Final Table

by Carolina Mac

  “You just tried to kill me, Pedro.” Blaine shoved him backwards onto the chair. “How’d that go?”

  Pedro lapsed into a loud string of Spanish curses.

  Sirens sounded outside the building and Rocky lumbered through the door a couple minutes later. “What’s up, Mr. B?”

  “Not much, Rocky. Trying to ask Pedro here a couple questions about the robberies and he shot at me through his door.”

  Rocky nodded. “Yep, nasty hole in the door.” He eyed the blood-soaked towel wrapped around Pedro’s arm. “Mr. B. shoot your gun out of your hand, kiddo?” Rocky chuckled. “You’re one of the lucky ones. Head shots are his specialty.”

  “Another cowboy cop. I ain’t talking.”

  Paramedics barged in and cleaned Pedro up. They gave him a shot and bandaged his arm while Rocky waited to take him to headquarters and book him.

  Travis County Courthouse. Downtown Austin.

  FARRELL picked up the warrant at DPS and drove to the courthouse to get Judge Campbell’s signature. Blacky said she had a lot of cases to finish reports on before she’d be clear of her judge’s duties and free to take over the office of Governor.

  She called for Farrell to come in when he knocked on the door of her chambers.

  He hadn’t seen her in her robes before, and she looked more judge-like. At least what he thought a judge should look like. Calm and serious. Her red mop was pulled back in a clip and she wore a lot less makeup when she was in her judge mode.

  “Hey, sweetie. Glad you called. Let me sign the warrant and get that out of the way, then I want to talk to you about something else.”

  “Okay.” Farrell sat in one of the leather chairs in front of her wide desk.

  “Do you have time for coffee?”

  “Sure, I could drink one.”

  She poured him a cup and added cream. “Sugar?”

  “A couple.”

  Cat smiled as she placed the cup and saucer in front of him beside the signed warrant. “I like you a lot, Farrell, and I want to offer you a proposition.”

  “Oh, yeah? What kind?”

  “Not the kind I would offer you if I wasn’t going to be the Governor, but another kind—an employment kind.”

  “I’m already employed.”

  “This would be a step up for you, Donovan. What are you now, twenty-four?”

  “Soon be.”

  “I want you to head up my state security team in January.”

  “The state has their own secret service guys for that.”

  “But I can pull strings and hire who I want. I want you on my team.”

  Farrell sipped his coffee silently.

  Waiting for a response, she stared at him across the desk. “Are you thinking about it?”

  “Nope. Don’t have to think about it. I can’t leave my brother.”

  “Oh, come on, he’s not your real brother. You’re not that attached to him.”

  “His mother is my mother, Judge. No way around it. We’re brothers.”

  She wore a puzzled look for a second, then said, “I can offer you a substantial salary.”

  Farrell grinned. “You ain’t got enough money.”

  “I admire your loyalty, Donovan. I didn’t think you’d be such a hard case.”

  Farrell stood and picked up the warrant. “You don’t know me at all, Judge Campbell.”

  Fogarty’s New and Used. East Austin.

  LILY parked her truck in the field next to the regular parking lot which was unavailable. Rows of vendors in makeshift stalls and portable tents had taken over the space. “We’ll have to walk from here,” she said.

  Hammer smiled at her. “I didn’t know you worked outside of the office.”

  “I have my investigator’s license. Boss helped me get it, so I can do field work when I get the chance. Most times he needs me inside to hold everything together. That’s what I used to do at his law firm—run the office.”

  “Boss has a law firm?”

  Lily stepped over a big slog of mud. “Yep, Powell and Associates. That’s him… and Annie of course.”

  “And Annie is…?”

  “Annie Powell is Blaine’s mother.”

  “Annie Powell? I didn’t connect that. I was thinking of ‘Blackmore.”

  Lily handed him a copy of the stolen goods. “Want to split up or stick together?”

  “I’d rather stick together,” said Hammer. “If we find somebody and they get antsy, we should be together.”

  Lily smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me because I’m a woman.”

  Hammer grinned. “Okay, let’s say I’m worried about me.”

