by Gerald Lopez
Chapter 58
Trap Set to Catch a Traitor
AFTER BREAKFAST, Reese and Bart showered together, then went their separate ways. Bart dressed in shorts, a T-shirt with the resort’s emblem on the front, and flip-flops, then went to visit Frank.
“Should we be worried that we haven’t heard more from Jenna?” Frank said, talking to Bart from where he sat behind his desk.
“You said she sent you a text, stating everything was fine, but she’d be busy and unreachable for a while,” Bart said. “Besides, she expects us to deal with our end of things while she’s gone.”
“And we don’t want her kicking our asses, if we don’t hold up ‘our end’,” Frank said. “I’ll have my cameras focused on Mr. Orion’s place. You just make sure to get Joe there.”
“I will. If you don’t mind me saying so, Frank, you can use a rest.”
“Thanks, and you’re damn right I could use a rest. I had to deal with the police last night while you were sleeping peacefully next to Mr. ‘stud’ Lifeguard.”
“It was only thanks to Dr. Jenna’s miraculous knockout drug that I was able to sleep. Time for me to go find Joe. Wish me luck.”
BART FOUND Joe at the valet station in front of the resort. He was by himself, which was perfect.
“Hi, Joe.”
“Hi, Jeremy,” Joe said. “What brings you here?”
“I heard about George going to the ER last night.”
“Yeah, poor guy. He was upset because Lorena had him served with divorce papers.”
“Lorena told me her plans regarding the divorce papers the last time she was here,” Bart said. “And here I thought you and George were friends, Joe. But it seems you were only hanging around him to get your paws on his wife.”
Joe tried to act surprised, but Bart didn’t think he’d win any acting awards. “It’s not true,” Joe said. “George and I have been friends forever, boss.”
“Maybe, and maybe not,” Bart said. “I know George was afraid that a video Mr. Orion had of him would fall into the wrong hands, and Lorena would see it.”
“You don’t think I—”
“I don’t need to think anything. When I mentioned the tape to Mr. Orion, he told me that a friend of George’s picked it up a while back. Then I asked him why George was still concerned about the video, and Mr. Orion told me ‘people are liars’.”
“He should know,” Joe said in a defiant tone.
Now for the bluff, Bart thought. “Mr. Orion knew I’d think he was lying, so he told me about a tape hidden in his living room, which shows him handing the video to George’s so-called friend.” It was a lie, but hopefully Joe would take the bait. “As soon as my meeting with James is over, I’ll be headed straight to Mr. Orion’s place to retrieve that tape. And you’re not exactly due for a break anytime soon.” He turned and walked away without saying anything else.
BART WENT straight to Mr. Orion’s rooms, where James was waiting to let him inside. They hid themselves in the master bedroom and waited for a text from Frank. Approximately five minutes later, Bart received Frank’s text informing him someone had just inserted their key into the front door lock. A second text let Bart know, a member of housekeeping was making a mess in the living room while looking for the tape. That meant it was time for Bart and James to make their move. Upon entering the living room, they encountered a surprised and scared middle-aged female housekeeper. She had brown hair worn up in a bun. Her skin was dark tan in color, and she had a short but sturdy build. The woman looked at them and pretended to cower.
“I no speak English,” she said with a thick Mexican accent.
“Since she doesn’t speak English, James,” Bart said, keeping his voice calm and even to show he was in complete control of the situation. “I think you’d better call Gabriel and tell him to send one of his men here to interrogate this woman. I also think you should mention that she probably had a hand in Mr. Orion’s murder. I know Gabriel’s father Roberto Reyes would want special attention given to the woman who had a hand in killing his childhood friend. Call him, James… now.”
James opened his cell phone, and the woman in front of them began to panic. “No,” the housekeeper said. “What do you want from me?”
“We were hoping Joe himself would come to get the tape, but the coward sent you instead, so you’ll have to do,” Bart said.
