“I know everyone who gets a tattoo here. Sorry I can’t help.”
“So am I,” Vic said. Claire could hear the disappointment in his voice.
“If you ever want a tattoo—”
“I’ll keep you in mind,” he said before she could finish her sentence.
Claire followed him outside to the car, wishing she could do something to boost his spirits. “Let’s go to Buda Graphic Design for autos and trucks next. I looked it up. They sell stickers and logos for cars. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“Maybe,” he said without much conviction.
When he pulled up in front of the store, he turned to her. “I’ll run in. Be back in a minute.”
Since he wanted to be alone, she looked up the name of the local high school and found out there were two of them. On a whim, she called the office of the first school and got the secretary on the phone.
“Hi. I’m only in Buda for the day and wondered if I could speak to the librarian please.”
“I’ll see if Mrs. Marchant is available. Just a moment.”
While Claire watched for Vic, she waited.
“Hello?”
“Hello. My name’s Elaine Jarvis. I live in Austin, but I’m in Buda for the day, and I’m trying to find out if a friend of mine from long ago attended the high school here. His name is Leroy Bennett. I’ve lost track of him. He served in Iraq and probably would have been a student here twenty years ago. Maybe he was in the ROTC?”
“Oh, my goodness. I wouldn’t have any idea.”
“What I was hoping was that you could pull out a couple of yearbooks from nineteen or twenty years ago to see if his name was listed as one of the students.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have that kind of time. If you come to the library, I could show you where to look.”
“Would that be all right?”
“Yes. You’ll have to report to the office first and they’ll give you a pass.”
“I have a friend with me. Could he come, too?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Thank you very much, Mrs. Marchant. We’ll be there soon.”
Vic would probably think it was a waste of time, but she kept thinking about the decal on Leroy’s truck. Of course she could be way off track if that logo had been put there by a previous owner. There were so many ifs to do with this case, she was driving herself crazy. But the heartsick expression on Vic’s face when he came out to the car made her more determined than ever to find the smoking gun that would bring Jeremy home.
He got in behind the wheel. “No one recognized him or remembered selling him a sticker like that. It’s an old one.”
That was what she’d been afraid of. “While you were inside, I made a call to one of the local high schools.” He flicked a questioning glance at her. “I thought we’d look through a couple of old yearbooks in the library and see if he happened to be a student here at one time.”
“Your brain astounds me.”
“Now you have an idea of how I feel about yours,” she said. When she looked over at him he was smiling. “Are you laughing at me?”
“No. I’m seeing what my son has seen in you from the moment you came into our lives. To be honest, I’m awed by your brilliant mind.”
“If it’s brilliant, it’s because I love Jeremy so much and intend to help you find him.” He’s a part of you,Vic. Don’t you know that?
Chapter Four
Since Claire had come to work for Vic as Jeremy’s nanny, they had developed a natural camaraderie that made what they were doing easy. She really did have an inquisitive mind and thought outside the box.
“The science of chemistry suits your investigative skills, Claire. I don’t need another Ranger with me to track down fresh leads when I have you.”
“I could be completely wrong about this.”
“I don’t know. So far your intuition has been spot on.”
He drove to the high school. After being given a pass, they went upstairs to the library. The librarian was holding class, but she showed them the shelves where they could find the yearbooks. Before long they’d pulled out three yearbooks for the years Leroy might have been a student there and took them to an empty table.
But after scanning each book, they came up empty-handed. While Vic reshelved the books, Claire thanked the librarian, then they left the school. “I found out this is the newer high school. The older one is on the other side of town. Before we give up on this idea, why don’t we drive over there? The librarian gave me the address.”
Why not? Vic trusted Claire’s instincts. “Let’s go,” he said.
On the drive, Kit texted him. When they reached the school parking lot, he found a spot to park and turned off the engine. Along with the text were the mug shots of the two men arrested with Leroy.
Vic—I’m no longer officially on the case either, but from a friend who works at the jail, I learned the names of the two men who were arrested with Leroy outside the bar last night. Fidel Flores, 39, Austin, mechanic at Angelo’s Body Shop was let go because he got to work late and left early too many times. Armando Varena, 38, Austin, laid off construction worker. I checked with Meyer’s Construction. They said Varena had a drinking problem.
Ranger Rodriguez is still holding both men for questioning. I also learned another piece of information from my source. Leroy worked as a mechanic at the same body shop as Fidel after he returned from Iraq, but they had to let him go because of his problems with PTSD.
Good old Kit. Vic texted him back. My debt to you keeps growing. I’ll keep digging around on my own. Hang in there. We’ll find Jeremy.
I have to find him.
Once Vic had clicked Send, he handed Claire his phone so she could read the text.
“Couldn’t Kit get into trouble for this?”
“Yes.”
“Bless him.” Her voice trembled. “If both men had access to other cars and trucks, maybe that’s where Leroy picked up the blue truck. We could drive to Angelo’s tomorrow and do some questioning on our own. That logo has to be on the window for a reason. Maybe someone who works there will know.”