  Lily pulled her coat tighter around her as they walked up and down the rows between the vendors. “See anything that looks fairly new and high end?”

  “That’s what I’m looking for,” said Hammer, “Tools and electronics. I don’t think they’d try to peddle the jewelry here, do you?”

  “No, I don’t. The smaller stuff, watches, rings, handguns, would be easier to turn over in a pawn shop or take the expensive jewelry to a fence.”

  “Most of the stuff on our lists are game components, Keurig’s, phones, CD’s, TV’s, electric tools, and stuff easy to hide and quick to turn over,” said Hammer.

  “Don’t turn around, but almost everything you named, the guy behind you has on his table.”

  Hammer nodded. “Okay, let’s question him.” Hammer turned around, faced the guy and said, “Could I see some ID please, sir?”

  The kid took one look at Hammer, whipped a gun out of his waistband, fired a shot without aiming and took off running. Lily vaulted over the table, chasing the guy as he tried to get past the junk the vendor behind him had stacked up. She tackled the shooter, knocked him to the ground and drove a hard right into the middle of his face. Lily cuffed him and flex-cuffed his ankles together, then called for backup.

  “Watch him,” she said to the vendor behind who was trying to pick up his merchandise. “Sorry about your stuff.” She ran back to Hammer who sat in the dirt with his boot off and blood gushing out of his foot.

  “Fucker shot me in the foot.” He looked up at Lily gritting his teeth. “Don’t laugh, it hurts like hell.”

  Sirens sounded the arrival of first response. The ambulance pulled up beside Hammer and two paramedics hopped out. They lifted him onto a stretcher, pulled off his blood-soaked sock and checked out the wound.

  “No exit wound, sir. The bullet is still in your foot. You’ll have to go to the hospital.”

  “Where are you taking him?” asked Lily.

  “Saint Michael’s.”

  “I’ll send someone for him.”

  Hammer nodded and let his head flop back on the stretcher.

  Second to arrive was a squad car carrying a couple of Rangers. “Lily, what have you got?”

  “Just asked a suspect for ID and he shot my partner.” She pointed, “That’s the asshole lying over there.” With a gloved hand she picked up the gun and bagged it.

  “We’ll take him in for you. Are you coming to book him?”

  “I can’t book him, but Blaine or Farrell can,” said Lily. “I’ll follow you and see who I can get hold of.”

  Blackmore Agency. Austin.

  TRAVIS sat in the kitchen having coffee with Carm and enjoying the fact that he was out of bed and managing on his own. It had been the right decision not going to Ginny’s house. He might have been stuck there for weeks with her fussing over him.

  Lexi ran to the door barking and Travis hoped to hell and back it wasn’t Ginny checking up on him again. Lexi returned to the kitchen running and bouncing with Hoodoo following her.

  “Hi, Misty,” said Travis.

  Misty put a container on the counter. “I made you some healing salve for the wound.”

  Travis raised an eyebrow. “I have an antibiotic cream the doctor gave me.”

  Misty shook her head. “This is all natural and I think it will work better.”

  “Okay, I’ll try it
. I want to get off my ass as soon as I can and get back to work.”

  Carm have Misty a hug and asked her if she wanted tea.

  “Sure, tea would be great. It’s cold out there.” She opened her tote bag, pulled out three candles, set them on the table and borrowed Travis’ lighter. Next came the Tarot cards and she beckoned Carm to the table. “Let’s have some fun.”

  Quantrall Ranch. Giddings.

  JESSE unsaddled Corky and cooled him out after his ride. He was feeling better every day and would soon be back to full stride, he was sure of it. His cell rang, and it was Blacky.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Bogged down, partner. Can you go to headquarters and quiz a guy named Pedro Vasquez?”

  “Sure. What are you up to?”

  “I’m at his apartment, and I want to do a thorough search before I leave. He shot at me before I could ask him anything and it all went to hell from there.”

  Jesse chuckled. “It always goes to hell after the first shot is fired. I’m putting Corky in his stall and I’m on my way.”

  Ranger Headquarters. Austin.

