He grabbed Maddy’s arm and guided her to the door. “Tell my wife I’ll be home late tonight.” He waited for all three sisters to exit.
Once they were far enough away not to be overheard, Deena said, “Sheesh! He couldn’t get us out of there fast enough. Do you think he was onto us?”
Maddy nodded. “Oh hell yeah! He was definitely not buying the lunch pail story.”
“That was a good one, by the way,” Deena said. “I had totally forgotten about it.”
“Thought you said Mike had just gotten it and insisted on using it to bring the leftovers to me at work Thanksgiving night.”
“That’s true, but he hasn’t even mentioned it since. Guess he wasn’t that impressed with it.”
They piled into Maddy’s car without bringing up the subject of the reason for their trip to the station in the first place. Maddy was sure Kate hadn’t had enough time to work on Danny, especially with Colt’s suspicions on high alert and with him watching Maddy like a store detective would a suspected shoplifter.
“Doesn’t anyone want to know about me and Danny?” Kate asked from the back seat.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t stall any longer, honey, but Colt wasn’t about to let us out of his sight,” Deena said.
“I had forgotten how cute Danny really is,” Kate said. “I think I’d be okay with him as my Dustbuster,” she said with a laugh. “Where is Tessa, anyway?”
Maddy glanced in the rearview mirror and waved at the ghost. “Right beside you.”
Kate turned in that direction. “You would have been so proud to see me in action, sis. I must’ve learned something from you after all these years.”
Wish I could have stayed around long enough to teach you the really good stuff. Tessa sighed. I didn’t even get to make my bucket list.
Maddy ignored her middle sister and concentrated on the younger one. “Did you find out anything useful with all that flirting?”
Kate giggled. “I told him I was fascinated by the TV shows that were able to take a face in the crowd and run a facial recognition program on the computer to identify that person.”
Maddy’s head jerked up. “And?”
“He laughed. Said it wasn’t that easy.”
“Damn!” Deena said. “So we got nothing.”
“Hold your horses, girls. Didn’t you hear me say Tessa would have been proud of me?”
Maddy took a left turn into the parking lot at Ruby’s diner and spotted an open space right up front. After she pulled in and turned off the engine, she said, “Please say he told you the names of the men in the pictures.”
Kate shook her head. “He’s a cop. He wouldn’t do that.”
Maddy’s hope plummeted, and she opened the car door. “Oh well, it would have been a good idea if it had worked. At least we’ve got Ruby’s home cooking to soften our disappointment.”
“Who said we were disappointed?”
Maddy pulled the door shut and twisted to face her sister in the back seat. “You implied he didn’t give you any names.”
Kate licked her lips, a smug look on her face. “He didn’t, but he pulled out a folder labeled CHRISSY ROCKFORD’S PHOTOS. Said although they didn’t have the sophisticated equipment that the TV guys did, they were able to run a facial recognition with a new computer program being tested nationwide. Unfortunately, the only people in the data bank right now are ones with prior felony convictions.”
“Oh,” Deena moaned. “You had my hopes up for a second.”
Kate frowned. “Why do you doubt me so, Deena? I told you. I learned from the Master.” She high-fived the air as if she actually could see Tessa. “Once I saw the folder, I pretended like I was dying of thirst and asked where I could get a cold drink. Of course he offered to get one for me.”
Maddy couldn’t stop herself from feeling the hope ascending back to the top of her emotions. “You peeked into that folder while he was gone?”
“I did. I made sure my back was facing everyone so they couldn’t see me, and I did a quick look inside.”
Maddy gasped. “Please tell me one of Chrissy’s victims was a felon and you saw his name.”
Kate grinned. “Better than that, Maddy. Two of the men in those pictures were convicted felons, but I knew I’d never remember the names. You know how bad I am at memorizing things.”
“So we’re back to square one,” Deena said, blowing out a frustrated breath.
