by Matt Lincoln
“That depends,” Bonnie replied, and I could see the same response brewing in Holm. “How close is this connection? How are they connected, and why?”
“Exactly,” I replied, ready to reiterate the thought to Holm. “We need to find out more about Carlos Abreu and Angel Gonzalez and see how the two of them know each other.”
“Didn’t Header point out that there was mistrust in the President’s ranks?” Holm interjected. When I looked up, his eyes were on Alejandra, and she nodded.
“Yes, that’s right. Do you think it could be Carlos? He was always so sweet to me.”
I could think of other reasons why Carlos Abreu would be sweet to Alejandra, but I decided to keep those thoughts to myself for now.
“If it’s a possibility, we need to pursue it,” I announced to no one in particular.
“Clyde is already working on it,” Bonnie assured me. “I also put in a call to TJ. You know he is the perfect person for all of this. Between the three of us, we ought to find something quickly.”
Knowing that not only Bonnie and Clyde but now TJ Warner, our resident Cyber tech, was on it, I felt confident that we would have new information in no time.
“Thanks, Bonnie. You guys are the best.” I hung up the phone and looked between Holm and Alejandra.
“Header said that the President was worried specifically about his closest advisors.” Holm sat down in the empty chair, and I recognized the swirling thoughts behind his eyes. “If Carlos Abreu is one of them, we now have a name for him and a connection to explain the missing son. If Maria’s family didn’t like her boyfriend, and they had the means, they could easily make him disappear and hide the disappearance behind a political plot.”
“Sure,” I agreed, “except how do we explain Maria? She’s missing too, and her family seemed to love and miss her.”
Holm shrugged. “Classic misdirection? Throw us off their trail?”
“Maybe,” I muttered, but I wasn’t convinced.
We sat in silence for a minute or two, and I knew that Alejandra and Holm were working through the puzzle pieces just like I was. As a matter of fact, I was so deep in thought that when my phone rang again, I nearly jumped out of my skin in surprise.
“Well, aren’t you Mr. Popular?” Holm mumbled as I picked up the phone.
“Diane,” I answered sharply. I glanced over at Holm. Today was certainly a day for new information.
“Ethan, I just spoke to Bonnie,” Diane replied, not bothering to mince words with a greeting. “We’re looking into this Carlos guy, but I also have something else for you. Are you still in San Juan?”
“Yes, we are,” I informed her. “And thank you. I feel that this Carlos guy is key to this whole thing. Either that, or it’s a major coincidence.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Diane reminded me. “The Coast Guard just pulled into San Juan. They intercepted a cocaine transport, and they believe it originated in the Dominican Republic. I told them to sit on it until you can get over there and get some samples.”
“Sure thing,” I replied agreeably. “When should we head over?”
“First thing tomorrow morning,” she insisted. “They’ll be waiting for you as soon as the cutter pulls in.”
“Alright,” I agreed. “We need to get a sample kit from Bonnie.”
“Is Bonnie not with you?” she asked sharply.
“No, she is over in Aguadilla working with Clyde. It didn’t make sense to drag the entire team out here.” I cursed myself silently for not thinking of this possibility.
Diane sighed dramatically. “Well, I can reach out and see if the Coast Guard can help us out. I’ll send you a message once I know more.”
“That’d be good,” I agreed. “Other than this deal with the Coast Guard, we don’t have any other reason to stay on this side of the island. It is closer to the Gonzalez family, but I am not sure we’re going to get much more information out of them.”
“Good,” Diane replied, warmth edging its way back into her voice. “I’d rather my entire team be together, anyway. After you get the samples, head back west. Hopefully, by then, Bonnie will have some more information for you.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Diane hung up, and I turned to look at both Holm and Alejandra.
“First thing tomorrow morning, we need to grab a cocaine sample,” I explained. “The Coast Guard is coming in with a confiscated shipment that they believe originated in the Dominican Republic. We’ll bring that to Aguadilla so that Bonnie can compare it with what she already has. In the meantime, she’s already digging deeper into the whole Carlos Abreu connection.”
