The man continued his struggle to speak and started to lift his right arm.
“What are you trying to tell me?” Tom leaned his head closer, but he still couldn’t make anything out. “Where’s my ambulance?” he shouted again.
Emma ran to the policewoman and spoke with her for a moment before returning to Tom.
He raised his palms. “Well?”
“They’re five minutes away. That’s all I’ve got.”
Tom nodded and turned back to the bleeding man. Emma squatted beside him, and they continued listening to the man’s attempts to communicate. After a few moments, the man lifted his hands in the air, urging Tom to come closer.
“What? What are you trying to tell me?”
A narrow smile formed on the man’s face before he uttered the words “Fuck you.” He coughed out some laughter before his body started to convulse. Blood squirted from his mouth and from between the fingers that Tom was holding against the man’s neck. The man’s head slumped to the side, his eyes still open.
Tom pulled his hand back and wiped it clean with a white cloth an officer had passed to him. He stood looking at the man’s body for a moment. “Fuck!”
A number of officers gave him bemused looks and quickly looked away.
“How the hell did this happen?” Tom shouted. He walked toward the other plainclothes FBI agents. “How? How did we lose them?” He slumped to his knees, hands over his head. His head throbbed and his nose twitched. He looked toward the heavens in frustration.
Emma knelt beside him and rubbed his shoulders. “You okay?”
Tom shook his head somberly. “I don’t get this. None of it makes sense. Why would Juan or even Antonio create this kind of carnage? Aren’t they supposed to be super discreet?”
Emma tugged at her hair. “What if Tobias really has something on Juan?”
Tom nodded. “That’s what I’m starting to think. This almost smells of a desperate man. He doesn’t want us to get Tobias, and he’ll do whatever he has to.”
Emma looked beyond the police barricades. “We need to start talking to these witnesses. Someone must have seen something.” She stood up.
“You’re wasting your time.” She looked at him inquisitively as he also got to his feet. “Think about it. What are they going to tell you? That they saw Tobias and Annabel? We know that.”
“But we can find out who their attackers were. We might get lucky.”
“Oh, really?” Tom shouted. His eyes swept the crime scene, where the crowd of spectators had grown considerably. “You don’t think Juan or even Antonio are so stupid to have used important people in the family, do you?” He pointed at the corpses being put into body bags. “Even after we ID them, I bet they won’t come back linked to the family in any way.”
“Then what?” Emma said. “You saying that we can’t even touch these guys?”
“I don’t know anymore. I always thought Antonio was the key, but maybe it’s Tobias.”
“Really? Now you think he killed Penélope?”
“No, but the family wants him for something. I want to know what it is.” He studied the men in the crowd. “They’re here.”
Emma’s eyes widened.
“Juan’s men—they’re here. They’ll want to see how bad it is and whether we took Tobias into custody or not.”
“But where do we start? There are hundreds of them.”
Tom took a few steps back, hands on the back of his head. “First we need to find out what Tobias and Annabel were doing here. We’ll need to see the surveillance footage at the parking garage.” He paused. “Think about it. They hadn’t shown their faces anywhere in the city, and just like that they turn up at a Third Avenue parking garage. They were up to something or meeting someone.”
“They have only one real play here, don’t they?”
Tom nodded and smiled. “Bingo.”
Emma pulled out her cell and dialed the office.
***
Jorge avoided Juan’s glare as he returned the cell to his pocket. He walked to the park bench and sat beside the gobernador.
“We’re losing control of this,” Juan said.
Jorge nodded. “We need to re-prioritize. Hector is still on standby. He’ll fly over once we send word.”
Juan rose and puffed on his cigar. He looked at his two daughters, who were playing with two other young girls and their mother a few yards away. “What do you think this guy has on me?”
Jorge stood next to him. “It might be everything or it might be nothing. The one thing I do know is that without Annabel, we would have gotten him a long time ago. She was the best in her group at the academy. I hear she went on all sorts of military training while she was in Mexico. For him it’s like having his own personal bodyguard.”
“So what’re you saying?” Juan snapped. “That because of one woman, our guys can’t take this guy down?” He raised his voice. “I’ve taken down people stupid enough to call themselves untouchable. Politicians think twice before slandering me, and now you’re telling me that some punk will be the one to bring me down?”
Jorge remained quiet and returned to the bench. Juan turned back toward his daughters, who were giggling and rolling on the ground.
“What do you want to do?” Jorge asked.
“Maybe we’ve been doing things in the wrong order,” Juan said. “I think we’ve overlooked a few things.”
***
A high white ceiling greeted Tobias when he awoke. He tried to turn onto his side but felt a sharp pain. A door to his right burst open and Annabel charged in. She wore a tight black sweater and jeans and had a glass of water in her hand.
Tobias smiled at her until the pain returned and he winced.
“Lay still,” Annabel said. She rushed toward him and turned him onto his back. She rolled back the blanket that covered his body and studied his injured leg. “It’s getting better, but you need a fresh one.” She walked out for a few seconds and then returned with a square silver box.
Tobias leaned his head up and looked at her. “What happened? One minute we’re in that crash and the next I’m here. What’re we doing back in Staten Island anyway?”