“Not exactly.” Kate shoved her phone toward the front seat. “You gotta love these gadgets. I may not be able to remember names, but when you have them on your smartphone, along with pictures, who cares?”
twenty-one
Maddy stared at the first picture on Kate’s phone. It was the DMV photo of a Hispanic man who appeared to be in his late thirties. His name was Francis Montero, and according to his driver’s license, he lived in East Dallas near Fair Park.
She flipped to the next photo. It was another driver’s license of a second Hispanic man, Joseph Gutierrez. This one lived in Abilene, a town about 150 miles west of Fort Worth. Gutierrez appeared younger, possibly in his late twenties. Neither man looked like the type who’d need help finding female companionship. But being in an airport bar, away from the family, and having a hot blonde offering things that might not be available at home could prove to be too tempting for some men. Add a few beers to the mix, and even the most conservative of travelers might give in to fifteen minutes of no-questions-asked sex.
“Let me have a look, Maddy,” Deena said, snatching the phone from her sister’s hand. After she studied both pictures, she looked up and shrugged. “Frankly, neither one looks like a killer.”
“Nor did Ted Bundy,” Kate remarked from the back seat.
She’s got a point, Tessa said. They think you’re a killer, Maddy, and you sure don’t look the part.
Maddy acknowledged Tessa’s remark with a nod, before focusing back on Kate. “Did you get a chance to see what these two did to earn felony convictions?” She reached for the phone from Deena’s outstretched hand and studied the pictures once again.
Kate shook her head. “I barely had time to snap these before I heard Colt’s voice behind me. I almost peed my pants, sure he’d caught me in the act.” She blew out a relieved breath. “I’m not cut out for this kind of stuff. I’ll take a breach delivery over this any day.”
“I could ask Rogers for the info, but he’s already in enough trouble with Colt for helping me.” Maddy handed the phone back to Kate. “Text these to me, please. I think I’ll start with the East Dallas guy before driving all the way to Abilene on a wild goose chase.”
“If you check on him tomorrow, I can go with you,” Kate offered. “I don’t have to be back at the hospital until after four.”
“I’d love the company. We can do an early lunch beforehand and then go see Mr …” Maddy picked up her phone when she heard the ding signaling the arrival of the text from Kate’s cell. “Mr. Francis Montero. We’ll see what he has to say about how he handled finding out there were photographs of him and Chrissy. I’ll call him first thing tomorrow morning and set up a meeting.”
“What if he did kill both Chrissy and Agostinelli? Aren’t you just a little worried that he might take exception to our asking questions? You don’t even have a gun anymore, Maddy,” Kate said.
“By tomorrow I will have come up with a good reason why we’re there without seeming like we’re threatening him. But just in case, I’ll throw Robbie’s old forty-five into my purse.”
“I can’t make it,” Deena said with a sigh. “Tomorrow is field trip day at the nursing home. We’re taking the residents to the Dallas Arboretum to see the winter flowers, and I’m the only one who can drive the van. Dammit!”
“It will probably be a bust, anyway,” Kate said. “This dude doesn’t look like he has the balls to plan a double murder, much less carry it out.”
“Now would be a good time to remind you of your own words, Kate. Actually two words—Ted Bundy.” Maddy clicked o
ff her phone and shoved it into her purse. “Come on. Lainey’s probably been here for a while, and you know how she gets when she has to wait.”
_____
The next morning came way too soon for Maddy after she and her sisters had spent a perfect day getting pampered. They should have an excuse to have a pamper day more often, preferably not to save anyone’s ass from jail next time.
And they now had two new leads to work on.
She took another sip of her coffee and leaned back in the chair, smiling as she watched Jake clear away the breakfast dishes. She could get used to being waited on in a hurry. Too bad all good things eventually come to an end.
“You’re wrapping up your case and heading back to San Antonio tomorrow?” she asked, suddenly feeling a little sad. She was just getting to know Jake and would have liked a few more days with him before sending him on his merry way. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being in the company of a man who made her laugh.
