paid close attention. She was particularly focused on unknown losses or bills. And she was right to worry because anyone brave enough to cheat Carlotta was capable of almost anything.
Diego took Viola back to the casa. He left the thug at the club.
Viola had to ask, “Is Candy going to get a promotion?”
He snickered. “I will recommend her as a new assistant manager. She’ll do a wonderful job.”
Viola doubted that his recommendation was based on anything more than Candy’s talents in bed, but that wasn’t her problem. Her problem was that Diego was about to return her to a gilded prison. Which he did.
When they arrived, a victory party was underway. Diego left Viola in Carlotta’s office and hurried off.
Carlotta remained hard at work. She asked a hundred questions, all focused on financial details for the warehouse and the club. Viola answered as best she could until the jefa got to the question Viola had been dreading.
“Why did you release the boy without asking me?” Carlotta’s eyes blazed.
Viola swallowed and stammered. “H-he was just a child. He’d already seen his father tortured. I-I couldn’t bear the thought of the boy being slaughtered for the sins of his parents.”
Carlotta strode around her desk and slapped Viola’s cheek hard enough to make her see stars.
When Viola’s eyes could focus again, Carlotta was still frowning. The woman had absolutely no mercy within her.
Anointed (Vanished Book 3) Page 7
