Paige MacKenzie Mysteries Box Set

by Deborah Garner

  “Also gone.”

  “So this is about her jewelry,” Paige said. “Then let’s get going. We need to find Whitehorse’s trading post. Hurry.”

  Paige opened the passenger door and jumped into the truck. Miguel was right behind her, slamming his door and turning over the ignition at the same time. As the engine fired up, Miguel adjusted the rear view mirror and glanced sideways at Paige.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Marisol said that boyfriend of yours called last night.”

  “What? Jake called the resort?” Paige said. A queasy feeling began to build in her stomach. “What did she say?”

  “She said you’d gone out of town….”

  “And?”

  “That you were with me...”

  “AND?”

  “Not to worry, that we’d be back the next day.”

  Paige sighed, slumping down and letting her head rest against the truck’s seat back. No matter how Jake might have interpreted the conversation with Marisol, it all boiled down to the same conclusion. And it wasn’t good.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Paige looked out the windshield of Miguel’s truck as he pulled up in front of the unimpressive structure. A sign said “Tierra Trading Post,” but nothing resembled the booming jewelry enterprise they’d expected.

  Miguel turned off the engine and exchanged glances with Paige.

  “Maybe this isn’t it,” Paige said. “This place would barely hold those eight pieces of jewelry you gave Whitehorse, much less anything else.”

  “No, this is it,” Miguel said. He pointed down the driveway. “You see the truck sticking out behind that trailer? That’s Whitehorse’s truck.”

  Miguel backed his truck out of the trading post’s parking lot – an area barely large enough to hold four or five cars – and pulled around to the driveway, following it until he reached the trailer. Paige waited in the car as he got out and knocked on the trailer door.

  “Whitehorse!” He waited a few seconds before knocking and shouting out again. “It’s Miguel, open up!” When he twisted the doorknob, he found it locked.

  Paige watched as Miguel walked around the trailer, trying to look in windows. He looked back and shook his head. Circling the trailer once more, he looked under several large rocks, using caution in case anything unwelcome slithered out. Finally he kicked an old gas can aside that rested under one corner of the trailer, lifting up a key, which he flashed in Paige’s direction with a triumphant wave. Paige jumped out of the truck and met him at the trailer’s door.

  “Whitehorse? Abuela?” she yelled, pounding on the door while Miguel inserted the key in the lock. “Hurry up, Miguel,” she added. She tried to step in when the door cracked open, but Miguel pulled her back.

  “After me,” he said. “We don’t know who is in here.” He stepped inside, Paige only inches behind.

  The trailer’s interior was dim. Paige pulled open a curtain, coughing as dust flew out from the fabric.

  “No one is here,” Miguel said, emerging from the only room besides the main area. “There is a mattress and a couple of blankets, but that is all.”

  “He obviously doesn’t spend much time here,” Paige noted.

  “I never even knew he had property out here,” Miguel said. “He spends most of his time in Tres Palomas.”

  “This must be his crash pad. A place to stay when he comes up here to gamble,” Paige suggested.

  “We all figured he stayed at the casino. They have rooms in the back for regulars and people passing through town.”

  Paige walked by Miguel and into the back room, reappearing with an old shawl in one hand. “This is Abuela’s, Miguel. I recognize it from last week. She was wearing it during her storytelling session.”

  “That means she is here,” Miguel said.

  “Or has been here,” Paige added. She moved to each of two other windows, turning her head away to avoid dust as she peered outside. “Nothing…except, you said that’s Whitehorse’s truck?”

  “Yeah, stupid piece of….”

  “Then where is Whitehorse?” Paige said. She looked out the window again. “Miguel, look way back there. Is that storage unit on this property?”

  Miguel moved to the window, following Paige’s gaze. “It might be. Depends on how far back his property goes.”

  Paige bolted across the trailer. “I’m going to check it out.”

  “Not alone,” Miguel said, following her out the door.

  Paige ignored him, already sprinting ahead. Miguel started up the truck and caught up to her, insisting she get in.

