Buried Secrets

by Carol Ericson

  Jolene clasped her knees with her hands, her nails digging into her flesh. “That would explain why he’s still alive, wouldn’t it? He must’ve noticed the other Pink Lady mules’ disappearing act and figured a name change would go a long way toward saving his life.”

  “Exactly. He resurfaces as Gabe Altamarino, starts going out with Melody and keeps seeing her even when Wade tells him to get lost.” Sam rubbed his chin. “I just can’t figure out how Wade knew about Gabe’s criminal past if he were no longer Chris Contreras.”

  “I don’t think Gabe made a secret of the fact that he was a reformed bad boy. Maybe he got in front of that story so Wade wouldn’t do any checking on his own and dig up Gabe’s real name.”

  “Gabe must’ve put together that list of mules he gave Melody for safekeeping, and he probably knows why those mules disappeared.” Sam flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. “And he must have some idea how that land is linked to Pink Lady and the disappearances and the casino.”

  “He’s not going to want to tell us, is he?”

  “Maybe we won’t give him a choice.”

  “Are you sure you have the right address for him in Tucson? Why would he give an accurate address if he’s trying to hide out?”

  “He doesn’t have a choice about that, either. He’s still on parole. His parole officer has to have a correct address for him, or he goes back in the slammer. And if he goes back inside as Chris Contreras...”

  “The drug cartel will find him.” Jolene bunched her skirt in her hands. “Why did Melody keep seeing him?”

  “You know your cousin liked bad boys, right? That’s why she handed me off to you. I was on the wrong side of the law for her.”

  “While I’m glad she handed you off to me, as you so delicately put it, I wish she would’ve found a good guy of her own.”

  “I guess the joke was on Melody because I didn’t turn out to be such a good guy, after all.”

  She flashed him a quick glance. Was he fishing for compliments? That wasn’t his style.

  His tight jaw and turned down mouth told her otherwise. He was still beating himself up for lying about the last time he’d hooked up with his ex.

  Who was she kidding? She was still beating him up for that. Could she ever stop?

  “At least you’re on the right side of the law.” Jolene bit her lip. That hadn’t come out right.

  Sam snorted. “At least that.”

  As they made the drive to Tucson, the sun set over the desert floor, the scattered clouds creating pink-and-orange streaks across the sky.

  Sam talked about San Diego and after some tentative starts, told her more about Jess. She must’ve given him the impression that she blamed his daughter for their separation. Didn’t she? She hadn’t wanted to think about Sam with his daughter, but he seemed like a great dad and she liked this side of him. So, she encouraged him this time and learned even more about him as a man and a father.

  As the signs began to herald Tucson, Jolene asked, “So, where are we going to find Gabe or Chris?”

  “His address is near the university.”

  “He’s not going to want to talk to us.”

  “Me. I brought you along, but I want you to wait for me someplace public. I’ll deal with Contreras.”

  “That’s not gonna work, and you know it, Sam. You’re not going to get any information out of him.” She held up her hand as he opened his mouth. “I have an idea. Let me finish.”

  “Go ahead, but I can already tell I’m not going to like this idea of yours.”

  “Chris knows me, right? Or at least Gabe does. He’ll talk to me. I have an excuse to see him. I’ll bring him the news about Melody, tell him that she confided in me that they were still a thing. I’ll get him talking. Just tell me what you want to know.”

  Sam had been shaking his head during her entire speech. “Bad idea. We don’t know that he didn’t kill Melody. His prints were in her place.”

  “Gabe didn’t have a motive to kill Melody. She loved him and would’ve done anything for the guy—and he knew it. She defied her brother to be with him on the sly.”

  Sam flicked on the turn signal to exit the freeway. “Do you think Contreras cares about that? Melody knew too much. She was cousins with you—a woman who wanted to know more.”