Annabel lifted his right leg, eliciting more stabbing pain. He noticed a thick white bandage over most of his right thigh. “How does that feel?” she asked.
“It hurts like hell.”
She put his leg back down and opened the box. She took out a fresh dressing and a bottle containing a dark purple substance he guessed was iodine. When she lifted his leg again, his face tightened and he resisted the urge to scream. “We had no choice,” she said as she removed the bandage. “You practically passed out after we escaped from the car. I had to carry your heavy ass down the street.”
He forced a smile, still struggling with the pain.
“Afterward, my guy came to get us.”
Tobias lifted his head. “But how did we get past the police?”
“The trunk.”
His eyes widened. “You’re kidding? We got in the trunk?”
Annabel paused and laughed. “No. You got in the trunk. I laid covered up in the back.”
“So I take it no more Panama then?”
She smiled at him and continued unwrapping his dressing. He laid his head back on the bed. When she had finished undoing the bandage, he stared at a deep, long wound across his outer right thigh. “How the hell did I get that?!”
“The car did hit your side. You’re just lucky the glass didn’t hit any major arteries.”
“Oh my God. It’s all coming back now. How did we even survive?” Suddenly, it felt as if his legs had been set on fire, and he couldn’t keep from screaming. He wriggled his leg, almost hitting Annabel in the face.
“Hold still,” she said. “I’m almost done.” She continued dabbing iodine on the wound.
With sweat covering his forehead, he bit his tongue and tightened his face. The pain soon subsided, and with the new dressing in place, he took deep breaths as Annabel lit a
cigarette.
“Can I have one, too?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so, mister. I’m your nurse now. No smoking for you.”
He frowned playfully. “Can I at least have a drink?”
She nodded and headed for the door.
“Not orange juice, a real drink.”
She stopped and took two drags on her cigarette. “I guess you do deserve one after all you’ve been through.” She returned a few minutes later with a bottle of whiskey. They each drank a shot.
Dark clouds formed and rain started pelting the window. Annabel got into the bed with him, her hands caressing his abdomen. “I was so worried for you,” she said softly. “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
He raised his head and looked at her in surprise. “You actually cared? Wow.” He laid his head back down.
She increased the force with which she was massaging his stomach, slowly reaching toward his chest. His heart beat faster. “It’s been hard for me,” she said. “With Penélope dying, I’ve been pretty messed up.”
He looked at her, sure he was witnessing a moment of vulnerability, a moment of reflection. Annabel was finally showing her emotional side.
“Look,” he said, “if not for you, I’d probably have died back at my place. It doesn’t matter if you don’t smile with me or act all girly. But I appreciate everything you’ve done. I really mean that.”
She moved her face toward his and stared into his eyes, their lips almost touching. Then she kissed him on the forehead.
***
Juan stopped talking when he heard the study door creak open. His sister-in-law stood by the entrance with a smile on her face. She looked fabulously understated in jeans and a white shirt.
Jorge rose and approached her. He kissed her on both cheeks and handed her a small wrapped box. “Happy birthday, Miriam.”
She hugged him. “Aw, Jorge, you shouldn’t have. What is it?”
He motioned for her to open it, and inside she found a sterling silver case. She opened it to reveal a white Hublot watch with a red strap.
She fluttered her eyelashes at Jorge and embraced him again. “You really didn’t need to do this. It’s amazing. You’ve all been so nice. I don’t know what to do with all these great presents.”
Jorge nodded and returned to his seat. Juan then walked toward his sister-in-law and gave her an embrace of his own. “You look beautiful. It’s a great event you’ve organized.”
Her expression became somber. “You would think my son would be here, too.”
“Antonio will be here,” Juan said.
“Well, I just came up to tell you that the food is ready.”
Juan nodded and headed back to his seat.
“Oh,” Miriam added as she walked away. “Eduardo and Andrés just arrived.”
“We’ll be right down,” Juan said. He nodded toward the open door, and Jorge got up and slammed it shut. He returned to his seat and waited for Juan to light his cigar.
Juan left it in his mouth for a moment and stared at the hundreds of books on the three wall-mounted shelves opposite him. The red walls gave the room a Victorian look, with the computer and printer on a desk in the corner lending a modern touch. “So,” Juan said, “where are we with things?”
“Hector needs assurances that we’re not involved in any sort of turf war,” Jorge said.
Juan stood up. “Turf war? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’s been watching the news, Juan. He’s not a stupid man. He knows something’s up.”
“Telling him what’s really going on will just put us in a weaker position, here and in Tirianna.”
“I don’t consider that an option.”
Juan puffed on his cigar for a few moments. When someone knocked on the door, he nodded at Jorge.
“Yes?” Jorge shouted.
Reynaldo stepped in, his slicked-back hair gleaming. “They’re ready downstairs.”
Jorge and Juan rose to their feet. “Is my nephew down there?” Juan asked.
“No, not yet.”
Juan nodded, and Reynaldo shut the door. Juan took two more drags on his cigar before stubbing it in the ashtray. “We’ll have to do this another way. I know Hector. He was always going to stall this deal even if all this Tobias nonsense didn’t happen. Let’s make it impossible for him to continue wasting our time.”