  “That storage unit is at least one hundred yards down,” he shouted. “You ever run a ninety-yard touchdown on a field filled with rattlers?”

  Paige stopped abruptly and climbed in the truck.

  “City people,” Miguel huffed, stepping on the gas.

  Paige leaned against the dashboard. As soon as Miguel stopped the truck, she opened her door, paused for a quick look at the ground, then jumped out and ran to the tall metal door. She pounded on the door, calling out Whitehorse and Abuela’s names. She placed her ear against the metal, turning quickly as Miguel rushed up behind her.

  “I hear something inside,” she shouted, startled to find Miguel only inches away. “Scuffling. Someone’s in there!”

  “Move!” Under different circumstances, Miguel’s gruff tone would have been considered rude. He cursed as he yanked on a heavy padlock, then grabbed the edge of the metal door and tried to shake it loose from its hinges.

  Paige pressed her ear up against the door again, but only heard the sound of warbling metal.

  Miguel ran back to his truck, reaching under the driver’s seat and pulled out a crowbar. Returning to the door, he worked the thick metal bar inside the padlock and used his weight to try to pry it open. It didn’t budge. He cursed again, adjusting the direction of the pressure. Though the padlock held firm, the latch attached to it began to loosen. Encouraged, he worked the pressure again until he was able to slip the crowbar under the latch itself. With a few grunts, he finally broke the latch’s hold. Tossing the crowbar to the side, he wedged himself against the door and pushed it open.

  “Abuela!” Paige shouted, rushing past Miguel. She pulled a cloth down from the old woman’s mouth, ungagging her. “Miguel, help untie her and…” Paige paused, mid-statement. “Lena?”

  Miguel pulled a knife from his pocket. Quickly he cut the ropes around Abuela’s hands and feet, and then turned toward Lena.

  “Do not untie her.” Abuela’s tone was calm, but firm. Paige and Miguel looked at her, confused.

  “Why?” Paige asked.

  “She is working with Hector.”

  “Lena, is that true?” Paige asked.

  “So what if it is? A girl’s gotta make a living.”

  Paige lost her temper. “What a despicable thing to do to the people of Tres Palomas! They trusted you!” She continued to spew angry words at Lena until Miguel stepped in.

  “Paige, stop it!” Miguel shouted as he turned back to the old woman. “You know Hector, Abuela? How could you know him? He never comes to Tres Palomas.”

  “No, he does not.” Abuela looked straight ahead, solemnly.

  “We think he works with Whitehorse,” Paige said. “Did you meet him some other time when you came here to visit your brother?”

  “I have never been here before,” Abuela said.

  Now even Lena looked at Abuela, confused.

  Paige was the one to ask, “Then how do you know him?”

  Abuela faced all three of them, then looked straight ahead.

  “Because he is my son.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  The main room inside Tierra Roja Casino was lighter in the morning, not so saturated with smoke and monetary seduction as it would be later. Still, it seemed darker to Paige as she entered. Events of the last twenty-four hours weighed heavily on her body and mind. Abuela’s rescue had been taxing and her unexpected declaration, shocking. Plus, realizing
that Lena was part of Hector’s team had shaken her. They still needed to find Whitehorse. And Jake had not returned any of her desperate calls.

  “Did you get Abuela settled?” Paige asked Miguel as she scanned the room for any sign of Whitehorse.

  “She is in the casino restaurant. I bought her coffee, though she will not touch it.”

  “That’s better than leaving her at the trailer or letting her sit in your truck,” Paige said.

  “Yes,” Miguel agreed. “And I did not want her questioned by Gallup law enforcement when they picked up Lena. The tribal police will have enough questions for her when they arrive here.”

  “How long will that be?”

  “Hopefully, not long. But they will not hurry. There is no actual crime here in the casino, from their viewpoint.”

  “Then we need to find Whitehorse ourselves.” Paige started off in one direction, but Miguel caught up and stopped her.