  “You know I’m right, Sam. He’s not going to give you the time of day. Let me go in first. You can be close by.” She snatched up her purse and unzipped it. She spread it open to show her dad’s gun. “I came prepared. I’ll be okay.”

  His eyes widened. “You told me you knew how to use that thing, right?”

  “Dad taught me.” She zipped up her purse and stashed it at her feet. “If it makes you feel better, I can call you first and leave the line open so you can hear everything that’s going on between us.”

  “That would be dangerous.” When Sam ran his knuckles across the stubble on his jaw, she knew she’d hooked him. “I can keep out of sight while you make contact with him. He starts acting aggressive, get out of there. He asks leading questions about the casino project and your interest in it, get out of there. If he’s hostile, suspicious—”

  “I know.” She snapped her fingers. “I’ll get out of there. This will work, Sam—better than the law marching in there making accusations.”

  “We’ll see what the setup is first.” He hit the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “Damn, I wish I had a wire or something to listen in—and don’t mention leaving the phone line open. Too much could go wrong in that scenario.”

  A few turns after the freeway exit, and Sam was wheeling through downtown Tucson. A little more wheeling, and they’d be exiting downtown Tucson.

  “How close to the campus is he?”

  “Close enough to have a thriving street business with the students, if that’s his game here. He’s in an apartment off Broadway.”

  Two minutes later, Sam turned onto Broadway itself, the street busy with cars. The GPS informed them they’d be turning right in two blocks.

  “Looks like school started or is about to.” Sam pulled into a grocery store parking lot and took a spot near the street. “Let’s plan this attack. I’ll wait here. You take the car, so he’s not suspicious. Will he recognize you?”

  “Probably.” She tossed her hair over one shoulder. “I had shorter hair, but I don’t look much different.”

  His gaze appraised her, and she hoped a blush hadn’t accompanied the warmth she felt in her cheeks.

  “Then I’ll tell him I’m there with news about Melody...or I’ll ask him if he heard about Melody because I’m supposed to know they’ve been seeing each other. I’ll explain that I was in town and wanted to make sure he knew what had happened. Will that work?”

  “I don’t like sending you in there alone.”

  “I won’t be alone.” She dragged her purse into her lap and patted it. “I’ll have Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson with me.”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “Now, I’m really worried. That gun is a Glock.”

  “Better yet.” She hitched the purse over her shoulder. “I’ll have Ms. Glock with me.”

  “Okay, this is where you and Ms. Glock are going.” He rattled off the address, and then slipped out of the car.

  She followed suit and skirted the rear of the car to get into the driver’s seat. Before she got behind the wheel, Sam pinched her shoulders with his fingers. “Be careful.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. “I will.”

  She drove the two blocks to Gabe’s house and pulled right in front, as if she had nothing to fear. Her hand had a slight tremble when she removed the keys from the ignition.

  She marched past a typical Tucson front yard—a few scrubby cactus, gravel and a tangle of weeds spilling to the curb. She knocked on the door and held her breath, repeating in her head, This is just Gabe Altamarino,
Melody’s boyfriend.

  Blowing out a breath, she knocked again. They hadn’t discussed a plan B if Gabe wasn’t home, or worse, didn’t live here anymore.

  The door creaked open, and a man stood framed by the doorway, yawning and scratching his bushy hair. Not Gabe.

  “Hi, is Gabe around?”

  The man poked his head outside practically over her shoulder, and she got a whiff of sweat and weed. “If you’re a student looking to buy, you don’t come to the house.”

  She looked like a college student? She liked this guy—despite the sweat and the weed.

  “I’m not a student. Gabe is, was, dating my cousin, Melody. I was in Tucson and wanted to touch base with Gabe.”

  “Oh, yeah, man. Bad news about Melody. Gabe was destroyed.”

  Jolene blinked. “I-is he home?”

  “Naw, he went to University Ave. to hit up some bars and maybe do a little business.”

  “Oh.” Jolene sawed at her bottom lip. “Do you know which bar?”