“He’ll know this is a setup, if I don’t find the tape,” the housekeeper said.
James held up a tape, so the housekeeper could see it.
“I’ll ask again,” the housekeeper said. “What do you want from me?”
“Who has the tape of George with Mr. Orion’s ‘grandsons’?” Bart said.
“I don’t know.”
“You’ll have to do better than that, or James makes a call.”
“Lorena has it. I think she gave it to her lawyer.”
“What’s his name?” James said.
“Jose Rodriguez,” the housekeeper said.
“Did Lorena and Joe force George to take the chupa cocktails?” Bart said.
“I don’t know about that,” the housekeeper said, then panicked again when she saw James open his cell phone. “No, please. I wouldn’t put it past Joe or Lorena to do it, but I don’t know for sure if they did. That is the truth.”
“Where did the chupa cocktails George took come from,” Bart said. “Who’s making them?” His phone rang and he saw that it was Reese calling him, so he picked up. “Make it quick, I’m busy. … I’ll be there.” He hung up and turned to James. “This woman is taking a walk with us to the pool area where Reese is working.”
Bart and James each grabbed one of her arms and led her out of the room toward the pool.
“If you make one move to escape, we’ll let the Reyes family deal with you,” Bart said to the housekeeper. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“And I still want to know where those chupa cocktails come from,” Bart said.
“I can’t…” She was nervous and starting to stutter. “I… I—I can’t tell you that or they’ll kill me.”
“Then you do know who they are,” James said.
They entered the pool area, and Reese ran over to them and started speaking hurriedly, as if he were nervous or excited.
“Simon is showing those guys from Jacksonville around the resort.”
“Which guys?” Bart said. “The manager of the salon is a woman, the only men we met that day were—”
“Yes… them—it’s them, the guys who blocked the road in front of us when we left the salon. And they’re with Charmaine’s husband. I’ve met him before, so I recognized him.”
“Where are they now?” James said.
“Heading toward Julia’s on-site salon and spa,” Reese said.
“Thanks,” Bart said. “We’ll take care of things from here.”
They left the pool area, and the housekeeper started trying to get loose from Bart and James.
“I’m scared, please let me go,” the housekeeper said.
“We’d only let you go in order to hand you off to Mr. Reyes’s people,” Bart said. “And by the way, you’re fired.”
“And you can forget a reference,” James said.
“I’m glad I wrote that phrase ‘All Queers Must Die’ on the diet poster in your apartment. I did it while I was cleaning your place on the day of your accident, Jeremy. I’m only sorry you didn’t die after that car hit you!”
Bart was about to say something in response to the woman, but stopped when he saw Simon and the men from Jacksonville in front of the salon and spa. He turned to James and spoke.
“Don’t let go of her, James, I’m going to speak with Simon.”
As soon as Bart started walking toward Simon, the housekeeper began screaming at the top of her lungs and kicking James. She managed to get loose and ran to the left, when a loud gunshot was heard. Blood sprayed into the air and the housekeeper fell to the ground. Simon, the three men with him, Bart, and James all ran
for cover. Two of the men with Simon pulled out guns from behind the tall palm trees in front of the spa. Julia walked out of the salon doors and looked around.
“Get back inside!” Simon said. “And stay in there.”
Julia did so.
“They’re gone, whoever it was,” one of the men with Simon said.
“Is everyone alright?” James said.
“Everyone but this woman,” Simon said, from where he was bent over the housekeeper checking her pulse. “She’s dead.” Turning to the men that were with him, he spoke. “Is this her?”
The shortest and thinnest of the men walked to the body of the housekeeper, and Simon turned her, so her face was visible.
“Nope that’s not her, man.”
“What’s going on here, Simon?” Bart said.
“I’ll tell you later, boss,” Simon said. You need to be calling 911.”
“He’s right,” James said, opening his cell. “I’ll handle the call. You see to our visitors.”