Alejandra let out a shaky sigh, and I eyed her carefully. She shook her head as if to clear it.
“I’m just glad we’re making progress,” she mumbled, shaking off the scratchy blanket.
“Tomorrow will be a day of progress,” I assured her. “We’ll get the cocaine sample and run it right over to Bonnie. Hopefully, she’ll have an update on the Angel/Carlos connection. We’ll also be with Header.” I looked over at Holm. “Think we can finesse a bit of intel from him?”
Holm barked out a laugh. “The amount of liquor it would take to get Header drunk enough to spill case details would make him go broke.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. You’re right. You know, working a case along with him has made one thing dramatically clear.”
“Yeah?” Holm grinned. “What’s that?”
“We’re in the wrong business. Should have gone freelance.” I walked back over to the balcony, still smiling.
“Yeah, wouldn’t have to worry about budget cuts, either,” Holm jabbed.
“That’s true,” I admitted. The reminder of the damn budget cut issue definitely put a damper on my mood, but I tried not to let it show. “I tell you what.” I turned my full attention to Alejandra. “How do you feel about going out tonight? I’ll do my damnedest to take your mind off things, this way you’re not sitting in your hotel room going stir-crazy all night.”
Alejandra’s eyes lit up at my offer. Damn, putting a smile on her face did make me feel good.
“That sounds perfect,” she gushed.
“I thought it would,” I admitted. “Why don’t you go next door to your room and maybe try to get some rest? We’ll head out to dinner a little later.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, walking over and giving me a grateful hug. I hugged her back slowly as she tucked her head up against my chest. I could feel her heart beating and smell the coconuts in her hair, and when she broke away, I found myself yearning for more.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, but my voice came out barely above a whisper.
After she walked out and I heard the door click behind her, I heard Holm clearing his throat from the other side of the room. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I turned around to face him, but I found him with his palms up toward me in surrender.
“You know what?” He chuckled. “What happens in Puerto Rico stays in Puerto Rico. That’s the saying, right? Just don’t let it get in our way. That’s my only request.”
I couldn’t argue with that, but I also didn’t know that there was anything for Holm to worry about with Alejandra. As far as I could tell, she was too focused on the welfare of her brother to be able to focus on me. Maybe that was for the better, but I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for the woman. I certainly wouldn’t mind keeping in touch with her after we solved this case though, that was for damn sure.
Chapter 17: Ethan
Holm had insisted I wear the one bright-colored shirt I had packed for tonight. When I asked why, he had simply replied, “We’re in Puerto Rico,” as if that explained everything.
I glanced in the mirror as I walked by, and the flashy Hawaiian print overpowered my outfit. I had opted for a black tank underneath it, hoping to mute the pattern a bit, but it was apparently not working.
“I don’t know why I packed this, I feel like a neon sign,” I grumbled. I shoved my wallet and my phone in my pockets a
nd turned to face Holm.
“I think you look great,” he replied cheerfully. He had opted for something as bright, but at least it was a solid color. “Where are we going, anyway?”
I walked over and yanked a water bottle out of the minifridge. “I did some searching. There’s a place called La Placita de Santurce. It seems to be a popular nightlife spot, and there’s a nice selection of restaurants there. We can get dinner and then see where Alejandra wants to go from there.”
Holm shrugged nonchalantly. “That sounds good to me.”
After a few minutes of idle chatter, I heard a gentle knock at the door and knew immediately that it would be Alejandra. Holm made no move to get up, so I walked over to the door and swung it open.
She damn near took my breath away.
Alejandra was wearing a deep red dress that hugged her curves, stopping just above her knees. Her black strappy heels accentuated her calf muscles and brought her to my eye level. Her thick black hair was pulled back away from her face, yet the ends still hung loose down her back. Her eyes bore into mine, and the smirk dancing at the corners of her lips told me that I was standing in the doorway with my mouth hanging open.
