by Madyson Grey
He gloved his hands and picked up the piece of paper and read the note written on it.
I warned you. You are determined to defy me, so more girls will have to pay. This is just one of three. You know why I have placed them where they are. Think about this today. I’m not limited to Asian women, you know. I will take a certain brunette if you don’t wise up. And this time, when you get her back, she won’t be alive.
Conroy didn’t know what to make of the note, but just then Special Agent Taylor and Rafael arrived. The three men greeted one another and then Conroy read the note to Rafael and asked if he understood it.
“Oh, yeah. I understand it all right,” Rafael said, feeling panicky.
He raked his fingers through his hair.
“Who’s the brunette?”
“My wife.”
“Any ideas where the other two bodies might be?” Conroy asked.
He knew, but he wanted to see if Rafael knew. Rafael looked puzzled for a moment, and then snapped his fingers.
“Maybe at the building where Antonio Cantu lives?” he asked.
“Where is that?”
“Spring Street.”
“Yes, there was a body found there, too. At the back entrance to the basement apartments,” Conroy said. “What about the third?”
“Well, the day that Victoria was kidnapped, we had been on an inspection tour of a few of the buildings that we own. We had been to the building that Cantu lives in, and then we went to a strip mall that we own in Long Beach. There was an adult bookstore there that we were uncomfortable with.
“Then we went to the beach and saw a bunch of people coming out of a shipping container. All of that is what led to us calling the police and them making a raid on Antonio Cantu’s apartment and rescuing several girls from a sex trafficking ring. So maybe that strip mall in Long Beach? Or maybe the docks?”
“Yes, at the strip mall, but the body was in front of a gift boutique.”
“We evicted the adult bookstore at the mall, but there is a gift boutique in the same unit now,” Rafael explained.
“Will you come with me now to the next location?” Conroy asked Rafael.
“Of course. Anything. You guys have got to catch this man before he takes my wife,” Rafael said, in a fear-tinged voice.
“We will. We have just learned over the past twenty-four hours who he is and where he lives. So it’s just a matter of time now,” Conroy assured him.
On the way to the next crime scene, Conroy called Special Agent Carr and told him call one of his other agents at the park and assign him to guard Victoria and to not let her out of his sight until further notice.
“Not even to go to the bathroom,” he stressed.
“Yes, sir,” Carr replied.
“And Carr?”
“Yes, sir?”
“I’m on my way to where you are. As soon as I get there, you go back to the park and take over guard duty on Mrs. Rivera yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
Conroy briefed him on what was going on, and then hung up as he was parking at the next site. They got out and walked over to where the body lay. Again, with gloved hands, he picked up the note.
This one is for my compadre Antonio. He was an important link in my organization until you took him out. Now he’s useless to me. He’s lucky I was able to replace him easily, or he would be like this woman. Shut down, or the brunette is next.
Special Agent Carr spoke to Rafael briefly before leaving to go to Thornton Park.
“Don’t worry, Rivera,” he said, putting a hand on Rafael’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of her until you get back. She’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, sir,” Rafael said gratefully. “I appreciate it very much.”
“Okay, let’s get over to Long Beach,” Conroy told Rafael.
He told the police officers there that they could call the coroner and have the body removed just as he had at the Thornton Building. Then the two men hotfooted it over to Long Beach and the strip mall. Sure enough, the body was in front of the unit where the adult bookstore had been.
The note read: You shut down a very important part of my organization. This business provided jobs for many immigrants who otherwise may have gone hungry. I hope you’re proud of yourself. You’ll think twice before interfering with someone else’s livelihood when your brunette is dead.
Rafael was having an increasingly difficult time holding himself together. With each new threat on Victoria’s life, he became more and more agitated. It took every ounce of his self-control to not have a meltdown. Conroy was aware of his distress and was very sympathetic.
“It’s going to be all right, Rivera,” Conroy said confidently. “As soon as I get you home, I am personally going after this guy. He gave me the slip last night, and I don’t take kindly to that, either. Much less all of these senseless murders of innocent young girls. He will be in custody by nightfall or I’m gonna know the reason why.”
“Thank you, sir, but I’ll rest easier when I know that for sure,” Rafael said.
“I understand. But believe me, this guy has got my dander up and he will pay. We’ll beef up our security of you and your wife today and until he is in custody,” Conroy assured him. “Now, let’s get you back home.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rafael couldn’t wait to get back to the park to see Victoria for himself and know that she was still safe. He thanked Assistant Director Conroy for all of his work and asked to be notified the moment that this monster was in custody.
“Day or night,” he said emphatically.
Then he got out of the car and raced into the park to find Victoria. He found her in the gift shop, sitting in the stock room with Special Agent Carr. She got up from her seat as soon as she heard Rafael’s voice in the store asking her whereabouts, and they rushed into each other’s arms.
Rafael and Victoria clung to each other for a long moment before Victoria was able to ask him what was going on.