Maybe she should take Tessa’s advice and get a Dustbuster of her own.
“Actually it’s the day after tomorrow,” he replied, as he cleared the breakfast table. “I’m meeting with Sheriff Winslow today to finalize the details of the necklace. Then I’ll head out first thing the following morning.”
“So they did find the necklace in the safety deposit box yesterday?”
Jake nodded. “The money wasn’t there, though. Upwards of ten million was reported stolen last year and may never be recovered.”
“What a shame. I could definitely use a little of that myself.”
He met her eyes and held them. “About the money. I meant what I said about you keeping it. You need it a lot more than—”
She moved closer to him and put her finger to his lips. “I plan on paying back every cent as soon as I get my normal life back.”
For some reason neither moved away. Both continued to stare at one another. If she took just one step closer, she’d be able to feel his warm breath on her lips. She knew it, and judging from the look in his eyes, so did he. Leaning in, she waited for him to kiss her.
When he stepped back and walked to the kitchen sink, she was left feeling confused. “Jake?”
He turned slowly to face her, regret written across his face. “I’m a loser, Maddy. As much as I’d love to take you in my arms and drag you up to my bedroom, I respect you way too much to do that.”
“You’re not a loser,” she protested.
He looked away but not before she saw the longing in his eyes. “I come with a lot of baggage. I’ve been able to handle it up to now by drowning it in booze, but these past few days have made me realize I don’t want to do that any—”
“I can help,” she interrupted.
A slow smile crossed his face. “Without a doubt, but unfortunately, these are demons I have to slay by myself. After my partner was killed, my commanding officer insisted I see a department therapist, but I wasn’t ready then. Now I think I might be.”
She knew he was right, and she hated it. And what was she thinking, anyway? Her heart assured her that if he hadn’t walked away from her moments before, there was no doubt she would’ve ended up naked in his bed. And although she suspected it would have surpassed her wildest fantasies, the euphoria would be short-lived. The man had issues, but so did she. First and foremost, she had a murder charge hanging over her head, and if things went terribly wrong, she could end up spending the rest of her life in jail.
She shook her head to chase away that thought. “Jessie will miss you,” she said simply.
“Not nearly as much as I’m going to miss her.” He paused before adding, “And you, too.”
She smiled. “San Antonio is only four hours away.”
“And the drive through the small towns between here and there is full of great scenery.” He winked. “You may be sorry you opened that door.”
“You may be sorry you didn’t drag me up to your bedroom when you had the chance.”
He threw back his head and laughed out loud. “I already am, but I have a nine o’clock meeting with the good sheriff, and I get the sense he doesn’t like me already. Imagine how he would feel about me if he knew I’d just finished ravaging his sister-in-law.”
“Now you’re making me sorry.” She laughed before glancing at the clock over the sink. “Oh Lord, Kate will be here in ten minutes, and I haven’t even showered.”
“Another girly afternoon planned?”
Her eyes turned serious, the light bantering between the two of them over. “Today, I’m hoping to get a lead on the real killer.”
“I know there’s nothing I can say to stop you from doing that, so I’ll just warn you to be careful. There are a lot of bad people out there who don’t like being reminded of it.”
“I will. I promise. Good luck with Colt today.” She hurried out of the room before she tried to change his mind and dragged him to her bedroom.
Kate arrived ten minutes late which allowed Maddy enough time to get ready. Dressed in her usual jeans and T-shirt, Kate looked normal again with her hair in a ponytail and sporting just a slight touch of lip gloss. Jake was still up in his room when they left, and she was glad of that. She wasn’t ready to tell her younger sister about what had almost happened in the kitchen earlier, because it was probably nothing. Although she hoped she was wrong about that, she mentally scolded herself for acting like a teenage girl.
“Did you call the Dallas guy?” Kate asked as they climbed into Maddy’s car.
Maddy nodded. “Yeah. Got the number from a Google search and left a voicemail. Told him we’d be stopping by after lunch to discuss a delicate matter.”