“Uhh,” I stuttered. “Come in.”
My eyes followed her as she walked into the room, and I noted the low-cut back on her dress. I pulled my eyes away from her long enough to notice that Holm appreciated the view, too.
“Well, you look much… more awake,” he offered with an awkward smile.
Alejandra chuckled. “That nap did wonders,” she admitted. “Where are we headed?”
“Do you like sushi?” I proposed.
“Yes!” Her enthusiasm was contagious. “Did you find good sushi?”
“Who do you think you are? Jake Header?” Holm teased. “Sushi isn’t exactly cheap.”
I looked over at Holm. “The prices seemed reasonable, and besides, this is coming from me personally. My treat.”
“Well, I’m not arguing,” he shrugged.
We all headed downstairs, where Holm insisted we call a cab in case we all wanted to have a couple of drinks. When the car pulled up, Holm opted to sit up front, leaving Alejandra and me in the back. As much as I wouldn’t have minded having her closer to me, the spacious middle seat left us both plenty of room to spread out and get comfortable.
“You picked a good night to come to La Placita,” our cab driver announced in accented English as we rounded the corner and saw lights up ahead. The lights spilled out of doorways and windows, and they were strung across the road from streetlight to streetlight. The sun was setting, but this street was very much alive and awake.
“That’s good to know,” Holm replied as he peered out the windows. “It looks busy here.”
“Nah, this is nothing,” the driver countered. “The crowd gets busier later on in the night. That’s when the bars get packed. You were smart to get a cab. The drinks are strong. Especially at this place up here.”
The driver pointed to a nondescript building with a flight of stairs that led up to a patio on the second story. There were some lights on up there, and I could tell there was a bar, but it didn’t seem terribly enticing. Not yet, anyway.
“Give it a chance,” he insisted. “My brother-in-law runs the place. If you tell him I drove you here, he might hook you up.”
“Hey, I’m always down for a good deal,” Holm laughed. “What’s your name?”
“Mickey,” he replied as he pulled over to the curb. “I’ll drop you off here since they closed down these streets over here. If you walk up the block and make a right there at that red sign, you’ll be right in front of the restaurants.”
“Thank you,” I called out gratefully as we all got out of the car. Holm was able to hold the door open for Alejandra, and then the three of us made our way around the corner, just as the driver described.
At the corner, there was a barrier set up to close off the street from vehicle traffic, and around the corner, we found a long row of restaurants. In the street in front of each place were several sets of tables and chairs, complete with umbrellas and strings of lights.
“It’s like a block party for adults,” Holm mused as he came up beside me.
“It’s beautiful,” Alejandra sang.
I led the way down the sidewalk, beneath the twinkling light strands, reading the signs hanging over each doorway. When I found the right one, I stepped inside and was immediately surprised by how dark the place was. Much like the last bar we visited, the use of black lights and neon chalk paint highlighted tonight’s specials. This time, the names of the drink specials danced on the far side of provocative.
“Wow,” Holm chuckled as we stepped up to the bar. “That’s one way to get people’s attention.”
“I thought we were getting sushi,” Alejandra murmured.
I hesitated, but I felt pretty confident we were in the right place. “Hey, it has great reviews,” I shrugged, pulling out a barstool.
“I’m not surprised,” Holm muttered, but he took the seat next to me, while Alejandra sat on my other side.
The bartender was a cute redhead with her hair pulled back into two braids that fell over her shoulders. She sauntered over and set out three menus in front of us, flashing us all a huge smile as she did so.
“Hi, welcome!” she beamed, stepping back and tossing out a few coasters onto the bar. “What brings you three lovely people in tonight?”
“I heard this place has good sushi,” I replied cheerfully.
“And an interesting drink menu,” Holm muttered.
The bartender turned to Holm and winked dramatically, which caused him to blush. I had to do a double-take. Holm wasn’t usually one to blush. She turned to me as if that little exchange hadn’t just happened.
