I sighed. “That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.”
Eight
The girls headed up to our room to change into swimwear so they could take a dip. We all needed to rid ourselves of the aftereffects of the tape. I felt unclean, as though a voyeur of pain and emotional damage from sexual manipulation.
Miami would be my starting point, because of the father, and because I needed to have Jeanette listen to the tape. She was sharp, and she was in Susan’s profession. She might glean something from it I had missed. I sensed something odd about the tape, but couldn’t put my finger on it just yet. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d gotten hold of a tiny branch to a very twisted tree I wanted to climb and would have to hang on for dear life in order to make my way to the top.
The girls came back, all looking spectacular but different — a luscious smorgasbord of femininity. Caroline came over to give me a kiss, looking fabulous in one of her brightly colored birthday gifts. All the girls seemed happier than when they’d left to change.
We’d been quiet down by the pool, sipping on our drinks trying to slowly expel the lingering taste of degradation. The women were laughing behind us in the pool when Sonny said, “You taking Caroline?”
“Where?”
“Miami, man. You know that’s where you’re going first, before you try to get in to see Laura Garner over in Boca.”
“Maybe.” I remembered how glad she’d been when I’d kept the tape instead of turning it over to Lovato. I couldn’t see that I would be putting her in harm’s way in Miami or Boca. Beyond that was another matter.
I said to Sanchez, “Lovato knew the girl was American. It might be nice to know how he knew that just by looking at her.”
Sanchez shrugged. “You said she’s white, and blonde. Not a lot of barely teenage white blonde girls around in Ecuador, I would assume. Except for American tourists.”
I shook my head. “He wasn’t guessing. He knew. He knows something I don’t.”
Sonny snorted. “That puts him on a long list, man. Harry knows more than you do.”
“I know more ’n you, too. Enough to have a twenty of your money in my pocket from poker before we left.”
“I still think you must have put a couple of cards up your sleeve to have made than full house like that,” Sonny grumbled, grinning.
“Maybe I was, but you weren’t sharp enough to catch me. And I’m an old drunk. I guess that don’t speak too much about how smart you is!” Harry was guffawing. He was just about on his limit, downing a third Corona he’d taken from the cooler while no one was looking.
“Lovato knows you,” I said to Sanchez. He stared at me for a solid ten seconds. He finally burst out in loud laughter.
“Yeah, old Mauricio, he just loves it when someone starts feeling him out about a murder that happened on his turf.” He shook his head. “You need a better plan, my friend.”
“What did you really tell Lovato when he asked about me?”
“Told him you were an ex-cop from Miami turned private, really good — don’t get the big-head, — honest as far as it went. Told him you cared more about justice than the law, and that you sometimes got to thinking you were the Cisco Kid and could save everybody. I also mentioned you were hooked in with Fernandez, the Fernandez. Thought it might make him tread lightly in case you’d stepped on his toes.” Sanchez smiled. “I may have implied that you could be a pain in the ass.”
Harry and Sonny laughed, but it was Mike’s laughter that was the loudest. He turned to me once he got it under control. “Sorry, it’s just that description is almost identical to the one Florencia gave me when she described you, back during that Cozumel business.” He grinned, glancing at Sanchez then back to me. “She used Don Quixote instead of the Cisco Kid, though.”
“Did she mention my devilish charm and classic good looks, and he-man sex appeal?”
He grinned. “No, I think she left that part out so I wouldn’t get jealous.”
We all laughed. I liked him. Florencia was out of his league, but she was out of mine, too. And Sonny’s, and Sanchez’s, and every other male on the planet. Since she’d had to settle for a mere mortal, I decided Mike would do.
It suddenly came to me how I might be able to get around Lovato and find out what he knew. I’d feel it out before heading for Miami.
The girls were laughing and talking. Florencia and Anne were sitting on the edge of the pool with their legs dangling in the water while Caroline and Katarina floated around and swam. I turned to Sanchez. He’d worn a brown pinstripe Armani suit, and was easily the most dressed-up male at our little soirée. Sonny was wearing khaki pants and a big Hawaiian red shirt with palm trees and hula girls plastered all over it.