  “Stop, Paige. You cannot search this casino alone, or even with me. Not safely, anyway. You have no idea how dangerous Hector is. Even I did not know until today. I knew he was a bookie; that is no secret to anyone. But the jewelry business and using Whitehorse’s property, and his connection to Abuela?”

  “Which means Hector is Whitehorse’s nephew,” Paige pointed out.

  “Yes,” Miguel said. “So, Hector must have a strong hold over Whitehorse for him to be in this deep.”

  Paige shook her head. “Like I said this morning, I think there’s more to this, which is all the more reason we need to find Whitehorse.”

  “Then wait for official help, Paige,” Miguel said. Reaching out, he placed one hand on Paige’s shoulder. “The tribal police will be here soon. This is their job. Please, listen to me.”

  “Yes, Paige, please listen to him. He obviously has your best interests at heart.”

  Paige spun around in shock. “Jake! What are you doing here?” Her voice cracked from the combination of stress and anxiety. She brushed Miguel’s hand off her shoulder.

  “I think a better question is what are you doing here? Not to mention YOU!” Jake glanced briefly at Miguel, and then back at Paige.

  Paige stood mute, caught between Jake’s unspoken insinuations and the desire to disappear through the floor. Although the casino wasn’t crowded, plenty of customers were still around to witness the scene that was undoubtedly about to unfold. In a rare moment of good judgment, she said nothing.

  Instead, Miguel spoke. “Who do you think you are, speaking to this woman like that?” He took a step toward Jake. Paige stopped Miguel by reaching for his arm, a gesture that only made Jake’s eyes grow wider.

  “Jake! Miguel! Stop it!” Paige yelled.

  People in the casino who weren’t already staring now turned. Jake and Miguel looked at Paige, who stood, eyes covered, one arm pointing toward the casino’s front door. Three tribal police officers approached from that direction.

  “Which one of you is Miguel?” The man who spoke was heavyset but muscular, with near-black eyes, and a scar above one eyebrow.

  “I am,” Miguel answered. “I am the one who called you.”

  “And is this man helping you?” The officer indicated Jake with a quick glance.

  “Hardly,” Miguel said, folding his arms.

  “We called about Whitehorse,” Paige said, turning to the officers.

  “And you are?” a second officer asked Paige.

  “She is a reporter from New York,” Miguel said.

  “I work for The Manhattan Post, but I’m really here on vacation,” Paige said quickly.

  “Oh, great,” the third officer said. “Just what we need: a reporter. On vacation. In our casino.”

  “Stop it, all of you!” Paige lowered her voice slightly as she realized she was scolding the tribal police along with Miguel and Jake. “We drove from Tres Palomas because the town storyteller didn’t show up at church yesterday.”

  “You drove from that little town all the way here because someone missed church?” All three officers snickered.

  Paige turned to the officer who’d asked the question. “Abuela is Charlie Whitehorse’s sister. We found her at his property, bound and gagged, by the way, in case you still find this situation funny.”

  Miguel stepped in. “We thinking Hector is holding Whitehorse, most likely here in the casino.”

  At the mention of Hector’s name, all three officers grew serious and listened closely as Miguel explained the situation. He started with the jewelry he’d given Whitehorse and continued through to the discovery of Abuela and Lena in the storage unit.

  The lead officer sent the two backup officers to check the casino for Whitehorse. He then escorted Paige and Miguel to the restaurant to get more information from Abuela and from them. Paige asked the officer to let Jake come along. He followed behind, now seeming more bewildered than upset. All took seats around Abuela while the officer took notes.

  “I do not want to talk about Hector,” Abuela said. “I have nothing to say about him. We have not spoken since he was young, a teenager. He was never a good boy. And he did not become a good man.”

  “But Whitehorse is your brother,” the officer said, taking notes.

  “Yes,” Abuela said, her gnarled hands clasped together. “He is my brother.”

  “Then he must have known Hector was his nephew,” Paige said, ignoring a disapproving look from the officer as she interrupted.

  “Yes, he knew,” Abuela said. “But I forbade my brother to speak of him. There is only evil in that boy.”