He nodded. “Once again we’re on the same wavelength. Shall we go check out the library first and see if we can find anything?”
“Yes, and this time we’ve got three names to look up.”
Vic squeezed her hand before they left the car. After they received permission to visit the library, he cupped her elbow as they climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor. They’d arrived during a change of classes and had to battle the crowds of noisy, boisterous students. She flashed him a smile. “I’m so glad I’m not in high school anymore.”
He chuckled as they entered the library and were shown where to find the yearbooks. They ended up with three volumes to check. “This is a long shot, but I believe you know what you’re doing, Claire. I have to admit that if I were with Kit, neither one of us would have thought of checking old yearbooks.”
She lifted her head, smoothing some of the coppery gold strands from her forehead. “You’d have probably gotten around to it, but with your heartache it would be almost impossible to think as clearly as you do with other cases.” Claire went right back to her search. It reminded him of all the times she’d worked on her studies after Jeremy had gone to bed.
He’d see her in the family room, sitting on the couch with her laptop. Her hard work and dedication had resulted in Claire’s earning her master’s degree with honors, yet she ran the household and took wonderful care of Jeremy at the same time. Not only was Vic proud of her, he’d learned to admire her. Jeremy adored her. Jeremy...
A sudden sharp pain stabbed him right between the ribs, and Vic picked up another yearbook. As he was looking up names in the index at the back, he heard a small cry escape Claire’s lips.
“What did you find?”
“Look at this!” She handed him the yearbook. “Fidel Flores has one listing. It’s his junior class picture.”
Vic grabbed the yearbook for the next year and tried to find Flores as a senior, but he wasn’t included. His gaze fused with Claire’s. “This could be the tie to Buda that brought Leroy here! Maybe Jeremy is here, somewhere... I’ve decided you’re my lucky charm, Claire. Let’s find out if Fidel’s parents or family still live here.”
“How can you do that without using your sources at the Bureau?”
“Let’s go out to the car and start making phone calls to every Flores who lives here. If we don’t turn up any info, I’ll phone Clint. My cousin might be able to help us with a more thorough search because of his police connections.”
After Vic took a picture of Flores with his camera, they reshelved the yearbooks and hurried out to the car. Claire pulled out her phone. “I’ll do a statewide search on the various search engines.”
He nodded. “While you do that, I’ll call information for Buda.” To his frustration, there was no Flores listed. After he hung up, he looked at Claire. “Anything from your end?”
“There are 100 listings for Flores in the state of Texas on Instant Checkmate. It’s a daunting task if we decide to go through them one by one.”
“Why don’t we check out any auto mechanic shops while we’re here and show them Fidel’s picture? Maybe he’s been seen around. You never know. First, I’ll drive us back to the Buda Graphic Design shop. Even if they didn’t recognize Leroy, they may know Flores.”
Claire nodded and started looking up addresses. “There are eight listings for mechanics on this site. We can investigate one at a time.”
“After we’re finished, let’s head to that steak house we passed a minute ago and eat dinner before we head on over to the bar.”
“That sounds good.”
Within an hour they’d canvased the area, but no one they spoke with knew or recognized Fidel Flores or Leroy Bennett. Frustrated, Vic drove them to the restaurant. They both ordered steak and salad. After the waitress walked away, Claire said, “I think that when we visit the bar where Leroy was arrested, we should go in separately.”
Vic shook his head. “There’s no way I’d let you go in there alone.”
“But you’ll be there keeping an eye on me. If we’re both alone, our chances of picking up information will increase.”
“A woman like you walking in there alone is asking for trouble.”
“But if I sit at the bar, then—”
“Then nothing! We’ll go in as Jim and Elaine, insurance investigators trying to find a missing person.”
“Was Leroy arrested inside or outside the bar?”
“Outside, according to what Kit told me before they impounded the truck.”
She shook her head. “To think they’d gone there to drink when he’d just kidnapped Jeremy... It’s incomprehensible. To be honest, I don’t know how you’re holding up, Vic.”
“I wouldn’t be functioning if it weren’t for you.” Every time he gave her credit, she came closer to breaking down. “Come on. Let’s go.”
He put some bills on the table and they walked out to his car. After finding the address for Shorty’s Bar on the GPS, they drove there in silence. “It’s a crummy-looking establishment,” she murmured. “There aren’t very many cars parked out here.”
“It’s only five to eight. The hard-core night crowd won’t show up for a few hours. This is the perfect time for us to go in and ask some questions. Follow my lead. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the bartender will be in a good mood.”
She nodded before they got out of the car and walked into the darkened room. The small place reeked of smoke and old age. Canned country music poured out of the speakers. A middle-aged guy sat at the bar. There were other men sitting in the booths lining the walls. Claire stood out in the sleazy atmosphere, not only because she was the only woman there, but because she was too attractive for her own good.
After they found two stools at the end of the bar, Vic nodded to the barrel-chested bartender who’d been pouring a drink for the man sitting by himself. He walked toward them. “What can I get you?”