“What do you propose?”
Juan scratched his silver hair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Not now. I’ve got my family downstairs.”
“What about the other thing?”
Juan took a deep breath. “Nothing changes. You know what you need to do.”
Just then, the front door slammed shut and they could hear the loud voice of Antonio. “Where the fuck is he?” he shouted. “Where the—”
The sounds of a scuffle and the breaking of glasses followed. Juan frowned at Jorge and rushed down the stairs. He arrived to see Antonio rolling on the floor beside Reynaldo, both men throwing punches. Fernando, Rico, Eduardo and Andrés were in the midst of the fracas, trying to pull the men apart.
Miriam held on to Juan’s wife, Gloria, and his two daughters as they huddled against the wall. The other guests—three middle-aged women and their husbands—had also fled from the table.
Jorge rushed forward.
“Stop this,” Juan shouted. “Now!”
Antonio relinquished his grip and stood up, straightened his suit and wiped a deep cut over his right eye. Reynaldo wiped some blood from the bottom of his nose and straightened his red-stained suit.
Juan approached Antonio with rage in his eyes. “What the fuck are you doing?” His daughters winced. “It’s your mother’s birthday, for God’s sake. And you, her only child, walk straight in and start fighting.”
Antonio glared at Reynaldo. “He ... He’s the one who caused all that shit on Washington Street. You told me to find Tobias and that’s what I was doing, but this bastard had to get involved.” He charged toward Reynaldo again, but Rico held him back.
“Are you actually as stupid as you look?” Juan shouted. He stepped closer to him. “Out of respect for your mother, I’ll wait until it’s a better time to talk. Perhaps you should do the same.”
“No,” Antonio shouted. “We’ll sort this out now. Am I handling it or not?”
Juan shook his head. “You messed it up.”
“And he didn’t?” Red surrounded Antonio’s pupils. “She was my girlfriend. It goes without saying that I have to do this.”
Juan gestured for Antonio to go upstairs.
Andrés started to follow them, but Jorge held him back. “It’s a family thing now. Let them sort this out.”
After his uncle entered, Antonio shut the study door and kicked a chair to the floor.
“That’s enough,” Juan said. “No more of this childish behavior. You’re my brother’s kid and I love you, but you’re not helping yourself.”
Antonio took hold of Juan’s hands. “Have I not represented you properly, Uncle? I’ve done everything not to make you look bad. And now that this guy murders my girlfriend, you give it to Reynaldo of all people.”
“Jorge,” Juan snapped, stepping back. ‘I gave it to Jorge, not that it should matter. I’m the boss of this family, am I not?”
Antonio looked at the floor.
“Do you even understand what’s at stake here? We’re about to secure a deal with Hector. With him on our side, our family will be unstoppable. We’ll have all of Tirianna and everything that comes with it. I don’t need any more incidents like what happened yesterday.”
“That’s what happens when you—”
“Your men also messed up. I know Reynaldo handled it poorly, and Jorge will answer for that, but the problem is you. Your mind isn’t right, nephew. The coke is turning your head into mush. You’re not thinking straight.” He pointed to the door. “People are telling me you’re a liability and that you’ll bring this family down. I tell them that you’re blood and you’
ll change for me, for your mother.”
Antonio stepped toward his uncle, a scowl etched into his face. “And do you think I’m a liability?”
Juan embraced him. “I owe your father so much. If not—”
Antonio pushed him away. “Fuck my father!”
Juan’s mouth hung open.
“I’ve had enough of you using him as an excuse. You stand there almost every day telling people that there’s nothing you won’t do for him, but where were you when the prosecutors were tearing him apart, huh? You killed that man on the docks, not him. But he still took the blame for you. He looked after you like he had been doing his whole life. If you really loved him, you would have told the truth. You didn’t love my father. You just feel guilty for leaving him to rot in a cell, a cell you should be in right now.”
Juan reached for Antonio’s shoulder, but he pulled away. “It’s not as simple as that. We both did what we felt was best for the family. It was your father’s choice as much as mine. But we both agreed that you would not be made to suffer for our decision. That’s why I’ve been looking after you all these years.”
“Don’t give me that sentimental bullshit.” Antonio clenched his fists. “You either see me as valuable or not. I’m not my father and I’ll never be, but I’ve got to know where you stand right now. Don’t fucking stand there and say you’re looking after me. If you were, you’d put a bullet in anyone who says I’m a liability.”
Juan walked forward with his hands up, as if pleading for calm. “I know you’ll do your best for this family. You’ll run everything one day. We’ve always known that. But first, you have to go easy on the drugs. Do it for me.”
Antonio took a few steps back and opened the door. “If Reynaldo gets in my way again, I—”
“He won’t.”
Antonio nodded and rushed down the stairs. Juan followed him but stopped at the top. He saw Antonio kiss his weeping mother on both cheeks and hand her a large present Rico had been holding.
Antonio glared at everyone else in the room before nodding at his men, and they followed him out of the house. His mother dropped to the floor in a stream of tears.
16. Family Secrets
The Kiss after Midnight (The Midnight Trilogy) Page 13
