Midnight Crossing: A Mystery

by Tricia Fields

  * * *

  Josie retrieved a pair of creek shoes from the back of her jeep and whistled for Chester, who ambled off the porch where he’d been napping away the hottest part of the day. He followed her across the road and they walked on public land for a quarter mile and then down to the Rio Grande, where she took off her boots and slipped on the mesh creek shoes to protect her feet. She kept her pistol in her shorts pocket. She’d given her duty gun to Moss, but her backup pistol was her own property.

  She waded into the river with Chester, who was happy to cool his paws and belly. Josie walked along the rocky side of the river in thigh-high water scouting for signs of illegal crossing, keeping Nick’s admonition to be watchful in her mind. She thought about the kayaks that she and Nick had found a few miles upriver. The Mexicans had clearly been using them to cross into Texas. She and Nick had found trash and pop cans along the bank on the U.S. side, and followed foot tracks up to the paved road. That had been several months ago. Since then, Josie had kept a closer eye on the area. The Medrano Cartel had a vast network of narcos who would stop at nothing in their efforts to push their cocaine, heroin, pot, and meth northward.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a text from Nick saying he was on his way home from town and did she need anything. She responded, Nothing but you, and meant it more than he could have known.

  When she and Chester reached the driveway, Nick was already there and pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. She held on too long, and he finally pulled his head back to get a look at her. His expression changed to worry when he saw the tears in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It was just a bad day.” She sniffed, embarrassed at her reaction.

  “Why are you home so early?”

  She took in a chest full of air and blew it out slowly, forcing herself to stop the emotion. Avoiding eye contact, she said, “Mayor Moss took my gun and badge.”

  He pulled back from her and placed his hands on her arms. “What happened?”

  She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling sick with the memory of the conversation. “I was ready to go to the prosecutor over Caroline. She’s behind the transportation ring that funneled through Artemis. Or she’s at least a major player. I went to Moss to warn him.”

  “Why would you go to him about that?” He gave her a look like she’d lost her mind.

  “Would you not expect the same treatment? When you’re in law enforcement, you at least have the decency to give your fellow officers a heads-up before you destroy their world. You know how it is for a cop, or a lawyer, or anyone in the public eye. Imagine serving as mayor of the city and finding out after the fact that the local police were going after your wife. People expect anyone in the public eye to be above reproach.”

  “He should be above reproach in his position!”

  “It was his wife. Imagine hearing about her arrest from the radio station.” Josie sighed. “Look. I don’t know why I’m sticking up for the bastard. I’m just trying to explain why I went to him in the first place. Obviously it was a horrible mistake. But I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  He put an arm around her shoulder and they headed toward the house. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got sacked for trying to be a decent person.”

  They sat down on the couch and she turned so she could see him better. She rested her hand on his thigh, glad for his physical presence, and realized suddenly how much she was starting to need him. The thought worried her as much as it made her happy.

  “How was my mother?” she asked.

  He grinned. “Where do I begin?”

  She leaned her head back against the couch and groaned.

  “Not in a bad way. She was fine.” He laughed at her expression. “She didn’t say anything that would have embarrassed you.”

  “Come on, Nick. Now I know you’re lying to me. My mother doesn’t ever have a conversation without embarrassing me on some level. And you spent all morning with her.”

  He laughed again and looked guilty for enjoying her discomfort. “Look. She was your mom. She spent a lot of time trying to figure out your motivation for coming here. To West Texas and Artemis specifically. I don’t think she understands that some people find the desert and the isolation beautiful. It didn’t ring true to her.”

  “And did she talk about her motivation for being here?”

  He pursed his lips and nodded slowly as if he had an answer that he would rather not share.

  “Well?” she said.

  “I think she wants to move here. I think she wants to have some sort of relationship with you.” Nick put his hand over the top of hers and squeezed it. “And just to be clear. I gave nothing away. At one point she made an offhand remark about you hating her, and that’s why you moved away. I didn’t correct her. I let it go.”

  “I don’t hate her. I feel lousy that I gave you the impression that I might. I just can’t say that I suddenly want to work on a relationship. I feel horrible about that. I have a lot of guilt over it but I have reasons that I don’t want to spend a lot of time with her.”

  “You moved two thousand miles away from home. That says something.”

  “And now she wants to be neighbors.”

  FIFTEEN

  Too much was riding on the ballistics evidence to chance anything but a personal delivery. Otto called the state police crime scene lab in Springville to make sure Ernie Mays was working. He wanted to place the gun Josie had found, as well as the bullet from Renata’s body, in Ernie’s hands and beg for quick results if necessary.

  Otto found Ernie bent over a microscope. He leaned back a few inches when Otto entered and called hello, but it took Ernie a while to stretch his six-foot body out to its full length. He reached around to rub his lower back and smiled when he realized it was Otto. “Just turned seventy-one this month. And all I’m good for is bending over this blasted desk of mine looking at small stuff.”

  “You could retire and fix watches.”

  “Better yet, I could retire and do nothing but watch bad TV.” He grinned and winked. “Now. What rates high enough for you to drive all the way here from the hinterlands just to see me?”

