by Kylie Brant
They had reached the car by now and he stopped, not getting in. “Look, Madeline, we’re partners. You understand what that word means, don’t you? It means we share information. You were the one who insisted we work together at all times, and I agreed to that.”
“It’s no big deal.” She met his gaze squarely. “I had a hunch, so I put together a list of released felons who’d served time for firearm charges.” She fished in her purse, pulled the list out and handed it to him. His eyes scanned the sheet quickly, saw the names that were already crossed out and grunted before handing it back to her. “If you’d shown this to me earlier you could have saved the department some money.”
She shrugged and replaced the paper in her purse. “Not necessarily. Valdez was the one I would have wanted to talk to first, but at least Tommy corroborated that he’s a suspect.” She got in the car.
Cruz was silent as he pulled out of the parking lot. He still wore a slight frown on his face. She wished she knew what was bothering him. He didn’t speak again until he asked for Valdez’s address. She gave it to him without consulting the sheet in her purse, and that seemed to annoy him even more. “Do you have microchips for brains?” he asked. “How the hell do you remember all that?”
She shrugged. She’d long ago found it was futile to question the ability she had. She just accepted it. “It’s a gift.”
“Kids in your high school must have hated having you in their classes. You had to really throw off the curve at test time.”
As they drove deeper into the city, the surroundings grew more deteriorated. She was not surprised that Valdez’s address was going to be found in one of the worst slums in the city. “Did you hate people like that when you were in high school?”
“Mostly I spent my time trying to set up study dates with girls like you.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” she said dryly. Dates of any kind had been scarce when she was a teenager. Her natural reserve had made her hard to get to know. And the fact that she had towered over most of the boys in her class hadn’t increased her social life, either. She was sure that any dates Cruz Martinez had set up probably had had very little to do with studying, unless he’d taken classes in anatomy.
“What’s the matter, didn’t you ever have study dates?” he asked. “You know, where you pretended to go to the library to study, and then spent the evening making out in the stacks?”
“You obviously had a very depraved adolescence.”
“Not really,” he denied. “I was just naturally curious. I was always interested in learning something new.”
She could tell by his tone that his love of learning had less to do with books than with getting a girl behind them. Apparently some things never changed.
He pulled the car over to park next to a large, dark building. Half-naked children played on the front porch, and next to the building a man huddled, rocking back and forth mumbling to himself, oblivious to the activity around him.
They walked up the steps and the children fell silent, staring at them with wary eyes. Once they entered the building they could hear the voices behind them resume. Cruz knocked on the door immediately inside the building, and a voice called out, “Who’s there?”
They exchanged a look and without words decided that for now, they wouldn’t identify themselves. “I’m looking for Jose Valdez,” Madeline answered.
“Room 457,” the voice answered. The door never opened. They turned and climbed the open wooden staircase.
“I can’t believe this building can pass fire codes,” Madeline said. Plaster was missing in numerous places in the wall, and wires showed through among the laths. The hallways were littered and had a sour smell.
“There are probably few in this neighborhood that could,” Cruz answered.
They reached the fourth floor and knocked at room 457. There was no answer. They both waited, listening for sounds of movement, but the room was silent. Finally they turned away.
When they were on the street again Madeline asked, “So next we try the places Tommy named where Valdez hangs out, right?”
Cruz hesitated. “Not today,” he said, after a moment. “It’s getting late and I have other plans tonight.”
Madeline rolled her eyes, immediately drawing her own conclusion about what those plans entailed. “You can break your date, Martinez. Whoever she is, she’ll recover.”
He neither confirmed nor denied her assumption. “I can’t put this off. But I promise we can work as late as you want tomorrow.” He shot her a warning glance. “I wouldn’t advise you to check out any of the places on your own tonight. It wouldn’t be safe, even for a cop, to be in any of those areas alone.”
“I don’t need you to watch over me,” she assured him.
“I mean it, Madeline.” His voice was implacable. “I’d better not find that you went out by yourself. We’re in this together. You insisted on that, and you’re going to have to live with your own rules.”
She couldn’t help wondering at his real reason for issuing the warning. Was it fear for her safety, or did he merely want to be at her side when they found Valdez, to ensure that the man said nothing that would incriminate him?
She left him at the parking lot after he made her promise she’d wait until tomorrow to continue the search for Valdez. He certainly was single-minded. He badgered her until she agreed, and then fixed her with a long look and said, “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Madeline grimaced at his departing figure as she got into her own car. Maybe he wasn’t afraid of what she would find out, after all. Perhaps it was simply ego-he didn’t want her making any strides in the case without him. It wasn’t going to hurt to wait until the morning, but she was curious as to what was so important that he couldn’t cancel it for tonight.
An idea suddenly struck then. She watched as he got into his own car and began leaving the lot. He certainly seemed in a hurry tonight. The royal blue low-slung sports car turned into the street. She gave him a few moments and followed slowly. She made sure that she maintained a four-car distance between them, in case he happened to glance in his rearview mirror.