“There were three of them this morning,” he told her sadly. “One in front of the Thornton Building, one at the building where Antonio Cantu lives, laid out at the back entrance to the apartments, an one at the Long Beach strip mall in front of where the adult bookstore was.”
“Oh, no! When is this going to stop?” Victoria moaned, tears filling her eyes.
“Well, according to the head of the LA field office of the FBI, today,” Rafael told her. “He says that they know who the guy is and where he lives, and that it’s just a matter of time before they nail him.”
“They’d better hurry up,” Victoria said, sniffling back her tears. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“I know, me either,” Rafael said, wiping her tears with his forefinger.
“I’ve felt like a prisoner today,” Victoria said. “No offense, sir, and I really, really appreciate your protection, and it’s not your fault. I’m just angry at this whole situation. I feel like we’re the captives instead of the murderer.”
“I understand, ma’am, I really do,” Special Agent Carr said sympathetically. “The victims often feel like they’re the ones being punished while we hunt for the perpetrator. You’re not the only one who has ever felt this way.”
All the while they talked about the situation, Rafael never once told Victoria about the threats on her life. She was nervous enough as it was without adding that burden to her. Around twelve-thirty another agent came in to relieve Special Agent Carr so he could go to lunch. Rafael gave him some money and asked him to bring them back some sandwiches, which he was happy to do.
Neither one felt much like eating, but they did anyway. After they had all finished eating, Victoria asked the agent if they couldn’t at least go outside and walk around for a while. She was feeling really cooped up there in the stock room.
“I think it will be all right,” he said. “Just stay right between me and Rafael.”
“Why am I being so closely guarded today,” she finally asked. “Did something else
happen that you’re not telling me? Mama and Grandma and Grandpa are all right, aren’t they?”
He and Rafael exchanged looks over her head.
“Yes, they’re fine,” Special Agent Carr assured her. “I spoke with their guard while I was at lunch and he told me that everything is fine there.”
Rafael stopped and took Victoria by the shoulders. Carr stopped also, standing right behind her.
“The notes found on the girls this morning all had threats against you, too,” he said gently. “I didn’t want to tell you and make you worry even more. All of these good men are doing everything in their power to catch this creep today. So just stick close to me and to Special Agent Carr here and you’ll be fine. I promise.”
Rafael drew his wife close and held her for a moment, and then they resumed walking. They stayed around the main front part of the park, wandering through the botanical garden, back and forth by the gift shop and train depot, and around the farmhouse and barnyard, where there were plenty of people. Yet there weren’t such crowds that there was danger of Victoria being snatched right away from them before they even knew what was happening.
Meanwhile, Assistant Director Conroy had marshaled his forces and led the parade over to Blinky’s house. This time, they were going to nail him. He had given them the slip for the last time. Half of the officers and SWAT team parked in the alley behind Blinky’s house. His six-foot-high solid board fence gave them protection from being seen. They would be poised and ready to grab him should he try to escape out the back way.
The rest of the team parked scattered along the street and around the corner. Austin Conroy parked the taxicab that he was driving in front of Blinky’s house, went up to the door, and knocked confidently.
When Blinky came to the door Conroy said, “Your cab is here, sir.”
“I didn’t call for any cab,” Blinky said, looking a bit puzzled.
“Are you Blinky Nelson?” the “cabby” asked. “We had a call from a Blinky Nelson for a cab.”
“I’m Blinky, but I didn’t call for a cab,” he protested.
Conroy had been speaking with his hidden mic on, that all of the other agents and officers were connected to. As soon as the man said that he was Blinky, they began moving in. Conroy flashed his FBI ID.
“You’re under arrest, Blinky Nelson, for the murder of seven women this week, and for whatever else we can pin on you, including sex trafficking and facilitating illegal immigration.”
Blinky just stood there for a moment, staring in disbelief. He was so sure that he’d covered his tracks and that no one could ever find him, or know that it was he behind all the recent murders. But Conroy turned him around and slapped handcuffs on him.
Under the protection of half a dozen agents and officers, all with weapons drawn, Conroy escorted Blinky to a patrol car that had a wire cage around the back seat. Specially built to transport the most dangerous criminals, it had no inside door or window handles, and had bulletproof glass in all the windows and between the front and back seats.
Tossing the keys to the taxi to one of the other agents, Conroy got into the patrol car with the police officer and accompanied them back to the Central Community Police Station where Aeneas “Blinky” Nelson was immediately booked on seven counts of murder and human trafficking, and then locked up.
Conroy called Carr and told him the news. When Carr relayed the news to Rafael and Victoria, they both let out such a whoop that people all around them turned to stare. Then, typical woman that she was, Victoria burst into tears. Rafael and Special Agent Carr led her around back of the farmhouse, which they were the closest to at the time, and inside the house into the Employees Only room so she could cry it out in private.
Word spread throughout the agents and officers in the park in a matter of seconds, and they all gathered at the back of the farmhouse to await their next orders. As soon as they got word from the FBI field office that they were free to go, there was much rejoicing. Rafael and Victoria were shaking hands and hugging all the men.