  “How backlogged are you?”

  Ernie snorted. “Weeks. Months.”

  “Even for murder cases?”

  “That’s what I’m referring to.”

  “This case involves a cop, who’s investigating a mayor’s wife, who may be peripherally involved in a murder.”

  Ernie raised his eyebrows.

  “The cop is now suspended by the mayor.”

  “Let me guess. The cop’s a friend. So you’re here asking favors.”

  “That’s about it.”

  Ernie sighed heavily. “Us old-timers have to stick together. What do you need?”

  “A few things. First, latent prints and DNA from the gun.” He held up a plastic bag with the pistol. “I’m after one clear chain of evidence from the scene of the crime to your lab. The police officer in question never touched any of this, so we’re looking at good evidence. I don’t want any reason for someone to cry foul later.”

  Ernie waved it off. “No problem. I understand. What else?”

  Otto held up another plastic bag, this one holding a bullet and casing. “I need to know if the bullet found inside the woman’s body, and the casing found at the crime scene, match the gun found at the crime scene.”

  “All right. Unless I run into problems, I’ll get you an answer by tomorrow.”

  Otto smiled and then laughed, feeling a huge sense of relief. He’d expected at least a two-week turnaround. “Next time I make it up this way, I’ll buy you a steak dinner.”

  Ernie patted Otto on the back and told him there might not be a next time, that retirement was indeed looming. But Ernie had been saying that for a decade, and still kept showing up at the microscope.

  * * *

  As Otto drove back to Artemis he saw that it was just after five o’clock and decided he had one
more stop for the day: Selena Rocha. He knew Josie liked her and valued her input, and Otto thought she might be able to offer some additional piece of information. Through the years, he had discovered that hairdressers, garbage collectors, and mail carriers were some of the best sources for information in a small town.

  At quarter after five Selena turned the dead bolt on the salon door and opened it for Otto to enter. When he introduced himself she smiled pleasantly and said that, yes, she knew him and she hoped everything was okay.

  She closed the door and turned back to him. “Would you like coffee or tea?”

  “No, no,” he said, feeling nervous talking to this woman with long legs and big brown eyes and a bright white smile. For a brief moment he couldn’t remember why he had thought it important to visit her.

  They sat in the waiting room and Otto cleared his throat, organizing his thoughts.

  “Chief Gray came by and talked to you a few days ago about the woman who was murdered.”

  “Yes.”

  “She suggested that you have a good feel for what’s going on in town. And that you have some knowledge of the trafficking industry.” He paused and she frowned, but nodded once to acknowledge the statement.

  “Things have gotten complicated since she last spoke with you. I’d like to talk with you in confidence about the case. Can you give me your word that you won’t talk about the case with anyone?”

  Her expression altered somewhat, her eyes focused and brightened. She was getting interested now. “You have my word.”

  “Good,” he said, settling into the conversation. “Did you hear today that Chief Gray has been suspended due to breach of contract?”

  “We heard it on the radio this afternoon. I couldn’t believe it.”

  “You won’t share this information with your coworkers?” Otto asked. If she did, it wouldn’t put the case in jeopardy, but he preferred to keep the information quiet as long as possible.

  “Just because I hear gossip doesn’t mean I spread it,” she said.

  “Good enough. Chief Gray’s suspension is tied to the trafficking case. There are some things that make us believe Caroline Moss may be connected to a trafficking ring. That she may have set up the transport of the women who came here from Guatemala.”

  She shook her head slowly and murmured, “Unbelievable. The Citizen of the Year.”

  “Remember. She’s not been arrested. This is conjecture.”

  “I know, I know. You made that clear.” Selena squinted at Otto as if she were putting the pieces together. “I also heard they picked up Josh Mooney for driving the van. The word around here is that Josh kidnapped the woman at the trauma center, but he was arrested before he could get her delivered.”

  Otto put a hand in the air and wavered it. “Something like that.”

  “Now you think the mayor’s wife got Josh to drive the women from Guatemala up north?” Her eyes widened and she placed a hand across her heart. “It was that bastard mayor who suspended Josie, wasn’t it?”

  Otto pursed his lips and decided to avoid that part of the conversation as best he could. “Something like that. But here’s my question for you. We suspect Caroline’s involvement, but we have little to go on. I’m wondering if you’ve heard anything about her being involved in any kind of transporting of illegal immigrants.”

  She stretched her legs out in front of her and slumped back into her chair. “No, just the opposite. I thought she helped people in trouble, especially women. Did you talk to the women who Josh was transporting?”

  Otto explained that the police had spoken with Isabella and the other three women, but that they’d learned little new information.

  Selena stood. “I’ll help you. Chief Gray stood by me when people were questioning my business. She didn’t allow a bunch of gossips to ruin me. So I’ll stand by her now.”

  Otto stood too, having no idea where this woman thought they were headed. “How do you propose to help?”

  “Who do you think those women want to talk to right now? The police?” She made a face. “They don’t trust you any more than they trust the men who brought them here. They want you to save them, but they don’t trust that you will.”