  FARRELL parked beside Lily and they both got out of their vehicles at the same time. “Didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you and Hammer were at Fogarty’s?”

  “We were, but things went south. We approached a guy and he shot Hammer in the foot. They took him to Saint Michaels and we need to send somebody over there.”

  “Where’s your suspect?”

  “Inside. I followed the squad back that brought him in.”

  “I can book him for you if you want, then you can help me toss Juanita’s digs. I got the warrant.”

  “Sure, that will work.”

  “I’ll call Jack and send him to the hospital for Hammer,” said Farrell. “Do you think they’ll keep him?”

  “I don’t know,” said Lily. “If he has surgery to take the bullet out, he won’t be walking any time soon.”

  “Sounds like he might have to stay.”

  Vasquez Apartment. Austin.

  BLAINE started at the back of the apartment in the second bedroom and Fletcher started at the other end. Blaine flipped through dresser drawers and found nothing, hardly any clothes. Not much of anything. He had his head in the closet checking coat pockets when Annie called. “Hey, are you home?”

  “Just leaving Austin-Bergstrom. Jackson is asleep in the back seat.”

  “Did Santana stay with his mother?”

  “Yes, he wants to stay until she’s well enough to take care of herself again.”

  “I can see he’d want to do that. We need to talk about Santana, Mom. I had a call from Mack and he said a bunch of guys in cuts came into the garage staring at Santana’s bike and asking where he was.”

  “Were they tracking him?”

  “Yeah, they were. Mack swept the bike and found the tag. You know what that means?”

  “Sure do. Where’s the tracker now?”

  “I told Mack to keep it in the garage until I talked to you.”

  “Good. I’ll pick it up on my way home. I have to go right by there.”

  “Umm… no. It would be better to get it later and not take it with you to the ranch, Mom. Just to be safe.

  “You’re absolutely right. I’ll get it when I need it. I’ll call Mack and have him leave it on the workbench for me. I have a set of keys.”

  “Be careful and call me if you need help.”

  “Thanks, baby. I love you.”

  Blaine ended the call when he heard Fletch holler from the kitchen. “Got a gun, boss. Taped behind the fridge.”

  “Okay, good.” Blaine jogged from the bedroom, carefully undid the tape and bagged the gun. “We need a weapon for Mrs. Melanchuck more than we need food.”

  “Think Pedro is one of the robbers?”

  “He’s the boyfriend of the girl with her print on the panel.”

  “They could be in it together,” said Fletch. “Can’t see one woman doing it alone, although it could happen.”

  “Don’t see any stash of stolen goods here,” said Blaine. “They’d be smart if they rented a storage unit. That’s what a lot of them do. The guys in robbery said it was a thing.”

  Row House on Third Street. South Austin.

  FARRELL and Lily arrived at Juanita Andrews row house with two Rangers in uniform to begin the search. Farrell tried the front door and it was locked. He knocked politely and announced himself knowing Juanita was in jail and expecting the house to be empty. An older woman opened the door and startled him.

  “Yes, can I help you?”

  “We’re from the police,” said Farrell. He held up the search warrant, so the woman could read it. “We’re authorized to search the residence of Juanita Andrews.”

  “This is my house,” said the lady. “I’m Juanita’s mother. Where is my daughter? What has she done to make the police come to our house?”

  “Your daughter is a suspect in an armed robbery during which a murder was committed,” said Farrell. “She’s in jail.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t believe it. She is such a good girl.”

  Farrell raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t she in jail once before?”

  “Yes, but she was with bad people and she got in trouble because of her friends. It wasn’t her fault.”

  It never is.

  “We won’t take too long,” said Farrell. “Would you show me her room?”

  Ranger Headquarters. Austin.

  JESSE parked his Range Rover in the lot and walked in the front door of the Department of Public Safety building. He’d always been proud to be part of this organization.

  He tapped twice on Chief Calhoun’s door and stuck his head in. “Good day, Chief. I’m here to question Pedro Vasquez, any idea of his whereabouts?”

  Calhoun grinned. “Your boy is in the infirmary. He took a shot at Blacky and came out on the short end.”