“I can’t begin to express my appreciation and thanks for all you men have done this week to take care of us and to bring an end to this nightmare,” Rafael said with deep feeling.
“That’s right,” Victoria added. “You all have become very special to us and we will never, ever forget you. If you ever want to come back to Thornton Park just to enjoy it and to bring your families, you’ll always have free admission for as long as we’re alive. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. You guys and all the ones who worked the night shift here, too. They are all welcome to come in any time. In fact, I need to get a list of all of your names. I want the name of every man who has worked here this week.”
Between Sergeant Losey of the police department and Special Agent Carr, they recited the names of all of the men who had been involved at the park that week. It was quite a list. Then there were the men who were involved in Blinky Nelson’s arrest. Carr was able to give her all of the FBI agents’ names, but he didn’t know the officers’ names, or the names of the SWAT team. Victoria was determined to get them somehow. She had a lot of personal thank you notes to write.
Word was gotten to the safe house where Lena, Erik, and Signe were staying, and their guards were able to drive them home. It was with a light heart that Rafael finished out the day at the park. Victoria wanted to go home and be there to welcome her mom and grandparents back home.
Of course, word got around to the employees of the park, too, that the nightmare was over, and that everyone could sleep safely that night. Rafael invited the Dixons, Williamses, and Carstens all over to their house right after work for an impromptu celebration that evening.
He phoned Victoria and told her to run out to the store and stock up on soda pop, chips and dip and anything else she could think of for a party that evening. Lena was home by that time, too, and wanted to go with Victoria to the store. Erik and Signe were just glad to be back in their own home and weren’t interested in going anywhere else that evening.
After the park closed, Rafael hurried home to help Victoria get ready for company. Between her and Lena, they had decided to have haystacks, since they were an easy one-dish meal to serve. The only concession they had to make in the interest of time was to buy canned pinto beans rather than cooking fresh ones. They bought shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and bags of tortilla and corn chips. So all they had to do for prep was to heat the beans, chop a couple of onions and avocados, and put it all out on the long kitchen counter for people to help themselves.
The three couples came up to the Rivera house after going home just long enough to freshen up a bit and hop on their quads to ride up the hill. It was a lighthearted group that gathered around the Rivera dining table that evening, as they were finally able to relax after a very tense week. The tragedy of the murders of seven innocent young women was the only shadow that marred their joy.
After everyone had eaten all the haystacks they could hold, Lena brought out a huge chocolate sheet cake and a bucket of ice cream. She and Victoria dished up generous slices of cake topped with scoops of ice cream and passed them around to each one, who all declared they didn’t know if they could get it all down or not. But, magically, the cake and ice cream all disappeared before long.
Just before nine o’clock the three couples took their leave. With the tension draining away, they were all worn out and anxious to get to bed. Tomorrow was a new day. A day free of discovering corpses littering a park that was designed to be a place of happiness, relaxation, and peace.
Chapter Fifteen
For once the court system was on top of things and Blinky Nelson didn’t have to wait long for his day in court. Neither did it take a jury long to return a “Guilty” verdict on all seven counts of murder, as well as an indictment of human trafficking.
The FBI and Long Beach police department had done due diligence in shutting down the flow of Thai illegals coming in to feed Blinky Nelson’s sex trade. With the coopera
tion of the Thailand officials, the last container load of Thai women were returned to Thailand on a ship in much more comfortable quarters.
Thai officials escorted them to their villages and explained to their families how they had been conned into believing they were sending their girls into a better life, when in fact, it was nothing short of slavery. The remains of the seven murdered girls were returned, identified, and given proper Thai funerals and burial. Wrongs had been righted as much as they could be at this point.
No one was foolish enough to believe that human trafficking would never spring up again, but at least a few were saved. And the kingpin of the west coast slave trade was on death row. Rafael and Victoria attended the trial, both as spectators and as witnesses, and were glad when it was over. Now they could get back to a normal life again.
The trial process was speedy, compared to most trials, but it still spanned all of December and in to January. But it didn’t consume Rafael and Victoria’s lives. They still took plenty of time to enjoy the holiday season to the hilt. They decorated the house profusely, spent time Christmas shopping, and even took in a few local Christmas programs at nearby schools and churches.
With the help of the three managerial couples, the farmhouse was decorated for an old-fashioned Christmas, and the gift shop was alight with Christmas cheer. With plenty of notice, the park closed from the 23rd of December until January 2nd. That way the employees had plenty of time to spend the holiday with their own families.
Lena and Victoria were joined this year by Signe to shop for several “Christmas Angels.” Again, they searched the Angel Tree for children who were siblings and chose whole families to buy for. They all agreed that it was the best part of their Christmas celebration that year. This time, at Victoria’s suggestion, they also put in gift cards for $500 each, in envelopes marked, “For the parent(s) of these children.” The card went into the gift bag of the oldest child in each family.