It was almost a miracle during the rush-hour traffic, but Madeline was able to keep him in sight. Twenty minutes later he double-parked in front of a building, got out of the car and dashed inside. Madeline cruised by and went down to the corner to read the street sign. Great, she thought with a sigh. She’d just managed to successfully tail him to his home. She eyed his car again speculatively. He probably was leaving again shortly, unless he was going to push his luck with a parking ticket. She decided to stick around a bit longer. She pulled in to a nearby alley.
Her vigil was rewarded. A half hour later Cruz came out the door. He’d changed into dark pants and a green shirt. He checked his watch as he bounded down the steps and got back into his car. Madeline waited until it had roared away to start her own engine and take up the tail again. They drove for more than half an hour. Long enough for her to reflect that this was the first time she’d seen him in anything resembling dress clothes, and for her to spend time wondering what had warranted such a change. She was certainly going to feel silly if she followed him all this time, only to find that he was hurrying to a hot date. She refused to consider that the discovery would elicit any other emotion.
Madeline recognized the area he was leading her into. There were many business buildings lining the streets, as well as occasional condominiums and several restaurants. She was dismayed when, a moment later, he ran a yellow light. The next second it turned red.
She stared at the line of cars between her and the corner, and slapped both palms on the steering wheel in disgust. The moments until the light turned green again seemed an eternity. She headed in the direction he’d gone, but it was quickly apparent that she’d lost him. Damn, damn, damn, she thought in chagrin. She hated to get this close, just to fail. Not that she had any real idea of how close she’d gotten. There was no way of knowing if Cruz was somewhere in the neighborhood, or if h
e would be driving for another half hour. Just as there was no way to tell now what his plans for the night entailed.
More than likely he had nothing more devious lined up for the evening than a leisurely dinner with a beautiful woman. If that was the case Madeline was almost glad she hadn’t managed to follow him. But if Cruz had been going to meet with someone involved in the guns, she’d just missed a valuable opportunity, indeed.
Thoughts morose, she continued backtracking until she neared the neighborhood where Cruz lived. Without even really planning it, she drove to his street and parked down the block. Perhaps something could be salvaged from this evening, after all. He’d said a tenant had moved out of his building. If she pretended to be interested in the vacant apartment, maybe she would be able to learn something from the landlord. It was worth a try, anyway.
She walked up the block and entered the building. A woman was in the hallway sweeping, her back to Madeline.
“Excuse me, could you tell me where I might find the landlord?”
The woman turned around. She was in her late fifties, Madeline estimated, and at least forty pounds overweight. Her hair was a garish shade of blond and she wore a housecoat with huge roses on it. Ariel should meet this woman, Madeline thought with amusement. They’d probably be soul mates.
“You found her, honey. What can I do you for?” the woman said with a smile.
“A friend of mine told me that this building might have an apartment for rent. I was wondering if I could look at it.”
“Are you the one I talked to on the phone today?”
Madeline blinked. “I… no, I didn’t call earlier. You haven’t rented it already, have you?”
The woman shook her head. “No, I guess not. Talked to someone who seemed mighty interested on the phone. She was supposed to come see it. But if you ain’t her, well, I guess nothing’d be hurt to take you through it. You’re here first, after all.”
A sigh escaped Madeline and she smiled. “Great.”
The woman took a large bunch of keys from one of the oversize pockets on the front of her dress. “We’ll have to take the stairs- the elevator isn’t working. Should be running again soon, though. The owner is real good about fixing stuff like that.”
Madeline looked around interestedly as they climbed. The building was old, but had obviously been kept up. The ceilings were extremely high, and in good condition. The paint in the hallways looked fresh and everything seemed clean.
“There are four apartments on each floor, and each has two bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom, plus a living room. All are unfurnished. No pets allowed, and the rent is due on the first of each month.” The woman named a price that was less than what Madeline was paying for her own place, and she wondered if she’d wasted her time by coming here. Cruz might be saving money by buying such an apartment. That would help explain how he’d managed to save enough to for that fancy car of his.
“Here we are.” The woman unlocked a door on the fifth floor and threw it open. She allowed Madeline to enter and then followed her in, keeping up a running litany of the apartment’s advantages. Madeline looked around with genuine interest. Although the carpet was somewhat shabby, there was a certain charm in the old-fashioned woodwork and large windows.
“Well, what do you think?” the woman asked after they had looked in all the rooms and closets.
“It’s nice,” Madeline answered truthfully.
The woman beamed. “Most people like it here. Our tenants stay with us for a while. We don’t get many vacancies.”
They stepped back into the hallway and the woman locked the door carefully.
“Are all the apartments in the building similar to this one?” Madeline asked as they began to walk down the stairs.
“Yep. Well, all but one,” the woman corrected herself. “About six months ago the owner sold the top floor to one tenant, and he’s remodeled it into one large apartment for himself.” She glanced slyly at Madeline. “He’s another reason this building might appeal to you. You’d probably run into him. And he’s definitely worth running into. He’s what you young women call a real hunk.”