“You know you’re nuts, don’t you? Marquez might cut off your balls once he finds out you’re fooling around with his daughter.”
He grinned. “We had lunch with her mom just last week.”
“Holy crap, Batman,” blurted Sonny, nearly spitting out his beer.
“I see where Anne gets her looks,” Sanchez commented.
“Did you tell her you know her husband?” I queried.
“She already knew. Anne told her who I was and what I did.” Before I could fill in the missing blank, Sanchez added, “Everything I do.”
“Am I missing something?” asked Mike.
Sonny laughed and filled him in before I could stop him.
“Oh, okay. I’m up to speed now,” was all he said. Non-judgmental. Florencia really did have a good one.
“I always figured she might know what her husband did. Still, old Fernando won’t be pleased when he finds out.”
“I’m good with Anne’s mom because she knows I love her daughter. She’ll handle him.”
Sonny and I just looked at each other. If anyone could handle old Fernando, it had to be Anna.
“So, I take it we’ll be hearing church bells soon?” Sonny asked.
With no hesitation, Sanchez said, “Eventually. She’s met my mom, too. They adore each other. I’m not sure how many of you I’ll be able to invite to a wedding, though. There may be a ceiling on ugly gringos.”
Sonny said, “Racist bastard. Where’s the NAACP when you need them?”
“Off race hustling, probably.” Sanchez asked, “So, when are you and your lovely Russian spook gonna tie the knot?”
Sonny looked really serious for a few seconds. He leaned forward a bit in his chair. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about anything like that since Maria. I guess I’m too chicken. If she says no it’ll screw me all up and end us. I don’t do rejection well, man.”
“Say no to what?”
Sonny about jumped out of his chair. Katrina was standing behind him. We’d been engrossed again, and hadn’t noticed the girls getting out of the pool.
“Oh, nothing, really.”
Katarina, who’d been smiling, suddenly frowned, studying Sonny’s face. Caroline came around the table to sit next to me. She was shivering now that she was out of the water. I needed to change the subject and bail Sonny out. His jam had put big smiles on the faces of Sanchez, Mike and Harry. I put my arm around Caroline and turned to Harry.
“I hate to take off with Caroline for Miami just when you’ve come all this way, Harry.” Caroline gave me a quick look. She knew it had something to do with the tape, and the young girl who’d been murdered. It made her happy that I was including her.
“That’s alright, Seth. I ain’t really been on Sweet Caroline yet ‘cept to paint on the name.” I thought Harry had had it done. I didn’t realize he’d done it himself. Caroline leaned over and planted a big kiss on Harry’s cheek.
“She’s a dream, Harry,” I told him. “Even I can’t run her aground. You’ll love her.”
Caroline added, “Seth picked up an old 1930s travel poster of Miami Beach to replace the Kerne, San Francisco one that was down below. And he replaced the nice stereo system. I’ve been working on your cabin, Harry. I got you a complete set of Ton
y Hillman books to replace the ones you lost. I’ve been reading them myself. But they’re in your room. I wanted it to feel like home, because it is your home, Harry, with Seth and me.”
She didn’t tell him how many hours she’d spent every day those first couple of weeks picking up this and that, to make everything in Harry’s cabin old and nautical, so it wouldn’t feel like he was starting over. She’d even made a little secret compartment beneath the bed for an emergency stash of whisky. I’d always known about his old one, even though Harry didn’t know I knew. Caroline was going to tell him about it when I wasn’t around, even though I knew about it. She really loved Harry, and the feeling was mutual.
Harry looked at her a long time. I noticed he’d shaved and spruced up before joining us. It sure wasn’t on my account. “You can have anything of mine you want, Caroline. Even my hooch.” There is no greater compliment from a drunk, especially a confirmed one, than the offer of his lifeblood to another. Caroline leaned against his shoulder and he patted her head. Our honeymoon had been awesome, but it was good to have Harry back.