  Another radio call came in. The officer took the call and moved outside, leaving Paige, Miguel, Abuela and Jake at the table together.

  “Thank you,” Abuela said to Paige and Miguel, “for finding me.”

  “We’ll find your brother, too,” Paige said, hoping she was right as she reassured the old woman.

  “It looks like they did,” Miguel said, standing up. The two officers supported Whitehorse between them as they crossed the casino floor toward the exit. Paige gasped at the sight of Whitehorse’s badly bruised face. His upper lip was split and crusted with dried blood. One officer helped him out the front door, while the other returned to the group.

  “He needs medical help,” Paige exclaimed, jumping up from the table.

  “Already on the way.” The officer held up his hand, indicating there was no need for Paige to rush out.

  “What about Hector?” Miguel asked. He had moved over to block Abuela’s view, worried that Whitehorse’s condition would upset her further.

  “Gone, unfortunately” the officer said. “And I’m not sure we’ll get anything out of Whitehorse. No one around here wants to cross Hector.”

  Paige thought she heard the officer clear his throat. Were even the police afraid of Hector?

  “But we might get information out of that girl, Lena,” the lead officer said, clipping his radio into his belt as he walked back in. “That was the Gallup police. They picked her up right where you said she’d be, in that storage shed.”

  “To think that Lena was involved in this all along,” Miguel said, shaking his head. “She was so eager to help in Luz’s shop when she moved to Tres Palomas, and she seemed like such a nice girl. Luz was glad to be able to serve breakfast to her guests.”

  “I’m sure she was eager,” Paige said. “It was the perfect cover for getting her hands on new jewelry designs.”

  Paige watched as an ambulance pulled up in front. A tribal officer questioned Whitehorse briefly before letting the medics take him to the hospital to be checked out.

  “And Whitehorse thought he was working with Hector alone, but she was in on it from the start,” Miguel added. “She thought she had an in with Hector, but no one does.”

  “That’s all I need from any of you,” the lead officer said, flipping his notepad closed and sliding it into his front pocket. “If you think of anything else, give me a call.” He pulled business cards from his other pocket and handed one to Miguel and then Paige. Hesitatin
g for a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and gave one to Jake, as well.

  Miguel turned to Abuela after the officer left. “Come on, I will take you home.” With Paige and Jake on each side, he helped her from her chair and led her outside to his truck, opening the door. Abuela climbed in without a word.

  Paige was silent as Miguel turned around. The three of them stayed quiet for a moment, none of them wanting to be the first to ask the obvious question.

  Finally, Paige said, “Any idea how much a taxi back to Tres Palomas would be? You could split the cost.” She crossed her arms and looked from one man to the other, the unspoken cost of a four hour taxi ride hovering between them.

  “I’ll drive you back,” both men said. Paige stood back and let them hash it out.

  “I brought her here from Tres Palomas. I will take her back.”

  “Your truck is crowded. My rental car has lots of room.”

  Paige shot Jake a frown. That was the best he could come up with? That his car had more room?

  “It is my responsibility to take her back.”

  “It’s your responsibility to take Abuela back, not Paige.”

  Paige closed her eyes and counted to five, then opened them and shouted.

  “Enough! It’s no one’s responsibility to take me back to Tres Palomas. I will ride with whichever one of you promises not to say a word to me the whole way.”

  Instantly Paige regretted the words. Miguel had done nothing to deserve them, and she had to admit that Jake hadn’t, either. But the day’s experiences had drained her bones of every last ounce of patience.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m really tired, and I just want this day to be over.” She paused. Considering that a quiet ride back with two other people in the cab of a truck wasn’t a ticket to tranquility, she turned to Jake. “If you promise to let me ride in peace, I’ll go with you. That means no questions, no comments, nothing until we’re back at Agua Encantada.”

  “Fine,” Jake said. “I had a room reserved there last night that would have been much more comfortable than the ratty hole I slept in behind the casino. I’d much prefer that one tonight. Let’s go.”