Vic put down a twenty dollar bill and the picture of Flores. “Two colas and some information about this guy. This is a high school photo from twenty years ago when he lived here in Buda with his family. Have you ever seen him? We work for an insurance company that wants to ask him some questions.”
The bartender put two glasses in front of them and poured them their sodas. Then he held the picture closer. “Yeah. This guy’s been in here before.”
“When did you last see him?”
“Last night. He was hauled off by the police. You can find him in jail.”
“Do you know if he still has family around here?”
“I don’t know. Shorty owns this place and has done for thirty years, but he won’t be in for about a half hour. He knows everyone in the area. Maybe he’ll be able to tell you something.”
“Thank you.”
Vic’s eyes slid to Claire. “Let’s find us a booth while we wait.” They carried their drinks to an empty one. He sat across from her.
“Why didn’t you show him Leroy’s picture?” she asked.
“If I’d done that, he’d start to wonder who I really am. In case Ranger Rodriguez decides to investigate here further, we’re better off sticking with Flores on an insurance matter so it won’t send up any red flags.”
“Of course. How could I forget you’ve been ordered to stay away from the case. Maybe I should go out to the car and let you be the one to talk to Shorty. You know...in case Ranger Rodriguez shows up.”
“It’s too late now. The bartender has seen you with me, but I’m not counting on Rodriguez taking the time to drive out here now that Leroy’s been arrested. He investigates by the book, so I think I’m safe.”
“What if you’re not?”
Claire sounded so worried. He covered her hand with his. She was trembling. “It’ll be all right.”
“If you say so,” she whispered.
Reluctantly, he let go of her hand and finished his drink. “After I’ve talked to the owner of this place, we’ll drive back to the house and look in on the horses before bed.”
“I’ve been thinking about them. They’ve been abandoned today. While we’re waiting, I’ll give my mom a call. I promised to keep her informed. Please don’t worry. I won’t tell her what we’ve been doing.”
While Claire was making her phone call, Vic saw a man who looked to be in his sixties show up behind the bar. He left the booth and walked over to the counter.
The older man stared at him. “I hear you’ve been waiting for me.”
“That’s right. I’m trying to locate the family of Fidel Flores. He went to high school here in Buda about twenty years ago. Your employee said he was taken to jail last night, but I won’t be able to get into the jail to visit him. That’s why I’d like to find someone in his family to answer a few questions for an insurance investigation.”
The owner squinted at him. “There was a Flores family here years ago, but they all went back to Mexico.”
“If that’s true, why do you think Fidel came here last night?”
“He’s hooked up with a Hispanic girl who lives here.”
Adrenaline raced through Vic’s body. “Can you give me a name?”
He shook his head. “Hey, Mick? Come over here.” The other bartender approached them. “Got a name for the woman who started hanging out with Fidel?”
“You talking about Castillo’s wife?”
“If she’s the bottled blonde.”
“Yeah. Eva. She shacked up with him after Castillo was sent to the clink.”
Vic
didn’t need any more information. “I’m much obliged for your help.” After handing him a ten dollar bill, he eyed Claire, who then followed him out of the bar to the car.
“Ooh, I’m glad we left. What a horrible place. Did you learn anything?”
“Yes. Fidel has been living with a woman named Eva, who lives around here somewhere. Before him she was married to a guy named Castillo, who’s now serving time. I’m going to phone Clint to get me a police report on Castillo. Hopefully it will reveal a Buda address. I’m positive Leroy came to Buda because Fidel was staying here with Eva. They have a history.”
“Vic—what if those three men brought Jeremy here and they’ve hidden him at her house?”
“Anything’s possible.” His jaw hardened. “I’ve got to stay here and find out.”
“Phone Clint right now,” she urged. “If your son is in Buda...”
“Whatever I do, I need to do it alone, so I’m taking you home first.”
“Home?” she cried. “I’m not going anywhere if there’s even the slightest chance Jeremy is here.”
“This could get very dangerous if I’m right.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she declared with such intensity, he realized just how much she loved his son.
He let out a tortured sigh. “All right.”
Vic got on the phone with Clint and brought him up to speed about his situation and the new clues that had come to light. Clint said he’d ask a friend at the station to search for the information on Castillo, but it might be an hour before he could get back to Vic.
He thanked him profusely and hung up, only to discover that Claire was doing her own search for Castillo on the Web. “I found eight possible matches, but only four are in or close to the Austin area. None mention Buda. Shall I call these four numbers? I could pretend I’m looking for a friend. I’ll ask if Amalia is there. If a woman answers with a Spanish accent, at least we’d know a woman who could be Eva is at that address.”
Claire was so clever, Vic was astonished. “If you do that, put your phone on speaker.”
“Okay.” She started calling. Three of the four calls were answered by a man on the other end. Each time Claire asked if she could speak to Amalia. All three of them answered with a Spanish accent and said she had the wrong number before hanging up.
The Texas Ranger's Nanny Page 6
