Miami Midnight
Page 35
“Leave us alone, Miami PD,” Kathy said, rolling over, grasping at a few more moments of rest. Grace rustled more. She was up. It’d be a minute, tops, before she started crying for food, or something. Pete stood up and walked toward the door of the bedroom. As he opened it, a black and a gray kitten skittered into the room, mewling for food. Pete stepped out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen, closing the door behind him, Neko and PJ in hot pursuit.
“Cut to it, detective,” Pete said as he reached for a can of wet cat food from the stack on the kitchen counter. He pulled open a drawer and found the can opener.
“The name Raul Alvarez mean anything to you?”
“The University of Southern Florida quarterback? From the ’80s?” Pete asked. He’d stopped opening the can. Hudson had hooked him.
“Not anymore,” Hudson said. “He’s dead.”
“Dead? What happened?”
“Boating accident,” Hudson said. “His toxicology report was a rainbow of drugs and alcohol.”
“Shit,” Pete said. “That’s terrible. No offense, but is that why you called? I mean, it’s tragic, but—”
“His wife doesn’t think it was an accident.”
“How is that even possible?”
“She needs help, Pete—help that I can’t give her when the case is closed from our POV—you follow?” Hudson said. “Coincidentally, I know a half-decent private dick who’s been spending time tickling babies and living off his savings. She needs someone to look into his death. Someone with a little more freedom to move ... and act.”
“Nisha ... I can’t, I’m basically on dad duty,” Pete said. He was conflicted. He knew Hudson could hear it in his voice. “I mean, I wish—”
“Are we taking the case?”
He hadn’t heard Kathy come in, Grace slung over her shoulder, milk-drunk.
“Do you want to know what it’s about first?”
“Not really,” Kathy said, gently rocking the baby. “I want to work. It’s time.”
“Tell the wife to come by,” Pete said. “We’ll see her.”
“She’s downstairs, outside your front door,” Hudson said. “Her name is Theresa Alvarez.”
Pete touched the screen, ending the call. He turned to face Kathy, ignoring the cats’ cries for food.
“Are we doing this?”
She stepped toward Pete and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Two fools and a little baby,” she said. “Maybe that can be our motto? Hop in the shower while I put on my bathrobe and wow this lady with our beautiful offspring and my amazing bed hair.”
Pete watched as Kathy and Grace headed toward the stairs. He reached for the counter, trying to balance himself, the wave of gratitude and excitement almost knocking him over.
He used to hate it when he talked to himself. It was something he did when he was drunk. On his knees, broken, battered. “Come on, Pete.” “Get up.” “You idiot.” Desperate, half-baked attempts at moving limbs and a brain dulled and soured by drink. As he got older, as the gap of time between his last drink and today grew and stretched, Pete became more forgiving of the quirk. He was in touch with himself in a way he’d never imagined. He felt alive.
Finally.
He finished feeding the kittens and stretched his arms as he walked toward the bathroom, the case of Raul Alvarez already bouncing around his mind. Murder? Maybe. They’d figure it out. They always did.
He muttered the two words to himself fifteen minutes later, as he opened the door that would lead him down into the offices of Bentley & Fernandez Investigations. On to the next thing. The next case.
“Let’s go.”
Read other books by Alex Segura
I could not have written this book without my editor and Polis Books founder Jason Pinter and agent Dara Hyde. Full stop. Both were generous with their time, understanding, quick to offer advice and support, and ever-present. They rode along with me and moved mountains to make sure I had as much time and space to write the book I wanted, even when I didn’t think I could. Dara’s been an advocate and friend to the Pete books since the beginning, and Jason’s done everything in his power to get these stories out into the world in a thoughtful, meaningful way. I’m not sure I could’ve finished this book without their help, and I’m grateful to them for their guidance and friendship.
I was lucky enough to be part of a very smart, diverse and vocal writers’ group when I was first chipping away at Silent City, and it’s something I’ve continued to find invaluable: feedback from other writers. It’s also one of the first bits of advice I give new writers: join a group, or find great beta readers. Fatherhood prevents me from having the time to meet with other writers regularly, but I’m lucky to still have a core group of first readers who keep me in line, call me on my excesses and catch mistakes before they reach the wider world. Huge thanks to Elizabeth Keenan-Penagos, Justin Aclin, Kellye Garrett, Erica Wright, Amanda di Bartolomeo, Meg Wilhoite, Paul Steinfeld, Jennifer Rice Epstein, Alan Gomez, Hatzel Vela, Andrea Vigil, Rebekah Monson, and Phoebe Flowers. Asking someone to read your novel is no small favor—it takes hours of time to read, even more to boil down your thoughts in a concise and effective way. I’m lucky to have so many great writers and friends in my life.
I’d also like to thank the amazing, established authors who took time out of their busy schedules to say a nice thing or two about this book—Alafair Burke, Michael Harvey, and Lisa Lutz. I know all too well how tough it is to balance work, life, and writing. Add an entire novel to that pile and it might tip over. Thank you.
A big thank you to Erin Mitchell for her continued marketing savvy, to my mother-in-law Isabel Stein for her editing prowess and general support, to Ellen Clair Lamb for her proofreading skills, to Sophie Appel for her design help, to my staff and bosses at Archie Comics for their support of this second career, and to my friends and family—who were always willing to lend a hand or give a much-needed pat on the back.
As Pete’s trip pumps the brakes, I’m given to brief, nostalgic trips back to the beginning—to the days when Silent City was just a growing Word file on my desktop and something I didn’t talk to many people about. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a special place in this story is reserved for those who were there at the start—who didn’t scoff when, about a decade ago, I said I wanted to write a P.I. series about a messed up Cuban-American journalist in Miami, to honor the novels that got me hooked on the genre. Books like George Pelecanos’s Nick Stefanos books, or Dennis Lehane’s Pat and Angie novels, or Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan series. Instead of shrugging or rolling their eyes, these people simply said some version of “I believe in you, and I will do whatever I can to help you.” So, here we are—five books in—and the trip that seemed so unimaginable then is entering its first wide turn. Thanks to those friends, who are too many to list. Your support meant the world to me.
To the readers—whether you’ve been riding alongside Pete from the beginning or just joining the party—thank you. Nothing beats the rush of an unexpected note or email from a fan letting an author know someone’s enjoyed their book. Nothing surprises us more. Knowing these stories have brought entertainment to anyone means the world to me, and I’m grateful for your time and passion.
Most importantly, I’d like to thank my smart, honest, and amazing wife Eva, for her loyalty, friendship, and candor. For always pushing me to do better, to not settle. For being a loving, thoughtful, and present mother to our two children and for propping me up when I’m losing steam. I love you.
To those bemoaning the end—if it’s any solace, I always feel like whatever Pete book I finish is going to be the last. Who knows what the future will bring?
Alex Segura
Queens, New York
May 18, 2019
The following is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in an entirely fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead
, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Alex Segura
Cover and jacket design by 2Faced Design
Interior designed and formatted by E.M. Tippetts Book Designs
www.emtippettsbookdesigns.com
ISBN: 978-1-947993-84-6
Library of Congress Control Number: tk
First hardcover and ebook edition August 2019 by Polis Books, LLC
221 River St., 9th Fl., #9070
Hoboken, NJ 07030
www.PolisBooks.com