“Sounds interesting,” Madeline forced herself to say. “What’s he do?”
“Oh, he’s a cop, a detective. Now that’s kind of romantic, ain’t it? And he’s a real nice guy, too. If you take the apartment I’ll introduce the two of you. I’m always after Cruz-that’s his name,” she added in an aside, “to meet some nice young thing and settle down. Life’s too short, I tell him…”
Madeline listened with only one ear as the woman rattled on. Her mind was racing. How much would it cost to buy an entire floor of such a building? And then to renovate it? She couldn’t even guess, but she knew it would be expensive. It would cost substantially more than the amount of the loan Cruz had taken out for the property. She would have to investigate the matter further when the courthouse opened in the morning.
After extricating herself from the landlady, Madeline drove back to the Internal Affairs headquarters and typed up a report detailing the week’s investigation results. The hour was late enough that she could be assured of avoiding Brewer, and for that she was fiercely glad. She wasn’t ready to put up with one of his grillings. She hesitated a moment, her fingers poised over the keys. The sports car and the apartment meant nothing by themselves, but taken together, they pointed to an obvious conclusion. Slowly she recommenced typing.
She was going to have to report the fact that Cruz Martinez seemed to have a second source of income.
The next morning Madeline left a phone message for Cruz that she would be late. Then she drove to the courthouse as soon as it opened. Buyers of property were required to file numerous legal papers, most of which were available for public scrutiny. She requested the necessary information and waited impatiently until the woman placed the file in front of her. Flipping it open, she scanned it briefly, until she found the item she sought. Even prepared as she was, her eyes widened when she read the amount Cruz had paid for his property. It wasn’t a fortune, but for someone in their profession it might as well be. The amount he’d borrowed had been for less than half of this figure. She wondered if he’d had savings to pay for the rest.
She drove to the Southwest District headquarters then to meet Cruz. She noticed detachedly that her hands were trembling on the steering wheel. So she had confirmed that Cruz was living above the means of a detective. She didn’t know why that should affect her so strongly. This was not the first such investigation she’d conducted. None had ever caused her to lose her calm like this.
But this was the first time she’d had to face the man she was investigating day after day, work by his side, get to know him personally. And it was also the first time she’d cared what kind of results the investigation yielded.
And she did care, she admitted to herself. On some level she responded to Cruz, there was no denying it. Especially with the physical reaction she was experiencing right now. She had to get that reaction under control before she saw him again. She was going to need every bit of cool she could muster to face him in a few minutes without the faintest hint of her recently acquired knowledge showing, either in her face or actions.
She strode into the headquarters and walked resolutely to his desk. He looked up at her arrival, his lean, handsome face a mask of impatience.
“About time,” he grunted. “Where have you been, anyway?”
“I had something I had to take care of.”
His eyes narrowed. “You weren’t doing some more research on your own, were you? You promised me, Madeline, and I thought I could trust you.”
I thought I could trust you.
His words slammed into her with the force of a fist. For a moment, just for a split second, all her rehearsed equanimity fled, to be replaced with something that felt uncomfortably like guilt.
His displeasure turned into concern at the expression on her face. She looked for a moment as though he’d slapped her. Then she visibly recovered.
“It was… personal.”
Cruz didn’t cease his perusal of her. Whatever she’d been doing, it had shaken her up, though she was trying to hide that fact. And he felt like a bastard for jumping down her throat. “Anything I can help with?”
“No.” Her response was flat and final. She looked down at his desk and saw a picture marked with Valdez’s name. She picked it up and looked at him
“I’ve been spending the time reading up on our friend there. Thought that picture might come in handy.” He was referring to their plan to try to track Valdez down for questioning today, and she nodded. “Are you ready to go?”
“Sure.” She turned and preceded him out of the building, unwilling to engage in any more inquiries about her whereabouts this morning. She hadn’t handled herself well a moment ago, she knew. Although she thought she’d recovered quickly, Cruz was perceptive enough to accurately gauge her reaction to his words. She hoped he’d taken her explanation at face value, but she mentally braced herself for an interrogation once they reached the car.
But Cruz didn’t question her any further. After a few minutes of tense waiting, it occurred to Madeline that he was acting almost solicitous. She could feel herself begin to relax for the first time that morning.
They drove to Valdez’s apartment again, but no one answered the door this time, either. Then they checked out the places where Tommy had claimed Valdez sometimes hung out. They walked into each place and ordered something, looked at the occupants, waited for a time and then left. By silent agreement they didn’t tell anyone why they were there. If Tommy was correct, someone from each place was bound to be able to identify Valdez, but they couldn’t take the chance that he would be tipped off that they were looking for him.
They repeated the pattern a number of times during the day, but by late afternoon they still hadn’t had any luck. Madeline and Cruz had come out of a smoky pool hall after spending a fruitless hour in it.
“We’ll probably have to spend most of the evening in these dives,” Cruz was saying. “These guys only come out at night-” His words broke off as Madeline jabbed him with her elbow.