Nine
We spent a couple of hours telling dumb jokes and stupid stories and laughing at them like they were funnier than they actually were; generally reaffirming life the way friends do when they get together. For atmosphere we had moonlight and palm trees, a pool, Corona and Coca-Cola, and beyond the tropical foliage surrounding us, the faint roar of the tide from an Ecuadorian beach. And we had each other.
Caroline laughed louder, I think, than anyone else. Our wonderful, intimate time on the boat together was something she’d never had, but so was this boisterous, easy camaraderie. Sanchez whispered a dirty joke — he’d warned her first — in her ear that made her blush and laugh; but not as loud as when he told her to write it down so she wouldn’t forget any of the details. Three squares of paper later, she’d written it down so she could tell it to me at some future date.
When morning rolled around, Caroline and Anne headed for the beach with Sonny and Katarina, while Sanchez came with me. Florencia and Mike had stayed for breakfast with us at the hotel and then headed back to Uruguay.
“So, why’d you want me along? I could be frolicking in the water with Anne, amigo. She’s a lot prettier than you.”
“She’s a lot prettier than most girls. And do Mexicans frolic?”
“We’ve been tainted by the white man’s culture.”
“Yeah, soon we’ll give you your own Reservations, like we did the Indians.”
“Already have one, it’s called California.”
I laughed. “I thought it might be a good idea to have an Armani-wearing Mexican with me when I tried to get in to see Josselyn.”
“Having a good-looking Mexican with you always helps when it comes to women,” Sanchez readily agreed. “Or making women come.” We both had a good laugh. He looked through his mirrored shades at my faded jeans, snow-white polo shirt and joggers. “You even own a suit?”
“Sure do. The best threads K-Mart carries.”
Sanchez smiled. “Throwin’ your money around like Rockefeller, aren’t you?”
I shrugged, playing along. “If you got it, flaunt it.”
“So who’s Josselyn?”
I told him. It took a while. When I finished, he said, “You afraid you’re so irresistible she’ll try to jump you and kiss you after all these years? If she’s as hot as you say, I’ll try to get in the way and take one for the team.”
“From what I saw last night, I doubt Anne would like that. And no, I’m afraid Josselyn’s so irresistible that I might jump her and kiss her. Caroline wouldn’t like that.”
“Well, if she lets us past the gate, we’ll see if she lives up to the build-up.”
I told the guard at the big wrought iron gate who I was and whom I was there to see. He called the house and looked surprised at the response. He smoothed his dark mustache and nodded. He pushed a button and the gates began to open. He waved us through.
The grounds were rich with flowering plants and big shade trees, as well as palms. The house was big, but not ostentatious. Burnt oranges and soft browns, with a tiled roof and lots of archways, and a long breezeway in front.
As we got out of Sanchez’s rental car and walked across the thick green carpet of grass, Josselyn opened the door with a big smile. She rushed out half-naked and threw herself in my arms. Well, she wasn’t literally half-naked, but in white shorts that highlighted her light copper skin and a flimsy sienna colored spaghetti-strap blouse showing some gloriously soft cleavage, she might as well have been. She looked just as sultry, just as darkly exotic, just as ready to do the deed as I remembered. She was still young, and in some ways the passage of time had made her even prettier. Her dark hair, those slightly slanted eyes, graceful nose and full, lovely lips had taken on a womanly aura. A copper-shaded bracelet on her wrist and matching earrings called attention to the more milky copper complexion of her skin, which I knew from experience was soft to the fingertips, and the lips.
“It’s so good to see you! And such a surprise! Come in!” she smiled at Sanchez, whose silence spoke volumes. Every male who met her for the first time had that reaction. It took them a while to take her all in, because it went deeper than her cinnamon skin. There was sexy, which was simply outer beauty, then there was sensual and sultry, which went much deeper; as much about the girl as the pretty shell. Josselyn fell into the latter category. Hell, she dived headlong into it from a high cliff.