  “There aren’t that many down there. He’s in one of them, or you could try coming back tomorrow. What’s your name?”

  “Jolene. I’ll find him on University.”

  As she drove back to the grocery store parking lot, she decided not to tell Sam that she gave Gabe’s roommate her name—just in case that was a stupid thing to do. She pulled into a space in front of the store where she saw Sam leaning against a pillar, drinking a coffee. He had another cup in his hand.

  She put the car in Park, and it idled as he placed a cup on the roof of the car and opened the door. “I got you a latte. How’d it go? Not there?”

  “I talked to his roommate. Gabe’s barhopping on University. I can catch up to him there.”

  Sam retrieved the cup from the top of the car and ducked inside, placing both cups in the cup holder. “What kind of guy is his roommate?”

  “Stoned.”

  “That makes sense.” Sam moved the seat back. “This will make things easier. You look for Contreras in the bars, and I’ll tag along after you. Text me when you locate him, and I’ll saunter into the bar like a stranger—a stranger who can keep an eye on you. I like the idea of you meeting Contreras in a public place better than holing up with him in his house.”

  “Oh...” she reversed and pulled out of the lot “...he knows about Melody’s death.”

  “Because he heard or because he killed her?”

  She parked the car a block away from University, as they didn’t want to chance Gabe spotting them getting out of the same car. Sam waited while she slipped out of the car and strode toward the lights and sounds of the main drag outside the gates of the university.

  She didn’t have to turn around once. She knew Sam had her back and wouldn’t let her out of his sight. She could trust him—for that.

  Most of the bars gathered on one side of the street with one big restaurant-bar on the other side, which catered more to the parents of the college students, especially at this time of year. Gabe wouldn’t want to show his face there and freak out Mom and Dad.

  She tripped into the first bar, had a quick look around and slipped out. A bigger crowd in the next place had her squeezing between groups of students and poking her head into the patio area.

  As she left that place, she spotted Sam sitting on a bench sipping his coffee. She looked away and ducked into the next bar where live music blared and frat boys shouted their beer orders to the bartender.

  She squeezed her way up the stairs to the balcony that hung out over University. When she reached the top step, she scanned the students starting their school year off with a bang, the boys all male bravado, the girls flexing the power of pouting lips and bared midriffs. A few shell-shocked parents cropped up here and there, and the older hangers-on who flitted around the edges of university life to take advantage of naive girls and profit from misguided boys.

  Her gaze skittered to a stop when she located Gabe, one of those hangers-on. She turned from the balcony and sent Sam a quick text that she’d found Gabe.

  She smoothed her hands down the front of her denim skirt and launched herself into the fray. She wended her way to the table by the balcony edge, zeroing in on Gabe.

  He must’ve felt her attention, as his head jerked up from his beer and his eyes widened. He half rose from his chair, plopped back down and sent the two boys he was probably scamming on their way.

  Approaching his small table, crowded with empty beer bottles, she waved. “Gabe, do you remember me?”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He coughed a smoker’s cough. “You’re Mel’s cousin.”

  She indicated the chair. “Can I sit for a minute?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, sure. What the hell are you doing here? H-how’s Mel?”

  “You don’t have to pretend with me, Gabe.” She flattened her hands on the sticky table. “I know you two were still seeing each other, and I know you know she’s dead. I just talked to your roommate.”

  His eyes darted to the side and back to her face. He licked his lips. “How’d you know where I lived?”

  “Melody.” She flicked her fingers, eager to move on. She had no clue if Melody knew Gabe’s address here in Tucson or had it in her phone—her missing phone. “I was in town visiting a friend and thought I’d drop by and tell you what happened.”

  “I heard some homeless guy killed her.” He gripped the edge of the table with stubby fingers sporting tattoos on every space before the first knuckle. “That guy who was squatting in the apartment next to hers. I told Mel to rat him out, but she felt sorry for him.”