“We do have great sushi!” she cheered. “On the back of the menu, you’ll see our sushi selection.”
I flipped the menu over to find five sushi options. I heard Holm snicker beside me, but I ignored him. He wasn’t one to be ignored, though.
“What a vast selection,” he teased.
The bartender giggled. “What we lack in quantity, we make up for in quality.”
Holm let out a hearty laugh. “Marston says that all the time!” he yelled, elbowing me in the ribs.
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but laugh with him. Holm didn’t get his belly laughs nearly enough for my liking.
“Well, which of these five choices do you recommend?” I asked lightheartedly.
“Definitely the Dragon roll if you like some heat,” she rattled off, “followed closely by the Rainbow roll if you want some variety.”
“Ooh.” Alejandra’s voice was smooth and calm next to Holm’s bellowing laughter. “I kind of want both.”
I looked over at Holm to see what he was thinking.
“Honestly?” he asked, glancing sideways at me. “I’d like the grilled chicken sandwich.”
“Boring!” Alejandra yelled out. Now we were all laughing, and the bartender stood back with a bemused look on her face.
“Alright,” I muttered, breaking through the laughter. “One grilled chicken sandwich, one Dragon roll, and one Rainbow roll.” I turned to Alejandra. “We can trade half our dishes and try them both. How does that sound?”
“Oh, perfect!” Her infectious smile told me that I’d made the right decision.
The time flew by as the three of us ordered some drinks and made small talk. We watched as the crowd began to build outside, and more and more people began to make their way into the restaurant. By the time our food came out, I was starving, and I regretted not ordering more food.
The sushi was spectacular, though, and I was glad to have found this place. Alejandra and I enjoyed sharing notes as we tried the two rolls, and the exceptionally strong drinks definitely helped the food go down. As we neared the end of our meals, I heard a familiar voice behind us that gave me pause.
“Ethan Marston,” she crooned. I spun around on my barstool and found myself face to
face with none other than Linda Reyes.
“Hey!” I was happy to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar spot. “I’m glad to see you here.”
“Me too!” she cheered. “This was a last-minute outing. We were supposed to pull in early in the morning, but we got in early.”
“Early in the morning?” I furrowed my brows as I put the pieces together. “Your cutter was the one with the drug bust!”
“Shh!” she whispered in admonishment. “Let’s not announce it to the world just yet, but yes. My cutter got the drug bust. We were told to hold off on transferring it over when we pulled in, but we weren’t told why. Are you the reason why?”
“Guilty as charged,” I admitted. “We hear there’s a good chance this batch came from the Dominican Republic. It might help our case.”
“A good chance?” Linda chuckled. “The boat we took it from had a Dominican flag on it, the packages have Dominican flags on them, and the crew onboard were Dominican. Am I missing anything?”
“Well, damn,” I muttered. “Leave it to Diane to leave out the best part!”
“Hey, my crew is headed down the block, do you want to meet us there when you’re done?” The crowd bobbed and weaved around her, but I recognized a few of her crew members among the small crowd trying to leave.
“We don’t know where we’re going,” Holm interjected and for good reason. We didn’t.
Linda laughed warmly. “It’s up on the second floor, on the corner.” She jutted her thumb in the direction we had walked from. “You can’t miss it. The lights glow green up on the patio.”
I had a strong feeling that this was the same place our cab driver had encouraged us to check out.
“What do you think?” I turned to Alejandra, who met my grin with one of her own.
“Let’s do this,” she agreed cheerfully.
Linda waved us off and followed her crew out the door, and after we settled our bill, we followed along behind them.
The glowing patio seemed much more lively now that the crowd had thickened, and loud music was vibrating through my eardrums as we headed up the steep steps. When we reached the top, the floor opened up to a dance floor, and I recognized Debra and Murphy in the center, busting out some crazy dance moves that they had obviously just made up. They both looked awkward and clumsy, and they were both obviously having an amazing time.