“Jeez, Maddy! Get right to the point, why don’t you? What makes you think he’ll be at home this afternoon? What if he’s on a business trip or something?”
“I thought about that, but I still want to go to his house. Sometimes seeing how someone lives speaks louder than actually having a conversation with that person. Even better if his wife is there and we get a look at her.” She glanced quickly at her sister. “You used to be the adventurous one, Katie. Since when did you become such a worry wart?”
“Since Lainey almost got herself killed last year trying to find Tessa’s killer. Colt warned us that people get bent out of shape when they think you’re asking the wrong questions.”
“Oh, pfft!” Maddy maneuvered the car off the freeway at Oak Lawn and headed toward downtown Dallas. “If you see someplace that looks interesting, let me know. I’m starving.” Her stomach was noisily telling her she should have eaten more than a piece of toast that morning with Jake and Jessie.
“What about over there?” Kate pointed to a small restaurant tucked between two tall buildings. “The Gypsy Café. I think I read about this place in the fine dining section of the Sunday newspaper.”
“Is it expensive?” Maddy pulled into a slot in the front and turned off the engine.
Kate made a wiggling motion with her hand. “Middle of the road. The article said the food was excellent, though. Come on. We’ll split something.” She opened her door and climbed out of the car, speaking over the hood. “Think of it as an adventure. I’ll even spring since I just got paid and have a little spare cash.”
“You’re treating? Now I’m really concerned about you,” Maddy teased. “Okay, you’ve sold me. Let’s go find out what all the hoopla is about.”
The maître d’ approached them almost as soon as they walked through the door. He led them to a cozy table near the window where they could see the Dallas skyline. Ten minutes later, they were enjoying the best chicken salad sandwich Maddy had ever tasted, making her wish she hadn’t agreed to share it with her sister.
When she shoved the last bite into her mouth, she glanced at Kate. “Since you generously sprang for the sandwich, I’ll do dessert.”
She scanned the restaurant for the waiter so they could get a look at the dessert menu. Just when she was about to give up, she located him at the other side of the restaurant. Before she
could get his attention, her eyes settled on a man sitting at a corner table holding hands with a sexy redhead. He was laughing at something the wo-man had said, and Maddy was shocked when she recognized him immediately.
“Oh my God!”
“What!” Kate asked, following Maddy’s eyes to the table across the way. “You gotta be kidding me? Tell me that’s not Deena’s husband sitting close enough to that woman to check her pulse without using his fingers.”
“That slimy bastard. Come on, Kate, we’re going over there.”
Maddy stood and headed in that direction with her cell phone in hand and her sister right behind her. She had no idea what she’d say to Mike Hernandez, but she wasn’t about to let him think his little tryst was still a secret. As they approached the table, he looked up and immediately she snapped a picture on her phone. She got another one when his expression went from a huge smile that smacked of shared intimacy with the woman to jaw-dropping surprise in a nanosecond. He released the woman’s hands as if they were on fire.
“Hello, Mike. Care to introduce us to your lady friend?”
By now he had recovered enough from his initial shock, and he moved into damage control mode. “It isn’t what you think, Maddy. She’s an associate of mine from work.”
Kate stepped forward. “And do you hold hands over lunch with all your associates?” When he didn’t respond, she turned to the woman who had yet to utter one word. “Are you aware this man is married?”
The woman glared before finding her voice. “Now that would be none of your business.”
“You’re a slimeball, Mike, and you always have been. My sister deserves so much better than you.” Maddy held up her phone and took a close up of the redhead before grabbing Kate’s arm. “Come on. All of a sudden I’ve lost my appetite for sweets. Let’s let our loser brother-in-law finish up with his Jezebel.” Still trembling with anger, she guided Kate back to their table.
After they paid the bill and were back in the car, Kate turned to her. “Are we going to tell Deena?”
Jailhouse Glock (A Dead Sister Talking Mystery) Page 19