  “That was Mel.” She shredded the edge of a napkin. “When was the last time you saw her?”

  His jaw hardened, and his dark eyes narrowed. “Not sure. You tell the cops about me?”

  “No.” Now she proceeded to fold the tattered napkin, unable to keep her fingers still. “No reason to tell them. They got their man.”

  “You tell her brother Wade?” As he finished pronouncing her cousin’s name, his lips stretched into a grimace.

  “I didn’t tell anyone—not then, not now. Just thought you should know in case you hadn’t heard about her death.”

  “I heard.” He gulped down some beer from his bottle and slammed it down on the table.

  Jolene flinched. Is that what he wanted? To scare her off?

  Not so fast.

  “Was Melody doing drugs? I know she’d started drinking again.”

  He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “You blaming me for that?”

  “No.” She rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt. Now it was time for her gaze to dart, and she did a double take when she noticed a cute coed sidling up to Sam, a bottle of beer clutched in his hand.

  When her eyes made it back to Gabe’s face, his nostrils flared and his eye twitched. He hunched forward and grabbed her wrist, his tattooed fingers biting into her skin. “What the hell are you doing here, and what do you want from me?”

  As Jolene wrenched her arm from his grasp, a couple of girls squealed behind her and a chair banged to the floor.

  Gabe looked up and swore. As Sam swooped down on their table, Gabe launched himself over the ledge of the balcony.

  Jolene shot up in her chair and leaned over in time to see Gabe land on top of a canvas umbrella on the restaurant’s patio and roll off to the sidewalk.

  Sam flew past her and shouted over his shoulder. “Stay here.”

  He took the same path as Gabe, landing on the same umbrella, now with a little less bounce, and scrambled to his feet to give chase.

  The students took the chaos in stride, and a couple were already moving in to claim the prime table. “You leaving?”

  “Damn right I am.” Jolene snatched up her purse and took the safe route down to the street.

  She looked both ways when she hit the sidewalk. Would Gabe run back
to his house? Probably wouldn’t want to lead Sam back there, but he wouldn’t want to be running through campus, either, with the campus police on watch.

  She hustled down the street and veered around the next corner. She’d guessed right. Sam was running ahead of her with a weird, halting gait. As she opened her mouth to call out to him, the sound of gunshots cracked through the night.

  Sam dropped to the ground and Jolene screamed, her whole world collapsing in front of her. The adrenaline fueled her system, and her legs pumped harder and faster.

  When she reached Sam, she crouched beside him. With a sob in her voice, she asked, “Are you hurt? Did he shoot you?”

  “I’m fine.” Lifting his head, he aimed his gaze down the street. “They got Contreras.”

  Jolene jerked up her head, noticing Gabe in a heap in the middle of the road. A few neighbors had poked their heads out their front doors, too scared to come outside. She didn’t blame them.

  “Where’d the shot come from?”

  “I saw a car slow down on the block ahead, and I’m pretty sure that’s where the shots came from. I don’t know why the shooter didn’t turn the gun on me or, God forbid, you, but he could circle around.”

  Jolene rose to her haunches. “Gabe might still be alive. We have to talk to him. These neighbors probably already called the police. I’m not done with him.”

  As she launched forward, Sam made a grab for her leg and missed. “Jolene, stop.”

  Her sneakers slapped on the pavement as she ran crouched over toward Gabe’s fallen form. As she reached his side, she glanced up to see Sam hobbling after her. Had he lied about getting hit?

  Gabe’s chest rose and fell with each tortured breath he took, blood spurting from the wound in his chest.

  Jolene grabbed his hand and put her face close to his. “What do you know about Pink Lady?”

  Gabe gasped, but his lips began moving through the blood.

  Sam had reached them, his body coiled and tensed, standing over her, his head swiveling from side to side. He had her back.

  She hissed in Gabe’s ear as the sirens started bearing down on them. “Pink Lady. The casino property. What do you know?”