“Let’s head to the restaurant,” Bart told Simon and his guests. “I’ll catch up with you later, James.”
“I guess I’ll be dealing with the police,” James said.
ONCE SIMON, the three black men with him, and Bart were seated at a private table in the restaurant, they started talking.
“What’s up, Simon?” Bart said.
“These men are here because they claim someone from this resort was trying to cut a deal with them to bring chupa cocktails into the Jacksonville area.”
The tallest man, who was broad-shouldered and muscular with a shaved head and chiseled face spoke. “They’d already started dealing the junk on their own. My lady Charmaine’s trying to run a legit salon business, and I don’t want anybody bringing that funny stuff around to mess things up. We came here today to try and help Simon find the person that’s dealing. My boy Ray, here, was with my ‘friends’ in the ‘neighborhood watch’ who stopped your car in Jacksonville. He’s also the one the chupa lady tried to deal with. My friends mistakenly thought you might’ve been with, the aforementioned, chupa lady.”
“How’d the chupa lady know to talk to Ray?” Bart said.
“I don’t know,” Ray said. “She probably just asked around.”
“Or they have one of their people working in the salon,” Bart said. “Maybe one of you three is working with them. The housekeeper looked pretty terrified when she saw you.”
“She was looking at the salon building and screaming,” Ray said. “Something inside there was scaring her. And those Mexicans and Hispanics don’t scare easily.”
“Do you have a lot of them in your area?” Bart said.
“Same as everywhere, I guess,” Charmaine’s husband said. “If you’re asking me if they’re making a move on the area, I’d have to say yes. Me and my boys need to get on home.”
“Did you find who you were looking for?” Bart said.
“No,” Ray said, “But I know the lady was from here, because of the shirt she wore.”
“How’s about taking one more quick look around at everyone for us,” Bart said. “We’ll make sure the police don’t get in the way.”
“I’ll take care of everything,” Simon said to Bart. “You get back to James.”
BART DIDN’T see James in front of the spa, so he went inside; and when there was no sign of James in the main area, he walked to Julia’s office in back. Before he got to her half-open door, he heard her speaking on the phone.
“I know what I have to do, and I’ll handle it.”
When he heard her slam down the phone, Bart knocked on the door.
“Come in and have a seat, Jeremy,” Julia said. “You missed the police, by several minutes.”
“Where did they and James go?”
“To James’s office. What the hell is going on now?”
“That’s what I was about to ask you. The housekeeper was going to tell us who was making the chupa cocktails when someone shot her. And Simon brought those men from Jacksonville for a visit.”
“What men?” Julia said.
Bart studied her face, and realized she was telling the truth. “The men who blocked the street when we were in Jacksonville were here. Charmaine’s husband was with them and none too happy about someone trying to bring chupa into his neighborhood.”
“Charmaine’s husband was here? Why didn’t they come to see me?”
“There was the small matter of a woman being shot and killed in front of them, and they were looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“I don’t think even they’re 100 percent sure. Apparently, a woman from Maynard Shores tried to make a deal with them to distribute the chupa cocktails. They think she may work at this resort, because of the shirt she was wearing.”
“A woman,” Julia said. “That’s unusual. Sending a woman to broker that sort of deal is highly unusual, I would think.”
“The housekeeper from earlier was terrified of coming into your salon. She fought to get away from us, and she was killed,” Bart said.
“But you said she was killed because someone thought she’d tell you and James the names of the people who make the chupa cocktails. Why was she afraid of the salon?”
“Once again, that’s what I was going to ask you,” Bart said. “What’s the connection between your salons and the chupa?”
“Are you sure there is one?”
“It sure seems like there must be.”
“Yes… probably. But how and why? Is one of my stylists or workers dealing chupa on the side?”
“Not ‘dealing’, or you and Simon would know about them,” Bart said. “There’s some other connection. Maybe one of your investors is involved… or Simon.”
“Or maybe even I’m involved,” Julia said.