  Jesse chuckled. “I’ll see what Pedro has to say for himself.”

  Jesse descended the stairs at the end of the hall and tapped on the door of the infirmary in the holding unit. A nurse let him in, pointed to Vasquez and attended to her other patients.

  Jesse pulled up a chair and sat next to Pedro’s bed. His right arm was heavily bandaged, his left cuffed to the bed rail with an IV in the back of his hand. “Hey, Mr. Vasquez, I’m Ranger Quantrall. Are they taking good care of you here?”

  No answer. Pedro turned his head and stared at the wall.

  “Why wouldn’t you answer a few questions for Ranger Blackmore when he came to your apartment?”

  “Didn’t feel like it,” he mumbled without turning to look at Jesse.

  “You didn’t feel like it so much that you shot at him through the door?”

  “Don’t like cops.” He turned and glared at Jesse. “Specially super cops disguised as Latino gangers. It ain’t right.”

  “Ranger Blackmore is Latino—same as you—and you’re holding that against him?”

  “Bullshit on you. I know it ain’t true.”

  Jesse smiled. “Let’s talk about your girlfriend, Juanita Andrews.”

  “Ain’t my squeeze no more. Broke it off with that mean bitch.”

  “Oh, yeah? Not what she told me,” said Jesse, “She’s in holding down the hall.” Jesse hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “Only a few feet away.”

  Pedro stared at Jesse like he didn’t believe it.

  “Yep, it’s true. We lifted her print off a panel at the last house you guys robbed.”

  “I didn’t rob nothin.”

  “Who’s Marko Balboa?”

  Jesse saw a flicker of recognition, then Pedro returned to his blank stare. “Marko had a stall at the flea market today—you know the one at Fogarty’s—and he was peddling y’all’s stolen goods.” Jesse pointed up. “He’s in an interrogation room upstairs.” Jesse chuckled. “Bet I can get him to cut a deal and roll over on you and Juanita.”

  “Don’t know no Marko.”

  “How many you got in your little
gang of thieves, Pedro? Just the three of y’all or is somebody higher up the ladder calling the shots?”

  Pedro bit into his lower lip.

  “Which one of y’all killed Mrs. Melanchuck?”

  A flicker of Pedro’s left eye.

  “Bet it was you. Ranger Blackmore said you were quick on the trigger. Yep, I’ll make a deal with Marko and he’ll point the finger at you.”

  “I ain’t saying nothing to no cowboy cops. Y’all better get me a lawyer. I got rights.”

  Jesse smiled and nodded. “You do have rights, Pedro. I think the officer that booked you read you those rights.”

  Pedro shook his black head of greasy hair. “Nope.”

  “You signed the Miranda card. I saw your signature.”

  Pedro jerked against the cuff holding his left arm and hollered, “I was shot by the fucking gang boy. How could I remember? They musta made me sign it.”

  Jesse stood up and smiled down at Pedro. “You just relax here in the infirmary while I go see what Marko and Juanita have to say about you.”

  JESSE came out of the infirmary, trudged upstairs and met Chief Calhoun in the hallway outside his office.

  “Were you looking for Balboa next?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “He lawyered up as soon as he was booked, and his attorney agreed to be present for questioning in the morning.”

  “Okay by me,” said Jesse. “I might make it home in time for dinner.”

  “How are you feeling?” asked the Chief, “You look better.”

  Jesse nodded. “I am doing better. Almost feel like myself again. Seemed like it took forever.”

  “Can’t tell you how glad I am you’re back to work.” The Chief shook his hand.

  Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.

  AFTER dinner Annie put the kids to bed, unpacked, then changed into black jeans and a black turtleneck. She checked the mag in her Beretta, made sure it was full, then slammed it back in and shoved the gun into her waistband.

  In the great room, she unlocked the gun cabinet and selected her Remington with the new Armasight scope Jesse had given her for her last birthday. It hurt to think of him, but he had left her, not the other way around. She started to close the cabinet door but had second thoughts and grabbed her sawed off Winchester—just in case. Always good to have a backup plan.