She extended her hand to Sanchez. “We haven’t met. I’m Seth’s very good friend, Josselyn.” Not I’m so-and-so’s wife, just Seth’s friend.
“Detective Daniel Sanchez. From Cozumel.” Sanchez rarely told anyone his first name, and I noticed he’d preceded it with Detective as well. She affected everyone that way. So did Florencia, but on a different stratum. Florence was high-end, and less overt. Josselyn’s sensuality was simply out there, a force of nature from which no man was immune.
“Oh, I hear it’s lovely in Cozumel! I’ll have to talk my husband into taking me there sometime.” I couldn’t help but notice how well she’d mastered a language not her own and how little of an accent she had now as opposed to before.
She turned to me. “Come inside! We’ll have some iced tea and catch up.”
We followed her inside and wandered around while she got things ready. There was warmth to the furnishings, an inviting feel of comfort blended with luxury. Soft velvet sofas and shiny lacquered side tables, landscape paintings of quality and family photos framed nicely — I was startled to see she had a little girl — suggested that though it was nice, and toward the high-end, a real family lived here.
Josselyn joined us carrying a pitcher and three glasses filled with ice on a tray which appeared to be silver. We followed her through open sliding balcony doors to the patio. A big round patio table had been strategically placed next to a kidney-shaped pool in order to take full advantage of the shade provide by a huge and gorgeous Jacaranda tree in full bloom. The lavender blooms must have played hell with the pool filter when they began to shed but the aesthetic beauty it provided no doubt outweighed the trouble.
Though I thought Josselyn had been in the kitchen the entire time she must have made a detour because she was now wearing a sapphire colored sundress with a belted waist which helped — as if she needed any — accentuate her curvy figure. The dress ended just above the knees and was sleeveless, and a deep V neckline revealed that she’d worn no bra. She looked gorgeous. She poured us some tea before sitting down to join us. She reached over and grabbed my hand in hers and squeezed. “Tell me everything, Seth.”
I knew she meant it, so I told her. Sanchez raised an eyebrow when I told her about killing Escobar but Josselyn never batted an eye. She simply squeezed my hand again. I told her about giving up being a cop, about Fernandez, Harry, and finally Caroline. She smiled as I told her about Caroline.
“I’m so happy for you. I wish you’d brought her with you. I’d love to meet her.”
/> “I will next time. I promise.” And I meant it. I asked, “What about you? Is that your daughter in those photos? She’s gorgeous.”
Her face filled with pride. “Yes, Carlos and I have the loveliest daughter. She just started school. I guess it goes without saying that I’m much happier now than I was before.” She turned to Sanchez. “I guess Seth must have told you how much we meant to each other once upon a time.”
Sanchez nodded, smiling as he poured some more tea into his glass. “Yes, but he was so flattering I didn’t believe him. Now I think he should have built you up more.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet. Thank you. I can hardly imagine you’d need a vacation from Cozumel.”
He laughed. “Actually, we — my girlfriend and I — flew in for Caroline’s birthday party last night. I took a week off and she has a break from her classes at Miami University, so we thought we’d hang around here and hit the beaches.” He looked at me. “And in case my friend here needs any help.” It was the first I’d heard of him remaining in Ecuador.
“Is that why you’re here, Seth? Do you need my help?”
Her question was not accusatory, but concerned.
“Actually, though I hate to admit it, Josselyn, I did have an ulterior motive in looking you up.”
She reached her hand across the glass tabletop and squeezed mine. It seemed to be becoming a habit. It wasn’t always easy transitioning from lovers to friends — most of the time it was impossible — but Josselyn was making it a cakewalk.
“I assume you mean my husband’s position of influence. I’ll help in any way I can. Tell me what’s happened.”
I told her about the girl, the tape I’d not turned over to Lovato and what had been on it; the entire nine yards.
“So you think Lovato knows something about the girl that he’s hiding?”
“Not hiding, as much as not sharing with me. Since I am of course guilty of withholding evidence from him myself….”
The Long Gray Goodbye: A Seth Halliday Novel Page 6