“That day Reese and I went to Jacksonville with you and Simon, something you said made me think. It’s like it had triggered something in my mind that I should’ve understood.”
“I remember talking about what a pain it was to have to drive the supplies over to Jacksonville from here, because some of them were considered hazardous chemicals,” Julia said. “Plus we took shampoos, rinses, things you wouldn’t even understand in laymen’s terms. I need to consistently restock the various things we use to mix and blend different hair dyes and bleaches.”
“That’s it!” Bart said. “I was too busy picturing shampoo and cream rinse without really thinking about all the other chemicals you use.” He noticed Julia’s face looked blank. “Don’t you get it. Your salon supplies might be the other ingredients in the chupa cocktails.”
Chapter 59
New Introductions to Old Acquaintances
“JEREMY, DO you realize what you’re saying? Some of those chemicals are poisonous enough to kill people, if used in strong enough quantities.”
“And that’s exactly what’s happening. People are dying.” Bart’s cell phone rang, he looked at it, saw that James was calling, and ignored it. “I need to know all of the chemicals used in your salons.”
“In my computer I have an inventory list of absolutely everything. It’s what I use to place orders.”
“Good,” Bart said. “Can you print it out for me?” His cell phone rang again, then there was a text message from James.
“I can print it out for you, but I can also fax the list straight to someone, if need be—a doctor or hospital, wherever you need it sent.”
Taking his wallet out from his back pocket, he opened it, retrieved his mother’s business card, and handed it to Julia. “Dr. Farrow was my doctor. She’s also in charge of dealing with the other victims of the chupa cocktails. Call her cell number and find out where to fax the information.”
“Things have gotten that bad?” Julia said.
“Yes, they have,” Bart said.
“I’ll help in any way I can,” Julia said. “Just do me a favor and remember that I’m being helpful of my own free will.”
Bart studied her face. She was either nervous or concern
ed. “You’re worried Simon may be too involved in this whole chupa thing.”
“I’d like to think not,” Julia said. “He dealt the stuff because Rachel threatened to cause problems for me and my business, if he didn’t—you know all that. But Simon can be a bit of an opportunist. I’m sure he wouldn’t knowingly hurt people, but he could’ve turned a blind eye to what was really happening.”
“Speaking of Simon, he’s in James’s office at the moment, and I’ve been asked by text to join their conversation.”
“I have a call to make, then I’ll be in touch with Dr. Farrow,” Julia said.
“OK, thanks,” Bart said, getting out of his chair. He wondered who Julia had to call before calling Dr. Farrow, but thought it best not to ask. On the way to James’s office, he’d text his mother and let her know to expect an important call from Julia Jansen.
“SO, THAT’S where we’re at,” James said, after filling Bart in on what he and Simon had talked about.
Simon, Bart, and James sat in silence in James’s office.
“That’s not much to go on, is it?” Bart said. “Just the description of an older Hispanic woman wearing a T-shirt like the one I’m wearing with the resort’s emblem on it.”
“I already e-mailed Ray pictures of our staff to look at,” James said. “Hopefully, he’ll get back to me when he gets them.”
“This is screwed up,” Simon said. “Anybody could’ve gotten their hands on one of our T-shirts. We sell them in the gift shop, for God’s sake. And Rachel never talked to me about the chupa business branching out into Jacksonville.”
“She probably wasn’t kept in the know,” Bart said. “It’s got to be a big operation to be expanding so quickly.’
“Not so big that they could intimidate the men from Jacksonville,” Simon said.
“But big enough to expand into another city,” James said. “How?”
“An influx of cash, or a new business partner would be a big help in expansion,” Simon said.
“Maybe at the viewing taking place in the Kristoff home tomorrow, we’ll meet one of those partners,” Bart said. “It’s funny that we’ve been here at least twenty minutes, and none of us have mentioned the dead housekeeper. Are we starting to get numb to people dying?”