  Otto started to speak and she stopped him with a hand in the air.

  “Don’t get defensive. I know what these women are thinking. It’s exactly the way I felt.” She considered him for a moment. “It’s because there’s this mixed message we get. Sometimes the media loves the immigrants and wants to do everything they can to help people like those women. Other times the media says, ‘Send them all home. We don’t want them!’”

  Otto crossed his arms and tried not to look skeptical.

  “Go home tonight and turn on your TV. Watch one channel and you’ll hear about the illegals ruining the country. Taking all the jobs, committing crimes, running the country broke, turning to terrorism. Watch another channel and the immigrants are hardworking people wanting better for their families. Some towns help us settle and find work. Other towns throw us in jail the first chance they get. It’s no wonder we don’t trust anyone!”

  He hadn’t considered this angle, but she had a point.

  “Then this woman, Isabella, comes to the U.S. to find work and is raped and humiliated and the police say they’ll help her find safety. And then she’s kidnapped by the man who attacked her and maybe even murdered her friend. She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

  Otto studied her for a moment. “You said she was raped. That’s not public knowledge.”

  “It is now. Macey spread it all over town that the police were accusing her brother of rape. How he was getting ripped off.” She made a dismissive noise and rolled her eyes.

  Otto sighed. “Okay. How is it you think you can help?”

  “I’m from Venezuela. And I know they’re from Guatemala, but I know what these women have gone through to get here. I can talk to them as someone who made it. I can help them understand that you don’t want to send them to jail. You want to help.”

  “We need to find out what happened the night Renata was shot. I need Isabella to talk about that night. What she heard, and what she saw.”

  She nodded.

  “The other three women too. They’re all at the trauma center under observation. You’ll be able to talk with them all?”

  She nodded again.

  “And we need to find out who’s behind this ring.”

  “I’ll get my purse and lock up.”

  * * *

  Otto walked outside and raised his arms slightly to allow a breeze under his armpits. He wondered how it was that a man of his age could still be nervous around a well-put-together woman less than half his age. It was an embarrassment. He got in the jeep and blasted the AC, pointing the air vents toward his sweaty forehead. Even if a genie in a bottle granted him one guilt-free night with that woman, a night Delores would never know about, he’d turn the genie down. He had no interest in that young hairdresser woman, so why the fluster? He thought of Delores in her soft cotton dresses and house slippers, taking apple chunks out to the goats in the field for a snack, saving stray cats, and making homemade dumplings to die for, and he was overcome with love for his wife of forty years. He called Delores.

  “Delores?”

  “Yes, Otto. Who did you expect to answer the phone?”

  He smiled. “I’ll be a bit late. I’ve got to run over to the trauma center.”

  “Roast and potatoes are in the oven. They’ll wait till you get home.”

  “I love you.”

  The line was silent for a moment and he could imagine her looking shocked, and then smiling, her cheeks blushing. “Well, I love you too,” she said.

  * * *

  Selena climbed into the jeep and placed a hand on his forearm.

  “Before we go. Can we just agree that you won’t talk about this to people?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “I’ve had to fight to get people to take me seriously as a hairdresser. A
s someone who can successfully run her own business.” She scowled at Otto when he continued looking confused. “I’m more than just a skirt and a pair of legs. I don’t need the massage parlor rumors started up again.”

  “Ah,” he said. “Understood.”

  He pulled the jeep away from the curb and started across town. When she remained quiet he glanced her way, noticing her erect posture and the worry lines stretching across her forehead. “I appreciate you doing this. I’m sure it takes you to a place you’d just as soon forget.”

  Selena shrugged. “I grew up knowing there were things I had to do for my family. Even as a kid I knew my looks were part of who I was. They would take me places other people couldn’t go. Some people have brains. Some people have looks. You use what you have.”

  Otto pulled into the trauma center parking lot and thought about his own daughter, Mina, married with kids. He’d not raised her to value looks over brains. But he wondered if this young woman didn’t have a point. You took your gifts, whatever they were, and you used them. He turned off the engine, thinking about Josie and her take on this conversation. Had she been here, he was fairly certain she’d be lecturing him about some part of his thinking. He smiled at the mental image of her scowling face and realized how much he appreciated her perspective. He hoped like hell he could get her out of her current predicament.

  They walked through the sliding glass doors of the trauma center and Otto turned to Selena, worrying suddenly that the plan was too off-the-cuff. “Would you like to go over questions? Talk about the information we’re looking for?”

  “No. I don’t want to sound like a cop. I want them to know I’m here to help them.”

  “Right,” he said, nodding, hoping it would work.

  Otto asked the receptionist if Vie Blessings was available. Ten minutes later she bustled into the lobby wearing her bright purple scrubs and pink glasses. She extended her hand to Otto, and he introduced her to Selena.

  Vie pointed to her own spiked hair and smiled. “I know Selena well. She keeps me looking good.”

  “Nice to see you,” Selena said.

  “We’re here to check on the young women from Guatemala,” he said.